Letter from Al to all Disney Cast Members
Today I'm making three very exciting announcements to the media that I'd like to share with you.
The first is that we'll open an amazing new family thrill ride at Disney's Animal Kingdom in 2006. Called Expedition EVEREST: The Legend of the Forbidden Mountain, this attraction will take guests on a high-speed train adventure through the Himalayas. Surprises will include a mysterious mythical creature and the tallest drop on Walt Disney World property. You can get details in Eyes & Ears on the portal, but I want to tell you why I'm so excited about this new ride.
Expedition EVEREST will add a new dimension to Disney's Animal Kingdom and broaden its offerings, while staying true to the park's unique brand. You may remember that the original vision for this park was to showcase animals past, present and mythical. We've achieved the first two, and this attraction will help us achieve the third by introducing a creature called a yeti - also known as the abominable snowman.
Our guests have told us they want more rides at this park, so Expedition EVEREST will complete the great experience and give guests an even more compelling reason to visit time and again. It should be a huge hit, doing for Disney's Animal Kingdom what Sunset Boulevard and the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror have done for the Disney-MGM Studios. I even expect that the mountain, taking up an acre and reaching to nearly 200 feet, will become a new park icon.
The second announcement is the opening date for the first phase of Disney's Pop Century Resort: Dec. 14, 2003 - in time for our busy holiday season. We're taking reservations for this value resort now, and we anticipate great success with it like we've had with Disney's All-Star Resorts. This phase will have 2,880 rooms and will be themed with icons from the 1950s-90s.
Finally, I'm excited to share our opening dates for Mission:SPACE at Epcot. We'll have a soft opening starting Aug. 15, 2003, and we'll host our grand opening in October. I've already ridden this remarkable attraction, and it will undoubtedly be one of the best theme park rides in the world.
I'm thrilled with all our new projects, but I also know that the real magic comes from you, our Cast. For more than 30 years, you've been our number-one topic of guest compliments and the reason that our guest service is world-famous. Thank you for your extraordinary contributions to our success. Keep up the great work!
Al Weiss
President
Walt Disney World
Today I'm making three very exciting announcements to the media that I'd like to share with you.
The first is that we'll open an amazing new family thrill ride at Disney's Animal Kingdom in 2006. Called Expedition EVEREST: The Legend of the Forbidden Mountain, this attraction will take guests on a high-speed train adventure through the Himalayas. Surprises will include a mysterious mythical creature and the tallest drop on Walt Disney World property. You can get details in Eyes & Ears on the portal, but I want to tell you why I'm so excited about this new ride.
Expedition EVEREST will add a new dimension to Disney's Animal Kingdom and broaden its offerings, while staying true to the park's unique brand. You may remember that the original vision for this park was to showcase animals past, present and mythical. We've achieved the first two, and this attraction will help us achieve the third by introducing a creature called a yeti - also known as the abominable snowman.
Our guests have told us they want more rides at this park, so Expedition EVEREST will complete the great experience and give guests an even more compelling reason to visit time and again. It should be a huge hit, doing for Disney's Animal Kingdom what Sunset Boulevard and the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror have done for the Disney-MGM Studios. I even expect that the mountain, taking up an acre and reaching to nearly 200 feet, will become a new park icon.
The second announcement is the opening date for the first phase of Disney's Pop Century Resort: Dec. 14, 2003 - in time for our busy holiday season. We're taking reservations for this value resort now, and we anticipate great success with it like we've had with Disney's All-Star Resorts. This phase will have 2,880 rooms and will be themed with icons from the 1950s-90s.
Finally, I'm excited to share our opening dates for Mission:SPACE at Epcot. We'll have a soft opening starting Aug. 15, 2003, and we'll host our grand opening in October. I've already ridden this remarkable attraction, and it will undoubtedly be one of the best theme park rides in the world.
I'm thrilled with all our new projects, but I also know that the real magic comes from you, our Cast. For more than 30 years, you've been our number-one topic of guest compliments and the reason that our guest service is world-famous. Thank you for your extraordinary contributions to our success. Keep up the great work!
Al Weiss
President
Walt Disney World
