march vacation itinerary (general info)
Disney 2005
Phone (407) 939-7675
(407) WDW-DINE (939-3463)†
Disney Conf. Number: ######## March 23-27 (4 nights)
Park Hours: MK – 9-11, AK – 8-8, MGM – 9-9
Epcot Future World 9-7 Epcot World Showcase 11-9
Upon arrival:
Disney florist - http://www.disneyflorist.com/
Photocopy back of park passes (for backup)
Pal Mickey (get at resort?)
Wednesday March 23 – Magic Kingdom
PM Magic Kingdom xtra hours
7:40 pm Chef Mickey’s
Thursday, March 24 – Animal Kingdom
PM Epcot xtra hours (get tix before dinner?)
Dinner:7:15 Hoop-dee-doo review – Fort Wilderness Resort
48 hr cancel. Verify with guest services
if you have to ride the boat from Wilderness Lodge to FortWilderness or vice versa. About half way between the two resorts, on the FortWilderness side of River Country, there is a Cypress Tree away from the shore line with dozens of pairs of shoes on it. It is the most bizarre thing. We asked one of the boat captins about it and he said, whenever anyone from "Watercraft" retires, all the staff go out there and the retiree puts a pair of shoes on the tree. It is just part of their small retirement ceremony for each other. He also said, in all his years on the boat, NO ONE had ever asked him about those shoes.
Entertainment: While you enjoy an all you can eat dinner, you are entertained by good old fashion country western singers, dancers and comedians. Be prepared for slapstick, corny jokes and lots of singing and dancing.Your meal, brought to your table includes: fried chicken, pork ribs, corn on the cob and strawberry shortcake! Unlimited beer, sangria and soft drinks are also included in the price.Cost - $50.22 for adults and $25.43 for children 3-11; tax and gratuity included. Reservations can be made up to 2 years ahead of time! Tables are assigned in the order in which reservations are made. There is 2 tiered seating...the main floor and upstairs in the balcony. Shows can sell out during busy times of the year. Tickets and Table assignments are available 5 days in advance at your Disney Resort Guest Services location.
Discounts are sometimes available so inquire for Annual Passholders, Disney Vacation Club Members and Disney Visa Card Holders... you never know!Directions: The show is held at Pioneer Hall in FortWilderness. Non-FortWilderness guests can drive, take the boat from the Contemporary, Wilderness Lodge or MagicKingdom or take a bus from the Ticket and TransportationCenter.
Friday, March 25 - Epcot
AM MagicKingdom xtra hour
Dinner: Aloha Luau 5:15 – Polynesian Pick up tix at guest services (48hr cancel)
Saturday, March 26 - MGM
AM Animal Kingdom xtra hour
Dinner: Fantasmic 4:10 at Hollywood and Vine (48 hr cancel)
The Fantasmic! Dinner Package includes dinner at one of the participating Disney-MGM Studios restaurants and reserved seating in the Fantasmic! amphitheater. As of this writing, only Brown Derby, Mama Melrose, and Hollywood & Vine are participating. BUT, at various times the Sci-Fi Dine-In and the '50s Prime Time Cafe have also been included, so be sure to ask what restaurant choices are available.This means that instead of waiting in line for 60-90 minutes outside the theater, you can walk right up to the theater 30-45 minutes before show time, (no waiting in line!) and still have a seat.
Hollywood & Vine $21.99 adult/$10.99 child (3-11) not including admission, tax, and gratuity (no characters) Child's meal includes beverage. All you care to eat buffet. Choose from a number of selections including; oven-roasted Prime Rib, Citrus Baked Chicken, Pan-seared Salmon, and Stir-Fry Noodles with Sesame. Also includes fresh salads and build your own ice cream/dessert bar. Alcoholic beverages NOT included.
Report to your restaurant 10 minutes before your Fantasmic! Dinner Package PS, and you'll received your special Fantasmic! seating pass at that time.
Do I have a reserved seat? No, only the section itself is reserved for those with the dinner package. Within the reserved section, seating is on a first come-first served basis, so if you want your choice of seats, you should arrive 45-60 minutes early. Where is the reserved section?The reserved section is all the way over on the right side of the theater - the Witch section. The amphitheater is set up so that there really are no *bad* seats, except you will get wet if you sit in the first few rows.Where do I enter the theater? Do NOT enter the Fantasmic! line that starts at the amphitheater's Sunset Boulevard entrance. Present your Fantasmic! Dinner Package voucher 30 minutes prior to showtime at the Fantasmic! sign located on Hollywood Boulevard next to Oscar's Super Service (inside the turnstiles at the front of the park). Guests arriving less than 30 minutes prior to showtime will be offered standing room only, if available.How early do I have to get to the theater? You must arrive at least 30-45 minutes before the show starts.
Depart Sunday, March 27
Options:
Downtown Disney:
Rainforest Café
Check out the wonderful interactive fountains where children (and adults who have the guts) may enjoy playing and getting wet.
The LegoImaginationCenter has a FREE 3,000-square-foot outdoor play area filled with thousands of LEGO blocks, plus some absolutely amazing and huge Lego sculptures for you to admire!
Check out the FREE magic demonstrations at the Magic Masters shop -- learn a card trick!
Visit the Ghirardelli Soda Fountain & Chocolate Shop and enjoy a sundae (about $6.25) or shake (about $3.95).
Take a Boat Ride
This is enjoyable any time of day, but particularly beautiful and romantic at night.
Cruise the loop around CrescentLake, which visits Epcot, Boardwalk, Yacht/Beach Club, Swan/Dolphin, and MGM without going into the parks.
Take the boat that visits the MagicKingdom, Contemporary, Wilderness Lodge and Ft.Wilderness, or the boat that visits the Polynesian, Grand Floridian and MagicKingdom (and you can get off at the MagicKingdom and wander along the lake outside the gates, or hop on the monorail).
Cruise from Port Orleans to Downtown Disney and back, along the SassagoulaRiver.
Cost for any of the above: free to all Disney resort guests and anyone with a multi-day pass.
Take an Evening Carriage Ride
You can take a 30-minute carriage ride at Port Orleans Riverside or FortWilderness for $30 (including tax but not tip). The rides start in front of Boatwright's Dining Hall and Pioneer Hall nightly between 6:00 and 9:30 pm. For a couple it is a little more than the $10 per person limit of this page, but it's very romantic!
Go on a hayride! There are nightly hayrides from Pioneer Hall at Ft.Wilderness at 7:00 and 9:30 pm. Cost: $8 adults, $4 children.
Boardwalk:
Often there are street performers (jugglers, comedians, fire-eaters, jazz ensembles, etc.) -- stroll around and watch them!
There are lots of vendors selling inexpensive food treats.
You can try your luck at a carnival-style game (small cost).
Sit and watch the Friendship Boats come and go.
For a small cover charge you can visit Jellyroll's (a dueling piano bar featuring sing-a-longs to your favorite pop tunes).
Check out AtlanticDance Hall, which often has live bands ranging from top-40 to Latin -- and no cover charge.
The water fountain behind Cinderella's Castle (next to Tinkerbell's Treasures) Has Cinderella in it holding a bird. If you stand directly in front of Cinderella and curtsey to her, you will see the crown behind her painted onto the wall go onto her head. Dannielle: This secret is on the "Once Upon A time" training tour that all Magic Kingdom Cast Members go through.
Head straight through the Innovations East, and head towards Horizons, you will spot a set of restrooms to the left. You will see a couple of water fountains that there that are said to talk.
Do you now that when you go from Seven Seas Lagoon to BayLake you have to go go across a WATERBRIDGE, yes a bridge that instead of anything else carries water. When built it was the first one of its kind in the world. Now there are 5 worldwide, 2 of them in France and 3 of them at Disney World, the original one (Seven Seas-Bay Lake) and there are two that connect World Showcase Lagoon with the Boardwalk, Beach and Yacht Lagoon, you can see one of them backstage Epcot and the other one when you go to the Yacht and Beach Club from the road the pass in front of the entrance of the Boardwalk.
CHECK OUT:
Pirate Cruise - Children wear pirate bandannas and follow clues to search BayLake and the Seven Seas Lagoon for buried treasure. They sail to many exotic "ports of call" (Resort Marinas) to collect treasure. At the final port of call, children have a snack and split up the "buried treasure." Children who are potty trained (no pull-ups) and ages 4-10 may attend. Lunch is provided (Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich, Gummy bears, Krispy Treat and Juice box). Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. Available to all guests, Cost is $28.17 plus tax.
Reservations 120 days in advance 407-WDW-DINE
Magic Kindgom notes part 1
Magic Kingdom:
Wednesday – Extra hours
Wishes Nighttime spectacular - March 20-31 -- 10:00 p.m.
Spectromagic - March 20-31 -- 9:00 p.m.
Entrance and Main Street:
Before park opens: The WDW train is perfectly centered in front of the train station for those wishing to take pictures. It is the only time during the day that this occurs. Because the trees have grown, the photo op. is not all that great.
The entrance to the Magic Kingdom park is like a theatre. The ticket area is like a lobby, you go through tunnels lined with "coming attraction" type posters. The train station is the curtain and then you go through it and you're in the show.
In the Main St. train station lower level, up on one of the shelves (Cast members (CM's) can halp you locate it) you can see Aladdin's lamp as well as other characters' belongings waiting to be picked up. Some park guest lost and found items are there too, is the artificial leg with the name Smith on it (a Mary Poppins joke) one of these?
The telegraph you hear at the train station? It's tapping out Walt Disney's speech at Disneyland's 1954 opening in Morse Code.
From the WDW Railroad train, as you approach Frontierland, the "riverboat in a cave" is part of Splash Mountain. More "lost" items are on a shelf in the Frontierland train station waiting room.
See the Lady and the Tramp pawprints in front Tony´s Town Square Restaurant at the front of Main St.. At the back of the restaurant dining room, there is a beautiful 3-paned dark blue
Main Street Bakery: note the old fashioned phone on the wall. Pick it up and listen carefully to the conversation
If you turn down the first side street to your right off Main Street on a more quiet day and look up at the windows that have signs that say something like "music lessons", you'll hear from time to time a voice practicing scales and/or someone tap dancing. You can't always hear it - it has to be pretty quiet. Listen for several minutes, there are several events.
On Main Street, check out the old style phone in the General Store. (on the right side of the street as you're headed in) Pick up the reciever and listen in to a conversation going on. Also one in Tomorrowland under the TTA (Tomorrowland Transit Authority) ststion and Astro Orbiter.
Harmony barber shop you can have glitter put in your hair. Many parents bring a child for his (often ceremonial, not actual) first haircut and you can get a certificate with a lock of the child's hair attached. .
Main Street is designed, through forced perspective, to look as if it's much longer than it is when you're heading towards the castle. In the mornings, you are all excited and have the energy to walk. When you're walking away from the castle towards the exit, it looks shorter. (I don't yet agree it looks shorter.) That's good for the way out when you're all tired. Also, since most people walk on the right side of the street, all the food shops are on the right as you enter for those wanting breakfast, while the gift shops are on your right on the way out! Getting back to the theme of "being in the movies" the names on the windows up above are to suggest movie credits, and are the names of persons responsible for building the park. Some names are of dummy corporations (e.g. M.T. Lott) formed to purchase the land for WDW back in the 1960's while keeping it all a secret. Walt Disney? His name is above the ice cream shop "since his brother Roy gave him the best office, that faces the castle".
Although the Main St. Cinema is gone, old Disney cartoons are still shown, in a small theater, with seats, in Expo Hall. Also in Expo Hall Disney princesses including Snow White and Aurora are sometimes there to sign autographs.
On Main Street, check out the old style phone in the General Store. (on the right side of the street as you're headed in) Pick up the reciever and listen in to a conversation going on. Also one in Tomorrowland under the TTA (Tomorrowland Transit Authority) ststion and Astro Orbiter.
Events / Performers:
"Share a Dream Come True" Parade Daily at 3pm Sunday, Monday & Thursday-Saturday
Rhythm Rascals - Main Street, U.S.A. – Dixieland
Main Street Actors - Appearing throughout the day at 20 minute intervals, including: Mayor Weaver, Town Gossip Tabitha Quidnunk, Reporter Scoop Sanderson, and Socialite Hildegard Olivia Harding.
Tapping Shoes - Listen for the sound of tap shoes outside the Dance Studio on Main Street
Minnie's Main Street Memories - Main Street, U.S.A. - Takes place several times a week.
Castle:
The stone railing that is along the castle's walkway has an inverted three-circle pattern along it. When the sun hits these the right way, images of Mickey are projected all along the walkway.
[I] haven't seen this one posted, but it was fun for [my] kids to discover the little mice up in the rafters of the lobby of the castle.
Inside the walls of the walk-through of the castle is several mosaics. On the mosaic wall furthest from the entrance are the two stepsisters, Anastasia and Drusilla (Minerva and Calliope in Disney's 1998 movie version starring Brandy and Paolo). The mosaic shows one of them with a red face and the other with a green face. Red with rage and green with envy!
Find the water fountain to the left of Cinderella Castle as you exit the rear (and next to Tinker Bell's Treasures) it has Cinderella in it holding a bird. Stand directly in front of Cinderella and curtsy to her, you will see the gold crown behind her painted onto the wall go onto her head. The purpose? To explain the story of Cinderella in just one glance - rags to riches.
Adventureland:
Pirate show located by pirates of Caribbean Tuesday-Friday
11:30-11:50 a.m. 12:30-12:50 p.m. 1:30-1:50 p.m. 2:30-2:50 p.m.
3:30-3:50 p.m. 4:20-4:40 p.m.
Pirates of the Caribbean - On Pirates, as you pass the auction scene, watch as the pirate on the left hand side fires his gun, the sign on the other side of the water "pings" and swings back and forth. n the boat, just before it goes under one of the bridges, look for a bald pirate who was close to the water, on the left side. [I] think he was singing the Yo Ho song, but don't remember for sure. Just before the boat went under the bridge, he turned his head toward our boat and winked. just remembered this after [I] read on another board about seeing celebrities at WDW. On Pirates of the Caribbean, [I] think it is on the first bridge that you go under, sitting on the bridge is a man with one of his legs hanging over and another man standing next to him. The face of the man sitting is of Sid Caesar. One of the designers really loved Sid Caesar and made the face to look this way.
Jungle Cruise
Swiss Family Treehouse
Enchanted Tiki Room
Shrunken Ned's Junior Jungle Boats
Magic Carpets of Aladdin – Look for buried jewels
Mapapa - Adventureland Tumblers
Frontierland:
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Country Bear Jamboree
Frontierland Shooting Arcade
Splash Mountain
Tom Sawyer Island – Find the paintbrushes
Extras:
Frontierland Hoedown-Interactive parade featuring dancers and the Country Bears. Guests are invited to participate in a square dance and a line dance. Takes place outside the Country Bear Jamboree, Prairie Outpost & Supply and Pecos Bill's Tall Tale Inn. Sunday, Tuesday, Wed, & Friday at 10:10, 11:00 & 11:50am, Sat. at 4:50 & 5:40pm
Frontierland Actors
Prospector "Goldust" Gus:
Sunday & Thursday-Saturday at 11:00am, 12:00, 1:00, 2:15 & 3:45pm;
Monday at 9:00, 10:15 & 11:30am, 12:45 & 1:45pm
Marshall Jack Dalton: Tuesday at 10:00 & 11:00am, 12:00, 1:15 & 2:30pm
Length of sets: 30 minutes
The Notorious Banjo Brothers And Bob - Comical traveling trio includes two banjo players and a tuba player, offering everything from cowboy melodies like "Back in the Saddle Again" to bluegrass, with Disney tunes mixed in. Tuesday & Thursday-Saturday at 11:30am, 12:15, 1:15, 2:10, 3:30, 4:20 & 5:15pm Wednesday at 3:30, 4:20 & 5:15pm
Liberty Square:
In Liberty Square, there is a gate around a door -- it guards a marble slab that used to be threshhold or a step at Monticello. President Jefferson actually walked on it long ago. In the section with different styled building fronts next to each other, observe the details and styles progressing through the 19'th century, place 18 in front of the house number on the door to get the year for that styling.
Goofy’s Country Jammin Jamboree
Hall of Presidents
Haunted Mansion – The wedding ring in the concrete at the end of Haunted Mansion.The Ring is "sorta" hard to spot. As you come out of the haunted mansion you will go past all the tombs, then you come to a gateway with a wide and a narrow passageway. The ring is in the ground about even with the gateway in the middle of the wide passageway. You can ask a CM usually they will show you and tell you one of the stories about how it got there! (Looks too small to be a ring in my opinion.)
Fantasyland:
Cinderella’s golden carouselle -One horse on Cinderella's Golden Carrousel has a gold ribbon on its tail. This particular horse is rumored to be Cinderella's favorite. Find Cinderella's coach mice atop the sign for the Carrousel.
Another unique area (nice photo op.) is right in front of the carousel where Merlin the Magician picks a lucky lad to remove the Sword from the Stone. The pavement there is shaped like sword blades.
Dumbo The Flying Elephant
It's a Small World
Mad Tea Party
The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh - Try to smell honey as you ride Pooh
Peter Pan's Flight
Snow White's Scary Adventures
Ariel's Grotto
Mickey’s PhilharMagic
Cinderellabration
Extras:
When you go to Sir Mickey's Shop in Fantasyland look at where the roof meets the walls. You will see Willie the Giant from Mickey and the Beanstalk peeking into the shop .
Storytime with Belle - Daily at 11:15am, 12:15, 1:15, 2:15, 4:05 & 5:05pm
Sword in the stone - Located in front of Cinderella's Golden Carrousel. Sunday-Thursday at 11:15am, 12:15, 1:15, 2:15, 4:00 & 5:00pm
Cinderella's Wishing Well – Fantasyland Throw a coin into the fountain. Surprise!
Fantasyland Woodwind Society - Quartet of saxophonists plays favorite Disney songs Monday-Thursday at 10:30 & 11:30am, 12:30 & 1:30pm
Mickey’s Toontown Fair:
Donald’s boat
Mickey's Country House
Minnie's Country House
The Barnstormer at Goofy's Wiseacre Farm
Toontown Hall of Fame
Not a big secret ... but [I] like the walkway that goes from Mickey's Toontown Fair to Space Mountain. It follows the railroad track. One of the few quiet places in MK.
Magic Kingdom notes Part 2
Tomorrowland:
Astro Orbiter
Stitch's Great Escape
Tomorrowland Indy Speedway - Near the Indy Speedway on the way from Fantasyland into Tomorrowland there is a high streetlamp with three large round hooded lights -- it was designed to cast a hidden Mickey on the ground twice a day when the sun is in the right place.
Space Mountain
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin – Some of the big points in Buzz Lightyear are scored when leaving the first room. Turn around and shoot the back of the Orange robots arm or the back of the buzz saw. 100,000 points. The car usually turns automatically away from these so use the lever to face backwards and score big! One contributor suggests to hold the button on your blaster down all the time. Don't let it up as you move it around and aim.
Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress
Tomorrowland Arcade
Tomorrowland Transit Authority -- While riding the Tomorrowland Transit Authority trains, look out to the left toward the bridge and you can get a great view of a topiary dragon on the side of the grassy hill. You can also see this dragon on the right while entering Tomorrowland via the main bridge. Also when riding TTA you enter a tunnel and see a model of a futuristic city which was first exhibited at the 1964-5 New York Worlds Fair with the Carousel of Progress and envisioned by Walt Disney as the plan for Epcot. In a different tunnel,.a glimpse of Space Mountain from the sidelines in the dark with the "space vehicles" flying by above.
Extras:
Tomorrowland Countdown - 12-piece rock band, performs the songs of The Pointer Sisters, Chuck Mangione, Tower of Power and others with a high-energy, futuristic twist.
Sunday, Monday & Thursday-Saturday at 11:00 & 11:50am, 12:40 & 1:30pm 20 min
PUSH, The Talking Trashcan Sunday-Thursday at 10:00, 10:50 & 11:40am, 12:40, 1:30, 2:30 & 3:30pm
Magic Kingdom Parade Viewing
See if you can find a "hidden walt (1)" on each float.
Fireworks Show
Stand near the flower garden right outside Tomorrow Land for the fireworks and Tinker Bell flies right overhead.
Other interesting places to view the fireworks:
1. While riding Splash Mountain, as your log boat comes down the big drop into the briar patch (requires some lucky timing).
2. From the balcony at the Main St. railroad station, a nice view of Main St with the castle in the distance.
3. From Narcoosee's Restaurant. They sometimes dim the lights and play the fireworks music.
4. From California Grill
Ceremonies
Characters each choose a child to escort into Toontown Fair at its rope drop opening.
On the first ride of Dumbo each morning, Mickey and Minnie pick kids to ride with.
Children often ask the Walt Disney Railroad Train conductor for the chance to announce "All Aboard".
Kiss Goodnight
(You may have to try more than once as is not performed every night) Linger in the park in front of the castle about 30 minutes after the park closing. You'll be treated to the "kiss goodnight" from the castle...something really cool to see. (Buses and monorails run for at least an hour after park closing time, a little longer if guests are outside still waiting. But after an hour don't straggle too far behind.)
