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INTERCOT > Interactive > INTERCOT Insider Archive > September 2002

Intercot.com INTERCOT Insider
 September 2002 Edition

Brought to you by INTERCOT's network of sites:
INTERCOT - Walt Disney World Inside & Out
INTERCOT West - Disneyland Inside & Out
INTERCOT's WebDisney - Guide to Disney on the Internet
INTERCOT's MousehutMail - Free Web Based Email
INTERCOT's Thrillride Experience - Thrill Ride Parks & Attractions

This newsletter and other past issues can also be read online at; http://www.intercot.com/interactive/insider/archive

<< Introduction >>

The Insider staff would like to apologize for running late this month (blame dpamac). However, we’ve got a lot of changes on the horizons (but we’re late because of dpamac) that we think you’ll be very, very excited about. We’re revising our publishing schedule and have added a few more pixies to our regular contributing staff. We think you’ll be very happy about the changes and additions you’ll see next month.

So, because we’re so late (did we mention that you can blame dpamac?), we’ll keep it short this month. Updates and changes and a few ideas on traveling from overseas.

<< INTERCOT Happenings >>

What’s happening at INTERCOT? Quite a bit, actually. We’re working on making the site itself run and look a lot better. Keen eyes will have noticed some minor tweaking being done here and there. However, in the coming months you’ll be seeing some major updating and restructuring. Keep your eyes peeled!

Guess whose birthday is in October? True, Walt Disney World’s, but that’s not who we’re looking for. We’ll give you a hint. It’s on October 12, and it’s a fifth birthday. Give up?

INTERCOT celebrates its fifth birthday in October. It’s hard to believe that it was five years ago that this amazing website began as an idea in one person’s head. Now it’s a website with millions of visitors a month, and thousands of active members helping each other plan Disney vacations.

We’ll tell more of the story in next month’s Insider. But if you’d like a trip down memory lane, visit the Internet Archive and check out INTERCOT through the years (Kenny Rogers music to be provided by you). Simply plug INTERCOT Archive into your browser and sit back and feel the magic.

<< WDW Events with DisneyWizard >>

Normally September isn’t the most exciting month news wise. However, this year turned tradition on its head. On September 18th, Disney announced some major overhauls to their entertainment offerings. Changes, by the way, that had most Disney travelers cheering with glee. The least of these changes is the return of Early Entry, under a new name (Magic Hour).  For the latest information and schedules of the new Magic Hour, visit here: Extra Magic Hour Program Link

With all of the price changes going on, you may find yourself fighting to keep updated. Here’s an overview of the most important news updates that have arisen in the World.

Pricing at WDW takes a roller coaster ride:
There have been so many recent changes at WDW with pricing, it’s difficult to grasp. Here’s the skinny: general admission to the parks has increased to $53.00 for adults and $42.40 for children. Along with the admission hike is an increase in parking costs and Florida resident costs. Parking is now $7 per car and Florida resident Play 4 Days has jumped to $109. However, with all of these increases comes good news - a new discounted advanced-purchase program is available for select park-hopper tickets. The advance-purchased tickets are available online, by phone (407-W-DISNEY), at select travel agents, and Disney Stores outside the state of Florida.
“I guess I can't say that I'm surprised. We'll pay it anyway.” –VickiP

“Compared to the price I pay for local amusement parks, even with the increase I still think I get so much more for my money at Disney.” –GrandFlo
“…even though $1 isn't much for parking, the prices for other tickets are a bit much.” -UltimateDisneyFreak

Disney Club discounts no longer offered at park gates
You heard right! All you premium-paying Disney Club members can only receive your Park-Hopper discount if you buy the tickets over the phone or at a Disney Store. Disney has stopped honoring the membership for tickets bought at the hotels and park gates. Most Intercotees don’t support this bit of news.
“When I was suckered, er, I mean when I joined the Disney Club, I expected similar perks and discounts. However, I discovered soon after that those perks and discounts were few and far between.” –Imagineer Wanna Be
“Its seems everything is going up except for paychecks.” –twistedmickey
“I guess I won't be rejoining DC next year!” –hope2survive

WDW remembers 9/11
On September 11th, every WDW theme park, Water Park, and Downtown District remembered those lost exactly one year ago. Flags were lowered to half-staff and a moment of silence was taken.
“It will surely be a day remembered by all.” –imaginationhost
“I can't imagine anyone NOT wanting to give up a few minutes of their routine out of respect.” –Disney-4-Me

Innoventions swaps sponsors
At the end of September, Xerox and the Radiological Society of North America will remove their sponsorship from Innoventions. These two companies will be replaced with Underwriters Laboratories and Whirlpool Corporation. The new exhibits are expected to open by the end of this year or beginning of 2003.
“Looking at a state of the art washing machine doesn't really excite me much. Nor does watching a display of 'refrigeration of the future'.” –AndrewJackson
“Maybe this would be another opportunity to infuse a little more "future" into Future World instead of just advertisements for current products.” –leftear

Florida residents now receive 20% Cirque Du Soleil tickets
If you live in the state of Florida and want to see La Nouba, located in Downtown Disney, before September 30th, you are now able to take 20% off of tickets. Call 407-WDW-7328 to order. Tickets must be purchased in advance to receive the discount.

Canadian discount now available
If you are a resident of Canada you are eligible for a new discount being offered in the Walt Disney World resort. Up to 25% off may be received based on a special exchange. See the below link for more information and viewpoints of other Intercotees. Link

New Fantasmic! dinner package system being tested
A new pricing-tiered system is being tested for three months in Disney-MGM studios beginning September 16th. Each tier has a different pricing level, with tier one (Hollywood & Vine) being the least expensive, tier two (Mama Melrose) being the moderate priced, and tier three (Hollywood Brown Derby) being the most expensive. Dinner packages can be booked by calling (407) WDW-DINE. The package is also being included on the Disney's Grand Plan, Discovery Magic, Deluxe Magic, and Adventure Magic vacation packages.

<< Communicore with PolyGirl40 >>

Hello and Wow! We have lots to touch base on this month.

Firstly --- Watch for the menu area of Info Central to continue to grow over the next few weeks and months. I'd like to thank everyone that was kind enough to obtain menus while vacationing. It has enabled us to update and add many restaurants to our ever-growing list. The broadening is also due to the hard work of WDWdriver and Piglet822. They both reside in the area and allowed the site to benefit from that. The restaurant staff at Disney World now thinks there is an eccentric lady residing in New York that has a hobby of collecting menus. ;-)

If you'd like jump on the menu wagon, simply ask the wait staff while dining at a Disney restaurant for a copy of their menu. They are usually very accommodating to this request. Menus can be mailed to:
Intercot.com
c/o Levelbest Communications
PO Box 400
Monrovia, MD 21770-0400

Scanned menus can be sent to [email protected] with “menus” in the subject field

I've received countless email in reference to the new Recipe section. It's great to know so many are enjoying it. The Staff will be adding more recipes as they are made available. If you have a Disney recipe that is not offered and would like to share it with us, you can send it to; [email protected] and put "Recipe" in the subject field. With Fall and Winter on our horizon, it's a wonderful time to be in the kitchen trying out new creations. Bon Appétit!

On to What's New!
As promised in the last Insider, the Downtown Disney section has been added to Info Central. Scroll down to find the 'Disney Nightlife' caption. There is an entire page delegated to Marketplace, Pleasure Island, and the West Side, as well as a General Information Page. They include the hours of operation, entertainment, shopping and dining options. A DisneyQuest map is available on the West Side page. You'll also notice a link to BoardWalk Nightlife, detailing the same helpful information.

Other new points of interest are the 'Rehitching Ceremony at the Land' and the 'Richard Petty Driving Experience'. If you have considered getting 're-hitched' or living out a racecar fantasy.......or both........Info Central can help you with the planning. More updates have been made to the 'Annual Passholder's Benefits' page. This includes the details for the special Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party pre-party welcome just for Annual Passholders. Disneyis turning the Adventureland Verandah into a Passholder's Pumpkin Patch, from 5 to 7 p.m. on Sunday, October 20 and Sunday, October 27, 2002. You can read more about this offer and 2 other new features by clicking the link below.

With the elimination of the religious services at the Polynesian Resort's Luau Cove, updates have also been made to the 'Religious Services' page. Addresses in the general area of Walt Disney World are listed for various Denominations. Disney is providing transportation from their resorts, via bus, to Mary Queen of the Universe Shrine's Sunday Mass. Check for times and details.
(Thanks, Jeanne.)

The Off-Season can often be a time for Park and Resort maintenance. You can keep up with the latest list of rehabs and closings via the NEW Closing and Refurbishment page. It is updated when the information is made available.

Thanks to all that have sent email requesting topics of interest for Info Central. Look for many of your suggestions to be added in the near future. Also, if you have a tip to share, not covered, on an existing page drop us a line. Send email to; [email protected]. We love hearing from you.

Until next month; Happy Planning!

<< WDW around the World Pt. 1: A UK Perspective with Mikki.Young>>

First of all WDW is an awfully long way from the UK! Direct Flights from London are around 9 – 10 hours depending on the wind speeds and if you go indirect (e.g. via Boston) add at least four hours to your journey time. It may be cheaper but it does add to that other problem – Jet Lag. Don’t plan to be active every second of the day after you arrive as you will be wilting by mid afternoon at the latest. It is not only hot in Florida; it is also very humid which makes the heat feel even worse. For sun protection you can do a lot worse than pick up a bottle of P20 at the airport – an amazing once a day application works in or out of water.

Most people from the UK hire a car for their trip – because we love going to shops! As a rule of thumb you will pay in dollars what you would pay in pounds and with the exchange rate hovering around $1.50 to the £ that makes things cheap for us. Bear in mind that there is a fairly small gift allowance (£145) which can get eaten up quickly. Go over that and you will need to go through the red channel on the way home so don’t fill up your suitcases that much! Take a small amount of currency, lots of US$ traveler’s cheques and a credit card for overspend (you get a very poor exchange rate on most credit cards so only use them if you have to). Travelers Cheques are treated like cash and most places don’t even want to see ID when you use them.

On the subject of cars make sure you get all your insurance paid for before you leave home, it will be much cheaper than paying in the US. They also drive on the right over there (like our European cousins) but the roads are nice and wide. Some familiar parts of cars will have different names as well (Trunk for Boot for example) so don’t let the differences in our common language confuse you! There are quite a few toll roads that are fairly empty to make life even easier for nervous drivers. One, the Greenway, will take you all the way from Orlando International Airport (or even Sanford!) to Walt Disney World. Do you need a car for your whole trip? Maybe not – especially if you stay on site at WDW and use their great transportation system round their parks. Think about taking a Towncar from the airport to the hotel and pick up a car from one of the hotels at Downtown Disney for as long or short a period, as you like. This saves money, stress and lets you have the best ! of both worlds.

There are worlds outside Disney and one favourite for UK visitors is Kennedy Space centre - only an hour’s drive from WDW. There are other theme parks but we don’t talk about those here; however you can get special tickets for Disney and other places in the UK before you leave. For Disney there is a special 10 day ticket that is only available from the UK (Keith Prowse sells all these sorts of tickets). If you are going for three weeks it may be worth considering an annual pass – check out the prices on the Disney web site. One danger to consider is that if you get an annual pass you may just feel that you will have to go back for another visit before the 12 months runs out!

<< Off Topic with Patricia >>

Once upon a time there was a princess named Patricia who lived in a magic kingdom called Canada. Patricia lived with three little dwarves, all of whom were growing by leaps and bounds. Now that those dwarves are back in dwarf school, this little princess will be returning to the Insider in a big, big way. Will Off Topic ever be the same? Will the dwarves wake up with purple hair? Who really let the dogs out?

Very soon you’ll learn some really exciting news about our members and what will be going on with this space. But to find out whether or not everyone really lives happily ever after . . . you’ll just have to wait one more month . . .

<< Conclusion >>

We promised to keep it short and we really, really, really tried. All our favorite regular pieces will return next month. Plus, we’ll continue our look at traveling to Disney from abroad. Crack out your masks because it’s almost Halloween. And . . . Food, Wine and Song . Just remember, we have some special announcements net month. It will be an issue you’ll not want to miss! In the mean time . . .

See you real soon!
 

<< INTERCOT Would Like To Thank>>

The INTERCOT Insider and INTERCOT.com are supported by the following sponsors who in turn, help us bring the Magic to you!

Magical Journeys
Magical Journeys is your Disney Vacation specialist. Start planning your Vacation Discount Dreams today!
Website: http://www.yourmagicaljourneys.com/

Radisson Resort Parkway
Right in the heart of action! Only 1.5 miles from Walt Disney World is an oasis of ponds, beautiful landscaping, serene waterfalls and relaxing options hiding in every corner.
Website: http://orlando.guestselectresorts.com?pid=INTERCOTN

All Star Vacation Homes
When you need a home away from home, look no further. From comfort to luxury, All Star Vacation Homes has it all in four series of homes to fit any taste and any budget just moments from the magic of Walt Disney World!
Website: http://www.allstarvacationhomes.com?ovchn=OTHER&ovcpn=Listing+Sites&ovcrn=intercot&ovtac=AD

Happy Limo
Providing ground transportation to the entire state of Florida.
Website: http://www.quicksilver-tours.com

The Official Ticket Center
Walt Disney World’s, Universal Studios and Sea World’s #1 guest service provider for the last 3 years. The Official Ticket Center has been servicing vacationers for more than 7 years now and sells tickets only, at a discount price.
Website:
http://www.officialticketcenter.com/default.aspx?affid=TC21LBC

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Copyright © 1997-2005 Levelbest Communications - All Rights Reserved
Comments or questions may be sent to [email protected]

 

 
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