Gabe

Giving this thread a bump after 5 years as I am a CP alumn and have recently discovered there is an actual company-endorsed CP alumni network. Once confirmed, you will be sent a nice T shirt, along with some bumper stickers and other goodies. Of more importance are invitations to alumni events at the WDW resort throughout the year, plus discounts at various times. Membership is free and does not have to be renewed every year.

Especially at Subway in the park. In an effort to eat healthier at the Park, I was shocked at how slow the service was. They already cut the number of topping options in half, so theoretically it should have been faster. It shouldn't have taken 10 minutes to get a sandwhich once ordered.

I sense a sponsorship opportunity...The KI petting zoo..sponsored by Purrell!

It is a large venue, so unless you plan on having a lot of guests at your wedding, it's likely more space than you would need. My experience with a wedding there was that the venue itself was nice, but that its sheer size prohibited the guests from mingling with each other. The dance floor is so big, it serves as a physical barrier between the two sides of the room where tables are located.

As I recall, didn't Music Hall in Cincy use texture-mapping for Luminosity these past two summers? I put in for tix and wasn't selected in the lottery, but if they do it again next summer, I'll def plan on going.

I personally like what Disney has done with incorporating all the LED technology with Cinderella Castle. Very cool use of an iconic landmark. I especially love the icicle lights that will soon adorn the castle for the winter season. I recall the ugly birthday cake during 1996 and cant say I miss it!

The ongoing Hub refurb will really open up that area of the park when complete. During parade times, there is also a good bottleneck in Frontierland around the rafts to Tom Sawyer Island. Its caused by the Splash/Thunder juxtaposition and the fact that ingress/egress isn't the best around there. Hopefully Disney opens this area up as well.

I believe the thinking was that the same department that is responsible for firemen issues should also inspect rides. But yes, they inspect and license the rides in Indiana.

In Indiana, the Department of Homeland Security inspects all amusement rides. If the zoo wanted the ride to reopen, the inspection could take place relatively quickly. However, the ride does not run below 50 degrees, so I'd imagine the zoo would rather put it into hibernation and focus on fixing the problems that sidelined it this season, rather than squeeze a couple more weeks out of an already moody ride.

The Yachstman steakhouse at the Yacht Club rivals Le Cellier in terms of steak (not to mention price!). I would highly recommend it for a nice, quiet, romantic dinner.

When last I was there in May, I was able to book additional FP on the mobile app without a problem. Things change on a dime, though. When in doubt ask at the park! (don't ask the 407-W-Disney people though, as they are the last to know)

Military friends I've travelled with to WDW can get 4 day Hopper tickets through their respective bases for a pretty big discount (177, plus tax unless if bought at a base). As for the hotels, I know Shades is dependent upon rank, but generally speaking, the hotel discounts are 30-35-40% for Value-Moderate-Deluxe.

Of all the Disney hotels I've stayed in, the Moderates have consistently delivered at a higher level for a lower price point than did the Deluxe or Value resorts (if you're paying top dollar, I'd advise shunning the Poly and opt for Wilderness Lodge or GF if you want to stay near MK or the Yacht or Beach by Epcot). If you're a former or active armed forces member, the discounts available are terrific.

Universal's park-downtown situation is dictated more by the land available to them than by economics. Disney beat Universal to the punch by 30 years in Orlando, so naturally they got the most land for the best price. Universal is pretty landlocked in its current locale, but like Cedar Point, they make good use of what they have. Disney has acres and acres (40,000+ of which 25% can be developed per Walt's will). Those at Disney using the free dining plan benefit greatly, which of course frees up spending on higher margin items like merch. The resort can be done on a budget, as numerous forum members here including me have noted or done. Or, the resort can be done for a king's ransom. All depends on what your expectations are.

There are no plans for a 5th gate. Lance on Screamscape is throwing stuff against the wall to see what will stick. If anything, WDW is in need of more value and family-style suite hotels (think Art of Animation). That's where the big $ is for Disney. I know Disney is aggressively looking to build more Art of Animation style resorts, so that's a more likely fit, given the location. Disney doesn't build theme parks next to strip malls such as the one that just broke ground.

Wouldn't you rather have a FP to Soarin over SE? SE only has a line the first hour of each day of any consequence. Unless you head to Soarin at rope drop, even on slow days the wait wo a FP will be at least 60 minutes and often more.

The ride has been beset with problems from the get-go: its opening was delayed two months due to a series of technical glitches and once opened, was only working about half the time. I was lucky to get a ride on a recent visit and while the line was short, it still took nearly 45 minutes to ride, given the horrible load/unload times and the distance required between each car. It also suffers from that word all of us park people loathe--prototype!

At various times, the old Odyssey restaurant btwn FW and WS at Epcot showcased artifacts from former attractions. It served as an Annual Pass processing center as well during the Food and Wine festival. Lord knows the Wonders of Life building has sat dormant for years now, aside from the occasional corporate gathering or Disney backstage tour rendezvous point so it's available as well. While an interesting concept, I don't see Disney constructing a separate building on property somewhere for a museum. They'd incorporate it into the parks.

John Stamos bought the old DL sign some years back.

See: FanofFirehawk posted some good descriptions (with spoilers): http://www.KICentral...ne/#entry647924

I had heard that nothing was able to be salvaged. The floats were in terrible shape and were beyond repair. It would be cheaper and easier to just begin from scratch. No museum would want anything from that parade in the condition they were in. So, for now, the Main Street Electrical Parade parades on, until Disney can construct a new one or port one from another property.

Indy used to have a Coney-esque park located not far from downtown. Its heyday years were the 30s-50s. By the 60s it was on the decline and subsequently closed. A golf course now occupies most of the land. In the late 80s-90s, a Garfield-themed park was proposed out by the airport, but it never took off. The new airport terminal now occupies most of where that park would have been. Glad you had a nice time in my hometown.

There are huge warehouses in the Florida complex (mostly located behind MK) where such things are stored. Some are repurposed, while others sit around gathering dust until they're no longer useable (as Disney discovered when attempting to reboot SpectroMagic a few years back).

October is a good time to test such things--low crowds, short waits, little in the way of media hordes frothing at the mouth. Disney floats trial balloons like this often-I'm sure guests approaching the standby que during the test will be directed to any of the many kiosks scattered around the park to make a reservation. I've been there this time of year and the standby line for TSM was only 30-45 minutes. I wouldn't read too much into this.

The tamest IMO is Board To Death....so tame that when you walk through it you'll be bored...to death.