DAK at nighttime (pictures): http://miceage.micechat.com/kevinyee/ky022812a.htm

Not too many years ago, Disney toyed with crafting an upscale, separate-admission, after-hours experience at Disney’s Animal Kingdom (DAK), to be called Night Kingdom. That plan would use additional facilities not seen during the daytime and have lots of one-on-one attractions (ziplines, rhino encounters, etc), and it would cost a pretty penny.


I’ve seen DAK at night before and had the chance to do it again recently, since they are staying open until 8pm some nights now, and I have to say that I truly understand the logic behind their initial explorations of leveraging this park in the dark. It’s spectacular, and we’ll unpack some of the reasons below. Night Kingdom as a concept is dead now, though they’ll probably eventually build some kind of boutique park. But you can sample a bit of it with the extended DAK hours currently occurring.

Whenever the subject of DAK’s usual closing time comes up, people inevitably say that the park isn’t geared for nighttime operation. The first argument usually has to do with the animals. They go to bed by twilight, which means that the marquee attraction (the safari jeep ride) has to close at dusk, and the animal walks as well. Fine, but the park has other attractions. The rides can certainly stay open later, and indeed that’s what we found when we visited recently. Even Kali River Rapids was open the whole time. It was extremely dark by the time the park closed, but this ride was still soaking guests. I should have gone just to say I’ve done it in the dark.

After sundown, this park takes on a magical glow. I know I sound like a Disney publicist as I write that, but it’s true. I only have to point to the ladybug lights near First Aid to prove my point. The vast majority of Disney theme parks don’t have touches like this to really sparkle when the sun goes down, but this one does. Knee-level posts provide illumination just often enough to make the park look enchanting.
 
Read more: http://miceage.micechat.com/kevinyee/ky022812a.htm

Special Rates at Swan/Dolphin on 2/29/12

LEAP INTO SUMMER WITH EXCLUSIVE LEAP DAY SALE AT THE

WALT DISNEY WORLD SWAN AND DOLPHIN HOTEL

Guests can celebrate the uncommon calendar date with an uncommon deal, offering a savings of more than 50 percent on a two-night stay in a deluxe alcove room

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – February 23, 2012 – To celebrate the 2012 leap year, the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel will offer an exclusive one-day “Leap Into Summer” sale on Feb. 29. In honor of the 366 days of the leap year, guests can get a leap on their summer vacation planning and book a two-night stay in a deluxe alcove room for $366 for dates Aug.1 - Sept. 30.  The price represents a savings of more than 50 percent off the standard rates. 

Tucked away in the corners of the hotel, each deluxe alcove provides a scenic view of the majestic property. These rooms are larger than a standard guest room and feature a distinct alcove for dining and/or working. The rooms also feature a number of amenities, including a sleeper sofa, desk and chair, 32” flat panel television and much more.

Reservations can be made online starting at 12:01am on Feb. 29 at www.swandolphin.com/offers or by calling 1-800-227-1500 between 8:00am – and 7:00pm EST and mention “Leap Year.” Based on rate schedule availability. Offer is valid for stays Aug. 1 – Sept. 30. Taxes, resort services fee and gratuities not included. Not valid with any other special offers, promotions, or for existing reservations or groups. 

Pie Festival to return April 28-29 in Celebration

[PRESS RELEASE]

ORLANDO (Feb. 22, 2012) -- The countdown is on for the American Pie Council® (APC) - America's only organization dedicated to preserving America's love affair with pie - as it gears up for its 18th Annual APC/Crisco® National Pie Championships to be held Friday, April 27 through Sunday, April 29 at the Caribe Royal All-Suite Hotel and Convention Center in Orlando and its 11th Annual APC Great American Pie Festival sponsored by Crisco® on Saturday and Sunday, April 28-29, in nearby Celebration, Fla.


The APC is now accepting entries from amateur, professional and commercial bakers, as well as budding junior chefs, for the National Pie Championships. Last year, the prestigious pastry bake-off drew more than 447 commercial, 142 professional, 301 amateur and 6 junior entries for an astounding total of 896 pies in the quest to find America's top bakers. Commercial winners took home bragging rights and the promise of greater sales, while winners in all other categories received plenty of dough, as is cash and prizes, including a Sears Kenmore range. This year's competition is expected to be even more heated. Entry forms and pie categories for each division are available on the APC website, www.piecouncil.org. Entry is free for junior chefs and $15 per pie for amateur APC members, $35/non members and each entrant receives an Emile Henry pie dish; see website for professional and commercial entry costs. APC members receive discounted entry costs; membership information is also available online.

Pie lovers are also invited to apply to be a judge at the prestigious competition. Last year, 174 esteemed pie aficionados from all over the world lent their time and taste buds to nibble on nearly 900 pies. No previous judging or baking experience is required; applicants need only explain why they would like to be a judge. Potential pie judges may fill out an entry form online at www.piecouncil.org through March 30, 2012.

Hundreds of volunteers are also needed to make the championships and the APC Great American Pie Festival sponsored by Crisco® run as easy as, well, pie. Volunteers may indicate the shifts or duties they prefer to work by filling out an application online at www.piecouncil.org by Tuesday, April 24, 2012.

The Caribe Royal is offering a special rate of $129 per night for those competing in or attending the APC/Crisco® National Pie Championships or the APC Great American Pie Festival sponsored by Crisco®. To receive this special rate, guests must mention the event by name. Reservations may be made by calling 800-823-8300. For more information about the Caribe Royal, visit www.thecaribeorlando.com.

"Preparations are heating up at the American Pie Council for this year's championship and festival. Right now, all around the country, bakers of all skill levels are putting the finishing touches on their best recipes," said Linda Hoskins, Executive Director, American Pie Council. "Each year tops the last in terms of creativity, enthusiasm and dedication to the art of pie baking. We absolutely cannot wait to see what this year's festivities will bring."

More than 32,000 pie lovers from across the globe are expected to transcend upon Celebration, Fla. on Saturday, April 28 and Sunday, April 29 for the APC Great American Pie Festival sponsored by Crisco®. The increasingly popular, free admission festival returns to Celebration with all the activities that have made it a family favorite, including the Crisco® Creation Station, the pie tinart activity for art lovers of all ages, and the Demonstration Stage sponsored by Village Inn and Bakers Square Restaurants, featuring entertainment and baking demonstrations with chefs from across the country. Always a crowd favorite, the kids' and adults' pie eating contests return this year, once again sponsored by Private Selection. Meanwhile, the Book Nook will expand this year to feature even more choices by pie authors, many of whom will be competing in the championships, including Michele Stuart of Michele's Pies in Norwalk, Conn., who recently released her cookbook, "Perfect Pies: The Best Sweet and Savory Recipes from America's Pie-Baking Champion." All festival events will be held both days.

The highlight of the festival is the Never Ending Pie Buffet, which last year featured an astounding 87,000 slices of pie as well as ice cream, toppings and beverages from America's best known commercial bakers. The Never Ending Pie Buffet has grown each year, from 83,000 slices in 2010 and 70,000 in 2009. The buffet and the children activities are the only paid events at the festival. All stage entertainment and demonstrations are free. Tickets for the Pie Buffet are $10 for adults and $5 for seniors over 65 and children under 5 to enjoy all they care of eat and drink.

Those interested in keeping up to date on the latest news concerning the pie championships, pie festival or pie news can follow the American Pie Council on Facebook and Pinterest and on Twitter at FYPie.

The festival will be held at Lakeside Park at 631 Sycamore St. in downtown Celebration, Florida 34747.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday, April 28; noon to 5 p.m., Sunday, April 29. Admission to the festival is free. Costs for the Never Ending Pie Buffet are: $10 adults, $5 ages 65 and up; $5 ages 6-12.

For more information, visit the Front Porch Celebration Community at www.celebration.fl.us or the American Pie Council® www.piecouncil.org.

UNIVERSAL ORLANDO’S POPULAR BLUE MAN GROUP SHOW GRAND RE-OPENING TONIGHT

[PRESS RELEASE]

Universal Orlando’s Blue Man Group show officially re-opens tonight at Universal CityWalk – complete with a new stage, new music, new technology and new experiences.

The wildly popular theatrical show combines music, comedy and multimedia theatrics to produce a totally unique form of entertainment and a blissful party atmosphere that is a Blue Man Group trademark.
The show takes guests on an incredible journey where they join the Blue Men as they discover, engage and explore the world’s obsession with cutting-edge technology. New sections include Blue Men interacting with “GiPads” (think Gigantic iPads), and a pulsating new finale featuring an original Blue Man Group music score that will have guests jumping to their feet. Guests will also be able to enjoy signature moments – such as Paint Drumming and Rock Concert Movements – that have made Blue Man Group one of today’s best-loved theatrical productions.

FastPass changes coming March 7 (no more late return), and review of new Innoventions exhibit "Bad Habits": http://miceage.micechat.com/kevinyee/ky020712a.htm

But the real dish and chatter right not will not be projections or Sorcerers; my money is on FastPass. Apparently (no rock-solid confirmation yet) starting on March 7, FastPass return times were to be strictly enforced (and by “strictly”, what they mean is a 15-minute grace period at the end and a newly-created five minute grace period for “early return”).


This is going to create some problems with infrequent visitors, many of whom have been trained by 12 years of “lazy FastPass” to just come back whenever they want. They’ve come to think of FP as a chance to come back “later” in the day (at any point), leaving them free to treat the day with serendipity or otherwise keep reservations they DO hold (and must be met on time), like restaurant reservations. Parades that get in the way will no longer be valid excuses.

This is being done to clear the way for the coming XPass, the reserve-at-home FastPass to debut first for highest-paying hotel visitors (and probably not for the stay-off-property crowd, at least not at first, and maybe never?)

Soon people really will be able to plan their entire day out before they leave for the airport. Let’s read WITH the grain for a second. You’re on a once in a lifetime trip for your family. You spend big on the deluxe Disney hotel for a week, and get free dining included (maybe it’s after the summer season ends). You not only make restaurant reservations, you make ride reservations too. You pay for the whole thing up front, months early, and when the big day arrives for your vacation, all that’s left to do is show up and experience it. The entire event has been paid for, reserved in advance, and kept booked just for you.

The ride reservations are exactly like the restaurant reservations: show up on time or miss it. Voila: you’ve just experienced the Disney Cruise Line… except it’s the Disney theme parks instead. Disney has been chasing the “pay everything and reserve everything up front” model for a vacation ever since the cruise lines debuted, and now it’s about to become a reality for the theme parks too, at least in Orlando (there’s no word yet about such changes in Anaheim).

Keeping with the positive, we could point out that it’s obviously true that return time windows are clearly posted BEFORE you get your ticket. If the posted window is too close to a restaurant reservation or a planned parade viewing, patrons can opt to skip the FastPass entirely.

But there are lots of ways to read AGAINST the grain, too. People will be angry, and many will take it out on the poor front line cast members. I certainly don’t blame those CMs. I may, in fact, go out of my way to make life easy on them for a little while.

What will happen when rides break? What if people are stuck on rides? Or restaurants don’t seat people on time per the ADR? Perhaps this will be handled on a case by case basis. We are sure to see calls for a longer return window (90 or 120 minutes rather than 60), but it is what it is. For now, anyway.

Lots of folks will decry the loss of spontaneity. They may feel that they will be “maneuvered” to get XPass, since to do without is to suffer in comparison to everyone else (the same way that using only Standby in today’s world is to suffer next to the FastPass users). And then, they say, the whole formula will have changed. A vacation that is planned out to the last minute isn’t much relaxation. That’s true for a segment of the population (myself among them). Look, I agree that people are different, and I admit that some ultra-planners will like the certainty that comes with this new system.
 
Read more: http://miceage.micechat.com/kevinyee/ky020712a.htm

Universal adds Sugar Ray and Goo Goo Dolls to Mardi Gras

UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORT ADDS GOO GOO DOLLS AND SUGAR RAY TO COMPLETE ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL MARDI GRAS CONCERT LINE-UPS EVER
[press release] The Most Authentic Mardi Gras Celebration Outside of New Orleans Kicks off Feb. 11 at Universal Studios Florida

ORLANDO, Fla. (February 2, 2012) – The Goo Goo Dolls and Sugar Ray will perform at Universal Orlando Resort’s Mardi Gras celebration, completing one the most powerful musical line-ups of the event’s history. Goo Goo Dolls will rock the Music Plaza Stage at Universal Studios Florida on March 3 and Sugar Ray will do the same on March 17.

With four Grammy nominations, more than 10 million albums sold and 13 Top Ten hits including “Name,” “Slide” and “Black Balloon,” Goo Goo Dolls has become one of the most globally recognized and influential forces in pop music history. Their hit “Iris,” from the “City Of Angels” movie soundtrack, spent nearly 12 straight months on the Billboard charts and held the No. 1 position for 17 consecutive weeks.
Sugar Ray first gained fame in the music scene with the hit “Fly.” Since then, lead singer Mark McGrath and his band mates have taken their combination of sunny pop and lightly funky hip-hop grooves and created several of the most infectious summer singles of the late ‘90s, including “Every Morning,” “Someday” and “When it’s Over.”

With the addition of Goo Goo Dolls and Sugar Ray, Universal Orlando’s Mardi Gras musical line-up boasts a combined total of more than 350 million albums sold. Headliners include pop superstar Kelly Clarkson, teen sensation Big Time Rush, pop rock band Hot Chelle Rae, Grammy nominee for “Best New Artist” J. Cole and female Rock & Roll legend Cyndi Lauper. For a complete list of this year’s performers and dates see below.

Universal Orlando’s Mardi Gras celebration kicks off Feb. 11 and runs every Saturday and select nights through April 14. The authentic and family-friendly version of the famed New Orleans street party combines unparalleled theme park entertainment with an elaborate Mardi Gras parade, dozens of colorfully costumed performers, authentic New Orleans bands, delicious Cajun cuisine and live concerts by some of today’s most popular artists. Guests can enjoy the Mardi Gras event and great theme park entertainment for the price of regular admission.
For more information, visit www.universalorlando.com/mardigras.