BEYOND THE THEME PARKS

ANITA ANSWER
Archives

8/24/09
--Anita's Mini Blog for 8/24/09
--Space Mountain's Seating Configuration: Has It changed?
--Which Direction Was the Wand Set?
--Booking Accommodations for Six Online?

8/17/09
--A Brief History of Castaway Cay
--Name That Restaurant!
--The Morse Code Message in Spaceship Earth
--Answer to the 8/10 Trivia Question

8/10/09
--What Castle Served as the Inspiration for Cinderella Castle?
--The "Hotel" in the Canada Pavilion
--What About the Original Back Lot Tour?
--Anita's Mini Blog for 8/10/09

8/3/09
-- Anita's 8/3/09 Mini Blog
--What Was This Old Ride?
--Backlot Tour Bet
--Base Tickets and Extra Magic Hours
--Answers to Trivia Questions and Doctor Who Challenge

7/27/09
--Anita's 7/27/09 Mini Blog
--What Was the Name of This Ice Cream Shop?
--Square Footage of the New Treehouses
--When Do the Holiday Decorations Come Down?

7/13/09
--2009 Dates for Epcot's Candlelight Processional
--Using Music's Bus Stops When Staying at Movies?
--How Old Is Too Old for the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique?
--Answer to the June 29 Trivia Question

7/6/09
--A European Trip Blog
--The Difference Between B and C Tickets?
--A Lounge with Live Music?
--No Car, No Grocery Stop. Where to Get Alcohol?

6/1/09
--Where is the Randy Pausch Plaque Located?
--What Was This Old Store in the Studios?
--Rod Serling and the Tower of Terror Pre-Show
--Answer to the May 25 Trivia Question

5/25/09
--Is Christmas Really That Crowded?
--Adult or Child Ticket When Child Turns 10 in the Middle of the Trip?
--Which Was the First Disney Vacation Club Resort to Open?
--Answer to the May 18 Trivia Question

5/18/09
--Will Pirates and the Haunted Mansion Be Closed In June?
--Where Would Anita Stay and Dine?
--What Are Those Stone Things at Epcot's Entrance?
--Answer to the May 4 Trivia Question

5/11/09
5/4/09
--The Mural in the Contemporary
--Showers at Old Key West's Pool
--A Flashing Light above the Blue Bayou Restaurant
--The Wasps' "Sting" in Tough to Be a Bug
--Answer to the April 27 Trivia Question

More Anita Answer Columns

Back to Newest
Anita Answers

Hi! I'm Anita!

Got a question about Walt Disney World? I probably have the answer! Deb's Unofficial Walt Disney World Information Guide is the most comprehensive guide to the World on the Web, but if you still can't find the information you're looking for by using the Search Function, or the Anita Answer Archives, drop me a line and I'll do my best to find the answer for you. Since there are only 24 hours in a day, I can't answer every email I receive - however, I do read every one and try to answer as many as possible.

Check back weekly to see if your answer is waiting, check out my blog, Anita Talk, and be sure to subscribe to All Ears® to read my new Question of the Week featurette! Meanwhile, I'm All Ears!

Bill writes:

How does WDW feel about using cell phones on a ride? I want to phone a friend while dropping on the Tower of Terror.

Hi Bill!

This is a question without a really good answer, I'm afraid. You'll have to rely on your best judgment. Safety is the number one concern at the World. If you've been to WDW, you know that on certain rides and attractions, guests are asked not to videotape, smoke, use flash photography, bring food in, etc. and mainly that's for the safety and convenience of cast and guests alike. Especially on thrill rides like the Tower, you run the risk of letting go of the phone and possibly injuring either yourself or someone nearby with it. At the very least, you could damage the phone or lose it entirely, and in the process, you could also bring that ride down if the phone goes where it's not meant to be and sets off an emergency safety stop.

Then there's the annoyance factor, which is almost as important as safety, in my opinion. When on a ride or in a show, the correct thing to do is to turn your phone off so you won't interrupt the show. Even when the ringer is off, the screen's brightness is distracting to others. The Tower of Terror relies on darkness to tell its story, so if you're in there with your phone on, it basically will ruin the show for everyone else in the elevator. How do I know this? Because more and more lately, I've experienced it personally, I'm sorry to say.

At the risk of being preachy (hey, I'm a mom, so it comes naturally, you know?) I guess the bottom line is, I'd strongly advise against it, but I'll leave you to use your best judgment and decide for yourself if it's the right thing to do.

Whatever you decide to do, I hope you have a magical time on your trip!

Trivia Question: In the Hollywood Studios Tower of Terror, there is an elevator inspection certificate in the load zone. It's signed by a "Mr. Cadwallader" and numbered 10259. Who is Mr. Cadwallader and what is the significance of that number? Answer in next week's column!

A.A.

Diana writes:

I am heading back to Disney with my family soon. When we vacationed there last summer we noticed that something that looked to be a roller coaster was being built at Downtown Disney. Do you have any info? I believe it was sort of behind Lego Store. Thanks!

Hi Diana!

To my knowledge, there are no plans to build a roller coaster in Downtown Disney. The only attraction I know of being built in the area is the Characters in Flight tethered balloon ride set to open later this spring, but I don't think that's what you saw on your last visit. I believe what you probably saw was the T-Rex restaurant being built between the Marketplace and the former Pleasure Island. The outside of the restaurant is highly themed, and could have been mistaken for a ride or attraction.

Hope this helps, and have a great time at Walt Disney World on your upcoming trip!

A.A.

Kevin writes:

Great column. I eagerly anticipate your weekly update as a good break from my studies. I have two questions about an upcoming stay:

With the upcoming layoffs at WDW, have you seen any decline in the service or cleanliness of the parks and hotels?

Also, we will be on the Dining Plan. Do you have any recommendations in each of the parks for counter service meals that are better than your typical burger/fries and pizza fare at most counter service restaurants? Thank you.

Hi Kevin!

I can't really address your first question, as (believe it or not!) I haven't been to the parks or resorts since the buy-outs were announced. I do know that the buy-outs were only offered to upper management and not to front line cast members who interact with guests, though.

To answer your second question, although there are many burger places at the World, and food choices seem to become more mundane every day, there are still a few counter service places with interesting menus. Some of my favorites include Yakitori House in the Japan Pavilion at Epcot and Tangierine Cafe at the Morocco Pavilion. At the Studios, I like the ABC Commissary; at the Magic Kingdom, I like Cosmic Ray's, and at Animal Kingdom, I like Pizzafari and the Flame Tree Barbecue. Clicking on any of the highlighted names will take you to the menu for that restaurant.

Have fun dining around the World!

A.A.

Patrick writes:

Hi Anita. I love your column; keep up the great work.

I am interested in writing a letter to the Disney Imagineers. I have a great idea that I want to share with them for something fun that can be done at the Hollywood Studios. Can you share either an e-mail or a mailing address with us?

Hi Patrick!

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but if I give you those addresses it unfortunately won't do you any good, as your correspondence will likely be returned unopened. The Walt Disney Company does not accept unsolicited ideas from any source. This policy is in place to protect the company from potential disputes and lawsuits over intellectual property.

A.A.

Alyssa writes:

My family is planning a trip in September for the first time. Will the parks still be busy with Labor Day guests on Tuesday the 8th?

Hi Alyssa!

Labor Day is usually the least crowded holiday of the year at the World. Kids have all just gone back to school and it's peak hurricane season, which is why Disney historically runs special deals like free dining and offers deep hotel discounts during September to attract more guests. Traveling at this time, you're likely to encounter manageable levels of guests in the parks.

Enjoy your September trip to the World!

A.A.

Joan writes:

On Allears.net, I read about the procedure for obtaining evening Extra Magic Hours. I remember from my last visit in 2005, you lined up to get a wristband ahead of time, before the park closed. However, on <another online travel site>, I was told in a forum that Disney changed this because of counterfeit wristbands, and now the procedure is to show your Park Hopper ticket at each ride in the theme park offering evening Extra Magic Hours.

My big question is, being a Disney resort guest with a hopper pass, does this mean I can spend the day in one park and then show up at the park offering evening Extra Magic Hours, just show my pass to get in, and then show my pass for each ride? Or do I still have to arrive before closing time to that park to be able to get the extra hours? Thank you for your help!

Hi Joan!

I think you have a few issues confused here. The type of ticket you hold has nothing to do with getting on rides at Extra Magic Hour (EMH) evenings, but has everything to do with getting into the park that is hosting EMH that evening. For simplicity's sake (I can hear Flo laughing, as she knows nothing is ever simple with me!), I'll break it down into parts:

Getting Into the EMH Park:

If you are a Disney Resort guest and have a valid ticket with the Park Hopper option on it, you may go to any park you choose during the day, and then you may "hop" over to the EMH park at any time before EMH ends. There's no set time to arrive, as long as you arrive before the end of EMH that evening.

If you are a Disney Resort guest and have a valid ticket that does not have the Park Hopper option on it, you are restricted to only attending one park for that entire day. If you want to attend EMH, you'll have to go to that park only on that day. Arrive early, arrive late; it's all up to you.

Getting onto Rides during EMH:

Once you're in the park hosting evening EMH, you must show your valid Disney Resort ID (Key to the World card) at certain checkpoints to stay in the park after closing. You must also show your Key to the World (KTTW) card every time you join a queue for a ride. Every member of your party over the age of three must show their KTTW card, so remember to bring everyone's card with you.

Cruella DeVil is in the Details:

I think where you're getting confused (or the other forum posters may be confused, perhaps, and passed that confusion on to you) is this: Some guests have their valid park admission encoded onto their KTTW card, so in effect, they would show their ticket and guest ID using the same card.

Other resort guests may hold separate tickets that are not encoded onto the KTTW card. I have an Annual Pass, for instance, so I use my AP to enter the EMH park, but I must show my separate KTTW card (guest ID) to stay in the park and enter ride queues during EMH.

I hope this clears it all up for you. For more information about how Extra Magic Hour works, please click here. Have fun at Extra Magic Hours!

A.A.

Last Week's Trivia Question:

Wow! You're getting good at this. It makes me so proud to be a Disney Geek! This week, no less than 47 of you got the correct answer. That's far too many to list, but Heath, Chuck, Janice and Dana were the first to answer correctly within an hour of the question being published. For that accomplishment, they get bragging rights as the designated Super Disney Geeks of the Week. Congratulations, Super Geeks! Now, on to the answer:

Q. What is the name of Walt Disney's personal backyard railway, and where on Walt Disney World property can you find a small piece of it?

A. Walt Disney's backyard railway was named the "Carolwood Pacific" after the Holmby Hills street he lived on, Carolwood Drive. You can find two original cars and several photos in the Carolwood Pacific Room in the Villas at the Wilderness Lodge. This room was originally called the Iron Spike Room, so that was also an acceptable answer.

See you all next week,
Anita

That's it for this edition!

Gotta question?
Then you need an answer!
Anita Answer, that is.

Check back weekly for Anita's latest answers,
and don't forget to visit Anita's blog, Anita Talk, on AllEars.net's Blog Central.
Still not enough? Be sure to subscribe to All Ears® to read her new Question of the Week featurette!