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

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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!

Hi everyone! I'm currently on another fact-finding mission in Walt Disney World. This week's column is a repeat of the March 16, 2009 column. I'll be back next week with answers to all new questions -- see ya real soon!

Mike writes:

So, my wife has decided to replace our dishes and she wants Fiestaware. Can you see yet where this is going? In Disney's Boardwalk Villas, there is a light yellow shade of Fiestaware in the villa kitchens that would perfectly match our decor. The problem is that we can't seem to find that particular shade for sale anywhere. It is lighter than the "Sunflower" color Fiesta has on their site. Was this color created just for Disney? Or is it just an old, out-of-stock color that we haven't been able to locate? If it is Disney-exclusive, is there any way to order place settings of it from WDW? Thanks for your help!

Hi Mike!

I must say that you ask me the most interesting questions!

I checked a couple of websites and I'm going to hazard a guess that the pale yellow Fiesta® dinnerware pieces you found in the villas are "Yellow'" a color that was produced between 1987 and 2002. A website called Mega China (www.megachina.com/yellow.html) still has pieces for sale. That link will take you directly to the page where they're listed. (Pssssst! They aren't cheap!)

Just FYI, during my most recent stay at Old Key West, there were two new-looking pieces (serving bowls) in the brighter "Sunflower" color, so it seems that older, paler Yellow pieces are being replaced with new Sunflower pieces. Also there was one orphan plate in the cupboard in "Tangerine," but I'm not sure what that means for the future of DVC dinnerware.

Hope this helps you find the dinnerware of your Disney dreams!

A.A.

Cathy writes:

Hi Anita. My favorite cocktail is Disney's signature Blue Glowtini and I can't seem to find out what's in it or how to make it. Please help. Thanks!

Hi Cathy!

Here's the recipe for the Blue Glowtini:

Ingredients:

1 ounce Skyy Citrus Vodka
0.5 ounce Bols Blue Curacao
0.5 ounce Bols Peach Schnapps
1 ounce Sweet & Sour
0.5 ounce Pineapple Juice
1 each Blue Glow Cube (optional)

Prep:

Build in martini shaker with ice, shake, strain, and pour into glass with sugared rim. Add cube.

AllEars.net has many favorite WDW drink and food recipes, both old and new, here.

What time will the Glowtinis be ready? I'll be right over!

A.A.

Beth writes:

When did Aunt Polly's on Tom Sawyer Island stop serving meals and become an ice cream shop? My family used to enjoy the cold fried chicken. We would make dining there a part of every trip.

Hi Beth!

I really had to dig for the answer to this, but as a fan of Aunt Polly's cold fried chicken, I was on a mission! From what I was able to piece together, Aunt Polly's downsized its menu from the yummy fried chicken to ham and turkey sandwiches and chips sometime soon after 9/11/01; a time of many cutbacks at the World. I imagine its island location made it difficult to get "real food" to the restaurant, and getting guests there to eat that food redefined the words "destination dining." By January of 2003, the snacks and desserts-only menu had appeared and Aunt Polly's became another one of those "Brigadoon" eateries I talked about last week, as it is only open seasonally these days.

Thanks for asking this question, as it brought back some good family memories of eating lunch at Aunt Polly's!

Trivia question:

There is a fort located on Tom Sawyer Island in the Magic Kingdom. What was the fort's original name when the park opened, what is its name now, and what is the significance of both of the names? Answers will be in the 3/30/09 column, because I'm goin' to Disney World next week! See you then!

A.A.

Kristin writes:

Hi Anita. My family will be coming to Walt Disney World for the first time this fall (my husband, our 3-year-old son, and myself). It looks like our flight will be arriving around 9:45 p.m. Will that make checking in difficult?

Also, we will need to get juice and snacks to keep in the room for our son (he has food allergies). Is there a small grocery store that's accessible using Disney transportation? Thanks for your help!

Hi Kristin!

All Walt Disney World resort front desks are staffed 24 hours a day, so you shouldn't have any problems if you arrive late. I've checked in as late as 1:30 a.m. after a much delayed flight.

Depending on exactly what your son's needs may be, you may be able to find what you need in your resort's gift shop, all of which carry simple food items. If you can't find what you need there, try the nearest Disney Vacation Club resorts. They have a larger selection of groceries since those resorts have kitchen facilities and many members cook meals during their stays. Click here for a list of DVC resorts at Walt Disney World.

Have a magical trip to the World!

A.A.

Michael writes:

I was recently reminiscing with my parents about WDW trips taken in my youth (late 1980s). We were trying to recall the name of the delicious sandwiches at the dining area below the Tomorrowland Transit Authority. I think I recall it being on a pita or some type of themed bread. It might be a phantom memory because my folks don't know what I am talking about. If it did/does exist, is there any place to get it today?

I was also wondering about the attendance during these recessionary times. Have you seen first hand or have you heard from your colleagues how the crowds in the parks have been?

Sorry about the two part question. My main desire is to find out about the sandwich. The second part was a throw-in as a topic I have not yet seen addressed in your archives. Keep up the great work, and please don't take any Monday vacations. It's so disheartening to open the AllEars.net site on Monday to read that I need to wait for next week to get new answers. ;-) I meant that as a compliment, not as a demand. Thank you very much.

Hi Michael!

The Mystery Sandwich you remember is undoubtedly the unique Disney Handwich, a rather amazing feat of modern culinary Imagineering. The Handwich was a sort of cone-shaped piece of bread that served as a portable vehicle for sandwich fillings. I must admit that I found the Handwich's structure far more interesting than its actual taste, however. Also, the concept of a portable sandwich does seem rather redundant in retrospect, does it not, so as you may have guessed, the Handwich has gone to the Great Culinary Ideas Graveyard. Your question reminded me that I had been working on a blog about Lost Foods of the World. I guess I'd better get onto finishing that, as I've been reminded lately it's been quite some time since I've written a new blog. There just aren't enough hours in the day to do everything I want to do!

Anyway, onward to your second question. Yes, the economic downturn has led to slightly lighter crowds. Disney planned for even smaller crowds this spring, and then found themselves having to add more shows and parades last-minute to accommodate the crowds that did materialize. At the moment, crowds are at the higher end of moderate, which is low for the spring break period. As it gets closer to Easter, the crowds will approach the Nutz level, but may be less Nutz than other years. It's hard to predict because resort bookings are down, but many locals are still coming because they can't afford to travel elsewhere right now. It used to be that we could judge what the crowds would be like by looking at the parks' scheduled hours. That has changed recently as Disney isn't predicting attendance as far out in the future as they once did, and on top of that, they keep changing the hours as they get new information. That's a really complicated way of saying, "Yes, crowds are down slightly at the moment, but it keeps changing." That's not much help, but some days it's like looking at the schedules through a kaleidoscope.

And finally, Michael, you have probably read elsewhere in this column by now that I will be on vacation next week. Sorry, but sometimes I just have to take some time off! Besides, how could I gather new information if I didn't take a few trips to the World, right? I promise I'll be back on March 30.

A.A.

Melissa writes:

I'm considering purchasing just 5-day base tickets for our upcoming visit. Can we leave and re-enter the SAME park as long as it is the SAME day? For example, we are not staying at a Disney resort but we want the kids to take afternoon naps. Can we get back into the same park in the afternoon after their naps?

Then with the basic, non-park hopper ticket, could we go to two different parks in one day and just be "charged" for two day's worth of admission? For example, can we go to Epcot one morning and Magic Kingdom in the afternoon? The reason I'm asking is it is much cheaper to buy a 10-day base ticket (where I could go to 2 different parks for each of 5 days) then it is to buy a 5-day park hopper ticket. I can't believe I would be the first to think of this so maybe they have rules against it?

Thanks so much, in advance, for your help, and for all your help so far!

Hi Melissa!

You're correct, you are not the first guest to think of this, and Disney thought of it too, when they designed their new ticket scheme a few years ago. You will not be able to use two admissions to two different parks on the same day with a multi-day Base (one day/one park) ticket. The ATS will read your ticket and know you already used it that day, and the turnstile will lock. There are only two ways to enter two different parks on the same day: Add the park hopper option or buy a separate one day/one park single day admission. I may regret this, but here's the part where I have to do some math. Here goes!

A single one day/one park admission is $79.88 for an adult ticket and $67.10 for a child age 3 to 10. (Tax is included in these figures, and prices are subject to change.) Adding the park hopper option to any length ticket is a flat $50.00 fee ($53.25 with tax). For an extra $53.25 per guest, you can come and go from any of the parks as much as you please during your entire stay. If it were me, I'd choose to add on the "hopper" option for maximum flexibility, plus it costs less.

Should you choose to stay with the single park/single day ticket option, you may enter and leave the SAME park as many times as you wish during the operating day in which you first used it, but you're confined to that one park for the entire day. Also, you mentioned you're not staying at a Disney resort, so if you have a car, keep your original parking receipt, as you can use it to re-enter the parking lots later in the day without paying again.

For more information about ticket choices and prices, please read AllEar.net's Ticket FAQ pages.

Hope you have a wonderful vacation!

A.A.

Hi everyone!

As my favorite hero, the 10th Doctor, is often heard to say, "Oh YESSS!" You can imagine how surprised I was to find out there are quite a few of us Disney/Doctor fans around the planet! I hope it makes you smile as much as it made me smile to know YANA -- You Are Not Alone. I actually received more WDTHTDWD responses than regular trivia responses last week! Before we get to the answers, I'd like to thank those of you who sent me such nice notes, and for sharing your own Disney/Doctor stories and anecdotes with me. I've been grinning about it all week.

Also, I feel I have to set the record straight. Last week, I incorrectly said that Flo doubted my ability to tie these two subjects together. Flo says she never for an instant believed that I would not be able to connect Disney to the Doctor, but she readily admitted to the "comatose" part being true. Sorry for the misquote, Flo, and I'll try not to induce any more comas, I promise!

OK, I hear you saying, "So, the answers! What are the answers? Get to the answers, already!"

Here you go:

1. The Doctor quotes something from a well-known Disney film in an early episode from Series Two. What is the name of the film he quotes, and which episode is it from?

The special Christmas episode that kicked off the era of 10th Doctor was called "The Christmas Invasion." In it, the newly-regenerated and slightly confused Ten quotes the opening lyrics from "The Circle of Life" from the film "The Lion King" while trying to explain humankind to the alien Sycorax leaders.

2. In the Season Two episode "Love and Monsters." a very well-known celebrity makes an extremely brief appearance. Who is it, and what is the celebrity's connection to Disney?

That celebrity would be none other than Sir Elton John, who composed music and lyrics for "The Lion King," including the song Ten quotes in the above answer, and also for the Broadway show "Aida" for Disney.

3. In the Series Four episode "Fires of Pompeii," someone mentions a Disney theme park. Which park is it, and who mentions it?

Arriving in ancient Pompeii, which they incorrectly assume to be ancient Rome, Donna Noble asks the Doctor, "Are you having me on? Are we in Epcot?"

This week's Uber Geek Disney/Doctor fans who answered all questions correctly are: Paige, Maureen, Matt, Randy, Rhonda, Dave, James, Zachary, Melissa O., Melissa M., Joe W., Joe R., Carol, Becky (thanks for the Halloween costume, idea, Becky!),Christina and her daughters Natalie and Tasha, Megan, Jeff, Shiraz, Lynn, Julia, Jane, Lou Anne, Erin, Chris and Alison and Chandra. You're all brilliant!

Doctor Who fans, please read on for a surprise!

Anita

Now for the surprise! Because so many of you Disney/Doctor fans asked for it when you wrote in, here is WDTHTDWD #2, Disney Meets the Doctor AGAIN. This one will perhaps take a little more digging, and I hope is more of a challenge:

1. In the late 1990s, a famous comedic actor played the Doctor in a hilarious two part sketch for a Comedy Relief charity broadcast on the BBC. The actor has a close connection to Disney -- what is it?

2. and 3. Not only did that actor have a connection to Disney, at least two of his fellow cast members in that sketch have strong ties to Disney as well. Who are the other two stars, and what connects them to Disney? Good luck! Answers will be in the March 30, 2009 column.

Note to Non-Who Fans: WDTHTDWD #3 will be of a more general nature, I promise. You'll just have to indulge me again this week!

Anita

Last Week's Trivia Question:

Whose bronze likeness sits outside of Raglan Road in Downtown Disney, and why is it there?

Answer:

It's the late Irish poet Patrick Kavanaugh, who made the real Raglan Road famous in his poem, "The Dawning of the Day." The poem later inspired a song by the name "On Raglan Road."

Today's Disney Geeks of the Week who sent in the correct answers are: John, Lynn H., Otavio, Jamie K., Ken, Sean, Cheri, Bethany, Terri, Nicole, Kevin, Cathy, Jamie P., Zachary, SSG, Kristin, George, Eric, Jason, Dawn, Derek, Lynn J., and Allison. Congratulations, all, and Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Anita

That's it for this edition!

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