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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
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Function, or the Anita Answer Archives, drop
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Check back weekly and see if your answer is waiting! Meanwhile, I'm All
Ears!
April
3, 2006
What
Does "Up to Three Hours past Closing" Really Mean?
Cinderella's Stepmother's Name?
Animal Kingdom to Downtown Disney after the Parade
Transportation to Magic Behind Our Steam Trains Tour?
Traveling in August
Parking at the World
Paul
writes:
Hi Anita.
Thank you so much for the incredibly detailed answer to my last question
(Taxis, Groceries, and Bringing Food into the Parks). It was more than
I could have hoped for!
My question
now concerns evening Extra Magic Hours (EMH). Everything I've ever read
describes them as a park being open "up to three hours" past
official closing, but nowhere have I ever been able to find exactly
how late a park will be open for EMH on a given day. Is this information
published anywhere? Or does Disney make it up on the spot based on crowd
conditions? If the Magic Kingdom is scheduled to close at midnight in
late May, how likely is it to be open until 3 a.m. for evening EMH?
Thanks so much!
Hi again
Paul!
"Up
to three hours past closing" is a way of saying that Extra
Magic Hour will usually last three hours past official park
closing, but may not always. Unless there is something unusual happening
in the park that night like a private party or if there is sudden severe
weather, you can generally count on EMH to be three hours long. So far,
any evening EMH I've experienced went for the full three hours, so if
the Magic Kingdom is closing to day
guests at midnight and has EMH scheduled that night, chances are excellent
that the park will be open to resort guests until 3:00 a.m. Don't forget
to take a nap that day!
A.A.
Michelle
writes:
In the
movie Cinderella, what is the stepmother's name?
Hi
Michelle!
In the
Disney animated film, released in 1950, Cinderella's stepmother was
named Lady Tremaine.
Lady Tremaine was voiced by the wonderfully talented actress Eleanor
Audley, who was also the voice of Madame Leota in the Haunted Mansion,
as well as Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty. She also made dozens of television
appearances in the '50s, '60s and '70s. Those of us who are OTD (Older
Than Dirt) remember her as Mother Douglas on the series "Green
Acres."
A.A.
Andrew
writes:
I have
an appointment for my daughter to get her hair and makeup done at the
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at the World
of Disney store at Downtown Disney. The latest they could give me was
5:10 p.m. Will we be able to get from Animal Kingdom to Downtown Disney
in time if we stay for the Jammin' Jungle
Parade, and if so, how? Is there a direct bus that goes from
Animal Kingdom to Downtown Disney?
Hi Andrew!
Unless
you have a helicopter standing by, there is no way you could make it.
If you were right where the parade steps off at 4:00 p.m. (most days),
it would be 4:15 before you had seen the parade, and then you'd have
to slowly follow it, and the ensuing mobs of people out of the park.
By the time you arrived at the bus stop, it would easily be 4:35. Then
you'd have to wait for a bus to a resort hotel and then wait again there
for a transfer to Downtown Disney,
because there are no direct buses from Animal
Kingdom to Downtown Disney. Even if the Transportation Gods
were in a good mood that day, and you had no waits between buses, there
is still absolutely no way to make it on time using Disney buses.
If you
will not have access to your own car, my suggestion is to quickly walk
out of Animal Kingdom after the parade, and walk to the left of the
tram stop outside the gates. A few yards away you will see a taxi stand
with taxis standing by. Even in a taxi, it will take you at least 20
minutes to get from Animal Kingdom to Downtown Disney, as they are on
completely opposite sides of the property. You will still be cutting
it very close, so no dawdling!
Good luck,
and have a magical vacation!
A.A.
Thomas
writes:
What is
the best way to get to the Magic Kingdom for the Magic Behind Our Steam
Trains tour using Disney transportation from the Port
Orleans Resort?
Hi Thomas!
Your options
are very limited. The Magic Behind Our
Steam Trains tour begins at 7:30 a.m., and you must be in front
of the Magic Kingdom turnstiles at
7:15 a.m. to check in. The park does not open until 9:00 a.m. most days,
so transportation to the park does not usually begin until 8:00 a.m.
The only way you can take Disney transportation is if the day you choose
for the tour is also an Extra Magic Hour
morning at the Magic Kingdom, when the Magic Kingdom will open at 8:00
a.m. and transportation begins at 7:00 a.m. (Usually Thursday is the
only day it coincides with the tour, but the schedule changes so plan
accordingly!) Even so, you would be cutting your arrival time too close
to the tour departure time, and could potentially miss your tour altogether.
I personally wouldn't chance it.
In my opinion,
you should arrange for a taxi to drop you off at the Contemporary
Resort, and then take the 10-minute walk to the gates of the
Magic Kingdom. The reason you can't go directly to the Magic Kingdom
by taxi is that the Guest Drop Off area is actually at the Ticket and
Transportation Center (TTC), and the monorails and ferry will not be
running at that hour.
Hope you
enjoy your tour!
A.A.
Daniel writes:
Okay...
I'm planning our first trip to WDW and have found your site extremely
helpful. I have a silly question for you. The
only time for us to go is in August. I know that this time of year is
hurricane season and when Florida gets the most rain, not to mention
the heat. Do we have anything to fear at this time of year from the
weather, severe heat and/or bugs? I
would greatly like to know and can find little to no information about
this for that month. Thank you.
Hi Daniel!
The only
silly question is the one that remains unasked!
You know,
if I could accurately predict the weather for any time of year, I'd
be making billions and I could stay at WDW year 'round! No one can know
what weather you'll encounter in a particular month. Travel is always
a gamble weather-wise no matter where or when you go. Did you know that
hurricane season lasts from June to November? That's correct. You could
potentially expect a hurricane for fully half of the year! It's not
likely, however. Minnie Answer and I go for a week in early August nearly
every year, and only once have we been through a hurricane at the World
(Charley). We do always encounter some rain; however it rarely lasts
for more than an hour or two. A rain poncho or umbrella and some waterproof
sports sandals, and we're good to go.
The heat
is almost guaranteed. You can expect it to be in the 90's every day,
very humid, and the temps don't go down all that much after dark. The
best way to handle it is to get to the parks early, take a rest at your
hotel in the afternoon, and come back after dinner, when it is slightly
cooler. Keep hydrated, wear sunscreen (which has nothing to do with
the heat but everything to do with the strong Florida sun), and dress
in loose clothing made of natural fibers like cotton. Epcot
is the most air-conditioned park, and Animal
Kingdom is the least air-conditioned and most humid due to all
the plant life there. During the summer, I only visit Animal Kingdom
in the very early morning, and then leave for a cooler park before lunchtime.
Bugs are
not a big problem at the World. WDW has a comprehensive insect control
program, and it works very well. I personally have never seen a bug
in my resort room, although it's not unheard of. Bugs in the parks are
not a nuisance either. Outside of the occasional gnat cloud, you won't
find too many insects at the World.
So you
see, you really have nothing to keep you from going in August, although
as I said, weather is always a gamble no matter when or where you travel.
One last tip for traveling in August: If you can swing it, go during
the last two weeks of the month. Crowds go down exponentially, as do
prices at the resorts. And this year, you could even have the benefit
of the Disney Dining Plan thrown in for free if you're staying on a
Magic Your Way package!
For more
information about how to deal with the Florida heat and sun, please
read AllEarsNet's® article, "Hot
Enough For Ya?
Stop worrying
and have a wonderful time at the World!
A.A.
Claire writes:
My husband
and I are planning a trip this fall and will be staying offsite for
the first time. Our neighbor has offered us his timeshare to rent for
one week and this will be our first time driving into the parks on a
daily basis. We are not up-to-date with parking fees, where you are
allowed to park, etc. Can you help? Thank you!
[Editor
Note: For clarity, the questions have been moved to the answer portion.]
Hi
Claire!
Wow, lots
of questions about parking, but you came to the right place!
Let's take
your questions one at a time:
Q: Can
we park at Downtown Disney to
shop and then take buses from there to parts of WDW?
A: Yes
and no. You can park there, but the buses and boats from Downtown Disney
will only take you to the resort hotels. Once there, you'll have transfer
to other transportation to get to the parks. Since my motto is "Time
Is Money," in my opinion, this is not an effective use of your
limited vacation time. It's much more efficient to just go to your intended
destination and park there.
Q: Can
we park at a resort for a meal and then leave the car there to take
the monorail or boats to other parks?
A: No.
The resort lots are only for the use of that resort's guests and guests
who are using the resort's facilities on short visits, such as dining.
Once you are finished dining, you must move your car. Many resorts have
a sign posted at the parking entrances stating that they cannot provide
parking for access to the theme parks. Some of them will give you a
three-hour parking pass to put on your dashboard for the duration of
your resort visit.
Q: I have
a handicapped sticker. May I park closer to the transportation in the
parking lots each day?
A: Each
of the parking lots at WDW has a designated handicapped parking area.
In the smaller lots, you'll see them marked with the familiar blue sign,
and by the handicapped symbol painted on the pavement. In the larger
theme park lots, simply follow the blue line on the pavement to the
handicapped parking areas. You may have to tell the parking attendants
inside the lots where you are headed. Let them direct you to the proper
route. Just like the smaller lots, the area will be marked with the
blue signs and the symbol on the pavement. These areas are located close
to park entrances, with the exception of the Magic
Kingdom's lot, which is, of course, located across the Seven
Seas Lagoon by the Ticket and Transportation Center (TTC). The Magic
Kingdom's handicapped area is located close to the TTC.
Q: May
I move the car to another park using the same parking stub?
A: Yes
you may. Guests only need to pay for parking once per day. Simply show
your parking receipt at the next park's tollbooths. Passenger vehicles
currently pay $9 per day to park at the theme parks.
This policy
is also true for valet parking at the Disney resorts -- pay once a day,
and you can move to another valet lot for free. Hang onto to those parking
receipts! By the way, valet parking at the hotels is free if you have
a valid handicapped sticker, license plate or hangtag. (Not valid at
the Swan and Dolphin.) One other valet parking tip: If you are a Disney
Dining Experience member, valet parking is also free of charge.
Even though you may not have to pay to valet park, don't forget to tip
the valet who handles your car!
Q: May
I leave the car in one park and take transportation while in WDW using
just my park hopper passes?
A: Yes
you may. Any guest holding a valid park admission is allowed to use
any Disney internal transportation. One exception may be that during
very busy periods like holidays, access to the resort monorail line
may be restricted to resort guests only. It's rare, but it happens.
The express line to the TTC and for transfers to Epcot
remains open to all guests.
For even
more information about parking, please read the Parking at the WDW
Resort FAQ.
Have a
great trip!
A.A
That's
it for this edition!
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