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! Meanwhile, I'm All Ears!

July 27, 2009

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?

Hi everyone!

I've grown to like this occasional mini blog slipped into the column, how about you? It's a great way to blog without a deadline -- much less pressure!

Anyway, last week as you know, we were treated to a power failure which took out our Internet connection for a couple of days, preventing me from getting my column done in a timely manner. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Stuff happened and I just couldn't get it done, power or no power. Well, you'll be happy to know I am back this week, sitting at my desk, listening to The Proclaimers, keeping an eye on the doings at San Diego ComicCon and contentedly writing away.

So, you've heard me mention my friend Bill. Bill and I correspond via e-mail almost daily, often several times a day. He and I chat about just about everything, but mostly we seem to talk about our two favorite things, Disney and Doctor Who. A couple of weeks ago, he issued a challenge to me (and you know I cannot resist a challenge!) that required me to include a quote from Doctor Who in every one of my answers. Being me, I had to take that challenge.

This week is unusually Who-heavy here in the US. The lovely David Tennant (the Tenth Doctor) is visiting our shores this week to appear at his very first fan convention, San Diego ComicCon, (which he will have done by the time you read this) and to attend the TCA press tour later this week as well. This past weekend was the North American premiere of the newest Doctor Who special, Planet of the Dead, and last week was the premiere of DW spinoff Torchwood's 5-part miniseries Children of Earth here. Therefore, in honor of these events, and because several of you have asked for more Who stuff, and to amuse Bill and myself, I've included references to Doctor Who all over this column. Flo warned me it might not be a good thing to do, but she should know that the worse it gets, the more I love it. That's so very me.

The reader[s] who can spot the most Who references (and sends them to me via the Trivia mailbox) will get a special mention in next week's column. Even if you're not a Who fan, you may be able to spot the references anyway. Meanwhile, the regular Disney trivia question is featured this week as well. Have fun!

Anita

Tiffany writes:

In 1989, I worked in the ice cream shop located in what was then known as the Disney Village. Can you please tell me the name of the shop, and possibly provide a photograph of the exterior and/or interior? It was located next to Minnie's Pizza, I believe. Thank you for your help!

Hi Tiffany!

The ice cream shop you worked in was called the Village Ice Cream Parlour and Bake Shop. It served cones, milkshakes, sundaes and banana splits. I like bananas; bananas are good. You should always take a banana to a party. But I digress… back to the Village Ice Cream Parlour, which served Breyer's ice cream products. Sometime in 1991, it expanded into the location of Pluto's Dog House and became Donald's Dairy Dip. By the way, the pizza place was called Minnie Mia's Pizzeria. All of these food service places were located in what was then called Block A of the Village Marketplace, a bit beyond where the World of Disney is now in the Marketpace, toward the Empress Lilly, which is now Fulton's.

Thanks for the culinary tour down Memory Lane, Tiffany!

A.A.

Jill writes:

I love your column and look forward to it every week!

Can you tell me the square footage of the new Treehouse Villas? My husband has always wanted to stay in the Treehouses and now that they have reopened, he may get his wish. Our only problem is that we have stayed in a 2-bedroom villa at Old Key West and have been spoiled by the HUGE amount of space there. Thanks for your help!

Hi Jill!

The new 3-bedroom Treehouse Villas at Saratoga Springs Resort are 1,074 square feet and sleep up to 9 guests. Compared to Old Key West's 2-bedroom villas at 1,395 square feet, they're obviously smaller, but their unique shape and clever use of the space makes them seem bigger on the inside.

A.A.

Julie writes:

When do the parks take down the Christmas decorations and lights? If I go at the beginning of January will I still be able to see the Osborne Family Lights at Hollywood Studios?

Hi Julie!

And the answer is... it depends. It depends on exactly when in early January you'll be visiting. Generally after New Year's Day, you'll begin to see the park decorations slowly disappear, beginning with the exterior decorations, but the exact days also depend on when the holiday vacation period ends that year. That sentence started out well, but it kind of got away from me! Anyway, as I was saying, this year the holiday vacation period will end on Sunday, January 3. This is also the final performance night of the Osborne Lights for the year. For more information about the holidays at the World, please read AllEars' Holiday Happenings pages.

Have a merry trip to the World!

A.A.

TRIVIA QUESTION:

What year, and in what Disney park, was the very first Candlelight Processional performed? Answer in next week's column!

That's it for this edition!

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