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

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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 Site Map, 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 and see if your answer is waiting! Meanwhile, I'm All Ears!

Could Only Part of a Party Use the Dining Plan?
Why Do the Christmas Parties End before Christmas?
High Tea in the UK Pavilion at Epcot?
Tipping When Using the Dining Plan?
The Difference between Chip and Dale
What's the Significance of the Black Cat in the Osborne Lights?

Scott writes:

My wife and I are thinking of coming to WDW next year with our mothers and our two children. My question is this: If we book a package, can we have only certain members of our party upgrade to the dining plan? For my wife and I it would probably be worth the money, but the rest of our group are light eaters and from what we've seen wouldn't get their money's worth.

Hi Scott!

Currently, the official policy states that everyone in the party booked on the Magic Your Way package must add the Dining Plan option or no one can. The only exception is children under 3 years old. In other words, unless you booked a separate package for you and your wife only, everyone has to buy the Dining Plan for the length of your stay. You can read more about Magic Your Way packages here: http://allearsnet.com/pl/packages05.htm and the Dining Plan here: http://allearsnet.com/pl/packages05a.htm

Have fun planning!

A.A.

Kimberly writes:

Hi Anita! We are arriving at Walt Disney World the week before Christmas to spend our holiday at the World for the first time! We are so very excited, and appreciate all the information and advice we have gotten from you and the All Ears Net® site!

Our question is: Why does the Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party only run until December 20? We are sorry to be missing it, as we've heard it is such a great time. Thanks again for all the great information!

Hi Kimberley!

Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party requires the Magic Kingdom to close early at 6:00 p.m. to enable the cast to prepare for the party.

Beginning with December 21 this year, to accommodate the ever-increasing crowds as the holiday week approaches, the Magic Kingdom will begin to extend its closing times. During the first few days, the park will close at 9:00 p.m., and during Christmas week, the park will close at midnight. On New Year's Eve, the park will close at 1:00 a.m. In addition, for the week of December 25 - 31, there will be Extra Magic Hours every night at the Magic Kingdom for Disney resort guests!

As you can see, there isn't any time for the Christmas parties after the 21st. Instead, you can enjoy all of the holiday shows, the Christmas parade, and special holiday fireworks the party-goers enjoy, but without paying extra.

Have a very merry trip to the World!

A.A.

Pam writes:

Hi Anita, you're so good at finding out about little known facts, I thought you'd be the perfect person to answer this question.

Does the Tea Caddy in the United Kingdom at Epcot's World Showcase host a high tea? My sister-in-law recalls from years past that they did, and wants to attend if they still do when we are there this fall.

Thanks for all of your hard work in finding out all of our answers.

Hi Pam!

Your sister-in-law remembers correctly...sort of. The Tea Caddy is a shop and only sells dry tea, tea accessories and sweets from the UK. The High Tea she remembers was served across the street at the Rose and Crown. The final tea was held there on November 4, 1996. I was lucky enough to be there that day, and was one of the last guests to enjoy that wonderful tea.

If you would still like to have High Tea at the World, try the Grand Floridian's Garden View Lounge. Tea is served beginning at 2:00 p.m. every day. My dear friend Flo and I try to have tea there on every trip. We heartily recommend the Buckingham Palace tea, which comes with scones, fresh strawberries and cream and tea sandwiches.

Advance Dining Reservations (ADR) are strongly advised as the Garden View is very small and fills up fast. For ADR's, call 1-407-WDW-DINE.

Cheers!

A.A.

Joan writes:

We will be at Walt Disney World this winter (Daughter's 16th birthday!) and purchased the dining plan. My question is regarding tipping. My husband is in the restaurant business and is very sensitive about tipping and doesn't want to shortchange the waitstaff. What is the normal procedure? A percentage of the actual meal cost as opposed to what we paid through the dining plan? By the way, love your website and your weekly newsletter! Thanks!

Hi Joan!

On the Magic Your Way Dining Plan, which can only be purchased as part of a Magic Your Way hotel and ticket package, the gratuity is already included in the price of the plan. If you wish to leave a little more to reward exemplary service, however, it would be gratefully accepted by your server.

Have a wonderful trip to the World!

A.A.

Janice writes:

Anita, I trust you know the answer to this as it's my most important question yet. We are planning a trip to WDW soon, which will include a character dinner at the Liberty Tree Tavern at the Magic Kingdom. My question is, how do you tell the difference between Chip and Dale?

Hi Janice!

It's actually pretty easy to tell them apart. Chip has a smaller black nose and his front teeth are close together. Dale has a larger, round, red nose and his front teeth have a large gap in front. The easiest way for me to remember which is which is that Chip has a nose like a chocolate chip. ;-)

If you ever dine at the Liberty Tree Tavern during lunch (not a character meal), be sure to try the incredible Colony Salad. My friends Donald and Mickey got my other friend Flo and me hooked on this yummy concoction of greens, apples, walnuts, cheese and chicken in a deliciously refreshing dressing. It's a must-eat for us on every trip!

A.A.

Helen writes:

Not a week goes by that I don't read your column. Last week you mentioned that there is significance to a black cat at the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights. Just wondering if you knew the significance and where it has been spotted in past years? I have held off mentioning this to my 16-year-old daughter, for fear that we may not be able to leave before finding the black cat!

Hi Helen!

The story, as told to me by a Cast Member who helped put up the Osborne Spectacle of Lights a few years ago, goes like this:

In 1994, the Osbornes were ordered by the Arkansas Supreme Court to cease lighting their huge holiday display because their neighbors found the constant traffic to be an annoyance. In 1995, Disney came to the rescue with an offer to display the lights on Residential Street in the Disney-MGM Studios. (Alas, Residential Street has gone to the great theme park in the sky, but the spectacle now resides on the Streets of America...)

When the Cast Members were unpacking the crates of lights and displays, they found that a lone Halloween display, the black cat, had stowed away and made the trip to Florida. Since it was in the boxes with the Christmas lights, they assumed it was supposed to be part of the Spectacle of Lights, and the cat was put into one of the displays along Residential Street.

When Jennings Osborne visited his Spectacle of Lights for the first time at MGM, he pointed out the cat and said it didn't belong in the Christmas display, but belonged instead in his Halloween display back home in Arkansas. Because the cat had made such a great effort to get to Florida, it was decided the cat should stay anyway. ;-) So now, the cat hides in a new place every year, as a sort of "Hidden Kitty." I can no longer recall all of the places I've seen it hiding year after year, but it always hides in plain sight.

Hint: The cat is actually a deep purple and not really black. Happy hunting!

A.A.

That's it for this edition!

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