I'm Rikki...and I Have a Confession!

So, I'm well aware that I usually talk about WDW in this blog...but today, I thought I'd take on something a little different. It's still Disney related, it just doesn't deal with the theme parks, per se.

I have a confession......


I've seen High School Musical 3 twice already during opening weekend and today, I bought the soundtrack. How sad am I? I couldn't help it though. Those songs are downright infectious! I had them stuck in my head and the only way to get them out was to get the soundtrack, right?

That's it, it's time to just admit it...I'm Rikki, and I'm a 25 year old HSM fan.

That's right...I was teeny bopping it all the way to the theaters this weekend...but I wasn't alone. I manged to go not only with Brian (who, coincidentally loves HSM too...how odd is that?!) but my best friend went with me as well, since she is also a fan of musicals and of course, the HSM movies.

And as someone who has seen the movie (a few times) I have to say, I really did like it. It was definitely more grown up than the other ones, lots of issues that face real teenagers were featured...you know...the whole growing up and deciding your future thing. It was really done quite well. Definitely a movie that has some heart to it. (Oh...and sadly enough...I will also readily admit to being one who has a tiny crush on Zac Efron...thank God he's legal! lol!!!)

The songs were also really good this time too. At first, I didn't think I liked the songs as much...but the more time went on, the more I'd get another song from the movie stuck in my head. I have tons of favorite tracks and am currently listening to my fabulous new purchase as we speak...er...write! There are a bunch that are just really rockin! I don't want to turn my CD player off!

So, for those of you who have that HSM prejudice...it's really not so bad. I know the movie's merchandise seem to be taking over the stores on Disney property...but there's a reason (even if it is a bit overkill). The movies, really are, very good. And I highly recommend them to people...the first and third one...the second one I didn't like so much. Give them a chance...because they might surprise you.

So, everyone, put on your Wildcat jersey and Get Your Head in The Game, cause we really can be All In This Together!

News & Rumors 10/20/08 - 10/26/08

News and Rumors are gathered from various different websites. One particular website is not favored over another. All rumors are rumors and are to be taken with a grain of salt.

News

• Kim Possible is currently in the testing phase around World Showcase. Expect it to open to guests in the near future. It is being rumored that it will take 45 minutes to complete one assignment in one country. The full scale attraction is expected to open in Nov, possibly right before Thanksgiving.
• At Cape May Cafe, the characters have indeed changed for Goofy's Beach Blast Breakfast. Instead of Chip and Dale, you can now see Donald Duck.
• Dream Along with Mickey, in front of the Castle, will indeed be getting some work done to it. New costumes and some music changes appear to be on tap.
• Now it's official! Pixie Hollow has officially opened to the public! Guests can now visit Tink and her friends in Toontown at the Toontown Hall of Fame. This is a very unique experience...unlike any other character meet. You are really brought into the story and it is rumored that the characters will interact by telling stories and playing games as well. It is supposedly a very entertaining experience.
• Since Disney is currently updating their dining reservation system, it has been reported that things have been pushed back a bit...so now, all guests will be able to book ressies up until March 22, 2009. Normal bookings will return in Dec. 2008.
• Blizzard Beach has re-opened and Typhoon Lagoon is down for it's annual refurbishment.
  

Rumors

• It appears that the American Idol Experience has been scaled back just a little bit...at least on the outside. In order to get the attraction open in time for the new season of American Idol, Disney had to make a few cuts to the exterior. It wasn't the economy that changed this though. Besides wanting to open in time for the new season of American Idol, Disney didn't want to have to find an alternate route for it's wildly popular Block Party Bash parade. The theater will officially be known as the Superstar Television Theater.
• It's being said that the characters may also be going away from the Crystal Palace character buffet.
• Night Kingdom, it appears, has been shelved, at least for the time being.
• Monster's Inc. meet and greet will be moving to Pixar Place and construction has already started to update their new area.
• Bolt, Mittens, and Rhino will be doing meets at the Studio in the near future.
• Prince Caspian's meet is currently being covered, it will possibly reopen Nov. 2nd.
• Next year, the castle lights may extend to Main Street.
• Next year, during MNSSHP, during the Mix and Mingle, Hades might make an appearance.
• There's apparently a new updates for MVMCP's parade this year. Chip and Dale on the ski slope float and Santa's float have been redone.
• The Celebrate Dreams Come True parade begins rehearsals in January with Mickey's and the Princess floats redone. The Fantasia Brooms, Bridesmaids, and Chimney sweeps might not make it.
• Marie the Cat is being phased out in France at Epcot.
• In Pleasure Island, it's being said Disney has realized just how dead it is now...also, it's being said with the poor economy, that many 3rd party retailers are second guessing the project. It's possible, therefore, that Disney is considering re-opening some of these venues for the Holiday time period. Also, it's been said that since it's so dead, Disney is thinking about putting the DJ back in booth to breathe some life back into the area.

Mousefest

Well, many of you know, I'm trying my little to get my little tooshie to Mousefest...I've found a room...which I thought would be the hard part...turns out the harder part is trying to raise the funds to get my mom down there. (So far, we have about 30% of our main goal...but hey, that's more than we originally had.) Once I get the trip booked, I'll be sure to share it with you all.

However, with that being said, since a lot of people have been talking about what meets they are wanting to participate in, I thought this would be a good place to share mine...

So, without further adieu (This list is not complete, as I know that things can change at a moments notice...therefore, these meets are the ones that I know for sure I don't want to miss):

Thursday

7:45 am BOGP Meet in front of the MK under the monorail tracks
12 noon: Mousefest 101
1 pm: Mousefest Kickoff Party

Friday

12 noon: BOGP meet at Flame Tree BBQ
2 pm: WDW Today's 500th Episode meet
4 pm: Podfest
7:30 pm: More than likely a Wishes Cruise

Saturday
10 or 11: Mega Mouse Meet

Sunday

8:45 am: BOGP meet in front of MK again
1 pm: Triviafest (More than likely on this one...not a definite yet)

So, this is my tentative schedule...of course, I have some others that I might hit up. I don't want to force too much on myself...as I definitely don't want to kill myself or my mother!

Hope to see you all there! :)

News & Rumors 10/13/08 - 10/19/08

News and Rumors are gathered from various different websites. One particular website is not favored over another. All rumors are rumors and are to be taken with a grain of salt.

Really slow week for anything this week.

News

• Disney is once again offering the perk of allowing for your family to be called on Christmas Day, letting them know about your vacation gift from Mickey Mouse himself. Between Nov. 28 and Dec. 23, guests who book their vacations to Walt Disney World Resort can sign up to receive a call. Call 1-407-W-DISNEY for the opportunity. (Must be after the Nov. 28 date.)
• T-Rex, the new restaurant in Downtown Disney is officially open for business. From the pictures I've seen of the inside, it looks fabulous!
• The shops located next to the Adventurer's Club are now being refurbed to make way for a new South American style cuisine restaurant.

I Want More Refurbs!

Lately it seems like rumors start to trickle down about possible refurbs, only for them to be quickly taken away or scaled back majorly. I know that with a company like Disney, it's bound to happen...I just wish it didn't. Some of these rumors that are being severely altered sounded really cool.

The first thing that disappoints me is all the talk about Space Mountain. Now, I love Space, it's one of my favorite attractions of property, but let's call a spade a spade...it could use some work. And I was happy to see it was rumored to get some major love. First it was "scheduled" as an 18 month project, full refurb...then it went down to 12...now I'm hearing anywhere from 6-8 months and it's definitely not supposed to be the full refurb it was originally intended to be. From what I've been hearing, it's supposed to be safety stuff and some minor stuff and that's it. Not the full glory refurb this wonderful attraction needs.

It was recently rumored that the Fantasyland refurb that was supposed to get a pretty massive refurb too, however a recent article by Jim Hill claims that that's been pushed back. (However, not taken away yet...thank God!) Fantasyland's refurb was supposed to be pretty spectacular. We were supposed to be getting the Little Mermaid ride that DCA is getting, a Beauty and the Beast dark ride where Snow White is, and then a Snow White mine car roller coaster ride. It all sounded pretty fabulous to me. My hope is it doesn't get pushed back too long. I think this would be a fabulous addition to a park that hasn't had any new major E ticket attraction since Splash Mountain.

Now, I know that of course, with the economy going the way of the toilet...it might not be such a great time to do all these new projects...but thinking about it again. Now might be the perfect time. It's going to be guaranteed the economy will rebound at some point...and if Disney sits on it's laurels and doesn't do anything, then when it rebounds, people won't feel an urgent need to come down. But if they do build, then when the rebound happens, people can say, you know what...let's take a vacation down in Disney...It sounds like there's a lot that's new down there that's been built recently and we should take advantage of it.

But you have to keep in mind...that while Disney is apparently sitting on their laurels, Universal is adding quite a bit to their parks in the recent future. And it seems weird that Disney doesn't seemed fazed by this. I think that The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is going to be a big draw...and to watch Disney not announce anything big is quite concerning. And if they don't do something...people are instead going to say, look at all Universal has done...let's try them out this time instead.
I really hope Disney decides that it will be ok to move forward with some of these new projects. As I mentioned, now is the time to do it. There are rumored to be fewer bookings for 2009...so less people who will get angry if things go down for longer periods of time. Now is the time to take some action...I hope Disney knows what they're doing.

News & Rumors 10/6/08 - 10/12/08

News and Rumors are gathered from various different websites. One particular website is not favored over another. All rumors are rumors and are to be taken with a grain of salt.



News

• Pal Mickey is going away. He has officially been discontinued. Supplies will be available until they run out. If you currently have a Pal Mickey, he will still function as he once did, but they will not be releasing updated versions.
• The Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex will be seeing a name change. It will now be known as the ESPN Wide World of Sports.
• The toy guns sold in Frontierland will be changing colors. They are now going to be blue, so they won't get confused for real firearms.
• The 2009 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival will take place March 18-May 31. The theme this year will revolve around the princesses
• Information about Bay Lake Tower has been added to the Monorail spiel.
• Information about New Year's Eve festivities are coming out. At Epcot, Illuminations will be running two shows, 7:40 pm and 11:50 pm. Epcot's park hours will be from 8 am - 1 am. At DHS, Fantasmic will be showing at 6:30 pm and 8:30 pm. Also, Mulch, Sweat, and Shears will be performing in front of the Hat. Also, a special fireworks show titled "Lights, Camera, Happy New Year" will show at 11:50 pm. Park hours will run from 9 am - midnight. The Magic Kingdom will have two showings of the "Mickey's Once Upon A Christmastime Parade." One showing will be at noon and the other at 3 pm. "SpectroMagic" will show at 7 pm and 10:30 pm. "Holiday Wishes" will show at 8:30 pm and then at 11:50 pm, "Fantasy in the Sky" fireworks will be shown. The Magic Kingdom's park hours will be 8 am - 1 am. Animal Kingdom will have "Mickey's Jingle Jungle Parade at 3:45 pm. Park Hours will be from 8 am - 8 pm.
• The Atlanta Braves will be returning to the Wide World of Sports Complex.
• As was originally mis-reported last week, Pixie Hollow is not open...I apologize for the misinformation. Now there are rumors that it may even have trouble opening on the Oct. 28th date. I'll keep you posted on further information!

Rumors

• It's been rumored the Fantasyland refurb that was suppose to happen in the future has been postponed. This is supposedly due to the economic forecast. It has not been taken out of contention totally though.
• Rumors are still saying that Space could be going down in January. It's a will they-won't they game...guess we'll soon find out.

Farewell Adventurers

Well, as you all may be aware, I was able to visit the Adventurer's Club during the last week. It was a happy, yet sad occasion...and many came out to say good bye. The place was simply packed on the two nights that I went. Could hardly move a muscle. I wanted to share some of the videos I took as I said goodbye to the characters I'd come to know and love.

Kungalooh, old friend.

Maid Gabby and her final send off.

More of Maid Gabby's farewell Maid Sing-a-long.

Emil Bleehal's last Mailman song

Gabby and Emil's final Hoopla!

News & Rumors 9/29/08 - 10/5/08

News and Rumors are gathered from various different websites. One particular website is not favored over another. All rumors are rumors and are to be taken with a grain of salt.

News

• This year is the last year for the Super Soap weekend at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Next year, they will embark on a national tour.
• The price to rent a towel at Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon has increased to $2.00 per towel.
• La Marina at Coronado Springs Resort has now gone to seasonal status.
• Epcot's 25th Anniversary exibit has now closed. No word on if it is a temporary thing or a permanant move.
• The Magic Carpets of Aladdin will be closed December 14-20, 2008
• The Frontierland Fry Cart is closed for refurb from now until January 11, 2009. Word is it will have a new menu when opened.
• Petrifries in Disney's Animal Kingdom is set to be closed Nov. 2-21. It will reopen with a new name, (Trilobites) and a new menu.
• Stormalong Bay at the Yacht and Beach Club will be closed from Jan. 5-April 15, 2009.
• The Pixie Hollow meet & greet in Toontown is close to being open. It opens at the end of this month. (Edited for the right date 10/7)

Rumors

• Epcot's 25th Anniversary exibit has now closed. No word on if it is a temporary thing or a permanant move.
• Sounds Dangerous is supposedly not opening with the park. It is apparently opening 6 hours before the park's close.
• Along those lines, One Man's Dream is also closing at 3 pm each day now.

We're Celebrating!

So, as many of you know, Disney announced the next "celebration" for 2009 and sure enough, it was exactly what I've been hearing rumors saying it would be. Disney's next marketing campaign focuses on all the celebrating people do down in Disney. The first trip, your birthday, your anniversary, family reunions, weddings, quniceras, and even mundane things like first haircuts. If you have a reason to celebrate, Disney thinks you should come down and visit them!

And why not? Disney is one of the premier places to go to celebrate special occasions. I know I would go down to celebrate, that is, if my birthday and anniversary weren't in the middle of the summer...you know, when crowds are crazy nuts!

As I mentioned though...many go down to celebrate something at Disney at some point. It is the perfect place to go for that type of thing. It makes the celebration that much more special. And of course, Disney is always one to help accomplish making things that much more special. Matter of fact, on a lot of message boards and podcasts, a common question that is asked is what is something special I can do for this special day? Disney has helped to take the guesswork out now by creating a list with a bunch of ideas on their website.

Probably the best thing Disney is going to do though for this celebration is offer free admission to the parks if it's your birthday. (Or a $75 gift card or 4 Fastpasses for you and up to 5 additional guests.) What a cool option for people.

A lot of people give Disney flack for these celebrations, but I think they're kind of cool. First of all, Disney doesn't have to "give" anything away and these past few years, they've been doing all kinds of giveaways. This is just another thing that Disney doesn't have to do, but does because they want to. (And they want to entice the casual visitor to think...wow...free park admission...and come down to the House of Mouse for a vacation. I don't follow this whole thing blindly, I know what they're up to.) Those who give Disney flack usually are the ones who aren't happy with anything Disney does...I'm sure you've seen the type before. Me personally, I wish I'd be able to take advantage of this on my birthday...however, even though I'm voluntarily not taking advantage, I still think it's a really unique thing for people who can go down on their birthday's to take advantage of.

So, tell me...what will you celebrate?