Tidbits
October 2011



Retirement, Relatively Speaking

10/29/11 The retirement of the Little Einsteins from daily Meet & Greet appearances has been delayed until Mid-November 2011. Character Cast have reported that the group will cease daily Meet & Greets in Animation Courtyard at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on November 12, 2011. On November 13, 2011 Jake from Jake and the Neverland Pirates will reportedly begin Meet & Greets in the same spot. As previously reported, June and Leo’s appearances at the Play ‘n’ Dine Character Meals will be unaffected.

6/28/11 The Little Einsteins are schedule to be retired from daily Meet & Greet appearances later this Summer. The Little Einsteins Meet & Greet in Animation Courtyard at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is schedule to cease operation in August 2011. Despite the ending of their meet & greet, Character Cast have reported that the June and Leo will continue to appear at the Hollywood & Vine Play ‘n’ Dine Character Meals.

Oh Bother

10/29/11 Guests wishing to ride the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh at the Magic Kingdom will have their queue options reduced in early November. The attraction’s interactive stand-by queue will be closed for refurbishment from November 2 through November 9, 2011. During this period, the FastPass Return queue will be used as the stand-by queue and no FastPasses will be distributed.

Say Cheese?

10/29/11 Character Cast have reported that the Town Square Theater Meet & Greet may be getting a new enhancement. Cast have reported that “talking” Mickey Mouse is tentatively scheduled debut at the Magic Kingdom Meet & Greet location in “Early November 2011”. The articulation of the character is reportedly similar to what is displayed in Dream Along with Mickey, but with the added ability to interact with Guests in real time.

Gaelic Gobble

10/23/11 Downtown Disney is hosting a special Thanksgiving meal on November 24, 2011. Master Chef Kevin Dundon will be preparing a pre-plated meal at Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant that features classic holiday staples of turkey, potatoes, and stuffing with an Irish flair. The meal is priced at $26.95 per person.

The Holidays and You

10/23/11 The Magic Kingdom has internally announced that a special Holiday Edition of The Magic, The Memories, and You! will debut on November 8, 2011. The end date for the Holiday Edition of the show was not announced, but is expected by Entertainment Cast to be January 2, 2012.

Pardon our Pixie Dust

10/23/11 Cast close to the construction project have reported that the February 18th opening will only be a partial opening of the new Dumbo attraction in Storybook Circus. The full attraction will reportedly open Summer 2012.

10/14/11 The Magic Kingdom park has announced that Dumbo the Flying Elephant will close for re-location on January 9, 2012. The ride system will be incorporated into the new Dumbo attraction as part of the Fantasyland expansion project. The new Dumbo attraction in Storybook Circus has been announced to open on February 18, 2012.

Eerie Eats

10/12/11 Mickey’s Backyard BBQ is holding a special Halloween themed event on October 31, 2011. The Halloween themed meals will be held from 5 pm to 7 pm and feature the characters in their Halloween costumes and a special dance party.

Reservation Reservations

10/14/11 Due to the expansion of table service restaurants enforcing a penalty for missed reservations, the Walt Disney World resort has opened a dedicated phone line for reservation cancellations. Guests who need to cancel an Advanced Dining Reservation may call 1-407-WDW-CNCL for added convenience.

Meal Merger

10/14/11 Two Disney’s Hollywood Studios dining locations have recently altered their menus. 50's Prime Time Cafe and Sci-Fi Dine-In have replaced their separate Lunch and Dinner menus with a single All-Day menu.

A Slice of Italy

10/14/11 As part of the Epcot Food and Wine Festival, Via Napoli has started serving pizza-by-the-slice again through its counter service window. The offering will continue until November 30, 2011.

3/12/11 The counter service window at Via Napoli has begun offering pizza-by-the-slice. According to Cast, this offering will last through May 28, 2011