 |
INTERCOT Insider
August
2002 Edition |
Brought to you by
INTERCOT's network of sites:
INTERCOT - Walt Disney World
Inside & Out
INTERCOT West - Disneyland Inside
& Out
INTERCOT's WebDisney - Guide to
Disney on the Internet
INTERCOT's MousehutMail - Free Web
Based Email
INTERCOT's Thrillride
Experience - Thrill Ride Parks & Attractions
This newsletter and other past issues can also be read online at;
http://www.intercot.com/interactive/insider/archive
<< Introduction >>
Summer has nearly passed. Kids are heading back to school, there are no good
movies coming out for a few months and we may be looking at a baseball
strike. Worry not! INTERCOT is here to help you dream, dare and do all your
Disney plans!
<< INTERCOT Happenings >>
There’s been a lot going on behind the scenes at INTERCOT! We’ve added a ton
of new information to Info Central (see Communicore with PolyGirl for all
the latest). And we’ve got more in store for the coming weeks. Keep an eye
on the Home Page for all the latest and the greatest.
Also, with the newest version of the boards, we’ve all been enjoying on
another’s avatars. Don’t have one yet? Simply go to “My Profile” click on
“View/Update Profile” and select an avatar image. We’ve got hundreds to
choose from!
Have you noticed the latest change to the boards? INTERCOT is happy to
welcome the Thrillride Experience message boards! Castmember X and his gang
of adrenaline junkies have come home to roost and spread the gospel
according to the Triple Inversion. Stop by and check out the latest news and
rumors or ask your questions about your favorite non-Disney Central Florida
theme parks. And when you see X, you’ll wonder, “Who was that masked man?”
Now, let’s jump right into the heart of this month’s Insider!
<< WDW Events with DisneyWizard >>
With so many changes, it may be hard to keep up with what’s going on at Walt
Disney World. Here are some of the biggest headlines down in the World.
-Once Upon a Toy opens in Downtown Disney-
Once Upon a Toy, a mega-store featuring Disney and Hasbro toys, has opened
in Downtown Disney to rave reviews. The store features Disney-styled family
games such as Mr. Potato Head, Clue, Monopoly (theme-parks edition),
Candyland, and others. Also on sale are Disney Bears and additions to the
toy monorail sets.
“Everyone needs to visit this place on their next vacation!” –Villain13
“There are so many neat things in this store.” –m & m
“Pure Disney, gives FAO Schwarz a run for their money.” –tigger24
-Caribbean Beach Resort closed-
The Caribbean Beach Resort will close in the beginning of September to
refurbish Old Port Royale and the food court. Current plans are to have the
moderate resort open by this holiday season. Reservation holding guests
should receive a phone call from Disney reservations about the closure.
“I'm not happy about this at all, I don't want to be hanging out there until
a month before not knowing where we're staying.” -izzarelli
“I just REALLY hope they aren't displacing everyone, and ruining this resort
in the process.” -D Jones
-FastPass upgraded-
FastPass has been upgraded in each theme park to allow guests more chances
go receive their “spot in line”. Guests are able to get a FastPass as quick
as 45 minutes since their last FastPass – an improvement from the previous
time frame allotted. INTERCOTees have been giving the change mixed opinions,
including:
“ It sounds like it will totally wreck the "logic" behind the FastPass and
make the standby lines horrible.” -GrumpyFan
“…if the new improvements allow for a new FP within 45 minutes, then I'd
call that a huge improvement.” –joho0
-Princess Storybook Breakfast announced-
Taking place in Restaurant Akershus located at Norway in Epcot, this
breakfast will feature different Disney princesses (excluding Cinderella)
and their character friends. The current schedule for this family-style meal
is to run until the end of November.
“My daughter will love this and now I really don't have to get up before the
sun to call for CRT.” -joak
“I think that this is great. I hope that it sticks around; I think that it
will provide a great way to make a [priority seating] with different
characters, and a different atmosphere.” -DisneyTeen
“I think this is a GREAT idea. I would love to have breakfast with the
Disney royalty.” -luvindisney
-Night of Joy celebrates 20th Anniversary-
The Night of Joy is celebrating 20 years on September 6th and September 7th
with 15 contemporary Christian bands. The Magic Kingdom will host the event,
and tickets can be bought on sale in advance ($34.95 plus tax) or at the
gate ($39.95 plus tax).
<< Communicore with PolyGirl40 >>
There have been quite a few developments around Walt Disney World since we
last "Communicored". The Caribbean Beach Resort will be completely closed by
September 8th and will be reopening for the Holiday Season. During this time
Disney plans extensive renovations to Old Port Royale and wants the resort
empty during the process. If you have previously booked reservations during
the renovation period, Disney should be calling you soon to move you to
another resort.
The new "Princess Storybook Breakfast" in Norway has been a great success.
So much so, the trial period has been extended to the end of the year. If
you have attended this new dining experience, we'd love to hear your review.
Drop us a line at
[email protected] and put “Insider” in the subject field.
Disney has released discount specials for travelers vacationing at Walt
Disney World between 10/3/02-12/25/02. Rates range from $55+ per night for
Value Resorts. $85+ per night for Moderate Resorts and $119+ per night for
Deluxe Resorts. The closer your desired dates are to Peak Season, the fees
increase. Rooms are limited and must be booked by September 23, 2002. Time
is running out. Call INTERCOT's exclusive travel agency, Kingdom Magic
Travel, today at 1-800-425-0306 for details on how you can save! Ask for
code CKO and tell them you saw the special on INTERCOT.
Park Hours and Events are posted through October. A "Special Activities"
page has been added to the "Traveling with Children" section in Info
Central. Featured activities include; Grand Adventures in Cooking, Pirate
Cruise, Wonderland Tea Party and the Ice Cream Social. If you are looking
for a little something extra to do during your vacation, these might be of
interest to you. "Where to Meet the Characters" and the "Resort & In Room
Daycare/Babysitting" information has been recently updated.
Make sure your check out our new
Menus and
Recipes
sections of Info Central! Our spies have been hard at work, brining back
menus from some of your favorite eateries. Or maybe they aren’t your
favorite. Maybe you’ve been afraid to try Kona Café? Check out the menu and
see if it’s right for you.
Plus, our test chefs have been slaving over a hot stove for weeks, trying
and testing new Disney Recipes (yes, we’re all jealous too). Take the taste
of the world home with you with more than fifty recipes! Point your browser
here and start experimenting!
Keep checking back. Info
Central is changing constantly. Up next is an updated section on
Downtown Disney!
Happy Planning!
<< Dining Review with ChipDale >>
Looking for a place to celebrate a special occasion at Walt Disney World?
Want to have a dining experience far removed from the theme parks?
California Grill in the Contemporary Resort may be just what you’re looking
for. We (two adults, no children) had dinner there recently on a Saturday
night. We took the monorail from the Polynesian Resort and arrived at the
Concourse Level (4th Floor) of the Contemporary Resort in a few minutes.
From the Concourse Level, we took the elevator up to the 15th Floor and
found ourselves in the lobby of the California Grill. We checked in and were
seated next to the windows on the southwest corner of the restaurant and had
a great time watching the boats on the Seven Seas Lagoon and even saw
several eagles flying by.
I was surprised to see so many people dining early (our PS was for 5:30pm).
Our server greeted us and we ordered some drinks. I ordered a Kirin Ichiban
beer and the other person in my party had a glass of the White Zinfandel.
For our appetizer, I ordered the California Roll sushi. They gave me 6 large
rolls and they were delicious. I would go back there just to have the sushi
– it was that good. My dining companion had the asparagus soup and loved it.
Other appetizer choices included several types of sushi and sashimi,
different flatbreads, black mussels steamed in Thai curry broth, Sonoma goat
cheese ravioli, field greens with Cabernet vinaigrette and parmesan toast,
warm asparagus with brown butter vinaigrette and several other choices.
As far as the atmosphere is concerned, the big draw is the view. You can
request certain views (Magic Kingdom, Seven Seas Lagoon, etc.). They will
try to accommodate when possible. Be aware that on nights when Fantasy in
the Sky is showing that many people will request the Magic Kingdom view so
you may not always get your preference. I found it to be fairly noisy, but
it really didn’t detract from our enjoyable meal. California Grill has an
open kitchen and we were seated at that end of the dining room.
Our service was excellent - very professional, yet still friendly. For our
main course, I had the Tamarind Barbeque Glazed Beef Filet with Buttered
Escarole and Crushed Yukon Golds. The other person in my party ordered the
Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Polenta. Our dinners were beautifully presented
and everything was delicious. Other choices for the Main Course included
Spit Roasted Range Chicken, Colorado Lamb Rack, Pan Roasted Grouper, Sesame
Spiced Yellowfin Tuna and a Pan Seared Wild Salmon. For dessert, the other
person in my party ordered the America’s Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter
Custard Sauce and I had another Kirin beer. Other dessert choices included a
Lemon Meringue Pie Soufflé, Butterscotch Crème Brulee, Blueberry Swirl Angel
Food Cake and California Strawberry Shortcake.
California Grill is open for dinner only, 5:00pm to 10:00pm. Priority
Seating reservations are strongly recommend, especially on weekends. Price
range for appetizers was $8.00 to $29.75, main courses from $19.75 to
$31.00, and desserts from $6.50 to $9.50. California Grill also offers a
full wine list. They do have a small bar area to enjoy a cocktail before or
after dinner. We had a wonderful dining experience and wouldn’t hesitate to
go back.
<< Resort Review with Narcoossee's Fan >>
Disney has so many beautiful on-site hotels that it can be hard to choose
from just looking at the guidebooks. They make them all sound so wonderful.
Wouldn’t you like to know the “real scoop” from some of our Disney veterans?
Questions like… “Is the Grand Floridian truly all that? Or, what are the
All-Star preferred rooms really like? What is the best hotel for a Disney
Studios only visit? At what hotel can I see the fireworks from Epcot without
being in the park? Did you know there is shortcut to the Animal Kingdom
Lodge from Hwy 192? All these answers and more are coming up in our new
feature, INTERCOT’s Resort Review, premiering next month with the most
“valued” resort….the All-Star Movies, Music, and Sports Resort!
<< Off Topic >>
Off Topic is still on hiatus this month. Our very own Patricia has been knee
deep in carpentry (and injuries related to it). She’ll be back soon with all
the latest news on INTERCOTees and their strange, late night (and daylight)
weirdness.
<< Conclusion >>
That’s all for this month. The summer has gone so quickly! Soon the leaves
will be falling and we’ll all be preparing for the holidays.
Have your Halloween costume picked out yet? We’ll take a look at the Disney
options for Halloween both at the World and at home. We’ll debut our latest
regular feature, the INTERCOT Resort Review, with Narcoossee's Fan’s review
of the All-Star trio of resorts. Plus, the Insider will be going global next
month with a series of special articles on visiting WDW from overseas or
from Canada. Have any suggestions? Drop us a line at
[email protected].
In the meantime, we’re out of here! Enjoy what remains of the summer weather
and remember: See you real soon!
<< INTERCOT Would Like To Thank>>
The INTERCOT Insider and INTERCOT.com
are supported by the following sponsors who in turn, help us bring the Magic
to you!
Magical Journeys
Magical Journeys is your Disney Vacation specialist. Start planning your
Vacation Discount Dreams today!
Website:
http://www.yourmagicaljourneys.com/
Radisson Resort
Parkway
Right in the heart of action! Only 1.5 miles from Walt Disney World is an
oasis of ponds, beautiful landscaping, serene waterfalls and relaxing
options hiding in every corner.
Website:
http://orlando.guestselectresorts.com?pid=INTERCOTN
All Star
Vacation Homes
When you need a home away from home, look no further. From comfort to
luxury, All Star Vacation Homes has it all in four series of homes to fit
any taste and any budget just moments from the magic of Walt Disney World!
Website:
http://www.allstarvacationhomes.com?ovchn=OTHER&ovcpn=Listing+Sites&ovcrn=intercot&ovtac=AD
Happy Limo
Providing ground transportation to the entire state of Florida.
Website: http://www.quicksilver-tours.com
The Official Ticket
Center
Walt Disney
World’s, Universal Studios and Sea World’s #1 guest service provider for the
last 3 years. The Official Ticket Center has been servicing vacationers for
more than 7 years now and sells tickets only, at a discount price.
Website:
http://www.officialticketcenter.com/default.aspx?affid=TC21LBC
- - - - - - - - - -
The INTERCOT Insider
Copyright
© 1997-2005 Levelbest
Communications - All Rights Reserved
Comments or questions may be sent to
[email protected]
|
