INTERCOT Insider  April 2005 - Edition One

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INTERCOT's Thrillride Experience - Thrill Ride Parks & Attractions

<< Introduction >>

Happy Spring! Hope you all are finally seeing signs of warmer weather!! Here is another packed issue of the Insider, where Casey brings you up to date on all the exciting events at Walt Disney World as they anticipate the Happiest Celebration on Earth kickoff on May 5, Carol informs us all about INTERCOT happenings, and Ray and Jane bring us their Bytes and Pieces and Off Topic. Hope you enjoy!


<< Disney World Events with DisneyWizard  >>

As we quickly approach the new celebration at Walt Disney World, new attractions are opening and new garnishes on your favorite attractions are revealing themselves. Check below for just some of the few new things to look for this coming spring.

- Crush ‘n’ Gusher now open -
On March 15th the new Typhoon Lagoon waterslide complex will open to the public. The new “water coaster” Master Blaster technology is a first in Florida, allowing guests to slide uphill in the new ride themed to a defunct tropical fruit factory.

“The Crush n Gusher is on our must do list.” –mamacon67

“Makes me wish I were there right now.” –TheInventor’sDaughter

- Star Wars Weekends coming again -
Everyone’s favorite Star Wars events are back again this year, with the dates recently announced. Meet and greet your favorite, go collectibles shopping, and much more. The dates are May 20,21,22,27,28,29, and June 3,4,5,10,11,12 (all in 2005). Check below for more details on the event.

“I am SO excited!” –KylesMom

“I'm starting to get excited again....WDW, here I come!” –weswerx

More Information

- New Castle Trasnformation -
Cinderella’s castle has finished its transformation for the new Happiest Celebration on Earth. Complete with golden icons from your favorite Disney films, new dressings, and a stain-glassed centerpiece paying tribute to all of Disney’s castles, this new look will stay for the duration of the celebration. Check below for details and photos.

“It looks fantastic!” –Flower

“I like Cinderella Castle the way it is now: simple, yet elegant and beautiful.” –AvonleaCF

“This looks magical, fits with the theme of the entire park.” -TCLites

Photos and Details

- Epcot Flower & Garden Festival Opens -
The Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival began April 15 and will continue through June 5th, 2005. New this year are displays themed to the Happiest Celebration on Earth. Other highlights include Themed Weekends, Minnie's Magnificent Butterfly Garden, Farmer Mickey's Maze and much more. The special event is included in regular Epcot admission.

"I LOVE the Flower and Garden Festival!! It's the reason we pick this time of year to go every year!! It's BEAUTIFUL!!" - 2tinkerbellsmom

"I've been to WDW during the Flower & Garden Festival twice, and love it there during it! The creations are amazing, the free concerts are fun, and it just makes you feel like it's spring turning into summer!" - CaptSmee

Event Details

- 2005 Night of Joy Tickets On Sale Now -
Marking the 23rd anniversary of Disney's Night of Joy, on September 9 & 10, a total of 21 acts will present concerts at stages throughout the Magic Kingdom. Christian music lovers from all over the globe will be gathering for a celebration with top-name music artists, theme park attractions and Disney characters. The long-running series has played to a combined audience of almost three-quarters of a million people. Top Artists* including: Mercy Me, Steven Curtis Chapman, Audio Adrenaline, Casting Crowns, newsboys, Donnie McClurkin, TobyMac, Cece Winans and 11 more. Night of Joy advance tickets are on sale now.

More Information


<< Carol's Communicore >>

Happy April Everyone!

Special Edition Pal Mickey
A special "Happiest Celebration on Earth" edition of the popular talking Mickey Mouse toy will debut to coincide with the May 2005 launch of the 18-month festivities taking place worldwide to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Disneyland. Mickey is dressed in a removable tuxedo jacket and has been updated with fun facts about new attractions, shows, character greetings and short wait times across Walt Disney World Resort. He also includes more than 30 trivia questions, seven sing-a-longs and six games, as well as a brand-new carrying lanyard and a louder speaking voice.

More Info

Harley-Davidson Store Opens at Disney Pleasure Island
Downtown Disney Pleasure Island guests can now visit an Orlando Harley-Davidson store. The store will feature genuine Harley-Davidson clothes, hats, gifts, collectibles and pet accessories. Custom Harley-Davidson motorcycles will be on display for guests to see.

Golfers Receive Special Savings
Beginning May 2, Walt Disney World golf is serving up Disney's Price Slice. Guests receive a special savings on tee times after 10 a.m. Between May 2 and Sept. 29, 2005 golfers can use a championship course for rates as low as $45. Rates vary depending upon which Disney course. Palm - $45, Lake Buena Vista -$45, Eagle Pines -$50 and Osprey Ridge -$60. Call 407-WDW-GOLF for more details.

White Rhino Family Grows at Disney's Animal Kingdom
It's a Girl! Kendi, a white rhino at Disney's Animal Kingdom, welcomed her new baby daughter Kayla, to the rhino family in February. At birth Kayla weighed 143 pounds and currently weighs in at 233 pounds. This is exciting news - since at one time white rhinos were nearly extinct. There are currently seven southern white rhinos in the herd at Animal Kingdom. Look for Kendi and Kayla to join the other rhinos on the Animal Kingdom savannah real  soon.

Baby Picture & Discussion

Monthly Wine Dinners at Animal Kingdom Lodge's Jiko
On the first Thursday of every month Jiko-The Cooking Place at Animal Kingdom Lodge will be hosting a monthly wine dinner. The dinner will take place in the restaurant's private dining room, Cape Town. The wine dinners are $130 per person. For reservations and more information, call 407-WDW-DINE.

Rehab News
The Contemporary Resort's South Garden Wing will be closed for renovations from May 30 through October 31, 2005. The rehab completion date for Living with the Land and Circle of Life has changed. They are now scheduled to reopen  May 1, 2005 as the Land Pavilion prepares for the grand opening of Soarin'.

  Closing & Refurbishment Schedule

Park Hours, Events and Extra Magic Hour schedules are currently posted through June. Please note; Epcot is closing at 3PM on May 5th due to a private "Happiest Celebration on Earth" event.  Visit Info Central to fine-tune your vacation plans.

Park Hours, Events & Extra Magic Hour

See you next month. Happy Planning!


<< Bytes and Pieces with TiggerRPh  >>

"To all that come to this happy place: welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past, and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America... with hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world."
- Walt Disney

Okay….I need a show of hands. Who’s going to join “The Happiest Celebration on Earth”? Who’s going to celebrate at Walt Disney World? Who’s going to make the pilgrimage to “the Original”….Disneyland? I’m going to Disneyland in June…who’s going to join me? Let’s see the hands…wow, that’s a lot of people!

Now that we know who’s going to the celebrations, where does one find information about the upcoming celebrations? Of course, if there ever are any official announcements, the place to check would be our News Forum.

Anything Disneyland specific will be located in our Disneyland General Forum. Any Disneyland news will be found here as well and people asking questions about Disneyland. Right now we’ve got a thread asking who is going to Disneyland for the celebration and a couple of trip announcement threads going in this forum. This is also a great place to ask your Disneyland specific questions.

For even more Disneyland information, you’ll need to venture out west. No, I don’t mean hop an airplane or drive. I mean for you to check out Intercot West where all our Disneyland experts hang out. All the resident experts here are frequent visitors of Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure, so ask away and I’m sure you’ll get and explanation or answer shortly.

Okay…is everyone ready to go now? Are you packed and do you have the airline tickets in hand? Well, let’s go then!


<< Off  Topic with ChipDale >>

lIn like a lion and out like a lamb, or vice-versa? We had a lot of talk about when would Spring finally arrive last month. mamacon67 wanted to know why she heard the birds singing when it was only 28 degrees, and LittleSpirit02 even started a snow dance and it didn’t help much! A lot of our members were still freezing when the official first day of Spring arrived. Has Spring finally arrived for you?

March Madness was in full swing at INTERCOT. We had a lot of discussions going in the Cooler for a good part of March on who’s your choice for the Final Four. JohnY put up INTERCOT t-shirts to the winners of the 2005 INTERCOT Bracketology Challenge. Sounds like everyone who participated had fun and congratulations to the winners!

With Lent in full swing, talk turns to Easter Candy. wendyfan polled our members to see what our favorites are. Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs were the front runner, with Peeps coming in second. We also had a lot of mentions for Cadbury Eggs, Robin Eggs, Snickers Eggs, and more mouth-watering treats. So what did you get in your basket this year?

There’s always a reason to celebrate something in the Water Cooler. Did you know that March is Noodle Month? And St. Patrick’s Day isn’t the only holiday celebrated in March! We have Beer Day, Frozen Food Day, Pi Day, Dentist’s Day, Open an Umbrella Indoors Day, Middle Name Pride Day and Burpless Day! Check and see what Lizzy shares about next month’s holidays – it’s always good for at least a laugh or two.

Jamie’s Friday parties for March included Flowers of Fury Festival, Official St. Patrick’s Day Party, Spring Fling, and the INTERCOT Easter Party. Come on over to the Water Cooler this Friday and see what Jamie and the cabana boys have in store for you!

Special congratulations to dustyguitar on your marriage on March 11th and to valjane for your wedding on March 26th! Best wishes from INTERCOT to both of the happy couples! And more special congratulations go out to PolyGirl on the new addition to her family: German Shepherd puppy Sadie Mae!

March birthday celebrations were held for: TiggerRPH, Jordan0301, T-Belle, Lil'Lady, whatagoof, ChewyStriker, Blaze, michael and mommy love disney, PrincessCathy, Narcoossee'sFan, DeDe, Fruitcake, WDWaddict, PolyGirl40, sorarail, Jimenyfan, CrazyStitch, Disney_Girl, Eeyore, kimballWDW98,Big Pooh, LuvTheKity, Martino, Duchess99, Andrew Jackson, TKDisneylover, twins_are_ok, Gonzo, ariel03, Boojum, disney323, princessminnie02, Jul, titleistboy, LuvDisney2004, QTPie68, Rachel, Tomorrowland Man, Mickey052501, JabberJaws. I hope you all had a special day!

Posting milestones in March were reached by Melanears – 21,000 posts, faline – 12,000 posts, ChipnDaleGal – 11,000 posts, Lizzy – 7,000 posts, Beach Club Babe – 6,000 posts, goofy for pluto –3,000 posts, SteelyGirl – 3,000 posts, Auntie – 2,000 posts, pdrlkr – 2,000 posts, trackbarroness – 1,000 posts, Spindrift –1,000 posts, Mom2Princess’ – 1,000 posts, The MartellFamily –1,000 posts, Jabber Jaws – 700 posts, mars – 400 posts, TikiGoddess – 400 posts, Turkey Leg – Senior Cast Member, fupresti – Senior Cast Member, Earnhardt321 – Senior Cast Member, Mr. Tom Morrow – Senior Cast Member, candaceB – 100 posts, and BelleKP –100 posts. Keep up the quality posting everyone!

That about wraps it up for March. Hopefully, we’ve seen the end of winter and can look forward to warm sunny days for months to come. See you next month!


<< Conclusion >>

Our next Insider will be a very special edition dedicated exclusively to the "Happiest Celebration on Earth". Look for it to hit your mailboxes just before the celebration kicks of on May 5th. Until then, happy planning and happy INTERCOTing!!


<< 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!
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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.
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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!
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Happy Limo
Providing ground transportation to the entire state of Florida.
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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


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