News
Archive - August 2004
August 26, 2004
Walt
Disney World Resort Announces October-December Room Discounts
Disney has released resort specials for Annual Passholders and
Room-only discounts. Room-only rates are available for travelers
vacationing at Walt Disney World between 9/30/04-12/25/04 - excluding 11/10/04-11/13/04 and 11/23/04-11/27. Rates range
from $55+ per night for Value Resorts, $85+ per night for Moderate
Resorts and $149+ per night for Deluxe Resorts. Ask for code BAT.
Reservations must be made by 10/10/04. Annual Passholder discounts
are also available for the same travel dates at a slightly deeper
discount. Rooms are subject to availability. For details on these
and other vacation specials call INTERCOT's Official Travel Agency,
Magical Journeys at 1-570-785-3283, or visit their
web site and fill
out a quote form.
Discussion Here
August 23, 2004
INTERCOT
Partners with Official Ticket Center
INTERCOT is proud to announce a new affiliation with the
Official Ticket Center. This partnership allows INTERCOT
guests to buy their Theme Park, Dinner Show and Attraction tickets
in advance of their arrival in the Central Florida area at a
discounted price. The Official Ticket Center has been in
business for 7 years and is Walt Disney World’s, Universal Studios
and Sea World’s #1 guest service provider for the last 3 years.
Details & Discussion Here!
Buy & Price Tickets Now & Save $$$!
August 15, 2004
Walt Disney
World Resort Begins to Return to Normal Operating Hours
The
Walt Disney World Resort will have normal operating hours with the
following exceptions:
Typhoon Lagoon:
Closed Disney's Winter Summerland Miniature Golf: 4pm - 11pm Lake Buena Vista golf course and Palm golf courses:
Closed
Discussion &
Details
August 14, 2004
Animal
Kingdom & Typhoon Lagoon Closed Today
Due to
the impact of Hurricane Charley, Walt Disney World resort has
adjusted operations on Saturday, August 14. Hours of operation are
as follows:
Magic
Kingdom® 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Epcot® 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Disney-MGM Studios 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Blizzard Beach 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Disney's Wide World of Sports open for events Disney's Animal Kingdom®
CLOSED until further notice Typhoon Lagoon CLOSED Downtown Disney® regular operating hours Golf Courses CLOSED All Walt Disney World® Resort hotels (except for Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground) remain openfor our guests.
Guests
calling 407-WDISNEY for reservations may experience longer wait
times today. For families and friends wanting to communicate with
guests staying at the Resort, please call 407-WDW-INFO.
Discussion &
Details
August 13, 2004
UPDATE: 10:00 p.m. --
Hurricane Charley Moves Through Central Florida -Category 1 Storm
Hurricane Charley churned violently across Florida tonight, making
landfall at Charlotte harbor with 145 mph winds, slowly losing a
little steam as it whirled across Orlando with 90 mph sustained
winds., but there was still enough punch to cause power outages,
down trees and raise havoc across Central Florida.
Discussion &
Details
On the Horizon -
Another Possible Storm
Hurricane trackers have reported another depression that could soon
be a tropical storm southeast of Cuba and about five days away from
Florida.
Orlando
Center Of The Bull's-Eye - Hurricane Charlie loses speed, down to
Category 3
Orange
County will likely be under a state of emergency by 10 p.m., County
Chairman Richard Crotty said this afternoon."We are the center of
the bull's-eye," Crotty said during an afternoon news briefing.
Crotty urged residents to stay off the roads and to use their cell
phones only for emergencies. He said he spoke to Gov. Jeb Bush and
was promised that Orange County will get the resources it needs to
recover from Hurricane Charley.
Discussion &
Details
Hurricane
Winds Could Last Up To 12 Hours
The
National Weather Service issued an inland hurricane wind warning
Friday morning for Lake, Orange, Seminole, Osceola and Volusia
counties. The warning means sustained wind speeds of over 74 mph are
expected for the counties in the warning area.
At an afternoon press conference, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said the
city is bracing for the approaching storm. "We recommend all
citizens take protective measures by staying in their homes and
staying off the roads," he said.
Emergency Management Director Manuel Soto said the city could be
buffeted by hurricane-force winds for as much as 12 hours, starting
in the late afternoon and lasting into the early-morning hours
Saturday.
Discussion &
Details
Storm Update - 2:20pm
Statement from Disney: "All Walt Disney World theme parks, water
parks and entertainment venues are now closed. All resort hotels
will remain open and staffed to meet the immediate needs of our
Guests.
As
weather conditions continue to develop throughout the evening,
safety and security teams will also be available to assist Guests
and Cast Members.
We have more than five hundred engineering Cast Members positioned
to survey the property once inclement weather has passed. We will
review their findings and make operational adjustments if necessary
early Saturday morning.
Currently, we anticipate opening our parks on Saturday at the
regularly scheduled time of 9 a.m. Guests who have questions should
call (407) WDW-INFO or (407) 939-4636."
Discussion &
Details
Closings Due to Hurricane Charley Preparedness
According to the Walt Disney World Resort the following closings will be
effective today, August 13:
-
Typhoon Lagoon will be
closed.
-
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is
closed.
-
Downtown Disney is
closed.
-
The Magic Kingdom, Disney-MGM Studios
& Epcot
will close at
1 p.m.
-
Blizzard Beach
will close at 1 p.m.
-
E-Ride Night has been
cancelled.
-
WDW-DINE telephone number is not operational;
no dining
reservations will be accepted today.
-
Spirit of Aloha dinner show at the Polynesian resort
has been
cancelled.
Statement from Disney:
"All Walt Disney World Resort hotels will remain open throughout
the storm. Guests staying at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort &
Campground are being relocated to other hotels on property.
We have an extensive hurricane preparedness plan and are staffed and
prepared for a realm of possible impacts this type weather could
have on our property.
All Walt Disney World Resort Cast Members scheduled to work this
morning should report to work whether or not their work area is
open. Cast Member questions will be answered upon arrival."
The Walt
Disney World Weather line is (407)824-4104.
Please
stay tuned for further updates. We’ll pass them along as soon as we
have them. For the latest news and information please be sure to
check the boards frequently.
Orlando News
Sources on the Hurricane
INTERCOT Discussion Board
The Orlando
Sentinal
Florida
Division Of Emergency Management
National News Sources on the Hurricane
National Hurricane Center
The Weather Channel's Weather.com
FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency
August 12, 2004
Storms
Bonnie & Charley Bear Down On Florida
A disorganized Tropical Storm Bonnie came ashore near the central
Florida Panhandle this afternoon, bringing with it
lighter-than-expected wind and rain. However Public schools in
Lake, Orange, Osceola, Polk and Seminole counties will be closed
Friday for students and most employees because Hurricane Charley is
threatening the region.
E-Ride
Night at the Magic Kingdom not "officially" cancelled for tomorrow
as of yet. However, no more tickets are being sold due to the
pending forecast. If weather permits Disney will start selling them
again in the morning .
All 4
Parks will be open tomorrow morning for Extra Magic Hour! World
Showcase will open at 10AM. Guests are being advised to visit
the parks early - as the weather looks increasingly worse by midday
and beyond.
UPDATE: Walt Disney World continues
to monitor Hurricane Charley, taking proactive measures for
potential impact to guests and cast. These measures include
communication on an on-going basis, the clean up and tie down of any
loose materials and the consideration of adjusting operating hours.
There are also protected areas for animals, if determined necessary.
As of now, Walt Disney World theme parks are scheduled to open on
Friday, August 13.
Discussion &
Details
Weather.com
Tropical Update
August 11, 2004
"Echoes Of Africa" Opens At Epcot
Art lovers will have a new reason to visit Epcot beginning in
September when the Walt Disney World theme park opens its sixth
gallery, American Heritage Gallery, with an inaugural exhibition
exploring the connection between historical African art objects and
their influence and significance as interpreted by contemporary
African-American artists. The new gallery will be located in the
American Adventure pavilion in World Showcase.
Details
& Discussion Here
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