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The Epcot Explorer's Encyclopedia

Monthly Archives: March 2012

Transportation and Ticket Center Power Failure – Manual Ticket Sales

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UPDATE: We have been advised that Transportation and Ticket Center has regained full power as of 4 p.m.  and has resumed normal operations.

Hot off the press, be advised if you’re in the Magic Kingdom area, as this is going to cause some delays and headaches: The Magic Kingdom Transportation and Ticket Center experienced a power outage early this morning and the building currently has limited power.

Operational impacts: The monorails and Guest Trams are operational. Guest restrooms are closed. Cast Members are located at the entrance of the restrooms to redirect guests.

At this time, ticket sales are being done manually and Guests may still purchase a One Day, One Park Ticket. Guests who wish to upgrade their ticket to a multi-day or multi-park ticket may do so at other Main Entrance Ticket locations across property.

Walt Disney World PhotoPass+ To Launch April 4th

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The Walt Disney World Resort will launch their new PhotoPass+ service on April 4, 2012.The new service will be available for purchase for $199.95 at all four theme parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kindom), water parks, resorts, and Downtown Disney. It’s a plastic card and lanyard. It looks roughly like this:

It gets guests access to all regular PhotoPass photos, but also now character dining photos, and select attraction photos which have been added onto the system.

Guests recieve: PhotoPass+ card and lanyard, Disney Gallery CD with over 400 Stock Photos, their own DisneyPhotoPass.com Code for their own PhotoPass PhotoCD, and the Photo Print Packages at participating dining locations listed below.

Print Photo Packs are available from the following dining locations:

  • 1900 Park Fair
  • Akershus Royal Banquet Hall
  • Chef Mickey’s
  • Cinderella’s Royal Table
  • Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show
  • Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Review
  • Ohana
  • Tusker House Restaurant

PhotoPass Attractions:

  • Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
  • Dinosaur
  • Expedition Everest
  • Rock n Roller Coaster
  • Space Mountain
  • Splash Mountain
  • Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

 

Epcot Overnight Fireworks Testing Advisory for April 4th

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A quick note: Epcot will be testing pyrotechnics overnight April 4, 2012, from 11:30pm – 1am above and around the World Showcase lagoon. While we’d optimistically like to bevel otherwise, these tests are often the result of mundane changes in supplies for the nightly fireworks shows. Lest someone be in the area and spy something completely new and different, don’t get your hope set too high that there’s going to be a fabulous new production in time for Epcot’s 30th this fall.

In the meantime, enjoy some classic Reflections of Earth concept art! And don’t those look like the same fountains they copy-pasted into the later World of Color concept art? Why yes, yes Disney did cut and paste those fountains into some of the World of Color concept art.

The EPCOT Center is Alive and Well and Relevant to Boot

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If you were wondering if Disney was still sticking to the whole “Walt Disney World as a whole is EPCOT and we use the EPCOT building codes to maintain this pristine EPCOT Center….” despite having dropped that name from the theme park you’re in luck.

Slated for deployment in early 2013, the new GIS-enriched Accela Automation system will enable RCID’s Building & Safety, Fire Prevention and Planning & Engineering departments to more efficiently manage their projects within Walt Disney World and the EPCOT Center, including communicating EPCOT building codes.

Aren’t wordy hyper-technical press releases fun? The long and short of it is that Disney is upgrading their computer systems that flow the data processes that allow them to manage the workflow for regulating and building stuff: permits, approvals, etc… for the Reedy Creek Improvement District and of course the Epcot Building Code. Don’t know all about that and what it means for the Walt Disney World Resort? By golly, I wrote a book that explains all of it – you should go read it.

Once you’re done with chapter one, you can come back here and read the handy press release below from Accela that explains why Imagineering was expanding their backstage permitting offices so dramatically at Epcot (they doubled them in size – and even widened the sidewalks too!) If you’re wondering about the tech mentioned in the release itself, GIS just means “geographic information system” and the “citizen access” only covers a whopping 20 citizens per the release so it’s not that revolutionary. Really, Accela is leveraging the deal with Disney as a giant marketing opportunity  to sell itself to other government entities more than anything.

Permits: They're a Good Thing.

Here’s the full release for your viewing pleasure:

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL, Mar 28, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) — Accela, Inc. today announced that the Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID) will deploy Accela Automation(R) web software to streamline key permitting and inspection services to its residents and businesses, and provide 24/7 online permit submission and tracking capability.

As a special taxing district, RCID is responsible for managing utilities, land use regulation and planning, building and construction code enforcement and inspections, and emergency medical services, as well as communicating with local, regional, state and federal regulatory agencies. Though the 39-square mile district spans two counties and encompasses the cities of Lake Buena Vista and Bay Lake, RCID’s jurisdiction contains fewer than 20 permanent residents. The land is primarily owned by subsidiaries of the Walt Disney Co., so that RCID-managed development projects serve an average daily population of 250,000 visitors to local attractions.

Cloud, Mobile and Citizen-Engagement Capabilities Optimize Service

Slated for deployment in early 2013, the new GIS-enriched Accela Automation system will enable RCID’s Building & Safety, Fire Prevention and Planning & Engineering departments to more efficiently manage their projects within Walt Disney World and the EPCOT Center, including communicating EPCOT building codes.

Accela Automation’s tight GIS integration will make it possible for RCID to create and manage specific parcel numbers within its unique and extensive address system. In addition, RCID will also be able to automate the hundreds of steps involved with issuing a building permit, including application check-in, plan reviews, corrections, fee calculation and collection, inspections and task lists, and much more. Accela Automation will empower RCID to define and manage workflows that are unique to the infrastructure services needed to support a huge transitory population of hundreds of thousands of visitors each day.

RCID will also use the accompanying Accela Mobile Office(TM) software to enable field personnel and inspectors to file reports and upload GIS and other files to a centralized database while working on-site, using portable touchscreen devices. Meanwhile, Accela Citizen Access(TM) will web-enable key back-office applications, giving citizens and contractors 24×7 online access to government services from their PCs and mobile devices.

Walt Disney World Test Track April-September Overhaul Canceled?

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On January 6th of this year a whole bunch of Disney theme park blogs ran the Disney-PR supplied blurb and photo from the Disney parks blog that was carefully crafted to be light on hard details:

Beginning this fall, Epcot guests will be able to enjoy a re-imagined version of the popular Future World attraction, Test Track presented by Chevrolet.

Re-Imagined Version of the Future World Attraction Test Track Presented by Chevrolet Coming to Epcot this Fall

This new version of the attraction will transform the current testing workshop into the sleek “Chevrolet Design Center at Epcot,” where guests can become immersed in the fun – and fast – world of automotive design. Here, guests will become automotive designers and create their own custom vehicles. Next, they’ll buckle into a six-person SimCar ride vehicle and test out their design on the challenging track of the Test Track course.

Afterward, guests can take a fascinating look into the future of transportation by viewing a collection of the latest Chevrolet vehicles in an all-new showroom.

This fun new experience is the result of a renewed, multi-year business relationship between Disney and General Motors, companies that have worked together for more than 30 years.

Oo… aah… exciting right? A little bit of digging and the dates of April 15 – to September 21, 2012, were even established as Disney’s tentative dates for this overhaul. Digging even deeper there was a more formal press release from Disney to their media outlets to be printed and published and cut and pasted and bandied about in all the usual ways. We proudly cut and pasted it here for your viewing pleasure even. The pertinent line of the release states:

Plans call for closing the current GM Test Track in April 2012, with an anticipated opening of Test Track Presented by Chevrolet scheduled for fall 2012.

And… now it’s four days until April and there’s not a peep from either company about the project. There’s not a foot on the ground and no one at the park seems to know anything about the project. Attractions Cast Members staffed at Test Track reportedly haven’t been told of any rescheduling to send them to alternate work locations – and they wouldn’t simply be laid off or fired en mass, there would have to be normal scheduling notice to have them work elsewhere.

No, things seem to be looking bleak for the project on the outside. Inquiries to Disney, GM, and Chevrolet on the matter have been met with non-responses. Odd, considering the timeline they gave technically begins in four days. Further, they actually pulled the press releases from their media website before we began poking our noses around and asking questions even. And it’s not as though that releases is simply old or may have fallen off the listings.. no.. the media and images related to that release is still there, along with the releases from the days before and after, but not the release itself from January 6th… pretty much blantantly meaning Disney hit “delete.”

So, Disney, you wanna fess up and tell everyone wether you intend to close Test Track in April, or not, after you put out a press release stating as much? We sort-of have proof that you did, despite the whole delete thing…

Art of Animation to Open with RFID Room Keys for Phase 1 NextGen

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Disney has announced today that the Art of Animation Resort will be opening its wings in the following order:

Finding Nemo (Grand opening) – Opens May 31
Cars – Opens June 18
Lion King – Opens August 10
Little Mermaid – Opens September 15

And if this all isn’t good and well exciting enough – Ok, for most of us who has been to a Disney resort, it really isn’t – there’s now been hard hat tours of the resort site. These tours have revealed that the Art of Animation Resort is going to be the first to deploy the all-important RFID-embedded Room Keys.

What are those? Why are they important? Remember this?

That’s a wristband room key from the DizFanatic article back in August of 2011 that detailed in-depth the whole NextGen project. Disney essentially made a internal video about what “NextGen” was going to be and DizFantatic got their hands on a copy so the world found out what NextGen was – wristbands. The future was wristbands, in particular, wristband room keys.

Well, now we know it wasn’t hot air because we saw the turnstiles tested at Epcot in November of 2011. We even had little RFID chips stuck to our tickets!

RFID and the NextGen project really is going to mean a whole new way to experience the Walt Disney World Resort. Little by little Disney has been installing NextGen systems at existing attractions. The wristbands are just part of the new systems, allowing ticket-like access.

The bigger data-based back end of the system will allow a new version of FASTPASS to be introduced into the parks and that’s really what seems to be next down the pipeline. Disney has been modifying attraction queues  at a fevered pace since last fall. Most attractions should be ready for the system for an October 1st, 2012 roll-out per the paperwork Disney has filed.

Will the Art of Animation Resort guests be the first to experience the NextGen experience in the parks? That remains to be seen, but it seems likely at this point. The resort will have the technology in place and will be using it, it’s simply a matter of when the parks will be ready to flip the switch on their end.

B-Roll: New Fantasyland Storybook Circus Day and Night Footage

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Hidy-ho there explorers! We’re sick, so we’re not posting much this week. In the meantime, Disney at least is putting out some spiffy B-roll footage of the new Fantasyland expansion areas that opened recently in the Magic Kingdom. You can add your own monotone newscaster voice over the videos if you really want the full effect. If you have any questions or need anything we’ll be unconscious in the other room – enjoy!

Day:

Night:

Splitsville at WDW Downtown Disney Gets Redesigned Again for Autumn Opening

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Another few months, another completely different rendering for what the anticipated Splitsville bowling alley at Downtown Disney in the Walt Disney World Resort will look like:

New details about the location have also emerged. Splitsville has been working with Disney for three years to make the project come to life: the 15 million potential bowlers who visit Downtown Disney’s main drag each year will have access to 30 bowling lanes and 750 seats for dining. The 50,000 sq. ft. location is a new take on the Splitsville concept, nearly twice size of the original location in Tampa, FL.

To suit the busy and time crunched family-on-vacation the Downtown Disney location will charge by the hour, rather than by the game. Guests will have reserved start times, rather than waiting for a lane to become available as someone’s game winds down. Disney and Splitsville are optimistic that the location could open by “autumn” – though there have been some snags in the development agreement since the original plans for Hyperion Wharf were put on hold.

Grand Floridian DVC to Add Water Play Area to Resort

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Disney has filed additional paperwork for the forthcoming Grand Floridian DVC resort at Walt Disney World. In addition the 147 villas scheduled to be erected in the t-shaped building built out into the lagoon we told you about in our previous update, there are now plans to construct a children’s water-play area as well.

The water play area, though part of the DVC expansion, will be situated between the main pool and the main building of the existing Grand Floridian Resort. It will essentially replace the landscaping a beachfront in that area. Here’s some helpful ground plans from the paperwork:

Be sure to click the images to see them full-size. The Grand Floridian DVC should begin selling its Disney Vacation Club points in May of this year, with a grand opening scheduled for March 2013.

Ultralight Aircraft Display Coming to Animal Kingdom

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In a baffling turn of events, Disney Imagineering has contracted InterAmerica Stage to install an “Ultra-Light Aircraft Package” at the Conservation Station in Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park at Walt Disney World.

Per wikipedia: “the term ultralight aviation refers to light-weight, 1- or 2-person fixed-wing aircraft” but what this has to do with Animal Kingdom or the Conservation Station in particular is a bit baffling. Perhaps there is going to be some exhibit on how the aircraft is used for animal recon or something. A bit of digging says the aircraft can be used to follow flocks of migrating animals – from sea turtles to monarch butterflies to whooping cranes.