Ahhh Labor Day has arrived.  Labor Day is a time for barbeques, hiding your white clothes from the light of day, going back to school, and looking back at the months of summer.  This week I take a look at some of the more interesting events in and around Walt Disney World from this past summer.  Let’s of course start with something Disney-MGM Studios related.

June 2007 – A Late Start for Star Wars Weekend          

            Something unusual kicked off the dog days of summer.  For the first time, Star Wars Weekends started at the beginning of June, instead of in May.  This has been a controversial move, since the advantage of going in the less crowded and cooler month of May was no longer available to guests.  Our fearless webmaster Matt wrote an article that outlined his disdain for the move to June.

The benefit of straddling the dates between May and June is you have a balance of crowds and times.  The difference between mid-May and mid-June is enormous, more so in crowd sizes than weather but technically . . . Holding Star Wars Weekends in June is going to be a mistake.

When June arrived, neither Matt nor I could go.  Luckily, however, we received a bunch of great trip reports from Star Wars Weekend from visitors o the site, as well as our very own forums moderator Colin (a.k.a. Dark Lord of the Sith).  He was kind enough to talk about some of the Star Wars Weekends Hits and Misses.  Take a look - and we’ll see what happens next year!

July 9, 2007 – The Wand Starts to Come Down from Spaceship Earth

            If you’ve never been to the Epcot before 1999, then you probably have only seen Spaceship Earth dolled up one way or another.  Well, that all changed starting on July 9^th when the wand, the support structure, the stars, and the “Epcot” signage started to come down.  Now, almost two months later, Spaceship Earth looks the way it did all those years ago (thanks to Denise over at Mouse Steps for the photos!). 

Here’s a little excerpt of my thoughts:

I perhaps am in the minority that really did not mind the wand all that much.  While I did not think it was themed particularly well for Epcot, I thought it did a wonderful job of catching one’s eye, especially from a distance.  Moreover, the wand accented Spaceship Earth in a way that reminded you that Epcot was different from the EPCOT Center of the past.  The park has grown and evolved since 1982 and in that time Disney has learned to effectively balance the park’s original focus of showcasing mankind’s technological and cultural achievements and aspirations and just make it more fun and accessible to guests of all ages (I refuse to use the word “synergy”.)  What better way to do this then to put Sorcerer Mickey’s arm and wand next to a giant metallic golf ball?  I guess for me, the wand represented more than just a holdover fixture from the millennium; it really stood for the shift in focus we have seen in Epcot over the years.

I guess I was just a little sad to something I got used to seeing go away.  But I am looking forward to seeing the “nude” Spaceship Earth again.

August 5 – Resort and Dining Plan Changes

            While I won’t go into these changes again (go to an article I wrote about it to read more), I will say that these experiments with prices, packages, and plans may get a little too confusing for the casual guest one day.

August 9, 2007 –Disney-MGM Studios to be Renamed the Disney Hollywood Studios

The biggest news this summer was Disney’s announcement that effective January 2008, the Disney-MGM Studios will be renamed "Disney's Hollywood Studios".  I couldn’t say it any better than our friendly neighborhood webmaster Matt said in his column a couple of weeks ago:

So the big question is what I think of the name change.  To be honest, I don’t hate it but I don’t love it either.  Sometimes you hear a name and you think “Wow, that is great!”  This isn’t one of those times; rather, I thought it was okay, not great.  The new name helps widen the scope of the park to include pretty much anything they can throw in there.  I did like the Disney-MGM Studios name because of its uniqueness and Hollywood Studios is rather generic. Again, I don’t think it’s bad, but it doesn’t do much for me.

Personally, I thought the name was a bit generic at first.  Yes, it does convey what the park is, but it is not catchy or dynamic like the Disney-MGM Studios is. 

The announcement also came with a bunch of other additions to the Studios I’ll outline here.

-         Block Party Bash (Coming Spring 2008)

-         Playhouse Disney-Live on Stage (Coming February 2008) - A whole new cast of friends from Playhouse Disney fills the Playhouse Disney stage.  The new show will feature characters from “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse,” “Little Einsteins,” “Handy Manny” and more.

-         Disney High School Musical 2: School’s Out (Winter 2007/2008): Well, it was bound to happen with the release of High School Musical 2 right?

-         Meet and Greet Handy Manny – Disney’s answer to Dora the Explorer and Bob the Builder (November 2007)

With summer over – let’s briefly take a look at some of the events I’m most looking forward to in the Fall and Winter of 2007.

Dates to Look Forward to in the Future:

September 13, 2007 – The Reopening of the Haunted Mansion

Upgrades to the audio, lighting and special effects systems, a floating Madame Leota head and the Haunted Bride from Disneyland will both be installed in the upcoming refurbishment to the Haunted Mansion.  Another addition to the mansion will be a completely new scene, taking place in the former spider scene.  It's an all new multiple staircase scene, unique to Florida's mansion. There will also be other additions throughout the attraction scenes, including new props.

The new improved Haunted Mansion is set to open on September 13, 2007.  Moreover, if you are an Annual Passholder, you can enjoy priority access to this enhanced attraction on: (1) September 14, 9:00 AM – Noon; (2) September 15, 9:00 AM – Noon; and (3) September 16, 9:00 AM - Noon"

October 27, 2007 – The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 13K and 6.5K Run

On October 27, 2007, Walt Disney World celebrates the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror’s 13^th anniversary with 13K and 6.5K races. This is the backstory on this (not-so) eerie run -

Sunset Boulevard, 1994 - On a night like this, long ago, a young movie actress named Shirley Malone and her husband checked into the Hollywood Tower Hotel. They laced up their shoes and went on a 13K run, knowing little of the nightmare into which their path would lead. For Shirley and her husband disappeared that night into a land of both shadows and substance, of things and ideas. The jogging trails of yesteryear are opening again, but this time they are opening for you. In this act, you are the star. What will be your fate as you brave the same path that led Shirley and her husband directly into, The Twilight Zone."

While there's a time limit to the run, it's not too restrictive.  You can walk 38-minute miles and still be safe. Those doing the 13K can do 19-minute miles and still not get swept.  Matt will be there next month and report back!

November 2007 – The Yak and Yeti Set to Open

            A much needed sit down restaurant comes to the Animal Kingdom.  Despite the name, I’m looking forward to trying their menu.  According to Disney, the restaurant will offer Asian-fusion food.  The establishment will offer table-service dining and a full-service bar, as well as quick-service food and beer-garden options, plus retail offerings from Pan-Asia ranging from silk purses, incense and saris to fine teapots.  It will seat 250 inside for table-service dining and 350 in a quick-service courtyard.

Mousefest 2007

            Take a look at Matt’s write-up from last week.  It’ll be my first time, and I am definitely looking forward to it!