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Epcot’s Innoventions – Part 3!
We continue our walk through Innoventions and this month we move to Innoventions East (side with Test Track and Mission Space).

Waste Management opened earlier this year and features an edutainment exhibit about trash disposal, reuse and recycle.
The House of Innoventions – take a short (10-15 minute) tour of the House of the Future. Today’s Vendors showcase their latest and greatest products for the home. There is even a washer and dryer combo that can accommodate 22 bathsize towels at once!
Test the Limits Lab - sponsored by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) has several hands on kiosks that demonstrate how UL safely tests over 18,000 products!
A new exhibit, Storm Stuck, will be opening sometime later this summer!

Epcot’s Innoventions – Part 2!
Last month I told you about a special area located on both sides of Epcot's Future World called Innoventions. Let's continue with our tour. We are still in Innoventions West (side of the Land and Living Seas).
Segway Central is up next. A several years ago this was very very new technology. About the only place you could see a Segway (human transporter) was in Epcot's Innoventions. Now, you'll find Cast Members on Segways all over Walt Disney World, including the Parking Lots. I've also seen them in local malls and other areas. At Innoventions, Cast Members will demonstrate the use of Segways and answer any questions you may have. Walt Disney World has developed several tours that allows you (certain restrictions apply) to ride the Segway. There are 2 tours in Epcot and one at Ft. Wilderness. I'll save information on those tours for a future "tip".

The final area in Innoventions West is a very important one called "Where's the Fire". This area teaches all of us, and especially children, about what happens if there is a house fire. In "Play It Safe", Cast Members take the kids through a series of rooms and teach them what to do if there is a fire. There is also a maze geared for kids 5 and under. The 30 foot Fire Engine makes a great photo op!
On my visit to Epcot earlier this year, I spoke with a long time Innoventions Cast Member about the Where's the Fire exhibit. He told me that Walt Disney World had received a guest letter stating that their daughter was at a sleepover a few months after her trip and was able to get her and her friends out of a burning house safely.

If you need to cool off after your visit to Innoventions, visit the Fountain View!
Inside your find an Edy's Ice Cream Shop serving shakes, floats, scoops and sundaes! There is one flavor of No-Sugar Added Ice Cream. Sit outside to enjoy the Magical Fountain show.
Next month we'll look at more of Innoventions.

Epcot’s Innoventions – Part 1!
You’ve probably hurried past Innoventions many times as you make your way to get a FastPass for Soarin’ in the Land Pavillion. Or perhaps you were busy going to Norway for a Princess Character Meal. Well, if you haven’t stopped in lately, you’ll find some new exhibits in Innoventions.
This area actually is found on both sides of Future World (East and West). In the middle is a courtyard with Pin Central and the Epcot Attraction Times Board.

Innoventions IBM Think Place at Epcot

This month we’ll cover just some of the Innoventions Exhibit and continue next month as well.
First thing you’ll want to do is send a post card to family and friends back home. You know, show them you are having a great time, while they are home working, in school or shoveling snow! To do so, head to Innoventions West (on the Land, Living Seas side) to the IBM Think Place. Three kiosks are set up to take your photo to go with the email.
Brand new in 2008 is Slap Stick Studios, sponsored by Velcro. Play the Whats Your Problem game and learn how Velcro can help you!
Slap Stick Studios at Epcot

It’s your last chance to see the Great American Farm (closing at the end of 2008). Families should not miss the Great American Pizza Game. Learn what foods and products are grown in the various States while you play a Match Game.
Next is Rockin’ Robots. Kids and adults can enjoy controlling the robotic arms as they conduct music with chimes, gongs, and wooden crates.
There is also a huge area of Video Games to play including some of the latest!
Next month we’ll look at more of Innoventions.

Meet and Greet the Characters at
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Life size costumed characters can be found in each of the 4 main theme parks. Many characters can only be found a certain locations or in certain parks. This tip will talk about the character meet and greets in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Be sure to pick up a Times Guide in addition to the theme park map when you enter the Studios (or any park). It not only lists attraction hours and restaurant information, but will tell you where and when you can find your favorite Disney Stars!

If you want to check to see if a certain character is appearing that day, stop by Guest Relations. They can call the Character Hotline and find out for you!

Al’s Toy Barn is the home of your favorite characters from Toy Story. Buzz, Woody, and Jessie are just a few of the movie stars that hang out here during the day.
Are you a fan of Mr. and Mrs. Incredible? They hang out near the Magic of Disney Animation. And in the Animation Courtyard are the stars of Playhouse Disney!

Your pals from Monsters, Inc. moved from Commisary Way in January and can now be found on the Streets of America. Their new home has a great backdrop for photos with Mike and Sulley! On the Streets of America you can also find stars from Kim Possible, and the Power Rangers.

MORE TIPS FROM DEB:
Several times through out the day you can see all kinds of characters at Sorcerer Mickey’s Hat. Oh and don’t forget to pose with the Cars from, Cars!
For those of you who haven’t visited the Studios in a while, Sorcerer Mickey no longer has a home near One Man’s Dream on Mickey Avenue. That area is under construction for the new Toy Story Mania attraction which opens this summer!

Ok, here’s what to do when you find the Characters!
First, be polite and line up. There will be a character handler with the star. Be Ready – have your autograph book and a thick pen ready to hand the star. Just start taking photos…some of the best ones are unposed! Remember, the stars can only stay out for a certain amount of time, so try to arrive early in their meet and greet.

Celebrating 4th of July at Walt Disney World
There are always fireworks somewhere on the Walt Disney World resort, but none as spectacular as the 4th of July. This year is no exception.
At the Magic Kingdom, get ready for a special late night celebration: Two showings of the Disney Dreams Come True Parade (12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.); "Fantasy in the Sky" fireworks (9 p.m.); and 2 showings of the "SpectroMagic" parade (10:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m.). Park hours: 8 a.m.-1 a.m.
Animal Kingdom celebrates in a low key fashion with a daily showing of Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Expedition at 4:00pm. Park hours 9-8pm
While over at the Disney-MGM Studios, you can enjoy the "Disney Stars and Motor Cars" parade (3 p.m.); 4th of July fireworks (9 p.m.); and "Fantasmic!" the nighttime spectacular at (10 p.m.). Park hours: 9 a.m.-10 p.m.
Epcot's "IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth" spectacle of lights, music and fireworks fills the sky around the World Showcase Lagoon at 10:00pm. Park hours: 9 a.m.-10 p.m.

We've polled AllEars® readers to find out what their favorite park to watch fireworks is for 4th of July. Overwhelming (67%) voted for the Magic Kingdom. Epcot was 2nd in the voting with 24%.
Here are their favorite places to watch their favorite fireworks:
Magic Kingdom: While riding Dumbo!; in front of Splash Mountain, in the Rose Garden to the right of Main Street, behind the Castle in Fantasyland, in front of the Liberty Belle Riverboat, or at one of the Disney Monorail Resort beachs!
As one reader said: Fireworks behind Cinderella Castle are absolutely iconic, and the 4th is the biggest fireworks day of all! What could be more American (other than being in DC or Philly)?
For more information visit: http://allearsnet.com/tp/fojuly.htm

Your First Day at Walt Disney World
After months of anticipation, researching, reading, and planning, your first day at Walt Disney World® has finally arrived. So, now what??
If you're like me, you are so excited that you want to do something, anything, right away. But, depending on the time of day of your arrival, and your mindset, touring one of the parks might not be the best use of your time and/or theme park admission. Never fear, there are plenty of alternatives to visiting a theme park as soon as you arrive.

After you've checked into your All Star Vacation Home, you might want to make that run to the grocery store, unpack, or even go for a quick dip in the pool. You'll also want to take some time to plan out the days ahead. But if you and the family are a little anxious to get that Mickey fix, here are some idea without spending a park admission ticket day!
Hop aboard the Disney monorail - you can ride from the Ticket and Transportation Center to the Magic Kingdom, over to Epcot and back! There's plenty to see, especially as the monorail loops through Epcot's Future World!
Head over to Downtown Disney (consisting of the Marketplace, Pleasure Island and the West Side). There are lots and lots of shops, with every conceivable Mickey Mouse accessory. Window shopping is not just allowed but encouraged!

Two Disney dinner shows are also offered! Enjoy some finger-licking good vittles and knee slapping at the very popular Hoop de Doo Revue at Ft. Wilderness or a enjoy the tropical atmosphere and entertainment at the Polynesian Luau. (Advance reservations are required for both.)
Consider dining at a Character dinner outside the park. Chef Mickey's in the Contemporary features the Mouse himself with side kick Goofy, Chip and Dale. 1900 Park Faire at the Grand Floridian features Cinderella and Prince Charming, Suzy and Perla, and the Fairy Godmother. Just be sure you've made a reservation in advance! The Boardwalk area offers several non-theme park options, as well. Have dinner in one of the Epcot resort area restaurants, or board one of the Friendship Boats, which cruise in a loop from Epcot to the Boardwalk, Yacht and Beach Club, Swan and Dolphin and then the Disney-MGM Studios. This is especially pretty at night.

Try your hand at a round of golf at WinterSummerland (more family friendly) or Fantasia Gardens (more golfer friendly). They are much cooler and more enjoyable in the evenings and are usually open until 11 p.m.

Part of the fun in visiting Walt Disney World
is meeting your favorite character...
Come on now, you can admit it! We are all Disney fans here.

Tracking Down Those Characters!!! So exactly how do you track the characters down? Here's some tips:

Read the Times Guide - Each theme park has one and they mark character greeting locations and times.

Stop into Guest Relations and ask the Cast Member if, Peter Pan (insert your favorite character) will be appearing in the park today. They have numbers they can call to see where characters will be making appearances. If your child has been aching for a photo with Donald Duck, when you arrive at the park in the morning, your best bet would be to go to Guest Relations. They can find out for you where the good spots are to spot that duck. Though, these schedules are always subject to change, there's a good chance of finding them.

Wander around aimlessly - part of the fun is just running into a character purely by accident! You just never know who you might run into.

Animal Kingdom's Camp Minnie Mickey Character Trails are a great place to go while nearby Festival of the Lion King is being performed. Another great time is when the park first opens and everyone else is headed for the Expedition Everest or the Kilimanjaro Safari attraction!

Epcot's Future World has an indoor Character Connection area where you can see several favorites all at the same time.

Magic Kingdom - Mickey is usually holding court in Toon Town in his very own area!

At the Disney-MGM Studios you can find characters from movies like the Incredibles, Sully and Mike and more.

Want a little less hectic way of greeting characters? Consider a Character Meal -- we'll talk more about them in a future column!

Learn more about Character Meet and Greet at ALLEARSNET!

Discover Epcot's New Future World
In early 2004, the Living Seas pavilion in Epcot's Future World began a gradual transformation, quietly updating attractions one at a time. The transformation is now complete and the result is the recently "relaunched" "The Seas with Nemo and Friends," which houses a number of exhibits featuring characters from the popular Disney-Pixar movie, "Finding Nemo."

The newest section of the pavilion to sport the Nemo theme is "The Seas with Nemo and Friends" ride. As you enter the pavilion, you are immediately immersed in a beachy atmosphere that hints at what awaits you ahead. After winding your way through the fairly long queue, you board the new ride vehicles called "clam-mobiles" -- they actually resemble an open clamshell! The clam-mobiles transport you on a journey past an assortment of characters that you'll recognize if you're familiar with the Nemo movie.
There's Mr. Ray and his class on a field trip, and listen! It sounds like Nemo has wandered off again. As in the original movie, the journey in search of Nemo involves Dory, Bruce, Marlin, Squirt and Crush.

These deep-sea friends inhabit a variety of vibrant vignettes, including the actual aquarium that contains more than 65 species of marine life. In the musical finale (which you may recognize from the new "Finding Nemo" musical in Animal Kingdom), Nemo is happily reunited with his class and friends. (You can bypass this ride if you wish, but we think it's a great addition to the pavilion that will delight most young Nemo fans especially.)

The pavilion's biggest draw is called "Turtle Talk with Crush," an interactive show that features a computer-animated, 3-D version of the surfer dude turtle from "Finding Nemo" in 10-minute conversations with visitors. Through the use of state-of-the-art technology, Crush is able to make jokes and take questions from audience. Crush's friend Dory also makes occasional appearances. Make sure your young ones sit in the front of the room for a close up view! This 10-minute show is highly entertaining for both children and adults.
One of the chief attractions of the pavilion continues to be its aquarium, which measures 203 feet in diameter and 27 feet deep, and holds 5.7 million gallons of salt water. It is so large, in fact, that Spaceship Earth (160 feet in diameter) would fit inside with room to spare.

Along with the aquarium, there are smaller fish tanks and a hands-on play area for children called Bruce's Sub House, with replicas of the famous snaggle-toothed sharks from the Finding Nemo film.
This play area offers many great opportunities for fun photographs, as does the Finding Nemo sculpture located outside the pavilion. In addition, Nemo himself and a Living Coral make live appearances outside the pavilion throughout the day (check your times guide).
To learn more about the Seas with Nemo and Friends, and for some photographs of the various attractions, please visit:
http://allearsnet.com/tp/ep/e_seas.htm

If you're going to Walt Disney World sometime before the end of 2007, you're in for a real treat!
Disney's Year of a Million Dreams officially began Sunday, October 1, and runs for the next 15 months. As part of that celebration, Disney cast members known as "The Dream Squad" are dispensing "dream" prizes at random that range from special Year of a Million Dreams Mickey Ears to a magical overnight stay in an apartment in Cinderella Castle.
Also as part of the Year of a Million Dreams, cast members are creating an unprecedented number of "Magical Moments." These include guests being tapped to help with the pixie-dusted opening of Magic Kingdom or being named an Official Wildlife Spotter at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

One AllEarsNet.com reader recently wrote to us: A Dream Squad member by the name of Christine approached us outside the "Dinosaur" ride and asked us if we would like a "very special" tour. We said, YES! and she escorted us to the front of the ride. We were then given a whole car to ourselves! After the ride, she escorted us to "The Tower" to see how the whole system was run. It was fantastic! Afterwards, we received a complimentary 8x10 photo of us all by ourselves on the ride. She was wonderful. So, all of you who are planning to go to Disney this year... you will have so much FUN! This Year of a Million Dreams is the best thing ever... way to go Disney!
The start of the Year of a Million Dreams has also seen the debut of a variety of new live entertainment throughout the Magic Kingdom:
-- Dream along with Mickey, is an all-new show being performed daily at the Castle Forecourt Stage.
-- Woody's Cowboy Camp in Frontierland encourages you to sing and dance with Toy Story's Woody, Jessie, Bullseye and friends.
-- High School Musical Pep Rally in Tomorrowland, based on the wildly popular Disney Channel movie, features cheerleaders and basketball stars leading the fun as you learn cheers and cool dance moves set to the hottest tracks from musical.
-- Let's Have A Ball: The Happily Ever After Party in Fantasyland features Princess Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), Prince Philip and others as they prepare for a royal ball that includes the audience.
But maybe you won't be in the parks any time soon to win a "dream" in person. Don't worry! You can also enter to win by mail. Mail-in winners are eligible to win prizes like exclusive trading pins or Mickey Ears Hat -- or a Disney Vacation Club membership! You might even be selected to be grand marshal of a Disney parade around the world.
Remember, the Year of a Million Dreams continues now through 2007. If you're in Walt Disney World during that time we hope that the Dream Squad bestows a magical dream come true on you!
(For more information on prizes and rules, visit the official Disney site at: www.disneyparks.com/rules)

Thar be Pirates Ahead Mateys!
Chances are you have seen (or at least have seen the advertisements for) Disney’s summer blockbuster movie, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. This is the second of three movies based on Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean attraction.
The Magic Kingdom version of Pirates of the Caribbean, which originally opened on December 15, 1973, was closed for several months earlier this year to incorporate characters from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. While some Disney fans were skeptical about the wisdom of modifying such a classic attraction, most are now giving the changes rave reviews.
The first alterations that you notice are to the building's exterior. No longer does Pegleg Pete the Pirate Parrot greet you at the entrance. As you approach now, you see the tattered Pirates of the Caribbean flag and ship's mast, as well as a skeleton pirate in the crow's nest looking out with his telescope.
Inside are more special effects and new audio-animatronics. We don't want to spoil the surprise for you, but shortly after your boat sets sail, you encounter the villain of the new movie, Davy Jones. There is new music in the battle scene and the ride's original pirate captain has been replaced with the treacherous Captain Barbossa of the movies. And Captain Jack Sparrow himself appears now in several places along your 8-1/2-minute voyage -- keep a sharp look out for him.

This is a wonderful attraction, truly enhanced by its recent renovations. And it's also a great place to visit when the weather is beastly hot or rainy, as the queue is entirely indoors, and the exit is under cover. In fact, at the conclusion of your ride, be sure to take a few minutes perusing all the new merchandise that awaits you in the gift shop.
In addition to the changes in the attraction itself, there is now an interactive Pirates Tutorial show held several times during the day in the courtyard near the attraction. Captain Jack and his sidekick Mac pull several children from the audience to teach them the skills needed for being a good pirate -- some children are even given lessons in how to handle a sword. At the end of the show, you can even have your photo taken with Mac. (No photo ops with Captain Jack at this time.) The Pirates Tutorial may not be listed in the times guide, so ask at the Tip Board along Main Street USA for times.

Use Disney's FASTPASS! Many Walt Disney World attractions offer this timed ticketing system, which is free with your admission to the park. Here's how it works:
As you approach a FASTPASS attraction you will see several signs. The first tells you how long you would have to wait if you got into the normal line at that moment -- what's known as the Standby Line. Another sign tells you the "FASTPASS RETURN" time -- that is, what time you will be able to return to ride or see the attraction if you get a FASTPASS ticket instead of standing in line.
If you choose to get a FASTPASS remember: EACH PERSON NEEDS ONE! To obtain a FASTPASS, go to the FASTPASS machine and insert your park admission ticket in the indicated slot. Your FASTPASS, indicating what time frame, or "window," you may return to the attraction, will print out.
REMEMBER TO TAKE BOTH YOUR FASTPASS AND YOUR ADMISSION TICKET!
Note that for some attractions, like Honey, I Shrunk the Audience (Epcot) and the Voyage of the Little Mermaid (Disney-MGM Studios), there is only a 10-15 minute window. Once you have your FASTPASS, you can go shop, eat, or ride other rides instead of standing in line.
Once your FASTPASS time has arrived, return to the attraction and get in the FASTPASS RETURN line. Be sure to have your FASTPASS out and ready to show the Cast Member, who will check your return time with the official return time clock. Further along in the queue or waiting area, a Cast Member will actually collect your FASTPASS ticket. By then you will be far ahead of those waiting in the Standby Line, ready to get on with the show!

Avoid Long Waits at Disney's Most Popular Attractions!