Travel Guide Updates for
PassPorter® Walt Disney World® 2003
(fifth edition, released February 2003)
These updates were current as of 9/18/2003. Visit http://www.passporter.com/wdw/bookupdates.htm again for the most recent list of book updates.
Tip: You can download a printable version of the book updates for your PassPorter. Just download the PDF File, print, trim, and go! (Here are PDF Directions.)
Reminder: These updates do not include every new thing at Walt Disney World as that would require an entirely new book to explain (and, yes, we will have a 2004 edition available in January)! Instead, this chart only lists the pages in PassPorter Walt Disney World 2003 which would be out-of-date or incorrect without this information.
| Date | Page | Update Description |
|---|---|---|
| 4/10/2003 | 10 | The "BankOne/Disney Affinity Visa Card," now more commonly known as the "Disney Visa," was introduced in March 2003. This Visa Platinum card pays Disney Dream Reward Dollars™ (similar to frequent flyer miles) on all purchases—one point for every $100 in purchases with the card. Points can be applied on a one-to-one basis (one point equals $1) to Disney vacation and merchandise purchases of many kinds, and can also be exchanged for a variety of special Disney offers. Disney also makes special offers that pay additional bonus points. Get more details at http://disney.go.com/visa or phone 1-877-252-6576 and mention card code 7BVP. |
| 4/10/2003 | 17 | The Orlando International Airport has a new Disney Store. It’s located across from the shuttles to gates 60-129. The older Disney Store, near the shuttles to gates 1-59, is still operating. |
| 9/18/2003 | 32 | Add Mission: SPACE to the list of Early Entry (Extra Magic Hour) attractions. |
| 4/10/2003 | 35 | For a comprehensive guide to tipping (gratuities), see http://www.passporter.com/articles/tipping.htm. |
| 4/10/2003 | 46 | Atlantic Dance Hall changed its format. Rather than Latin music, it now plays Top 40 dance music on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays nights. Live bands are featured on Fridays and Saturdays. The venue is still limited to adults 21 and up, and there is no cover charge. Closed on Sundays and Mondays. |
| 4/10/2003 | 76 | Guests staying at the Polynesian Resort should be aware that the current bus stop in front of the Great Ceremonial House was replaced by a new bus stop near Tangaroa Terrace (the building between Rarotonga and Rapa Nui on the map—it houses Moana Mickey’s Arcade, the Never Land Club, and the laundry room). |
| 7/29/2003 | 77 | The new Pop Century Resort is now taking reservations for its opening on December 14, 2003. Pop Century was originally scheduled to open in late 2001, but its debut was delayed due to the drop in travel after 9/11. First to open will be the Classic Years section, which celebrates the decades of the 1950s, ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s. Standard rooms are $77/night and preferred rooms are $87/night (preferred rooms are in the two buildings located nearest to the main building, the 1960s). We’ve visited the resort several times during construction, and expect the resort’s facilities and decor will receive a very enthusiastic welcome. |
| 4/10/2003 | 81 | Port Orleans is closing in stages for guest room rehab. Port Orleans French Quarter will close first, on May 4. French Quarter will reopen in October or November, in time for the 2003 Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Years holiday season. Portions of Port Orleans Riverside will close starting in early 2004, as the work progresses building-by-building through the resort. Most of Riverside will be open at all times. |
| 4/10/2003 | 95 | (map) The Beach Club Resort guest laundry is located in the small building adjacent to the quiet pool (lower right-hand area of the resort). |
| 9/18/2003 | 97 | Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort is building 12 new buildings (four in the first phase), offering 696 rooms when all three phases are finished. The former Disney Institute’s remaining lodgings will not be rented to the public for the foreseeable future. Disney Vacation Club sales have begun, at $89/point. |
| 9/18/2003
|
99 | The Dolphin Resort will get two new restaurants, "bluezoo," opening in the spot of the current Coral Cafe restaurant, and "Fresh," opening in the spot of the former Juan & Only’s. "bluezoo" will be a seafood-oriented restaurant under the direction of Todd English, the chef/owner of 13 restaurants around the country including Olive’s and Fig’s. Fresh is expected to open in October 2003. "bluezoo" is now expected to open in December 2003. See related articles in The Orlando Sentinel and the Orlando Business Journal. |
| 4/10/2003 | 100 | The four-night Disney cruises
have two itineraries. One includes a stop at Nassau, a day at sea, and a stop at Castaway
Cay. The other replaces the day at sea with a stop in Freeport (the cruise contract with
Freeport was renewed until the end of 2003). These two itineraries alternate with one
another. Disney Cruise Line has announced several special cruise
itineraries for 2004, featuring several new ports of call. There will be two variations on
the 7-Night Eastern Caribbean itinerary (substituting either San Juan, Puerto Rico or
Antigua for Sint Maarten), and, for the first time, a 10-Night Itinerary during Christmas
season! Here's the official low-down from Disney: |
| 4/10/2003 | 104 | See our review of the Grosvenor Resort at http://www.passporter.com/articles/grosvenor.htm |
| 4/10/2003 | 104 | See our review of the Hilton at http://www.passporter.com/articles/hilton.htm |
| 9/13/2003 | 106 | See our review of the Radisson Resort Parkway at http://www.passporter.com/articles/radisson.htm |
| 4/10/2003 | 114 | Disney Dollars sport a new look for 2003. The bills, which you can purchase at the parks and the Disney Store, feature Mickey Mouse ($1), Goofy ($5), and Donald ($10). Disney theme park castles are featured on the backs of the bills: Sleeping Beauty Castle from Disneyland Resort ($1), Cinderella Castle from Walt Disney World Resort ($5), and Le Chateau de la Belle au Bois Dormant from Disneyland Paris ($10). |
| 4/10/2003 | 115 | The ATMs (cash machines) at Walt Disney World are now run by BankOne (the same bank that is offering the new Disney Visa card). |
| 7/29/2003 | 116 | Walt Disney World pass prices increased on June 1. One-day passes are $52/adult and $42/kids 3-9, plus tax. (As it turns out, the pass prices we projected for our 2003 edition of PassPorter are right on!) The rest of the at-gate prices increased as well, but all the advance purchase prices (such as those from the Disney Store) remain the same. You'll find an excellent chart with the current prices at AllEarsNet (http://wdwig.com/ticketchart.htm). |
| 4/10/2003 | 117 | The Florida Resident "Play 4 Days Pass" is back for summer 2003. From April 1 - September 30, 2003, Florida residents can get four days in Walt Disney World’s four theme parks for just $109/person, plus tax. There’s just one blackout date: July 4. The Play 4 Days Pass is a park hopper, and it can be upgraded to a resident annual or seasonal pass. You can purchase this pass at the theme parks, Florida Disney Stores, and Florida AAA offices (proof of residency is required for each adult). For more information, visit http://www.disneyworld.com/play4days or call 407-WDW4DAYS. |
| 4/10/2003 | 122 | The Disney Gallery in Main Street, U.S.A. closed its doors permanently on March 15. News on what will replace it is not yet available. |
| 9/18/2003 | 123 & 124a | Goofy's Country Dancin' Jamboree replaces Diamond Horseshoe Saloon Revue on the Magic Kingdom map and the Attractions At-A-Glance list. Allow 25 minutes for the show. |
| 7/29/2003 | 131 | The Diamond Horseshoe Saloon Revue at Magic Kingdom closed on February 1 and re-opened in July 2003 with a new show, "Goofy's Country Dancin' Jamboree." Goofy, Chip, Dale, plus Woody, Jessie and Bullseye from Toy Story 2 are on hand to meet and greet guests and Goofy leads the crowd for country-style line dancing in this 20 minute show. Food and drink have been removed from the menu. The current show schedule is Tuesday through Sunday, 11:00am, 12:00pm, 1:00pm, 2:00pm, 4:00pm, 5:00pm and 6:00pm (thanks to Steve Soares WDW Entertainment Guide for the schedule). |
| 9/18/2003 | 142 | Epcot's Future World closing time has been cutback from 7:00 pm to 6:00 pm, with four attractions remaining open until 7:00 pm or later (Mission: SPACE, Spaceship Earth, Test Track, and Honey, I Shrunk the Audience). |
| 9/18/2003 | 144 | Mission:SPACE
opened on August 10, 2003. Read
our first-hand account in our August 21, 2003 newsletter at
http://www.passporter.com/news/news082103.htm. From our update of 7/29/2003: Our friend Peter Stepniewicz was one of those lucky guests who was around Mission:SPACE at Epcot for a preview today. Yes, that's right, they are intermittently opening the attraction for guest previews already! Peter reports that Mission:SPACE is "smooooooth... and very, very powerful" and that the "takeoff is the signature point of the ride." He also mentions that Mission:SPACE has a "great tribute to Horizons, front and center" (Horizons is the attraction that occupied the space previously and a big guest favorite). Peter took about a hundred photos of his preview experience -- you can see the photos and get more information on the previews and more at http://www.wdwmagic.com. |
| 7/29/2003 | 146 | "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" has a new pre-show. It features 20 overhead plasma monitors with incredible picture quality. Alas, the old "True Colors" pre-show has been replaced with "a few new video vignettes telling stories about various people's memories of events." |
| 7/29/2003 | 147 | The film at Wonders of China was replaced with an updated version called Reflections of China on May 22. |
| 4/10/2003 | 150 | Epcot's Tapestry of Dreams Parade took its last steps on March 1. This popular parade was a revised version of the Tapestry of Nations Parade that debuted in 1999 as part of Disney's Millennium Celebration. There's no official word of a replacement at this time. However, during a recent interview in the New York Times, Anne Hamburger, Disney's executive in charge of theme park entertainment, did mention that a new parade was in development. |
| 7/29/2003 | 158 | Muppet*Vision no longer offers FASTPASS. (Our thanks to Len Testa for noting this.) |
| 9/18/2003 | 158 | Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights will not be shown this holiday season, but it is expected to return next year. |
| 4/10/2003 | 159 | Starting November 11, 2002, Who Wants to be a Millionaire--Play It! at Disney-MGM Studios (and Disney's California Adventure) has a wonderful new Grand Prize! Now, if you go all the way and win the million points at this popular attraction (as our very own Dave did, back in May 2001), you win a three-night cruise for four on the Disney Wonder (airfare included, all four guests in one stateroom, some blackout dates apply)! Of course, you still get the other goodies, too--the commemorative pins, million-point medallion, embroidered leather baseball jacket, polo shirt, baseball cap and pin lanyard. Formerly, the Grand Prize included a 3-day trip for two to New York City to watch a videotaping of Who Wants to be a Millionaire and (possibly) meet Regis Philbin, but once the program left the primetime lineup and Regis left the show, that prize didn't seem nearly so attractive (or practical). Prior winners who hadn't already used (or scheduled) the travel portion of their prize (like Dave) have been offered the cruise as an alternative. You can also read the report of the cruise Dave won playing Millionaire. |
| 4/10/2003 | 160 | The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror now has a new computer program, "Tower of Terror 4," which selects one of several different drop sequences at random. You never know which sequence you’ll get until you experience it! |
| 4/10/2003 | 161 | Disney’s Animal Kingdom celebrated its 5th birthday on April 22, 2003. Dave attended a media event for the birthday celebration, and included a report of the festivities (and a sneak peek at new stuff to come) in our April 24, 2003 newsletter. |
| 9/18/2003 | 162 | A new Art of Disney department opened in the Disney Outfitters shop on April 1, 2003 in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Discovery Island. |
| 4/10/2003 | 179 | River Country is not expected to open in 2003. |
| 4/10/2003 | 181 | 2R’s Reading and Riting is now Disney’s Wonderful World of Memories, a scrapbooking supplies emporium. The Garden Center has become Basin, selling all-natural bath and skin care products. |
| 9/18/2003 | 181 & 182 | Gourmet Pantry at Downtown Disney Market Place has closed. It will be replaced in late 2003 by Earl of Sandwich, an upscale dine-in and carry-out sandwich shop. |
| 9/18/2003 | 189 | As of March 23, Pleasure Island
is closed during the day -- in the past, guests could walk through the nightclub area and
browse the shops. Pleasure Island will open at 7:00 pm.
Guests who need to walk between Downtown Disney Marketplace and West
Side during the day can use the walkway that skirts Pleasure Island. Between
7:00pm and 9:00pm guests can enter without Pleasure Island admission to
sample the attractions. After 9:00pm regular admission is still required.
As of July 1, all clubs at Pleasure Island are now non-smoking, thanks to an amendment added to Florida's Indoor Clean Air Act. Other locations -- such as Downtown Disney clubs, resort lounges and lobbies, convention halls, and Atlantic Dance Hall -- are non-smoking now, too. Smoking is still allowed in designated guest rooms and outdoor patios/balconies, as well as other designated smoking areas. More information on the amendment, as well as a general list of places where smoking is not allowed in Florida, is available online here . |
| 4/10/2003 | 194 | The Spa at the Disney Institute is now calling itself "The Spa at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort." The spa is closed until the Saratoga Springs Resort opens in 2004. |
| 9/18/2003 | 201 | As of August 4, the Priority Seating booking policies changed. Now, guests can book 90 days in advance for most Walt Disney World restaurants, including character meals. The only exceptions are for special dining venues such as dinner shows (up to 2 years), Lunch with an Artist/Lunch with an Imagineer (30 days), Bistro de Paris (30 days), and Victoria & Albert's Chef’s Table (6 months). |
| 9/18/2003 | 202 | There’s a new edition of Vegetarian Walt Disney World and Greater Orlando, available from Globe Pequot Press http://www.globepequot.com . |
| 9/18/2003 | 203 | Florida law now prohibits smoking in most enclosed workplaces, with the exception of “freestanding bars.” Disney has designated all Pleasure Island clubs as non-smoking, and as most resort-based lounges are in hotel lobbies, smoking is prohibited in those as well. |
| 4/10/2003 | 205 | Beginning April 27, Cinderella's Royal Table has new slightly longer breakfast hours—from 8:00-10:30 am. |
| 9/18/2003 | 205-231 | Priority seating for most restaurants is now 90 days (see note for P. 201, above). |
| 9/18/2003 | 206 |
Diamond Horseshoe Saloon Revue (now Goofy’s Country Dancin’ Jamboree) no longer serves food, beverages or snacks. |
| 9/18/2003 | 211 |
Nine Dragons now offers a special Dim Sum service at lunch, in addition to its regular lunch menu. |
| 9/18/2003 | 215 |
Hollywood and Vine only serves dinner (without characters). The character breakfast and lunch have been discontinued. |
| 9/18/2003 | 222 | The Forty Thirst Street Café in Downtown Disney West Side closed earlier this year. It has been replaced by a Wetzel’s Pretzels (like the one in the Marketplace). You can learn more at http://www.wetzels.com. |
| 9/18/2003 | 229 |
Coral Café is now closed. It will reopen in October 2003 as “Fresh.” Menu and other details have yet to be determined, but the character breakfast is expected to continue. |
| 4/10/2003 | 231 | Lunch is no longer available at Portobello Yacht Club. Dinner hours are now 5:00 pm-11:00 pm. |
| 9/18/2003 | 233 |
Character Dining Location Chart – Coral Café will be reopening soon as “Fresh.” Hollywood & Vine no longer hosts character meals. |
| 9/18/2003 | 235 | The long-running Polynesian Luau
Dinner Show at the Polynesian Resort emerged from its recent hiatus on February 19 with a
revamped show and revised menu. Renamed "Disney's Spirit of Aloha Dinner
Show," the show begins, as always, when guests gather on the lush grounds outside the
Luau Cove dinner theater. "Aunt Wini" invites everyone inside for "a
celebration featuring the music and dances of the cultures of Tahiti, Samoa, Tonga, New
Zealand and Hawaii." Guests feast on an all-you-care-to-eat menu that includes
coconut pineapple bread, salad, Lanai roast chicken, barbecued pork ribs, Polynesian rice,
fresh veggies, and a new, "Volcano" dessert. A children's menu with popular kid
favorites is also offered. Soft drinks are included for all. Beer and house wine are
included for the adults. Specialty drinks are extra. Pricing and show schedules are
unchanged. Dinner is $49.01 for adults, and $24.81 for children 3-11. Shows are held
Tuesday through Saturday, at 5:15 and 8:00 pm. Reservations at 407-WDW-DINE
(407-939-3463). From the information currently available, it's hard to tell just how
"new" the new Luau is -- the description provided by Disney could just as easily
have applied to the old show. We'll just have to see for ourselves! Watch for a review
from us soon. In the meantime, there is a nice review from a vacationer at http://wdwig.com/luau.htm Following our August visit to this dinner, we can add: The show at Disney’s Spirit of Aloha Dinner features a cast of young Hawaiians who have been learning about their heritage from “Aunt Wini.” Modern Hawaiian culture and music (as featured in Lilo and Stitch) mixes with traditional Polynesian dances that will be familiar to guests who attended the former Polynesian Luau show. Our overall impression of the food and show has not changed much. The addition of barbecue ribs to the menu and the “Lilo and Stitch” tie-in makes the show a bit more appealing. |
| 4/10/2003 | 236 | See our review of the MurderWatch Mystery Theater Dinner Show. |
| 9/18/2003 | 237 | Lunch with an Artist and Lunch/Dinner with an Imagineer are new special dining opportunities offered at the Hollywood Brown Derby at Disney-MGM Studios. Each meal is limited to ten guests, and takes place in a private dining room at the restaurant. Guests get to talk with either an artist from Disney’s Florida animation studio, or one of the Imagineers who help design and build Walt Disney World’s parks, attractions, and resorts. Lunch is $60.99 and dinner (including wine pairings) is $99.99. Reservations are available 30 days in advance at 407-WDW-DINE. See our report about this event in our August 23, 2003 newsletter at http://www.passporter.com/news/news082103.htm . |
| 9/18/2003 | 243 | The Magic Behind our Steam Trains tour now costs $40. |
| 7/29/2003 | 244 | The special
children's tours and parties at the Grand Floridian have increased their prices. Rates
(before tax) are as follows: Pirate Cruise - $28.17 per child, ages 3-10 Wonderland Tea Party - $28.17 per child, ages 3-10 Grand Adventures in Cooking - $23.47 per child, ages 3-10 |
| 4/10/2003 | 245 | Epcot has a new program: the Epcot Seas Aqua Tour. This 2.5-hour scuba-assisted snorkel dive takes place in the Living Seas pavilion at Epcot. Guests do not need to be SCUBA certified to participate. The program is held everyday at 12:30 pm, and each class holds up to 12 people. Ages 8 & up. $100/person. Book up to six months in advance at 407-WDW-TOUR. Deb Wills has a great review of the program at http://www.wdwig.com/tour_aqua.htm. |
| 4/10/2003 | 245 | Park admission to Epcot is NOT required to participate in the Epcot Divequest program. |
| 9/18/2003 | 245 | Disney Institute programs are now only available to corporate groups and/or participants in conventions taking place at Disney resorts. |
| 7/29/2003 | 248 | PAL MICKEY - Who’s 10 inches tall and is destined to become the most popular tour guide at Walt Disney World? Pal Mickey! Pal Mickey is Disney Imagineering’s latest, plush innovation, a soft, loveable toy that plays games wherever he goes, and becomes an instant tour guide whenever he enters a Walt Disney World theme park. (Read the full article at PassPorter.com: http://www.passporter.com/articles/palmickey.htm) |
| 9/18/2003 | 250 | The Contemporary Resort’s 15th floor observation deck is open again. |
| 9/18/2003 | 252 | The BoardWalk's Harbor Club childcare center closed its doors on March 16. It is expected to reopen at some point in the future (check with 407-WDW-DINE for status). Guests at the BoardWalk who need nearby childcare can use the Sandcastle Club at the Beach Club. |
| 4/4/2002 | 256 | The Orlando Rays baseball franchise is moving. 2003 is the last year you can see them play at the Wide World of Sports. The team is moving to Montgomery, Alabama, where a new ownership will operate the team. Visit http://www.orlandorays.com for more information. |
| 4/4/2002 | 256 | The first-ever Walt Disney World Inline Skate Marathon took place on March 30. This marathon may be offered again next year. Visit http://www.disneyworldsports.com for news. |
| 11/15/2002 | 256 | Disney-MGM Studios hosted Star Wars weekends again in May, starting on May 16. There were lots of Star Wars stars and characters, a "Jedi Training Camp" for kids, plus a special Star Wars edition of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire--Play It!" with movie questions and guest star appearances. Get more info at http://www.starwars.com/community/news/2003/02/news20030212.html |
| 7/29/2003 | 256 | Football fans will be happy to hear that the Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers are returning to Disney’s Wide World of Sports for their summer training camp. The Bucs held their first training camp at WDW last year, and went on to have a championship season, so they’re back for another helping of Disney magic. Walt Disney World guests lucky to be on hand from July 19-28 and/or August 4-15 can observe the team’s twice-daily practice sessions (approx. 8:35-10:45am and 2:45-4:45pm). For details, check Disney’s Wide World of Sports web site: http://www.disneyworldsports.com |
| 11/15/2002 | 257 | Gay Weekend was June 4-8, 2003. |
| 9/18/2003 | 258 | Cypress Gardens has closed. |