This is the weekly rumor and refurbishment update for the Orlando-area theme parks for the week of March 30, 2014.
Walt Disney World
Parking fees at the Walt Disney World Resort increased on March 30, 2014.
The new parking fees are:
- Automobile – $17
- Trailer or RV – $18
- Bus – $21
For the average offsite guest, this is an increase of $2. The last parking fee increase was $1 in June of 2013.
Resort guests and Annual Passholders (non-seasonal) will continue to receive complimentary parking.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Disney has introduced two new Star Wars-themed character dining experiences as part of this years Star Wars Weekends.
© Disney
The first will be the “Star Wars Dine-In Galactic Breakfast” at the Sci-Fi Dine–In Theater Restaurant. Star Wars clips will be playing on the big screen and guests will be able to encounter characters from the film as they join you for breakfast.
The second dining experience will be the “Jedi Mickey’s Star Wars Dine at Hollywood and Vine”. It will feature a dining buffet with your favorite Star Wars characters.
The Star Wars-themed dining experiences will start on May the 4th and continue every day until June 15,2014. Pricing for the events are:
- Breakfast at Sci-Fi – $47.99 for adults and $29.99 for children
- Dinner at Hollywood and Vine – $55.99 for adults and $33.99 for children
- Dinner at Hollywood and Vine plus the Fantasmic! Dinner Package – $59.99 for adults and $36.99 for children
These prices include a digital photograph. Taxes and gratuities are not included.
Disney’s Polynesian Resort
Captain Cook’s closes April 9 and reopens in July 2014. A temporary restaurant location will be located down the hall and offer the same menu (minus Dole Whip).
Work continues at Disney’s Polynesian Resort on the addition of Disney Vacation Club properties. Twenty bungalows that will sit atop of the Seven Seas Lagoon are progressing quickly. The skeletal structures for six of the bungalows are now visible, with the first few near completion. The bungalows start at the former Sunset point and continue until you reach the end of the Tahiti Longhouse.
Image Credit: WDWMagic.com
Due to the height of the bungalows, concierge level theme park view rooms are now only on the third floor of the Hawaii Longhouse. The previous theme park view rooms are now considered garden view rooms. Not bad considering you still have a view of Wishes at night.
Sidewalk and parking lot construction continues at the resort. Due to the construction, parking is limited and may be restricted to resort guests only. If you have a dining reservation, I suggest leaving your car at your resort (if staying on property) or at the theme parks and taking Disney transportation to the Polynesian. If you need to park near the Polynesian, parking in the Magic Kingdom lot is your best hope. The resort is only a short walk from the Ticket and Transportation center.
We’ll have a full photo update on the progress made at the Polynesian in about a month.
Refurbishment Schedule
- Festival of the Lion King: Opens summer 2014
- Winter Summerland (Winter Course): Opens summer 2014
- Pinocchio Village Haus: Reopened April 5 after an almost two month refurbishment
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad: Closed April 7 – April 9 for a short refurbishment
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Closed April 28 – May 1
- Tomorrowland Transit Authority Peoplemover: Closed May 3 – June 30 for refurbishment
- Astro Orbiter: Closed May 3 – August 20 for an extensive refurbishment
