The MouseStation and MousePlanetWatch Podcasts (http://www.mouseplanet.com/podcast/)

MouseStation 8 - Disney Cruise Line & Disney Vacation Club (http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3?http://www.mouseplanet.com/podcast/MouseStation-008-030107.mp3), plus MousePlanetWatch 8 news feed (http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3?http://www.mouseplanet.com/podcast/MousePlanetWatch-008-030107.mp3) for March 1, 2007

The MousePlanetWatch news segment has been permanently separated into a separate show. We have now set up three separate feeds: one for MouseStation only, one for MousePlanetWatch only and one for both in a single feed. This way, you can subscribe to whichever combination you prefer. Let us know what you think of this format via email (http://www.mouseplanet.com/email.php?type=w&w=pc) or by calling our toll-free feedback line at 1-866-939-2278.


MousePlanetWatch 8 run time - 0:22:38

In the Walt Disney World news, sponsored by Small World Vacations (http://www.wdwvacations.com), MousePlanet's preferred travel provider, all of the news came from this past Monday's Walt Disney World Park Update (http://www.mouseplanet.com/articles.php?art=wd070226mg), and links to the various information reported can be found there.

All of the Disneyland news came from this past Tuesday's Disneyland Park Update (http://www.mouseplanet.com/articles.php?art=dl070226xx), and links to the various information reported can be found there.

In The Walt Disney Company news, the company will again be webcasting its annual shareholder meeting, with the audio available on demand through March 22. To hear the meeting live, go here (http://corporate.disney.go.com/investors/presentations.html) at 8 a.m. EST, 11 a.m. PST on Thursday, March 8.
The Partners and Vista Federal Credit Unions, the company banks for Cast Members on the West and East Coasts, respectively, are exploring the possibility of a merger. For more information, check out the information on the Vista (http://vistafcu.org/partners/default.asp) and Partners (http://www.partnersfcu.org/membership.aspx?q=5) web sites.
Disney's Wedding Couture Collection by David Tutera (http://www.disneyweddings.go.com/site/wed/cou/start/index.jsp) is available now, while if you're interested in Disney's Fairy Tale Bridal Collection, or now you'll have to settle for a press release (https://licensing.disney.com/Home/display.jsp?contentId=374061&forPrint=false&language=en&preview=false&region=0).
And there was a release party for Spectrobes (http://adisney.go.com/disneyinteractivestudios/spectrobes/) at Disneyland.


MouseStation 8 run time - 1:05:11
Our Tip of the Week comes from our own Drince88, who recommends using designs from Heidi Wolff's web site (http://www.arwolff.com/heidi/) to create tip envelopes for MouseKeeping.

We had two featured topics again this week. First up was a discussion of the Disney Cruise Line, featuring an interview with Lee Kitchen (http://albums.mouseplanet.com/MouseStation008notes/LeeKitchen_goldhaber.jpg).
Our second discussion was about the Disney Vacation Club, featuring an interview with Bobby Holcombe (http://albums.mouseplanet.com/MouseStation008notes/BobbyHolcombe_goldhaber.jpg). And with this, we finally have come to the end of the interviews from the press event back at the end of January. (Hooray!)

This week's Featured Attraction is Spaceship Earth (http://www.mouseplanet.com/guide.php?pg=BDA113) at Epcot.

This week's Review system spotlight focuses on the Grand Californian Hotel (http://www.mouseplanet.com/cgi/reviews/do/display.cgi?product-sku=dlrgc) at Disneyland Resort.

This week's Magical Moment came from Tim Banic, who met magical Cast Member Jacquie at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

You can get your MousePlanet (or MouseStation) swag from the new MousePlanet CafePress store (http://www.cafepress.com/mouseplanet).

Send in your suggestions, comments or tips via our email form (http://www.mouseplanet.com/email.php?type=w&w=pc) or via voicemail on our toll-free feedback line (1-866-939-2278). You can also make suggestions by replying to this post.

If you want to contribute a story for our Magical Moment segment (and possible inclusion in the Cast Place column here on MousePlanet), you can either use our email form (http://www.mouseplanet.com/email.php?type=w&w=ps) or the toll-free feedback line. (We like when you use the voice mail system, because then we can play it on the show.)

Mark is once again participating in the March of Dimes WalkAmerica event. Please check out his pledge page (http://www.walkamerica.org/disneydad) for more information, or to donate. If you'd rather donate to other causes supported by folks in the Disney Internet community, Deb Wills (AllEarsNet) is raising money to fight breast cancer (http://info.avonfoundation.org/site/TR?px=1038633&pg=personal&fr_id=1270) and Lou Mongello (Disney World Trivia) is raising money for the Starlight Starbright Foundation (http://www.disneyworldtrivia.com/dreamteam.php) to send terminally-ill children to Walt Disney World.

Show notes will continue to be posted in this forum. You can subscribe to MouseStation and/or MousePlanetWatch from MousePlanet's podcast page (http://www.mouseplanet.com/podcast) on the main site, or via your favorite podcast aggregator.

Thanks for listening!

All of the Disneyland news came from this past Tuesday's Disneyland Park Update (http://www.mouseplanet.com/articles.php?art=dl070226xx), and links to the various information reported can be found there.
Technically only about half the DLR update segment stuff came from last Monday's published update; the rest came from news posts on MousePad and other news I've dug up. Trying to make the DLR update segment compelling even if you've already read the published update from Monday.

Technically only about half the DLR update segment stuff came from last Monday's published update; the rest came from news posts on MousePad and other news I've dug up. Trying to make the DLR update segment compelling even if you've already read the published update from Monday.
My bad. I had most of the show notes written in advance and didn't update that portion after you finished recording.

Side note: I think that I may have found the problem with the video downloads through iTunes. If you've been having problems getting the video through iTunes, try downloading it again and let us know if the problem is fixed.

Side note: I think that I may have found the problem with the video downloads through iTunes. If you've been having problems getting the video through iTunes, try downloading it again and let us know if the problem is fixed.
Thanks for posting that. It worked for me this time around (I'd given up on it, too).

Was the grand opening after the park closed? Or were there 'regular guests' around for it, too?

Thanks for posting that. It worked for me this time around (I'd given up on it, too).
That's great news. Now let's see if the number of bad downloads goes down.

Was the grand opening after the park closed? Or were there 'regular guests' around for it, too?
I thought I mentioned that in show 6 where I announced the download. The event started during park hours, though just about all of Future World East was closed to the general public. (We got to the park around 7:30, after the Nemo musical official premiere.) The ceremony took place at about 9:30, so if guests were still in the park, they would probably just wonder what the fireworks in the closed portion of the park were for. They couldn't have gotten anywhere near it.

I thought I mentioned that in show 6 where I announced the download.
You probably did, but that was a few episodes ago!

I couldn't help but notice that during the DVC interview, Mark saying that the amount of points to stay in a regular room at a disney world resort was kind of a rip off. Is it it really? I am thinking of joining DVC and I think a lot of times I would want to stay at a regular resort, since I've always wanted to stay at Grand Floridian.

I couldn't help but notice that during the DVC interview, Mark saying that the amount of points to stay in a regular room at a disney world resort was kind of a rip off. Is it it really? I am thinking of joining DVC and I think a lot of times I would want to stay at a regular resort, since I've always wanted to stay at Grand Floridian.
Examples:

In January, here are the relative point costs for select resorts:
Grand Floridian Garden View
Nightly, Sun-Thurs: 40
Nightly, Fri-Sat: 72

Port Orleans Standard View
Nightly, Sun-Thurs: 16
Nightly, Fri-Sat: 29

Beach Club Villas Studio
Nightly, Sun-Thurs: 12
Nightly, Fri-Sat: 22

Old Key West 3-bedroom Grand Villa
Nightly, Sun-Thurs: 36
Nightly, Fri-Sat: 88


How about for Christmas week?
Grand Floridian Garden View
Nightly, Sun-Thurs: 62
Nightly, Fri-Sat: 112

Port Orleans Standard View
Nightly, Sun-Thurs: 22
Nightly, Fri-Sat: 40

Beach Club Villas Studio
Nightly, Sun-Thurs: 19
Nightly, Fri-Sat: 43

Old Key West 3-bedroom Grand Villas
Nightly, Sun-Thurs: 66
Nightly, Fri-Sat: 162


So what's your best value usage for your points?

So what's your best value usage for your points?

You're right. That does seem kind of like a rip off. I looked through the DVC book that was mailed to me and noticed in some cases, it was less points to get a 2-bedroom villa then to stay at a resort without DVC villas. That seems so weird, I mean Disney owns DVC and Disney resorts...

You're right. That does seem kind of like a rip off. I looked through the DVC book that was mailed to me and noticed in some cases, it was less points to get a 2-bedroom villa then to stay at a resort without DVC villas. That seems so weird, I mean Disney owns DVC and Disney resorts...
Yep. But they're two different businesses, and the exchanges involve lots of money transfers and other credits between WDW Hospitality Corp. and DVC. Plus, it's the difference between prepaid lodging and increasing hotel rates.

News from Walt Disney World, Disneyland and The Walt Disney Company from around the globe.

More... (http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3?http://www.mouseplanet.com/podcast/MousePlanetWatch-008-030107.mp3)

On this show, we discuss two other ways to take Disney vacations – the Disney Cruise Line and the Disney Vacation Club, with interviews of DCL's Lee Kitchen and DVC's Bobby Holcombe.

More... (http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3?http://www.mouseplanet.com/podcast/MouseStation-008-030107.mp3)