I haven't really been keeping up on the expansion, but I have heard the same as you, that it will be opening a little at a time. We'll check it out when we're there in a little over a week. I'm hoping for some passholder previews to come up before too long, but that's mostly wishful thinking
I'll be sure to let you guys know if we get the scoop on anything!
The existing Dumbo attraction is expected to close on January 9 and be relocated to its new space, next to the new Dumbo attraction, offering guests a Dueling Dumbo effect when the attraction is expected to re-open on February 18, 2012 for Presidents Day Weekend.
StitchKingdom.com - The #1 unofficial source for news on Disney
StitchKingdom has this. Other thatn a fall date being thrown around for some other things, nothing firm yet. I am glad I got to ride Dumbo in the "old" location one last time.
ETA: From Inside the magic.
New Fantasyland expansion opening timeline
Complete - Hundred Acre Wood facade for The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Early 2012 - Half of Storybook Circus with double Dumbo, Great Goofini coaster, Fantasyland Train Station, Casey Jr. Late 2012 - Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid ride, Be Our Guest restaurant, Beauty and the Beast village, Belle meet-and-greet, Castle wall
Early 2013 - Remaining half of Storybook Circus with Petes Silly Sideshow
Late 2013 - Seven Dwarfs Mine Train roller coaster
You are both my 'go to' DIS guys when it comes to ahead of time information. We will wait patiently and excitedly for news of anything. It's a bummer that my spring trip has to be cancelled during such an exciting year, but when we go in June, we're for sure to see some new stuff!
Hi MeMom
Remember me?
I've been absent again but I'm trying to get caught back up. I've read the major updates but had to skim over a lot of the chatter. Right now I still have tears in my eyes from the news about Aunt Joan. I'm so sorry for your loss and for your families loss. I'm glad she didn't have to suffer long and is in heaven now with the other angels. It's such a blessing in life to find such a wonderful person. It sounds like she was a Princess inside and out.
I'm looking forward to the start of the new report. We have 37 sleeps before we leave for our short Mardi Gras trip. We will be hitting the MK the day after the new Dumbo and Goofy ride open so I'll get lots of pictures to share. I don't have a smart phone but both Michelle and Chelsea do so maybe I can get them to post on FB for me.
Please let me know if Bella goes with the Tianna theme. Being so close to New Orleans I can get beads and maybe some other New Orleans stuff. Maybe some coaster for drinks or cups or beignet mix. Michelle and Austin go down there at least every other month.
We will let you know as soon as Jill decides. Bella will like any party, and she'll look back on pictures and think whatever we did was fun. It would just be easier to do Tiana or Ariel or even Belle than it would be to do some of the others where accessories and decorations are harder to find.
Brooklynn is really going to like the new Goofini roller coaster, since she had become such a Barnstormer fan. Same coaster for her; new pictures for me.
I am an organ donor also. And I agree about cremation too. I think that it is great that Joan's kids honored her wishes and buried her in a red dress even though they didn't know why. Reminds me of my Grandmother. The only time she ever wore blue jeans was to work in the yard. When she was nearing the end of her life, she told us she wanted to be buried in jeans. We were shocked until she told us that she wanted to have her work clothes on because she was going to work for the Lord.
I think if people are coherent enough to say what they want, we should honor those requests. I bet your grandmother is keeping herself busy up there.
Do you think it would work on my kids if I told them I requested a two month Disney vacation before I go?
This is why I love the Dis and in particular, your trip reports...... all the love & support from your "Dis family"!!
Thank you to all who are considering being an organ donor. My dad received his kidney transplant 5 years ago, and I'm extremely thankful for the person and/or family that decided to donate the kidney in their time of grief.
We are so glad you feel at home here.
To be able to give someone else 'parts' that we have no need for sounds like a perfect plan to me. To know that another family would get to enjoy their loved one for a longer time would be very rewarding to me.
I forgot to mention this yesterday, but my aunt was buried in a red Asian outfit that she bought in the Philippines when she and my uncle went there to adopt Josh and Jeremy. She didn't request any specific outfit but my mom picked it out. She was also buried with a teddy bear I bought for her while she was in the hospital. Not many 16 year olds buy teddy bears for their aunts but she always loved stuffed animals and she loved it. It was on her bed every day when we came to visit.
January is an easy month in college. I'm off until the 23rd. February will feel long though. I only have to get through one week of March before my trip!
I really do appreciate my DIS friends. I never expected to make such special friends on a message board, but joining the DIS was one of the best decisions I ever made!
Have you gotten any snow this winter? We've barely had any. We had that weird mini snowstorm in October, a tiny bit overnight on Monday, and a little on Christmas. I was wishing for a white Christmas and it wasn't in the forecast, so I was thrilled when I looked out the window Christmas morning and saw snow falling. It only lasted for about 20 minutes and none of it stuck but I was happy. My aunt was Kazin and Caleb's grandma and my uncle, their grandpa, was with Kazin when it started snowing and told him that it was a present from grandma
With all that has happened, this January is definitely not creeping by as they have always done. So far, the temperatures have not been terrible. I am happy for that, because my heating bill will not skyrocket.
We have flurries in the forecast for today, but it will be too warm for them to do any damage.
Still thinking about all of you.
I really liked reading about the journal of Joan stories and the hurricane lamps are a great idea.
I am with you -- donate any useable organs and cremate me. Friday we interred my mom's ashes at Georgia National Cemetery (my dad was in the Navy, so that's how we decided on there). It was very difficult, but it's very pretty there.
In one of those humorous moments -- we were deciding what to put on the marble plaque, and the man told us a group was petitioning to have the Star Wars symbol as one of the choices (along with the crosses and Stars of David, etc.)
Really??? We all had a good laugh over that one. I like Star Wars, but just put a nice cross on my marble niche, please.
I'm good with having my ashes in a Disney vase of some kind.
Wouldn't it represent me perfectly???
My first thought was take a dash of ashes and drop them into the Sassagoula River on that beautiful walk between POR and POFQ and then another dash at my church camp. I think there may be laws that forbid that, though. Maybe they would be okay with just a tiny, tiny, tiny dash? Just the size of a salt packet. Just to say I was there in some way. I know I am probably goofy to think like that, but that is really what I would like.
One of the girls got a plaque to go beside her hurricane lamp that has a verse that Joan loved. She put it on my FB page, so you can see it, if you'd like. It looks good in her house, so I hope it will look good for everyone else. Jill did want one, so I gave her mine and Drew is getting me a new one today.
I woke up laughing at him dressed in his capri's, scoccer shirt and work boots. 
I just can't imagine Disney needing to give a big fall discount if this is opening in October as I am sure the people will come out in droves to see it.
I need another part time job and maybe another full time job to pay for all my Disney dreams! 
And of course I'm not sure if it's true or not....could be just a rumor.
