This Week at Disney World: 2010-01-11

Weather Forecast: After some of the coldest weather in Central Florida history, we are wishing for a warmer week -- and we'll get it by the end of the week. The forecast low for Monday is 29F. It will still be chilly Tuesday, with highs around 60. The high temperatures will be in the mid-70s by Friday. Thundershowers are possible Saturday and Sunday. What that means for you: plan to dress in layers, and carry rain ponchos and extra socks! Trust me -- fresh, dry socks can make all the difference when your feet are cold and wet.

Ride Closures: At the Magic Kingdom, Splash Mountain is still closed for its annual rehab, with reopening scheduled for Feb. 27. Blizzard Beach has closed for its annual rehab; reopening is planned for March 21. At Epcot, Test Track will be closed Jan. 11-17. At Disney's Hollywood Studios, Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular will be closed Jan. 11-15.

As soon as the weather warms a bit, I'll head over to Typhoon Lagoon and look for anything new from its annual rehab. Upcoming closures include Living with the Land at Epcot, closed Jan. 18-Feb. 5.

Extra Magic Hours: Here's the posted schedule for this week. Check at your resort for updates:

• Disney's Hollywood Studios: Monday evening (8-11 PM), Saturday morning (8-9 AM)
• Epcot: Tuesday morning (8-9 AM), Friday evening (9 PM-midnight)
• Disney's Animal Kingdom: Wednesday evening (5-8 PM), next Tuesday morning (8-9 AM)
• Magic Kingdom: Thursday morning (8-9 AM), Sunday evening (8-11 PM) 

35th Anniversary of the Carousel of Progress at Magic Kingdom

Thirty-five years ago this week, Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress opened at the Magic Kingdom. As you might imagine, this is one of my favorite attractions -- somehow it feels like you're directly connected to Walt Disney's imagination -- that the dad might even be Walt himself.

To commemorate the anniversary, Orlando performance artist Brian Feldman plans to ride the attraction for 11 hours straight (that's from opening to close at the Magic Kingdom that day). Brian has an open invitation on Facebook for fellow fan to join him. Brian's day at the Magic Kingdom is sponsored by my friends at Dream Come True Vacations -- thanks, Joe and Liz!

(I'm crossing my fingers that I'll be able to stop by Friday evening... I'm doing some contract work right now, and we have two web sites launching this week. Follow me on Twitter for updates!)

If you're heading to Disney World this week, download your Mouse Map here. Any other questions about this week? Send a Twitter message to @wdwtips or use our nifty contact form.

PS: Being stuck indoors (yes, I'm afraid of cold weather!) had its benefits... I finally finished the new pocket-size edition of Mouse Map. I'm now working on getting it added to the shopping cart... should be functioning tomorrow evening!