As a test, I recently stayed in both with my wife, 25-year-old son and his friend. Our family, four-time west coast Disney veterans, is now travelling in adult mode ... no kids or cots, thank you.

My quest to find the best-buck accommodation in one of the Disney's 24,800 rooms was not easy. Let's say we're a tough audience. All of us have stayed in a wide range of hotels and motels throughout North America and Europe.

Our group of four tried the cheapest and the most expensive accommodation at Disney World. After much discussion and afterthought, we agreed on the following impressions:

DISNEY MAGIC

The All-Star Music Resort had the most Disney Magic, with more character rodents than you could shake a stick at. Mickey Mouse was on the carpet, walls, table, lamp, bed spreads, shower curtains and hangers, leaving no doubt you were at THE magic place.

If you are travelling with kids, they will be mesmerized with all the (occasionally) tacky Disney visuals, ignoring what is essentially a basic room.

The blue-bottom guitar and piano-shaped pools, surrounded by three-storey-high sculptures of musical instruments and scattered Disney theme statues are inviting. Big is important here, impressing young, inquisitive eyes.

Happy and courteous Disney staff frequent the pool with games and entertainment for guests. By all accounts, the kids have a hoot in the pool area, with most parents lounging nearby.

The fast-food service is basic, clean and quick. No sit-down table service here. You eat cheap and keep on going. Parking is free in all Disney resorts, a plus. Surprisingly, the parking lot here is closer than that in our upcoming room upgrade. So if you need frequent access to your car, the budget setting is a better choice.

The meticulously groomed green spaces really made us feel like we were staying in the only resort in town. Transportation to and from the theme parks is prompt and, of course, free.

Total cost for four days in June for two adults and two kids, $484, or $121 a day, attraction passes not included. When booking, don't bother with the optional $54.24 upgrade. All it does is get your car parked closer to your room.

CLASSY ADULT ESCAPE

Our planned upgrade to Disney's Beach Club Resort in the Epcot area was an eye-opener for all of us on what the nicer things in life are all about, if you can afford it.

Bellmen greeted us, offering to take our luggage and park our car. We felt special here right from the get-go. Our room was upgraded to Club Level concierge, for the purpose of this story, with even more luxuries ahead.

The ambience oozed with late 19th-century, New England nostalgia. The air in the main open lobby had a hint of flower aroma, pumped through the air vents.

Our special room card took us to the otherwise inaccessible Club Level, immediately leading to another personalized concierge desk where even more immaculately groomed and impeccably behaved staff welcomed us.

The rooms were quite a contrast to the All Star Music Resort, with noticeably more luxurious furnishings: higher and fluffier beds, yacht-themed wallpaper and double sink bathrooms with polished brass fittings. Our own private balcony overlooked the pool and beachfront; all hinted we had arrived, but not necessarily at Disney.

There was only a hint of Disney characters on the bed cover and a lonely lampshade in the darkest corner.

The real "adult" treat was the concierge service at the Regatta Club, which included a lounge with self-serve continental breakfast, mid-day snacks, afternoon tea, evening wine and cheese, and evening cordials and dessert. This more than made up for the lack of a fast-food outlet. Afternoon and evening all-you-can-drink beer, wine and special liqueurs for grown-ups make it a good deal for the $607 upgrade; kids who can only quench their thirst on milk, pop and cookies are not getting their (parents') money's worth.

The beach and pool area are a world away, with real sand on the Crescent lake beachfront and sand- castle-building in one of the sand-bottom lagoons. Kids were happy here, too, even in the absence of Disney characters to keep them company.

Total cost for four days in June for two adults and two kids, $2,656 or $664 a day, including the additional $607 for club level (free daily treats and drinks and personal concierge service), rear-garden view club level or $989 for front lagoon view. The front view wears off fast, so go for the rear and use your savings on passes. Attraction passes were not included.

THE WINNER

Does more than five times the cost of the Disney Beach Club Resort give you that much more Disney bang? Not really; in fact, you're getting less. You could lounge around the Beach Club Resort all day and miss out on the rest of Disney World altogether, which for first-time visitors is the point of being there. Two-bedroom suites at the Beach Resort start at over $1,275 a night. This is definitely an adults-first stay.

We saw happier young faces exploring the oversize visuals anywhere at the All-Star Music Resort. Kids at the Beach Resort only got excited at the pools. My grown-up son and friend quickly forgot their past youthful Disney visits, in favour of the sophisticated and classy Beach Resort. I am glad they are on their own.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

You should factor in more than just room rates when you stay in the vast Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando. Room rates vary a lot, depending on season and location, starting at $121 for the month of June at the value resorts.

Consider staying at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort where a room for two adults and two children costs $179 a night in June (attraction passes extra). It is located in the Epcot resort area, and shares the picturesque Crescent Lake along with much more expensive resorts.

After the earnings release, analysts were most reassured by the strong performance of Disney's parks and resorts, which are considered most vulnerable to a downturn in consumer spending. In fact, Disney said hotel bookings through 2008 were trending higher than last year as the weak U.S. dollar helped keep American vacationers closer to home and attracted foreign tourists.

But on Monday, Pali Research analyst Rich Greenfield downgraded the stock to "Neutral" from "Buy," arguing that the theme parks are not immune to weakening consumer confidence.

And last week, Disney's general counsel and chief financial officer both reported unloading Disney shares, raising questions about how much upside remains in the stock price.

Since Disney announced its first-quarter results, General Counsel Alan N. Braverman has sold 115,000 shares of common stock. Also, in two separate transactions, Chief Financial Officer Thomas O. Staggs exercised options for 125,000 shares and sold them all under a prearranged trading plan.

The Web site InsiderScore.com, which tracks insider deals, noted the sales in a research report: "The sale by the general counsel was a rare non-options related transaction at the company, while the CFO exercised options that were more than eighteen months away from expiration, selling the stock for a less than 30 percent gain," InsiderScore.com analysts said.

According to InsiderScore.com, the transactions were the first for both Braverman and Staggs since February 2006. The sales were the first at the company since March, and Braverman's sale was just the third by any insider in more than five years.

"Historically, insider sales at (Disney) have been related to the imminent expiration of options," the InsiderScore.com analysts said.

In an analyst note explaining his downgrade, Greenfield boosted his 2008 and 2009 earnings-per-share estimates, but said the risk-reward outlook has since diminished since he upgraded the stock to "Buy" on Jan. 30.

Greenfield said investor confidence in Disney's theme parks has improved, compared with some "dire" expectations in January. "That being said," Greenfield added, "we do not believe the parks are recession proof and we find it hard to believe that weak consumer confidence will not begin to have an impact as we move into fall 2008 (early fiscal 2009 for Disney)."

Greenfield also noted that the domestic performance of "Prince Caspian" missed expectations. The sequel brought in about $55 million when it opened last weekend, topping the box office, but falling roughly $10 million short of the first "Narnia" movie and missing analyst expectations. Soleil Research Associates analyst Marla Backer said the movie was expected to gross higher in its debut than the first "Narnia" film.

On the comparable weekend last year, "Shrek the Third" set a first-weekend opening record for an animated film, bringing in $121.6 million.

BMO Capital Markets analyst Jeffrey Logsdon was not as discouraged by the light opening, noting that he still expects the film to be "exceptionally profitable." But Greenfield said any weakness by "Prince Caspian" puts that much more pressure on Disney's upcoming "Wall-E" to be a blockbuster, which he said "appears far from certain." "Wall-E," the latest release from Disney's Pixar Animation unit, is slated for release in late June.

With uncertainty around the film slate and theme park performance, Greenfield notes one potential catalyst that could boost shares this summer -- the release of Disney Channel's original movie "Camp Rock" on June 20. The movie stars tween heartthrobs The Jonas Brothers, and is hoping to attract a similar crowd to the one that made "High School Musical" a megahit.

Held on the beautiful grounds of Disney's Fort Wilderness lodge and the streets of neighbouring towns this course is flat and fast by most standards with some gentle rollers sprinkled throughout. The swim start was in Bay Lake which is a man made, critter inhabited water off Fort Wilderness. With the water at 26 degrees for the 6:20 a.m. start, participants were not permitted wetsuits nor any warm-ups as the sun was just cresting the horizon. Heading off in age based waves, triathletes began their race with a running start from the beach. Our group in general were happy with their land marking skills having not been in the open water for some nine months.

On to the bike, it was fast and interesting as there were numerous turns, some out and backs as well as gentle rollers with a maximum incline of fewer than three degrees. The roads were partially closed which was helpful when it began to rain and we could stay clear of traffic as well as the growing packs of flying triathletes. With the bike going 4k long, it was a relief to see the familiar Disney landmarks as we approached Fort Wilderness for transition. Winding through long canopies of tree lined roads, past watching horses we dismounted and headed out onto the flattest, hottest run. With temperatures reaching 34 degrees during the bike, it felt like 40+ in some sections of the run as we turned off the paved path onto an open horse field with nothing but the sizzling hay under our feet and the blazing sun above our heads.

While the temperature slowed the majority of runners, turning some into woggers and the consensus in transition was that it was a hard race, our group was happy with their results. Representing Quinte were Dennis Hills (5:45:55), Jeff Musson (5:59:17), Nancy Coakley (6:39:19) and Sandy Musson (7:11:20). Congratulations also to Scott Sharpe from Kingston (5:29:12) who had relatives from Quinte spectating on his great race and fast finish.

The first step towards this effort is a tie up by Walt Disney Co’s business unit Disney Consumer Products (DCP) with the Rs 500 crore Popley group.

The companies together will rollout a limited edition of couture line of diamond jewellery in India targeted at “discerning” woman aged 25 years and above. 

Branded as Disney Popley Fine Jewellery, the line will be retailed through Popley’s stores in India as well as from other niche jewellery retail outlets having a similar branding.

However, Popley will be the only retailer to have the distribution and product development licence in India for the new line. The jewellery line, to be priced upwards of Rs 25,000, will jewellery comprise neckpieces, earrings and rings with designs inspired by Disney stars Mickey and friends, Winnie the Pooh and Disney princesses.

Roshni Bakshi, director, Disney Consumer Products, said: “In India, the general perception is that Disney is a kid’s brand as most of the interface between the consumer and the brand is through contents such as movies. These, again, are mainly animation and thus associated with children.”

She added: “We want to reach out to the masses as a family brand in India as well. We will offer products through tie-ups targeted at members other than kids in the family.”

Last year, Manish Arora collaborated with Disney to design a range of garments as part of his fall winter collection.

Globally, DCP offers jewellery in the north American market through a similar licensing tie-up.

Rajiv Popley, director, Popley Group, said the jewellery, to be designed and manufactured by Popley in India, will be available across the Middle East “very soon.”

The line, with around 8-88 pieces across each segment, will be manufactured at Popley’s Mumbai plant. The technology and other related products will be imported, Popley said. The diamonds used in the jewellery will be certified by the International Gemological Institute, headquartered in Antwerp, and the gold will be certified by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).

Instead, they're dressed to the nines (the girls, anyway) in full princess regalia before heading to a poolside pirate party, complete with fireworks, to get up close and personal with Goofy and all of his pirate friends aboard the Disney Wonder. Others are busy in the shipboard Oceaneer Club playing the latest video games, watching movies in seats designed to look like clam shells and climbing on the pirate ship play structure.

All of this is after they've seen a brand-new Broadway-style show -- "Toy Story: The Musical," featuring all of their favorite characters from the popular film -- and dined like royalty at dinner where the waiters not only knew their names but also performed magic tricks and were happy to get them anything they liked at no extra charge (a side of salmon with your chicken fingers ... no problem!)

When my 5-year-old cousin Ethan Sitzman and his 3-year-old sister Hannah finally got back to their stateroom, they were thrilled that the steward, Pacifer Ticao, himself a young father from the Philippines, had fashioned a PJ Party with the kids' stuffed animals and a monkey he had made out of towels. The kids truly thought they'd arrived in vacation heaven.

Of course, vacationing with young children isn't always a vacation for parents. Just ask Ethan and Hannah's parents, Mike and Jayme Sitzman. No one wants to get up to take a child to the bathroom three times before the main course is served! But the families that recently cruised aboard the Wonder for three days agree that Disney Cruise Line does all it can to ensure that the more than 1,000 kids onboard, 45 percent of them seven and younger -- as well as the parents and grandparents have as stress free a getaway as possible.

They congregate at one of the three pools -- did I mention it is shaped like Mickey Mouse ears -- where there is a water play area just for toddlers, a water slide, an ice cream stand, another for fruit and yet another for chicken fingers, pizza and burgers most of the day and evening. "I'm even relaxed watching the kids at the pool," laughs Kalen Walker, cruising with her 7 and 5 year olds. "This really works."

It's the Disney difference, says the ship's youth activities manager, Shannon Quinn, who oversees a multilingual staff of more than 50 counselors, all of whom come aboard with substantial experience working with children. They speak at least eight languages "and if we don't speak it, we'll find someone on the staff that can help," says Quinn. The staff will also do all they can to provide one-on-one care when needed for special needs kids, she says, even logging their food allergies into the computer.

Parents get pagers when they leave their kids in the organized programming, just in case they are needed. The counselors not only entertain the kids (a special staff orchestrates the activities with Disney characters), but also feed them lunch and dinner, if parents need a break. Because of maritime regulations, standards of cleanliness are higher than at many daycare centers. "We're cleaning all the time," says Quinn.

"I feel very comfortable that the children are well taken care of," said Christy Tenczar, who is from Orlando and was cruising with her husband and 3-year-old son. "It's hard to get him to leave!"

Other cruise lines (Norwegian and Carnival, for example) have programming for children as young as two, but Disney Cruise Line operates the only full-scale nursery at sea, taking children as young as 12 weeks, though at an extra charge, so that even new moms and dads can get a reprieve, possibly to head to the adult-only pool, the adult-only deck to hear some music or dance, the spa or Palo, the first-rate adult-only restaurant.

There is even an adult-only beach on Disney's private Bahamian island, Castaway Cay where parents can steal away (cabana massage maybe?) while the kids, happily ensconced in organized programming, excavate a "whale" skeleton or hunt for buried treasure. Other families are on the family beach with the play structure anchored in the clear turquoise water, splashing on giant inner tubes and making giant Mickey Mouse ears in the sand, getting as much ice cream and soft drinks as their parents will allow. "The beach is the best part," says Laurie Bosh, a Massachusetts mom of two young children who was cruising with her extended family to celebrate her dad's 60th birthday.

There's just one problem, adds Ken Phipps, Bosh's dad. There's so much to do, "You don't want to take time to relax." Take your pick: Besides all the kids' programs, there are family activities all day (want to make kites, sing Karaoke or play Mickey trivia? Play ping-pong, watch a movie in the theater, attend a martini tasting or Pilates class. Work out in the fitness center? Did I mention the meals that never seem to end?

Even the cabins are thoughtfully designed for young families, featuring a bath and a half. It's also possible to check in for your flights online, even having Disney personnel transfer your bags so you don't see them till you arrive at home. The biggest draw, of course, is the characters who make appearances all through the day and evening -- everyone from Pluto to Cinderella to Pirate Jack Sparrow and, of course, Mickey and Minnie. Pluto is on hand to give the kids a hug when they get back on the ship after visiting Nassau; Snow White teaches the preschoolers a dance, while Captain Hook gives the 5 to 7 year olds a lesson in becoming a pirate. Lilo and Stitch host a luau. Belle reads stories.

"It so much fun to see in their faces, how excited they get when they see the princesses," says Becky Bjerke of West Fargo, North Dakota, who's cruising with three daughters under five. More than a third of those cruising on the ship are first-time cruisers -- like my cousins. Many more, Disney Cruise Line officials say, are cruising for the first time with their kids. (A three-night cruise for a family of four starts at roughly $1,300 and there are many packages that include a stay at Walt Disney World along with a three- or four-night cruise.

This summer, The Disney Magic will sail out of Los Angeles on seven-night cruises to the Mexican Riviera, while the Wonder continues alternating three- and four-night Bahamian itineraries. (Sail four nights and you may be able to visit Castaway Cay twice.)

Our last night onboard, we dropped the kids at the Oceaneer Club and headed up to the oh so sophisticated adult-only restaurant for a Northern Italian feast. We toasted a successful trip. But just as the chocolate souffles were being served, my cousins got paged: The kids were crying. Goofy had arrived for a PJ party and the kids didn't have PJs on. Even aboard the Disney Wonder, you can't expect perfection with young children along -- at least all the time.

Fans Resist End of Virtual Disneyland

Wall Street Journal - For Walt Disney Co., the task of opening a virtual version of Disneyland on the Web was relatively easy. Closing it, though, is proving to be quite a bit more difficult, thanks to the wrath of obsessive fans of Disney's theme parks.
In conjunction with the 50th anniversary of Disneyland in 2005, Walt Disney launched a free online game called Virtual Magic Kingdom whose look and layout mimics Disneyland's. Users created avatars and explored the online park's various regions, such as Tomorrowland and Main Street; chatted with other users; and participated in online promotions that crossed over into real-life activities at the company's resorts in California and Florida.

Disney's notoriously obsessive fans got deeply into this. Using their online personas, fans of Virtual Magic Kingdom -- VMK to aficionados -- accumulated points by playing games and completing tasks inside the world. These points could then be used to buy in-game objects like animated hats, pins and furniture to decorate their virtual private rooms. Points could also be accumulated in the real world through purchases of Disney movie DVDs and the like.

When players tired of the online world, they could keep playing VMK as they visited Disney's theme parks. There, they could go on scavenger hunts tailored specifically to them -- and use their rewards to purchase special Virtual Magic Kingdom items that increased their status among fellow gamers.

On Wednesday night, however, Disney plans to throw everyone out of VMK and lock the gates -- erasing their online profiles, lives and collections of virtual trinkets and real estate. Disney says it never intended the 50th-anniversary promotion to run this long, but money is also a factor: Virtual Magic Kingdom is free, and full access to Disney's other online game sites -- like Club Penguin and Toontown -- costs as much as $9.95 a month in the case of Toontown.

This has unleashed a loud outcry from VMK patrons, and some of them are throwing themselves in front of Disney's virtual wrecking ball. One slick Web site created to help save VMK has gathered nearly 20,000 signatures on its online petition, while blogs maintained by the Disney faithful continue to decry the company's move. A real-life protest to sway the Burbank, Calif., entertainment company's thinking largely fizzled, though. Only about a dozen die-hard fans picketed outside Disneyland's main gates on May 10, carrying placards and a banner riffing Disney's "Year of a Million Dreams" campaign that read, "Year of a Million Broken Dreams."

Disney says VMK's life extended well beyond what was supposed to be a roughly 18-month celebration of the theme parks. "We never want to disappoint a guest at any time, but in this particular case, we said this was a great product and it was extended due to popular demand, and we had to take this action to move forward with our portfolio of franchised products," says John Spelich, a spokesman for Disney's Internet Group.

The situation shows how sticky things can get when free, nonrevenue-generating gimmicks blossom into hits. In 2006, Disney boasted that one million avatars had been created inside VMK, though the company declines to say how many users the site actually has (individuals can create multiple characters). The site, which operates from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. Pacific time, still boasts a few thousand daily users.

Disney says that despite fan interest, VMK's popularity is dwarfed by that of its other games, including "Club Penguin" and the "Disney Fairies" Web game based on Tinker Bell. Since the Fairies site was launched in January 2007, users have created close to six million avatars there, the company says. The game still isn't fully operational and so far is free, but Disney plans to start charging a fee for portions of the game later this year.

Virtual Magic Kingdom shows that Disney's games aren't just for kids. To be sure, it attracts children, whose parents are drawn to the family-friendly alternative to very adult virtual worlds like Second Life. VMK users can only "chat" using words from an approved dictionary; numerals, names and email addresses are forbidden; and anyone trying to circumvent the rules using clever word substitutions is warned or kicked off the site by moderators.

But many of VMK's users are adults who just happen to love Disney. Such fans can be vocal and dogged when things don't go their way. In 2004, they were instrumental in rallying behind former board member Roy Disney's attack on the leadership of then-Disney Chief Executive Michael Eisner.

Nicholas Bourne, a 22-year-old student, is a longtime Disneyland fan who says he visits the park about once a week using his annual pass. Now, he is one of the forces behind a Web site, www.savevmktoday.com. Mr. Bourne found the game the first week it appeared online in May 2005 and got hooked fast. He says he spends two to three hours a day there, largely chatting with friends. But his investment of time and interest also allowed him to become a "Community Leader," responsible for helping other members and organizing events.

Mr. Bourne latched onto VMK after being unsatisfied with other online games like EverQuest, which he felt was not only too expensive because of its monthly fee, but also too intense. "I really just liked VMK's environment and how it not only recreated elements of the theme parks, like Splash Mountain, but also had this great interactive element that allowed you to create your own version," he says.

Toy Story Mania! Begins Challenging Walt Disney World Guests May 31

Disney News - Walt Disney World guests start donning 3-D glasses and entering a wild and wooly 4-D world of Woody, Buzz and other favorite “Toy Story” characters when Toy Story Mania! makes its grand premiere May 31 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. As part of Disney’s “Year of a Million Dreams,” the attraction will also debut on the West Coast, with a scheduled opening in Disney’s California Adventure at Disneyland Resort June 17.

Inspired by the Disney-Pixar films "Toy Story" and "Toy Story 2," Toy Story Mania! raises the bar for interactive ride-game attractions. It's a high-energy, immersive adventure that puts guests right in the action as their game play triggers fun surprises that provide a fourth dimension of fun. Toy Story Mania! engages guests in a whole new way with the delightful characters of the films.

In the timeless tradition of Disney storytelling, Toy Story Mania! takes its inspiration from the fact that Andy’s toys spring to life whenever he is away. Soon after Andy got a “Midway Games Play Set” for his latest birthday, the toys jumped at their first chance to open the box and set up the game booths and carnival trams so everyone could ride and play. That means “no assembly required” for their game-playing guests – just nonstop fun. (That is, until Andy gets home!)

Upon entering the attraction, guests are welcomed by Mr. Potato Head, more than five feet tall and looking like he stepped right down from the movie screen. The state-of-the-art Audio-Animatronics Mr. Potato Head makes a perfect carnival barker, capable of engaging guests in two-way conversation and encouraging them to "step right up" for the immersive Toy Story Mania! experience.

Everyone gets a front row seat when guests put on their 3-D glasses, "shrink" to the size of a toy and board Toy Story Mania! carnival tram ride vehicles which add a huge amount of fun to the interactive experience. The exciting and colorful route takes guests through "Andy's Bedroom" filled with oversized murals and toys. The vehicles angle to face Toy Story Mania! game booths -- high-tech yet rooted in classic midway games of skill -- and guests aim for 3-D animated targets using their own on-board spring-action shooters. Players pair up and sit side-by-side for a friendly competition that delivers an ever-changing variety of targets and surprises.

As they play, guests can actually see the "virtual" objects they've launched leave their spring-action shooters and hit (or miss) the targets. And thanks to 4-D special effects technology, they may sense objects whirring past them as they pop out of the 3-D scenes.

The Toy Story Mania! games -- five of them, plus an introductory practice round -- are designed to be enjoyed by audiences of all ages and skills, from beginners to experienced gamers. Play is energized by the spirit of the "Toy Story" characters cast in games that best suit their very animated personalities.

First comes the "Pie Throw Practice" round in which guests can try splattering targets with virtual pies.

Next, Hamm hosts a "Hamm & Eggs" booth in which players launch plastic virtual eggs at various barnyard targets.

"Bo Peep's Baaa-loon Pop" presents a landscape full of balloon sheep, trees and other objects at which guests can launch virtual darts. But players had better be careful! A popped virtual water balloon might add an additional 4-D wet dimension to the game.

From there it's on to "Green Army Men Shoot Camp" where the challenge is to break plates with virtual baseballs.

Next up is "Buzz Lightyear's Flying Tossers," a ring-toss game hosted by everyone's favorite space ranger, with Little Green Aliens as the targets.

For the grand finale game, Toy Story Mania! players ride through Wild West scenes launching virtual suction-cup darts at targets in "Woody's Rootin' Tootin' Shootin' Gallery." A final "Woody's Bonus Roundup" encourages guests to fire their spring-action shooters as rapidly as possible at one last super target for extra points. When scores are tallied, players' skill levels are identified and they can see how they've done compared to the high scores.

The game play of Toy Story Mania! is accompanied by creative musical variations of Randy Newman's "You've Got A Friend in Me," arranged by veteran music editor Bruno Coon, a frequent Newman collaborator, to complement the games -- for example, a military brass band version for "Green Army Men Shoot Camp."

Coming Soon to Epcot: Hurricane Charley

Palm Beach Post - Hurricane Charley, the powerful 2004 storm that caused $7 billion in property damage in Florida, will soon be recreated for a new theme-park attraction at Disney’s Epcot.

Disney is calling “StormStruck: The Tale of Two Homes,” an “interactive experience” rather than a ride. Opening in late August at Disney’s Epcot Innoventions pavilion, the attraction will put visitors in the eye of Charley’s Category 4 winds using 3-D technology and surround sound.

A Disney Imagineer visited the Governor’s Hurricane Conference in Fort Lauderdale Friday to give a presentation on the exhibit, which will require visitors to wear 3-D glasses.

Officials said that visitors would be shown how fortifying a home against a storm can change the outcome for the home. Two examples of homes will be used, one that survived Charley, and another that didn’t.

The purpose of the attraction is to educate, not thrill, officials say.