July 2017 – Disney Talk Blog

Now that the dust has settled about the additions and changes coming to Walt Disney World from the D23 Expo let’s take a look what it all means.

TRON coaster
Well it is exciting to see the TRON coaster coming to American soil and I for one am glad that Chip & Co. and WDWNT (Ya I’m calling them out) got it WRONG on reporting the speedway will be replaced by it. There is a lot of land between the edge of the Magic Kingdom and World Drive. They just need to get past the train tracks. The artist rendering clearly shows the speedway still in there. They may have to modify the layout but heck they have already done that so many times I am starting to lose count. I think they are up to three times. The longest the track ever was, was in 1974. They lengthened it from the 71 opening. They shortened it twice since then. They did it for Mickey’s Birthday Land (which became Starland and then Toontown Fair) and had to shorten it again for Dumbo’s Circus.

tron
New theater on Main Street.
Did anybody see this coming? Even the savviest WDW rumor sites and bloggers like Jim Hill didn’t say a thing. I have to say it makes sense given the success of the Hyperion Theater over at Disney’s California Adventure (DCA). If you have never been to DCA let me tell you that their theater is a top notch, purpose build, full production facility that could rival anything on Broadway. The question I have is where is it going? The artist’s rendering appears to put it where the existing theater is. If that is the case say good bye to Tony’s. I know Tony’s isn’t world class dining but I love it there. The place has a lot of sentimental value to me and it would be awful to see it go.

theater

The Star Wars Hotel
This story broke a while ago when someone at Disney inadvertently leaked artwork for it. Out of all the things that were announced this is the riskiest, and in my opinion the most likely to not get done as announced. The Star Wars Hotel as it is being described now isn’t going to be a standard themed run of the mill Disney hotel. First it is going to be stupid expensive. Second it is an experience not just a place to stay. It is not meant to spend a week there while park touring. It is supposed to immerse the guests into the Star Wars universe and dovetail into the new Star Wars Land. You would only spend a couple of days there. There is a mention of appropriate attire and there is a mention of leaving earth which sounds a bit restrictive in how you may be spending your day. Given the costumes and characters needed to pull it off the price per night will probably be out of this world. The other thing I wonder about is this going to suffer the same fate as the Disney Institute? It was a great idea that did OK at first but its demise came from the fact people come to Disney World to visit the parks and don’t want to take time out to do other things. Star Wars the hotel may be the same way. As crazy as the following is for the franchise will people be willing to fork over a pile of money to live the experience and carve out a few days of their vacation to devote to it? Time will tell but this to me sounds like one of those Disney announcements that may fade into the sunset or get heavily scaled back as time goes on.

Guardians of the Galaxy
GOGfront

At this point Ellen’s Energy Adventure needs to be burned with fire. The ride has been there so long Ellen had a career, fell off of the planet, only to reappear and be more popular than she was when the ride opened. She is so young in it though that it dates the ride. Think about Phylicia Rashad AKA Dr. Marsh over at the Dinosaur Attraction. That ride is almost 20 years old. Dr. Marsh is now 69 but she isn’t on our TV every afternoon so we kind of forget how long that installment of the attraction has been in place. And Bill Nye the Science Guy has simply become a cliché of himself getting more into political agenda than science. It is time for Bill to go too. I wouldn’t be too happy to see GotG in Epcot a year or so ago but the fact it means Ellen is going bye bye is a plus and the redo of the Tower of Terror over at DCA looks awesome so I’m OK with a Star Lord takeover. I guess I have to accept that EPCOT Center, now Epcot was indeed dying a slow death since it opened and I am one of the few that miss and loved the original attractions and concept but it is time to move on. The downer is the park will be losing one of the prime hobo napping spots in all of Walt Disney World.

goginside

Ratatouille Attraction over at Epcot.
Man, talk about letting the wind out of my sails. I hate the characters invading Epcot but the writing was on the wall when they did over the Mexico Pavilion so many years ago. I was excited about this attraction coming to Epcot when the rumor started popping up. When this attraction opened at Euro Disney, I mean Disneyland Paris, I went on YouTube and fell in love with it. I really like the movie and when I saw the ride on YouTube I wanted it in Florida. So why am I disappointed? Well, if you read between the lines we were told “based on” the attraction at Disneyland Paris. So are we going to get some watered down half version of the attraction? The pessimist in me says yes. Hell, Florida didn’t even get the exploding mountain upgrade for Big Thunder Mountain from the Disneyland version. I hope this doesn’t disappoint me so I am keeping my expectations low.

ratride

New Space Restaurant (Can’t they just open the Odyssey up again?)
It looks like they will need the Odyssey to rent out and keep for the festivals because this restaurant appears to be going into the Wonders of Life Pavilion. That would be the big gold dome we aren’t supposed to notice is there 99% of the time we are in Epcot for those too young to remember what that building was used for. The location is now rented out for private functions and used as exhibit space for festivals like Flower and Garden as well as Food & Wine. A space themed venue makes sense there with the redo of Ellen’s over to Guardians and Mission Space just a short walk away. Future World needs another sit down restaurant especially on that side.
space eats

Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway

Direct from the Disney Parks blog; Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway will feature a new story and a new singable attraction theme song as well as a new experience we’re calling “2 1/2 D.” No glasses required. Walt Disney Imagineer Kevin Rafferty said teams are inventing new technologies that turn the flat world of a colorful cartoon short into a “dimensional display of amazingness.”

“This is one of the boldest…most impossible things I’ve ever worked on in almost 40 years of being an Imagineer. And you know what? That’s what I love about it. Well, that, and Mickey,” Kevin said. “This is not going to be a small attraction, it’s going to be game-changing.”

OK, so it sounds like they are going to put some work into this. It is believed to be replacing the Great Movie ride and this rumor has been around so long that the ride can’t be the same one that is going to be built. I am disappointed the the Great movie ride is going away. I love it even though over the years so much of it doesn’t work anymore I wish they would keep it. The movies are such classics they seem timeless. The other thing I hate about this attraction is they are modeling the characters after the ones used in the Disney Channel shorts. I call them the Ren and Stimpy look. For those that don’t know Ren and Stimpy was an adult cartoon and the two main characters were drawn with thin arms and legs, using sharp lines and angels. Optimistically it does sound like they will be using visual effect never seen before and it doesn’t look like they will be using any AA figures so once the building is prepped it shouldn’t take too long to get the new show in. I will have to keep an eye on Ebay for a shot of owning the Wicked Witch or the West or maybe a floating Mary Poppins.

New Transportation

gondola
The often talked about but never officially announced sky-way gondola system was unveiled. They already started building it and the company they are buying the system from wasn’t that quiet about it. Probably the worst kept secret until it’s unveiling since the DVC put up Bay Lake Tower. I hate this because I hate the fact the new generation of Imagineers don’t seem to give two craps about site lines. This thing will break theming continuity and will be seen from many angles. Riders will no doubt also be able to see things that were originally built in a way knowing guests would never see them (aka backstage areas). We can see the Four Seasons from the Contemporary’s beach. Before that no buildings could be seen and it really was great to look out over Bay Lake and feel isolated. Towers are being added to the Caribbean Resort and Coronado Springs resort so what can be seen from where no longer seems like a concern to the powers to be at Walt Disney World.
I always liked the Epcot entrance in the back known as International Gateway. For most of the day it is quiet with needing only a small turnstile and bag check area. The bathroom there is never crowded and the foot traffic light enough to enjoy the background music. Well forget that now. The gondola system will bring guests from Caribbean Beach, the Animation Resort and Pop Century to Epcot dumping them off at international Gateway. Have fun waiting for that Beach Club guests.

Disney also announced a new private car service. I have used taxis to get around property and Disney’s quasi partnership with Mears kept out any competition because Mears owns about every taxi in the surrounding counties but then came Lyft and Uber. Poor Lyft and Uber have been battling the transportation juggernaut Mears but Mears has a lot of money and power that reaches all the way to Tallahassee. I SUSPECT (don’t know for sure) Mears will be running the new “Minnie Vans” which will be an Uber style car service that guests can use to get from point to point. The goal seems more about stopping Uber while making money than guest convenience because if that were the case why wasn’t this offered decades ago? For those of you changing resorts mid-stay I think the new “Minnie Vans” are going to be great for you.

New DVC Resort
Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, also announced the next planned development for Disney Vacation Club will be an entirely new resort near Epcot called Disney Riviera Resort and that the new sky-way transportation system will also connect with that resort. I have to say I’m not suprised that a new resort is coming. DVC needs to sell to keep active and raking in the dough and they are running out of room to add on to existing hotels. There was a rumor that the New Caribbean Beach Resort tower will include DVC but no announcement has been made yet including at this years D23. With a resort being built it looks like the rumor mongers got it wrong again as I can’t imagine them trying to sell DVC at a moderate along with a new separate resort being available.
I have to say that just looking at the proposed front I am underwhelmed. It also looks a little high so once again sight pollution may be an issue. Hopefully the pool area and the addition of a great restaurant will win me over.
DVC resort

Added info
Other than that there were some details about things already announced. Toy Story land will be opening next summer and the Star Wars model was unveiled. I suspect the model was more for Walt Disney World but it said they were for both Walt Disney World and Disneyland. I didn’t see any AT-AT walkers in the model but there are some clearly being built at Disneyland and in Walt Disney World, although the Walt Disney World pictures of the steel work looked as though the walkers will be inside under cover. It looks like there will be two “experiences” (Disney’s new fancy word for attractions which replaced rides decades ago) in the new Star Wars land. One is a ride through attraction. Based on the ride vehicle it looks like it might be similar to Universal’s Spider-man attraction. There is one more minor change at Epcot. The china Pavilion will be getting a new movie. Join the discussion on the new announcements on our Facebook Page.
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Beginning July 10, Guests who purchase a limited-edition $100 Shopping Card for Disney owned and operated merchandise locations at World of Disney (located at Disney Springs) will receive an additional $25 bonus Shopping Card to be used on future visits, redeemable beginning the following day. Both cards are redeemable at Disney owned and operated merchandise locations at Disney Springs, Earport and Magic of Disney at Orlando International Airport, and the Shop Disney Parks app.

Guests may use the Shopping Cards at the following locations (which are also listed on the cards themselves):

•World of Disney
•Disney’s Design-A-Tee
•Disney’s Pin Traders
•Disney’s Wonderful World of Memories
•Goofy’s Candy Co.
•Marketplace Co-Op
•Marketplace Fun Finds
•Mickey’s Pantry
•Once Upon a Toy
•The Art of Disney
•Tren-D
•Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique (Disney Springs location only)
•The Ganachery
•D-Living
•Sundries
•Disney’s Candy Cauldron
•Star Wars Galactic Outpost
•Super Hero Headquarters
•Disney’s EarPort
•The Magic of Disney
•Shop Disney Parks app

This special promotion is only available for purchase via World of Disney and may not be used at any Disney Springs Operating Participant locations or other merchandise locations at Walt Disney World Resort.

NOTE: the $25 Bonus Shopping Card expires on October 29, 2017, while the $100 Shopping Card does not expire.

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