Cast Members Get a First Look at Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway

On a recent visit to Walt Disney World Resort, Bob Chapek (chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products) surprised a select group of Cast Members with a first look into the development of the all-new Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway attraction that’s scheduled to open at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 2020.

Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway will be the first ever ride-through attraction themed to Mickey and Minnie Mouse.

The attraction will feature a new story, a lovable new theme song and new technologies that will transport guests into the wacky and unpredictable world of Disney Channel’s Emmy Award-winning “Mickey Mouse” cartoon shorts.

On the attraction, one magical moment will allow guests to step into the movie and onto Goofy’s train for a wacky, wild ride.

Magic Kingdom Entrance Construction Update

Beginning the week of July 29, the following operational impacts will go into effect as crews work to enhance the main entrance area at the Magic Kingdom Park:

•Security screening area at Magic Kingdom bus loop:

As construction begins on the current security screening area at the Magic Kingdom bus loop, security screening stations will be repositioned into a temporary tent.

During this time, there may be minimal impacts to guest flow for resort guests entering and leaving the park due to barricades in the area.

•West Boat Dock:

Work will also begin at the West Dock (servicing Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort). All resort watercraft will utilize the dock located between the monorail station and the ferryboat landing during this phase of construction

 

 

Disney Phasing Out Walk Around the World Stones

The Walt Disney World Resort is currently enhancing the overall guest arrival experience at all its theme parks. From the parking lots to the theme park entrances, nearly every step in between those points is being reconfigured, including walkways and tram loading and unloading zones. The Walt Disney World Resort is also adding more bag screening stations, metal detectors, and other measures to aid in the screening of guests.

As part of these updates, some of the personalized hexagonal bricks near the Magic Kingdom Park and the Transportation and Ticket Center soon will be retired. The remaining bricks will be removed in future phases.

The bricks, part of “Disney’s Walk Around the World,” were committed to be on display until 2011. Since the bricks were not designed to be removed individually, they will not be available to take home. Instead, anyone who sponsored a brick may purchase a commemorative version between now and Aug. 31, 2019.

Guests who sponsored a brick and would like to get a souvenir version should do the following:

•If visiting in person:

Starting March 18, Guests can stop by City Hall at Magic Kingdom Park or Guest Relations at Disney Springs to verify their previous brick by sharing the name and hometown of the Guest who sponsored it.

After verification, they will be given a one-time use voucher to present by, or before Aug. 31, 2019, at Tomorrowland Light & Power Co. (at Magic Kingdom Park – separate theme park admission required) or the Marketplace Co-Op (at Disney Springs), enabling you to purchase one commemorative 6” brick at a special price of $10 (plus tax).

•If a Guest can’t come to the park in person:

Guests should email guest.services@disneyworld.com or call 407-828-2701 with the name and hometown of the guest who sponsored the brick.

After verification, they will be provided a code to use by, or before Aug. 31, 2019, on shopDisney.com to purchase one commemorative 6” brick at a special price of $10 (plus tax and shipping) starting this spring.

This code is for one-time use and will only be valid on shopDisney.com and may not be redeemed in person or at any other location. (Limit one voucher or code per verified Guest.)

Also available to any guests, not just those who originally sponsored a brick in “Disney’s Walk Around the World,” will be a 6” brick ($29.99 plus tax – available now), 8” brick ($49.99 plus tax – available now) and ornament ($24.99 plus tax – on sale soon), all with customization included. These are at Tomorrowland Light & Power Co. (at Magic Kingdom Park) or the Marketplace Co-Op (at Disney Springs), or on shopDisney.com starting this spring.

 

 

Changes to DHS Entrance & Parking

The Disney’s Hollywood Studios parking lot is about to get a lot more character! On March 19, each section will be renamed to reflect beloved characters guests can encounter on their adventures in the park: Mickey, Minnie, Jessie, Buzz, Olaf and BB-8. For resort guests, the arrival experience will also be enhanced that day with the opening of two additional bus loops, just steps away from the main entrance.

These milestones are an important step in the multi-phased transformation of the Guest arrival experience at the park, which began last year with a new entrance allowing Guests to enter the park from Osceola Parkway. Construction continues on refreshed parking tram lanes and walkways, additional screening areas and a station for Disney Skyliner.

 

 

These exciting enhancements set the stage for a historic year at the park, which will include the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway.

 

 

Cabanas Coming to Yacht & Beach Club

Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club has begun construction on new Pool Side Cabanas.

The new amenity will reportedly be priced at $199 for a full day or $129 tax for a half day (excluding tax) and include soda, water, and a fruit basket.

The new offering is scheduled to open Mid-March 2019 and can be booked via Walt Disney World activities (407-WDW-PLAY).

Resort at River Country Confirmed by Disney

Disney has confirmed plans to build an all-new nature-inspired resort between Fort Wilderness and Wilderness Lodge.

Here’s the announcement:

A new nature-inspired, mixed-use Disney resort will welcome families in 2022 along the picturesque shoreline of Bay Lake. Located between Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, this resort project joins three others underway at Walt Disney World Resort, bringing a total of more than 1,700 new hotel rooms and proposed Disney Vacation Club villas online over the next four years.

The deluxe resort, which will be themed to complement its natural surroundings, will include more than 900 hotel rooms and proposed Disney Vacation Club villas spread across a variety of unique accommodation types.

“Walt Disney World is in the midst of our most significant expansion in the last two decades and the combined 1,700 new hotel rooms and proposed Disney Vacation Club villas we are building at four different resorts will create thousands of new construction and permanent jobs and will drive economic opportunity and incremental revenue for Central Florida,” said George A. Kalogridis, president of Walt Disney World Resort. “We continue to add new attractions, new lands — and these beautiful accommodations will be right in the heart of all that magic.”

The soon-to-be named resort is slated to be Disney’s 16th Disney Vacation Club property and it will continue to build on the value and flexibility of a Disney Vacation Club membership.

“This resort experience will be a celebration of Walt Disney’s lifelong love and respect for nature, with some fun and even surprising accommodation types that families will find irresistible,” said Terri Schultz, senior vice president and general manager of Disney Vacation Club. “It will give our members and guests yet another opportunity to stay in close proximity to all the newest attractions and experiences in our theme parks, and with the flexibility, value and world-class service families expect from Disney.”

Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort will debut completely reimagined in 2019, featuring a new 15-story tower overlooking Lago Dorado, the resort’s centerpiece lake. Offering an additional 545 new guest rooms and suites, the tower also includes a two-level entrance lobby, concierge lounge, new meeting spaces and more. Guests will also be able to enjoy rooftop dining at a specialty table-service restaurant with panoramic views. The existing 1,800 guest rooms have all been fully updated with new fixtures, furnishings and a color palette that ties the entire resort together.

Also currently under construction near Epcot and anticipated to open in 2019 is Disney’s Riviera Resort, the 15th Disney Vacation Club property. With plans for approximately 300 units across a variety of accommodation types, this much-anticipated property will connect to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and the International Gateway at Epcot via the Disney Skyliner. This new resort will be the first all-Disney Vacation Club property at Walt Disney World since Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa opened in 2004.

Seamlessly connected to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, an immersive Star Wars-inspired destination will also be built at Walt Disney World Resort. This first-of-its-kind resort will be a completely immersive experience into an authentic Star Wars story as guests depart together for a multiday adventure aboard their starship. Guests will interact with characters as they become active citizens of the galaxy, dressed in proper attire as stories unfold all around them.

These resort projects join a flurry of expansion at Walt Disney World Resort, including the highly successful Pandora – The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and the recent debut of Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. In early 2019, Walt Disney World will unveil a collection of shows, parties, Disney character interactions and more that will allow guests to cherish time with family and friends. And later in the year, guests will be able to travel to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, where they can live out their own adventures in a galaxy far, far away. Guests will realize now more than ever is the perfect time to experience all of the fun and magic of a Walt Disney World vacation.

 

 

New Traffic Redirect Began at DHS Today

A new traffic pattern for drivers entering through the Buena Vista Drive auto plaza at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is scheduled to begin Tuesday, March 6.

All Guests and Cast Members should drive with caution as the configuration of the parking lot of Disney’s Hollywood Studios will continue to change in the coming months.

Here are additional details about the upcoming changes:

•After driving through the auto plaza, ADA, Preferred Parking, and Ride Share Guests should use the right lane and must turn right at the intersection.

•All other Guests should use the left lane to enter the parking lot. At the intersection, Guests must turn left for parking.

•Additionally, the charter bus load zones 28 & 29 will be removed.

•The DVC/Golden Oak load zone will relocate to load zone 36, sharing with Mears and Minnie Van service.

•Some of the Guests exiting the parking lot will be directed to use a new road (shown below).

Upcoming Refurbishments at Animal Kingdom

Multiple areas of Animal Kingdom will be under construction in the coming weeks.
Construction to enhance the Serka Zong Bazaar merchandise location began today (Monday, April 17, 2017) and will continue through May 12.

During construction, the location will remain open. In addition to that, the FastPass+ touch points and entrance queue area at Kilimanjaro Safaris will undergo refurbishment from April 17 through May 12. A secondary queue will be used during the entire duration of this construction project.

Finally, the tiger exhibit in the Maharajah Jungle Trek will undergo habitat enhancements through Friday, May 5. During this time, the tigers will be kept backstage and the viewing areas will be inaccessible to guests.

Typhoon Lagoon Refurb Enhancements

After closing for its annual refurbishment back in December 2016, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon continued to be busy as construction crews worked hard to bring a number of enhancements to some of the water park’s attractions and amenities.

In addition to installing new signs and maps, some of the queues around the water park received new fans; pools and slides were repainted; and more.

Here is additional information regarding the enhancements that Guests will notice around the park:

Surf Pool:

Typhoon Lagoon’s premiere attraction has been completely resurfaced and equipped with new pumps to ensure “totally tubular” waves for Guests while further enhancing the safety of both Cast and Guests.

Castaway Creek:

This year, Castaway Creek  was completely drained, painted and resurfaced. In addition to that, in a continuous effort to improve water safety, two Lifeguard stands have been overhauled.

New DirectOARies (Directions + Boat Oars = DirectOARies):

Similar to signage found at Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon now has additional information for Guests to navigate around the park. By combining creative theming with Guest information, the park will allow Guests to efficiently get around to amenities and attractions.

New in-park maps:

With their fresh and vibrant look, the new in-park maps have been added to the park in an effort to further enhance the Guest experience. No paper or mobile device is needed to navigate around the park.

Brand new park-entry signs:

A brand new park-entry sign has been added to the Main Entrance. Wood-workings were painted and rebuilt as well.

Keelhaul Falls:  In efforts to exceed Guest expectations, shades and fans have been added for the queue line.

Palms Dining:

Palms Dining has been equipped with new fans to cool off Guests as they await or serve food orders. In addition, misters have been added to the mug refill stations.

Self-serve locker rental kiosks:

Typhoon Lagoon’s self-serve locker rental kiosks have been upgraded with new and innovative technology. As a result, the screens will now only be visible within a narrow line of sight.

High N Dry with new amenities:

New amenities have been added to High N Dry rentals to allow Guests to purchase cooled beverages. “Clam-Shell” beds will now be available for rent near the Super Cabana by Crush N Gusher. Each bed features a tucked away beach and drink table.

Crush ‘N’ Gusher:

Opened almost 12 years ago, Crush ‘N’ Gusher has always been a “Daytime Only” attraction. Now, with the addition of new lighting, Crush ‘N’ Gusher will be able to offer Guests a great experience after dark!

New Attraction Coming to Typhoon Lagoon in 2017

Disney’s new family raft ride at Typhoon Lagoon now has a name – Miss Fortune Falls.

Opening in Spring 2017, the family raft ride will become the longest attraction at any Disney water park, clocking in at 2 minutes ride time.

Miss Fortune Falls brings to life the story of fictitious Captain Mary Oceaneer, a treasure-hunting heroine who got stranded at Typhoon Lagoon years ago by a rogue storm.

Once aboard their treasure rafts awaiting them at the ride’s entry point, Guests will embark on a journey through Captain Oceaneer’s past before plunging into a white-water adventure where Guests can see unique artifacts that Captain Mary Oceaneer collected on her many treasure hunts around the world.

The new ride is being built on unused land near to Crush ‘n’ Gusher.