Taste Track Update

The Electric Umbrella restaurant is expected to close in the coming weeks at Epcot, leaving Future World East without a quick-service location for the foreseeable future.

While the restaurant is closed to receive a completely new look and an updated menu, a temporary kiosk will open near Test Track during the Festival of the Arts, offering some of the menu items guests can currently find at the Electric Umbrella.

The new Taste Track Burgers and Fries kiosk will offer burgers and salads. The full menu should be available soon.

Cast Members to Preview New Epcot Films

Walt Disney World Resort Cast Members have been invited to experience some of Epcot’s new films during a special preview on January 16. The three films that will be available during this special event include the following:

• “Awesome Planet” in The Land pavilion showcases the Earth’s beauty and diversity in a 10-minute film featuring spectacular imagery, in-theater effects and an original musical score from Academy Award-winning composer Steven Price.
• “Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along” in the France pavilion is directed and produced by Don Hahn, producer of the animated and live-action “Beauty and the Beast” films, and invites Guests to participate in a twist on a tale as old as time. It also features narration from Angela Lansbury, who played Mrs. Potts in the original film.
• “Canada Far and Wide in Circle-Vision 360” in the Canada pavilion is an update to the previous “O Canada!” film with new scenes, a new musical score by Canadian composer Andrew Lockington and new narration by award-winning actors Catherine O’Hara and Eugene Levy.

Registration is now open on the Event page of The HUB, a Cast Member-only website.

Epcot Changes Coming January 4th 2020

Earlier this year, several locations in Epcot’s Future World closed to make way for future projects like Journey of Water inspired by “Moana,” and the new pavilion that will play host to park events and festivals. In addition to that, other locations will be impacted in January 2020, including the following:

• On January 4, 2020, Mouse Gear will have its final day of operation in its current location, and will reopen in its temporary location in Innoventions East on January 5, 2020. The temporary location will also be called Mouse Gear.
• Also on January 5, 2020, the character greetings in Innoventions West will close or move to new locations, including:
  • Mickey Mouse will greet guests in the queue area of Disney-Pixar Short Film Festivalin the Imagination! pavilion
  • Minnie Mouse will greet guests in the World Showcase Gazebo. As a result of Minnie’s move, Daisy will relocate to Future World East.
  • Goofy will greet guests in the Main Entrance near Spaceship Earth.
  • Joy will greet guests in the Imagination! pavilion, near Wreck-it Ralph in the ImageWorks area.
  • Sadness and Baymax will not be available to greet guests at this time.

As the park continues to change, new and expanded walkways will open to help guests travel around the impacted areas.

• Some walkways are complete (such as the Rose Walk) and even more are still in development, like the walkway leading to the Family Play Zone.
• Coming soon and continuing through January 2020, new walkways will open connecting the west side of the Main Entrance to the promenade near The Seas with Nemo & Friends; and the east side of the Main Entrance to Future World East near Mission: SPACE and the new, temporary Mouse Gear location.

Water from Fountain of Nations to be Reintroduced to Epcot Water Feature

To make way for the exciting updates coming to Epcot as part of the largest transformation in the park’s history, fans recently said a fond farewell to several locations throughout Future World, including the beloved Fountain of Nations.

To honor Epcot’s heritage while also looking ahead to its exciting future, Melissa Valiquette (Epcot Vice President) and Zach Riddley (Portfolio Executive, Walt Disney Imagineering) were joined by two current Epcot Cast Members to collect water from this iconic fountain.

On Epcot’s opening day, delegations from countries all over the world participated in the Ceremony of International Waters, pouring water from their home countries into the Fountain of Nations from special vessels.

As part of the special moment to celebrate Epcot’s evolution, the vessel from the Switzerland delegation and a beautiful vase (a gift from the Mexico delegation) were brought out from the Walt Disney Archives.

Later in Epcot’s evolution, the water collected from the Fountain of Nations will be re-introduced into one of the new water features to honor Epcot’s past and to celebrate its exciting future.

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

 

 

Epcot Entrance Work to Begin April 18th

As previously announced, work is underway across the Walt Disney World Resort to enhance the overall guest arrival experience at Disney’s theme parks and make it easier for guests to travel around the property.

This multi-phased transformation began at Disney’s Hollywood Studios last year with a new entrance allowing guests to enter the park from Osceola Parkway, and work has begun at the tram and parking lot areas at Transportation and Ticket Center.

Beginning the morning of Thursday, April 18, the following operational impacts will go into effect as we work to enhance the main entrance area at Epcot:

•Main entrance: During this initial phase of construction, guests coming from the parking lot will enter Epcot through the security screening area located at the eastside entrance.

Guests coming by monorail, bus, or taxi will continue to enter Epcot through the security screening area located at the westside entrance (closer to the bus stops).

•Trams: During construction, the load/unload zones for the main guest tram will reposition to temporary locations, resulting in an increased walking distance for guests. In addition, tram service will be separated between two tram lanes, similar to the tram service at the Transportation and Ticket Center. These trams will be referred to as the “West Tram” and “East Tram,” and they will service the following lots:

•West Tram lots: Journey, Amaze, Discover, Create

•East Tram lots: Imagine, Explore, Wonder

Mizner’s Lounge to Close for Refurbishment

Mizner’s Lounge at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa will undergo renovation in the coming months; as a result, the location will be closed for refurbishment beginning in April (no exact date has been announced yet).

As part of this renovation project, Mizner’s Lounge will expand into the nearby space of Commander Porter’s, which will permanently close at the end of business on April 4, 2019. Men’s apparel and offerings found in Commander Porter’s will temporarily be available at various merchandise locations at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.

Construction will begin at Summer Lace in April to transform the space into a home for both Women’s and Men’s apparel. No closure of Summer Lace is anticipated at this time.

To ensure that guests still have a grand experience during this time, the following changes will be implemented after the closure of the lounge:

The Mizner’s Lounge bar service will move to the first-floor lobby area next to Garden View Tea Room. The temporary lounge location will serve classic cocktails and elegant beverages, as well as light snacks.

While at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, guests may also visit Cítricos Lounge for additional cocktail, beverage and appetizer offerings.

The Grand Floridian Society Orchestra will also move to a new location within the main lobby area for Guests to enjoy live jazz standards and popular Disney tunes.

 

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.

 

 

Epcot Friendship Boats Now on Modified Schedule

Disney’s original plans to temporarily interrupt Friendshipboat service to Epcot’s International Gateway park entrance have once again been modified.

The boat dock at the International Gateway will now remain in operation until at 9:30 PM each night while work is being done on the nearby Disney’s Skyliner station and suspension cables. Thus, Friendship boat service to and from the International Gateway dock will operate as normal until 9:30 PM, offering guests a convenient transportation option to travel between Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and the resorts on Crescent Lake, including Disney’s BoardWalk Inn & Villas, Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resorts, and the Swan and Dolphin Resort.

Previously, it had been announced that the Friendship boats would not be able to service the International Gateway while the Skyliner cables were being installed in that area.

Guests planning on using the Friendship boat service are advised to check with Disney cast members or resort staff to confirm the hours of daily operation. It is not known at this time how long the 9:30 PM curfew will remain in effect.