Disney News

Category: Attractions

  • New Enhanced Lighting Design Coming to Spaceship Earth will be Permanent at EPCOT

    New Enhanced Lighting Design Coming to Spaceship Earth will be Permanent at EPCOT

    In honor of Disney World’s 50th anniversary, Spaceship Earth — the parks icon — is recieving an “EARidescence” lighting design that will be a permanent fixture of the park long after the celebration ends.

    “This permanent new lighting will continue beyond ‘The World’s Most Magical Celebration’ as a defining feature of the park,” according to Disney Parks.

    As we previously reported, a multi-year transformation of EPCOT is underway that will reimagine the park while keeping true to the original vision and the new lights will shine across the reflective panels of Spaceship Earth, connecting to one another and resembling stars in a nighttime sky as you can see below:

    • Spaceship Earth Beacon of Magic

    At the 2019 D23 Expo, Imagineer Zach Riddley discussed a new and enhanced lighting package will soon be installed on the exterior of Spaceship Earth, EPCOT’s icon.

    Take a look below at all of the transformations underway at EPCOT:

    Beginning Oct. 1, Walt Disney World Resort will throw “The World’s Most Magical Celebration” in honor of our 50th anniversary of the Resort.

  • Leave A Legacy Wall Returns to Epcot with a New Look and Location

    Leave A Legacy Wall Returns to Epcot with a New Look and Location

    Disney World has announced that Leave A Legacy is returning to EPCOT!

    As part of the multi-year transformation EPCOT, the original Legacy sculpture (previously in front of Spaceship Earth) was removed, but Leave A Legacy now lives on in a beautiful new setting just outside the park.

    These newly designed panels are the first of many that will be installed outside the EPCOT touch points, featuring vibrant hues from the park’s new color palette. Along with the fresh look for Leave A Legacy, the beautiful fountain and gleaming pylons further illustrate the park’s transformation and the magic of possibility.

    For anyone ewho wants to search for a tile at the new location, guests can use their smart device to scan the QR code at the Leave a Legacy display. This opens up the tile finder search feature, which can provide the coordinates for a tile’s location. Guests can also visit the EPCOT guest Relations team for assistance.

    The former home of the Leave a Legacy monuments now features additional flower beds, followed by a reimaged water fountain that harkens back to Epcot’s opening in 1982.

  • Jungle Cruise Getting Story Update at Disneyland and Disney World

    Jungle Cruise Getting Story Update at Disneyland and Disney World

    Today, Disney announced that they are building on the story of the Jungle Cruise at both Disneyland park at Disneyland Resort and Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort.

    The additions will include new adventures that stay true to the experience you know and love – more humor, wildlife and skipper heart – and also reflect and value the diversity of the world around us.

    Take a look at the details in the video below:

    “As Imagineers, it is our responsibility to ensure experiences we create and stories we share reflect the voices and perspectives of the world around us,” Carmen Smith, creative development and inclusion strategies executive at Walt Disney Imagineering, said in a statement. “With Jungle Cruise, we’re bringing to life more of what people love – the humor and wit of our incredible skippers, while making needed updates.” Disney engaged several cultural advisers to weigh in.

    The ride, which takes passengers on “scenic and comedic boat tour of exotic rivers across Asia, Africa and South America,” according to its Disney World’s description, had been criticized for its depictions of Indigenous people.

  • ‘Festival of the Lion King’ returning to Disney’s Animal Kingdom

    ‘Festival of the Lion King’ returning to Disney’s Animal Kingdom

    Disney has announced that a new modified version of one of “Festival of the Lion King” is returning to Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort.

    “We are thrilled to be starting the process of bringing back to work more singers, dancers, technicians and other cast members, from one of the most popular shows at Walt Disney World Resort,” Disney stated in a post.

    When it returns, “Festival of the Lion King” will be presented in a modified format to be mindful of the current environment. There will be adjustments to the show on stage and backstage, including updates to choreography to allow for appropriate physical distancing. They will also adjust how the audience is seated, in line with other theater-based experiences at Walt Disney World Resort. 

    Expected this summer, the Harambe Theatre at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park will host that fan-favorite troupe of musical storytellers, along with Simba and his friends, in a celebration of the incomparable “Festival of the Lion King.”

    Since reopening the Walt Disney World theme parks last July, Disney has taken a different approach to thier entertainment, coming up with new ways to share the magic of the Disney characters. With cavalcades and flotillas continuing to delight guests daily and are now turning thier attention to bringing back even more entertainment with a responsible and thoughtful approach.

  • Disney Closes Hall of Presidents to Add Biden Animatronic

    Disney Closes Hall of Presidents to Add Biden Animatronic

    The night before President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, Disney closed The Hall of Presidents attraction at Magic Kingdom in preperation for a new addition.

    The Hall of Presidents is a show that “tells the dramatic story of the nation’s founding” using animatronics of U.S. presidents, according to Disney.

    The Disney World website was updated late Tuesday with a notice on the attraction’s page that reads, “The Hall of Presidents is currently closed for refurbishment,” as you can see in the picture below:

    By Wednesday, a sign placed outside the entrance read, “The Hall of Presidents is currently being prepared to welcome the new president.”

    Disney confirmed that an animatronic of Biden is being added to the lineup of other lifelike replicas of past U.S. presidents.

    Every sitting president since Bill Clinton has had a speaking role in the attraction. In early 2017, Disney closed the attraction for several months to add a Donald Trump animatronic and make other changes.

    Recently, there have been renewed calls for Disney to close The Hall of Presidents permanently or replace it with something less “political.”

    Fans have suggested replacements such as the Muppets taking over and doing something similar to their “Great Moments in American History” live show.

    The Hall of Presidents is one of the longest running attractions at Disney World, opening with Magic Kingdom in 1971. It only exists at Disney World; Disneyland in California has an attraction called “The Disneyland Story Presenting Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.”

  • Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom Being Retired at Walt Disney World

    Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom Being Retired at Walt Disney World

    Disney has confirmed that Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom will be coming to an end later this month.

    “With the changes in how our Guests use mobile technology in mind and decreased demand for Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom, we will be retiring this interactive experience,” Disney said in a statement.

    Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom Is an interactive scavenger hunt where, Hades has an evil plan to make Magic Kingdom park his new summer home. He’s enlisted a brigade of Disney baddies—Cruella, Scar, Jafar, Maleficent, Ursula, Yzma, Ratcliffe and Dr. Facilier—to help track down 4 enchanted crystal shards, which are hidden throughout the park and it’s up to you to foil their plans and save the day.

    Disney also said, “Our mobile devices continue to play a vital role in the Disney theme park experience, and we are constantly innovating with new, on-the-go digital experiences, such as Magic Mobile, Play Disney Parks app and additional enhancements to My Disney Experience.” So perhaps the game will return at some point in a virtual format.

    Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom card game experience is set to close on Sunday, Jan. 24th, 2021

  • John Travolta Almost had his own Ride at Disneyland According to Imagineer

    John Travolta Almost had his own Ride at Disneyland According to Imagineer

    Disneyland almost caught Saturday Night Fever as a former Disney employee recently revealed John Travolta almost agreed to be used for one of the resorts most iconic attractions.

    The iconic pre-show recording for Soarin’ Around the World is beloved among Disney fans, but it almost looked quite different.

    Jim Clark is a former Disneyland imagineer, the position responsible for designing and building the theme park’s attractions, and he recently took to social media to discuss his time with the company as you can see in the post below:

    One of the biggest revelations was that John Travolta was almost used for the ‘Soarin’ Around the World’ ride, but his work schedule, and facial hair, prevented them from using Travolta.

    “Two months before (Disney’s California Adventure) opened; we still hadn’t shot the preshow. John Travolta was interested, but his movie’s schedule was making it difficult, plus he had this little beard,” Clark said in a since deleted tweet. Instead, the team used actor Patrick Warburton after seeing his performance during a screening of ‘Emperor’s New Groove.’

    Despite the initial casting conflicts, many Disney fans would agree that they worked out for the best.

    Travolta went on to voice the dog Bolt in Disney’s 2008 film, and Warburton, who is also known for voicing Yzma’s henchman Kronk in “The Emperor’s New Groove,” famously donned a black suit, striped tie, and delivered quotable lines like: “Have a nice flight.”

  • Electrical Water Pageant Returning Soon to Walt Disney World Resort

    Electrical Water Pageant Returning Soon to Walt Disney World Resort

    Disney has announced, The Electrical Water Pageant will soon make its return to the waterways of Walt Disney World Resort, just outside of the Magic Kingdom.

    Guests at Disney Resort hotels along Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake will once again have a chance to see this twinkling nighttime musical processional that’s enchanted onlookers since 1971.

    The announcement was made in a post to the Walt Disney World Cast and Community Facebook page on Wednesday as you can see in the video below:

    According to the Disney World website, the floating nighttime parade will resume on December 20. 

    The Electrical Water Pageant, a procession which includes a medley of patriotic songs, can be viewed from Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground, and Disney’s Contemporary Resort.

  • Nigerian Dwarf Goats Added to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Safari

    Nigerian Dwarf Goats Added to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Safari

    Disney World announced today, that they have introduce a new species of Nigerian dwarf goats to Animal Kingdom park.

    As guests wrap up their journey on the Harambe Wildlife Reserve they’ll see a warden’s outpost where these miniature West African goats chase, climb and play like kids. But don’t let their size fool you, they are fully grown adults.

    Originally from Nigeria, the goats are considered to be of high value because of the high protein milk they provide, which is also very sweet. Take a closer look at them below:

    By being able to help support the village with the goat milk products, there is less of a need for people to rely on wildlife, which in turn helps keep wildlife and their habitats protected. With the Warden’s outpost being on the edge of the reserve, this shared land is managed in a way that helps protect local wildlife so both the animals and humans can live near each other in harmony.

    Since the opening of the park in 1998, Kilimanjaro Safaris at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park has continued to grow and evolve, bringing new encounters to the savanna and with this addition they aren’t kidding around.

  • Disney Makes New Changes to Virtual Queue for New Star Wars Ride

    Disney Makes New Changes to Virtual Queue for New Star Wars Ride

    Disney World is making a slight adjustment to the virtual queue process for one of the most popular experiences at Walt Disney World Resort, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.

    Beginning Sunday, Dec. 20, distribution times for virtual queue enrollment will be 7 a.m. and 1 p.m.

    Currently the virtual queue reopens daily at 2 p.m. for anyone who wasn’t already able to join a boarding group earlier in the day.

    Keep in mind, to access the 1 p.m. virtual queue opportunity Guests must have a valid ticket or pass, a Disney Park Pass Reservation for Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and be inside the park. Access to a boarding group is subject to availability and not guaranteed.

    As a reminder, only Guests with a Disney Park Pass reservation for Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be able to experience Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.

    When Park Hopper hours become available on Jan. 1, 2021, Guests visiting from another theme park will not be able to request to join the virtual queue. We encourage these Guests to explore other areas of the park, including in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge where they may experience Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run among other offerings.