MickeyBlog News for July 8, 2019 – Cameron Boyce Tribute
The past few days have been surreal for Disney fans. Epcot’s Future World is changing, Star Wars Land was temporarily evacuated, and Walt Disney World buses finally entered the 21st century. It’s a strange and bittersweet week for MickeyBlog News.
Epcot Future World closures
Two huge stories overshadowed everything else this week, save for the sad update at the end of the article. One of them is immediate, while the other has far-reaching implications for park guests. We’ll talk about the latter one first.
Park officials at Epcot have confirmed a series of sweeping changes at Future World. Warning: several of them may cause your jaw to drop. Disney intends to tear down Innoventions West as part of Project Gamma. To achieve this goal, they must close several recognizable attractions at restaurants.
For starters, Art of Cool, Club Cool, Colortopia, the Epcot Character Spot, and Nanooze Break will close on September 7th. To enjoy any of the events at Innoventions West, you’ll need to visit by that date.
Everything in this building is closed for good starting on September 8th except for the character greetings, which we’ll discuss in the next section. And yes, you’re running out of time to trick your friends into drinking the Beverly, at least for now. Some reports suggest that Disney will bring it back in a different form later, but I wouldn’t count on that.
Starbucks fans should also take note. Your coffee addiction will require a change in habits. The current location, Fountain View, will close at some point in the Fall. As a means of apology, Disney will host a temporary Starbucks in The Odyssey. It’ll be more colorful since it’s located near the returning Rainbow Corridor.
Two other essential closures are Electric Umbrella, the Quick Service restaurant in the area, and Mouse Gear. Yes, your favorite Epcot store will go away for a time, at least in its current location. Disney will host a temporary version during the winter as they rebuild the store with a new look. As for Electric Umbrella, what can I say? That’s two restaurants I’ve killed in a week by writing this article. I sincerely apologize for being the kiss of death right now.
Epcot Character Greetings
While losing some of the other stuff is sad bordering on tragic (I’ll never forget you, Electric Umbrella!), the character spot is what will impact you the most on a daily basis. Don’t worry, though!
Disney has simply moved the character meetings for now. They’ve spread out the locations of your favorite characters across Epcot, and they’ve even restored some of your favorites.
For example, Winnie the Pooh will come back to the United Kingdom Pavilion in September. Daisy Duck will head over to The American Adventure. Meanwhile, Goofy will wander the park looking for new friends, and Minnie Mouse will spend the rest of the year at the World Showcase Gazebo.
Disney’s also confirmed plans for Joy and Mickey Mouse down the line. For now, Mickey and Goofy are still at Innoventions West but…you know. No one’s quite sure yet whether the relocated characters will wear the same outfits or not. It’s entirely possible that the demolition of Innoventions West leads to some fantastic short-term photo ops with your Disney favorites.
Disneyland earthquakes
By now, you’ve undoubtedly heard the news about earthquakes in Southern California. On consecutive days, they had 7.1 and 6.4 quakes on the Richter magnitude scale, the former of which is the strongest one in a quarter-century.
Disneyland wasn’t at the epicenter of these events, but it was close enough to experience some ripple effects. Then again, with a quake of that magnitude, Las Vegas and Mexico felt it, too. 7.1 on the Richter scale is no joke.
The big story is that Disney officials closed some rides on the July 4th holiday to verify their safety. On July 5th, cast members evacuated Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge as a precautionary measure. Social media was abuzz with several clips, but it really just shows how safety-oriented Disney is.
Of course, earthquakes could continue to be a crucial part of Southern California news throughout 2019. Some experts predict as many as 30,000 minor earthquakes over the next six months. Which is a lot.
New Look for Disney Buses
The transportation system at Walt Disney World has an exciting new development. No, I’m not talking about the Disney Skyliner, although that also qualifies. Instead, I’m discussing the latest batch of Disney buses.
Park officials have unveiled the Sensational Six fleet of buses. The title references Disney’s main characters, who are Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, and Pluto. The new buses feature (more than) life-sized illustrations of these characters.
These vehicles are adorable, but they’re useful, too. The new fleet comes with onboard wireless networks, giving you internet access on the road. Also, some of the seats have twin USB ports, allowing you to recharge your devices on your way to your next destination.
So, your future rides on Disney buses will provide you with photo ops of the vehicles. Plus, you’ll have a chance to power your smartphone along the way. Well done, Disney!
Quick Disney Updates
I wanted to touch on three other stories this week, two of which impact Walt Disney World visitors. The first is that Takumi-Tei is now open at the Japan Pavilion. This upscale restaurant is arguably the nicest one at Epcot, competing with Monsieur Paul and Le Cellier Steakhouse for the title. Early reviews are somewhat mixed, as everyone loves the food, but some feel the pricing is too high.
At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the March of the First Order parade has paid tribute to The First Order for the last time, at least in its current location. The final performance occurred on July 6th, but the belief is that this imperial march will return after Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens on August 29th. So, Captain Phasma is gone for now but may come back. And this could also be a metaphor about the third film franchise, too.
Finally, I’m wildly excited about the announcement that Disney has selected Halle Bailey to portray Ariel in The Little Mermaid. As a grown-ish fan, I’ve thought the world of Bailey for a while now, and Chloe x Halle’s performance of America the Beautiful at Super Bowl LIII dazzled me.
Alas, some folks aren’t as excited about the news. Disney’s Freeform, home of grown-ish, posted a cheeky Ariel Tweet to outraged fans. It’s…pretty great.
Cameron Boyce Dead at 20
Some stories aren’t fun to discuss. This one is just heartbreaking. Famous Disney child actor Cameron Boyce had a seizure and died in his sleep late in the evening on July 6th. He was only 20 years old.
In recent years, Disney’s Descendants brand has been arguably their hottest non-Marvel merchandise. In that franchise, Boyce portrayed Carlos, the son of Cruella de Vil. Amazingly, he’d worked on several Disney projects previously before playing Carlos in the franchise.
The child actor earned his first gig at nine and worked for the next 11 years. During that time, Boyce co-starred on the popular series, Jessie, before playing the lead in Gamer’s Guide to Pretty Much Everything, which ran for two seasons. He also did voice work in several other Disney projects, most notably as Jake in Jake and the Never Land Pirates.
ABC News reports the following about his tragic death: “He passed away in his sleep due to a seizure which was a result of an ongoing medical condition for which he was being treated.”
Hug your loved ones, my friends.