MickeyBlog News for June 7, 2021
Some news weeks include more significant stories than others.
In the latest MickeyBlog News, I’ll cover three of the most important ones in recent memory. It’s a must-read, my friends!
Avengers Campus Is Open
Disneyland reopened only five weeks ago, on April 30th. To the surprise of many, myself included, park officials decided to act aggressively.
Disney California Adventure announced the grand opening of Avengers Campus on June 4th.
Executives chose this approach even though California wouldn’t allow out-of-state tourists until June 15th.
Also, crowd capacity was only 15 percent at the time of the announcement, later bumped up to 25 percent.
Mickey and Minnie are excited to welcome back all Guests beginning on June 15
Credit: Disney
That capacity is less than at Walt Disney World, where park officials chose to delay Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure until October 1st.
So, the arrival of Avengers Campus came with questions, but it’s a much-needed win for fans of the Happiest Place on Earth.
Photo Credit: Richard Harbaugh/Disneyland Resort
That date has arrived, and early reviews for Avengers Campus are glowing, albeit with some crowd-based complaints.
The new attraction at the Marvel themed land is WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure.
(Christian Thompson/Disneyland Resort)
Guests get to do their best Peter Parker impression by making web-slinging motions with their hands.
By doing so, you shoot spiderwebs that ensnare…robot spiders. Yes, the attraction includes a gamified element, as it tracks your score.
Think of the ride as similar to Toy Story Mania!, only you use hand gestures instead of a pull-tab to fire at targets.
Here’s a video of the ride:
The other selling point at Avengers Campus is the food. Disney has added Shawarma Palace for fans of The Avengers.
Meanwhile, Terran Treats serves Earth delicacies like churros. It’s a trap, though! The Collector wants to lure you into the building.
Of course, the headline-grabber is Pym Kitchen, which plays with scale to serve Insta-worthy cuisine.
The self-pouring glasses of alcohol and the Impossible Spoonful are garnering most of the attention thus far.
Image Creit
MickeyBlog will be on the scene in a few days to highlight everything great at Avengers Campus!
Boo Bash Pricing and Dates Confirmed
Credit: Disney
When Disney announced its temporary (?) replacement for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP), it didn’t provide complete details.
All we knew was that the event will start on August 10th and run through Halloween. We also learned the name: Disney After Hours – Boo Bash.
Credit: Disney
Other than that, Disney kept us in the dark about upcoming plans…until now. We just learned the exact dates for the after-hours event.
Here they are:
- August 10, 17, 20, 24, 27, and 31
- September 3, 7, 10, 14, 17, 21, and 24
- October 5, 8, 12, 15, 19, 22, 24, 26, 29, and 31
Importantly, Disney has changed the party hours on some dates. From August 10th through September 3rd, it’ll run from 9:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.
On the other dates, Boo Bash will operate from 9 p.m. to midnight. Disney has indicated that guests with event tickets may enter the parks at 7 p.m.
Photo: Disney
Also, you won’t need a Park Pass or regular admission ticket for Boo Bash. As long as you have an event ticket, you can arrive at Magic Kingdom at 7 p.m.
You’ll get into the park and have the run of the place for the next five hours or so.
As for the pricing, Disney has raised prices a bit, depending on your perspective.
Disney After Hours events are usually $129, while the Halloween Party has started at $85.
During August and September, Boo Bash tickets will cost $129 per adult. However, annual passholders and Disney Vacation Club members receive $10 discounts.
In October, the price increases to $159 per person on most dates. You will pay extra on Halloween, though. It’s $199 per person.
Photo: Disney
Also, please understand that no discounts are available for the October dates.
Orange County Opens Up Fully
The love for Disney Halloween parties and new themed lands speaks volumes about the ordering of this week’s stories.
Orange County, Florida is home to most of the Walt Disney World Resort
Credit: Orange County
For the past 15 months, any news about Orange County, Florida, fully reopening would have anchored the update.
When that finally happens, it’s only the third most significant story. The explanation is that it’s a fait accompli rather than a shocking turn of events.
Photo: Visit Florida
When the CDC encouraged Disney to drop its outdoor face-covering requirements, the pandemic effectively ended at the parks.
Management has already removed most signs that remind guests of the miserable year we suffered through in 2020.
Now, Orange County’s Mayor has officially ended the state of emergency that has blanketed Walt Disney World since March of 2020.
In describing the decision, the Mayor stated: “We are back on course for destination greatness!”
Mayor Jerry Demings
Image Credit: Orange County, Florida
The elected official also indicated that Orlando’s economy should fully recover by mid-summer.
He means it’ll return to pre-pandemic levels, not that all the terrible stuff will suddenly vanish from memory.
The Mayor later added, “I believe we’re talking about a matter of months before our local economy is firing on all cylinders.”
What does this mean for Walt Disney World? The theme parks could feasibly roll back all remaining pandemic measures.
That hasn’t happened yet, but it feels like a formality at this point. Most attractions seat each row now, and most social distancing reminders are gone.
Photo: thecoasterkings.com
A few weeks ago, I said that the worst was over. Now, we’ve reached a stage where the pandemic is almost entirely over for those who have been vaccinated.
Disney Miscellany
Obviously, you’re most interested in the big stories this week. However, I’ve got some other updates you should know.
Tusker House at Disney’s Animal Kingdom will finally reopen on June 20th. It’ll serve family-style meals for the time being, just like the other former buffets.
More importantly, Donald Duck and crew will hold court in their beloved safari costumes! So, it’ll be an authentic character meal when it reopens in two weeks.
At A Celebration of Festival of the Lion King, Disney has opened morning reservations, vastly enhancing daily crowd throughput.
This change increases your odds of getting to watch the show this summer.
While you’re at the parks, you should be aware of two terrific limited-time PhotoPass ops.
Disney offers a rainbow backdrop for Pride month and a Cruella headlines integration as a movie tie-in.
I’ve seen both, and you WANT them. They’re spectacular.
In other park news, Canada Far and Wide in Circle-Vision 360 will close on June 27th.
Disney shows it as offline through August 3rd, but that’s a bit misleading.
The calendar ends on that date. So, we don’t really know when this show will return.
Meanwhile, some cast members received good news. Employees whose jobs organically involve socially distancing no longer need to wear masks.
Think of jobs like lifeguards who sit above the pool and aren’t within six feet of guests. They can go unmasked until such a time as they get near guests.
Finally, I have great news for fans of Club Level lounges at Walt Disney World! You can book these hotel amenities again!
Starting in September, Disney will bring back Club Level at three resorts, followed by two more in December.
Photo: Disney
You can speak with a MickeyTravels agent to learn more about these options available to book RIGHT NOW!
