Okay, we’re all ready to turn the calendar after an eventful year. As we start 2022, we have a better idea of Disney’s theme park plans.
Will these Disney attractions open in 2022? Read on to find out…
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
Something telling about Disney is that I can only confirm the first four listings here. Everything else is speculative based on current rumors.
Lately, Disney doesn’t announce opening dates for anything until it’s 100 percent certain…and that sort of confidence has proven challenging in 2020 and 2021.
Still, Disney did stick its neck out with some attractions, though. For starters, the Xandar pavilion will open at EPCOT this summer.
That’s the first entrant in what I’m calling the Outer World Showcase. Disney will add a fictional alien homeworld pavilion in a few months.
This decision would probably have Walt Disney spinning in his grave, but I’m excited about it.
Disney has shown off the unprecedented coaster cart for this ride, and we know that it’s an indoor attraction.
Beyond that, a mystery remains about how the coaster works.
Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser
The first attraction with a confirmed 2022 date is actually a new Disney resort.
Yes, the long-anticipated Star War Hotel will finally open to the public on March 1st.
We’ll solve the mystery of whether the immersive experience lives up to several years of hype on that date.
Disney’s recent marketing campaign failed completely. But park officials sound confident that this place is every bit as good as Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
You may remember the Star Wars themed land suffered the same bout of intense scrutiny during its early days.
Since then, all that Star Wars Land has done is turn Disney’s Hollywood Studios into the hottest theme park in the south. So…
The Disney Wish
All aboard the Disney Wish!
This luxury cruise sets sail for the first time on June 9th. It’s the fifth vessel in Disney’s fleet. However, this one’s the first new ship in a decade.
Credit: Disney
Technology has advanced so much in the interim. For this reason, Disney has promised an unprecedented cruise experience.
You’ll find a dinner show with Anna and Elsa, another meal with members of The Avengers, and a lounge that serves the finest Blue and Green Milk in the galaxy.
Disney has souped-up the Disney Wish with all sorts of beloved intellectual properties to ensure its success.
From now on, this will be the cruise whose destinations and itineraries you check first.
Credit: Disney
Finding Nemo: The Big Blue … and Beyond!
The Finding Nemo show at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theoretically died during the pandemic.
In its place, Disney will repurpose the space as…a Finding Nemo show.
However, this version of the attraction presents an updated, more modern experience. So, it’ll add some life to a show that has lost its momentum.
Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana
Now we’re getting into the theoreticals. I’m starting with two unknowns that are likely not debuting in 2022 because they fit into a larger theme.
Disney still plans to overhaul the former Future World section of EPCOT. The company has chosen not to do everything all at once as initially planned, though.
Instead, we’re getting new experiences piecemeal, starting with the Spaceship Earth Beacon of Magic and Harmonious last year.
EPCOT also opened the new Club Cool, Creations Shop, and Space 220 last year. Oh, and we got Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure as well.
For 2022, Cosmic Rewind is indisputably the most significant addition. However, Disney has mentioned other possibilities.
The Journey of Water is a Moana-style water feature that should work very much like the water in the movie.
Do you remember how it moves as if intelligent? Disney promises something like that at the park.
Unfortunately, nobody has provided a timeline update for it. Still, my belief is that it could debut during the second half of 2022.
I think the odds of it are about 70/30 in favor of a late-2022 debut.
PLAY! Pavilion
I’m nowhere near as optimistic about the PLAY! pavilion. Disney had previously indicated that this new building would open in 2021.
In the wake of the pandemic, there’s some question about how active the development is for this project.
You shouldn’t expect the interactive game-intensive pavilion over the next 12 months. But, if that happens, Disney has done a remarkable job keeping it secret.
Wondrous China
A few years ago, Disney announced three new shows coming to EPCOT and the World Showcase. These presentations would replace existing ones.
Two of them opened early last year. The third, Wondrous China, remains missing in action.
Disney hasn’t provided an update on the upcoming Circle-Vision 360° film for a while.
Still, my expectation is that it will debut in 2022. Disney’s simply waiting for the right time on this one.
Rodeo Roundup BBQ
Some stuff at Hollywood Studios has gotten lost in the shuffle due to all the changes and additions.
For example, Toy Story Land didn’t build out all its land because the construction crew got too spread out among new projects.
A while ago, Disney indicated that Rodeo Roundup BBQ would utilize some of this space to give the park a much-needed new Table Service option.
Frustratingly, Disney hasn’t updated the status of this restaurant for a while. I’m still expecting it to debut in 2022, though.
Tron Lightcycle Power Run
Speaking of frustrating, Imagineers rebuilt the entire skyline of Tomorrowland with the new Tron roller coaster as the focus.
Because of the pandemic, the coaster failed to make its 2021 target date. Now, we’re not entirely sure about 2022, either.
In fact, more people I’ve spoken with expect it in 2023 than 2022. And I must admit that I share their pessimism.
Photo: Disney via Mark Willard
When Disney gave Cosmic Rewind a summer release, it narrowed the window for Tron Lightcycle Power Run.
Park officials don’t want two roller coasters this good to open with a few months of one another.
So, I suspect that Cosmic Rewind will debut in or around June. Then, the Tron coaster will arrive the following year at that time.
I really want to be wrong about this one, though. This ride looks spectacular.
TRON Coaster coming to the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World Image Credit: Disney
Splash Mountain 2.0
Here’s an attraction that Disney gave some clarity. Yes, Splash Mountain will transition to The Princess and the Frog as its theme over the next few years.
However, Disney wants to get the ride elements perfect. Unfortunately, Imagineers haven’t done that yet.
Photo: Disney
So, Splash Mountain won’t undergo refurbishment for a while. Once that process begins, the ride will close for at least a year.
You can do the math here to realize that there’s no chance that the new version of Splash Mountain will be ready in 2022.
Overall, we have four attractions that will open for sure in 2022. Three others are maybes, while the remaining three are either probably nots or definitely nots.
Feature Image: www.thecoasterkings.com
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