Disney Rumors for January 2022
After several slow months, Disney rumors are percolating again. Some insiders have gained new information about potential projects.
Also, Disney kindly confirmed one longstanding rumor this week.
So, the Disney Rumors for January are more exciting ones than we’ve had in a while.
Changes Coming to Hollywood Studios
When Toy Story Land opened at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, fans rejoiced.
We’ve all loved the Toy Story franchise for ages, with some of our adoration circling back to the 1990s!
Toy Story Land had previously opened at multiple international parks. For this reason, Walt Disney World fans were highly enthusiastic about their version.
When this new themed land opened, most park guests adored it. Anyone who claims otherwise is blatantly lying.
However, most people also quickly recognized the core flaw with Toy Story Land. Disney had spread its construction crews quite thin.
In 2018, Imagineers were working on Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Toy Story Land, and the repurposing of The Great Movie Ride into Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway.
That’s a staggering amount of activity at a park that had remained relatively quiet for a decade.
As such, management eventually made a tough choice. Disney pulled resources off Toy Story to recommit to other projects.
Now, you’ll only notice this decision in two ways. One is the shocking lack of cover at this outdoors themed land.
Disney opened Toy Story Land on June 30th, 2018, the heart of summer. Ergo, the glaring sun wore down guests.
Park officials gradually took steps to reduce the problem. In fact, they’re still working on it now. For example, Woody’s Lunch Box has recently added new shading.
The New Disney Play Sets
Still, the lack of indoor facilities proved problematic. Even the stores and restaurant here reside outside.
Meanwhile, Rodeo Roundup BBQ, the indoor Table Service restaurant, got pushed into phase two of development.
Well, I’m happy to report that it’ll finally open this year as one of two new “Play Sets,” Disney’s term for new Toy Story Land additions.
The other is a store, Jessie’s Trading Post. Unfortunately, Disney hasn’t announced any plans for new attractions here.
However, there is enough land for another ride. Also, other Disney theme parks host different Toy Story Land attractions. So, it’s a simple addition Disney may consider soon.
Of course, Disney has done this primarily to create another dining opportunity for tourists.
The company expects an influx of guests due to the opening of Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, the Star Wars hotel.
Obviously, guests won’t dine at Toy Story Land during their Star Wars adventures.
Still, park officials believe they’ll vacation longer and spend more time at Hollywood Studios.
If they’re correct, I think it’s safe to expect a new Toy Story Land attraction over the next two or three years.
Please understand that this ride may be closer in scale to Alien Swirling Saucers than Slinky Dog Dash, though.
Hollywood Studios has probably gotten enough E-ticket attractions for a while.
Whither Figment?
If you’ve read MickeyBlog or any other Disney site lately, you know the odd tale of the Figment popcorn bucket.
Fans decided that they couldn’t live without this particular popcorn bucket, which is just like every other popcorn bucket, only it’s in the shape of Figment.
This strange scenario becomes the latest page in an ongoing discussion among Disney officials.
Most people accept that Journey into Imagination with Figment won’t win any Best in Show awards for its overall ride quality.
Sure, the ride’s fine, and kids love it. Still, each iteration of Journey into Imagination has gotten progressively worse.
A few years ago, Disney internally debated the ride’s future. Eventually, they decided to kick the can down the road.
Well, we’re a few years later now, and Figment just defied all expectations as a park draw.
People waited in line for as much as seven hours just to buy a popcorn bucket in Figment’s image.
If they’re willing to do that, imagine how they’d react if Disney built a Figment ride thematically similar to the original, only more modern.
EPCOT’s planning team may have come around to that philosophy. Recent rumors suggest that Disney could throw $100+ million at the problem.
In other words, some form of refurbishment of the Imagination! pavilion could happen soon.
If so, part of the changes would involve a Figment update! So yes, we could get a new, better Journey into Imagination in a couple of years!
Of course, Disney could also convert the ride to something with an Inside Out theme, the most frequent rumor before the pandemic.
I love Inside Out, but we need a Figment ride at EPCOT, preferably a good one.
The Marvel Situation
Since people are asking again, I must address one other pervasive rumor.
Now that Avengers Campus has opened at Disney California Adventure, Walt Disney World fans wonder whether this themed land is coming East.
I’ve previously mentioned the arcane reasons why Universal Orlando Resort features a Marvel themed land.
The quick update involves Marvel’s bankruptcy in the 1990s. Due to financial desperation, the company sold its theme park licensing rights in perpetuity.
Even though Disney owns Marvel now, Universal possesses the rights to most of its characters.
The deal does come with a strange caveat about locations East of the Mississippi. So, that’s why Disneyland Resort can have one.
Recently, Spider-Man: No Way Home absolutely wrecked the box office, leading to renewed excitement about a new ride.
After all, Disney California Adventure’s new E-ticket attraction is WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure.
Alas, nothing has changed with Disney’s status. In fact, the situation parallels Sony’s licensing rights to Spider-Man characters in movies.
Marvel also sold those rights when it needed quick cash. Ultimately, these shortsighted desperation moves have caused nightmares for Disney.
Arguably the most popular non-animated characters in Disney’s library are all Avengers. Meanwhile, Walt Disney World’s the most popular theme park in the world.
In a perfect world, Avengers rides would already be in operation in Orlando…and they are, just not at Walt Disney World. Universal Studios has them instead.
The situation is maddening, but there’s always an out if Disney wants it.
Theoretically, Disney could offer Sony money to buy back the licensing rights for Spider-Man. Similarly, Disney could cut a check to Universal Studios.
In either instance, Disney would reclaim what’s already its own, Marvel characters.
However, Disney appears quite content to receive checks from its competitors, Sony and Universal Studios, for those licensing rights. Ah, well.