MickeyBlog News for December 5th, 2022
In the immortal words of Europe, we’ve reached the final countdown on a beloved Disney attraction.
I’ll unintentionally break your heart in the latest MickeyBlog News update.
Say Goodbye to Splash Mountain
The day we’ve all feared is coming sooner than you might have hoped.
On January 23rd, 2023, Splash Mountain at Magic Kingdom will close forever.
Disney had previously announced the intent to reboot Splash Mountain to remove the unwelcome connection to Song of the South.
That process begins at Magic Kingdom during the final week of January.
However, you should keep two things in mind. The first is that the new version of the ride, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, won’t open until 2024.
In other words, if you cannot get to Splash Mountain over the next seven weeks, you’re out of luck for a year, at least in Orlando.
I say that because Splash Mountain at Disneyland is NOT closing on January 23rd.
Park officials specifically stated that an announcement on that park is forthcoming but not imminent.
My supposition is that Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway opens at Disneyland Park on January 27th, 2023. It would be self-defeating to open one but close the other.
What I mean by that is Disney would spend the week of the new ride’s opening staving off PR complaints about Splash Mountain.
We should make no mistake on this point. The closure of Splash Mountain remains controversial to many.
Yes, Song of the South has aged terribly, and Disney is right to bury it in the Disney Vault.
Conversely, Splash Mountain is a decidedly upbeat attraction that the overwhelming majority of fans adore.
So, Disney’s next trick will involve the creation of a re-themed attraction based on The Princess and the Frog. That brings us to the second half of the conversation…
The New Attraction Coming to Disney and Magic Kingdom
To its credit, Disney has done a solid job of controlling the conversation on this subject.
Each time Disney discusses Splash Mountain, it deftly includes tantalizing tidbits about Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, which does sound spectacular.
For starters, many of the voice actors from The Princess and the Frog will return. Most importantly, Anika Noni Rose will once again voice Tiana.
Disney’s most recent update notes that the attraction will occur the year after the movie’s resolution.
As a reminder, Tiana and Prince Naveen married – as frogs! – and broke their curse. This allowed them to return to human form.
In the process, Tiana’s work as a chef elevated her status as a local celebrity and community pillar.
During the year that followed, Tiana apparently purchased a salt mine dome that functions as the business sign for Tiana’s Foods.
As a successful entrepreneur, Tiana seeks to give back to the community during the next Mardi Gras celebration.
The chef wants to cook an unforgettable meal, one that requires special ingredients.
To make that happen, Tiana must return to the bayou to retrieve the missing recipe component.
Louis the musical alligator will join her, but you shouldn’t expect jazz trombone this time!
Instead, Disney just revealed that toe-tapping zydeco music will provide the soundtrack for the story.
The Holidays Arrive at Walt Disney World
Due to the Disney CEO news last week, I skipped an annual story. So, let’s catch up now!
Yes, the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays has returned at EPCOT. Simultaneously, the beloved Candlelight Processional is back as well.
For these reasons, guests have flocked to EPCOT and will continue to do so throughout the holidays.
Remember that these beloved annual attractions are far from the only holiday specialties, though.
Several attractions gain holiday overlays. Also, if you’ve read MickeyBlog any lately, you know that all the resorts add gorgeous holiday decorations.
Our staff has done a wonderful job of posting pictures like these. If you can’t be at Disney right now, we’ll help you live vicariously to get you into the holiday spirit!
Those of you lucky enough to visit Disney during this time of year need tips, too. Here’s good advice on overcoming holiday stress during a park visit.
Similarly, here are tips for parents taking small children to Disney for the first time this holiday season.
By the way, Disneyland Resort has added some ride overlays as well. Here’s Luigi’s Joy to the Whirl:
And here’s the other Disney California Adventure attraction overlay:
Okay, those are really just Tony Shalhoub and Larry the Cable Guy singing classic holiday music.
So, here’s Disneyland’s pride and joy this holiday season:
I’ll never get tired of It’s a Small World’s yuletide spectacle.
Disney Park Miscellany
We’ve got several other stories this week. For starters, Disney’s new/old CEO, Bob Iger, held his first Town Hall as the returning hero.
Frankly, Iger didn’t say much of note. He reinforced a couple of statements he made during the time when he didn’t work for Disney.
Most importantly, the company will continue to embrace and support all its cast members independent of their race, sex, sexuality, or religious creed.
In short, Iger will follow Disney’s newest key, Inclusion. In striking that tone, Iger sent out a message that Disney was above the fray in partisan politics.
Coincidentally or not, a report indicated that the Reedy Creek Improvement District situation would soon resolve in Disney’s favor.
Signs point to some tubthumping about stripping Disney of powers it was never going to use. Otherwise, the status quo should remain.
Meanwhile, in international news, Shanghai Disneyland has closed again. No, I’m not joking. Yes, I’m tired of this ongoing nonsense as well.
The park had reopened only a matter of days before it closed again. So, like, what was the point? I don’t get it, and I know from your comments that you don’t, either.
Disney Park Miscellany Part II
In happier news, the new Hey Disney! virtual assistant is now testing at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.
Imagine an Amazon Echo 8 with Mouse Ears above it, and you’ll get the gist. Guests can use Hey Disney! to enhance their Disney vacations.
Presuming that this testing phase goes well, we can expect a full rollout during 2023.
The other big Walt Disney World story involves the new rooms at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort.
Disney has re-themed the former pirate rooms to The Little Mermaid. Happily, MickeyBlog got a first look at the new rooms.
Finally, we’ve got two Disneyland Resort stories, one of which will thrill you.
The Magic Happens Parade will return in 2023! The parade enjoyed a limited run in 2020 due to the pandemic. Now, it’ll come back on February 24th, 2023!
Meanwhile, if you’re visiting Disneyland Resort during the second week of January, you should know about a quick refurbishment.
According to the park calendar, WEBSLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure will be closed from January 9th through January 12th.
You should keep an eye on the park calendar to ensure the closure doesn’t last longer than those four days, though.
Have a great week, everyone!