MickeyBlog News for March 20th, 2023
This past week, Disney announced several new character greetings, showed its latest restaurant, brought back a popular attraction, and lost an icon.
We have an impactful week of MickeyBlog News to discuss.
New Character Greetings Coming Soon
Disney fans can’t help but notice how much communication has improved across the board since Bob Iger’s return.
The once and current Disney CEO has gone out of his way to show contrition for mistakes the company made under Bob Chapek.
Specifically, Iger has asked his theme park executives to publish roadmaps for coming attractions.
You can think of this behavior as the theme park equivalent of a movie trailer.
Disney discusses what’s next at the parks, often with visual accompaniment.
Also, we’re watching more of a marketing push as Iger reminds casual Disney fans how great the theme parks are.
Recently, Iger started the Disney Thrills campaign, which includes a plethora of new park initiatives and announcements.
For example, we just learned that Mirabel from Encanto is coming to Magic Kingdom. The beloved character will hold a character greeting at Fairytale Garden.
At Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Moana will debut at Discovery Island. Her arrival coincides with the park’s upcoming 25th anniversary on April 22nd.
As I’ve mentioned, Moana and Encanto are among the most popular streaming titles on the planet.
So, Disney executives know that the character greetings will be wildly popular.
At Disneyland Park, something else has happened that we’ll discuss in a minute. As part of that event, the park claims a first.
Pete will host a meet-and-greet at Mickey’s Toontown! Remarkably, this has never happened in Disney park history.
The character of Pete, the antagonist from Steamboat Willie, is actually three years older than Mickey Mouse.
Seriously, he debuted in 1925, while Mickey Mouse wouldn’t arrive until 1928.
Sometimes known as Pegleg Pete, he has generally considered Mickey his enemy, although Disney has dialed down the antagonism in recent years.
Pete’s appearance at Disneyland is a huge deal for fans of Disney history.
Speaking of Mickey’s Toontown…
The themed land has finally reopened after a yearlong closure for renovations.
These weren’t Disney’s typical refurbishments. Instead, park officials rebooted Mickey’s Toontown to make it more engaging for modern audiences.
Disney might have done this to eliminate the negative stigma caused by an infamous family fight at the old land, but everything has turned out for the best.
The new look at Mickey’s Toontown feels more comfortable and engaging.
Disney has dialed down boring walks on the pavement in favor of a more vibrant design. Houses here look like they’re part of a neighborhood.
Disney has added artificial grass and real trees, plus a few extra touches in the yard outside each house to perfect this vibe.
You may recall that the previous version of Mickey’s Toontown lacked enough shade. Imagineers have fixed that problem while creating a more communal area.
Guests will want to explore and play in the interactive areas. For example, something new is Goofy’s How-to-Play Yard, home to a unique sound garden.
Inside the house, kids will find that Goofy has constructed a one-of-a-kind candy-making contraption. It’s all part of the playful tone Disney wants.
Everything looks brighter and more welcoming. Disney wants parents of small children to feel welcome to come here and enjoy some relaxing fun.
They’ll find a climbable fort, an inviting town square fountain, and a (slightly) new ride, Chip ‘n’ Dale’s Gadget Coaster, which used to be the Gadget’s Go Coaster.
Most notably, Disney has designed Mickey’s Toontown as accessible to all.
Whether kids use a wheelchair, face anxiety, or struggle with the loud noises of sensory stimulation, they’ll find a safe space at this themed land.
This style of thoughtful design legitimately represents the future of Disney parks. Here’s a TikTok of the grand opening ceremony:
@disneyd23 We had the opporTOONity to watch the dedication ceremony of Mickey’s #Toontown at @disneyland today! Visit the newly reimagined land for yourself starting tomorrow, March 19 🎉
Other Disneyland Resort News
The Villas at Disneyland Resort have officially gone on sale for a September opening.
This new expansion tower represents just the second hotel that Disney has built at Disneyland Resort.
The company acquired Disneyland Hotel and Disney’s Pixar Pier Hotel from other businesses after the fact. So, this addition comes with historical significance.
Inside the park, Indiana Jones Adventure has returned after an extended refurbishment.
While the ride didn’t receive the total overhaul of Mickey’s Toontown, it similarly gained quite the upgrade.
Imagineers have introduced new projections and a full scene that involves crumbling walls. A clever use of digital screens makes the sequence fully immersive.
Here’s what the ride looks like:
And here’s a detailed comparison of the changes:
Walt Disney World News
Let’s start with the announcement regarding EPCOT. This park will host the Disney100 events coming to Walt Disney World later this year.
Park officials indicate that Journey of Water | Inspired by Moana will arrive this Fall.
Also, they provided new details about the nighttime presentation that will replace Harmonious. Disney has promised an original song as part of the show.
Elsewhere at EPCOT, Mickey and Minnie Mouse will wear platinum garb to show their joy over Disney’s 100th anniversary.
At night, guests should head to Spaceship Earth to watch an illuminated performance specifically for the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival.
Next, CommuniCore Hall is nearly ready to take its permanent role as the festival center for EPCOT’s many exhibitions.
Disney even tossed in the surprise announcement of a character greeting here, Mickey & Friends. That’s an attention-grabber, isn’t it?
The preview pictures of CommuniCore Hall are also noteworthy because they look like a painter’s palette. The whole place looks so colorful and airy.
Speaking of which, we’ve finally got a glimpse of Rodeo Roundup BBQ, which opens this week. Disney has posted pictures of the adorable design.
MickeyBlog got to explore the new interior, and it’s just…wonderful. Here, take a look:
VIDEO: Here is a look inside of “Roundup Rodeo BBQ.” 🤠🍗✨
What do you think of this new dining location?!👀#AllTheDisneyThrills #DisneyParks #WaltDisneyWorld @DisneyParks pic.twitter.com/ToVntiE3gG
— MickeyBlog.com (@MickeyBlog_) March 15, 2023
Here’s a full tour if you want to see more:
More Disney News
At Magic Kingdom, Tomorrowland Light & Power Co. is now Tomorrowland Launch Depot as part of the upcoming arrival of Tron Lightcycle / Run.
Disney has also shown off a new MagicBand+ for Tron, and this one does tricks! It’ll unlock your storage locker for the Tron roller coaster!
Along those lines, Disney has confirmed a soft opening for Tron starting March 20th (tomorrow). While it’s inoperable today, the ride already displays on My Disney Experience.
Disney has also surprised fans with an announcement. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train will continue as a Lightning Lane experience when Tron opens.
Generally, Disney has employed a “one Lightning Lane per park” strategy. It’ll change that policy when Tron opens, with both attractions offering Lightning Lane access.
Similarly, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind will continue to offer Boarding Groups once Tron opens. So, we’ll have two of those as well.
Finally, I’d be remiss if I failed to mention the death of Disney Legend, Rolly Crump.
One of the most decorated and revered Imagineers ever, this brilliant individual retired from Disney in 1996 when he was 66.
He lived another 27 years afterward, most of which he spent as one of Disney’s greatest ambassadors.
When Disney dominated the 1964 New York World’s Fair, Crump led the charge.
He later worked as the bridge from the era of Walt Disney to the 1990s Imagineering team.
Crump mentored many of your favorite Imagineers. He was the absolute best, and we’re all lucky that he and Disney found one another.
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