MickeyBlog News for April 8th, 2024
This week’s MickeyBlog News needs no introduction. Just read this.
The Animal Kingdom Project Has Started
After Disney CEO Bob Iger won a contentious battle this week, critics wondered whether the company’s stock would drop.
On the day of the Annual Shareholder Meeting, Disney held the title as the top performer on the Dow Jones Industrial Average for 2024.
Obviously, Bob Iger was sensitive to those claims, as he hit the gas pedal and went into maximum overdrive.
Within 24 hours of the Annual Shareholder Meeting, Disney announced two projects that will fundamentally change Walt Disney World.
Also, we learned new details about an upcoming attraction, and Disney announced the closing date for a beloved ride.
We’ve had that kind of week as Disney fans.
The bombshells started at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, where Disney admitted what MickeyBlog had already told you.
Park officials filed the permits for part of the construction coming soon at Animal Kingdom.
While Disney had previously indicated the change, it’s no longer theoretical.
The company’s social media team pot-committed to the Tropical Americas as an upcoming change.
Disney will reinvent DinoLand, U.S.A., arguably its least popular themed land in America as a geographically based themed land.
Imagineers showed a Reel of 3D models they’ve built after visits to the Yucatán Peninsula.
Park officials suggested at the 2023 D23 Expo that the Tropical Americas land would include experiences based on Encanto and Indiana Jones.
Most people presume that the Indiana Jones attraction will be a re-theming of DINOSAUR akin to Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland Park.
As for Encanto, a real-life Casita may be in the offing, but that’s speculation until the 2024 D23 Expo arrives.
Disney appears content to dole out tiny tidbits of information over the next four months rather than providing specifics now.
But here’s something we do know…
The Big Thunder Mountain Expansion Is Real!
Speaking of the D23 Expo, Disney took a lot of flack for its miscalculation in 2022.
At that year’s Parks Panel, Chairman Josh D’Amaro listed several possible projects coming to the parks.
D’Amaro teased that experiences themed to Encanto, Coco, Zootopia, and Moana could become a reality.
Later, D’Amaro openly wondered about what lies beyond Big Thunder Mountain.
In the process, the executive didn’t quite open Pandora’s Box, but he showed it to everyone watching the livestream.
While couching the conversation under the description of blue-sky planning, D’Amaro hinted at experiences involving Coco and Encanto.
Even better, the Chairman imagined a land where Disney Villains congregate.
After the event ended, fans were left to debate how much of what D’Amaro said was real.
Almost two years later, we’ve finally gotten our answer. Apparently, the answer to how much is real is “A LOT!”
On Thursday morning, Disney filed the permanents to perform construction at Magic Kingdom.
Friends, the Magic Kingdom expansion behind Big Thunder Mountain is already starting!
During a presentation for invited guests from organizations such as CNN, Disney officials were unusually forthcoming.
The company appears ready to talk about what’s coming to the parks, albeit in tiny news drips until the D23 Expo in August. But here’s the key takeaway from those comments.
Disney states, “It’s probably the largest expansion ever at Magic Kingdom.” This is real, this is happening, and this is huge!
I’m saying that in terms of excitement level AND the size of the expansion.
In a few years, we really will find out what lies beyond Big Thunder Mountain. Last week, Walt Disney World theme park expansion was theoretical. Now, it’s tangible!
Test Track Closes Soon
I have some sad news for you. If you’re like me and don’t plan to visit Orlando over the next couple of months, you’ve ridden Test Track for the last time.
On June 17th, the 2012 version of the attraction will close permanently, at least in its current state.
Chevrolet, the sponsor of Test Track, wants Disney to modernize the attraction, which is to our benefit as fans.
This isn’t the first time the company has made this request, either.
You may recall that the “Transportation pavilion,” aka the World of Motion building, debuted with the park in 1982.
In 1996, General Motors was no longer happy with World of Motion, a statement that hurts my heart to type.
I loved it so. Anyway, Disney opened the replacement attraction, Test Track, in 1998.
By 2012, General Motors wanted a more specific Chevrolet sponsorship, which led to a sleeker ride experience.
The highlight, at least for me, was the Chevrolet Design Studio, which allowed guests to build “Sim-Cars” they could test on the track.
I sincerely hope that Disney and General Motors modernize this part of the attraction queue rather than dumping it.
All we know so far is that the artist’s illustrations of the next version of Test Track don’t include the famous exterior canopy.
Disney Miscellany
With so many big stories happening, you might have missed some of the small stuff.
For starters, the Adventure Friends Cavalcade at Magic Kingdom has switched to morning performances.
Also at the park, Disney just revealed some of the Audio-Animatronics for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. There’s a WOW! factor here.
You should also know that this information comes from a new Walt Disney Imagineering series on YouTube. So, you should subscribe to Walt Disney Imagineering and look for new episodes of We Call It Imagineering.
Apparently, that’s one of the distribution channels for these upcoming park updates.
The other big park story this week, one that would ordinarily be the biggest news item, is that Star Tours – The Adventures Continue! has added scenes.
Guests will watch sequences involving Ahsoka, the Mandalorian and Grogu, and Andor as part of the updated experience.
Apparently, you’ll get at least one new scene interspersed with the familiar scenes, characters, and settings. Two words: Space whales!
At Animal Kingdom, you should also visit Restaurantosaurus.
There’s a new improv show of sorts… Meanwhile, at Disneyland Park, we received our first photo of the “Avatar Experience” coming soon.
It…looks like an outdoor boat ride? But don’t quote me on that. Please study the picture and draw your own conclusions.
This ride (?) is merely one of many park expansion plans that Disney took a strong step toward bringing into reality this week.
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