MickeyBlog News for June 3rd, 2024
This week in MickeyBlog News, we’ve got dreams that soar, water that glows, and $17 billion heading to Orlando.
We’ve had quite a week for Disney news. So, let’s discuss everything you might have missed.
The New Disney Shows
Photo: Disney
Disney had an eventful Memorial Day Weekend, as two “new” shows debuted.
Well, one presentation was entirely new, while another rebooted an existing concept in a safer manner.
Peter Pan
I waited a week to cover them in case any incidents occurred, but I’m happy to report that both are working wonderfully.
MickeyBlog attended the opening night of Disney Dreams That Soar presented by AT&T at Disney Springs.
We are here for the debut of Disney Dreams That Soar drone show at Disney Springs✨💫
A viewing area has been set up to view the show for optimal viewing. It opens at 7pm for the 9pm show and is located behind House of Blues! pic.twitter.com/atcUZVk5RQ
— MickeyBlog.com (@MickeyBlog_) May 24, 2024
Fans were hooked by the time that drones recreated Peter Pan’s version of Big Ben in the sky.
Big Ben
You can watch the whole show here:
What you’ll notice is the mesmerizing use of illuminated drones to light up the night and create a new kind of Disney storytelling.
Disney had previously honed the craft of drone-based presentations at its international parks.
By the time park officials were ready to host one at Walt Disney World, there were no surprises, which is a good thing.
Pepita
As I’ve previously discussed, drone shows sometimes go very wrong, and that’s why Disney performed hundreds of tests abroad.
Speaking of going wrong, do you remember why Disneyland Resort shuttered the old version of Fantasmic!?
Fantasmic!
The Maleficent dragon caught fire, closing the show for more than a year and ending that special effect.
Now, the new version of Fantasmic! has opened on the West Coast, and we quite like the show.
Photo: Disneyland
Disney has swapped out the dragon for a different way of demonstrating Maleficent’s ferocity.
She soars into the sky as new, safer flames punctuate the big moment.
Maleficent Towers Above Mickey
In short, Disney has cleaned up the previous flaws with Fantasmic! while substantially modernizing the show.
Just as importantly, nothing caught fire that wasn’t supposed to be aflame, which is a relief for all of us.
Feel the Glow
H2O Glow After Hours
MickeyBlog was recently fortunate enough to attend the H2O Glow After Hours event at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon.
We recorded some highlights from the event that you can watch here:
Our staff treasured the character interactions, especially the ones with Phineas & Ferb.
Phineas & Ferb Meet-and-Greet at H20 Glow Nights at Disney’s
Notably, the iconic characters performed separate meet-and-greets rather than appearing together. That was a nice touch.
You can and should pay attention to our socials for live updates from these events, as our park reporters are pretty much everywhere these days.
The Walt Disney World Expansion Update
Photo:visitorlando.com
The other big story this week isn’t confirmed yet. What I mean by that is the proposal must go through a couple of rounds of public debate.
However, Walt Disney World officials and Florida government officials appear to have negotiated a new development plan.
Photo: Disney
Effectively, Disney and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD) have microwaved the DisneylandForward deal.
Disney’s negotiations with Anaheim officials took three years and several drawn-out public meetings to settle.
Photo: Disneyplanning.com
At Orlando, the general thought process appears to be, “Let’s just do what they did, only with a lot more money.”
The proposal under consideration would require Disney to spend $8 billion over the next decade on Walt Disney World upgrades.
Photo: orlandoattractions.com
Over 20 years, estimates suggest that the total price tag could be $17 billion, but that’s a bit misleading.
The new development plan will apparently only last for 15 years, making 20-year estimates unreliable.
Photo: Joshua Sudock/Disneyland Resort
Still, even $8 billion in guaranteed investments over the decade dwarfs what Disney has promised in Anaheim.
The DisneylandForward negotiations concluded with Disney promising to spend up to $2.5 billion.
Central Florida Tourism Oversight District
Realistically, the only airtight agreement is “only” $1.9 billion, though.
So, the Disney deal with the CFTOD, if approved, would require more than four times as much financial investment.
Central Florida Tourism oversight district
As a reminder, Disney dropped its state lawsuits against the CFTOD, but it is simply pausing its federal cases.
The previous agreement between Disney and the CFTOD required that the two parties work out a mutually beneficial development plan.
@HazenWESH on Twitter
Apparently, that has happened, with public discussions planned for Wednesday, June 5th.
The CFTOD will have a second round of those discussions at a later date.
Central Florida Tourism Oversight District
Presuming that nothing changes, the CFTOD should ratify this agreement.
At that point, Disney World will have a new development plan…that allows for a fifth gate!
Disney Miscellany
We’ve got several other stories this week, but let’s start with something important.
Since so many of you are asking about the new Disability Access Services rules, MickeyBlog’s Jess Landers wrote a helpful guide.
Disney
Something you should keep in mind is that the rules vary by attraction. So, you should get in the habit of asking each time.
At Disneyland, you’ll find an exceptional new offer on discounted tickets. You should ask a MickeyTravels agent for more details.
Photo: Disney
We also learned the specifics about Disneyland’s 2025 runDisney event.
Next, we’ll be thematic and take a flight from Disneyland to Walt Disney World.
Credit: Breeze Airways
Thanks to Breeze Airways, this is possible at a cheap price again!
At Walt Disney World, the big news involves Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, which has new signage.
Behind the scenes!
The construction walls have also come down, indicating that the ride is nearly ready to open!
We’ve spotted new Cast Member costumes, a new special effect, and even a bird house! You can hear the new song here!
New looks!
Of course, the biggest surprise comes from Disney itself. Park officials posted the complete ride video!
Elsewhere at Magic Kingdom, Hall of Presidents will close for a brief time later this month.
We also heard one of the new songs coming to Country Bear Musical Jamboree.
Photo: Disney
Try Everything works surprisingly well as a country song, doesn’t it?
At EPCOT, we got our first look at the upcoming Mickey & Friends permanent character spot.
Photo: Disney Parks Blog
Also, the new Encanto show, ¡Celebración Encanto!, is currently testing in anticipation of opening next week.
At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, we’ve confirmed the return of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster next month as mentioned last week.
Rock n Roller Coaster
Finally, at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, we were delighted to encounter the new Talking Dug now meeting guests.
I just met him, and I love him.
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