MickeyBlog News for December 13th, 2021
Disney just experienced another unusually hectic week, and part of it was Amazon’s fault.
I’ll explain in the latest MickeyBlog News.
A Brutal First Day
Even a thriving, powerful multimedia corporation like The Walt Disney Company cannot control it all.
This past week, Disneyland suddenly announced that it would introduce its virtual assistant, Disney Genie, on December 9th.
The proclamation came on December 7th, less than 48 hours before the Disneyland app introduced this feature.
What could possibly go wrong during such a tight timeframe, right? Well, Amazon Web Services (AWS) could crash on December 8th. And it did.
A part of their overloaded network servers brought down wide swaths of AWS, causing millions of people to realize how much they rely on AWS.
I’m not exaggerating when I describe AWS as the heart of the internet, and Disney suffered mightily due to its server issues.
December 8th and 9th will go down as days that cast members will bitterly reference for the rest of their lives.
You genuinely won’t believe how many Disney services failed or malfunctioned due to the AWS outage.
I’m talking about Disney+, Mobile Ordering, dining reservations, MagicBand payments, and, yes, Disney Genie.
AWS hadn’t experienced an outage this severe in 13 months. Somehow, Disney picked that day to launch its new virtual assistant.
The outcome proved disastrous. Lines formed at Guest Services almost immediately after the parks opened.
Without much of their usual technology available, cast members asked customers to prove Lightning Lane purchases via email confirmations.
So, we traveled back in time a decade, at least for that day. Thankfully, the system had mostly recovered by December 10th.
Disney also compensated guests with FastPasses Lightning Lane selections for many popular rides, albeit not the ones that cost money to ride.
I doubt Amazon lost Disney as a customer this week, but there’s gonna be many apologies offered in the coming days. That was a multi-million-dollar mishap.
New Year’s Eve and Early 2022 Park Updates
Walt Disney World spent part of the week announcing its New Year’s Eve plans.
The most exciting update involves Fantasy in the Sky. This fireworks presentation will return for a limited engagement on December 30th and 31st.
Disney couldn’t hold this event in 2020 due to the pandemic. So, we’re all happy to have it back. It’ll play at 10 ‘til midnight on those two nights.
Interestingly, Magic Kingdom will also show Disney Enchantment on those dates.
So, you’ll get fireworks at 6:30 p.m. and then 11:50 p.m. on the final two nights of 2021.
At Disneyland, we’re still awaiting confirmation on New Year’s Eve plans, although we’re all but certain to get a fireworks show of some sort.
Park officials did confirm some exciting plans for early 2022, though. Celebrate Gospel! will return in February, and it’ll include a chorus!
Disneyland will host this performance at Fantasyland Theatre, and it’s not the only show you’ll find there!
Tale of the Lion King is moving to Fantasyland Theatre as well. It’ll arrive in the spring.
The Happiest Place on Earth also confirmed four more returning amenities at the park.
At some point during the spring, four presentations will return. They are Fantasmic!, Main Street Electrical Parade, and World of Color, the ones you’ve been asking about!
In addition to those announcements, Disneyland confirmed three after-hours events in 2022.
We’ll get Sweethearts’ Nite, “Star Wars” Nite, and Villains Nite next year.
Disneyland will host Sweethearts’ Nite on February 1st, 3rd, 8th, 10th, and 14th. Then, you’ll have your choice of two Villains Nites on March 8th and 10th.
Finally, “Star Wars” Nite will return on May 3rd, 4th, and 27th. Tickets for these events start at $114 and are already on sale for Sweethearts’ Nite.
Disney News and Notes
I’ve got a lot of stories this week. So, I’m going to lump them together. The most alarming one comes from Disneyland Paris.
That park has just reset its pandemic rules again. You must wear a face covering at all indoor and outdoor settings at the park.
This news comes in the wake of the Omicron variant, which health officials have verified is in both France and Orlando, Florida.
Walt Disney World hasn’t altered its policies yet and may not. However, Orange County, Florida, just flipped back to a higher tier of pandemic status.
So, the odds of facemask rules going away anytime soon just went down dramatically.
Given the struggles Disneyland Paris has faced during the pandemic, I’m not surprised that they’ve taken an aggressive stance with Omicron.
Less than 43 percent of adult French people have received full vaccination thus far. They need to be safe to avoid yet another park shutdown.
I’d tell you how many that would be, but I’ve honestly lost count at this point.
The other news I discussed in Disney Headlines focuses on Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser.
Disney released a poorly received promotional video that it later deleted. I’m mentioning it because there’s an upside for you.
If you’re interested in staying at the Star Wars Hotel, there’s now some availability during its first three months.
That…wasn’t the case last week. Act now before you get shut out again!
Speaking of hotels, you can once again book one-night-stays at Walt Disney World!
Disney had previously removed this option due to an availability crunch.
Disney Park Updates
I’ve got several other quick tidbits for you. For starters, Walt Disney Railroad just started test runs at Magic Kingdom!
Obviously, Disney won’t reopen the attraction anytime soon, but these trial runs allow Imagineers to determine what needs maintenance.
After all, the railroad has remained offline since 2018! It’s gonna need some TLC.
Speaking of currently closed attractions, Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular has announced some cast member previews before it officially returns next week.
On the flip side, Disney revealed/confirmed three different refurbishments in the offing.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will close on February 14th (yes, Valentine’s Day) for what is currently projected as less than a week of maintenance.
Splash Mountain starts its annual renovations on January 10th, with a planned return date of February 11th.
Obviously, this isn’t the re-theming to The Princess and the Frog. That will take MUCH longer.
The other refurbishment will take place at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. Samawati Springs Pool will close in January and remain unavailable for about three months.
By the way, Disney’s doing another refurb/re-theming on the fly. Roger Rabbit Car Toon Spin has added some new Jessica Rabbit statues on the ride!
Like, come on!!
Jessica looks so good! https://t.co/IvPc8ElXjW pic.twitter.com/lQJOUYTykU— 🖤💜✨Stressy depressy yee haw earring elder ✨💜🖤 (@Adorian1989) December 9, 2021
Imagineers are definitely working their magic.
Finally, the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover gained a new sponsor. Yes, Enterprise Rent-A-Car has replaced Alamo.
I find the whole thing hysterical since Walt Disney envisioned the PeopleMover as the transportation that would kill the automobile industry.