Progress report: Disney World execs talk theme-park projects
There are multiple projects in the works at Walt Disney World, and executives recently shared updates during a “Behind the Magic” session with members of the media.
The newsiest bits may have been that there’s an upgrade coming for Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin ride at Magic Kingdom and the kids-pay-half-price ticket offer coming this summer.
Other updates concerned previously announced developments.
“I turn around and every time I walk someplace, I see we’re digging someplace new. It’s just amazing all the things that are coming out of the ground,” said Jeff Vahle, president of Walt Disney World.
He noted that he was around for the Disney Decade, the 1990s period of planned expansion under then-CEO Michael Eisner.
“This is bigger than that with what we’re doing, what we’re envisioning, what we’ve announced, and, by the way, what we haven’t announced,” Vahle said. “I’ve never been more positive on the future that we have.”
Disney to shut down Buzz Lightyear ride and give it a new spin
At Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park, visible work has begun on a transformation from DinoLand USA into an area called Tropical Americas. It will include “Encanto” attractions and the retheming of the Dinosaur ride into an “Indiana Jones” attraction.
“This new story that we’re telling there is brand-new. It’s unique to Animal Kingdom. It’s unique to this part of the world,” said Michael Hundgen, creative portfolio executive producer with Walt Disney Imagineering.
He said they have been working with Mayan culture experts as well as Joe Rohde, former Imagineer and one of the masterminds of Animal Kingdom.
“It’s an opportunity for us to take what we know is a great ride system, a great attraction, a great building, quite frankly, and add a completely new show to it and add something that works in tandem with what we’re doing within content just next door,” Hundgen said.
Tropical Americas is scheduled to open in 2027.
Another refurbishment at Animal Kingdom is set to debut later this year. “Zootopia: Better Zoogether” is moving into the Tree of Life theater, which was home to “It’s Tough to Be a Bug” from opening day in 1998 until it closed March 16.
“We just listened to some of the recordings for the new ‘Zootopia show’ that’s coming out with some of the stars in the film,” Hundgen said. He said the animation is coming together and “we’re continuing to use some of the effects in that space as well.”
At Epcot, a new version of Test Track is set to open this summer.
“I think previous incarnations of Test Track, we looked at the post-show, the pre-show, we definitely put a lot more focus in those areas. This time we’re really looking at the show-show, the heart of the building,” Hundgen said.
“That whole part of the space was really cleared out. … The focus has been in the storytelling inside that classic architecture building,” he said.
A slower-pace addition to Epcot will be GEO-82, an adults-only, reservations-required lounge.
“Think of going to an ultra-exclusive lounge in Manhattan on the top floor overlooking the city,” said Brian Piasecki, director of culinary and concept development.
“It’s a small lounge, so it’s going to be a smaller portion of the park that will go up there,” he said. “What they’re going to see up there is really going to be amazing. And if you’re a Walt Disney fan, it’s gonna be really, really special.”
There will be drinks that are exclusive to GEO-82, Piasecki said.
Meanwhile, the upcoming pirate-themed “tavern” set for Magic Kingdom’s Adventureland will have adult fare and kiddie drinks.
There’s been no name announced for the space, but it will be a “cool, ultra-themed experience for people of all ages,” Piasecki said.
No fresh details were shared about two major Magic Kingdom projects.
“When we talk about adding a villains land, adding a ‘Cars’ area to Frontierland, that’s about adding more capacity to make sure our guests can continue to have great experiences, adding new things to do,” said Jason Kirk, senior vice president of operations. “But at the same time, refreshing existing assets, existing attractions is so important.”
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