Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom Discussion Thread

[SharkTums]

^There is no FastPass right now so it's pretty easy. Just make sure to buy your ticket ahead of time and make a reservation (reservations are required for all of the Disney parks right now).

[Domm]

35 minutes ago, SharkTums said:

^There is no FastPass right now so it's pretty easy. Just make sure to buy your ticket ahead of time and make a reservation (reservations are required for all of the Disney parks right now).

Thanks for the heads up! Does the no fast pass right now sitch make it easier to get on rides faster? I have PTSD from going to Disneyland a couple years back working the system every 20 mins trying to reserve times and run around to other rides etc to make sure we got on everything. Hoping it's not too busy and lines are bearable.

[jedimaster1227]

It has been announced that the Jungle Cruise at the Magic Kingdom and at Disneyland Park will be updated with new scenes and a new storyline. Check out all of the details below!

https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2021/01/new-adventures-to-cast-off-soon-along-world-famous-jungle-cruise-at-disneyland-park-and-magic-kingdom-park/

At Disney Parks, we continue to look for ways to enhance classic attractions and elevate the experience for all of our guests. Today, we’re excited to share that we are building on the story of the Jungle Cruise at both Disneyland park at Disneyland Resort and Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort to include new adventures that stay true to the experience we know and love – more humor, wildlife and skipper heart – and also reflect and value the diversity of the world around us. There are no bigger fans of this attraction than our Imagineers so I’ve invited Kevin Lively – former Jungle Cruise skipper – to share a transmission from the world’s most remote tropical rivers!

 

Continuing a tradition that Walt Disney started more than six decades ago when he first enhanced the Jungle Cruise, the new creative concept for our river’s journey will be original to Walt Disney Imagineering, just like the attraction itself. Here’s a first look at some of the “gnu” magic we’re adding:

Imagineers are excited to invite current Jungle Cruise skippers at Disneyland park and Magic Kingdom park to a Jungle Navigation Company Roll Call, where they will be among the first to hear more about the new adventures and wonders coming down the river. Recently, Imagineers had the chance to provide a sneak peek to a few skippers at Magic Kingdom park – check out the Walt Disney World Ambassador team on Instagram, @WDW.Ambassador, to see additional reactions, and stay tuned for more details about the enhancements in store for the Jungle Cruise, coming later this year. 

https://d23.com/enhancements-coming-to-the-jungle-cruise/

Since its debut on opening day of Disneyland in 1955, Jungle Cruise has continued to grow and evolve—much like a few of the attraction’s skippers’ favorite plants they point out on the route (“this one… and this one”). What was once a “serious” adventure through tropical waters soon made way for a more humorous expedition with a signature “spiel” given by said talented skippers and hilarious scenes added by future Disney Legend Marc Davis. Changes and enhancements were continually made throughout the years to keep the attraction (and the spiel) fresh. And today, the Disney Parks Blog announced fantastic updates to the ride, coming to both Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts, that give this expedition its first continuous story, fantastic updated scenes, colorful new characters, and more. We sat down with Walt Disney Imagineering Creative Portfolio Executive Chris Beatty to get all the details on everything coming to the Nile. And if you don’t believe us… well, you know the rest.

The Jungle Cruise has evolved over the years—maybe more than any Disney Parks attraction.
I think the Jungle Cruise everybody remembers now is the Marc Davis version, which has a little, well, a lot more humor when the skippers really get going. That attraction is really all about the skippers, if you think about it. They bring that attraction to life; they are the heart and soul of it. So you couple that with Marc Davis’s renderings and the characters he brought to life along the river’s edge, and it’s really just a win-win. That’s what gives the attraction its DNA. It’s what makes it a classic in so many ways. And you’re right: over the years, it has changed. Think about the piranhas we added at Disneyland into the Amazon or the exploding barrels as you enter Africa. We’ve added some really great moments that bring new magic to that attraction through the years. So we’re excited about this update—bringing new magic to our guests and giving it a fresh take.

Can you talk about why you decided to make these new updates?
We are constantly evaluating ways to enhance attractions and experiences in our parks. We want to make sure everybody has the best time—that guests from all over the world can connect with the stories we share and that how we bring those to life are respectful of the diverse world we live in. And when they get off the attraction, they know that we have done our homework because these are the details that matter. When you look at the Jungle Cruise, as it is today, there are just a couple of scenes that don’t do that and needed a refresh. But I want to make sure people know we are not changing the whole Jungle Cruise. This is not a re-envisioning of the entire attraction. It’s the Jungle Cruise you know and love, with the skippers still leading the way, and at the same time, we’re addressing the negative depictions of “natives.” So that’s one of the scenes we’re going to go in and change.

So let’s talk about some of these changes…
We want to make sure that we take this as an opportunity, right? So as we look to clean up a lot of the challenges that we have in the attraction, we want to make sure we go in and add all the humor that Marc Davis gave it, all those years ago. Anything new we add will be in that tone. And for the first time, we are actually linking scenes together.

So if you think of the famous rhino pole scene, with the team of explorers who have somehow camped that night and then been run up the pole by the rhino and a group of other animals… that will really kick off the storyline. Did you ever wonder who those explorers were or where they came from? What’s their backstory? As part of the enhanced storyline, each one of them will have their own story and cultural heritage. There’s a birdwatcher, an entomologist, a wildlife painter, and a photographer, and each one will have a different reason for being on the expedition. And, of course, they did one of the things you’re never supposed to do, which is leave the boat. And one of the things we’re adding to the attraction is an animatronic skipper, who’s been chased up the pole by the rhino, along with the other explorers. They each have great personality, and I think our guests will connect with these characters in new ways. So we’re not really re-envisioning that scene, we’re just adding a narrative and storytelling to bring things to life and connect that moment with other happenings along the river.

And you may ask yourself, Wait, what happened to their boat? And we find out that the front of the boat has been beached upon these rocks. We wanted to put something here that feels like Marc Davis had a hand in it, that has a bit of humor in it. And we wanted the animals to have the last laugh. So you’ll see that the family of chimpanzees has moved in. And we don’t currently have chimps on this attraction—all of these amazing animals have been brought to life through the years on the Jungle Cruise and yet we’ve never had chimpanzees. The family of chimpanzees jumps on the wreckage of the boat and they are almost making fun of us. One is wearing the skipper’s hat and is on the microphone. The mother chimp has opened up all the maps and it looks like she’s reading them. A little chimp has gotten into the wildlife painter’s supplies and has made a mess with paint everywhere. It’s the animals really getting the last laugh in this cute scene—these silly explorers really came in and invaded their world.

I almost feel like Jingle Cruise is a link between these experiences because with the Jingle Cruise you have the presents that were mistakenly dropped, and throughout the cruise we get to see what happened to them.
I agree. Jingle Cruise is great, and it probably was the first time we went in and from a narrative standpoint threaded a storyline through all the rivers.

I feel like there is sometimes, perhaps, misplaced concern that when an attraction is reimagined that it is somehow not going to be as great as it was before. How do you address that?
First off, we love our fans. You could ask any Imagineer why we do what we do, and it really is to bring a smile to our fans’ faces. And we’re cautious, because we know that any time we go in to make changes, especially to a classic attraction, some may worry it’s going to lose its magic. To make sure it doesn’t, we do our homework. First, we are really leaning into our skippers. Kevin Lively, who is a writer at Imagineering, is actually a former skipper and is the writer for our show. So any changes that we are making are actually being written by a former skipper. The role the skippers play is a significant part of this attraction experience—their performance and how they bring it to life is something we all love. They are deeply passionate about this attraction, too. We want to make sure we get the skippers on board, no pun intended, and that they feel like they have some ownership in this. So that was step one.

Second was to bring together a diverse project team. We wanted to make sure that any changes we made from a relevancy standpoint were done right. So we’ve been working with Carmen Smith [executive for Creative Development and Inclusive Strategies] and her team within Imagineering to make sure that any time we show something culturally significant, that is done in the proper light. It’s done in a way that celebrates diverse backgrounds and interests—that’s part of the rich storytelling, not something you poke fun at it.

When introducing new elements—even animals—we make sure they’re done in a respectful way. We reached out to Dr. Mark Penning and his team at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and said, “Look, we have these chimpanzees that are coming into this new world and we want to have fun with them. How do we make sure it’s done in an authentic way for the chimpanzees?” We want to have fun, but we’re not making fun of the animals. His team had great insights and it really elevated that new scene.

And the last part is really looking back to the source material. We went back and looked at original Marc Davis sketches. We pulled out his work and looked at what makes this scene funny, and what are some of the scenes that Marc developed that didn’t make it? It’s really important to go back—especially on a classic attraction—and look at the DNA and what really makes the attraction work. What makes it funny? What makes it fun for our guests? And part of that is going back to Marc’s humor and his storytelling. And Kevin is brilliant at that. Kevin does an amazing job finding that right tone that has that Marc Davis quality to it.

What’s the reaction been from the skippers?
I was nervous the first time we brought some of the skippers in, just to sit with them and say, “Here’s why we’re making the changes and here’s what some of the changes are going to be.” You could see, at first, some concern, because obviously there’s a lot of love around this attraction. But a few minutes into the presentation, the smiles came onto their faces. They loved it. The feedback from them was that it feels like classic Jungle Cruise, like something that has always been there.

Obviously, this means the skippers’ spiels need to change?
We’re keeping a lot of the classic jokes that the fans know and love, like the backside of water. But it will give our skipper some new material to play off of. So that’s exciting for them. They were really excited about having some new source material.

With the Jungle Cruise movie opening this year, will that be incorporated, as well?
I’m excited about the movie, and having Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt be a part of that film. But these adjustments are really focused on enhancing the existing attraction storyline and addressing some areas that needed refreshing along the way. I’m sure the film is fantastic and we’re very excited about it, but integrating the film into our classic Jungle Cruise is not part of this effort. Does that mean that as Imagineers we won’t put Easter eggs in there? We’ll definitely do that. But we are not adding a major storyline or character from that film.

The attractions are somewhat different at Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts. Will there be different changes based on location?
We’re telling the same story on both coasts. What you see at Walt Disney World at the Magic Kingdom will be exactly what you see at Disneyland Resort. We really do want to tell a very cohesive story on both coasts. It’s been fun to look at the nuances between the two attractions and what makes them slightly different, but the scenes that we’re adjusting are the same.

Is there a timeline for the enhancements?
We haven’t announced a date yet. We’re working hard to make sure we can get everything in this year.

Thank you so much for your time. Anything else you’d like to say before we go?
Any time we make an adjustment or a change to a classic attraction, I think back to [Disney Legend] Marty Sklar and even back to Walt and the idea that none of these stories were meant to be frozen in time. As new technology came out, as new stories came out, as characters evolved, these attractions could grow and flex. I think we’ve seen that with Pirates of the Caribbean when we updated the role of the redhead. Changes are always taking place. I think it is always important to look at these classic attractions and make sure we don’t disrupt the DNA of what makes that attraction resonate with our guests. It’s important to us. I love these opportunities to make adjustments and bring in new magic. And we will continue to respect the magic that makes it exciting for all of our guests.

[Satans Hockey]

Might be an unpopular opinion with some of the don't change anything to old rides Disney fans but I think this is great that they are updating it. The last few times I went on it at both parks I thought it was a bit stale and boring simply cause it was the same thing for so many years. These new updates at least will give it a nice refresher and a reason to go back on it at some point. It's not like they are gutting the ride entirely. 

[KarlaKoaster]

I like the look of this too, although the changes to Pirates of the Caribbean, Splash Mountain etc have also failed to register on my angry-o-meter too so maybe I'm just dead inside. 

[cfc]

Disney has made changes to the Jungle Cruise many times over the years, and I'm OK with what they have planned now. There are still a number of problematic scenes (for example, the headhunters village) that needed to be changed years ago.

[BotanicalStig]

I love the jungle cruise, but it *definitely* needs some sprucing up. Not just because of the problematic depictions, but because the scenes are just so dated. It sounds like they have a good plan in place, but I worry about the "we aren't changing the whole thing" statement. I hope they do change the whole thing. Doesn't need a movie-retheming, but it needs attention. Timber mountain log ride-style retheme would be great. Replace every scene and animatronic to bring it up to modern standards. 

[jedimaster1227]

New details have been released about the upcoming 18-month Walt Disney World Resort 50th Anniversary, "The World's Most Magical Celebration," beginning on October 1st, 2021.

https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2021/02/the-worlds-most-magical-celebration-begins-oct-1-at-walt-disney-world-resort/

It’s an event five decades in the making!

Beginning Oct. 1, Walt Disney World Resort will throw “The World’s Most Magical Celebration” in honor of our 50th anniversary, bringing new experiences to our four theme parks and beyond. This milestone is such a big deal, we’ve even coined a new word – “EARidescence” – to describe what you’ll see when you visit. Our Disney teams are creating all sorts of new decorations that will shimmer and sparkle all day and into the night.

As part of the celebration, Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom Park will add to its royal makeover from last year. As you can see in this new artist rendering, the castle will feature golden bunting and a 50th anniversary crest as part of its festive new look.

The castle will add even more magic at night, joined by icons at each of the other three theme parks as they transform into Beacons of Magic. In the video above, you can get a feel for what they’ll look like, with pixie dust on Cinderella Castle, magical fireflies inhabiting the Tree of Life at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, and special new touches coming to life on the Hollywood Tower Hotel at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.  

And at EPCOT, new lights will shine across the reflective panels of Spaceship Earth, connecting to one another and resembling stars in a nighttime sky. This permanent new lighting will continue beyond “The World’s Most Magical Celebration” as a defining feature of the park.

You’ll also want to keep an eye out for Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, who will have sparkling new looks for the celebration. As hosts of the event, they’ll be dressed for the occasion in custom-made fashions of EARidescent fabric with gold highlights.

In anticipation of this exciting time, we recently went out across Walt Disney World to talk with guests and Disney cast members about what a magical celebration would mean to them and why they love being here so much. This new video captures a lot of the emotions we’re feeling right now as we prepare for our 50th anniversary:

Speaking for my fellow Walt Disney World cast members, we’re looking forward to welcoming you during this special time in our history. We’ll have more to share about our plans for “The World’s Most Magical Celebration” in the future as we ramp up to the big day on Oct. 1, and then will be chronicling all the magic to be found during the 18-month-long event. So keep checking back here on the Disney Parks Blog for the latest updates on what promises to be something to remember for the next 50 years.

 

 

[SharkTums]

I like the Castle and Tree of Life the  best, not the biggest fan of the ball and Tower but I'm sure they will grow on me over time. 

[cfc]

Hard to believe that I was only 11 years old when Walt Disney World first opened to the public.  Looking forward to visiting the parks during their big celebration.

[mary.pesik]

Speaking of opening day Disney...

This makes me laugh every damn time. Why was this in with the kiddie rides at the park? And those flashing starbursts at the end are strangely beautiful, at least to me. It feels like a Scooby-Doo episode turned up to the max.

[A.J.]

Disney After Hours BOO BASH at Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort

https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2021/05/new-halloween-themed-disney-after-hours-boo-bash-coming-to-magic-kingdom-park-this-fall/?fbclid=IwAR1_975okkbhawaSQ8yizENblFiqCjY4C4QCxM-XAMhscGSJnvcfW3QjJKM

I love Halloween so much … it’s scary. Since we are Halfway 2 Halloween, I’m spookily excited to announce a new Halloween-themed Disney After Hours event coming this fall to Magic Kingdom Park!

“Disney After Hours BOO BASH” will take place on select nights, Aug. 10 – Oct. 31, from 9 p.m. to midnight*. Spooky festivities will include Halloween-themed cavalcades, character sightings throughout the park, special performances by the Cadaver Dans, décor, lighting, music, treat stops with plenty of candy and so much more!

“Disney After Hours BOO BASH” tickets will grant admission to Magic Kingdom Park as early as 7 p.m. without the need for a day park ticket or Disney Park Pass theme park reservation, giving you time to enjoy even more of your favorites. 

Guests young, old and immortal can dress in costume for the occasion and get their fill of Halloween candy. As an important reminder, costume masks are not permitted for adults; they can only be worn by children younger than 14. In addition, all guests are required to wear approved face coverings during the event. Before you arrive, check our Know Before You Go page and Costume Guidelines.

In case you aren’t familiar with Disney After Hours, it’s a special event that’s open to a limited number of guests, after normal park operating hours. The experience offers low wait times at more than 20 attractions from classics like the Haunted Mansion and Space Mountain, to newer favorites like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. It’s a ghostly good time for all!

Tickets will go on sale next month, with an early purchase window available to guests of select Walt Disney World Resort hotels. Click here for more information and stay tuned for more details to come. We’ll share additional information about “Disney After Hours BOO BASH” as it becomes available, so keep checking Disney Parks Blog for more tricks and treats.

Stay tuned to the Disney Parks Blog to learn more about Halloween offerings coming to Disney Parks around the world.

*Some event nights in August and September will be from 9:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. 

[Haymaker]

Interested to see what this offers compared to MNSSHP, and at what price. I have a trip booked for Oct 14-23.

[SharkTums]

This makes a lot of sense. They are committing to a Halloween Event and if things get better between now and then, they can just over deliver!  Right now, this is a very 'safe' event and that's fine.  They can always just sell more tickets, extend hours, add more entertainment if by some miracle everything is fine by August-October!

[KBrylczyk]

Going back to the 50th Anniversary stuff, I kinda miss the horrific Birthday Cake Castle.  The gold bunting is nice and all, but it'll hardly be as memorable.

[tinaalsgirl]

The first time I ever went to WDW was during that Birthday Cake overlay and for years I was disappointed that I didn't get to see Cinderella Castle as it normally looks. I'm glad this time around they've learned their lesson; less is more and I really love the richer colors and pretty ornamentation.

[coasterbill]

So is anyone else kind of confused as to what Disney is doing right now?

While most parks including Universal are using Virtual lines less often and bumping up capacity to at-or-near 100%, Disney is doing... well... this...

(The only park available on any yellow day this month is Epcot)

The next day that all parks are available for day-guests is July 31st.

Also, Bob Chapek stated on a recent conference call that virtual queues and park reservations are here to stay. It seems like this may go beyond just being overly cautious with covid and they may actually be trying to make some major changes to the guest experience going forward. I guess park passes aren't really anything new as day tickets were always dated so that may just be a new thing for APs, but does it seem strange to anyone else that they're still limiting capacity this much?

[KarlaKoaster]

I'm not sure if capacity is being limited or if they're just trying to create the illusion of scarcity to give people a fear of missing out. I also feel that by making park hopping more difficult or less attractive, guest spending per head will increase because they are spending more time in the parks.

[coasterbill]

It's not an illusion, you physically can't make a park reservation for those days unless someone cancels and you get lucky with the refresh after you already buy tickets to make you eligible to even try.

[KarlaKoaster]

46 minutes ago, coasterbill said:

It's not an illusion, you physically can't make a park reservation for those days unless someone cancels and you get lucky with the refresh after you already buy tickets to make you eligible to even try.

Sorry you mentioned limiting capacity, but I thought parks were back to near-normal levels of busyness which is what I meant in terms of the illusion (the illusion being that they are limiting capacity). By having park pass but still filling the parks, reservations go fast because of FOMO and then people are staying longer and spending more. 

[coasterbill]

The parks aren't dead, but in 2019 if I would have told you that Magic Kingdom was at capacity you probably wouldn't have expected to wait only 35 minutes for Peter Pan, 25 minutes for Haunted Mansion, 40 minutes for Space Mountain and less than an hour for Mine Train (the current wait times with the park at capacity).

I know fastpass isn't a thing, but there's no way that these parks are anywhere near their real capacity. I'm not saying that this is even bad, I'm just saying that it's weird.

[COASTER FREAK 11]

It seems to me that the company is being slow and cautious on purpose. I would guess they likely don't want to have to roll back to be more restrictive, so if they go slow on the reopening, that is less likely to happen. 

[Haymaker]

I hate the park reservations system. I dont want to be locked into my days months in advance. Really hope they rethink that concept. 

[Chiselphane]

Maybe unpopular but I loved being able to reserve which park we were going to each day.   It made planning so much easier for us.  We don't go very often though, I can definitely see how it'd be a real pain in the ass for locals or people who visit frequently and just want to do what they feel like at the moment.

[KBrylczyk]

On 6/4/2021 at 10:09 AM, COASTER FREAK 11 said:

It seems to me that the company is being slow and cautious on purpose. I would guess they likely don't want to have to roll back to be more restrictive, so if they go slow on the reopening, that is less likely to happen. 

I think this is the most likely cause.  If they open the floodgates and tons of people buy tickets for later this year, what happens if and when we get another wave of covid and lockdowns come back?  Then they have to deal with all of that fallout which certainly isn't fun.  This is long-term, forward-thinking damage control which, funnily enough, would have been helpful in avoiding all the restrictions and lockdowns in the first place about sixteen months ago.  That's not on Disney, though.