Minutes ago, we shared an exciting announcement many of you have been waiting to hear – Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is opening ahead of schedule on May 31 at Disneyland Resort in Southern California and August 29 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in
— Read on disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2019/03/star-wars-galaxys-edge-to-open-may-31-at-disneyland-resort-august-29-at-disneys-hollywood-studios/
The Mature Mouse™ has not had the opportunity to publish original content over the past few months. However, I have tried to share with you new, valid, news concerning Walt Disney World, and occasionally Disneyland. Although nothing has yet been planned, The Mature Mouse™ is considering a west coast trip in 2020. I was only 12 the last time I was in Disneyland; it is time to go back to Walt’s original theme park.
Thank you for sticking with me. There will be more original conect forthcoming.
As many of you know, we’ve got BIG plans for our multi-year transformation of Epcot, with new experiences that’ll “Wow!” guests while keeping true to the original vision of the park. Today, we’re excited to share even more of what’s to come.
The ongoing evolution of Epcot includes plans for a play pavilion that’ll be unlike anything you’ve ever seen at the park. This new space will be devoted to playful fun and feature an innovative city that’ll come to life under the dome of the un-named pavilion previously known as Wonders of Life. The pavilion’s city will be bursting with interactive experiences, your favorite Disney characters, hands-on activities and engaging entertainment when it opens just in time for the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World Resort!
“This innovative, new pavilion is beyond anything we’ve ever created and is completely unique to Epcot,” said Zach Riddley, portfolio executive, Walt Disney Imagineering. “Built on the power of play, it introduces an immersive and interactive ‘city’ where you can explore, create, and interact with some of your favorite Disney characters. This is an experience worthy of our bold vision for Epcot – and another signature element of our transformation.”
There will also be exciting changes to the way you come and go at Epcot! As you can see above, changes are coming to the Epcot main entrance, where the plaza will welcome guests with new pathways, sweeping green spaces and a newly reimagined fountain. This new design will pay homage to the original park entrance with fresh takes on classic elements.
As part of the new entry experience, Leave A Legacy photos will be moving into a beautiful setting just outside the park’s gateway. Additional significant redevelopment will begin between Spaceship Earth attraction and the World Showcase Promenade. More details about the transformation of this area will be announced at a later date.
And if you’re as excited as we are about these upcoming projects, you’ll soon be able to look into the future with us at a new Experience Center coming to Epcot later this year. The Experience Center will be located in the Odyssey Events Pavilion and feature interactive exhibits to help visualize park projects throughout this unprecedented period of transformation.
Here are some of the other exciting Epcot experiences we’ve shared:
Keep checking the Disney Parks Blog for more updates on the continuing transformation of Epcot.
Below is the announcement as it appear on the Disney Parks Blog.
Wed, January 2, 2019
By Jeremy Schoolfield, Managing Editor, Walt Disney World Resort Public Relations
If you’re a foodie at heart, then Walt Disney World Resort is the place for you. With a multitude of culinary experiences to explore across the resort, there’s something for every palate.
That’s why we’re happy to share news about a “Free Dine Offer.” Starting today, if you book a non-discounted five-night/six-day Walt Disney Travel Co. package that includes a room at a select Disney Resort Hotel and a ticket with a Park Hopper Option or Park Hopper Plus Option* through Feb. 10, 2019, for arrivals most nights from July 5 to Sept. 30, 2019, you’ll receive a dining plan for free! Packages of other lengths of stay may also be available.
The Disney Dining Plan provides flexibility and convenience, offering prepaid meals and snacks when you dine at Walt Disney World resort hotels, theme parks and select locations at Disney Springs.
The package includes a room at a select Walt Disney World resort hotel and tickets with Park Hopper Option.* Packages of other lengths of stay may also be available.
Guests staying at select Value and Moderate Resorts receive the Disney Quick Service Plan, which includes two quick-service meals and two select snacks per night honored at more than 100 dining locations.
Guests staying at select Deluxe and Deluxe Villa Resorts receive the Disney Dining Plan, which includes one quick-service meal, one table-service meal and two select snacks per night. Meals are available at over 200 select Walt Disney World dining locations.
If you’re still recovering from the holidays, make it easy and book online from the comfort of home. You can also make reservations by calling 407-W-Disney or contacting your travel agent. To learn more about this great Disney Resorts offer, click here.
*The number of rooms allocated for this offer is limited. Tickets valid for admission beginning date of check-in and must be used within a limited period of time, depending on length of stay and ticket. Minimum 4-night length of stay. Minimum 4-day Theme Park tickets with Park Hopper or Park Hopper Plus option. Visit disneyworld.com/usage for more details. Cannot be combined with any other discount or promotion. Advance reservations required. Offer excludes the following room types: campsites, 3-bedroom Grand Villas, Cabins at Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Bungalows at Polynesian Villas and Bungalows and Disney’s Art of Animation Resort—The Little Mermaid standard rooms. Dining plan excludes gratuities. Children ages 3–9 must order from children’s menu, if available. Some Table-Service restaurants may have limited or no availability at time of package purchase.
by Jeremy Schoolfield, Managing Editor, Walt Disney World Resort Public Relations
As we turn our calendars to 2019, our thoughts turn to new year’s resolutions. Now, more than ever is the time to get away from it all and spend time with friends and family, making memories that last a lifetime.
A visit to Walt Disney World Resort is the perfect place to make these resolutions turn into reality, and special 4-Park Magic Tickets will help you experience the new fun and excitement heading to all four theme parks this coming year.
Starting Jan. 18, 2019, you can purchase 4-Park Magic Value Ticket for $85 per day, plus tax (total price $340, plus tax) that include one day of admission to Magic Kingdom Park, one day of admission to Epcot, one day of admission to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and one day of admission to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, for a total of four admissions over four separate days*. The 4-Park Magic Value Ticket is valid for admission Jan. 18 – March 1, 2019, and must be used within seven days of first use or by March 1, 2019, whichever comes first.
Two additional types of 4-Park Magic Tickets will also be available at higher price points and may be used on various dates through Sept. 30, 2019. For more information about the 4-Park Magic Tickets, visit Disneyworld.com/parkmagic.
2019 will be a fantastic year to visit Walt Disney World, with new shows, parties, character experiences and more debuting at all four theme parks, starting Jan. 18:
*One theme park per day and the tickets can be used to enter each theme park only once. Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable and exclude activities/events separately priced. Higher-priced tickets are valid for use on dates with a lower price. For more information about the 4-Park Magic Tickets, visit Disneyworld.com/parkmagic.
The Mature Mouse™️ is concerned about the news regarding the lack of air conditioning on these gondolas. A special venting system, along with tinted windows, does not seem enough relief from the intense Florida sun. I hope I am wrong.
Earlier this week, we shared the exciting update that our new Disney Skyliner gondola system will be operating at the Walt Disney World Resort in fall of 2019. Today, we’ve got more to share – a first look at one of the actual gondolas!
Disney Parks, Experiences and Consumer Products Chairman Bob Chapek unveiled the gondola to Disney fans during D23’s Destination D: Celebrating Mickey Mouse event. And as you can see, Disney Skyliner will be fun and offer a new way to experience Walt Disney World Resort with amazing views only available from the sky.
Follow this link to a short YouTube video: https://youtu.be/lgwa65BSmJM
Once operating, the gondola system will connect Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot to four resort hotels- Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort and Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort as well as the proposed 15th Disney Vacation Club property, Disney’s Riviera Resort.
And select gondolas will have iconic Disney characters incorporated into their exterior design to give the appearance that a Disney pal is riding along with guests, such as characters from the ‘Fab Five,’ figures from Disney attractions, fan favorites from movies, and more.
Mickey Mouse made his debut on November 18, 1928, in the first animation synchronized to music and sound effects, Steamboat Willie. Thank you, Walt Disney, for sharing your imagination with the world.
Officials from Walt Disney World Resort has revealed more details about its upcoming attraction, the Disney Skyliner.
According to the Disney Parks blog, the construction of the much-anticipated gondola system is “making progress,” but the theme park has yet to announce an opening date.
The Disney Skyliner will connect Hollywood Studios and Epcot to four nearby resort hotels, including the Art of Animation Resort, Pop Century Resort, Caribbean Beach Resort and the upcoming Riviera Resort.
The construction process for the Disney Skyliner includes building loading stations that complement their surroundings, erecting support towers around the resort and laying the groundwork for the gondolas’ reinforced cables.
To provide Disney guests an insight on the Skyliner system, the theme park released a video of artist renderings showing the attraction and facts about the upcoming ride:
by Jennifer Fickley-Baker, Editorial Content Manager, Walt Disney World Resort
Did you know that the Haunted Mansion’s cemetery queue contains hidden references characters who were created for the attraction, but cut before the final version? That’s the topic our Imagineers look into in today’s celebration of the Haunted Mansion at Magic Kingdom Park.
One such character guests can spot as they travel through the queue is a mysterious one-eyed cat, who was intended to appear in the attraction and would’ve been a figure the Ghost Host would warn you about as you traveled through the mansion.
Another is Sea Captain Culpepper Clyne, whose tomb you can find inside the cemetery, is a nod to an affect and a character originally created for the attraction by Disney Legends Rolly Crump and Yale Gracey years ago. In that version of the attraction, guests would encounter a sea captain just before a spooky ghost would materialize nearby.
Both the one-eyed cat and Sea Captain Culpepper Clyne were cut before the final version of the attraction took shape.
Check out the video above, in which Imagineers Steve Vagnini and Daniel Joseph share all the details!
On October 1, 1971, the Walt Disney World Resort officially opened, including Magic Kingdom Park, Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Polynesian Resort and Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. – Disney Parks Blog
The Mature Mouse™ first visited Walt Disney Word during the summer of 1972. It took 42 years before I would make my way back home. Walt Disney World is in the throes of change, with major additions and modifications set to open by and after the 50th Anniversary in 2021. Are you looking forward to all the changes coming to Walt Disney World?
Walt Disney: Here in Florida, we have something special we never enjoyed at Disneyland: the blessing of size. There’s enough land here to hold all of the ideas and plans we can possibly imagine.
How do you stay connected to the Magic of Disney Parks in between your trips home? One Disneyland fan has recreated elements from the park in his basement.
The Mature Mouse™ 