D23 WDW Announcements

[Scottwdw]

Well, let us get this place going. Lots of new stuff coming to WDW. Not sure when besides Avatar but it's coming and none to soon for Hollywood Studios or whatever it becomes known as in the future.

Most of these had been rumored for months but nice to see official announcements. Besides Frozen coming to Norway in Epcot so is a new enhancement to Soarin' to both WDW and DL (video at the link).

Something that has been much needed is a new restaurant experience at the Magic Kingdom. I think this is going to be an instant hit just like BOG was: Jungle Navigation Co., Ltd. Skipper Canteen restaurant located in Adventureland. Want to bet everything is going to taste like chicken? Hey, Skipper, tell me the story about the backside of water again...

New information about Rivers of Light and Sunset Kilimanjaro Safaris at Animal Kingdom.

Update on Pandora – The World of AVATAR also at Animal Kingdom.

Then there is Disney's Hollywood Studios which NEEDS to start replacing all those attractions that have been closed over the last two years. Not to mention what will need to close for the new attractions announced.

First, Toy Story Land is coming. This has been long rumored once people figured out Carsland was not going to be an option. Something which is needed for young families but I hope is done better than Dinoland USA.

And last but far from least (queue the music)....STAR WARS LAND will be coming to both WDW and DL. DL was kind of a surprise. I guess we now know what the land Disney bought was for, eh?

Who's excited about the Cantinas? Bet I won't be able to bring my Droids in them. Darn!

Of course, this can not be built soon enough for DHS. This will be Disney's answer to Harry Potter and they better get it right. Though it may take a few tweaks along the way. In the meantime, Disney will add clips to Star Tours from the new movies and a place called the Star Wars Launch Bay to preview coming attractions will open to give a Star Wars Weekend like experience until we can really visit a Galaxy Far, Far Away. Even the Jedi Training Academy is getting a refresh using characters from the Star Wars Rebels series. (BTW, if you have not seen Rebels, check it out. good stuff.)

Sadly, the current people running Disney love to announce what is coming but not when. Avatar was announced four years ago. I can only hope Star Wars and Toy Story Lands will come while I can still enjoy them.

If they put in the same effort they did for Carsland, all these new attractions are going to be sensational and bring even more guests to DL and WDW. Hey, maybe it is time for that Fifth Gate in Florida. What'd say?

 

[Tim]

You hit the nail on the head with "if they put the same effort they put into cars land". Frankly, I have been disappointed and unenthused about quite a few of the recent "upgrades" that have gone into the parks in recent years. If they want to have any chance at stopping all of the momentum that Universal has built up with Harry Potter and other recent expansions, Disney needs to pull out all the stops and not just try to do things on the cheap. The new fantasyland, although very beautiful, does not hold a candle to the Harry Potter areas at Universal. Not even close. The updated country bear jamboree turned the show into a shell of what it once was. And, quite frankly, how the heck long does it take to build a parking garage at downtown Disney?

Now, with all of that said, I am very excited about Star Wars, the nighttime Safari, the rivers of light, and the jungle Cruise restaurant. Avatar I could take or leave but at least it will be keeping animal Kingdom open at night, which for years I have been saying how much I love it because it is so beautiful.

And you're absolutely correct, Hollywood studios is in desperate need for some re-imagining; it was in pretty sad shape when I was there last week. There were only five rides that were open, with an average wait time of 48 minutes apiece. To top it off, all of the shows were done by 6:30 PM even though the park was open until 10 PM. So between the end of our fast passes and the start of fantasmic, there really wasn't much to do except wait in line with a bunch of hot, sweaty, overtired kids.

 

[zackiedawg]

All sounding good - though for the short term it's going to mean an awful lot of 'Building the Future' construction walls all over the place for the next few years.

Love the Skipper's news - that's one really really sorely needed - I'm hoping for a sit-down service restaurant rather than counter-service - though I'm also wondering just where they're putting it (is it going to be the area between Jungle Cruise & POTC, or more on the Robinson side?).

Even not being a Star Wars fan, I certainly won't complain to have some proper expansion of DHS - it's sorely needed. Ever so much dead space all over that park - so though this sounds like they're expanding and building into a new area like Toy Story land, I wonder if the entire dead center studio space will be incorporated into one of these two new themed spots - they really need to do something with all those dead covered spaces!

Avatarland could really use an opening date - though there's finally signs of progress beyond the walls which you can notice if you linger atop the bridge by the entrance gate.

 

[Tim]

The skipper restaurant is going to be going in to the row of buildings between the entrance to Adventureland and the Swiss family tree house.

And yes, some time frames would certainly be nice, especially because we saw a lot of guests getting downright angry with all of the ride closures, construction walls, scheduling constraints due to fastpass+, and the ever increasing price increases. A lot of the newer guests may not see the cutbacks as much is those of us with lots of trips under our belts (monorails closing at 1130pm when the park is open til 2???) but it's becoming very obvious that a major overhaul is needed both in the parks and in senior management.

 

[jbwolffiv]

I am right there with ya on all this! Very excited to hear all of it, especially the Star Wars Land, as that had been rumored for WAY too long now. So now that we have all these official announcements from D23, how about some time frames for these things. I have a birthday next month and will be 45, but i expect that I will be into my 50's when I finally get to see these new lands (with the exception of Pandora, yet that announcement is now going on 4 years old).

On a side note, we need to pay attention to the Skipper Resaurant, as they said opening later this year, maybe we can get in during Pixelmania, which would be a hoot!

 

[Scottwdw]

Tim is correct on the location of the Skipper restaurant. I heard it might be a hybrid restaurant. Counter service for lunch, sit down at night. Though that didn't work out so well for BOG. I also heard there is going to be a "secret" room for SEA. We'll see soon! At least this place will be open late this year or early next.

I agree...how long does it take to build some of these places? DTD must need a LOT of infrastructure or something. I was hoping the new Indy Bar would be open by now. My daughter says she saw CMs training there recently. Didn't take the Boathouse long to get up and running.

 

[RedOctober25]

As for the big expansions, I wouldn't be surprised if it were sometime between 2019 and 2021 (with 2021 being the 50th anniversary). Saw on another board that put things into a bit of perspective on Disney delays. In the time that Disney built the Seven Dwarves Mine train (announcement to finish) Universal built the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. One ride versus a land. Makes one wonder. And look how long Pandora is taking, with opening projections being 2017 at the earliest.

That being said, I really hope the Hanger Bar and Skipper Canteen are open by pixelmania. Ideally I would love Skipper Canteen to be a table service as they could really play around with the service. Make it into a combination of 50's Primetime and Whispering Canyon. Bad jokes all around. Brussel Sprouts as shrunken heads anyone?