Reports from the Swamp

I’ve been working on gathering the details for this morning’s post for a year now. Lot’s of exciting changes have been confirmed as coming to Walt Disney World, but I didn’t want to post it until the time was right. So hang on to those hats and glasses, this here’s the wildest ride in the blogosphere.

Let’s start with the Magic Kingdom. Guests who take the express monorail have no doubt noticed a some construction going on down by Bay Lake outside the train tracks. Well, I can confirm that this is the ground breaking for a new east coast version of ‘Indiana Jones Adventure’  complete with those jeeps, to be a tie-in with the next chapter in the movie saga. That’s not all that’s coming to Disneyland East from it’s older brother, Club 33 will open a branch in the soon to be remodeled Plaza Cafe. This will provide a perfect location for the fireworks and castle shows.

EPCOT, as has been rumored for years, will finally get its new country. Get ready to travel to Turkey. A Turkish coffee house will be a new dining option. A  ‘movie’ will be the central attraction and will show how the country that bridges Europe and the middle east is coming into the modern era. Look for buildings to start going up next to Germany. Too many movies you say. So does Disney. That’s why the France pavilion will lose their movie and replace it with a Ratatouille Roller Coaster.

Future World will get a ‘green’ make over. Each of the main buildings will be replaced with new structures made to maximize the power of the sun. Innoventions will stay, but the Odyssey building will go and a new pavilion will rise up as a dedicated HQ for EPCOT’s successful twice yearly festivals. Speaking of replacements, the two little shops on the edge of the World Showcase are going away. The buildings will become two story pyramid like structures with special reserved seating for Illuminations on the second stories.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will finally get that new land everyone has been asking for… um, not Beastly Kingdom, that ship has sailed. But Australia will open with a land and sea theme. Think a miniature SeaWorld with Disney storytelling behind it. Oh, and the Crush coaster from Paris Disneyland resort. This will connect the land around Asia and Expedition Everest all the way back to the old Conservation Station. Like the train? Go for a ride soon, that will disappear as walking to Rafiki’s Planet Watch will now be available.

My favorite piece of news is that Disney’s Hollywood Studio will get a whole land dedicated to the Star Wars universe. The center piece will be a new stunt show that replaces the Indiana Jones stunt show. Think Storm Troopers and the first three movies (not chronologically, but story wise). There will also be a new Star Wars Cantina themed eatery. Also look for some parking lots to be closed and new ones created as the main entrance will shift slightly to make way for phase two of Star Wars land.

Pixar Land is on the way too, but it depends on the success of Cars Land at California Adventure. If everything works, say good bye to the the Back lot tour and hello to Lightning McQueen.

Finally, the biggest announcement of all is that Adventurer’s Club will be returning to Downtown Disney. They weren’t able to make the old Pleasure Island area work with new tenants, so Disney is going to rush to fill in with the Comedy Club and Adventurer’s Club.

If this sounds like a dream come true, look at the calendar and tell me it is.