Magic Kingdom Photo Update - making progress to New Fantasyland opening (Part 1)

Have a long update from our visit to the Magic Kingdom this weekend. So long it’s going to take at least two posts (Update: here’s part two) to get it all in. Nearly every pic has a larger version if you click on it to help you see the detail since some of the photos are taken from a distance due to construction walls and what not.

There are still many tarps and bridges under construction around the park. I didn’t take new photos of Main Street or Adventureland, but there is still work under way in both locations.

Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom was option for play testing again today. They continue to refine the check-in process. Remember to bring your Sorcerer’s Key along with your deck. You an ask for five cards for every member with a valid admission, but they default to just give you five cards per party. While it’s still only on the ‘easy’ level, if you have a 4-10 year old this is a lot of fun. For older kids (adults too) it’s a great collectible. Addicting, really.

The good news is that the Firefighter patches have been returned to the FireHouse.

The original Dumbo location is now a pile of rubble. Lots to see in the background. We’ll take a closer look later.

Don’t get too many of these shots of demolition in progress. So I had to include it.

The tent is almost done for Dumbo’s interactive queue area. But they still have some camouflaging to do on the backside. “Go-Away Green” just ain’t going to cut it here. Too much of this is ‘on stage’.

You’ll get a great view of the backside of Dumbo from the Speedway.

Here you see that they’ve already started adding the mechanical parts of the second Dumbo spinner. That’s pretty exciting and could put them on a pace to have both spinners open this spring.

Lots of ‘placemaking’ going on already too. Work is progressing here, another sign that they Spring 2012 deadline is doable.

Even the Great Goofini has been spotted testing recently.

Work on the Fantasyland Station looks like it’s made a lot of progress. Scaffolding is down and a lot of final detail work is going on. Parts of Storybook Circus are scheduled to open in Spring 2012. At this point it looks like it will be the Fantasyland Train Station, The Great Goofini, and at least one of the new Dumbo spinners. It may be late spring, but it looks like they’ll meet that goal.

Jumping over to the other side of Fantasyland for a bit. You can see the Haunted Mansion popping up through the thinned foliage.

Still a lot of land moving to do here, but the good news is they appear to be attempting to save the clock tower from the old Fantasyland Skyway Station. That will make a great remnant.