We recently dropped by the Magic Kingdom for a quick look around at what was new in the park before spring vacation crowds descended on the park. The park is preparing for the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World, so things are being spruced up all over.
Previously we wrote about the first changes to Cinderella Castle for 50th Anniversary and Engine No.71 now on display in the Main Street Fire Department, but there were a couple of other projects we wanted to make sure you saw.
First up is the TRON coaster. Work continues on assembling the outer shell that will cover the roller coaster track when it’s outside the showbuilding.
If you look close you can see where they’ve started removing the temporary structure that supported the white outer shell during construction.
The showbuilding itself has been sealed off from the outside world for a few months now. You can see it there behind Space Mountain, but it’s interesting how your eyes are drawn to the white of Space Mountain away from the darker color of the TRON building.
The white outside shell really looms over all of Tomorrowland and can be seen from as far away as Peter Pan’s Flight. When it’s illuminated, it should be quite a beacon from the entire east side of the Magic Kingdom.
Speaking of Peter Pan’s Flight, part of the facade is getting some TLC. It now has a nice photo-realistic wrap to hide the scaffolding. We like it when Disney does this, but it also means the construction is expected to last more than a few days.
Speaking of tarps, the Main Street USA train station is behind one. We’re still months away from even learning the opening date for TRON: Lightcycle Run. The Walt Disney World railroad is expected to return before that, but they haven’t even started laying down new tracks where they were removed for construction.
At various points in the day, Disney has been sending out Mickey Mouse and friends or other characters, like Disney Princesses, to stand up on the platform at the end of Main Street USA. Makes for a good photo op and the characters are great at interacting with guests, even at a distance.
Finally, there’s a new selfie wall at the Magic Kingdom. Head to Adventureland near the Skipper Canteen for a new mural with the Orange Bird.
It was also our first trip back to the Magic Kingdom after dusk. We tried to capture a bit of the feel of the experience in our newest Expressions video:
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Work on the TRON: Lightcycle Run roller coaster was suspended during the global health emergency and we don’t yet know what affect that will have on the projected opening date. We expect it to be pushed back until 2022 sometime.