The addition of Frozen to the Norway Pavilion was officially announced in September of 2014. As was detailed then, the Maelstrom ride has been removed and a new attraction will be installed there. Unannounced at the time was plans for moving the Anna & Elsa… Read More »Expanded Frozen area detailed for EPCOT’s Norway Pavilion
Foxx Fur, whose Passport to Dreams blog I return to time and time again for her detailed dissections of Disney’s theme park & resort design, is out with a wrap up of how good (or bad) 2014 was for Disney’s domestic theme parks. Okay, technically, the full reviews ended in 2011. Foxx Fur just hasn’t had the heart to continue them since then, too depressing. Instead this year, we get a take down of epic proportions on three huge mistakes Disney made in 2014.
To be fair, there is some good stuff to be happy about in 2014, New Fantasyland finally opened its final attraction “The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train” and it is a charming dark ride (albeit with some unforgivable errors at the end) and the Magic Kingdom also got a parade it deserves in “Festival of Fantasy.”
But three major changes are pretty much unforgivable from the author’s perspective.
I haven’t been to Disneyland in much too long. When I was last there, you could still visit Walt Disney’s un-used apartment above New Orleans Square. It was great having that previously private space open to guests, even if it was as a store. When it became the Dream Suite, that space was lost to guests. I knew that the expansion of Club 33 in 2014 cost guests another space (the Court of Angels), but I didn’t realize how badly it mangled Walt Disney’s vision of New Orleans Square destroying perspective and genericizing facades that were previously some of the best examples of Imagineering in any of the parks. Read More »Passport to Dreams Annual Disney Parks review is a must-read
from Instagram: Chocolate Macaron ice cream sandwich from Les Artisans des Glace in EPCOT’s France pavilion. One of my favorite new treats.
In just a few days, one of Disney’s oldest and most cherished holiday traditions will return to EPCOT in the Candlelight Processional. The show involves the retelling of the Christmas story by a celebrity narrator accompanied on stage by a 50-piece orchestra, and a glorious… Read More »EPCOT Candlelight Processional Narrators for 2014
EPCOT’s 2014 holidays around the world celebration doesn’t officially kick off for a few more days. I’m looking forward to trying the new food items and the return of many of my old favorites, such as the Voices of Liberty singing Christmas carols in the… Read More »EPCOT 2014 Holidays Around the World preview
Winter isn’t even technically here, but already I can smell the faint aroma of fresh flowers and giant topiary. It will all snap into place on March 4-May 17, 2015 as EPCOT blooms with a fresh take on lush gardens, inspired flavors and lively entertainment during the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. At 75-days, the festival is nearly as long as Spring itself.
This year there will be new Disney character topiary, including a nod to the blockbuster animated film, “Frozen,” which will offer colorful #selfie and family photo ops. Outdoor Kitchens will serve a fresh take on sweet and savory noshes. And guests can get “hands-on” with festival fun during Disney-led gardening seminars.
More details are below the jump:Read More »Spring Will Bring 75-day International Flower & Garden Festival to EPCOT
There’s a lot of talk about a major upgrade coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom is getting a whole land based on James Cameron’s Avatar. Both big projects that will help Disney stay relevant for another generation. But there are some smaller projects Disney could implement on a shorter timescale that would also have a big Impact.
1. Night time parade at the Magic Kingdom – With “Festival of Fantasy,” the Magic Kingdom finally has a modern day parade, now it’s time to re-light the night. It’s time to ditch the 70s era tech of the Electrical Parade and paint the street and sky with a parade as-yet unseen in the states. There are a couple candidates out there in Asian parks, but I’d also be happy to see something original.
2. Rivers of America – First, Disney needs to bring back more boats to the river, something like a steamboat from “The Princess and the Frog” would do nicely. Then they need to upgrade existing show scenes and add more to make a cohesive story. Ideally, the River would transform at night into a dinner or dessert cruise with a Jazz Band aboard the new ship.
3. Conservation station/ Rafiki’s Planet Watch – Update the animal care message, include more success stories (Disney has a ton of them), remove train and add more up close animal encounters with new-to-the-park animals. I suggest animals from Polynesia / Australia to capitalize on upcoming movies and Finding Nemo.Read More »7 Walt Disney World Upgrades I would like to see.
If you’re already missing the fantastic tastes and treats of the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival, then you’ll be happy to hear that the park is adding more tasty treats for its Christmas Season. The event, which runs from November 28 through December 30, doesn’t… Read More »EPCOT offers new food treats to go with its Holiday activities