No, it’s not a description of the latest political climate, it’s my short summary of the latest update from my walk in the Magic Kingdom on Sunday. My time in the kingdom was short, but I managed to sneak around Storybook Circus, New Fantasyland Expansion,… Read More »Magic Kingdom Photo Update – Change, Hope, and Dumbo
Trying something new for the Magic Kingdom update this week. I’ve put an album of photos up over on The Disney Blog’s Google+ page. Anyone can view it. If you’re logged in, feel free to share it as well. This week we have Princess Merida’s… Read More »Magic Kingdom Update – Princess Merida, New Fantasyland and more
Took a stroll through the Magic Kingdom over the weekend and discovered that things are really in high gear throughout most of the new Fantasyland expansion project. Here are photos with some of the highlights (all the photos have larger versions if you click on them).
Work is in high gear to get the Casey Jr Soak Zone ready for the summer. Since I took this photo they’ve added even more, including many of the circus animals that will double as water fountains. Also note the landscaping and work on the red tent. Apparently the red-tent will be a meet and greet area featuring Donald, Chip & Dale, Goofy, and similar classic characters..
Although the Dumbo ‘tent’ was once all beautifully painted, they’ve stripped off that finish and started new work on the exterior.
Read More »New Fantasyland Update – Magic Kingdom Expansion Progress
Time marches on and summer is almost here. That means it’s time for another photo update from the Magic Kingdom. Disney continues making real progress toward opening the rest of Storybook Circus and, hopefully, parts of Fairytale Forest (of whatever they’re calling the new section these days).
It’s a long update today, so let’s get right to it, then, shall we. The Bakery facade remains shrouded along with two buildings in Town Square. I’m glad they’re doing the facade refurbishments, but it has been taking a long time.
Rapunzel is now doing meet & greets next to Town Hall. Her old place near Fantasyland is being converted for the Scottish Princess Merida. I think they should have had a cage match with the winner earning the best location.
Let’s continue our nice stroll around the Magic Kingdom that we began in part 1. Work continues around the park as they race to get ready for the summer travel season.
As I mentioned in part I, The Little Mermaid attraction is ready to go on the inside, they’re just working on the queue and rock work now. And it looks like much of the rest of New Fantasyland will be soft opening in fall of 2012.
Roofing is going on and a nice tutor look for this building in Gaston’s Village.
They’re now working on extending this wall across the old location of Dumbo. We should see vertical work over the wall soon.
Read More »Magic Kingdom Update – Part 2 – New Fantasyland and More
With Part three, we’ve reached the end of this week’s Magic Kingdom update. See part one and part two if you missed them. But there was some breaking news today about New Fantasyland that will help fill up our calendar over the coming months.
First Disney World announced the closing date for Snow White’s Scary Adventures in Fantasyland. May 31st is the final day to ride this 1971 original attraction. It will be replaced later this year with “The Princess Fairy Tale Hall.” Snow White will still have a presence in the park when the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train opens in late 2013 or early 2014. I’m very sad to see the dark ride go, particularly to make way for a meet and greet, but I am excited about the new roller coaster.
Another major timeline update was released today. The plan has always been to open New Fantasyland in stages, even Storybook Circus will open in stages. But now we know that late in March 2012 Storybook Circus will open with one of the two new spinners at Dumbo, the Great Goofini (formerly Goofy’s Barnstormer) and the Fantasyland Train Station. This should help with the flow around Fantasyland and add some much needed kid friendly attractions back into the mix at the Magic Kingdom as summer approaches.
Notice the trees. These new skinny trees replaced the more round ones that have been there for at last 8 years. It’s definitely a different aesthetic, doesn’t look as ‘home town’ as I would hope.
Facade work is still going on here and on the Main Street Bakery.
Read More »Magic Kingdom Update – Rolling in the Park (Part 3)
We’ve started our tour of the Magic Kingdom in part one of this photo update, but today we get to see even more. Let’s get right to it.
Yeah, so this still happens. When is WDW going to do something with all these bricks? They’re starting to age poorly. Might be time to gear up for a 50th anniversary effort to replace the bricks with new ones… with RFID chips in them so you can find your brick by pointing your phone at it.
Click to embiggen. Not too much more demolished here, except for one unfortunate change.
Read More »Magic Kingdom Update – Rolling in the Park (Part Two)
Have a long photo update from Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World this week. At least two parts, possibly three. So let’s get right to it.
Click to Embiggen. Cinderella Castle is looking particularly lovely after the holiday lights have been removed and some touch up done. But what really has my attention is in the lower right corner.
Click to Embiggen. The serpent is in extra fine form. Love how the blue flowers make that water effect. Trivia Question: At what resort in Orlando can you find another Disney serpent?
Read More »Magic Kingdom Update – Rolling Through The Park (Part 1)