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New Fastpass Invades Magic Kingdom, Are You Ready for Next Gen?

We’re really beginning to see the fruits of Disney’s $2 billion investment in integrating technology into the way guests experience their theme parks. According to Bob Iger one of the big changes will be how much of their vacation families will be able to make schedule from home. Instead of just dining, you’ll soon be able to schedule rides, parade viewing, show seating, and more. The first step in that is integrating a new type of RFID based Fastpass into the parks.

Magic Kingdom is ground zero for the beta-test for this advanced version of Fastpass. During the test select Disney World hotel guests are given the opportunity to schedule 4 rides a day using this new pass. Since it’s RFID, you carry around a unique identifier and the computer knows who you are, a few personal items (if it’s your birthday, anniversary, etc), and what your reservations are. If you forget the latter, you can swipe your card at a terminal and it will let you know what you next reservation is for. Eventually you’ll be able to change your Fastpass reservations at that terminal or even via your mobile device.

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Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom Game Implements Guest Restrictions

Update: In discussing this with someone involved with SotMK, the real restriction is that you can no longer advance beyond the level you are playing. So if you are currently working Medium or Hard levels, you can continue to play that, but once you’re done,… Read More »Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom Game Implements Guest Restrictions

All the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom Cards, including variants

I admit that I have a new obsession at the Magic Kingdom. It’s the interactive card based game called Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom and I can’t stop myself from playing it. One day we’ll play my son’s cards and the next day we’ll play… Read More »All the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom Cards, including variants

A Special Preview of the “Be Our Guest” Restaurant in New Fantasyland

Conceived to help alleviate some of the stress on Cinderella’s Royal Table, the Be Our Guest restaurant will transport guests into the world of Beauty & The Beast, one of Walt Disney Animation’s most loved movies. In this video, provided by WDI, Senior Concept Designer… Read More »A Special Preview of the “Be Our Guest” Restaurant in New Fantasyland

Magic Kingdom Update – Rolling in the Park (Part 3)

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.

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Fastpass Changes Coming to Walt Disney World

Let me start with a full disclosure. I would be perfectly happy if FastPass went away tomorrow. On the whole I think it is a bad thing for the parks. Here’s a short list of FastPass’ problems as I see it: it artificially inflates wait time for rides with high-throughput, creates unhappy guests, and crowds the open spaces of the parks effectively lowering park capacity. It never really drove in-store sales and increased dining revenue the way it was originally intended too either.

What FastPass does do is effectively create an elite class of theme park attendees. Those who know how to maximize their day in the park by efficiently using FastPass have a very different experience in the parks than those who wait in every standby queue. Keep this point in mind. We’ll be coming back to it.

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Lawsuit Accusing SeaWorld of Enslaving Killer Whales Dismissed

As we reported earlier this week, PETA had filed a lawsuit accusing SeaWorld’s Orlando and San Diego parks of treating its killer whales as slaves. We felt the lawsuit was ridiculous on its face. SeaWorld officials called the lawsuit frivolous. Now a Federal Court has… Read More »Lawsuit Accusing SeaWorld of Enslaving Killer Whales Dismissed

Amazing Fan Tribute to Star Tours

There are fan tributes and there are fan tributes. This amazing video celebrates the 25th Anniversary of Star Tours better than any other tribute I’ve seen, which is saying a lot. “Star Tours Origins (ST-45 Project)” is not an exact recreation of that ride, but… Read More »Amazing Fan Tribute to Star Tours