It’s been a tough year for theme parks, and Walt Disney World is by no means the exception. With the talk of numbers and massive losses from Disney’s shareholder meeting this week, the financial impact of WDW’s extended closure is staggering. However, there wasn’t any information on how WDW is picking up the pieces and moving forward. While we all know that budget cuts, project postponements, and cancellations are on the way, Disney hasn’t outlined those plans for shareholders yet.
In the meantime, we’ve got an assortment of news and photos for this week’s WDW update; including a new baby at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, an attraction “oopsie”, and some beautiful rainy day photos at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Sinking Mountain
Say what?! You’ve probably seen this photo making the rounds on social media. One of Splash Mountain’s logs started taking on water and then sunk! It all happened towards the end of the ride, near the showboat and Brer Rabbit’s home scene.
Understandably, the five guests aboard the log flume exited the vehicle once they discovered it was sinking. Once they stepped out, the log sank even more. Apparently, after exiting the log, a Cast Member told them they should have stayed in the vehicle for their safety. Hard to blame the guests on this one. . .
What is it with Walt Disney World and sinking boats? Remember when a Jungle Cruise boat started sinking back in February? Hopefully, WDW is reviewing its maintenance procedures before someone gets hurt.
Circle of Life
On July 25th, a baby mandrill was born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom (The Lion King’s Rafiki is a mandrill)! The new mama and baby are doing well, and are already forming a very close bond. So close, that the Animal Care Team hasn’t been able to decipher the little one’s gender just yet, as mom is holding the baby close to her belly!
You just might spot mama (Scarlet) and baby (unnamed for now!) on Kilimanjaro Safaris, as they’ve already started making brief appearances within their safari habitat.
Speaking of Animal Kingdom… did you hear about the new program coming to Disney+?
Ever wonder what it’s like to prepare an elephant’s diet? Or just how dolphin check-ups are conducted? …And could we maybe we see more of that adorable baby Mandrill? You’ll find out all this, and more, in the all-new series Magic of Disney’s Animal Kingdom debuting this fall! We’ll get a behind-the-scenes look into the daily operations from Disney’s animal care teams at Disney’s Animal Kingdom park and EPCOT’s The Seas with Nemo & Friends. Seems like a great fit for animal lovers and park enthusiasts alike.
A Peek at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
This week, we stopped by Hollywood Studios in search of the new “The Child” ragdoll-like plush, exclusive to the Toydarian Toymaker stall in Galaxy’s Edge. Unfortunately, those new cuties were already sold out! We did end up finding new Mandalorian merch in the park… but more on that later!
In the meantime, come along for a quick and rainy jaunt through an almost empty park!
Due to it being later in the afternoon, along with some rain showers, there are few guests in sight.
Overall, wait times weren’t too bad. Even those that were posted at 20-30 minutes were probably still a walk-on. Slinky Dog Dash, the park’s only outside ride, was closed due to the rain:
Looking down Sunset Boulevard…
The scrim is finally gone from the top of Legends of Hollywood, but I don’t think we’ll see new neon signage installed for a while.
Smaller crowds gather around the Chinese Theater for the newest attraction, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. The queue begins on the right side, outside the theater:
Let’s head back to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge! On our way, we’ll take in some more empty views…
Moving onto Grand Avenue… we finally found more people! Looks like everyone is entering/exiting Galaxy’s Edge for their Rise of the Resistance experience.
While Grand Avenue seems busier, there isn’t much action in Muppets Courtyard:
Heading into Batuu…
Based on the traffic along Grand Avenue, the area just outside Rise of the Resistance is comparatively empty.
Looking deeper into Batuu; more dead zones.
No one was using the Relaxation Station.
The Black Spire Outpost Marketplace is operating with one-way traffic, and only one party is allowed at each shopping stall at a time.
We finally made our way back to Toydarian Toymaker – home of some of the cutest Star Wars toys.
Sadly, The Child could not be found. For reference, here’s what we were looking for:
Hopefully those babies are back in stock on our next visit!
These wooden toys are always down for a good time…
Looks like one Boba Fett had a little too much fun…
Galaxy’s Edge is so much better with no crowds.
Passholder Perks
There are a couple of things on the way. First, passholders will be sent a Tinker Bell magnet. It looks like this:
This next one will upset you Disneyland passholders . . . WDW Passholders will receive 30% off select shopDisney.com purchases through August 14, 2020. Passholders can also take advantage of 30% off select merchandise purchases at Walt Disney World Resort owned and operated merchandise locations now through the 14th as well.
More Magical Merchandise
What do Starbucks Coffee, basketball and The Child all have in common? They are all featured on new merchandise collections at WDW . . .
Over at World of Disney, you can find some new Starbucks Disney Parks mugs, these designs can only be found on the to-go ceramic coffee cups:
This new apparel collection promotes the West Side’s NBA Experience:
While stopping by Disney’s Hollywood Studios, more of The [adorable] Child can be found via plushes, toys, apparel and now… hats! While I wasn’t able to find The Child in Galaxy’s Edge, these goods can be found at Mickey’s of Hollywood:
Heading Out
As you can see, we had absolutely no issue keeping our distance during our park visit. And for the most part, everyone was wearing masks; I only saw one or two kids with their masks below their noses. I stand by my recommendation to visit the parks in the afternoons and skip the much busier mornings if you can. Bonus points if a rain shower washes out crowds.
As we’re heading out… a sign for SOUL can be seen in the Hollywood Studios parking lot. The latest from Disney & Pixar is set to premiere in theaters on November 22nd. Will this actually make it to a theatrical release, or is it on its way to Disney+ Premier Access like Mulan?
Let Us Help
Theme parks are reopening, and whether you are ready to travel yet or not, there’s no better time to lock in low rates on future travel. But waiting on hold and not knowing what questions to ask isn’t the magical part of a vacation. That’s why MiceChat has partnered with Get Away Today to handle all the difficult stuff for you . . . all for no extra cost. That’s right, they do all the work and it doesn’t cost you extra.
Our travel partners at Get Away Today are here to help you with your theme park booking and rescheduling plans. We know you’re as uncertain about the future as we are. That’s why Get Away Today is offering the most flexible Disney travel options available. Ask about:
Price Protection – If a better special comes out after you have booked, you’ll get the better deal.
Peace of Mind – Make hotel changes, reschedule dates, drop nights, change ticket vouchers and more, as many times as you’d like for a small, one-time fee.
Layaway Plan – Lock in your 2020 or 2021 Walt Disney World Resort vacation for just $175 down. By booking early, you secure your availability and have the flexibility to pay as you go. Make as many interest-free payments as you’d like, whenever you’d like, with final payment due just seven days prior to travel.
Give your family something to look forward to:
- Visit Get Away Today HERE
- We are expecting high call volume as Disney resumes hotel bookings and tickets sales. So, please fill out our request form and a vacation advisor will call you back: Vacation Information Request Form HERE
Let’s Hear From You
Well, that just about covers it for this week! Did that Splash Mountain log give you that sinking feeling? Will you be picking up one of The Child dolls? Any name suggestions for the newborn mandrill? Like the new mug artwork? Share your thoughts in the comments below.