We have a Walt Disney World update for you filled with Christmas treats, but there’s also a bit of a holiday trick as well. Today, we’ll look at EPCOT’s upcoming coaster, holiday TV special taping, special events, Animal Kingdom’s clever Christmas decorations, and the confirmation of increased crowding in the parks.
Sneak Peek at EPCOT’s Newest Coaster
Last week, Imagineer Zach Riddly shared the first look at the ride vehicle for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind – EPCOT’s first roller coaster!
View this post on Instagram
“Here is an exclusive sneak peek of two of our ride engineers as they prep some of EPCOT’s Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind vehicles at our warehouse in Florida. If you look closely at the colorful paint design on the vehicles (called coaches in roller coaster engineering parlance), each one is unique with different wear patterns and impact marks. Imagineers were inspired by markings that appear on NASA Space Shuttles and other spacecraft upon reentry into Earth’s atmosphere. We can’t wait to share more on this truly out-of-this-world, awesome attraction as we make progress on construction and put these coaches on the track!”
Disney has said this one-of-a-kind attraction will be one of the world’s longest enclosed roller coasters, featuring a “reverse launch into space” and 360-degree movement. There’s been no official word if this or TRON Lightcycle / Run at Magic Kingdom are in fact delayed from their original 2021 opening, but we have a funny feeling an announcement is imminent.
D23 Fantastic Worlds Virtual Event
Since the Destination D: Fantastic Worlds event (originally to be held at Walt Disney World) was delayed due to health concerns, D23 has turned it into 5 days of virtual content!
Read all about it in the article below!
Disney D23 Virtual Event – Fantastic Worlds – Disney Parks, Walt Disney Animation and More!
“Holiday Magic Quest” Filmed at Magic Kingdom Coming to Disney Channel
Families and Disney Channel fans… set your calendars for this must-watch! To kick off the holiday season, Disney Channel will present Disney Holiday Magic Quest — a one-hour high-stakes challenge navigating through Magic Kingdom — on Friday, December 4th at 8PM EST/PST.
The holiday adventure competition will be virtually hosted by Raven-Symoné, and stars Milo Manheim, Kylee Russell, Ariel Martin, and Pearce Joza from Disney Channel’s ZOMBIES 2.
Filming within Magic Kingdom concluded this week, well after park closing.
Fill-er Up . . . Increased Park Capacity
During yesterday’s quarterly earnings report, Disney CEO Bob Chapek confirmed the Orlando parks’ daily limited capacity has increased from 25% to 35%. It’s unclear when the 10% increase exactly took place, but we have definitely noticed the parks getting busier. We’re also seeing attraction and operational changes to safely accommodate those additional guests, such as adding plexiglass to Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance’s pre-shows and ride vehicles.
While guests weren’t made aware of the capacity increase, it’s hard to imagine they weren’t already in place these last few weeks. The first day of the holiday season at Magic Kingdom (and new holiday-themed castle projections) drew huge crowds:
Despite Florida Governor DeSantis’ initiation of phase three, lifting restrictions statewide, Chapek reiterated that Disney is still strictly following the CDC’s health and safety guidelines. Besides adding more plexiglass to ride vehicles and queues, extra sanitizations for rides and common areas, strict temperature-checks, and social distancing markers; Disney’s ruling on properly wearing appropriate facial coverings is crystal clear with consistent monitoring by cast members, plus visual and audio reminders throughout the resort.
Those of you with reservations during the Thanksgiving holiday will see the highest crowd levels of the year, with hotel occupancy at near capacity.
After our overcrowded lunch experience at Magic Kingdom, we hope to see more quick-service locations re-open soon. Increased capacity means more places are desperately needed for guests to find a quick spot to eat – especially during popular dining hours.
Christmas at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
The holidays are in full swing at Walt Disney World, and we’re glad to see much has been spared from 2020’s pattern of “limited offerings”. This week, MiceChat author Laura Gonzalez returned to Disney’s Animal Kingdom to survey the sights and sounds of the season for you!
Walking up to the entrance, the towering Christmas tree is decked out with both glittering and organic handcrafted ornaments. Along the bottom, Pooh and friends can be found near the presents!
A new wintry photo-op!
The village area is filled with sparkling white decorations, beautifully detailed garland and wreaths, and animal-inspired lanterns along the rooftops:
These handcrafted luminaries are equally beautiful day and night!
Wire-framed bird lanterns stand among the fauna:
The vibrant Instagram-worthy Animal Kingdom Holiday Mural has returned! This is between Pandora and Discovery Island, across from Pizzafari:
In Pandora, garland detailed with carved wooden alien creatures hangs near Windtraders:
Traditional Christmas lights and a not-so-traditional Santa Claus getup is back on the AMP Suit:
Over in Africa, colorful decorations made of bottle caps and other recycled items trim the areas of Harambe:
In Dinoland U.S.A, touches of kitschy Christmas can be seen throughout:
And we can’t forget about the characters! The park’s unscheduled cavalcades around the Discovery River now feature Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Launchpad McQuack and others, all wearing their finest festive garments aboard decorated flotillas:
Animal Kingdom drummers joyfully play songs with a holiday spin:
Pocahontas and Meeko are here too!
And, last, but certainly not least. . . Santa!!!
The wintery-themed nature projections, formally known as the Tree of Life Awakenings have also returned this season! However, we recommend visiting on a day when the park is open until 6 or 7PM to catch these. We missed them this time, as we visited on a weekday when the park closed well before the sun had set.
We love the subtle and unique holiday touches at Disney’s Animal Kingdom! They really stand out from the more traditional decorations in the other parks.
Save On Future Theme Park Travel
(NEW Discount Theme Park Tickets and Travel Packages)
Our travel partners at Get Away Today are here to help you with your theme park booking and rescheduling plans. Whether you are ready to travel again or not, there is no better time to LOCK IN LOW RATES on future theme park travel to places like Walt Disney World, Disney’s Aulani in Hawaii, or family destinations like San Diego. Right now is a great time for you to speak with Get Away Today. Give your family something to look forward to and put a vacation on the calendar. Snap up those deals while you can, with your MiceChat partners at Get Away Today- HERE
NEW SAVINGS! Discounts up to 35% off for WDW Hotels have JUST become available. AND, we have a ticket package that combines Disney and Universal park tickets for extra savings!
HAWAIIAN PARADISE REDISCOVERED! And if you are looking for an adventure that allows you to relax and get away from other people, request a free Aulani quote by calling 855-GET-AWAY (and always let them know you are a MiceChat reader for the biggest discounts). Or, submit an online personalized quote request HERE.
Let’s Hear From You
When do you think EPCOT’s new Guardians coaster will really open? Are you interested in visiting the resort for the holidays this year? Surprised to see Disney World jump to 35% park capacity? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
For photos of Magic Kingdom’s Holiday Decorations, Don’t Miss:
You must be logged in to post a comment.