The news never stops at Walt Disney World, and we’ve rounded it all up for you today. This week, we’re taking a stop in Magic Kingdom and EPCOT to see what’s new (and what’s ahead), and also catching up on some other updates from around the resort. There’s a new merchandise collection that’s pretty sweet, plus a future that looks green. Let’s head into the park and catch up on the latest WDW news!
Going Green
Photopass Cast Members are donning a new costume at all four parks. Next time you find yourself seeking a nearby Disney Photopass photographer, you’ll probably find them a bit easier in their bright new hue.
Not only are the new shirts sustainable -made of recycled materials- but it’s made with Cast Member comfort in mind, as the fabric helps control moisture and protect against the sun’s UV rays. Say cheese!
In other environmentally-friendly news, Disney is giving back to Central Florida. Walt Disney World Resort announced a $500,000 donation spread across five local conservation organizations as they continue to help make a happier and healthier planet possible for all.
- Conservation Florida
- Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation
- The Nature Conservancy
- Trout Lake Nature Center
- Wekiva Wilderness Trust
Each organization will receive $100,000, which will help fund projects such as expanding land protection initiatives, finding solutions to clean drinking water for those in need, and funding youth educational opportunities.
“For nearly a century, we as a company have taken action to protect the people, places and wildlife around us. I could not be more excited about the positive impact these Disney Grants will have on Central Florida and all who call it home.” – Dr. Mark Penning, Vice President – Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment
These recent donations bring Disney’s total Florida nonprofit donations to more than $6 million since the start of the 50th-anniversary celebration last year.
Adding Some Character(s) to DHS
On February 1st, Disney surprised us by releasing a schedule of special character meet & greets and appearances around Disney’s Hollywood Studios! Some of the characters will only be available for a limited time, while others have been confirmed to stay around the park for the foreseeable future. Additionally, more character appearances may soon be on the horizon for the other three parks. Hooray!
Here’s who you can find at Disney’s Hollywood Studios starting now:
- Powerline Max Goof, meeting and greeting on Grand Avenue, near the entrance to Galaxy’s Edge
- Mr. & Mrs. Incredible, meeting and greeting near Echo Lake
- Frozone, appearing on the lawn near Echo Lake/Hollywood Boulevard
- Edna Mode, appearing on the lawn near Echo Lake/Hollywood Boulevard
- Donald & Daisy Duck, appearing on an upper balcony on Hollywood Boulevard, near the park’s entrance
- Chip & Dale with Clarice (Feb 1-14), appearing on the Hollywood Brown Derby lawn
- Goofy (Feb 1-14), meeting and greeting near the Grand Avenue entrance to Galaxy’s Edge
After Valentine’s Day, the latter two character opportunities will shift just a bit:
- Chip & Dale as Rescue Rangers (February 15-onward), meeting and greeting at Adventure Outpost near Echo Lake
- Goofy (February 15-onward), appearing on the Hollywood Brown Derby lawn
Magic Kingdom Meanderings
Let’s take the monorail over to Magic Kingdom and see what’s new!
The WDW Railroad returned in late December after four long years. Look at her go!
Making our way down Main Street U.S.A., we stopped into the Main Street Cinema to check out the last installment to the 50th-anniversary Vault collection. I’m sad to see it go. This has been my favorite merchandise collection to date – more reproduced vintage items, please!
Since the Vault collection’s debut around October 1st, 2021, each capsule release covered 5 years at a time (5th, 10th, 15th and 20th anniversaries). Finally, it’s the cake castle’s turn. That’s right, 25 years of Disney magic.
Stop in soon – these precious pieces won’t last long!
From here, we boarded the train for Frontierland.
Stepping off in Frontierland, we’re greeted by a completely boarded-up Splash Mountain:
The nearby Briar Patch gift shop (which never reopened from the resort-wide closure) is still roped off with a “no stroller parking” sign:
Splash Mountain had its last full operational day on Sunday, January 22nd. Construction teams and Imagineers are already hard at work inside:
The flume has been completely drained.
The attraction closed last month to a huge crowd wanting to ride it one last time before it becomes Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. The layout, ride vehicle, and drops will all be just about the same in the new version of the ride, but will have a whole new story to go with plenty of critter animatronics and catchy tunes. Get the full details on the Splash Mountain transformation in the article below!
🐸 Tiana’s Bayou Adventure NOW OPEN at Disneyland – Guide & Tips 👑
Over in Tomorrowland, we’re gearing up to experience The Grid in a few short weeks…
Daytime views of Tomorrowland transportation – PeopleMover, Tomorrowland Indy Speedway, and soon… TRON!
We hopped aboard the PeopleMover to get a better look at TRON Lightcycle / Run, which opens on April 4th.
The attraction’s sign was recently installed, and cast members were standing outside in their new costumes:
Disney recently released new images of the coaster and its massive illuminated LED canopy. This is sure to add some real depth to Tomorrowland’s evening vibes.
For more info about the upcoming Tron: Lightcycle Run, be sure to take a look at the article below. From cryptic messages to an opening date, we take a good look at what’s ahead:
It was a surprisingly hot January day here in Orlando, so we headed for EPCOT for some shady festival spots.
On our way out, we couldn’t help but snap a photo of this poster under the train station (which will quickly be changed out between April 2nd and 3rd). See ya, Enchantment.. we won’t miss you!
It’s so exciting to see this on the WDW’s site – Happily Ever After officially returns on April 3rd:
Catch up on the WDW nighttime spectacular news in the article below:
EPCOT Escapades
Riding into EPCOT from the monorail is always a must-do— especially if you want to peek at all of the construction!
Just as we suspected, tons of construction vehicles and dirt mounds.
Here’s what the finished World Celebration area with CommuniCore Hall & Plaza is projected to look like:
Opening later this year, Journey of Water – Inspired by Moana, will be a walk-through attraction with interactive water features. A bright green Te Fiti can be seen among the newly-formed rockwork below:
Here’s a closer look Disney shared:
We can’t wait for the day when these construction walls disappear from view!
In EPCOT parking lot news, the parking plaza marquee received an upgrade:
And the parking lots themselves have been relabeled to coincide with EPCOT’s ongoing transformation. Out with Imagine, Create, Discover, Wonder, Amaze, and Journey… more characters have arrived! The new parking lot signs are divided into space (for World Discovery) and earth (for World Nature):
Florida sunsets and EPCOT go hand-in-hand.
Even the Harmonious barges can’t ruin this shot too much… but we are looking forward to their removal beginning in April.
Festival of the Arts is currently running at the park, wrapping up on February 20th before Flower & Garden moves in on March 1st!
2023 Garden Rocks Concert Lineup Announced
Speaking of Flower & Garden, we have our first look at the bands performing at this year’s Garden Rocks series at the American Gardens Theater!
- March 3-4 – Journey former lead vocalist STEVE AUGERI
- March 5-6 – Daughtry
- March 10-11 – Tommy DeCarlo
- March 12-13 – Smash Mouth
- March 17-18 – Mike DelGuidice
- March 19-20 – Blue Oyster Cult
- March 24-25 – Berlin
- March 26-27 – The Pointer Sisters
- March 31 – Luis Figueroa
- April 1-2 – Piso 21
- April 3 – TBD
- April 7-8 – STARSHIP featuring Mickey Thomas
- April 9-10 – Don Felder, formerly of the Eagles
- April 16-17 – Switchfoot
- April 21-22 – A Flock of Seagulls
- April 23-24 – Jo Dee Messina
- April 28-29 – Ambrosia with Peter Beckett, The Voice Of Player
- April 30, May 1 – Kool and the Gang
- May 5-8 – Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone (a great memory from last year’s visit from Peter Noone):
- May 12-15 – The Orchestra starring former members of ELO
- May 19-20 – A.J. Croce: Croce Plays Croce
- May 21-22 – Casting Crowns
- May 26-27 – Jason Scheff, longtime lead singer of Chicago
- May 28-29 – Rick Springfield
- June 2-5 – Plain White T’s
- June 9-10 – The Spinners
- June 11-12 – The Commodores
- June 16-17 – Vertical Horizon
- June 18-19 – Tony Orlando
- June 23-26 – Simple Plan
- June 30, July 1 – Living Colour
- July 2-3 – Wang Chung
EPCOT’s International Flower & Garden Festival runs from March 1st all the way through July 5th this year. See anyone you’d like to plan a trip to EPCOT for?
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Let’s Hear From You
That just about wraps up the recent news from Walt Disney World! What do you think of the new PhotPass costume in neon green? Are you excited for TRON to open in just a few weeks? Does the return of Happily Ever After fireworks have you planning a trip to Magic Kingdom? I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
