An updated map was installed by Disney for the start to EPCOT’s International Flower and Garden Festival. In this new map you can see that the France expansion has been added and that includes the Ratatouille ride as well as the new courtyard and crepery.
This year’s Flower and Garden Festival runs through June 1st and since these new expansions are on the map it is highly likely that the area before the Festival ends. On May 26th Spaceship Earth will be going under an extensive two year refurb and opening the expanded France pavilion could be a great way to supplement that closure.
Are you excited for the new expansion? Let me know in the comments below and follow this blog for constant theme park updates!
In somewhat of a surprise, Disney Parks Blog went live this evening and revealed a plethora of opening dates for expierences coming to Disney World in the very near future and I am going to break each of them down right here! Before we proceed please note that all photos and concept art are courtesy of Disney.
Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
This attraction will be open at Hollywood Studios March 4th, 2020.
Mickey Shorts Theater
This theater will be located in Hollywood Studios and will play Mickey Shorts from the Disney Channel animated series, “Mickey Mouse”.
This attraction will be opening in Summer 2020 in the France Pavilion at Epcot and Disney shared this new look at the ride vehicle and one of the scenes from the attraction. On this attraction you will be scurrying through Chef Gasteau’s restaurant.
Disney’s Ducktales World Showcase Adventure
This is an interactive game experience coming to the Play Disney Parks App that will have you joining all of the ducks in search of a priceless treasure. You will be going on several missions that will take you all around the World Showcase at Epcot.
New Circle-Vision Films to Debut at Epcot
Starting January 17th, 2020 three new films will debut at Epcot. The first will be called “Awesome Planet” and will be a ten minute long film showcasing the diversity of Planet Earth. The second film will be a “Beauty and The Beast Sing Along” and will be located in the France Pavilion. It is produced by Don Hahn who produced the Beauty and The Beast films and will invite guests on a journey on a tale as old as time. This new film will rotate with the “Impressions de France” film which is slated to receive an upgrade to 4K.
Space 220
Space 220 was supposed to be open by now, but was delayed until sometime this winter, most likely January based on job postings on Pantina’s website.
Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Drafts and BBQ
This is a brand new fast casual restaurant that will open at the American Adventure in Epcot this winter. It will obviously be serving BBQ style food and craft beer. This is somewhat of a surprise to me as I had no previous knowledge this restaurant was even in the planning stages.
Roundup Rodeo BBQ Restaurant
Lastly, Toy Story Land is finally getting the proper sit down restaurant it deserves next year at Hollywood Studios. This restaurant will also serve BBQ and have immersive indoor seating.
So what do you make of all these announcements? Will they entice you to start planning trips to Florida over the next year? Let me know in the comments below!
The most elegant and beautiful Disney park castle of them all, Disneyland Paris Sleeping Beauty Castle, is rumored to undergo a lengthy refurb starting particularly soon.
This is for now just a rumor since there is no date on the calendar nor has Disney mentioned this refurb, but Disney has mentioned that the castle will not be receiving Christmas lights this year leading some people to believe the refurb will start as soon as next month.
Now this will be a very lengthy refurb as the castle is believed to have structural damage. This refurb would take up to two years and include new tiling, structural improvements, new turrets, and a new and refreshed Castle Stage as well as Castle Garden.
That is all I know at this moment about this rumored refurb, but give this blog a follow for the latest updates to this story. Do you think the castle in Paris needs such a dramatic refresh? Is there anything you would add or take away from the castle or stage area?
Disneyland Paris has announced that their tram tour will not be going away and will be rethemed to the Cars franchise in summer 2020. Guests will be taking a road trip down Route 66 in this new adventure. It was long thought that with their 2 Billion Euro expansion that this attraction would be biting the dust, but then now we officially know it is here to stay. Below is an updated park map including all of the coming expansions.
Photo from LaughingPlace.com
As you can see the park is looking even smaller than usual at the moment with all of the construction and demolition of the Hollywood Backlot area but luckily in just a few short years that will all change. I find it rather odd there will be two cars themed attractions kind of far from each other. If they were to move the existing Cars ride they could form a Cars mini-land.
So what do you guys think of the Tram being rethemed to Cars? Would you rather it go away and replaced with something entirely new like at Hollywood Studios? Discuss your thoughts in the comments below!
Lots of brand new details of Epcot’s transformation were confirmed today at D23 and I am going to break it all down right here in this article.
New Festival Center
Festival Center Concept Art
Part of the transformation of Epcot includes a brand new three story festival center and nighttime spectacular viewing area. Personally, I think this looks fantastic and will be a great addition to the park and add some lovely greenery and open spaces to the park. This coupled with the addition of the Moana water gardens will be amazing to walk through.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
Guardians of the Galaxy Concept Art
It was revealed that Epcot will be home to a Xandarian Outpost that will home to the Guardians of the Galaxy. In Cosmic Rewind riders will be able to experience the first ever reverse launch in a Disney coaster! This will be a story telling coaster in which each car will rotate to show you all the show scenes as you travel throughout the ride.
World Showcase
A few new things are coming to the World Showcase. A new CircleVision film will be coming to the Canada Pavilion. Ratatouille Remy’s Adventure will be coming to the France Pavilion as well as a new crepery.
Remy’s Concept Art
A new Mary Poppins “Highly Immersive” ride will be coming to the U.K Pavilion in time for Disney World’s 50th Anniversary.
New Epcot Neighborhoods
At the end of the presentation it was announced that Epcot will be rezoned into four distinct neighborhoods that better suit the new theme and direction that the park is going in. Also Spaceship Earth will go through an extensive refurb that will change every single scene except the Industrial Revolution. Lastly, the restaurant next to Mission Space will be called Space 220.
So what do you guys think of all the Epcot announcements? Comment your thoughts below! Also if you would like to subscribe or leave a donation it really helps out this blog so thank you very much!
Theme Park Universe 