Splash Mountain Replaced by Tiana’s Bayou Adventure on NEW Magic Kingdom Park Maps
Splash Mountain hasn’t even been closed for 12 hours and the New Magic Kingdom Park Maps have already replaced Splash Mountain with Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
Disney’s Polynesian DVC Tower is coming along nicely. The foundation work is now underway.
The new DVC tower is being built in the area that once was home to the Polynesian’s Spirit of Aloha dinner show.
We have spotted pile drivers, skid steers, and concrete trucks in this area. The yellow tarp appears to be covering what looks to be a fresh concrete pour.
A silt barrier runs along the shoreline between the construction site and the water’s edge to keep construction runoff from getting into the water. The yellow barrier is an additional barrier called turbidity curation that lets sediments settle to the bottom before entering the water.
Here we can see the sanitation lines are all laid out and ready to be placed into the ground. An excavator and dozer sit in the background.
Several dumpsters sit at the edge of the property. You can see where the previous path that guests used to access the walkway from the Polynesian to the Grand Floridian is now blocked off. We are hoping to see that re-opened once construction is complete.
Coming Soon
Below is an artist’s rendition of what we can expect the new Polynesian DVC Tower to look like.
The opening date has been listed with an opening date of late 2024. New dining and recreation activities. The inspiration for the design is based on early concepts for the Polynesian Resort with innovative touches throughout.
I am excited to see the finished product and very curious about how the Imaginers will evoke that classic Polynesian theme based on the early concept photos. There is something so very nostalgic about the Polynesian and I hope that feeling carries through to the new DVC Tower as well.
Ariel’s Grotto is open once again! Guests visiting Magic Kingdom can now swim over to Ariel’s Grotto and meet the Disney Princess herself.
We stopped in to say hello and were greeted by a bubbly Ariel who told us she was delighted to be back greeting her friends again. “It gets awfully dull in Atlantica, I’d rather be where the people are!” she said.
Ariel’s Grotto was closed after the parks post Covid re-opening due to Covid concerns. We have seen a gradual return to normal over the last year with phased character meet-and-greets slowly returning.
Also announced is the coming re-opening of Enchanted Tales with Belle attraction on February 19th.
Ariel’s Grotto has been added to the Genie+ service as a Lightening Lane selection.
It’s nice to see things returning to normal and all the characters coming back to their original locations. I really love the theming of Ariel’s Grotto. It just might be one of my favorite princess meet-and-greets.
To hear a message from Ariel click our link below:
Now is your chance to own a piece of the Magic with Splash Mountain Water
Yesterday was the final day for Splash Mountain at the Magic Kingdom. Guests lined up to ride Splash Mountain one final time before the ride goes down to become Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
Wait times got to as high as 220 minutes throughout the day as most people were trying to get one final ride on Splash.
While some people just wanted to ride the attraction one final time others were trying to think how to make a buck off of Splash Mountain closing.
Looking on eBay this morning you will see Auctions for the water from Splash Mountain on its final day. So far only one or two of the auctions have bids on them but there is even an auction listing for Genuine Disney SPLASH MOUNTAIN Water circa 2021 (6oz) going for $1000.
So far there are about 20 auctions on eBay for Splash Mountain Water.
As you can see Splash Mountain is now closed. There is no wait time listed on the Disney World app. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is not expected to open till late 2024.
We have a sneak peek of what it will look like from the D23 Expo in the video below:
Why you need to take a voyage on the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser. Disney describes it very well “Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is like nothing else you’ve ever experienced: part live immersive theater, part themed environment, part culinary extravaganza, part real-life role-playing game—and yet so much more.”
Let us get a few things straight about the Galactic Starcruiser and what it is and is not. It is an active vacation, it is expensive, and it is unlike anything we have ever experienced in our lives. SWGS is exhausting, fun, interactive, and highly immersive. You have to live it to understand.
Words you should not use to describe the Starcruiser, it is not relaxing, it is not a cruise in the technical sense, and it is not a Walt Disney World Resorts trip with pools and parks, even if Star Wars Galaxies Edge Batuu excursion is included with the price. It is not cheap in any sense of the word.
We will get to the major question of whether The Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser is worth the money at the end of the article. Because it starts at $4800 Dollars and only goes up from there, which is a ton of money to spend on a two-day adventure. Even if the trip is all-inclusive, does it live up to the price?
Let’s start at the beginning, and we will do our best to keep this spoiler free. Back in February of 2022, we got to experience the Starcruiser during the media event. We did not get the full two-day stay, we did a five-hour preview where Disney and the Cast members took us through a sample of everything on board from the dining and food experience, to the partial story where we operated the ship and interacted with the Characters. it was just enough to get a small understanding of what this new type of Disney storytelling and immersion would be like. It was just enough to pique our interest and we personally wanted to now spend our own money and go.
Fast Foward almost a year later and we finally got to experience the full experience. Now, this is the hard part, how to actually explain what this is, because your initial impressions are probably just like ours, not fully understanding what this is.
It was unlike anything out there in the world, this was a brand new fully immersive, living and breathing our best Star Wars life, role-playing, live-action theater, mystery quest, murder mystery-like, fully interactive, non-stop eating, friendly, exhausting, dinner theater. We absolutely LOVED the whole thing.
We started at our check-in and enjoyed buffet-style lunch after we got to our room at 1:00 PM. After eating our way around the galaxy, it was time to check out the ship. By 3:00 PM of day 1 our adventure truly started, and it did not stop until 11:00 pm the next night. We ran up and down stairs, A LOT! We got to be smugglers helping characters trying to save their planet, we got to be part of the Resistance and help Rey (lightsaber-wielding Hero, from the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy). We worked on the ship, we helped out in the engine room, and we even got to wield Lightsabers (not the best part of the experience). We ran up and down more stairs until we decided the elevator would be just fine. We had the best time ever. We spent a lot of time in the Sublight Lounge enjoying free non-alcoholic drinks.
Where this immersive experience comes to life in the other passengers you travel with. We truly had an amazing group of passengers who were on the cruise with us. Every one of them smiling and wanted to tell their own Star Wars Story. Galactic Starcruiser comes to life because of the passengers, the costumes, the role-playing, and the interaction with them. We made a great connection with some and made friends for life with some.
Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser
Our interaction and our own storytelling came to life when characters would ask us questions about who we were, where we came from, and how and why we are on the Starcruiser. Our story developed over a few minutes of the group playing Yes, And. Where you start off telling a tale, turn to the other person, and if lucky that person will agree and then continue adding to the story, and you go back and forth hoping to build a story together. Improve 101 basically.
Speaking of Theater and Improve, the actors and actresses working on the Halcyon are top-notch. Some of the best acting we have witnessed. Quick on their feet, and engaging each passenger. Remembering names and stories. The other Cast members who work on the ship are called Passenger Service, they live and breathe the story and are quick to help you with any questions you may have, tell a story, get you engaged, and basically help you enjoy yourself to the fullest.
Okay, we hope we did not spoil anything yet. Writing about the experience is hard to do. We could spend thousands of words retelling our own adventure, which included another Chip and Company writer, a Brother-in-Law, and a 17-year-old son of mine who happens to be autistic. Our story was both combined and separate from each other. At points, we all had separate things to do during our stay on board.
Quick two paragraphs about Autism, or family members who may be Neurodivergent. This was the perfect outlet for our son who has never left our side, hates going outside, hates talking with other people, and has panic attacks if we are not in sight.
First let me say I was such a proud father watching him come out of his shell a little and interact with the Cast members, then at one point while I was on my own quest, he looked at his phone, say a quest, then turned to me and said “Dad, I have a quest to do, cya” and he left my side and went off and did this quest by himself. He obviously felt safe, he was so immersed in the story. It was one of the proudest moments of my life and I felt tears of joy and Sadness all at once. Parents who have kids like mine will fully understand the reaction and emotion of this moment of life.
The Star Wars galactic Starcruiser is a closed environment, meaning you can’t just walk right out the door, you don’t actually see the doors. Trust us when we say if there was ever an emergency, the doors are right there and you are safe, it just has the appearance of being a closed space with no outlet.
So, this brings us to a few things that need to be discussed. Is it worth it, who should do it, and who is this for?
Yes, it is worth every single penny you will spend with a but. The price is worth it, but only if you put in the work to experience this as it should be. This is for those people who may love theater and always have wanted to act. This is for those who have some expendable income to do something that is unlike anything you can experience. This is made for those that are outgoing, between the ages of 30 and up, middle-class lifestyle, having watched Star Wars will help, but truly is not needed. This is an exclusive experience.
The hate will come in the comment section from people who do not understand what Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser is trying to be. You will see, “It costs too much” or some variable of that, along with “It is a failure, they already closed and stopped selling a few trips in the summer” and yes they did, but that is because private companies came in and rented the whole thing out for voyages. The Starcruiser is always over 50% capacity and most sailings are around 70-90% full.
So if you have the money, or can save up and do it in the future, it is truly a must-do. There is nothing in the world like this and hopefully, you will immerse yourself in the story, and enjoy an amazing experience.
Lake Nona Employee Relocation Still Moving Forward for Disney. 60 acres of land Disney originally purchased is looking for a specific parcel master plan “for the development of an approximately 1.8 million-square-foot office complex with office and flex space within the Lake Nona PD, Parcel 20A.” according to Orlando Business Journal.
Tavistock, the company development behind the Lake Nona area, made a statement recently. Vice President of Strategic Communications Jessi Blakely said, “In the short-term future, things are moving along with Disney very well. I do expect that there will be news in the coming year around that project.”
Disney previously released a statement “While a growing number of our employees, who ultimately will work at the campus, already have made the move to Central Florida, we also want to continue to provide flexibility to those relocating, especially given the anticipated completion date of the campus is now in 2026. Therefore, where possible, we are aligning the relocation period with the campus completion.”
Avatar: The Way of Water Passes $2 Billion at Worldwide Box Office. The Na’vi’s second movie is now sitting in 6th place in worldwide box office receipts. Giving director James Cameron three spots on the board. Avatar, Titanic, and now Avatar The Way of Water.
According to Disney, Avatar: The Way of Waterwill close its sixth weekend with $2.024 billion, making it the highest-grossing film since the COVID-19 pandemic started and the sixth-highest-grossing movie of all time. Avatar: The Way of Water’s global box office total includes just shy of $598 million at the domestic box office and $1.426 billion from overseas, including $230 million made in China alone.
The original Avatar is the highest-grossing film ever, with $2.9 billion. With how strong Avatar TWoW is doing, it will soon surpass Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Avengers: Infinity War.
Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, “Avatar: The Way of Water” begins to tell the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri, and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure.
Directed by James Cameron and produced by Cameron and Jon Landau, the film stars Zoe Saldana, Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Cliff Curtis, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Edie Falco, Jemaine Clement, and Kate Winslet.
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway Added to Disneyland App
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway will open at Disneyland this Friday, January 27! Ahead of the opening, the attraction has been added to the Disneyland app.
The Disneyland app shows the logo for Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway over the area where Mickey’s Toontown is. Underneath the logo, it shows the opening date for the attraction: January 27, 2023.
The new ride will be an exact copy of the one at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The attraction will open before Mickey’s Toontown will reopen. So guests will get to experience the ride before they can enjoy the new Mickey’s Toontown.
“Step into the whimsical universe of a Mickey Mouse short and hitch a ride on Engineer Goofy’s train. What could possibly go wrong?
Cue hilarious hijinks! A relaxing train ride suddenly turns into a zany, free-ranging romp through ever-changing and rearranging cartoon scenes. You’ll quickly learn that anything can happen in this out-of-control animated world.
But don’t worry, with friends like Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, you’re bound to get back on track. All aboard!”
Are you looking forward to experiencing Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disneyland?
If you’d like to visit Disneyland, contact me today to start planning your trip! I am a travel agent with Destinations to Travel and my services are complimentary. I’d love to help you plan a magical vacation!
Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary Bomber Jacket Is Back In Stock At Epcot!
This Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary Bomber Jacket is perfect to keep memories of the world’s most magical celebration close for years to come! This jacket is very popular and has been out of stock for a while now, luckily we just spotted it again at the Creation Shop at Epcot, so if you have been looking for it, you better hurry up and get it before it goes away.
The jacket features a gorgeous blue color with Mickey Mouse surrounded by the Walt Disney World logo, a 50 and “The World’s Most Magical Celebration” quote embroidered on the front. On the back a big Cinderella Castle with a 50 and Walt Disney World logo are embroidered surrounded by sparkly stars.
You can take a closer look at this jacket in our Instagram post:
Disney is looking for Live Action Ariel Look-Alikes for Walt Disney World
A live-action version of The Little Mermaid is coming out soon and Disney is looking for live action Ariel look-alikes. These performers will have the opportunity to bring the role of Ariel to life at Walt Disney World.
“Disney Live Entertainment is seeking Disney Character Look-alikes for the role of ARIEL as depicted in the upcoming live-action adaption of The Little Mermaid.
Performers will have the opportunity to bring this role to life, in addition to performing as world famous Disney Characters at our Parks & Resorts near Orlando, Florida.
Disney Character Performers play before thousands of guests each day in character greetings, sightings, and other experiences across the Walt Disney World Resort. Performers sign autographs, pose for pictures, and help create magical moments with guests of all ages.
SEEKING THE FOLLOWING ROLE:
Candidates who are 5’2”-5’6” with warm, engaging, and outgoing personalities to portray:
ARIEL: An inquisitive and daring mermaid princess, Ariel is fascinated by the world of humans. Whether she’s on land or under the sea, she’s eager to connect her two worlds, knowing they aren’t so different after all. Ariel appears as depicted in the upcoming live-action adaption of The Little Mermaid.”
Those interested in this role must be at least 18 years old and authorized to work in the United States. Submissions will be accepted through February 5, 2023.
Are you interested in working at Walt Disney World as a character?
If you’d like to visit Disney world to see your favorite characters, contact me today! I am a travel agent with Destinations to Travel and my services are free. I’d love to help you plan a magical vacation!
Disney World Opens Accessible Minnie Van For Any Guest
Disney World guests that want to book a larger vehicle with the Minnie Van service can now book the accessible Minnie Van. Guests booking the vehicle no longer need to use the vehicle’s accessibility functions.
Disney has updated the Accessible Minnie Van Service to now read:
“Any Guest can order an Accessible Minnie Van. Guests do not need to use the vehicle’s accessibility functions in order to book a ride in an Accessible Minnie Van.”
Accessible Minnie Vans can seat a maximum of 7 guests; 5 guests in seats and 2 mobility devices. Guests may remain in their mobility devices for the duration of the ride. The service also includes one complimentary car seat if needed.
Here’s How to Order:
Open the Lyft app within Walt Disney World Resort and enter your destination.
Confirm your pickup location. Lyft will provide a fare estimate, and your payment will be processed directly through the app.
Tap “Select Access. Minnie Van” (short for “Accessible Minnie Van”). If the option for Accessible Minnie Van service doesn’t immediately display, scroll through vehicle type options until it appears.
Track your vehicle’s progress on a map provided by the app. You’ll also see the vehicle number to help you spot your car.
Have you ever used the Minnie Van service at Walt Disney World?
If you’d like help planning and booking your next Disney World vacation, contact me today! I am a travel agent with Destinations to Travel, my services are free, and I’d love to help you plan a magical vacation!
Personalized Lightsaber Heart Wood Sign For The Star Wars Fan In Your Life!
Are you or someone you know a Star Wars fan? Then this personalized Lightsaber Heart Wood Sign created by PagingTom on Etsy for $18.70 will be a perfect gift. You can order yours here and surprise your special someone on Valentine’s Day!
Two lightsabers form a heart shape surrounding your and your partner’s name in this wood sign to decorate your home! You can even pick the lightsaber colors your want, so cute.
