Epcot

Disney100 Pressed Pennies Now Available at EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Port Orleans Resort

Posted on April 6, 2023April 6, 2023 by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Disney Resorts, Epcot, Hollywood Studios

Via wdwnt.com

Disney100 pressed pennies are now available at EPCOT, as well as at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside.

Disney100 Pressed Pennies at EPCOT

With Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary recently ending its 18-month-long celebration, we are starting to see Disney100 merchandise taking its place. All around the parks, the Disney100 pressed pennies have slowly been replacing the 50th Anniversary ones.

At EPCOT, over at The Seas with Nemo & Friends gift shop, we spotted the new Disney100 pressed pennies. The pennies feature Remy from “Ratatouille”, Figment from “Journey into Imagination with Figment”, Nemo and Dory from “Finding Nemo”, and Ariel and Flounder from “The Little Mermaid”.

Over at World Traveler, which is the merchandise shop over at the International Gateway, we spotted another machine with Disney100 pressed pennies.

Lumiere and Cogsworth from “Beauty and the Beast” are featured on this pressed penny.

Lumiere and Cogsworth are the only Disney100 pressed penny at this machine, but you can also collect a Mulan penny or Mickey on a postcard from China penny featuring the old EPCOT logo.

disney100 baby yoda pressed penny epcot 2794

Over at Port of Entry, we spotted another penny machine with a Disney100 penny.

disney100 baby yoda pressed penny epcot 2792

Grogu, or Baby Yoda, from “The Mandalorian” is featured on his own Disney100 penny.

disney100 pressed penny disney traders 2800

Next door at World Traveler, the pressed penny machine has a Disney100 design featuring Guardians of the Galaxy Rocket and Baby Groot.

disney100 pressed penny disney traders 2798

The Disney100 pressed penny design in this machine features Anna, Elsa, and Olaf from “Frozen.”

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Disney100 Pressed Penny Machine Hollywood Studios Oscars Super Service 00002

Park hopping to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, you’ll find this pressed penny machine in Oscar’s Super Service near the main entrance.

Disney100 Pressed Penny Machine Hollywood Studios Oscars Super Service 00001

The Disney100 penny features a dapper-looking Kermit the Frog.

Disney100 Pressed Pennies at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside

Lastly, at Disney’s Port Orleans – Riverside, a penny machine is in Jackson Square Gifts & Desires.

The new design in this machine features Princess Tiana in her human form and Prince Naveen in his frog form.

Check out the full list with locations of Disney100 pressed pennies at Walt Disney World Resort.

New Walt Disney World Attraction Coming VERY Soon

Posted on April 5, 2023April 5, 2023 by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Epcot

Some very exciting news was announced during this year’s Walt Disney Company’s annual shareholder meeting.

A brand new attraction coming to the Parks this year is ahead of schedule and is reportedly nearly completed. Disney CEO Bob Iger announced this news during the meeting.

This year marks the end of the massive revamp of EPCOT at Walt Disney World Resort. This Park has seen some incredible renovations and exciting new attractions this year. One of the main new additions the Park is receiving is an exciting new Moana-themed attraction called “Journey of Water.” This incredible new area allows Guests too,

“Explore the wonders of water along an interactive trail that’s fun for all ages—based on the Disney animated film Moana.“

The new area will capitalize on the massive success of the movie Moana. Moana follows the story of a young Hawaiian girl who sets sail on a journey to save her people. Along the way, she meets Maui, a demigod who has fallen from his previous status. The unlikely duo goes on a wild adventure to save their people and fulfill an ancient quest.

A major theme in the movie is Moana’s relationship with water. In the film, Moana has a special relationship with water and values it heavily. In our world, water is also an incredibly valued source. The new Journey of Water attraction is meant to help Guests understand the important role that water plays in our lives and in our world.

The attraction is planning to open in late 2023; however, that might change. During the shareholder meeting, Mr. Iger revealed that the Journey of Water is nearly completed. A walk-through of the land showed that the progress was coming along very well and the land looked ready to open. With the announcement that a live-action Moana is happening, this land is more timely than ever.

And – of course – Dwayne Johnson will reprise his role as Maui in the new film.
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) April 3, 2023

This news is very exciting, and with any luck, this attraction will be open in EPCOT very soon!

Disney Genie+ Price Reaches New Record High at Walt Disney World

Posted on April 4, 2023April 4, 2023 by Mathew Corn Animal Kingdom, Disney Parks, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom

The Disney Genie+ price reached an all-time high at Walt Disney World today. The service costs $35 per person today, which is six dollars more than the previous highest price of $29.

Disney Genie+ Price

The service sold out before noon yesterday. If a sellout occurs, sales of Genie+ will not resume again until the next day. Guests can purchase Genie+ starting at 12:01 a.m. on the day of their visit.

Genie+ reached its previous record highest price in the past few months, including yesterday. It first reached that price during the 2022 holiday season, with its record high before that being $22 in October.

Disney Genie, Genie+, and Lightning Lane

Disney Genie is a free feature that launched in October 2021 at Walt Disney World. Disney Genie+ and Lightning Lane are the paid program that replaced FastPass+.

When Genie+ first launched, the service was available at a flat rate of $15 per person, per day. Last year’s switch to date-based pricing saw a new high price of $22 — which Disney noted was the highest it would go in October, implying the even higher rates that have now come to pass.

Individual Lightning Lane prices have always been on a date-based basis, but the maximum was formerly $20. Since the update to the pricing scale for Genie+, rates for Individual Lightning Lane have been rising as well.

Genie+ Lightning Lane Attractions

Select attractions offer Lightning Lane access that you can book through Genie+. Check out the current full list below.

Magic Kingdom

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade
Dumbo the Flying Elephant
Enchanted Tales with Belle
Haunted Mansion
“it’s a small world”
Jungle Cruise
Mad Tea Party
Meet Ariel at Her Grotto
Meet Cinderella and a Visiting Princess at Princess Fairytale Hall
Meet Mickey at Town Square Theater
Meet Princess Tiana and a Visiting Princess at Princess Fairytale Hall
Mickey’s PhilharMagic
Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
Peter Pan’s Flight
Pirates of the Caribbean
Space Mountain
The Barnstormer
The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Tomorrowland Speedway
Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid

Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival
Frozen Ever After
Journey into Imagination with Figment
Living with the Land
Mission: SPACE – Green
Mission: SPACE – Orange
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
Soarin’ Around the World
Spaceship Earth
Test Track
The Seas with Nemo & Friends
Turtle Talk with Crush

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Alien Swirling Saucers
Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage
Disney Junior Play & Dance!
For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
Meet Olaf at Celebrity Spotlight
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
Muppet*Vision 3D
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
Slinky Dog Dash
Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Toy Story Mania!

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Festival of the Lion King
DINOSAUR
Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
Feathered Friends in Flight!
Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond!
It’s Tough to Be a Bug!
Kali River Rapids
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Meet Favorite Disney Pals at Adventurers Outpost
Naʻvi River Journey
The Animation Experience at Conservation Station

Final Performance of Harmonious Nighttime Spectacular at EPCOT

Posted on April 3, 2023April 3, 2023 by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Epcot

The 50th Anniversary celebration has come to a close across Walt Disney World, and the nighttime spectaculars introduced as part of “The Most Magical Celebration on Earth” have now been performed for the final time. Last night, guests visiting EPCOT were able to watch the last performance of the “Harmonious” nighttime spectacular before it is replaced by the limited return of “EPCOT Forever” tonight.

Watch the video here;

https://cdn.jwplayer.com/previews/ccGDFMRI

The four half-circle barges had LED screens, while the center ring barge used a water screen to project clips and images. Fountains, lights, lasers, and pyrotechnics were used to enhance the show.

The show opens with chants, as a narrator shares that “All around us, the world is alive with music. Voices calling out in search of one another, we find each other in song.” A medley of “How Far I’ll Go” from “Moana” and “Go the Distance” from “Hercules” follows, sung in English, Mandarin Chinese, Norwegian, German, Arabic, Latin American Spanish, and Tahitian.

Alongside a number of Disney favorites like “Aladdin”, “Mulan”, and “The Lion King”, the show featured scenes from newer Disney films, including “Moana”, “Coco”, “Brave”, and “The Princess and the Frog.”

“Harmonious” closes with the song “Someday” from “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” For the final time, the narrator then proclaimed: “You raise your voice and it’s enough to lift the human spirit. Set the song inside you soaring, and the whole wide world will hear it.” A fireworks finale brought an end to “Harmonious” at EPCOT.

Cranes are already in place around World Showcase to remove the barges following tonight’s final performance of “Harmonious” at EPCOT. These barges were widely considered unsightly and impeded the stunning vistas of the lagoon on either side. In addition, they were plagued by a variety of problems, ranging from malfunctioning equipment to outright fires. They have already been removed from the EPCOT map in the My Disney Experience app and online at the Walt Disney World website.

Eventually, a 100 Years of Wonder nighttime spectacular will debut at EPCOT, but “EPCOT Forever” will return in the meantime. In October of 2022, we reported that it was rumored that Disney will incorporate the use of drones in their new nighttime show coming to EPCOT later this year.

Guest Goes Viral In Meltdown at Park

Posted on April 3, 2023April 3, 2023 by Mathew Corn Animal Kingdom, Disney Parks, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom

Via DisDining.com

Walt Disney World Resort is a popular resort located in Orlando, Florida, and is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the world, seeing thousands of Guests daily. Disney World is home to four separate theme parks: Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom, as well as two water parks called Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon. Guests also can enjoy going to shops, food, and much more while visiting Disney Springs.

The term “Disney Karens” has been used to describe certain individuals who behave in entitled and demanding ways at Disney theme parks, often causing disruptions and conflicts with other Guests and Disney Cast Members. The term “Karen” is a slang term that has become popular in recent years to describe middle-aged, privileged white women who exhibit entitled and often aggressive behavior.

There have been numerous reports of Disney Karens causing disruptions and ruining the experiences of other Guests. For example, some have been known to demand that attractions be shut down for their own personal use, or to insist that they be allowed to skip long lines. In some cases, Disney Karens have even been caught on camera engaging in physical altercations with other guests or park staff.

In a Reddit Thread, Disney World Guests talk about an incident with a “Karen” Guest and a Cast Member. This Guest described the “Karen” as a “Ken.” He was parking his stroller when a Cast Member asked him to move it due to a safety liability.

“Ken puts his family’s stroller in the empty spot in our row. I helped him maneuver it on by just pushing a wheel that was caught. It’s at the end of the seat. The cast member is doing checks and tells me I can’t have that on the end and I tell him it isn’t mine. He yells to ask who it belongs to and Ken says it’s his. Cast member explains it can’t be on the end because it’s a safety liability.”

The Cast Member shut the Guest down by saying either someone needed to be with the stroller or they needed to be removed from the train.

“Cast member shuts him down and basically tells him someone either needs to get off with it or move someone around so it can be in the middle. Ken says “What if she switches places with me?” I respond and say “I want to sit with my family”. He will NOT stop arguing with this amazing cast member who says that there are 300 people waiting and they need to make a decision and if it fell off it could kill someone. Ken didn’t care. OH! He also told the cast member I said I would be responsible for it, which never happened.”

Disney Cast Members do their best to look out for the safety of Guests and to keep attractions running smoothly.