EPCOT Gets a New Addition to Reflect Its Four Neighborhoods

Posted on January 25, 2023January 25, 2023 by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Epcot

The massive EPCOT transformation is well underway at Walt Disney World Resort. With all of the construction underway at the theme park, Disney has now unveiled a new addition reflecting its new “four neighborhood” approach.

It wasn’t too long ago that EPCOT was known for having two main lands, including Future World and World Showcase. The Walt Disney Imagineering team has been hard work transforming these two lands into four “neighborhoods,” which include World Celebration, World Discovery, World Nature, and World Showcase.

World Celebration holds the iconic Spaceship Earth and the newly refreshed EPCOT entrance. It will also be home to the new Walt statue coming soon, called “Dreamers Point.”

World Discovery has seen some of the largest transformations thus far with the addition of the popular indoor roller coaster, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. Additionally, the fan-favorite Test Track resides in World Discovery along with the new restaurant, Space 220.

World Nature is currently one large construction zone as we see the new walk-through attraction, Journey of Water Inspired by Moana take shape for its “Fall 2023” opening. Guests can continue to enjoy experiences such as Soarin’ Around the World and The Seas with Nemo and Friends.

The World Showcase has kept its name in the transformation and has seen the new addition of the France Pavilion expansion, which holds the family-friendly Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure ride.

But, this newest addition isn’t taking place WITHIN any of these neighborhoods. Instead, Disney is adding a new addition to EPCOT’s parking lot!

@ScottGustin took to social media on January 20, 2023, to share the following photos along with the report, “NEW: The EPCOT auto plaza marquee will get a new look later this month. And starting today, character-themed parking lots will be added that includes “some of the heroes and sidekicks who represent concepts” in EPCOT: Crush, Dory, HeiHei, Moana, Rocket, Gamora, WALL-E, and Eve.”

The EPCOT parking lot will be split into two themed sides, including Earth and Space. Disney adds that the changes to the parking lot “reflect the identity of EPCOT and its four neighborhoods, celebrating the magic of possibility and stories inspired by our real world made fantastic.”

The image above shows the eight Disney characters that will be used for the EPCOT parking lot with Earth being represented by Moana, Hei Hei, Crush, and Dory. Space is represented by Wall-E, Eve, Rocket, and Gamora.

Unfortunately, there are still crickets on the Disney World parking lot news we are all really hoping to hear… When are the EPCOT parking lot trams returning? Disney initially promised trams would be available before the end of 2022, but as we wrap up January 2023, we’re still waiting. Disney Park trams have returned to both Magic Kingdom Park and Disney’s Animal Kingdom, but EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios trams are still missing.

Lastly, if you decide to use the My Disney Experience App’s newly added Car Locator, the app has already added the new characters to help Guests capture their vehicle’s location.

New EPCOT Attraction to Open This Fall!

Posted on January 24, 2023January 24, 2023 by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Epcot

A lot is happening at Walt Disney World Resort right now. Guests are celebrating the final months of the 50th Anniversary, enjoying a ton of beautiful art and delicious food at the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts, riding the new EPCOT attraction, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, and watching ride vehicles on TRON: Lightcycle/Run go through numerous tests. Plus, the temperatures in Florida are pretty great this time of year. It’s a truly great time to visit The Most Magical Place on Earth.

The Walt Disney World theme park currently experiencing the biggest change is definitely EPCOT. The Park is now made up of four distinct areas, each with their own personality — World Discovery, World Celebration, World Nature, and the World Showcase. While a lot of areas are being worked on, the largest construction area in the Park will soon be home to a brand-new attraction — Journey of Water: Inspired by Moana.

Journey of Water: Inspired By Moana was first announced back in 2019, and it’s now finally starting to make progress. Most recently, Disney brought in a towering statue of Te Fiti, which stands 16 feet tall! For months, Disney has been teasing that Guests will get to see Te Fiti up close in “late 2023”, but now, we have a more specific opening time frame.

According to Disney, the new attraction will open this fall!

Here’s some more information on the stunning new attraction coming to EPCOT.

Where Water Comes to Life

Stroll along a self-guided outdoor trail where you can play and interact with water as it travels from the sky to the oceans and back again. Along the way, learn about the importance of water and discover its playful personality—just as Moana did on her heroic voyage.

Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana is scheduled to open within World Nature—the EPCOT neighborhood dedicated to understanding and preserving the beauty and balance of the natural world.

Again, we do not have a specific opening date for Journey of Water, but we do know that it will be sometime this fall. It will be so exciting to be celebrating the new attraction while enjoying all that Halloween Time at Disney World has to offer!

Disney Makes BIG Claim About Tron: Lightcycle/Run

Posted on January 24, 2023January 24, 2023 by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Magic Kingdom

Via DisDining.com

Disney has made a big claim about Tron: Lightcycle/Run! Magic Kingdom’s long awaited roller coaster will finally open on April 4, 2023. When it does, it will break a record! No, not “longest build of all time” (though, after nearly five years of construction, we are pretty sure it might have that record too). According to Disney, “Tron: Lightcycle/Run will be one of the fastest coasters at any Disney theme park in the world.”

That’s exciting news considering Disney, while a pioneer in most areas, has always been a bit lacking in the thrill ride department. Much of this has been by design: Disney has traditionally been a place for the whole family to love. More and more, though, people have been lamenting the lack of adrenaline pumping attractions. Disney has heard and answered. Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster in Hollywood studios tops out at 57 mph. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind opened last year as EPCOT’S very first roller coaster (with a top speed of just under 60 mph) and Tron: Lightcycle/Run promises to be even faster!

That means Magic Kingdom’s version is likely going to be faster than Shanghai’s version. Tron: Lightcycle Power Run in Shanghai tops at 60 mph just like Cosmic Rewind. Disney’s hint leads us to believe that while the rides may be mostly identical, they won’t be completely the same (and that Magic Kingdom’s version may actually be more thrilling)!

Currently the fastest ride at the Walt Disney World Resort is Test Track at EPCOT which tops out at 65 mph (although it does not sustain this speed long) and while we don’t think Tron will go quite that fast, it will be interesting to see the stats and compare sustained speeds once Magic Kingdom’s coaster finally makes its debut!

California Grill Is Changing Their Menu

Posted on January 24, 2023January 24, 2023 by Mathew Corn Disney Dining, Disney Parks, Magic Kingdom

Disney’s 50th Anniversary celebration is coming to an end, and with it, many of the special limited-time events are ending as well. The celebration officially ends on March 31, 2023, and when it does, the special menu to commemorate the event at California Grill will end with it.

Beginning April 1, 2023, the Contemporary Resort’s signature restaurant will debut an all-new menu. While this isn’t particularly shocking (menus change at Walt Disney World all the time), the format is, and some guests aren’t happy about it. According to Disney, the new menu will consist of “contemporary, market-inspired cuisine.” We aren’t quite sure yet what that entails as Disney has yet to release the details of the new menu, but the photos they’ve shared look amazing!

Disney has stated that the new menu at California Grill will be prix fixe. The menu will include a three-course meal for one price with alá cart options no longer offered. The 50th-anniversary menu was also prix fixe, so this change isn’t technically new, but many expected the restaurant to return to alá carte dining once the limited-time menu was done.

The new format has led to many airing their frustrations online.

Some expressed confusion at the format:

While others just wanted the option to order sushi (we can’t blame them that spicy kazan roll is delicious):

This user straight up doesn’t want that price fix (and brings up an excellent point…that brunch was outstanding):

While this pricing structure was always present at family-style dining experiences like Garden Grill and Liberty Tree Tavern, prix fixe is a direction many other restaurants at Disney World are going in, particularly their fine dining establishments. Recently we reported that Monsieur Paul would also be adopting this format. Keep in mind this new pricing structure does not mean the restaurant will become family-style. You’ll still have options on the menu, which is nice. You’ll simply pay one price and choose an appetizer, entree, and dessert from the menu options.

Florida Governor Planning to Ban Disney World From Enforcing Certain Rules In Its Parks

Posted on January 23, 2023January 23, 2023 by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Uncategorized

For months, The Walt Disney Company and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis have been at each other’s throats.

The trouble began when now-fired CEO Bob Chapek spoke out against Florida’s Parental Rights In Education bill. DeSantis pushed back in full force, signing the bill into law and then passing legislation to dissolve the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which allowed Disney to function as its own government for years.

Reedy Creek is set to be dissolved this June, but that doesn’t mean that the fight is over. In fact, Governor DeSantis may just be heating things up. According to reports, DeSantis is looking at passing legislation that would make it illegal for businesses to have mask mandates or vaccinations ever again. Even private businesses are allowed to set their own rules.

ABC News reports:

The legislation would specifically prohibit COVID-19 vaccine passports in Florida; prohibit vaccine and mask requirements in Florida schools; prohibit masking requirements by businesses; and prohibit employees from being hired or fired based on whether or not they have received a COVID-19 vaccine.

“When the world lost its mind, Florida was a refuge of sanity, serving strongly as freedom’s linchpin,” DeSantis said in a statement. “These measures will ensure Florida remains this way and will provide landmark protections for free speech for medical practitioners.”

When Walt Disney World Resort opened back up after its pandemic closure, all Guests and Cast Members were required to wear masks, as well as social distance. This mask requirement did not sit well with some Guests, who insisted that Disney could not tell them what to do. Disney, in turn, removed Guests who refused to comply, as they are a private company that can set its own rules. U.S. Disney Parks never had vaccine mandates.

DeSantis’ mask and vaccination requirement ban is in its early stages, so we don’t know if and when the legality of the bill will be questioned. Disney has not commented on the possible permanent ban.