Disney World Plans Refurbishment for Space Mountain

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Magic Kingdom

Via InsidetheMagic.net

Walt Disney World Resort is known for its iconic attractions, especially at Magic Kingdom.

From Pirates of the Caribbean to Jungle Cruise to Haunted Mansion and everything in between, these attractions have been beloved by Guests for decades and still remain an intricate part of the Disney magic because, in many ways, they are timeless.

While the Disney Park attractions and their theming might be timeless, the reality of operating a theme park shows that rides are constantly having to undergo maintenance to keep up with the volume of Guests they carry each day.

Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom

We recently saw two of three big mountains in Magic Kingdom undergo maintenance, in Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain. Now, it seems Disney has plans to undergo construction on its third mountain, Space Mountain, located in Tomorrowland.

A recent permit filed by Walt Disney World Resort for the area where Space Mountain sits (4950 N. World Drive) shows there are plans for improvements to the ride.

Buena Vista Construction Company, which handles many projects in Walt Disney World Resort, will be the contractor and the general description of improvement is to “provide labor, material and/or electrical for construction.”

Space Mountain Permit 2022

Disney has not announced a closure of Space Mountain as of yet and the description does not indicate what areas of the ride will be under construction. That being said, we can expect to see activity begin to happen around the attraction at some point in the near future.

We previously reported on how extreme weathering has affected the attraction, leaving many areas on the outside façade looking rough. However, with electrical elements being added to this permit, we would venture to say that the work will not just pertain to the outside building.

space mountain

Cosplay Disney Princesses Seen Being Escorted Out of Magic Kingdom

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Magic Kingdom

Via DisDining.com

There are a lot of experiences that make a Disney vacation incredibly special. From eating a ton of excellent food to riding fun attractions that take you to faraway places, and all the great merchandise you can wear all year round. One experience that is always special, no matter how old you are, is the character interactions that can be found at all the Parks. Who doesn’t want to give Mickey a big hug or create some mischief with Stitch?

When it comes to these princeless meetings, Disney does not want any Guest to get confused about whether the character is a part of the Park experience or not. Disney also knows that Guests love to dress up as their favorite characters. While Disneybounding — wearing regular clothes that represent specific characters — is completely acceptable, Disney has strict rules when it comes to outright costumes.

A viral video has been making rounds, showing a group of women, dressed in full princess costumes, being escorted through Magic Kingdom Park by a group of Disney Cast Members. The women admit that they are not Disney princesses. The person filming is told that Guests are allowed to wear costumes because it is Halloween time. However, they are all then taken to a closed-off area of the Park.

Disney Princess Cosplay

The original video says that the women were kicked out of the Park. The follow-up videos on TikTok were flooded with comments on both sides of the argument. Many were pointing out that Disney does not typically allow costumes like that into the Park. Others argued that the women were allowed to dress like that because it was Halloween, the one time of year when adults can wear costumes.

You can watch the video of the encounter below:

These are Disney’s current costume guidelines:

Disney World Guest Appearance Guidelines

Disney World reserves the right to exclude visitors to their gated attractions who wear clothing that could create a distraction. This policy is in effect at the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, and Disney Springs.

Examples of unacceptable attire include:

  • Clothing displaying offensive messages/language
  • Adult costumes or clothing that can be viewed as a costume (children under age 10 are excluded)
  • Clothing made with offensive material, (ie transparent)
  • Clothing that is excessively torn
  • Clothing which exposes inappropriate portions of the body such as string bikini tops, G-strings, bikini bottoms, etc.
  • Guests wearing wedding attire are discouraged from entering the theme parks.

All Disney theme park guests are required to wear shirts and shoes at all times. Swimsuit tops are allowed when worn with other appropriate clothing.

Disney’s Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon have other criteria in place which may vary from the general appearance guidelines. Depending on the venue and event, variations may be acceptable.

Disneybounding Goofy

Guests Stuck on Peter Pan’s Flight Get Help from Fire Department

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Magic Kingdom

Even in the most magical of places such as a Disney Park, attractions get stuck and mishaps happen. A recent clip is surfacing on social media showing Guests stuck on Magic Kingdom’s Peter Pan’s Flight attraction, as the fire department comes to the rescue with a ladder.

We recently saw over at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Kilimanjaro Safaris had a broken down vehicle which led to an evacuation. Over at EPCOT Guests were stuck on top of a hill on Frozen Ever After. And recently, at Magic Kingdom, Space Mountain and Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover were evacuated due to smoke coming from a refrigerator.

From attraction malfunctions to situations where Guests caused the issue (such as the boy that jumped out of the Splash Mountain boat), while it’s rare… you never know if your ride will be unexpectedly interrupted.

Exterior of Peter Pan's Flight

This time, the mishap took place at Walt Disney World Resort’s Magic Kingdom Park. The popular Peter Pan’s Flight attraction in Fantasyland stopped. With an above head track guiding Guests through Neverland, a ladder was needed to exit the attraction.

Amber (@muggleonmainstreet) took to Instagram to share a brief video of getting stuck on Peter Pan’s Flight with the note, “Getting stuck on Peter Pan’s Flight was a new experience. The fire department was kind enough to help us down with a ladder. Want to see more Disney fun? Come follow me.”

Check out the brief clip in her Instagram post below:

The Mickey Mouse with the clip saying, “Oh no! The ride. It’s broken” fits perfectly. Here’s a screenshot of the video for a better look. You’ll see the ships above the London scene with the lights on which is rare to see for this normally dark ride. The firefighters are on the left in the photo bringing in the ladder while a Cast Member stands below on the right.

Is Splash Mountain Still Being Reimagined?

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Magic Kingdom

Disney announced the nostalgic Splash Mountain attraction at both Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort would be dropping its Song of the South (1946) theme and making an adjustment to be more inclusive with The Princess and the Frog (2009) theme. While Br’er Rabbit vs. Princess Tiana has been among many Disney fan discussions, oddly enough, Disney has dropped the reimagining reference from its website.

Disney first made the announcement of the retheming back in June 2020. The shock of the announcement quickly spread through Disney fandom causing mixed views. Some Disney fans were excited that Princess Tiana and her New Orleans crew would finally be getting an attraction themed after them. On the flip-side, some Disney fans wanted Disney to keep the classic Splash Mountain boat ride as is with Br’er Rabbit, Br’er Fox, and Br’er Bear.

Now, a year and a half later, we aren’t seeing any adjustments taking place to Splash Mountain just yet. Splash Mountain recently underwent its “routine maintenance” closure, but the reopening showed no signs of Princess Tiana. Not only did Splash Mountain resume as is after the refurbishment, but Disney dropped the reimagining reference of the upcoming The Princess and the Frog theme from its website.

Splash Mountain to Princess and the Frog

Previously, the Splash Mountain ride landing page noted, “An exciting new refresh is coming to this attraction.” The note included a “Read More” link which took Guests to details about The Princess and the Frog retheming. Now, that message is completely gone.

While Disney may have dropped the reference from its website, you can still find reimagining details on Disney Parks Blog which makes us believe all is still a go for the transformation.

Josh D’Amaro, Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products shared reimagining of Splash Mountain has been expedited back in November 2020. In August 2021, Melissa Valiquette, the Vice president of Magic Kingdom, asked for patience with “Our Guests are going to have to put a little bit of trust into us for a bit because we promise not to let you down. We’re going to deliver a wonderful attraction that is inspiring and beautiful and worthy of this princess, Princess Tiana.”

Disney’s description of the reimagining has noted, “As seen in this latest rendering of the attraction, the story will take place after the final kiss as Naveen and Louis join Princess Tiana on her latest adventure, hosting a one-of-a-kind Mardi Gras celebration where everyone is welcome – during which some original music inspired by songs from the film will bring Guests into the story. Tiana is leading the way and fans will be able to encounter old friends and make new ones along the way as well!”

Capture Your Moment Coming Soon to All Walt Disney World Theme Parks!

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom

Via DisneyDestinations

Disney PhotoPass Service is the best way to capture photos of a Disney experience, and we’re continuing to innovate and introduce fun new offerings brought to life by our talented team of Cast Members. In fact, one of our most popular experiences is growing: Capture Your Moment.

This personalized 20-minute private photo session was so popular at Magic Kingdom Park and Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Capture Your Moment is now expanding to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios!

EPCOT – Available beginning Feb. 24 
Whether it’s a proposal, first visit, graduation, anniversary or family portraits, EPCOT’s World Showcase is the perfect photo backdrop! Guests can choose one of the following pavilions for their photoshoot: Germany, Italy, The American Adventure, Japan or Morocco.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios – Available beginning March 21 
Guests can head down to the Hollywood Tower Hotel to take photos around its eerie grounds, capture playful photos with Gertie (Echo Lake’s resident dinosaur), get up close with the incredible details of the Chinese Theatre’s façade, or use the colorful neon signs and art deco architecture of Hollywood Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard to evoke the golden age of Tinseltown.

At all four theme parks, each Capture Your Moment session is $79 and can include up to eight guests. While prints and digital downloads are not included, those with a Disney PhotoPass entitlement such as Memory Maker or Memory Maker One Day, as well as qualifying Annual Passholders with a Disney PhotoPass download benefit, can download the photos at no extra cost.*

Disney PhotoPass Service and our talented photographers are committed to creating fun, unique photography experiences for Guests. Over the past few years, we’ve introduced brand-new services and incorporated unique technology to capture vacation memories in ways Guests can’t find anywhere else.