Walt Disney World’s new Tron coaster, Tron Lightcylce Power Run, has been a fun one to follow along with as construction moves forward. Today, we’re sharing photos from inside the park! Here’s the latest as of October 16 as seen in Magic Kingdom!
Here are seven photos of what you’ll see as you stroll through Tomorrowland and the back part of Fantasyland as construction progresses forward.
It’s coming along! It may not look like much right now, but Disney’s art rendering is stunning as shared here:
Disney’s Art Rendering TRON Lightcycle
Disney’s initial deadline was to have the coaster ready to ride in 2021 – in time to celebrate Disney’s 50th Anniversary. With the pandemic hitting, construction halted back in March but the construction resumed shortly after. Disney has not announced if there will be a delay to the opening. What we do know is it’s fun to watch the progress of the coaster as it unfolds! Want a sneak peek of what this attraction will look like? Here’s a ride through of the attraction in Shanghai Disneyland. Hold on tight!
Epcot’s massive overhaul of Future World is well under way. With hopes for completion for Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary celebration in late 2021, our fingers are crossed COVID-19 hasn’t put too much of a hold on progress. Thanks to @bioreconstruct Twitter we are able to take a look at construction progress via aerial photos. Check out the photos and notes as shared below by @bioreconstruct on November 1.
Picture #1: “Aerial overview of the current state of the World Celebration neighborhood of EPCOT.”
Picture #2: “Aerial view of the demolition of former Electric Umbrella quick service restaurant.”
Picture #3: “A look (yesterday) at demolition of the former Electric Umbrella quick service restaurant in EPCOT.”
Picture #4: “Aerial look at the current demolition of Innoventions West. Arrow at recently added tents for worker break time. Tables are physically distanced due to pandemic.”
Picture #5: “A look at tents for break time inside the work site for the EPCOT World Celebration neighborhood.”
Picture #6: “Aerial look at current demolition of former Innoventions West. Windows recently removed this side of the building.”
Photo #7: “Aerial look at lighting of Spaceship Earth on roof of Innoventions West, at top arrow. This lighting to be replaced soon by lighting on a temporary truss below. Demolition of the building in progress.”
October 29, the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron – “The Thunderbirds” – flew over Walt Disney World Resort to kick off November’s National Veterans and Military Families Month and honor current, past and fallen military heroes. Check out the details, video and photos below as shared by DisneyParksBlog.
The Thunderbirds’ flyover took place almost a decade to the day after their last visit to Walt Disney World, on Oct. 27, 2010. This time, “America’s Ambassadors in Blue” performed two passes above Spaceship Earth at EPCOT, including the famous “Delta Break” maneuver.
The flyover was both sentimental and meaningful for Walt Disney World, which has long celebrated members of the United States military. Fittingly, The Walt Disney Company founders, Walt and Roy Disney, both served the United States in uniform during World War I. The Walt Disney Company has also been a leading proponent of hiring, training and supporting military veterans with the Heroes Work Here initiative, the Heroes Supply Here program and Disney Veterans Institute.
Footage of the flyover will also be included in this year’s virtual Snowball Express conference hosted by the Gary Sinise Foundation, which serves the children of fallen military heroes, their surviving parents and guardians, and Gold Star families.
Walt Disney Travel Company vacation packages, and ticket-only purchases, for arrivals Sept. 27 through Dec. 31, 2021 at the Walt Disney World Resort are now available to book. This includes Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary celebration date, so don’t delay booking your vacation!
Disney shares:
As we are still in a phased reopening, there are some Disney Resort hotels that are not, as of this time, open or scheduled for reopening in 2021. We will continue to evaluate the situation and reopen more hotels when the environment is right to do so. Booking a room and ticket package does not guarantee a theme park reservation, and guests will need make their park reservations for dates in 2021. You will be able to view park reservation availability on the Park Pass Calendar prior to purchasing theme park tickets or booking a package. We strongly recommend that guests book their park reservations immediately after linking their 2021 vacation package in My Disney Experience. Disney Resort hotel packages with dining plans remain unavailable at this time.”
On October 27, Walt Disney World laid off several entertainers from its highest-profile shows to characters that strolled the parks for entertainment. Today, Disney has released a statement regarding an update on entertainment.
Walt Disney World Resort offers a treasure trove of experiences for guests of all ages. We recognize that part of the magic of visiting any Disney park is seeing favorite Disney friends and discovering one-of-a-kind shows and performances. Since reopening, we’ve continued to offer modified character experiences and entertainment throughout our resort, while also taking the appropriate steps for the health and safety of our guests and cast members.
Recently, we’ve had to make some difficult decisions to reduce our workforce as the business impacts from the Covid-19 pandemic have become more long-lasting than anyone could have predicted. As a result, we’ve had to pause many live shows and entertainment experiences at our resort for longer than originally anticipated.
While it’s impossible at this time to fully replace the incredible entertainment that existed throughout our parks before the pandemic, we are offering live entertainment in new ways wherever possible, including character cavalcades in all four parks and pop-up appearances, like discovering Joy from “Inside Out” frolicking on the lawn near the Imagination! pavilion in EPCOT. Additionally, we’re featuring modified shows such as the popular “For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration” at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and live musical performances like the Main Street Philharmonic in Magic Kingdom or the Discovery Island Drummers at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. This extends to our seasonal offerings, with Halloween underway and the holidays right around the corner. In fact, the fan-favorite Voices of Liberty are set to make their return and join the JAMMitors and Mariachi Cobre at the American Gardens Theatre during the upcoming Taste of EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays, beginning on Nov. 27.
Determining which shows can return and when is a complex process. As with the rest of our phased reopening, we will also consider the guidance of health officials and government agencies in determining when the time will be right to adjust capacity, and as soon as it is appropriate, we will start to bring additional entertainment back.
Like most of our fans, we know that our beloved entertainment cast are an incredibly special and essential part of the Disney experience. We look forward to the day when we can welcome back more live entertainment to our parks, and we will share more news about these announcements as we’re able to do so.
