Coming Soon to a Disney Park Near You

All kinds of news came out of the Disney Parks and Resorts panel presentation at the D23 Expo in Anaheim yesterday. Although we are not attending the Expo this year, I have been following all the social media platforms to find out the latest breaking Parks news. Thanks to the Disney Parks Blog for sharing the highlights of the presentation with those of us who couldn’t be there. Below are brief descriptions of the news. Check out the link to the full story via the Disney Parks Blog.

Here we go:

The official name of Star Wars Land at both Disneyland and Disney’s Hollywood Studios has been announced. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will open in 2019, first at Disneyland and later in the year at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. No specific dates were noted.
Here are a couple of brief looks at what guests visiting Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge can expect, courtesy of Disney Parks. Star Wars-Inspired Land Model | Disney Parks: https://youtu.be/dJxDQVnOyx4
Fly-Through Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge | Disney Par…: https://youtu.be/aP1jcbPRxc8

The first Mickey-themed attraction will soon make its way to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. In Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, guests will step “through the screen” and become a part of a Mickey cartoon short. To make way for this new attraction, The Great Movie Ride will close. The last day of operation will be August 13, 2017.

Two new attractions are making their way to Epcot!
A Guardians of the Galaxy themed E-ticket attraction will replace the current Universe of Energy pavillion. The last day of operation for Universe of Energy will be August 13, 2017.
A Ratatouille themed attraction will be added to the France Pavillion in the World Showcase. It is said to be similar to the 4D attraction currently at the Walt Disney Studios Park in Paris, and guests will shrink to Remy’s size and experience adventures in his world. (It is unknown if the attraction will be a duplicate, or just similar…but here is a video of the current attraction in France, courtesy of SoCal Attractions 360.)[4K] Trackless Ride – Ratatouille Ride – Disneyla…: https://youtu.be/WtZdXqY1TKs

It was noted that both attractions will open in time for the Walt Disney World 50th celebration in 2021.

The wildly popular TRON coaster from Shanghai will make its way to the Magic Kingdom, and will sit in an entirely new area adjacent to Space Mountain. TRON Lightcycle Power Run is expected to open in time for the Walt Disney World 50th celebration in 2021.

A new table service restaurant will open in Epcot. The space-themed restaurant will take guests on an “out-of-this-world” dining experience with spectacular views of Earth…from space. The new dining establishment will be located adjacent to Mission:SPACE.

Disney’s Hotel New York at the Disneyland Paris Resort will be reimagined as Disney’s Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel. The hotel will transport guests into the world of Marvel Super Heroes.

A brand-new Star Wars themed resort is planned for the Walt Disney World resort. This resort is said to be unlike any other experience. When guests arrive, they become a citizen of the galaxy, and are fully immersed in the Star Wars world…even down to dressing like the other citizens! This is sure to be on every Star Wars fan’s bucket list!

The Disney Skyliner will transport guests between Disney’s Art of Animation, POP Century, and Caribbean Beach resorts, and connect them with Disney’s Hollywood Studios and the International Gateway. Many of the gondolas will feature a character theme. This mode of transportation definitely resembles a certain attraction that has been closed for a long time (ahem, skyway).
In addition, a new Minnie Mouse themed point-to-point service was also announced.

A theater inspired by the 1920’s Willis Wood Theater in Kansas City will take up residence on Main Street USA in the Magic Kingdom. What entertainment offerings will be performed in the new venue are yet to be seen.

Toy Story Land to open at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Summer 2018. The new land will include two new attractions: Slinky Dog Dash, a family coaster ride, and Alien Swirling Saucers, a ride designed as a play set inspired by the first Toy Story movie.

Paradise Pier at Disney California Adventure will be rethemed to Pixar Pier, and will debut during a resort-wide limited time event called Pixar Fest. During the Pixar Fest, Disneyland will debut a brand new fireworks show, and the popular Pixar Play Parade will move across the Esplanade. That means Paint the Night parade will move to Disney California Adventure, and may have a newly added float! While Pixar Fest is a limited time event, Pixar Pier will be a permanent addition.

The Disney Cruise Line will be adding three new ships by 2023. Ship names, design plans, and itineraries are still in development.

Disney California Adventure will be adding a completely immersive Super Hero Universe soon. While not many details were given, it was hinted that Spider-Man and The Avengers will be joining the Guardians of the Galaxy in the new experience.

As a special surprise, attendees of the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts presentation received special reserved seating passes to preview the newly renovated Fantasmic! show at Disneyland.
Talk about icing on the cake!

What are you looking forward to the most? Will you miss the attractions that are closing?

Disney Meets Hawaiian Culture

Imagine yourself on a Hawaiian adventure. You are taking in the sights and sounds of your hotel. You walk along a path through lush gardens of plumeria, peppered with tiki torches. You are mesmerized by several torch dancers and hula dancers in grass skirts, all while snacking on sweet, juicy, fresh cut pineapple. Does this sound about right?

Well guess what? NONE of those are native to Hawaii.

The panel presentation titled, “The Art and Artistry of Aulani” took us behind the scenes of the beautiful Aulani resort in Ko Olina, Oahu, Hawaii. Imagineers Jeanette Lomboy and Joe Rohde shared with fans the art and artistry of this beautiful property. Both Jeanette and Joe have Hawaiian roots and both felt very connected with this project from the absolute beginning, and wanted the resort to be a PART of the island and not just a building ON the island.

Why Hawaii? Hawaii is unique and has an identity that is like no other. What makes Hawaii unique? The answer is simple: Hawaiians, and Hawaiians get to say what is Hawaiian. Because of this, Hawaiians were an integral part of the design and art of Aulani.
Let’s begin with the name. Aulani means Messenger of a greater authority, or Messenger of the Chief. Spirituality is very important to Hawaiians, so right off the bat Imagineers worked closely with local spiritual leaders to make the resort as in tune with the island as possible without offending the chi of the island. Once the leaders discovered the spiritual center of the property, Joe’s task was to find the Piko Stone to mark the location. Remembering some rocks that were almost hauled away, but saved thanks to Joe’s intuitions, he found the perfect stone.

Aulani was not meant to be a museum, but a blank canvas for the future. The basis for Hawaiian culture can be summed up with three words: Family, Storytelling, and Magic. Sound familiar, Disney fans? The resort’s lobby is referred to as the Maka’ala, which means “open your eyes” and encourages guests to take in every bit of the Hawaiian culture surrounding them.

Every detail of the resort reflects the rich culture of Hawaii. Even the pool lights are laid out in constellations. They represent the stars that the natives followed when they migrated to the islands. Aulani is also home to the largest private collection of native art and local artifacts.

The art painted on the building is actually a lineage chant and is based on tattoo art. There are also two sides to the building…masculine and feminine. The two sides meet in the middle and look over the ocean and to the future.

The Olelo Room is also known as the Language Room. This coffee bar by day/bar and lounge by night has everything (yes, EVERYTHING) labeled in Hawaiian words…including the bartenders! There are even flash cards available for you to brush up on your Hawaiian.

From taro leaves to coral, Aulani’s details are distinctly Hawaiian. If you listen closely, you might even hear your favorite Disney song translated into Hawaiian!
Honestly, going into this presentation we thought that we were just going to basically hear yet another commercial for the Hawaiian resort and all its bells and whistles…blah, blah, blah. But hearing how much heart went into the authenticity of Aulani, and that it accurately celebrates and embraces TRUE Hawaiian culture, we can’t wait to see it in person!