The 10 BIG Changes That Are Coming to Walt Disney World

[AquaDame]

Do most of these even count?

10. VERY glad to see AK get some nighttime love. Heck any love. Its my favourite park! Big news indeed!

9. Disney closing another attraction without announcing a plan for something take its place? Sad to say, not big news feels there since they do it a lot - more like same ol' same ol'. We never set foot in it.

8. The DTD redo is welcome as well... seems like half a ghost town at present since they removed things without having a plan of what do instead. Wait.. why does that sound familiar..?

7. Also glad Soarin' is getting some love, though honestly I wish they could just digitize or remaster the original film. Not sure if it will have the same feeling by the time they are done - will it just be Soarin' the World?

6. Its a Four Seasons, who cares? Is every new restaurant chain at Disney Springs going to get the same attention? Not big news, especially since most won't be able to afford it.

5. MORE Ak love, yes! But, why isn't this grouped with #10? Oh right, there was nothing else.

4. To that note #4 & #3 should be grouped as well. Both are adding DVC - again most people won't afford it. I am looking forward to a drink at Trader Sams though, I love the one in Disneyland!

2. Eww, no. Stop pushing this crap Disney! I don't even know what I am going to have for dinner TONIGHT. It takes time for us to eat & we are paying a premium for the "privilege". Don't rush me.

1. ANOTHER AK thing? Sure you don't want to list the aspects of Pandora separately as well? I'd file it all under Nighttime experiences coming to AK. You have 6 actual pieces of change here, and most of it has to do with hotels (a flagship of which is not owned or operated by Disney) & shopping/restaurants.

Except for AK & Soarin' = yawn.

 

[AquaDame]

I am really not liking the late night safari. It's really not fair to the animals to be disturbed all hours of the day and night.

The animals go back to their holding pens at night. The announcements I have seen for it specifically say they will be using nocturnal animals for the night Safaris.

 

[Mrsjvb]

Is it me or does anyone else think the ship has sailed on the Avatar project??? It just doesn't seem relevant any longer.

IIRC there is a sequel coming out in the next couple of years, probably timed to coincide with renewed interest with a re release of the original.

I for one am ECSTATIC over the AK plans as that is hands down my favorite of the 4 and could easily spend multiple days there.

as for planning my entire meal? oh HELL no. maybe that day as I am waiting to be seated. NOT any earlier.

 

[jhaig]

How about making Future World relevant again?

 

[over50visits]

Will it never end???? Booking my menu choices?

What's next...booking my Mickey Bar at the snack cart in innoventions west at 2:45 pm? If they have more left over will we able to book another one that morning?

Disney is approaching the deep end...

 

[plumsiren]

I have to admit the Four Seasons actually caught my attention. Will it operate with the same privileges as the Swan & Dolphin?

Ugh, I was hoping this whole Avatar thing would have been scrapped by now.

 

[Itinkso]

I have to admit the Four Seasons actually caught my attention. Will it operate with the same privileges as the Swan & Dolphin? Ugh, I was hoping this whole Avatar thing would have been scrapped by now.

Four Seasons will have Park shuttles, Character Breakfasts, Merchandise delivery, etc. Here is the link:

http://www.fourseasons.com/orlando/services_and_amenities/disney_experiences/

 

[Ilovemyprincesses]

How can you plan your meal 6 months in advance when the menus are always changing?

 

[over50visits]

How can you plan your meal 6 months in advance when the menus are always changing?

Don't worry, your choices will mysteriously disappear from your reservations sometime before you arrive (along with random FP+ selections)!!!

 

[aribelle]

That's bizarre....planning the menus for my ADRs 60 days early so that Disney can turn tables over faster????????? Sheesh!

Yep....this would be VERY advantageous to Disney....IF it actually worked. Every time we have "pre ordered" for BOG, well, it hasn't been in their system, so it's a huge waste of MY time and gets them nothing either.

BUT....if it actually worked, think about it....no need for the hostess to hand you a menu as you sit down, nor for you to take 10 minutes or so to decide what you want.....and several minutes for the waitress to take said order......if they saved 15 minutes for every table that will definitely mean more turn over of tables which brings in more money for Disney.

But, there is another even better money saver for Disney.....right now they have to use past sales and experience to decide how much of each food to purchase. How many people are going to order steak, chicken or salmon tonight. Poor planning can mean you bought too much chicken and not enough steak....and the resulting potential waste. Although meats can stay for another day, salad makings and vegetables don't stay for too long....buy too much that goes to waste and your profits go way down. Restaurants (outside of Disney) have very small profit margins, so a wasted tub of lettuce can be a serious hit.

Now....if everyone orders weeks before they arrive, then Disney will know down to a few servings how much of each item they need for a particular evening. Add to that less servers needed because you know exactly how many meals and what type you'll be making, and servers only need to deliver drinks/food, not stand around while Susie decides she wants mac and cheese and mom wants her to have chicken nuggets, lol.


I think FP+ also save Disney a lot of money in CM hours.....they know days in advance where the majority of their guests will be.....so they have less CMs standing around and more where they are needed. Guessing where your guests will be versus knowing where the bulk will be makes a planner/schedulers dream come true, lol.

There is a "joke" thread about RR+ (rest rooms)....scary thing is even that would save Disney....which bathrooms will need more cleaning people and which one can make do with just a single cleaner.

Payroll is always going to be Disney's largest daily expense....and if they can know where people will be at every hour of every day think of all the jobs that can be lost, but money saved. The stockholder in me likes the savings....the human in me hates this with a passion.....not only do I not want CMs laid off or driven to minimal hours each week, I truly hate having to decide what I want to ride, watch, eat and where I want to pee and when.....I don't even want to decide that an hour ahead of time on vacation, forget about 60 days out!

 

[WEDWDW]

I'm just wondering if they are really going to change out all the leaves on the Tree of Life OR if they are just going to use projection like they did at Harambe Nights.

 

[aribelle]

One thing I hope that Disney is thinking about in regards to any possible Soarin change....they have a California film....rumor is they are making one more Asia/Europe focused, and a Florida one......why not do like they do at Star Wars and make it random which one plays. I really enjoy this ride but it would be nice to see different films over the course of several trips to ride.

Of course, I can also see this INCREASING the length of the line, as people want to see all 3 films, lol. So, maybe if they're building a 3rd ride, do this line is California, this line is Europe, this line is Florida....guess you'll find out which scenery is most popular, lol.

 

[katiebelle21]

And now, JennaDeeDooDah's "10 BIG Things that NEED to Come to WDW"

10. Expansion of Disney's Hollywood Studios that will divide the parks into 5 sections: Hollywood Studios, Disney Studios, Pixar Studios, Muppet Studios, and Lucas Studios. Rides will be brought over from Disneyland such as Mike and Sully to the Rescue, Mater's Junkyard Jamboree, Radiator Springs Racers, and Indiana Jones. There will also be a parachute ride based on UP, a roller coaster based on The Great Gonzo, and old favorites from Disney World past such as Mr. Toad's Wild Ride and Snow White's Scary Adventures. New restaurants will also be added based on the Pizza Planet in the movies, Remy's, the Star Wars Cantina, and Sweedish Chef's restaurant.

9. Expansion of Animal Kingdom to include Australia and Antarctica. Finding Nemo the musical will be sent to Australia. There will be a water ride based on the EAC and a zip line over the Australian rainforest. A child's ride based on bouncing with the kangaroos will also be here. In Antarctica, there will be many things based on Club Penguin as well as a bobsled style ride. There will be a children's play area that looks like a winter scene with icy slides and igloos to climb in and on.

8. Updates to Future World East. This will include reopening Wonders of Life with all of the old favorites (Body Wars, Cranium Command) and updating them. Ellen's Energy Adventure will be shortened and an interactive area at the end of the ride will be added. This will feature stationary bikes that you will ride to illuminate a lighbulb, as well as other energy sections to give people a better understanding of the amount of wind, solar, and nuclear energy needed for certain things. Horizons will also need to come back. We will add in skywalks with and without moving sidewalks to help people get from one side of Future World to the other.

7. The Odyssey will be reopened with a space theme. It will have a ceiling and walls that are similar to a planetarium. Food will all have a space theme such as "Rings of Saturn" rather than basic onion rings and "black hole dessert" rather than black forest cake. While parents wait for their table, their children can be entertained playing in the moonbounce as well as the climbing section that looks like the surface of the moon.

6. New additions to World Showcase! Hello Israel, Greece, and Spain!

5. The monorail will be expanded to include the other two parks as well as Downtown Disney.

4. Rooms at various resorts will be changed so that more than 4 people can rent a room. Families with 3, 4, and even more children can now stay in a "Standard" room rather than a DVC villa or somewhere offsite, if they so choose, at any of the resorts as they will now be able to accommodate that.

3. Updates on classic rides we all love such as Great Movie Ride and Jungle Cruise. We have the technology to make the audioanimatronics look better, so that's what is going to happen.

2. We vow to talk to the guests about their wants, needs, and desires prior to rolling anything new out that we have convinced ourselves that they really want. We will also not make them pay thousands of dollars to be the guinea pigs during the testing phase without first warning them.

1. Fast Pass+ Changes! (Come on; you knew this was coming) No longer do you make reservations 60 days out. Instead, starting 30 minutes before the park opens, you can start making Fast Pass+ selections from your computer, smart phone, or kiosk (clearly it will have to be computer or smart phone prior to park opening or your hotel concierge can help you with this). You will be allowed to have as many as FP+ out at a time, but will only get to book 3 initially. As soon as the window for your first FP+ opens up, you will be able to book a fourth FP+, regardless of whether or not you have scanned your magic band. You can make this selection from anywhere via your smart phone. You can see FP+ selections at other parks and book them as part of your 3 fast passes, in the even that you are intending to park hop. This works well for all people as those who don't wish to do rope drop can still monitor the fast pass times and collect them for the more popular rides prior to ever entering the park. Rope droppers will again see the benefit of arriving early as they can select fast passes for anytime during the day and monitor return times as they used to do with regular fast pass. Everyone wins here and no one is planning every last second of their vacation months in advance, unless they really want to.

I LOVE all of these ideas!

 

[philmagic]

I want to go THERE!!!!!Sounds great! They should put the old Club Cool in AK Antartica. A great way to cool off in a hot park!

Here is my idea for fast pass.

Every park guest gets 2 fast passes for the E ticket rides upon entry to the park. THey can use them for any 2 ride or the same ride twice. THe E ticket rides Post the SB wait time and FP wait time. When you head over to your ride (like soarin) if there happens to be a lot of fast passers there and the wait time is too long, save your fast pass for later. to be used at any time during the day.

 

[Tonyz]

Is it me or does anyone else think the ship has sailed on the Avatar project??? It just doesn't seem relevant any longer.

I'm still excited for it, but definitely has lost any relevance it might have had.

But Avatarland can still be phenomenal IF they do it right!

 

[Liljo22]

I'm not for picking my meals far in advance but I would love being able to order my meals day of from the app. I always feel like meals are a waste of time at theme parks. The quicker we are out the better so we can get on more rides or shows. If I was able to order at cosmic rays while I am in line for Buzz, I would be all over that.

But I actually prefer to use online order for my restaurants even at home. There is something about just being able to see all my choices and choosing rather than reading from a menu and hoping another person interprets it right.

 

[916chipndale]

I might be in the minority, but I like Animal Kingdom, and will be glad to see it get a nighttime show. I could do without Avatarland though, wish they would have added Australia or Antartica like JennaDeeDooDah suggested. I do not doubt that Disney will do a good job on Avatarland, it just doesn't appeal to me.

 

[DaisyNY]

Glad to hear about the updates for Animal Kingdom...so sad to see the Poly lobby so drastically changed

 

[OnSpaceshipEarth]

I can't wait for what Animal Kingdom will become in the next few years!

I've always loved this park and now it will finally get the buzz around it that it deserves.

 

[gericoronado]

MAYBE I should be embarrassed to admit this...but I'm NOT!! I have planned my meals for every single one of my ADRs!! I thought lots of folks did this but guess I'm definitely in the minority.