Walt Disney World Resort Update

Update for January 27 – Feburary 2, 2015

Go directly to: News & Views | Join our Networks | Resort Events | Refurbishments and Attraction Closures | Discounts and Promotions

News and Views

More Disney Springs tenants confirmed | Photo tour: New interactive queue for Peter Pan's Flight | Five Walt Disney World resorts recognized for excellence | Report shows two deaths following two Walt Disney World rides | Splitsville offers live band performances | New resort among 8 newest AAA Five Diamond award winners | Views around the World | This and That | Crowd update

More Disney Springs tenants confirmed

As construction continues in the Disney Springs area, Disney announced more new tenants to the retail, dining and entertainment complex:

• APEX by Sunglass Hut – sports and activewear glasses
• Art of Shaving – grooming merchandise
• Chapel Hats – hats and other headwear
• Erin McKenna's Bakery NYC – gluten-free and vegan baked goods
• Havaianas – create-your-own fiip-flops and ready-made footwear
• Sanuk – “distinctive footwear”
• Sound Lion – all things for sound needs including earbuds, headphones, speakers, and other items

An Orlando Sentinel report confirming these changes said Disney did not announce an official opening date.

Previously announced new tenants include the Boathouse, Morimoto Asia, and STK steakhouse, all of which should open later this year.

Photo Tour: New interactive queue for Peter Pan's Flight

After months of construction, the Magic Kingdom opened the new interactive queue for the popular Peter Pan's Flight attraction in New Fantasyland. MousePlanet photographer J. Jeff Kober had a chance to check it out and provides a photo tour for this week's update.

A new interactive queue has opened in the standby line of Peter Pan's Flight. The first section showcases a gallery of images. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.

The major part of the queue, occupying the former west side Fantasyland bathrooms, walks through the nursery. Here we see the boy's side of the room. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.

An interactive area allows guests to play with the shadows on the wall. In this case, ringing the bells. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.

Here we see Wendy's bed. A French flag and a suitcase on the bed suggest that Wendy wants to travel. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.

From time to time, Tinkerbell flies through the room, shaking pictures on the wall, and moving in and out of dressers. More interactive elements are yet to be introduced. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.

Five Walt Disney World resorts recognized for excellence

TripAdvisor named five Walt Disney World resorts to its top hotel choices for families in its 13th annual Travelers' Choice awards.

According to a report by the Orlando Sentinel, Disney's Art of Animation Resort ranked the highest of the Disney properties at number 7 on the list. The remaining four ranked as follows:

• Disney's Wilderness Lodge – ranked #9
• Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort – ranked #16
• Disney's Port Orleans Resort – ranked #18
• Disney's Beach Club Resort – ranked #21

A total of 19 Orlando hotels made the national list in the family category.

Aulani, a Disney Resort and Spa in Hawaii, also earned a place on the top 25 list for families, as number 8.

Report shows two deaths following two Walt Disney World rides

A quarterly state report showed that two individuals died in late 2014 after riding on attractions at Walt Disney World.

According to the report compiled by Florida's Bureau of Fair Rides and  cited by the Orlando Sentinel:

• In October 2014, a 54-year-old woman died after losing consciousness following a ride on Disney's Hollywood Studios' Toy Story Midway Mania.
• A 22-year-old woman with a pre-existing condition lost consciousness after riding “it's a small world” in the Magic Kingdom on December 25, 2014. The patient later died, although the report did not specify when.

These two fatalities mark the first time since early 2007 that two deaths were reported in a single quarter. 

The report listed nine other injury incidents at Walt Disney World theme parks in the final quarter of 2014:

• At the Magic Kingdom:
  • A man (age 72) felt nauseous and lethargic after riding Space Mountain.
  • A woman (age 64) fell and broker her leg while disembarking the Prince Charming Regal Carousel.
  • A woman (age 63) with a pre-existing condition had a headache and lost consciousness after riding Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
  • A man (age 54) with pre-existing condition felt sick after riding the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.
  • A man (age 49) tripped and fractured his shoulder while exiting the Mad Tea Party.
• At Epcot, a woman (age 74) fractured her shoulder after tripping on a guest's bag on Soarin'.
• At Disney's Hollywood Studios, a woman (age 51) suffered from memory loss and dizziness after riding the Rock 'N' Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith, and a 55-year-old experienced motion sickness and nausea on the same ride.
• At Disney's Animal Kingdom, a guest with a pre-existing condition suffered a seizure while on Kali River Rapids.

Splitsville Luxury Lanes offers live band performances

Splitsville Luxury Lanes over at Downtown Disney's West Side had a nice little secret going since the 2014 holiday season: live band performances every Saturday night.

Every Saturday from 9:00 p.m. to 12:30 a.m, according to a Disney Parks Blog review, you can enjoy a performance from one of three bands, The Jimmy James Band, Blonde Ambition, or another group. Covers from artists such as The Beatles and Taylor Swift can typically be heard during a band's set.

Splitsville does not have a cover charge, and visitors can guarantee a spot for the show or reserve a lane by contacting kingpin@splitsvillelanes.com.

New resort among 8 newest AAA Five Diamond Award winners

The Four Seasons Resort at Walt Disney World earned a five-diamond rating from AAA, making it the highest-rated hotel in Orlando.

CNN reports that the travel organization only awarded its highest honor to eight new hotels to its famous list, which represents less than 1 percent of the 58,000 rated hotels and restaurants. Trained inspectors use standardized guidelines to evaluate each of the rated locations on the AAA list. 

“The AAA Five Diamond Award is a true testament not only to the incredible amenities our Resort offers, but to our first-rate team of employees, who go above and beyond every day delivering exceptional guest service,” said Thomas Steinhauer, Regional Vice President of the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and General Manager of the Four Seasons Resort at Walt Disney World.

The 26-acre resort opened on August 3, 2014, and along with many amenities, offers free transportation to the Disney theme parks and the “Good Morning Breakfast with Goofy & His Pals” character meal.

Views around the World

Our photographers got some amazing views around Walt Disney World this week. Let's get right to them.

Magic Kingdom

A new trolley show offers not only new costumes and music, but two variations. Both uses “I'm Walking Right Down The Middle of Main Street, U.S.A. as bookends. But the first and the third stop uses “Put on Your Sunday Clothes” From Hello Dolly, and the second and fourth stops uses “That's How You Know” from Enchanted. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.

Ever wonder what Space Mountain looks like with the lights turned on? Photographer Alan S. Dalinka “made lemonade out of lemons” when his FastPass+ reservation had to be cancelled due to Space Mountain out of service and jumped on the Tomorrowland Peoplemover. 

Space Mountain with the lights on via the Peoplemover. Video by Alan S. Dalinka.

Walkways are finally being poured into the new Central Plaza addition. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.

On the right we see a better picture of one of the fountains being installed. Photo by J. Jeff Kober.

Get a 360-degree view of the Magic Kingdom's hub construction progress, also courtesy of Alan S. Dalinka. 

Epcot

The monorail traveling from the Ticket and Transportation Center makes its circle tour inside Future World at Epcot. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

Epcot Center retro-style merchandise is being sold at several locations around Epcot. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

Dusk at Epcot's World Showcase Lagoon yields nice photos. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

Disney Springs

Based on the artists' rendition on nearby walls (inset at right), the recently installed boat will be part of the outdoor area of the yet unnamed restaurant being built next to it in the former Pleasure Island area of Downtown Disney. Photos by Alan S. Dalinka.

This and That

…Have you put in your daily entry for the Disney “Flip” Side sweepstakes? The contest is awarding 31 winners in January a 5-day/4-night vacation at Walt Disney World for four that includes: 

• One-night stay at the Cinderella Castle Suite in the Magic Kingdom Park
• Three-night stay at a Walt Disney World Resort Hotel
• Up to four 5-Day Magic Your Way Tickets with Park Hopper and Water Parks Fun & More Options
• $500 Disney Gift Card
• Personalized “Disney Side” welcome basket
• Glass Slipper gift inspired by the new live-action film “Cinderella,” in theaters March 13
• Round-trip coach airfare (if the winner resides more than 250 miles from the Walt Disney World Resort)

…It probably comes as no big surprise, but Disney confirmed that among the new additions to the 2015 Epcot Flower and Garden Festival, a series of Frozen topiaries will decorate World Showcase Plaza in a scene depicting the movie emotional ending. Other new additions include 10 new mini-gardens featuring dinosaurs, a health garden, a pepper garden and more. Stayed tuned for future updates for more details on this upcoming event.

…The annual passholder discount for miniature golf now lists as 15 percent for the passholder and up to three guests. 

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Talk about these stories and more on our Walt Disney World discussion forum here.

Resort Events

2015

• Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend – February 19–22.
• 2015 Atlanta Braves Spring Training – March 4 to April 14
• 2015 Epcot Flower and Garden Show – March 4 to May 17. 
• 2015 Epcot Garden Rocks Concert Series – March 6 to May 17.
• 2015 Epcot Food & Wine Festival – September 26 to November 16.

runDisney events

If you participate in (or are considering signing up for) runDisney events, visit our Team MousePlanet forum on the MousePad discussion board, where you can join our community of health-minded readers and staff.

2015

• Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend – February 19–22. All races are sold out, but some associated events are still available.
• Expedition Everest Challenge – May 1–2. The event, which was announced as being the final time it was being offered, sold out within minutes of registration opening.
• Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend – November 6–7. Registration opens March 17.

2016

• Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend – January 6–10, 2016. Registration opens April 28.
• Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend – February 18–21, 2016. Registration opens July 14.

For current information on registration dates and capacity, see Lorree Tachell's runDisney Race Capacity Updates in the Team MousePlanet forum on our MousePad discussion board.

Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

Magic Kingdom

• Splash Mountain – closed through January 30.
• Cinderella's Royal Table – closed through March 6 for refurbishment.
• Liberty Square Riverboat – closed January 23–27 for refurbishment.
• Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid – closed February 2 through March 6 for refurbishment.
• Harmony Barber Shop – closed February 2 through March 30 (dates subject to change).
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – closed March 4–7 for refurbishment
• “it's a small world” – closed March 10–15 for refurbishment
• Jungle Cruise – closed April 13 through May 8 for refurbishment
• Dream Along with Mickey – closed April 13 through May 20 for refurbishment
• Liberty Tree Tavern – closed July 6 through November 20 for refurbishment 

Disney's Animal Kingdom

• Flame Tree Barbecue – closed through March 31.
• Kali River Rapids – closed January 20 through February 4; March 10–13.

Resorts

• Polynesian – refurbishment of the lobby and pool area ongoing.

Water Parks

• Blizzard Beach – the the entire park closed through March 3.

Elsewhere

• Disney Osprey Ridge Golf Course – permanently closed.
• Downtown Disney Lots H, I, J, and K (in Westside area) closed until further notice for Disney Springs construction.
• Downtown Disney Bridge 4 and restrooms on Pleasure Island are temporarily closed for ongoing construction work.
• Cirque du Soleil La Nouba – performs Tuesdays through Saturdays.

Current Discounts & Promotions

Note: MousePlanet does not edit past Updates to reflect price increases; for up-to-date prices, check the most recent Walt Disney World Resort Update. For your convenience, we have grouped the discount offers based on the intended audience. Check out the category that best matches you, and pick the offer that works best for you. And keep those tips coming—let us know if you find a better or different offer, so we can share it with other readers!

Don't keep it to yourself! Send us your news tips, rumors, and comments. Email Marie here.