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Tag: Magic Kingdom

  • Disney World’s New Line-Skipping Pass Costs Up To $450 A Day Per Person

    Disney World’s New Line-Skipping Pass Costs Up To $450 A Day Per Person

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    Disney has announced a new way to skip the lines at its parks. But depending on where you go and when, you might have to spend over $400 a day per person to take advantage of the new Lightning Lane Premier Pass.

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    On Wednesday, Disney announced its plans to roll out a new tier of Lightning Lane, a pre-existing program that lets visitors pay extra to skip the lines for certain rides in Disney World and Disneyland. Previously, Lightning Lane Multi Passes, which let you skip the line on multiple rides, cost $32 a day per person, though the price could increase for various reasons. These passes forced guests to select a time to arrive for their “line skip,” which could cause problems if you were late. This newly announced tier of line skipping, Premier Pass, does away with that restriction, but at a steep cost.

    As spotted by GameSpot, the new “Premier” pass—which will be available later this month—will cost up to $450 a day per person at Disney World. The price varies depending on the park and when you go, with Disney saying that the highest prices will be found on a “limited number of days over peak travel periods.”

    Here are the prices for each park, but keep in mind that you still need to buy a ticket to the park, and at Disney World, only folks staying in Disney World hotels on property will be eligible to buy these new, limited passes.

    • Disney’s Animal Kingdom: $129 to $199
    • EPCOT: $169 to $249
    • Disney’s Hollywood Studios: $269 to $349
    • Magic Kingdom: $329 to $449

    Meanwhile, at Disneyland, the Premier pass will cost $400 per person until December 31. In 2025, the pass will drop to $300 to $400 a day per person, based on what dates you visit.

    In 2023, Disney CEO Bob Iger said that the massive company had been “too aggressive” about increasing prices at the parks and wanted to make them more “accessible.” This, uh, doesn’t seem like a good way to do that. And sure, you can argue that people don’t need to buy these passes, that they can just wait in line, but ride queues can get quite long and waiting sucks. Besides, the big appeal of Disney World and Disneyland is the rides! And making it more expensive to actually enjoy them seems like the opposite of making your parks more accessible to more people.

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    Zack Zwiezen

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  • Disney World would cross the line by removing Muppets from the parks

    Disney World would cross the line by removing Muppets from the parks

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    The Muppets land at Hollywood Studios is on the chopping block to make room for Monsters, Inc., and fans are once again outraged and confused about what exactly Disney is trying to do with its park that was once themed around movie-making magic.

    Shortly after Disney’s parks news showcase at D23, TheWrap reported a tip that Imagineering “has only a few weeks to decide whether to keep Muppet*Vision 3D” and the Muppet-filled Grand Avenue courtyard of the Orlando park. TheWrap’s source told them the attraction’s closure was originally going to be revealed during the D23 panel.

    The Aug. 10 Horizons showcase revealed all the new lands and attractions coming to Disney’s parks worldwide. For Disney World, each of the four parks is getting at least one new attraction — Cars and Disney Villains in Magic Kingdom, Indiana Jones and Encanto in Animal Kingdom, Monsters, Inc. in Hollywood Studios and a reimagined Test Track at Epcot.

    The concern for the Muppets grew out of TheWrap’s reporting as well as an artist rendering of the Monsters, Inc. land. It wasn’t revealed where in Hollywood Studios Monstropolis would go, but fans spotted a familiar water tower in the background of one of the images. It was the signal the Muppets fandom needed to express their dismay over Disney even considering getting rid of the Muppet*Vision 3D show and the Jim Henson character-filled courtyard.

    Outlets like Nerdist, Paste magazine and USA Today likewise decried the possibility of removing the Muppets, calling the move a “colossal mistake” if Disney went through with it. A month before D23, Vulture writer Rebecca Alter waxed poetic about how “the greatest moviegoing experience you can have in America” is at Muppet*Vision 3D. She also called for the 33-year-old attraction to be designated a cultural heritage site on the National Register of Historic Places.

    If the Muppets were removed, Disney would cross the line from “typical fan discourse surrounding the removal of an attraction” into further tainting Hollywood Studios’ legacy by continuing to dump random IP they don’t have anywhere else to put.

    I say all this as a huge fan of Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge and the nearby Toy Story Land. Both of those lands — and the upcoming Monstropolis — belong in a Disney park. But at what cost? What is Disney even doing at Hollywood Studios?

    There’s no longer a cohesive “ride the movies” theme to compete with Universal Studios Florida. The old Hollywood-themed park that used to have The Great Movie Ride inside a replica Chinese Theatre, a Studio Backlot Tour and actual Walt Disney Animation satellite studios now has crowd control issues for a couple of thrill rides alongside swaths of the park that remain largely empty every day.

    Looking at you, Animation Courtyard, Star Wars Launch Bay and Pixar Plaza.

    Back to the Muppets. They’re part of a timeless franchise that perfectly balances goofy kiddie pranks and puppetry with subtle adult humor. The Muppets are one of the few franchises that truly appeal to all ages. The absurdist ensemble of lovable felt puppets remains as relevant today as 70 years ago when Jim Henson created it.

    Speaking of Henson, Muppet*Vision 3D was the last project the creative legend directed before he died in 1990. It was also one of the last times Henson performed as Kermit, Waldorf and Swedish Chef, and veteran Muppeteer Richard Hunt played Scooter, Statler, Beaker and Sweetums.

    With that status, Muppet*Vision 3D is a cultural landmark and place of remembrance.

    It’s no secret Disney has struggled to land a sustainable future for The Muppets. Their comedic storytelling style doesn’t need any changing, but they do need to be included in more Disney projects to stay relevant. Still, there are few franchises and stories from seven decades ago that are still funny, entertaining and appropriate for all ages like The Muppets.

    Plus, everything is made better with The Muppets. Let them host the Oscars. Create alternate-universe short stories like “what if Kermit the Frog was Iron Man?” Put Swedish Chef in an episode of The Bear. Let Miss Piggy guest star on Drag Race (not a Disney property, but can you imagine?).

    Critics will cry that The Muppets is no longer relevant to today’s kids. That families are more interested in immersive lands based on blockbuster IPs that aren’t more than several decades old (I’ll remind you that Monsters, Inc. came out in 2001). That older kids want thrill rides and escapism — not reminders of the past or anything that could possibly educate them on entertainment history.

    Bringing Monstropolis to a Disney park is a great idea. The Monsters, Inc. films are fun, sweet and beloved by several generations of Disney fans. And that door vault coaster is going to be epic.

    But sacrificing the one tiny area of the park that celebrates The Muppets is too high a cost. The Muppets — and Henson’s masterful puppetry — deserve better than to be written off into obscurity because they aren’t “trending” in today’s screen-obsessed world.

    Removing The Muppets and Muppet*Vision 3D would not only further taint Hollywood Studios’ legacy but also the legacy of Disney parks as a whole. One of the core tenets of Disney parks has always been immersive, relatable nostalgia. In every park are attractions that let fans get a taste of childhood whimsy. Time slows down in a Disney park, letting you stop and smell the flowers (and churros) and get a small taste of historic days gone by.

    Few things exemplify that joyous, comedic mentality quite like The Muppets. Closing Muppet*Vision 3D and the surrounding courtyard would rid the world of a priceless and irreplaceable piece of cultural magic.

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    Chelsea Zukowski

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  • Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Breaks 87 Years of a Weird Disney Princess Canon

    Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Breaks 87 Years of a Weird Disney Princess Canon

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    Over the past few days Disney fans who have managed to ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Walt Disney World have been among the first to experience the continuation of Tiana’s fairytale after the events 2009’s The Princess and the Frog. The ride itself serves as a sequel in attraction form, where guests follow Tiana and friends as they put together a band for their Mardi Gras celebration. But there are so many more details revealed even before you board the flume water ride for fans of the beloved Disney film.

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    One of the biggest official reveals is that unlike the Disney Princesses that came before her—even as far back as Snow White—New Orleans’ very own princess has a real last name. In the queue for Walt Disney World’s attraction, fans have noticed that Tiana is referred to as Tiana Rogers, daughter of Sargent James Rogers, in newspaper clippings and cooking awards for Tiana’s Palace and Tiana’s Foods (her culinary co-op). And this was intentional, Disney Imagineer Ted Robledo shared: “There’s so much of her story that was touched upon in the film, the relationship with her father, a World War I veteran; her relationship with her mother, [who] we like to say was the entrepreneurial inspiration for her to be the successful businesswoman that Tiana is today in our story.”

    See below for the in-universe confirmation of Tiana Rogers’ last name.

    Image: Sabina Graves/Gizmodo

    The fairytale fandom has been very tricky when it comes to the Disney Princess lineup and their official titles. Technically Rapunzel could have taken Eugene Fitzherbert’s name—but it’s never canonized in Disney content, much like the other married princesses including Snow White or Cinderella (can the real Mrs. Charming please stand up?). Even in the case of The Princess and the Frog, Tiana did marry Prince Naveen of Maldonia, which would make her Tiana Rogers, Princess of Maldonia, since she clearly kept her father’s name to honor him with her successful food company in New Orleans.

    “Tiana’s story is going to be furthered in a new series that was announced,” Robledo continued, confirming that Disney Imagineers worked closely with Disney animation to keep within canon on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure as the studio prepares for her Disney Plus series Tiana, which will dig a little deeper with what’s next for the princess and her family. The series will focus on things like, “Her relationship with her husband, who is from another country of likely of mixed race. It’s a time of Indigenous people and colonization. I think that team, from what little we heard, is going to explore that route. But I will say this about Naveen: we knew early on, and even if Naveen plays a small role or big role in this story, he has a role—they’re a married couple, they care about each other. So to honor that, we want to make sure he’s included somewhere in a real way. And actually, it’s quite humorous, as this little performance of our story.” We can’t wait to see Tiana and Naveen return with more adventures down in New Orleans with Disney+ series Tiana, but for now going on bayou log boat rides will do at Disney Parks.

    Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is now open at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL and is set to open soon at Disneyland in Anaheim, CA.

    Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

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    Sabina Graves

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  • Disney Made It More Difficult to Ride What You Want, Just in Time for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

    Disney Made It More Difficult to Ride What You Want, Just in Time for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

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    If you’re going down the bayou to ride Walt Disney World’s Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, there’s a few things you need to know to make sure you’ll be able to experience the Magic Kingdom’s newest exciting attraction. It won’t have a traditional “wake up early and rush to the line” queue, but rather an online virtual queue you’ll have to wake up early to enter on the MyDisneyExperience app (with a second shot in the afternoon)—or as a pay-as-you go Lightning Lane, which has replaced Genie+ just in time for the in-demand ride’s opening.

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    When Does Tiana’s Bayou Adventure open?

    Disney’s Orlando theme park has officially opened the long-needed replacement for the dated and problematic Splash Mountain with a property that fans love. The Princess and the Frog universe expands with a continuation in ride form following Tiana’s adventures through the swampy, magical land of New Orleans with the bones of Disney World’s iconic log flume ride. Soft previews in the past few weeks and first-day reactions are flooding the internet with praise celebrating the incredible animatronic work, sets, and music with Disney Animation’s original cast—including Tiana herself, Anika Noni Rose, singing the ride’s finale song. So if you’re heading to Disney World this summer, it’s not to be missed if you want to keep cool on a water ride and see Princess Tiana’s fairytale continue before her Disney+ animated series Tiana arrives.

    Image: Sabina Graves/Gizmodo

    How to Ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

    Here’s the spice: in order to ride without any additional costs beyond park admission, make sure you have the MyDisneyExperience app downloaded before your trip. On the app, ensure that your entire party’s tickets are saved under the trip planner’s profile (pick the most tech-savvy person in your group to handle this)—but multiple people can try to book on the Virtual Queue for the entire group at the same time; you just have to make sure they select all party guests for your boarding group lottery.

    Walt Disney World’s Virtual Queue is available twice a day, once at 7 a.m.(which can be done at your leisure from anywhere on property) and then at 1 p.m.—the catch at Magic Kingdom is that TRON Lightcycle/Run currently still only has virtual boarding groups, so you have to choose between Tiana and Tron. If you want to do both, you can try for Tiana in the morning but not get it, and then have a hard choice at 1 p.m. to try to secure the free boarding group pass for Tiana’s again (not guaranteed) or Tron (also not guaranteed). It’s worth noting that in order to try for a second time at 1 p.m., your party has to be inside of Magic Kingdom to be eligible—and you can only hold a boarding group once per day during the park’s operating hours.

    It feels tricky—it is tricky!—but there’s another way to make sure you’ll get to ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and Tron, or any high demand ride like Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind which is restricted to the Virtual Queue and does not have standby lines currently available.

    What is the new Lighting Lane option at Walt Disney World?

    Genie+ is gone! Poof! Disney Experiences’ pay-as-you-go option has streamlined the process by rebranding as simply Lightning Lane, the line that used to contain the free fastpass (RIP to that feature). It’s had multiple names since becoming a financial add-on at both Disney World and Disneyland but will now be known as Lightning Lane, broken down into Lightning Lane Multi Pass (a three-ride package) or Lightning Lane Single Pass for an individual ride.

    Purchasing a Lightning Lane Multi Pass allows you to make up to three Lightning Lane selections in a theme park. If you’re staying at a Disney hotel or a participating neighbor hotel, you will be able to access this up to seven days before your trip to make selections, and you’ll be able choose available times as you make your ride choices. If you’re purchasing the Multi Pass the day of your visit, your selections will vary on availability. Your three ride selections will come from three levels: one from rides that have the highest demands like an E-ticket new attraction (think Tiana or Tron), and two that will be lower in demand level (think classics, i.e. Haunted Mansion). The cost of a Lightning Lane Multi Pass will vary depending on when you go, scaled between peak vacation days and the off-season.

    If you only want to secure a single new Lightning Lane for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure or other in-demand rides or attractions, the same booking rules apply—and day of availability will vary, with the stipulation that you’ll only be able to buy into two single Lightning Lane options for your party.

    This is what the options look like on Day 1 in the afternoon at Walt Disney World.

    Image for article titled Disney Made It More Difficult to Ride What You Want, Just in Time for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

    Image: Sabina Graves/Gizmodo

    Don’t miss out on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure by not being in the know—and make sure you plan your Disney World vacation with the above in mind. And if you miss out or have a Disneyland trip planned this year instead, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will also open on the West Coast soon in Walt Disney’s original park in Anaheim, CA.

    Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

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    Sabina Graves

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  • Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opens to the public at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom

    Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opens to the public at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom

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    The day is finally here. The general public will get to ride the new “Tiana’s Bayou Adventure” at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom Park. This is a complete retheme of the former Splash Mountain attraction. The ride system itself remains the same, but everything else is themed with characters from “The Princess and the Frog” movie. 

    The exterior of the new Tiana’s Bayou Adventure ride at Walt Disney World, formerly known as Splash Mountain.

    I was at Disney World a few weeks ago for their official media preview and got to ride the attraction multiple times. Here are some things to know about the ride, along with my thoughts on the overall experience. 

    The Story

    Walking through the ride’s queue, you’ll be able to pick up the storyline of the attraction. It takes place a year after the events of the 2009 film. Tiana is following her dreams and running her own restaurant. She’s looking to have a big party but she’s missing a few ingredients to make it special … and guess what …. YOU are one of those ingredients! Here are some photos from outside and inside of the queue…

    The Ride Experience

    Like I said before, the ride system is the same as it was on Splash Mountain. You ride in logs with a few dips along the way, and the 50-foot drop remains as the ride’s centerpiece thrill. 

    To sum this up, the ride is one big party. Most of the music is from the film, re-orchestrated and recorded specifically for the ride. This was my favorite part of the attraction – there are multiple songs that get caught in your head as the colorful elements of the bayou come to life. 

    As for those scenes, Disney Imagineers have created some incredible animatronics of Tiana, the alligator Louis, Mama Odie and more. These characters do more then sway back and forth. They swivel their hips while turning their heads in lifelike fashion. It made me wonder about where this technology will be 20 years from now. Here are some shots from inside and around the ride, featuring those new animatronic characters…

    My Thoughts

    As you can probably tell, I really, really enjoyed this attraction. The ride is a party from start to finish, consistently building in energy along the way until you hit the large drop. Then you slowly float into a room with a giant celebration scene and a brand new song. 

    The music is the real star of the show, all throughout the ride. My favorite scene takes place just before the big drop as the song “Dig A Little Deeper” bumps throughout the bayou, as you are surrounded by glowing plant life. It’s just plain fun.

    There is no suspense in this attraction – and I LOVED that. Many have criticized the ride for not featuring a villain or something to bring some tension as you head up the lift hill before the big splash, but why can’t a big drop be fun? I love big drops. It was refreshing to have a ride that is a giant party from start to finish. This will work especially well for the younger kids experiencing a daunting drop like this for the first time.

    Of course, all of this comes with one big question…

    Does The Ride Work? 

    If you have been following reports over the last month or so, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure has experienced quite a bit of downtime and riders have been evacuated off of the attraction more than a few times. It’s important to remember that this is during a time of technical rehearsal where Imagineers are consistently tweaking and evaluating the attraction. 

    But now the ride is open to the public. The people getting onto the logs are not castmembers or annual passholders who head to the park many, many times a year. Now, the guests getting on the attraction may be a family taking a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Disney World. This is when the ride needs to run consistently and efficiently. 

    There are significant challenges when you try to take new technology and apply it to an older ride system. Hopefully Disney Imagineers have worked through many of those issues and the ride will be able to operate on a regular basis with limited issues. Don’t be surprised to see some setbacks and breakdowns as Disney-sized crowds take in the attraction for the first time. I’m hoping they are able to figure these out and settle in on a system that works long term. 

    The ride is that good. I can’t wait to take it all in again, next time with my own family by my side. 

    My lonely, lonely first ride on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom.

    I will have my full ride and review posted in video form soon!

    And don’t forget to follow me on social media! I’m on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok. 

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    Marcus Leshock

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  • Amid Universal’s epic reveals, Disney confirms updated expansion plans for Orlando parks

    Amid Universal’s epic reveals, Disney confirms updated expansion plans for Orlando parks

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    click to enlarge

    Photo via Disney World

    Walt Disney World’s Big Thunder Mountain

    CEO Bob Iger and Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro confirmed last week the company is moving forward with expansions to Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom parks. The expansions aren’t breaking news, but the Disney execs made them official to a select group of reporters at Walt Disney Imagineering in California.

    Disney World’s big-ticket new attraction this year will be Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, an exciting, more-than-a-makeover upgrade to the bones of Splash Mountain. The log flume plunge ride is expected to open around the unofficial start of summer at the end of May in Magic Kingdom.

    Also expected to open this year at Disney are a reimagined Country Bear Jamboree show at Magic Kingdom (summer) and a revamped The Little Mermaid: A Musical Adventure show (fall) at Hollywood Studios.

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    Disney may not be working on a new theme park in Florida, but these retooled attractions and expansions are part of the company’s $60 billion investment in its theme parks over the next 10 years. Back in September, Disney announced its plans to invest $17 billion just in the Florida parks.

    Since that Florida investment announcement at Destination D23, Disney World has opened the Moana-themed Journey of Water attraction and a new nighttime fireworks show at Epcot, and added new locations and characters to Star Tours. Plans are in place to revamp Epcot’s Test Track (closing June 17) and to open a Pirates of the Caribbean-themed lounge in Magic Kingdom.

    It was at Destination D23 that D’Amaro teased a “beyond Big Thunder Mountain” expansion at Magic Kingdom. At the time, D’Amaro said the growth would be similar in scale to Pandora: The World of Avatar and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

    To media last week, Michael Hundgen, site portfolio executive, confirmed the size will be about the same as Galaxy’s Edge’s 14 acres. The expansion would include the area west of Frontierland.

    click to enlarge Concept art for Disney World's Dinoland - Photo via Disney World

    Photo via Disney World

    Concept art for Disney World’s Dinoland

    Disney has not said what lands or attractions will go in the expansion. But D’Amaro and Iger did confirm an overhaul of Dinoland U.S.A. at Animal Kingdom is coming soon.

    Instead of the prehistoric-themed opening day carnival, the area will be transformed into the Tropical Americas with attractions based on IP like Indiana Jones and Encanto.

    There aren’t more details about these expansions beyond confirmation that Disney is working on them, and no new attractions have yet been announced to open in 2025. These facts have been a subject of criticism among fans and investors.

    During a virtual shareholders meeting last week, a preselected question asked, “Why hasn’t Disney prepared anything, or placed more than just a handful of attractions to be ready for this (Epic Universe) in 2025 at Disney World?”

    Iger responded that “just couldn’t be further from the truth.” The CEO also said the company has known about Universal’s new theme park plans for over a decade and then detailed all the projects that debuted at the Florida parks these last 10 years.

    Still, Universal is opening an entirely new theme park plus three new hotels — all of it well under construction and taking shape at the resort’s south campus.

    It’s presumptuous to assume Disney World would add another theme park at the same time Universal Orlando does (also, can you imagine the traffic?). But the lack of information about new experiences coming next year and beyond the scheduled ride revamps continues to leave fans frustrated.

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    Chelsea Zukowski

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  • See How Disney Imagineering Made Audio Animatronics for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

    See How Disney Imagineering Made Audio Animatronics for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

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    Image: Disney Imagineering

    Robledo discussed how the magic all comes together thanks to the Imagineers. “This is a milestone. It’s the first time we’ve seen these characters realized in three dimensions, and so much care is included from the finishing group into the hair, the texture of the hair and color of the hair, the materials themselves, and the fact that they can do this 18 hours a day, all day long is amazing,” he said. “ And that really is the credit of the care design from who’s going to build these things, be able to perform all day long.”

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    Sabina Graves

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