Travisma

https://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2019/08/12/next-weeks-d23-expo-will-reveal-big-plans-for-walt-disney-worlds-50th-anniversary
Next week's D23 Expo will reveal big plans for Walt Disney World's 50th anniversary
Posted By Ken Storey on Mon, Aug 12, 2019 at 7:13 pm
  One of the most anticipated announcements at next week’s D23 Expo will be the upcoming 50th Anniversary celebration for Walt Disney World. 

The yet-to-be-announced, resort-wide event is expected to be one of the biggest events the history of Walt Disney World. Industry insider Jim Hill says the company is expecting to sell out every single hotel room throughout the entire resort for the entirety of 2021. 

According to various insiders, most notably user WDW1974 on the WDWMagic forums, Disney is planning to honor the 50th Anniversary by marketing a list of 50 enhancements across the resort. Some of those will be brand new offerings, like the Skyliner and the two new Epcot attractions, but many of the other ‘enhancements’ will be smaller things added to existing attractions. 

Hollywood Studios is rumored to be seeing new effects in the Tower of Terror drop shaft, updated dining experiences, and, of course, the new Mickey Mouse dark ride. Epcot will see some of its offerings included in the golden anniversary marketing, but many of its biggest projects aren’t designed to be a part of the anniversary celebration and instead will open in the mid-2020s. It’s rumored that Spaceship Earth may be closed for a significant rehab throughout all of 2021. 

Animal Kingdom will likely see a new nighttime show, but no significant additions are expected within the next 18 months to two years leading up to the anniversary. 

Much of the focus of the celebration will be the Magic Kingdom and the Seven Seas Lagoon resorts that opened in 1971. 
  Image via Disney The TRON coaster now under construction will likely be heavily used in marketing for the anniversary. TRON, Epcot’s two new attractions, and DHS’s three new attractions are by far the largest ‘enhancements’ ahead of the 50th, but many smaller improvements are expected as well. At the Magic Kingdom, nearly every single iconic attraction will see some type of enhancement. 

Big Thunder Mountain is believed to receive the projection mapping in the tunnel scene that Disneyland’s version received a few years ago along with a few other small improvements. 

Over in Fantasyland, ‘it’s a small world’ will see the addition of the Mary Blair style Disney character dolls that both the Disneyland and Hong Kong Disneyland versions received in recent years. These characters are added to the existing scenes with the overall attraction seeing no significant change. 

Across the pathway, Peter Pan’s Flight will also see small enhancements similar to those that the Disneyland version saw ahead of that park’s 60th Anniversary. The Disneyland updates included adding stereophonic sound, an improved nursery scene, a new London scene, Tinker Bell pixie dust projection mapping, and Neverland overview enhancements.  Image via Disney Concept art for Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway The Walt Disney World Railroad may see some new scenes. The addition of the TRON building will also drastically alter the ambiance of the train ride through the Tomorrowland area. 

Tomorrowland will see the most significant improvements with the new TRON coaster, a rumored TRON update to the Tomorrowland Speedway, enhanced scenes possibly added to the PeopleMover, and perhaps a new attraction in the space formerly used for Stich’s Great Escape. The Carousel of Progress will likely see a new final scene, new more lifelike animatronics, and a new queue video. 

A nighttime parade, a new fireworks show, and new floats added to the daytime parade are also all expected, though in recent months the chances of a nighttime parade seem to be less likely as the once retired Main Street Electrical Parade was pulled into service at Disneyland to help draw the locals back to the park. With it now being out of retirement, Disney may opt to use it in Orlando instead of investing in a brand new nighttime parade. 

The Electrical Water Pageant, which hasn’t been touched since the mid-1970s, is thought to be receiving an overhaul that will be timed with the new pathway currently being built between the Grand Floridian and the Magic Kingdom. This pathway will temporarily block access to the Electrical Water Pageant’s storage facility with Disney using this inconvenience as an opportunity to overhaul the parade adding new floats themed to Moana and The Little Mermaid. 

Like all anniversary events at Disney, the WDW 50th is expected to last longer than just 12 months. It’s thought that it will begin in early 2021 and continue until the end of September 2022. Of course, a massive celebration is expected to take place on the actual anniversary on October 1, 2021. 
After the expected confirmation of the anniversary celebration at next weekend’s D23 Expo in Anaheim, Disney will be begin rolling out the updates over the next 18 months. 

https://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2019/08/12/next-weeks-d23-expo-will-reveal-big-plans-for-walt-disney-worlds-50th-anniversary
Next week's D23 Expo will reveal big plans for Walt Disney World's 50th anniversary
Posted By Ken Storey on Mon, Aug 12, 2019 at 7:13 pm
  One of the most anticipated announcements at next week’s D23 Expo will be the upcoming 50th Anniversary celebration for Walt Disney World. 

The yet-to-be-announced, resort-wide event is expected to be one of the biggest events the history of Walt Disney World. Industry insider Jim Hill says the company is expecting to sell out every single hotel room throughout the entire resort for the entirety of 2021. 

According to various insiders, most notably user WDW1974 on the WDWMagic forums, Disney is planning to honor the 50th Anniversary by marketing a list of 50 enhancements across the resort. Some of those will be brand new offerings, like the Skyliner and the two new Epcot attractions, but many of the other ‘enhancements’ will be smaller things added to existing attractions. 

Hollywood Studios is rumored to be seeing new effects in the Tower of Terror drop shaft, updated dining experiences, and, of course, the new Mickey Mouse dark ride. Epcot will see some of its offerings included in the golden anniversary marketing, but many of its biggest projects aren’t designed to be a part of the anniversary celebration and instead will open in the mid-2020s. It’s rumored that Spaceship Earth may be closed for a significant rehab throughout all of 2021. 

Animal Kingdom will likely see a new nighttime show, but no significant additions are expected within the next 18 months to two years leading up to the anniversary. 

Much of the focus of the celebration will be the Magic Kingdom and the Seven Seas Lagoon resorts that opened in 1971. 
  Image via Disney The TRON coaster now under construction will likely be heavily used in marketing for the anniversary. TRON, Epcot’s two new attractions, and DHS’s three new attractions are by far the largest ‘enhancements’ ahead of the 50th, but many smaller improvements are expected as well. At the Magic Kingdom, nearly every single iconic attraction will see some type of enhancement. 

Big Thunder Mountain is believed to receive the projection mapping in the tunnel scene that Disneyland’s version received a few years ago along with a few other small improvements. 

Over in Fantasyland, ‘it’s a small world’ will see the addition of the Mary Blair style Disney character dolls that both the Disneyland and Hong Kong Disneyland versions received in recent years. These characters are added to the existing scenes with the overall attraction seeing no significant change. 

Across the pathway, Peter Pan’s Flight will also see small enhancements similar to those that the Disneyland version saw ahead of that park’s 60th Anniversary. The Disneyland updates included adding stereophonic sound, an improved nursery scene, a new London scene, Tinker Bell pixie dust projection mapping, and Neverland overview enhancements.  Image via Disney Concept art for Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway The Walt Disney World Railroad may see some new scenes. The addition of the TRON building will also drastically alter the ambiance of the train ride through the Tomorrowland area. 

Tomorrowland will see the most significant improvements with the new TRON coaster, a rumored TRON update to the Tomorrowland Speedway, enhanced scenes possibly added to the PeopleMover, and perhaps a new attraction in the space formerly used for Stich’s Great Escape. The Carousel of Progress will likely see a new final scene, new more lifelike animatronics, and a new queue video. 

A nighttime parade, a new fireworks show, and new floats added to the daytime parade are also all expected, though in recent months the chances of a nighttime parade seem to be less likely as the once retired Main Street Electrical Parade was pulled into service at Disneyland to help draw the locals back to the park. With it now being out of retirement, Disney may opt to use it in Orlando instead of investing in a brand new nighttime parade. 

The Electrical Water Pageant, which hasn’t been touched since the mid-1970s, is thought to be receiving an overhaul that will be timed with the new pathway currently being built between the Grand Floridian and the Magic Kingdom. This pathway will temporarily block access to the Electrical Water Pageant’s storage facility with Disney using this inconvenience as an opportunity to overhaul the parade adding new floats themed to Moana and The Little Mermaid. 

Like all anniversary events at Disney, the WDW 50th is expected to last longer than just 12 months. It’s thought that it will begin in early 2021 and continue until the end of September 2022. Of course, a massive celebration is expected to take place on the actual anniversary on October 1, 2021. 
After the expected confirmation of the anniversary celebration at next weekend’s D23 Expo in Anaheim, Disney will be begin rolling out the updates over the next 18 months. 

Disney could've used thousand of those smart drones to hover overhead and move around to block the sun as it moves!

I miss the big things (Train, Tram), but I really miss the small things like the stump trash cans, covered wagon, cannons, log benches, petting zoo, peacocks wandering, etc that made the Fort unique.
It's sad that they can spend thousands$$$ on themeing the littlest things at the other resorts, but everything that that made the Fort the Fort has been removed and replaced by items you can find at any municipal park/playground.

Saw this on a FB site.
Woman made this, was just showing, not trying to sell it.
People went crazy and want her to take orders, but she's adamant about only making them for her family.
She's at the fort now and was going to gather maps from the parks and resorts to make a full set.
It has 3 layers of marine epoxy on it.
 
 

Well if you fill up the seat with some fluffy sized people you don't need to worry about moving around and getting banged up! 

Well if you fill up the seat with some fluffy sized people you don't need to worry about moving around and getting banged up! 

Well if you fill up the seat with some fluffy sized people you don't need to worry about moving around and getting banged up! 

It can only be a win win for Disney.  People stand in line to get cups of water, taking up the CMs time not to mention everyone waiting behind them.  Plus, since the CM can't take your bottle/cup over the counter, they have to waste a paper cup or 2.
Funny that if the soda machines are in the open like a few park QS or at the resorts, you can fill your own cup or bottle.
Now they need to have some ice machines nearby.....

This writer goes into depth dissecting the new parks concept art they released during the announcement ceremony.
He admits right off the bat that it is only conceptual and there is a lot of room for errors in figuring out what each section is.
But he's basing his interpretations on previously released info and rumors.
It's a long article so it's best to just follow the link.
https://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2019/08/05/heres-every-detail-we-could-find-in-universals-epic-universe-concept-art
 
This is just one small part
 
Guests will enter the park via a set of arches, similar to those found at other Universal parks, but with a steampunk-meets-sci-fi, galactic-inspired design. The park is laid out with an updated version of the traditional hub-and-spoke design with an oval-shaped central hub corridor anchored by a significant water feature that stretches the entire length of the park. 

While it may not at first glance have many similarities to the more traditional Main Street, U.S.A. style entrance retail corridor, the lagoon anchored hub corridor seen in the concept art is lined with plenty of large buildings that will be more traditional retail, dining, and guest service outlets. Unlike the individual lands, where many of the specifics have been set for some time now, the hub corridor is still going through design revisions that could still dramatically alter the final product from what is seen in the concept art. 

While closer to a more traditional hub-and-spoke design, Disney used a similar garden-like design similar in their most recent park, Shanghai Disneyland. There the Gardens of Imagination central corridor is where classic attractions, like the Dumbo spinner and the carousel, can be found, along with certain dining and retail venues. The Epic Universe concept art seems to show a comparable design with certain rides, restaurants, and retail venues scattered along the corridor. A carousel has been mentioned by multiple insiders as one of the attractions to be found in this area, though the concept art does not confirm this.
 

SeaWorld Orlando to host 'Thrill Fest Ride Night' in August with extended nighttime rollercoaster hours
SeaWorld Orlando plans to celebrate National Coaster Day a second year in a row by hosting “Thrill Fest Ride Night” on Friday, Aug. 16, with extended park hours. 

One of the toughest parts of accomplishing the "the coaster challenge" is the limited amount of time for crisscrossing the park and standing in line for rides. Visitors on the 16th will get 90 additional minutes to ride all the park's heart-racing offerings, including Manta, Mako, Infinity Falls, Kraken and Journey to Atlantis. The coasters will be open until 11 p.m. 

Thrill-seeking nerds will enjoy the educational aspect of the day, with two behind-the-scenes, 20-30-minute “Coaster Tech Talks” with SeaWorld operations and ride maintenance teams. The tours include the Mako trains inside the “coaster house,” and are first-come-only and limited to 50 people each for 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Guests must sign up in person at the Mako Gift Shop to hold a place. 

The day's extended happy hour gets you BOGO drinks until 11 p.m. at Waterway Grill and Flamecraft Bar, as well. Guests also get a discount on rollercoaster photos, five for $20 all day at Adventure Photo in the park. 
 
Hmmm, just what they need a bunch of drunks riding on coasters and getting bounced all around.  All them BOGO drinks might be coming back up pretty quick.
 
And this is also going on.
 
Free Beer — May 25 - September 2
The free brews will be available at the park starting Saturday, May 25 through September 2, 2019 from 10:30 a.m. to one hour before park close. Complimentary beer will be available to guests 21 years of age and older. Guests can visit The Patio Bar next to Mama’s Pretzel Kitchen and receive one complimentary 14-ounce domestic beer per day.

Heavy duty Depends

That's what you give as baby shower gifts,  pre-booked reservations to FL campgrounds.
By the time the kid is old enough to go camping you might have a reservation available.

That's what you give as baby shower gifts,  pre-booked reservations to FL campgrounds.
By the time the kid is old enough to go camping you might have a reservation available.

That's what you give as baby shower gifts,  pre-booked reservations to FL campgrounds.
By the time the kid is old enough to go camping you might have a reservation available.

The last picture is impressive.  Especially with the 4 lane road they built underneath to get the rescue and maintenance vehicles in.
There was a post the other day showing Reedy Creek conducting  rescue drills.  They set up multiple belay lines and the rescuees have to zip line down from the stalled cars. This will count as a FP ride. 
The pictures were on Chip and Co, but it looks like they were pulled down.
They did have this picture

 
In case of an emergency, guests can evacuate from the Skyliner onto a three-story pontoon. This giant blue boat is outfitted with plenty of ring buoys and foam barriers to protect the boat.
Guests will unload onto the top platform and proceed to the bottom to continue onto their journey back to the dock where they will unload to “safety”.

Rock Springs/Kelly Park is small and quiet. County run, not sure about pets

Maybe a barrel/plank bridge like Tom Sawyers Island that they can unhook and pull out of the way each night! 

Maybe a barrel/plank bridge like Tom Sawyers Island that they can unhook and pull out of the way each night! 

Train, bumper cars and walking more our speed, and I joined the brew club on fathers day so there’s always a stop there.

Busch Gardens has committed to staying open late every summer night till 10 thru 8/11 with fireworks on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Not sure if it's the heat, rain or economy, but every time we've gone on a weeknight it's been like a ghost town.
Tigris, the newest ride had a 30 minute wait last night.  Some of the other big (usually long wait time) rides have been 5 to 20 minutes.
Don't know if they are adjusting workers hours, etc, but I can foresee them not doing this again next year if attendance doesn't pick up.

Interesting article, lets see if they predicted correctly come September after the big unveiling.
 
https://www.orlandoweekly.com/orlando/even-with-galaxys-edge-open-disneyland-feels-deserted-but-that-doesnt-mean-batuu-will-be-barren-when-orlandos-version-debuts/Content?oid=25621048
 
 
I predicted this summer would be the theme park industry's most dramatic season in half a decade, but I've proved prescient for reasons I never anticipated. In Orlando, multi-hour waits persist at Islands of Adventure's new Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure a month after its heavily attended opening, due as much to the coaster's severely limited carrying capacity as its popularity. The Wizarding World's latest thrill has struggled to stay running in the face of recent rainstorms, and the promised "virtual queue" hasn't yet materialized, so your only hope of waiting less than three hours is to enter the queue between 5 and 6 p.m. and pray for clear skies. Simultaneously, Walt Disney World's publicity machine engaged in an uncharacteristically public spat with the fan site WDWNT.com, publishing snarky official statements on the Disney Parks Blog rebutting the website's rumors that the Magic Kingdom's vintage Enchanted Tiki Room and Country Bear Jamboree shows are being retired, referencing "unscrupulous sources" without mentioning them by name.
However, none of this summer's Floridian attraction angst compares to the aftershocks accompanying the debut of Star Wars Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland, which ended its reservation-only period on June 24 and opened for the general public to shockingly soft attendance. Instead of the Jedi hordes expected, the entire Anaheim resort was eerily empty throughout the typically busy Fourth of July week. Wait times for the headline Millennium Falcon simulator averaged below an hour (often a walk-on for single riders), and other E-tickets had unusually short lines. Meanwhile, Universal Studios Hollywood up the street started technical rehearsals of its reimagined Jurassic World raft ride, and approached maximum capacity on multiple days.
Disneyland's bizarrely low attendance caught most insiders (and Mouse management) off guard, and while it's a blessing for tourists, many are questioning what it means for the nearly identical Star Wars expansion opening at Disney's Hollywood Studios Aug. 29. Here are my two Spirian Credits on why I think Disneyland feels deserted lately, and why it doesn'tmean that Batuu will be barren when Orlando's version debuts in about six weeks.
· Die-hards drained early: The most hard-core fans booked expensive on-site hotel rooms so they could visit Galaxy's Edge a month ago, and already bought Black Spire Outpost out of much coveted merchandise. By definition, guests who waited until reservations ended were less eager. WDW has announced no similar previews to manage demand.
· Force fatigue: Disneyland remained open for 60 hours to handle demand when Star Tours first opened in 1987, but that came during Star Wars' darkest era between trilogies. Since purchasing Lucasfilm, Disney has pumped out new product non-stop, but box-office receipts from the Asian audiences that travel to California attractions imply that this franchise can't be endlessly milked like Marvel. However, Orlando's foreign visitors hail from Europe and South America, where the series is more popular.
· Attack of the passholders: Currently, most annual passholders are blocked out of the Disneyland Resort entirely, or banished to Disney's California Adventure. Disneyland's correlating drop in wait times demonstrates what a large percentage of those parks' population locals represent. Floridian passholders make up a far smaller proportion of WDW's visitor base, and most will be allowed in when Galaxy's Edge opens.
· Hotel Hell: Disneyland only has 2,490 hotel rooms across its three on-site resorts, and their guests aren't getting special perks inside Galaxy's Edge. WDW has 36,077 rooms across dozens of properties, and every one of those guests will be cramming into "Extra Extra Magic Hours" at 6 a.m. in a doomed attempt to beat the rush.
· Waiting for the chosen one: The Millennium Falcon is getting mixed reviews, and reactions to blue milk are meh, so some are delaying their visit until the Rise of the Resistance (rumored to merge several rides into one epic package) is ready sometime later this year. Orlando's version may emerge hot on Anaheim's heels, minimizing any attendance lag.
· FOMO > FOMO: Despite price increases, Disneyland attendance has been steadily climbing, and Mickey's marketeers – aided and abetted by experts like myself – emphasized what a mob scene Galaxy's Edge's opening months would likely be. Far from fueling most tourists' Fear of Missing Out, such apocalyptic predictions inspired Fear of Massive Overcrowding, creating a self-defeating prophecy: Like Yogi Berra said, nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded. News of California's low crowds could incite the opposite issue in Orlando.
· Nothing to do at DHS: Disneyland is Disney's densest theme park, with more rides than Epcot and Animal Kingdom combined, so Galaxy's Edge's 14 acres just gives it more breathing room. Once Star Wars opens, Hollywood Studios will still have barely a half-dozen E-ticket attractions, and adjustments to its FastPass distribution ensure guests will have few options outside Black Spire Outpost.

If you have the time and PRIME, you can get 4 packs of similar lights for less than $20.

Besides sweet, competition.  Too bad it's not at the new one.
Might make Disney start to pay attention to the Fort.

It's all about the click revenue to these sites.