Perhaps of bigger note at Disney World this week, Monday is the big day for those Fastpass+ changes we told you about earlier this month. Starting Monday, you'll be able to get additional Fastpass+ reservations in the park after using your initial three reservations. You'll also be able to "park hop" and get Fastpass+ reservations in more than one park. Once you've used your first three Fastpass+ reservations for the day, you can get additional reservations one at a time, and only from kiosks in the parks. So, it'll work much like the old Fastpass system from that point, but without the paper tickets.
All the construction walls are down around the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and our Twitter followers say that operations cast members are training on running the ride, which suggests that it might be operational for the press event scheduled for later this week, and open to the public after that. When you get on, please submit a review and photos to our Seven Dwarfs Mine Train page.
Here's a couple of Imagineering changes for you: After wrapping up the Ratatouille attraction this summer, Walt Disney Imagineering reportedly is sending Tom Fitzgerald from leading the shop at Disneyland Paris to become the creative director at Epcot. (Haven't heard what's happening or has happened to Eric Jacobson, who used to have that role.) Also, Scott Trowbridge is moving from R&D at WDI to portfolio leader at the Disneyland Resort and being in charge of a new Star Wars studio within WDI. Would that suggest that Disneyland might now be the first destination for a Star Wars land? Insiders, you know where to get in touch with us.
A few weeks ago, we had a conversation on the Discussion Board asking why Disney didn't have its own airline. Readers noted that the airline business is very different from the cruise industry, where Disney's a major player. But in light of that conversation, you might find interesting this report that the Four Seasons hotel chain now has its own jet for high-end tours. Could this provide a model for Disney's eventual entry into the airline business? Surely Disney might find some demand for custom, first-class transportation to a luxury Disney theme park hotel stay, an Adventures by Disney vacation, or Disney cruise embarkation. Mickey knows how to make a buck, after all. Even from the one-tenth of the One Percent.
Over on the west coast, Disneyland buried the lead in the blog post about Eggs Benedict returning to the breakfast menu at the park's Carnation Cafe. Here's the bigger story: Say goodbye to the restaurant's peanut-butter-and-soda and chocolate-cherry sodas. They're going off the menu, to be replaced by Coke, Barq's Root Beer and Fanta Orange floats.
Extending the buzz over It's a Small World's 50th birthday, news leaked this week that Disney's planning a movie version of the classic attraction. It'll play well in a film festival with the Jungle Cruise movie, Haunted Mansion movie, Thunder Mountain TV show, and every other rumored and announced attraction-inspired production that never made it to market. What's next? How about a musical, mixing live action and animation, that features Brer Rabbit, Brer Bear and Brer Fox and tells the story of Splash Mountain? Oh, wait a minute....
Finally, enjoy a look at Tokyo Disneyland's new castle projection show, "Once Upon a Time."
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Lets hope the Dwarf's coaster is open next week.
I wish them well with "It's A Small World", but I recalled that Disneyland closed Country Bear Jamboree soon after the movie opened. Quite a dumb move and very odd.
So who is going to take the job at Disneyland Paris ? Here in France, we hear more and more about big things coming just after Ratatouille (a DCA/HKDL-like plan to save our Resort with the financial help of TWDC).
Do you have any more informations ? Thanks
And, after all of the time it took to actually build (and seem to have trouble opening) the new Mine Ride, why do I have the sinking feeling that it will be the East Coast answer to Luigi's Tires? Why are they so afraid to actually let non-cast members on it? And why no AP previews?
The more I see of FP+, the more I am convinced that it is mostly an effort to keep folks waiting in lines in between feeding times at the restaurants. Gee, after using my first 3 fast passes, I can stand in a *long* line in the park to see if I can actually get another FP. Now that really excites me.
Bottom line is that we are spending more time (and money) at Universal and SeaWorld than at WDW.
The don't work on the app as of yet but they said it will be working soon
Nice upgrade
The new FastPass+ brought out my inner Clark Griswold. I ordered my tickets online, set up my "My Disney Experience" account, linked my daughter's family tickets with ours, picked the three attractions that we were going to ride each day, and got everybody's FastPasses within a very reasonable period of time.
I really like it, and as someone who has been extremely critical of the cheapness of the Disney Corporation for well over a decade, this will probably mean more trips to Disney in the future than what we have been making which have been pretty much non-existent. As I look around my office, all of my recent family theme park pictures have been taken at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure.
Disney still isn't off the hook for their glacial pace of ride and park development, but I have to give them kudos for enhancing my ability to enjoy their existing parks and attractions.
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