Exciting news! Disney has finally shown us one of the Skyliner Gondolas!
Under construction since summer 2017, Disney has been very slow to release much information about the coming Skyliner transportation system that will connect Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Epcot, Disney’s Pop Century Resort, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort and the proposed new DVC resort, Disney’s Riviera Resort.
Last week, Disney announced that the new system will begin transporting guests in Fall 2019. And now, finally, we have our first glimpse of a Gondola.
Disney has also released a brief video clip of the presentation last week, where the Gondola was first presented.
I’m really happy they have finally released a “real” (although probably still a prototype) Gondola. It was hard to tell from the sketches how big they would be, overall look, etc. I’m psyched to now be able to see something physical and three dimensional instead of a sketch!
What do you guys think? Are you any more excited to ride the Skyliner system next fall now that you have seen a Gondola?
Please share in the comments, I’d love to hear from you!
You guys, I am so excited about this update. This morning, Bob Chapek, Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Consumer Products, announced that Disney Skyliner will be ready to begin transporting Guests at the Walt Disney World® Resort beginning fall of 2019!
As I mentioned in a previous blog post, Disney’s latest addition to it’s transportation system has been under construction for more than a year now, and until today, Disney has not given any hints as to when guests would be able to begin using the system. And now it’s official: Fall 2019. Just in time (we hope) for Galaxy’s Edge opening at Hollywood Studios–currently scheduled to open “Late 2019”, although there is much speculation that Late 2019 may mean VERY late 2019…as in the last week or two of December 2019. I’ll keep you posted on that, as soon as I know more!
But back to SKYLINER: This new state-of-the-art gondola system will conveniently connect Disney’s Hollywood Studios® and Epcot® to four resort hotels- Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort and Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort as well as the proposed 15th Disney Vacation Club property, Disney’s Riviera Resort. Which immediately makes all four of these resort properties more attractive, as far as I’m concerned. An alternative to bus transportation, and a really cool one at that?? Sign me up! Of course, I’m completely ignoring my fear of heights at the moment. You all can laugh at me when I take my first trip on the Skyliner and report back.
Even with my fear of heights, I’m very excited about this new way to not only move from the resorts to the parks (and back), I’m excited that we’ll have a whole new way to experience Walt Disney World with amazing views only available from the sky – with great photo opportunities! You all KNOW how I am about photo opps!! For example, Disney says that when you arrive at the International Gateway station, you will travel through the trees and be welcomed into Epcot with remarkable, never before-seen views across World Showcase. I cannot WAIT to see these views. I may be scared, but I am definitely eager to check it out.
Mr. Chapek’s announcement indicated that workers have installed the last support tower at the Resort and are beginning to thread the series of reinforced cables to carry guests in the stylish themed gondolas.
I will update you again as soon as I have more information!!
If you’ve been on property in the last year, you have probably seen signs of this new transportation system, currently under construction.
Announced last summer, construction got started right away, and has continued pretty aggressively ever since. Disney still hasn’t announced a completion date, or a date when this new system is expected to be LIVE for us to try…but they have announced that they are starting to run the cable for the new system, and most of the stations and support structures are either already in place or pretty far along in the construction process.
Check out this cute video that Disney released a few days ago to get people excited about the Skyliner:
Doesn’t that look like fun? Well, I’m afraid of heights so it looks a little terrifying…but also fun.
For decades, may people have mourned that the Monorail system was never beyond the original two lines for the Magic Kingdom and Epcot. I think the Disney Skyliner is Disney’s 21st century way to address this issue, as well as bring something new and exciting to resort guests.
While of course the bus system serves every park and every resort, and will continue to do so, the Skyliner will offer guests an alternative and unforgettable high-flying mode of transportation that will feel like an attraction, add value to your resort stay and make your visit feel even more magical.
The new gondola system will conveniently connect Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot to four resort hotels – Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort and Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort as well as the planned 15th Disney Vacation Club property, Disney’s Riviera Resort.
Some Disney Skyliner cabins will have iconic Disney characters incorporated into their exterior design to give the appearance that a Disney pal is riding along with guests, such as characters from the ‘Fab Five,’ figures from Disney attractions, fan favorites from movies, and more.
I think this will be a super fun addition, and I can envision special wraps to promote coming attractions—do any of you remember stalking the Avengers monorail a few years to try and get pictures of it? I followed that quest through TWO separate vacations!
According to Disney, the design of the Disney Skyliner station at International Gateway at Epcot will be inspired by the park’s nearby European Pavilions, and will be covered with metal and glass canopies, hand-painted murals and ornamental steel structures that harken back to the early Art Nouveau style. Guests traveling to Epcot via the Disney Skyliner will be welcomed to the park with a rare birds-eye view of World Showcase.
The Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort station will be the hub of activity for Disney Skyliner. This station is inspired by the open-air village marketplaces of the Caribbean and will showcase the nearby resort’s architectural detailing and color schemes. At this station, passengers will be able to transfer gondola routes to reach their destination, or are invited to sit and admire the waterfront resort setting.
The design style of the station at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will fit with that of the park’s main entrance and bus stations. Passengers traveling here from the Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort station can expect a new aerial perspective of the park’s iconic attractions, like The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.
Disney’s Pop Century Resort and Disney’s Art of Animation Resort will share a Disney Skyliner station that feels whimsical and contextual with both resorts. Upon departing the gondola station, Skyliner passengers will ascend over Hourglass Lake and enjoy a panoramic view of these two colorful resorts.
Finally, cabins will slow down at the Disney Skyliner turn-station along Buena Vista Drive, where guests can see the mechanical and aerial components that make up the Disney Skyliner.
I’m really looking forward to this particular “Coming Attraction”. Are you planning to check it out once it opens?
Perhaps trying to capitalize on the excitement surrounding this week’s opening of Solo: A Star Wars Story (or to add to the excitement?), Disney Parks has announced the official opening seasons for the Star Wars themed lands, currently under construction at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
In a brief article published yesterday on the Disney Parks blog, Disney Parks announced that Galaxy’s Edge will open at Disneyland in the Summer of 2019. Walt Disney World’s version at Hollywood Studios is officially scheduled to open in “Late Fall 2019”. There are no more specifics than that, folks.
“Summer” and “Late Fall”. Which, let’s face it could mean anywhere from May – September for Summer and October – December for Late Fall. And of course…future announcements could be forthcoming should any delays crop up.
I certainly understand their hesitation to announce a specific opening day just yet…a lot can happen in a year…but fans are chomping at the bit to get a glimpse of Galaxy’s Edge, and that anticipation has been growing steadily in the months since Star Wars: The Last Jedi was released–and is likely to get another big bump once Solo: A Star Wars Story opens.
Image from Disney Parks Blog
So far, we know that Galaxy’s Edge is set on the planet Batu, a remote outpost that has become a thriving port for smugglers, traders and adventurers. Initially there are at least two attractions planned: one featuring the Millennium Falcon and one featuring a Star Destroyer. We know there will be a Cantina featured, and that the blue milk made famous by Luke Skywalker in Episode Four: A New Hope will be an offering. We can also count on lots of characters from the Star Wars universe, and of course….LOTS of merchandise. In fact, some Galaxy’s Edge merchandise is already available in the parks today!
Artists’ rendering from Disney Parks Blog
Artist’s rendering from Disney Parks Blog
Disney continues to market Galaxy’s Edge as an extremely immersive experience, where guests are put in the middle of the action. Having just returned from a second trip where we spent a lot of time exploring Pandora, Disney’s Avatar-themed land at Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World, I am even MORE excited to see Galaxy’s Edge. Disney Imagineering outdid themselves with Pandora, and from what Disney’s been saying, they’re going a lot farther with Galaxy’s Edge.
Add to that the incredible multi-media nighttime spectacular Star Wars fireworks show Hollywood Studios showed off on May 4th? (May the Fourth be with you!) We were SO impressed and amazed. I really can’t wait to see what they are doing with Galaxy’s Edge. I suspect it will go beyond anything we’ve ever seen in a theme park before!
You can check out my previous post about Galaxy’s Edge here. Here’s a link to the official announcement: Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
So…are you excited to visit Galaxy’s Edge? Are you seeing Solo: A Star Wars Story this weekend?
Happy Dreaming!
Brooke
*Note: if you need help planning your next Disney parks vacation, Disney cruise vacation, or Adventures by Disney vacation, I can help! Contact me at brooke@disneycastledreaming.com for more information.
Excitement moved throughout the world of Disney and Star Wars fans yesterday as Disney released a “Flyover” video showing construction progress at the new Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge “land” currently being built at both Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida and at Disneyland in Anaheim, California.
I don’t know about you guys, but I think it looks pretty impressive. I’m especially excited about the descriptions Disney has posted so far about this “land”. It sounds like they are really going for something truly immersive, and I suspect it will be unlike anything we’ve seen from Disney so far. Scheduled to open in 2019, Disney hasn’t released a whole lot of details about this project yet, so this video is VERY exciting to see.
Technology keeps improving so quickly, and Disney certainly takes advantage of those gains as they design and create new attractions and experiences for Disney fans worldwide. I was so impressed by Pandora when we visited Animal Kingdom in November (read about that visit here), and I think what Disney has planned for Star Wars is light years beyond what they did with Pandora.
Even if you’re not a Star Wars fan, I suspect Galaxy’s Edge will still capture your imagination!
Check out this short video that Disney released last year featuring Disney Imagineers talking about the project.
My stepdad took us to see the original Star Wars movie way back a million years ago when it first came out and I can still remember what an impact it had on all of us! We’ve all been fans ever since (well…there were that unfortunate group of THREE movies 1999-2005 that I hated, but otherwise….), and it is so much fun watching the kids of today getting into Star Wars now just as much as we did when we were kids!
I’m really looking forward to seeing Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge when it opens, and I’m even MORE excited to visit with my step-dad and brothers because I know they will be AMAZED and thrilled. I just can’t wait!
Take a look at this concept art that Disney released last year:
Does that look out of this world amazing??
How about you? Are you loving the recent additions to the Star Wars franchise? Are you excited to plan a trip to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge??
Big news from Walt Disney World today! They have officially announced opening day for the highly anticipated Toy Story Land at Hollywood Studios! Toy Story Land will open June 30, 2018!!
Opening Toy Story Land will give a much needed boost to Hollywood Studios, which has felt a bit…well, decimated over the last couple of years as attraction after attraction was closed to make room for both Toy Story Land and the still under construction Star Wars themed land. When we visited in November, it definitely felt like there wasn’t a whole lot to do at Hollywood Studios. We took advantage of the extra time we had and watched the Streetmosphere Players a lot (they are TERRIFIC!)…but we missed the Great Movie Ride, the Animation Academy, the Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show, and even…dare I say…American Idol! Does anyone else remember Sounds Dangerous with Drew Carey? That’s been gone longer, but I still miss it. But I digress….[what else is new?] Read more about our November visit to Hollywood Studios here.
Toy Story Land capitalizes on one of the most popular attractions in Hollywood Studios, Toy Story Mania, as well as the very popular Pixar Toy Story movie series. The idea is that when you enter Toy Story Land (much like when you enter the queue area for Toy Story Mania), you have shrunk down to “toy” size, and you are all set to play with the other toys. Toy Story Land’s superstar new attraction is a roller coaster called “Slinky Dog Dash”. Disney released a video of a test run on this attraction, check it out :
Another new attraction is called Alien Swirling Saucers, which sounds a little like that Mad Hatter’s Tea Party to me…the Disney Parks Blog describes it as aliens “swirling about in their flying saucers with guests in tow…”…So swirling? Sounds like spinning, but I could be wrong. I guess we’ll have to wait and see!
They’ve also added a third track to the VERY popular Toy Story Mania, along with a new game-themed entrance…this will hopefully help the ride move more guests through each hour, making it (fingers crossed) easier to get fast pass plus reservations for this attraction, as well as reducing the overall standby line. I love this attraction, and am always happy when I can ride it more than once over the course of the day.
Super Patient Kids Waiting in Line (Photo: Brooke Hudson)
Wedding Trip: Toy Story Mania (Photo: Brooke and Frank)
Finally, they’ve added a new quick service restaurant called “Woody’s Lunch Box”–which is, you guessed it, Andy’s lunch box turned on it’s side. It’s a walk up window type restaurant, so I’m assuming we’ll see outdoor seating, or perhaps a covered seating area?
The whole land sounds super cute…with lots of toys all around. I can’t wait to see it. I’m guessing our trip at the beginning of May will be too early to have any hope of a soft open or a passholder preview, but you never know! If I can catch any glimpses, I’ll be sure to take pictures and share when I get back.
Otherwise, it will most likely be next year before I’ll get to explore Toy Story Land. I can’t wait to see it, though. I bet it will be lots of fun to explore and will have a ton of great photo spots. All those bright colors and “life-size” toys? I think it will look spectacular. Dare I hope for more green Army men? I love those guys!!
It seems as if there has been a lot of Disney Parks news over the last couple of weeks that is getting a lot of conversation. Just in case you haven’t visited the forums and witnessed some of the crazy debates happening, I thought I’d post a quick “wrap-up” of the biggest recent announcements.
runDisney Cancels Disneyland Races
Rumors have been going around for the last several weeks about this, and yesterday, runDisney made it official. They have cancelled ALL scheduled Disneyland races in 2018 and will NOT be scheduling races in 2019 or 2020, at least at this time. They will be refunding all race fees already paid for the races scheduled (and nearly sold out) that had already had early registration. Normally, there are four race weekends at Disneyland each year, with an estimated 25,000+ people per weekend. The races are usually held during slower season, and bring in a ton of revenue, both for Disney and the Orange County local economy.
Officially, runDisney is stating that all the construction happening at Disneyland/California Adventure for the next few years (Star Wars Land, new Hotel at Downtown Disney and The Disneyland Eastern Gateway) are the reason the races have been cancelled. The races usually go right through the parks; that’s part of the attraction, and runDisney states they are concerned that the quality of the race experience would be negatively impacted by the construction.
Rumors abound that the root of the cancellations, however, are at least partially the result of pushback from the City of Anaheim. At Walt Disney World, all races occur completely on Disney property. A significant portion of each of the longer races is on roadways outside the parks, but they are Disney owned roadways. At Disneyland, the parks are smaller, and the amount of property that Disney actually owns is much smaller. For this reason, Disneyland has never hosted a full marathon; the longest races hosted by runDisney at Disneyland have been half marathons. The half marathon has a significant portion take place on the streets of Anaheim, and requires a lot more coordination with city and county services. There have been some complaints in the last couple of years about the runDisney race series at Disneyland by seasoned runDisney participants, and lots of rumors that Anaheim is not happy that they don’t get a bigger slice of the Disney revenue pie. All we know for sure is what runDisney says in their official statement, which bases the decision completely on the Disneyland expansion construction.
I’ve never been Disneyland nor competed in a race there, but completing a Coast to Coast challenge is on my bucket list, and I’d targeted 2020 for that. Very disappointing for the thousands of runners that planned to race at Disneyland over the next few years, myself included. Obviously, with runDisney events at Disneyland cancelled for the foreseeable future, the Coast to Coast challenges are also cancelled. Officially, runDisney is using the term “hiatus”, so perhaps we will see these races return at some point in the future. runDisney makes a LOT of money for Disney with these events, so it’s hard to believe they won’t return to Disneyland in some form eventually, but who knows?
runDisney has stated there are no plans to cancel or change the runDisney events at Walt Disney World or Disneyland Paris.
The final race scheduled for Disneyland will be the Super Heroes Half Marathon Weekend taking place November 10-12, 2017.
How do you feel about this news? Are you affected? Will you plan a race at Walt Disney World or Disneyland Paris to replace a cancelled race at Disneyland?
Walt Disney World Will Welcome Dogs at Some Hotels
It was announced last Friday that some hotels at Walt Disney World are rolling out a pilot program this week that will allow guests to bring their dogs on vacation with them. There will be a limit of two dogs per room, and the dogs will be required to be leashed when outside the room and the dogs must have proper vaccinations (and, one would assume, proper documentation of those vaccinations).
Visitors who choose to book rooms for themselves and their dogs will pay an additional $50-$75 per night for the privilege, depending on the hotel. The fee is for extra cleaning, and additional amenities that Disney will be providing for those booking a “dog” room, including a mat, bowls for food and water, ID tag, puppy pads and plastic disposable bags and maps of green spaces for the dogs to exercise and presumably “do their business”. At this time, the hotels offering this option are: Art of Animation Resort, Port Orleans Riverside Resort, the cabins at Fort Wilderness Resort and the Yacht Club resort.
Most likely, this new option is in response to a growing trend in the travel industry to offer pet-friendly accommodations. Disney hasn’t released many specifics, but I’m assuming they have set aside specific areas at each of the participating resorts that will be “dog” rooms, and those rooms will be the only rooms that will allow guests with dogs, to help protect guests with allergies and phobias.
I was really surprised at the vehement response to the announcement, on BOTH sides. Many dog lovers are SUPER excited, and seem to have been waiting YEARS for this news. On the other side, many guests are worried that dogs will overrun the resorts, the resorts will be damaged and people won’t pick up after their dogs. They are worried about dogs barking and “ruining” the magic. They are worried that Disney will allow guests without dogs to unsuspectingly book a “dog” room and fall victim to allergies from residual dog dander. All manner of catastrophic worries have been put forth…While I understand the fears that people with extreme allergies and/or dog phobias have, I have a lot of faith in Disney. I believe the “dog” rooms will be kept separate and won’t be given to “unsuspecting” non-dog guest who might suddenly go into anaphylactic shock from traces of dog dander. For people with extreme allergies, the best-case scenario will be to avoid these four resorts. For the time being at least, these four resorts are the only ones allowing dogs. At least for now, I’m willing to withhold judgement and see how it goes.
For those guests who want to bring their dogs on vacation, but not share their room with their pets, “Best Friends Pet Care” has been a Disney property staple for years, and is a resort on Disney property for pets (NOT owned or operated by Disney). They offer discounts for Walt Disney World Resort guests.
NOTE: Service dogs have always been accommodated by Disney. Service dogs have always been allowed in the theme parks, on Disney transportation, and in Disney resort hotels.
What do you guys think? Are you excited to book a “dog” room at one of these resorts? Do you take vacations to get away from your pets or your neighbor’s dogs? I’d love to hear from you!
Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings to be a Series on Freeform
I’m not sure how many of you saw the “Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings” special that ran in May on Freeform (owned by ABC, which is owned by Disney), but it was a BIG success for the network, receiving the highest rating for any unscripted TV special on that network so far. Hosted by Bachelor alum Ben Higgins and his then-fiancé, Lauren Bushnell (they have since split), the special featured events at Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Wedding Pavilion.
[Note from an actual former Disney bride: the events shown were pretty expensive, over the top events, and the special didn’t really provide accurate information about the way Disney prices events, or the actual limitations imposed by Disney Fairy Tale Weddings in the real world. It was lovely to look at, and for couples dreaming of a Disney Wedding, certainly provided inspiration and fantasy fodder. Just know that they dangled a lot of very pretty carrots that your average couple would NEVER be able to afford.]
Following up on the success of the special, Disney has moved forward with creating a series that will focus on weddings and engagements at Disney Destinations around the world. So far details have been limited, but it sounds as if Disney may work with Disney Fairy Tale Weddings couples and perhaps “enhance” or “add magic” to their existing plans. Regardless of exactly what they are doing, I’m sure it will be lovely and a weekly infomercial for Disney Fairy Tale Weddings. I’m not quite sure how I feel about it; I was a little frustrated with the special, even though it was gorgeous.
But, obviously, I’m a fan of Disney Fairy Tale Weddings, and love thinking about my own Disney wedding, so I will definitely give the show a chance and see how it goes. The show is set to premiere in the spring and will run for seven episodes.
How about you guys? Will you watch the show?
Increased Partnership and Presence with Orange County Sheriff’s Department
For the fiscal year that began October 1, 2017, the agency that provides governmental services to Walt Disney World’s property has approved a multi-million dollar spending increase to hire Orange County Sheriff’s Deputies. This is the second year to see significant increases in this budget. Last year, the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which includes Disney cities Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, doubled its annual public safety budget from $7 million per year to $13.7 million, following the terrorist attack at Orlando’s Pulse nightclub. This year, the budget increased again to $15.8 million. While Disney and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department do not disclose how many deputies patrol the resorts for security reasons, the impact on resort guests is that you WILL see more police presence in and around Disney theme parks and resorts.
Unfortunately, we live in scary times, and Disney hosts millions of guests from all over the world every year. Disney is a symbol of America to many people worldwide and as such, is a potential target. Disney has long been a world leader in the area of security, and I suspect there are many security measures in place that are unseen that we will most likely never know about. Orange County Sheriff’s Department Deputies in uniform are more visible certainly, than many measures Disney has in place, but sometimes, more visual measures are necessary and help serve as a deterrent. Many guests argue this police presence “ruins” the magic, and I certainly understand that perspective. However, I am more concerned with the safety of my family and our fellow park and resort guests and will happily comply with whatever security measures are necessary to protect us, within reason. The presence of more police doesn’t concern me, although personally, I’m a fan of the invisible shield technologies in Star Wars…can we maybe get that?
How do you feel about the security measures in place at Disney? Do they make you feel safer or more insecure about your safety?
That’s I have for today for news and updates. I’m working on a vacation planning update that I’ll post later this week. We are down to less than thirty days now!!
