Welcome to the March 2018 edition of Disney Rumor Round Up! You can check out the February 2018 installment here. Disclaimer: any rumors mentioned in this article are not confirmed by Disney and may not ever happen.
Magic Kingdom
(Photo courtesy of @ShowcaseWishes on Twitter)
As mentioned in the last Rumor Round Up, the focus of the Magic Kingdom is Tomorrowland. Land clearing is well underway for the new Tron coaster. No other changes have been confirmed but updates to Tomorrowland Speedway, Carousel of Progress, Stitch’s Great Escape, and the Peoplemover are expected. Tron is set to open in Spring of 2021, before the festivities of the 50th anniversary for Walt Disney World. The land is also currently undergoing a massive paint job. The “Purple Wall” near the entrance is being repainted as well as exterior walls near Laugh Floor, and Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin. The Carousel of Progress in also being repainted, as the paint was damaged in the hurricane last year. Cosmic Ray’s is continuing its large expansion as well. The land should have a freshened look by the 50th anniversary.
Epcot
Movement has been made on the next nighttime spectacular for Epcot. According to both sources at WDWNT and WDWMagic, Disney is working on the next show as we speak and it is set to debut in the next two years. The team working on the show is not the same team that worked on Happily Ever After. The new show is expected to showcase drone technology and fountains. Content of the show is not yet known as it is still being worked on.
Speed has picked up on the Guardians of the Galaxy coaster and now it is projected to open by the end of 2020 instead of opening in 2021. As seen in recent aerial images from the construction site, foundations have been poured for the new building that will house much of the coaster behind the existing Universe of Energy building.
The Wonders of Life building continues to be a hot topic in the Disney community. Nobody really knows what the long term plans are for the building, but extensive roof refurbishing is being done and a job posting listing Wonders of Life was posted this month by Disney. It asks for an interior designer that could potentially create attractions and dining for the venue.
Innoventions is another vacant area for Epcot and, according to WDWMagic sources, it will likely remain similar in concept but with an updated look. It should see expanded meet and greets, dining, and shopping options throughout.
Finally, Mary Poppins is still said to be coming to the United Kingdom in World Showcase with construction likely beginning by September 2018. This would have it opening in 2020. It would be a dark ride similar in style to Alice in Wonderland in Disneyland’s Fantasyland.
Hollywood Studios
Not the most exciting news regarding Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, but both attractions are estimated to have a hourly capacity of 1,750 people according to WDWMagic sources. This is definitely higher than something like Flight of Passage, but not quite as high as an attraction such as Pirates of the Caribbean or Haunted Mansion. The land is also said to have three sets of bathrooms for guests. One inside the Cantina dining experience and one on each end of the marketplace area.
Animal Kingdom
Nothing new for Animal Kingdom right now.
Walt Disney World Resort
Disney has filed exploratory permits for the River Country site at Ft. Wilderness. According to those at WDWMagic, this is indeed a reviving of the old plans to build a resort on this site. No word on if it would be a DVC resort, however most signs point to yes. The land has sat vacant since the early 2000s when the water park was closed.
Disneyland Resort
D23 has announced its next Expo for 2019, which will happen August 23-25th. It was announced that Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge would open in time for the next Expo at the 2017 Expo.
Many of the buildings in Downtown Disney are being repainted right now to give it a fresh look. The new parking garage construction is also well underway as they hope to get it open in time for Star Wars crowds.
Disney finally announced the long awaited Marvel land for Disney California Adventure. It is expected to open in 2020 but likely will open in phases. The land will take over Bugs Land and backstage parking areas. Spider-Man and the Avengers will have attractions within the land and Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! will be an anchor of the new land. It is expected one of the new attractions will be a coaster. No further rumors have come about but I am sure more will surface as we get closer to 2020.
For further discussion on all of this and more visit the Rumors and News board on Disboards.com
