Disney News Round Up - December 5, 2022
A lot has happened this week in the world of Disney! We’ve gathered a few highlights from the Disney Parks Blog and WDW News Today - two great resources to keep you up to date on all things Disney!
Photos: Disney Parks Blog, WDW News Today
We have a closing date for Splash Mountain at Walt Disney World! The attraction will close January 23, 2023 to begin the next phase of it’s development - the reimagining of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure! Disney also shared a new piece of concept art showing guests being welcomed into the bayou where they’re greeting by Tiana, Louis the jazz loving gator AND a whole band full of critters including a beaver, otter, turtle and more! Disney also stated that this scene is going to be filled with zydeco music which is a genre that blends the styles and sounds of many cultures - a theme that Disney hopes to reflect through this attraction and their stories.
If you’re a golfer who loves Disney you’ll be excited to hear that Disney’s Magnolia Golf Course at Walt Disney World is reopening this month with some new magical touches! The course opens on Dec 12 with 14 holes open while the redesign continues on the remaining 4 and will open completely in 2023. The course, which is managed by Arnold Palmer Golf Management, will feature new Disney-themed names on each hole along with a quote from either of the two legends - Walt Disney or Arnold Palmer. The course will also offer an expanded practice putting green complete with 18-hole putting course!
Read more here - https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2022/12/disneys-magnolia-golf-course-reopening-this-month-with-new-touches-of-disney-magic/
The Indiana Jones Adventure attraction at Disneyland Resort is closing in January for a lengthy refurbishment! No reopening date has been shared but it should reopen in “spring 2023”. While most refurbishments typically involve plenty of maintenance work this particular refurbishment is sparking rumours that some new elements or scenes from the newest Indiana Jones film, “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” may be included! The film is set to release on June 30, 2023!
Read more here - https://wdwnt.com/2022/12/indiana-jones-adventure-attraction-to-close-for-a-lengthy-refurbishment-in-january-2023/
Walt Disney Animation Studios has released their first Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon in nearly 95 years! This short was created by the hand-drawn animation team in celebration of Disney 100 Years of Wonder! Director Eric Goldberg said “Oswald is such a plucky scamp. We wanted to bring Oswald back, and in the short, he literally returns to his original home: the movie screen. We wanted to have Oswald do all of the ‘squash-and-stretch’, ‘rubber hose’ animation style, celebrating that first generation of Walt Disney’s artists.”
Read more here - https://wdwnt.com/2022/12/disney-oswald-the-lucky-rabbit-cartoon-95-years/
Watch the short here!
Marvel has debuted the first trailer for “Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3”! This is the final film featuring the Guardians of the Galaxy and we see the return of Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillian, and Pom Klementieff for this movie!
Read more - https://wdwnt.com/2022/12/breaking-trailer-released-for-guardians-of-the-galaxy-vol-3/
Watch the trailer here!
Over at Tokyo Disney Sea there is a new photo spot in anticipation of the release of “Avatar: The Way of Water”! Life size statues of Jake Sully and Neytiri have been installed on the walkway between Port Discovery and Lost River Delta near the Mickey & Friends Greeting Trail!
Read more - https://wdwnt.com/2022/12/jake-sully-neytiri-avatar-statues-installed-at-tokyo-disneysea/
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in the France Pavilion at Epcot has some updated ride vehicles! Previously the ride vehicles were the same ones used in Disneyland Paris with a divider creating two seats in each row. Those have been removed on some of the ride vehicles to create a bench seat presumably to accommodate guests of all shapes, sizes and groups, though Disney has not commented publicly on their reasoning for the update.
Read more - https://wdwnt.com/2022/11/remys-ratatouille-adventure-ride-vehicles-configuration-changes/
After sharing last week that Shanghai Disneyland was reopening following a Covid-19 related closure, the park unfortunately closed again on November 29, 2022 for an undetermined amount of time. The parks website states “According to the requirements of epidemic prevention and control, Shanghai Disneyland will be temporarily closed from November 29, 2022.” The statement goes on to apologize to guests affected and a promise to refund and/or modify park tickets as needed.
Read more - https://wdwnt.com/2022/11/breaking-shanghai-disneyland-closing-again-on-november-29/
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