Welcome to August’s newsletter. COVID cases in Florida continued to skyrocket this month which caused the Centre for Disease Control to alter their rulings regarding face masks which came into effect the day that July’s newsletter went live. That advice remains the same, face masks need to be worn when indoors including cast members. Extra rulings such as 2-meter distancing between groups have yet to be brought back in by any of the parks.
In The News This Month
- Mears Announces Replacement For Disney Maigical Express
- New Details & Prices Announced For Star Wars: Galactic Stracruiser
- Peppa Pig Theme Park Website Now Live With More Details Of Attractions
- Disney Genie, Genie+ and Lightning Lane replacing Fastpass+ At Disney World
- EPCOT’s New Out-Of-This-World Restaurant Gets Opening Date
- Popular Disney Crowd Pleaser Returns In An After Hours Event
- Cirque Du Soleil “Drawn To Life” Finally Gets Opening Date
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure To Open Initially with Virtual Queue Only
- Iron Gwazi Roars To Life Later Than Expected
- Ice Breaker Launches Later Than Expected
- New Disney Enchantment Details Released
- Brand New Show Coming To Animal Kingdom
Disney World News
Disney has continued its slow rollout of previously closed experiences. Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, The Boneyard, Beauty And The Beast – Live have all been closed since March 2020 are now open with limited capacities. Meet and greet opportunities are still suspended and character cavalcades remain in place but for how long? Read on to find out when Parades could be returning to Disney World!
Disney Magical Express Replacement Announced
Earlier this year the announcement that Disney was shuttering its popular free airport transfer service Disney Magical Express for resort guests from 2022 was a shock to many. The operator of that service, Mears Transportation, has announced its own replacement service called Mears Connect. The new Mears Connect website is now live and taking bookings starting January 2022. The exact date Disney’s Magical Express service stops running. Unfortunately, it isn’t free but it is a convenient offering for guests not wanting to drive while in Orlando.
There are 2 levels to choose from. Standard uses coaches or vans and guarantees that you will not wait longer than 20 minutes to be on your way from when you arrive at the Mears Connect reception area. Premium is a direct car service with no wait and door to door service. Standard rate guests will have a limited number of stops at Disney Resort properties.
If required, return pickup is also arranged to coincide with your flight and will pick up around 4 hours before the scheduled departure (3 hours for domestic US flights). There is quite an exhaustive list of hotels the service will operate to and Mears promises that it will be expanded next year.
The service will cost from $16 per adult one way and $13.50 per child. Premium starts at $55 per person. A family package for 4 in premium will cost $200. Mears Connect isn’t cheap but it does add a reliable transport alternative for those not wanting to drive around Orlando.
For comparison, currently, a standard Uber will cost around $40 one way. If there are more than 2 of you then an Uber may work out cheaper overall depending on the amount of luggage you take. At this price point, Mears Connect won’t be for everyone but it’s certainly worth making a note of the service when setting out your budget.
More Details About Galactic Starcruiser Announced
There has been much hype already about the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser experience. Disney is promising some big things when it comes to complete, total immersion. If you haven’t heard about this new kind of experience let me catch you up real quick on what you can expect.
- 2 night package staying aboard the fictional Halcyon Starcruiser (in reality a boutique hotel behind Disney’s Hollywood Studios)
- Rooms sleep between 2 and 4 people
- A fully immersive storyline unfolds around you both in the accomodation and in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
- Your interactions with characters and even other guests help inform how you are treated by cast members throughout the storyline
- Learn about various aspects of the “ship” during your stay including the bridge and engine room
- Take lightsabre training with revolutionary technology invented by Disney just for this experience. Have a look at the brief teaser video below demonstrating the new lightsabre
- Take a planet excursion to Batuu with guaranteed ride time on both e-ticket attractions
- Back in the accomodation participate in gatherings in “secret” areas of the ship
- At some point in the storyline help defend the ship against an attack by the First Order and Kylo Ren
- Dining will be included and there will be a live performance from a galactic superstar, a purple Twi’lek
- Many more details to be announced
Something this ambitious has never been attempted before in a theme park setting so you know it’s not going to be cheap. Now we know how expensive it is likely going to be because Disney has released a series of illustrative costs as well as a load more details on the concept ahead of its delayed Spring 2022 opening.
Gastronomy Inside Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser
The immersion of guests within Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser extends to every small facet of the experience including the cuisine. Disney has also released some details and images about the culinary experience guests can expect.
“We’re taking really delicious things and presenting them in unexpected ways” that are “of and kind of inspired by Star Wars storytelling DNA.”
A Disney spokesperson on the cuisine guests can expect abourd the Galactic Starcruiser
Costs For Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser
Now it’s down to the nitty-gritty. Disney has been working on this concept for years. It is something that will set them apart from the Wizarding World Of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando. As you guessed, it will also have a price point to match. If you want to experience Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser you had better start saving now. Here are the illustrative costs released by Disney. Remember the cost will be determined by the number of people in a room and the time of year you go so the prices listed below are only a starting guide for now.
- 2 guests per cabin: $4,809 total – $1,209 per guest per night
- 3 guests per cabin (2 adults, 1 child): $5,299 total – $889 per guest per night
- 4 guests per cabin (3 adults, 1 child): $5,999 total – $749 per guest per night
That’s some eye-watering numbers but it was kind of expected. Will Disney have a problem filling capacity for this experience? I very much doubt it. When they go on sale, I believe you will have to book many months ahead. Star Wars fans are some of the most passionate in the world and there is enough pent up demand just from this group to keep the experience sold out for many months. Disney is gearing the experience more to the leisure crowd though.
Everything about Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and the Galactic Starcruiser has been meticulously planned. beyond the hardcore Star Wars fans, many guests may not get all the details that have gone into making this experience as immersive as it can be. But Disney is not building this experience for just the hardcore fans. They are building it for today’s discerning theme park visitors that have come to expect more than just a few rides from their day out.
Disney has always been expensive but it’s their attention to detail and the scale of a Disney vacation that sets them apart from practically every other theme park on the planet. If Galactic Starcruiser is even a fraction as popular as I will expect it will be, we can expect to see more highly immersive experiences coming to other Disney parks worldwide.
New Disney Enchantment Details Released
Speaking of immersive experiences, the Disney Parks Blog has teased some tantalising new details of Disney Enchantment which opens in The Magic Kingdom on 1st October.
This new fireworks show is Disney’s most ambitious to date for Magic Kingdom. A popular feature of previous fireworks shows, projection mapping, will be expanding for the new show.
Projection mapping involves taking images and projecting them onto obscure surfaces. It has been used to great effect in the current Magic Kingdom show, Happily Ever After, but only on the castle.
For the first time ever, projection mapping will be brought to the facades down Main Street USA. If the effect is half as good as this concept illustration promises, Disney Enchantment will indeed become one of the best fireworks shows Magic Kingdom has ever seen.
Brand New Show Coming To Animal Kingdom
Coinciding with the opening of Disney Enchantment, Animal Kingdom will be debuting its very own brand new show starting 1st October. “Disney Kite Tails” will be presented multiple times daily in the Discovery River Theatre, an outdoor seated amphitheatre.
Oversized props and colourful kites, some up to a massive 30 feet in diameter will be adorned with your favourite Disney characters in a joyous celebration for the whole family.
While not a direct replacement for the short-lived “Rivers Of Light” nighttime spectacular, Disney Kite Tails is the first show to be presented in the Discover River Theatre since Rivers Of Light Was Cancelled officially some weeks into the COVID pandemic.
Check out this short behind the scenes video released by Disney for a little more information.
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure Opening Date
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure will finally debut officially on October 1st but getting to ride it will, initially at least, require you to register for a virtual queue pass. The process is exactly the same as with Star Wars: Rise Of The Resistance. Passes will be available from 7 am and will be first come first served. For the first few weeks or months, a traditional standby queue will not be in operation.
What does this mean for your planning? If you want to ride you had better snag a virtual queue pass. I don’t expect this attraction to be anywhere near as popular as Star Wars: Rise Of The Resistance. Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure is a clone of a Disney Studios Paris attraction that has been in operation for the past 7 years. But while EPCOT is in the middle of an overhaul and desperate for any attractions it will be very popular for the first few months.
Disney Genie To Replace Fastpass+
Last week Disney officially announced that Fastpass+ will now be retired at Walt Disney World. A new service called Disney Genie (love the tie in!) will replace Fastpass+ at Disney World and MAXpass at Disneyland this autumn.
What We Know About Disney Genie
Disney Genie is the culmination of significant investment Disney has made in sophisticated technology and tools leading to a “revolutionary new multi-tiered service we’re calling Disney Genie.”
“This is going to revolutionize the experience. Guests are going to spend less time waiting and more time having fun in the Parks, with a dramatically improved Guest experience that’s going to make their navigation of their day and planning of their day much easier”.
Disney CEO, Bob Chapek August 2021 Q3 Earnings Call
How Disney Genie Works
The goal of Disney Genie is about making the information at your fingertips more personal and relevant while keeping the app simple to use. Disney Genie will create “a better, more personalized, and customized experience for Guests, putting them in control and providing even greater flexibility and choice.”
How it does this is complicated but it aims to blend your attractions, show and dining preferences with industrial engineering data on how the park is operating on the day of your visit to personalise the front end of the app and show you attractions, shows and other experiences that are relevant to your group, your location and the time of your visit.
The hope is that it will lead to an improved guest experience while also providing “substantial commercial opportunities for us as the Guest navigates their days”, according to Chapek. In other words, Disney has spent a ton of time and man-hours perfecting the technology and infrastructure. Watch a short introduction to the brand new service below.
How Will Disney Genie Differ From Fastpass+?
Fastpass+ was a great idea but the execution was dated and too dependent on people needing to know what they wanted to do months ahead of their visit. Disney Genie will help you plan your day in the parks based on your preferences. You tell Disney Genie what attractions and shows you would like to visit and it will suggest an itinerary based on that information.
Disney Genie is also completely customisable. You can change plans throughout your day and the app will automatically update. It uses historical queue time data plus real-time park operations data to display predicted wait times for all attractions throughout the day. Disney Genie will continually update in the background so you should check the app frequently for updates to your itinerary.
The main change that existing Fastpass+ users will note with Disney Genie+ is there is no longer a need to pre-book attraction slots until the day of your visit. You can only hold one attraction at a time and the booking window will open at 7 am on the day for everyone. There is currently no preference given for anyone staying in a Disney World Resort hotel. You will also be able to use Disney Genie+ in multiple parks on the same day, Fastpass+ was restricted to one park per day.
How Much Will Disney Genie Cost?
Unlike Fastpass+ there are multiple levels to Disney Genie. The base app will be free and integrated into the My Disney Experience app for Walt Disney World visitors. The main feature will be personalised itineraries. Augmented photo filters and audio experiences will add some Disney magic to your day plus order your food and more from within the base app.
The next level up will be closest to the old free Fastpass+ service; it will be called Disney Genie+, a paid-for service allowing the use of the new Lightning Lanes (more on them in a moment) for one selected attraction at a time. The cost for Disney Genie+ will be $15 per person per day but won’t include some of the more popular rides. Remember though that Disney Genie+ will provide shorter wait times but not instant ride times. This is how Disney MAXpass at Disneyland in California has been working very successfully for many years.
Over 40 attractions throughout Disney World will offer Lightning Lane but if you want to guarantee to get on really popular attractions like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom and even Star Wars: Rise Of The Resistance at Hollywood Studios you are going to need the new Lightning Lane service.
What Is Lightning Lane?
Lightning Lane is the next level up from Disney Genie+. Fastpass lanes at existing attractions throughout Disney World will be renamed Lightning Lanes but the most popular attractions will be stripped out of Disney Genie+. Disney hasn’t yet released a full list of the exact attractions that will be separate from Disney Genie+.
To get on these attractions the new Lightning Lane service will provide almost direct access to the attraction within a specific time window. Costs will be released later but I wouldn’t expect it to be less than $25 per person per attraction. Prices will fluctuate based on the park and attraction chosen as well as the date and time of your visit.
There will be a maximum of 2 purchases per person per day. Like Disney Genie+ you can only hold one reservation at a time. Availability of these tickets will be very limited and Disney World Resort guests will be given priority access from 7 am. Standard ticket holders will have to wait until park opening to book and pay for their first attraction.
Thoughts On Disney Genie And Lightning Lane
Disney has done a great job of trying to take the best bits of Fastpass+ and MAXpass while noting the limitations of both. Disney Genie is a brilliant start and will help, not hinder, first-time visitors to Disney World make more of their time. Make no mistake though, Disney is expecting this service to pay for itself. The app is a highly polished sales tool to generate the most revenue out of Lightning Lane.
Disney is getting some serious flack in some forums because of Disney Genie and Lightning Lane. Disney are one of the only theme parks that were offering Fastpass tickets for free. Even Disneyland had a paid-for service. Fastpass+ was a fantastic free service but it was on borrowed time. Disney Genie+ brings genuine enhancements to Fastpass at a moderate cost. I have used MAXpass at Disneyland and the differences in this paid-for service compared to the free Fastpass+ were like night and day. It worked brilliantly for my short visit and I was left wondering if they could ever bring something like MAXpass to Disney World.
The answer is yes they can. Disney Genie won’t be perfect but it will adapt and evolve over time and be a real asset to first time Disney World visitors. Yes, your Disney World holiday just got that little more expensive (or a lot more expensive for certain attractions) but the choice is up to you. The power of choice, in my opinion, has been well thought through in this first iteration of Disney Genie and I can’t wait to give it a go on my next visit.
I’m sure you will have more questions about this new service, a few of which may be answered in the Disney Genie full overview video released by Disney that i’ve embedded below.
Once all the details of Disney Genie and Lighting Lane are released I will work on a replacement Disney Genie page for the planning section of the website. In the meantime, there is still so much that we don’t know about the service to warrant throwing together a quick page now.
I am also looking at doing a free downloadable guide to help you get the most out of this new service. As Disney Genie is so new not all questions will be able to be answered right away but keep an eye on this new page in the weeks ahead. I will post an update on Facebook when the page is live. In the meantime, you can check out the official Disney Genie and Lightning Lane page on the Disney World website.
Space 220 Restaurant Finally Opening
The long-delayed Space 220 Restaurant in EPCOT will be opening in a few short weeks. The concept of this literally out-of-this-world dining experience is a perfect addition for EPCOT.
Initially scheduled to debut late last year the opening was delayed, despite the restaurant being ready, until park capacity has increased. It may seem strange not to have debuted it over the summer holidays where Disney parks have been very busy but at least we were about to get our first glimpse of this new reserved dining experience.
It’s a case of out with the old and in with the new, it seems. Disney has just confirmed that the NBA Experience in Disney Springs will not now reopen. It has been closed since the onset of COVID restrictions in March 2020. A replacement experience has not yet been announced but permits have been filed by Disney Imagineering relating to the building structure. Disney clearly knows what will be replacing the NBA Experience but is not yet comfortable sharing this news publicly. More details when I find out.
Very Merriest After Hours Details
We’re not even into the Halloween season as yet but Disney is already looking well ahead to the end of the year and has announced the dates and details of the Very Merriest After Hours offerings this year. It will mark the return of the poplar Christmas upcharge event, the first since 2019. The event will also include a special holiday fireworks extravaganza titled, “Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks”. A parade will also feature in the lineup, “Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmastime Parade”, the first parade to be held in Magic Kingdom since March 2020.
Could Disney be choosing this limited ticket upcharge event to see how they will work out social distancing around their popular parades before reinstating parades on the normal schedule? Perhaps. There has been no word whether parades will return before these dates as yet. Disney could also be using this as a way to boost sales of the after-hours event to a limited audience.
You may be hoping that travel restrictions between the UK and US will be lifted to be able to get to Disney World at some point this year. If so, Disney Very Merriest After Hours is currently scheduled to run between 9 pm and 1 am on the following evenings:
- November: 8, 9, 11, 12 14, 16, 18, 19, 21, 23, 28, 30
- December: 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 14, 16, 17, 19, 21
New Cirque Du Soleil Show Finally Gets Opening Date
Canadian based Cirque Du Soleil’s new resident Disney Springs show “Drawn To Life” finally has an opening date, 18th November.
Originally scheduled to open in Spring 2020, the show was in final dress rehearsals before COVID shut the world down simultaneously throwing Cirque Du Soleil into financial chaos. Overcoming almost insurmountable odds the company is back.
“Drawn To Life” is the first Cirque show designed in collaboration with Walt Disney Animation and Walt Disney Engineering.
Drawing inspiration from 100 years of animation, the show centres around the love between a father and his daughter. Classic Disney stories are interwoven between the narrative and you can expect dazzling acrobatics and choreography along with a rousing musical score. All the hallmarks of a great Cirque Du Soleil show are present with a decided Disney twist in what will hopefully be a fitting replacement for the original resident show, “La Nouba”, that ran for 2 decades here. Check out the short teaser below.
If you want to add a show to your itinerary you can book tickets now at https://www.disneysprings.com/entertainment/drawn-to-life-cirque-du-soleil/
Universal Orlando News
Much of the news regarding Universal this month revolves around Haloween Horror Nights which returns after a one-year hiatus caused by COVID. I won’t be covering much detail regarding this separately ticketed event this year. It’s one of Universal Orlando’s most popular events but continued uncertainty over travel restrictions between the UK and US will make a trip to HHN21 almost impossible for many UK families.
No news is good news when it comes to Universal’s Epic Universe. There is very little news about the new park besides what has already been written. We are still some weeks or months away from anything going vertical in Orlando’s biggest construction site.
Busch Gardens August 2021 News Updates
Iron Gwazi Roars Into Life In March 2022
After a delay of just less than a year since the original opening date, Buch Gardens has announced the official opening date for Iron Gwazi will now be in March 2022.
The delay is nothing to do with the ride system itself which has been running fine for most of this year. COVID and budgetary constraints are likely the cause of this delay. Attendance has been a little lacklustre so Busch Gardens are drawing a line under the 2021 season, starting afresh for 2022.
Most international travellers are still barred from entering the USA at the time of writing limiting Busch Gardens ambitions for the rest of 2021. This is despite the popular Halloween celebration, Howl-O-Scream, taking place for the first time in a couple of years.
Seaworld Orlando August 2021 News
Ice Braker Launches Later Than Expected
Over at Busch Gardens sister park, Seaworld, Ice Breaker will come to life officially in February 2022, 1 month earlier than Iron Gwazi.
Ice breaker was supposed to be Seaworld’s 2021 crowd-pleasing addition. Despite being ready, Ice Breaker has sat conspicuously quiet for the rest of the year. Seaworld’s financial situation likely has a large part to play and disappointing attendance this year likely is the main culprit of the delayed opening.
Legoland Florida August 2021 News Updates
Legoland Florida has been quietly and consistently going about its business. It was one of the first parks to re-open in Florida. With most new attractions already open as COVID swept the world, news has been sparse but there is another new attraction opening in 2022 that deserves a mention.
New Peppa Pig World Details Announced
The new Peppa Pig Theme Park website is now live. As well as being able to buy annual passes we get our first look at the rides and attractions on offer in this separately ticketed theme park next to Legoland Florida.
In total this small theme park based around the Pappa Pig and Friends characters will have an impressive 12 attractions and 6 rides.
The attractions have been designed specifically for their target audience and have no minimum height requirement. Some rides have a minimum height requirement of either 34″ or 36″, making this small addition a perfect add on for young families keen to visit Legoland.
The rides at Peppa Pig Theme Park Florida:
- Daddy Pig’s Roller Coaster (36″ minimum height)
- Grampy Rabbit’s Dinosaur Adventure (34″ minimum height)
- Grandad Dog’s Pirate Boat Ride (34″ minimum height)
- Mr Bull’s High Striker (34″ minimum height)
- Peppa’s Pedal Bike Tour (no minimum height)
- Peppa Pig’s Balloon Ride (no minimum height)
Other attractions at Peppa Pig Theme Park Florida
Complimenting the rides these attractions based on the characters and locations in the cartoon series are brought to life to immerse young visitors in the world of Peppa Pig.
- Campervan
- Cinema
- Fun Fair Games
- George’s Fort
- Grandpa Pig’s Greenhouse
- George’s Tricycle Trail
- Madame Gazelle’s Nature Trail
- Muddy Puddles Splash Pad
- Mr Potato’s Showtime Arena
- Peppa Pig’s Treehouse
- Pirate Island Sand Play
- Rebecca Rabbit’s Playground
Peppa Pig Theme Park will be opening in 2022. Once the theme park is open I will update the Legoland section of the website with further details. For now, if you want any more information you can sign up for email updates on the Peppa Pig website.
For more Peppa Pig fun, you should check out a new augmented reality experience that’s is now live on the Peppa Pig Theme Park Facebook and Instagram pages. For more information check out the Peppa Pig Augmented Reality Experience page.
That rounds it up for the news this month. August has turned out to be a good month for upcoming details on anticipated experiences. September usually signals the arrival of Halloween but we can expect to learn more about Christmas in the parks as well.
