As we enter the 3rd week of June, changes have definitely been afoot at Walt Disney World . The Awaken Summer extravaganza takes us headlong into the hot months with a myriad of exciting rides, attractions, shows, character greetings and breathtaking fireworks displays. With so many exciting things happening at the parks just now it’s even hard for those “in the know” to keep up. Here’s our list of 7 Exciting Walt Disney World Happenings to keep you in the loop.
1. Character changes – Anna and Elsa have officially said their good-byes to Princess Fairytale Hall where they have been in residence since Frozen Fever was in full-swing. As they settle into their new digs over at Epcot’s Norway Pavilion, a coveted Character Meet and Greet was in desperate need of some new royalty. That is until Disney announced this week that Princess Tiana will vacate her Liberty Square Gazebo. leave Prince Naveen at home and will take up residence at Princess Fairytale Hall alongside Rapunzel. The second 1/2 of the hall will feature visiting Princesses including Princess Aurora and Cinderella.
In similar news we also found out that Daisy Duck will be leaving her Town Square location and will instead be greeting guests solely from Storybook Circus in Fantasyland. Snow White will also now make appearances at Town Square Courtyard next to City Hall.
2. Dory joins Turtle Talk With Crush– To celebrate the opening of Finding Dory, everyone’s favorite forgetful fish will now be making guest appearances at Epcot’s Turtle Talk With Crush attraction. When Crush the sea turtle swims up to take a look at the audience in the “Human Tank”, he’ll be joined by Dory and some of her new friends from the Disney/Pixar Animated Feature.
3. Star Wars A Galaxy Far Far Away – It is definitely the Summer of Star Wars over at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. And though this stage show has been running since the 4th of April, now that its coupled with Disney’s extravagant Star Wars themed fireworks display, guests are really starting to take notice. Visitors to Hollywood Studios should be sure to take some time out of their day to enjoy this live show that celebrates memorable moments from the Star Wars films with vignettes featuring iconic characters like Kylo Ren, Chewbacca, Darth Vadar, Darth Maul and BB-8. Performances run from 12 noon – 6:30pm every hour on the 1/2 hour.
4. Frozen Ever After and Royal Summerhaus to open June 21st – The moment Frozen fans old and new have been waiting for. In just a few days, The Norway Pavilion gets an Arendelle makeover with the opening of the hotly anticipated Frozen Ever After Ride at Epcot’s World Showcase. This headline attraction will whisk visitors away by boat on an epic tour around famous Arendelle landmarks including Troll Valley, Queen Elsa’s Ice Palace and the Bay of Arendelle. Queen Elsa and Princess Anna will also begin appearing daily at Norway’s Royal Summerhaus to greet visitors, sign autographs and pose for photos.
Though the World Showcase doesn’t open until 11am, Norway will be an exception meaning that early-birds to the parks will be able to get in line for these attractions starting at 9am. It should be noted that due to popularity Frozen Ever After would be a good use of a Fastpass so that visitors can avoid the longer lines that will be inevitable by mid-day.
5. Soarin Over the World – This much-loved Epcot attraction opened in its new version on June 17th, to once again wow visitors with its epic hang gliding adventure. No longer limited to California, the ride features amazing panoramas from around the world including Sydney Harbor, an African Savanna, the Taj Mahal and the Pyramids. The ride continues to be a multi-sensory experience with early visitors reporting smells of sweetly perfumed flowers, the ocean breeze as well as freshly cut grass. Despite recent rumors, we can also report that the ever popular host Patrick Warburton is still there to guide visitors through the process. Due to the popularity of this attraction Fastpasses are highly recommended to avoid long lines.
6. Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire– Even our favorite Mouse is bringing something new to Walt Disney World this Summer. Tiana, Rapunzel, Anna and Elsa along with a host of favorite Disney characters star in the all-singing, all-dancing, Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire. With Cinderella’s Castle as its backdrop, this tale of Friendship finds Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy and Goofy looking to invite 10 friends from different animated worlds to join their celebration. Guests can expect fireworks galore, stunts, special effects as well as music written specifically for the piece. Performances happen throughout the day and guests should consult the Times Guide when arriving at the Magic Kingdom for further details.
7. Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular – Being hailed by Disney as “the next generation” of Star Wars-themed fireworks shows, this nighttime spectacular premiered on June 17th with its intergalactic brand of pyrotechnics, lasers, special effects and video projections as guests are transported. to a galaxy far, far away. Visitors will witness characters and key scenes from Star Wars films both old and new all set to the iconic film scores that we’ve all come to know and love. Performances are currently running nightly at Hollywood Studios from 9:45pm.
With so much to see, do and experience, there has never been a better time to plan your trip to the Mouse and take advantage of everything that Walt Disney World has to offer. So why not get started and fill out the form below for your FREE quote?
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