 While some of us were sitting at home watching tape delayed NYE Celebrations (seriously, it's 2019, how is it the west coast still gets tape delayed celebrations at midnight?), some of Team Park Journey were spending the New Year in style in Florida. And not just at one park like a bunch of amateurs, but at ALL FOUR PARKS, and Disney Springs. Let's check it out!! New Years Eve, EveThe white fences are up! Ralph is ready. Bring on the New Year’s Eve masses!    The Christmas tree is already gone at Epcot. I seem to remember it staying up a week or so into the new year in the past.  Epcot is busy now, but this will be wall to wall people at this time tomorrow.  Very light crowds in the World Showcase right now. Tomorrow will be another story.   Today was the final day for the Holidays Around the World at Epcot, including the Candlelight Processional, narrated by Cal Ripken Jr. tonight.   It’s gonna be lit (literally, with fire and lasers) tomorrow night to ring in the new year in China and Italy’s   New Years EveCurrently the only place in all of Walt Disney World where you won’t get slammed in the shins with a stroller.   My face looking at all of the ride wait times on the Disney Parks app and it’s not even 10am.  150 minute wait for Rock N Roller Coaster right now.   Not too busy at this hat and horn distribution area at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.  Looking over Main Street ready to watch the 6:30pm Fantasy in the Sky fireworks in a few minutes!   Fantasy in the Sky fireworks are so impressive!   And now the crowds continue to pour in and out of Main Street as the night continues   Over at Animal Kingdom, Flight of Passage is only at a 90 minute wait!  Goodnight Pandora! This place is still amazing as ever. One more park to go. Epcot, we’re coming your way!  120 minute wait currently over at Test Track.  People set up camp all around the world showcase lagoon and beyond for the fireworks at midnight.     Just boarded Test Track and it went down. So tack on some more time to that 120 min. God bless these CMs who are sure to be already having a long and stressful day.   Pretty sure we’re gonna get taken off the ride. Security and EMTs are now on the unload platform. Not sure what’s going on but hope everyone is alright.  And we’re out. Fast passes being issued for additional attractions.    105 min for Soarin’. Some of these folks will be ringing in the new year in this queue.  I mean, there might be a few more people here than on a normal day.    The Epcot New Years fireworks are awesome! And the final time that Illuminations will be a part of it too. Happy New Year!  The Day AfterNew year, new Disney construction photos. Here’s a look at the work going on for the Skyliner and Disney Riviera Resort as seen from Caribbean Beach. I’m still not used to seeing “tall” Disney resorts, with this one and at Coronado Springs.    Related Videos:
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 This past weekend our very own Renée ran her 10th Princess Half Marathon and is among a very elite group of "Perfect Princesses". But we already knew that. =) Congrats to Renée and all of the runners. Written by Renée Girard It’s just after 4am here on the east coast, and we just arrived at Epcot for the 10th anniversary of Disney’s Princess Half Marathon!  We just took a big group photo of all of the “Perfect Princesses”, aka people who have run the Princess Half every year!  At the starting line with several thousand other runners way before the crack of dawn.   The Princess Half announcers are on stage and getting the crowd warmed up. We’ll be heading out in just about 20 minutes!
Always great to see Jeff Galloway in the corrals before a Disney race!  Cinderella’s fairy godmother whipped up some fireworks and sent runners out on the 10th annual Disney Princess Half Marathon.  A nice morning jog at sunrise through the Magic Kingdom.  Belle and Gaston were greeting runners this morning outside of his tavern for the Princess Half  Congrats to all who participated in the WDW Princess Half this weekend! We had a blast and will be back once again next year!  Related Updates:  Today we have our breakdown of the Parks and Resorts Presentation. By this point you know where everything is going, what's being removed and have seen all of the art. Well, we're going to share that with you again anyway. But we decided we'd let our running commentary conversation break it all down for you. Keep in mind, these are our initial reactions and we reserve judgement all the way around on this. But we thought this was entertaining and we figured you would too. Enjoy!! Written by Chris, RD, Matt and Gregg All pictures © Disney (Click any of the pictures below for a larger version) Christian Just got home...staying spoiler free for the moment. Did anyone find a live stream anywhere? Even a Facebook live or YouTube stream? I think I'm just going to have to go full on, reading live updates.. can't find video Gregg I linked to a periscope on the page, really good stuff. RD I saw the entire presentation - And I'm seething in anger. Gregg Same. Stupid internet ruined everything. No surprises RD Well, Avengers/Spiderman was - as is Pixar Pier Gregg Except, doesn't look like Speedway is going. Lol
RD I actually felt a knot in my stomach. And what the hell is up with Disney's Pixar-Marvel Adventure? Gregg The fact they didn't change the name of that park in 2012 is ridiculous. Literally "Grizzly river run" is the only thing that's still remotely CA about that place. RD Exactly. There's not going to be any California left in it. Why bother keeping the name. Why not call it "Disneyland South" Gregg Just call it Disney-Pixar Studios and be done with it. Or Pixar-Marvel Adventure's R Us RD You know, I have to wonder if that's going to be the new name for Florida - and for DCA. Gregg But DHS has Lucas. So Pixar/Lucas Studios on the Right and Pixar/Marvel Studios on the Left? Studios Adventure Park. RD I could see that. Easily in fact.  Gregg I do have to say, the Mickey/Minnie Ride is probably what has me most excited RD I think that's a winner - I hope they execute it right. Matthew Meh. My two least favorite Disney characters Gregg Matt, it was all started by a Mouse, didn't you know? =) Christian Presentation is over? RD Yeah. Drinking has begun. Christian Now I'll search for you tube.. to see who has it posted first. I feel like Disney posted it last year. Gregg Pretty much. There was 1 major announcement that didn't leak and one relatively minor one that didn't. Matthew Screw this, I'll just go watch video of the lady with the big thunder dress That's been the highlight of D23 so far Gregg Oh yeah, I had to straight up tell somebody on Twitter "F**k You" and blocked them from the Park Journey acct.
Christian So .. First update.. Star wars land.. Everything already leaked.. no news.. The model is like the pandora model.. Will look cool when finished but not mind blowing Next--- The Mickey ride leaked, which to me is a loss. The great movie ride, is dated, but a classic Disney ride... It looks like Disney is simply trying to remove all intellectual property they don't own.. Matthew Where is the "Screens!" Chorus? Gregg I hadn't seen the Mickey Ride, so that was new to me Christian That leaked a few days ago. Ratatouille btw. I had that leak a month ago...but work. so sorry to let everyone down there. I have a a huge Epcot theory.. I'll get into a few ... or I'll just share it now ... since it's obvious. Gregg Ratatouille was a pretty bad secret Matthew I'm kind of pissed at how they're putting guardians in Epcot- just nuke the building instead of this lousy recycling. Gregg New China 360 was also news Christian Every single Epcot ride will become Disney intellectual property and long term... every country will have a Disney IP ride. Surprised. it will take to 2021 to open Ratatouille... a great ride... but a movie that wasn't exactly a hit. If it isn't star wars or toy story Disney builds it slow Matthew Every single Disney park attraction will become IP. Which is why as iconic as they are, I don't see space mountain lasting a whole lot longer RD All that we know is everything will be open by 2021 - though I reckon that most will be before then (notably Ratatouille and the Skyway system)
Christian Tron.. I don't get. I get that it's a clone.. and it's cheap to clone. RD Neither do I. In fact, that's what has me so damn angry. Gregg Like Tron looks awesome, but doesn't really fit that park. Or that area of that park. But the fact that it's not an addition by subtractions means that ultimately I can't be mad at it. If they were removing stuff for it, then yeah, I'd be pissed. Plus, more people riding Tron = less people riding SP75. They're basically taking away the MNSSHP Treat Trail ... it's fine. Matthew It's the highest rated ride at Shanghai, its space mountain 2.0 RD To have that fugly building next to one of the most gracious, beautiful structures ever designed by man.... it's a disgrace. Christian It's a cheap clone... and makes MK a more adventure park.. look how well universal did by adding rides for the older kids Matthew I wish they'd remove Disneyland dead weight land RD When you're on the monorail, and you emerge from Contemporary, and you see that beautiful cone, the castle - the true icons for the park... it's stunning. Now: Fugly building behind it.
Christian Next one.. confused... so mission space.. stays the same and the big change is a restaurant? That's a thing? Gregg Apparently Orange Mission Space has a new mission Christian Why are they closing mission space? Gregg Not sure just why Orange. Apparently it's been closed Matthew I'm happy to finally maybe have a reason to wander to wdw next time I visit the devils armpit. Christian People died on orange.. and honestly guardians retheme showed have gone there. RD Mission Space is re-opening with new films, and the new restaurant is part of it (Space Station themed table dining.) The two new films are more visualle effective, while the 'lesser' films are more "Soarin over Earth" Christian Meh Matthew The space station restaurant concept has been around since the opening of the park Christian Yeah.. not impressed... but then again the guardians of the galaxy re-theme at DCA I'm actually a fan of . Like I wanted to hate the guardians of the galaxy tower of terror re-theme.. but then it looks so good.. Matthew So is guardians ever gonna get its own actually new from the ground up attraction? Gregg Pretty sure they're just using the building from Ellen, not the actual ride system. That's a big ass building Matthew I wanted the tower conversion, that attraction wasn't good enough for the twilight zone IP. I believe living seas is still the biggest. I know that my uncle spent a lot of time on universe of energy and living seas
Christian Update 6: Disneyland Paris gets marvel characters at a hotel... 0 s**ts given. If it was an apple keynote.... the Disneyland Paris thing would be a press release. Update 7... Star Wars Hotel... Will make Disney LOTS of money... Gregg  Christian That is the right thing to do... build a star wars hotel.. people love star wars and will pay through the roof... Matthew Maybe they can have a coupon day? Gregg  Christian Update 8.. Disney gondolas.. that leaked forever ago.. And nobody except for convention goers stay at the those hotels.. Matthew There's hotels at Disney world? Christian To me.. It's nothing... maybe a way to get people to drink more at Epcot Matthew Wonder if they'll get the monorail system fixed by the 50th? Christian They won't, what nonsense. Matthew New Eco friendly pedal powered trains by Intamin. The monorail was down a bunch when we were there in 2009
Christian The mainstreet theater they are building.. is just an up charge attraction like Lion King at Shanghai. Pure money play that won't be included in park admission. Think.. blue man group.. or lion king at shanghai. Makes me wonder if cirque de soliel closes forever and they do a show like that there, or up-charge for the pirates stunt show that they have at Disney Shanghai. Matthew Damn, I was hoping Disney was gonna announce an RMC makeover of Matterhorn. This comment may have been brought to you by your friend Alcohol.  Whelp, there it is. We hope you enjoyed this look at the "work" we all do for Park Journey. And this is simply what we could share. Maybe we'll have to do these types of updates whenever we all chat about the big news. What do you think? We're also perfectly aware we didn't discuss Toy Story Land. It simply didn't come up in our conversation. Not sure why that is. Have we all come to expect so much from these announcements that it's almost TOO MUCH? And things that would be headlines get lost in the shuffle? We've included all of the pictures that Disney released that were included and what wasn't included in this update for your enjoyment. Related Updates:
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