Walt Disney World is saying its plans for June via September 2024, promising that Summertime at The Most Magical Place On Earth goes to be further magical this yr! This implies new choices and leisure for EPCOT, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios. And now, the largest information of all–a model new drone present!
To rapidly recap what’s coming for Summer time 2024, the ¡Celebración Encanto! Sing-Alongside is Coming to EPCOT. Together with this, CommuniCore Corridor will lastly open and greet friends. As we focus on within the commentary to that publish, we’re additionally anticipating a fully-fledged EPCOT Summer time Pageant–it’s not simply tinfoil hat hypothesis, Disney even teases one thing extra.
Then there’s the Lion King thirtieth Anniversary Celebration Coming to Animal Kingdom in Summer time 2024. As introduced, this isn’t actually something. Merchandise, meals, characters, and possibly some picture ops. Nevertheless, as we focus on there, it’s not the primary time Animal Kingdom has hosted a Lion King anniversary occasion–and the park wants individuals to remain later–so hopefully extra is on the horizon there, too. We’re not holding our breath, although.
Subsequent up is Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the place you’ll have the ability to get into your feels with Pleasure herself! She’s headed to Pixar Plaza beginning June 10, the place she joins different Pixar stars. She’ll be in her new house simply in time for Disney Pixar’s “Inside Out 2,” which premieres in theaters June 14, 2024.
Of the 4 parks, the ultimate cease is Magic Kingdom. Nothing was introduced for Summer time 2024, however we already know that Tiana’s Bayou Journey is opening there. Personally, I might not count on this to open by early June, however I might count on it to debut earlier than Independence Day.
My guess is that Walt Disney World didn’t share an official opening date in the present day as a result of they’re not fairly assured in a single simply but. In contrast to different latest attraction openings, Tiana’s Bayou Journey has been moved ahead and is now a race towards the clock, fairly than ready it out. Our different guess is that Magic Kingdom will do one thing for summer season past TBA, however that’s TBA. I may see it being comparatively easy–like a refreshed cavalcade and a foodie ‘occasion’ at places across the park, all impressed by Princess Tiana.
All of that brings us to the ultimate–and largest–piece of reports for Summer time 2024 at Walt Disney World…
At Disney Springs, drones take to the skies above Lake Buena Vista with “Disney Desires That Soar,” a summertime expertise that can be a late-night perk for Walt Disney World guests. “You may fly” takes on an entire new that means as Walt Disney World showcases tales celebrating the enjoyment of flight with state-of-the-art drones choreographed to create designs within the sky and paired with a hovering musical rating and memorable film quotes.
After spending a day delighting in buying, discovering enjoyable actions and savoring various flavors at Disney Springs, flip your eyes to the skies above the West Facet for “Disney Desires That Soar,” a nighttime present amongst the celebrities.
“Disney Desires That Soar” will run nightly at Disney Springs from Might 24 via September 2, 2024!
To common readers, it in all probability doesn’t come as a shock that Walt Disney World is getting a drone present. Lastly. It’s one thing we’ve been masking this yr in Will Walt Disney World Get a Dazzling Drone Show? We lay out the ‘why’ in that publish, however our reply has been that it’s an inevitability, and sooner fairly than later.
This saga began with the drone reveals at Disneyland Paris, and the extremely constructive visitor reception to these. At that time, it turned a foregone conclusion that any Disney vacation spot that might get drones, would get drones. Given its abundance of house, Walt Disney World was/is the logical touchdown level for the following Disney drone show.
The newest growth was drone testing seen from Saratoga Springs Resort that occurred precisely one month in the past, in late February. In response to firsthand experiences, the drone made a number of loops across the Disney Springs lake earlier than returning to its launch pad within the parking zone behind Cirque du Soleil. The drone was illuminated with a vivid purple present mild and carried out a number of take-offs and landings as a part of the check.
Whereas we’ve been betting huge on drones coming to Walt Disney World, however is the one a part of the prediction we acquired fallacious. Our perception was that testing was solely occurring at Disney Springs out of comfort–to keep away from areas within the parks with individuals or having to check throughout the in a single day hours to keep away from friends. It’s additionally simpler to stage and check drone shows at Disney Springs with out making any infrastructure modifications.
Our expectation was that drones would come to one of many parks and not Disney Springs. Though there’s been a drone present there earlier than, that was virtually a unique period. It’s extremely unlikely the current-day Walt Disney World would placed on an “ungated” drone present. Whoops! (In our protection, no one bats 1.000 and even .500 with Disney information/rumor predictions.)
Despite the fact that I used to be undeniably incorrect, I’m going to double down on that wrong-ness. I’m nonetheless extremely skeptical that “Disney Desires That Soar” is Walt Disney World’s finish sport with drones. All the things Disney does with leisure is dear–from the event prices to the music to the infrastructure and so forth. It’s additionally labor intensive, which itself is turning into more and more expensive.
I don’t consider for a second that Walt Disney World would spend all of that cash to placed on a free drone present at Disney Springs, largely for the advantage of friends and third get together working individuals (who will see elevated enterprise with added foot site visitors). It simply doesn’t move the scent check as one thing trendy Disney would do.
Extra possible, in my view, is that Walt Disney World realizes in depth testing and coaching can be crucial for a everlasting manufacturing in one of many parks, so why not maintain that out within the open at Disney Springs and get some profit out of it? Throw collectively a fast present, and market that alongside a collection of different leisure choices for Summer time 2024.
All of a sudden, there’s a compelling cause not simply for many who already are visiting to spend a night at Disney Springs, however for different followers to plan summer season holidays to Walt Disney World within the first place. Enhance buzz and bookings, whereas additionally benefiting the tenants at Disney Springs. (And, if persons are going to depart Animal Kingdom early anyway, give them someplace to go that’s not Magic Kingdom or EPCOT, thereby lowering the overcrowding in these parks.) Now that makes excellent sense!
It’s straightforward to neglect, however this has occurred up to now–Walt Disney World already did a drone present at Disney Springs!
It’s now been virtually a decade in the past that Walt Disney World went to nice lengths to get waivers on their no-fly zones. In November 2016, the Federal Aviation Administration granted Walt Disney Parks & Resorts a waiver to make use of “small unmanned plane system (sUAS) operations” inside its restricted airspaces. These sUAS are drones, and Disney has dubbed the expertise Flixels (per a 2014 patent submitting), which it has deliberate to make use of in nighttime reveals.
Based mostly on the approval, the flight paths of drones have to be 100 toes away from visitor areas always, and so they should primarily fly over water and restricted areas, maxing out at 150 toes above the bottom. The one query was how and the place Disney would use this Flixels expertise.
To the shock of many people, the primary reply to that was: Disney Springs. Solely a pair weeks after the waiver, Walt Disney World launched a free-to-view Christmas drone present over the water. It was short-lived, resulting in the “apparent” conclusion that it was early testing for Rivers of Gentle at Animal Kingdom or Home windows on the World, the working title for EPCOT’s Illuminations alternative.
That ended up being incorrect, however it’s price noting that the event for each Rivers of Gentle and the IllumiNations alternative have been troubled (stating the apparent–see finish outcomes) and it’s fully believable that drones have been deliberate for certainly one of them in some unspecified time in the future. We’ll by no means know the why behind that not occurring, nevertheless it’s secure to imagine a free 2-month drone present at Disney Springs was the place to begin of testing and never the tip sport. Regardless, there hasn’t been a drone show at Walt Disney World since 2016.
Finally, we’re actually wanting ahead to the “Disney Desires That Soar” drone present. The title is improbable and the idea of showcasing tales celebrating the enjoyment of flight is phenomenal. I hope it features a nod to the wonderful Soarin’ rating (too unhealthy The Wind Rises isn’t a Disney film). I’m additionally happy that, whatever the cause, Disney Springs is getting leisure. We acquired burnt out on Disney Springs as locals, due to AMC A-Listing and visiting usually throughout the phased reopening. We’ve since visited fewer occasions within the final 3 years than we did throughout a single month from 2018 to 2020, however that’s clearly an “us subject.”
Above all else, I’m excited for what I feel this alerts–ushering in a brand new period of leisure at Walt Disney World. Purely speculative, however I’m betting that the “Disney Desires That Soar” drone present at Disney Springs is the place to begin for drones at WDW, however definitely not the endpoint. That “Disney Desires That Soar” is a check, and the true deal will come to Animal Kingdom in 2025.
We’ve been over this earlier than, however there’s presently nothing on the official timeline for Walt Disney World in 2025. Tropical Americas virtually definitely received’t be prepared by then and there are not any yet-unannounced brand-new additions that might conceivably be prepared by then. It seems more and more possible that Walt Disney World goes to “sit out” 2025 and never attempt to compete with Common’s Epic Universe. A minimum of, not within the conventional sense of the time period.
Nevertheless, that doesn’t imply that Walt Disney World will do nothing in any respect. They’ll need one thing to market, to seize a number of the friends drawn down by Epic Universe. I stay of the assumption {that a} reimagined Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster would be the tentpole addition of 2025. Take a look at Monitor 3.0 has already been introduced, so it stands to cause that might be prepared by 2025. Add to that possibly a pair extra redone issues in EPCOT, and you’ve got the marketable trip roster.
That is the place a drone present and different leisure is the ace up Walt Disney World’s sleeve. Though they’re turning into more and more frequent, drone reveals nonetheless have a sure wow-factor not present in fireworks or fountain reveals on a lagoon. A Walt Disney World drone present might be the key sauce to one way or the other competing with Common for eyeballs in 2025–the form of factor that manages to resonate on social media as a lot as Mario.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Are you excited for the “Disney Desires That Soar” drone present at Disney Springs? Do you assume that is testing for a fully-fledged, drone-driven nighttime spectacular at Walt Disney World in 2025? Or do you assume it ends right here, at Disney Springs? Do you agree or disagree with our causes as to why one is unlikely–or fascinating–within the foreseeable future? Assume drones would be the ace up Disney’s sleeve to “compete” (air quotes) with Epic Universe? If a drone present involves Walt Disney World, at which park would you prefer to see it? Some other ideas or commentary so as to add? Any questions we will help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even while you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
