Hey everyone!
Brayden here coming to you with a special look into everything happening at and coming
to Walt Disney World in 2018.
The main theme of 2018 is going to be, 2019 is going to be awesome!
We’re going to be seeing a lot of build up for things like Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
coming 2019, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway replacing the Great Movie Ride, opening
around fall 2019, the new Coronado Springs tower opening 2019, the whole new Walt Disney
World resort hotel, Disney Riviera Resort opening 2019.
But that’s not to say that we don’t have some great stuff to look forward to this year,
while lots of other construction projects wrap up for 2019 openings.
The main headliner opening this year for Walt Disney World, for sure, is Toy Story Land,
opening Summer 2018 in Hollywood Studios right next door to the Star Wars Land opening in
2019.
Disney has yet to give us an official opening date for Toy Story Land, or a month even,
but based on current construction project and insiders familiar with the project, we’re
looking for an opening date on par with Pandora: The World of Avatar this past year, late May
or early June.
The difference between Toy Story Land and Avatar Land is Toy Story Land really got underway
in mid 2016 for a mid 2018 opening, while Avatar Land got underway at the beginning
of 2014 for a mid 2017 opening.
Pandora has some stunning detail and tech behind it which required more time, but a
big theme of 2017 was Disney streamlining Imagineering to be more competitive with tight-knit
groups lacking the complex bureaucracy Disney has, like the team behind Universal’s projects
which go from concept to reality at a faster speed than what Disney’s been capable of
in recent years.
The fact that Disney’s gotten Toy Story Land from the Backlot Tour to a land already
complete with Toy Story figures like Jessie and Rex in under 2 years goes to prove how
much Disney’s turn-around time has improved over a very short time period.
Watch out Universal!
As far as what to expect from Toy Story Land, I think it’s going to be a very fun land.
First off, the Slinky Dog Dash looks like a pretty substantial launch coaster, as far
as length goes, compared to new coasters of recent past here in Walt Disney World, like
the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.
The decor we’re already seeing around the Slinky Dog Dash on the construction site is
only going to add to the experience.
Toy Story Land will feature some familiar favorites, specifically, Toy Story Mania,
with the entrance being flipped around, with the current Pixar Place getting walled off
in mid 2018 once Toy Story Land opens to become a backstage cast member area.
The smaller attraction alongside the Slinky Dog
Dash in Toy Story Land will have the same ride system as Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree
in Cars Land at Disney California Adventure, but now, instead of tractors, you’ll be
in an Alien Swirling Saucer from Toy Story.
The Buzz figure we’ll have out front is a figure I’m hearing we should see arrive
in the land quite soon, with Woody being the last figure to arrive before the opening,
given his spot leaning on the Toy Story Land entrance sign is still under construction,
getting that new pathway leading guests into the land complete in time for the opening.
The quick service dining location, Woody’s Lunchbox, I have a feeling based on the concept
art some of the design elements we’re going to be seeing at this venue are going to be
pretty incredible and really sell that idea of being the size of a Toy in Andy’s backyard.
One question we still have that’s up in the air at this point, is Disney really committing
to the Andy’s backyard feel for the land?
In the latest concept art there appears to be a neighbor’s house in the distance from
the Toy-sized perspective, but no such house has been constructed.
I think Disney could do this fairly easily right behind the metal sheeting fence painted
to look like a wood fence, do metal sheeting and create a facade on the front to make a
forced perspective house that looks far above you, no matter where you are in the land.
This would also be a convenient way to further hide the enormous Rock n Roller coaster ride
building as well as the former Disney Animation building while on the Slinky Dog Dash.
Disney has painted the Rock n Rollercoaster building blue on the side facing Toy Story
Land in an attempt to make the building less noticeable.
But a Toy Story house would be a great way to further shield the rest of the park from
breaking the illusion of being toy-sized in the world of Toy Story.
Another big Toy Story Land question, landscaping.
In the model for the land in Walt Disney Presents at Hollywood Studios, it looks like Disney’s
going to employ the use of bamboo.
It’ll be challenging to landscape a land when you’re supposed to be the size of a
toy.
A single regular sized tree could make it feel more like you’re regular sized and
for some reason all the toys are just enormous, so it’ll be interesting to see what Disney
does there.
Construction progress wise, I think this is one of fastest built lands on record in recent
years in Walt Disney World, facade and interior work is already well underway on all the buildings,
landscaping should be close behind.
The one big piece of Toy Story Land still yet to be done is transforming the surrounding
sound stages into fences, as visible in the Toy Story Land model.
That looks like it’s going to take some serious work, and with us only 6 months away,
that’s the one detail Disney still needs to get to work on.
If you’re worried about Toy Story Land not opening in time for summer, don’t be.
Just like with Pandora last year, Disney needs this summer land opening to draw in crowds,
in a time where theme park attendance is on a decline worldwide.
Good news for Disney is, there are fewer crowds, but still more profits being made every quarter
in the parks.
So expect us to be getting some really cool new Toy Story Land branded merch to help recreate
the success that was the Pandora merch last year, with a 6 month supply of 50 dollar motorized
banshees selling out in just 2 weeks!
So excited for Toy Story Land this year, let me know what you think!
Moving away from the main 2018 headliner in Walt Disney World, there’s one other significant
project we can hold out hope for, the Disney Skyliner, connecting Epcot, Hollywood Studios,
Caribbean Beach, the soon to come Disney Riviera Resort, the Pop Century, and the Art of Animation.
Around 6 months ago, we were predicting the Skyliner could be ready in time for the opening
of Toy Story Land or a little after sometime this summer, but then unfortunately we had
Hurricane Irma and construction on the Skyliner transportation system came to a complete halt.
Things are picking back up again, Disney keeps getting us hyped up with new concept art all
the time.
We just got a new overhead view of the Hollywood Studios station which looks beautiful, but
the question is, can Disney get the Skyliner open in time for the 2018 holiday season?
Or, is this project going to keep getting pushed back and delayed and ends up opening
alongside Galaxy’s Edge or a little before in the Spring of 2019?
Disney has to be shooting for one of these high-crowd times where the new transportations
will pay dividends, making Epcot and Hollywood Studios more accessible to the connected resorts
than ever before.
There is no way Disney doesn’t have it done in time for Galaxy’s Edge, they have to
have it done by then from an investment standpoint, but Disney is more than likely aiming to have
the system ready in time to catch a high crowd period like late 2018 in order to get a flow
going and have the system operating without a hitch in time for the Star Wars Galaxy’s
Edge madness come 2019!
The question is, can Disney get these stations built and get the pylons holding up the gondola
line in between each station installed in time for the 2018 holiday season.
Disney could also be aiming for opening the system in time for the huge Spring Break 2019
crowds and get the gondola running smoothly then in preparation for the Galaxy’s Edge
summer crowds.
But, either high crowd time, it really call comes down to the construction progress we’ll
see over the next 6 months as to when it’ll open.
Based on how fast Disney’s built similar large concrete structures in recent years,
especially in Disney Springs, I still think a late 2018 opening is possible for the Skyliner.
And based on how fast we’ve seen things progress in Toy Story Land, Disney will have
plenty of steel and concrete construction crews ready to roll over the coming months!
There are a few smaller projects we know are wrapping up in time for 2018 openings over
in Disney Springs.
Kicking off the New Year first we’ll have Wine Bar George opening at The Landing.
This venue was originally supposed to open in 2017, so safe to say it is definitely in
the near future.
Wine Bar George is described as a “comfortable-yet-lively environment that’s reminiscent of a renovated
winery.”
The design for the 6,000-square-foot space features wood ceilings, concrete floors, warm
lighting and a welcoming atmosphere as you can see from this concept art from Disney.
Another next venue opening after Wine Bar George at Disney Springs in 2018, Terralina
Crafted Italian.
This is the reimagining of Portobello, the former italian restaurant the was at the space
with a wide range of pastas.
Now the inside especially is getting a full makeover, and the menu will be getting an
overhaul.
Portobello has been getting more competition lately, especially with Maria and Enzo’s
Italian opening down the path from Portobello, with the new Maria and Enzo’s being run
by the Patina Group, quite famous for their Italian offerings with them also owning Via
Napoli and Tutto Italia in the Italy Pavilion in Epcot.
Also in 2018, Wolfgang Puck is on the move to a brand new location near Town Center,
and as they move, a new restaurant called Jaleo is taking their place this year.
Featuring spanish Tapas from spain of course, this sounds like it’s going to be a very
unique restaurant.
And if you want to get speculative, I have a sense this restaurant was originally part
of the plans for the Spain pavilion in Epcot now cancelled, with the land’s main headliner
supposed to be based on Disney’s Gigantic, a film which Disney has postponed indefinitely.
Point being, Jaleo’s going to be great, with it perhaps having originally been planned
to be a flagship parks restaurant.
Speaking of Wolfgang Puck moving, it’s new location is slated to open this year, wrapping
up new restaurant opening in Disney Springs for 2018.
The brand new venue will also have a brand new menu, hey that rhymed!
The other big change coming 2018 in Disney Springs, as we discuss at length on our weekly
Disney news show this week be sure to check it out, the World of Disney is getting a major
overhaul, with sources telling me Disney is going to reimagine the building to live up
to the new Disney Store layout Disney previewed guests with at the D23 Expo last summer.
The new Disney Store design looks a lot like the Gap I’ve heard, also a little Lego store-ish
with the outer walls full of shelves that come out of the wall.
We’ll see how it turns out, so while the World of Disney gets that makeover, there
will be a temporary location for the world’s largest Disney Store in Town Center.
So there’s your first look at what’s coming to Disney World in 2018.
I think this year might be big if Disney can get the Skyliner done in time for the holidays,
but even without a 2018 Skyliner opening, we Toy Story Land which is going to be incredible,
and we’ll be getting all hyped up for Galaxy’s Edge and Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
close behind.
Let me know your thoughts on when you think these projects will come to fruition, what
Disney has in store for us this year.
If you'd like to be notified when we drop new Disney News updates, be sure to subscribe
and hit thats bell!
Thank you much for Watching, I’ll talk to you soon, this is Brayden, have a magical
day!