Off Season Magic

When the summer crowds, spring and fall festivals, and holiday bustle has died down, work at the Walt Disney parks swings into full force.

Off-season, for a frequent Disney visitor, is actually a great time to experience the parks. Those who are familiar enough to notice the changes taking place around them (and certain enough of their return not to worry about missing out on an attraction closed for refurbishments) will be thrilled to bear witness to the park construction; the continuous change and improvement that keep the Disney parks the marvel they are.

All four theme parks in Walt Disney World are undergoing fairly drastic changes.

While the general plans have been outlined by the Walt Disney company, the way in which the Imagineers will bring the developments to life will have to be a surprise.

MAGIC KINGDOM:

Main Street U.S.A., to some the very heart of the Magic Kingdom, is being reconfigured. The word is these changes are to improve viewing of firework shows and make post-firework egress from the park both safer and easier. Luckily, the beautiful rose garden is open again, and will be in full bloom in time for spring. But what exactly will become of the areas of Main Street being redone is yet to be seen. Visitors will have to trust that the Disney Imagineers will retain the charm of the walkways and waterways making up the path into all of the lands.

EPCOT:

At the moment EPCOT is perhaps the least affected, but there are some developments to be aware of. Most notably, the Norway ride, Maelstrom, is being reconfigured. It will remain a flume ride with the same basic structure, but the theme will switch from the wilderness and gnome legend of Norway to an entirely Frozen attraction. A meet-and-greet area will also be established in the pavilion. Frozen fans should be delighted, although others may worry about the spread of animated characters into EPCOT, and particularly the spread of the Frozen characters throughout all of the Disney parks.

HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS:

The most glaringly obvious change taking place in the Studios is, of course, the deconstruction of the former big weenie, Mickey’s Sorcerer Hat. The sight of the half-demolished structure, framework and beams exposed in the middle of the parks, is almost shocking. What will replace it? That remains to be seen.

Another change to keep in mind is the update of the Great Movie Ride. It is unknown how much is to be changed. The alterations are to take place in phases, with the queue movie montage the first to be redone.

ANIMAL KINGDOM:

A whole new area will be coming to the Animal Kingdom park. Ever since January 5, 2014, when Camp Minnie and Mickey closed, work on Pandora, the mystical land from the movie Avatar, has been underway. Pandora is being created through collaboration with James Cameron, director of the movie. It will be the biggest expansion that Animal Kingdom has ever seen.

The creative, collaborative process continues on a multi-year project as Disney’s Animal Kingdom brings to life Pandora, based on the blockbuster film AVATAR. Disney recently welcomed acclaimed director James Cameron to offices in Glendale, Calif. for a status report.. Disney’s creative teams collaborating with the artists and designers at Lightstorm are focused on all the land’s iconic elements — from the magnificent floating mountains to the interactive bioluminescent forest, and even to the soaring banshees. The AVATAR-inspired land will be part of the largest expansion in Disney’s Animal Kingdom history at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.(Concept art, Walt Disney Imagineering)

In addition, a new show known as “Rivers of Light,” a display of lights, water, and live music, will be coming to Animal Kingdom. It will be built on the banks of Discovery River.  

All-new entertainment experiences, including a new nighttime spectacular, are among the exciting projects coming in the years ahead as Disney’s Animal Kingdom begins the largest expansion in park history. “Rivers of Light” promises to be an innovative show unlike anything ever seen in Disney Parks, combining live music, floating lanterns, water screens and swirling animal imagery. The show will magically come to life on the broad, natural stage of the Discovery River, between Discovery Island and Expedition Everest. (Disney)

Kathryn Blanco is the Disney Editor for Wandering Educators

All photos courtesy of Kathryn & Martin Blanco, except where noted