Walt Disney World Plans Major Refurbishments for 2012

WDWNT on October 6, 2011

With 2012 approaching, Walt Disney World’s plans for the year are becoming more and more clear. Today, the Walt Disney World website listed several new refurbishments which lead us to some interesting conclusions:

  • Dumbo the Flying Elephant is listed as closed from January 9th thru February 17th, 2012. During this time, it is expected the older carousel of flying pachyderms will make the move to the Storybook Circus. Disney has already stated that the new carousel will open first, so we can expect that new Dumbo centrifuge will be in operation on February 18th as final modifications are made to the older ride once it is placed next door. That’s right, Dumbo will be the first attraction in New Fantasyland to open next year, probably followed closely by the Storybook Circus Train Station, The Barnstormer starring the Great Goofini, and the Casey Jr. Roundhouse in the same time frame.
  • The rumored Big Thunder Mountain refurbishment is no longer a rumor as Disney has it listed to begin on January 9th, 2012. The current end date is set for March 31st, but that is only because the Walt Disney World website calendar doesn’t cross that date as of yet. During this refurbishment, an interactive queue is expected to be added. As well, the missing railroad tracks hiding the steel roller-coaster track will be returned and the falling rock scene will either be fixed or replaced. Other upgrades and changes are rumored but an not be confirmed at this time. Stay tuned as more becomes available on this story.
  • Still not listed is the rumored refurbishment of Test Track at Epcot. The reason we have heard for this is that the attraction is not closing in the Spring as rumored, but rather in the Summer after Cars Land at California Adventure opens. The reason for this is that Imagineering wants to see how the upgrades to the technology and the new show scene effects work before moving them over to Florida. Once Test Track does close, it will be closed for several months. Right now, the only rumored changes we are hearing about are new scenes where the tires are changed or the paint scheme of the car is changed, just like in Radiator Springs Racers.

For a comprehensive list of upcoming refurbishments and changes (including a changed return date for the Swiss Family Treehouse), be sure to check out our attraction updates page!

New Test Track Ride Vehicle Debuts!

WDWNT on August 30, 2011

With the rumors of a HUGE, multi-month refurbishment of Test Track at Epcot coming in 2012, we have been hopeful that some significant upgrades would be made to the ride next year. Well, we may not have to wait that long…

These photos were taken earlier today by twitter user shawnathon33. This new Test Track vehicle is very similar to the original in shape, but it looks like GM is trying to get some publicity for more of their brands, illustrated by the Chevy logo on the front of the car (painted on, not articulated). The new car also has a very different paint scheme than the original, but we expect each vehicle to have a different color palate. While pure speculation at this point, I would expect to see other GM brand logos on the front of other vehicles (Buick, GMC, etc.). This new vehicle confirms that General Motors will be staying on as the sponsor of the pavilion. We will have more on this breaking story as it becomes available, so stay tuned!

Epcot’s MouseGear Remodel is Finally Complete!

WDWNT on July 14, 2011

The remodeling of MouseGear at Epcot has been something WDWNT has been tracking for several months now, as you can see in our photo reports. Well, it appears the project is complete. From Steven Miller on the Disney Parks Blog:

One aspect of working for Disney that I enjoy is the culture of continuous improvement. You may recall that I love quotes from Walt Disney and I recently found one that summarized his approach to improvements at Disney Parks: “Whenever I go on a ride, I’m always thinking of what’s wrong with the thing and how it can be improved.” A great example of this philosophy in action is now found at MouseGear in Epcot. I recently visited this merchandise location to speak with Mike Myers, Manager for Merchandise Operations at Epcot, about some of the enhancements.

“When MouseGear opened in 1999, it quickly became a top shopping destination in Epcot,” explained Mike. “Around 18 months ago, we wondered how we could improve on the shopping experience for our guests. [MouseGear] was a good location but we wanted to make it a great location.”

That challenge was met by a team of individuals representing global retail design, operations, planning, product development, facility asset management, sourcing and Walt Disney Imagineering who worked together on this next evolution of MouseGear. Construction started in August 2010 and was completed in phases until this past month.

At first glance you may not notice the improvements, as they are seamless to the experience. For me, I immediately noticed a difference as I worked in MouseGear over 10 years ago. The location felt bigger and Mike confirmed my observation.

“One improvement made was lowering the fixtures that hold merchandise,” continued Mike. “By lowering the fixtures, the location feels more spacious. We also relocated the registers to strategic points throughout the store thus making checkout easier.”

This means the “wall of registers” that I recall from my time at MouseGear is gone! Mike explained that new colorful signage and carpet were also added to the mix.

“Each product area now has a color-coded sign and label that appear on new store directional maps located at each entrance,” said Mike. “We installed new carpeting that creates a pathway to make it easier for guests to explore.”

One final detail that is easy to spot is the cast members’ new costumes. I love the nod to Spaceship Earth on the front of the shirt, and the colors look sharp (they match the colors now used in the location)! Mike explained that one item was added to the costume that may be familiar to many guests.

“During the costume review process, Gina Errico, General Manager of Merchandise at Epcot, suggested a ‘Hidden Mickey’ be added to the costume,” continued Mike. “We loved the idea as ‘Hidden Mickeys’ are found in many locations at Disney Parks. We added a small one to the back of the cast members’ shirts. But don’t tell anyone!”

Journey Into Imagination with Figment Gets Some Upgrades? Really?

WDWNT on May 26, 2011

It may be very hard to believe, but Walt Disney World poured some money into Epcot’s long troubled Journey into Imagination with Figment attraction. The ride has been so well known for malfunctions over the last few years that some guests started making a game of counting them (OK, that was us). In the following video, you’ll see short explanations of what’s new or fixed in the attraction. It may be hard to believe, but nearly every effect in the ride is back in working order, or dare I say, looking better than ever:

If this was not enough, the temporary walls blocking guests from now closed Kodak exhibits in Imageworks have been made a little more permanent. A “Simon” type game has been installed on these walls for guests to play:

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With rumors having circulated for years that this attraction was in for a major overhaul, we have to wonder if these upgrades mean than this attraction will be with us for a little while longer. While the attraction does look the best it ever has, it still is only drawing small crowds and it probably still not going to be a guest favorite. Only time will tell what is in the future for this attraction, so stay tuned to WDW News Today as more becomes available on this breaking story.