We will be taking a trip to Disney World in the next few days for the next few days and I simply cannot wait. A lot has happened since our last trip to Disney World, but what is more exciting, is all the things that have started and will be opening this year! Every year the hubs and I wonder whether we should renew our Disney Annual Passes or not, and every year Disney entices us with tons of new things that we can simply not say "no" to. 2014 is a bit different since there is not one new thing, but several.
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Man am I excited about the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train ride opening at Disney World in Magic Kingdom this spring! This mine train ride is the last project in New Fantasyland and is going to be massive. Work for the mine carts has recently started, which means we are getting close! So far, the ride looks to be as thrilling as Space and Thunder Mountains with a bonus fantasy aspect along with some incredible scenery. The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is located between Fantasyland, New Fantasyland, and the Dumbo ride.
My Magic+
If someone at Disney does not send me the My Magic+ wrist band soon, I think I may explode. My Magic+ is Disney World Resort's new way of dealing with rides, tickets, meals, and even purchases. The My Magic+ bands will be linked to guest rooms and can be used for opening your room and paying for park/hotel services through the card attached to your account. These wrist bands also count as your ticket into the parks along with your PhotoPass and will link to the new Fast Pass+ system.
The My Magic+ system has an app and personalized online account for making reservations for dining along with Fast Pass+ planning. Wristbands come in multiple colors and sizes and are able to be customized much like Disney pins customize lanyards. This is going to be a massive industry for Disney World and will also give a better understanding of crowd flow and park statistics.
Fast Pass+
With Fast Pass+, guests no longer need to run from ride to ride getting Fast Passes after their current pass runs out. Instead, you can use the kiosks located throughout the parks, your My Magic+ page at Disney.com, or the mobile app attached to the My Magic+ system to schedule all fast passes up to 180 days in advance. Fast Pass times can also be changed depending on changes in your day at the park. But, one of the most exciting aspects of this is that every park guest can only have three fast passes per day.
When Fast Pass was debuted over a decade ago most of the complaints were about increased wait times in the stand-by lines since so many Fast Passers were slowing things down. Now, Fast Passes will be much more limited, allowing for wait times to come back down to a normal level. Disney World's goal in this is to make visiting the parks a more enjoyable and easier experience for all guests.
Festival of Fantasy Parade
The Festival of Fantasy Parade in Disney's Magic Kingdom will be replacing the Celebrate A Dream Come True Parade that had it's last run a few weeks ago. This new parade looks to be an epic addition to the Magic Kingdom park and will be released in mid-March with lots of new floats celebrating some of Disney's newest movie additions. This parade will have a focus around the movies "Sleeping Beauty", "Tangled", "Cinderella", "Pinocchio", "Peter Pan", and "Dumbo".
Although most of the floats have not been debuted yet, there have been a few that we get sneeking glimpses of. The float that I am most excited about would definitely have to be the steampunk Malificent dragon float. This float looks quite incredible and is pretty well timed with the new Malificent movie starring Angelina Jolie. Other floats that we know of so far include a Tangled float and Cinderella float.
Avatar Land
Avatar Land has been a years in the making project associated with the James Cameron movie and the Animal Kingdom Park. Up until a few months ago, many believed that it would not happen; then, Disney moved Camp Minnie Mickey to it's new location in Animal Kingdom Africa. Now, ground has been broken for Avatar Land and the project is well on it's way. Although the actual area will not be open until 2015, there are some exciting aspects that Disney will be releasing throughout 2014.
In a recent press release, Disney executives acknowledged fact that Animal Kingdom is not seen as a one-day park, but a park you visit for a few hours during your trip and wants to change this. The new Avatar Land will have a big part in that change with at least two new rides and aspects that can only be seen at night. As we get closer to the opening of this new land, Disney will be adding new shows and longer park hours that keep Animal Kingdom open after dark.
