[Htab][tab title=”A New Disney Decade”]July 15, 2017 — Today at the D23 Expo, in a move reminiscent of Michael Eisner’s “Disney Decade” announcement in 1990, Disney Parks Chairman Bob Chapek announced new attractions, resorts, and transportation options that will change the look of its properties in California and Florida. The company also gave new details on previously announced attractions and on additions to the Disneyland Paris Resort and Disney Cruise Line. Click on the tabs above to learn more.[/tab]
[tab title=”Disneyland Resort”]Guests will experience intergalactic adventures in the highly-anticipated Star Wars– themed land known as Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
The 14-acre land will open with two anchor attractions – one that gives guests the chance to pilot the Millennium Falcon on a customized secret mission, and another that puts guests right in the middle of a battle between the First Order and the Resistance (pictured above).
Guests will also encounter various characters, including BB8, Chewbacca, Rex and Kylo Ren. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will open first at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, Calif., followed by Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Fla., in 2019.
Pixar Fest, a limited-time, all-things Pixar celebration will launch at the Disneyland Resort in 2018. The celebration will include a new fireworks spectacular, as well as special characters and entertainment experiences. As part of the celebration, Pixar Play Parade will return to the resort, this time in Disneyland Park, and fan-favorite, Paint the Night, will move to Disney California Adventure Park, which has one of Disney’s longest parade routes.
Paradise Pier will become Pixar Pier in Disney California Adventure Park next summer. This area adjacent to the “World of Color” lagoon, will take on a brand-new look as more favorite Pixar characters and stories come to life on the seaside waterfront, from “The Incredibles,” “Inside Out” and even more “Toy Story.”
Building on the success of Guardians of the Galaxy—Mission: BREAKOUT!, Guardians of the Galaxy stories will soon be joined by Spiderman and the Avengers in what will become a completely immersive Super Hero universe at Disney California Adventure.[/tab]
[tab title=”Walt Disney World”]Star Wars stories will come to life in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the newly announced name for the Star Wars-themed land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
The two anchor attractions include one that puts guests right in the middle of a battle between the First Order and the Resistance where guests will feel like they are inside a hangar bay on a Star Destroyer, while in the other they’ll have the chance to fly the Millennium Falcon, where each guest is critical to the mission’s success (pictured above). The many characters that guests will meet include BB-8, Chewbacca, Rex and Kylo Ren. Representing the largest single-themed land expansion at 14 acres each, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will open in 2019, with the first land debuting at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, then at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando.
Also announced were plans to create the most experiential concept ever in an immersive Star Wars-themed hotel at Walt Disney World Resort.
Dedicated entirely to the galaxy of Star Wars, it will be a one-of-a-kind experience where a luxury resort meets a multi-day adventure in a galaxy far, far away.
Looking ahead to the 50th Anniversary of Walt Disney World, there are plans to complete the transformation that started with the debut of New Fantasyland in 2014. Across Epcot, plans are being drawn up to realize the original vision of the park while making it more timeless and relevant than ever before. Patterned after the number one family attraction at Disneyland Paris, Ratatouille will be added in an all-new space in the France pavilion at World Showcase.
Epcot will also see the addition of a brand new E-ticket attraction based on the rockin’ and action-packed world of Guardians of the Galaxy, the next step in how guests can encounter these characters at Walt Disney World Resort. In Future World, a new Green Mission at Mission: SPACE will take guests on a stunning tour around the Earth, and an updated Orange Mission will make the trip to Mars even more spectacular.
Adjacent to Mission: Space will be a new restaurant that will invite guests to travel high above the earth for an unforgettable dining experience.
The first-ever Mickey-themed ride-through attraction, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, will come to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. With a new original story and attraction theme song, this new state-of-the-art ride-through attraction will take guests on a journey inside the wacky and unpredictable world of Disney Channel’s Emmy Award-winning “Mickey Mouse” cartoon shorts using new technologies that transform the flat cartoon world into a multi-dimensional experience.
The highest rated attraction at Shanghai Disneyland is coming to Walt Disney World Resort. A Tron-themed attraction will be added in a new area near Space Mountain at Magic Kingdom.
Additionally, a new live entertainment theater coming to Main Street, U.S.A., based on the iconic Willis Theater in 1920s Kansas City, will bring world-class entertainment to the world’s most popular park.
Leading up to the July 17 opening of Copper Creek Villas & Cabins, Disney announced the proposed 15th Disney Vacation Club property, Disney Riviera Resort, coming to Walt Disney World Resort near Epcot.
Completing the immersion so guests never have to leave the story while on a Disney vacation, Disney announced plans that will make getting around Walt Disney World Resort even more fun. An all-new Minnie Van service will provide a point-to-point transportation service in a way that only Disney can do, giving guests an even more seamless resort vacation from start to finish.
Additionally, a whole new transportation system called Disney Skyliner will give guests a birds-eye view of Walt Disney World Resort. This brand new system will connect Disney’s Art of Animation, Pop Century and Caribbean Beach resorts, as well as the proposed new Disney Riviera Resort, with Disney’s Hollywood Studios and the International Gateway at Epcot.[/tab]
[tab title=”Paris and Cruise Line”]An original Disneyland Paris resort hotel will undergo a retheming into “Disney’s Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel”.
“We’re going to reinvent a hotel that will have everything to make a certain Tony Stark proud. “Said Disney Parks Chairman Bob Chapek. “I am delighted to announce that Disney’s Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel will transport our visitors to the legendary and action-packed universe of Iron Man, Avengers, Spider-Man and many more again !”
Chapek also announced plans to add a seventh ship to Disney Cruise Line’s award-winning fleet, giving families even more opportunities to create magical memories at sea and visit spectacular destinations around the globe.
Last year, the leader in family cruising announced plans to build two new ships at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany with scheduled completion dates of 2021 and 2023. The seventh ship will be built at the same shipyard and is scheduled to be completed in 2022.
“We decided two ships wouldn’t be enough to hold all of the exciting new experiences we have been dreaming up to take family cruise vacations to a whole new level with immersive Disney storytelling, world-class family entertainment, and imaginative innovations that are fantastically fun and uniquely Disney,” Chapek said. “By the time all three new ships are sailing, we’ll have nearly doubled the size of our existing fleet.”
All ship names, design plans and itineraries are still in development, with each of the ships expected to have their own unique experiences. The three new ships will be powered by clean-burning liquefied natural gas and be the same size – approximately 135,000 gross tons with about 1,250 guest staterooms planned – which is slightly larger than the newest Disney Cruise Line ships, the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy.[/tab]
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