BoardWalk is Getting a Makeover and Other Disney News
Mickey’s Toontown has closed for a year. Meanwhile, Disneyland at Nite returned for the first time since the pandemic.
Also, Disney’s BoardWalk is changing. So, we’ve got several exciting tidbits in today’s update.
Let’s Talk Closures
If you’re a Mickey’s Toontown fan, you’re in for a long year. The themed land at Disneyland Park has officially closed until early 2023.
As a reminder, Disney is re-theming Mickey’s Toontown to make the upcoming attraction, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, the focus.
So, Imagineers will need the body of a year to make the requisite changes.
Park officials seek a new and more open-ended version of Mickey’s Toontown, one where guests will stay for a while.
The upcoming additions will include “new play experiences, as well as open, grassy play spaces for everyone to unplug.”
As part of the proceedings, Imagineers will build CenTOONial Park, the new landmark at the front of Mickey’s Toontown, and a “dreaming tree” like the one where Walt Disney liked to sit.
These additions are definitely worth the wait, but you won’t get to ride the recently reimagined Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin for the rest of 2022.
In fact, Disneyland’s app has wiped Mickey’s Toontown off the map…literally! It no longer displays!
Elsewhere at Disneyland
Here’s a previous Disney Parks Blog update that will make fans melancholy.
Yes, those were the dates for Grad Nites, one of the Disneyland After Dark events from 2020 that didn’t happen due to the pandemic. That cancellation update from 4/16/20 is so brutal.
Well, that was then, and this is now! The pandemic has receded to the point that Disneyland can host after-hours events again.
Yes, Disneyland After Dark: Villains Nite has returned! Here’s a video from the opening night:
Elsewhere at Disneyland, two events haven’t returned yet. They will soon, though.
I’m referencing the Main Street Electrical Parade and Disneyland Forever, both of which will return on April 22nd.
Disney has posted the schedule for these two performances. The parade will operate at 8:45 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. each night.
Meanwhile, the fireworks presentation will start at 9:30 p.m. Here’s a video of it in case you’ve forgotten its splendor:
Other Park and Resort Updates
We’ve got a few more park updates plus some Disney Vacation Club stuff today.
At EPCOT, the EPCOT Experience closes for good on March 14th.
This remarkable presentation is as 3-D as theme park technology currently allows. You enter a room that’s basically a closed dome.
Project screens display all the updates coming to EPCOT. Here’s what it looks like:
However, the main attraction, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, has already opened.
Another ride, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, will open on or around Memorial Day Weekend.
Realistically, the purpose of this attraction has diminished. Plus, there’s that whole “some of the projects got cut” awkwardness. So, this place has outlived its usefulness.
I’ll really miss the EPCOT Experience, though. I hope that the eventual PLAY! pavilion utilizes similar technology in some places.
Meanwhile, at Disney’s BoardWalk, park officials are promising a series of enhancements “over the next few years.”
One of them involves a reboot of the lobby at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn.
The Parks Blog states that:
“Light and airy touches will reinvigorate the lobby, lounge and guest rooms, carrying the seaside breeze right inside. Just off the lobby, a new coffee bar with artisanal beverages and quick bites will be available to-go or in newly refreshed seating spaces inside or outdoors.”
Another significant change involves the 2023 debut of The Cake Bake Shop by Gwendolyn Rogers, a Table Service restaurant and bakery.
Meanwhile, BoardWalk Bakery will switch to a sandwich shop as part of that change.
Speaking of changes, Disney launched a promotional video for the new villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. Here it is:
To Disney’s credit, it’s done a much better job of marketing its impeccable resorts lately.
I sometimes worry that DVC members take the stunning quality of Disney resorts for granted.
This video explains why the Grand Floridian matters so much. Plus, I always love to watch Disney Legend Wing Chao talk shop.
Contract Monera Financial to get started on financing your DVC resale purchase so you can take advantage of all the new exciting things coming to Disney Parks and Resorts.
