Disney World summer: Epcot’s done; send in the drones
Walt Disney World has announced a handful of developments for summer of ’24, including the removal of the final construction wall for the long-running transformation of Epcot and a new drone show at Disney Springs.
Behind that construction wall is CommuniCore Hall, the last announced piece of the Epcot plan that has included projects such as Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure ride, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind indoor roller coaster and Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana, a walk-through attraction. CommuniCore Hall, set to be unboxed June 10, is adjacent to the new World Celebration Gardens and the Walt the Dreamer statue that was unveiled last year.
CommuniCore Hall will be HQ for Epcot’s festivals and a Mickey & Friends character greeting area. But first up at the adjacent CommuniCore Plaza stage will be “Celebration Encanto!,” a summer sing-along with songs from “Encanto.” That will happen several times daily between June 10 and Sept. 6.
At Disney Springs, a new drone-driven spectacular called “Disney Dreams That Soar” is planned for late nights. It will “showcase Disney stories celebrating the joy of flight,” according to the official Disney Parks Blog. Disney Springs hosted a five-minute drone show in late 2016; the new production is scheduled to be up in the air nightly from May 24 through Sept. 2.
On the character front, Joy from “Inside Out 2” will be moving into Pixar Plaza at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and “The Lion King” faves Timon and Rafiki are returning to Rafiki’s Planet Watch at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. They’ll all be in place for meeting and greeting as of June 10.
Epcot welcomes new Walt Disney statue, theme park views
Animal Kingdom will be saluting the 30th anniversary of “The Lion King” animated film from June 10 through Sept. 6. On tap: themed (but as yet unspecified) eats, a Pumbaa popcorn bucket and a new merchandise collection.
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