May 26, 2017Over the past few days, I got a sneak peek at what’s new this summer at Walt Disney World. From the landscape of Pandora – The World of AVATAR to the newest nighttime show at the Magic Kingdom. There was plenty to take in and I’m happy to share it all with you. Here’s a list of what makes up the Blockbuster Summer at Walt Disney World.
Happily Ever After at Magic Kingdom
Happily ever after is a brand new fireworks show designed to replace the long-running fireworks show; Wishes. The show combines all new projections on the castle along with a new set of fireworks and friends. Disney has provided a list of all the characters you can spot on the castle during Happily Ever After which you can check out here.
The show lasts 18 minutes in total and includes lasers, projections, fireworks, and explosions. It’s really something worth checking out and certainly gives Wishes a run for its money.
Pandora – The World of Avatar
Pandora is a new land within Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The land is made to look like the alien world featured in the 2009 film Avatar. There are tons to explore and discover when it comes to the land itself, I’m going to feature my two favorite things inside the land and those are of course the rides.
Avatar: Flight of Passage
This ride is so well done that it hurts me to say it may be the best ride in Walt Disney World. There are very few rides that Disney has put out that engage a range of emotions consistently. I had the pleasure of riding three times and each time I felt something.
The way everything works together is marvelous and it really does exist to drive the story. The queue is amazing, the experience is amazing, and the ride itself is very repeatable. There’s always something new to look at and just like Soarin, it’s always fun.
The ride is a little more intense than most screen based rides at Disney, but it’s nothing most can’t handle. They do a great job on keeping riders engaged so they don’t feel like they’re just bouncing up and down on a motorcycle.
Na’vi River Journey
This ride is stunning in a different way and it is important to the entire land. It’s important because it introduces us to the creatures of Pandora that you see at night. The nice thing about the ride is that anyone can do it. It’s relaxing and takes you past the river banks where you eventually run into the Shaman of Songs.
It being set at night also gives you a preview of what exploring Pandora at night looks like. Once you ride this you want to see what the rest of Pandora looks like when you stay at night. That’s exactly what Disney’s Animal Kingdom has needed.
The Music of Pixar Live at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
This 45-minute presentation of Pixar music takes place inside Theater of the Stars near Sunset Blvd. It includes music from Up, The Incredibles, Toy Story, Monsters Inc, and a few other Disney-Pixar classics. You may run into a few Pixar characters along the way.
The show will run three times nightly in the Theater of the Stars following daily performances of “Beauty and the Beast.”
That’s what’s new this summer at Walt Disney World. As always, we’re happy to share it with you.
