Construction Impact at Disney World?
There were a ton of attraction announcements at the recent D23 Expo that will impact visits to Walt Disney World. In this post, we’ll share the expected implications these projects will have on future WDW vacations between now and 2021, which is the year when the last of the work will be completed.
That’s right: 2021. What was presented was, essentially, a 5-year plan for Walt Disney World. I point this out to underscore a couple of things: first, it’s not like Walt Disney World is going to become a sea of construction walls come mid-August as all of these projects start at exactly the same time. These projects (along with a handful of unannounced ones) are going to be spread out.
Second, when this many projects are announced over this long of a timeline, there should be a bit of restraint in your excitement. Not only will it take a while to see this all take shape, but not all of it might take shape. Longtime fans are probably familiar with Eisner’s infamous “Disney Decade” and just how much of that never came to fruition…
Even under Iger, Disney has not been shy about killing or “changing the direction of” projects. Remember Hyperion Wharf? The Pixie Hollow phase of New Fantasyland? Other projects have been announced or hinted at, and happened. (One maximum of Disney rumors should be: Phase II never happens.)
I’d like to think that things are different this time. The Disney Decade was more ambitious than even this, and Eisner got overzealous with an (at the time) much smaller Disney Company. This time, it seems like the stars are aligned: Wall Street wants to see investment in the parks, especially with other profit centers misfiring. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is poised to draw a boatload (or several million boatloads) of guests to Florida, all of whom will need ‘other stuff’ to do. Disneyland just demonstrated what celebrations can do for attendance, and Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary is around the corner. Etcetera.
Of course, I’m sure the workers building show buildings in EPCOT Center during the 1980s didn’t think those would still be sitting empty today, either. Things change. Several of the announcements made for Walt Disney World this go-round are vague and remote, and it’d be quite easy to quietly drop a few of them if earlier projects go over budget, the economy sours, or there’s a change in leadership at Disney before the projects get too far along. Other variables could also come into play, but I think those three things are more likely than not to actually occur.
The last one of those is an inevitability. Bob Iger planned on stepping down as CEO in 2018, but had his contract extended through July 2019 due to difficulties with Disney’s succession plans. Given his rumored political aspirations and a potential 2020 run for office, another extension seems unlikely. That means whatever is not already being constructed in 2019 is vulnerable as a new CEO quickly tries to make his or her mark.
I know–suddenly this sounds like the Wet Blanket Society News, rather than an exuberant blog post about what is an otherwise bright future for Walt Disney World. And, to be sure, I think the future is bright for the Florida parks. I think there are plenty of additional announcements to come, and that we are going to see more construction than what’s listed here. I’d just caution against getting too excited for any specific project that has yet to break ground. An announcement is not quite that conclusive.
Anyway, here’s my take on how construction of the in-park projects announced at the D23 Expo will impact Walt Disney World guests…
Epcot Re-Imaginging – In addition to specific attractions being added to Epcot, concept art was shown indicating a redesign that’s been dubbed the “Epcot Central Spine Redesign.” This looks like a beautiful, green space reminiscent to the Gardens of Imagination at Shanghai Disneyland.
While this project may seem low-priority since it’s not exactly sexy and wasn’t even formally announced, my suspicion is that it’s actually high-priority. It’s this kind of high-level refresh at the front of the park that acts as a signifier to guests that this is a new park. Epcot 2.0 (or perhaps 3.0 if you count the mid-90s incarnations).
In this regard, it’s very similar to what Buena Vista Street did for Disney California Adventure. Even though there was no E-Ticket addition, it made an excellent first impression, and showcased a “new” park.
It’s also similar to Buena Vista Street in terms of what it will mean for operations. With Buena Vista Street’s construction, there was actually a stretch of time where guests entering the park were routed backstage, behind Soarin. The Central Spine is not quite that close to the very front of the park, and could conceivably be built in two stages.
Still, it presents a massive impediment to guest flow. Just as constructing Buena Vista Street after Cars Land opened would’ve been disastrous from an operational perspective, so too would working on this after the Guardians of the Galaxy or Ratatouille attractions open.
Moreover, even though this is not a “sexy” project that will compel guests to book a trip, it likely does have implications for revenue. All of that green, shaded space? How perfect is that for Epcot’s nearly-perpetual festival seasons? In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s the real motivation behind this project in the first place.
How outlandish does this scenario sound: surveys showed that guests would’ve spent more time and money at Food & Wine Festival if conditions were better. Solution: consolidate most booths at the front of the park where there’s more foot traffic, increase the amount of shade, add some pleasant park-like atmosphere and, boom, 200% increase in festival revenue. (That’s purely hypothetical, but I think it passes the smell test.)
With all of that said, my expectation would be that construction on this begins in late 2018 or early 2019. With Universe of Energy closing in August and permits already filed for Ratatouille, construction on both of those is likely by early 2018.
The last time the Ratatouille dark ride was built (at the Walt Disney Studios Park in Paris), it took a little over two years. I’d expect roughly 2-3 years for each of those attractions, putting their openings sometime in 2020.
A re-imagined park entrance will take considerably less time to complete, but nothing says it can’t open earlier than those attractions. Having it ready to go for Food & Wine 2019 may be desirable, but my guess would be that sometime in 2020 is more realistic in order to have a simultaneous, full-scale relaunch of Epcot.
As for the impact on guests, it’ll be significant in terms of flow and general aesthetics. However, this impacts exactly 0 attractions, unless you count meet & greets and Club Cool (AND I DO!). If anything, all of this construction will discourage some guests from visiting Epcot (or postponing visits), so it could be a net-positive on crowds.
The good news is that almost everything else happening throughout Epcot should be far less noticeable…
Space Restaurant – Construction of the unnamed restaurant (Eating: Space? Too bad Auntie Gravity’s is taken!) being developed by Patina Group for Future World will not impact guests. The Space Restaurant will be to Mission: Space as Coral Reef is to the Living Seas pavilion.
Attached, but off around the corner with a separate entrance. It’s likely the only way guests will even know this is being built is if they happen to see it while whizzing by on the last straight-away on Test Track.
The “when” of this project is unknown; construction has yet to begin. I would speculate that this is being built for future–not current–demand at Epcot, somewhat akin to Tiffins at Animal Kingdom. Arguably, Tiffins opened a year too early. Will the same occur with the Space Restaurant, or will it be timed to open along with Guardians of the Universe of Energy?
Reflections of China – While I’m sure someone, somewhere will cry ‘vacation ruined!’ because they miss Reflections of China during its brief refurbishment to upgrade technology and refresh the CircleVision theater, most guests probably won’t notice. This should be akin to the changes made to Soarin’ prior to it receiving the new film. Aside from a small sign out front of the building while the tech upgrades are made, guests shouldn’t even notice this.
The timeline for this is also curious. Use of tenses during the D23 Expo presentation suggests the technology is still in development, and filming has yet to begin. If that’s the case, the new film is still at least 18 months away–probably more like 2-3 years away. (Is it safe to say that all of this Epcot stuff will just debut in 2020?!)
Ratatouille: Kitchen Calamity – The new Ratatouille dark ride being added to France should have minimal impact on World Showcase. The diagram we made for our Ratatouille Dark Ride Coming to Epcot post back when permits leaked shows exactly where this will go, and most of the work will occur backstage, behind the existing France pavilion. During a later phase of construction, we’d expect a wall to go up on the promenade between France and Morocco and landscaping is done there. The bulk of construction should not be noticeable to guests.
Likewise, once the Brazil pavilion is announced, its construction should have a minimal impact (save for the large wall between Germany and Italy).
Guardians of the Universe of Energy – Not the attraction’s actual name…but it should be. This is yet another low-impact project. With the existing building facade being preserved, This should be a matter of construction walls blocking the paths leading to the pavilion. Well, there’s one other minor major detail…
The big question is whether the Joffrey’s Coffee on one of those paths will become victim to the construction, or if it’ll be relocated. Construction will likely be more noticeable from Avenue of the Stars than from within the park. On Page 2, we’ll cover what to expect from construction projects in Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom…including the Joffrey’s Carts in those parks! 😉
I like the Peru/ Emperor’s New Groove idea! That is a highly under-rated movie. I also like the idea of bringing Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride to the UK pavilion. I’m glad that Epcot is finally getting some love and has major developments already underway. We have lived through “New Fantasyland construction, the Magic Kingdom hub construction, taking down the Sorcerer’s Hat, and are now enduring the loss of HS backlot and construction of two new areas in the park. Although change can often be painful and inconvenient. We will get though this as well and have some new bright shiny spaces to explore! Looking forward to 2021!
I think “One maximum of Disney rumors…” should read, “One maxim of Disney rumors…”Bob
‘Wouldn’t it be great to see the Universe of Energy dinosaurs relocated to a Primeval World scene in Magic Kingdom?!’
YES TOM!
I really hope this happens!
I’m a little more concerned about all the infrastructure construction….new roadways, exchanges, the DVC at Caribbean Beach, etc.
We all know it rains a LOT in Florida. But, I’ve never seen flooding issues like we just saw.
We were just there 2 weeks ago, and the drainage at both Epcot and the Studios parking lot was horrible. The West side of FutureWorld had over a 1.5 feet of water standing after a large rain! And, their drainage systems were slow to resolve it. My son in a power wheelchair was stranded in a thunderstorm. People were taking their socks and shoes off to wade through the 1-2 feet of water…literally. And, it was at the main wayfare to the central part of FW, and the one over through the butterfly-garden/Imagination area. Both were flooded.
The next day, another big rain came…and this time, the parking lot at the Studios flooded. There was water standing up to the level of doors in the back part of the lot, and they were diverting traffic through bus routes, rather than the main roadway.
I’ve been going to WDW for 40 years, and I’ve never seen their infrastructure struggle handling rain and flooding like this
I know SW: GE is slated to open at DL first, but what makes you certain it won’t open at DW in 2019? Targeting a Thanksgiving visit that year…
Thank you for posting this! My husband and I will be celebrating our 10 year wedding anniversary in May 2018. He has never been to Disney World and still isn’t really sold on the idea. I have been planning this trip for well over a year and I am now very nervous about our trip being marred by a plethora of construction and giant plywood walls. Do you think May should still be an okay time to go?
I think it’s all in what you make of it. The Magic Kingdom will be fine and the World Showcase will still be rocking and rolling. Animal Kingdom is a great time. Plenty of things that won’t hurt your vacation.
What’re they gonna do with all those complex audio-animatronics from the Great Movie Ride, throw’ em in the Hollywood Studios’ dumpster? They should be preserved or repurposed somehow, maybe in a walk-through attraction.
They could use them in a Guardians queue for The Collector!!
Epcot’s new central spine sounds like the worst thing possible. A lot of trees does nothing to shield the public from the extreme humidity and rain. I don’t see how the food festivals will have improved facilities. They need an semi-enclosed multipurpose warehouse style urban food facilities.
DHS is not even worth going until well after 2020. I wonder if the rumors of Monsters Inc Land coming is true.
Warehouses do tend to be magical.
“Vacation ruined!” Lol. Nice insights as always- really looking forward to heading there next week!
I stand by desire to see the space restaurant called Mission: Plate.. I think thats perfect.. as for the rest, I am excited to see what it all ends up looking like.
I hope with Tron, once that opens up, they take out the speedway and use that land for something else, that could be awesome.
Could also go with Mission: Spoon…
Much better!!
I’ve been worried about the pace of all the new construction, owing to a short-term issue.
While I’ve been a regular WDW visitor since the 80s, and expect to keep going for long times to come (so a big refresh of the whole place in time for the 50th anniversary is great news long term), I’m taking some friends along on a trip in January 2018 for what may be their once-in-a-lifetime visit. I’d be terribly disappointed on their behalf if all they got to see were construction walls.
I’ll miss the Great Movie Ride but knew the change was coming–but I was upset when it suddenly closed before my friends will be there. As you said in the post, I was expecting them to wait construction on that until Toy Story land opened. I was also sorry to hear the writers room coffee shop was closing, but that’s just us: it’s my writers group making this trip.
What really scared me, though, was the thought that with all the haste, Epcot Center might be buried beneath construction by the time we’ll be there. Even with Innoventions empty, it’s still better to see than a lot of plywood walls, and I expect Epcot’s “face” will be pretty disastrous while the construction goes on. So I’m heartened by your estimate that won’t start until later in 2018 or 2019– but I’ll be in suspense over the next few months waiting to find out.
All of this is about me wanting to show my friends WDW at its best during what might be their only visit; for myself, expecting to keep coming back for many years to come, I’m excited to see a long-overdue updating of the old and a lot of exciting new. I just want them to wait a teeny bit longer…
The crazy optimist in me hopes the unannounced Brazil pavilion morphs into a Peru pavilion themed to “The Emperor’s New Groove”.
Agreed!! What would I give for an attraction that takes off when we all shout “Pull the lever Kronk!”
That would be amazing!
Wrong leeeeeever!