We were just down at Disney World for a few days and were able to check out some of the latest updates and offerings at Hollywood Studios and Epcot. Here are some thoughts on a few.
Movie Magic
We got to experience this projection show at Hollywood Studios for the first time on our trip this past weekend and it was a little disappointing. With the inclusion of Guardians of the Galaxy in particular, I expected a more lively experience, but it seems to lacks energy and excitement. The Tron segment is the highlight of the show which is complete with lasers and sharp, distinct lines that work perfectly for project mapping. The show has a little something for everyone, Pirates of the Caribbean, Mary Poppins, Marvel, and more, so it’s worth checking out, especially if you use it as an opportunity to stake out a spot for the Star Wars Galactic Spectacular, which follows this show on many nights.
Mission: SPACE
The 14-year-old attraction recently reopened with a new story and an even tamer green side experience, complete with a lower height requirement, and sharper graphics for the more intense, orange side. The update also includes an entirely new pre-show starring Gina Torres, which is great. The update fixes one of the attraction’s weaknesses, which was outdated, low-def graphics. The intense side is still intense but looks much better, and being able to include more younger riders in science-based attractions is always a good thing, so the new Earth mission is a success as well. Thumbs up!
Walt Disney Presents
Essentially this is the same as One Man’s Dream has been for a while now, a small museum dedicated to the history of the Walt Disney Company, a home for rotating meet and greets, currently still Star-Lord and baby Groot, and a theater which is actually showing One Man’s Dream until the Coco preview moves in later this year. But the one new thing we had to check out was the Toy Story Land model. It will certainly be a fun land and a nice addition next year before the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens in 2019. Most interesting is the alien spinner ride vehicle which looks more like the vehicles from Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree than a traditional spinner which will be new for the east coast.
There is a also a small section of the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge model on display. Unlike the D23 model, this was only a small portion of the land, mainly the cantina area, but it’s at 1/2-inch scale as opposed to 1/4-inch, so there are more details that are interesting to see. This is sure to keep folks coming back as different sections of the new model are unveiled.
While these small additions are mostly good, we’re still waiting on a slew of big new attractions coming to WDW in the coming years. There wasn’t a lot of movement around parts of Epcot and Magic Kingdom slated for big changes, but that will most likely change in the coming months. We’ll have to get back soon to see what new progress has been made.
