As Hong Kong Disneyland kicks off its 15th Anniversary celebrations, today it unveiled the spectacular transformation of Sleeping Beauty Castle into the dazzling Castle of Magical Dreams. Inspired by 13 stories of beloved Disney Princesses and Queens, the Castle of Magical Dreams offers something special for every guest with its many towers and spires – embracing iconic patterns, textures, colors unique to each heroine’s story. This is the first time at any Disney theme park that a castle has shifted from being representative of only one princess to featuring multiple heroines – highlighting the diversity of our unique characters and their stories.
With heroines hailing from all over the world, this castle serves as a mosaic of different cultures with architectural inspirations from Europe, China, and even Southeast Asia. While guests will not see a complete depiction of the princess or queen’s image, interpretations of each can be found in various architectural elements.
Looking closely at the lofty towers, you might spot Snow White’s apple, Abu, Mushu, and Merida’s bow and arrow. Additionally, murals depicting each princess and queen pursuing their passions can be found around the area, each reflecting deep research on the time periods that the heroines hail from. For example, Cinderella can be seen taking a hot air balloon ride over her kingdom, Aurora is dabbling in falconry, and Ariel is braving the seas on a sailboat to visit her underwater family.
As part of the castle’s magical transformation, the resort invited guests, cast members, community partners and Disney friends, including Mickey Mouse, to share their own dreams and wishes on “magical dream cards.” These cards were collected in a treasure chest, and lifted to the top of the tallest tower in the castle – ensuring that the heart of the resort will always be filled with hopes and dreams.
As a tribute to the original Sleeping Beauty Castle, Flora, Fauna, and Merriweather can now be seen spreading fairy dust across the castle’s breezeway, casting light into the chandeliers, and leading the way to a new rotunda featuring 9,000 points of dancing light.
The Castle of Magical Dreams stands today as the centerpiece of Hong Kong Disneyland – a shining beacon of courage, hope and possibility to all guests.
As the phased reopening of Walt Disney World Resort continues, we are nearing another exciting milestone we know many guests have been looking forward to: the return of the Park Hopper option! Starting Jan. 1, 2021, guests who purchased a ticket or annual pass with Park Hopper benefits will be able to visit more than one park per day, with some new modifications as part of our ongoing focus on health and safety.
With the updated Park Hopper experience, guests must make a Disney Park Pass reservation for the first park they plan to visit AND enter that first park prior to visiting another. At this time, a park reservation is not required after the first park, however, reservation requirements are subject to change.
Additionally, we will set specific Park Hopper hours during which this option will be available. Park Hopper hours will start at 2 p.m. each day and end at the park’s scheduled close time. Guests will soon be able to check DisneyWorld.com/ParkHours and the My Disney Experience app for the most up-to-date Park Hopper hours, as they could start earlier at a later date, depending on the day and park.
These modifications are designed to help us continue managing attendance in a way that fosters physical distancing. Additionally, other enhanced health and safety measures remain in effect, including face coverings required for all guests ages two and up.
As a reminder, guests with a ticket or pass that includes Park Hopper benefits get the chance to see and do more during their visit, which could mean a morning on the savanna at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park and an evening stroll by Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom Park or starting the day living your Star Wars adventure at Disney’s Hollywood Studios before an afternoon traveling around the world at EPCOT. Please note that the ability to visit another park will be subject to the park’s capacity limitations.
If you have any questions, you may visit our Know Before You Go page on DisneyWorld.com, call the Disney Reservation Center, contact your travel professional or reach out to planDisney to get helpful tips and information on your upcoming Disney vacation.
We look forward to starting the new year with the return of this guest favorite option!
EPCOT holds a very special place in my heart. As a boy, it inspired me to dream of a better future – a place where anything is possible. And now I’m honored to lead the team of Disney Imagineers dreaming up the new future for this park we all love.
As part of the D23 Fantastic Worlds Celebration, today I joined Melissa Valiquette, vice president of EPCOT, to talk about the park’s historic transformation happening right now. You can watch the entire session by clicking on the video below, but to whet your appetite, I thought it’d be fun to share a few highlights from our discussion.
It’s been a while since we last talked with you about the new neighborhoods that will unify EPCOT, so we gave a refresher on World Celebration, World Discovery, World Nature and World Showcase.
To that end, we talked a bit about the park’s reimagined entrance, and how it sets the tone for the entire transformation with its gorgeous new color palette and an open, inviting layout. Earlier this year we installed gleaming new pylons as part of the work we’re doing on the new fountain at the base of Spaceship Earth, which I’m excited to share will be completed by the end of this year. The fountain will have a new lighting package that will be joined by new lighting for the iconic geosphere of Spaceship Earth, as well. When we’re done, it will feel like a completely new way to begin your journey into the park.
Our work continues on Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, the awesome and out-of-this-world new coaster experience coming to what will soon be known as World Discovery. We’ve just recently put a few of the attraction’s vehicles on the track for initial “push/pull” testing, which you can see happening in the photo above. When it’s ready, this is going to be a great adventure for families to take together.
We have a new nighttime spectacular planned for World Showcase Lagoon – “Harmonious” will be one of the largest shows ever created for a Disney park. But as you can see in this new artist concept rendering, it will provide a new energy to the park during the daytime, too, with fountains out on the lagoon.
We also heard from Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald and, from Pixar Animation, Roger Gould and Harley Jessup, who gave us a deep dive into the creation of Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, the fantastic new family-friendly attraction set to open next year as part of a newly expanded France pavilion. They provided a look at the attraction’s incredible marquee we recently installed, and discussed how it plays into the whimsical architecture of this newly expanded area of the pavilion. This session is a fascinating window into our collaborative work with Pixar I know you’ll enjoy.
This is just a snapshot from our in-depth discussion of all the goings-on at EPCOT right now. Go see the full presentation for yourself below, and then be sure to follow me @thezachriddley for more on the historic transformation of EPCOT as it unfolds!
All four Walt Disney World parks’ average wait times today were in the lower half of their monthly averages. And when you consider that actual wait times (we got 177 of them today!) were under 70% of the posted waits, it was even better to be in the parks today. We counted 493 of 500 people (99%) wearing masks according to Disney’s guidelines. Let’s do the numbers!
Hollywood Studios Wait Times
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway had an average wait time today of 49 minutes. Its 7-day average is 68 minutes – some of those days were before the installation of plexiglass dividers on the ride vehicles – so today ranks #5 for this week. Its 30-day average is 76 minutes, so today ranks #28 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 71 minutes, so today ranks #122 for the past year. We received 6 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 74% of the posted wait time.
An interesting side effect of the lower wait at Runaway Railway is that actual wait times at Slinky Dog Dash are closer to the posted wait time now. Slinky Dog had an average wait time today of 72 minutes. Its 7-day average is 66 minutes, so today ranks #1 for this week. Its 30-day average is 65 minutes, so today ranks #3 for the past month. We received 4 actual wait times today at Slinky, and the actual wait averaged 101% of the posted wait time. Yesterday was 85%. For comparison, the same days last week were 65% and 72%.
Hollywood Studios wait times for Thursday, November 19, 2020
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Adele (really Aerosmith) had an average wait time today of 48 minutes. Its 7-day average is 49 minutes, so today ranks #4 for this week. Its 30-day average is 50 minutes, so today ranks #21 for the past month.
Star Tours: The Adventures Continue had an average wait time today of 25 minutes. Its 7-day average is 25 minutes, so today ranks #4 for this week. Its 30-day average is 27 minutes, so today ranks #18 for the past month.
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror had an average wait time today of 43 minutes. Its 7-day average is 45 minutes, so today ranks #4 for this week. Its 30-day average is 48 minutes, so today ranks #22 for the past month. We received 5 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 74% of the posted wait time.
Toy Story Mania! had an average wait time today of 28 minutes. Its 7-day average is 28 minutes, so today ranks #3 for this week. Its 30-day average is 28 minutes, so today ranks #16 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 43 minutes, so today ranks #154 for the past year. We received 7 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 50% of the posted wait time.
Rise of the Resistance had another solid day of operation. There was only one small delay in calling boarding groups at Rise, and that was for about half an hour around 3 p.m. But overall, great job by the park ops team again.
Rise of the Resistance boarding groups for Thursday, November 19, 2020
Animal Kingdom Wait Times
DINOSAUR had an average wait time today of 35 minutes. Its 7-day average is 32 minutes, so today ranks #3 for this week. Its 30-day average is 28 minutes, so today ranks #9 for the past month.
Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain had an average wait time today of 22 minutes. Its 7-day average is 32 minutes, so today ranks #4 for this week. Its 30-day average is 31 minutes, so today ranks #22 for the past month. We received 4 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 42% of the posted wait time.
Kali River Rapids had an average wait time today of 12 minutes. Its 7-day average is 22 minutes, so today ranks #5 for this week. Its 30-day average is 19 minutes, so today ranks #26 for the past month.
Kilimanjaro Safaris had an average wait time today of 16 minutes. Its 7-day average is 25 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 22 minutes, so today ranks #22 for the past month. We received 4 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 46% of the posted wait time.
Na’vi River Journey had an average wait time today of 48 minutes. Its 7-day average is 53 minutes, so today ranks #4 for this week. Its 30-day average is 47 minutes, so today ranks #10 for the past month.
Avatar Flight of Passage had an average wait time today of 45 minutes. Its 7-day average is 61 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 54 minutes, so today ranks #21 for the past month. We received 6 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 77% of the posted wait time.
Animal Kingdom wait times for Thursday, November 19, 2020
EPCOT Wait Times
Frozen Ever After had an average wait time today of 60 minutes – however we received 4 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 52% of the posted wait time.. Its 7-day average is 65 minutes, so today ranks #5 for this week. Its 30-day average is 64 minutes, so today ranks #17 for the past month.
Living with the Land had an average wait time today of 10 minutes. Its 7-day average is 11 minutes, so today ranks #4 for this week. Its 30-day average is 12 minutes, so today ranks #25 for the past month.
Soarin’ had an average wait time today of 54 minutes. Its 7-day average is 34 minutes, so today ranks #1 for this week. Its 30-day average is 33 minutes, so today ranks #2 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 38 minutes, so today ranks #44 for the past year. We received 4 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 89% of the posted wait time.
Spaceship Earth had an average wait time today of 10 minutes. Its 7-day average is 20 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 18 minutes, so today ranks #27 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 21 minutes, so today ranks #183 for the past year. We received 6 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 63% of the posted wait time.
Test Track had an average wait time today of 42 minutes. Its 7-day average is 54 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 56 minutes, so today ranks #27 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 58 minutes, so today ranks #139 for the past year. We received 8 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 41% of the posted wait time.
Mission: SPACE Orange had an average wait time today of 11 minutes. Its 7-day average is 25 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 23 minutes, so today ranks #29 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 28 minutes, so today ranks #243 for the past year.
EPCOT wait times for Thursday, November 19, 2020
Magic Kingdom Wait Times
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh had an average wait time today of 19 minutes. Its 7-day average is 25 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 23 minutes, so today ranks #23 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 30 minutes, so today ranks #189 for the past year. We received 4 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 49% of the posted wait time.
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train had an average wait time today of 53 minutes. Its 7-day average is 63 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 56 minutes, so today ranks #19 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 80 minutes, so today ranks #161 for the past year. We received 8 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 76% of the posted wait time.
Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid had an average wait time today of 9 minutes. Its 7-day average is 22 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 21 minutes, so today ranks #27 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 23 minutes, so today ranks #204 for the past year. We received 5 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 55% of the posted wait time.
Magic Kingdom wait times for Thursday, November 19, 2020
Peter Pan’s Flight had an average wait time today of 27 minutes. Its 7-day average is 33 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 31 minutes, so today ranks #21 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 52 minutes, so today ranks #180 for the past year. We received 8 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 90% of the posted wait time.
Pirates of the Caribbean had an average wait time today of 33 minutes. Its 7-day average is 44 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 41 minutes, so today ranks #24 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 42 minutes, so today ranks #179 for the past year. We received 6 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 79% of the posted wait time.
Space Mountain had an average wait time today of 26 minutes. Its 7-day average is 34 minutes, so today ranks #4 for this week. Its 30-day average is 33 minutes, so today ranks #19 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 59 minutes, so today ranks #174 for the past year. We received 5 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 53% of the posted wait time.
Splash Mountain had an average wait time today of 53 minutes. Its 7-day average is 53 minutes, so today ranks #4 for this week. Its 30-day average is 51 minutes, so today ranks #12 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 53 minutes, so today ranks #88 for the past year. We received 11 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 57% of the posted wait time.
The Haunted Mansion had an average wait time today of 17 minutes. Its 7-day average is 24 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 33 minutes, so today ranks #28 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 44 minutes, so today ranks #210 for the past year. We received 7 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 63% of the posted wait time.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad had an average wait time today of 40 minutes. Its 7-day average is 46 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 44 minutes, so today ranks #18 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 52 minutes, so today ranks #156 for the past year. We received 9 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 43% of the posted wait time.
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin had an average wait time today of 22 minutes. Its 7-day average is 32 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 28 minutes, so today ranks #22 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 35 minutes, so today ranks #175 for the past year. We received 8 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 54% of the posted wait time.
Jungle Cruise had an average wait time today of 37 minutes. Its 7-day average is 44 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 41 minutes, so today ranks #21 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 52 minutes, so today ranks #172 for the past year. We received 7 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 103% of the posted wait time.
And finally, a word from our sponsor:
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Have you ever wanted to explore the planet of Batuu beyond what you’ve seen at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge? Well now, you can! ILMxLAB, Lucasfilm’s award-winning immersive entertainment studio, has just released their latest virtual reality adventure, Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge. The new experience, created in collaboration with Oculus Studios, is available now on the Oculus Quest platform.
Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge takes place on the outskirts of Black Spire Outpost on the planet of Batuu, as depicted in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the immersive epic lands at Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. Players take on the role of a droid repair technician operating near Batuu, but when a group of Guavian Death Gang pirates attack they’ll be forced to jettison the ship’s mysterious cargo and head for the escape pods. After crashing on the planet, players will discover never-before-revealed areas of Batuu, and discover that anyone in the galaxy can become a hero.
During their adventure, players will meet unforgettable new characters like Seezelslak (Bobby Moynihan), a boisterous Azumel bartender and nefarious Guavian Death Gang cell leader Tara Rashin (Debra Wilson). They will also adventure alongside classic characters like R2-D2, C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) and the owner of Black Spire Outpost’s Droid Depot, Mubo (Matthew Wood).
“Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge is a dream project for all of us at ILMxLAB,” said director Jose Perez III. “Building off the groundbreaking work for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, our team worked tirelessly to expand the story of Black Spire Outpost. We are excited for fans to have the opportunity to battle evil space pirates, explore Batuu, engage with iconic characters, or just hang out in Seezelslak’s cantina and play a relaxing game of Repulsor Darts.”
Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge also features Temple of Darkness, an anthological VR story set hundreds of years before the events of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. Thanks to Seezelslak’s storytelling skills, players will step into the role of Jedi Padawan Ady Sun’Zee (Ellie Araiza) and work alongside Jedi Master Yoda (Frank Oz) to confront the darkness that now lurks within a Jedi Temple — and within herself.
