New Attractions, Entertainment start Memorial Day Weekend; Toy Story Land to Open Later in Summer
Starting Memorial Day Weekend, May 25-27, Walt Disney World Resort will launch an incredible summer for 2018 with guests being immersed in their favorite Disney films, entering the worlds of their beloved characters and experiencing exciting new …
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla., Feb. 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Starting Memorial Day Weekend, May 25-27, Walt Disney World Resort will launch an incredible summer for 2018 with guests being immersed in their favorite Disney films, entering the worlds of their beloved characters and experiencing exciting new attractions and entertainment.
Here are some of the highlights:
All four Walt Disney World theme parks – plus Disney Springs – will delight guests with new attractions and experiences for Summer 2018, with most of the festivities starting Memorial Day Weekend.
At Magic Kingdom, favorite Disney•Pixar super heroes will take over Tomorrowland – celebrating all things super. Guests will party with Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl, and Frozone from Disney•Pixar’s “The Incredibles” and upcoming “Incredibles 2.” And, for the first time ever, guests will get to see Edna Mode, the greatest superhero costume designer. The super heroes will interact with guests throughout the land. And the festivities culminate with a “SUPER” dance party on the Rocket Tower Stage. “Incredibles 2” opens in theaters nationwide June 15, 2018.
Super Heroes take over the America Gardens Theatre at Epcot. Star-Lord and Gamora from the Guardians of the Galaxy will join an alien band, taking guests on a journey through the cosmos. The party will feature hits from Awesome Mix Tapes 1 and 2 – fun and favorite tunes from the two movies’ soundtracks – building the anticipation for a new Epcot Guardians of the Galaxy attraction.
This summer, Disney’s Animal Kingdom is celebrating its 20th anniversary with two super new experiences: A “dino-tastic” celebration where Donald Duck takes over Dinoland U.S.A. with prehistoric elements in a new and exciting character celebration; and Explorers Meet UP! A Great Bird Adventure,where Senior Wilderness Explorer Russell and his furry friend Dug, from the Disney•Pixar hit film “Up,” discover species of birds from around the world. In addition to all the new fun offerings, guests continue thrills on Pandora – The World of Avatar including Avatar – Flight of Passage, which has quickly become the top-rated attraction at Walt Disney World.
Summer 2018 also marks the first summer for new offerings at Disney Springs including “Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire,” a Hyper-Reality Experience from Lucasfilm, ILMxLAB and The VOID; and a host of new restaurants and bars have popped up to tempt any appetite. These include The Edison, a lavish “Industrial Gothic” restaurant and bar; Maria & Enzo’s, an open and airy Italian trattoria featuring family-friendly dishes inspired by Sicily; Terralina Crafted Italian, a new concept from James Beardaward winner and “Top Chef Master” Chef Tony Mantuano; and Wine Bar George, the only Master Sommelier-led wine bar in Florida, brought to Disney Springs by former California Grill manager and Master Sommelier George Miliotes (opening this spring).
Toy Story Land Opens
As summer gets into full swing, the capstone of Incredible Summer at Walt Disney World opens at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The ongoing reimagining of the park takes guests to infinity and beyond, allowing them to step into the worlds of their favorite films, starting with Toy Story Land.
This new 11-acre land will transport guests into the adventurous outdoors of Andy’s backyard. Guests will experience two new attractions, including Slinky Dog Dash, a family-friendly coaster which will send riders dipping, dodging and dashing around turns and drops that Andy has created to stretch Slinky and his coils to the max. “Toy Story” pals also come to life in another fresh-from-the-box themed attraction — Alien Swirling Saucers. This Pizza Planet toy play set is loaded with aliens circling about in their flying saucers pulling along rocket ships full of guests. The new land also will encompass – Toy Story Mania! – which has been expanded to add a third track to the existing popular attraction. Woody’s Lunch Box will be a new quick-service kiosk serving tasty meals and old-fashioned soda floats inside Toy Story Land.
Pandora – The World of Avatar
Pandora – The World of Avatar is a themed area inspired by James Cameron’s Avatar, located within Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. Set a generation after the events of the Avatar films, the area is based upon the fictional exoplanetary moon, Pandora, and features Pandora’s floating mountains, alien wildlife, and bioluminescent plants. Spanning 12 acres (4.9 ha), Pandora – The World of Avatar includes two major attractions, Avatar Flight of Passage and Na’vi River Journey, as well as retail and dining outlets.
Disney began development on Pandora – The World of Avatar in 2011, jointly with Cameron and his production company, Lightstorm Entertainment, with the intention of transforming Animal Kingdom into a full-day operation, complete with added attraction capacity and nighttime experiences. Construction on the area began on January 10, 2014, and the land opened to the public on May 27, 2017.
Avatar Flight of Passage
Avatar Flight of Passage is a 3D augmented reality flying simulator attraction within Pandora – The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom which opened on May 27, 2017. The attraction allows guests to take flight on a mountain Banshee and soar across the landscape of Pandora.
In the attraction’s storyline, the humans and Na’vi are attempting to restore the banshee population to natural levels. The Alpha Centauri Expeditions (ACE) has reactivated the avatar program as a method of conducting research, and allows guests to sync with an avatar to fly on a banshee to partake in the Na’vi’s tribal coming-of-age tradition.
Set within the remains of a Resources Development Administration facility, the attraction invites guests into the Alpha Centauri Expeditions lab where guests are linked to an “avatar” and fly aboard a banshee across the Valley of Mo’ara. Weta Digital provided the main ride film footage.
Explorers Meet UP! A Great Bird Adventure
Explorers Meet UP! A Great Bird Adventure replaces Flights of Wonder at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. This new show features Senior Wilderness Explorer Russell and his furry friend Dug as they explore the exotic wildlife at this Wilderness Explorer’s Themed Meetup.
Secrets of the Empire
Be transported with family & friends to a galaxy far, far away on a multi-sensory, untethered hyper-reality adventure. The Downtown Disney District introduces Star Wars™: Secrets of the Empire, a transformative story by ILMxLAB and The VOID that merges our world with virtual reality.
Surrounded by cutting-edge 3-D imagery and sound, Guests can move around freely while virtually interacting with popular Star Wars characters—as well as each other, under disguise in teams of 4—in a multi-sensory environment that combines groundbreaking technology, virtual reality and the magic of illusion.
Please note: all Guests must be 48” (122 cm) or taller and age 10 or older to visit The VOID. Before entering, Guests will be required to sign a liability waiver. Anyone under age 18 must have a parent or guardian’s signature.
Disney has exciting news for Star Wars fans! Tickets are now available for a new hyper-reality experience, Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire by ILMxLAB and The VOID, an offering that will debut at Disney Springs at the Walt Disney World Resort December 16, and at Downtown Disney at the Disneyland Resort, January 5, 2018.
About Walt Disney World Resort:
Walt Disney World Resort is a contiguous, nearly 40-square-mile, world-class entertainment and recreation destination featuring four theme parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom); two water adventure parks (Disney’s Blizzard Beach and Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon); 36 resort hotels (26 owned and operated by Walt Disney World, includes eight Disney Vacation Club resort properties); 63 holes of golf on four courses; two full-service spas; Disney’s Wedding Pavilion; ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex; and Disney Springs, an entertainment-shopping-dining district. Walt Disney World Resort is also included in vacation packages of Disney Cruise Line. Located at Lake Buena Vista, Fla., 20 miles southwest of Orlando, Walt Disney World Resort opened Oct. 1, 1971. Open daily, year-round. For information on attractions and vacations at Walt Disney World Resort, visit disneyworld.com, call (407) W-DISNEY or contact local travel agents.
