There are a couple of new additions coming to Walt Disney World this summer. Both of these additions have been long awaited and their release dates were just released. Guests who already have a trip booked for this summer have lucked out and will be amongst the first to enjoy these additions. However, these are so big that they may even inspire people to book trips for this summer to experience them.
1) Dreams That Soar
"Dreams that Soar" is a new nighttime spectacular that is opening in Disney Springs this summer. Disney Springs is essentially a huge, outdoor shopping mall with lots of stores and restaurants. It was originally called Downtown Disney before its big expansion and renaming to Disney Springs in 2015. Entry into Disney Springs is free, as is parking in its multiple parking garages. That means that Disney fans can experience Dreams that Soar for free, as opposed to the high prices you pay to enter a park and enjoy the nightly shows there.
Disney Springs has never had a permanent nighttime show, and Dreams that Soar continues with that trend by only lasting for a limited amount of time. The new show will run nightly from May 24th, 2024 through September 2nd, 2024. There will also be two shows offered each night to give guests some flexibility, at 9pm and 10:45pm.
The new and innovative aspect of Dreams that Soar is that drones will make the majority of the show. This was a popular technique used in Disneyland Paris, that Disney has decided to incorporate into its other parks. The drones will fly over the lake on the outskirts of Disney Springs and perform choreography to well-known Disney music. The show will feature drone-formed characters from all eras of Disney, which means that guests of all ages are sure to enjoy this show. The show will be 10 minutes long and Disney is advising that the best viewing areas will be on the waterfront between the Cirque do Soleil theater and the giant hot air balloon. You will presumably want to be as close to these areas as possible, since that is likely the angle that the drone formations can fully be appreciated and understood.
I personally think it is great that nighttime entertainment is being brought to Disney Springs. Unlike with the parks, not much changes in Disney Springs and it consistently remains the same experience every time you visit. A lot of effort goes into creating the nighttime shows, so it is a big deal that Disney fans will be able to see Dreams that Soar for free all summer long. I hope this becomes a more frequent addition to Disney Springs to mix things up.
2) Tiana's Bayou Adventure
This is the biggest new opening of 2024, and it has been long awaited by Disney fans. Disney has announced that the official opening day for Tiana's Bayou Adventure will be June 28th, 2024. For those that aren't aware, this is the ride that is replacing Splash Mountain in Magic Kingdom and is based on the Disney film The Princess and the Frog. The ride will feature all new songs, some recognizable characters from the film, and some new critters that have been imagined just for the ride. Tiana's Bayou Adventure takes place in New Orleans, so you are sure to experience that vibe from the surrounding decor and music.
As for the ride format, expect the same general experience that you had on Splash Mountain. For newcomers, you should expect a log flume shaped boat that you wind around both indoors and outdoors, there will be several small drops, and the ride will end with a giant drop that you will likely get wet on.
It has already been announced that for the initial few days that Tiana's Bayou Adventure is open, the ride will be operating on a virtual queue. That means you will have a change at 7am and at 1pm to book a virtual queue to ride this ride. You are only allowed to book 1 virtual queue per ride per day, and there will be no standby line while the virtual queue is in place. This is going to be complicated unless Disney also announces Tron will be taken off a virtual queue. If not, Magic Kingdom guests will have a tough decision on if they should book Tron or Tiana's Bayou when 7am and 1pm rolls around. There would likely not be enough time to book both at the same virtual queue booking time, as you usually have to select the virtual queue immediately before it sells out. At best, you could go for Tiana's Bayou at 7am and the Tron at 1pm.
However, the surprising news is that after being taken off virtual queue, Tiana's Bayou will be one of the rides included with Genie Plus and therefore you can book a lightening lane to skip what is sure to be a very long standby line. I was certain that it would replace Seven Dwarfs as the individual lightening lane ride for Magic Kingdom, but apparently Disney has chosen not to go that route.
Another exciting announcement that comes with the opening of Tiana's Bayou Adventure, is that beignets will now be served at Golden Oak Outpost and the Friar's Nook. After having tasted the delicious Disney World beignets at Port Orleans resort, I now understand just how exciting this news is. Yum!
I will be visiting Magic Kingdom 1 week after Tiana's Bayou Adventure opens. That will also be Fourth of July weekend, one of the busiest weekends of the year in Disney World. I am sure that the virtual queue will be operating through this weekend to try and control normal Fourth of July crowds accompanied by extra crowds brought on by the new attraction. It will certainly be interesting to see how Disney manages opening such a long-awaited ride. Although I am still not happy about the change from Splash Mountain, I am sure I will eventually ride Tiana's Bayou Adventure and I can only hope that the loss of the amazing ride Splash Mountain is not a waste and Imagineers have made this worth it.
As you can see, there are some exciting things coming to Disney World in the next couple of months. It is sure to be an exciting and fun summer in Disney and these additions will likely draw larger crowds than the normal summer rush. We are thankful to Imagineers for continuing to add to the parks and to keep them growing and evolving through time.
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