Howdy! Today was a very confusing weather day; one second it was sunny, and the next, it was a downpour. Luckily, the Magic Kingdom doesn’t let the rain ruin the day. Today was filled with construction updates, new Pride merchandise, and making the most of the rainy weather.
Good Morning from Disney’s Grand Floridian
It remains incredibly hot even before the sun rises here in Orlando. I have started stopping into Disney’s Grand Floridian before my Magic Kingdom days. I say it’s to check on the progress of the lobby, but I like the slower start rather than keeping up with the folks in a rush when I can get away with it.
I noticed the leveling taking place backstage at Magic Kingdom. I know this area is visible from the road, but the view from the monorail isn’t bad. We don’t publish backstage stuff, so this is likely the extent of it you’ll get from us. I think it will be a staging area of some sort, so nothing really exciting anyway.
Good Morning from Magic Kingdom
Early Entry admission had just kicked off when I arrived at the Magic Kingdom. It was nearly as crowded as I expected it to be, not that I’m complaining. The local kids are finishing school for the year, and of course, that also means graduation. You will catch a lot of recent graduates in gowns around the parks this time of year. I love it, other than the traffic getting in.
Congrats to those of you who finished school for the year, faculty, teachers, and students alike.
Emporium Refurbishment Progresses
In the Emporium, there has been progress in the refresher. The wall has come down in the first room, and a wall has been put up in the back of the middle room. I like the new setup in the first room. I think opening up more space for central registers is a great idea. Think of the World of Disney in Disney Springs with checkout registers located at either end.
Let me know what you think of the changes being made to the Emporium in the comments below.
PRIDE Collection Now Available
I also found a new PRIDE collection in the Emporium. For a full breakdown of the collection, you can visit our website. I love the little winking Stitch plush in a hoodie, and I think the fan is perfect for a queen. Finally, there is a white T-shirt, which I feel needs to be added.
Train Station Updates
The train station remains in a state of refurbishment mess. I will be excited when this project is completed. I am curious how Disney was able to refurbish the Castle Stage so quickly, and the flooring of the train station patio is taking months.
Since our last update, the flooring seems to have been scraped, leaving a rough outcome for now.
Pirates Tavern Progress
Progress is being made for the new Beak and Barrel Pirate Tavern in Magic Kingdom. During my recent visit, I noticed that the walls have expanded, now blocking the entrance of what was the Pirate League entirely. Cast Members previously had guests park wheelchairs and scooters at the League entrance.
I am excited to see what this tavern is like and how it influences the rest of the Magic Kingdom if it goes well. Let me know your thoughts on having a bar in the Magic Kingdom in the comments below.
Sonny Eclipse and Walls Finally Down
I need to tell you that the walls are down near Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe. I missed this giant walkway. I won’t lie, the concrete in this area isn’t the prettiest, and I don’t think they are done with this area yet, but I am glad the bottleneck is gone for now.
Business out of the way. Please enjoy Sonny Eclipse.
Tomorrowland Transit Authority Peoplemover Moment
Please enjoy the sounds and sights of a moment on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority Peoplemover as it glides into Space Mountain. I love these classic attractions the most. It’s always fun to try to spot Nipper the RCA dog.
Stitch Walking Around Tomorrowland
After getting off the Peoplemover, I noticed Stitch was roaming around Tomorrowland. He had a huge following of fans. There have been mixed reviews in my circle on the new live-action movie. I haven’t had a chance to watch it yet, but I look forward to seeing it and having an opinion because I promise I will have one.
Let me know in the comments below what you think of the live-action ‘Lilo and Stitch’ if you have gotten to see the movie.
Andy & Randy Pig Muppet 70th Magnet
Every Friday Disney Tech releases a new Muppet magnet to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the Muppets. I love the design of these, but I would’ve had a harder time staying away if they were in normal colors.
King Triton Saga Continues
If you have read one of my photo reports before, then you already know that I have a fixation on the Triton statue in Fantasyland. I mostly get peeved by the disrespect the statue faces. I think I stand by the fence idea because there is someone out there who took an incredible amount of time to paint this guy and make him look good for the guests to pick and dirty within a few weeks.
Thank you for letting me rant. Maybe I just need to embrace it, but, ugh.
Cinderella Fountain
One of my favorite Imagineering moments in the Magic Kingdom is the different perspectives of the Cinderella Fountain. From some angles, you can see a crown on top of her head, and in others, it disappears. I have been told that from a child’s perspective, she has the crown; from an adult’s, she appears as she did before her happily ever after.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. I love it when I can play with perspectives like this.
Rainy Day Cavalcade
Without fail, the storm is rolling in. Luckily, Disney has an alternative cavalcade for when the weather turns or may turn while on route. You can hear the wind and thunder rolling in when the parade passes through. It’s nice to be still able to see the characters even if you may not be covered.
Have you ever been to Magic Kingdom on a rainy day to catch this cavalcade? Let me know in the comments below your rainy-day Disney story.
Pride Photo Op and Cloudy Skies
On my way out of Magic Kingdom, I noticed that the darkest of clouds was starting to roll in. It seemed fitting to run into the PRIDE photo op on the Purple Wall of Tomorrowland. Something that should bring you joy and make you smile, a rainbow after a storm. Except the storm is coming!
Also, a side note, could we not make this flush to the ground? Is that too much to ask? Just me?
EPCOT Adventure and Pride Photo Op
Since the PRIDE photo op was up in Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom, I decided to check out EPCOT. I took an easy monorail ride over from the Magic Kingdom, and boom, upon arrival, there it was.
I will say the decal here was already starting to peel, so hopefully Disney will fix that up.
Transportation and Ticket Center Mystery Project Continues
I parked in the Transportation and Ticket Center parking lot. This mystery project at the center of the parking lot continues to flatten out. The scrim has been removed from the Hero side of the lot fencing. Stay tuned to our website; if anything interesting happens, that’ll be where to see it.
I hope you enjoyed our day around the rainy Magic Kingdom. My favorite moment from today was seeing the Rainy Day Cavalcade. I love that Disney has alternatives for less-than-ideal weather.
Let me know in the comments below if you have a favorite moment from today’s adventure.
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