At WDWTools we know you want to be up to date on the things that will affect your upcoming trips. We also know you like to get a look at the parks even when you can’t be here. So we’re starting a series of posts called “In the Parks” where we’ll take you around the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Downtown Disney, and even the water parks to keep you informed. Yesterday I took a walk around the Magic Kingdom and I’m excited to share my photos and information with all of you.
Friday, June 20, 2014, was forecasted to bring high temps of 89 and a low around 70. Pop-up p.m. thunderstorms were also forecasted. Various sites had crowd levels predicted that Magic Kingdom crowds would be at 7 or 8 out of 10, but those estimates were high and crowds peaked out at what was, in my experience, about a 5 or a 6.
I started at Town Square Theater to give you a look at Tinker Bell’s new home. Tinker Bell’s meet and greet has moved permanently to Town Square Theater and she no longer meets with fairy friends. People tend to miss this location as they enter the Kingdom and wait times can be surprisingly low.
Though our wait time was posted at 30 minutes for standby (you can use FastPass+ for this meet and greet), we waited 23 minutes. If your family is in high heat meltdown, this is a great meet and greet to visit, as the queue is inside and nice and cool.
The meet and greet space is much the same as it was when it was in Adventureland, though it is much smaller. Tink is still as sassy and this particular Tink did a great job with interactions and taking a good amount of time with each family.
This meet and greet is FastPass+ capable and does have a PhotoPass photographer present at all times.
Upon exiting Town Square theater on the right side of the building by the fountain, I found Mary Poppins meeting and greeting as well.
Her former space next to Tony’s has been walled up and the FastPass legacy machines removed. This space will eventually be part of the walkway (arcade) being added to help alleviate crowds exiting the park as part of the hub remodel.
I did a quick merchandise check in the Main Street, U.S.A. shops. The Emporium has added an entire wall of Frozen merchandise in the princess rooms that includes new sketches, a couple of open edition (not limited edition) pins, and the very popular stuffed Sven.
I caught the Citizens of Main Street, including that rascally mayor, shopping for plush. If you get a chance to stop and say hello to these folks and grab a picture, do. They’re a riot.
Over at Uptown Jewelers, the Vera Bradley patterns are all well stocked, some of the new Alex and Ani bangles are also in high supply, and a new Harvey’s pattern has debuted. For those of you who may not be familiar with Harvey’s, these bags are made out of recycled seatbelts and are a fan favorite.
I finished up my tour of Main Street, U.S.A. with the Summer Trolley show. Currently the show runs up and down Main Street at 9:15 a.m., 10:10 a.m., and noon. I was delighted to see it running with the fire truck instead of the trolley, as it gives the show a little variety. This is a great 5-minute show with singing and dancing that you’ll want to take in if you’ve not seen it. Costumes, songs, and choreography change seasonally.
I stopped for some corn dog nuggets at Casey’s corner and left the building just in time to catch at little bit of the “Move it, Shake it, Celebrate it!” parade. This parade has a lot of nay-sayers, but it’s a fun dance party where the characters and performers really get into dancing with the families and the music is a total earworm. Smaller kids really seem to enjoy it and it’s a great chance to embarrass older kids with your dance moves.
Over in Adventureland there are a lots of changes for the better. The entrance path has been widened as part of the hub remodel and it looks and feels fantastic.
Scrims are down at the Bazaar around the Flying Carpets of Aladdin and the refresh looks great.
While those scrims have come down, the largest scrims I’ve ever seen have gone up on Tiki Room.
Frontierland remains mostly unchanged with Splash Mountain running again. I like to take a picture at this pinch point to show crowd levels.
As I passed through Frontierland I noticed that the Diamond Horseshoe was open and serving. Given that this is something of a rarity, I stepped in for a couple of pictures. It’s a really neat venue and sitting upstairs for a quick meal is a nice cool departure from the hot sidewalks. No shows play, but the building itself is pretty packed with Walt Disney World history.
In Fantasyland, It’s a Small World is under scrims again for outside refurbishment. The ride remains open and operating as usual.
Over at Princess Fairytale Hall, the Anna and Elsa meet and greet has changed yet again. The Frozen sisters now meet and greet in their own room without a princess friend. You will be able to get photos with both sisters, but can no longer get a photo with them together. Cinderella and Rapunzel meet on the other side of the hall now with Aurora and Snow White having been moved out to Main Street, U.S.A. (photos later in the post). This does not affect any FastPasses currently held and seems to be reducing the overall wait time to see Anna and Elsa.
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train remains an area of general chaos with the queue stretching past the ride entrance and back toward Storybook Circus. This queue is almost entirely outdoors and, despite Imagineers’ best efforts to shade and cool with fans, is incredibly hot. I recommend bringing an umbrella and plenty of cool drinks for the wait. On a more general note, those using FastPass+ for the ride will not go through the interactive queue.
Past Mine Train and down the path into Tomorrowland, some major refurbishment is taking place at Astro Orbiter and it’s, well, just gone. The only thing left is the outer ring. It’s kind of a surprising site.
Just through Tomorrowland, work continues on the hub expansion. These are the sights from the Tomorrowland Terrace. On one side, the moat looks so much cleaner.
On the other side, things are still pretty dicey and apparently someone had a problem driving their boat…
Having made it back to Main Street, I made one last stop by City Hall to get a picture of Aurora’s “new” meet and greet location. According to Cast Members, she and Snow White rotate, but neither is officially listed on the Times Guide. Check with City Hall to find out who is meeting and greeting when you visit.
That’s the Magic Kingdom this week. Be sure to subscribe to the WDWTools blog and “like” the Facebook Page for updates all around Walt Disney World and thanks for reading!