We’re back again this week to share updates about the MANY projects going on at Disney World right now.

This was an exciting week as we saw some construction milestones take place for a handful of projects!

Magic Kingdom

Rivers of America

We’ve seen A LOT of progress going on at Tom Sawyer Island and Rivers of America this week! Early on, crews continued to work on features on the island like the windmill and Harper’s Mill.

All the scaffolding has come down at Harper’s Mill, revealing a fresh coat of paint.

Now, we’re finally seeing the river beginning to be refilled!! Earlier in the week, water levels still remained pretty low.

But, by the time the weekend came around, the river was looking pretty full!

It looks like it still has a little further to go, but this is pretty exciting because it’s been months since we’ve seen water here!

Although the end of this refurbishment is still over a month away, we’re getting excited to ride around on the riverboat once again!

See more photos of the Rivers of America being filled

TRON Lightcycle Run

Work continues on the illuminated canopy over at Magic Kingdom’s upcoming futuristic coaster, TRON Lightcycle Run.

Equipment and crews are on-site continuously working on the ride’s track. If you look closely, you can see a crew member actually standing in between the sides of the track!

We’re still looking out for an opening date for this attraction, so stay tuned for that exciting info!

Check out this upcoming attraction’s progress here!

Bonjour Village Gifts

Over in Fantasyland, Bonjour Village Gifts is getting an exterior refurbishment.

During our most recent visit, we saw a crew painting the side of the building.

Currently, large hedges surround the worksite.

We’ll be sure to keep giving you updates!

Click here to learn what attractions are closed in Disney World this week!

Walt Disney World Railroad

The Walt Disney World Railroad has been closed for a couple of years now, as the construction of TRON Lightcycle Run continues.

Although the relaxing ride is still closed, we noticed continued track installation at the Fantasyland Station.

A reopening date for the railroad has not yet been announced, but we’ll be sure to let you know when it is!

Check out the “subtle” makeover at the Main Street Train Station!

EPCOT

France Pavilion

Last week was especially exciting because we got to go INSIDE the new expansion at EPCOT’s France Pavilion where Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure will be.

Although some walls are still up preventing guests from getting near the attraction, we were still able to check out some of the new details of the area! It’s filled with French charm, blending in perfectly with the rest of the pavilion.

Here’s a peek at the upcoming crêperie! You know we’re especially excited to get our hands on some crêpes once this spot is up-and-running.

Currently, the restrooms are the only part of the new expansion that’s actually open to guests, apart from this path itself.

Plus, we’ve noticed this spot is just as gorgeous at night!

Now, we wait for the rest of the walls to come down!

Click here to see a TINY hidden detail in the new Ratatouille area!

Future World

Demolitions continue over at Innoventions West in Future World as the area prepares for the next steps in EPCOT’s transformation.

We noticed more paneling being removed this week, and the structures look totally barren.

Slowly but surely, EPCOT is moving forward with its reimagined look!

Check out these limited-edition EPCOT posters!

Harmonious

Harmonious is the new nighttime spectacular coming to EPCOT! If you’ve been following along with us, you’ve seen plenty of updates already as these massive barges have made their way into World Showcase Lagoon. This week, we noticed the barges testing some of the technology that will likely be used in the show.

The barge was showing a grid-like screen showing boxes ranging from A1 to X1. This type of technology is often used in projection mapping, which allows Imagineers to specifically map out exactly where projections will appear.

The second barge showed a lit-up screen, but not the grid.

This show is expected to use lots of special effects and enhanced technology and it looks like we’re getting one step closer!

Click to see more photos of Harmonious barges here!

Disney Springs

M&M’s Store

The M&M’s Store has been decked out with even more giant M&M’s this week!

It looks like we can expect to see a couple more added to the exterior of the building. This store is still expected to open this year!

Check out some of the exclusive M&M’s coming to the store here!

Disney Resorts

Polynesian Village Resort

While refurbishments take place at the Polynesian Resort, we noticed that the monorail station had been entirely demolished. 

The platform that once connected the monorail to the sliding doors is gone!

The monorail station has been closed since November, and this is the most substantial progress we’ve seen since.

We’re looking forward to seeing all the new, Moana-inspired theming once the refurbishment is completed.

See more photos of the monorail station demolition here!

Walt Disney World Swan Reserve

Accompanying the Swan and Dolphin Resorts is the Walt Disney World Swan Reserve. This upcoming 14-story resort will offer 349 guest rooms offering expansive views of Disney World! We stopped by to check out the construction progress.

You can see the floor-to-ceiling windows that the resort offers, giving those top-notch views we mentioned.

Progress is underway, and many construction workers were at the site when we passed.

This resort will also offer a massive event space, making it a great location to host celebrations and events!

Check out photos of the VIEW from the Swan Reserve!

General Construction

Walt Disney World Entrance Sign

We’ve already seen one Walt Disney World entrance sign receive its makeover! Now another one is getting an updated look, too!

The sign near the Osceola Parkway is getting ready to receive the new, reimagined look. You can see Minnie Mouse covered with plastic as the pillars beside her are painted gray.

The archway itself is being painted gray, as well.

When this is completed, we expect it to look like the sign that’s already been completed — covered with regal flags and gold touches!

There were sure a lot of construction updates to catch up on this week! And rest assured we’ll be back with even more soon! Check back with us for more Disney news.

The wait times in Disney World this week were all UNDER an hour!

Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!

Have you seen the new France expansion in person yet? Tell us in the comments!

The post Ratatouille Area is OPEN, a Monorail Station is DEMOLISHED, and More Disney World Construction! first appeared on the disney food blog.