Soon, it’ll be easier than ever to travel the Sunshine State, as the Brightline high-speed rail expansion has reached the halfway mark between Miami and Orlando. Fox 35’s Matt Trezza reported on the big occasion, which marks a significant development in the expansion. The line will lead to Orlando International Airport, which will serve as the acting terminus until a planned extension stopping at Disney Springs and leading to Tampa is constructed. This section isn’t expected to be complete until […]
Sleeping Beauty Castle (Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant) in Disneyland Paris has been under refurbishment since January, preparing for the park’s 30th-anniversary celebration. During this time, it has been surrounded by scaffolding and themed scrim, while skilled artisans restored the castle the same way they would restore a historical monument. InsideDlpCastle on Twitter has shared photos of the highest turret on the castle, which has been revealed as scaffolding and scrim were removed. Sleeping Beauty Castle’s turrets […]
Happy National Streaming Day! Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ are celebrating with a ton of announcements, featurettes, first looks, and more. You can also take The Disney Bundle streamer quiz to see a personalized watchlist. And make sure to sign up for The Disney Bundle if you haven’t already. National Streaming Day with The Disney Bundle Schedule […]
Over the years, I have been a guest at numerous Walt Disney World resorts. Lately, some of them have been riding on reputation alone.
I am a big fan of the changes we’ve seen at many of the resorts over the past few years. Interior refurbishments, along with the addition of the DisneySkyliner as an easier way to be transported around to the parks, are huge pluses for me. Several resorts are currently closed, however, with some of those being refurbished both inside and out. Some of the resorts that are currently open are changing soon as well.
I can think of three, however, that have fallen behind.
Disney’sGrand Floridian Resort and Spa
Disney refers to this Deluxe resort on the monorail line as “lavish.” The exterior is still a work of art and has maintained its elegance since 1988. It was my belated honeymoon resort and I have great sentimentality toward the Grand Floridian. So, it is difficult for me when choosing where to stay; I purposefully overlook this resort.
They need to bring this beauty back to life in the rooms and honor the “flagship” and “elegant” labels they were once given. The interior rooms desperately need a revival. I think the path from the Grand to Magic Kingdom, however, is a great start, and perhaps it will help lead the way for the monorail resorts that are currently under refurbishment. Bringing back live entertainment eventually would also be a huge draw. Fingers crossed when it gets its due; perhaps a little bit of Mary Poppins can be woven into its theming.
Disney’sAnimal Kingdom Lodge
Just a bus doesn’t cut it anymore. Animal Kingdom Lodge needs to step it up on their transportation game in order to keep up with the other on-property resorts that offer so much more. Being removed is one thing, but not being able to compete with other resorts in terms of efficiency in getting to and from the parks is out of touch with the reality of what the other resorts have to offer. In my mind, unless you have a car, this resort is not an option because of the lack of transportation.
Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
I have tremendous excitement that another resort on property will be reopening this summer! But the BoardWalk Inn, despite its great location, needs a total overhaul and, in my opinion, has an identity crisis. Basically, it’s anchoring the BoardWalk itself but is there a BoardWalk now? With the closures of ice cream shops like Ample Hills (including lack of easy access to Beaches and Cream at the Yacht Club), lack of nightly entertainment and few dining venues, it may have its reopening revival at some point, but for now, there is a disconnect. It cannot be a resort connected to an area that is lacking.
Perhaps it is time to re-theme the BoardWalk area entirely (or the resort itself only), but in addition to these issues, the interior rooms are in need of renovations as well. Maybe it is time to connect the themes found at Disney’s Hollywood Studios into this resort and the BoardWalk area itself. It is time for a new identity, BoardWalk Inn!
Honorable Mention
Disneyland’s Paradise Pier…gotta work on this one, Disney!
Calling all Star Wars Fans: Guests may soon be able to schedule a personal photo session at Galaxy’s Edge located in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Find out all of the exciting details for this one of a kind experience. Capture Your Moment What is the “Capture Your Moment” photo session? This is a special experience that allows Guests […]
Hello from a warm but beautiful day at Walt Disney World! We started our day at the Magic Kingdom to see what new things we could find there, and to check on the various ongoing construction projects. Let’s get started! We found pavement work being done very close to the entrance in Town Square, just outside of The Emporium. We also found the pavement scored for removal directly in front of the former Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom portal attached […]
Walt Disney World has released its flagship UK discount for 2022, a 50th Anniversary package deal that offers an up to $950 dining credit during a 2 week trip, and more. In this post, we share dates and details, what this could mean for future U.S. general public WDW deals including Free Dining, whether the […]
We bring you a lot of stories every single day. Sometimes it’s hard to keep up. So in case you missed anything from our feed, we have rounded up all our stories in one place to get the news at a glance. Here is your Daily Recap for Wednesday, May 19, 2021. Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Magic Kingdom Park will be closing for a short refurbishment in June 2021. All directional signage has been removed […]