There have been a lot of construction projects going on around Walt Disney World as they prepare for the 50th Anniversary celebrations that kick off in just FOUR months!
We’ve been keeping an eye on everything from ride refurbishments in the parks to new nighttime shows and more! And, now we’ve got an update on all the progress that we spotted this week! Let’s check it out!
Magic Kingdom
Jungle Cruise
For the past few months, we’ve been watching as ride elements have been removed from Jungle Cruise in Magic Kingdom as it undergoes a major refurbishment. But, this week we found that a lot had actually been ADDED!
Now, we had already noticed that the five new characters had been added to the iconic pole scene on the ride last week, but now those animatronics are moving! So, now you can watch as Felix Pechman XIII (the skipper!), Dr. Leonard Moss (a Canadian botanist), Rosa Soto Dominguez (an artist from Mexico), Dr. Kon Chunosuke (an entomologist from Japan), and Siobhan “Puffin” Murphy (who obviously loves puffins!) try to climb up the pole to escape that hungry rhino.
Plus, we also noticed that there’s a new shack on the river called “Boats & Baits and Bites” where the Pygmy Camp used to be located. We had noticed that props had been removed from the area a little while ago, and now we know that it was making way for a new snack shack on the island!
And, for reference, here’s what that scene used to look like.
Disney has shared that they expect all the Jungle Cruise updates to be completed by the end of this summer, so we’ll continue to keep an eye out for new additions!
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Over in Frontierland, the fan-favorite roller coaster Big Thunder Mountain Railroad closed this week for a short refurbishment. We had noticed this one on the Disney refurbishment calendar earlier, so there weren’t any surprises here when we walked up to see that the mine was closed. Though, we’re not sure that it’s really for a mountain goat infestation… .
And, when we say short refurbishment, we mean it — the ride is only closed through June 12th.
EPCOT
Harmonious
We’ve also been keeping track of the progress on some EPCOT projects including the new nighttime show, Harmonious. The five giant barges have lived in World Showcase Lagoon since early spring and we’ve watched as testing has taken place, and elements have been added. And, this week we spotted a new light being installed on the center barge!
Disney has not shared any information on when this show will debut in the park, but we have seen some fireworks testing taking place in the evenings from EPCOT area resorts.
Future World
At the front of EPCOT, Disney is also hard at work to bring the EPCOT Transformation to life. We’ve been able to get a peek at the construction going on in Future World from behind walls, and this week we noticed that there was some work being done near Spaceship Earth.
Here’s another look at the construction.
Could Disney be working on the new Moana-inspired attraction, Journey of Water? We’re not exactly sure, but we will be sure to keep an eye out for updates!
Click HERE to Learn More About the New Moana-Inspired Attraction!
Disney Resorts
Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
And, over at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, we spotted even more progress on the new roof structure that will be added to the entrance area of the hotel.
Here’s a peek at what it will look like when it’s done.
And, we also spotted crews hauling in all the new furniture that is going into the re-themed Moana rooms! So we got a good look at the dressers…
…which have a unique detail on the drawers…
…TV stands…
…and more! They were rolling it all in during the day, so any guest could get a look at the new sand-inspired details.
We’ve gotten a glimpse at the new furniture in some of the preview pictures released by Disney, so you can see what the finished product will be below! And, keep in mind that once the resort reopens this summer to all guests, every single guest room will feature the new look.
It sure was fun to see some progress on the big Disney projects going on around the parks and resorts! Of course, we’ll continue to keep an eye out for more, so stay tuned to DFB for the latest news and updates!
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What Disney World project are you most looking forward to being completed? Let us know in the comments!
The post PHOTOS: See the Progress on Disney World’s Jungle Cruise, Moana-Themed Rooms, and MORE! first appeared on the disney food blog.