Boardwalk Times: Stories from the Seashore — Our First Newsletter
Originally posted on January 29, 2021.
Welcome to Boardwalk Times: Stories from the Seashore. A monthly newsletter sensation where we will dig into topics from Disney, its parks, and its businesses. We had to start 2021 on a good note and what better way to do that than to announce our new monthly newsletter.
The logo and the name are inspired by Disney’s BoardWalk Resort. Just like how the original site name and logo were inspired. The newsletter logo was designed by the fantastic Noah Lambert, go give him a follow.
Now, this is how the format of Boardwalk Times: Stories from the Seashore will work. It will be a monthly newsletter that features a main topic, a smaller secondary topic, and links of the month. Our newsletter is currently hosted through Medium. All of the above may change as we go on but be sure to follow along for the ride and subscribe with your email.
Walt Disney Imagineering’s Future Slate
After a turbulent 2020, let’s take a look at Walt Disney Imagineering’s future slate and how these projects in various stages of development may turn out, and what’s the probability of some future projects.
Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser
This project is a priority for Disney. It has the potential to be a massive moneymaker. Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser will have a set up like a cruise on land. This won’t be your typical Disney resort. It will be a two-night immersive experience and it will feature an excursion to Batuu (Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge). Most of the immersive stuff that was cut from Galaxy’s Edge will appear on the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. The official website has more about it.
When it is supposed to come out: 2021
Our timetable prediction: Late 2021
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind will be a first-of-its-kind storytelling coaster coming to EPCOT. The attraction will use an Omnicoaster system so guests will be able to experience the action from all angles. It will be the first Marvel attraction at Walt Disney World. The attraction will even feature some great songs like all Guardians of the Galaxy things do.
The media portion for the attraction is going to be directed by Thor Love and Thunder director Taika Waititi. Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn is currently tied up with other commitments so it makes sense that Taika would direct for the attraction given the timing and the fact that the entire Guardians of the Galaxy cast will be in Thor Love and Thunder.
When it is supposed to come out: TBA
Our timetable prediction: Mid-2022 (likely Summer) during Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary celebration.
Fantasy Springs
Let’s head over to Tokyo DisneySea. A future Walt Disney Imagineering project to monitor would be Fantasy Springs. The project will see the worlds of Frozen, Tangled, and Peter Pan come to life. The land will also feature a deluxe resort. The land will have attractions such as Frozen Ever After, a Tangled attraction that will have guests board gondolas on a boat tour, A Peter Pan attraction that will feature 3D imagery, and Pixie Hollow. There will also be plenty of restaurants and shops. This land looks to be shaping up into something spectacular.
When it is supposed to come out: 2023
Our timetable prediction: 2023 possibly later depending on COVID delays.
Disney Wish and Disney Cruise Line Expansion
We don’t exactly know when the Disney Cruise Line will return. It’s likely it will return before we are done with mask culture and enhanced COVID safety procedures. Which means we could see the Disney Cruise Line set sail with limited capacity and enhanced safety measures in the second half of 2021 but it will be a long time before the Disney Cruise Line goes back to normal.
One thing is for sure right now is that the Disney Wish is scheduled to set sail in summer 2022. That date could be shifted due to COVID-19 but the Disney Wish has made big progress in the past couple of months. The next two ships should be ready by 2024 and 2025. The pandemic should be over by then (I sincerely hope).
Avengers Campus
Avengers Campus is coming to Disney’s California Adventure at Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney Studios Park at Disneyland Paris, and in areas of Hong Kong Disneyland. For the sake of this newsletter I’m just going to focus on California. Avengers Campus at Disney’s California Adventure will feature Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission: BREAKOUT!, Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure (with Tom Holland reprising his role), shops, Pym Test Kitchen, and down the line the Avengers Quinjet Experience.
The Avengers Quinjet Experience will happen down the line. There is too much money to be made for it not to happen. After all this is Avengers Campus. Let’s just look at the official synopsis of the attraction.
Guests will step onboard a Quinjet and fly alongside the Avengers in an epic adventure to Wakanda and beyond. They will team up alongside the Avengers in a battle to save our world against one of the most powerful villains they have ever faced. Imagineers are hard at work conceiving an all-new innovative ride system to put them in the middle of this action.
It may take Disney a few years but Avengers Quinjet Experience will complete the land when it opens in phase 2. It’s the type of attraction that will get guests to book trips to Disneyland.
When it is supposed to come out: Avengers Campus (2021), Avengers Quinjet Experience (TBA)
Our timetable prediction: Avengers Campus (Late 2021), Avengers Quinjet Experience (2024–2028).
EPCOT’s Multiyear Transformation
This is a tricky one to locate the progress on and it also doesn’t have a clear timetable. EPCOT’s multiyear transformation never had a clear timetable because well it was going to take years. Let’s add in the pandemic and some of these plans are bound to radically change. As we mentioned earlier Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind will be a big selling point for EPCOT’s transformation, EPCOT’s 40th anniversary, Disney’s 100th anniversary, and Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary. Talk about getting the bang for your marketing buck.
Harmonious, the new nighttime spectacular for EPCOT and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure should open at some point this year. Moana: Journey of Water should open in 2022 if everything goes well as that project is still moving forward. Disney has been quiet on the status of the Play! Pavilion likely due to its interactive component that wouldn’t work during a pandemic. Space 220 was supposed to open in 2019, if it doesn’t open this year will it ever?
That’s not including the paused projects like Mary Poppins, Spaceship Earth revamp, and the Festival Center which all of them are likely canceled. I’m sure there were a ton of other projects waiting to be announced for EPCOT before the pandemic occurred.
EPCOT is a park that is loaded with progress walls (Disney’s cute name for construction walls). It’s also a park that needs a lot of work, and hopefully Disney still gives it the time of day and care that it needs once they get out of their own pandemic-related business struggles.
Lighthouse Point
One of my most anticipated projects at Walt Disney Imagineering but now I’m uncertain about it. What was supposed to be a Joe Rohde project (which means it always delivers) is now up in the air. What will happen to Lighthouse Point in Eleuthera, Bahamas?
Disney’s second island that was supposed to complement Castaway Cay was going to be a project spearheaded by Imagineering legend Joe Rohde. Now Rohde is retired and the status of this project hasn’t been talked about.
With the Disney Cruise Line facing unprecedented uncertainty it is hard to say whether this project will actually happen. I’m assuming it’s been delayed for the obvious reasons and then add in Rohde’s departure from the project. The one good sign for the project is at least it has an active website.
Here is to hoping Lighthouse Point still comes to fruition.
When it is supposed to come out: TBA
Our timetable prediction: Most positive prediction is that it will likely coincide with the expansion of the two new DCL ships. So that would put Lighthouse Point with a 2024–2025 opening date.
The Princess and the Frog Splash Mountain update
We will cover this more in-depth next month for the main topic of our newsletter. On top of Disney updating Splash Mountain with The Princess and the Frog, Disney is even updating the Jungle Cruise to be more inclusive. Also, according to Brayden Holness of Mickey Views, the next attraction getting an inclusive redesign will be The American Adventure at EPCOT. There will be a lot to break down in next month’s newsletter so you’re going to have to subscribe to this newsletter and read the February edition.
In terms of The Princess and the Frog Splash Mountain update. Not a lot is known about this project other then the fact it will take place after the film and show Princess Tiana and Louis the alligator getting ready for Mardi Gras.
This project seems like a priority project for Disney. Even though it’s still a few years away it seems like this attraction could potentially be fast-tracked. Which is crazy to think about because it would essentially hop in front of so many other previously announced developments (more on that next month).
When it is supposed to come out: TBA
Our timetable prediction: 2024 during the Disney’s 100th year celebration
Best of Boardwalk 2020 Recap
For a year where we didn’t get a ton of positive news regarding Disney and the themed entertainment industry. Boardwalk Times continued to churn out fantastic features and pieces about all of our favorite subjects.
I encourage you to check out the Best of Boardwalk 2020. We have some excellent content in here, and I can’t wait to show you what else we have in store for 2021.
Highlights include Elizabeth Pfeiffer’s History of Disney’s World War II Propaganda video, Mickey Wiki’s Case for Splash Mountain feature, and ranking every song from Hamilton.
LINKS OF THE MONTH
Things you should read to keep up with the latest from the Mouse House from Boardwalk Times and beyond.
— Boardwalk Times has two new podcast series This is the Waycast, a The Mandalorian and Star Wars podcast, and Boardwalk Times Multiverse of Marvel, a Marvel Studios podcast and after-show. I encourage you to subscribe to both and be on the look out for some new announcements regarding the Boardwalk Times Podcast Network.
— A fascinating feature on Pixar’s Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter and how he took over Pixar’s creative side and changed its culture after the departure of John Lasseter. (The Hollywood Reporter)
— Todd Martens chronicles Walt Disney Imagineer Joe Rohde’s career and his impact on the theme park industry. (Los Angeles Times)
— Before Guardians, Walt Disney Imagineering pitched Doctor Strange and Spider-Man rethemes for Disney California Adventure’s Tower of Terror. (OC Register)
— Kevin Feige explaining the MCU to Dick Van Dyke for WandaVision (Comicbook)
— That time Walt Disney wrote a guest column for Variety to say cinemas will survive…Will history repeat itself? (Variety)
— A look back at High School Musical on its 15th anniversary. Some fun behind-the-scenes details about the Disney Channel Original Movie that was the start of a massive franchise for Disney. (Variety)
Well, thanks for reading our first newsletter. See you next month for a new edition of Boardwalk Times: Stories from the Seashore!