This is the weekly news, rumors and refurbishments update for Walt Disney World for the week of October 26, 2014.
Here are the three biggest updates from around the resort for the past seven days…
1. Part of the new Disney Springs parking garage will open later this month
Work on transforming Downtown Disney into Disney Springs is continuing apace. The first four floors West Side parking garage will open to guests in late November. After the garage opens, the Marketplace parking lot will close to begin construction on the second parking garage.
Here’s a look at the current progress of the garage.
2. The Main Street USA bypass may open before 2015
Main Street USA is notoriously crowded during the evening hours at the Magic Kingdom due to the popularity of the Main Street Electrical Parade and Wishes Fireworks.
To combat this issue, Disney has been opening the backside of Main Street for several years. Now the backside of Main Street will look like a themed backside of Main Street and not just a backstage area. Although not the most elegant solution, Disney is painting detailed patterns on the unthemed buildings to make them look like an alley (the backside of Main Street). Across from Main Street will be a series of planters to block the view to the cast parking lot.
The theming should be completed by the end of December 2014. It won’t quite be on a par with the stunning arcades that run along either side of Main Street USA at Disneyland Paris, but it’s an improvement.
3. Construction on the expanded Central Plaza continues
The Magic Kingdom’s Central Plaza is undergoing a massive expansion and the two new bridges that will connect the hub to Main Street are now complete. Concrete is now being poured to create the walkways and then the landscaping and final details will be installed.
Just a reminder of what the plaza will look like when it is complete:
The entire project will be completed by late 2015, but this specific section should be completed by early Spring 2015.
