It’s the holiday season, and one of the greatest traditions from this time of year — when the air gets crisp and the cocoa gets hot — is the Christmas wish.
You see, 2018 is coming to a close, and many of us will spend our holidays wondering and dreaming about what’s to come in 2019 and beyond. Though kids might ask Santa Claus for a new toy or a drip to the Vacation Kingdom, there are some of us who ask for something even bigger: a good year for the Disney Parks, specifically our beloved Walt Disney World.
So put on Mickey’s Christmas Carol, pour yourself a glass of egg nog, and crank the heat (unless you live in Florida), because it’s time for six Christmas wishes we have for the Disney Parks.
A smooth opening for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Image: Disney
2019 will see Disney open the single most ambitious addition it has ever built. But that alone isn’t enough to scare most of us. No, what’s crazy is this:
Disney’s gonna open its most ambitious addition … twice.
First, in the summer, Disneyland will introduce the world to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and thereby change the face of theme parks forever. The rumors suggest that what Disney has planned for us is nothing short of spectacular — from cantinas full of outlaw smugglers to a fully pilot-able Millennium Falcon.
And then, just before the end of the year, Walt Disney World will open its version — most likely learning from the successes and failures of its sister park.
The stakes couldn’t be higher, and a smooth opening would ensure that Disney keeps its ambitions high. As theme park fans, nothing is more important than Disney getting this right.
The Disney Skyliner to be a massive success
Image: Disney
Relatedly, Disney is taking a much smaller risk on something we certainly hope is just as successful at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. That is, of course, the Disney Skyliner.
Disney announced the new transportation system at D23 in 2017, and ever since, some have been skeptical that a gondola system could really be successful as mass transit at Walt Disney World. But if it is, it would change Walt Disney World as we know it.
Disney has long been reliant on the bus system we all know and love because of its efficiency and cost-effectiveness. While the monorail system is more exciting, it’s extremely expensive to expand and operate. And while the ferry system is Disney’s best way of traveling between points, constructing waterways across the property is highly unrealistic.
That’s where the gondola comes in. If it’s successful, Disney could build similar systems between other Disney resorts. And, beyond that, it would signal to the higher ups within the company that outside-the-box transit infrastructure is worth investing in.
And, moreover, a successful urban gondola installation at Walt Disney World could legitimize the system in the eyes of cities around the world — further establishing Disney as a civil engineering incubator.
That’s a lot on the line for the charming sky ride recreation, huh?
More information about the new Epcot
Image: Disney
The 2017 edition of D23 was an epic revelation of the short-term future for Walt Disney World. We learned about dozens of new projects, from the Tron Lightcycle coaster to a replacement for the Great Movie Ride.
But a handful of announcements raised dozens of questions on their own — that is, what the heck is going to happen to Epcot?
In the near future, we’ll see a few different attractions and experiences debut at Epcot. From the Guardians of the Galaxy roller coaster to the Mission: Space restaurant to the Ratatouille ride, Epcot will look very different in a few years.
But how does that all work with Epcot’s current theme and layout? How can a Guardians of the Galaxy ride fit in, thematically, next to a ride and restaurant themed to a much more realistic experience of space flight?
At that D23 presentation, Disney also briefly showed what looked to be a dramatically reconfigured Future World at Epcot. If that redesign comes to fruition, it would require a ton of work to make happen. Is Disney actually changing Epcot? To what extent?
We’d certainly like to know!
Some refurbishments for Disney’s classic attractions
Image: doctorow, Flickr (license)
With so many new attractions coming to Walt Disney World in the next couple of years, it might seem silly to stay focused on what’s already there. And yet, it’s hard not to notice how neglected some of Disney’s classic attractions are.
And so, it’s worth saving one wish for those beloved older attractions — hopefully so that they might be restored in some small way to their former glory.
There are a few attractions at Walt Disney World that fit this bill, from Spaceship Earth to Living with the Land to MuppetVision 3D. But above all else, there is one attraction which needs a major refurbishment: Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress.
It’s been over 20 years since Disney last refreshed Walt’s ode to progress, and it is in desperate need of several new coats of paint and a full technical refit. The finale scene — previously intended to be a futuristic vision of the year 2000 — is laughably dated. That wouldn’t be a problem necessarily, except for the fact that its predictions actually did come true. Virtual reality headsets and voice-controlled smart home devices are, in fact, the technology we live with today. But the show’s depiction of those technologies is itself so dated that it keeps the show in an uncanny valley where progress feels like a step backward.
The show was personally created by Walt Disney himself — let 2019 be the year that it gets the respect it deserves.
The new Epcot fireworks show to live up to its predecessor
Image: rblanding, Flickr (license)
Illuminations: Reflections of Earth is, arguably, the greatest nighttime spectacular Walt Disney World ever produced. Every piece of it, from the music to the fireworks to the lasers to the pavilions, is as close to theme park perfection as you will ever find.
Yet, in 2019, Illuminations: Reflections of Earth will close.
We don’t yet know much about the show that will replace it. Only that it will include an ode to Disney’s characters and stories rather than only an expression of belief in the kindness and perseverance of humanity. While that’s disappointing, it’s not a guaranteed failure either.
Disney has told incredible stories using its characters before, as any loyal Fantasmic fan can attest to. And so, to write off Epcot’s new nighttime spectacular before seeing it would be a foolish error.
However, it has very large shoes to fill. And we can only wish that it does its best.
A nighttime parade for the Magic Kingdom
Image: tjung, Flickr (license)
On October 9, 2016, the Main Street Electrical Parade strode down Main Street USA at the Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Fla. for the very last time. In the two years since (and counting), Walt Disney World has not had a non-special event nighttime parade at its centerpiece theme park.
Disneyland, on the other hand, got its very own brand-new parade to honor the legacy of the Main Street Electrical Parade. Paint the Night, as it was called, was an homage to that classic nighttime festival — but, it has not made its way to Walt Disney World as of this writing.
If I had only one Christmas wish to use on Walt Disney World, it would be this: Bring back the nighttime parade. Bring over Paint the Night for a year or two, or bring back the Main Street Electrical Parade itself. Or, if you’re feeling daring, give Walt Disney World its own technological homage with an updated version of the beloved classic SpectroMagic.
The nighttime parade is one of the great Disney traditions. It is the stunning end to a day full of magic, and a celebration of the beauty and simple joy of a spectacle. It’s heartbreaking that Disney’s Magic Kingdom is without one at the moment. Here’s hoping 2019 brings an end to the most depressing drought in Disney history.
