Walt Disney World is promoting Awaken Summer, with new attractions at three of its theme parks to draw in guests in the busy summer months and beyond. Two new rides, a stage show, and a Star Wars spectacular are all on tap at the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Disney's Hollywood Studios.
Mickey's Royal Friendship Faire at the Magic Kingdom.
Although the Disney characters appear at all four theme parks, Mickey Mouse is most closely associated with the Magic Kingdom, Last month, Walt Disney World debuted a brand-new show that takes place several times a day on the stage in front of Cinderella Castle.
Mickey and Minnie are both on hand, joined by friends from three popular Disney movies: Rapunzel, The Princess and the Frog, and Frozen.
The show appears flawless when you see it, enjoying familiar songs like, "I Have a Dream." "Dig a Little Deeper," and "Let It Go," as well as an all-new number created just for Mickey's Royal Friendship Faire. However, there's a lot of work that goes into a brand-new production, as Show Director Tara Anderson explains in this video:
Frozen Attractions at Epcot
That same level of planning went into the Frozen ride and meet & greet with Anna and Elsa at Epcot. The Norway pavilion is host to the "Frozen Ever After" boat ride that takes guests into the sisters' world, complete with an ice-skating Olaf, trolls, Kristoff, Sven, and a dazzling scene set to "Let It Go." For the meet & greet, and queen and princess meet up with guests in their Royal Sommerhus, a quaintly decorated cottage filled with themed trinkets to explore while you wait.
Assistant Project Manager Lauren Niederhiser at Walt Disney Imagineering has the inside scoop on what it took to pull these new attractions together:
Soarin' Around the World.
Epcot is also home to Soarin' Around the World, a re-imagining of the popular Soarin' ride. The old Soarin' took flight over California, but now riders have a hang glider experience in exotic locales like Switzerland, India, and China before returning to a familiar place.
The new Soarin' incarnation pays homage to the former ride by adapting the old Jerry Goldsmith soundtrack, with a local flavor for each scene. It also keeps Patrick Warburton as "Patrick, your chief flight attendant" in the safety spiel,
Art Director Jason Grandt knows all about the shooting to capture breathtaking world scenes, and he talks about the process in this interview:
Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular
Disney's Hollywood Studios has featured Star Wars themed fireworks for a while now, but they're kicked things up several notches for Awaken Summer.
The show, "Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular," still has fancy pyrotechnics, but they're joined by lasers and projections that put guests right in the middle of several movies scenes, all set to familiar John Williams music. Show Director Michael Roddy helped to bring the show to life, and he talks about the process of picking just what to put into the show in this interview:
Even thought these new experiences all debuted in time for Awaken Summer, they'll continue through the fall and beyond. If you visit in the fall, you can combine the new attractions with a visit to the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, which runs September 14 through November 14, 2016, or enjoy them during the holiday season.