by Eric Bowman
Last updated: 9:45 PM ET, Wed June 12, 2024
It’s a summer of big news for The Walt Disney Company.
“There’s something new in each park,” said Javier Moreno, Senior Vice President of Disney Destinations Sales Solutions, alluding to new rides and new shows at Walt Disney World.
From new sensations at the parks to new experiences for cruisers, Disney continues to innovate and create a plethora of offerings for travelers from around the world.
“There’s so much excitement on the horizon,” said Jodi Bainter, Disney’s Vice President of Domestic Leisure Sales. “But there is a lot for our guests to come and do this summer and fall."
Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point
Disney Cruise Line’s new private island destination, Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, has finally arrived, welcoming guests on multiple itineraries to discover the wonders of Eleuthera, Bahamas.
“We are so excited about the opening of Disney Lookout Cey at Lighthouse Point because for over 25 years Disney Cruise Line has introduced so many families to the Bahamas while creating a positive lasting impact in the community,” Sharon Siskie, Senior Vice President & General Manager at Disney Cruise Line. “So we are thrilled to offer yet another way for Disney guests to experience the Bahamas.”
One new way guests will experience the Bahamas as it compares to Disney Cruise Line’s other private island destination, Castaway Cay, is the authenticity of Bahamas culture that is showcased all around Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point – from the design and art all around to the entrainment offerings with ‘RUSH! A Junkanoo Celebration’ and even the nature trail.
“We thought about how many people are going to be experiencing the Bahamas for the first time,” said Kevin Thomas, Senior Creative Director for Walt Disney Imagineering. “[People] coming from around the world, the journey here and what can they take back, and not only that that group but also those that have experienced the Bahamas and other destinations prior to this visit. We wanted to give a very unique experience to that, and so it was important to us to make sure that we truly understood what the story that we're trying to tell. The goal I think is for people to walk away with a thirst perhaps to come back or to maybe expand upon what they may have learned a little bit.”
Disney worked with the National Junkanoo Committee, as well as local Bahamians artists and musicians to bring more of the authentic Bahamian culture to Lookout Cay.
Guests will have a unique excursion option as well being able to take tours out to see more of Eleuthera, an island frequented by celebrities and royals over the years.
“We absolutely wanted to go into it with the spirit of creating an environment that is authentically Bahamian and also have the least environmental impact we possibly could here,” said Jeff van Langeveld, Vice President of International Sales and Marketing for Disney Destinations.
Sustainability was top of mind in the design here, which is why there are elevated walkways on the island and the pier is half a mile long. It takes about 10 to 15 minutes to walk it depending on your pace.
The process and discussions about bringing the new destination to life took around five years.
“Having discussions and the desire to have another island, it just makes a lot of sense for us from a ports of call standpoint and itinerary planning, and just hearing from our guests and what they want,” said van Langeveld. “So it was something we wanted to do, but obviously there aren't islands available every day to allow us to do something like this, so it took quite a long time, a lot of discussion.”
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure sign at Walt Disney World (Photo Credit: Eric Bowman)
A true celebration of New Orleans is now prominently on display at Walt Disney World with the arrival of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
Opening on June 28, Magic Kingdom’s water ride formerly known as Splash Mountain has a whole new story, complete with added food delights and new merchandise in the park.
“Tiana’s Bayou Adventure takes place about a year after the events from the film The Princess and the Frog,” said Ted Robledo, Portfolio Executive Creative at Walt Disney Imagineering. “A lot has changed since then, and one of the most exciting parts of the attraction is seeing where Princess Tiana’s life has taken her after that movie.”
The ride is centered around Princess Tiana having a celebration for Mardi Gras, and she needs help finding a band for the big party. Mama Odie and Louis make appearances on the ride, and the iconic 50-foot drop will most definitely get you wet, so plan accordingly.
Throughout the attraction guests will hear New Orleans music played by various new critters, of which Disney has created new plush stuffed animals of for sale. Also for sale will be Tiana’s Famous Beignets, available for a limited time only. Guests can find these delicious treats at Golden Oak Outpost and The Friar’s Nook.
Perhaps the most exciting music though is the grand finale of the ride, which features a new song called “Special Spice” and is performed by the voice of Princess Tiana, Anika Noni Rose.
Disney also announced the story continues for Tiana beyond this ride, with a new Tiana show coming to Disney+ down the road.
EPCOT’s Transformation
The walls are down, and EPCOT’s transformation is finally complete.
Years in the making, the upgrades at EPCOT have featured new rides and experiences based on prominent characters like Guardians of the Galaxy and Moana.
Now, the park has a new party and events spot with the June 10 opening of CommuniCore Hall and CommuniCore Plaza.
“It’s super exciting having a new opportunity for meet and greets with Mickey and friends,” said Moreno. “It’s going to be great having two new stages for featuring all the shows and music and entertainment that our guests love. We saw the sing-a-long with ¡Celebración Encanto!, which I think was really fun. It’s going to give us a chance to bring more of these live entertainment offerings to the park.”
Meeting Mickey at EPCOT's new CommuniCore Hall (Photo Credit: Brooke McDonald)
‘¡Celebración Encanto!’ features movie trivia and songs, with appearances by Mirabel and Bruno at the end. Kids who love to sing and dance will be on their feet and dancing with their favorite characters. The show is available for a limited time so do expect Disney to come up with more and more fun entertaining shows in this brand-new space.
CommuniCore Plaza at EPCOT (Photo Credit: Eric Bowman)
This area will also include a new quick-service food and beverage destination called Festival Favorites.
Also new at EPCOT is Portraits of Veterans Painted by President George W. Bush. This special 12-month exhibit is a tribute to America’s warriors located inside The American Adventure pavilion.
Other Disney World Updates
Yes, there are even more updates taking place at Walt Disney World.
Country Bear Jamboree has been re-mixed and will return on July 17. The outfits have changed, and the music will feature countrified versions of Disney hit songs.
Animal Kingdom is celebrating 30 years of Lion King. “Fans of the original animated film can enjoy character greetings, themed food and drinks, unique merchandise items and other special “only at Disney” surprises,” Disney said in a statement.
Hollywood Studios will have a new Little Mermaid show debuting this fall. “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure” will feature new sets and visuals, as well as adding in the songs “Daughters of Triton” and “Kiss the Girl.”
The new drone show, “Disney Dreams that Soar,” kicked off at Disney Springs in late May. The nine-minute show is available through September 2, offering guests a unique performance of their favorite things about Disney.
Future Expansion Plans
Disney has major plans for the future of Walt Disney World – like $17 billion worth.
However, we’ll just have to wait a little bit longer before we learn what some of the details are, according to Josh D'Amaro, Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products.
“We are turbocharging Disney experiences around the globe and Walt Disney World's going to see even more fantastic stories come to life over the next decade,” D'Amaro said.
“We've already given you some hints about our plans for Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom, and in August at D23 you'll hear more updates about Walt Disney World and all of our other destinations worldwide. So get ready, because our Disney experiences showcase is going to be unlike anything we've done before. Our future is boundless. Disney has been telling the world's greatest stories for more than 100 years and our parks, our cruise ships and resort hotels, imagineers continuously dream up new and innovative ways for our guests to connect the stories that they love.”
Key to the future of Disney is the success of travel advisors, Moreno and Bainter pointed out.
“We are incredibly excited about everything that is yet to come,” said Moreno. “Details at this point, we can’t share, but we can share our excitement and our commitment and our trust to the travel advisors because they’re going to be more important than ever to help us get there with all these expansions across all business.”
Travel Advisor Appreciation
Bainter expressed what they’re doing to help educate advisors with everything going on in the world of Disney.
“There’s a couple ways that we bring this to life for advisors,” Bainter said. “One, we try to invite them down. We try to immerse them in these in these moments, and in addition we have ongoing training. We'll be doing that all summer. Thousands of agents are here this week and we're constantly in front of and talking about what's happening.
“Disney Travel Professionals is our social handle. We're curating content in real time and pushing it out so those that can't be here on site, they're feeling it in the moment. It's shareable and really quick and instant. The point is to make the tools as easy as possible for them to quickly be able to communicate what's new and what's now to their guests. Disneytravelagents.com is one of our best resources, and then I always say the best resource we have is our cast. [Advisors] all have a business development manager that they can reach out to, and Javier and I and the whole team, our whole job is to make sure that these advisors have everything they need and they feel the magic and the joy to be able to then share with their guests as they sell these vacations.”
She also mentioned how those new to the industry get started with the College of Disney Knowledge, which Bainter said is a “very important training program.”
Disney is massive and constantly innovating and updating. Providing advisors with the right tools to succeed is an additional area the house of mouse extends a plethora of resources.
“We attend most of the major trade shows,” Bainter said. “We’re constantly on the ground, trying to connect up with these advisors and those that want to sell Disney, we want to welcome to the family and help them be the best.”
Bainter continued, speaking to the travel advisor community, saying “thank you for all you do, and we appreciate you.”
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