Rumor and Upcoming Timeline Tracker

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TikiTorch

TikiTorch

Active Member
I'm looking forward to this thread's big update as well. There was so much announced at D23, but we have also had rumors of other things that were not mentioned at the expo. Even with Disney's official confirmations, it will still be nice to be able to check this thread now and then!
 
po1998

po1998

Well-Known Member
I'm shocked at the number of new projects announced for WDW, and was wondering how many of them are going to start within the next few months. Considering they are in the middle of two new lands under construction already, this is a 180 from where WDW has been for the last decade in terms of multiple major projects going on at once.
 
crxbrett

crxbrett

Well-Known Member
I will say WDW got a lot of love yesterday and that is awesome! We know the gondolas and Riviera resort are already underway. Mission Space is only a few weeks away. I am going to guess the Space restaurant WOL utilize the WOL building, so they could probably start work on that immediately following in September. Ratatouille is a whole new area behind the current area so that I imagine will begin construction in the next 6 months since it won't require any closures. The UOE will probably close right after summer or maybe immediately after the new year. So that should be in the next 4 months as well.
 
MisterPenguin

MisterPenguin

President of Animal Kingdom
Premium Member
Original Poster
I've changed the rumors to confirmed that were confirmed at this year's D23 2017 Expo. Thanks to @JudyHopps for the checklist. The items in the list below have been incorporated into the master list. I still need to put in the relevant links.

Next task: putting in the new set of rumors generated by D23. Got about a dozen of 'em, but will take another day to collate them. Then a new fly-through showing the newly confirmed sites of new/changed buildings.

  • Anaheim Star Wars Land will open first!
  • Mickey's and Minnie's Runaway Railway coming to Hollywood Studios! It will be a state-of-the-art attraction, with a new theme song designed for the attraction. It will be a ride through a cartoon short! And more hidden Mickey's than anywhere else!
  • EPCOT:
    • Ratatouille Attraction in France Pavilion! Based on the one at DLRP
    • GOTG Coaster! Fans will be given a sense of wow. Storyline will based of Peter Quill visiting the park as a kid.
    • Mission Space to get a new mission!!!!! Update Orange visuals by ILM. New green.
    • New TS Restaurant coming next to Mission Space! Adjacent to MS
  • Magic Kingdom:
    • TRON Coaster from SHDL!
    • New Theater coming as well!
  • WDW's new Star Wars Hotel will be innovative and will be immersive!
  • Disney's Rivera Resort coming as well!
  • Point to Point Transportation (Minnie Van Service) coming!
  • Disney SkyLiner confirmed!
  • Ellen's Energy Adventure and Great Movie Ride will have their last day on the SAME day (August 13, 2017).
  • Toy Story Land - Opening Summer 2018! HWS and SHDL!
 
MisterPenguin

MisterPenguin

President of Animal Kingdom
Premium Member
Original Poster
This is the status of the rumor tracker on July 17, 2017 shortly after the D23 Expo 2017 confirmations were added. Since this contained so many changes and sticke-throughs, and confirmeds, I copied it here as a historical document so that the first post of this thread can be pruned down to current rumors.


Epcot


Disney Hollywood Studios
  • Both Star Wars Lands will open in 2019 [official]
  • Toy Story Land in Hollywood Studio, currently being built
    • Rumor is May 2018 opening [strong] and [strong]
    • Opens "summer 2018" [confirmed at D23 2017]
    • The code word for TSL: Ascot (reference to Barbie's Ken's ascot)
    • wdwthemeparks on TSL
    • Some of the big props in Pixar Place are being removed and will reappear in TSL [very likely]
    • not likely to be a Phase 2 for TSL [here]
  • Tower of Terror will not get the Guardians of the Galaxy overlay that the one in Anaheim is getting [confirmed by Bob Chapek]
    • Reaffirmed: ToT will remain untouched by GotG [strong]
  • Mickey Ride {Mickey's and Minnie's Runaway Railway} replacing (not overlaying) the Great Movie Ride (2019, 3-4Q. Starting this August 13, 2017. Uses Mickey Shorts animation and 2 1/2D effects on an LPS vehicle. [confirmed at D23 2017] .. or a little later, but way before Christmas) [strong]
  • Star Tours
    • Star Tours will get a scene from Ep. 8, planet of Crait [official]
    • Star Tours will get a scene from Ep. 9 in 2019 and still be around for a year or two after that [strong]
    • Star Tours eventually reconfigured for some other IP after SWL opens
  • Mama Melrose: Status unknown. Stay as is or get a Muppet theme?
  • Muppet Theater exterior and Muppet Square get a refresh [very strong]
  • Muppet fountain to be restored as a fountain once off stage infrastructure is done. [likely]
  • Echo Lake area is safe for now. [likely]
  • Shows:
    • Fantasmic!
    • Indy is safe for now. [likely]
    • Mermaid, Beauty... are all long running shows and plans were made for replacements but then delayed. Will they ever be updated with, e.g., the Aladdin show that was in Anaheim or the Tangled show that's on the cruise ships?
    • The Theater of the Stars where Beauty and the Best plays is also talked about as being changed: demo'd for something new or possibly enclosed [and here]
    • Little Mermaid could be replaced when TSL opens in 2018. Launch Bay changed in 2019 or even sooner. Disney Jr. is safe. [likely]
    • Of these four: Voyage of the Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast Stage Show, Fantasmic, and Indiana Jones Stunt Show; expect 1 to be changed in 2018, another by 2019, and the other 2 refreshed by 2021. Also expect a new show in a new-ish location. [here]
    • Music of Pixar Live Concert begins May 26, 2017 in BatB's stage at night. [official] [done]
  • The rumored "Phase 3" is not going to be another land, but instead, updates like the Mickey ride; however, there once was talk of "2 new areas" in the planning stages which are now off the table
  • A possible new boat ride
  • Hollywood Studios is still getting an unknown name change, but that seems to be held off until the new Lands are completed. What an adventure!
  • wdwthemeparks on DHS


Magic Kingdom
  • Wishes fireworks to be replaced on May 12, 2017: Happily Ever After [done]
  • status of the Night Time Parade:
  • Magic Kingdom 50th Anniversary (2021)
    • there will be an eventual replacement for "Happily Ever After" (which replaced "Wishes")
      • although... there may be rumblings that since HEA was so well received, they might just update and upgrade it instead of a brand new show. [here]
    • Have something new in each park by the 50th other than the stuff already publicly announced
    • Frontierland refresh was associated with 50th celebration, but seems to be back-burnered
    • "50 Things" marketing campaign will take place to list 50 new things added to the parks in celebration of the 50th
  • Tomorrowland refresh: while nothing has the full plan hasn't been announced, this is definitely happening since it has already started with paint jobs and the seasonal closure of Stitch. However, the plans have not been finalized and there are several contenders, and so, competing ideas keep getting leaked...
    • We've already seen the boulders and Carousel of Progress get a new paint job... so they're staying. And the paint job is a hint of what's to come, as well as the new Joffrey's. And rocks will be getting new lighting, like Space Mountain recently received.
    • We've already seen Stitch's Great Escape go into seasonal mode. It was going to be a Wreck It Ralph ride (like Minions/Simpson in Universal), but that is nixed. Some other IP is going there. (by 2019? 2020?)
    • a Speedway overhaul with a TRON Coaster is now the likely scenario to be announced has been announced at D23 Expo 2017
      • Tron is going behind the Speedway and not replacing it. [Here.] [Map.]
      • Speedway is getting an overhaul. [Here.]
        • Electric cars? [Possible.]
        • Not likely to be Sugar Rush from Wreck-it Ralph. [Here.]
        • Maybe a Tron theme for Speedway? [citation needed]
        • in the artwork for Tron, the Speedway still exists -- this is a sign it isn't being removed as some sites have rumored [link needed]
    • Old news concerning Speedway and Tron:
      • Tron coaster is a contender, but not a top one [likely]
      • Speedway is changing: they're still debating whether to give it an overlay, truncate it, or completely replace it
      • maybe a Candy Rush Racer (from Wreck It Ralph)
      • maybe in conjunction with Tron coaster
    • Other stuff: Insiders hint that there are several other significant changes coming, but won't say what so as to protect their sources.
    • There will be 2-3 new rides [likely]
    • A new theater "off of Main Street" to be added. Likely to be in the employee parking lot next to Main Street bypass (which is likely to make the bypass fully themed and open all or most of the time) [announced at D23 2017]
    • Carousel of Progress is getting a refurb, most likely updating final scene and reskinning the AAs [likely]
    • A name change for Tomorrowland? Discovery Land?

  • Adventureland
    • Tiki Room: a possible contender of multiple plans is to replace Tiki Room with something else. Multiple sources say such a plan, along with others, exists [strong]
    • wdwthemeparks on Moana coming to Adventureland
    • Fire Mountain Rumor: A volcano for Adventureland was once on the drawing board a long time ago, the rumor it's back on the table as a possibility has recently been revived.

  • Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson will star in a Jungle Cruise movie. He posted on instagram that "we'll partner with Disney's brilliant Imagineers to help re-engineer and re-design the #JungleCruise ride in all the Disney theme parks around the world." Orlando Sentinel says Disney says there is no plan to revamp the ride.
  • Characters
    • Incredibles Super Dance Party will end Apr 30, 2017 [strong] [done]
    • Mr. Incredible and Frozone move to Move it Shake It. Chip and Dale move to Town Square (leaving Frontierland) where stitch met. Stitch move to Tomorrowland. [strong] [done]
    • Chip, Dale, Phineas and Ferb are leaving MiSi toward the end of May. Bob, Frozone, Stitch and Genie will be coming back to MiSi. [strong]

  • Trolley Show: From now on three musical sets: 1. The standard set that will go from January to August; 2. Fall set; and, 3. Holiday set. However, costuming and times of transitions will follow Mickey's Royal Faire seasonal endings. [strong]
  • Haunted Mansion restaurant. [one source, likely?]
  • Splash Mountain refurb: August 28th-November 16th, 2017. [official]
  • Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was hoped to get the special effects ('splosions!) that the DL version had sooner than later, but, now probably later.. in 2020. [here]
  • Hall of Presidents refurb supposed to end Jun 29, 2017 [official], but now is later with an indefinite date
  • Prince Charming Regal Carrousel refurb: Apr 24 - May 18, 2017 [official] [done]
Animal Kingdom (2021)


Resorts
  • Designation of Value, Moderate, and Deluxe being done away with. Rooms priced as the market will bear. Multiple criteria will be considered in pricing: closeness to a park, size of room, theming, amenities, etc.... Computer searching for price range replaces cost tiers.
  • Tower being built in Coronado Springs. High end / business suites. Top story viewing-restaurant. Room refurbs, landscaping update. [official] [discussion thread]
  • Caribbean
    • Centertown update with more retail and dining. [official]
    • DVC for Caribbean called "Riviera" (deluxe, not moderate). Most likely a new section / tower with a new related theme and a gondola lift station. [strong] [confirmed at D23 2017]
  • Whole bunch of rumored new projects, most of them DVC. Some bantered about:
    • A Star Wars theme hotel with a two-night interactive component [strong, corroborated by official survey about such a resort] [confirmed at D23 2017]
    • Brand new resort complexes in the area of Epcot entrance (not Crescent Lake), four in the running [likely]
    • Swolphin tower on Fantasia Gardens tennis court with cabanas turned into more parking (but the miniature golf being more or less left alone) [see here and following]
      • it will be some brand of Marriott, a rumor of a Kessler Collection Tower is being denied by a Kessler spokesperson [here]
    • Another tower for Contemporary [weak]
    • Another resort near Poly and Shades of Green [very weak]

In General / Park Wide


Disney Springs
  • DisneyQuest is finally closing down on July 3, 2017 to be replaced with the NBA Experience. This will entail a complete demolition of DQ. [official]
  • 3rd Parking Garage going up in employee lot across the street by the Speedway. Construction started. [official]
  • La Nouba the Cirque show at the Cirque 'tent' is ending at the end of 2017. A new Cirque show will take its place requiring the theater to go dark during its refurbishment and renovation. [official]
    • During this time, a big top tent may go up behind the Cirque theater for a temporary Cirque show. [likely]
    • Then when done, a 4th garage go up in that site. [weak]
  • LED lights in the 'springs' will provide colored mood lighting [likely] and even put on a lite light show [weak]
  • Beginning fall 2017 or early 2018, Marketplace shops will be refurbed to bring them up to DS level (like Planet Hollywood and Fulton Crab House had to upgrade). [weak]
  • The Edison's opening is moved again, to Late 2017. It is unknown if "Walt's" or a rumored underground tunnel guest area (maybe a speakeasy) is still in the works. Thread here.
  • Uniqlo hems. As does Levi's store.
  • As of April 24, 2017, rumors are that Bongos and Wolfgang Puck (the restaurant, and not the QS) will be replaced by some other restaurant(s).


Disneyland / CA
  • The area around GotG:MB (which was rumored to be a new Marvel Land) recently got a budget cut. [strong]
 
MisterPenguin

MisterPenguin

President of Animal Kingdom
Premium Member
Original Poster
Epcot:

maybe Coco (the new movie) will be overlaid unto the Gran Fiesta ride in Mexico [strong, mid 2020] [Gran Fiesta closing around late 2019] [overlaid like Gran Fiesta was overlaid] [cryptic: and maybe a Coco overlay to the interior of the pavilion?] {updated}

there will be a possible new national pavilion, likely to be Brazil (2021?) (2022?) with possible attached attraction/ride [chance of an attached attraction down to more than likely not than likely] {updated}

GogT replacing Ellen's: Opens Spring 2021 [here] {added}

the UoE building will be converted into multiple pre-shows, queues, and the load/unload [here] [and here] {updated}

New Space Restaurant (restaurant in Earth orbit) between Space and Test Track pavilions [citation needed] [map] [will be attached to Space building, but separate entrance] {added}
  • Cryptic: Entrance to Space Restaurant will be... fabulous. [here] {added}

Seimens is ending sponsorship of Spaceship Earth and Illuminations. Confirmed by a Seimens' press release. Discussion of what that may mean here.
  • Spaceship Earth's scheduled refurb in 2019 is just a regular refurb. [here]
  • Spaceship Earth could see a new ride system, but way in the future [here] {added}

DHS:

Mickey Ride {Mickey's and Minnie's Runaway Railway} replacing (not overlaying) the Great Movie Ride (2019, 3-4Q. Starting this August 13, 2017. Uses Mickey Shorts animation and 2 1/2D effects on an LPS vehicle. [confirmed at D23 2017]

MK:

A new theater "off of Main Street" to be added. Likely to be in the employee parking lot next to Main Street bypass [here] {added}(which is likely to make the bypass fully themed and open all or most of the time) [announced at D23 2017]

a TRON Coaster has been announced at D23 Expo 2017

Misc:

Cryptic clue: Maybe there will be something built immediately behind World Showcase (American, Japan, France), or, the gondola system is set up for expansion, or, something... [here] {added}

gondolas will be 8 person cabins from Doppelmayr, have a through-put of 5,000 people per hour, have wi-fi, and ample passive ventilation [here] {added}

Almost everything that will open in time for MK's 50th (Oct 2021) has been officially announced. [here] {added}

Resorts:

  • A Star Wars theme hotel with a two-night interactive component [strong, corroborated by official survey about such a resort] [confirmed at D23 2017]
  • live, interactive, in-character CMs will likely be new characters and not known (e.g., no Han Solo). [here] {added}
.
 
Last edited:
MisterPenguin

MisterPenguin

President of Animal Kingdom
Premium Member
Original Poster
Epcot:

Imagination - something with Imagination... maybe... and if so, it's 5-6 years away (2022-3) [and again] {updated}
  • It's long range budget is less than Energy's [here] {added}

Food & Beverage associated with GotG is a possibility [here] {added}

Space Restaurant to open in 2019 [here] {added}

Canada's 360 Degree Theater to go digital [weak], still undecided [here] {updated}



DHS:

Mickey Ride {Mickey's and Minnie's Runaway Railway} replacing (not overlaying) the Great Movie Ride (2019, 3-4Q). Starting this August 13, 2017 [construction to start immediately]. {added} Uses Mickey Shorts animation and 2 1/2D effects on an LPS vehicle. [confirmed at D23 2017]

Drive-in and Commissary safe for now [likely] {added}

The rumored "Phase 3" is not going to be another land, but instead, updates like the Mickey ride; however, there once was talk of "2 new areas" in the planning stages which are now off the table
  • No other big stuff for five or six years [here] {added}

MK:

Maybe a Tron theme for Speedway? [Here.] {citation added}
Tron Expected to be completed Spring 2021 [here] {added}

Potential map of new Main Street theater placement [here] {added}

AK:

Pandora: An extra attraction and a full sit-down restaurant a possible addition [here] {added}
 
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