There have been many announcements this weekend at D23. In those announcements there were some good updates about Disney World. Let’s start with Magic Kingdom and what’s coming to the park.
Carousel of Progress Update
I’m sure I’m not the only one that was wondering who was going to be voicing the father in this updated version of the classic attraction. D23 gave us the answer for both John and Sarah (father and mother). The iconic Jean Shepherd had been the voice of John for as long as I’ve known the ride. Unfortunately, his voice had to be replaced when Disney decided to refurb the attraction, but the actor they choose to voice the father is a good fit, in my opinion. Bryan Cranston will be the new voice of John and Jamie Lee Curtis will be the voice of Sarah. While I will miss Jean Shepherd’s narration, I’m excited to hear the new narration from these two great actors.
When this attraction reopens there will be four new scenes. Act 1 will take place in 1969 with the family all around the TV to watch the historic moon landing. Act 2 takes place in 1985 during Halloween with Sarah talking about how new appliances have make life easier for her and her family. In Act 3 the scene takes place on New Year’s Eve 1999 and introduces the family to something new called the internet. Act 4 shows the family in the distant future with new innovations that have become part of their life. It’s going to be interesting to see the new scenes, but it will also be good to see the attraction refreshed, which has been needed for a while. The Carousel of Progress is expected to reopen in late spring 2027.
Piston Peak Update
There were some really good details announced about this new area this weekend. When this new area opens there will be two new rides for guests to experience. The first is Miss Fritter’s Daredevil Spin-Along, which is inspired by the demolition scene in Cars 3. From the picture, it looks like the vehicles will seat up to four guests and I’m wondering if it’s going to be along the lines of Alien Swirling saucers, but we’ll see as more details are released.
Another attraction opening with Piston Peak is Cars Ridge Run Rally. Guests will be in cars, which simulate an off-road car, and will race through America’s national parks (including Piston Peak). When racers reach the top of the snow-capped mountain, the cars start down the hill, navigating through a geyser field and end by circling the Old Tankfull geyser. At the end, guests see Lightning McQueen and Mater covering the race on Racing Sports Network.
Villain’s Land Update
The size of this land was compared to the size of Galaxy’s Edge, so it’s going to be a good size and probably very immersive. There will be two major attractions in this land, one is a roller coaster and one is dark ride. The roller coaster is centered around Maleficent with guests racing through an enchanted briar and the Imagineers shared that there will be elements that haven’t been attempted before on similar attractions. So, it will be interesting to see what those elements are when more details are released.
The dark ride will feature many Disney Villains by the Magic Mirror. The Magic Mirror transports guests to his Mirror Realm where they see things from the other side of the mirror. From the picture it looks like it’s going to be a boat ride with projected scenes on the sides, like Na’vi River Journey. As with the other attractions, we’ll see if that’s the case when more details are released.
Are you excited for everything that’s coming to Magic Kingdom?
Thanks for reading!
Liz
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Liz
I love all things Disney, but my main love is for Disney World and I'm always planning for the next trip. Before becoming a Disney blogger, I was a radio DJ, so I guess I'm just continuing in the communication industry, just in a different form. I love talking Disney and I could talk about Disney all day. That's why I started blogging and created the Facebook group. The Disney community is full of friendly, helpful, and happy people...and I love being a part of it! If there is any Disney subject you would like to see covered just let me know! Need help planning your Disney vacation. Feel free to contact myself or Melissa at Never Stop Dreaming Travel Co. We love helping people plan their trips! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy! Don't forget to check out our Countdown to Disney app! Feel free to email me with suggestions of things you would like to see in the app :-)