As fall starts to descend at the Magic Kingdom (yes, I know it is only the second week of August), we are just days away from the first Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween party and the pumpkins of Main Street USA have started to pop up.
Held for a record 36 select nights from August 16th through November 1st, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is a specially ticketed event that captures the spirit of the season with spooky décor, lighting and music parkwide, along with returning favorites such as Mickey’s Boo to You Parade, the Hocus Pocus Villains Spelltacular castle stage show and trick-or-treating throughout the park. Also returning for this year’s party will be special attraction experiences for Mad Tea Party, Pirates of the Caribbean and Space Mountain.
Of course, with the temperature hitting the low hundreds and the humidity at 100%, it is hard to start to get in the fall mood. Still, Main Street USA and all the decorations are a great way to start.
One of the ongoing projects has been the widening of the path from Liberty Square to Fantasyland beside the castle. What used to be hardly big enough for a stroller or ECV looks to be a much wider space to help alleviate some of the parade traffic that shuts down this side of the park.
Now for the largest spot of construction, we have to pass into Tomorrowland, where since the last update there has been no change to the sign/archway that used to make the entrance into the land.
Of course, the next big thing coming to Magic Kingdom is the TRON Lightcycle coaster (based on the TRON Lightcycle Power Run coaster in Shanghai Disneyland), that is being constructed next to Space Mountain.
The view from inside Tomorrowland is not a pretty one right now as the large mound of dirt has been placed conveniently in the sightline from the former walkway to Fantasyland.
However, the Tomorrowland Transit Authority Peoplemover does offer a great view of the framework for the building being built around the coaster.
The above view looks to be the most comparable to the Shanghai view below, with the show building in the distance and the exterior track in the foreground.
For the best view of things to come, the Storybook Circus side of the park offers an amazing view if you brave the queue for The Barnstormer.
From the queue, you can get a clear view of the concrete footers that have been poured for the extension of the track out over the walkway and queue, if it is anything like the Shanghai version.
As most of the interior track is in place, once the structure is complete, it looks like that may be when the “exterior” track and canopy will be put into place.
With the TRON construction, the Walt Disney World Railroad has also been down, which has provided the parks with a great opportunity to take what was once just a basic retention pond between Magic Kingdom and the Contemporary Hotel and plus it to make what will be a very visually appealing location for guests traveling by bus or Monorail.
Now, not all construction in going on inside the berm of the Magic Kingdom. The former “Walk Around the World” pathway is being complete with a bridge that will connect the Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and the entrance to the Magic Kingdom.
That wraps up our look at work being down around the Magic Kingdom. Stay tuned later this week for a preview of the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival as well as the opening night of Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.