Everything you need to know about returning attractions and Magic Key Lawsuit
Hello everyone! We’ve got plenty happening and in and around the parks.
Here’s what Disney Vacation Club fans need to know about returning attractions and *sigh* COVID in Orange County, Florida.
The New Indiana Jones
Quick! Name the oldest attraction still remaining at Disney’s Hollywood Studios!
Photo Courtesy of DisneyTouristBlog.com
Technically, this one’s something of a trick question at the moment. The Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! first opened on August 25th, 1989.
A few months later, the original version of Star Tours arrived. Unfortunately, those are the only two attractions from the 1980s that remain.
Over the years, Disney critics have repeatedly reported its impending doom, only for the stunt show to remain stubbornly performing for guests.
Seriously, I vividly recall thinking that if we didn’t watch it during a 2014 performance, I’d never see it again.
Some cynics believed they had finally gotten their wish during the pandemic, as Disney laid off most of its live performers.
This change theoretically provided park officials with plenty of time to plot the subsequent usage of the space.
So, you can imagine everyone’s surprise now that Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular is reopening on Sunday.
Disney had every opportunity to kill it, yet they chose to bring back the remarkable stunt show for another generation.
The Disney Parks channel on YouTube even posted a promotional video about it:
According to the Orlando Sentinel, the show will feature “new effects, dialogue and setup.”
The show’s director describes what sounds like a tighter show with more efficient dialogue to keep the proceedings moving.
You can read the details of the changes in the interview, but the modifications certainly hint that Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular! is here to stay!
Park Updates
DVC fans staying at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge are in for a treat. Storybook Dining at Artist Point has reopened!
Here’s a video of Paging Mr. Morrow eating there on the restaurant’s first night back:
Like the Indiana Jones show, Storybook Dining has changed slightly from its previous version.
Part of the update stems from new ideas, while some of the menu changes might be due to supply issues.
Whatever the reason, the reopening night received raves from people who dined there.
Speaking of supply issues, you cannot build your own lightsaber at Tatooine Traders at the moment.
The merchant at Hollywood Studios simply doesn’t have the needed parts for lightsaber construction right now. Folks, this is how The First Order wins.
While we’re on the subject of Star Wars, Oga’s Cantina at Disneyland just did something weird.
The Star Wars bar arbitrarily canceled all its existing reservations for January and early February in 2022. Here’s a tweet from the person who broke the story:
Oga’s Cantina reservations at Disneyland from Jan. 1-Feb. 6, 2022 were automatically canceled and guests have been receiving notification of cancellation by email. Reservations during that period are now available to book again online. pic.twitter.com/TZQGTQc3rp
— Brooke Geiger McDonald (@BrookeGMcDonald) December 17, 2021
I don’t know whether Disneyland will fix this or not. However, if you’re potentially impacted, you should try booking another reservation right now.
Disney News and Notes
According to the Orange County Register, some of Disney’s most loyal fans have sued Disneyland.
Yes, owners of Disney’s Magic Key annual pass have filed a $5 million lawsuit claiming that Disney has failed to honor the program’s promises.
The people behind this legal matter suggest that Disneyland has “Disneyland relegated them to “second class” ticket holders.”
Their complaints center on “artificially limiting Magic Key reservations and the number of passholders that can visit on any given day.”
The full details reside in the article, which is regrettably behind a paywall. However, the crux of the argument is straightforward.
These passholders feel that “Disneyland deceived its most loyal fans by artificially limiting theme park capacity and blocking passholders with “no blockout” annual passes from making reservations.”
Folks, that’s a totally fair argument for what has been a sometimes disastrous launch of the new Magic Key program.
The other news for the day is something I’d rather not discuss. I’d be remiss if I didn’t warn you, though.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, the latest national Coronavirus report suggests Orange County, Florida, is a “rapid riser county.”
On top of that, COVID cases have doubled in Florida, with a positivity rate above five percent for the first time since September.
Those of you spending time at the park this holiday season may choose to take extra precautions during your visit.
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