In this week’s edition of your favorite feel-good Disney Parks newsletter, I summarized the recent news about Disneyland and Disney World’s big expansion plans, wrote about the context behind Walt’s famous “Disneyland will never be finished” quote, and updated our best time to go recommendations!
Thanks to DisneyLonestar for the real-time pics in the Lounge! See more real-time pics and post your pics here!
MouseWait crash fix 14.4.9:
In 14.4.8, I fixed the MouseWait for Disneyland dashboard so the crowd index would instantly update every time you load it, but in that update, there was a bug that caused the app to crash. 14.4.9 fixes that bug, so it should be working a lot better now, grab it here!
Double Credits Sale Ends Tonight!
Stock up on Credits while you can! Grab them from the MouseWait Store here.
Big Expansion Plans for DL and WDW
- The Anaheim Planning Commission approved Disneyland’s $1.9 billion DisneylandForward expansion plan in a 5-1 vote. The proposal now goes to the Anaheim City Council for final approval, with an initial vote set for April 16 and a second confirming vote on May 7.
- The expansion would allow Disney to build new rides, attractions, hotels, retail and dining on existing Disneyland property over the next 30-40 years. While no specific plans have been announced yet, concept art shows the expansion could bring lands and attractions inspired by popular franchises like Frozen, Zootopia, Tangled, Peter Pan, and Toy Story.
Disney CEO Bob Iger recently confirmed that a second Avatar-themed land is planned for the Disneyland expansion, after the success of Pandora at Disney World. Other possibilities mentioned by Disney executives include lands based on Coco, Black Panther and more.
- Environmental impact reports reveal the expansion plans include 16 new rides – 5 thrill rides, 9 family rides, and 2 spinning rides. A new outdoor show similar to World of Color or Fantasmic is also planned.
- For Disneyland visitors, the expansion means major new immersive lands, attractions, hotels, shopping and dining options will likely be added in phases over the coming decades, providing fresh experiences and more reasons to visit the resort.
- Disney executives have confirmed plans for what will likely be the largest expansion ever of Magic Kingdom park. The project, dubbed “Beyond Big Thunder”, will add 12-14 acres behind the current Big Thunder Mountain Railroad roller coaster, about the same size as the 14-acre Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge land.
- While Disney has not announced specifics on what will be included, concept art from the 2022 D23 Expo shows the expansion could bring lands and attractions inspired by Coco, Encanto, and Disney Villains. Frozen, Tangled and Peter Pan have also been rumored as possibilities.
- As part of Disney’s overall $60 billion investment plan for its parks and cruises over the next 10 years, 70% of those funds ($42 billion) will go towards building new attractions to expand park capacity. The Magic Kingdom expansion is one key component of that growth strategy.
- The expansion comes as Universal Orlando prepares to open its new Epic Universe theme park in 2025, which will feature lands based on properties like Super Nintendo and Harry Potter. However, Iger claims Disney has been aware of those plans for a decade and is deploying its capital strategically in response.
- For Walt Disney World visitors, the Magic Kingdom expansion means a major new immersive area will likely be added to the park sometime in the late 2020s, providing fresh experiences and reasons to plan a trip. However, the exact timeline, budget and details of what will be included are still unknown, as Disney tends to announce specifics closer to groundbreaking.
ALL-ACCESS Member Update:
Here are the new additions included in your ALL-ACCESS membership:
✅ IMPROVED IN THE LATEST RELEASE: Curated Daily Report: enter your preferences, we read the news for you, then you get a customized daily report! (available in MW Disneyland–Disney World coming this week). Check out the video here!
✅ Sticker Fairy: Design custom stickers for the Lounge or anything else you want, like merchandise or t-shirts. You own the designs!
✅ NEW in Sticker Fairy: Turn Yourself Into Any Character with Image to Sticker!
✅ Unlimited Dining Alerts for Disneyland and Disney World
✅ Expert Priority Email Support: We answer your questions 7 days a week!
✅ Ad-free premium versions of ALL our apps: Disneyland, Disney World, Nashville, and more to come!
✅ Disneyland + Disney World VISION Tour Guide: take a pic, get top five tips!
✅ Disneyland + Disney World Recipe Generator: take a pic of your food, or screenshot food from our Lounge, get a Disney-inspired recipe.
✅ Unlimited trained ChatGPT chats: ask anything about the parks and Kate will search the web, compile answers, and save you time and money!
✅ lounge.land private Lounge: SAVE 15 HOURS and $500 PER TRIP!
✅ 1000 MouseWait Credits per month
Keep an eye out for exciting new additions like Fort Wilderness, Disney Cruise Line, and Universal Studios, coming soon! If you have any suggestions for new apps, please reply and let me know!
Subscribe in the apps, or for a limited time, get a LIFETIME Founding Membership package here!
Updates from the Lounge
Brighten your day with a grand circle tour through the MouseWait Lounge! You’ll find incredible posts like the ones below. Jack and I have been working together to improve the Lounge and he recently added comments to the main feed–check it out and let me know if you like it!
Upcoming Events at Disneyland & Disney World
Here is our updated list of upcoming events and refurbishments for both Disneyland and Disney World:
For a larger view, visit this page. You can also access it from the “Home” tab of the MouseWait for Disneyland and Disney World.
And now, let’s take a look at Walt Disney World:
Disney Cruise Line best time to go:
Here is your weekly report of the best times to go on a Disney Cruise from May 2024 to May 2025: The least expensive times to sail on Disney Cruise Line from May 2024 – May 2025 are likely to be:
- September and October 2024 (except for holidays like Columbus Day weekend)
- Early November 2024 (before Thanksgiving)
- Early December 2024 (first two weeks, before the holidays)
- January 2025 (except for New Year’s week)
- Early February 2025
- Early May 2025
These months historically have lower cruise fares because they are during the school year and are considered the “off-season”. Avoid cruising during the summer (June-August), spring break, Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Year’s weeks as prices are significantly higher. For budget travelers, the best Disney cruise ship to sail on is likely the Disney Magic or Disney Wonder. These are the two smallest and oldest ships in the fleet, so they often have lower fares compared to the newer, larger ships like the Disney Wish. Look for 3-4 night Bahamian or Caribbean itineraries on the Magic or Wonder for the lowest prices.
Other money-saving tips:
- Book as early as possible, ideally over a year in advance, for the lowest rates. Unlike other cruise lines, Disney prices only go up over time, not down.
- Use a Disney travel agent. They often offer onboard credits and booking incentives at no additional cost.
- Bring your own drinks and snacks onboard to avoid paying inflated prices. Each adult can bring a 6-pack of beer or 2 bottles of wine.
- Look for restricted guarantee fares. You pick a stateroom category and Disney assigns you a room, but you can save substantially.
- Sail during the week of your birthday or other special occasion. Disney sometimes offers special perks and gifts.
- Pre-pay gratuities and avoid booking extras like spa treatments, specialty dining, shore excursions and professional photos to keep costs down.
The best way to get the lowest price is to have date and itinerary flexibility. When Disney releases new itineraries, jump on the lowest fares for off-season dates, even if booking far in advance. With some smart planning, you can experience the magic of a Disney cruise without breaking the bank!
VOYAGEERS: Finding Hidden Treasures in the Parks
Walt Disney was a visionary who understood that his beloved theme park, Disneyland, would always need to keep evolving and growing to keep the magic alive. His famous quote, “Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world,” perfectly captures his philosophy that the park should always be in a state of becoming, adapting to new generations and their dreams.
Photos courtesy of the Parkeology Project
Walt said this while giving a speech at the 10th anniversary of Disneyland in 1965, just a year before his death. He was reflecting on how far the park had come in its first decade, but also looking ahead to the future, knowing there would always be new stories to tell and new experiences to create. This forward-thinking mindset and relentless drive to innovate set Walt apart. If he were around today to see the recently announced expansions at Disneyland and Disney World, he would no doubt be excited, and he’d find a way to get it done 10 times faster!
Walt’s visit to Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen back in 1951 had a profound impact on his vision for Disneyland. He fell in love with the Danish amusement park’s charming blend of lush gardens, tame rides, and warm atmosphere that appealed to both children and adults. Walt took copious notes on everything from the seats and rides to the food and lights, determined to capture a similar enchanting vibe in his own park.
Walt Disney’s 1951 visit to Tivoli Gardens
Opened in 1843, Tivoli is the second-oldest operating amusement park in the world. Walt was captivated by how the park had evolved over the decades while still retaining its original allure. He saw Tivoli as a model for how an amusement park could stay relevant by continuing to grow and change with the times. This revelation heavily influenced Walt’s design philosophy for Disneyland.
Just four years after that fateful Tivoli visit, Disneyland opened its gates in 1955. While inspired by Tivoli’s lovely gardens and family-friendly atmosphere, Walt took the concept much further, creating immersive themed lands that transported guests to different worlds. Still, Tivoli’s DNA can be felt in Disneyland’s magical ambiance, focus on cleanliness and attention to detail.
Over 60 years later, the Disney parks are still guided by Walt’s vision of constant evolution and innovation. Recent expansions like Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge demonstrate the company’s continued push to bring new stories to life in groundbreaking ways. With upcoming projects like the Disneyland Forward initiative and Disney World’s new Frozen, Tangled and Zootopia areas in the works, it’s clear Walt’s creative spirit is still very much alive.
While some worry that Walt wouldn’t approve of the parks’ modern direction, I believe he would embrace the changes, as long as they were executed with the same uncompromising commitment to quality and immersive storytelling that he held so dear. After all, Walt was never one to rest on his laurels. He was always looking for the next big idea, the next way to push the boundaries of what a theme park could be.
The only thing that no expansion will ever live up to is capturing the magic of Walt’s physical presence in the Park.
As Disneyland and Disney World embark on these exciting expansions, Walt’s words still ring true: “Disneyland will never be completed.” It will keep growing and evolving, as long as there are Imagineers and fans to dream up new possibilities. And that’s exactly how Walt would have wanted it.