Note: This post is part of our new “Mouse Hacking Musings” series. These are short, informal posts about whatever topic floats my boat the morning I decide to write it. The musings originally appear in our weekly(ish) newsletter, which also highlights recent news, updates from the blog, and discounts/deals I’ve got my eyes on.
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Change is hard. This is as true for theme park touring as it is for everything else. But at least theme parks are pretty stable about 360 days of the year.
Some parks are tougher to tour than others—getting on every ride at Magic Kingdom is much more challenging than getting on every ride at Animal Kingdom, for example. But the time when things are toughest is when something changes. When you can’t rely on your own past experiences. When even the experts can honestly just shrug and say “we’ll see.”
Magic Kingdom is going through some changes. TRON moved from a virtual queue to a standby queue on September 9 (read more here). Awkwardly, it isn’t yet a part of Early Entry, despite being in Tomorrowland, which is open during Early Entry. We can reasonably expect TRON to join Early Entry at some point, and then everything we’ve learned about rope drop and Early Entry these last few weeks goes out the window.
Then there’s Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, which still uses a virtual queue. At least we don’t expect Tiana’s to be a part of Early Entry (nothing on that side of the park is), so that change to standby should be a little less hectic.
And…beyond? Magic Kingdom has some big changes coming over the next…some number of years. It should be a very different park in 10 years, and we can’t wait to help you figure out the perfect plan for navigating every change that comes our way.
A-Changin’ Part 2: Nahtazu
If the latest rumors are to be believed, the phased closure of Animal Kingdom’s Dinoland USA is going to begin soon. As no close date for DINOSAUR has been announced, it’s expected the Chester and Hester’s Dino-Rama will be the first to go. But there’s also The Boneyard.
People often ask me how travel changes when you have a kid. One big change for us is that, wherever we're headed, we spend a lot more time searching for the best playground (and a lot less time searching for the best bar). The Boneyard is one of the last spaces of its kind at Disney World, a playground space built purely for kids to run, climb, and play.
Hollywood Studios used to have the Honey I Shrunk The Kids playground, which closed to make space for Galaxy’s Edge. Epcot actually does okay with smaller playground and ride exit areas. As for Magic Kingdom, well, the old Splash Mountain play area was removed to make space for stroller parking, and Tom Sawyer Island is on its way out, too.
I’d tell you to “remember that even if you don’t use the spaces, other people do and they’re sad to lose them!”, but I’m part of the problem. My Animal Kingdom one day itinerary doesn’t even mention The Boneyard! Fail.
Either way—we will miss it. Heck, we'll even miss Dino-Rama, where we're glad to have secured a stuffed Triceratops from one of the carnival games. But we look forward to what comes next.
All Your Other Disney World Planning Questions Answered
Don't be overwhelmed by Disney World planning! Take a second to check out our most important content and you'll not only be an expert, but you'll save big $$$ along the way.
Just starting out? Check out our Walt Disney World planning guide! If you're still picking dates, we've got everything you need to know about Disney World crowd calendars. For picking your hotel, check out our Walt Disney World hotels guide.
When it comes time to book we’ll help you find discount Disney World tickets. Decide whether you need a dining plan in our Complete Guide to Disney World Dining Plans! And don't forget to book those Disney World Advance Dining Reservations!
Don't forget to master your Disney World Lightning Lane Guide and Strategy a few months in advance. We'll keep you out of long lines so you can maximize the magical time in the parks! We've got park-specific guides as well: Magic Kingdom Lightning Lane Strategy, Epcot Lightning Lane Strategy, Animal Kingdom Lightning Lane Strategy, and Hollywood Studios Lightning Lane Strategy.
Know what to ride with our guides to: Magic Kingdom rides, Hollywood Studios rides, Epcot rides, and Animal Kingdom rides! Plus learn about the water parks with our guide to Blizzard Beach and our guide to Typhoon Lagoon! And for some some fun prep, check out our Ranking of Every Ride at Walt Disney World.
Finally, before you head out, be sure to check out our to-the-point packing list, 10 essentials you forget to pack for every Disney trip. And if you're interested in saving, there's no better list than our 53 Ways to Save on your Disney trip from start to finish.