https://www.thenerdelement.com/2023/04/15/disneys-magic-keys-star-tours-rogers-the-musical-and-splash-mountain-closing-date-and-updates/

Good afternoon, everyone! Today I want to discuss some information in terms of Disneyland! So, let’s get started, shall we?! First off, Disneyland has brought back the Magic key annual passes for people that want to get them starting now. There are 4 kinds of passes that people can get: The inspire, Believe, Enchant, and Imagine. It also includes feature admission price options, experiences, and savings on food, beverages and merchandise. New pass sales are available online for a limited time only. Now recently, the majority of Disneyland’s Magic Key annual passes have sold out. Most of Disneyland’s Magic Key passes are no longer available for new purchases just four days after the annual passes went back on sale. The Inspire Key is the only annual pass available for purchase. The Believe, Enchanted and Imagine keys are available for renewals only, according to the Disneyland website. The Inspire Key is the resort’s most expensive pass that offers the fewest blackout dates. The Believe Key has more blackout dates than the Inspire Key, and the Imagine Key pass has the most blackout dates and is only available to Southern California residents. The theme park announced Monday that sales of its popular annual pass would resume on April 11. Prospective annual pass holders had to join an online queue to purchase the pass. Current pass holders could also upgrade their passes at ticket booths at the theme park. Disneyland launched the Magic Key program in August 2021 after retiring the popular annual passport program during a yearlong shutdown of Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The keys give park guests access to the parks on select dates, depending on availability and pass type, along with select discounts on food, merchandise and Genie+, the park’s paid line-skipping service that replaced the Fast Pass program. I’m glad to hear that the Magic Key passes are back so that people can try and get them. I know some people are disappointed that the passes are sold out pretty fast and they could not get them. But don’t worry, you will another chance if you miss it.

Onto the news of Star Tours… Disney has announced that Star Tours will be adding the new destinations at Disneyland in Anaheim, Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Disney World, and in Disneyland Paris in 2024. So, the adventure does continue!! Before there was Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge, before there was Galactic Starcruiser, heck, even before there were prequel movies, there was Star Tours. The first collaboration between Lucasfilm and Disney theme parks debuted in 1987 and in the decades since, has always attempted to stay current. On Sunday at Star Wars Celebration, it was announced that tradition will continue. “2024 is going to be a great year for traveling on Star Tours,” Scott Trowbridge, one of the lead Imagineers behind Galaxy’s Edge, said at the convention. New destinations will be added to the thrill ride in all three parks it resides in: Disneyland in Anaheim, CA, Hollywood Studios in Orlando, FL and Disneyland Paris is, well, you know. That’s the good news. The bad, but also tantalizingly awesome news, is that Disney is not saying what specific locations are being added to the ride. Why? Because they’re from Star Wars content that hasn’t been released yet. What that probably means something from Ahsoka, Skeleton Crew, or even The Acolyte, as those are expected to be the next three major Star Wars releases between now and 2024. (Also, who is to say what happens in the last few episodes of The Mandalorian?) As we don’t know what planets those shows visit yet, it’s impossible to say what these places could be. But hopefully, they’re as memorable and exciting as some of the other recent additions to the ride. After debuting in 1987, Star Tours remained largely unchanged until 2011, when multiple new locations were added to the ride, leading to the rebrand of Star Tours: The Adventures Continue. Originally, guests would sit down in a transport that took them on a ride through locations in all original Star Wars movies, but it was always the same ride. The new update added multiple locations from all six movies, as well as randomization, so there were now over 50 different combinations. Then, with the release of each of the films in the sequel trilogy, planets from each one of those was added. And now next year, we’re getting even more. Let us know what shows you hope to see, and how many new additions you want. I can’t wait to see what the new destinations look like on Star Tours when they are added next year. I love Star Tours in Tomorrowland!!!

Onto Rogers, the Musical… Disneyland has announced that they will be opening a new show at the Hyperion Theater called “Rogers, the Musical in California Adventure Park that is next to the ride Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout! It will be part of the Marvel land. One of the best parts of Hawkeye on Disney+ was when Clint took his family to see Rogers: The Musical, a show about the life story of Captain America Steve Rogers, on Broadway. We got to see a whole song about the Battle of New York performed in all its over-the-top glory. While it may have made Clint Barton roll his eyes hard, fans watching ate it up. So much so, that many MCU fans wanted to see more. And now, we are finally getting that chance. The official Disney Parks Twitter account has released a teaser for Rogers: The Musical coming to Disneyland Resort, specifically Disney California Adventure, this summer. And we also officially have a release date, Rogers: The Musical will open on June 30. It’s going to be a short, one-act play, performed at the Hyperion Theater. But hey, a short version is still more than one song. And judging from the teaser, it looks like Agent Peggy Carter will have a sizable role. As well she should, as she was Steve’s main squeeze, and a huge part of his life story. The songwriting team of Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman co-wrote the lyrics of the one song we saw performed, “I Can Do This All Day.” Shaiman also produced the actual song recording in the original version. We imagine an expanded version would also give us a truncated version of Cap’s origin. Not to mention his romance with Peggy Carter. And it’ll probably end with a fictionalized version of his “death” fighting Thanos. Presumably, that’s what the world at large believed happened to Steve. Although, as The Falcon and the Winter Soldier showed us, lots of people think Steve is alive and living on the moon. An official blog post from the Disney Parks Blog shares more about the musical; it reveals:

This production features a talented cast of singers and dancers telling the story of Steve Rogers – Captain America – joined by Peggy Carter, Nick Fury and select members of the Avengers. The musical will take the audience on a journey from Steve’s humble beginnings during World War II to becoming Captain America, leading the Avengers and beyond. It’s a classic tale of heroes, time travel, and romance, oh … and Nick Fury sings!

The show will be super powered by music, including “Save the City,” from the Disney+ series “Hawkeye”; “Star Spangled Man” from the film “Captain America: The First Avenger”; plus, five new original songs written just for “Rogers: The Musical” at the Disneyland Resort.

Rogers: The Musical in MCU canon was performed at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in New York City. The Avengers were invited to see the premiere of the musical, although Hawkeye was the only Avenger in attendance. To be fair, the two other actual Avengers in the musical were dead, and the world believed that the titular hero of the musical was dead too. We imagine Thor was off-world, and no Broadway theater has Hulk-sized seating, which is a shame, as we think Bruce would have enjoyed it the most. Now, it will be performed Tuesday through Saturday at the Hyperion Theater. The show will run for approximately 30 minutes. And Disney Parks promises some exciting “merchandise and food and beverage offerings themed to Rogers: The Musical” are right around the corner. I think that it will be a great show to watch if you are Marvel fans. I like Marvel!!

Onto the last news of the day and that is the closure of Splash Mountain and the new details of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure…  Disneyland has announced that the classic ride Splash Mountain will be closing on May 31, 2023. We knew Splash Mountain’s days were numbered at Disneyland. We now know exactly when the beloved attraction will close at the California resort. Disney Parks revealed Wednesday that the log flume ride will close in May, months after Splash Mountain closed at Walt Disney World in Florida. They’re shuttering to make way for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, a new attraction set to open next year, which will continue the story that began in “The Princess and the Frog.” Disney also revealed new details about Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Wednesday, including the return of an iconic character from the film. The last operation to ride Splash Mountain will be on May 30, 2023. Splash Mountain’s Br’er Rabbit story is tied to “Song of the South,” a 1946 Disney film, which has been criticized for its idealized portrayal of plantation life. At a March 2020 shareholders meeting, Disney CEO Bob Iger said, “I’ve felt, as long as I’ve been CEO, that ‘Song of the South’ was – even with a disclaimer – was just not appropriate in today’s world.” The attraction will close for good at both Disneyland and Disney World. There are, however, currently no plans to change Splash Mountain at Tokyo Disney Resort, which is owned by Oriental Land Company, which licenses from Disney. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will take guests on an immersive bayou journey culminating in an epic Mardi Gras party for Tiana’s community, which she also helps empower through a new co-op built into a new incarnation of Splash Mountain’s Mountain. Guests will earn more about it all in the ride’s queue, which Disney revealed will smell like beignets. The mountain will be reimagined as a salt dome, like one Imagineers visited on Louisiana’s Avery Island during one of their many research trips for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Charita Carter, executive creative producer for Walt Disney Imagineering, stressed the importance of preserving authenticity while giving dimension to Tiana’s world. “She’s fantastical, but she came from a very real place,” Carter said. She hopes guests from Louisiana will ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and say, “Yeah, this feels right.” As in New Orleans, music will play a big part in the attraction and include both new, original pieces as well as songs from “The Princess and the Frog.” Disney Parks announced Wednesday that “Mama Odie will reprise her role as the catalyst to that magic” in Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Jenifer Lewis, who voiced the Bayou fairy godmother in the film, will also reprise her role. Tiana, Prince Naveen, Louis the alligator and several other characters from “The Princess and the Frog” and their original voice actors will also will be featured in Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Guests will also meet new friends “with distinct names and personalities,” including an otter, rabbit, raccoon, turtle, beaver and opossum, among dozens of “entirely new audio-animatronics figures.” Alrighty then!! Well, I’m excited to see what it really looks like when it opens up in 2024. I know that some people hate to see Splash Mountain change, but I think it is time to go. I do like the ride too, but I think I will like the new one better. We all just need to show some respect to Tiana and just make her feel happy and excited. You don’t want to make her feel disappointed and sad. Even Tiana herself knows that Splash Mountain is closing down I imagine if I were to ask her while on the Mark Twain Riverboat!! What do you guys think? Do you agree about what I said about making Tiana feel so happy?

So, what do you think about all the news I wrote to you?! What news stood out to you the most if you have to pick one? I would love to hear lots of comments, thoughts, opinions, questions, or concerns down below!

Stay tuned for Disney updates.

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