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Credit: DisneyBy all accounts, May and June have not been kind to the Walt Disney World Resort. Despite schools closing in Florida and nationwide, Disney World has not seen a bump in attendance; it’s been one of the slowest summers in years.
There are several explanations: it’s too hot, Epic Universe took away some of Disney World’s shine, and the pricing. However, the most straightforward explanation is that there have not been many new attractions or rides at Disney World in the last two months.
But July is coming, and with that, Disney World has several new reasons to head to the parks. With major attractions closing forever, guests will want to go say goodbye. Here’s a look at Disney World’s July offerings.
Saying Goodbye
It’s not lost on anyone that three days after celebrating the birth of America, Magic Kingdom is closing two attractions that scream Americana. On July 7, Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island will close after over 50 years at the Disney Park.
Fans have been screaming about these closures since Disney announced that it would replace the two attractions with Cars and Villains Land. Despite their best efforts, Disney will still close the two attractions and turn the majority of Frontierland into a construction site.
Fans will turn out over the Fourth of July weekend for one final ride and one last time running through Tom’s paradise. Soon enough, the walls will go up and be gone forever.
Independence Day
Speaking of the Fourth of July at Magic Kingdom, Disney announced the return of Disney’s Celebrate America! — A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky. The fireworks show will be at Magic Kingdom on July 3 and 4 at 9:20 p.m..
Disney expects massive crowds over the three-day weekend, and you should expect to pay top dollar for everything. In anticipation of those crowds, Disney World jacked up the prices for Lightning Lane starting July 4.
Nothing says “celebrate America” like paying 10-15 percent more on the nation’s birthday.
Magic Kingdom Nighttime Parade
After over a decade, Magic Kingdom will get a nighttime parade. The Starlight Parade will debut on July 20 and will have two shows every night.
Disney announced today that the parade will take place at 9 and 11 p.m., with Happily Ever After taking place at 10 p.m. Starlight will start on Main Street U.S.A. and end in Frontierland to allow guests to leave the park more orderly.
Finally, Magic Kingdom gets its nighttime parade back.
An Updated Attraction
After a year, Test Track will finally return to EPCOT on July 22. The updated ride will still pair Disney with Chevrolet to “celebrate today’s innovation while highlighting the past, present, and future.”
Test Track 3.0 is Disney’s only new or updated ride, opening this summer in its attempt to compete with Epic Universe. Will it be enough to draw crowds to the parks? We will see.
Overview
While the start of “Cool Kid Summer” seems to be a bust at Disney World, plenty is going on in July to bring more guests into the park. Will it be enough to break the narrative that Disney World is empty this summer? Maybe.
At least Disney World is starting to give its biggest fans something to look forward to, or in some cases, things to make them angry enough to come out to the parks.
What are you most looking forward to in July at Disney World? Let us know in the comments.