Link to article: The 13 BIG Changes That Are Coming to Walt Disney World

An artist rendering of what a ride in the new Avatar World at Animal Kingdom will look like - cool!  Credit: themeparktourist.com

I knew about some of these, but there are some very interesting things going on in WDW right now.  A list of the 13 biggest changes coming in the next year are listed here on themeparktourist.com:

Something BIG!

I am looking forward to most of these, especially making Animal Kingdom more of a "full day" park with the addition of a nighttime show, an expansion of Africa, and the whole new Avatar World.  These are things I would love to see.

The addition of Star Wars to all things Disney has been a great success, and I think even more families will go to what is currently Hollywood Studios (although it will change, but to what is anyone's guess) to see an entire Star Wars WORLD.

I've not been completely smitten with Toy Story at Hollywood Studios, but some of the new rides might draw me in.  I can see a whole new theme for the park going in when they "officially" change the name to...whatever it's going to be.  I'm just glad I have both an MGM Studios AND Hollywood Studios pin in my collection already!

Disney Springs is about 60% complete and should be done before Christmas.  I will be taking lots of photos around Halloween, so I hope most of it is done by then.

I am REALLY glad they are adding a third section to Soarin' at Epcot - the wait for this ride is always extremely long, unless you have a FastPass.  Even after all this time, it never gets old, and I love it.

I also think that the addition of the Frozen-themed ride in Epcot's Norway pavilion is going to create a LOT more traffic where people with small kids probably avoided that whole area before, sadly.  I tend to think of Epcot as a whole a more "grown-up" park, especially the pavilions 
in the World Showcase at the back.  The front of the park currently has all of the rides, and I haven't seen as many families spending too much time wandering through the 11 pavilions as I have, with many of them indulging in an adult beverage, or two, or three.

Still, this is why WDW never gets old - there is always something new going on!

Link to Article: Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar to Open this Fall at Downtown Disney at Walt Disney World Resort

Photo: io9.com - ADORBS!

I am a fan of the Indiana Jones movies.

I adore Harrison Ford (in pretty much everything).

When I saw that WDW would be opening Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar in Downtown Disney this Fall, it made me very, very excited because I will BE THERE this Fall!

More information and artist renderings on the Disney Parks blog here - it looks like it will be a neat place to visit:  

Indiana Jones

They will serve tapas-style plates (small plates) and alcohol, so this is the sort of place for the adults to visit.

The article doesn't give an exact date, but I hope it's open by October 22nd when I arrive, because I want to pay a visit!

Downtown Disney - Overview

Photo: smallworldvacations.com

Downtown Disney (DD) is an area of Disney World that has restaurants, shopping, shows, and lots of family activities. 

DD is open at 9 a.m. daily, and stays open as late as 12 am or 1 am on the weekends, depending on the season.  You can drive and park if you're traveling by car, or get there by bus from any of the Disney resorts or theme parks, OR you can even get there by boat if you are staying at Port Orleans Riverside, Port Orleans French Quarter, Old Key West, or Saratoga Springs resort.

DD has recently expanded to include The Boathouse, a signature dining experience, and "Amphicars", amphibious water cars that you can ride out over the Downtown Disney lagoon for about 20 minutes.  

One of the newer experiences is called Characters in Flight - a hot air balloon that takes you for a short ride up and over Downtown Disney and the surrounding lagoon.  Looking at the YouTube videos, it looks like a beautiful view of a LOT of the Disney World surrounding area, and I look forward to trying it on my solo trip in October!

Some of the best shops are found at DD, including a huge store called World of Disney, billed as the "largest Disney character store" in the world. You can find just about anything Disney in this store for a good souvenir.

There is a Cirque show called La Nouba on the West Side of DD, as well as a large AMC theater, bowling alley, DisneyQuest (an indoor gaming extravaganza), the House of Blues, Rainforest Cafe, Earl of Sandwich, a Ghirardelli's shop, and food trucks with tastes from around the world.

DD is the best place to go on one of your "off days" - either a day in the middle of a long trip when you want to take it a bit slower, or on the day you arrive when you don't want to waste a partial day at the park when you've paid for a full day or park hopper ticket (these are covered separately under ticket options).

Check out the options on the Walt Disney World Resort website here: Walt Disney World Resort.