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For those interested or going soon, a few updates worth noting:

1. Due to changes in Florida law, all arcades resort-wide will be closing by Monday, Feb. 16. The changes deal with redemption based games and basically require a lot more oversight than they currently have, Disney isn't interested in throwing resources at a small money maker, so they're shutting them down.

2. Starting this week, you may now skip the check in desk at your Disney resort. Simply set up your Magicband ahead of time at home (w charging privileges, etc.) and set up texting alerts. The hotel will text you a room number when your room is ready and you can then use your Magicband to enter. A few resorts are being added each week, but every resort will be doing this by 3/1/15.

3. June 30, 2015 is the last day for the Richard Petty racing stuff at the WDW Speedway. The park is removing the track to create more parking for the MK, since those lots and the TTC ones fill up fast, esp. on busy days. A couple of other backstage buildings are being removed this summer as well. The removals are related to the creation of a new northern gate to the Mouse which will be located just north of the MK. The new road would take you around the backstage areas, before curving around near the Floridian and Poly before emptying into the new MK lots.

Progress!

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For those interested or going soon, a few updates worth noting:

1. Due to changes in Florida law, all arcades resort-wide will be closing by Monday, Feb. 16. The changes deal with redemption based games and basically require a lot more oversight than they currently have, Disney isn't interested in throwing resources at a small money maker, so they're shutting them down.

Source for this? This scared me since I love going to DisneyQuest so I had to make sure. Seems like most arcades will remain open but will no longer have any redemption games. The Tomorrowland arcade is apparently already closed so they can fill the resort arcades, though. (Source)

Of course, this is from January 10th. Things can and do change rapidly. If they did decide to literally close every arcade, then they have so many open spaces now, including all of DisneyQuest. I just don't see that happening. I don't believe DisneyQuest ever had redemption games though, since all the games are free to play as long as you pay to get in.

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I believe the law change is from 2013, reflected in section 849.0935 F.S. regarding games of chance by nonprofits, Very broadly-written law. Several lawsuits pending dealing with the language, but Disney decided to be proactive in the meantime. DQ will remain open, minus the redemption games.

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3. June 30, 2015 is the last day for the Richard Petty racing stuff at the WDW Speedway. The park is removing the track to create more parking for the MK, since those lots and the TTC ones fill up fast, esp. on busy days.

Has it been officially announced the track is being removed specifically for parking? All the articles I've read only list "transportation improvements".

Source for this? This scared me since I love going to DisneyQuest so I had to make sure. Seems like most arcades will remain open but will no longer have any redemption games. The Tomorrowland arcade is apparently already closed so they can fill the resort arcades, though. (Source)

That source is behind a pay-wall (although a very weak one... preventing the page from fully loading can still let you read the article).

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3. June 30, 2015 is the last day for the Richard Petty racing stuff at the WDW Speedway. The park is removing the track to create more parking for the MK, since those lots and the TTC ones fill up fast, esp. on busy days.

Has it been officially announced the track is being removed specifically for parking? All the articles I've read only list "transportation improvements".

Source for this? This scared me since I love going to DisneyQuest so I had to make sure. Seems like most arcades will remain open but will no longer have any redemption games. The Tomorrowland arcade is apparently already closed so they can fill the resort arcades, though. (Source)

That source is behind a pay-wall (although a very weak one... preventing the page from fully loading can still let you read the article).

I believe the Florida Code is free and easily accessible online. You should be able to read the whole statute there. As for removing the track, no official announcement has been made, but Disney isn't exactly fast in announcing things (see Avatar). However, the facts speak for themselves-the MK and TTC need more parking and the track sits smack dab in the middle of where an entirely new area of parking can go. You will see the track being demolished, concrete being poured, lines being painted and lights being installed before you get an official announcement.

The new northern gate is still a few years away, but the track occupies part of the spot where a road extension would go, so removing it clears the way for that portion of the project to be completed down the road.

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The time has come for the annual ticket increase--As of Sunday, February 22 prices will be going up, so if you're interested in saving some money, now's the time. Rumors abound that the no-expiration option is going away and a separate waterpark only ticket will be introduced.

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That's correct; it is getting the DCA makeover, which is def good news. Pirates is slated to go under the knife soon after the end of the summer season in order to give it a proper rehab. It is slated for a couple of 2-3 day rehabs until then, but I'm told this extended rehab will continue until late December and will involve rehabbing everything from the boats on up. There are rumors that depending on what the Imagineers find when they really get into the ride, its rehab could last 6 months, along the lines of the BTMM rehab a couple of years back.

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I imagine they will resolve the last row issue in the boats and up capacity again.

Also Disney continues to push multiple day trips and not a single day experience. See the new prices for that. Yet rooms are still discounted up to 30% throughout the year along with other incentives.

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The Pirates refurb has been bumped to May running through the end of November. I'm told by my CM friends the ride as it is experiences a lot of issues daily and extended downtime happens more often than not. They're figuratively holding things together with duct tape until they can open er up and start rehabbing. The monorails are also showing their age. WDW can't use the DL Mark V monorail cars (track is wider at WDW), so they have to keep patching together the Mark IVs. Investing in new Mark VI cars isn't on the horizon. Tweaking the bus system definitely is and I've seen the improved results thus far. Even as a kid, the monorail was a fav of mine and still is.

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I believe part of the hub is ready to open or will in the next few days. The other side is a little further behind.

The monorail is great and I wish Disney would have gone through extending the line to connect more parks and such, but the cost of doing so is quite high. After staying at Contemporary's Bay Lake Tower on our December trip I loved having the monorail line at our fingertips, boat transportation to the other resorts in the area, being able to walk to Magic Kingdom all before ever needing a bus. The bus system is ok and will become a greater priority as visitor attendance continues to climb. Off season is becoming less and less of a thing at the World.

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The Monorail system really backfired. Among the Disney Parks, it debuted in Disneyland in 1959 (introduced as the first ever E-ticket alongside Matterhorn Bobsleds and Submarine Voyage). It was, of course, supposed to be a living showcase of a practical mass transportation solution of the future. What it became instead is a mode of transportation more or less synonymous with Disney Parks...

And Walt Disney World's is in a tough spot literally. The entire system needs refurbished, but without the monorail, the only way into or out of Magic Kingdom to the parking lot is via ferry. Those ferries are completely and totally overwhelmed at closing time as it is. Removing the possibility of taking a Monorail instead would be disastrous. They might just have to switch to bus service from the Transportation and Ticket Center to make it work.

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^

Great update over at WDW News Today http://wdwnt.com/blog/2015/02/photos-first-section-of-new-magic-kingdom-hub-opens-to-guests/

Yes it does look fancy. Love the grass area for Wishes viewing and photos from last night showed everyone sitting down and enjoying the grass for the fireworks. Much better option than standing in the a herd.

Also reported that Universal single day tickets are now $102 and a one day 2 park ticket is $147.

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On very crowded days, even the busses destined for the MK dump you at the TTC and force you to either use the trams, monorail or ferry. The boats have good capacity, but they are slow and its a long wait at peak times. The monorails run more quickly and can carry a lot more people. Disney could take down part of the system for several months to do a rehab and they wouldn't suffer too badly. After the accident a few years back, plans for any extensions were quietly scrapped. At one time, a line from EPCOT to the Studios parking lot and AK was discussed, but at a cost upwards of $1,000,000 a mile just to prep the land, it's simply not feasible.

Personally, I think Disney should totally refurbish the TTC as a new northern hub (Disney Springs being considered the southern hub). The TTC was very bland when constructed, and despite the addition of pastel paint, isn't much better than it was in 1971. Lots and lots of guests travel through there on a daily basis and it wouldn't take much to come up with a fun theme (perhaps the famous Paris train station or Paddington station in London?)

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Disney decided the new My Disney Experience (Magic Bands, FP+, etc) was a better investment option for a Billion $ than the monorail extension. After using the new system I tend to agree and it is having a very positive impact on the bottom line. The monorail doesn't make money.

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But the monorails and trams do get you relatively quickly into the park, where you can begin to spend that money that the transportation modes aren't making. Perhaps once the racetrack is removed and extended parking established near the southern end of the TTC, Disney will decide to freshen up the actual station.

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Just Disney dreaming here...but i think it'd be sooo cool if Disney had a people mover system instead of the monorail system to transport guests around the resort. Something like the Tomorrow Land Transit Authority People Mover....

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Disney does; they're called Busses :)

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Back when they were designed, both the Monorail and Peoplemover were the transportation of the future. As Walt explained himself in the Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow documentry, the two modes worked together in the same system. The Monorail would transport people over long distances ( eg. suburbs to downtown), whilst the areas around it's stations would have people movers to get riders to there final destination (home/work/store).

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