Walt Disney World Rumors You Simply Can’t Ignore!

1. Stitch’s Great Escape finally closing to make way for…Wreck it Ralph?

Image: Disney

It wasn’t too long ago that we lamented the existence of Stitch’s Great Escape and wondered how an attraction so derided by pretty much everyone could still be in operation at a Disney park. However, if a new rumor is to be believed, this attraction may not be sticking around for much longer after all.

According to multiple sources, Stitch’s Great Escape could close as early as this fall to make way for a VR-based racing attraction based on the Sugar Rush game from the Wreck-It Ralph film. Though details are scarce, sources state that the two theaters inside Stitch’s Great Escape could be extensively remodeled to make way for a new seating style that would include virtual reality headsets that would transport guests “inside” the virutal world of Wreck-It Ralph.

Image: Disney

Though Wreck-It Ralph may seem like a bit of a stretch for Tomorrowland considering the film leans heavily on video game nostalgia (and characters) from the ‘80s and ‘90s, with a sequel to Wreck-It Ralph on the way in 2018, we can see why Disney would want to get this property in a Walt Disney World theme park soon, and with Stitch continuing to draw the ire of pretty much everyone, this seems like an easy choice, even if it doesn’t make total thematic sense (which is a recurring problem for this area of the park).

While nothing has been confirmed regarding this development quite yet, with the rumored closure of Stitch’s Great Escape reportedly happening later this year, we should know very soon if there is any truth to these unconfirmed reports.

2. Toy Story Land’s Slinky Dog Coaster might be in trouble

The very idea of Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios has been met with tepid response by fans, ever since it was first rumored back in 2014. However, when it was formally announced last year, many believed that Disney was simply looking to open something quickly while so much of Disney’s Hollywood Studios was under construction, and would help the park continue to draw guests while Star Wars Land was being constructed, reportedly for a 2020 launch. However, we’re now more than half way through 2016, and work on Toy Story Land hasn’t even started yet, with demolition still creeping along behind the walls of the rear end of Pixar Place. So what’s going on here? Well, let’s back up a little bit first…

You might not have noticed it, but the plans for Toy Story Land actually changed several months ago, when updated concept art for the Slinky Dog Coaster was quietly released that showed a less ambitious ride than was initially proposed. And now it looks like the plan may be changing again. According to sources familiar with the situation, Disney could be looking to either scale down this attraction once again or perhaps even scrap it altogether.

via Disney

Now why would Disney make such a drastic change to the plans for Toy Story Land? The answer is unfortunately simple: budget cuts. By now it is unfortunately common knowledge that 2016 has been a disappointing year thus far for Disney parks (Walt Disney World in particular) and with the Slinky Dog Coaster reportedly coming with a pricetag upwards of $50 Million, this attraction may be looking ripe for cancellation if cuts are indeed being considered for this project.