The global health crisis has had a big effect on the Walt Disney Company.
Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle
Lots of Disney projects have had to shift to a different timeline. We’ve seen delays in the opening of Disneyland’s Avengers Campus, a whole bunch of blockbuster films have been pushed back, and more. With all these high-profile changes, what are the delays you’re NOT thinking about? Here are the seven Disney delays that might have slipped your mind!
1. Three Upcoming Disney Cruise Line Ships
You might not have thought about the three upcoming Disney Cruise Line Ships that are currently under construction!
Last year, Disney announced that they would be almost doubling their cruise fleet with three new ships to be constructed at Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany. The first of these new ships is to be called the Disney Wish and was set to set sail in January 2022.
The Disney Wonder
Though an official delay has yet to be announced it is very possible that these ships will see some changes to their schedule. The global health crisis and resulting cancellations has resulted in a massive interruption to cruise demand as well as income for cruise lines. According to Disney executives, the cruise line will likely be the last to return in their tourism segment. It’s possible that we could see some delays on these massive new ships as well.
2. Food and Merchandise Supply Chains
We’ve noticed a variety of national shortages beginning to affect the United States. According to Fox News, meat shortages could last through the summer. Carbonation is scarce too, per Forbes. Plus, with the pressure on airlines and international routes, transporting goods from place to place isn’t quite as easy as it used to be.
Ribeye Steak from California Grill
It’s unclear at this time if or how these shortages will affect Disney. So far, Disney has been on the mark with releasing new merch on time, and though most reopened restaurants in Disney Springs have had limited menus, we haven’t noticed any foods being unavailable to restaurants yet.
3. Reflections — A Disney Lakeside Lodge
We’ve all kept a super close eye on those big attractions projects in Disney World — we’re watching Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, TRON Lightcycle Run, and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind very closely! Still, there is another major project that we’re worried about that might not be as top-of-mind as the rides.
Reflections Concept Art © Disney
Reflections — A Disney Lakeside Lodge is the new Disney Vacation Club resort that is under construction in Disney World. The resort is still under construction, but it’s unclear how it has been affected by the construction halt or any supply chain issues. Right now the resort is set to open in 2022, so we’re keeping a close eye on what to expect.
4. Harmonious
Another Disney World project that should be on your radar is the upcoming Epcot show Harmonious. This show has a growing chance of being delayed since its previous opening date was Spring 2020.
Unfortunately, the Disney parks have remained closed for much of Spring 2020. Beyond that, it’s unknown how work on the show has been interrupted.
©Disney
A potential permit for the show WAS filed during the closure, but delays are not unlikely. Epcot Forever may need to run a little longer than expected — and that’s IF nighttime spectaculars can return initially. Despite the completion of work, the debut could be delayed further by health measures.
5. Disneyland Refurbishment Projects
There are a few iconic Disneyland attractions that are currently under refurbishment and these projects have been on pause since Disneyland instituted a construction halt with their closure. That could mean some serious delays until these attractions reopen.
Haunted Mansion Construction Tarps
Haunted Mansion, Snow White’s Scary Adventures, and King Arthur Carrousel are all currently under refurbishment in Disneyland. Haunted Mansion was set to reopen this Spring, and the reopening dates for Snow White’s Scary Adventures and King Arthur’s Carrousel haven’t been announced yet, but with the construction halt, they could be closed for longer than they were originally intended.
6. Production on Upcoming Shows and Films
Like we mentioned, there are a LOT of films that have seen delayed release dates, but we haven’t really talked about the shows and films that have seen delays in their production. Many films and shows without release dates have seen production halts.
©Walt Disney Studios
These halted productions include (among others) the following:
- The Little Mermaid from Walt Disney Studios,
- Big Shot, Home Alone, Peter Pan and Wendy, and Shrunk from Disney+,
- The Big Sky and Empire from 20th Century Studios,
- Genius from National Geographic,
- American Housewife and Grey’s Anatomy from ABC,
- and Pose from FX.
We’ll be keeping a close eye on productions as they resume!
7. International Theme Park Expansions
Finally, it’s easy to focus on the domestic theme parks — but there are definitely some expansions at the international parks that are delayed at this time as well! According to Le Parisien, the Frozen-themed expansion coming to Disneyland Paris has been sitting stagnant since the closure began. The expansion is set to open in 2023 but may see delays from this pause.
©Disney
Similarly, Tokyo Disney Resort’s New Fantasyland (originally set to open April 28th) and Fantasy Springs (opening 2022) expansions have been halted for now as well, per Nikkei Asian Review.
For Shanghai Disneyland’s Zootopia expansion and Hong Kong Disneyland’s Frozen expansion, things are a little different. These projects haven’t been paused with the closure, so work was able to continue, according to Big News Network.
Zootopia Shanghai Concept Art ©Disney
That doesn’t mean that these to lands are exempt from delays though.
Overall, the global health crisis has a pretty far-reaching effect for the Disney company. We’ll be looking out for news on any of these projects so we can report back to you! In the meantime, you can check out our full coverage of the reopening of Disney Springs right here!
Did you let any of these delays slip your mind? Tell us in the comments!
From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
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