The online discourse tends to tilt toward the negative. This has been the case for awhile, but it feels like it’s been especially true the past couple of years. It makes sense — things have been dire in the real world. In the much lower stakes Disney World, fans have had to deal with plenty of turkeys thrown our way (I’m looking at you Park Pass reservation system and the end of free FastPass). However, I try my best to focus on the positive.
So today I’m choosing six things that Disney World fans can be thankful for in 2022. From great new rides to a favorite new snack, here’s what Guide2WDW is thankful for this year.
The one true Bob is back at Disney! Bob Iger returned this week as CEO in a shocking twist, which ended the controversial tenure of Bob Chapek. Judging from the online reaction, the vast majority of Disney fans are thrilled by this news.
I’ve already written what I think the CEO shakeup could mean for Disney World and Disneyland. While I don’t think this change will mean that everything at the parks will instantly be free churros for everyone, I do believe that Iger would see the parks as a place where he can earn some good PR for the direction of the company. I was struck this week as I listened to several podcasts about the Iger news. Many entertainment industry and business focused podcasts (like The Ringer’s The Watch and Plain English podcasts) cited Chapek’s handling of the Disney Parks as one of his missteps. These were not Disney World fan podcasts, but they still brought up things like charging for Genie+ as hurting “the soul of Disney.” The perception that Disney was price gouging visitors to the parks has gone mainstream.
One thing that Iger proved during his tenure as CEO is that he’s a master at brand perception. He deftly was able to balance maximizing profits while providing the customer with value. Disney World may charge a premium price, but it delivered a premium product under Iger. Chapek badly mishandled this balance, and customers could feel the squeeze of paying more for less. To put it another way, let’s imagine a scale of 1 – 10, with 1 being giving everything away for free and 10 being naked greed. During his first stint as CEO, Iger lived in the realm of 4-6 on this scale. Chapek’s decisions felt more in the realm of 7 – 9.
I think Iger knows that the high prices and understaffing issues are hurting Disney’s brand value as a whole. Synergy cuts both ways. It can be a rising tide that lifts all boats, or it can also recede. While I don’t know exactly what will happen, I do think that Iger is likely make some changes at the parks that will boost the guest experience and bring back the feeling of premium value associated with the Disney brand.
2 – Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is a blast
One of the biggest question marks I had in recent years was Disney’s decision to bring Guardians of the Galaxy to EPCOT. Unlike putting Ratatouille in the France Pavilion, it didn’t feel like a natural fit of IP to location. While having an “Other World Showcase” pavilion is a bit of a stretch, I think Imagineering knocked it out of the park and gave EPCOT some much needed thrills.
The queue features some legitimate edutainment, covering topics ranging from the Big Bang to urban design. It scratches the old Epcot Center itch in a way I wasn’t expecting, maybe due to the fact that there are still carpet walls in one of the rooms. The pre-show features two legitimately jaw-dropping effects. And the ride itself is a ton of fun. It’s so smooth that it feels like you’re rollerskating through space. EPCOT now has a modern and more thrilling version of Space Mountain with a classic rock soundtrack.
Lately, we’ve been used to seeing headlines about new systems that make the experience of visiting Disney World more complicated. So it was a welcome change of pace when Disney World announced that dining reservations can be cancelled on the same day. If your plans change and you now can’t make it to the dining reservation you made 60 days in advance, you can now easily cancel that reservation in the app up to two hours ahead of time.
This has two great effects. 1 – You now don’t have to stress about the no show fee as much. And 2 – Many more dining reservations will open up on the same day. This should make day-of planning and spontaneous meal choices much more possible, as Disney restaurants will be able to accept more walkups due to last minute cancellations. So maybe you’ll get lucky and be able to grab a coveted table at Space 220.
4 – Coconut Dole Whip
There’s never been a better time to be a Dole Whip fan. I remember the days when your only option for Dole Whip was pineapple. Between Swirls on the Water at Disney Springs and specialty Dole Whips found at every park, there are so many delightful variations to try.
Which brings me to possibly my favorite Dole Whip variant: the Coconut Dole Whip. The coconut soft-serve is part of the Tropical Serenade Float, which is a specialty item for the 50th Anniversary. While it’s not on the menu, you can order just the coconut soft-serve itself. It’s creamy and so refreshing. Dare I say it? It rivals the OG pineapple flavor.
5 – Fantasmic is back, and better than ever!
The return of Fantasmic has been a smashing success. When it reopened earlier this month, Fantasmic featured updated effects, a revamped sound system, and a new hero sequence starring Moana, Elsa, Mulan, and Aladdin. The result is a show that feels refreshed and revitalized in a much needed way.
After Disney Enchantment and Harmonious didn’t resonate with fans like Disney was hoping, this is a critical win for Disney World’s nighttime entertainment. Disney World upgraded Fantasmic to a must-watch spectacular.
6 – Rise of the Resistance and Avatar: Flight of Passage
While these rides aren’t new, I do want to take a moment to just appreciate the run that Walt Disney Imagineering has been on in the past few years. Let’s look at the most recent lands and rides that Disney World opened in the past few years:
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind (2022)
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure (2021)
Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway (2020)
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Rise of the Resistance, Millennium Falcon Smuggler’s Run (2019)
Toy Story Land, Slinky Dog Dash, Alien Swirling Saucers (2018)
Pandora: The World of Avatar, Flight of Passage, Navi River Journey (2017)
This is an incredible run, with every ride ranging from good to great to incredible (I believe that the majority of the rides are in the great to incredible range). With the opening of Tron next year, that will be the close of a phase of massive expansion at Walt Disney World.
In my mind, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Avatar: Flight of Passage are the pinnacle of this era of Imagineering. They are to modern Imagineering what Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean are to 1960s Imagineering. They took existing IPs and told new stories in immersive, innovative, and surprising ways. These rides stand up to their source material, and they surpass them in certain ways. In my opinion, these are the two best rides at Disney World, and I think it could be a long time before they’re topped.
Bonus – Andor on Disney+ is the best Star Wars has been since Empire Strikes Back
Okay, this is only tangentially parks related, because I doubt they’ll put in a Luthen Rael walk around character in Galaxy’s Edge (although they totally should). But Andor is unexpectedly my favorite show on TV right now. I say this as a die-hard Star Wars fan. I really liked The Force Awakens, Rogue One, and The Mandalorian. I loved The Last Jedi.
But Andor is operating on a different level.
It’s a Star Wars show that takes Star Wars seriously, without being overly grim or dire. It’s as well written, well acted, and well directed as anything else out there. It’s a rare prequel that adds depth and meaning to the original material, and it does so with tension, suspense, and complexity.
It is also is the first piece of Star Wars material that makes the Empire feel really scary.
Do yourself a favor and watch Andor.
What are you thankful for?
Lastly, I want to say I’m thankful for you! Thank you for visiting Guide2WDW and taking the time to read what I’ve written. This site is here thanks to people like you, so I am very grateful for your time and attention today.
What are you thankful for at Disney World? Let me know in the comments below!
James is a lifelong Disney Parks fan. While at the parks, he loves finding new details, learning more about Disney World history, and taking pictures. His favorite WDW attractions include Rise of the Resistance, Spaceship Earth, and Tower of Terror.
James is a filmmaker and writer based in Atlanta, GA.
