The Walt Disney World Resort continues to announce additional “Fab 50” character statues coming to the resort this 1 October as the Florida resort heads towards its 50th anniversary.
Disney announced the first two statues, Mickey Mouse and Goofy, in the past couple of weeks. Those two golden figures will be located in the Magic Kingdom.
Recently Disney announced five additional statues coming to the parks.
Don Hahn, Producer of Walt Disney Animation Studio’s “The Lion King,” announced a Timon and Pumbaa sculpture will be coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park.
The stage version of Disney’s hit animated film, “Beauty and the Beast,” premiered on 18 April 1994 at The Palace Theater in New York City. Variety theater critic Jeremy Gerard panned the production, including its star Susan Egan. In his review, Gerard said, “My chief quarrel with Egan is that her voice is more pop star than musical theater …” For many fans, he could not have been more wrong. He went on to say, “The complaints, however, will be meaningless where it counts, which is at the Palace Theater box office … Disney’s first Broadway show will be packing them in — and thumbing its nose at the naysayers — for a very long time.” Which he was 100% correct.
This beloved Disney classic will now be a part of the resort’s celebration. Egan announced a Lumiere and Cogsworth statue will be coming to the Magic Kingdom.
Recently, Disney installed a 50th anniversary display at the Orlando International Airport. In an announcement, Disney said, “With so much excitement ahead, we want you to feel immersed in the magic as soon as you arrive in Central Florida, which is why a talented group of cast members is hard at work transforming the arrival experience at Orlando International Airport (MCO) with the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA).
Coming just in time for the 50th anniversary celebration this fall, airport passengers will discover many exciting Disney touches, including a wide-spanning art installation in the terminal train stations featuring favorite Disney characters, new magic engaging passengers as they walk through a glistening glow of projected EARidescent light patterns, and an immersive photo opportunity with a re-creation of a Disney ride vehicle to capture special memories as they make their way through the airport.
As part of this special transformation at the airport, we’re excited to also be working with GOAA on a new Magic of Disney store location opening with the South Terminal Complex in 2022.”
Included in the image are two gold characters, Figment and Minnie Mouse. Neither of these characters has yet to be officially announced by Disney, but are expected to be in the near future. It is believed that Figment will be located at EPCOT and Minnie Mouse in the Magic Kingdom.
Daisy Duck will be joining the “Fab 50” collection this October. Fabiola Garza, who created the cover art for “A Portrait of Walt Disney World: 50 Years of the Most Magical Place on Earth,” made the announcement on the Disney Books Instagram account.
In addition, she also gave a sneak peek at what the cover art for the new 320-page book will look like. The cover also gave fans a look at where some of the statues will be located once it is completed. “A Portrait of Walt Disney World: 50 Years of the Most Magical Place on Earth” will be published on 28 September 2021 by Disney Books.
George Kalogridis, former president of the Walt Disney World Resort and now president of Disney Segment Development and Enrichment for Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, as well as Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary Global Ambassador, announced today that Winnie the Pooh and Piglet will be included in the “Disney Fab 50 Character Collection.”
Making the announcement from Disney Springs, where Winnie the Pooh and friends have a popular character photo spot, Kalogridis said the statue will be located in the Magic Kingdom.
Partners Status Refurbishment
Recently Disney posted a sign at the hub in the Magic Kingdom informing guests of the upcoming refurbishment of the Partners Statue. The sign stated, “‘Partners’ is receiving routine care in preparation for Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary.”
The sign went on to describe the extensive process the statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse will be undergoing in the next few months. It involves “multiple phases to strip the sculpture to its bare metal before cleaning, reapplying a patina, and coating the entire figure in protective polymer and wax.”
The newly refreshed statue is expected to be ready by the kickoff of the celebration.
Cinderalla Castle 50th Anniverary Decor Completed
Last week Walt Disney World put the finishing touches on Cinderella Castle with the installation of the 50th Anniversary medallion. The medallion covers up the clock on the front of the castle.
The installation was revealed on Walt Disney World President Jeff Vahle’s Instagram account. “Just when you thought our castle couldn’t get any more stunning …,” wrote Vahle. “Check out the golden 50th crest that was added last night! I happened to be in Magic Kingdom this morning and couldn’t resist getting a photo of it with some of our Cast Members.”
