I wanted to touch on a couple of quick follow-up items regarding the Disney World D23 announcements.

First, one item apparently mentioned on stage but only likely covered in the follow-up reporting was the 2025 opening of two new lounges: A Pirates of the Caribbean one and a Spaceship Earth one. In a vacuum, this would excite me. New places to sit, relax, and have a drink at Disney World are welcome. That said, I fear these will be like Oga’s Cantina, where you can only visit with a reservation, reservations are hard to come by, and the servers always rush you to get out of the space. Here’s hoping they are much more like Nomad Lounge than Oga’s or La Cava.

Second, it was confirmed that the new Cars land at Magic Kingdom would replace Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer’s Island. There have been arguments for and against this change, but I admit I am OK with it. I do have memories of running through Tom Sawyer’s Island with my father when I was younger and then using it for a bit of respite with Elyssa more recently, but I am more excited to make new memories with my little nephew is going to love getting to experience Cars at Disney World. There are always trade-offs to be made when changing theme parks, and I view evolution and change as important aspects of continuing to enjoy Disney World. (That said, if they ever get rid of the PeopleMover, I’m completely changing my position.)