Imagineers broke ground on the upcoming Tropical Americas land at Animal Kingdom, the Festival of the Arts kicked off with a collection of Figment merchandise, and Disney is still exploring ways to remove the hanged man from the Haunted Mansion — all this and more in today’s daily recap for Friday, January 17, 2025.
Walt Disney World
Magic Kingdom
- The indoor Dumbo the Flying Elephant playground at Magic Kingdom will close for a refurbishment later this month.
EPCOT
- Take a look inside the 2025 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts Passport, which serves as an event guide to the various offerings around the park.
- Guests looking for an extra activity at the 2025 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts can participate in the Figment’s Brush with the Masters Scavenger Hunt for an additional cost.
- For the 2025 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts, CommuniCore Hall has transformed into a Disney on Broadway exhibit.
- The Voices of Liberty, an acapella group that performs at The American Adventure in EPCOT, debuted new costumes made from recycled materials.
- Around the park during the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts, guests can find special Artful Photo Ops, allowing them to step into a painting and strike a pose.
- One of the returning fan-favorite aspects of the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts is the Expression Section.
- With the festival returns the Figment-inspired Spaceship Earth Light show along with the Muppets’ “Rainbow Connection” inspired show.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- Disney held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Tropical Americas land replacing DinoLand, U.S.A. at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
New Merchandise
- A new festival means new merchandise, and the full collection of 2025 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts merchandise is here.
- There’s no shortage of Figment merchandise this year, but select guests can purchase from even more options.
- A new 2025 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts Pandora charm featuring Figment is now available.
- A brand new Figment Lightbulb Popcorn Bucket has arrived for the 2025 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts.
- Following the Sorcerer Mickey and Classic Mickey collectibles we found earlier this week, a new vinyl Cinderella EAResistible has also arrived at Walt Disney World.
Disneyland Resort
- The Los Angeles Times has shared a first look at updates to The Haunted Mansion at Disneyland before the ride reopens on Saturday, January 18.
- The hanging corpse in The Haunted Mansion’s stretching room at Disneyland will still be hanging when the ride reopens on Saturday, January 18 — but Walt Disney Imagineering is still thinking about removing the figure.
- Disney confirmed via a Los Angeles Times story that the Hitchhiking Ghosts scene at the end of The Haunted Mansion at Disneyland has been updated.
- In a new article with the LA Times, Walt Disney Imagineer Kim Irvine insists that the AI art of the ghostly bride seen in Madame Leota’s Somewhere Beyond gift shop at Disneyland was temporary, and that more human-made art is coming to the store.
- Mickey and Minnie will debut new outfits to celebrate this year’s Lunar New Year at Disney California Adventure.
- The new “Big Hero 6” Megabot sipper is now available in San Fransokyo Square at Disney California Adventure.
- Disney shared a photo of the freshly installed sign for a new retail space, Disney Storyland Boutique, and we took some additional photos of the facade.
- A full collection of 2025 Lunar New Year merchandise has arrived at Disney California Adventure.
- Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa is getting in on the festivities with Lunar New Year treats and decor.
- Celebrate the Year of the Snake with Mulan’s Lunar New Year Procession Parade at Disney California Adventure.
- The queue for the Red Car Trolley at Disney California Adventure Park has been extended prior to the ride’s closure next month.
- With the absence of Magic Happens and several months to go before the debut of Mickey & Friends Celebrate Happy! for the 70th anniversary, Disneyland has brought back the “Brand New Day” Mickey & Friends cavalcade to supplement the entertainment lineup.
Shanghai Disneyland
- Chinese New Year celebrations are underway at Shanghai Disneyland.
That’s it for today; we hope you enjoyed this Daily Recap. Thanks for stopping by, and we’ll see you tomorrow!
The post New Bride Scene Revealed for Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion & More: Daily Recap (1/17/25) appeared first on WDW News Today.
