Summer time has arrived in full drive at Walt Disney World, with temperatures within the mid-90s this week together with triple-digit “seems like” readings. This covers information of a few current strikes made to seemingly provide visitors escapes from the excessive warmth, humidity, and blazing solar. Plus, our ideas on summers in Central Florida and why extra reprieves from the climate are want–doubtlessly even a wholly indoor pageant at EPCOT!
Let’s begin with the principle information to share, which is that Walt Disney World has revealed that the Odyssey Pianist will debut as we speak (June 9, 2025) and carry out by means of August 10, 2025. Throughout this time, the Rose & Crown Pub musician shall be acting at this massive indoor venue, providing visitors an air-conditioned atmosphere and stay piano performances all through the day.
This provides visitors a change to take a break from the summer season warmth and revel in stay music contained in the Odyssey pavilion at EPCOT, which is positioned between Take a look at Monitor and the Mexico pavilion. The Odyssey was once a correct restaurant, however has since served as a pageant middle and extra not too long ago as crowd-pleasing meals cubicles. Its run because the Citrus Blossom throughout Flower & Backyard simply ended, and it’ll be transformed into the Brew-Wing Lab previous to the beginning of the 2025 EPCOT Worldwide Meals & Wine Competition over Labor Day weekend (therefore this ending August 10).
The Odyssey Pianist will carry out seven units day by day:
- 11:30 am
- 12:30 pm
- 1:30 pm
- 2:30 pm
- 3:30 pm
- 4:30 pm
- 5:30 pm
Whereas the Odyssey Pianist doesn’t characterize a brand new leisure providing at EPCOT, for the reason that performer would usually carry out on the Rose & Crown Pub in World Showcase, it’s however a savvy and welcome transfer. No less than, from our perspective as mother and father–maybe we’d’ve felt otherwise about this information ~15 years in the past.
This follows Walt Disney World opening the Corridor of Presidents foyer—however not the attraction itself–presumably for the same place for visitors to assemble and escape the warmth. The intentions there aren’t actually clear since nothing is being communicated to visitors.
As for the EPCOT change, it makes rather more sense and the aim of the change is apparent. Rose & Crown is often slammed. It’s uncomfortably crowded, very a lot paying homage to a pub we used to frequent in faculty. So I assume that half is genuine (though our “tradition” was Indiana versus the UK). We wander into Rose & Crown most likely about as soon as per yr at this level, and often proper again out. I assume we’ve simply gotten previous, however that’s not our scene.
Rose & Crown Pub goes to be busy with or with out the pianist. And it’s a reasonably small area, so it’s not as if a ton of individuals can benefit from the music within the first place. In contrast, I’d hazard a guess that the Odyssey has virtually ten instances the capability, and shall be a lot better as a chilled reprieve from the crowds, chaos, warmth and humidity.
In an ideal world, Walt Disney World would add a pianist reasonably than relocating one from Rose & Crown. The ‘Forces of Nature’ acrobatics present in World Celebration simply held its closing efficiency (after lasting approach longer than I ever anticipated), and it’d be good if a few of that leisure funds have been reallocated to one thing inside.
Whereas the information is the automobile for this publish, the principle motivation is that we need to see Walt Disney World do extra of this.
After a brutal summer season journey final yr for the opening of Tiana’s Bayou Journey, we dominated out the months of June by means of August for future household holidays. We must always’ve adopted our personal recommendation, questioning whether or not it’s “price it” to go to through the hottest months of the yr in change for decrease crowds.
Admittedly, we virtually made the identical mistake once more. We had a gap day Epic Universe journey deliberate, however cancelled that. And after the Starlight Evening Parade opening date was introduced, I’d’ve pushed for all three of us to make the journey out to Walt Disney World so we may see the new-nostalgia gas for the primary time as a household. Cooler heads (learn: Sarah’s) prevailed, however I might’ve repeated the identical mistake if left to my very own gadgets.
Not that I yearn for the times of the phased reopening, however one of many issues Walt Disney World did then that we appreciated was Leisure Stations. These have been launched as a much-needed respite from masking within the Florida warmth, and largely put unutilized areas to make use of.
A few of these as soon as once more have everlasting functions, however others may serve as soon as once more as summer season lounges. I’m undecided of the present standing of both Tortuga Tavern or Tomorrowland Terrace, for instance, however I do know I’ve seen each of those seating areas fully closed throughout current visits. (I get that they should clear Tomorrowland Terrace forward of fireworks, however there’s no purpose to chase individuals out at 1 pm.)
Each of those shuttered eating places may, on the very least, be put again on the map as lounges. As a result of even when these areas are presently accessible, visitors must know that within the first place–it must be conveyed through signage, in-app data, or one thing beckoning them inside. Stage an outside merchandising cart or no matter at their entrance, and welcome visitors inside to get pleasure from shaded seating in a soothing setting. This might be a win-win, capturing straightforward meals & beverage gross sales whereas additionally providing a respite from the climate.
There aren’t any scarcity of underutilized or flat-out unused areas like this throughout Walt Disney World. Over at EPCOT, the Odyssey is only one instance. There are additionally two large indoor venues–World ShowPlace and the Wonders pavilion–which might be sitting largely unused. Wonders may be off the desk because it was beforehand slated to change into the Play Pavilion, a undertaking that was paused indefinitely. I wouldn’t be in the slightest degree shocked if it’s now an deserted development website. That’s not the case with World ShowPlace, although.
For many who are unfamiliar with the World ShowPlace, it was the Millennium Village, the first dwelling of Walt Disney World’s Millennium Celebration from 1999 to 2001. The venue housed over 50 nations that didn’t have a everlasting presence in World Showcase. Amongst these nations have been Brazil, Chile, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Israel, Kenya, Namibia, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa, and Switzerland.
World ShowPlace gives over 40,000 sq. ft of versatile operate area and has capability for about 2,000 visitors. That’s increased than the hourly throughput of most rides in EPCOT! Disney Conferences promotes World ShowPlace as “the world’s largest indoor group facility positioned inside a theme park.” Suffice to say, it’s huge.
I point out World ShowPlace particularly as a result of it was used through the ‘Style of’ EPCOT occasions through the phased reopening as pageant middle, housing a handful of various meals cubicles and leisure. It was superb.
And that was solely at a fraction of its full potential. On condition that this was beforehand the Millennium Village, it’s secure to say that this area may home an whole pageant if correctly staged. It might be dwelling to a half-dozen or extra meals cubicles plus tables plus leisure. There may be company in-fighting over this proposal, as Disney Conferences & Fairytale Weddings each use it, however these after hours occasions may coexist with a pageant. And I can not think about there are numerous conventions utilizing World ShowPlace between June and August, anyway.
I’m mentioning World ShowPlace as a result of it might be the important thing to lastly fulfilling my dream of a summer season pageant at EPCOT. It’s my understanding that one rationalization for each the shorter festivals and the dearth of a summer season pageant is excessive warmth. That prime numbers of visitors and Solid Members cross out every summer season, which is attributable to the festivals. Within the case of the Solid Members, it’s due to the situations contained in the kiosks. (Years in the past, that is the reason we heard for the dearth of a summer season occasion–however we assumed it was fallacious when Walt Disney World began extending Meals & Wine into summer season.)
Mainly, the playbook already exists for what Walt Disney World ought to be doing with indoor rest areas. It comes from the Leisure Stations, Style of EPCOT occasions, and extra. Along with World ShowPlace, there’s additionally the potential to make use of attraction area as a flex possibility. I’m burying this right here as a result of it’s controversial with diehard followers, however turning the American Journey rotunda or Canada Far & Vast into dynamic areas could be a win–proceed to play the movies on loop, and permit open entry with meals & drinks.
There’s a purpose why summer season is not peak season at Walt Disney World, and hasn’t been for some time. This can be a actuality that’s lastly being acknowledged, and mirrored in aggressive discounting and extra. However offers can solely achieve this a lot if the visitor expertise is depressing attributable to excessive warmth and humidity coupled with the perplexing design determination to have few indoor respites from the climate. Walt Disney World can reverse this pattern by opening shuttered areas and actively welcoming visitors inside. The Odyssey Pianist is a small step in the proper course–hopefully we see rather more like this within the summers to come back!
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you consider EPCOT including the Odyssey Pianist? Is that this a step in the proper course for giving visitors a straightforward escape from the summer season warmth? Want Walt Disney World would do extra with ‘Leisure Stations’ or different shaded seating areas? What a couple of fully-fledged indoor summer season pageant in World ShowPlace at EPCOT? Did you attend the ‘Style of’ occasions that utilized this area? Agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions we can assist you reply? Listening to suggestions about your experiences is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
