It’s time to say goodbye to 2019 and welcome in 2020 with open arms. Disney had a wild year that saw Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge open to mixed results, Rise of the Resistance open to huge praise and a series of bizarre and strange incidents that had to be seen to be believed.
We’re going to take a look back at 2019 and relive some of the best and most memorable stories that made up the calendar year. Did we miss a story you think was the biggest? Let us know in the comments.
5. Disney+ has a holiday Arendelle Castle Yule Log
Disney+ debuted in 2019 and with it came a wave of content for Disney fans to enjoy. By all accounts, Disney+ has been a huge success and has brought in big numbers propelled by new content such as The Mandalorian and a giant catalog of old favorites.
Need a gauge for how popular Disney+ has been? Consider the fact our fifth-most popular story from 2019 was about the streaming platform offering a three-hour Arendelle Castle Yule Log for the holidays. We didn’t see that coming! There is huge demand for new content on Disney+, even if it’s just a traditional yule log.
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4. Rumor: Attendance is very low at NBA Experience at Disney Springs
The opening of NBA Experience at Disney Springs is a story Disney may want to leave behind in 2019. Our original story that we classified as a rumor has since proven true as seen in Disney’s various initiatives to try and get more people inside NBA Experience. Cast members have received discounts / free passes and annual passholders have received deep discounts to visit NBA Experience.
We imagine these initiatives will continue in 2020, but we aren’t sure they’ll solve what appears to be a serious problem.
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3. Guests jump onstage at Carousel of Progress in bizarre incident
This story earns our vote for the strangest from all of 2019. A guest jumped onstage at the Carousel of Progress and appeared to be disoriented as they stood near the back of the set. A second guest then tried to help the first back to their seat, but the commotion only escalated when the original guest collapsed to the floor.
Some speculated the guest had a medical condition while others believed the two were on some kind of substance. We may never know what really happened in this odd moment on the Carousel of Progress.
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2. Guests are stealing sporks from Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Did you guess that our most popular story to come out of Galaxy’s Edge was about the utensils? The debut of the land in Disneyland was met with mixed reviews as many guests felt things were a bit incomplete with Rise of the Resistance not completed. It was also met with guests who wanted to make a quick buck by selling the sporks found in the quick service restaurant Docking Bay 7 Food & Cargo.
The metal sporks, which provided nice theming to go along with their functionality, immediately popped up on eBay. This forced Disney to swap in basic utensils and alter their plans at Walt Disney World.
It’s kind of sad that our most popular story to come out of Galaxy’s Edge was focused on bad guest behavior. Rise of the Resistance has been a glowing success, thanks in part to some outstanding cast members, but the ride opening in December prevented it from cracking our list.
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1. New smoking areas at Walt Disney World
Walt Disney World banned smoking in their theme parks effective May 1, 2019. The change marked the removal of the old smoking locations and the addition of new areas just outside the theme park gates.
As you might imagine, the change divided Disney fans and created huge demand from those trying to find out where they can still smoke at Walt Disney World. The placement of the new smoking locations created some controversy too as some were in areas where non-smoking guests will have to pass through during a regular visit to the park. That’s a stark contrast from the old in-park smoking areas that could be easily avoided.
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Honorable Mentions
These last stories weren’t our largest, but we’d like to shine a bit of light on them before jumping into 2020.
- Disney Cruise Line starts using pump bottle toiletries
- The Haunted Mansion isn’t being closed for a Coco ride
- The exit of the Millennium Falcon will look different depending on how well you fly
- Jungle Cruise Skippers make tape art to entertain guests
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And there you have it! Let’s collectively say goodbye to 2019 and welcome in what should be a fascinating 2020 for Disney fans.
