It looks like Bob Iger's return may mean that Disney will be seriously upping its game when it comes to theme park enhancements and new builds. Several media outlets have reported an SEC filing by the Walt Disney Company that calls for spending $6.3 billion on capital expenditures in the parks in 2023. That means new builds and infrastructure and it's a huge increase over the spend in the past for building Galaxy's Edge.

 

We may not know Bob Iger's vision just yet, but remember all of those great things we saw at D23 Fan Expo -- like the new Villains land in Magic Kingdom Park? It's beginning to look a lot like some big news may be just around the corner

 

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In a story by the Financial Times, it looks like Florida lawmakers may be looking to reverse their plans to strip Disney of its right to operate a private government around its theme parks. And it appears that Bob Iger may be the reason why, at least in part.

 

Bob Iger made a comment that is seen to have calmed tensions between Disney and the Florida state government. He said: “What I can say [is] the state of Florida has been important to us for a long time and we have been very important to the state of Florida. That is something I’m extremely mindful of and will articulate if I get the chance.”

 

All in all this is good for the Disney traveler, as any negative impacts from the original plan to strip Disney World of its current rights would likely have trickled down to all of us who visit.

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A New Scene and New Critters Are Introduced for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

We now know a little bit more about Tiana's Bayou Adventure including a new scene for the ride and some of the brand-new characters being created for the attraction. The new scene is said to be a "thrilling moment" when you first drop into the bayou and encounter bayou friends both new and familiar.

Fireflies will light up the night and invite us all deeper into the bayou. With all of the fuss Disney is making about this we can only assume that it will be a pretty cool new effect.

Once the ride gets going we'll meet the full group of critters, including an otter, a rabbit, a racoon, a beaver, a turtle and others. Disney has hinted that they'll all play a bigger role later on in the ride, but they haven't tipped their hand on that just yet.

Splash Mountain at Walt Disney World Resort will close on January 23, 2023. The closing date for Splash Mountain at Disneyland has not yet been released.

The opening of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at both Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort is still 2024, with no specific dates as it is a bit far off.

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Mike Belobradic and Amelia Belobradic

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