Less than a month ago, a lot of huge announcements were made at the D23 Expo and revealed so many new things coming to Walt Disney World, but is there more? During the expo, most of the new revelations had to do with Epcot and they included new attractions for both Guardians of the Galaxy and Ratatouille . Despite those being big enough, there are now rumors flying around that Mary Poppins may soon get her own attraction or section in World Showcase as well.
The rumor came from a recent episode of The Unofficial Guide’s Disney Dish with Jim Hill in which they discuss many of the things not announced at the D23 Expo. While there were many rumors floating around in early July, the majority of them ended up being nothing but speculation.
While some of them may still end up coming true in the future, it appears as if one of them may become a reality much sooner and that is something big devoted to Mary Poppins .
With the release of Disney’s Mary Poppins Returns coming on Christmas Day in 2018, there is going to be a lot of focus on the character made famous by Julie Andrews. That is why the rumor of a new ride or even a version of Cherry Tree Lane coming to the United Kingdom pavilion in Epcot isn’t too out of the question.
“Well begun is half done.” – #MaryPoppins | #MondayMotivation pic.twitter.com/KIUFZ8MRmy
— Disney Music (@DisneyMusic) August 7, 2017
The new Ratatouille attraction will be huge as it is built in the France pavilion. The Guardians of the Galaxy attraction is taking over the Universe of Energy which closes for good on August 14. With a lot of mostly unused room in the back of the United Kingdom pavilion, there is plenty of space for something more.
Orlando Weekly reports that this isn’t the first time that a Mary Poppins -themed dark ride has been rumored for Epcot. Famed Disney Imagineer Tony Baxter had very early ideas for the attraction which would have guests riding on carousel horses, but it never came into existence.
If Disney doesn’t move ahead with a full Mary Poppins attraction, they could still end up changing the theme a little bit in the pavilion. The way the World Showcase country is designed, it could be turned right into another real-life version of Cherry Tree Lane.
At this time, this is nothing but speculation and rumor which could all end up never becoming a reality at all. The thing that has been confirmed is that Disney has said Epcot will be getting a lot more attention in the near future and that means a lot of changes are on the way.
One of those changes may be something happening with Mary Poppins that is more than just a meet-and-greet.
It’s hard to believe that something else would be announced by Disney so soon after the D23 Expo ended with all of its huge revelations. Still, Mary Poppins Returns isn’t due in theaters for another year and a half, and that means this reveal of a new ride or Cherry Tree Lane could be made in early 2018. Still, if it’s a ride, that would mean a lot of work would need to be done in a short amount of time, but seeing Epcot receive its own section devoted to the famous nanny would be just as good.
[Featured Image by Danny Cox]