Hello, and welcome to Dateline Disney World! This week, we are at the Magic Kingdom, and we are focusing on some of the great work Disney has been doing to keep their #1 park in top notch condition. Let’s take a look!

Welcome to the Magic Kingdom!
Welcome to the Magic Kingdom!

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Some freshening happening on Main Street near the Barber Shop.
Some freshening happening on Main Street near the Barber Shop.
Uptown Jewelers is also under the knife.
Uptown Jewelers is also under the knife.
Lots of pavement work happening right down the middle of Main Street.
Lots of pavement work happening right down the middle of Main Street.

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Here's the current view of the center of the Hub.
Here’s the current view of the center of the Hub.
Planters getting ready to be filled.
Planters getting ready to be filled.
Walt and Mickey still all boxed up.
Walt and Mickey still all boxed up.
It's nice to see the ugly red pavement leave the Hub in favor of this much more pleasing color.
It’s nice to see the ugly red pavement leave the Hub in favor of this much more natural surface treatment.
Current state of the old Rose Garden area.
Current state of the old Rose Garden area.

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The new castle turrets all have themed scrims over them now.
The new castle turrets are hidden behind construction scrims at the moment.
It is still possible to get a cool Cinderella Castle shot even with all the construction happening.
It is still possible to get a cool Cinderella Castle shot even with all the construction happening.

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It reopened quite some time ago, but the Little Mermaid dark ride received some great lighting upgrades, and I never got around to seeing it, so here it is!
It reopened quite some time ago, but the Little Mermaid dark ride received some great lighting upgrades, and I never got around to seeing it, so here it is!

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The Under the Sea room benefitted the most from this.
The Under the Sea room benefitted the most from the changes.

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Ursula dying is still cardboard.
Ursula dying is still cardboard.
You can still sadly see a lot of track lighting in this attraction, which does bring it down a notch.
You can still sadly see a lot of track lighting in this attraction, which does bring it down a notch.
Overall though, the changes were a welcome upgrade.
Overall though, the changes were a welcome upgrade.

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No Hatbox Ghost here!
No Hatbox Ghost here!

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Pirates should be going down soon for its summer long refurbishment.
Pirates should be going down soon for its summer long refurbishment.

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I love the views of the park from Swiss Family Treehouse.
I love the views of the park from Swiss Family Treehouse.

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The Jungle Cruise opened back up after a refurbishment a week or so ago, and the results are stunning. Check them out!
The Jungle Cruise opened back up after a refurbishment a week or so ago, and the results are stunning. Check them out!

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At the ambush scene, the characters weren't moving, and the skipper said, "And that's the ambush. Like almost everything else here at Walt Disney World, they're Frozen." Got a laugh out of me.
At the ambush scene, the characters weren’t moving, and the skipper said, “And that’s the ambush. Like almost everything else here at Walt Disney World, they’re Frozen.” Got a laugh out of me.

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Everything is really looking nice.
Everything is really looking nice.

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Kudos to Disney for keeping a classic in great shape.
Kudos to Disney for keeping a classic in great shape.
Walls still up for the restaurant change happening in Adventureland.
Walls still up for the restaurant change happening in Adventureland.

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You can no longer see inside through this area by the bridge to Adventureland.
You can no longer see inside through this area by the bridge to Adventureland.

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That's it for this week!
That’s it for this week!

That’s going to do it for this week’s column. Do you like what you see at the Magic Kingdom? Would you like to see the Hatbox Ghost make his way East? Let us know in the comments below!!

If you appreciate what we do here and would like to support Dateline Disney World, you can shop at Amazon.com, Wonderful Refurbishments at the Magic Kingdom, using my link (please CLICK HERE, Wonderful Refurbishments at the Magic Kingdom before you do). It won’t cost you any extra, and it’ll help out the column!!

For more photos and tutorials on Disney photography, please check out my photo site, Disney Photography Blog. And if you like listening more than reading, you can hear us talk about Disney and photography on my podcast, ISO5571

Cory Disbrow
Cory likes Walt Disney World so much, he recently packed his bags and moved to Orlando. Cory is a photographer and writes MiceChat's Dateline Disney World columns every Friday.