Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom Discussion Thread

[bezz31]

hi just found out space mountain won't be opened until november is that true because my new wife and i are coming all the way from australia in october for our honeymoon and the wife loves that ride any news of it opening early between now and october thanks great site by the way

[netdvn]

Who is the ride manufacturer for the space mountains? And is the new track made by the same as the original?

 

I believe Arrow built all Space Mountains prior to Space Mountain Paris, afterwards, Vekoma built the remaining Space Mountains (including the DL's upgraded version) and they will probably be rebuilding the Orlando one.

[jedimaster1227]

^I'm pretty sure AMEX (not American Express) made the track for the update of Disneyland's Space Mountain as well as for that of Hong Kong Disneyland, though I could be wrong.

 

The only Vekoma's Disney in its parks are the roller skaters, Space Mountain: Mission 2 in Paris, Expedition Everest and the two Rock n' Rollercoasters.

[ryno1986]

^

 

You are correct.

[jarmor]

hi just found out space mountain won't be opened until november is that true because my new wife and i are coming all the way from australia in october for our honeymoon and the wife loves that ride any news of it opening early between now and october thanks great site by the way

I thought it was december...either way it goes you wont be able to experience it at that time...

 

If you really wanna ride it I would see if I could change travel dates...

[EnglndPatriots6]

what ive been hearing from CM's is that this will be a 2 part Refurb, with this one doing most of the work, and then another one maybe next year. They are supposedly adding music so they are redoing the track and reinforcing the support beams to handle the music.

 

I say screw music, get new cars that actually fit people other then midgets seriously, when i was 5 ft. 7 i barely fit in the front seat now im a whole half a foot taller so i cant even imagine the pain ill be in.

 

Overall, its getting this

 

Newly painted Roof to darken it even more, sorta liek what they did over at DLR

 

New Track

 

New interactive Queue

 

Rumored - Music, and possibly a new car since they usually get their cars off of Matterhorn and Matterhorn has been testing a new design.

[ahecht]

Newly painted Roof to darken it even more, sorta liek what they did over at DLR

 

I hope you're talking about the inside of the roof. The brown roof at DLR was a cosmic mistake, which was fortunately rectified by the Ouimet administration.

[Snicket]

I'm glad they're adding music...well...they may be.

The new cars will do some good too.

 

I went to Disneyland in April with my high school jazz band.

We all got off Space Mountain saying it was much better than the Magic Kingdom's version.

[Sir Clinksalot]

Blueprints for the "supposed" fantasyland re-do at WDW's Magic Kingdom have been floating around the net today.

 

On one hand I think they look pretty official like and could certainly be legit.

On the other hand, some things strike me as odd (Little Mermaid ride the same name as the show at DHS for one).

 

What do you think???

 

ADMIN EDIT: I have added the announcement information to the expansion as well as a video of the official announcement made at the 2009 D23 Expo.

 

http://thedailydisney.com/blog/2009/10/ ... maid-ride/

 

Walt Disney World is about to embark on a sweeping facelift for the Fantasyland section of the Magic Kingdom, in what the resort calls the biggest overhaul in the theme park’s 38-year history. Plans revealed Saturday call for adding a lavish ride based on The Little Mermaid, expanding a popular Dumbo children’s attraction, new interactive areas featuring some of Disney’s best-known princesses, and more.

 

In addition, Disney said it plans to update Star Tours, the Star Wars-themed simulator ride in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, with new 3-D effects.

The refurbished Star Tours will debut in 2011. The Fantasyland overhaul will be complete by 2013. Disney declined to say how much it will spend on the projects.

 

The twin announcements are a Disney World response to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the hugely anticipated project being built by rival Universal Orlando in its Islands of Adventure theme park. Industry experts expect Wizarding World, a collection of attractions, shops and restaurants based on the novels by British author J.K. Rowling, to prove a huge draw when it opens in 2010; one that threatens to siphon attendance away from Disney.

 

But perhaps more importantly, said Robert Niles, publisher of themeparkinsider.com, Disney’s Fantasyland expansion could team with Universal’s Wizarding World in helping reignite overall travel to Orlando, which has slumped badly amid the global recession. “There might be some Harry Potter fans who are waffling on the expense of trips to Orlando. But if you can throw in something new at Disney, maybe they’ll make the trip,” Niles said. “At this point, travel isn’t a zero sum game. They’ve got to get people on planes traveling again.” To drive the expansion, Disney is turning to one of its most enduring and lucrative franchises: princesses. The vast majority of the Fantasyland overhaul will focus on Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and others in the company’s stable of animated heroines.

 

The biggest-ticket addition will be the Little Mermaid attraction, an enclosed ride that will carry guests through Ariel’s underwater realm. It will use an Omnimover ride system similar to that of the Haunted Mansion, and will move through scenes featuring characters and songs from the 1989 movie. The ride, which has a working title of Under the Sea: Journey of The Little Mermaid, will be the same as one being built as part of the $1 billion overhaul of Disney’s California Adventure theme park in Anaheim, Calif., though the twin attractions will have different exteriors. But what’s more, Disney World will construct individual areas — be it a castle, cottage or chateau — where guests can interact with some of the company’s best-known princesses and other characters from their movies. Children will be able to dance with Cinderella, celebrate Aurora’s birthday with the Good Fairies, or play a role with Belle in a performance in the library of the Beast’s castle. The Beast’s castle, taken from the 1991 film Beauty and the Beast, will also include a three-room themed restaurant.

“Princesses are certainly one of Disney’s strengths. Obviously, there’s some limited appeal in terms of gender and age,” Niles, of themeparkinsider.com, said. “But anyone who’s had a young daughter knows they can be extremely persuasive.”

 

Chris Beatty, a senior concept designer with Walt Disney Imagineering, said a goal is to make the company’s iconic princesses appealing to a wider demographic. For example, some villains from the princesses’ movies will also be incorporated to help the area appeal to boys.

“We’re tailoring our experiences to kind of have that broad appeal,” Beatty said. “There’re just some great, classic stories, and we know for any guests that travel to the Magic Kingdom, that’s always one of the highlights.”

 

Beyond princesses, the plans call for doubling the size of and relocating Dumbo the Flying Elephant to a new “circus grounds” that will include an interactive queue under a big-top tent to entertain children waiting in line. Disney will add a new Pixie Hollow character-greeting area, home to Tinker Bell and other fairies.

 

To accommodate the expansion, Disney will raze most of Mickey’s Toontown Fair, the smallest of the Magic Kingdom’s “lands.” Gone will be both of the walk-through country houses where guests were guaranteed to meet Disney’s most famous characters: Mickey and Minnie Mouse.

Disney says Mickey and Minnie will get new homes near the front entrance of the park. The children’s roller coaster, the Barnstormer at Goofy’s Wiseacre Farm, will remain, though it will be re-themed, likely with a circus overlay linking it to Dumbo.

 

The first phase of the Fantasyland expansion, including the Mermaid ride and the princess areas, is scheduled to open in 2012. Pixie Hollow will follow in 2013.

 

For Star Tours, which debuted in Hollywood Studios in 1989, Disney plans to add new video and dialogue sequences recorded by George Lucas’ Lucasfilm studio. The updated 3-D effects will incorporate characters from the three Star Wars prequel films released between 1999 and 2005.

An identical Star Tours at Disneyland will also be upgraded.

 

Online Disney fan forums have been abuzz about a potential Fantasyland expansion for much of the summer, after blueprints were mysteriously leaked. Disney refused to comment on the plans for weeks, instead waiting to make the announcement at a fan convention this weekend in Anaheim.

 

Possible Blueprints for Fantasyland re-do?

Edited April 11, 2011 by jedimaster1227

[metrock]

Interesting for sure. I'm just hoping that if they are real, I'll be able to get to the park before the change. I was there in '04, but didn't really have a lot of time to check out Fantasyland. Can't remember if I even walked though it. That's what happens when you only have 2 1/2 days in Orlando.

[Scream162]

Holy crap! If that's true, it's going to be AMAZING!

[Sir Clinksalot]

So a couple of observations:

 

- 2 Dumbo's??? I actually think that's pretty cool, and needed. Wonder if they will just get rid of the Magic Carpets and move it over there and plop some elephants on it.

- The "Attractions" for Belle, Cinderella and Aurora look really small. I hope they aren't just walk-through's and meet-and-greets.

- Pixie Hollow looks WAY too big for my taste

- The Tea Cups look like they have moved a bit, but of course, who knows

- Glad that Barnstormer is staying, although I wonder if they can/will retheme this to Casey Jr. since it's so close to Dumbo

- Gaston's Tavern!!! BEER AT THE MK!!!

[EnglndPatriots6]

Well they made 2 ride systems, 2 of all the special effects, and 2 of the ride track for the little mermaid ride they are building at DCA, so i wouldnt be surprised if that 2nd set ends up in WDW.

 

Also the rumors are that the current Dumbo ride will be moved.

[LJGoBlue]

I was at Disney in early June and there was a lot of buildings being refurbished, if these buildings were going to be turned into something else why would they refurbish them now instead of just waiting until this would happen if this is true?

[coasterville]

Before you get excited about alcoholic drinks at the Magic Kingdom, remember the Mile High Bar in Fronteirland. Even though they call it a bar or saloon or tavern doesn't mean it will necesarily serve adult drinks.

 

I like the idea of two Dumbo rides, considering how long the line gets, but just didnt think they would actually do it.

 

It looks like the only casualty here would be that new play area and part of Toontown, hardly a loss. I most like the fact they aren't heartlessly ripping out any classics. Mr. Toad, anyone?

[Scream162]

^What good classics does MK even have now?

[nomorefloor]

if you look above the dumbo a and b it says next generation queue. what do you think that means?

[cfc]

if you look above the dumbo a and b it says next generation queue. what do you think that means?

 

That the part of Dumbo is going to be played by Patrick Stewart?

[mcjaco]

Rumors are that this is happening.

 

I'm not so sure these blueprints are real. I find it really hard to believe they'd be leaked this early and easily.

[Hilltopper39]

I had read on another site that the Aladdin Carpet ride in Adventureland was being moved/removed for the Fantasyland renovation. Seeing as how that as essentially exactly the same ride system with different colors and "dumbos" instead of carpets I could see it being very easy to convert Aladdin into the second Dumbo for the expansion.

[testtrack321]

Seems cool, I heard that this is being pushed through by upper managment, beyond Rassulo (sp?) and those guys. Not done yet at all, but sounds closer to happening than any of the other BS rumors about WDW...

[CorkscrewFoley]

What's going to happen to Peter Pan's Flight?

[mcjaco]

^ It's fine. This would be an expansion towards the North into Mickey's Hometown. Everything down the west and east midways would be staying the same. With the exception of Dumbo.

[DBJ]

Pixie Hollow looks way too big to be part of the re-do. A play maze? boo!

They could drop a flat themed to Fairies in there, some kind of invert spinner/fairy flight attraction good for kids. The Pixie Hollow lighting effects at DL are well done, but when you look at it, you can picture the effects being part of a dark ride.

 

Or, since Little Mermaid is going to be massively popular, they would need an overflow q somewhere.

 

Not a fan of duplicate rides being right next to each other. Certainly there is another family flat that would fit into the Dumbo/circus theme. In general, it would be extremely be nice if they took the design concept from Mermaid Lagoon over at TDS and applied it here.

[tmac031467]

This looks to me not to be a major redo but an expansion into the area left vacant and under utilized when they removed the 20000 leagues attraction a few years back. Also some of the areas seem to be for meet and greets. The only big change I think would be the addition of the little mermaid ride.