How would you spruce up each park?

Extinct? What Chester and Hester isn't good enough? Kidding obviously.

Magic kingdom-
-refurb space mountain
- get rid of the laugh floor and stitch,
- update people mover
- wouldn't get rid of CoP, just refurb and update last scene
- tomorrow land speedway needs to be brought into this century--- refurb to "green" cars
- in place of laugh floor and stitch I would add a dark ride that's themed to walts vision of tomorrow, and something else innovative
- refurb astro orbit or to make it feel somewhat safe
- leave new fantasyland as is, it's new
- update splash to an actual working state
- get rid of Swiss family treehouse and the magic carpets, and add a magic carpet dark ride wear you fly over, similar to Peter Pan but Alladin theme
- modernize the jungle cruise, and update jokes

Hollywood studios
- make Pixar place more than toy story, add the monsters inc door coaster and laugh floor(where jack sparrow is)
- I like the incredibles water area
- make histk wall-e themed, since we already have it's tough to be a bug in AK
- remove backlot tour, and lights motor action, and add a unique cars ride not one at dca
- update muppet vision
- remove American idol and sounds dangerous stage and expand Star Wars and Indy into Lucas land
- retheme rnrc to non Aerosmith

Animal kingdom
-scrap avatar, make beastly kingdom
- get rid of Chester and Hester completely, add a coaster similar to dwarf mine train that goes "underground" through dinosaur fossils
- expand on the fossil kid attraction
-Get rid of the carnival style games and add a few more things to cover other extinct animals
- fix the yeti
- make rafiki more interesting
- move lion king to Africa
-bring back the boat ride

Epcot
- refurb and update universe of energy(don't get rid of Ellen but bring the ride into modern days)
- remove eo bring back honey I shrunk the audience
- refurb imagination
- add Greece
- make gondola ride in Italy
- move along with the "dead" plans of the Kodak Fuji coaster
- refurb maelstrom
- add more interactive attractions to innoventions
-update soarin for Florida, instead of making it California
- in future world add a pavilion about technology(past, present, and future)

Downtown Disney
- bring back a modified version of pleasure island
- add carnival row(games where Chester and Hester was)
- update la nouba
- update Disney quest games


I'm sure there's more, that was just a general overview of my thoughts(I'm at work haha)

 

Hmmm...

Well,

MK-

Definitely shut down and redo all the broken hardware on Splash. I would be shocked if this was NOT on the plans to be conducted rather quickly after the seven dwarves ride goes online and they look at their priority list afterward.

perhaps some new stuff for the Jungle Cruise. I know its classic and sacrilege...but it might be time to do a little reboot of somekind, without changing it from the comedy based schtick.

I would completely revamp the merchandise (property wide) but especially in MK to go backward towards decentralized merchandise. It's never gonna happen - but i would start varying the offerings again - even if it meant some significant cost increases. Develop a "virtual shopping cart" kind of kiosk system so you can streamline having your purchases shipped en mass at the end of your trip if you wish -to allow for more shopping without the travel logistics and headaches that shopping actually creates these days.
You sell more interesting stuff - i buy more at greater price...deal?
And i even actually think they could incorporate domestic production into this - now THAT is a novel concept.

EPCOT-

The obvious answer is two more Country pavillions on the pads. The complicated parts of that is that they would have to rework the sponsorship deals. There's no doubt in my mind that they will have to do that for all the countries eventually...or lose them all. Technology is completely different now than it was in 1982...it changes how effective the country pavillions can be. But on the other hand, there are far more visitors...so there is a chance that exposure can offset the diminishing returns.
But that's new construction - not sprucing.

The other obvious answer is to replace the Wonders of Life and completely overhaul Imagination with something...anything.
I do not accept pavilions gutted for convention space or broken apart due to misguided rehab and not replaced. Nor should any paying costumer.
Anything is better than the embarrassment of what they have done.

But let's face it: alot of this is due to the same sponsorship whining that has plagued EPCOT for 15 years...they want companies to pay them, which was a great scheme in the late 70's...but must be evolved or abandoned.

Think about this: the Wonders of Life is the YOUNGEST pavilion in EPCOT...and no particular field that is covered in the showcase has had more evolution and development...nor effects human living more since the opening of EPCOT and going forward than the health field.
And they mothballed it.

Make any sense? None (and before anyone gives me the "there were major structural issues with than building" excuse - then FIX IT!!!)

Downtown Disney -

to obvious to even bother typing

MGM (or whatever) -

Tough one...i've kinda just given up on MGM

I don't think they wish to truly make the park a full day type place...and therefore won't repurpose all the wasted space.

So i guess to "spruce it up"...i'd can the hat and maybe invest in a couple of better quality quickserves...they desperately need that.

AK -

Animal Kindgom needs major work. They are bleeding money because animal parks are so high cost - yet aren't investing enough in the park to make it a can't miss draw and a real success.

So we know that they realistically need two new full blown disney-esque "lands"...anything short of that is probably silly.

But i would remove the old unused food kiosks that are stuck around the pathways if they aren't going to be used. Maybe figure our what is going on with your character areas and build a little bit nicer/more permanent spot somewhere else in the park. The kinda slow area between Asia and Africa might be nice.

Oh...and hit Chester and Hesters with a wrecking ball the size of Texas.

 

What about retheme the Circle of Life with WALL-E? WALL-E has a fantastic plot/story for both Epcot and AK....

 

I forgot 2 more things...

1) Bring life back into River Country. Don't make it a water park per se. But a general admission place for guests staying on resort. It's just sad when I see the pics of what it looks like now.

2) Bring back resort specific merchandise. Clothes, kitchen wares and especially the resort specific mugs. I was at POR in Dec, and our mug was all the Disney characters doing summer activities. I still have the POR mug that I bought in 2000. It's mostly faded. But I can still make out Mickey fishing at a fishin' hole while Donald and Goofy are playing river boat music.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7X3b6gHV7o0 (sort of)



I agree with your last statement wholeheartedly. The kangaroos alone would be a hit, honestly...
You could even a certain movie - 'The Rescuers Down Under'. Maybe for merchandise.

 

Animal Kingdom Lodge is a deluxe resort that is phenomenal in so many regards but you have to bus everywhere or rent a car! How about an alternative, fun transport from AKL to AK? Adds something to both, I think.

Epcot has spots of genius but is in desperate need of help. Pavilions in Future World are deserted, closed, outdated, and just faded and sad. There are great attractions, but the only building with a full, consistent theme is Living Seas...and the common spaces there look like 1986. I remember being so wowed on my first visit to Future World but now (although I still love certain attractions) it bums me out...also Food and Wine reminds me how much World Showcase misses out on by not adding new countries and updating existing attractions.

HS is another place searching for a theme. Just so stuck in the past. A Backlot Tour of a place that no longer functions as a working studio? A Great Movie attraction that doesn't feature a single great film of the last decade or so? That entire half empty Backlot Area? At least at AK there are animals to look at and beautiful greenery between the attractions...When my family visits HS we do the few flagship attractions and run! Also why is one of the most popular attractions (Toy Story) jammed into a narrow gauntlet that as an afterthought had a Pixar sign slapped up? Have you tried to race the crowd down the stairs to the narrow area to get your small child on Toy Story? Ridiculous.

Also Stitch and Monsters Inc. need to go. The films/characters are attraction worthy but deserve better! Also what is with the cramped steel elevator that reaches 100 degrees to get to Astro Orbiter...but have you taken that elevator on a hot day? Brutal.

I am confused about the need to add Avatar land. Yes, the movie WAS hugely popular...WAS...doesn't anything based on a movie with no sequels, nostalgia, cross generational appeal belong at Universal? In ten years will kids be desperate to ride an Avatar ride like they are to go on a Peter Pan ride? Or to rise Space Mountain? Just no thanks.

 

great idea...but the problem there is that the area between the hotel and the park is where a large portion of the animal habitats and service areas for the park are.

It would have to be some kind of enclosed sky bridge or underground tunnel...and they don't do that through service areas.

Its just not that easy...they have to build a ton of safety systems for animal containment. the last thing they want is a Bull Elephant rampaging around their property.

But any direct link would have to go through those areas.

Disney knew full well that they would be sacrificing "alternative" transportation in favor of buses when they built there...and doubled down with timeshares.