5th park theme confirmed its....

[CWIPPERMAN]

Well, I'm sitting at a computer in DisneyQuest, 3/4 of the way through my vacation. I just had to pop on here real quick and pass this on. I haven't looked around the board at all so this may be old news, but yesterday as we were leaving blizzard beach, we were asked to do a survey. The guy giving the survey started talking to us and said that they had just been informed that WDW will be building a VILLIANS oriented theme park. It is supposed to compete with Universal's IOA.

Well, I'm off to pleasure island. I'll check back in a few days when I get home.

 

[Miss Park Avenue]

An entire theme park devoted to the villians??? This is a joke right??

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

I'll wait for the offical announcement but thanks for the tidbit of info.

 

[larry_poppins]

Wishful thinking, but I wouldn't hold my breathe waiting for a 5th theme park to open!

 

[Another Voice]

Hmmmmm.......

You know, sometimes when things aren't really going your way and people don't really like what you're doing, it's kinda of nice just to talk about doing something. You know, keep the morale up and make people think something "may be in the works".

Talking's a heck of a lot cheaper than actually doing anything.

 

[Miss Park Avenue]

The CM's must be bored with the reduced crowds! M.E. was supposed to be out last Thursday according to a rumor on another thread.

 

[Peter Pirate]

Aside from Mr. Voice's post we're being a tad bit harsh here aren't we? After all this is the Rumors Board and what CWIPPERMAN has posted certainly falls into that catagory. The degree with what we view the probability of the rumor notwitstanding, I think that thanks or discussion is warranted in lieu of such a quick dismissal.

I'm sure none of you intended to be dismissive but if we want rumors to continue to be posted they should be accepted gracefully...

Off my soap box...

 

[Walt's Frozen Head]

In May, the CM at the Main Street Firehouse Shop (I picked up a nice Mickey's Magic Kingdom Fire Department polo. It was the only kinda cool and unique wearable-to-work shirt I saw that trip... a disappointment to me. I'm still more than willing to give Disney money, if only they'll offer me something interesting in return) assured me that the fifth park, all villains, was a "go." I hadn't asked about any future plans, she was just bubbly that way.

I don't think she had access to more late-breaking, high-level news than some of us, here, have. I do think she was excited to talk about a possibility that excited her, but I'm not sure how deeply she considered the ramifications of such a move.

I mean, this is something we generally don't even disagree on, right? We might have differing reasons as to why not, but at this point, does anyone think a fifth Orlando Disney park is a good idea?

-WFH

 

[MHopkins2]

does anyone think a fifth Orlando Disney park is a good idea?

If it were done *right* (both theme and execution, both likely involving a boatload of money), then yes I think it's a good idea. It would be a better idea to fix the existing problems first before making the new park investment, but I don't think a 5th gate is a bad idea in and of itself - just shouldn't be at the top of the priority list.

 

[mjstaceyuofm]

Could it just be that the Imagineers were given the greenlight to start developing ideas/concepts and that rumor is making it's way around? Ideas on paper don't cost that much.... We've all seen/read about all the great attractions imagineering has come up with over the years only to not get them. This may be a similar case.

 

[larworth]

It seems reasonable that they could be doing some concept research on a 5th gate (hence the reason for the other post about potential names). We know how long the gestation period on these things can be, so even if the current "master plan?" had it now slotted for the end of this decade, they would probably still want some general scope defintion of it today (and it would undoubtedly change several times before they pulled the trigger).

Several months ago there were rumors of a major transportation plan near approval. A month ago we heard rumors that money for the 5th gate was going to be diverted to rejuvenate Epcot. Than, I thought I saw a recent quote by Eisner that he was going to ask for some postponement in capital spend through 2006 so they could pursue some unnamed new business venture? Sounds like an organization where everyone is united behind a common corporate vision, heh.

Leaking a false rumor about a 5th gate might have an impact on morale, but would it play well with the street, given current conditions? I assume this is the audience they care most about spinning.

 

[The Disney Bunch]

Wasn't this a rumor a couple of years ago & they decided not to do it? It would be kinda cool - especially if it had more rides like Universal!

 

[Miss Park Avenue]

I'm sorry if it seemed I just dismissed it. So much is discussed here about reduced crowds and all the cuts made supposedly because of small crowds. I still hate that MK closes before dark in May. People talk about how AK is half finished and now another park may be added? They build and build and build, and cut and cut and cut the things I loved.

 

[Bob O]

The last thing they is a 5th gate. All of the existing parks have major holes to fill before they build a new park. Not to speak of the need for increased hours!!

 

[wdwguide]

If all the things that CMs say they heard will be built at WDW were reality, there wouldn't be a single square inch left undeveloped by now... A fifth park isn't in the cards for the forseeable future.

 

[Luv2Roam]

Nice rumor, but I think I read there was a Villains park rumor even quite awhile back that never amounted to more than a rumor.
Like most, I would rather see extended hours, services and the existing parks added on to.

 

[Safari Steve]

1) this is an old, old rumor.

2) If mr. voice was trying to say that WDW management was lying to guests in lieu of actual improvements... I think he needs to take a nap... the only person who made this claim was a survey CM.

3) Some (not all) WDW Survey CMs are temporary CMs.

4) Mr. Weiss made a couple of statements at the beginning of the 100 years celebration to the effect that there were no more parks on the immediate horizon, and that the current plan is to improve upon what is already built as far as the parks are concerned. I trust him alot more than a temp who volunteered another story.

 

[DisneyFanGuy]

Here is an old, similar rumor from 1999.


Old villian rumor

 

[PrincessAurora]

I have a friend that works in Imagineering. He worked on Animal Kingdom and did a ton of research for the Mythical Beasts "land" in Animal Kingdom which has yet to see the light of day.

According to him, the Villian Park (code named Shadowland) was scaled back from a whole theme park idea to a land and now languishes in the land of "might be/could have beens".

Fire Mountain/Villians Mountain is still batted around but cost, declining attendance, etc have put it on the back burner for now.

 

[larworth]

Princess Aurora

From what we hear BK has also passed into the land of "what might have been". Maybe you could ask if he thinks it will ever see the light of day. Wonder if he has a link to Scoop's anonymouse website?