Are the four parks becoming out dated? What small improvements can be made?

[slh1977]

I'm a DVC member and was at Disney in May and of course had a great time. Disney will be a place I go to every year because it is part of me and my family. However, what we interesting to me was it seems that the parks, and especially Epcot and already Animal Kingdom are becoming out dated. I think there is a real danger that Universal and if any other company decided to open a state of the art them park in central Florida, it could be a really problem for Disney. That being said, I'm interested to see what people think can be easily implemented to boost the parks into the current day if they are outdated. I'll start

Hollywood Studios - Do not have to do anything here, implementing Star Wars and Toy Story Land is plenty, in my opinion this will be the best park in five years if nothing is done. The only thing they need to do is change the name.

Magic Kingdom - The implementation of new Fantasyland was wonderful, and I think Adventure Land, Frontier Land, and Liberty Square are perfect the way they are. The problem is Tommorrowland, it isn't futuristic anymore, it isn't even today. I think two small changes are need
- Remove the TommorrowLand speedway. It is long past time for this to be taken out. With that amount of space you could be at least two new futuristic attractions in its place.
- Replace Stiches great escape and Monsters Inc. These aren't really "Tommorrowland" they are shows, they don't seem to fit the them of this land to me.

Animal Kingdom - It is the newest land, and adding Avatar Land is going to help. But to me, there really isn't that many attractions here. Africa needs something new, the Safari is a lot of fun, but it is really the only ride in this land. Asia is fine, but it could use a kids based ride and its 2 attractions are more for thrill seeks. And Dinoland USA is nice, but other then Dinosaur, the two other attractions are something you can find at pretty much any carnival.

Epcot - By far the biggest issue, and its my favorite park. The first thing they need to do is stop relying on corporate/country sponsors for its attractions. Disney doesn't need them, they make plenty of money without relying on this. FutureWorld, like Tommorrowland, isn't really FutureWorld anymore. Soarin and Test Track are great, and Mission space is a lot of fun. Spaceship Earth, Living with the Land and Nemo are also wonderful. The issue is near Mission Space. Universe of Energy is way outdated, and way to long for kids to enjoy. And the pavilion at Body Wars isn't used anymore. Two new futuristic attractions would be easy to put in there.

For the World Showcase, which is my favorite part of Disney World, the solution is easy. Add two new countries, there is plenty of space. I would suggest a South American country (Brazil?) and Australia.

I wonder if this is a money issue or a creative issue that is allow these parks to seem out of date in areas. I find it hard to believe its a money issue, and if its a creative issue it is time for new leadership in that area. Both seem fixable in the best resort in the world!

 

[mom2rtk]

I'm a DVC member and was at Disney in May and of course had a great time. Disney will be a place I go to every year because it is part of me and my family. However, what we interesting to me was it seems that the parks, and especially Epcot and already Animal Kingdom are becoming out dated. I think there is a real danger that Universal and if any other company decided to open a state of the art them park in central Florida, it could be a really problem for Disney. That being said, I'm interested to see what people think can be easily implemented to boost the parks into the current day if they are outdated. I'll start

Hollywood Studios - Do not have to do anything here, implementing Star Wars and Toy Story Land is plenty, in my opinion this will be the best park in five years if nothing is done. The only thing they need to do is change the name.

Magic Kingdom - The implementation of new Fantasyland was wonderful, and I think Adventure Land, Frontier Land, and Liberty Square are perfect the way they are. The problem is Tommorrowland, it isn't futuristic anymore, it isn't even today. I think two small changes are need
- Remove the TommorrowLand speedway. It is long past time for this to be taken out. With that amount of space you could be at least two new futuristic attractions in its place.
- Replace Stiches great escape and Monsters Inc. These aren't really "Tommorrowland" they are shows, they don't seem to fit the them of this land to me.

Animal Kingdom - It is the newest land, and adding Avatar Land is going to help. But to me, there really isn't that many attractions here. Africa needs something new, the Safari is a lot of fun, but it is really the only ride in this land. Asia is fine, but it could use a kids based ride and its 2 attractions are more for thrill seeks. And Dinoland USA is nice, but other then Dinosaur, the two other attractions are something you can find at pretty much any carnival.

Epcot - By far the biggest issue, and its my favorite park. The first thing they need to do is stop relying on corporate/country sponsors for its attractions. Disney doesn't need them, they make plenty of money without relying on this. FutureWorld, like Tommorrowland, isn't really FutureWorld anymore. Soarin and Test Track are great, and Mission space is a lot of fun. Spaceship Earth, Living with the Land and Nemo are also wonderful. The issue is near Mission Space. Universe of Energy is way outdated, and way to long for kids to enjoy. And the pavilion at Body Wars isn't used anymore. Two new futuristic attractions would be easy to put in there.

For the World Showcase, which is my favorite part of Disney World, the solution is easy. Add two new countries, there is plenty of space. I would suggest a South American country (Brazil?) and Australia.

I wonder if this is a money issue or a creative issue that is allow these parks to seem out of date in areas. I find it hard to believe its a money issue, and if its a creative issue it is time for new leadership in that area. Both seem fixable in the best resort in the world!

It's probably a money issue, but it isn't because the profits aren't there.

 

[BrianL]

I think the parks are mostly fine, but I do agree in MK Tomorrowland is the only area that could use some improvement. I don't think they should remove the Speedway, but they should overhaul it, use electric vehicles and give it a more futuristic theme for bot h the cars and the landscaping. Kids do seem to love being able to "drive" but they could make massive improvements. Stitch is the other weak spot and that building is rife for re-imagineering. I'd keep Monsters Inc. though because it's just so good, even if the theme is a stretch.

Epcot also has issues, but they may be addressing them shortly. They really just need to do something with the empty Life pavilion and overhaul Energy. They could also use a new show in the old EO theater. I feel the rest of the attractions are pretty solid even if some are not that amazing (Nemo, Imagination).

DHS and AK will be taken care of with their imminent expansions. They've got that covered.

 

[tlmadden73]

DHS - after admitting the "making of movies" theme was done, they are taking some awesome steps to redo this park. Unfortunately it will probably take way too long. Many suspect that Universal will have a whole new park done before these lands are done.

MK - I haven't understood why Tomorrowland Speedway has lasted as long as it has. 20-30 years ago that was a pretty cool attraction, but now (when you can find REAL go-karts in any tourist area), it is noisy, special and doesn't say "Tomorrowland". I agree they also should remove Monsters inc and Stitch and bring back the Tomorrowland Transit Authority aspect - like make the whole area themed like Miles from Tomorrowland with each attraction being tied to the TTA). Make the area feel like a spaceport again.

AK - AK is a zoo, so it doesn't really need many attractions as the animals (and the walking paths) are attractions too. It could use more animals in my opinion.

Epcot - continue to ditch the pavillion and "World's Fair" theme in Futureland (They already a while ago when they put gutted all the pavilions and added in Test Track and Mission Space). They should also just continue what they did with Norway and just make Disney-themed attractions "around the world" to make that area a bit more exciting and a draw (beyond just the booze festivals).

 

[Disneymom1126]

I'm a DVC member and was at Disney in May and of course had a great time. Disney will be a place I go to every year because it is part of me and my family. However, what we interesting to me was it seems that the parks, and especially Epcot and already Animal Kingdom are becoming out dated. I think there is a real danger that Universal and if any other company decided to open a state of the art them park in central Florida, it could be a really problem for Disney. That being said, I'm interested to see what people think can be easily implemented to boost the parks into the current day if they are outdated. I'll start

Hollywood Studios - Do not have to do anything here, implementing Star Wars and Toy Story Land is plenty, in my opinion this will be the best park in five years if nothing is done. The only thing they need to do is change the name.

Magic Kingdom - The implementation of new Fantasyland was wonderful, and I think Adventure Land, Frontier Land, and Liberty Square are perfect the way they are. The problem is Tommorrowland, it isn't futuristic anymore, it isn't even today. I think two small changes are need
- Remove the TommorrowLand speedway. It is long past time for this to be taken out. With that amount of space you could be at least two new futuristic attractions in its place.
- Replace Stiches great escape and Monsters Inc. These aren't really "Tommorrowland" they are shows, they don't seem to fit the them of this land to me.

Animal Kingdom - It is the newest land, and adding Avatar Land is going to help. But to me, there really isn't that many attractions here. Africa needs something new, the Safari is a lot of fun, but it is really the only ride in this land. Asia is fine, but it could use a kids based ride and its 2 attractions are more for thrill seeks. And Dinoland USA is nice, but other then Dinosaur, the two other attractions are something you can find at pretty much any carnival.

Epcot - By far the biggest issue, and its my favorite park. The first thing they need to do is stop relying on corporate/country sponsors for its attractions. Disney doesn't need them, they make plenty of money without relying on this. FutureWorld, like Tommorrowland, isn't really FutureWorld anymore. Soarin and Test Track are great, and Mission space is a lot of fun. Spaceship Earth, Living with the Land and Nemo are also wonderful. The issue is near Mission Space. Universe of Energy is way outdated, and way to long for kids to enjoy. And the pavilion at Body Wars isn't used anymore. Two new futuristic attractions would be easy to put in there.

For the World Showcase, which is my favorite part of Disney World, the solution is easy. Add two new countries, there is plenty of space. I would suggest a South American country (Brazil?) and Australia.

I wonder if this is a money issue or a creative issue that is allow these parks to seem out of date in areas. I find it hard to believe its a money issue, and if its a creative issue it is time for new leadership in that area. Both seem fixable in the best resort in the world!

For me the two biggest areas that need to be looked at are Tomorrowland (MK) and FutureWorld (EP). They may have been futuristic when they were first built, but building something with the theme of being "futuristic" means you have to constantly be innovating to ensure that the present doesn't catch up with you. Nothing is really all that futuristic in either area anymore...there have been huge advances in technology since the areas were built and so each needs completely overhauled if they are going to be true to the purpose of those areas.

As for AK and HS..

I don't think AK is really built as a park that is about "the rides." I think adding in Pandora and a few rides there will help for those who go there seeking out rides, but for me I enjoy it more as an immersive experience of nature/the circle of life then I do the rides (though admittedly Everest is one of my favorites across all the parks). If I was to do anything at AK it would be to bulldoze the dino area with the exception of Dinosaur the ride...and either go all the way over the top immersive to the time of dinosaurs or re-theme it to be another part of the world (i.e. Australian Outback or South American Rainforest).

I think HS is headed in a good direction with lands themed to bring you "into" the movie...it's just going to take a while to get there. Once Star Wars and Toy Story are finished, I think it would be good for them to choose at least one more land to create. There are quite a few they could choose from, but it would probably be smart for them to choose something that appeals to younger kids as there is less for them at HS than the other parks (maybe Toy Story Land will be enough to appease the younger crowd, but they might also add in something else since the older crowd will have Star Wars and the Tower of Terror/Rock-N-Roller Coaster areas).

 

[redsbe]

One factor some people are perhaps not aware of is that Disney Parks consists of many more parks worldwide compared to Universal. Disney made decisions in last decade to expand and add new parks, including many outside Florida with investments in the billions, Universal focused on two major expansions at their Orlando park which were successful and allowed them to gain market share, especially in the Florida market. But Disney Parks decided to focus in the international market for growth and delayed (or had smaller) investments at WDW. Only time will time the long term gains in market share and profit growth, including within next 5 years when major investments in AK and DHS are realized.

 

[Shanti]

I'm a DVC member and was at Disney in May and of course had a great time. Disney will be a place I go to every year because it is part of me and my family. However, what we interesting to me was it seems that the parks, and especially Epcot and already Animal Kingdom are becoming out dated. I think there is a real danger that Universal and if any other company decided to open a state of the art them park in central Florida, it could be a really problem for Disney. That being said, I'm interested to see what people think can be easily implemented to boost the parks into the current day if they are outdated. I'll start

Hollywood Studios - Do not have to do anything here, implementing Star Wars and Toy Story Land is plenty, in my opinion this will be the best park in five years if nothing is done. The only thing they need to do is change the name.

Magic Kingdom - The implementation of new Fantasyland was wonderful, and I think Adventure Land, Frontier Land, and Liberty Square are perfect the way they are. The problem is Tommorrowland, it isn't futuristic anymore, it isn't even today. I think two small changes are need
- Remove the TommorrowLand speedway. It is long past time for this to be taken out. With that amount of space you could be at least two new futuristic attractions in its place.
- Replace Stiches great escape and Monsters Inc. These aren't really "Tommorrowland" they are shows, they don't seem to fit the them of this land to me.

Animal Kingdom - It is the newest land, and adding Avatar Land is going to help. But to me, there really isn't that many attractions here. Africa needs something new, the Safari is a lot of fun, but it is really the only ride in this land. Asia is fine, but it could use a kids based ride and its 2 attractions are more for thrill seeks. And Dinoland USA is nice, but other then Dinosaur, the two other attractions are something you can find at pretty much any carnival.

Epcot - By far the biggest issue, and its my favorite park. The first thing they need to do is stop relying on corporate/country sponsors for its attractions. Disney doesn't need them, they make plenty of money without relying on this. FutureWorld, like Tommorrowland, isn't really FutureWorld anymore. Soarin and Test Track are great, and Mission space is a lot of fun. Spaceship Earth, Living with the Land and Nemo are also wonderful. The issue is near Mission Space. Universe of Energy is way outdated, and way to long for kids to enjoy. And the pavilion at Body Wars isn't used anymore. Two new futuristic attractions would be easy to put in there.

For the World Showcase, which is my favorite part of Disney World, the solution is easy. Add two new countries, there is plenty of space. I would suggest a South American country (Brazil?) and Australia.

I wonder if this is a money issue or a creative issue that is allow these parks to seem out of date in areas. I find it hard to believe its a money issue, and if its a creative issue it is time for new leadership in that area. Both seem fixable in the best resort in the world!

WDW is already making massive profits as is. The best way for them to get more profit is build more resorts, and only put minimal work into new attractions. That's what they're doing. Unfortunately, Walt Disney is dead, and Disney is a corporation that is now run strictly for profit, not creativity or any other ideals.

 

[Tucker24]

I definitely think tomorrowland needs to be updated a lot and the DHS improvements will kick it up a notch. Unfortunately I think by the time Toy Story land is done my kids may have outgrown it. I wish Fantasy Land was a little better with the Little Mermaid ride but it's still fun. Frontier land could use an upgrade too. I hope they continue to improve WDW instead of concentrating on places like Shanghai though

 

[BK2014]

I don't think they should remove the Speedway, but they should overhaul it, use electric vehicles and give it a more futuristic theme for bot h the cars and the landscaping. Kids do seem to love being able to "drive" but they could make massive improvements.

I really like this idea. Instead of the speedway/race theme, maybe build a futuristic cityscape for more future looking cars to drive through. Some well designed facades using forced perspective could give the kids (and other riders) a really neat driving experience. And if it lit up at night, that would be even better to look at.

 

[Delirium]

Anyone proposing eliminating the Speedway is looking at it solely from an adult perspective. Every single kid I know loves the Speedway and has it in their Top 10 must dos in all of Disney World. Now, can it be updated to be more 'future-like'? Sure. But, don't take away a kid's opportunity to drive and put in an attraction more appealing to adults. That would seem to be the anti-Disney approach.

 

[jade1]

Between all the new DVC resorts, Disney Springs (Love it already), NFL and 7DMT (opened MK today and 90% of the crowd went straight there it appeared, still only took 10 minutes), the expanded hub and shows (the new day show is awesome by the way, as is Celebrate the Magic and of course Wishes-just need Paint the night now), AK being open at night really helped this week in the summer heat, Tree of Life shows are super cool, ROL needs to start as Jungle Book has 50 live actors but kinda boring yet beautiful and worth seeing, Night Safari was a great change but too few animals it seemed-still fun, Star Wars Fireworks Shows is awesome, Frozen at DHS is always funny and better than the rides IMO, Star Wars Stage show was really cool as is the Launch Bay, a 3rd TSM track seems to help quite a bit even for TOT and RNR it seemed, Frozen in EPCOT was way better than Maelstrom IMO, the new Soarin is much better IMO and a 3rd screen seemed to reduce waits as well.

FP+ has been the best change of all for us-much more relaxing and we still choose them day of, some night before this whole week again. We did 7DMT, PPan, BTMRR and Splash in the first hour today SB. Have AK FP+ for tonight.

And we still have TS Land, Star Wars Land and Avatar Land on the way.

Pencil me in as happier than ever.

 

[nolimitmtneer]

Out of the lands at MK, Tomorrowland attractions are the most in need of an update. While my family and I love the attractions in Tomorrowland I think some updates are need to keep the land ahead of its time. I think the land needs more than a few coats of paint, but that is needed too.

The old gas powered go-karts should be replaced with electric motors. I know we would all love some type of hoverboard/car ride, but replacing the gas powered karts would be a big step in the right direction. Since the speedway takes up so much space maybe redo the track to add another attraction that the cars would access during the ride. Similar to the People Mover and Space Mountain.

Stitch should get the boot and bring in Miles from Tomorrowland. It almost seems like a no brainer. It would be a good push for the show and would sell more merchandise.

I personal love the Carousel of Progress. I think the new color scheme introduced a few weeks ago is fresh. The inside does need some major work. My family and I rode this on our last trip in December 2015. The ride stopped a few times or the sound would stop during the show. Ceiling tiles were missing in most areas and the seats felt dirty. While my kids like seeing the old stuff and thought it was funny, the last stop showing the current/future should reflect the latest and greatest products. It left a lot to be desired even for someone that loves the ride.

I like the Star Wars shop, but don’t feel Tomorrowland should have anything Star Wars besides a shop. Keep the SW stuff at Hollywood and don't make a crossover of the parks.

Buzz Lightyear is fun and a great way to beat the heat. It’s a ride that moves a lot of people in a short time. I do like this ride, but I'm sure some updates could be used.

Small kids love the Astro Orbiter and I don't think it needs an update yet.