Disney News, Discussion & an Element of Fun - 2024 Edition

[OKW Lover]

Do you guys think the Liberty Belle will be moved to Disney Springs? It has potential to be turned into a new restaurant.

That would be a major undertaking. There is no waterway that connects Bay Lake with DS so they would have to somehow move it overland.

 

[StarCruzer]

While I don't necessarily have a problem with it, I do wonder why they want to go ahead with somethign this big when they still have some unused spacet that could use some attention. The Tomorrowland North building has been empty for a long time. Adding just something there would be a be a net gain without as much demo work. I am surprised they haven't done anything with that space.

My understanding is that Disney is in a tight spot when it comes to renovating most of the Tomorrowland buildings. It's rumored that most of those buildings used asbestos in their construction. Any work that opens up the walls in the Tomorrowland North building will likely be a very expensive rebuild, and the PeopleMover would have to close as well.

 

[Smugpugmug]

My understanding is that Disney is in a tight spot when it comes to renovating most of the Tomorrowland buildings. It's rumored that most of those buildings used asbestos in their construction. Any work that opens up the walls in the Tomorrowland North building will likely be a very expensive rebuild, and the PeopleMover would have to close as well.

I've heard this rumor too. For example if Disney did anything substantial with the Stitch's Great Escape area, they would have to close Cosmic Rays which is a massive QS for the park that they can't afford to have be closed.

 

[OlliePop27]

I understand the new Cars ride is not a clone of Radiator Springs Racers, which is exciting. However, I do wonder about creating a new largely outdoor thrill ride given the weather in Florida (I realize there are numerous other outdoor rides at WDW, but Test Track has particular challenges in the rain which is a similar ride system to Radiator Springs). Radiator Springs Racers closes pretty much anytime it rains in CA, which is only a handful of times during a very narrow part of the year (the winter months). Hopefully there's some way for the Cars ride at Magic Kingdom to be more functional in the rain or have lots of covered area. Maybe it's not the Test Track ride system at all, I guess we'll have to wait to find out.

 

[Gabby01]

I really also wish they did something with COCO, ride wise at Disney World. I much much much more prefer that IP then Encanto, which I personally thought was completely overrated and nothing special. I was thinking maybe swapping the three caballeros with a coco ride, but I doubt Disney would want that crazy line inside there and it stops them.

I agree, the Coco boat ride sounds awesome and I wish we were getting it at WDW!

 

[asgur5]

I dont understand why they arent building the cars land where the speedway is? Are they really going to have two giant areas dedicated to car rides? The speedway is terrible. Its a bad ride in a 6 flags park. Its also incredibly ugly. It needs to go.

 

[BrianL]

I dont understand why they arent building the cars land where the speedway is? Are they really going to have two giant areas dedicated to car rides? The speedway is terrible. Its a bad ride in a 6 flags park. Its also incredibly ugly. It needs to go.

Yeah, I do wish they had shown a little love on the Tomorrowland side of things. I don't necessarily mind the Speedway, but it needs to be plused up and go electric immediately!

 

[ejgonz2]

I’m good with TSI and the boat going away it was a lot of space with very little traffic. You can’t keep everything forever, old rides eventually have to go.

*cough* Carousel of Progress *cough*

As I duck for cover…

 

[mdmost]

A really frustrating aspect is they sold us over a year ago the idea of Beyond Big Thunder Mountain so everyone got excited for expansion. Instead it was before and beyond BTM and involves tearing out an existing portion for expansion in a land that was built to have plenty. This isn't 20,000 Leagues and the ride vehicle was beyond repair. This is removing actual water, a unifying theme of multiple Disney parks to put in IP. I love Disney but that's a huge bait and switch. It's very telling that they chose to hide the area of the Cars portion from the D23 audience.

Meanwhile, Journey Into Imagination just languishes well past its prime and desperately needs a makeover back to its original state.

 

[rstevens333]

I guess we now know why they kept the giant dirt pile in the MK parking lot.

 

[StarCruzer]

*cough* Carousel of Progress *cough*

As I duck for cover…

*throws Uncle Orville's entire bathtub across the room*

But seriously, if they were able to move Carousel of Progress from the World's Fair to Magic Kingdom, I assume they could just move it again if they needed to.

 

[soniam]

As far as I know, that's not slated for the parks--it's a Disney+ program of some sort.

But I appreciate the info about previous Monsters Inc land concepts. I wasn't as Disney focused in 2008 so I missed that completely!

The monster truck thing was more of a joke and dig at Disney. I’m very salty about what they are doing with it and where they are putting it I just remembered it being discussed since I got more into Disney knowledge in the last 10 or so years. So I googled it to find the original article.

I understand the new Cars ride is not a clone of Radiator Springs Racers, which is exciting. However, I do wonder about creating a new largely outdoor thrill ride given the weather in Florida (I realize there are numerous other outdoor rides at WDW, but Test Track has particular challenges in the rain which is a similar ride system to Radiator Springs). Radiator Springs Racers closes pretty much anytime it rains in CA, which is only a handful of times during a very narrow part of the year (the winter months). Hopefully there's some way for the Cars ride at Magic Kingdom to be more functional in the rain or have lots of covered area. Maybe it's not the Test Track ride system at all, I guess we'll have to wait to find out.

Was at DCA today. RSR went down and up all day long. I like the ride, but please don’t tear up my beloved river and TSI and put in a known semi functional ride

 

[Elijah Abrams]

That would be a major undertaking. There is no waterway that connects Bay Lake with DS so they would have to somehow move it overland.

They can always move the riverboat by truck.

 

[Elijah Abrams]

A really frustrating aspect is they sold us over a year ago the idea of Beyond Big Thunder Mountain so everyone got excited for expansion. Instead it was before and beyond BTM and involves tearing out an existing portion for expansion in a land that was built to have plenty. This isn't 20,000 Leagues and the ride vehicle was beyond repair. This is removing actual water, a unifying theme of multiple Disney parks to put in IP. I love Disney but that's a huge bait and switch. It's very telling that they chose to hide the area of the Cars portion from the D23 audience.

Meanwhile, Journey Into Imagination just languishes well past its prime and desperately needs a makeover back to its original state.

I believe Disney is trying to differentiate their two castle parks in America (Disneyland Park and Magic Kingdom) from each other, since they are both in the same country.

 

[StarCruzer]

Meanwhile, Journey Into Imagination just languishes well past its prime and desperately needs a makeover back to its original state.

This was confusing to me as well. Redoing Figment, RnRC, and upgrading Tomorrow Speedway seemed like really easy wins to me. Also projects that would potentially take less time, as they wouldn't need to rebuild from the ground up.

Don't get me wrong--we got some really exciting stuff. But so much of it is a year or more away. And with all of the cancelled projects from the last slew of big, exciting announcements there's so much skepticism that I'm not sure they've fully succeeded in winning back goodwill (yet, anyway).

 

[squirrel30]

*throws Uncle Orville's entire bathtub across the room*

But seriously, if they were able to move Carousel of Progress from the World's Fair to Magic Kingdom, I assume they could just move it again if they needed to.

Yeah move it to EPCOT.

 

[MicheyMouse]

I’m wondering where they will tie into the Utilidor system for new areas and what will close when they do. It seems like most tunnels on the Liberty Square side end under the buildings and would result in a complete closure along the River area when expanded.

 

[0FF TO NEVERLAND]

Don't get me wrong--we got some really exciting stuff. But so much of it is a year or more away. And with all of the cancelled projects from the last slew of big, exciting announcements there's so much skepticism that I'm not sure they've fully succeeded in winning back goodwill (yet, anyway).

I doubt Villains opens before 2029
Cars Land will probably open in 2027
Monsters Inc Land probably in 2028 or vice versa with cars

 

[Mikey15]

Everyone concerned about transitions and sightlines when the current “classic Disney” setup has us just *poof* transitioning from colonial Liberty Square to Davy Crockett-era (Appalachian? Ozark?) frontier, while a Mississippi River-style steamboat is visible over your shoulder. It’s already a mini-USA setup rather than one with full separation & transitional space.

Depending on how it’s done, since the Cars are somewhere in the frontier rather than specifically in the Radiator Springs southwest, they’re arguably able to strengthen the frontier immersion vs. “You’re in the rugged frontier, but there’s also a steamboat and a colonial area in your field of view.”

Then Big Thunder is the perfect tool to segregate Villainland from view from Frontierland.

 

[OKW Lover]

I’m wondering where they will tie into the Utilidor system for new areas and what will close when they do. It seems like most tunnels on the Liberty Square side end under the buildings and would result in a complete closure along the River area when expanded.

There is no need to tie into the Utilidoor system for the new areas. They can all be accessed directly from back stage.