Is it time for an entirely new Disney Park in Orlando?

[Anthony12345]

With the news that WDW saw its visitor numbers drop last year, and fall below 70% of the Orlando visitor share for the first time recently, and the rumours that Universal is planning if not a Nintendo theme park, at least a Nintendo land in an existing park, the question must be asked, is it time for a new park, and if no, based on what? Obviously, the work currently ongoing in Hollywood Studios, and Pandora is likely to benefit Disney in terms of market share and visitors, but their big rival has big pockets, and if they do eventually announce a whole new park, will additions to existing Disney parks be enough?

Thoughts? If you agree, what would it be based on? Where would it be?

 

[OKW Lover]

If yes, based on what?

No, I don't think Disney needs to build an entirely new park in Orlando. The current parks have room to grow. Adding to existing parks makes more sense than building an entirely new park because Disney doesn't have to add infrastructure to support it.

Oh, and Disney's pockets are pretty big too.

 

[Anthony12345]

If yes, based on what?

No, I don't think Disney needs to build an entirely new park in Orlando. The current parks have room to grow. Adding to existing parks makes more sense than building an entirely new park because Disney doesn't have to add infrastructure to support it.

Oh, and Disney's pockets are pretty big too.

A fair point.

One thing that i did think about, which would be in response to Volcano Bay, and the fact that it alone will bleed off some market share from Disney, is that rather than a full on Theme Park, Disney could consider the much smaller investment in another water park. The current water parks, whilst great (i could spend an entire Disney vacation in Typhoon Lagoon), are not exactly cutting edge these days.

 

[mousehockey37]

HAHA, is this the dreaded 5th gate question disguised a different way?

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

A fair point.

One thing that i did think about, which would be in response to Volcano Bay, and the fact that it alone will bleed off some market share from Disney, is that rather than a full on Theme Park, Disney could consider the much smaller investment in another water park. The current water parks, whilst great (i could spend an entire Disney vacation in Typhoon Lagoon), are not exactly cutting edge these days.

I don't think they really need another water park.

While something entirely fresh and new might be wanted really what Disney needs more than anything is to work on what they've got. To build a new theme park while its existing ones need work by most people's thoughts would probably not be received well.

Eventually down the road..a long way down the road..a new theme park would be welcomed I'm sure with open arms but right now it's catch up and maintain time period.

 

[Micca]

Somewhere along the line people got the notion that Disney would continue to add parks just because there is room on property. MK/Epcot were planned while Walt was still alive. The reason they built DHS was to head-off the competition from Universal. I think the reason we got Animal Kingdom was based on staving off future competition from a niche that Disney hadn't yet filled (live animals.) Same with the water parks, it was easy to add those relatively low cost parks to ensure that guests had fewer reasons to go off property to seek a type of vacation entertainment. All the parks built after Epcot were to shore up various types of themes that were potentially a threat from a competitor.

The only way we're going to see another "gate" at WDW is when a theme or type of park is identified as something substantial enough to lure Disney guest off property. It's certainly possible for Disney to add more parks but I think it's much more likely we'll see new innovations being added to the existing parks.

 

[Shanti]

The Magic Kingdom only saw a 0.5% decline in attendance in the past year. So no, I don't see an attendance decline as an imperative to make sweeping changes. For the past few years the WDW parks have been bursting at the seems year round in a way they never have before.

That being said, would I welcome an additional park? Of course. I don't see it happening, though. They make a lot more money from hotels than parks.

 

[Prinsessdai]

I think so becusae the next thing Universal is going to do to respond to starwars land is going to be a new park! so might as well beat them first

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I think so becusae the next thing Universal is going to do to respond to starwars land is going to be a new park! so might as well beat them first

At the same time WDW already has 4 parks to Universal's 2 and 2 water parks to Universal's 1. So even if Universal adds a new park (which no one knows quite yet what they are planning but I do believe the last I heard it was a new land for Nintendo not a new park but these things can and do change over time) Disney will still have more parks (theme and water) than Universal will.

 

[chartle]

Haven't posted this in a while but a 5th park will only happen if Disney can change the orbit of the earth around the sun to add another day to the week or get people to get and take longer vacations, I'm betting the former wll happen first .

A new park would pull more people from the other parks versus attracting new people since there is already too much to fit into a standard one week.

 

[DisneyDad2015]

I think Universal will eventually push Disney to have to add another theme park. It just seems to be a "one upper" mentality between Disney and Universal right now, which is a good thing for us the consumer. I think Universal with respond to Star Wars Land with something huge, potentially even a new park. That will then force Disney's hand to once again answer back.

I still don't think those looking for a 5th gate will see it anytime soon though. I'd give it at least another decade minimum before it happened.

 

[StraightToDumbo]

There's still too much land within the other parks to build onto. I'd like to see something fresh, but I fear it'd be like MGM and just lag for a decade.

 

[AlVan]

I think there's still a lot of room to add on to already existing parks. Isn't Future World planned to have some kind of overhaul after Star Wars Land is completed? Add in that Marvel coming to Hollywood Studios is inevitable. I don't see why Disney couldn't revisit the Beastly Kingdom ideas and put it where Rafuki's Planet Watch currently resides. Could scrap the Tomorrowland Speedway and leave a ton of room for something at Magic Kingdom...likewise I don't see the Storybook Circus being permanent. There's a world of possibilities left to explore with the current parks. I think they've got another couple decades before a fifth park should be seriously considered.