new disney theme park??

[jenjen212]

Today, I went to a disney store to exchange an item for a different size for my godson. There was a regional manager there talking to the store manager at the front desk. my dh loves getting into disney "shop talk" with them.

She was telling us that she owns alot of shares in disney, and that she recently found out about a new theme park that disney is putting in the works to build, called "Villian Kingdom". They are projecting it to open in the next few years.

She said that they want to draw back the market of guests that enjoy going to "Islands of Adventure" for the roller coasters. That this park would be mainly roller coasters, each one with a villian theme. Like a Jaffar vs Genie ride (I am imagining something like the dueling dragons??), an Ursala water-based roller coaster, Cruella Devile ride, etc.

i can just imagine the type of characters that they could use for this... i thought that this was a wonderful idea, and that it would bring so much more people back to the parks that tend to want to only ride the roller coasters from IOA.

what do you think of this? Has anyone else heard about this too?

hey maybe this is where they could put back the Villain character meal???

I already can't wait to go to it!!

jen

 

[SleepyRob]

Sounds like competion with Universal's wild rides.
I am sure it would entice the teenage and thrill seeker crowds.
Great for families which have a 15 year age span between kids.

I would love to see a Villian themed character meal. Not so sure I'd ride a thrill ride - like some of the roller coasters at Hershey Park, PA

 

[oogieboogie]

The idea of a Villain Theme Park has been floating around for a while now. I don't think it will get picked up anytime soon, especially since they have to finish Expedition Everest, Soarin', then getting ready for Epcot's 25th in 2007.

I would rather have WDI fix and refine what's in the parks now. Take off the seasonality of attractions, such as Wonders of Life, Timekeeper, etc. Fix or do something with River Country. Fix Innoventions, get rid of Dinorama!

If there's any park that I'd like to see WDI build in WDW is a clone of Tokyo DisneySea. Now that's a park that Walt would be proud of.

 

[Luigi's Girl]

I heard of the upcoming Villain Park way back in April 2002 from our bellhol at the GF. He said it would consist of bigger rides named after Disney villains and would compete with Universal. I think it's a great idea since we much prefer the magic of Disney and hate to leave WDW property. IMHO nothing compares to the cleanliness and friendliness of Disney.

 

[Luigi's Girl]

OOOPS! I meant to say bellhop.

 

[jenjen212]

i totally agree, disney is much cleaner. the last time that i went to IOA, i noticed that it totally doesn't give off the same feel that wdw does. nothing compares to it!!!

but dh loves going to IOA just to see the comic villains and to go on the roller coasters. disney needs to have something like that to attract that market. that is the only thing that they are missing.

but, i must admit i really hate to leave disney property. if they did that, i don't think that we would...

jen

 

[stemikger]

I hope this is not true. Who wants another coaster park. If you want that there are six flags all over the place. Disney is so much more than that.

JMHO.

I hope I didn't offend the coaster fans.

 

[mickeyfantroy]

Adding thrill rides would bring in a new demographic to Disney that abandoned back when Universal opened. In discussions at work there are several twenty-somethings who have not been to WDW since they were "kids" and associate it with kiddy stuff and not much fun. While I agree, I wouldn't want MK or Epcot especially to change, I see nothing wrong with a new park focusing on thrills. I know I would definitly visit, occasionally.

 

[DancingBear]

mickeyfantroy, are those folks at work aware of Tower of Terror, Rock 'N Roller Coaster, Test Track, Mission: Space, Dinosaur, Expedition Everest, etc?

 

[GrimGhost]

Considering the cost and scope of creating an entire Theme Park, it would seem hard to believe that Disney had not either broke ground or released some word of this actually coming to fruition. Also, it seems all the "Official" tone is that it is the intention of Parks and Resorts group to enhance already existing parks with new attractions rather than an entire new park. Animal Kingdom attendance is reportedly not all they would expect it too be.

That being said I would be in favor of such a park if it were done with the TRUE Disney Magic...

 

[mickeyfantroy]

Actually Dancingbeay one in particular did, and could care less calling all of them 'lame.' Needless to say we don't speak very often.

 

[Planogirl]

When did Disney get into copying other companies? Where is the innovation and the ability to set itself apart?

I personally love the Universal parks for what they represent. They have their niche, good theming and so on, and have found what they do well. Disney should stick to their own forte which is creating magic and something different. JMO.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Not only is this another one of those rumors that will not die, this is a rumor that cast members keep repeating to each other and to guests.

Even a regional manager for Disney Stores is not "in the loop" regarding billion dollar strategic decisions. In this regard, this manager is no different than an ice cream vendor on Main Street or a bellman at a Disney resort or any other CM repeating a Disney rumor.

I don't doubt that we'll see more thrill rides in the next decade, and I don't doubt that Disney will leverage the appeal and marketability of their villains to a greater extent than in the past. But I don't expect a dedicated theme park that will be completely unappealling to a significant portion of WDW's traditional market.

 

[scauzilloc]

This rumor has been floating for such a long time. It's getting as old as the Bald Mountain/Fire Mountain rumor. I don't think Disney will do anything drastic like another park until Mickey's Evil Twin, Eisner steps down. Anyway, Six Flags has just started building a theme park about 35 - 40 minutes away from Disney and Universal. It is very close to the Space Center and the Port. I think that is too many theme parks for Central FLorida.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Originally posted by scauzilloc
Anyway, Six Flags has just started building a theme park about 35 - 40 minutes away from Disney and Universal. It is very close to the Space Center and the Port.

Ummmm.... Six Flags is building in Florida? Unless I've missed some news in the last few weeks, that's just another rumor that's been popping up for years.

Here's an example: http://sptimes.com/2004/08/08/Hernando/Park_rumor_has_legs_b.shtml

There is a park with off-the-shelf thrill rides coming to Central Florida. Cypress Gardens, which closed last year, will reopen as Cypress Gardens Adventure Park. See http://www.cypressgardens.com/ But it's not part of Six Flags.

 

[Planogirl]

A new Cypress Gardens park? Now that is good news and a park I'd like to visit.

 

[Dznefreek]

They are projecting it to open in the next few years.

Construction would have to be under way for this to occur and it is not.
Six Flags is not building in Central Florida. This is another "refuses to die" rumor. It has been around for years.

 

[NewEnglandDisney]

Originally posted by DancingBear
are those folks at work aware of Tower of Terror, Rock 'N Roller Coaster, Test Track, Mission: Space, Dinosaur, Expedition Everest, etc?

Those are all excellent rides - the theming is what really makes them (well, we don't know about EE, but we can assume).

In terms of modern "thrill" rides, however, Disney really doesn't have them. RnR is about as close as it gets, simply because it has a corkscrew and is force launched.

Many of us who enjoy rides at Universal like "Hulk" and "Dueling Dragons" and their respectable Universal theming just foam at the mouth thinking about what Disney could do if they upped the ante to do thrill rides of that scale. RnR and ToT were a step above, but the rides at IOA really take it one level higher.

I agree, it's time to beef up the parks, and it seems to be happening. Soarin is coming to Epcot, and if Epcot finally gets another ride over at the World Showcase (an E-ticket, no less) with the Canada raft ride/roller coaster (depending on which rumor you believe), the park would be more than ready for it's anniversary.

AK is already getting EE, and I may be in the minority but there is TONS to do in the AK, it's just not a "ride" park. With EE the traffic will hopefully even out and the Safari won't be the only "major" attraction, and I think AK will be in shape until it gets a land-expansion.

MK needs a lot of rehab (HM, PotC, Jungle Cruise), but already is a pretty full experience. Add in one more E-ticket where the lagoon was, and MK is again a full park.

My next trip (15 days!) is going to be Disney-only, because of time (six day trip). However, my next trip in a few months will likely be Universal-only, because as much as I love Disney (and have an AP even though I live 2500 miles away), I also like the thrill rides at Universal. Now, the only rides over there at IOA that brings me back again and again are the coasters and Spiderman. If WDW had a Villians Park with a couple of excellent coasters with full-on Disney theming, and a couple of kick-butt dark/wet rides, my visits to IOA would be severely curtailed. I'd still occasionally visit USF for my old faves like Jaws and E.T. every few years, I'd be able to get my thrill fix-at Disney.

I think there are a lot of people like me that go to Universal because we can't get ALL that we want at Disney right now. If Disney gave us even a "half-day park" (i.e. 5-6 rides) that were "big thrills", we would have much less reason to visit UO. As I said, I'd still visit - they are nice parks - but it would be for a day every couple of years to do both IoA and USF, not a feeling that every Disney trip you get the itch for big coaster/thrill fun you have to spend a day or three at UO.

So right now? No, but in the next five years? I would bet it's a distinct possibility.

N.E.D.

 

[DC7800]

Originally posted by NewEnglandDisney
MK needs a lot of rehab (HM, PotC, Jungle Cruise), but already is a pretty full experience. Add in one more E-ticket where the lagoon was, and MK is again a full park.

What in the world needs rehab about Pirates, Jungle Cruise, or the Haunted Mansion??? Unless you are talking regular maintenance refurbishment every few years, or the occasional enhancment to an attraction (HM tombstones, guns returned to the Jungle Cruise, etc.), these remain classic Disney attractions. Making major changes to them (similar to the original Journey into Imagination) would bring howls of protest (as it should!).

And how is the Magic Kingdom not a full park? I know we've lost the Skyway, 20,000 Leagues, and a few others with no replacements, but if MK isn't a full park then - by comparison - AK isn't even a half-hour park (no matter how nice it may be).

In terms of modern "thrill" rides, however, Disney really doesn't have them.

Disney doesn't need them. Besides the fact that Disney is supposed to be a place for the family together (together doesn't mean sitting on a bench watching, either) to experience attractions, the push to build ever more extreme thrill-rides ("coaster wars") is not a competition in which Disney should be participating. Once you take it "one level higher" somebody else will always be compelled to go yet another step. This is no way precludes the existence of some Disney thrill rides, which we have already, but Disney should never worry over "keeping up" with lesser parks over who has the biggest (or most) thrills. Universal can have that honor; Disney is about something much more special.

 

[NewEnglandDisney]

Originally posted by DC7800
What in the world needs rehab about Pirates, Jungle Cruise, or the Haunted Mansion??? Unless you are talking regular maintenance refurbishment every few years, or the occasional enhancment to an attraction (HM tombstones, guns returned to the Jungle Cruise, etc.), these remain classic Disney attractions. Making major changes to them (similar to the original Journey into Imagination) would bring howls of protest (as it should!).

And no one suggested "major changes". However, from what I understand we can expect several of those rides to have "major refurbishments", similar to what Small World is undergoing right now, where the ride goes down for 9months or a year. Not major changes, just major rehab - sound systems, ride systems, animatronics, etc. Remember, some of those rides are thirty-odd years old at this point and have never had major technology upgrades.

And how is the Magic Kingdom not a full park? I know we've lost the Skyway, 20,000 Leagues, and a few others with no replacements, but if MK isn't a full park then - by comparison - AK isn't even a half-hour park (no matter how nice it may be).

Wow, chill out. I was in not way attacking the Magic Kingdom. However, the departure of 20K was never really addressed in my eyes, and yes, the MK is down one "big ride". There simply is something missing from that area. Of course, I agree - the MK is a two-day park, easily - however, people are talking about long-term development here, and we have been told to expect an E-ticket or a couple of D's there in the next few years.

Disney doesn't need them. Besides the fact that Disney is supposed to be a place for the family together (together doesn't mean sitting on a bench watching, either) to experience attractions, the push to build ever more extreme thrill-rides ("coaster wars") is not a competition in which Disney should be participating. Once you take it "one level higher" somebody else will always be compelled to go yet another step. This is no way precludes the existence of some Disney thrill rides, which we have already, but Disney should never worry over "keeping up" with lesser parks over who has the biggest (or most) thrills. Universal can have that honor; Disney is about something much more special.

Well, that is totally a matter of opinion, and yes, I do agree with you to some extent. However, my point was, that *IF* disney didn't ignore the other parks, a fifth park that is aimed to the teenage/young adult/thrill-seeking set would really round out the offerings at WDW.

You say Disney should be for everyone, but in a lot of ways, it's not right now. There is a decent segment of people that go to Universal because the entertainment there provides a level of thrill that Disney rides, though magical, aren't allowed to reach.

I don't see what the aversion is to this - the whole point is how wonderful those types of thrills could be if they were done with the Disney Magic. Look at Dueling Dragons over at IOA - it's a very respectable theming job. And then think of what Disney could have done with the same exact coaster, just with it's own brand of magic theming - real fire breathing dragons, a storyline...in fact TWO story lines, one for fire, and one for ice...

Get the picture? Right now, Disney seems to be forcing thrill rides on parks that don't fit them - like Test Track and Mission : Space. Both real nice rides, and somewhat thrilling, but they demolished two of the rides that made Epcot great. However, Disney felt the pressure for more thriling rides, and is shoe-horning them wherever they can.

Now, if a Villians park happened, this would all be unneccesary. The thrill-types who loved Disney theming wouldn't have to go to the "lesser" parks (as you call them) because we could get our thrill and eat it to...or something like that.

You'd be surprised to know my favorite rides aren't thrill rides - they are usually too short. I love epics like Splash Mountain, the Great Movie Ride, or even Dinosaur - I don't bother with Space Mountain very often, I'd rather ride Peter Pan and Snow White again. BTM? Ha, I'll be running back in line at the Haunted Mansion.

However, I do like "thrills" occasionally. And those are the days I go to a Universal park. When I'm there, I enjoy it for what it is, but I long for the day when I get to ride a Disney ride that is not only "magical", but as thrilling as some of the rides at UO are.

N.E.D.