Pirate themed restuarant "Tortuga" planned for Magic Kingdom (Update)

[AKLforever]

Its rumored that WDW is planning a pirate themed restuarant in the Adventureland section of the Magic Kingdom. Rumors are that the restuarant will be named "Tortuga" and will be located at the site of the Veranda Resturant near the Swiss Family Treehouse.

Where did you hear this? And, just an FYI. They are making a pirates resort with that restaurant in it, so it cant be in 2 places at the same time. lol.

 

[crazy4wdw]

Where did you hear this? And, just an FYI. They are making a pirates resort with that restaurant in it, so it cant be in 2 places at the same time. lol.

It's been rumored on several disney boards for weeks. Also, I think you have your info. on the pirates themed resorts confused. Its rumored that some of the rooms at the CBR will be transformed into pirates themed suites.

 

[raidermatt]

They have been doing things the past decade. Its not exactly easy keeping over 100 rides and shows with the latest and greatest technologies. It wasn't possible when WDW or DL first opened and it isn't possible now.
The Haunted Mansion isn't going to be getting just a cleaning. Its getting new Animitronics and other things.
Maelstrom is just getting a good cleaning though.
Spaceship Earth is getting a huge overhaul as is the restaurant in Japan.

Unless something recently has come out, the new effects for Mansion are rumors at this point. Some say it will happen, some not.

But why is it not possible to keep the attractions properly maintained? What is the limiting factor that Disney is not capable of overcoming? New effects or not, the Mansion has been having problems for over a year.

Where did you hear this? And, just an FYI. They are making a pirates resort with that restaurant in it, so it cant be in 2 places at the same time. lol.

They can't make two pirate themed restaurants?

That said, both the MK restaurant and the changes to the Caribbean Beach Resort you reference are rumors at this point.

 

[crazy4wdw]

Just a reminder to be courteous to other posters and not to make statements which are personal attacks. Please refer to the disboards guidelines here: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=439040

 

[MJMcBride]

It's been rumored on several disney boards for weeks. Also, I think you have your info. on the pirates themed resorts confused. Its rumored that some of the rooms at the CBR will be transformed into pirates themed suites.

Here's an article from dbm20th's site on the resort thingie

http://www.mouseextra.com/2007/03/23/pirate-suite-coming-to-disney-world/#comments

 

[Another Voice]

It's been rumored on several disney boards for weeks.

It also needs to be pointed out (and as often as possible) that Disney is heading into its annual budget process. It's a truely magical time of the year as all those designers try to get a project - any project - that will make thier job last one more year. And just as little boys and girls memorize the Toys R Us Christmas catalog and dream of its wonders and delights, so too do the suits at the parks dream wistfully of all the grand designs and wonderful additions that might (just might) one day find their way into the parks.

Budget time is filled with all sorts of trial balloons and fancy renderings - all in hopes of whipping up some excitment and some support for this project or next. Resorts tries to spread world of a 'Pirate' overlay at the Caribbean Beach Resorts; Attractions tires to build up hope that something will happen in the Diamond Horseshoe this year - any thing to reach the upper levels of Attractions management.

In the end, the budget is a sales job to a group of suits that aren't much interested in the parks. While the local management may know what brings the guests to the parks, the division can only see PowerPoint presentations. It's hard trying to convince someone with an MBA to look beyond the cold ROI.

So get ready for a flrry of rumors and plans and well-informed bus drivers over the next couple months. Santa Iger is coming to town with a sleigh full of goodies and everyone inside Disney is sending in their list of toys.

 

[schmitty]

Actually, it was possible when the parks first opened and they did do it all the time.

Haunted mansion has been phisically broken for 2-3 years now. That would be unheard of 15 years ago. People would have been fired for letting it go so long.

Not really. It always took some time for things to get repaired. AA's arent cheap to produce and if anything broke with something they would do a quick fix.
It may seem like its worse now because technology has improved so much sense the parks opened. If something wasnt working it was because it was a new technology and still needed some refining. Now people expect perfection when that has never been the norm.
What has been broken at the Haunted Mansion?

 

[MrsJackSparrow]

Wads of gum on the scrims come to mind, audio in doombuggies not working, Loeta in various stages of disrepair, heads popping up from tombstones with all apparatus showing . . . basic items that are just not magical. HM has needed general daily maintenance for quite a long while. It should not be a special project necessitating the closure of the attraction because a team dropped the ball and let general maintenance issues logjam.

 

[YoHo]

Not really. It always took some time for things to get repaired. AA's arent cheap to produce and if anything broke with something they would do a quick fix.
It may seem like its worse now because technology has improved so much sense the parks opened. If something wasnt working it was because it was a new technology and still needed some refining. Now people expect perfection when that has never been the norm.
What has been broken at the Haunted Mansion?

You're making assumptions. I'm talking about documented reality.

Besides what MrsJackSparrow mentioned, The loading belt broke, because it had been left in beyond it's stated lifespan. They weren't prepared with spares the way they normally used to be, so they did a temp job on the belt and ran the ride in slow. Running the attraction at the slow rate messes up the Audio track. When they found a new load belt, I believe the motor broke, and the new load belt broke, so since that time a few years ago, the entire attraction has been run on a jerryrigged loading system in slow motion. The soundtrack has been completely messed up because of that.

Annual refurbs has been put off for some time and standing regular maintainence is not performed the way it's supposed to be. The attraction is a shambles. It's caused some arguments within WDW management.


The upshot is that Disney has completely changed the way they maintain their parks in Florida. The number of people dedicated to the different parts of the parks, the schedule for refurbs. Everything has been reduced from the Disney Standard to save money. The "Show" is being affected.

No offense, but simply saying:

It always took some time for things to get repaired.

Shows a profound lack of knowledge about how Disney built and operated it's theme parks.

 

[MJMcBride]

It also needs to be pointed out (and as often as possible) that Disney is heading into its annual budget process. It's a truely magical time of the year as all those designers try to get a project - any project - that will make thier job last one more year. And just as little boys and girls memorize the Toys R Us Christmas catalog and dream of its wonders and delights, so too do the suits at the parks dream wistfully of all the grand designs and wonderful additions that might (just might) one day find their way into the parks.

Budget time is filled with all sorts of trial balloons and fancy renderings - all in hopes of whipping up some excitment and some support for this project or next. Resorts tries to spread world of a 'Pirate' overlay at the Caribbean Beach Resorts; Attractions tires to build up hope that something will happen in the Diamond Horseshoe this year - any thing to reach the upper levels of Attractions management.

In the end, the budget is a sales job to a group of suits that aren't much interested in the parks. While the local management may know what brings the guests to the parks, the division can only see PowerPoint presentations. It's hard trying to convince someone with an MBA to look beyond the cold ROI.

So get ready for a flrry of rumors and plans and well-informed bus drivers over the next couple months. Santa Iger is coming to town with a sleigh full of goodies and everyone inside Disney is sending in their list of toys.

hmmmm....you seem a tad cynical today

 

[Another Voice]

No, just survived too many seasons of
"They're flying balloons at the Magic Kingdom today and that means Fire Mountain is being built!!!!
"
threads over the years.

Because of some internal changes (the management reshuffle at WDI, the coming 'Disney Destinations' projects, less emphasis on the parks yet with higher profit targets) I expect we'll suddenly hear more rumors this year than last. It's kinda of huricane season for Disney fandom... you just don't know what's going to be blown up through the company in summer.

 

[MJMcBride]

Now come on AV repeat after me: "there's no place like the Beastly Kingdomme. There's no place like the Beastly Kingdomme. There's no place like the Beastly Kingdomme." Now don't you feel better.

 

[mjstaceyuofm]

Besides what MrsJackSparrow mentioned, The loading belt broke, because it had been left in beyond it's stated lifespan. They weren't prepared with spares the way they normally used to be, so they did a temp job on the belt and ran the ride in slow. Running the attraction at the slow rate messes up the Audio track. When they found a new load belt, I believe the motor broke, and the new load belt broke, so since that time a few years ago, the entire attraction has been run on a jerryrigged loading system in slow motion. The soundtrack has been completely messed up because of that.

I could definitely tell something seemed "not right" over the past few years, especially with the audio but had no clue why - thanks for the info.

The upshot is that Disney has completely changed the way they maintain their parks in Florida. The number of people dedicated to the different parts of the parks, the schedule for refurbs. Everything has been reduced from the Disney Standard to save money. The "Show" is being affected.

Am I just misinterpreting your post here, but I would normally equate the word "upshot" with good. To me mentioning the word "reduction" with anything about WDW is a bad thing... Clarify please. Thanks.

Because of some internal changes (the management reshuffle at WDI, the coming 'Disney Destinations' projects, less emphasis on the parks yet with higher profit targets) I expect we'll suddenly hear more rumors this year than last. It's kinda of huricane season for Disney fandom... you just don't know what's going to be blown up through the company in summer.

I must be clueless on this one - is Disney Destinations the recent announcement where Disney execs said they're interested in building Disney resorts in places other than where the parks are? I know - I completely paraphrased that and probably didn't get it right. But is that somewhat on the right track?

 

[JoeEpcotRocks]

hmmmm....you seem a tad cynical today

That's seems to be everyday.

I'll add some more.

 

[YoHo]

Am I just misinterpreting your post here, but I would normally equate the word "upshot" with good. To me mentioning the word "reduction" with anything about WDW is a bad thing... Clarify please. Thanks.

define: Upshot
consequence: a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

Upshot is neither good nor bad. A synonym might be "result"

I must be clueless on this one - is Disney Destinations the recent announcement where Disney execs said they're interested in building Disney resorts in places other than where the parks are? I know - I completely paraphrased that and probably didn't get it right. But is that somewhat on the right track?

Yes, that's what it is.

 

[Another Voice]

I must be clueless on this one - is Disney Destinations the recent announcement where Disney execs said they're interested in building Disney resorts in places other than where the parks are? I know - I completely paraphrased that and probably didn't get it right. But is that somewhat on the right track?

That's the way Attractions management (i.e., Jay Rasulo) wants to go, but the rumors are that Bob Iger and the rest of Disney's senior management aren't so sure about it. Jay's had a horrible track record - Disney Studios Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland - and there are people that don't want to give him another giant blank check to spend. At the same time, there are few other places for Disney to grow the Attractions division (even Bob Iger hates the theme parks), so it may be more a question of getting the right management in place to proceed, rather than questions about the concept as a whole.

The original plans for the DVC were very substantial and focused on building away from WDW, but the failures of the Vero Beach and Hilton Head Resorts caused that plan to be abandoned. I'd expect Disney to move rather slowly (and cheaply) into the Disney Destination program.


- shouldn't you be in line for Beastly Kingdom by now?

 

[mjstaceyuofm]

That's the way Attractions management (i.e., Jay Rasulo) wants to go, but the rumors are that Bob Iger and the rest of Disney's senior management aren't so sure about it. Jay's had a horrible track record - Disney Studios Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland - and there are people that don't want to give him another giant blank check to spend. At the same time, there are few other places for Disney to grow the Attractions division (even Bob Iger hates the theme parks), so it may be more a question of getting the right management in place to proceed, rather than questions about the concept as a whole.

The original plans for the DVC were very substantial and focused on building away from WDW, but the failures of the Vero Beach and Hilton Head Resorts caused that plan to be abandoned. I'd expect Disney to move rather slowly (and cheaply) into the Disney Destination program.


- shouldn't you be in line for Beastly Kingdom by now?

I would hope that they'd abandon this "destinations" idea outright. The magic of Disney hotels is that you associate them with the parks. That's what makes them special. Take Old Key West and put it in WDW and it works. Put OKW in Georgia and that'd be a failure for sure. Didn't they learn anything from DVC and Disneyquest?

 

[Another Voice]

Didn't they learn anything from DVC and Disneyquest?

It's much like how your dog keeps trying to dig into the trash. No matter how many times you yell at him, no matter how empty the can is - he's convinced that the trash can is filled with treats.

Disney wants to be a "travel" company, not a theme park company. It's the easiest way they can think of to expand the business. Neither Eisner nor Iger have any interest in parks - but they do understand hotels, resorts, time shares, tours and all the existing parts of today's tourism industry. Instead of creating their own segment (like Walt did with the parks), all they can think of is stamping a Mickey Mouse sticker on an existing business and calling it "innovation".

More likely than not you'll see a clone of the Grand Floridan (complete with character breakfests) on the Chicago lakfront and a clone of the Wildernesss Lodge (complete with a water park) outside the gates of Yellowstone sooner rather than later.

 

[lovemickeyshouse]

at one point disney had planned a waterfront attraction here in philly pa so i would not mind a hotel with a indoor waterpark right here in philly pa i love the wavepool so i would be there twice a week if they build it

 

[disaddiction828]

what was planned was not at the waterfront it was Disneyquest at 5th and Market where now they are building the Comcast Building which is not the waterfront