Rumors of Fantasyland/Toontown Changes?

[kathyell]

Has anyone read this or taken a gander at the blueprint image floating around this morning?

http://thedisneyblog.com/2009/07/17/magic-kingdom-fantasyland-expansion-plans-leaked/

Not sure what to think. On the one hand, the blueprint looks like a much more professional job than I would expect if it's a hoax. On the other hand, those are some MAJOR changes and that's a pretty large amount of the park that would be closed for construction to bring the plans to fruition.

Anyone have any thoughts?

 

[LuvnWDW]

Interesting!

 

[bradk]

it was released yesterday. this is the real source: http://softopening.blogspot.com/2009/07/soft-opening-has-secured-copy-of-magic.html

there's at least one thread on it in the rumors forum

you also need to consider that: (1) until it exists, it doesn't exist and (2) it doesn't have to be done all at once. they can even do the whole 20K area without anyone knowing (except for the satellites).

 

[nicki.momof3]

Highly doubt it - those changes would close half the park.

RUMOR in my opinion.

 

[MAH4546]

Highly doubt it - those changes would close half the park.

RUMOR in my opinion.

It's fact. This has been in the works for a long time.

Whether or not the plans are real is anybody's guess, but both sites are quite reliable for their information. It is fact that Disney is planning a huge rennovation of Fantasyland.

Disneyland did the same thing in 1983, pratically closing down Fantasyland for 16 months.

WDW will do the same. The dark rides and Small World will still be able to operate through the construction.

 

[SnowandMittens]

IMO, Fantasyland could use a re-design. Having 2 dumbos is nothing short of genius, and I imagine that crowd flow would be handled much better.

As long as they "add" attractions and don't nix ones like Peter Pan's Flight, I think that this could be a favorable re-design.

 

[bradk]

it's only half of FL. actually, maybe less than half. don't forget that the huge area where TLM is planned isn't even accessible now. my own theory is that TLM will come first while nobody is watching.

it's not going to be the prettiest thing in the world, but when it's done, hopefully it will be. comparatively speaking and in my opinion, Disneyland's Fantasyland, Toontown and New Orleans Square alone dominate the Magic Kingdom as a whole. So if they can truly replicate a bit of that magic in a new Fantasyland, it'll be worth it in the end. and with what they've been doing with Adventureland, I only hope they do go ahead with at least some of this.

and just to give an idea, here's that whole area of FL that you can't access today:

 

[Colleen27]

Hoenstly, I'd be VERY surprised if Disney took the path of expanding upon the already overwhelming respresentation of the Princesses. If you think about other recent additions - Toy Story Mania, the Pirates League, the Kim Possible scavenger hunt - it seems like they're moving in the direction of trying to create ways to appeal to boys and older kids of both genders after years of focusing mostly on young girls.

I also think one of the comments following the posting raised a good issue - if the blueprints were real, wouldn't the existing areas be referred to be their correct names and, in the case of the carousel, spelled properly?

 

[brocklesnar69]

Even if those are real, I bet they'll change 100x before they actually break ground.

 

[Hook's Girl]

I am very excited for a Fantasyland refurb.

While it is technically rumor, from what I've heard being inside the company, something will be happening in Fantasyland. I can't wait for an official announcement.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I like the new Be Our Guest restaurant but I wish they would add a boys restaurant. I wonder how long something like this would take and when it would take place.

 

[SnowandMittens]

I suppose the "Be Our Guest" dining could be looked at as a "boy" place... Gaston and the three blonde girls running around, breaking into song, having it more of a hunting lodge/ tavern would be a little less princess-ish.

Too bad they can't serve beer, because this would be PERFECT!

 

[bradk]

I also think one of the comments following the posting raised a good issue - if the blueprints were real, wouldn't the existing areas be referred to be their correct names and, in the case of the carousel, spelled properly?

if they were intended for public consumption, yes. if they were meant for internal reference, quite possibly not. Know how the Contemporary Resort got its name? because it didn't have one, so it was given the nickname internally. and it stuck.

also, if it was created by a 'fan,' it was someone so meticulous that it fits exactly over the satellite images and integrates some fairly solid information so that person would actually probably be *more* inclined to use proper names.

 

[kmk1180]

It's fact.

Whether or not the plans are real is anybody's guess, ..

It can't be FACT, if nobody knows if it's reall...which is why it's only a rumor.

Here's the thing about that photo..it's from directly above..so what you forget and don't notice is there has to be hills back there.
Because as a former cast member I can tell you that the road to the building on the left side is downhill and that's where cast members enter to get to waredrobe.
So right under that area of fantasyland is waredobe and locker rooms.
All of Fantasyland is on the second floor.
Thus they would have to do some kind of leveling to put all of that plan into place.
Especially over where that resturant looks like it would go.

I also think one of the comments following the posting raised a good issue - if the blueprints were real, wouldn't the existing areas be referred to be their correct names and, in the case of the carousel, spelled properly?

Very good point.
Anyone can make up their idea of a new Fantasyland.
And you would think a Professional Disney plan would spell correctly.


And here's my one other point...there's no where to meet Mickey anymore.
Would they really take HIM out to meet Faries?

 

[kmk1180]

if they were intended for public consumption, yes. if they were meant for internal reference, quite possibly not. Know how the Contemporary Resort got its name? because it didn't have one, so it was given the nickname internally. and it stuck.

also, if it was created by a 'fan,' it was someone so meticulous that it fits exactly over the satellite images and integrates some fairly solid information so that person would actually probably be *more* inclined to use proper names.

Not sure that is true..(not saying your wrong but I don't know 100%)
But I thought the Contemporary did have another name at first and got renamed.
So it would seem odd for that story to be true.

 

[bradk]

Well that's how Marty Sklar tells it and I've heard him say it in person. That's his anecdote for why you should never give anything nicknames. Even so, the point became that internally, it wasn't referred to as by a proper name.

as for the 20K area having hills. it's the 20K area (you can even see Nautiluses parked in the photo).

Anyway, Alex Caruthers told me himself that there are big plans for that area. He wouldn't talk any further about it. That was his response to me asking about TLM going there (and this was a couple of weeks ago, prior to this blueprint emerging) and his first response was: 'Was that announced?' followed by the something big comment.

I'm such a namedropper.

 

[kmk1180]

Well that's how Marty Sklar tells it and I've heard him say it in person. That's his anecdote for why you should never give anything nicknames. Even so, the point became that internally, it wasn't referred to as by a proper name.

.

Fair enough...again I'm not saying your wrong..
Lord knows I know alot about Disney but I'm definately NOT the foremost expert.
I just seem to remember seeing some documentary where they said it was calles....???...and then got it's name changed.

But I gotta ask.
what's TLM?

 

[bradk]

well in fairness, he could have been re-telling the story with his own spin too (or I could be remembering things slightly different), but my point is that internally, they don't necessarily use formal names. see how it's the fans that are picking up that formal names aren't being used, so why would a fan create a meticulous piece of art and not care about names? Anyway, if it helps any, you are correct. the official name of the Contemporary was meant to be the Tempo Bay Resort. But again, it was the internal name that won.

TLM = The Little Mermaid. The reported clone of the DCA version which was rumored to only be agreed upon if it could be cloned and placed in the MK to reduce costs (and at that point, there was already strong feelings that something was going into that space, but it was most likely believed to be a roller coaster of some sort). But going back to what I originally said, nothing exists until it exists.

Anyway, TLM.. not to be confused with the DLP version that was featured on the TLM DVD that almost existed.

 

[bytheblood]

IMO, Fantasyland could use a re-design. Having 2 dumbos is nothing short of genius, and I imagine that crowd flow would be handled much better.

As long as they "add" attractions and don't nix ones like Peter Pan's Flight, I think that this could be a favorable re-design.

 

[Davey-D-99]

Here are some shots of where the Mermaid attraction and the restaurant would be...