Some rumors

[dani0622]

I just wanted to post some rumors a CM mentioned while on the Keys to the Kingdom tour last week. Sorry if you have heard already and it's old news!

1- said POTC will close for one to two years for a rehab and to add some elements from the movie, including Jack Sparrow and possibly a scene like the movie where you see their ghostly figures in the moonlight

2- former area where 20,000 leagues is rumored to become a Pooh playground BUT....there is enough room there for 3 e-ride attractions!

 

[rocketriter]

Yes, both rumors have been around, but thanks for sharing them. The second rumor is almost certainly true, at least as far as a Pooh playground as signing area goes. (I don't know the acreage well enough to judge how many attractions could fit there.) The rumor about Pirates surfaced recently (although this is the first time I've heard the part about ghostly figures). What surprises me is the notion that it would take that long to refurbish the ride. I can only imagine that, since there's no admission charge for the ride itself, WDW has decided that it's less expensive to close the ride and rebuild it onsite rather than do most of the rebuild offsite and spend only a few weeks moving it into the building when it's ready.

 

[JCTigger]

Well if they do close Pirates it would be a complete referb like Small World was which i think is a good idea it could use a little cleaning up

 

[aquidneck]

Is there a date for the closing of POTC?

 

[All Aboard]

OK, here is why I hate the first rumor. The storyline of the movie has nothing to do with the storyline of the attraction. In the attraction, you begin in current times, sailing through caverns that reveal evidence that pirates once maruaded, embezzled, and even... well, you know. Then suddenly, we are wisked back in time. To the actual day of the pirates, where we see first-hand the rascals, scoundrels, villains, and... well, you know. That ship is not the Black Pearl. These pirates aren't the cursed damned. They aren't there trying to find passage out of this world. They are just there to pillage, plunder, rifle and... well, you know.

Feathering in Sparrow, turning the captain of the ship into Barbosa, and scattering around a few cursed damned completely changes the spirit of this attraction. And, personally, I really don't like it.

 

[WDWHound]

OK, here is why I hate the first rumor. The storyline of the movie has nothing to do with the storyline of the attraction. In the attraction, you begin in current times, sailing through caverns that reveal evidence that pirates once maruaded, embezzled, and even... well, you know. Then suddenly, we are wisked back in time. To the actual day of the pirates, where we see first-hand the rascals, scoundrels, villains, and... well, you know. That ship is not the Black Pearl. These pirates aren't the cursed damned. They aren't there trying to find passage out of this world. They are just there to pillage, plunder, rifle and... well, you know.

Feathering in Sparrow, turning the captain of the ship into Barbosa, and scattering around a few cursed damned completely changes the spirit of this attraction. And, personally, I really don't like it.

Actually, while I agree with most of what you said, I have to take issue with one point. The Pirates in POC are indeed cursed by a treasure. If you listen closely in the passage just before the ships (its much easier to catch at Disneyland than it is at WDW), you will hear this...

""No fear have ye of evil curses, says you?" Arrrgh... Properly warned ye be, says I. Who knows when that evil curse will strike the greedy beholders of this bewitched treasure? Dead men tell no tales!"

and this...

"Perhaps ye knows too much... ye've seen the cursed treasure, you know where it be hidd'n. Now proceed at your own risk. These be the last 'friendly' words ye'll hear. Ye may not survive to pass this way again... Dead men tell no tales!"

No doubt about it, there is a cursed treasure in the POC attractions.

I forget where I read it, but I read somewhere that the story of POC the imagineers were trying to tell involves us encountering a cursed treasure, getting swept back in time by the curse to where the curse began, watching the treasure being stolen (which may or not be the cause of the curse, I don't remember), seeing the results of the curse (there are a few more skeletons after the jail scene at Disneyland) and then escaping the curse and returning to the present. This is where the idea of a cursed treasure in the movie came from, though the curse is completely different.

 

[FANTASMIC!]

OK, here is why I hate the first rumor. The storyline of the movie has nothing to do with the storyline of the attraction. In the attraction, you begin in current times, sailing through caverns that reveal evidence that pirates once maruaded, embezzled, and even... well, you know. Then suddenly, we are wisked back in time. To the actual day of the pirates, where we see first-hand the rascals, scoundrels, villains, and... well, you know. That ship is not the Black Pearl. These pirates aren't the cursed damned. They aren't there trying to find passage out of this world. They are just there to pillage, plunder, rifle and... well, you know.

Feathering in Sparrow, turning the captain of the ship into Barbosa, and scattering around a few cursed damned completely changes the spirit of this attraction. And, personally, I really don't like it.

I agree, the movie, great! The ride, great! But I think combining the 2, , like he said, not great! It's a classic! Leave it alone! Would you put an Eddie Murphy AA in The Haunted Mansion! No effense the Eddie, but NO! There are few classic (rides from DL left, that haven't been re-done) Some needed it,(Mickey Mouse Revue, ....that's all?)

But please let's try to keep Disney World, DISNEY World, not Esnier says this needs to go, World!

 

[Disney Gator]

But please let's try to keep Disney World, DISNEY World, not Esnier says this needs to go, World!

Where does Eisner come into this? I doubt this is something he personally thought of. There are people who run the parks and other divisions of the company. Eisner doesn't make every single decision himself.

 

[SoCalKDG]

I forget where I read it, but I read somewhere that the story of POC the imagineers were trying to tell involves us encountering a cursed treasure, getting swept back in time by the curse to where the curse began, watching the treasure being stolen (which may or not be the cause of the curse, I don't remember), seeing the results of the curse (there are a few more skeletons after the jail scene at Disneyland) and then escaping the curse and returning to the present. This is where the idea of a cursed treasure in the movie came from, though the curse is completely different.

Thanks for the info.

I was so disappointed with the WDW version of POTC. Having ridden DL version oh so many times, seeing a shortened version, as well as missing the atmosphere of the wonderful Blue Bayou restuarant attached was disappointing. Modifying WDW's POTC to differentiate it from DL would be an improvement just for the fact that my visits to WDW would yield something different.

 

[wtg2000]

Count my vote as someone who doesn't want to see the attraction turn into the movie. Loved the flick - have it on DVD - but let's keep them separate please please please!!! This is over-synergy.

 

[Amphigorey]

This is part or the reason the Florida attraction is vastly inferior to the Disneyland version. In Florida, the pirates get away with their plundering. There's no true curse; there they are at the end, having captured the town's guards, and they're about to make off with the treasure. At Disneyland, the pirates are forever trapped by their greed. They don't escape, and you can see the evidence for that at the beginning and the end. Clearly the pirates died in those caves. At the end, they are trapped by burning buildings, and some of them die on the hill trying to get out with their burdensome treasure.

 

[mking624]

2- former area where 20,000 leagues is rumored to become a Pooh playground BUT....there is enough room there for 3 e-ride attractions!

I've heard that it will be a Pooh playground as well, but that it's not meant to be a permanent fixture, but rather "placeholder" until the Imagineers decide what else to put there. However, there have been other placeholders that became so popular that it wound up being a permanent ficture...for example: Voyage of the Little Mermaid, Festival of the Lion King, Mickey's Toon Town Fair (first called Mickey's Birthdayland, then called Mickey's Starland before being called Toon Town Fair) to name a few. So it could be that if this playground winds up being a huge hit, it could be permanent. However, the word right now is that whatever is going there in the meantime (which the rumor is the Pooh playground) is simply a placeholder.

As far as the Pirates ride is concerned, I've never heard anything official from Disney itself, just speculation that they might be adding elements from the movie into the ride. I've heard this from people since the movie's opening day and yet so far, nothing has been done. I think it would not be in Disney's best interest to do this...just leave the ride as is and the movie as is. There's no need to add the movie elements to the ride when the movie itself has plenty of elements from the ride...already making the two synonymous with each other. No need to beat a dead horse. A good refurbishment cuold be useful though, and I could see them closing it for that as they did with IASW.

 

[chernabog]

IMO, if they are in fact going to put a play area in the old 20,000 leagues area I would rather see something themed after "A Bug's Life." I know it's not the place, but I'd rather have that than more Winnie the Pooh shoved down our throats.
If I'm not mistaken, didn't DL put in a Bug's Life themed play area several years back?

On the other hand, replacing the Disney-MGM Studios play area themed after Honey I Shrunk the Kids would be a better location. I mean, my kids are 9 and 4, they have no idea what Honey I Shrunk the Kids is!

But still, I'd rather see something other that Winnie the Pooh!

 

[SoCalKDG]

I don't think Pooh's playground is a rumor, according to Mouseplanet its almost finished.

"The “Pooh's Playful Spot” Hundred–Acre Wood–themed playground on the site of the old 20,000 Leagues lagoon looks great. It's huge and very well done."

 

[peter11435]

I mean, my kids are 9 and 4, they have no idea what Honey I Shrunk the Kids is!

Well I would say thats your fault. Sounds like someone needs to make a trip to the video store.

 

[Grumpy_4_me]

It is like reading a book, then seeing the movie and they are not the same, close but not.

Sometimes its like if it is not broke dont fix it.

 

[tjkraz]

...If you listen closely in the passage just before the ships (its much easier to catch at Disneyland than it is at WDW), you will hear this...

I'd be happy if they would just put in a new sound system at WDW so that you CAN actually hear the dialog from the attraction. I always leave that attraction knowing that I've missed more than I was able to absorb.

Seriously, after seeing IASW recently nothing would make me happier than to hear that both POTC and HM were getting the same sort of treatment. No new scenes needed--just clean-up / repair / rebuild the attractions to prepare for the next 30 years of WDW guests. If I didn't know better, I'd have thought that IASW was a brand new attraction in a brand new building. These other Disney classics deserve the same.

 

[tomerin]

I'd be happy if they would just put in a new sound system at WDW so that you CAN actually hear the dialog from the attraction. I always leave that attraction knowing that I've missed more than I was able to absorb.

Seriously, after seeing IASW recently nothing would make me happier than to hear that both POTC and HM were getting the same sort of treatment. No new scenes needed--just clean-up / repair / rebuild the attractions to prepare for the next 30 years of WDW guests. If I didn't know better, I'd have thought that IASW was a brand new attraction in a brand new building. These other Disney classics deserve the same.

i couldnt agree with you more. i dont feel the need for a new POTC. i love this one the way it is. if they really want to make something themed that followed the storyline of the POTC movies the water park idea i read about would work really well. or simply add onto the existing POTC and have the ride continue and then we could encounter Capt Jack and Capt Barbosa etec. the classic POTC followed by POTC curse of the Black pearl.


there are somethings that are true WDW classics like COP, POTC, HM and IASW. these rides to me are what WDW is all about.

 

[FANTASMIC!]

IMO, if they are in fact going to put a play area in the old 20,000 leagues area I would rather see something themed after "A Bug's Life." I know it's not the place, but I'd rather have that than more Winnie the Pooh shoved down our throats.
If I'm not mistaken, didn't DL put in a Bug's Life themed play area several years back?

On the other hand, replacing the Disney-MGM Studios play area themed after Honey I Shrunk the Kids would be a better location. I mean, my kids are 9 and 4, they have no idea what Honey I Shrunk the Kids is!

But still, I'd rather see something other that Winnie the Pooh!

I actually heard there is going to be a "Bug Life" land at AK. I so confused! Can't we just bring back 20k! Oh well.

 

[Lebjwb]

Hhmmmm...all of this is very interesting. It seems the trend is to add attractions to WDW that are popular in other parks and tweak them a bit. The Stunt Car show at MGM, Expedition Everest (Matahorn Bobsled), Soarin', etc. So perhaps the question is, what popular ride/attraction is missing at WDW that has draw elsewhere and would "fit" in the 20,000 Leagues spot.