Judging by the long lines at "Toy Story Mania" as well as the brisk business that "Hey Howdy Hey!" & the gift shop across the way have been doing, it would appear that
Pixar Place has already proven to be a very popular addition to Disney's Hollywood Studios.
The only problem with the studio theme park's new "land" is ... Well, it's only got one ride. Sure, once they've finished firing virtual cannonballs at TSM's CG targets, tourists typically linger for a little while in this part of DHS. But that's only because they want to have their photo taken with Woody & Buzz in the Picture Takin' Corral. Once that's done ... These WDW Guests quickly head off for other sections of the Studio.
Which doesn't fly with the guys at WDI. They really want you to loiter in their highly stylized recreation of Pixar's Emeryville campus. Which is why Walt Disney Imagineering has decided to add a new attraction to Pixar Place. Something that will come on line by the Fall of 2011. Just in time for Disney World's 40th anniversary.
"So what's it going to be?," you ask. That long-rumored clone of Walt Disney Studios' "Crush's Coaster" ? Or -- better yet -- some "Ratatouille" -themed restaurant that will feature regular appearances by that new Living Character Initiative version of Remy ?
Nope. Disney's Hollywood Studios is actually getting the attraction that theme park enthusiasts have been itching for ever since "Monsters, Inc." opened back in November of 2001. DHS will be soon be home to an inverted coaster that recreates the Door Hangar sequence from that Pete Docter film.
Copyright 2001 Disney Pixar. All Rights Reserved
This family-friendly attraction will be housed inside of Soundstage One. Though -- in order to queue up for this ride -- WDW Guests will first have to go around to the backside of this building and then enter through the old Jim Henson Creature Shop.
Here, they'll find an elaborate recreation of the Monsters, Inc. lobby. With Ceilia (You know? Mike Wazowski's one-eyed, snake-haired girlfriend?) working behind the reception desk. Given that this attraction will be set in the post-film world (After monsters have learned that laughter is 10 times more powerful than screams), Monsters, Inc. is holding an open house today. Actually inviting humans in the Monster world to come tour their energy-gathering facility.
Speaking of energy-gathering ... As they make their way through the queue, Disney World visitors will periodically encounter scream / laugh cannisters with funnels sticking up out of them. These Guests will then be encouraged to scream / laugh into these funnels. Which will cause the sides of these cannisters to light up and reveal how much energy was just gathered.
As they make their way up to the attraction's load area, these WDW visitors will learn that this Open House is all Mike Wazowski's idea. That -- along the route that their coaster is supposed to travel through the Door Hangar -- this wiley one-eyed monster has placed even more scream / laugh cannisters. Which will then collect all of the energy that these humans produce as they scream & laugh their way through this attraction.
These Guests will then board a train that's two seats wide and eight-to-ten cars long. After chugging up the lifthill past show scenes where Mike & Sulley will quickly recap the backstory of this attraction, these WDW visitors will drop down into the Door Hangar building. Where they then quickly whip past various comic tableaus featuring some of the more memorable characters from the "Monsters, Inc." film. Not to mention some far-too-close encounters with huge scare / laugh cannisters (Whose sides -- once again reinforcing this attraction's interactive aspect -- will light up depending on how loudly the Guests on board that particular coaster train scream).
Copyright 2001 Disney Pixar. All Rights Reserved
As for the finale of this two-minute-long attraction ... Well, it seems that these Disney World visitors will produce so much energy with all of their screams & laughter that the cannisters in the Door Hangar just can't contain it all. So there's this huge explosion near the end with bright lights & smoke. And just before their train rolls back into the station, these Guests will see a slightly charred versions of Mike & Sulley. With Wazowski telling his big blue friend "I think we need to get some bigger cannisters."
Now please keep in mind that this is a very bare-bones description of DHS's new "Monsters, Inc." ride. As for the attraction itself ... WDI's looking to spend some serious dough here. Even the exterior of this show building will be reworked so that it then closely resembles the exterior of the Door Hangar building that we all saw in the movie.
Mind you, Mike, Sulley & Ceilia aren't the only Pixar characters who will be moving into this soon-to-be-Super-sized version of Pixar Place. The Imagineers are also getting ready to retheme the "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure" around "A Bug's Life."
Don't believe me? Okay. Then click on over to the official Disney World website. Then access the DHS "Attractions" listings section on that site. Please note this 17-year-old Backlot attraction is now just called "Movie Set Adventure." That -- in preparation for the coming retheming -- the "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" portion of this attraction's name has already quietly been dropped.
Come 2012 ... Don't be too surprised if elements of "Cars 2" (Which will send Lightning McQueen and his friends from Radiator Springs off to Europe for a all-new racing adventure) start popping up in the "Lights, Motors, Action! Stunt Show." And beyond that ... There's even talk of pulling out DHS's Studio Backlot Tour. Flattening everything from the "Harbor Attack" tank show on back to Catastrophe Canyon in order to make room for a WDW version of DCA's "Carsland."
Copyright 2007 Disney Pixar. All Rights Reserved
But that's some real Blue Sky stuff right there (And -- to be honest -- that particular proposed DHS addition will only happen if
Disneyland Resort Guests go truly nuts for the "Radiators Springs Racers" ride. And given that this California Adventure thrill ride is rumored to cost more than $200 million ... WDW execs will have to think long & hard before they finally agree to spend that much money on a single attraction). For now ... Let's just concentrate on the monstrous new ride that will be opening at the Studios just in time for Disney World's 40th anniversary celebration.
Just so you know, though ... Disney's Hollywood Studios isn't the only WDW theme park that's slated to have a brand-new attraction up & running by the Fall of 2011. Magic Kingdom managers have just been informed that their park will also be receiving a significant new addition. A ride that will send that park's Guests "Under the Sea" to spend a little quality time with a certain Disney Princess. But that's a tail ... er ... tale for another time.
But what do you folks think? Are you ready to fill up a few scream cannisters for the nice folks back in Monstropolis?
I haven't been to MGM since 1998, but I can't remember if it was there then or just a time I went earlier than that. We are going in December! Yay!
