Thoughts on Cars Land replacing Tom Sawyer Island at The MK

[HokieRaven5]

in my experience, people actually go the last three of those

Yep, all 3 of those are great breaks from the heat.

Stairs the ride (Swiss Family Treehouse) I took a child of a friend who was excited about all the Swiss Family Robinson stuff and walked out and asked me “Was that it? Did we miss something?”

 

[mistysue]

For about 10 trips now, it's been on our list of "REALLY need to do that THIS trip!" and we've still never been to that little island.

 

[tx911]

Stairs the ride (Swiss Family Treehouse)

 

[Skywalker3]

Mixed feelings here, but when all is said and done, I'm ok with TSI and the riverboat going, but I do have very, very memories.
I remember going to TSI on our 1 trip in the 80s, and I'd just read TS and Huck Finn, so familiar with the characters. Maybe went back once in the early 2000s, Then we started skipping it.
However, there was this wonderful sweet spot for our younger 2 kids, where we rediscovered it, so like the early 2010s, and we would go and let them just run and run, all over that fort, all through the caves. It was so great for kids to not have to confined to a line, on a schedule, work off some energy. Did a lot of raft rides to TSI then.
But then they grew out of that. So we haven't been in probably 8 or 9 years, and never think about it. It's a big pain to get there and back, in the blazing sun on that raft, and we were stuck on the island once due to weather. Also a pain.
Haven't ridden the riverboat in I don't know how long. But it is a nice alternative to the hustle and bustle.
I am ok though with the possible changes.

 

[Dive Bar Casanova]

The rivers of America capture the Disney charm. No reason to bulldoze it all. The Submarine Lagoon held character that is missed as is the people mover at Disneyland. Terrible idea.

 

[PollyannaMom]

For years, TSI was on our "we should get to..." list, and I'm glad we finally did it one year! It was definitely a nice break from the hustle and bustle of other parts of the park.

But I also love Cars, and think the new stuff will be great, too!

I'm wondering if part of the reason they are filling in the water instead of expanding elsewhere for the Cars attractions is that having park guests in an area with limited transportation is a hazard in an evacuation scenario?

 

[BeentoallDParks]

People are framing this as a choice. It’s not a choice. There’s space for both Cars AND the iconic Rivers of America. Which would increase capacity more than what they’re doing.

Disney has forgotten what made it Disney.

 

[that1jeff]

I'm cool with it. TSI and ROA at WDW Magic Kingdom was never sacred. Hopefully this is still true in the future, but if you want Walt Disney legacy and history, you go to Disneyland.

MK is a mass produced veneer of the original that prioritizes efficiency and guest turn over. Look at most of the rides that were first introduced at DL and copied over to MK... you'll notice a shortened watered down version of the original, designed to get as many bodies on/off as fast as possible. (e.g. Small World, Pirates, Autopia). And in some cases the ride is literally duplicated to be able to turn over more guests in a day. (e.g. Dumbo). And this is all OK in my opinion. It serves its purpose well.

Prioritize the maintaining of Walt's legacy and history at Disneyland (as much as possible). And let MK become it's own unique beautiful thing.

 

[HokieRaven5]

I'm wondering if part of the reason they are filling in the water instead of expanding elsewhere for the Cars attractions is that having park guests in an area with limited transportation is a hazard in an evacuation scenario?

Another possible reason for filling it in is to also have a large enough means of egress between the cars land and Haunted Mansion to get to the Villains area that will take up the area behind.

It’s possible there would be a secondary access point from the Big Thunder Mountain side of the river as well for the Villains Land.

 

[nancipants]

Another possible reason for filling it in is to also have a large enough means of egress between the cars land and Haunted Mansion to get to the Villains area that will take up the area behind.

It’s possible there would be a secondary access point from the Big Thunder Mountain side of the river as well for the Villains Land.

Yup, right now the only way to get "beyond Big Thunder" is to go past Big Thunder. Having only one way in and out of Villains Land would be awful for flow and logistics. Redoing Rivers of America would allow them to create another pathway near Haunted Mansion/Fantasyland.

I'm also hoping that if Monster's goes into the Animation Courtyard in DHS, they can redo that area so it connects to both Toy Story Land and the Racing Academy, giving another point of ingress/egress with Sunset Boulevard.

 

[kanerf]

It would be nice if they could take the Paddle Wheeler somewhere else and keep it running. Bay Lake perhaps. I think it runs on some kind of track, so it would need to be refitted to be truly free floating.

 

[Dive Bar Casanova]

May be another reason visitors will buy more Fast Lane passes. It's all about money.

 

[Minnesota!]

If my kids were younger, I might feel sad at it...we spent SOOOOO much time at TSI when they were little, what a great place to explore. Have not been over there in 12 or so years, though. I think the plans look AMAZING!

 

[kimmar067]

Not going to quote anyone ....Haunted Mansion ~ my home away from home. Not worried. They will build berms, plantings and it will be hidden from Cars and visa versa. Rendering shows a path from Liberty Square (next to riverboat building) heading in with lots of trees on either side that will buffer.

....hey, I'm still waiting for the Imagineers to come up with how they can work in a Haunted Mansion Hotel/resort on the other side of HM!

 

[Dive Bar Casanova]

My mom lived a block away from Disneyland. Hearing the Mark Twain whistle is part of the character of the town. Part of the anticipation & excitement of guests approaching and entering the park.

On some days the acoustic bounce would bring the happy screams from the Matterhorn into the neighborhood as well.

The Rivers of America are so much a part of the character of the park. Not a good idea to do away with it.

 

[kimmar067]

....I really HATE when the Imagineers make renderings that look like Thomas Kinkade paintings...they're so ambiguous.

 

[fla4fun]

....I really HATE when the Imagineers make renderings that look like Thomas Kinkade paintings...they're so ambiguous.

I agree. I can’t make any sense out of the Cars art at all. Maybe it just needs to be bigger. I imagine it was on a big screen at D23.

 

[HopperFan]

....hey, I'm still waiting for the Imagineers to come up with how they can work in a Haunted Mansion Hotel/resort on the other side of MH!

TAKE MY MONEY!!!!!

My kitchen is HM, I drive a Doom Buggy (with personalized tag), it was my first ride in 1971. Crowds were so bad Mom wanted to leave and I plopped down in front of the HM and said I'm not leaving. We got in that long line and been in ever since.

Me planting in front of what is now Memento Mori (was a ticket booth there). You can see my face resembles Hopper.



Disney was not ready for the crowds for Thanksgiving 1971. They had been having low, like 5000-10000 visitors each day and now get hit with 55,000. It was insane but I held my ground for HM.

 

[kimmar067]

TAKE MY MONEY!!!!!.....Me planting in front of what is now Memento Mori (was a ticket booth there). You can see my face resembles Hopper.

....wow, you do NOT look happy....

 

[kimmar067]

I agree. I can’t make any sense out of the Cars art at all. Maybe it just needs to be bigger. I imagine it was on a big screen at D23.

....yeah....sorta like a sonagram - you have to use your imagination and make out what everything IS!
[...is that a leg? No, it's a........ohhhhhhhh, so it's a boy! ]