What's for boys in the "new" fantasyland?

[peyjax]

What about a villans area?



:

I am truly perplexed by this. Why is it assumed that villians = boys?? I have read it many times when talking about FL, it was even mentioned by a disney rep in the article.

Being a mom to boys I do not understand the thinking that villians are a boys interest. I thought it was cars, super heroes, and adventure. I can see the sword fighting thing that was talked about but I am sorry my boys say the villians are bad just as much as my nieces do. I am just curious as to why folks assume that.

I will also say that I do think Disney World has a lot of boy stuff but I do think that they are missing the mark in the boys department when it comes to merchandising.

 

[Colleen27]

I had said this on the other thread - I have a boy and 2 girls so I can see it from both sides. I actually think the majority of MK is more "boy" than girl. Jungle Cruise, PoTC, Swiss Family Tree, Buzz. The thing is people see these things as somewhat gender neutral. i.e. girls can like more traditionally male things but boys won't like traditionally "girly" things (we all know there are exceptions to this).

I think that's it exactly, but I have to wonder for those who don't think of any of the existing lands as for boys, what a boy area would look like?

Despite the heavy representation in merchandise and character meals, the Princesses really don't have MK attractions currently. There's the Snow White dark ride and Cinderella's Carrousel, but what else? Meet & greets in a gift shop, Ariel's little walk-through grotto, Belle's story garden... Pretty lame treatment for Disney's cash cow, IMO. DHS is a better princess park, attractions-wise, than MK!

I'd love to see a "boy"-themed character meal or two, whether Pirates or Pixar, but I think it is about time for some "girl" attractions. The boys just got Toy Story Mania (and before that, Monsters Inc at MK, Crush at EP, Lights Motors Action at DHS, Buzz at MK, Stitch at MK... All starring more boy-friendly characters/themes) and they'll be getting Star Tours 2.0 well before the new Fantasyland opens!

 

[~Kik-Kik~]

I wonder what girls did when they opened up a haunted house and a ride based on pirates sacking a village and welling women. I wondered what kids did when Walt created New Orleans Square, as it is a very sophicticated and adult oriented land with a seert club inside. I wonder what kids did when Epcot was opened.

Gee...they all enjoied it. I wonder how they were able to enjoy something that did not "fit" with the gender or ages.

DIsney is Disney and this will be no diffrent from those other lands. What you may think is a expantion of meet and greets, it's far from it. The themeing of the new area will be like nothing seen at the Magic Kingdom. We are going to see Westcot quality and coheisiness that was sadily never relized. This is going to be the quality that you will only see in the DIsney parks. And to be honest, I think the older generations will enjoy it more as they will see the little details that this new area will be cramed with. Sure, girls will like the 5 meet and greets, but the land is so much more than that. And btw, Tomorrowland is a pretty boy centric land with meet and greets with stitch and buzz, including cars, more buzz, and more stitch.

 

[lovemyzoe]

What's for boys?

Expanded Dumbo with circus area and Dumbo-rethemed train station

Undersea Adventure...yea it's Ariel but it's also Sebastian and Flounder and Triton I would guess...seems like it wouldn't be any more girly than Snow White's Scary Adventures or less boyish than Peter Pan's Flight

Beast's Castle/Gaston's Tavern. (I think it would be awesome to have a "prince/hero" character meal in Beast Castle. Philip, Eric, Charming, the Beast or his human self, Aladdin, Hercules...anyone else think this would be cool?)



Overall I think the whole of WDW is more 'boy-oriented' if you want to get traditional about it...so why can't the girls have a little area of girly stuff? It's not like anyone's stopping the boys from hanging with the princesses if they really want to...

 

[las3888]

We were recently at DisneyLand and in California Adventure Park they are going through a huge renovation. From what I understand, they are adding a Little Mermaid attraction (or attractions???) and ALSO several Lightning McQueen or 'Cars' things for the boys. That seems fair. Disney hasn't really capitalized on the hugeness of Lightning McQueen especially in little boys in their parks. Seems odd since there is a new Cars moving coming out next year I think it is...

 

[~Kik-Kik~]

I don't get why people assign rides to be gender spcific. It seems so silly to think "that's a boy ride" and "that's a girl ride". I thought we got over boy and girl colors as adults, lol! And as many people said in this thread, the Princesses/females in general are not represented very much at all in the Magic Kingdom. This expantion will give the park an actual home that no other park will/can give them.

The new cars movie is coming out in 2011 along with the first Pixar fairytale, the Bear and the Bow. Both are out in 2011, followed by Newt in 2012, then Monsters 2 in 2013. Toy Story 3 is coming out next year.

 

[pudge the fish]

I have a DS6, and there was a time when he was VERY into the princesses, something I am sure he will not be too proud of at age 18. Oh wait, maybe he will.

Yep, My 16 YO boy just loves the princesses
"Gee I had to take a pic with my sister" was the excuse as Belle puts her arms around the kids and he turns bright red

 

[MJ6987]

I think it is fair enough that Fantasyland is aimed mainly at girls, given that most of the other lands at MK are aimed predominantly at boys, i.e.
Adventureland = adventurers like Tom Sawyer and pirates
Frontierland = Wild West / Cowboys
Tomorrowland = space

All the above would appeal more to boys than girls I think, so Fantasyland balances things out more.

I think also that Epcot probably appeals slightly more to boys as does Hollywood Studios, that I think over time will shift more towards Pixar and Marvel Super Heroes.

MJ

 

[kaligal]

All you get for boys is pirates. If your kid is older and not into that or if they just aren't into that, there isn't much. Whatever happened to the shootout?

Other than the new Dumbo ride, isn't this new Fantasyland stuff just more meet/greet/dine with princesses?

Don't get me wrong - I LOVE princesses! But even I have about had it up to the proverbial here with them.

I wish Disney would stop having stuff for girls and stuff for preschoolers only and add some stuff for boys.

 

[PiperPizzaz]

What about a villans area?

I would love a sit down restaurant with pirate or villans as the theme. It seems like there is so many possibilities to interest boys but we keep hearing about princesses as the focus.

I don't understand why we are pushing boys to like pirates and villains. Ds (4) has had a few cutesy pirate shirts (like pirate puppies) but, that is it. I don't really want him identifying with evil people.

 

[kaligal]

I don't understand why we are pushing boys to like pirates and villains. Ds (4) has had a few cutesy pirate shirts (like pirate puppies) but, that is it. I don't really want him identifying with evil people.

And there, IMO, is the problem.

Disney is catering to this sort of thinking. Everything has to be good and sweet. Nothing bad, nothing scary.

The pirates had to stop being so rotten and now we have well-behaved pirates of which even the most overprotective mom of the most scaredy-cat three year old would approve. But it's not all that exciting or fun for a ten year old boy.

I'm sure there are some boys who just can't wait to eat Frech Toast with a princess and for whom it would be the highlight of their year. But there are PLENTY of boys who would not only not enjoy it, but would actually think it sucked. Not because their mom pushed them into gender roles, but just because that's how a lot of little boys are.

They like things that are bad and exciting and fun...the kind of stuff Disney used to do very well.

 

[SuperTink]

I don't know who would be more excited about a Star Wars character meal...my DH or DS!

I don't know who would be more excited about a Star Wars character meal... my DDs or ME!!

 

[ShannonMB]

I think that's it exactly, but I have to wonder for those who don't think of any of the existing lands as for boys, what a boy area would look like?

Despite the heavy representation in merchandise and character meals, the Princesses really don't have MK attractions currently. There's the Snow White dark ride and Cinderella's Carrousel, but what else? Meet & greets in a gift shop, Ariel's little walk-through grotto, Belle's story garden... Pretty lame treatment for Disney's cash cow, IMO. DHS is a better princess park, attractions-wise, than MK!

I'd love to see a "boy"-themed character meal or two, whether Pirates or Pixar, but I think it is about time for some "girl" attractions. The boys just got Toy Story Mania (and before that, Monsters Inc at MK, Crush at EP, Lights Motors Action at DHS, Buzz at MK, Stitch at MK... All starring more boy-friendly characters/themes) and they'll be getting Star Tours 2.0 well before the new Fantasyland opens!

I could have written this! The princesses, as big a part of Disney lore as ANYTHING, deserve to have their own major part of a land. It's about time!

 

[SuperTink]

They [boys]like things that are bad and exciting and fun...the kind of stuff Disney used to do very well.

I get the "exciting" and "fun" part but I don't get the "bad." Maybe you mean "thrilling." That I could understand.

BTW these are all things my girls like.

 

[Zeebs]

As the mother of two boys and a hope that the next might be a girl, I am pretty happy with whats on offer and what is going to be on offer with the new section.

I do agree that girls will more likey be happy to do Buzz, POC etc than boys (after a certain age and before a certain age) hanging out with the princess.

However, I would love to see the meal with the Toy Story characters.

Kirsten

 

[bdiddy]

I agree that there is so much already at Disney for boys - especially at HS that it is exciting for the princesses to have their own area. DH and I were just talking about this and were thinking of what is a traditional boys vs. girls vs. unisex ride/attraction and the boy stuff far outweighed the girls. And another poster was right in saying that with the Marvel purchase that eventually there will probably be something with that probably at HS.

 

[DeeCee735]

Can someone post the link to the announcement please?

TIA

 

[tzuhouse]

Harry Potter!!

Oh - wait.

Yep. And that is why we are planning a trip to WDW in 2010. So that we can go to Universal for a few days and experience Harry's World. I've never had any desire to go to Universal before, but that will bring us in. I bet there are a lot of people like that.

Mary

 

[PiperPizzaz]

And there, IMO, is the problem.

Disney is catering to this sort of thinking. Everything has to be good and sweet. Nothing bad, nothing scary.

The pirates had to stop being so rotten and now we have well-behaved pirates of which even the most overprotective mom of the most scaredy-cat three year old would approve. But it's not all that exciting or fun for a ten year old boy.

I'm sure there are some boys who just can't wait to eat Frech Toast with a princess and for whom it would be the highlight of their year. But there are PLENTY of boys who would not only not enjoy it, but would actually think it sucked. Not because their mom pushed them into gender roles, but just because that's how a lot of little boys are.

They like things that are bad and exciting and fun...the kind of stuff Disney used to do very well.

I won't apologize for not wanting my preschooler idolizing thieves, rapists and murderers. We like POTC as much as the next person. Heck, DH even has a POTC pinball machine but, there is a difference between a ride and continually shoving boys into the role of pirates and villains. Like the pirates and princess party. BTW I also have issues with pushing the girls into only princesses too and I don't even have a DD.


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I am excited for the new additions. I want to see the Ariel ride and Beasts castle!

 

[CandleontheWater]

I don't think the new Princess meet and greets will be geared just towards pre-schoolers. I, for one, can't wait to make a birthday card for Aurora, and I'm sure there are plenty of others like me.

I think people are jumping the gun on this new expansion and we should wait and see when more details are released on how they are going to balance the boy/girl elements. If the Ariel ride is going to be a "true E-ticket" like Jay Rasulo said, then it will appeal to everyone of all ages. Just because it has an underlying princess theme, doesn't mean that it won't be a really cool ride that boys like also. I think Toy Story is a "boy" theme, but it doesn't stop TSM from being such a cool ride and appealing to both genders and all age groups.

Also from the concept art released, it looks like there will be plenty for boys to do at the meet and greets. There is mention of boys dressing up like knights and learning to sword fight at the Cinderella meet and greet, and of children dressing up and acting out the story of beauty and the beast for belle, which would include numerous boy parts, such as beast, gaston, lumiere, cogsworth, Lefou, etc. In fact, I think there will more boy parts to the dramatic re-acting than girl parts.

The dining also has a boy tilt. Gaston's tavern definitely looks masculine, and the Beasts Castle dining experience I'm sure will at least have the beast present, I mean, it is his house!