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

[PrincessKara22]

I find it interesting that some posters seem to equate the "baby" attractions with the girl attraction. I see just as many if not more boys playing in Donald's boat on a hot day as I do girls.
And when I was a little girl I know that my friends and I considered Pooh bear & friends to be a "boy" thing. Of course back then there was a lot more winnie the pooh then there is today-- the new adventures of winnie the pooh and welcome to pooh corner were definitely more geared to boys back then.

 

[PrincessKara22]

I find it interesting that some posters seem to equate the "baby" attractions with the girl attraction. I see just as many if not more boys playing in Donald's boat on a hot day as I do girls.
And when I was a little girl I know that my friends and I considered Pooh bear & friends to be a "boy" thing. Of course back then there was a lot more winnie the pooh then there is today-- the new adventures of winnie the pooh and welcome to pooh corner were definitely more geared to boys back then.

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

Kara, I agree with you. Winnie the Pooh was a boy thing back when I was a kid, and when my oldest were little. And, then, they gave Christopher Robin the sex change.

I do see little boys at Donald, too. That is a good point. But, I see girls that are older that hang in the small child areas. And, of course, this is all general in terms. There are always kids that are outside the average spectrum.

 

[KSDisneyDad]

As a Dad to 3 boys, I'm glad that Disney is doing a major expansion of the Magic Kingdom even if my boys aren't overly excited about the new areas. There's more than enough to do for everyone at WDW!!! It seems that every trip we can never fit it everything we want to do.

For me, the biggest plus for the expansion is crowd control. On our last few visits to the MK, Fantasyland was a zoo even if the rest of the park wasn't too crowded. It was obvious that Disney needed to do something to handle the large volume of traffic in Fantasyland. This will help spread everyone out and hopefully make it less crowded elsewhere in the MK. This can only benefit everyone!!

My biggest disappointment is that they are moving Dumbo. From the looks of it, they are also going to enclose Dumbo. Oh well, I understand why they want to do it even if I don't like it. My youngest was also nervous about losing Goofy's Barnstormer when we told them that they were getting rid of Toontown Fair. I assured him that it would still be there.

With respect to DHS, my boys were very excited to find out about the Star Tours update. That more than made up for the news about a Princess and Fairy area at MK!

Finally -- to the poster that listed IASW as a boy's attraction!? All my boys could talk about last time is how cool it would be if the dolls came to life and attacked the boats like they did in the book "Kingdom Keepers".

 

[PunkyBrewster]

Forgive me if this is a bit off topic. I didn't really want to start a whole 'nother thread on essentially the same thing.

The gender question aside, I am more concerned about the "repetitive" nature of the changes they are making to Fantasyland. In reality, they are only "adding" one new ride, namely the Ariel attraction. All of the other additions are essentially meet and greets. While there is a market for character photo-ops, it seems to me that they over did it just a bit.

While my opinion doesn't really count for much with the powers that be, I feel they could have added the Ariel ride, used a smaller space for the "princess theming," and still have room left over for additional rides. I would have loved to see a Mickey and the Beanstalk dark ride, bring back Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, or perhaps transplant one of the existing dark rides from Disneyland (i.e. Pinocchio, Alice in Wonderland, etc.).

Just think about all of the space we are talking about here... Essentially all of the existing Fantasyland (with the exception of the Its a Small World / Peter Pan / Snow White and Pooh area), the area previously used for 20,000 Leagues, and all of Toon Town Fair (with the exception of the Barnstormer that will ultimately be re-themed). I really think they could have been more creative with this area, and am overall disappointed with the planned changes.

Regardless, I am a hopeless Disney fan, and will continue to visit the Magic Kingdom despite the changes they are making.

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

Punky, really good points. I think it will be pretty, if they do a nice job. It seems to me like a huge time eater, though. Standing in each of those lines will take forever. Thank goodness I get to just walk through and enjoy the scenery!

 

[LPZ_Stitch!]

My biggest disappointment is that they are moving Dumbo. From the looks of it, they are also going to enclose Dumbo. Oh well, I understand why they want to do it even if I don't like it.

Don't worry, the actual Dumbo rides will not be enclosed, only the new "non-queue" waiting area.

If you look on the plans/artist's conceptions posted on the Orlando Sentinel web site, you can see that the two rides are definitely outside the new "circus tents".

 

[big_thunder_girl]

Magic kindom has plenty for boys, too! There's tommorrowland, adventureland, frontierland...And DHS and AK are mostly enjoyed by boys, too! Fantasyland just flat-out SOUNDS like a girl place, huh? Yes.
And I don't think there is anything wrong with adding princess and fairy themes to fantasyland. Disney wants stuff to be balanced out, and if you sit down and think, there IS alot for guys. Want to know a rumour? There isn't comfirmation I don't think, but I heard somewhere they were going to fit in a little place (idk what park) where you felt as if you were "literally stepping into" Radiator Springs to meet the car friends and other Cars related stuff.

Think about it, really. MK is big. There had to be alot of things a guy would like...

 

[Disflyer]

...I feel they could have added the Ariel ride, used a smaller space for the "princess theming," and still have room left over for additional rides.

There is a little ray of hope. PotC started out as a walkthrough and morphed into what we have today. I don't see this happening with any of the current items but history does show a pattern of changes in items from when they were announced and what the final product is.

DCA is a more recent example of this. LM originally started as a D-ticket and has been receiving more upgrades as the design has progressed.

 

[big_thunder_girl]

If anyone wants to know more about the expansions, here's some good stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=criiRuYlwWU - news

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08W5Os-Wnj0 - announcement at D23 expo HD (and concept is art included)

 

[Reddog1134]

What's for boys in the Fantasy Land now? Face it Fantasy land has always been for girls and small children.

I wouldn't say *ALWAYS*. When I was a young boy, 2 of my favorite rides were 20,000 Leagues and Mr. Toads Wild Ride.

 

[letthewookiewin]

Magic kindom has plenty for boys, too! There's tommorrowland, adventureland, frontierland...And DHS and AK are mostly enjoyed by boys, too! Fantasyland just flat-out SOUNDS like a girl place, huh? Yes.
And I don't think there is anything wrong with adding princess and fairy themes to fantasyland. Disney wants stuff to be balanced out, and if you sit down and think, there IS alot for guys. Want to know a rumour? There isn't comfirmation I don't think, but I heard somewhere they were going to fit in a little place (idk what park) where you felt as if you were "literally stepping into" Radiator Springs to meet the car friends and other Cars related stuff.

Think about it, really. MK is big. There had to be alot of things a guy would like...

Actually I couldn't dis-agree with you more. Fantasyland does not sound like a girl only place to me, and I'm a girl. Indiana Rose Lee did a great job pointing out ways that it wasn't.

 

[discorsner]

OP here. I just wanted to apologize to all for starting a controversial post. I guess I was just taken aback orignially with seeing the new plans. I want to make sure that I say that my two boys actually like princesses, at least for now. They are 9 and 6 and maybe I just fear that will change soon! As far as myself I like the proposed changes I would just like to see more pirates and villans stuff also.

Also, I wanted to make sure that I pointed out that I didn't mean to imply that boys should like villans. It just happens to be that mine do. My whole family likes the villans and the action parts of Disney World. We also like pirates and things like Halloween. It's not so much a gender issue as it might be one of personality. I shouldn't have posted my surprise as a boy/girl issue when it really wasn't what I was trying to convey.

Also lastly, I just wanted to say I didn't mean to come off as a complainer. I love Disney and I am excited for whatever they have in store for us. I have confidence that the choices that they have made will end up being the right choices for the greatest number of people and that they will make the MK even more magical.

 

[Colleen27]

The biggest problem with that list is that anything that is gender nuetral you put in the boy list. The ones I highlighted are the ones that I disagree with the most. You also forgot to list the Princess meals.

That's the heart of the disagreement - the idea that shooting galleries, jungle adventures, and rocket ships are too gender neutral to be considered "boyish", while anything containing a Princess (like Snow White, the one and only Princess ride in the MK, which is too frightening for many girls in the Princess-obsessed age range) is automatically too girlie for boys to have any interest in.

Personally, I don't agree with that. Even my 11yo son, who barely tolerates Princess meals for his sisters' sake, thinks the Beast's castle and the Dumbo concept art both look "pretty cool". It was actually kind of funny talking to him about the expansion, in light of the discussion here. His main take on it isn't that Fantasyland is girlie as-is, but rather that it is "babyish" compared to the other lands.

 

[~Kik-Kik~]

OP here. I just wanted to apologize to all for starting a controversial post. I guess I was just taken aback orignially with seeing the new plans. I want to make sure that I say that my two boys actually like princesses, at least for now. They are 9 and 6 and maybe I just fear that will change soon! As far as myself I like the proposed changes I would just like to see more pirates and villans stuff also.

Also, I wanted to make sure that I pointed out that I didn't mean to imply that boys should like villans. It just happens to be that mine do. My whole family likes the villans and the action parts of Disney World. We also like pirates and things like Halloween. It's not so much a gender issue as it might be one of personality. I shouldn't have posted my surprise as a boy/girl issue when it really wasn't what I was trying to convey.

Also lastly, I just wanted to say I didn't mean to come off as a complainer. I love Disney and I am excited for whatever they have in store for us. I have confidence that the choices that they have made will end up being the right choices for the greatest number of people and that they will make the MK even more magical.

You can never know what will set people off. This topic actually surprised me with all the strong opinions.

I personally would love the next addition after this Fantasyland thing to be tomorrow then another expansion of Fantasyland themed to the villains. They don't need a whole park, but one or 2 rides would be fitting.

 

[BarleyJack]

I dunno, I'm a guy and actually like Ariel.......and Mulan......and Pocahontas.... LOL

 

[cindyfan]

Actually I couldn't dis-agree with you more. Fantasyland does not sound like a girl only place to me, and I'm a girl. Indiana Rose Lee did a great job pointing out ways that it wasn't.

Well.... the expansion was actually announced to the public at the D23 Expo as a "princess" theme.....

Here's what was said...... exactly....

"We are nearly doubling the size of Fantasyland to include more of your favorite princesses!! Meeting Disney princesses is always a very special highlight of any visit to the Magic Kingdom. Now those visits are going to be more entertaining than ever. You'll meet princesses in their own Fairy Tale worlds. You'll be immersed in the sights sounds and the magic that make every princess story so memorable."

Then he goes on to desribe each of the Princess attractions!! Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Belle's Village, and Ariel.
Then once you are done visiting the Princesses, you can visit the newly expanded Dumbo.
THEN.... "you will meet Tinker Bell and her friends in Pixie Hollow!" (NO mention of Peter!)

So...... it's all about the princesses! So.... yes.... it's going to be Princessland! It was even announced like that!

 

[wheezy19]

Let's not lose sight of the big picture here, parents of boys. Your poor sons that Disney marginalized will have the last laugh in 20 or 30 years when all those former princesses are only making 75% of their salaries.

Just teasing, everybody.

 

[letthewookiewin]

Magic kindom has plenty for boys, too! There's tommorrowland, adventureland, frontierland...And DHS and AK are mostly enjoyed by boys, too! Fantasyland just flat-out SOUNDS like a girl place, huh? Yes.
And I don't think there is anything wrong with adding princess and fairy themes to fantasyland. Disney wants stuff to be balanced out, and if you sit down and think, there IS alot for guys. Want to know a rumour? There isn't comfirmation I don't think, but I heard somewhere they were going to fit in a little place (idk what park) where you felt as if you were "literally stepping into" Radiator Springs to meet the car friends and other Cars related stuff.

Think about it, really. MK is big. There had to be alot of things a guy would like...

Well.... the expansion was actually announced to the public at the D23 Expo as a "princess" theme.....

Here's what was said...... exactly....

"We are nearly doubling the size of Fantasyland to include more of your favorite princesses!! Meeting Disney princesses is always a very special highlight of any visit to the Magic Kingdom. Now those visits are going to be more entertaining than ever. You'll meet princesses in their own Fairy Tale worlds. You'll be immersed in the sights sounds and the magic that make every princess story so memorable."

Then he goes on to desribe each of the Princess attractions!! Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Belle's Village, and Ariel.
Then once you are done visiting the Princesses, you can visit the newly expanded Dumbo.
THEN.... "you will meet Tinker Bell and her friends in Pixie Hollow!" (NO mention of Peter!)

So...... it's all about the princesses! So.... yes.... it's going to be Princessland! It was even announced like that!

Please go back and read the person that I quoted and based my response on. They were just talking about the current names of the different lands and said that Fantasyland sounds like a girl place. The person I quoted stated that the name of the land (Fantasyland) sounded like a "girl place". My response has nothing to do with what is contained within the land, but that the name only (Fantasyland) doesn't exclusively sound like a "girl place."

 

[frazzledrazz]

I think y'all are getting wayyyy ahead of yourselves. Disney just announced this plan last week. They aren't exactly known to give away all the details at once... I'm sure they still have a few tricks up their sleeves.

Plus, they said they are doubling the size of Fantasyland, which to begin with is not that big. MK is NOT going to become "Princessland"... the new part will be just about the size of Fantasyland now.

Personally I think the expansion is great. Meet & greets and extras like character meals do not serve as decent representation for some of Disney's most classic and popular characters. Arguably, Disney's best work is within these films and to see them brought to life will be amazing.