WOW! Fantasyland Renovation

[NoLineOntheHorizon]

The flying carpest don't really fit in Adventureland from a theming point of view - it is next door to the Jungle Cruise and POTC and all of the area theming is more tropical. Then you have a giant Arabic carpet ride with a golden camel. Might as well plop the Indy cars into Frontierland by that logic.

I agree with you. We like the ride okay, but just am not a big fan of where it is located.

 

[steve76]

Yes, this I know. They are hard to miss right there in the middle of the courtyard in Adventureland. I actually was referring to post #2 in this thread and could not figure out how the Magic Carpets entered this discussion and if they knew something the rest of us did not.

My heart would not be broken if the Magic Carpets left Adventureland and were relocated to Fantasyland area.

The suggestion is that the Flying Carpets would be taken out of Adventureland, re-themed to Dumbo and become the second Dumbo ride in the new Fantasyland. The suggestion was made in a comment after the story on the linked page, apparently relating to other rumours that the Flying Carpets would be taken out.

Personally, I think the plan looks great. With all the work that will be required to put in the Little Mermaid attraction, it makes sense to also improve the theming in Fantasyland. Increasing the capacity of Dumbo (and providing a better queuing area) is much-needed.

I'm just concerned the Mickey and Minnie are going to be left homeless with the removal of ToonTown. Maybe we'll see them early in the morning sleeping in the doorways of Main Street, under a cardboard box or something.

 

[StephanieCG]

I'm actually excited about this and hope that it's true, for the most part. It does seem to be princess-centric, and since I'm a major princess fan I'm fine with that. But other people are right, where's the boy stuff? Maybe there is plans to turn DHS into more of the "boy" park with all the pixar stuff? Just speculating.
Any estimate of how long something like this will take? We probably won't be back to the world until 2011 or 2012, so it'll be cool if it's done by then.
Hopefully Disney sees that rides like TSM are the way to go, dark rides the whole family can enjoy and interact with. I really wanna see more stuff like that.

 

[CharacterFan]

I'm actually excited about this and hope that it's true, for the most part. It does seem to be princess-centric, and since I'm a major princess fan I'm fine with that. But other people are right, where's the boy stuff? Maybe there is plans to turn DHS into more of the "boy" park with all the pixar stuff? Just speculating.
Any estimate of how long something like this will take? We probably won't be back to the world until 2011 or 2012, so it'll be cool if it's done by then.
Hopefully Disney sees that rides like TSM are the way to go, dark rides the whole family can enjoy and interact with. I really wanna see more stuff like that.

I'm guessing that they'd like to have it done Oct 1, 2011 (40 years) or at least of it.

There are several rumors that Studios is getting several more pixar rides/attractions. Which will make it more of a boy area.

 

[fannatic]

From what I've read, this will be a 5 year project. I think that different sections may open at different times. Also, did anyone else notice when the blueprint is over the satellite image, that it appears that they have used up all available space? It doesn't look like they have much room for future expansion, except maybe the bit of land behind Dumbo.

 

[baketank]

I think its pretty cool how it matches up with the satelite images perfectly. I would highly doubt it would be a fake by some fan considering how much time it would take to get it to match up to scale perfectly. (Maybe I am wrong, but I am neither architecturally or artisticly gifted). I am a DVC member who goes to Disney World at least twice a year usually and I love all the Fantasyland attractions. From someone who has never seen the Little Mermaid attraction in Disneyland (First Disneyland trip planned for May 2010) I would love more of these dark rides to be added. It seems Disney has gotten away from these types of rides recently in favor of more thrill type rides. But it seems these dark rides never really get outgrown or old. Someone may make a roller coaster that goes faster, a drop that goes higher, or a mountain bigger, but you dont really ever outgrow or get bored with the Fairy Tales and the stories that accompany the Fantasyland dark rides. I know moreso than riding the Matterhorn, Indiana Jones, or the like in Disneyland, I am more looking forward to riding Little Mermaid, Alice in Wonderland, and Mr Toads Wild Ride (again). And from the nostalgia on these boards and love for Mr Toads Wild Ride still, it would seem that more dark rides would be a No Brainer.

 

[wishdisney]

do people know that behind all the land where 20,000 leagues use to be, is literally a DROP, meaning you would literally fall off and hit pavement. you cant build anything back there. you can't expand back there, period. that is the only place where you can enter and exit the utilidors. how are trucks going to get things into the parks if they can't access the tunnels? how are people going to get to work? like, i would love to see some new things but not take out toontown and put in dark rides about the princesses. and heck, I go to MK atleast once a WEEK (I'm a CM) and I'm not complaining about anything being old or nothing is appealing anymore. I still think Disney's California Adventures was a bad idea, and hopefully the make over will be better than what it was. I just don't see this happening. I don't want it to happen. It would be hell walking through fantasyland, and probably everything else surrounding it if they are going to rip land apart and add such dumb things to it. if they wanted to add classic Characters to the land they would've done it ages ago! Now its that time where attendance is low and the economy is bad...Disney is probably going to be sued, they are also overstaffed. Billions of it is going to DCA, and some to SM but a whole Fantasyland renovation? thats like saying the Castle needs to be redone because its been the same since the park opened.

 

[skier_pete]

OK, My first thoughts:

-My BS meter says that this is a real blueprint from Disney. It is waaaayyy too detailed to be real. Take for instance the queues for the little mermaid attraction (shown to the upper left portion of the attraction...there is obviously a stand-by queue (Left) which is quite lengthy, and a FP queue which is much shorter. There is a also a "Stream" which runs along in front of the attraction and over to Pixie Hollow.
- That said, because a blue-print exists...doesn't mean that it is going to happen...so until Disney announces it or starts construction, it is not certain. However, I always thought we were going to see a major announcement come in the fall.
- It DOES seem like something that follows along with all the rumors...expansion of the princess theme, removal of toon town, new Little Mermaid dark ride...
- I am NOT enamored of toon town at all and won't miss it - and most of what was there would be here in expanded form...as a PP pointed out, the one thing missing seems to be a Mickey and friends M & G. I seriously doubt they will eliminate meeting those guys - the Fab 5 are a MAJOR force at the theme parks, with M &G at all 3 of the others. (Only group with M&G in all 4 parks.) They will definitely put them somewhere else.
- For a PP question - yes Disney may consider a M & G to be an attraction...but it's interesting that the Areil, fairies and pooh ones are labeled as "M & G" on the map, while the Cinderella, Belle, and Aurora are labeled "Attraction". However, when I look at the size of the different things, I suspect the only new "ride" in there is Voyage of the Little Mermaid. The other 3 are probably some sort of walk-through attraction to see on the way to the M & G.
- The double-up of Dumbo would not do anything to Aladdin's ride in Adventureland. That is too recent an addition for them to move it...I find the most fascinating thing at Dumbo to be the listing of a "NexGen Interactive Queue".
- This has me excited....new stuff in MK is long overdue - the last round of attraction additions at WDW was 07-08. My only hope is this gets done before DD is too old to enjoy much of it. (She's 6 now.) My guess is something like this is about a 2 year project.
- Anyone else think it could be "announced" at the D23 convention?

SkierPete

 

[Dznefreek]

do people know that behind all the land where 20,000 leagues use to be, is literally a DROP, meaning you would literally fall off and hit pavement. you cant build anything back there.

Uh, yes you can. It is done all the time in construction.

 

[MaryKatesMom]

I agree.

They would build two floor's with the second floor being "ground" level.

 

[Charlesaway]

Uh, yes you can. It is done all the time in construction.

To say nothing of the fact that the overlaid blueprints buttress any new development up against that drop, both to the north and the east of the existing land area. No existing back stage areas seem to be lost in this blueprint, except maybe 50-100ft of truck parking area in the northwest corner.

 

[tjkraz]

the only space I could think of is on Main Street behind Exposition Hall. Yes, Cast Members would lose some parking but there is just a big parking lot there. This really is the only flaw I'm finding in these plans.

Exposition Hall itself is quite large and the space could be converted to a meet-and-greet location. If memory serves, there are two large meeting rooms in the rear which are occasionally used for things like Disney Vacation Club presentations. If you look at it on Google Maps, the entire building is noticeably larger than any structure in ToonTown.

Or they could set-up a meet-and-greet location near Barnstormer. There is a building there labeled "Merch" which I assume is short for Merchandise. But it could actually be a setup like the current Hall of Fame tent which houses both a shop and the character meet-and-greet rooms.

did someone say they are moving the Magic Carpets out of Adventureland or moving them out altogether?

Without providing any specifics, there was one rumor that the carpets would be moved. Since it's the same ride system as Dumbo, it seems possible that Disney could retrofit the Magic Carpets attraction to serve as the second Dumbo vehicle. That would certainly shave several hundred thousand dollars off the budget and help eliminate a bottleneck in Adventureland.

There are also operating costs to consider. Disney looks at staffing very closely when considering park development opportunities. If they simply add the second Dumbo, they are adding Cast to the park. But relocating the Magic Carpets would just be a reassignment of staff.

Not saying this is definitely what they plan to do but it does "fit" from several angles.

Also, did anyone else notice when the blueprint is over the satellite image, that it appears that they have used up all available space? It doesn't look like they have much room for future expansion, except maybe the bit of land behind Dumbo.

Reusing current land is always more cost-effective than growing the park. The MK is nearly 40 years old now and growth outside of its boundaries has been rare. Toontown was the one major expansion, and there were some adjustments made for Splash Mtn and BTMR.

 

[kmk1180]

To anyone who thinks it's real...
Don't you think it's odd to redue Fantasyland and completely remove
MICKEY??!!!!
(especially in favor of "fairies, only one of which Tinkerbell, anyone avery heard of prior to the Tinkerbell movie?)


I mean it looks neat but looks like someone with a little girl make it
thinking of her.

That whole, Pixie Hollow...The whole idea is from a made for DVD movie Disney put out to promote Tinkerbell, some how I don't see a permanant area created for made for dvd movies.

And the area called "dumbo" is right on top of the train station.
what do you think they will remove that?

The area called Aurora Attraction...wow unless it goes underground, it's not much you could call an attraction.

And if your going to create a Cinderella Attraction wouldn't it make sense to put it next to the castle named after her? and move the current stores?

To me some things don't add up.
Till anything official is announced I wouldn't count on it..Disney has made lots of plans for things that they never built.


But if they do, I seriously hope they keep current Dumbo open while they build the new section. Then close it after the new one is open and redue that part last.
I can't imagine what kids will think if Dumbo is closed for a long period of time.

 

[steve76]

To anyone who thinks it's real...
Don't you think it's odd to redue Fantasyland and completely remove
MICKEY??!!!!

This plan only shows part of the park. They may be moving Mickey and Co to another part of the park, which is not on the plans. Who knows, they may also have elaborate plans for new meet-and-greet locations elsewhere in the park.

And the area called "dumbo" is right on top of the train station.
what do you think they will remove that?

There are two areas marked 'Dumbo'. One is the ride area, towards the back, and the other is the train station area. This suggests that the ToonTown Station will be become the Fantasyland Station and be re-themed to Dumbo (circus train etc.) to fit it with the theming of the area. It doesn't look like they are removing the station.

The area called Aurora Attraction...wow unless it goes underground, it's not much you could call an attraction.

The princess 'attractions' are meet and greets. Not much space required. Remember these plans, if real, were not intended for public consumption so we shouldn't get too hung up on the terminology used.

And if your going to create a Cinderella Attraction wouldn't it make sense to put it next to the castle named after her? and move the current stores?

I think the plan is that the new scenery and Castle walls will effectively make the whole area part of the Castle, with a couryard etc. More like you would expect from a castle. If this is true then the location would fit.

 

[tjkraz]

To anyone who thinks it's real...
Don't you think it's odd to redue Fantasyland and completely remove
MICKEY??!!!!

Not really. Toon Town didn't even exist for roughly the first 20 years of the Magic Kingdom's existence. Even then it was supposed to be only a temporary addition to the park.

There are numerous other places Mickey could appear in the Magic Kingdom. And he would still have an attraction--Mickey's Philharmagic.

That whole, Pixie Hollow...The whole idea is from a made for DVD movie Disney put out to promote Tinkerbell, some how I don't see a permanant area created for made for dvd movies.

Disney has at least four films planned for the fairles. And the anchor of the franchise is Tinkerbelle whose history dates back much further than a handful of direct-to-DVD releases.

Disney has always had high hopes for the franchise given its marketing potential. Honestly if this plan were just some fanboy's (fangirl's?) dream, putting Mulan or Jasmine in that area would have made far more sense.

And the area called "dumbo" is right on top of the train station.
what do you think they will remove that?

According to this plan the train station would be re-themed to a Dumbo's big top motif.

The area called Aurora Attraction...wow unless it goes underground, it's not much you could call an attraction.

Doubt it is a dark ride or other large-scale attraction but it could be something interactive like Turtle Talk.

And if your going to create a Cinderella Attraction wouldn't it make sense to put it next to the castle named after her? and move the current stores?

Depends upon what the designers had in mind. I don't think designers would feel compelled to pigeonhole something into a smallish space just because its beside the castle when other locations are available.

Till anything official is announced I wouldn't count on it..Disney has made lots of plans for things that they never built.

I agree with that. IMO this plan has a level of detail that wouldn't be present if it were photoshopped in someone's basement. But whether or not it gets the green light remains to be seen.

However prior to this plan seeing the light of day I heard numerous comments from those in-the-know who claimed that a Fantasyland refurb was on the drawing board and that the scope of the plans would surprise everyone. This plan certainly fits that criteria. But we'll see if it gets the final stamp of approval.

But if they do, I seriously hope they keep current Dumbo open while they build the new section. Then close it after the new one is open and redue that part last.
I can't imagine what kids will think if Dumbo is closed for a long period of time.

Yes, I'm sure they will be horribly scarred.

 

[CharacterFan]

To anyone who thinks it's real...
Don't you think it's odd to redue Fantasyland and completely remove
MICKEY??!!!!
(especially in favor of "fairies, only one of which Tinkerbell, anyone avery heard of prior to the Tinkerbell movie?)

Toontown was supposed to be a temp. thing. While I am a Classics fan, It's make since to expand Fantasyland

I mean it looks neat but looks like someone with a little girl make it
thinking of her.

That whole, Pixie Hollow...The whole idea is from a made for DVD movie Disney put out to promote Tinkerbell, some how I don't see a permanant area created for made for dvd movies.

Tinkerbelle is very popular and a play zone I think would be very cute. They have many more movies and more fairies to introduce.

And the area called "dumbo" is right on top of the train station.
what do you think they will remove that?

They'll just retheme the trainstation

The area called Aurora Attraction...wow unless it goes underground, it's not much you could call an attraction.

maybe something like storytime with Belle, or Turtle Talk, or CoP, or Mickey's Philharmagic. Lots of things can go in a small space

And if your going to create a Cinderella Attraction wouldn't it make sense to put it next to the castle named after her? and move the current stores?

She's a very popular princess. So many little girls go around dressed up like her that's why she can be found at 3 princess meals. (CRT, 1900, and Princess Storybook)

To me some things don't add up.
Till anything official is announced I wouldn't count on it..Disney has made lots of plans for things that they never built.

true, but plans have been leaked before that did happen (BLT for one)

But if they do, I seriously hope they keep current Dumbo open while they build the new section. Then close it after the new one is open and redue that part last.
I can't imagine what kids will think if Dumbo is closed for a long period of time.

I rode Dumbo as a child and it scared me. I didn't ride it again for 16 years. And my brother he didn't ride it as a kid, he didn't care to. He's now on his college's dean list. So children will be okay not riding Dumbo. They can go ride the carpets, or even the dinos in Animal Kingdom.

 

[gymnastgirlflips]

I think it's awesome that they're doing this. I think kids might miss Toontown, but having all these other things is going to be so much better. I never ride Dumbo because of the huge line, so the double DUmbo would be great. Barnstormer would still be there for the kids, so they'll love that too. The new resturant sounds like alot of fun, and having a new Ariel dark ride will be exciting. I think Fanstasyland needs to be updated a bit, and this looks perfect. They keep the classics and add some new rides people will love. I think having more princess stuff kind of explains fantasyland... don't you? It's going to be more girlish, you have to expect that. It sounds more like what a fantasyland is made for to me. The boys are more interested in Adventureland and all the other lands anyways, this one can be a little more well suited for girls.

 

[skier_pete]

As another response to kmk1180 without repeating PP, and to others that doubt Disney would do this:

The Disney fairies are intended as a new major marketing line - with the hope that eventually it will expand to the point of the Disney Princess line. The Faries have had merchandise for two YEARS before the first DVD came out - and they have one and year planned for the next several years. PLus the fairies M&G in toontown is *Very* popular.

As far as the "too girlie" comments - you do notice that *most* of the lands in MK are very *boy* orientied...Adventureland (Pirates / Captain Jack / Jungle Cruise), Tomorrowland (Buzz / Stich / Monsters / Rockets), and Frontierland.

What's great about this is (if comes true) is they are adding stuff WITHOUT removing much - just Mickey and Minnie's house - and it doesn't mean that Mickey and Minnie will be gone...when is the last time they put something in MK without removing something? Splash Mountain 17 years ago?

The theme-ing of turning the existing FaLand into the "inside" of a castle, and making this new section the woods "outside" the castle walls I think would be brilliant, rumor to be set up like a Rennaisance Fair. Just think what they could do to this area during MNSSHP! It could be the haunted wood - and replace the princesses with their *evil* nemesis for meet and greets...the possibilities are great!

SkierPete

 

[wishdisney]

I think it's awesome that they're doing this. I think kids might miss Toontown, but having all these other things is going to be so much better. I never ride Dumbo because of the huge line, so the double DUmbo would be great. Barnstormer would still be there for the kids, so they'll love that too. The new resturant sounds like alot of fun, and having a new Ariel dark ride will be exciting. I think Fanstasyland needs to be updated a bit, and this looks perfect. They keep the classics and add some new rides people will love. I think having more princess stuff kind of explains fantasyland... don't you? It's going to be more girlish, you have to expect that. It sounds more like what a fantasyland is made for to me. The boys are more interested in Adventureland and all the other lands anyways, this one can be a little more well suited for girls.

"You're dead if you aim only for kids. Adults are only kids grown up, anyway." - Walt Disney

why do i say this? oh, because i'm pretty sure if I'm going with my significant other or my parents, etc...and Fantasyland was renovated, and had to walk through a PACKED fantasyland because thats where all the meet and greets will be, I'll freak out just because by seeing the line for the character spot at EPCOT, yikes, hate to see this happening. I'm not saying I wouldn't stop and get my picture taken with the princesses and what not, but what if someone my age didn't? If you aim for kids, us adults wont have fun, other than to just walk around and avoid all the meet and greets. and like everything else, every new ride is going to have a line as long or even longer than what peter pan has. I think its just way too frustrating. its soo much organized with all the meet and greets over in Toontown. just like how its organized at the character spot over at EPCOT. Walt Disney did say once that he wanted Disneyland to grow, so if he wanted WDW to grow he wouldn't just trash Toontown and expand Fantasyland. Thats not my definition of growing. But if WDW wants to take all stuff they have in storage behind Fantasyland somewhere else and expand it, so be it.I don't see it happening, but we'll see.

 

[kmk1180]

wow....feels like a struck a nerve with people...
Don't think anyone is mad at me or anything. but I definately
the one people are counter debating for reasons why it's real.

It's ok with me if you counter my points...it's all speculation so no
arguing here.

And don't get me wrong here I like the plan. Just have serious doubts it's real. (if it's real I want it built and done before Oct 11', when we plan our next, last visit for a while)

I mean the fact that it matches up to scale perfectly with google earth image?
Or course it would be simular but spot on scale? (as someone else posted)...hints at fake to me.
Wouldn't take a expert to take the google image and line draw plane from there.

And that they miss spelled Carousel? Very serious hint of fake.

I just hope everyone who is arguing that it's real doesn't get there hopes up too high.