How would YOU improve Disney World? Thoughts?

[Bill]

Stitch's Great Escape! is by far the worst attraction Disney has created this decade. It does not stay true to the movie, the series, or any other part of the Lilo & Stitch franchise. I could give you many details if you want, but just a few include:

(keep in mind that the attraction is a prequel, before any of the movies or series)

-Expt. 626 calls himself Stitch in the attraction.
-Pleakley is some sort of guard instead of the Earth Expert.
-Expt. 626 can already speak English.
-Other experiments are present from the TV series.
-The story of the attraction itself is completely hopeless without a real ending.

If you agree or disagree, please let us know. I'd like to hear what you have to say.

[AwallaceUNC]

So much to say!

First, to respond to Iggie's post: There are a lot of great ride possibilities, true, but there are only so many that can come to fruition, and only so fast. It's important for the park to have a few of the staples of a theme park (the wheel-and-spokes ride, the tea cups, etc.). What is so impressive is that Disney decks them out with detail and themes them to a movie. Most rides there are themed to Disney movies, and the ones that aren't are mostly Walt originals that are so engrained in Disney history that they are as classic as the films themselves. And who says rushed versions of Disney classics live on stage is a bad thing? I love them. I agree with many of your other points, though.

I'll list a few major things that I feel like WDW really needs to improve upon. Such a list of course necessitates some negativity, so keep in mind that the positive outweighs the negative immeasurably, but that's just not what I'll be addressing here.

Suggested Improvements in...

Magic Kingdom

Well of the four parks, MK is by far in the best shape, as it should be. Several of the attractions are dire need of a massive, full-scale refurbishment, though (Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, and Peter Pan's Flight). Fortunately, those are coming after IASW's much-deserved rehab concludes this spring.

Fantasyland is my favorite land, but it unfortunately lacks a little bit of the buzz that it once carried. This is largely due to quite a bit of wasted space. The entire back half of the land is wasted on the remnants of 20K Leagues Under The Sea (which I never got to ride ) and the Ariel meet & greet, which I'd prefer be sized down, but I suppose it is popular. MK, and especially Fantasyland, needs another E-ticket RIDE... let's hope that goes in the recently vacated site of 20KL within the next few years. A stage show and new dark ride are rumored and both could be added to MK without crowding. Oh, and Cinderella's Golden Carrousel should be up-scaled and re-themed to become Mary Poppin's Magic Carousel, since Mary actually had a carousel and she doesn't have an attraction ANYWHERE.

Tomorrowland has the most to do when it operates at full capacity. The problem is that it very rarely does so. Timekeeper and Carousel of Progress need to be returned to their former status of permanent attractions, not just temporary fill-ins. Astro-Orbiter needs its planets spinning again (which is currently being addressed in the ongoing rehab, or so we hope). The former site of the theater could be utilized as well, perhaps in an effort to make it feel slightly more like tomorrow (though this isn't nearly as problematic at WDW as I understand it to be at DL). The Indy Speedway takes up a lot of space to move so slowly, in my opinion, and a lot could be done to the ride or the land it sits on. Stitch feels a bit out of place in TL (but so did Alien Encounter), but it feels more at home in the MK as a whole than its predecessor did. It's not the greatest ride ever and definitely could have been better-executed, but I wouldn't write it off as a catastrophe either. And of course there's the rumor of a DL-esque update to Space Mountain in the coming years. I agree that it's likely to happen, but whether or not I support it is a matter on which I remain torn.

Toon Town has a lot of potential, very little of which is realized. It really feels half-done and I think that's obvious to even the most casual of guests and children.

Other than the reduced operating hours, the left side of Disney World is in pretty good shape. I'd like to see a lot more attention paid to Tom Sawyer Island and its future, though. Splash Mountain looks beautiful since it was repainted last year, but I'd love to see all of its effects returned to working order, and the addition of an Uncle Remus animatronic would be applauded. Aunt Polly's should bring back a fuller menu as well.

Epcot

Epcot feels old and dirty these days, and that's due to a blatant decline in maintenance. Disney gets all the blame here and they need to step up and remember that there's more to this park than Mission: Space. That's my biggest complaint for the park. The rest of Disney World feels like an immaculate world of its own, a carefully constructed fantasy in which one can become totally immersed. Epcot once carried that feeling as well, and it's just not there these days. The Wonders of Life and Living Seas pavillions need to be revamped. The Land is already getting some attention, thankfully. If it were up to me, Mission: Space would have been rethought before putting into production, but it brings in a big crowd, so that's hard to fault. I'd like to see Figment's partner (his name escapes me now) back in the park, but it was nice to see Figment get his own meet & greet area. I really like the wand on the geodome, but I also miss the spectacle of the geodome itself, so I'm torn over what should happen there. Test Track really needs to have one more trip 'round the track added. The increase in guest satisfaction would be worth the work. Over in the World Showcase, I'd like to see Israel but other than that, there's not much to complain about.

Disney-MGM Studios

There's not enough to do here. If the park were on a balance, the left side would always be up in the air. Fantasmic, Tower of Terror, Rock 'N Rollercoaster, Beauty and the Beast, and Mermaid are all on the right side of the park. Great Movie Ride sits in the middle and once you go past it, there's not much left. What's there is great, but with the demolition of the backlot and the loss of a few other attractions, it's difficult to spend more than one day there. The new stunt show is on its way and I'm sure it will be good (though I'll forever mourn the loss of the Golden Girls house), but I still say the park needs at least one more E-ticket on that end. The rumored Harry Potter ride would fit the bill perfectly. A Chitty Chitty Bang Bang attraction would also go well. The Great Movie Ride should NEVER, EVER leave us... but it could definitely use some updating. A few of the more obscure or dated films should be replaced with more relevant (but not less classic) films. Disney's been considering this for a while, so let's hope it happens. A new movie in the Star Tours ride would be a big plus. Fantasmic, which I love, could still stand to be modeled more after the DL version, which I hear is superior (and Pocahontas is so out of place in MGM's version). The animation tour is an outright insult and should be redone from one end of the other or removed. The current "backlot tour" is a bore, which is a shame, as it used to be great. And while I love the Sorcerer's Hat, it should be moved to the back of the park, because the classic view of the GMR theater is totally obstructed. Disney could stand to play up the studio aspect of the park these days, as well.

Animal Kingdom

AK is by far in the worst shape. Everything there is high-quality (Dinoland USA excluded, which I'll get to in a sec), but there's nowhere near enough. I know it's relatively new and that more will come in time, but progress isn't being made quickly enough. EE will make a big difference when it opens. Asia and Africa each need a new E-ticket and another supporting attraction or two. A new land needs to be constructed as well, be it Beastly Kingdom, the rumored Narnia, both, or a combination of the two (BK sounds awesome... but the idea of Narnia makes me drool!).

Dinoland, USA has some cool stuff, but intentional or not, it looks way too cheap. People feel ripped off- I hear it all the time. I'm not sure what they were thinking, but carnival rides with very little theming is not a way to repay people for their $50 and it stands in stark contrast to the expected Disney atmosphere. This should be gradually remedied and made to feel a little more prehistoric and a little less pre-Disney. Dinosaur, the attraction, though, is a solid A+!

In General...
*There aren't nearly enough characters these days. You're lucky to be outside on Main Street when Mickey and his typical friends come strolling out for a bit. There was a time, not that long ago, when the parks actually felt like the permanent residence of ALL the characters. They were everywhere, and you never knew who you were going to see. These days, I can pretty much pin-point who will be where and when in each park every day. Blah. The characters are so vital to the atmosphere that Disney sells that they really need to bring them back in abundance.

*The quality of the merchandise has indeed declined. There used to be very collector-feeling stuff from a large variety of films and characters. It's a lot more limited and a lot more commercial-looking today. There's also little to no variety from store to store or park to park. Downtown Disney is a great place for Disney shopping, but it's not as good as it once was or could be. That's true for the whole World.

...That's all I can think of for the time being.

For those who complain about prices, I actually think Disney is to be applauded for making a WDW vacation affordable for even a lower middle class family across the country these days. You can stay on Disney property for less than most off-site hotels in a non-tourist city. It's quite phenomenal, really. With this month's introduction of Magic Your Way, park tickets are cheaper than ever. WDW trips are super-affordable for almost everyone now. I, a college student, recently paid for my own trip down there for nearly a week after saving for only a few months, as did 7 of my friends.

It makes sense. They've finally realized that they have to get people down there first, and then get them to stay in the parks second, if they want to really rake in the cash. That's what they've achieved and the well-informed park patron comes off as much a winner as Disney itself does!

-Aaron

[IggieKuzco]

okay. you're not going to believe this... after writing almost all of this, my computer crashed, deleting everything- i felt like killing myself. but i've now overcome that so you will be lookin at the second draft. and i actually think i've gone completely insane. so you'd better read this.

Magic Kingdom

Well of the four parks, MK is by far in the best shape, as it should be. Several of the attractions are dire need of a massive, full-scale refurbishment, though (Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, and Peter Pan's Flight). Fortunately, those are coming after IASW's much-deserved rehab concludes this spring.

whats wrong with pirates?? it's in pretty good shape and if disney got their refurbishining hands on it it would probably lose most of the magic and atmosphere... haunted mansion... agreed... defintaly needs to be redone... or at least improved. as for peter pan, i thought that was relitavly new in walt disney world no? so im thinking they just recently put it in they most likely wont redo it. and the IASW rehab sounds interesting... anyone know what the plans are for that?

A stage show and new dark ride are rumored and both could be added to MK without crowding.

dark ride?? in fantasyland? seems a little strange dont you think? though i would definatly love it.

Oh, and Cinderella's Golden Carrousel should be up-scaled and re-themed to become Mary Poppin's Magic Carousel, since Mary actually had a carousel and she doesn't have an attraction ANYWHERE.

yes that is weird... but i guess it's become such a classic by now it would be kind of pointless for disney to just redesign the carousel... they should make another one- in a different park- themed to poppins. but more upscale like you said as not to be too repetitive.maybe some kind of larger ride where it starts off as a merryy-go-round and ends up taking you off it on the horses... it could be done pretty esily but i doubt disney would invest in somthing like this.
funny you should mention replacing cinderella with mary poppins because both times i was in fantasyland, i saw mary poppins riding the carousel with one of her penguins... so maybe even though it's called cinderella... disney is trying to give it the familiar feel of the mary poppins carousel without actually investing in it. i even managed to get a picture:

Tomorrowland has the most to do when it operates at full capacity.

i dont agree at all...in fact out of all the lands in MK... i found i spent the least time there. even less then toontown, which had a really minimal amount of attractions. i think the whole problem with tommorowland is that it's the tommorrow of 20,30 or even 40 years ago. so for back then it was great- and that was walt's idea in the first place. for it to be "the future". but now, it just seems kind of dull and trying too hard to be "outer space" like, and it's missing the magic that the other lands of MK posesses.

Toon Town has a lot of potential, very little of which is realized. It really feels half-done and I think that's obvious to even the most casual of guests and children.

defianatly. like i said before... there really isnt much to do there. but the concept is so much fun- that i ended up trying to find as many reasons as i can to stay there. but it was hard. it was missing so much and i could have been so great. you really feel like you're entering the world of mickey which shows what a great job disney did with this. but it can still very easily be expanded, if im not mistaken (which i think i am) it is nearby the old 20.000 leagues plot and another empty space behind fantasyland, which can connect. not sure about th Leagues plot, but the fantasyland one is very nearby.

Epcot

Epcot feels old and dirty these days, and that's due to a blatant decline in maintenance. Disney gets all the blame here and they need to step up and remember that there's more to this park than Mission: Space. That's my biggest complaint for the park.

defianatly. epcot seemedquite dull and unpleasent throughout my visit. sort of dirty and uncared for (dammit i has some good points here before it got ERASED but i forgot them.... BURN IN HELL WINDOWS ERROR REPORTS!!!) never mind... as for Mission Space, it indeed was way overhayped, it wasnt that it was bad, but it wasnt too great. especially not worth an hour+ fastpass wait. besides, i ended up getting sick from the ride and staying that way for the rest of the day. fortunatly i didnt need one of those baggies though. but the thing that got me nervous was... if the ride was such a "gravity defying-so real- can't move during takeoff" expereience- and i actually DID need it.. how would i reach that brown paper bag??
anther thing.... when purchasing the fastpass for mission space, i got a free surprise fastapss for honey i shrunk the audience, which was pretty crappy. now i was going to ride this anyway, but what's the deal it seems like disney is just trying to shove these tings down our throughts.

I'd like to see Figment's partner (his name escapes me now) back in the park, but it was nice to see Figment get his own meet & greet area.

you are speaking of the great eric idle. he is very funny and now you mention it he DOES appear in a number of places in epcot.
as for figment, i was expecting the usual little pain in the ass character trying to appeal to children but is a real bore to anyone else, but i was pleasently surprised! thorughout the few minutes that we get to know figment, he actually ends up being sweet and quite endearing! not an easy task with this type of character... disney aced that one.
i also really enjoyed the area after the ride.. it was a lot of fun... though most of it was the okay usual "fun musesam" type stuff... the thing that really stood out in my opinion was the Kodak Imageworks. probably because of the wonderful host we were so lucky to see. she was very funny and a wonderful improvisationalist (that's a word right?). anyway, should did a great job and i even managed to get a picture of her:

Test Track really needs to have one more trip 'round the track added. The increase in guest satisfaction would be worth the work.

oh... test track... what a gut wrenching experience...
started off with the unbelieveble lines... they were long... and fastpass!! then-finally- we're there! the lines after the instruction movie after the other lines after the splitting the linse after the original lines... and we're easily 4 cars away. but- no no... it's time to break down. so another good 45 minutes we spend in there when finally they announce- that we all have to get off. so, off we go with a fastpass for the next day which we has already planned out for mgm. and on top of it all i was still sick from missionspace. so overall, my time at epcot wasnt the greatest... hoping next time will be better

Over in the World Showcase, I'd like to see Israel but other than that, there's not much to complain about.

yes it would be interesting to see how disney would interpet israel into a pavillion or maybe even a ride... living in israel, i'd guess they'd probably take the obvious things such as old parts of jerusalem (obviously), ako, jaffa, the dead sea, or even eilat (a city at the bottom of israel... lots of beaches, tropical fish, aquariams, etc.... become a BIG tourism place... even hear a rumor of a disney park opening up there... but i seriously doubt it). anyway just like they do with every counrty in the world showcase, they'd probably just take steriotypical images of the country that are already imbedded in out minds and just drum them in a little more... and that is basically the problem i have with the world showcase, even thiugh they do have it in a few of the countried, they don't show enough of what really goes on there and not just the stigmas.

Disney-MGM Studios
The rumored Harry Potter ride would fit the bill perfectly.

umm harry potter is wb no? so im thinking... they wouldnt hand over the rights to disney.

A Chitty Chitty Bang Bang attraction would also go well.

wow.. that does sound great... but im afraid disney would think of it as too little too late...

[And while I love the Sorcerer's Hat, it should be moved to the back of the park, because the classic view of the GMR theater is totally obstructed. Disney could stand to play up the studio aspect of the park these days, as well.

i dunno... i wouldn't mess with the hat. see... it's the symbol of disneymgm... plus who knows what disney would stick there instead. it would be to risky... i mean- what would you put in magic kingdom instead of the castle... now i know it's not the same.... but it's still somthing.

Animal Kingdom

Asia and Africa each need a new E-ticket and another supporting attraction or two.

too true. basically you're running around trying to get to major rides on opposite sides of the park and when you're trying to kill time between them, there's nothing to kill time with! making it very weak, disneypark wise....

A new land needs to be constructed as well, be it Beastly Kingdom, the rumored Narnia, both, or a combination of the two (BK sounds awesome... but the idea of Narnia makes me drool!).

yes... AK is definatly in need of a new more exciting land. beastly kingdom is going to be great... even though there isnt much info about it... it's just a given. and as for narnia, as amazing as it sounds... and i would give ANYTHING to have it created, my guess is that it wont get made. proably because of the release of the movie this year and knowing disney they would want to open the land alongside the movie to bring in the $$ and if it isnt even planend yet i dont see that happening. BUT- we must stay hopeful because
a) disney can do anything, and if they want to open a ride/land/park with the movie, then they will open a ride/land/park with the movie.
b) who even says it has to be with the movie?? disneyworld is not going anywhere and neither are we! (well actually we are... but we've got a couple of years to hope). anyway, there's plenty of time. so fingers should be crossed and lets all just hope for the best. (the best being Narnia of course).

Dinoland, USA has some cool stuff, but intentional or not, it looks way too cheap. People feel ripped off- I hear it all the time. I'm not sure what they were thinking, but carnival rides with very little theming is not a way to repay people for their $50 and it stands in stark contrast to the expected Disney atmosphere.

actually... the thought of crappy little carnival stuff could have been okay. but there's a time and a place. and the place should not be the main dinosour area in walt disney world. i mean... everyone loves dinosours, and they had the right idea making a land... but what the hell is this?? there was so much effort and detail put into all the continents and jungles and so on.... and this is what they dinosours??! what the crap...
anyway... it seems to me they just didnt want to invest so much in somthing that they could pretend is somthing that it's not... back with goddam disney marketing. they could have made a prehistoric jungle world! what a waste of an idea.... it's a shame... a real shame. but... it can still be fixed... just add.. disney can always add... and i hope they will. someday.

Dinosaur, the attraction, though, is a solid A+!

oh i loved it.... one of my favorite rides in disney, definatly favorite in AK.... i was actually scard on certain parts of the ride that the dinosour would jump up next to me.
and it did.
and i screamed.

anyway... that's it... i'm finnished. for the second time today. now i can finally say the words.

VICTORY IS MINE!!

[AwallaceUNC]

Sorry you had to retype such a long post (been there, and it's one of the worst feelings in the world; I usually have to come back a day or two later). I'm glad you did, though- interesting post.

Magic Kingdom

Well of the four parks, MK is by far in the best shape, as it should be. Several of the attractions are dire need of a massive, full-scale refurbishment, though (Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, and Peter Pan's Flight). Fortunately, those are coming after IASW's much-deserved rehab concludes this spring.

whats wrong with pirates?? it's in pretty good shape and if disney got their refurbishining hands on it it would probably lose most of the magic and atmosphere... haunted mansion... agreed... defintaly needs to be redone... or at least improved. as for peter pan, i thought that was relitavly new in walt disney world no? so im thinking they just recently put it in they most likely wont redo it. and the IASW rehab sounds interesting... anyone know what the plans are for that?

The audio track on Pirates has severely dilapidated. Guests who don't know the story have a hard time following it, so it becomes all about the sights and atmosphere. Granted, that's probably the most important part anyway, but Pirates has a more prevalent and important-to-the-attraction storyline than most and it's obvious that you are supposed to be hearing what is said, and you just can't without really focusing and hoping other guests are quiet. Also, the animatronics could be spruced up to be a bit less dingy. I don't think Disney would mess it up in anyway, just restore it to brilliance. It's been there awhile and every attraction needs some TLC from time to time. They might add a new scene in Pirates, but so long as it doesn't effect what's already in tact, that would be fine with me.

I'm not sure how long Peter Pan's Flight has been at Disney World, but it was there when I was 3 years old, so that makes it old enough to need a rehab. It doesn't need it nearly as much as Pirates and the Haunted Mansion, though. Again, it could just use some touch-ups.

It's A Small World is getting the full treatment. Restored digital audio track, completely refurbished animatronics, a modified bullpen (I believe), etc. Disney isn't changing anything, they are just making sure everything looks amazing and is working as it should. From what I understand it will be a real treat when it reopens in a few months. That's the same treatment will likely see for Pirates, Peter, or the Mansion later this year.

A stage show and new dark ride are rumored and both could be added to MK without crowding.

dark ride?? in fantasyland? seems a little strange dont you think? though i would definatly love it.

Well they already have several dark rides in Fantasyland (Snow White's Scary Adventures, Peter Pan's Flight, The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh, It's A Small World... though the latter 2 aren't quite as dark, it's the same concept). Dark ride is the term for a Disney ride in which you sit down in a car and move through scenes of a story with much of it being in near-darkness so that blacklights can do their magic. They are, so to speak, the 'story rides.'

Oh, and Cinderella's Golden Carrousel should be up-scaled and re-themed to become Mary Poppin's Magic Carousel, since Mary actually had a carousel and she doesn't have an attraction ANYWHERE.

yes that is weird... but i guess it's become such a classic by now it would be kind of pointless for disney to just redesign the carousel... they should make another one- in a different park- themed to poppins. but more upscale like you said as not to be too repetitive.maybe some kind of larger ride where it starts off as a merryy-go-round and ends up taking you off it on the horses... it could be done pretty esily but i doubt disney would invest in somthing like this.

Well I think the ride is classic because it's a beautiful carousel placed directly behind the castle and serves as the entrance to Fantasyland... not because it has Cinderella's name attached. I agree with you, though, in that making it any fancier might take away from it. They could still call it MP's Golden Carousel and that would be fine, but if they were to make it go off the track and that sort of stuff (which would be very cool), it might belong somewhere else. At any rate, Disney has never hesitated to invest in retheming or replacing a beloved classic (Journey Into The Imagination, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, etc.) so I don't see why they'd turn down such an idea now.

funny you should mention replacing cinderella with mary poppins because both times i was in fantasyland, i saw mary poppins riding the carousel with one of her penguins... so maybe even though it's called cinderella... disney is trying to give it the familiar feel of the mary poppins carousel without actually investing in it. i even managed to get a picture:

Thanks for that pic, I saved it to my HD. That's the ride as it should be- Mary's Carousel. Too bad I've never seen that when I was there.

Tomorrowland has the most to do when it operates at full capacity.

i dont agree at all...in fact out of all the lands in MK... i found i spent the least time there. even less then toontown...

Well it may have the least that you enjoy, but in terms of number of attractions and time they take, it does have the most to do.

like, and it's missing the magic that the other lands of MK posesses.

Well it's a different kind of magic, yes, but I still feel enchanted when I'm there, particularly at night. But then, the whole park always feels more enchanting at night.

Toon Town has a lot of potential, very little of which is realized. It really feels half-done and I think that's obvious to even the most casual of guests and children.

you really feel like you're entering the world of mickey which shows what a great job disney did with this. but it can still very easily be expanded, if im not mistaken (which i think i am) it is nearby the old 20.000 leagues plot and another empty space behind fantasyland, which can connect. not sure about th Leagues plot, but the fantasyland one is very nearby.

Agreed, it does feel like Mickey's world (or maybe Roger Rabbit's ). It is indeed adjacent to the Fantasyland, in which the old 20K lot is at the rear-center/rear-right. Therefore, yes, Toontown could probably be expanded into that area. The effect, though, would probably be the fusing of Fantasyland and Toontown, which isn't something I really want to see. They still have room to work with in the town itself and I think there might be more land behind it (though they'd have to bridge over the train track or extend it or something) to build on, but I'm not positive. Also, Fantasyland and Toontown were recently given improved access to one another... some of the greenery near the Tea Party was removed and a little sidewalk runs between the two.

BURN IN HELL WINDOWS ERROR REPORTS!!!)

anther thing.... when purchasing the fastpass for mission space, i got a free surprise fastapss for honey i shrunk the audience, which was pretty crappy. now i was going to ride this anyway, but what's the deal it seems like disney is just trying to shove these tings down our throughts.

I found that interesting as well... we got the same thing in December, and were even encouraged to give away our FP if we didn't want it. It could be to renew interest in Honey I Shrunk The Kids, but I think it may have more to do with some sort of crowd control planning they've worked out in their FastPass matrices or a way of making people feel better about the very long waits at M:S and TT.

I'd like to see Figment's partner (his name escapes me now) back in the park, but it was nice to see Figment get his own meet & greet area.

you are speaking of the great eric idle. he is very funny and now you mention it he DOES appear in a number of places in epcot.

While I do really like Dr. Nigel Channing as portrayed by Eric Idle in the Imagination Institute, I was actually referring to the odd-looking Doctor who used carry Figment around. I believe he came from the original version of Journey Into The Imagination.

She looks like a very into-it cast member.

Over in the World Showcase, I'd like to see Israel but other than that, there's not much to complain about.

yes it would be interesting to see how disney would interpet israel into a pavillion or maybe even a ride... living in israel, i'd guess they'd probably take the obvious things such as old parts of jerusalem (obviously), ako, jaffa, the dead sea, or even eilat (a city at the bottom of israel... lots of beaches, tropical fish, aquariams, etc.... become a BIG tourism place... even hear a rumor of a disney park opening up there... but i seriously doubt it).

They actually briefly had a small Israeli exibit as part of the Millenial Village that was in the World Showcase during the Millenium Celebration at WDW. As I understand it, there was a bit of controversy directed at the exibit by the usual "ahhh-you-can't-like-Israel" crowd.

A Disney park in Israel? Interesting, and also scary. Is it really fitting over there?

anyway just like they do with every counrty in the world showcase, they'd probably just take steriotypical images of the country that are already imbedded in out minds and just drum them in a little more... and that is basically the problem i have with the world showcase, even thiugh they do have it in a few of the countried, they don't show enough of what really goes on there and not just the stigmas.

That's actually quite intentional. Each nation is depicted in their historical "golden age." We could put skyscrapers in all the exibits to make it a bit more realistic, but that takes away from the charm. The World Showcase aspires to a particular theme in presenting the nations, and achieves it, imo.

Disney-MGM Studios
The rumored Harry Potter ride would fit the bill perfectly.

umm harry potter is wb no? so im thinking... they wouldnt hand over the rights to disney.

Well you're right, they didn't hand them over. Disney did purchase certain rights for HP, though. It's rumored that attraction rights were part of the deal, though I don't know if that is definitely true. At any rate, it still could be. HP probably won't get its own theme park, so if they want an attraction, they'll have to work out the rights with one of the theme park giants. Of course much of MGM already features non-Disney properties (Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Twilight Zone, Aerosmith, Alien, The Wizard of Oz, to name a few).

A Chitty Chitty Bang Bang attraction would also go well.

wow.. that does sound great... but im afraid disney would think of it as too little too late...

I'm afraid you're probably right there, unfortunately, especially with the Disney-MGM contract expiring this year and MGM being bought by Sony.

[And while I love the Sorcerer's Hat, it should be moved to the back of the park, because the classic view of the GMR theater is totally obstructed. Disney could stand to play up the studio aspect of the park these days, as well.

i dunno... i wouldn't mess with the hat. see... it's the symbol of disneymgm... plus who knows what disney would stick there instead. it would be to risky... i mean- what would you put in magic kingdom instead of the castle... now i know it's not the same.... but it's still somthing.

Well for nearly two decades, the symbols of MGM were the Earful Tower and the Great Movie Ride. Disney did mess with those by downplaying the former and obstructing the latter. I'd like the old view back. That doesn't mean the hat isn't great, because it is, and it's a welcome addition. It could go somewhere else, though, and still serve as a third logo and a marketing tool. I think the move was actually considered for awhile, but I doubt if it will happen now.

A new land needs to be constructed as well, be it Beastly Kingdom, the rumored Narnia, both, or a combination of the two (BK sounds awesome... but the idea of Narnia makes me drool!).

and as for narnia, as amazing as it sounds... and i would give ANYTHING to have it created, my guess is that it wont get made. proably because of the release of the movie this year and knowing disney they would want to open the land alongside the movie to bring in the $$ and if it isnt even planend yet i dont see that happening. BUT- we must stay hopeful...

Well if all is done right and the first film is a success (which it will be), then there will be seven Narnia films. Disney has a long time to cross-promote the franchise with the theme park. And as was brought up in the conference this week, it is at least being considered. Hooray!

Dinosaur, the attraction, though, is a solid A+!

oh i loved it.... one of my favorite rides in disney, definatly favorite in AK.... i was actually scard on certain parts of the ride that the dinosour would jump up next to me.
and it did.
and i screamed.

Ditto.

Thanks for reading my original long post! I hope you enjoyed responding to it as much as I enjoyed responding to your's!

-Aaron

[pinkrenata]

you are speaking of the great eric idle. he is very funny and now you mention it he DOES appear in a number of places in epcot.

While I do really like Dr. Nigel Channing as portrayed by Eric Idle in the Imagination Institute, I was actually referring to the odd-looking Doctor who used carry Figment around. I believe he came from the original version of Journey Into The Imagination.

Dreamfinder ROCKS!!! He was actually out with (a) Figment (puppet ) one of my first times at EPCOT and I remember my mom trying to get me to go up and take a picture with him, but I didn't on account of my fear of bearded men.

[AwallaceUNC]

That's him, Renata! Thanks.

-Aaron

[PatrickvD]

I agree that the rumoured Narnia land in Animal Kingdom could be a REAL winner if done right. That is if the movie is as huge as Disney hopes. Sounds kinda exciting

[dizfan]

The one thing I dislike about Disney World is really something that can't be changed: the time it takes to get everywhere within the resort. Especially after the closing of a park.

[AwallaceUNC]

It's halftime... we'll come back... but in the meantime, I'll post the last thread to be restructured:

<hr>

IggieKuzco
Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 10:38 am Post subject:

Sorry you had to retype such a long post (been there, and it's one of the worst feelings in the world; I usually have to come back a day or two later). I'm glad you did, though- interesting post.

yah.. well im glad i managed to rewrite it okay... but i find if i wait a day or two i begin to forget my ideas and it totally drives me crazy...
anyawy.... im enjoying discussing these things so....

dark ride?? in fantasyland? seems a little strange dont you think? though i would definatly love it.

Well they already have several dark rides in Fantasyland (Snow White's Scary Adventures, Peter Pan's Flight, The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh, It's A Small World... though the latter 2 aren't quite as dark, it's the same concept). Dark ride is the term for a Disney ride in which you sit down in a car and move through scenes of a story with much of it being in near-darkness so that blacklights can do their magic. They are, so to speak, the 'story rides.'

ohhh... that's a dark ride... i thought you meant like a scary ride... which would have been cool.. but it wouldn't fit in to fantasyland...
anyway if that's what a dark ride is.... hopefully it would be a little more complex and sophisticated then the others... not just cutouts that basically move around and soundtrack that repeats itself so you end up hearing or seeing the next scene\last scene before you get there...
make it feel more sophisticated and thought through...
as for the stage show.. well.... isnt that the cinderllabration which is supposed to open in a month or so...?

At any rate, Disney has never hesitated to invest in retheming or replacing a beloved classic (Journey Into The Imagination, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, etc.) so I don't see why they'd turn down such an idea now.

that may be true... but i don't think they'd rename the ride just for the sake of renaming it...

i dont agree at all...in fact out of all the lands in MK... i found i spent the least time there. even less then toontown...

Well it may have the least that you enjoy, but in terms of number of attractions and time they take, it does have the most to do.

well how often do all the attractions there operate at the same time... when i was there... half of the rides i wanted to do weren't open... for example: the indy speedway, carousel of progress, timekeeper.... etc

anther thing.... when purchasing the fastpass for mission space, i got a free surprise fastapss for honey i shrunk the audience, which was pretty crappy. now i was going to ride this anyway, but what's the deal it seems like disney is just trying to shove these tings down our throughts.

I found that interesting as well... we got the same thing in December, and were even encouraged to give away our FP if we didn't want it. It could be to renew interest in Honey I Shrunk The Kids, but I think it may have more to do with some sort of crowd control planning they've worked out in their FastPass matrices or a way of making people feel better about the very long waits at M:S and TT.

yes it looks like disney is really trying to promote the ride now that's pretty outdated...
i mean even on the official disney site they put it on the main epcot page as a "must see" right after mission space and test track when clearly there are other attractions that are much more mustsee the this...

you are speaking of the great eric idle. he is very funny and now you mention it he DOES appear in a number of places in epcot.

While I do really like Dr. Nigel Channing as portrayed by Eric Idle in the Imagination Institute, I was actually referring to the odd-looking Doctor who used carry Figment around. I believe he came from the original version of Journey Into The Imagination.

if im not mistaen though eric idle was also in the "honey i shrunk the audience ride".... why did disney decide to use him in multiple attractions?

A Disney park in Israel? Interesting, and also scary. Is it really fitting over there?

personally i think it really isnt fitting... the atmosphere here... just isnt right. and not neccessaeily because of the whole war/suicide bomber thing... people are just differnt a disney park wouldnt work.... of course these are just rumors so don't take it too seriously yet because basically there is a disney park in this area of the world... europe area... (paris).. and i doubt it would be worthwhile for disney to invest in a disney park here.... but you never know.. it could very well be...
nevertheless... if there will be i will be sure to give a full report

Well you're right, they didn't hand them over. Disney did purchase certain rights for HP, though. It's rumored that attraction rights were part of the deal, though I don't know if that is definitely true. At any rate, it still could be. HP probably won't get its own theme park, so if they want an attraction, they'll have to work out the rights with one of the theme park giants.

even though there were many rumors- you're probably right. i doubt that at this stage a harry potter theme park will be built. but in that case still i dont think disney would get the rights for the ride, six flags would, because six flags is warner brothers.

I'm afraid you're probably right there, unfortunately, especially with the Disney-MGM contract expiring this year and MGM being bought by Sony.

what??? really?? so how does this work for the future of the park? being mgm and all...

Well if all is done right and the first film is a success (which it will be), then there will be seven Narnia films. Disney has a long time to cross-promote the franchise with the theme park. And as was brought up in the conference this week, it is at least being considered. Hooray!

wow it's actually being discussed?? i didnt know that i thought it was just a rumor.... omg im actually giggling from joy
where can i get notes from the conference?

Thanks for reading my original long post! I hope you enjoyed responding to it as much as I enjoyed responding to your's!

-Aaron

you know, we've taken up like a whole page with our discussions of disney world... soon we will conquer the thread... then the forum...

VICTORY WIlL BE OURS!!!!



__________________________________________________________



awallaceunc
Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 11:44 am Post subject:

as for the stage show.. well.... isnt that the cinderllabration which is supposed to open in a month or so...?

I think the rumors are that we'll see either the Snow White or Aladdin stage shows that recently opened in California ported over to WDW.

Well it may have the least that you enjoy, but in terms of number of attractions and time they take, it does have the most to do.

well how often do all the attractions there operate at the same time... when i was there... half of the rides i wanted to do weren't open... for example: the indy speedway, carousel of progress, timekeeper.... etc

During the peak seasons, as well as a few other times during the year. That's true with all lands at all parks. Even in slower seasons, though, it's usually only CoP and Timekeeper that are closed.

It could be to renew interest in Honey I Shrunk The Kids...

Whoops, I meant to say "The Audience," not "The Kids."

yes it looks like disney is really trying to promote the ride now that's pretty outdated...

Well it still remains a fan favorite, though attendance is down. There are rumors that Disney is looking to replace it within the next few years, so we'll see where that goes. I really like it and would like to see it stay, but will understand if leaves (as long as something worthy replaces it). Besides, it still exists (and with more demand) at other Disney parks too. And there's still a bit HISTK legacy preserved at MGM too. It's a fantastic use of 3-D technology, though. I definitely rate it one of Epcot's must-sees.

While I do really like Dr. Nigel Channing as portrayed by Eric Idle in the Imagination Institute, I was actually referring to the odd-looking Doctor who used carry Figment around. I believe he came from the original version of Journey Into The Imagination.

if im not mistaen though eric idle was also in the "honey i shrunk the audience ride".... why did disney decide to use him in multiple attractions?

The idea is that when you enter the Imagination Pavillion (Epcot has pavillions rather than lands like MK), it's a working center with multiple exhibits and Dr. Nigel Channing is the director of the place. Therefore, he's guiding you through a test-run and tour of their facilities. That's why you see him in the same role in multiple places (and in the corridors of the building).

I'm afraid you're probably right there, unfortunately, especially with the Disney-MGM contract expiring this year and MGM being bought by Sony.

what??? really?? so how does this work for the future of the park? being mgm and all...

Well it's been slowly becoming Disney Studios and that is likely what it will be changed to after this summer, unless Disney has secured certain rights to the already exisiting signage and name. I'm not sure that contract details are known at this point. If they are, I certainly don't know them. Though the end of the contract is sad, it hasn't exactly been used much lately anyways, and I doubt it will drastically change the park in any way. In fact, most people will probably go on calling it MGM for a very, very long time.

Well if all is done right and the first film is a success (which it will be), then there will be seven Narnia films. Disney has a long time to cross-promote the franchise with the theme park. And as was brought up in the conference this week, it is at least being considered. Hooray!

wow it's actually being discussed?? i didnt know that i thought it was just a rumor.... omg im actually giggling from joy
where can i get notes from the conference?

From this thread: http://www.ultimatedisney.com/forum/vie ... php?t=7224

you know, we've taken up like a whole page with our discussions of disney world... soon we will conquer the thread... then the forum...

VICTORY WIlL BE OURS!!!!

lol. I don't get the whole victory is mine thing. I enjoy discussing this, too, and hope that others continue to join in (I know the posts are long, but they don't all have to be!).

-Aaron


___________________________________________________________



IggieKuzco
Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 12:09 pm Post subject:

as for the stage show.. well.... isnt that the cinderllabration which is supposed to open in a month or so...?

I think the rumors are that we'll see either the Snow White or Aladdin stage shows that recently opened in California ported over to WDW.

oh kul... well... since it's fantasyland im guessing they'll out up the snow white show being it's the classic disney.... though it could very easily be aladdin as well being that there is already a snow white attraction at fantasyland. though what interests me about this is whether it would be a full length stage show or one of the 20-25 minute ones common in disneyworld...

From this thread: http://www.ultimatedisney.com/forum/vie ... php?t=7224

thanx alot!! great info

lol. I don't get the whole victory is mine thing. I enjoy discussing this, too, and hope that others continue to join in (I know the posts are long, but they don't all have to be!).

-Aaron

lol "victory is mine" is a phrase used frequently by Stewie (the baby) on Family Guy and i adopted it....

yes.. really more people should input their opinions... it's very interesting.
of course the posts dont have to be so long... but when there's alot to post that's just the way it is...


____________________________________________________________



JiminyCrick91
Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 12:18 pm Post subject:

the only thing i would do is BRING BACK TOAD!


____________________________________________________________



awallaceunc
Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 2:41 pm Post subject:

I think the rumors are that we'll see either the Snow White or Aladdin stage shows that recently opened in California ported over to WDW.

though what interests me about this is whether it would be a full length stage show or one of the 20-25 minute ones common in disneyworld...

Just the 20-30 minute shows, as anything longer isn't at all practical for a theme park.

lol "victory is mine" is a phrase used frequently by Stewie (the baby) on Family Guy and i adopted it....

Ah, gotchya. I like Family Guy but have only seen a few episodes. I need to see more.

-Aaron


____________________________________________________________



Kram Nebuer
Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 3:16 pm Post subject:

Okay, is it just my computer or is this page of the thread a complete mess? All the posts are only 3/4 long as they usually are and the last few are really weird looking.

Anyhow, I agree with a lot of things though I think you missed something about Dinoland, Aaron. It is called Chester and Hester's Dino-Rama and it was entirely meant to look like a cheap little tourist trap side road carnival since it was modeled after a Chester and Hester's gift shop in Dinoland.

Dreamfinder! I remember him! I was really little, but I still remember. He was a happy little man and he let us go into space and ancient greece in one of the old attractions after you rode Journey Into Imagination. Also, Epcot does need revamping. Wonders of Life is just SCREAMING THE 80s! Have you read about Project Gemini on Jim Hill's website? There were plans to turn the LIving Seas into a more Little Mermaid themed attraction and the concrete spacious look of Future World would be replaced with a deep forest of trees and trees. There was a jungle coaster or something to be put in front of The Land and something was going to be done with that restaurant that today remains dormant. I forget what else he wrote about, but Mission Space seems to be the first step of Prject Gemini. As far as the world showcase, it seems okay, but would be better with more attractions or shows and more Disney characters.

I would like more Muppets at Disney MGM studios and more stage shows!

For Magic Kingdom, I think DL's Tommorrowland is in more dire need of help than WDW's. The stage at WDW TL definitely needs something. It just sits there with a really old poster that says it is under concstruction or something. With Fantasyland, I would like a new look than the tournment tent style. I like DL and DLP fairy tale village theme. Also the 20,000 Leagues attraction site is being made into park benches and a sitting area for the time being (according to my sister, who worked in Fantasyland). The site of the Skyway is now Stroller Parking, which Fantasyland desperately needed. Though it is sad to see that is what the old skyway has become. As for a new show or dark ride, I'd prefer a new stage show. The Snow White show seems better fitting since Aladdin already has his own miniland in Adventureland. Though an entirely new show not in another park would work better since the beauty of multiple Disney parks was that they all had something different.


_____________________________________________________________



Luke
Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 5:21 pm Post subject:

Okay, is it just my computer or is this page of the thread a complete mess? All the posts are only 3/4 long as they usually are and the last few are really weird looking.

It wasn't just yours. Iggie's erroneous quoting threw it off, I think. I've fixed it.


_____________________________________________________________



IggieKuzco
Posted: Sun Feb 06, 2005 4:48 am Post subject:

Have you read about Project Gemini on Jim Hill's website?

sounds kul... whats jim hill's website? what the address?

Okay, is it just my computer or is this page of the thread a complete mess? All the posts are only 3/4 long as they usually are and the last few are really weird looking.

It wasn't just yours. Iggie's erroneous quoting threw it off, I think. I've fixed it.

sorry bout that :S
just had a lot to say...

<hr>

[Owlzindabarn]

I haven't been to DisneyWorld in almost 18 years, but I do live close to Disneyland and I can tell you it has a lot of the same problems. First of all, it's suffering from a horrible case of enervation. There are whole areas that are shut down and neglected. The submarines are gone, the old PeopleMover track is unused, Space Mountain has been closed for remodeling for TWO YEARS or more. The Carousel of Progress is unused except for a (boring) science fair-type exhibit called "Innoventions" or some such rubbish. The only thing that park has going for it is the Indiana Jones ride, and that's not even based on a Disney movie!

An earlier poster remarked on the fact that the soundtrack in Florida's Pirates ride has deteriorated. The same is true for Anaheim. Maybe it's just a case of sophisticated, 2005-style ears, but the soundtrack here is incredibly weak and tinny. I get better sound out of my cheap notebook computer, I tell you. The same holds true for Anaheim's Haunted Mansion, Small World and probably ALL the dark rides, now that I think of it. They all need to be re-recorded. Not so hard to do in this day of digital audio technology, but try explaining that to Disney's rather smug board of directors.

Then there's the problem with Big Thunder Railroad. One of the best roller coasters in the world, unfortunately there was a fatality last year. Then right after it re-opened, there was another accident. At this point, I do not know if the ride's open again, or if it's shut down forever. That would be an incredible shame. But I do believe that the blame for that death can indeed be placed on Disney's cost-cutting measure of ignoring the high standards of maintenance that it once enjoyed. The entire incident, as you know, has cast a long negative shadow on the Happiest Place on Earth.

Speaking of happy, it is obvious to anyone who's enjoyed the park as long as I have (been going since 1970...!) that casting standards have also deteriorated. In earlier decades, Disney Cast Members were the nicest, friendliest and most intelligent and helpful workers on the globe. They were well-groomed, informative and frankly, the best. You would take a trip to Disneyland and see all these outstanding people busting their butts to give you a good time. Nowadays, you can tell that they're just a bunch of dumb high school kids working part-time. They have little interest in their jobs. They can't answer questions. They always look like they want to go home. They are no different from your average, unremarkable McDonald's employee. I think this is a big shame. Maybe Disney needs to pay the workers more so that they can attract more competitive, dedicated workers. Anyone agree with me on this? Can anyone else compare today's Disneyland workers with those they recall from the past?

I feel that a lot of Disneyland's current problems come from a certain level of neglect on the part of management. Management is trying very hard to make California Adventure work, and throwing money into other parks, but they probably feel that Disneyland can take care of itself while their attentions are directed elsewhere. This is smug corporate thinking at its worst! The park is, in my view, a shambles! It used to be the most special amusement park in the world, and now it's just sort on the level of, say, Knott's Berry Farm. Not an insult, really, because Knott's is a wonderful place, but Disneyland used to be the gold standard by which other theme parks would aspire. Now it's no better or worse than its competitors. I mean, I go there all the time and I just don't feel like I've gone to Disneyland. Sad.

[Disney Guru]

While I do really like Dr. Nigel Channing as portrayed by Eric Idle in the Imagination Institute, I was actually referring to the odd-looking Doctor who used carry Figment around. I believe he came from the original version of Journey Into The Imagination.

Dreamfinder ROCKS!!! He was actually out with (a) Figment (puppet ) one of my first times at EPCOT and I remember my mom trying to get me to go up and take a picture with him, but I didn't on account of my fear of bearded men.

Lol that picture is scary.

[dizfan]

it's just sort on the level of, say, Knott's Berry Farm. Not an insult, really, because Knott's is a wonderful place, but Disneyland used to be the gold standard by which other theme parks would aspire. Now it's no better or worse than its competitors. I mean, I go there all the time and I just don't feel like I've gone to Disneyland. Sad.

It's a shame that you think so. Especially now that tons of money is being poured into the restoration of the park and for future attractions. Your argument feels like one that should have been made (and would have been valid) two years ago.

Disneyland would have to degrade in quality A LOT to match the feel of Knott's. It's also sad, for you, that you think that "the only thing" going for Disneyland is Indiana Jones. Sure it's known to be the best ride at the park, but the "only thing going for it"? Just not true. It's still leaps and bounds ahead of it's competitors despite the neglect it suffered under the previous management and by May 5th it will be sparkling new again.

[Owlzindabarn]

I'm not talking about future plans. I'm talking about RIGHT NOW, this minute. Tomorrowland has sucked for over five years. There's just nothing going on in there right now. I'm well aware that Space Mountain will be reopened to great applause in the near future. But what about the Submarines? America the Beautiful? The Carousel of Progress? There's just nothing going on in that part of the park and it makes the whole thing seem very negative when there's a lack of activity. It's gone on and on for years. They've never known what to do with that land and everybody knows it. Innoventions is like a overblown corporate idea of a junior high school science fair. Star Tours? Well, sheesh we've been seeing that same exact film for 18 years now. Can't Lucas make a couple of new ones based on his current Star Wars trilogy?

Yeah, my argument would have been valid two years ago, but Tomorrowland hasn't CHANGED in over two years. They haven't opened anything new. Two years is an eternity in a theme park.

[dizfan]

Right, two years ago Disneyland was under a different management whose priority was NOT adding new attractions. The new management has a very different view on that subject, but the addition of attractions to Tomorrowland will not be overnight.

Buzz Lightyear and Space Mountain reopening will more then re-engergize Tomorrowland until the next attraction comes. For most Space Mountain WAS Tomorrowland. And the submarines are still being looked into.

I doubt George Lucas is willing to make new films for Star Tours, since I believe he and Eisner are not in good terms. And you know...Innoventions isn't really my thing either (at Disneyland or at Epcot), but when I do stroll in there I do see families having a lot of fun on the computers, making their own fireworks show, and talking to Stitch just to name a few.

[Kram Nebuer]

Star Tours? Well, sheesh we've been seeing that same exact film for 18 years now. Can't Lucas make a couple of new ones based on his current Star Wars trilogy?

Yeah, my argument would have been valid two years ago, but Tomorrowland hasn't CHANGED in over two years. They haven't opened anything new. Two years is an eternity in a theme park.

I agree. Have you seen the Tomorrowland Photo Essays at SaveDisney.com? It's really sad and brings out a lot of good points. Also with Star Tours, George Lucas really should do something about it. If he takes the time to reshoot and change things in his movies all the time, he could at least make a new Star Tours film or at least SOMEBODY could make one. I really shouldn't say this since I'm not in the industry, but honestly, how hard can it be to record a new sound track for the animatronic robot and make a new movie?

Oh well. The good thing is that I can't possibly see Tomorrowland get any worse so all it can do is improve! Or...it might stay stuck in its condition and it will be like the Dark Ages all over again...

p.s. THank you Aaron for restoring the old posts! I knew there was a lot more discussion in this topic and now its back!