WDW parks need more rides.

[GhostHost]

Ecspecially Animal Kingdom and MGM. MGM might as well just be called the Tower of Terror park and AK is just Expedition Everest and Dinosaur as rides I love go(haven't riddent Everest yet, but hope it will be good). I know there are shows and that's fine, but they don't have the redo ability
of a great ride. It is a pain to have to lose hours every day waiting to go to MK after going to AK or MGM just for a couple of rides. I like the way it is in California, Tower of Terror is 5 minutes away from the gate of Disneyland. Also with more rides, lines will be lowered and long lines are no fun to begin with. Even if Disney just puts in a decent set of flats in each park, it would be better than nothing.

[slave2moonlight]

I think a lot of fans would agree with me that we don't want Disney to become a clone of, say, the six flags parks, even though they sometimes seem to be heading in that direction. Quickly made rides and ones that lean too much towards kiddie area stuff (Aladdin's Carpets) or extreme thrills (Tower of Terror and Rock'n Rollercoaster) pretty much defeat Disney's original purpose of a theme park where the whole family can have fun together. That's the whole reason I LOVE Disney parks and yet don't care at all for non-Disney theme parks (though I still need to try Universal, which I suspect is somewhere inbetween Six Flags type stuff and Disney). A few of those rides, especially if they are well done, like Tower of Terror in Florida (and I haven't ridden it, but they say Rock'n is great) are okay, just like a few kiddie rides (Dumbo for example) are okay (especially since adults can ride them too, but I would rather they take a long time to make a great ride than put something quick in, and I really don't want to see the parks turn into thrill parks.

Frankly, Disney MGM has more than Tower of Terror. Many of us LOVE The Great Movie Ride and Star Tours, and they do have Rock'n Rollercoaster. For me, the highlight of the park is Star Tours. The Backlot Tour is also a "ride." Animal Kingdom maybe could use more rides, but I rather like it the way it is and I haven't been there since they added Everest either. Also, the Safari is a ride, and they have a rafting ride too. Plus, I think A LOT of folks would disagree about the shows having redo-ability. It sounds like you probably have a year round pass and visit Disney on a weekly or almost daily basis, and that's awesome (I'd love to have that), but if that's the case then you're bound to eventually get tired of seeing the same shows and riding the same rides, but even adding rides won't cure that problem. For the most part, the parks are designed for tourists who visit once a year, give or take. I, personally, feel that all the Disney parks have more than enough to do in a day, but I don't get out there more than once a year. In fact, usually only once every 3 years or so, but I'm working on that. I would love to live nearby and be able to visit at least once a week, and I doubt I'd ever want for something to do. I know people who visit weekly and never get bored, but they sometimes go just to sketch or take photos. They find new ways to make each visit interesting and different from the last. Going purely to ride rides is a legitimate reason to go, I guess, but if the problem is just that you want more "thrill" rides or aren't finding enough rides you "love," maybe you would prefer the Six Flags style of theme parks. They seem to put more emphasis on thrill rides and rides in general than on shows.

Now, I will say this, the Future World section of EPCOT needs work. Unfortunately, they've been working on it for a while, and it's mostly been the opposite of improvements. That area used to be full of wonderful rides (not thrill rides, of course). I truly wish it could be the way it used to be again. However, I still wouldn't say they need to add a bunch more rides. I usually can easily spend a full day at Epcot just going through World Showcase!

Anyway, if I had a pass that meant I could go to Disney any day I wanted and I was only interested in rides, I would go during the slowest days of the year. I am always there during peak season in the summer, but I hear that during the less busy times you can easily ride almost anything without a line.

[GhostHost]

I don't have a WDW season pass. I do realize there are more rides at AK and MGM that I listed, but the ones I listed are the main reason to go. I don't get bored at WDW when I go, just frustarated at certain aspects of it(the lines and the time it takes to hop).
Talking of six flag type parks, I find that a derogatory term when considering non Disney parks in general. There are a couple of nice Six Flags(Over Texas and Fiesta Texas), but most of them are very lacking. Parks such as Holiday World, Paramount's Kings Island, Dollywood, and the Busch Gardens parks are great non-Disney parks. Kings Island is able to have family rides like Adventure Express, Italian Job Stunt Track, Action F/X theatre, Scooby Doo and the Haunted Mansion, and the golden ticket winner for best kid's area like 7 times now, alongside my favorite coaster The Beast and other such high thrills as the 314 foot Drop Zone tower, Tomb Raider:The Ride(a highly themed enclosed Top Spin), and the highly themed Flight of Fear enclosed rollercoaster. Kings Island has some great theming and atmospehere and few rides generally garner long lines if you hit it during the weekdays. It lacks Disney's Haunted Mansion so it is not perfect, but no theme park is. Be careful what you call a Six Flags type park, cause in the eyes of the coaster enthusiats community(which I am a member of) most Six Flags parks are regarded in a negative light.

[slave2moonlight]

Ah, well, being from Texas as I am, those are two of the Six Flags parks I am most familiar with. So, for me, parks that have more of an emphasis on coasters and that sort of thing are what I call "Six Flags type" parks. Basically, anything non-Disney I refer to that way. If it sounds derogatory, I guess I mean it to be since I don't think very highly of parks that emphasize coasters and such. I guess that's the whole problem I have with this more rides idea (which seems to hint at more "thrill" rides). I hope Disney parks never become parks that cater to "coaster enthusiasts" (no offense), because the focus on rides and shows for the whole family rather than thrill rides is what makes them special and "perfect" for my tastes. However, I am probably even touchier on the subject lately because Disney has shown interest in going in that direction.

[FantasiaMan]

They should really renovate the Swan Boats at WDW. There's a lot of potential for that.

[GhostHost]

They should really renovate the Swan Boats at WDW. There's a lot of potential for that.

Are you talking about the boats to get to the Magic Kingdom or what?

[Escapay]

They should really renovate the Swan Boats at WDW. There's a lot of potential for that.

Are you talking about the boats to get to the Magic Kingdom or what?

It's an extinct attraction that could be brought back. The moat around the hub at WDW is a nice viewing spot for pictures and such, but the dock for it is hardly used these days, usually just as a character meet-and-greet or as a spot to get wristbands for EMH.

Escapay

[slave2moonlight]

they seem to have a lot of issues with "on the water" attractions at the parks, and I really do miss them.

[Escapay]

they seem to have a lot of issues with "on the water" attractions at the parks, and I really do miss them.

I know, I especially miss the canoes that went around Tom Sawyer's Island. As a kid it was always fun splashing everyone else by paddling the wrong way, lol, and as an adult, it's a great work-out.

Escapay

[AwallaceUNC]

I do agree that Epcot, MGM, and Animal Kingdom are currently in need of more.

Epcot has been neglected... it actually has quite a bit to offer, so maybe "more" isn't the right term. Just "better". Or at least "cared for." I don't even know why I included Epcot in the list, really, but there it is. Moving on.

MGM has lost a lot of attractions over the last few years without welcoming much to replace them. It does need at least a couple of additional headliners. To say that it's ToT and not much more, however, is to ignore quite a few fantastic offerings (RNRC, TGMR, ST, Muppets, Fantasmic, BATB, Millionaire, Mermaid, Indy, etc.).

DAK obviously needs more attractions than any other park. You've got to remember, however, that DAK is still a very young theme park. Compare it to what Disneyland had when it opened, or even Hong Kong Disneyland for that matter. They just opened an attraction so grand in scale that it practically opened up a whole new themed area in the park. Disney has actually done a great job with the park in the last five years and have paid it more attention than they have Epcot or MGM. I think that if that continues, in the next 5-10 years it will be on par with the others. It's already masterfully themed. "Beastly Kingdom" would go more than a long way, of course.

-Aaron

[goofystitch]

Epcot is my favorite park. I kind of wish they would leave the original rides alone (Figment was awesome before they changed it) and they should keep the Universe of Energy(it's my favorite). I do agree that the "Wonders of Life" pavilion should go, though. Body Wars always made me quesy and the rest of the information learned there is learned in health class at the appropriate time. I don't need Martin Short giving me a vague explanation of where babies come from. lol.

Disney MGM Studios has lost alot of attractions, as AwallaceUNC said, but they have plans for new ones. Midway Mania is replacing the now closed Who Wants To Be a Millionaire: Play It! attraction. There are talks of Incredibles and Monster's Inc. rides as well. And with Narnia becoming such a big franchise, I wouldn't be surprised if a Narnia ride was added as well. Also, Lights, Motors, Action! was added a year ago. I think that in time, Disney MGM Studios (or just Disney Studios, since MGM is dropping out) will be turned around to have alot of rides. However, part of it's charm to me is that it's laid back and you don't have to feel rushed to get everything done in a day like you do at the Magic Kingdom.

Animal Kingdom is deffinatley my least favorite of the parks, mainly because of the lack of attractions and the heat that all the foliage radiates. Everest is awesome and I love Dinosaur and Kilimanjaro Safari... but there's not much else for the whole family. You've got the Dinosaur kiddie rides and Rafiki's Jungle Trek. I don't know why Camp Minnie Mickey doesn't have a family ride. I think a Lion King dark ride would do very well right by the Lion King show. This past summer, I walked ALL THE WAY to the show and afterwards, had to walk ALL THE WAY back and there was nothing to do along the way except buy a Coke product. I think that part of the park is very poorly laid out. There's the water raft ride, but I hate walking around in wet shoes, so I rarely do that... plus Grizzly Falls at DCA is much more scenic. All in all, I think it will take Animal Kingdom another 10 years before it has accumulated enough rides to make it more than just a brief 3 hour visit for most WDW guests. I don't think I've ever spent more than 4 hours consecutively in that park.

[slave2moonlight]

I think Wonders of Life might have been shut down entirely on my last visit (in 2004), though I don't remember. I will miss Wonders of Life. True, there wasn't much to do there, but Body Wars wasn't bad (I much prefer the "basically the same" Star Tours though, because of the theme, of course), and I think the highlight of the place was "Cranium Command." That's the one I'll miss the most. I did kinda like the Martin Short film though. I mean, sure, we already knew the stuff being "taught" there, but I already knew most of the stuff EPCOT was trying to teach, I still enjoyed it's style of teaching it. It was very old-school EPCOT, something there isn't much left of now, and I really liked old-school EPCOT. That's a park I LOVE, and I don't feel good about the direction it's headed in. I wish they would just improve Wonders of Life and the other pavilions rather than replacing them all together. Sport Goofy was supposed to be a theme to Wonders of Life, by the way, and yet I don't feel that was ever fully realized.

Of course, like so many, I miss Horizons and World of Motion. I know Horizons was supposedly sinking into the ground (literally), but I wish they'd just rebuilt it, maybe in a modernized version of course. But, one of the things I'll miss the most of all the old EPCOT Future World attractions will be the wonderful music/songs they used to have, like "Let's Listen to the Land," "Horizons," etc... Speaking of the Land, they really need to add to that pavilion! It used to have the boat ride, the Kitchen Cabaret (replaced by the inferior though still entertaining "Food Rocks"), and a movie. I like the Lion King movie, but my family doesn't care to go watch it, so there's just the boat ride for us, which doesn't even have the song! But I certainly hope this beautiful pavilion doesn't get overhauled or destroyed eventually!

The new stuff just doesn't strike my interest. I'm not that psyched to ever go on Mission Space, though I'm sure I will someday, and Test Track was a big disappointment. I've heard talk about overhauling Spaceship Earth. That would break my heart! Bad enough they have that big wand up there now! I have to admit, one ride that I won't miss much is Universe of Energy, though I'll miss the dinosaur part. Ironically, I have to admit that it was one of the few attractions that did improve with its changes, and is actually not so boring now. And, don't get me started on Journey Into Imagination. I love, Honey, We Shrunk the Audience, but they should never have messed with Figment, Dreamfinder, or their wonderful original ride! Plus, I recently saw a picture and it seems that there is a costumed Figment walking around the park!!! What is that about? Figment should be like 2 or 3 feet tall!!! I'll cherish that photo I have of my sister and I with Dreamfinder and Puppet figment! Not to mention my old school style Figment merchandise!

Also loved the old Living Seas, and last time I was there it seemed like there was nothing to do. Hope the Nemo overhaul is a good thing. I don't mind it so much, if they supply us with things to experience.

Even though I didn't understand it growing up, I totally miss comunicore. That whole park, well, the front half anyway, just had such a "visit to the future" feel that was so cool and is gone now. I hear they even overhauled Ice Station Cool. That's sad... That had pretty much become the coolest thing in Future World on our last few trips (sadly), no pun intended.

I really hope they don't mess with World Showcase...

As for Animal Kingdom, I'm amazed that people can't find enough to do there. I can't imagine visiting that park only for three hours. That barely covers the time standing in line for the raft ride when I go, ha. Then again, my visits are usually in July. I have never been to a Disney park where, in a single day, I felt I had gotten to do EVERYTHING. I do agree though, that it's a long way to the Lion King with nothing else around to do. Still, I think that park is amazing and at least as wonderful as the others. I came back raving about it after my first visit.

I'll be happy to see some PIXAR rides at Disney Studios (sounds weird without the MGM, I think folks used to just call it MGM for short!). However, I will hate it if they lose the Wizard of Oz and all the non-Disney stuff from the Great Movie Ride. I doubt they will, but I've heard that. I don't want it to lose its old Hollywood theme or to become PIXAR obsessed, nor do I want it to become Disney/PIXAR only in its attractions and decor. Certainly, the shops used to be more all encompassing back in the early days though. I have noticed that change over the years. On my last visits, they were way more Disney focused. With all the shops they have at Disney, they really need to provide the kind of variety they used to a long time back.

As for a Narnia ride, that'd be cool, but I think that would be great in Fantasyland where the lagoon used to be. Never seen the Hundred Acre Wood there though. Maybe it looks good...

[goofystitch]

I'm not gonna quote what slavetomoonlight wrote because It's long and I don't want to use up that much space, but my entire post is commenting on his/hers, so read it first.

I miss Horizons and World of Motion so much. Mostly World of Motion. I've ridden Mission:Space many times, but it's the kind of ride that you get sick of(and for many, on) very fast. Test Track is the same way. i can drive at 65mph anytime I want, so there's not much thrill in it for me. And they did add to the Land pavilion. That is where Soarin', the most popular ride at Epcot, is. Food Rocks is gone. That is now the long long long line for Soarin'. The Lion King short film is still there, as well as Living with the Land boat ride. I didn't see the full sized figment when I was there in August, but I saw where you could meet him. Also, when I was there in June, they released a Mickey Mouse beanie dressed as the Dreamfinder holding Figment. I couldn't pass it up. It was almost a slap in the face, though, for Disney to be referencing this wonderful ride from my childhood that is so different now. It's like seeing the Mr. Toad tombstone in the pet cemetary outside of the Haunted Mansion. Station cool got rid of it's really cool igloo structure (I heard someone slipped and they had a lawsuit on their hands, but am no sure of the truth behind it) and it now has about half the amount of sodas from around the world. The Watermelon one from Japan is gone. That was my favorite. I already mentioned that Universe of Energy is my favorite ride, which is set to be closed from Jan-Oct 2007 for a "refurbishment," but it doesn't take that long to refurbish rides so it's pretty much a sure thing that they are at least changing the film and possibly removing the whole ride. Wonders of Life was seasonal in 2004, but is now closed for good. It is going to be torn down to make way for a new thrill ride. That's all I've heard about it, but I guess the ride might be so big that they may also need to tear down the Universe of Energy pavilion to make room for it. The ride that's going there was going to replace the ride inside of Spaceship Earth(still fuming that they would even think about it), but the Imagineers then discovered that the structure of the ride is supporting the world's largest free standing geo sphere, so the ride track at least won't change any time soon. The Nemo ride seems like it should be an improvement, seeing as I was never a fan of the Living Seas ride as a kid. It put me to sleep. I'd probably like it the way it was now, however. Anyways, my older brother scub dived in the big tank there and he said that he went and looked through the port hole into the ride and could see people working on it! That's really cool. I wish he had an underwater camera and would have taken a few pictures. He said he couldn't see much, though.

For me, Animal Kingdom is so big (it's the largest of the parks), so hot(all of the foliage is radiating so much heat and so many people crowding on narrow winding pathways), and there just isn't enough to do. There's only so many times I can sit through Festival of the Lion King, Tarzan Rocks was closed last time to make way for a new theater with a Nemo show, and the only rides I do are Kilamanjaro Safari, Everest, Dinosaur, and It's Tough to Be a Bug, which gets repetitive. Every time I leave there, I see so many hot miserable people anxious for their bus to take them back to the hotel for some air conditioning. lol.

The Hundred Acre Wood playground where the 20,000 Leagues lagoon used to be is a horrible use of that space. Granted, it is wonderful to have a play are in Fantasyland for kids, but there didn't seem to be many kids playing there and Toontown is 100 feet away and that is basically a giant playground land. It takes up 10% of the Lagoon space. The rest of it has been filled with trees for the most part, until you can't see through the foliage and then it's just a grassy knoll. There is deffinatley room for another attraction there, such as Narnia. However, I feel Narnia is better suited for the Studios. I would rather see things like the Alice in Wonderland or Pinocchio dark rides from Disneyland recreated there, or even something Little Mermaid themed, since Ariel's Grotto is right next to it. There is basically room on the site for 2 dark rides AND they could still keep the Pooh playground. I'm so jealous that Disneyland kept their lagoon and are making it a Nemo ride, but I guess then Disney World would have 2 Nemo rides, and that is overkill. It would be like Stitch being added to every parade, given an attraction, overcrowding the gift shops, taking over the monorail, etc... Oh wait! That happened! lol. It's a good thing Stitch was instantly one of my favorite Disney characters or I would be annoyed by now.

[Loomis]

While I haven't been to WDW as yet (it's next on the list), I have been to Anaheim and Hong Kong, and I'd like to offer a few opinions on the subject if I may.

What the complimentary parks ultimately need to do - and I'm talking about DCA (Anaheim); the other three in WDW - is carve out their own niche in the same way that Tokyo's DisneySea has. This involves creating a consistent theme, a dedicated series of rides and attractions and the same ethos as Disneyland. That is, they will never be complete as long as there is imagination in the world.

From my point of view, I think WDW may be suffering from over-extending itself. It seems quite large to me, but having read the comments above, I think I kind of see what the source of the complaints may be. It has four principle parks, plus the water parks, with many of their key attractions spread out over the complimentary parks. Can you imagine a place that had Expedition Everest, Tower of Terror and Mission: Space all in one park? It would be a phenomenally successful park. However, with the parks designed the way that they are now, Disney has to be careful to give each park attention.

It is a VERY tricky situation, and difficult to reign in with the vastness of WDW. That is why I think that Disney are being cautious with the future extensions of HKDL.

[slave2moonlight]

I agree with Loomis that the parks need a consistent theme. I think that's the main reason WDW has 4 different parks. I mean, they may seem less consistent in their themes now, but they didn't used to be. EPCOT used to have such a strong Education them, but the updates just don't have that old EPCOT feeling. Plus, the updates are more about a big ride with a matching shop than a lovely pavilion with several attractions within. Disney-MGM used to have a strong "Classic Hollywood" theme, though it's about movies and television in general. It still is about movies and television, but there is much less focus on the "Classic Hollywood theme that made it all so attractive. The big Sorceror's Hat really screwed all that up. Animal Kingdom's theme is clear, and they remain consistent with it I think. It'd be a hard one to miss. I suppose Animal Kingdom could easily have fit in with EPCOT, but I guess they felt it was just too big to not be a park of its own. I can't see how the theme of Disney-MGM-Studios could have been tied in with the other parks though.

In response to goofystitch: Yeah, I know what you mean about Test Track. I feel the same way, and also feel that way about the Speedway at Magic Kingdom. I can drive on the real highway, so it does nothing for me. Yeah, that's great that they have Soarin' at "The Land" now. I still haven't experienced that. I forgot it had been added to EPCOT, though I thought it might be a temporary thing. It's good to here that it's an addition to The Land. Still, I wish they would add a new animatronic food show there, because those were so neat! I fear they are losing interest in animatronic shows, and yet I love those so much. Perhaps folks are no longer fascinated by them, but I still am. I knew the boat ride was still there, but they took out that awesome song, "Listen to the Land." The lyrics at least. Oh, that beanie of Mickey holding Figment sounds awesome! I want that! Gotta get it off Ebay or something. On one of my visits, I picked up a beanie of Quark that says "Honey, I Shrunk the Audience" on his collar tag. I love Quark, ha. As for Figment, I bought a big plush of him on one of my early trips (like in the late 80s or early 90s), and a small PVC, and on my last trip they had an awesome one that was spongy with an acrylic skin, and he looked exactly like the real figment from the old ride! It was on clearance too, so I picked one up! Ha, I'm always hoping they'll have some Sailor Moon stuff in the Japan store at EPCOT, but I think the most I've ever seen there was a few shirts for girls and a deck of cards, and that was a long time ago. I was tempted by a Kiki's Delivery Service statuette there last time, but it was too pricey.

That's really sad about ice station cool! The entrance was so neat! I'll admit, I never liked any of the international cokes much, they were pretty nasty, ha (though I LOVE Classic Coke), but they were still fun to try! Anything free is always fun, ha. I'm so disappointed that they are adding another thrill ride. I guess it is true that they are really moving in that direction. I'm just not into "thrill" rides. I love rides, but I don't like getting sick to my stomach. Then, there are people like my mom who love Disney but have bad backs and can't ride those kinds of rides! They're killing the idea of parks for the WHOLE family. EPCOT was always a particularly relaxing and all inclusive park. It was about learning (in a fun way, through experience), not about cheap thrills. And they are removing Wonders of Life and Energy now too?!!! They are destroying Future World. At least some original stuff should remain to keep some nostalgic factor within the park. I so hope they leave World Showcase alone! I used to be able to spend a lot of time in Future World too, but now I don't know if I'll be spending much time there at all. The Nemo Living Seas sounds neat though, and I'm really glad Spaceship Earth is being left alone...for now. That is a magical ride, like Carousel of Progress or the OLD EPCOT rides.

I don't think taking out Tarzan Rocks was such a great idea, especially for a Nemo show. How sad. My little sister never got to see Tarzan Rocks, and she would have loved it. Do they still have that bird show there? I remember when I went to Animal Kingdom with my best friend in 2000 (I think). There was a gorgeous girl hosting the bird show, ha. Ha, yeah, as for the hot, miserable guests, I tend to encounter those in all the parks. I can never understand how folks can have such a bad time at Disney World, but I always see some people in a HORRIBLE mood. However, I went with my family several times, and we went in 2000 also, and that was a bad trip (certain family members kinda ruined it), so I guess everyone has bad times sometimes. But some folks seem just plain mean! I guess it's those folks who really don't like Disney and think it's for babies, but feel they should take their kids there for whatever reason, but then they're so crabby to be there that they ruin it for their kids anway, and the other people on the monorail, ha. That's amazing that Stitch is everywhere now! Like I said, my last trip was in 2004. I am definitely due for another. I love Stitch too, but no one else in my family does. How is he involved with the monorail?!!!

I just will never get over the idea that they filled in the lagoon! That is insane! It was soooo cool looking, and eerie too! Plus, it was perfect that Ariel's Grotto was right beside it! I don't think they'd redo any old rides from the other parks, but they should have made an awesome Ariel ride there! As for playgrounds, I don't believe they belong in theme parks. If people want to visit a playground, they can walk down to their local elementary school or something. Why would someone want to pay so much for a Disney ticket so they can watch their kids climb around on a Jungle Gym?

[goofystitch]

slave2moonlight wrote:

I'm always hoping they'll have some Sailor Moon stuff in the Japan store at EPCOT, but I think the most I've ever seen there was a few shirts for girls and a deck of cards, and that was a long time ago. I was tempted by a Kiki's Delivery Service statuette there last time, but it was too pricey.

Back in the mid-late 90's when Disney owned Dic, there was TONS of Sailor Moon merchandise from Japan in the shop, as well as the American VHS tapes and such. My little brother got the whole set of dolls from Japan(thought that was weird, but I guess they were small like GI Joe action figures and he used them as super heros). Also, Hayao Myazaki(creator of Kiki's Delivery Service) mechandise used to be everywhere. I got a big Totoro stuffed animal once when I was 12. It used to be such a cool shop. Now the toy section is Pokemon, Hello Kitty, and Gundam Wing. Not much interest to me or my family. We also used to go into the candy section alot. Japan has some of the best candy, but they recently stoped carrying koala yummis and these chewy coke flavored candy (not the gummi bottles from Germany). That whole store has gone downhill in reguards to what I used to buy there.

Then, there are people like my mom who love Disney but have bad backs and can't ride those kinds of rides!

My mom is the same way. Everest is a pretty smooth roller coaster with the exception of the backwards part and the drop. My mom has done Big Thunder Mountain before and didn't have to many back problems, so I coaxed her onto it. She was in so much pain that she closed her eyes and completely missed the Yeti. Granted, Everest is billed as a "family thrill ride" and I do feel that most kids that meet the height requirement will love it, but I would deffinatley tell your mom to pass on it if her back is as bad as my mom's.

EPCOT was always a particularly relaxing and all inclusive park. It was about learning (in a fun way, through experience), not about cheap thrills.

EPCOT is still relaxing. It's my favorite of the parks for that and it's whole ambiance. However, they have lost sight of Walt's dream for the park AND of what they originally set out to do. Walt wanted EPCOT to be a kind of permanent world's fair inside a real living city. Obviously the city part never happened(at least not in the park), but it did always have that world's fair feeling with the unique pavilions and lots to do inside of each one. While the new rides do have interesting buildings, Mission:Space looks way to different. Horizons, World of Motion, Wonders of Life and Universe of Energy all looked great together, like the Imagination pavilion, The Land, and The Living Seas look great together. When the park was built, it had a goal to educate the public. The Land and The Living Seas are still very much educational. Heck, Test Track is too if you actually read everything in the line. lol. However, the lack of upgrades to Innoventions really damages that whole idea. In 2005, they were still letting people play a demo of the "new" Sega Dreamcast, the system that lasted less than a year. AT&T backed out of it's sponsorship of Spaceship Earth. Remember all of the cool communication stuff you could do after the ride? It's all gone. However, Siemens now sponsors it and I guess they are creating new stuff to go in that big room. At the moment, I would say Space is EPCOT's only real thrill ride. I don't get a big rush on Test Track(especially during the parts in the building) and Soarin' is so releaxing and wonderful. I guess Disney wants a higher consistent attendance rate at EPCOT and a thrill ride would bring it, I just hope it's not at the expense of Universe of Energy.

I so hope they leave World Showcase alone!

They seem to be. 6 years ago they began to add Africa to the countries. It started off as a fast food place and a gift shop. The plan was to add a monument and full service restaurant. Then plans for Animal Kingdom became clear, and they kind of scraped the idea, but left it there. This past trip, I asked the cast member at the gift shop what country it was supposed to be. He told me it was neutral and symbolic of all countries... it deffinatly isn't. lol. Also, there is room for another country where the Millenium pavilion was(and still is). That place is huge! I don't know if you went in for the 365 days it was open, but I hear it is now used as an employee break room. That's the biggest break room I've ever seen. If they wanted, they could easily add another country, and I wouldn't complain. lol.

I don't think taking out Tarzan Rocks was such a great idea, especially for a Nemo show. How sad. My little sister never got to see Tarzan Rocks, and she would have loved it. Do they still have that bird show there? I remember when I went to Animal Kingdom with my best friend in 2000 (I think). There was a gorgeous girl hosting the bird show

I loved Tarzan Rocks. The new theater is all enclosed to block the screams from Everest next door. I think it is still called "Theater in the Wild," though. I heard a sound clip of the Nemo musical on a podcast. The song sounded really bad. They took some of the score from the film and put words to it! Also, I haven't heard if it's going to be puppets or people in costumes. It would be so weird to have Marlin and Dory standing erect. I really don't see how a Nemo stage show can work. Tarzan worked and combined rock music, acrobats, dancers, roller scates. It really had a hip cirque du soilel feel to it. I wish it was still there.

as for the hot, miserable guests, I tend to encounter those in all the parks. I can never understand how folks can have such a bad time at Disney World, but I always see some people in a HORRIBLE mood.

I notice it in all the parks. I think part of it is that kids get fussy and make parents fussy. And most guests are from out of state and not used to the Florida heat. Crowds, plus heat, plus kids who need a nap can ruin a day at the parks. However, I notice it MUCH more at AK. The park has a great unified theme and I do love it. It's just my least favorite. The paths are often narrow, congested, and slow moving. The trees provide shade, but they are radiating so much heat that it does no good. I was there in December last year. I was roasting on the path up to the tree, but as soon as I was in the sun, I was fine! lol. Also, the paths are so windy and make it feel like you've walked more than you could have. The main attractions are all so far apart. So the heat, plus the extra walking, plus the lack of things to do, plus fussy kids ruin the experience for a lot of people. In line for the bus, I've heard several people complaining about the park as a whole... they all seem to like Everest, though. The reason my mom and older brother refuse to go is that all of the lines (except for Dinoasaur) are outdoors. For parts of the Everest line, you are completely unshaded from the sun. They added all of the trees to make you feel you were not in Florida anymore, but they didn't add enough air conditioned gift shops and there is no full service restaurant(it's coming next year... near Everest of course). I think that in 10 years, AK will have reached it's potential. By then, of course, There will probably be a 5th park. It seems like they try to add a new one every 15 years. As if what they have isn't enough to make people come back. (I'm actually going down there next fall to do the college program and I can't wait!)

[GhostHost]

Body Wars is one of my favorite parts of Epcot and I hope it stays. Now that living with the land boat ride needs a 200 foot drop at 90 degrees making it the tallest, steepest , andfastest water ride in the world.

[slave2moonlight]

I can't believe that I missed all that Sailor Moon stuff just by visiting at the wrong times! Well, we always go during the busiest part of the summer. Maybe it had all sold or something. It was very popular there for a while! I don't think that's so weird about your little brother. Being a toy collector in general, I have my share of fashion dolls when they are related to a cartoon or film I like, or when they just look hot, ha. Barbie collecting can be approached in a VERY hetero way, it's just some folks can't get past the stigmas and stereotypes. I have some of the American Sailor Moon dolls amidst my Sailor Moon memorabilia collection. I love Kiki's Delivery Service and would love to get SOMETHING related to that film sometime. I think I saw a cool figure set on Ebay once. I think it was when they had all that Miyazaki stuff that I saw the statuette of her. That was all the Kiki stuff they had though. And, yeah, on my last visit they seemed to have more toys than ever, but it was all that Pokemon, HK, and Gundam stuff you mentioned. Sad that that store is going downhill, because it has always been one of the biggest highlights of EPCOT for me. My fave things to do there are the Japan shop, the Norway ride, and the Mexico boat ride. Oh, and when I met Belle in Paris last year, that was awesome. She was REALLY cute... But it was my first princess meeting, so I'm sure I had my rose-colored glasses on. If only I could cowboy up enough to meet Ariel... But I'm too into Ariel... I also used to LOVE getting Disney PVCs at the Germany toy shop! They had cool duck family ones! I got PVCs (little plastic figurines) of Gladstone Gander, Gus Goose, Grandma Duck, and Gryo Gearloose, among others! The colors were always a little weird though. Like I think Gladstone was a blonde. I wonder, do they still do the pearl thing at the Japan shop? My family did that once, it was too cool! I don't go for their candies though. Too weird, ha.

Ha, no way would my mom ride Everest. She won't ride Splash Mountain or anything kind of intense. But there are lots of people like that in families and they should be able to enjoy Disney World too. It sounds like they are changing Future World so that they can't. I'm very worried. She can't ride Mission Space, Test Track, and probably the next attraction they add. As for me, while I don't get any pleasure out of having my stomach flip-flopped, I WILL ride coasters if they don't go upside down. I'm not in love with them though.

I wonder what it's like to live in "Celebration." Anyways, yeah, Walt had some kooky plans for the original designs of EPCOT, but that would have been something to see. Yes, in my opinion, EPCOT, and all the first 3 parks, really, were in their prime back in the late 80s and early 90s. LOVED everything about them back then! Still love them, of course, but they have gone downhill in a lot of ways, and it's tough to not be disappointed when that happens. Still my number one vacation destination though, but how much of that is for nostalgia purposes that will eventually wear off as they remove all nostalgia from the parks? Of course, I'll always love going, because I'm a Disney fanatic, but if it turns into just coasters and kiddie rides, like six flags, even the Disney themes won't be enough to get me as excited about a Disney trip as I get today.

Yeah, the EPCOT buildings used to go together nicely, but isn't it likely that they will make the new ones match somewhat with Mission Space? I mean, it may look out of place now, but they are probably trying to change the look. Actually, I once saw plans for this big rennovation of EPCOT (that I did not like) which even gave Future World a new name. It'd be interesting to see those plans again. I forget what they had on them, but I had heard that they weren't going to happen after all because Disney didn't want to spend the money. But, they've been changing that park a lot. I wonder if the changes correspond with that "New Epcot" idea at all, or if this new stuff is a completely different set of plans... Anyways, as for World Showcase, I don't mind additions at all, I just don't want them to affect the countries that are already there. I think I have seen the Africa additions you mentioned. I remember the old EPCOT opening day program (with Danny Kaye, which badly needs a DVD release, it's such a nice thing to watch), where they talked about there plans to add Africa in the future. Of course, it's true that Animal Kingdom covers it well. Yes, I did get to go to the Millenium pavilion while it was there, and I had mixed feelings about it. When we visit EPCOT, as with the other parks, we give it one full day (though we usually give Magic Kingdom 2), and yet we still have to rush and often miss stuff. As you said that Animal Kingdom is very spread out, so is EPCOT. Lots of walking between pavilions. So, although I sort of was enjoying the Millenium pavilion and I like to see everything I can, I also wanted to get on with visiting World Showcase rather than the little activities in the Millenium pavilion. I certainly would like to be able to spend 2 weeks at Disney for a change, to really not feel rushed, or live nearby and have a year round pass. Kinda lame that that building is a break area now. Break areas at Disney should be hidden away, ha. They really should add a country or something in THAT spot!

Hmm, maybe the Nemo show has people in black costumes with puppets, like the Little Mermaid show, since it's an enclose theater. With Voyage of the Little Mermaid (of fave of mine), I could easily see them trying to mimic that show in other parks. I wouldn't be surprised if it was exactly like the Voyage of the Little Mermaid show, and that would explain them enclosing the theater. Thinking of it like that, it might not be bad, but a little repetitious. Still, I will definitely miss Tarzan Rocks.

I agree that they will probably have a lot more in Animal Kingdom in the future, and I believe that's why it (and EPCOT) is so spaced out (not that they've made the most use of the EPCOT space, but it does make the place prettier, especially with all the bunnies and squirrels running around). As I remember Disneyland, it's all pretty cramped and I don't think they wanted to have to deal with that in WDW when adding attractions. It still looks bad though when they are rennovating something and have it all boarded up, especially when it's in a central area. I remember at least one visit when the usually glorious looking Future World looked pretty crappy because of all the rennovation. Not sure when that was though.

That's great that you're going down there for the college program! I sorta wish I'd done that too! Hope you enjoy the experience!

[MichaeLeah]

In contrast to a lot of your opinions, I still find Epcot and the Magic Kingdom overwhelming...and I have an annual pass. There is so much to do in those two places that I can stay busy for many hours. I don't really care for the new imagination pavilion so I normally skip it. I am looking forward to the modified Living Seas. I am planning on going to the opening of the pavilion in a few weeks. I also think it would be nice if they added some countries to the World Showcase, I think it is currently overly European. I think it could be neat if they added Russia and India. Russia in particular could do some wonderful things to Epcot's skyline. When people think about the attractions at Epcot, they tend to forget all the live shows that occur at the different countries. There are so many that you could go to Epcot for a couple of days and see something new every day. The shows help you immerse yourself in culture. Epcot, in my opinion, doesn't really need new attractions. I find the park overwhelming already.
*I talked to a cast member about Spaceship Earth. He said the sponsorship of the ride might be changing which would modify the ride. I got the impression they would only change the end of the ride which need updating anyway. A ride about communication ought to have cell phones and internet.

I believe there is much more to do at AK than was mentioned earlier. There are many, many animals to look at. Depending on who you are, that can take a lot of time. Personally, I love watching animals so I enjoy that part of the park. There certainly isn't as much to do here as there is in the Magic Kingdom or at Epcot, but it shouldn't be understated.

Disney-MGM is my least favorite park. I just find the layout of this park very disappointing and the theming is spastic. I find it particularly strange you can walk on movie sets of San Fran and NYC but there is nothing to actually do there but look. It seems like wasted space to me. Still, if you do everything in this park, you can spend quite a few hours here.

[slave2moonlight]

I agree that all 4 parks at WDW have plenty to do to fill a day (though, even now, I think Imagination is one of their best pavilions). Russia or India would be cool additions, and I would agree that they didn't need to add anything to EPCOT if they hadn't messed up FutureWorld so bad.

I love the shows too and never get tired of my favorites. The problem of getting a full day out of the parks lies in whether or not you like to rush around and only hit your top favorite attractions or just rides, or if you are the type to take the time and enjoy the love and detail put into these parks. It depends on whether or not you get anything out of visual experiences. I mean, if you don't enjoy a visit to the zoo, you're going to get very limited enjoyment out of animal kingdom. A big part of it is just viewing and appreciating animals. If walking past them and taking a quick look is enough for you, it's not a park you're going to get much out of, and I guess lots of folks are like that. But, rather than cater to folks who only like one or two types of attractions, these parks need to stay focused on their original intentions and themes. If Disney's Animal Kingdom became focused on thrill rides or kiddie rides, or even if they put all their focus on shows, they would only be pleasing one type of audience, and not the one they were built for. Animal Kingdom should focus on pleasing animal lovers, and they should have a variety of types of attractions with that theme, but they shouldn't become more important than the live animals that are the heart of the park. EPCOT should focus on its comitment to educational entertainment, with its cultural and scientific themes of its two sections. These points should always be held higher than "thrilling the guests." It should be a park for people who love learning, in a fun way, of course. Disney Studios should focus on film and television (as I think they do), but get more solid with its theming of the park. I love the classic Hollywood theme of its equivelant to Main Street, but they're already messing with that by having that big Sorceror's Hat there. Though it doesn't bother me much, it appears evident from most people's complaints that they need to focus on theming the areas of that park that surround the park. Perhaps turn the Tower of Terror into a horror area, make the area of Star Tours about Sci-fi and fantasy, etc... There doesn't seem to be much to complain about in the Magic Kingdom, but then, that park had Disneyland as a model.

Turning these parks into thrill ride parks or carnivals is not going to please everyone. They cannot please EVERYONE, so they should focus on their original intentions and please the visitors they were originally targetting.