Magic Kingdom: A New Generation

[DisneyManOne]

I've had so much fun doing my "EPCOT Center: A New Generation" thread (http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/epcot-center-a-new-generation.902639/), that I've decided to do the same thing to the other four parks of the resort. So, as I promised at the end of that thread, here's the first. Here's my updated take on the Magic Kingdom...

A New Generation​

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Fantasy…Adventure…Magic…Wonder…


These four principles are just a select few of the many qualities that bring to life the magic of the Magic Kingdom, a realm unlike any other, a place where simple turn-of-the-century steam trains willingly enter the lair of a fire-breathing dragon. A place where American pioneers and British colonies brave the untamed wilderness, dreaming of success and prosperity. A place where majestic castles scrape the crisp Floridian skies and intergalactic travel is a thing of the modern world. A place where when you wish upon a star, your dreams really do come true.

However, in the present day, the fantasy seems a little...tarnished. A lot of the problem has to do with basic maintenance for the attractions, while other problems stem from the fact that space is not utilized at it's best potential. We're gonna fix that with this refurbishment. So, let's get started!
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“Please stand clear of the doors. Por favor mantenganse alejado de las puertas.”

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Having been aboard the Walt Disney World Monorail for quite some time now, we find ourselves soaring past Seven Seas Lagoon. A sudden burst of excitement fills the air as a young child bursts from her seat and rushes to the window, pointing excitedly at something outside. Looking out the window we find that she has been the first to spot the Magic Kingdom itself, its wondrous mountain ranges and countless gleaming structures dotting the horizon. The whole cabin can't help from smiling at her beaming face. The park gets closer and closer until we finally come to a complete stop at the Magic Kingdom monorail station, one of the monorail's six stops, this particular one located to the western side of the park's entrance. Gleefully heading down the ramp, we approach the main entry gates having already purchased our tickets. The park's turnstiles is the first of what will be many fanciful details located throughout the resort, the turnstiles graceful and elegant, made of wrought-iron and accented with gold. We pass through the turnstiles, a little bell sounding off as the Mickey head on the golden sphere turns green. What we find on the other side of the turnstiles is a truly stunning sight...

In front of us lies a beautiful flowerbed boasting a luscious floral arrangement of Mickey Mouse, very much so resembling the intros to his cartoons of the 1940's, a classic and welcoming image. Just above the flowerbed is Main Street Station, a train station boasting the appearance of a gingerbread-trimmed building of a turn-of-the-century Midwestern town. A clock tower is the most prominent feature of the station, the second being a large sign hung over the massive doorway reading "THE MAGIC KINGDOM", with the park's population and elevation level in smaller lettering below. The sound of an oncoming train can be heard approaching from around the corner of the park. In front of the station is a clean-cut track that plays home to the Walt Disney World Railroad, a vintage steam-powered railroad with intentions of embarking on a grand circle tour of the Magic Kingdom.

Each morning at park opening, a train pulls into the station, filled with countless Disney characters. From the moment the clock hits 9:00 A.M., the varied characters step down from the station and run into the park, being the first meet-n-greets of the day.

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Intrigued by all the excitement and the sounds of distant cheerful music, we head straight towards one of the two tunnels located beneath the railroad tracks, each tunnel lined with intriguing posters beckoning guests to head towards the park's many dazzling attractions and entertainment and marked by a plaque reading "Here you leave today, and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy."

Perhaps you've dreamed of returning to an earlier time. A time of home-spun values and simple living. A time when electricity was born and a new century was about to begin. This dream takes shape and surrounds you here on...

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What was America like at the turn-of-the-century? Perhaps it was something like this recreation of everyone's hometown. The sights and sounds of fun nostalgia are everywhere. EVERYWHERE. There's a friendly greeting at the old City Hall. The measured pace of the horse-drawn streetcar as it trots up and down the street. And then there's the hiss of live steam as a vintage locomotive pulls into Main Street Station. Dozens of happy guests walk up and down the street, chatting happily (Or not-so-happily) amongst themselves as they pop in-and-out of the various shops and restaurants nestled along the sides of the pavement. Main Street is the essence of hometown America at the dawn of the twentieth-century. The scent of freshly baked cakes and candies and the twinkling pin lights outlining the gingerbread trim of the colorful buildings evoke a small-town atmosphere. Rows of speciality shops carry a colorful variety of old-time merchandise. At night, the thoroughfare glows in the flickering light of gaslit streetlamps and seemingly thousands of miniature electric lightbulbs strung amongst the sides of the buildings. Main Street, U.S.A., is engaging proof that the best of yesterday can still be found today.

Once through the tunnels, you'll find yourselves in Town Square. In the center of Town Square lies the American flag pole, surrounded by beautiful gardens. Town Square also boasts gigantic shade trees, as does the innermost ring of the Hub. Why? Because fireworks viewing is a secondary concern. A shady, park-like environment for most of the day trumps unobstructed viewing, as does the critical “curtain effect” a tree-filled hub provides. This, unfortunately, will cause the meet & greets that occur here to stop. But, despite that, you'll still be able to meet characters around the rest of Town Square. Characters like Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy, Pluto, Oswald, Chip and Dale, Mary Poppins,

Bert, Mr. Penguin, Pinocchio, Jiminy Cricket and Cruella de Vil.​

See, what I'm trying to do is try to bring back that "roaming" character ideal that Disneyland has, and try to lessen the "set" ideal, so that's why you'll see all these characters here, as well as the occasional character or two in the entrance plaza (for this, I was inspired by Tokyo's set-up of having characters in the entry plaza. See here for details: http://www.charactercentral.net/L19...DisneyResort_TokyoDisneyland_WorldBazaar.aspx)

Once inside of Town Square, guests can find the spiraling staircases leading up to the Main Street Train Station. Once at the doors of the station, one can see far down to the opposite end of Main Street U.S.A. all the way to the inspiring and beautiful Cinderella Castle. If one has a good eye, one can see the Main Street Vehicles making their way down the street.

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Mayor Weaver and the other residents of Main Street mingle with the guests, making sure that they are enjoying their day. If you are lucky, you may catch a glimpse of the Main Street Philharmonic marching band making their way down the street, or the Dapper Dans singing near the storefronts, or the energetic young performers on the trolley, who sing the songs of the season...literally.

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To the left in the Town Square Plaza, lies City Hall, the park's guest relations and information location. To the right of City Hall lies the Main Street Firehouse, the home-base location for the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom interactive game. Across the way lies the Town Square Exposition Hall, where Walt Disney: One Man's Dream has been relocated from Disney's Hollywood Studios. The re-vamped historical attraction features original artifacts from Disney's life, state-of-the-art animatronics that Disney had worked with, history of the Walt Disney World resort, models of several park icons, including the Fantasyland Expansion and the Disney's Hollywood Studios renovation, as well as a twenty minute video of the history of Walt Disney's life, narrated by Julie Andrews and Walt Disney himself! The area also features a giant mural from the days when the Exposition Hall played host to "The Walt Disney Story", featuring characters from every single Disney animated film ever made, including some that aren't even fully animated, like Song of the South and Pete's Dragon.

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To the left of Walt Disney: One Man's Dream, Tony's Town Square Restaurant is located. Town Square then empties out into the central street of the park, leading down towards Cinderella Castle. On the right side of the street is The Chapeau, selling hats and all sorts of headgear. You can even get mouse ears personalized here! On the opposite side is the Main Street Confectionery, which offers some of the sweetest treats in the entire resort!

Over on the left side of the street, off by the Firehouse, the Harmony Barber Shop is located, tucked away in the corner of Main Street. On the right of the Barber Shop is the Emporium. Along the side of the building are six window displays, each one displaying a scene from a Disney movie. On the outside of the window is a plaque with a brief description of the story. The current window displays have been removed and replaced with new displays. These new displays will be done in the same style as Disneyland's Enchanted Window displays (which are animated to display two scenes). Viewing them from left to right we have “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” “Peter Pan,” “The Little Mermaid,” “The Lion King,” “Toy Story,” and “Tangled.”

Here are the scenes that will be displayed:

"Snow White": Scene 1--The Silly Song; Scene 2: The Prince awakening Snow White

"Peter Pan": Same as Disneyland's, which you can see below:

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"The Little Mermaid": Scene 1: "Under the Sea" (same display as currently is); Scene 2: "Kiss the Girl"

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"The Lion King": Scene 1: Mufasa's ghost appearing in the clouds; Scene 2: "Circle of Life"

"Toy Story": Same as Disneyland's.

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"Tangled": Scene 1: Rapunzel painting in her tower; Scene 2: "I See the Light"

As for the shop itself, it doesn’t even feel as though you are on Main Street USA, but rather, in a very well-themed shopping mall. So with that, I'd revert the Emporium back to its original state and open some new stores. Having several smaller stores as opposed to one large store would fit better thematically with Main Street and also allow for a greater variety of merchandise. Also, as much as practicable, technology must defer to the time-period being presented in each environment. This means no Starbucks digital menu boards, nor any modern pics of food photo-shopped onto any menu, big or small (save possibly Tomorrowland where such tech would exist - although I find the practice of showing photos of food on menus anywhere very off-putting). Exit signs should be done in period style (cases) and fonts. No modern slat-wall shelving for merch – instead use period shelving. Have historic lighting dominate (no track-lighting) so as to take attention away from what modern lighting is necessary.

The Emporium currently boasts houseware, generic Walt Disney World merchandise, media items, photo and video necessities, snowglobes, walls of plushes, towels and other types of merchandise.

Today, on the right side of Main Street while walking towards the castle, there is a small side street known as Center Street. There use to be a continuation of Center Street on the left hand side as well, known as West Center Street, but this was removed in order to expand the Emporium. I would restore Center Street on this side because it offers a great, out-of-the-way place to relax and enjoy a quiet moment away from the hustle and bustle of Main Street. Center Street also helps give the allusion that Main Street USA is bigger than it actually is, adding some depth to the area.

West Center Street features an amalgam of shops, including the New England Clock Shop and the extremely beautiful Greenhouse Flower Shop, an outdoor area located in the center of West Center Street selling beautiful flowers and plants. There were also facades for a Chinese Hand Laundry, the Livery and Champion Cyclery.

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West Center Street also features an all-new shop: The Storybook Shoppe. The legacy of Disney is built upon stories, and there is no better place to find books filled with all the best Disney tales than right here! This colorful shop offers a wide selection of Disney books for children of all ages. And not only that, the shop is every child's dream: a pleasant toy store filled with window displays and a wide collection of toys, books, models, and hobbies. Memorabilia involving Walt Disney and his many hobbies can be found on display, a distant partner shop to One Man's Dream. This is a great shop for those whose budgets keep them away from the high priced glass shop across the street.

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On the right-hand side of West Center Street is the Disney Clothiers store, which features clothes for everyone, for any occasion. Walt Disney World based t's seem to be the most popular, while the Disney Princess section is also popular.

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Replacing the Main Street Athletic Club (or Hall of Champions, depending on how you prefer to call it) is the return of its original tenants: the Penny Arcade and the House of Magic.

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On the corner of the store, guests can find Casey's Corner, a quick-service restaurant where guests can have classic ball-game foods, while watching some of Disney's sports-related short cartoons. Outside of the restaurant is a seating area.

On the opposite side of the street, right past the Confectionery, is the Main Street Cinema, which showcases some of Disney's classic cartoons, such as Steamboat Willie, Flowers and Trees and Plane Crazy. The Art of Disney display from inside of the cinema has been removed and replaced with seats, making the theater a quiet get-away, to enjoy some of the earlier masterpieces of Disney animation.

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Nearby is Uptown Jewelers, which sells fine jewelry, china, clocks, Disney figurines and pins. Outside of the shop, back on the street, the street then has a small alcove to the right, namely, East Center Street, where silhouette designers and portrait drawers are located to create a drawing for you. Like West Center Street, East Center Street features multiple different shops, including Sherman Music Co., a music shop decorated with always active period radios and plenty of CD's and DVD's to sell, and WED Photography, a photographer's studio selling a great stock of film and disposable cameras. This place is also an instant photo-processing center, and the place where guests can buy their pictures taken in a ride or by a PhotoPass photographer during their stay.

Right in the middle of East Center Street is the main entrance to the Edison Arcade, a turn-of-the-century, glass-roofed arcade with access to shops and attractions.

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It is an elaborately-themed, climate-controlled bypass to Main St., replacing the lightly-dressed backstage walkway currently in use. Includes gas lamps and an upper level with wrought-iron spiral staircases.

Plus, the arcade will also block one really big eyesore. When you look at the Plaza Restaurant from the Tomorrowland side of the Hub, you see this...

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Being within eyesight of the back of the building just ruins the illusion. The addition of the Edison Arcade would surely fix that up perfectly, since it stretches from the Plaza Restaurant to the Chapeau.

At the end of the alcove, another small seating area is located. Back down on the right side of the street, the Crystal Arts shop is located, which features crystalline, glass figures, sculptures and pictures. Next to Crystal Arts is the Main Street Bakery, which features a specialty breakfast, a small selection for lunch and pastries and desserts throughout the day, as well as Starbucks coffee. On the opposite side of the Main Street Bakery is the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor. This place is quite possibly the best place to get some good ice cream throughout the entire resort and is typically always packed before the parade or fireworks.

The street comes to an end and then forms into the circular hub that centralizes the park. However, there are still a few more dining locations to be discovered. On the right side of the street, past the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor, the Plaza Restaurant is found. The Plaza features a decent sized menu for its' small location. In front of the Plaza, is a pathway that leads down some steps and into another small seating area on the rivers surrounding the hub. Often times, the gardens and rivers of the parks are inhabited by some friendly critters, such as squirrels, rabbits and swans.

Nearby the Plaza Restaurant is an all-new restaurant: Walt's.

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I think the introduction of a Club 33 type experience would be a popular addition to the resort. Florida obviously doesn't have as strong a local crowd as Disneyland, but its attendance levels are so high that this should work just as effectively if altered. I don’t think it should be or have to be as expensive. This would definitely not be the major investment of Club 33, instead just a cost significant enough to make it exclusive but still something an annual passholder could consider. It would still have an exclusive atmosphere however.

Walt's replaces the Tomorrowland Terrace. That spot never felt right since it was Tomorrowland themed but almost entirely in the Hub area. This definitely fixes that problem.

The architecture would flow from the style of Main Street with a bit more sophistication. The restaurant features a Victorian décor in keeping with the feel of Main Street while also including numerous photographs celebrating Walt Disney’s life and works. The restaurant is actually divided into five rooms, one for each of the five original lands of Disneyland--Main Street, Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. This restaurant would be a much needed addition to the Magic Kingdom and give an upscale alternative for adults looking for a more quiet dining experience.

The restaurant's lobby features an old piano, a fancy elevator, and and entrance to a botique called Lillian’s (named so in honor of Walt’s wife). As you head to the dining rooms on the second floor, you go up a staircase that documents historic moments in Walt’s life and in the building of the Walt Disney Company and Disneyland. At the top of the stairs you’ll find the main dining rooms. All of the rooms are very lushly decorated, with plenty of details to help you remember which land you’re in. The Adventureland room has a mini pirate ship, for example!

But the crown jewel of the restaurant is a rotunda with large windows looking out to the hub. This dining room would have a great view to castle and the nightly fireworks, making this club even more special. This restaurant would be a much needed addition to the Magic Kingdom and give an upscale alternative for adults looking for a more quiet dining experience. The pathway leading past Walt's continues to Tomorrowland.

On the opposite side of the street, past Casey's Corner and the park's Baby Care Center/First Aid, is the Crystal Palace, an elegant, but casual location for breakfast, lunch and dinner, that also serves as a character dining location for Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore, Tigger and Piglet.

From there, the path continues on towards Adventureland.

The last beep of the motorcars and clang-clang-clang of the trolley are behind us now, for we have just stepped foot into The Hub, the heart and soul of the Magic Kingdom. The Hub serves as the primary access point to the the other five lands of the park: Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland.

Front and center, we find the ever-symbolic "Partners" statue, a lasting bronze tribute to Walt Disney and his partner-in-crime, Mickey Mouse. The statue is surrounded by gigantic trees and beautiful gardens, decorated with flowerbeds, fountains, trees and little statues of some of your favorite Disney characters. The waters of the castle's moat encircle the perimeter of the Hub, gently rolling into larger bodies of water within nearly every land. The Main Street Vehicles make stops just near the castle bridge.

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These gardens are an ideal place to watch the parades or the fireworks. They'll also be used for random character appearances, a good way to meet various--and rarely-seen--characters.​

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Longtime visitors may notice that the stage in front of the castle has been removed (a temporary stage will be erected in September and removed in January, so that way the shows at the Halloween and Christmas parties can still play). However, during the rest of the year, entertainment can still be found, because occasionally, the Main Street Philharmonic or some other form of street performers will delight guests. Here's an example: Tokyo's marching band performing in the forecourt area.

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On our Main Street, the stage is set for Cinderella Castle, a focus for the wonder that is the Magic Kingdom, and Walt Disney World in general. Cinderella Castle is a fairytale brought into the world of reality, magical, romantic, and breathtaking. Its many towers scrape the sky while the mighty drawbridge beckons guests to enter. The surrounding moat is filled with water, water poured in through numerous lion heads sculpted into the bottom perimeter of the castle. The Disney family crest rests proudly above the castle's entrance, a tribute to the man responsible for this dream come true. Trinkling streams (Almost miniature waterfalls) pour into the river on either side of the castle, coming in from forested rivulets. Inside the castle, several glass-tiled mosaics depict the story of Cinderella. It's a truly magical sight. Cinderella Castle creates the perfect image to end Main Street U.S.A.

Off to the left of the hub, the sound of distant drumming can be heard, as the trees and vegetation clear out of the way to produce the torch-lit entrance way into Adventureland...
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Well, there we have it--Main Street, U.S.A.! I certainly hope you enjoyed the post, and stay tuned for Adventureland! See ya real soon!

 

[Steel City Magic]

Very nice!

 

[Twilight_Roxas]

Cool. I bet you might replace the retired Spectromagic with a new version of Paint the Night.

 

[DisneyManOne]

Very nice!

Thank you very much!

Cool. I bet you might replace the retired Spectromagic with a new version of Paint the Night.

Nope. Instead, I'm gonna give you a new parade that combines SpectroMagic and Paint the Night in a new type of nighttime wonder never seen before.

But we'll get to that when we get to that. For now, let's move on to the next land of the Magic Kingdom.
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The world of dreams can take on many forms. Some project us into mysterious and exotic locales, far away from the every day. These are the dreams that become real in...

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As brave Magic Kingdom guests enter Adventureland from the southwest corner of the Hub, their senses are stirred by the sights of intense jungle foliage, the harrowing sounds of not-so-distant wild animals, the trinkling of hidden streams, and the aromas of exotic blossoms. In this remarkable realm of adventure and exploration, guests experience an amazing amalgam of many of the world's far-off places and uncharted regions. A hazy mist rains down from the trees overhead. Exotic colors catch the eye among the lush landscape. Rustic colonial architecture stands between bazaars straight out of the pages of an Arabian Nights adventure.

As you enter Adventureland you cross an old footbridge. The great sign welcoming you to the land, decorated with spears, primitive masks and...human skulls...glows eerily at night as nearby bamboo torches light up the surrounding darkness. Exotic creatures call out from the dense rainforest as a murky green river below flows out into the foggy abyss of this tropical setting.

Now, today's Adventureland is generally a mishmash of generic adventure tropes. And we can blame the arrival of the Magic Carpets of Aladdin for that. When the Carpets arrived, it brought the film's Arabian feel right in the middle of what once was a land fully Polynesian-based, and that does not mesh well. And on top of that, the attraction serves mostly to add unnecessary clutter to Adventureland. So, with that said, The Magic Carpets of Aladdin will be removed in order to upkeep the theme and beauty of Adventureland. And with this removal will come an all-new backstory. (Oh, and before we continue, I'd like to give a shout-out to @MANEATINGWREATH, whose "Dream Resort" threads inspired this backstory).

Stepping into Adventureland is like stepping into the reels of Raiders of the Lost Ark or The Jungle Book. The year is 1933... The luscious and untamed landscape of the surrounding jungle hints at exploration and adventure... Rugged, weather-worn architecture of no specific origin protrude among the treetops, their occupants being the few brave merchants and settlers who dared to explore such an untamed region... Seldom ancient ruins decay among the plantlife, nearby excavation tools scattered nearby. This is truly a romanticized vision of an exotic world that never was, seemingly forgotten by time and pop culture. This introductory sub-area of Adventureland is known as...the Forgotten Kingdom.

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Miniature crystal-clear waterfalls and calm, refreshing streams flow past walkways and into reed and mangrove-draped swamps and pools. A hazy mist rains down from the towering trees above... Exotic birds and insects chirp loudly in the distance... A beat-up power generator plumb in the middle of town gives "flickering-life" to the dusty lanterns strung from tree-to-tree, hinting at an ongoing excavation. In the distance, a water buffalo snorts and a black panther snarls... Crackling '30's-era music emits seemingly from out of nowhere... Primitive artifacts line the fences blocking the unaccessible portions of jungle foliage.

To the right of the entrance of Adventureland are some of the buildings that were built by some of those aforementioned merchants. All of the existing Key West/New Orleans-style buildings will receive refurbishments to better fit the "Forgotten Kingdom" backstory. At the base of the first building we encounter is a wooden veranda, adorned with palm leaves and tiki torches. On the veranda, characters from The Jungle Book, The Lion King and Tarzan host meet-and-greet appearances. Expect to find friends like Mowgli, King Louie, Baloo, Colonel Hathi, Tarzan, Jane, Terk, Timon, Rafiki, and even a monkey or two from King Louie's kingdom.

Inside of this first building, guests will find an all-new restaurant in the form of the Jungle Navigation Co., Ltd. Skipper Canteen. This patchwork cathedral of tropical tile patterns, hardwood latticework and French-colonial lighting fixtures is a wonderful place. According to legend, the year was 1911. In that year, Dr. Albert Falls--the man who famously discovered Schweitzer Falls--founded the Jungle Navigation Co., a shipping business that moved cargo along the jungle rivers. However, once his granddaughter, Alberta, took over the company, business unfortunately declined.

Noticing that the local area had become more of a spot for globetrotters than cargo shipping, a skipper approached Alberta with the idea to offer guided tours of the jungle rivers to passengers. And since then, business has been booming! So much so that the Jungle Skipper Canteen was opened to feed hungry passengers fresh from their Jungle Cruises. Inside the Skipper Canteen, guests can enjoy “World Famous Jungle Cuisine” in one of several unique dining rooms – including the crew mess hall, the Falls' family parlor and a once-hidden secret meeting room of the famed Society of Explorers and Adventurers. The restaurant is even staffed by the skippers! It's all just a stone's throw from the Hub's canal in one direction and the Swiss Family Treehouse in the other.

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Located across from the Skipper Canteen is Bwana Bob's merchandise stand, which boasts a full range of chic-jewelry to prepare you for jungle fashions, as well as offerings such as sunglasses, flip-flops, toy guns, and straw hats.

Further down the jungle path, in-between the Skipper Canteen and the other buildings, is a small glass veranda, which provides seating. The path along the way continues to be lined with flickering flame torches.

A new music group can be found here in the Forgotten Kingdom. The Adventureland Swingers perform every hour at the veranda, bellowing away at the chords of 20's and 30's jazz standards. Being from the jungle, these jazz musicians wear Dixieland-style clothing covered in vines and moss, one going so far as to have a giant spider plastered onto his back, another joined by a shoulder-perched parrot. Occasionally, some of the Disney jungle characters will join the band, dancing around and encouraging guests to join in.

Right past the glass veranda is Sunshine Tree Terrace, which boasts several snacks, soft drinks and ice cream floats.

The mascot for this snack stand is the Little Orange Bird, who you can occasionally see wandering about, meeting up with new friends.

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Continuing past the Sunshine Tree Terrace, guests will come across the Swiss Family Treehouse. The treehouse will remain unchanged, other than a few minor areas being spruced up and cleaned.

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Now, the first major change involves the small expansion pad next to the Treehouse and the Jungle Cruise. Behind the treehouse, in the former dense jungle area right in-between the treehouse and the Crystal Palace, you'll find the entrance to a new cave theater. If you look at this picture, you'll notice the building marked "Deep Jungle Theater". That is what I envision the theater to look like.

As stated before, the theater is made to look like an old cave. More dense vegetation will be added between the theater and the path to reinforce the depth of the jungle. Height will not be that much of an issue either because the theater depresses down underground.

The interior of this cave is decorated with dense vegetation and cave drawings. According to legend, this cave used to be where shamans would weave the tales of the many amazing animals that roamed the jungle. Some even say these stories still are told, especially the story that the shamans have called the "Legend of the Lion King". You can enter this cave to hear the awe-inspiring tale of Simba, the little lion destined to be king and his struggle to find his place in the circle of life.

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Continuing past the Swiss Family Treehouse, the guests will come across a stone, gated passage to the right, connecting to the mid-point of Frontierland. Also connected to the passage is Crocodile Mercantile, with its crocodile-shaped sign, fishing net-decorated interior, and general Cajun-theme sells the likeliness of inventory related to Disney's animal-themed characters, from Mickey and Minnie to Simba and Nala. Crocodile Mercantile replaces the completely unneccessary/theming-ruining Sunglass Hut.

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Continuing past the store, the guests arrive into the heart of Adventureland, where the former location of the Magic Carpets of Aladdin was located. In its place is a small Rapa Nui garden with interactive Easter Island heads and a new, expanded Adventureland Bazaar that will give a winding-narrow-streets-overflowing-with-exotic-goods feel akin to the short-lived, but awesome, bazaar that opened with Disneyland Paris.

The idea is to show that unique merchandise locations can enhance over-all theme & show (and profits) rather than detract (as most generic/modern shops do).

Here, we we find ourselves lost in a close-knit maze of winding streets, open-air merchant stalls, and a spacious plaza surrounding an elaborate fountain. So many people from all the different corners of the world have come and gone through the Forgotten Kingdom ever since its founding, and with them, they brought all sorts of wonderful things. In this sheltered center of trade and fellowship, colorful tarps and tapestries provide shade as we examine the various Disney-themed "wares of mystery and intrigue." Aladdin, Jasmine, Abu, Genie, and even Jafar make their homes in the streets of the Bazaar, often wandering about or staying put near the plaza's beautiful fountain.

Aladdin receives more representation in the form of the Enchanted Passage of Aladdin. This unique experience retells the story of Aladdin through animated window displays and dioramas, many in which utilize rather sophisticated special effects. The experience mostly takes place upstairs, to allow the nearby shops to stay open.

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Right next to the Adventureland Bazaar and the Enchanted Passage, under the canopies and tropical architecture of the bazaar, the Zanzibar Trading Company is located, boasting many African carved animals, masks and figures. The left side of the entire plaza is adorned in tropical foliage, masking the Jungle Cruise attraction.

You know, as you walk through the Forgotten Kingdom, you may just get a spring in your step and feel that happy feeling one gets while adventuring. Maybe it's just a trick of the atmosphere...or a trick of the wonderful side-effects given by the delicious Dole Whip and fruits sold at Aloha Isle, which is a neighbor to Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, where the "birds sing words and the flowers croon." The colorful macaw hosts of the show - Jose, Michael, Fritz, and Pierre - welcome you into a tropical Polynesian display, to witness a musical extravaganza of songs and wonder. This show will have been refurbished for a brief period yet again to install even more effects and more lighting and to re-install the "Enchanted Fountain" as well as the sing-along/whistling portion of "Let's All Sing Like the Birdies Sing" (I originally intended to have the bit where the birds whistle "Barcarolle" from Offenbach's "Tales of Hoffmann", but let's be honest: that part really burdens the show's pace). Overall, with these new refurbishments, there is more enjoyment to bring this show further back to its' original glory.

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Across from Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room is the Leaky Tikis water feature.

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Located just a few paces away from the center of this Forgotten Kingdom is the entrance to the Jungle Cruise. Located beyond the confines of an old vine-covered boathouse, now torn apart by years of rain, rotting and entangled in vines, the tramp steamer cruise through the jungle leads past fearsome natives, hungry lions, a tour through an ancient flooded temple, and an encounter with good old Trader Sam, the head cannibal...I mean head salesman in the jungle, all the while being led by the wise-cracking narratives of a "bold and seasoned" traveler.

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As beloved as this ride is now, I'd add in a few more enhancements. Plus, given what Tokyo got when their Jungle Cruise was refurbished, I'd say it needs the enhancement.

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First of all, I'd open up that second story seen in the loading area (seen below) to become part of the queue. The reason is, because of reasons that will be explained soon, I want to get rid of that part of the queue only used for peak seasons.

Regarding the ride itself, as seen in the Tokyo video, an inboard soundtrack will be added to the boats, playing a mysterious score (as well as music from The Lion King when the boats reach the African Veldt scene). Not only that, at night, special lighting sparkles throughout the jungle to make a much more fantastical experience.

As the boats near Inspiration Falls, a sloth will be hanging out in a tree. The sloth will be casually chewing on some leaves with a lazy glazed look on its face while wearing a skipper's hat. The skipper will, of course, point out this is where he/she last crashed, and lost their favorite hat.

I'd also bring back a set of animatronic frogs that lined the waterways nearby Inspiration Falls.

Roaming throughout the Amazon section of the ride will be a jaguar AA, with LPS incorporated into it. The LPS will allow the jaguar to accurately walk around the jungle floor of the Amazon. Occasionally it will stalk a cruise going by. When it is seen by the skipper, he/she will activate from their boat a growl from the jaguar. There will be two of these animatronics--one for the day and one for the night.

A family of baboons will be added next to the raided camp.

Also, I'd add a bit of a punch to this scene, as well. This scene is used in the Disneyland version of the ride. Some of the apes are now armed. More importantly, that these gorillas & baboons are now taking pot shots at various flammable objects that are floating in the river. And that -- every time these apes hit one of those gas cans...Ka-BLAM! A well-concealed water cannon sends river water high into the air. Which eventually splashes down on some guests.

At the African Veldt scene, the lion pride has been given new movement. The cubs will be playing. The lionesses get a closer smell of the zebra, and seem to be eating him. The lion will be standing there roaring opening and closing his mouth.

Now, let's talk about the temple scene. This will get a few refurbishments to make the scene even more creepy than it already is. As we approach the temple, a crocodile lunges forward at us, surprising our skipper, but then lurches back. Before we enter the temple, fire shoots out of two stone torches in front of it. Inside, also as seen in the Tokyo video, eerie projection mapping will be added. the tiger still growls at us and stares at us with glowing eyes, but that's not the only scary thing about the temple. Statues appear to move their heads to look at us (not animatronics, just simple rotating heads). Around one bend, we see four king cobras (although, there should be five...it'd be wise for you to check the boat...), who hiss and spit water at us.

On our way out of the temple, we see new animatronic macaques that move with fluidity and make typical monkey sounds as they swing around. We're in no danger; they're just monkeying around.

Now, as you can probably tell from the aforementioned incident involving the apes and the gas cans...you may get wet. But that's not the only place where you'll get wet, because I'd also add in another effect from Disneyland's Jungle Cruise: a piranha attack! The attacking piranhas will be found on a stretch of river in-between the elephants and Trader Sam/Chief Name (whatever the skipper refers to him...).

In the area where Shrunken Ned's Junior Jungle Boats used to be is the wreckage of the Al E. and Gate R. Rafting Co. In 1912, best friends Al E. and Gate R. established a short-lived whitewater rafting expedition through the jungle. Although the business was a failure, their own boathouse continues to lie near the Jungle River Cruise, their abandoned office building now flooded, overrun with foliage, and infested with hungry alligators, the perfect water playground for kids and adults alike.

Looming beyond the trees, rising high above Adventureland, is a stunning Southeast Asian temple right on the banks of a misty, forgotten river, with waterfalls tumbling from all around it.

Those brave enough to wish to explore this temple can have their chance. In-between Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Caribbean, a path leads to the mighty temple. Ancient ruins line the jungle-surrounded trail leading to a still-functioning archaeologist camp. Hulking statues of decorated war elephants and snarling panthers grow amongst the dense bamboo and giant ferns. Guests have entered the realm of...Indiana Jones and the Lost Expedition.

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According to town lore, the notable archaeologist Dr. Henry Jones, better known as Indiana Jones, discovered this temple while stopping at the Forgotten Kingdom for supplies. Word got out of the discovery and soon enough tourists began flooding into the place.

The thing that sets Indiana Jones and the Lost Expedition apart from the other Indiana Jones rides at Disney is that it's multiple experiences in one. The overall experience combines the EMV attraction that we all know today with an ore car-roller coaster ride (similar to the famous ore-car chase in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom). This, coupled with the fact that the Walt Disney World Railroad and the Jungle Cruise travel through this enormous show building, really makes this one heck of a show.

Once you find yourself in the archaeological camp, you'll have to decide which adventure you'd like to have. To your right is a rusty motor pool, which serves as the loading area for the EMV jeep expedition. This off-roading dark ride begins outdoors, sending guests aboard troop transports along the river’s edge, across a shaky suspension bridge, through the ancient jungles, and into the collapsing temple at the water’s edge. There, riders encounter an ancient altar, darts, and (of course) a rolling boulder before making their way into the heart of the temple: a volcanic chasm sending guests teetering along canyons and across bridges above molten hot lava.

As for the ore-car coaster, if guests want to see that, they'll have to pass by the motor pool, and hike uphill, going further into the jungle toward the towering cliff backdrops (which cleverly disguise the huge showbuilding). From there, they board their ore-cars and descend into the temple. The swaying, tilting mine car coaster would take place in that same volcanic chasm, spiraling along the lava, roaring down drops, and racing head on toward the jeeps navigating the same chamber as the two rides interact.

But wait--there's more! Since a project of this size would necessitate re-routing of the Jungle Cruise, the ride will be getting an all-new scene. Before you pass by the campsite taken over by the apes, you'll enter the temple along a cooled lava vent as even the Jungle Cruise boats emerge in the temple’s volcanic heart with the ore carts flying by and jeeps sputtering on below.

Upon exiting the temple, the Jungle Cruise would have passed under a new trestle bridge for the Walt Disney World Railroad, before finally heading to the ape campsite.

Speaking of which ... The theme park's steam trains also pass right through this enormous show building, giving Magic Kingdom visitors a sneak peak at the giant rolling ball sequence from the jeep expedition as well as a brief glimpse of the great volcanic cavern. Lost Expedition may very well be the most dynamic and epically sized project Disney has ever brought to life, with four rides taking place in the chamber.

Indiana Jones and the Lost Expedition is one of the Magic Kingdom's major attractions, and unless you have no tolerance whatsoever for thrill rides, this is a "must do" attraction. This is a fantastic experience that does not disappoint.

The area the experience is in also features the Archaeologist's Outpost, a gift shop where any brave archaeologist of any age can find a plastic sword, cap gun, fedora, rugged explorer uniform, or a pith helmet, along with Indiana Jones memorabilia and souvenirs. Indiana Jones himself often meets guests here, alongside his girl Marion.

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Now, after such a thrilling excursion as that, I suggest we take a break. In the next post, we'll finish up Adventureland by setting sail with a rowdy band of pirates. See ya then!

 

[DisneyManOne]

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Returning back to the Forgotten Kingdom from the temple, you'll find a path that leads away from the thatched roofs, tiki torches and colorful bazaars we've found throughout the Kingdom. In comparison to the swampy atmosphere we've grown to know and love, the plants alongside the path appear to be bright and more reminiscent of an island in the Caribbean Sea. From our standing point we can smell the scent of "paradise," a very nice tropical smell of fruit, fresh foliage, and clean seawater. On the other side of the path we can see the looming figures of various works of architecture.

Walking down the trail we leave the jungle-like atmosphere of the Forgotten Kingdom behind. The jungle has become a tropical paradise, lining both sides of the path (Which turns out to be a bridge). A crystal-clear waterfall pours down into a rushing stream. Nearby a band of Hawaiian shirt-wearing musicians play a collection of steel drums and maracas. This encourages us to move forward and towards the other side of the bridge. As we continue a sign appears reading "WELCOME TO CARIBBEAN PLAZA."

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No longer are we in the dense rainforests of Paradise Springs. We are now in the tropical paradise that is the Caribbean. Spanish-style architecture overtakes the plaza as dock-side shops and taverns line the streets. The smell of saltwater and all the delicious foods of the nearby restaurants fill the air and further strengthen the atmosphere. In the middle of the plaza, various pirates and Royal Navy members scour the streets, interacting with guests.

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In the distance, one can make out a huge mast that reads, "Pirates of the Caribbean" on it, just above a skeleton, looking out into the distance with a telescope. Below the mast, you'll find that the iconic green barker parrot has returned.

Across from the mast is a dock (which replaces the stage for Captain Jack's Pirate Tutorial) where Jack Sparrow's famed ship, the Black Pearl, is in port.

The Black Pearl serves as an interactive exhibit. Guests enter the Black Pearl through its' cargo hold and can scout all of the hidden artifacts, treasure maps, the cursed medallions and even the Dead Man's Chest throughout the hull of the ship, collected by Captain Barbossa, Captain Jack Sparrow and the entire crew of the Black Pearl throughout their excursions. Deep in the hull of the ship, lies a watery, gloomy passage. In the passage, the guests can experience a simulated attack by the formiddable Kraken, who seemingly drags the ship underwater! In one passage of the Black Pearl, a meet-and-greet is hosted with Captain Jack Sparrow himself. On the deck, guests can witness real pirates doing their daily chores of pillaging and plundering, they can use real telescoped the scout out the secrets of Adventureland and use the interactive water features to blast away their onlookers. The entire Black Pearl serves as a repurposed version of the Pirates Lair over at Disneyland to fit into Walt Disney World's Adventureland.

Proceeding past the nearby Torre del Cielo watchtower, guests enter Castillo del Morro, the armed fortress housing the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction.

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Now, for this, I plan to expand the ride building and lengthen the ride, to bring it up to the standards of its Disneyland brother. This specific move would require the complete removal of the majority of the queue (essentially, as soon as the guests move past the stone arches of the entrance of the fortress, where the queue currently splits into two directions (as seen the picture below)...

...from that point on, the entire queue will be removed and the loading station will be located right there.) and the draining of the attraction's waterways, which has not been done since the 1970s, and would need to be refurbished for a period of nine months. It seems like a pretty drastic move, but I think that it could successfully be done.

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Upon arriving in the boat, the guests take off along a dark, misted river, surrounded by deep jungle foliage. In the distance, the sounds of an approaching waterfall could be heard. The boats continue deeper along the river, as the boats enter into the deep, dark caverns of a rocky passage in the shape of a skull. Inside the caverns, flickering torches light the walls, illuminating several bats from overhead. The boat briefly travels down the cavern, before coming across a familiar voice. Ahead, the sound of an approaching waterfall draws nearer, as a skeleton plaque is seen just overhead. The skeleton begins to speak, as Xavier Atencio provides the narration.

"Psst! Avast there! It be too late to alter course, mateys. And there be plundering pirates lurkin' in ev'ry cove, waitin' to board. Sit closer together and keep your ruddy hands in board. That be the best way to repel boarders. And mark well me words, mateys: Dead men tell no tales! Ye come seekin' adventure with salty old pirates, eh? Sure you've come to the proper place. But keep a weather eye open, mates, and hold on tight. With both hands, if you please. Thar be squalls ahead, and Davy Jones waiting for them what don't obey."

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Upon the conclusion of the spiel, the boats take a quick dip down into the deeper caverns of the passage. A high-spirited chorus of "Yo-Ho, Yo-Ho, A Pirate's Life For Me" plays, as the boats continue through the caverns. The boats take another plunge down a second waterfall and into the ruins of a dark, musty grotto. Waterfalls cascade down from the rocky ceilings of the chamber, as a low mist covers the scene. The boats makes their way around large boulders and stagmites, revealing the remains of a disheveled skeleton crew washed on a forgotten beach. The pirates guard the a treasure chest, which holds a plethora of gold and jewels.

The boats continue to glide through a thunderstorm, where they enter the abandoned hull of a sunken pirate ship. In the wake of the disaster, the pilot of the ship continues to steer the ship, as a fierce, severe hurricane erupts outside of the ship, illuminating the skeletal figure with brief flashes from the lightning. The boat passes through the Captain's Quarters, where a pair of skeletal pirates are caught in the middle of a tough game of chess. In his bed, the skeletal Captain is examining a treasure map, while holding a mangled chalice. On the opposite end of the ship's hull, a harpsichord plays a macabre version of the attraction's theme. The boats exit out of the ship's hull and into the caverns of the grotto again. The caverns are plentiful with huge piles of gold, treasure chests and unspeakable riches. In the far end of the cavern, the Aztec Chest from the original Pirates of the Caribbean film is seen.

The boats exit out of the glittering chamber and out into a dark chamber, where lightning flashes overhead. Projected onto the walls of the chamber, huge cyclones wrap around the rocky waters, as the boats make their way across the vast sea. Wind wraps around the boats, whipping at the guests. Mist is dispensed all throughout the ceiling of the room, making it seem as though a heavy rain is falling from the uneasy storm, without actually getting the guests wet. The mist actually serves another purpose. A rotating holographic image of Davy Jones and Blackbeard is projected across the mist, making it seem so incredibly dimensional, as if the wicked captains ghastly appear in the midst of the dark hurricane. The rotating images of Blackbeard and Davy Jones seem so life-like that they almost seem as though they consume the boats, as they past through their misty image. Both warn the guests of the perils they face, as they travel to world's end. The boats take another, sudden, third plunge.

The boats splash down in a large body of water, where the original Pirate Captain (the one in the red coat, voiced by Paul Frees) is commandeering the Wicked Wench, along with his crew, waging full out war against Port Royal. Cannon fire blasts in-between the ship and fort, which happens to be the exact route of the guests, sometimes even getting them wait. Large impacts of wind hit the guests, simulating the feel of cannon fire.

The boats quickly escape the scene and enter into the village of Puerto Dorado, where the pirates have overrun the city and have kidnapped the mayor, Carlos, who is threatened by being drowned in the city's well. Carlos' wife cries out to him from the window above. Captain Jack Sparrow watches the scene from behind a set of cargo. This scene will also return to its old dialogue, without any mention of Captain Jack. Why? The new assumption is that rather than looking for Jack, the pirates are simply looking for the town's treasure. Jack, of course, who obviously isn't a part of the crew is secretly searching for the treasure himself, thus why he appears to have found it at the end of the ride.

The boats continue through the city, where they stumble upon an unusual auction, where the deranged pirates are auctioning off the females of Port Royal as brides-to-be. The drunken pirates holler at a specific redhead who seems to be a real eye-catcher.

The boats leave under a stone archway and enter into the town, where the majority of the villagers live. Throughout the town, several pirates are seen chasing around the female villagers of the city, who are shocked and frightened by the two. Two pirates are scene stealing many goods from one specific house. Nearby, the Pooped Pirate will be back in action here, once again holding the frilly pink underskirt and bragging about the woman whom it belongs too. The terrified girl pokes her head out of the barrel and looks around, quickly lowering back down at the sight of the barking dog which grabs the Pooped Pirate's attention. The pirates and the ladies chase each other around in circles.

What's that? Where's Jack, you say? Well, he's moved to the far left side of the scene. Here, a pirate has fallen asleep in a drunken stupor, the key to the town's treasure vault tightly gripped in one hand, and the map leading to it in his lap. On either side stands a horse and a goat, both in which walk a sneaky Jack attempts to steal the map and key. Right as Jack is about to get it, the animals make noise, causing him to retract as the pirate makes some horrid noises in the form of snores. Jack goes back and, of course, the animals react. This never-ending sequence is guaranteed to garner a few laughs.

The boats then proceed into the penultimate scene of the attraction, the pirates, in a drunken frenzy have set the entire town ablaze, as the buildings crackle with fire. The old fire effect has been removed and is replaced with Pepper's Ghost effect flames, making the effect seem all the more realistic. The flames fill the night air with an orange glow. In the water, you'll find a new sight: a rowboat with two very intoxicated pirates seated in it and filled to overflowing with rum bottles, including some in the water nearby. The pirates rejoice as they sing a final chorus of "Yo-Ho, Yo-Ho, A Pirate's Life For Me". The boats then proceed into the jail cells of the village, where a set of imprisoned pirates are trying to grasp a set of keys in the jaws of a small dog. The dog seems immune to their pleas and sits there, nonchalantly.

Across the way, Captain Jack Sparrow sits on a throne, surrounded by all sorts of treasures. He acknowledges the guests, before sending them on their way.

The boats proceed into the unload area. Upon exiting the boats, guests take a conveyor belt up back to the fortress entrance, where they are let out at the Plaza Del Sol Caribe Bazaar, a gift shop location featuring all sort of Pirates of the Caribbean merchandise. Also in the area is The Pirates' League, where kids and adults can be made over to look like an official buccaneer.

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Located just across the way is the Tortuga Tavern, which showcases a broad arrange of barbecue food. The quick-service restaurant will be slightly remodeled to fit more into the Pirates of the Caribbean theme, though its' purpose will still remain the same.

I don't know if this would work or not, but remember how I told you about the new loading area? Well, much like many other versions of the Pirates ride, I'd add in the Blue Lagoon Restaurant nearby this loading area.

Here, you can dine on cuisine straight from the Caribbean, Cuba, Spain and New Orleans. But the main reason this restaurant is popular is the immersive setting.

You may recognize this restaurant as Blue Bayou. But rather than immerse guests in a New Orleans setting, like California and Tokyo, this restaurant takes a page from Disneyland Paris and has the setting be "located" on a Caribbean beach in an outdoor restaurant at nighttime. The dining area overlooks the jungle river the boats ride along as they start their journey. Guests dine under paper lanterns and a thick canopy of live oaks dripping with Spanish moss. There are wonderful details all around you that immerse you--crickets chirp, frogs croak and fireflies wink.

But, the best way to immerse yourselves in the theming is to sit by the water. And why is that? Because not only are you furthest away from the lobby and kitchen in this area (and being seated by the kitchen can and does ruin the ambiance), but you also have a fantastic view of the deep jungle...as well as adventurers sailing off to partake in a little pirate-y fun!

Besides giving you a glimpse of the Pirate boats, these seats also get you closer to the water and the bayou that lends the restaurant its name. Really — the lighting is perfect. Certainly lives up to the name, yes?

Yes, I'd highlight recommend a meal at Blue Bayou as part of your Magic Kingdom experience. You certainly won't regret it.

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Nearby the Plaza Del Sol Caribe Bazaar is the major headquarters for another interactive game in the park: A Pirate's Adventure: Treasure of the Seven Seas. In the game, you can help Jack Sparrow find the Treasure of the Seven Seas, whilst also fending off Barbossa, the Royal Navy and other foes. If guests help Captain Jack succeed in all the missions, they’ll be welcomed as part of his new crew. If not, they'll face the wrath of the cruel sea...alone.

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Heading out of Caribbean Plaza, the guests soon reach the edge of the jungle...and the entrance to the wild, wild west!

 

[DisneyManOne]

The year is 1885 as a proud sternwheeler makes its way up a muddy river. Stagecoaches and covered wagons make their way up the street, as simple townsfolk and Native Americans walk side by side. Gold miners sail out on makeshift rafts to the mines across the river, while music and laughter emits from the local saloon. And from the dense wilderness comes the whistling of trains and the lonely howl of a coyote, longing to be with its companions. The realm we have entered is an amalgam of sights and sounds that authentically conjure up images of America's expansion. Come by land, water, or rail, the pioneer days live on in...

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Coming out of the dark jungles of Adventureland, the park then leads the way into the wild, wild west: Frontierland. I think, next to Main Street U.S.A., Frontierland is one of the most thematically solid areas of the Magic Kingdom. I feel like Frontierland could use a little bit of a sprucing up, so additions to Frontierland will continuously be made to enhance the theme of the area, while also renovating the current attractions throughout the land, as well as giving the area a few new surprises.

Whether guests enter under the archway from Adventureland, or enter from Liberty Square, they will find themselves in Tumbleweed, a dusty-old town thriving off of the nearby gold mines. Even if the fortune of the town hasn't been as lucky as it has been in the past, things are pretty nice around here, most folks are happy (Although some aren't very friendly), the water is clean (Well, somewhat clean), and the local farming community has been spitting out some pretty big crops (At least if they haven't been eaten by the nearby moose population)!

Truly, we feel as if we have stepped into the reels of a classic western, Blazing Saddles and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly coming to mind as we take in the romanticized western-architecture. Horseshoe-prints and wagon wheel-tracks appear embedded in the pavement... Cacti and tumbleweeds create rugged gardens among the planters... A cigar store Indian stands guard from a nearby porch... Fellow guests relax from the heat of desert life atop rocking chairs and a hammock, taking in the shade of a quiet storefront... Wanted posters and advertisements for various frontier goods and services line the walls of the dust-kissed buildings, offering bits of humor here and there (i.e. Pain For Less Dentistry)... This is truly a journey back in time...

Tumbleweed is home sweet home to its well-sized population, particularly the miners. As a matter of fact, the miners have called the place "home sweet home" since the very day they arrived here. The town is also a sign of hope for many weary travelers, including pioneers whom have faced many hardships along their journey, and cowboys who have just returned from a LONG cattle drive. Many of the folks in town are so friendly that they'll offer these travelers a place to stay, along with a free meal and a good night's rest. But not all people are too friendly with strangers...often time when cowboys come into town some farmers don't like the idea of these rowdy people coming into their town and causing havoc (Cowboys are very rude and loud after a LONG cattle drive). So they usually pick fights with the passing strangers, often resulting in arrests, gunshots, and soiled pants. Poor Auntie Sara (The local laundress) had to clean at least fifteen pairs of underwear after a rather disastrous fight that somehow wound up in the river (An upset farmer smeared a cowboy with fishing bait and pushed him in the river so he would be attacked by fish. Instead they fell in together and were both attacked by fish). But other than all that, it's quite the peaceful town. Something new and exciting happens each and everyday, whether it be a bar-fight, a performing salesman or magician, or even an earthquake or twister! There is always something happening here, so keep your eyes peeled!

Entering Frontierland from Liberty Square, you'll find yourselves in the center of this Western town. Immediately to your left is the Frontierland Shootin' Arcade. Located further down the path is the Frontier Trading Post and the Prairie Outpost & Supply, two gift shops, which specialize in pins, Frontierland merchandise and even includes a good-sized bakery and a confectionery.

From there, the pathway leads deeper into the realm of Frontierland, on the banks of the Rivers of America. A nearby passage brings guests into the heart of Adventureland. Standing before you is the historic Grizzly Hall, the home of a musical revue composed of pure fantasy: the classic Country Bear Jamboree.

Hosted by Henry, a top hat and shirtfront-clad brown bear, this 16-minute, foot-stompin’, back-slappin’ musical revue features songs from America’s country-western heritage. Clap along to original and classic country tunes during this fun-filled hootenanny, and behold the zaniest group of bears the world has ever known, as they display their musical know-how. Overflowing with humor and heart plus a few surprises, this fan favorite features an uplifting down-home, southern sensibility. Much like its neighbor, Enchanted Tiki Room, this show will be refurbished to include all the bits that were left out of the show's 2012 refurbishment.

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Woody, Jessie, Bullseye, Kenai, Koda and the Country Bears--Big Al, Liverlips, Shaker and Wendell--all make appearances in Buzzard Rock County, entering from an alleyway between Liberty Square and Frontierland. Although they mostly wander around at their own discretion to cause general mischief, a specified meet-n-greet space is found in the form of Greeting Gulch, the area where Chip and Dale currently meet guests.

Speaking of characters, every day, the streets of Frontierland come to life for a hoedown! It all starts with a flash mob performed by Cast Members and the characters set to a piece from Aaron Copland's Hoedown, followed by a couple dances with the kids.

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To the left of Grizzly Hall is Prairie Outpost & Supply, selling a small sampling of what can be found in Frontierland's bigger shops, including merchandise unique to the Country Bear Jamboree. Nearby that is Pecos Bill's Tall Tale Inn & Cafe, a large saloon style quick-service restaurant that serves south-western foods, hamburgers, onion rings, ribs and a complete salad bar, amongst many other things on the menus. The quick-service restaurant features both seating indoor, as well as an outdoor seating area, which makes for a prime seating location during the 3 o' clock parade. If guests enter Frontierland from Adventureland, it's safe to say that this is the first thing they'll see.

Right nearby Pecos Bill's is the Tumbleweed Town Hall, where we can explore the Sheriff's Office and Jailhouse. Across the way is the Golden Oak Outpost, which is a smaller quick-service stand, which mainly features chicken strips and french fries. There is also a small seating area, illuminated with flickering lanterns, to the left of the stand.

Continuing further ahead into Frontierland, the path on the right takes guests further into the reaches of the theme park, along the banks of the Rivers of America, while the path straight ahead takes guests across a bridge in front of a prickly briar patch, leading to Splash Mountain.

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I must say, a few hours before typing this post, I was able to watch Song of the South on YouTube. Honestly, I found it pretty good. The animation was fun, the songs classic, even the characters were really likable (I think Uncle Remus has become one of my favorite Disney characters of all). And even more honestly, this may be my naivete speaking, but I couldn't see any negative racial stereotyping. I really liked this movie!

Anyways, Splash Mountain is based upon the animated segments of Song of the South, where guests ride in logs and follow Brer Rabbit on a journey to his "laughing place", whilst trying to avoid his enemies, Brer Fox and Brer Bear. It all ends with a 50-foot, 45-degree angle down Chickapin Hill and into the briar patch below. Splash Mountain will forever be the X-Factor to Frontierland. It, along with Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, are the highlight attractions of this land. With that said, I believe that Splash Mountain is one of the best attractions in the park...when everything is operating correctly. A decent refurbishment will allow maintenance to be done on the ride system, while also fixing the effects and broken animatronics that have stopped working over the years. I honestly think that there should be thunder and lightning effects as the logs go up the big drop. A simple renovation to fix some problems, to do some painting and some maintenance will bring this attraction back to its' former glory. The attraction exits out into the Briar Patch gift shop. The gift shop will see the arrival of a fireplace for those times when it gets chilly in Orlando (yes, it happens), and will mainly focus on wares themed to Song of the South, as well as Disney's forest-based features, like Bambi and The Fox and the Hound.

Continuing past Splash Mountain, the rocky golden cliffs of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad can be seen just ahead.

To the left, the path dissects down under the entrance to the Frontierland Train Station, which also leads to the entrance of Splash Mountain. Beneath the Frontierland Train Station is a small playground themed to the Song of the South. Nearby the playground, Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox and Brer Bear host meet & greets. Just past the under-croft leading below the Frontierland Train Station, guests can find the newly added portion of the town of Tumbleweed.

I'm not sure how many of you are familiar with the backstory of Frontierland, but Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is located in a town called Tumbleweed. The addition of this area in Tumbleweed is mainly to instill more theming into the area, having this section of the town overlap into the setting of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, making it seem as if the town had been built into the sloping formations of the mountain. The town mainly consists of shops, such as the Tumbleweed Traders shop and one quick-service restaurant, called the Tumbleweed Tavern. Signs of apparent earthquakes have seemingly shook the town in the past. The buildings look a bit ram-shackled, cracks in the ground, some which spout geysers of water, gathered provisions for the quake scattered about, along with boulders having crashed down into the town.

In the center of the town, there is a well that apparently has no bottom, having been completely ripped out from underneath because of the earthquake. A fun tip to do is to throw a coin into the well and wait to hear that it doesn't make a sound. One of the gift shops from the town sell various diamonds excavated from the secret diamond mines of Big Thunder Mountain. The caboose of a train dangles loosely from the roof of the wooden ceiling of the gift shop. Continuing through the town and arriving at the steps of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, large sections of the queue have been completely rebuilt, adding new references to Tumbleweed into the attraction. This refurbishment will co-align with the current renovation that is actually taking place on the attraction. Complete sections of the track will be replaced, the entire "town" section of the ride will be restored so that all of the animatronics, water geysers and effects are working, but most noticeably, the entire scene of the third lift hill, the "collapsing cavern" seen will have been completely restored, having returned the boulders to be collapsing inside of the cave.

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Against the edges of Frontierland and the nearby Liberty Square are the Rivers of America, a large waterway that serves as a home for Tom Sawyer Island. Originally, I was looking for a replacement for the island, it just seems old and out-of-date, but it got me thinking that it's original, older quality, is sort of what makes it special. It is a lot like the same reason for keeping the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse in Adventureland, it is part of the original, non-Disney charm, that makes it unique to the land.

In order to get to the island, you need to take a raft. A dock is located nearby Splash Mountain. The majority of the island will have stayed intact, having a few of the playgrounds and paths been replaced to accommodate the re-opened Aunt Polly's Dockside Inn, an outdoor eatery under a beautiful wood-carved gazebo, overlooking the Rivers of America.

Another addition to the island will be Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes, which can only be accessed from Tom Sawyer Island. Aboard the Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes, guests with a host Cast Member, can set off from Tom Sawyer Island and canoe their way down the Rivers of America, taking in the sights of Tumbleweed, a secret mine cavern on the outskirts of Big Thunder Mountain, the settlement of an Indian campground and an even closer look at a dark cemetery nearby a foreboding manor.

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But, as some long-time visitors may notice, there's a new area in Frontierland, just north of Tom Sawyer Island...

...but we'll get to that in the next post. Until then, see ya real soon!

 

[Twilight_Roxas]

Cool. Plus I think its time Wishes gets replace by a brand new fireworks show. Maybe that one fireworks show you had for Disneyland Maine or if you want to my Disney Celebration fireworks show I made for my Disneyland Queensland resort.

 

[MANEATINGWREATH]

I'd like to make a recommendation towards Jungle Cruise in regards to its makeover...more Indiana Jones-esque fantasy is the way to go. True, the Jungle Cruise is a more fantastical experience to begin with, but with Animal Kingdom just a few doors down with the much more realistic Kilimanjaro Safari (literally) as one of its headliners, why not turn the Jungle Cruise into a truly magical experience? Were it me in charge of your Jungle Cruise makeover, I'd do it a lot similar to the recent Tokyo rehab.



Not only did Tokyo implement an inboard soundtrack, they also implemented special lighting to the attraction at night to make a much more fantastical experience, not to mention the amazing projection mapping inside the flooded temple.

 

[DisneyManOne]

Cool. Plus I think its time Wishes gets replace by a brand new fireworks show. Maybe that one fireworks show you had for Disneyland Maine or if you want to my Disney Celebration fireworks show I made for my Disneyland Queensland resort.

I intend to keep Wishes, but I will be updating it to be more on the lines of Disneyland Forever.

I'd like to make a recommendation towards Jungle Cruise in regards to its makeover...more Indiana Jones-esque fantasy is the way to go. True, the Jungle Cruise is a more fantastical experience to begin with, but with Animal Kingdom just a few doors down with the much more realistic Kilimanjaro Safari (literally) as one of its headliners, why not turn the Jungle Cruise into a truly magical experience? Were it me in charge of your Jungle Cruise makeover, I'd do it a lot similar to the recent Tokyo rehab.



Not only did Tokyo implement an inboard soundtrack, they also implemented special lighting to the attraction at night to make a much more fantastical experience, not to mention the amazing projection mapping inside the flooded temple.

Wow! That's really impressive! I'll certainly have to go back and update the post to include that.

But for right now, let's keep exploring Frontierland.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

continued
​

As I stated in the previous post, there's a whole new area of the land just to the north of Tom Sawyer Island. This area, my friends is known as Thunder Mesa.

​

Unlike neighboring Tumbleweed, Thunder Mesa is a luscious little backwoods in the middle of the desert-ridden Southwest. Unlike the desert landscape of most of Frontierland, Thunder Mesa takes a cue from Disneyland's extinct Bear Country, utilizing Pacific Northwestern-foliage and architecture to provide a soothing environment. Crystal-clear streams, waterfalls of all sizes, and rustic log cabins dot the area, the remnants of a former logging-based town. Details are abundant throughout, including a cleverly-disguised restroom facility labeled as “Hot Baths: 5c”, primitive drawings of mammoths and saber-tooth cats among the rocks of the rivers, and much, much more. One of the most famous establishments here is the Mile Long Bar, a bar that seems to stretch on forever.

Also here is The Lucky Nugget, a rustic, indoor eatery requiring reservations, the Davy Crockett Wilderness Arcade, and the dynamite warehouse-turned gift shop K.A. Bume TNT Company, which to this day continues to experience random explosions. If you've got a keen eye, you can occasionally see the trains of the Walt Disney World Railroad riding on past the town on an elevated track just on the banks near the Rivers of America. Also on the banks of the river are two docks: one serving the Mike Fink Keelboats (more on that when we get to Liberty Square), the other serving the Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes.

Heading northward from the town, you find yourselves face-to-face with the legendary Thunderbird Peak, a mountain which takes on the shape of the legendary Thunderbird, a storm-causing beast of Native American lore. From within its "opened-beak" pours down a raging waterfall, the biggest, steepest waterfall ever designed by Disney. The mighty "wings" of the bird scrape the sky at unimaginable heights, nearly visible from every last angle of the park. When night falls upon the park, the hollow-eyes of the great bird glow an unearthly green, hinting that although this mountain may be an inanimate being of God's green earth, something supernatural must be inside. At the base of the mountain rests a rocky gorge, among its jagged-rocks are the remains of many an unfortunate stagecoach or Conestoga wagon, in addition to the unfortunate skeleton of a horse or pioneer. But suddenly, our focus turns back to the waterfall as a hollowed-out wooden boat filled with screaming passengers nearly falls to its untimely demise, but suddenly, it steers back through the inky blackness, never to be seen again...that is, by land-dwellers. Curiosity has gotten the best of us, so we head into the cavern.

The entrance into the cavern is an old, seemingly abandoned sawmill built into the base of the mountain. A sign atop the entrance door reads “Western River Expedition”.

This is one of the rides people think about when they think of rides that people wish were built. The Western River Expedition was once considered to be the Magic Kingdom’s version of Pirates of the Caribbean. But sadly, the idea was shelved due to Pirates arriving by popular demand. But now, Western River Expedition has finally come to be. This attraction helps balance out the thrill-heavy attractions of Frontierland with something that the entire family can enjoy together. On the ride, we'll join Hoot Gibson, a wise old owl, on a journey back in time to the days of the Old West, where the miners dug for gold, the raunchy noises of drunken cowboys sounded from the saloon, and bandits were known to cause terror...but in this time of desperation, the Indians would attempt to summon the great Thunderbird itself to end all these evils. Will the Thunderbird end all? Will the bandits get you? Will the cowboys sober up? Well, we ain't gonna find out just standing here like cattle. Let's find out!

Stepping inside the sawmill, bits of abandoned machinery lie all about the place, covered in dust and cobwebs. It seems as if the old mill has been forgotten, much like the eerie Haunted Mansion on the other side of the river. The offices of old mill officials appear, barred-off, and locked, although the barred-windows do allow a glimpse inside. The office of one “Arthur T. Logger” is still-lit, and the old fellow is still there...even if he's a long-dead skeleton. The poor fellow appears slumped over on his desk, a feather pen at hand. One with a keen-eye may catch the fact that he's writing a letter to his wife; a nearby letter from her explains how angry she is at him for not cleaning the dishes before work. Perhaps her constant nagging did him in? Flickering gas lamps, a la Indiana Jones Adventure illuminate the dark corridors, providing an ominous setup to what will be a rip-roaring good time. In the Employees' Lounge, several of the skeletal workers still stick around, motionless but grinning. One skeleton appears dead over a card table, cards still spread out across the table, a rather suspicious assortment of cards before him. A broken bottle of moonshine sits on the floor behind him, an obvious reference to his murder. As it turns out, he had been quite the cheater in life, and whoever he was playing cards with didn't take too kindly to that. Another skeleton sits at a dusty, broken-down piano, leaning backwards - his arms have detached and become stuck to the keys. A couple of red-eyed rats explore the eye-sockets of one skeleton, while the very last skeleton finds himself sharpening a large knife, perpetually stuck staring at guests...more so of an atmospheric thing than a Marc Davis-style gag.

A flight of stairs leads us, well, upstairs and through a corridor lined with black and white photographs, circa 1848 - the California Gold Rush. In these unsettling, antique store-esque photos, images of Thunder Mesa in its heyday are shown, complete with the town at its best, Thunderbird Peak covered in forest, happy miners and railroad workers presenting Big Thunder Mountain, and most eerily of all, the Ravenswood Family, long before their "tragic" deaths. The occasional screeching of rat or crackling of a floorboard comes from overhead, perhaps hinting at more than rats inhabiting this old mill. Rather unsettled, we continue down the path, eventually finding a bright light at the end of the corridor, a bright light in which leads us to perhaps the most beautiful sight we've ever seen.

A choir of ghostly voices welcomes us to Rainbow Caverns, a luscious, almost heavenly grotto of natural magic. Stalactites and stalagmites line the ceiling and floor, whilst phosphorescent pools of beauty grace the floors, the distant screeching of a bat echoing from the endless shadows. Rock-work in the shape of cowboys, Native Americans, buffalo, and other western icons pop-up all over the place, thundering waterfalls providing a stunning backdrop. A fierce, bubbling, whitewater river thunders out from a waterfall and into parts unknown, sparking our hearts with mystery and wonder. The former rot of the sawmill is gone. This is truly a wonderland of nature's own design. Despite this, the hand of man has still touched these caverns, as evident by a small cargo-shipping area nestled on either side of a gurgling underground river below. Intrigued, we continue down the path, past the...seriously, I can't even begin to describe the beauty of Rainbow Caverns in full-detail. You have to see it to believe it.

Much to our surprise, the loading dock is now home to an endless parade of the mode of transportation we shall be riding in: worn rowboats with the front section dedicated to seating and the back dedicated to smuggling, judging by the number of crates that sit near the back of the boat. The ride system is a rather simple one, utilizing a similar boat system to that of Pirates of the Caribbean. The boats are less long than Pirates’, but the flume channel is wider, thus compensating for the loss in length. The boats have four rows, each row seating two to three people. Handles are stuck to the back of each row and to each side of the seats (this one applies to only the front row). These handles are there for travelers to hang onto just in case the waters get a little rough. After all are aboard, we head off into the heart of the frontier.

As our boat chugs along, natural beauty surrounds us on all sides, even more so beautiful than it appeared from the queue. The glistening water surrounds our log, the colors and lights of Rainbow Caverns reflecting off of them like a funhouse mirror. This is truly Disney magic. Sadly, our log starts to go up a tiny lift-hill and outdoors, greeted by the friendly voice of Hoot Gibson, a wise old owl who used to entertain at the post-show of the former Walt Disney Story. Anyways, as we go up the lift-hill, Hoot’s voice is heard: “Hooo! Hooo! Howdy, everybody! Heading for a cruise ‘round the riverbed, are we? Well then, for your safety, please stay seated and keep your hands, arms, feet, and legs inside the rowboat, and please watch your young'uns. Oh, and be sure to stow your personal belongins’ away. There are bandits ‘round these parts. Enjoy the frontier now, ya hear?”

And with that, our boat dips out of Rainbow Caverns and outdoors, gently hugging the front of Thunder Mesa. The remnants of the before-mentioned stagecoaches and early settlers are now closer than ever, judging by the fact that we're looping around the front of the rocky-gorge. A skeleton crushed between two rocks reaches his motionless arm to us, a la the skeleton reaching for water in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. As it turns out, he's actually reaching for the crate of moonshine floating in the water. Drifting to the right, we enter the mouth of a cavern in the side of the peak, passing by the climactic waterfall in which other boats fall down, often times splashing us. Rather than finding the stereotypical cavern interior, we find ourselves immersed beneath a tube-shaped night-sky, glistening stars and distant planets everywhere, almost like an IMAX screen mixed with a theatrical set. On the horizon is the dim-light of a setting sun, luscious desert foliage, rocks, and the occasional howl of a coyote strengthening the atmosphere. For the first time, we see ol’ Hoot Gibson as he sleeps on an overhead tree branch, pictured below, before waking and looking down with a hoot.

This is Hoot as he appeared in The Walt Disney Story post-show. He'll look similar to this for the ride.
​

"Hooo! Hooo! Roamin’ the ol’ frontier, are ya? No better place for a good adventure if you ask me. Some of the best adventures happen right here in the west, and nights like these remind me of the good ol’ days of cowboys and pioneers.”

With that, a shooting star flies across the sky in a brilliant flash, suddenly changing the stars into constellations resembling countless western icons. As if by magic, many of the constellations even come to life, the animals making noise, Native American children running about, etc. Our boat departs from the top of the lift-hill, gently departing forwards, down a tiny, tiny drop and into a desert.

from 6:51 to 8:56.​

“Home on the Range” plays, a suiting backdrop to the sights ahead. It's a beautiful, "Johnny Appleseed-sky" at sunset, and a quartet of furry bison have gathered around a trio of prairie dogs poking in-and-out of the earth, barking the “words,” even if they're just inaudible chirps. The fourth buffalo has wandered down the path a bit, examining a quintet of mooing cattle on the opposite side of the river. There, a cowboy strums his guitar atop his horse, both singing, and unknowingly conducting the cattle quintet to sing with them via mooing.

Distant coyotes, seen both as silhouettes and animatronics on the butte-filled horizon howl, mostly in time with the music. Passing beneath a natural archway, we pass by a small pioneer camp, complete with potential settlers and horses, dining on beans around a roaring campfire. Two sing, whilst the third plays a harmonica and guitar at the same time; a one-man band. Little do these musicians realize that the human-shaped cacti behind them are ALSO singing, gleefully done in the Marc Davis-style.

Little do the campers notice the trio of grizzly cubs that have wandered into their campsite. Two cubs cheer on a brave third cub from among the cacti that is stealthily snagging the fish hung from a nearby clothesline. On the other side of the river is another encampment built into a rocky alcove. One cowpoke plays the banjo, blissfully singing, completely unaware of his predicament - a huge grizzly, presumably the mama of the three cubs is ready to swipe him from behind, roaring fiercely to the point that we can see the drool dripping from her toothy-maw. The other cowboy sees the bear, speechless. Frightened, he waves his arms up and down pointing, attempting to garner his companion's attention to turn around and run. Oh well.

The music continues as we enter Panner's Banks. Hoot Gibson reappears, this time wearing a lit-prospector's hat. “Boy, this is back when the Tumbleweed Gold Mines were basically the gathering place of all the prospectors in the West. These desperate souls all wanted a piece of it, ya know? I guess greed always get the best of those human folks. Mines went bust due to it…”

​

The miners pan for gold, humming "Big Rock Candy Mountain." Lit by gas lamps, four miners are kneeling along the banks of the river, shuffling their pans in the water. One of them is startled to find a pair of polka-dotted underwear in his pan. His nearby mule clutches a pan in its mouth, dipping it in the water, also looking for gold. Upon finding none, he raises the pan back up and gives a frustrated “EEHAW!!!” before going back down. The fourth and final miner reclines on a flat-rock bed, boasting a gold tooth, dirty overalls, a hat ridden with bullet holes, and a single boot. Despite his tired face, he's singing "Big Rock Candy Mountain” as well, joyously plucking away at his banjo. His fishing pole, held still by a rock, is cast out into the water. Every so often, the line tugs, and, ironically a fish composed of golden scales leaps up from the water, having caught onto the hook. Sadly, the miner will never realize his fortune; he loves music far too much.

Unfortunately, our boat has sailed out of Panner's Banks and into the deadliest part of any frontier adventure: the Stagecoach Robbery. Up ahead, a quintet of banditos are holding-up a stagecoach crossing a wooden bridge, the frightened passengers raising their arms in terror. Each bandito wears a bandana; as do the full-on grizzly bears that they're using as horses. A couple of mules look on curiously, as virtually every barnyard animal does in Pirates of the Caribbean. The Head Bandito wears a top hat and rides a mangy black bear much larger than the grizzlies, a bear in which has one glowing-eye, an eye patch, jagged-teeth unlike the others (so jagged that they're ripping through the bandana-mask), gallons of slobber, and a tiny bowler hat strapped to his head by miniature strings. Turning his dual guns to us, the Head Bandito gives a laugh. “If someone finds out 'bout us, it's your head, ya hear? You never saw us, got it? I can assure you that we will meet again, amigos.” Luckily, we escape, lips-sealed.

Distant music comes from the horizon, as does a glimpse of what appears to be a little town typical of the American prairie, muffled-gunshots and cheering coming from its direction. Hoot Gibson, now wearing a cowboy hat, pops-down from nowhere, upside down. “Hooo! Hooo! Stay away! No one has ever been able to enter Dry Gulch and come back out alive! Turn back! Turn back!” The waters begin to speed-up a bit, becoming more like whitewater rapids. Several cattle skulls line the riverbank, dead trees, tumbleweeds, thick briars, and a raven glaring at us. A nearby sign reads “DANGER! DEATH FALLS! TURN BACK!” A pair of mean-eyed, grinning vultures appears on a nearby tree branch, bobbing their heads up and down, twiddling their "thumbs." And with that, we plunge down a well-sized waterfall and into a skull-shaped rock formation, zipping down, zipping back up, making a sharp turn, and coming back to the surface world, right before the city limits of Dry Gulch, the roughest town in the west. A sign reads DRY GULCH. POPULATION: WHOEVER SURVIVES. TOWN FOUNDER: WHO KNOWS? The cowardly sheriff hides behind a nearby barrel, gun at hand, but no courage to go back into town. He's shaking so wildly that he doesn't even seem to notice us, nor does his rather fierce-looking dog who is whimpering in fear. The town walls are littered with wanted posters for various criminals; all of the posters are ridden in bullet holes.

​

Fortunately, we make a quick turn away from the walls and head into the nearby town of Grizzly Gulch. Upon entering town, we find ourselves completely immersed in a true western setting, a remote prairie town on a busy Saturday night, complete with an orchestration of the "Farmer and the Cowman" as background music. It seems as if the cowboys have had a very successful cattle drive, and, with their newfound wealth, they simply must spend it on some pointless endeavor, so why not get drunk?

The festivities begin, appropriately enough, at the local saloon, where a drunk-out-of-his-mind cowboy sits atop his drunk-out-of-his-mind horse atop the general store. The cheerful cowpoke fires his guns in the air, hollering various terms considered offensive to prairie folk back in the day. His horse gives off a gleeful, hiccup-ridden neigh, followed by the occasional burp. The angry general store owner stands on one side of his shop's porch, waving his fist and screaming at his rooftop visitor while on the other side, a cowboy companion cheers on his friend, waving his hat in the air. A nearby horse tethered to the porch cheers on his horse counterpart as well. A mother attempts to cover her child's ears to spare him from the cowboy's profanity. Ironically, her elderly mother is screaming more profanity at the cowboy than he's screaming at them, waving her closed-umbrella furiously.

Shop Owner: Get down from there at once you no-good cowpoke!
Cowboy: Yeehaw! I've never felt this good! I'm a flying eagle!
Shop Owner: I'll call the cavalry on you in an instant! You piece of rat fodder.
Mother: Don't listen, Billy, these men are bad.
Grandmother: Hush, Sarah! Get down here you rascally, flea-bitten varmint! Curse you and your drunkard friends!
Cowboy: (Singing) The shop owner and the cowman should be friends! Oh the shop owner and the cowman should be...friends?
Shop Owner: I'm not your friend, you filthy son of a gun! A pox on your house!
Cowboy: I'm a cowpoke, I have no house!
Mother: Never become a cowboy, Billy, they're horrible men.
Grandmother: Shut up, Sarah! Your father was a cowboy and I was a cowgirl. I give-in. Stay up there you filthy cowboy! A pox on your house, Mr. Shop Owner.
Shop Owner: Mrs. The Kid? What happened to you?
Grandmother: I'm a cowgirl at heart, you sorry excuse for a human.
Mother: Mother!

On the opposite side of the river, the local saloon has been overwhelmed by wild customers, its windows plagued with shadows of countless people brawling. A couple of cancan-dancing showgirls have made their way to the rooftop, holding their skirts rather high as they kick and dance till the cows come home. The saloon, known as The Golden Slipper, features a cancan dancer on the front porch, raising her leg very high, boasting a golden slipper. Two sheepish gentlemen, surprisingly in suits, touch the slipper giggling. A nearby horse attempts to bite a carrot on the ground, but the rope tying him to a post prevents him from doing so.

A special entry to the saloon labeled SAIL-INS WELCOME appears, guarded by a grinning Native-American wearing a floppy-hat, Navajo blanket, and a huge keg of moonshine in his hands, its top sporting a dimly-lit flame. His eyes shift around suspiciously, almost as if they were following us. The house pianist has been wheeled outside, pounding away at the keys of the honky tonk piano wildly, respectively playing the “Farmer and the Cowman.” A showgirl holding a rose sits atop the piano, much to the pleasure of a blushing, almost Pecos Bill-like cowboy holding his hat to his chest.

The showgirl's rather burly boyfriend appears behind the blushing-poke, cracking his knuckles, ready to fight. One cowboy has fallen face-first in the mud, his rear end facing up, now the home of a chicken and her nest. Before leaving this scene, we see a cowboy asleep on top of his horse, bottle still in hand, its contents swishing around (false teeth are floating inside the liquid). Even his horse is intoxicated; it continues to drink from an ongoing leakage from a stack of barrels labeled XXX. The lit-candle nearby might cause some damage...

An overhead bridge (which we naturally pass under) plays home to a loud-mouthed cowboy and a grouchy Native American. Whilst the cowboy fires off his guns and screams the song lyrics, the neighboring Native American plugs his ears and keeps a single eye-open, not amused by the unnecessary sound. Next, we find ourselves at an ongoing rodeo, where people of all ages have gathered for a good time. On the left-hand side, a bull chases a foolish farmhand in circles (much to the crowd's delight) while a small jug-band provides chase music happily. The running-farmhand looks like an absolute fool, due not only to his tiny body and screams, but also to the nearby poster which reads TODAY ONLY! BULL-FIGHTER HARRY THE STRONG! HE'LL NEVER RUN, a picture of said-farmhand boasting "muscles." On the right-hand side, a traveling-entrepreneur by the name of "Dr. Fix-It" presents his latest "miracle" from atop a stage produced from his wagon, the wagon in which reads DR. FIX-IT! HE CAN FIX ANYTHING! INGROWN HAIRS! SCURVY! HAIR TONICS! PASSION POTIONS! MIRACLE ELIXIRS! BROKEN BONES! BROKEN HEARTS! HEART ATTACKS! DEATH! THE PLAGUE! ANYTHING! 100% SATISFACTION! IT REALLY WORKS! NO REFUNDS! Today, he has garnered the attention of two children, a trio of pigs, a mama duck and her ducklings, a lazy bloodhound, and a very interested Native American woman (with a baby on her back). Onstage he is joined by a strong-man making ridiculous poses (behind a piece of wood painted to look like a strong-man) and a rather angry bear playing a fiddle (the bear in which is chained to his seat reluctantly, locked-in heavily). Dr. Fix-It is a plump, elderly man wearing red-and-white-striped pants, a red coat with long tails, huge red suspenders, a tall, silk top hat, a snowy-white handlebar mustache, long white hair, and a hooked-cane at hand. He holds a bottle of some miracle tonic.

Fix-It: Yes, Sir, yes, Ma'am, I, Dr. Fix-It have the answer to all your problems! I present the one and only Strong-Man Potion! It will solve all your problems guaranteed. Want to impress your spouse? Want to pass school? Want to skip out on chores? Drink one drop of this tonic and your life is saved! Don't be a pig. Be a man!
Girl: But I am a little girl. How can this help me?
Fix-It: Do you want that dolly in the toy shop window?
Girl: Yes!
Fix-It: Well, you can't have it unless you're a strong-man!
Girl: And how! I'll take twenty!
Fix-It: Easy, little lady. It'll cost you a sum of eighteen dollars - three payments - no refunds.
Girl: I'm sure daddy has that money. I'll write you a check!
Fix-It: That-a girl! How about that, ladies and gentlemen? Our first customer Who's next? Who wants a bottle?
Boy: I do! I do!
Fix-It: Son, you're a genius. What for?
Boy: I want to marry Mary Sue.
Fix-It: Mary Sue? Why, that's a horse's name! Why marry her when you can be a strong-man forever? You don't need love!
Boy: And how! I'll take fifty!
Fix-It: That'll only cost you one hundred dollars - five payments - no refunds!

Off to the side of Dr. Fix-It's wagon is another little stint to cheat customers out of money; “Take Your Picture with a Bear” A photographer takes a picture of a rather goofy-looking cowpoke with his arm around a huge stuffed bear.

Suddenly, gunfire begins to ring out, the night-sky turning an orangish-red in color. This can't be good.

​

An edited-theme from The Magnificent Seven plays, providing a perfect backdrop for the
sights and sounds ahead. Some of the town has caught on fire, and a bank robbery is well-underway, the result of too much alcohol and too little authority. For starters, various shady-looking outlaws duck in-and-out from behind misplaced safes, overturned furniture, and other objects, firing away at both us and the other criminals across the way. The Union Soldier-like Cavalry have joined in on the battle, returning fire, and attempting to keep what little peace the town has left. Their brave general sits atop his proud horse, raising a cutlass high in the air screaming "FIRE!" Only, instead of his men firing, a criminal fires at his hat, causing it to spin around a 360-degrees. The same effect happens to numerous other objects, including misplaced hats, bottles of moonshine, and just about anything else able to be pushed around by bullets. A very pretty cowgirl pokes her head out of a stable, stealthily firing at a nearby bandit's rear-end, hitting him, and making him holler (like Goofy). The local tonsorial parlor has lost some business as its current customer, still wearing a red-and-white-checkered-apron and a glob of shaving cream on his face steps outside to fire, unaware that the barber is leveling his shotgun at him from the second-floor window. On the left-hand side, more chaos ensues, starting with the Thunder Mesa Railway which has pulled into the station, still hissing. The frightened engineer still sits in the cab, peering outside. After a few seconds, he pulls down a shade that reads BACK AT FIVE. The various metallic panels of the steel engine open-and-close repeatedly, revealing a bandit popping-in-and-out to join in on the "fun." Occasionally, a cow pops-out of one of the panels with a delightful moo and dopey grin, before going back down. The bullets have created several tiny holes in the water tower, causing water to pour down by the buckets and onto the streets, and subsequently into the river. Filthy pigs and a filthy hobo bathe in the resulting waterfall, the hobo in which uses a pig to scrub his armpit, and a back-brush to scrub his feet, all the while muttering inaudible song lyrics to a song that probably doesn't even exist. The Mayor opens the doors of City Hall, angrily shouting “I will have order! As mayor of this city, I…” A gunshot is aimed towards him. “You’re on your own, pal.” And with that, he goes back inside. The sheriff's poor, frightened deputy (a la Don Knotts's Barney on The Andy Griffith Show) cuddles up to his horse a la Ichabod Crane, unaware of the clearly-visible tunnel being dug beneath him, leading out from beneath the jailhouse and into freedom. The sounds of the escaping prisoners can be heard digging away underground. The very last sight we see is a smiling, evil-eyed mortician anxiously watching the crossfire; a line of measuring-tape at hand, ready to measure someone for his proudly-displayed coffin on his porch. His window sign reads Mr. Death—Mortician Extraordinaire - 24 Hours! Cheap!

Native American drums and chanting are heard in the distance as we enter a dense pine forest on the outskirts of town. Smoke can be seen arising from among the trees. Hoot, now wearing the feather headdress, reappears, even having war paint on his cheeks, wings folded. “These natives are summoning the Thunderbird, the only bird capable to calm the greed of men. But be warned: a storm is coming…” Over to the western shore is a Plains Indians Village, where the natives are partaking in a ceremony of sorts, intended to summon the Thunderbird. These stunning animatronics chant and pound drums, some even dancing as the fire produces smoke-made images of the Thunderbird and the sins of mankind. An incoming storm can be heard, complete with rumbling thunder, a crackling in the underbrush, and a cold breeze. The friendly Chief attempts to warn us from proceeding: “No. It’s too dangerous. Please do not go further”. But it's too late. The water has become rapid, the storm has begun, and rain, thunder, and lightning surround us from all sides. Red-eyed wolves begin to appear among the foliage, snarling, howling, and growling hungrily. At one point, even a mountain lion appears, springing-out from absolutely nowhere, creating quite a scare. In a clearing among the treetops, the legendary Thunderbird comes into sight with a mighty screech, flapping its wings and creating a huge bolt of lightning.

In a flash of light, the lightning strikes a tree, causing it to burst into flame. In a matter of seconds, the whole forest is on fire. In this mayhem, our boat has been spinning around, tossed and turned by the rocky waves, and we have begun chugging uphill, suspenseful music filling the air. On top of that, the rocky waves have made our boat face backwards, To make matters worse, the banditos have returned with their bears, guns pointed. Right as we reach the top (subsequently overlooking all of Frontierland), the Head Bandito gives us a word of friendly farewell “End of the line, amigos. There is no turning back now. Adios!” And with that, in a style similar to the former Maelstrom attraction at Epcot, we nearly fall off Thunderbird Peak, before, facing forward once again, dropping down into the inky blackness below.

We then make a small turn and find ourselves back in Rainbow Caverns, this time paying witness to a spectacular display of fountains. Hoot Gibson glides in on a little rowboat, dressed as a fisherman, complete with line cast in the water and pole in his wings. "Ain't nothing like a western adventure, eh? Oh, but don't be sad. There'll always be a day for another adventure on the western frontier. And say, looks like those old banditos got was coming to 'em! Ol' Thunderbird sure agrees." Rounding a bend, we find the nest of the now-sleeping Thunderbird, an impressive creature, caught once again in her rumored-to-be eternal slumber. The notorious banditos on the other hand have gotten what was coming to them. On the opposite side of the nest (to the starboard side), the banditos have all been tied-up to a large post, surrounded by chirping baby Thunderbirds, all reaching their necks up hungrily. The squealing banditos raise their feet up perpetually, not wanting to be “baby's first breakfast.” A little ways down, the beast-of-burden-bears have removed their bandana-masks and fallen asleep in awkward positions, joyously enjoying hibernation in happiness.

And with that, our boat pulls back into the loading area; we disembark, head up a flight of stone stairs, and reenter Thunder Mesa, ready for a new adventure on the frontier, or maybe even a return trip on the Western River Expedition.

However, that's not all Thunder Mesa has to offer. Off to the right-hand side of Thunderbird Peak (the town is on the left-hand side), is the Big Thunder Ranch.

My reasoning for this area is based on the fact that there used to be a ranch like this one in Disneyland (which was removed to make way for Star Wars Land) and the fact that a ranch already exists on property--namely, the Tri Circle D Ranch at Fort Wilderness. It made sense to use this area as a day home for some these animals, especially the ones that already travel to the MK. This would be unique for the park and serve as a secondary draw back to this corner of the park. Basically the front area would be a petting zoo like area for smaller animals like sheep or goats and the rear larger area would be for the horses, including a covered viewing barn.

And with that, we've covered Frontierland. So, let's head back on the keelboat and ride back to the mainland, and move on to the next land...Liberty Square.
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There we have it...Thunder Mesa and the Western River Expedition. See ya in the next post!

 

[DisneyManOne]

From this Gateway stirs a new nation waiting to be born. Thirteen separate colonies have banded together to declare their independence from the bonds of tyranny. It is a time when silversmiths put away their tools and march to the drums of a revolution, a time for gentlemen planters to leave their farms and become generals, a time when tradesmen leave the safety of home to become heroes. Welcome to...

​

Continuing off of Frontierland, past the Shootin' Arcade, guests continue along the edge of the Rivers of America, and into Liberty Square. Serving as a border between the settings of Frontierland and Liberty Square is the Diamond Horseshoe, a sit down restaurant, specializing in good, old-fashioned western food and root beer. The location also hosts the beloved Diamond Horseshoe Saloon Revue, which will make its triumphant return.

​

Located just off of the Diamond Horseshoe Saloon is the Liberty Tree Tavern sit-down restaurant, a quaint, charming tavern, boasting the best of the best kinds of Thanksgiving foods one could find. The Liberty Tree Tavern is one of the best locations to get a good meal in all of the Magic Kingdom and boasts plentiful, hearty food.

Continuing on from the Liberty Tree Tavern, guests enter into the Liberty Tree Plaza. In the center of the plaza, a 100-year old oak tree, the Liberty Tree, stands, towering over the surrounding colonial buildings of Liberty Square. Cascading down from the branches of the Liberty Tree are several lanterns, representing the thirteen colonies. Located nearby the Liberty Tree, is a molded replica of the Liberty Bell. Surrounding the Liberty Bell are the state flags from each of the original 13 states, as well as the American flag. In this plaza, certain people--like Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and the like--meet guests.​

Off to the right of the Liberty Tree is a pathway, leading back to the hub of Main Street, U.S.A. The pathway connects back to the central hub of the park, just in front of Cinderella Castle. Along this pathway is Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe, a small, but varied holiday store, which boasts Christmas items throughout the entire year.

​

Just off of the shop, there is a pathway leading back to the entrance of Adventureland. Nearby this pathway is a gazebo, where Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen, from The Princess and the Frog, host meet & greets.

Right in-between Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe and Liberty Tree Tavern is a small three-sided shady courtyard. Here, you'll find Hawthorne's Cider Mill, a real working cider mill where apples are crushed to make juice, cider and other apple-related products. Of course, the products made here are distributed and sold to many restaurants here in the Magic Kingdom. Also here is an old-fashioned bakery, where sweets from the early days of America are made right before your eyes.

Directly across from Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe is Sleepy Hollow, a colonial eatery, which boasts amazing funnel cakes, waffles, ice cream sandwiches, muffins, coffee and hot chocolate and other delectable treats. Sleepy Hollow features an outdoor seating area, which offers a wonderful view of the courtyard in front of Cinderella Castle. Sleepy Hollow also offers a small covered seating area, which features a small, almost hidden, forested pathway, leading to the backside of Cinderella Castle. The pathway offers amazing view of both Main Street U.S.A. and Cinderella Castle.

On the back end of the Sleepy Hollow seating area, there is an alcove, leading back into the heart of Liberty Square. The alcove cuts through several buildings and leads back into the Liberty Tree plaza, just on the other side of Sleep Hollow. To the right is The Hall of Presidents. The attraction is hosted in a building modeled after Philadelphia's Independence Hall. The audio-animatronic show is hosted by Morgan Freeman, depicting a brief presentation of the history of America, followed by the introduction of all of the presidents who have led America in the past. The attraction features complete speeches given by former presidents Abraham Lincoln and George Washington, as well as current President of the United States, Barack Obama.

​

Nearby is Heritage House, a store that doubles as a historical research center, where curious park-goers can learn more about the history of our great nation. The characters from Pocahontas often meet guests a few steps away.

Now, let's address the elephant in the room regarding this area: the Liberty Square Market and subsequent seating area.

Rarely-used, takes up space, it's gotta go. Interestingly, the original plans for Liberty Square involved two small New Orleans Square-type streets--one where the Liberty Bell display is now, and one where this seating area is now.

Now, of course, I wouldn't really touch the Liberty Bell. Besides, as this picture shows, two small buildings can easily fill the space the seating area and market takes over.

Here is a rendering of DL's proposed Liberty Street from the early 60's to illustrate the "look" of these buildings and small lanes.

There are various craftsman shops in these buildings, like a woodcarver's shop, an apothecary, a print shop, a glassblowing studio, and a blacksmith barn, each staffed by real craftsmen practicing their skills.

One of the shops here is the Finery, a store that stocks many goods from the early days of America. This store has a special "cellar" that leads to underground access to the landing station for the Liberty Belle Riverboat, a beautifully decorated tiered riverboat, which embarks down the Rivers of America on a twelve minute voyage. Of course, this creates the illusion that the store owner receives his deliveries from freighters that come up to the dock. In fact, a little freighter is docked right nearby, making the area look like a busy port.

​

To the right of the Liberty Belle Riverboat entrance, a slope leads up into the final section of Liberty Square, as the colonial buildings start to close into a small courtyard. On the left, the Columbia Harbour House offers a quaint dining experience, as the dining hall is filled with ship ornaments, harbor sculptures, seaside paintings and other sea lore. The menu consists of seafood-based dishes, such as shrimp, lobster rolls, calamari, along with salads. One of the new buildings here connects to the second floor of the restaurant, which will receive a special--yet private--dining room.

Across from that is a dock for the Mike Fink Keel Boats, which also take guests around the Rivers of America, making a stop to pick up or drop off guests at Thunder Mesa.

To the right is a passageway, leading into the next land of the Magic Kingdom, Fantasyland. Ahead of the Columbia Harbour House is the Memento Mori store, a small but quaint store, which almost looks as if it is a colonial maid's den. The location specializes in merchandise themed around the Haunted Mansion, as well as The Nightmare Before Christmas. On the porch of the shop are two small rocking chairs, overlooking the rest of Liberty Square.

Ahead, looming high on a hill lies The Haunted Mansion, which seems to overlook all of Liberty Square and the Rivers of America. The Haunted Mansion welcomes guests to take a delighfully devilish trip through the haunted, decaying estate, home to 999 happy haunts...but there is always room for one more. The only major change I'd make here is to get rid of the expanded interactive queue and scale the queue back to the way it used to be.

​

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And on that note, we'll end the post here. In the next post, we'll get to explore my personal favorite land in the park, Fantasyland. See ya then!

 

[Twilight_Roxas]

Chance that the Hatbox Ghost will be in MK's Haunted Mansion?

 

[Brer Panther]

Out of curiosity, do you think you'll be doing threads like this for the other parks?

 

[DisneyManOne]

Chance that the Hatbox Ghost will be in MK's Haunted Mansion?

Not that I know of.

Out of curiosity, do you think you'll be doing threads like this for the other parks?

Yes, I am. I don't know about doing Animal Kingdom or not, but Hollywood Studios is a definite yes.
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Make a wish...you're about to enter a world where classic Disney stories leap off the screen and come to life like never before. Here is a land where elephants fly, teacups dance and every corner holds a bit of the magic of dreams come true. If the Magic Kingdom has a heart, it is surely here. Welcome to...

​

With the easternmost portion of the park well behind us, things take a more fantastical turn as we cross the mighty drawbridge spanning the Hub's lagoon and approach Cinderella Castle, gateway to Fantasyland.

Stepping foot within the castle, we are immediately "welcomed" by an orchestral medley of "When You Wish Upon a Star", "Once Upon a Dream", "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" and "Someday My Prince Will Come". You can listen to this medley in the video above. The sheer size and magnificence of Snow White Castle is fully realized once inside the castle's lavish interior, laden with decor reminiscent of the medieval era; vivid tapestries, stone statues, fine-glass windows, and hand-crafted glass mosaic murals illustrating the tale of Walt Disney's classic, Cinderella.

The Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boutique resides on the first floor of the castle, the broom closet-turned abode of Cinderella's Fairy Godmother. In this enchanted chamber inhabited by chattering mice and whistling bluebirds, children of all ages are allowed the chance to magically transform into his or her own favorite Disney character(mostly princesses), a dream come true for many a youngster.

A few paces away, a staircase leads to Cinderella's Royal Table, a sit-down restaurant. Held in a hall decorated with with royal shields, flags, massive stained glass windows, and huge medieval chandeliers. The restaurant provides stunning views of Fantasyland, in addition to character appearances--notably Cinderella, Snow White, Aurora, Ariel and Belle--throughout the course of each meal. In addition, the Fairy Godmother, as well as Jaq, Gus, Suzy and Perla often meet guests nearby the castle every day.

A climb to the third-floor takes us to the closed-off residence of the Cinderella Castle Suite, an in-park hotel suite if you will. Only reserved for those of us with special circumstances (or taking a guided tour of the park), the Cinderella Castle Suite is an immersive gem hidden within the castle walls, a luxurious penthouse suite of fantastical proportions. With a master bedroom, jacuzzi-tub, and stunning view of Fantasyland, the Cinderella Castle Suite is truly and quite literally the suite of our dreams...

Just outside of the castle, leading down a path on the right, lies Cinderella's Wishing Well. On the path leading to the left behind the castle, guests pass Le Fontaine de Cendrillon. Small yet beautiful, this fountain features a bronze sculpture of Cinderella. And if you look at it just so, you'll notice that the crown in the mural behind the sculpture is positioned right on the sculpture's head. The path continues passing to the Sleepy Hollow quick-service restaurant in Liberty Square.

But now, it is time to leave the splendor of Cinderella Castle behind and enter Storybook Village, a quaint little village with architectural inspiration derived from the likes of Bavarian, Swiss, and Tudor-styles. Cobblestone streets lead the way past the ornate buildings and beautiful gardens. The existing Bavarian-style architecture remains, albeit touched up a bit to better match the new architecture being added. All of the original Renaissance fair tents have been removed in favor of this new Village setting. Minstrel-style arrangements of classic Disney tunes and non-Disney tunes alike fill the air, creating a sense of medieval trade and fellowship. The glistening shape of Cinderella's Golden Carrousel sits front and center in town, its 90 wood-carved ornate horses--and one intricately carved chariot--circling merrily. Luscious musical arrangements of Disney classics are "self-played" by the carousel.

The Sword in the Stone rests in front of the carousel, unable to be pulled by even the strongest of would-be knights. An inscription above the sword reads: "Whosoever pulleth out this sword of this stone and anvil is rightwise ruler born of England." At certain times in the day, Merlin the Magician comes around for the Sword in the Stone Ceremony. Here, Merlin invites kids up to the mighty sword and test their strength. The best part? Whoever pulls the sword out becomes the king or queen of Fantasyland!

​

Among the "storybook" architecture, we find a collection of various shops and adventures, each representing the world of fantasy better than the last. To our right, the first building we see is Castle Couture store, which is a fanciful European building, draped with ivy crawling up the sides of the building. Inside of the store, guests will find a bounty of Princess-related merchandise.

Just nearby is an old building, heavily influenced by the design of medieval Paris, decked out in banners and streamers, almost as if it was being prepared for a big party. Above the entrance to this building is a large bell tower, the bell of which rings to sound the hour. Atop this bell tower is a white flag. And if all those days of Shakespearean study in school have taught us anything, that can only mean one thing: a play is happening! Step inside this building and become part of a brand-new experience at the Magic Kingdom: The Hunchback of Notre Dame Festival of Fools!

To be quite honest, although I really enjoy Mickey's PhilharMagic, I feel that it just doesn't fit in with Fantasyland. A show highlighting the best of Disney music really belongs in Disney's Hollywood Studios, which is where this show will be sent. On top of that, The Hunchback of Notre Dame is one of Disney’s more underrated movies and features an array of beautiful music that makes its adaptation to stage very easy. With its darker themes and imagery, this is definitely a movie that is appreciated more by adults, but it still includes its lighter moments that children can enjoy.

Once inside the building, you enter the holding area, which is themed to look like the inside of a building like Notre Dame. Candles provide light, and stained-glass windows represent the main characters in the story. In one certain corner, the three gargoyles--Victor, Hugo and Laverne--have been known to strike up conversations with people. Yes, this holding area has an aura of beauty and wonder.

But the theater itself, however, is themed to look as though we've stepped out of the cathedral and into an outdoor courtyard. The stage is set around a medieval theater-in-the-round, with multiple small stages, decorated with colorful flags and banners, filling the audience's point of view, all wrapped around a central stage where most of the action takes place. In addition, the theater also utilizes a large wrap-around scrim to act as a sky and fake hills and trees, thus giving the illusion that we're really outside. A gigantic troupe of gypsy actors, led by Clopin and a quartet of flag-wavers known as the Vexilators, proceed to tell the tale of Quasimodo in the style of medieval play structure, bringing a new style of entertainment to the Magic Kingdom.

​

The show exits out into the Fantasy Faire gift shop. Held in a shop resembling a gypsy camp, the shop features mainly Fantasyland and Magic Kingdom merchandise, as well as merchandise based upon The Hunchback of Notre Dame. To the left of the theater is a small location, where Quasimodo, Esmeralda, Phoebus and Clopin host meet & greets.

A few feet away is a Tudor-style building, which serves as the home of one of the all-time classics here at the Magic Kingdom: Peter Pan's Flight. Here, you can board a colorful galleon and, with the help of some pixie dust, embark on a high-flying adventure, passing many of the unforgettable settings and scenes made famous in Walt Disney's 14th animated masterpiece. From the Darling’s nursery in Kensington Gardens to swooping over rooftops and beyond, buckle up for a joyous voyage to Never Land that’ll have you “hooked” on faith, trust and pixie dust!

In my plans, this classic ride has been given a massive refurbishment, with inspiration taken heavily from the recent refurbishment Disneyland's version had, as well as the version at Shanghai.

​

In addition, I also took inspiration from three other people's ideas for Peter Pan: @RMichael21, @Vipraa and @mharrington.

First of all, the exterior will now look like the one found at Disneyland Paris.

But despite the new exterior, the original ride sign (the giant cloud with Peter, the Darling children, Tinker Bell and Big Ben atop it) will still remain atop the entrance. Also, the sign will have LED lights embedded in it to make it glow with pixie dust at night.

The interactive queue will be removed, and the queue will be made over to better look like Paris' queue. Besides, I think it's foolish to go through the Darlings' nursery when you already go through it on the ride. In addition, some of the space will be used for the ride itself. Much like Shanghai, statues of the ride's characters can be found throughout the queue.

The ride itself will be largely the same, as there's not much room to do anything too fancy with it. However, the track and pirate ships will be scrapped and replaced. First, the fleet of ships will be replaced, allowing for more polished and new ships to fly to Neverland and back. But these new ships will feature two rows of two (similar to the Disneyland Paris version), allowing for a doubled capacity and parties of two, three and four to ride together.

The track will be completely replaced, allowing for a smoother ride and a more believable experience. With the current tracks and vehicles, the ships squeak along the track, taking away some authenticity.

However, the crown jewel of the new ride system is the additional Kuka arm disguised into the mast and sails of the ship. This new Kuka arm will allow the vehicle to be programmed with many new movements that the current system cannot do. Throughout the refurbished attraction, the vehicles will now tilt slightly forward, backwards or side to side. In addition, the Kuka arm allows the ship to rise or fall along the track.

The current Mary-Blair esque mural depicting Neverland will remain. However, at the farthest edge of it is a saloon-like wooden door, which swings open to let the ships begin their magic journey.

Now, let's move on to the ride itself. All of the scenes in the right have received a full work over and enhancement to bring the classic ride into the 21st century while still having the nostalgic charm of the original 1971 attraction. All of the audio animatronics in the attraction will be replaced with new, enhanced animatronics with full range of motion. In addition, all-new set pieces will be created, and state of the art LED effects will fill our field of vision.

You board your larger, more expanded pirate ship. The ride's Omnimover-esque loading system will be discontinued. This will be important, because if it was kept in, it would ruin the effect. What effect? I'll tell you later. As you board, you hear the current safety announcements.

Once all guests are aboard, suddenly, a projection of Tinker Bell appears in the nearby trees, spreading her pixie dust. As she flies through the trees, projections and mounted LED lighting the pirate ships begin to glow with pixie dust. Suddenly the ships come to life and float upwards and forward. The saloon-like doors open and we begin our journey.

We find ourselves in London, the moon rising high over the nearby houses. The house of the Darling family sits to our left. Making a left turn, we pass through a window and into the nursery. The nursery is as ornately-themed as all the other versions are. Standing nearby another window in the nursery, we see Peter Pan holding Tinker Bell in his hand, shaking her so that pixie dust is seen falling down upon Wendy, John and Michael, who start to fly. As we head out the window, we see projected shadows of the group flying beside them.

You go out the window as an instrumental version of "You Can Fly!" starts up. Nana floats nearby (as we can see, some of the pixie dust must have gotten on her), waving good-bye with her paw. We sail past some of the neighboring houses on the Bloomsbury street the Darlings call home. The ships really come alive here bobbing, tilting and weaving though the scene to replicate the feeling of flight. 


Then the ships pass through a cloud (simulated by a fog effect) to unveil a glittering London beneath them. The entire set has been revamped to make it glitter in the night while projections and LED’s add to the magic, including improved car effects on the streets and even the effect of the Thames' river's water "shimmering" in the moonlight. The entire room is surrounded by a large projection screen depicting the night sky. As we exit, we can see Peter and the Darlings flying past the moon (as they pass the moon, their silhouettes are seen). The ships then turn to face the "second star to the right", which reveals itself to be the island of Neverland. Tinker Bell appears via projection and motions for them to follow her.



The ships pass through another simulated cloud and suddenly they are flying right over Neverland. All of the water in and around Neverland will feature a projected, moving surface, adding realism. The cannon effect here from Captain Hook's ship is the same, but Hook and Smee's voices have been updated. Hook now says, "Here they come, Mr. Smee! Shoot 'em down!" To which Smee says, "Aye-aye, Cap'n!" and then fires. The ship quickly swerves to dodge the cannonball but guest can feel the wind rush by them. But aside from those, the scene is more or less identical as to how it has always been: same mermaids, same Indians and so on and on. However, the cawing noises made will also be updated to sound more like seagulls. In addition, more set pieces will be added to make Neverland feel more immersive.

So anyway, you end this part of the ride by flying past Skull Rock and from there, flying by the usual scene of the ride with Wendy about to walk the plank of Hook's ship, John and Michael and the Lost Boys lashed to the ship mast, the pirates all looking on and Peter and Hook dueling up in the mainbrace. Here, the figures of Hook and Pan are improved and more convincing as their blades somehow connect. Also, so that Hook can duel with his sword instead of his hook (as is the case in the ride now, bizarrely), the positions of the two will be switched, so that now Peter Pan is on the left and Hook on the right. This is also to keep the hook on Hook's left arm as usual (in Disneyland, it's on his right arm, for some reason). All the figures have been updated to fully animated animatronics giving real life to the scene. Meanwhile, the crocodile waits nearby, ticking away as usual.

Swinging around the ship, the pirates are all knocked out and the usual scene of a victorious Peter (now wearing Hook's hat and coat) and the Darling siblings poised at the ship's steering wheel as Peter tells Tinker Bell, "We're sailing for London." The ship now glows a bright shade of gold (in the form of fiber-optics which quickly covers the entire ship). You then see the usual scene of a defeated Hook standing precariously on the crocodile's jaws to avoid going into his mouth (the jaws actually try to scissor shut (with Hook's legs with it)). Hook calls out for help to Smee, who answers from a rowboat. The projected water effect will also be showcased in this scene.

Once past Hook, we pass by one more scene, direct from Shanghai. Two swinging doors made to look like foliage (a la beginning of Disneyland's Pooh ride) part to reveal Peter and the Darlings standing in front of Hangman's Tree. Peter bids us farewell, and gestures to Tinker Bell, who flies past sprinkling a curtain of pixie dust down onto the ship. We pass by a screen depicting the gold-colored ship flying off into the night, trailing pixie dust behind it. However, once it passes the moon, we see it become a cloud.

You then head to the unload area and get off to the right.

Near the exit of the attraction, Peter Pan, Wendy, Hook, and Smee make meet-n-greet appearances, often wandering around Storybook Village and causing general mischief.

Across from Peter Pan's Flight, the golden spires and fanciful shapes of a magnificent palace protrude high above the cobblestone streets and towers of the village. Something clearly tells us that this was not originally part of the village. The palace is comprised of structural formations of an odd variety, almost "Mary Blair" in style, a stark contrast to the rest of the village. Topiaries in the shape of animals from around the world fill the colorful gardens and planters, while quirky instrumentals of that ever-famous tune, "It's a Small World" constantly fill the air, each time portrayed in a different form of instrumental from a different culture.

The palace itself is a glistening, abstract palace representing various symbols from around the world. In the center of it all is the smiling face of a googly-eyed clock tower that rings off every fifteen minutes with a parade of "dancing" dolls representing a different country of the world. Inside this magnificent palace is the "happiest cruise that ever sailed," the beloved "it's a small world".

​

Boarding a brightly-painted boat, we set sail across the entire globe and visit the various countries and continents where children in cultural garbs and settings perform the titular song in their respective language. Better yet, the entirety of the cruise appears to be composed of toys and materials accessible to children, making this appear to be a trip of the world as seen through the eyes of a child.

Like its next-door neighbor, this iconic ride has also been given a massive refurbishment. Much like my friend @MANEATINGWREATH did when he went through his "Small World" overview for his excellent dream resort thread (http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/mews-dream-disney-resort-the-final-chapter.911687/page-5), I will go over the changes I would add to the ride.

For this new version of the Magic Kingdom classic, I've taken inspiration from the Paris and Hong Kong versions of the ride.

​

I should say, with this expansion, the ride building should be at the same mark as the backsides of the Beauty and the Beast/Little Mermaid areas of Fantasyland (which we'll get to later). The entire ride building has been pushed back a bit northern. In fact, the loading area should be at the point where the building for the nearby Village Haus ends.

In addition, I don't want to add in the Disney characters like Hong Kong and California do. I feel they just detract from the overall feel of the ride.

Also, I was recently talking with @MANEATINGWREATH for suggestions of what he would do to improve the classic ride, and he told me this: "The major problem with the Florida version is that the lighting is far too dark. Hong Kong, Disneyland, and Paris all have the distinct "gift" of being brightly-lit and overtly-colorful. Florida is overtly-colorful, but at the same time, much of this is lost due to the dim lighting. I'd say give everything inside and out of the ride a fresh paint job (maybe even add some new colors to certain aspects) and tone up the lighting by a ton. Everywhere."

With that said, let us begin our voyage through this all-new take on "it's a small world".

~The Exterior, Queue & Loading Area~

Having found ourselves captivated by the grand palace, and wanting to see what exactly is inside, our attention is first pulled towards that of a large fountain in the shape of the globe, topped by a boat filled with happy children. On board, each child represents a different nation: Saudi Arabia, China, England, Australia, America, etc., whilst Renaissance-era flags bearing the title of the attraction protrude from among their two-dimensional shoulders.

Surrounding the fountain are more flags, are various other flags depicting the ride's name written in a language other than English (i;e "Le monde est petit", "Es ist eine kleine Welt", "Es un mundo pequeño", etc.). Lampost-decorated walkways pointing the way towards Small World Palace, the not-so-humble abode of our impending adventure. Quirky instrumentals straight from the 1964-1965 World's Fair fill the air.

The original indoor loading area has been completely torn down and re-built in a whole new way. Instead of being crammed up underneath a roof, the magnificent pink, yellow, white and blue (the exact same shade Disneyland's Small World was when it was sponsored by Mattel) spires of Small World Palace stand tall above the surrounding plaza, a lasting tribute to the universal concept of peace on earth and goodwill towards men.

From within the palace walls, the triumphant sounds of that all-too-familiar song ring out, majestic fountains spewing on either side of the crystal-clear lagoon in the forefront. Topiaries crafted into the shape of various animals serve as a perfect compliment to the various landmarks and familiar icons crafted into the palace walls.

Front and center is the smiling face of the iconic Clock Tower, the Rolly Crump-designed landmark. As with other takes on the venerable tower, every fifteen minutes, the constantly churning cogs and gizmos on the facade begin to protrude and sound off like a cuckoo clock, halting the ongoing music. With a dramatic drumroll, a sextet of musical tin soldiers emerge from the tower's walls, signaling a parade of dolls to emerge from the tower's base and circumnavigate the smiley-faced structure to the tune of the titular song. Each doll represents one of twenty-four countries, dressed in garbs respective to their country. At the conclusion of the parade, the Clock Tower concludes with a series of gongs and chimes in beat with the current time (like a grandfather clock), the time itself displayed from an opened-panel beneath the tower's "face." Intrigued, we dart towards the palace.

After meandering a bit through a series of sheltered-switchbacks, past animal-shaped topiaries, wavy-hedges, and colorful flowerbeds, we make our way down to the docks of the aforementioned lagoon where brightly-colored boats(also known as bateaux) gently pull in and out of the densely-populated harbor. Much like Paris, the loading area is completely covered. This covered loading area will be a welcome addition the ride, shielding guests from the harsh Floridian elements.

As an added detail, medieval shields representing the flags of various nations (i.e. United States, Australia, Germany, Italy, etc.) are placed on the railings separating each row prior to boarding, a feature currently unique to the Magic Kingdom. Being gestured to the first row by a friendly dockhand in a straw hat and polo shirt, we patiently wait our turn to set sail on the happiest cruise that ever sailed.

As our boat departs from the dock, an unseen woman states, "Welcome to "it's a small world"! For your safety, please remain seated throughout your voyage, keeping your hands, arms, feet and legs inside the boat. And please, watch your children. Thank you." This same safety spiel is played several more times and in multiple languages, including but not limited to Spanish, Japanese, German, French, Mandarin, Maori, Cantonese, and so on. Even if America is a primarily English-speaking continent, the point of "it's a small world" is to apply a universal message of peace and love, making everyone feel welcome no matter what their country of origin.

As our boat draws closer to the palace (where the canal feeds into a small opening in the palace's right-hand side rather than the usual Clock Tower), John Debney's sweeping instrumental of the Sherman Brothers classic begins to draw closer and closer, gradually overpowering the quirky instrumentals of the World's Fair.

​

In a mere matter of seconds, we gently drift inside the palace walls for our tour of the world as seen through the eyes of a child, starting with...

~The Hello Room~

As the boats enter the show building, they travel through a long tunnel. Taking a page from Hong Kong's book, the area will be filled with Mary Blair-esque flowers reading "Hello" in various languages. Expect to see "Aloha," "Hola," "Hallo," "Bonjour," etc. Above the section of wall leading into the European scene, is a large banner reading "Welcome", being "held up" by four birds.

We sail under the banner and into the blue. The titular song, having been heard in instrumental form for the past few seconds gives way to its first sung incarnation.

~The Arctic~

Our first stop on our musical tour of nations is the Arctic. The lights of the Aurora Borealis illuminate the scene from above, whilst snow-capped mountains and glittering white glaciers appear from all around us, fully immersing us into the mystical realm of the far-Northern Hemisphere. To our left, a koala-like polar bear paddles a kayak oar in circles from atop a googly-eyed beluga whale slowly lowering up and down beneath the surface of the Arctic Ocean. From atop a narrow glacier, a pair of eskimos facing back-to-back go fishing, a blue walrus caught on one eskimo's line, a flower-spotted seal on the other's, said seal balancing a fish on its nose. In the background, eight smiling reindeer bob their heads side-to-side from the snowy mountaintops, a multi-storied igloo topped by a barbershop pole sitting between the fourth and fifth deer. Closer to the water's edge, an eskimo clutching a trio of fish stands back-to-back with a tall polar bear pointing in the opposite direction towards a sign that reads "The North Pole." Nearby, another polar bear spins around in circles on its bottom aboard a floating ice platform, closely neighbored by an all-white seal also spinning around its bottom, which in turn is neighbored by a small Arctic fox spinning around in circles on its bottom. A pair of Norwegian-inspired gnomes, hand-in-hand also spin around in circles, taking advantage of the natural skating rink.


~Europe~

Passing under the Aurora Borealis, we drift into the expansive continent of Europe, where the song is sung not just in a British-accented English, but also in French, Italian, German, Spanish, etc. It all changes depending on what part of the continent we find ourselves in. From the "heavens" above, clowns in hot-air balloons, acrobats on tightropes, and children attached to balloons soar about in hectic directions, a visual compliment to the scenes below. I want to keep the existing scenes almost as close to the original version as I can, so our trip through Europe will begin with the Scandinavian scene immediately facing us to our right.

Although Scandinavia and the Arctic are very close in proximity and clime (hence, why we begin here from the Arctic), Scandinavia here is represented not through ice and snow, but through colorful mountains, giant flowers and hills given the markings of abstract Swedish art, also done in the Mary Blair-style. A large clock-like sun overlooks the area (actually telling the time), whilst Scandinavian children sing the titular song from opened-songbooks, swaying in perfect unison. Shimmering waterfalls pour down from an overhead ice-skating rink where a boy and girl in warm, winter clothing go for a perpetual skate. An overhead chalet of Swedish influence rests in a pile of partially-melted snow, a half-melted snowman at its doorstep. Norway finds its representation in the form of a smiling dragon-headed Viking ship swaying back and forth upon the high seas, a trio of Viking children singing from on deck. Non-Frozen trolls, a la Maelstrom, happily pick flowers.

Right next to Scandinavia, a musical band of toy soldiers guard the gates to Copenhagen's Tivoli Gardens. From there, London Bridge appears up ahead, topped by a double-decker buss filled with children, a pair of flag-waving boys sporting the colors of their favorite football team, and guarded by a Buckingham Palace guard slowly clogging to the music. Along both towers of the bridge, two dolls dressed like soldiers move their staffs in time to the music. Just to the right of the bridge is a checkerboard-colored Big Ben with a rapidly-spinning clock, backed by the skyline of the London Eye, Tower of London, Parliament Building, and Buckingham Palace. A large checkerboard laid out before the skyline plays home to several large chess pieces, including a stylized-king and queen whom spin around wildly. Directly above London Bridge hangs a smiling crescent moon.

Once under London Bridge, we find France to our right. The Eiffel Tower, painted in shades of red, white and blue--the colors of the French flag--stands high in the middle of this large European scene. In the forefront, a slew of cancan dancers "weeing" and "ooh la-la-ing" in time with their kicks perform a routine. A ballerina spins around in circles with her dance partner, much to the enjoyment of a nearby French poodle.

To our left is Scotland, represented by a bagpipe-player atop an old tower. In the background, a strange goat-like creature munches on a kilt from a plaid-colored hillside ridden with ancient castles. In time with the music, the goat and the hillside change colors. Nearby, the massive serpentine neck and head of the Loch Ness Monster protrudes from the waters, slowly rocking from side to side. From atop the beast's nose, a boat filled with smiling children throw their arms up in glee, as if the monster was a thrill ride. Closely following Scotland is the Emerald Isle of Ireland, represented through a multitude of massive shamrocks, a glistening rainbow, clogging Irish children, and several leprechauns, one leprechaun poking in and out of a large pot of gold.

Following Ireland, The Netherlands appear on the left-hand side, marked by a series of colorful windmills, giant flowers, and wooden shoe-wearing children clicking their heels from within giant flower buds. A girl with a shepherd's crook conducts a trio of geese honking in time with the music. The windmills of Holland serve as a segue into the windmills of Spain. One of these windmills is being titled at by Don Quixote on horseback (after all, he believes windmills are ferocious giants). Sancho Panza, also on horseback, looks on. Nearby, a girl in an elaborate dress clicking castanets as she twirls, a Spanish boy on the guitar nearby. After passing by Spain, we find Italy right next door. A large gondola appears, rocking back and forth with its pilot on board. In front of the Colosseum and the Leaning Tower of Pisa, three Italian girls sing the song from opened-songbooks, swaying with the music.

On the other side of canal, across from Spain, Germany is found. A Bavarian-style house with a clock tower appears on the left-hand side of the canal, fronted by a toy train and a large dachshund-inspired slinky toy. German children playing a tuba, French horn, and trumpet, a la Oktoberfest, stand nearby in lederhosen, providing accompaniment for dancing German children.

The Alps of Switzerland next to Germany welcome us with the mighty Matterhorn. At long last, a little yodeler is seen on top of the mountains. We've all heard him, and it's about time we actually see him. There are also several cuckoo clocks marked by bell-ringing dolls in lederhosen and mountain goats rocking their heads from side to side.

After passing by Italy on the other side of the canal, Greece (which is oddly in the Asian scene here for some reason. Russia's also there for some reason as well.) is seen, marked by flying pegasus horses overhead (a la the hot-air balloons and tightrope walkers seen earlier in the ride), Mount Olympus, and a pair of sheep listening to the pan flute-stylings of their master.

As we prepare to depart Europe, we pass through a cave beneath Russia's Saint Basil's Cathedral where a trio of Cossack dancers twirl in circles and Russian girls perform a dance to the musical accompaniment of a fez-wearing bear playing a street organ. Nearby, Russian musicians provide an eerie musical transition between Europe and the next scene:

~Asia and The Middle East~

Here, the song alternates between Japanese, Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean, and Tagalog. With Greece and Russia moved to Europe (where they belong), their area in the room has been filled by an area representing the Himalayas. Nepalese children sing and dance on the streets and from the windows. In the background, the mighty Mount Everest makes its Small World debut...complete with a cartoonish Yeti.

I don't have much changes for this section in the ride. Therefore, I won't go through this as thoroughly as I do. I will update this with a full description of the scene sometime eventually.

~Africa~

No real changes here. This is one of the best scenes in the ride. The only change here is that the background behind the tambourine girls will change to look more like Egypt, complete with the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphynx (rocking its head back and forth), alongside a boy playing drums atop a pink camel.

~The Islands~

The islands are moved here, in-between Africa and the Americas. Unlike before, we begin with Australia's Great Barrier Reef tastefully mixed with the other regions of the Pacific Ocean. Greeting us first are several mermaids singing the song in gurgled English, along with several other underwater creatures donning sunglasses, straw hats, and leis. Once past the Great Barrier Reef, we find Australia on our left-hand side. Starting with the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge, we see a collection of Easter Island-type heads surrounded by a line of platypuses shaking their eggs like maracas, a kangaroo and her baby rocking back and forth, a Crocodile Dundee-type boy waving a boomerang at a puppy-like dingo, and several koalas munching on eucalyptus trees protruding from the water. An Aboriginal boy sails the high seas in his canoe, while several other Aboriginal children perform the song on instruments, including that famous didgeridoo we heard so much of in the Badlands...the major butte seen in nearly all images of the Outback makes an appearance here, as does the skyline of Melbourne.

On the right-hand side, Hawai'i and Polynesia find representation in the form of rapidly-shaking hula dancers, a boy on a teetering surfboard, and Polynesian boys spinning around in the flames of twirling volcanoes. Tiki heads and tribal masks line the water's edge, leading the canal path into the mouth of a Tiki Room-like structure, our entrance into...

~The Americas~

The infamous rainforest scene is moved to the beginning of this sequence. I notice the penguins in this version have that aqua ribbon dripping down in front of them, so I think it serves as a good transition. From there, the rest of the Central/South American sequence continues like it currently does, save for a new adobe-built archway dividing Central/South America from the next scene. At last, the Magic Kingdom Small World finally gets its scene based on North America. Children in the garbs of a Mariachi band sing in Spanish from atop the archway, but are quickly drowned out by the sounds of the song being sung in American-accented English.

As we enter the North American scene, to our left, we are treated to the sights and sounds of Canada. A child dressed as a Canadian mountie waves to us, happily singing along. A couple of head-rocking, smiling moose stand on either side of the mountie. a pair of Kwakiutl totem poles also move their "wings" up and down, standing in the foreground of a tree-capped mountain range. An ice-skating rink painted with Kwakiutl symbols also resides in the foreground, two hockey-playing children engaging in a match.

To the right is a scene from Hong Kong: a rugged Southwestern desert with coyotes and cacti. coyotes yip and yowl from atop red-rock buttes and clifftops, welcoming us to the Old West. A Plains Indian Chief pounds a drum from a nearby butte, joined by several Native American girls dancing and a trio of large kachina dolls opening and closing their mouths in time with the lyrics (so it looks like they're singing along, too). Nearby is a small western diorama featuring a saloon, hotel, and bank. Several cacti wearing bandito clothing rock back and forth among the desert rocks, while saloon showgirls perform a kickline on the saloon's rooftop, a cowboy tipping his hat to us from in front of the hotel. A horse and mustachioed cowboy toy roast weenies over a crackling campfire, subduing the right-hand side of the scene into the Midwest where rolling green hills, twirling sunflowers, and a colorful barn house appear. A smiling horse takes several children on a hayride, while a trio of scarecrows move their heads back and forth in time with the music. Along the canal, dolls representing Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher appear to go fishing.

The trees of Canada and the Old West segue into a trip through the United States of the modern-day. To our right, we pass by the colorful bayous of the South past some alligators and bullfrogs. In the background, a riverboat paddles by, the familiar silhouettes of Spaceship Earth and Cinderella Castle residing on the horizon. On the adjacent side, the Capitol Building, White House, Washington Monument, Statue of Liberty, Space Needle, Mount Rushmore, Empire State Building, Freedom Tower, and Lincoln Memorial all appear in a tasteful clump, a group of children dressed as American revolutionaries right out front, one dressed as George Washington, another dressed as Abraham Lincoln.

Washington, D.C. fades in favor of Hollywood where the glistening Hollywood sign appears. In the foreground is the Golden Gate Bridge, which serves as the exit of this scene. In front of the bridge, dolls dressed as "movie stars" pose on a red carpet, backed by searchlights and surrounded by "paparazzi" children taking flash pictures of us. The ride's only hidden Mickey is created by the searchlights when cast upon the ceiling. The boat passes beneath the Golden Gate Bridge and into the final room.

~The Finale~

Almost all the children of the world have gathered together in a purple and white room, singing the song--all together in English--in a triumphant finale. There are no real changes here. It will look just like it does currently, only with the new color scheme and a more elaborate set design. Before our boat departs from the finale, we pass beneath a large sun taken straight from the 1964-1965 World's Fair. Much like how the ride began, we pass under another banner carried by four birds, this one reading "Come Again". Our boat then passes through...

~The Goodbye Room~

This room is exactly the same as it currently is, complete with the all-new interactive screens. Once past this short passage, we then drift back outside, return to the loading dock, and depart to continue our day at the Magic Kingdom.

And with that, our musical tour of nations has come to an end. No trip around the world is complete without a trip through Small World Imports, a small, circular, Mary Blair-esque toy store that specializes in dolls, appropriate considering that It's a Small World itself is filled with dolls.

Nearby the ornate "small world" is a small area themed around the movie Tangled.

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If you enter Fantasyland from Liberty Square, this is where you'll find yourself. The area does not offer any major attractions or meet & greets, but instead offers theme park guests a chance to simply rest and relax amidst a highly-themed environment. Rapunzel's tower sits atop a rocky waterfall (more trees will be planted to block views of it from Liberty Square), while other nods to the film include various Pascals hidden among the area, Flynn's satchel, Maximus' hoof-prints and of course, multiple frying pans.

Rapunzel and Flynn themselves often meet guests in the middle of the area (and oftentimes head out into the nearby Storybook Village).

Just off of "it's a small world" is the Pinocchio Village Haus, a quick-service restaurant which features mainly Italian dishes, such as pasta, pizza and parmesan chicken. Due to the refurbishment of "small world", the area will receive a new themed back-half. The back-half of the restaurant will now match the front-half, complete with those windows that overlook the area. A Bavarian-esque tower stands tall, separating the two halves of the restaurant.

That covers the left-hand side of Storybook Village. Now, let's talk about the right-hand side. The first building we see is quite unique. It's a small cottage...with a beanstalk curling up alongside it. This cottage is the home of Sir Mickey's, a shop which specializes in Fantasyland merchandise. You can also get items embroidered in this shop!

Continuing on from there, the next building you'll find is Princess Fairytale Hall. This is where guests to this kingdom can meet up with Disney royalty. There are two rooms in this hall: one featuring Cinderella and Aurora, the other featuring Rapunzel and Snow White. But you may wanna keep your eyes peeled...you never know who may drop by.

Plus, given that the tournament-tent facades are going down, the facade for Princess Fairytale Hall will adjusted properly. The facade will now look just like the facade for Disneyland Paris' Auberge de Cendrillon, complete with a replica of the pumpkin coach nearby!

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Going on past Princess Fairytale Hall, guests will come across the Castle Wall, which stretches all the way from Pinocchio Village Haus to Storybook Treats, an ice-cream shop that has re-located and taken the place of the rarely-used Friar's Nook. The wall is adorned with flags and tall turrets, as beautiful flower beds surround the base of the wall. Flickering, candle-lit lanterns hang from the turrets of the stone wall. This wall is also a good place to meet Lady Tremaine, Anastasia and Drizella.

What lies beyond the castle walls is a sight unlike any other...
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And that's where we'll stop for now. In this post, we've discovered the first sub-land of Fantasyland: Storybook Village. In the next post, we'll discover the magic of the Enchanted Forest. See ya then!

 

[DisneyManOne]

continued​

Crossing through the other side of the castle wall, guests find that they have exited out of the royal courtyard of the castle grounds and have stumbled upon the next sub-land of Fantasyland: the Enchanted Forest. The Enchanted Forest encompasses a key location in almost any major fairy tale - the woods. Tall trees of European origin provide shade from the sun, yet a sturdy hideaway for those wishing to evade the law or the eyes of any given wicked witch. At all times, a mysterious fog rolls across the dirt trail, providing a quaint but exciting sense of mystery amid the fairy tale setting. Trickling streams and miniature waterfalls roll along the side of the road, while the occasional cottage protrudes from among the tree trunks and treetops. Fiber optic LED lighting embedded in the trees make the entire area seem to sparkle in an array of magic.

We have a lot of ground to cover here, so let's begin our journey...into the woods.

Four classic Disney films are represented here in the Enchanted Forest, the first of which being The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.

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In the current location of Storybook Treats is Rabbit's Garden, a counter-service area serving healthy goods, like fruits, vegetables, salads and the like, as well as sweets from Kanga's kitchen, like Disneyland's popular Tigger Tails.

Nearby is one of my personal favorite rides in the park: The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.

It seems like every single Disney dark ride is getting a major refurbishment nowadays. So, as charming and whimsical as the ride is nowadays, I say we give it a modern-day upgrade. Besides, the current ride seems a bit outdated, so I see it as being a completely smart move to revamp the ride and enhance it to recreate Pooh's Hunny Hunt, the fantastic addition from Tokyo Disneyland. The new dark ride features amazing trackless technology, sending guests through the 100 Acre Wood like never before.

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I plan to make the most of the small footprint the ride occupies. As you can see in the picture below...

...the current ride takes up less space than its predecessor, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. I plan to change that with this new version of the ride. If you notice the white area to your right, you'll see it was originally used for storage and maintenance. This won't be necessary if the cars are trackless (I've heard that the vehicles at Tokyo's Pooh ride recharge their battery every time they go through the loading area). In addition, some of the space formerly held by Snow White's Scary Adventures will be used for this new ride. (I don't know if Princess Fairytale Hall has taken up all the space of the ride or not. Can anyone confirm that?)

Not only will the ride system be updated, the overall look of the ride will be updated as well. The character animatronics will be changed to look more like those at Tokyo. Over there, the character animatronics not only blink and move their mouths, but they actually look like real stuffed animals! As for the scenery, the 2D cutouts will be gone forever, replaced with full-fledged 3D sculptures (especially in the case of the Heffalumps and Woozles scene).

Now, let's get on to the ride experience itself. First of all, let's talk about the loading area. This is what the ride's loading area mural looks like.

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With that said, I'd replace that boring green wall with a mural, designed as the iconic "storybook map of the 100 Acre Wood" from the film.

Also, I'd turn the passage the honey pots exit the ride from into a swinging door made to look like the forest the ride takes place in.

Anyways, the first half of the ride will be exactly the same as that of Tokyo's Pooh's Hunny Hunt (albeit in English, of course). However, I won't put in the animated bit between Pooh and Christopher Robin, and just have the honey pots go straight from the loading area and into the Blustery Day sequence. Speaking of which, Owl's house will receive a new effect--it will rock back and forth as if it is being shaken by the wind. Also, the picture of Mr. Toad and Owl will be seen at the base of the tree, as if the wind has knocked it down there.

Again, the first half will be exactly the same as Tokyo's--the vehicles go through the Blustery Day, Tigger's Bouncy Forest, Pooh's house and the Heffalumps and Woozles dream-world. But, once they leave the dream-world, things will change a bit. Two new scenes will be added into the ride. What scenes, you ask? I'll tell you...

After exiting the Heffalumps and Woozles dream-world through that tunnel thing, we head back into the 100 Acre Wood. However, we find that this isn't the 100 Acre Wood we began the ride in. It has now become victim to a flood-inducing rainfall.

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This is basically like the Blustery Day scene, but we’ll seem to be higher due to the flood. Our honey pots will also seem to float along the water. Anyways, once we enter the flooded wood, the first thing we see is Pooh, who is sitting on a tree branch that we go under. He sits with 10 honey pots as he says “Oh, no! I must rescue my supper!” From there, the three honey pots separate, each one seeing a different gag. They could pass by Owl still rambles about his family as he perches on a rocking chair. Or, they could see Piglet, who is bailing while sailing atop a chair. Or, they could see Eeyore, stuck atop Owl's sunken house, as he complains “First the rain, and now this.” Sailing right by him are Tigger, Rabbit, Kanga and Roo, all in an umbrella boat.

Then, as the honey pots regroup, things get dramatic as the music changes, and things take on a darker tone. First, we pass by Pooh, stuck head-first in a spinning honey pot. Then, we pass by Tigger and Piglet, the former is trying to save the latter from a log. “We’ll save you, Piglet!” cries Tigger. “Oh, hurry, Tigger!” says Piglet. “It’s a very big waterfall!” And just as Tigger says "...Did you say..."waterfall"?" you plummet down one, getting spritzed when you land.

Now, of course, there's no way we could possibly stage a real waterfall drop in such a small space. So, here's what we'll do. I've taken inspiration from this post: http://pureimagineering.blogspot.com/2011/08/pocahontas-colors-of-wind-dark-ride.html. I think this will be a perfect way to simulate going down a waterfall.

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The three honey pots loads onto a turntable. They “fall down” the Virtual Waterfall while the turntable turns us a hundred and thirty-five degrees. The Virtual Waterfall is inspired by the Anti-Gravity Room at The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man at Islands of Adventure. Like the Spidey ride vehicle, the pots tilt, skewering our sense of perspective as we enter a new room. In the new room, we combine the set, physical effects, and film footage to simulate falling down when, in fact, we’re on flat ground. (In the video, this anti-gravity part takes place from 2:51 to 3:03).

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Let’s walk through the experience. As we load onto the turntable, we can’t see the Virtual Waterfall, because there’s a wall blocking it. As we turn, there’s a cloud of mist, which segues us over to the Virtual Waterfall.

The Virtual Waterfall is a traditional screen, showing first-person perspective footage of falling down into a lake. We do not actually see the waterfall in this footage...just a fall from a cliff into a lake. The further the turntable turns our boat, the closer the film footage zooms into the lake.

Between the honey pots and the screen, there are water jets. The water jets are angled at the screen. They create a sheet of water that skewers our sense of perspective, and looks like the waterfall, itself. At the end of the Virtual Waterfall, water cannons shoot up a burst of water right in front of the honey pots, indicating that we’ve hit the lake, and are now coming back up to the surface. Sure enough, we see trees, and rocks, and shoreline...

As we come back to land, a happy, joyful instrumental of "Winnie the Pooh" starts up, similar to what plays in this video (I've heard the full version of the track before, but I don't know where to find it. Can someone help with that, please?):

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Anyways, as we come back to land, we see a rainbow spread across the sky above our heads. The voice of the narrator says "At last, the rain went away, and everyone gathered together to say…” “Hooray!” yells the gang, finishing the sentence. We see that our Hundred Acre friends are throwing a hero party.

“Hooray for Pooh, too!” pipes up Piglet. “Speaking of which, where is that silly ole bear?” asks Tigger. "Over here, everyone!" Pooh replies from inside the honey tree. "But you can start the party without me." And with that, he happily starts to enjoy his favorite treat. The tree will, of course, be a 3D sculpture, and the tree's interior will look like this.

Finally, replacing the storybook pages we pass through before unloading is a giant animated storybook page, featuring the characters waving goodbye and text reading "...and wherever they go, and whatever happens to them on the way, in that enchanted place on top of the forest, a little bear will always be waiting."

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh exits out into the 100 Acre Goods gift shop. I'd change the exterior to more reflect a house in the woods, much like Tokyo's Pooh Corner.

In a special corner of this "house" is a display that looks like it came straight out of the opening credits of the Winnie the Pooh films...

Right nearby the ride is a meet-n-greet area, where you can meet Pooh, Tigger, and either Piglet, Rabbit, Eeyore or Christopher Robin, who will each greet on different days. The entire area creates a nice little setting devoted just to Winnie the Pooh.

Located just across the way, within the shelter of scattered trees, the guests will cross over a wooden bridge, a flowing river underneath, and come across the charming, quaint cottage of the Seven Dwarfs.

Leading off the trodden trail to the right, guests will find the entrance into the Seven Dwarfs' Mine tunnels. Inside, a winding queue leads through the sparkling mines, bringing guests to the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, a family rollercoaster, The mine train sets off, through the dwarfs' glimmering mines, before proceeding to twist and turn around the realms of the forest, passing over cliffs and beneath waterfalls.

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Snow White, the Prince and the Dwarfs often meet guests along the pathway leading to the cottage.

To the left of the quaint cottage, the guests will proceed through another small section of the forest, where guests will come across another small cottage, secretly kept within the forest: Maurice's cottage. Inside, you'll find a magic mirror that serves as a gateway into the Beast's castle, home of Enchanted Tales with Belle where guests relive the story of Beauty and the Beast, as told by Belle and Lumiere. They may even become part of the story themselves!

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When heading outside of the cottage, after crossing over a stone bridge passing over a river, which seems to run throughout the entire forest area, guests will find the looming Beast's Castle at the peak of a range of mountains just up ahead.

Upon coming closer to the base of the mountains, guests will find the entrance to the Beast's Castle at the base of the mountains. Upon entering the castle, guests can enjoy the wonderful Be Our Guest restaurant, which takes place in the Ballroom, West Wing and the Gallery. The wonderful experience is both a sit-down and quick-service restaurant.

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Back outside of the castle, continuing around the Seven Dwarfs' Mine Train, which is located right in the center of the Enchanted Forest, guests will come across Belle's Village, where they will find Gaston's Tavern. Inside Gaston's Tavern, guests can feast on turkey legs and root beer, amongst many portraits of Gaston...and antlers. Just outside of the tavern is a statue of Gaston, non-chalantly stepping on his sidekick, Lefou. Gaston usually meets guests in front of this fountain, as well as those triplets who constantly fawn over him.

Across the village is the Bonjour! Village Gifts store, which sells Beauty and the Beast merchandise.

Continuing out of the village and back into the forest, guests will soon be able to hear the distant sounds of waves crashing along the beach. From behind the new, beautifully placed palm trees, which seem to spring out of nowhere, guests will find Prince Eric's castle, amongst a rocky, lagoon backdrop. Glistening waterfalls cascade down the sides of the rock formations, as tall blades of grass propel from the beaches of the shore. At the base of the castle is a lagoon.

Let's face it--Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid is definitely one of the biggest disappointments among die-hard Disney fans. That's why I propose we get rid of it. But, despite that, Ariel's story will still be told here in Fantasyland, because I plan to replace Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid with something I like to call Voyage of the Little Mermaid.

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That's right, ladies and gents: the proposed Disneyland Paris concept finally comes to life here at the Magic Kingdom. Heading deep inside the caverns alongside Prince Eric's castle, we'll find ourselves washed aboard a large seashell suspended from the ceiling, a la Peter Pan's Flight, which allows us to float and "swim" through the magnificent world under the sea. Over the course of the next four minutes, we'll journey through the various sights and sounds of The Little Mermaid, with an emphasis on those classic musical numbers we all know and love...

To the right of the castle, behind a beautiful cascade of waterfalls, Ariel's Grotto is located. Inside of the grotto, Ariel, as a mermaid, hosts meet & greets with guests.

Right across from the attraction is Prince Eric's Village Market, a small food stand offering fruit, vegetables, chips and frozen lemonade. Located alongside the Village Market is Gadgets and Gizmos, which sells countless goods based around the story of The Little Mermaid, including--you guessed it--dinglehoppers.

On that note, I think I'll go get a snack myself. I'm gonna end this post right here, and save the next part of Fantasyland for the next post. So stay tuned, because the fantasy has yet to end!​

 

[DisneyManOne]

continued

The sound of the waterfalls nearby Prince Eric's castle soon fades into the distance as the sound of a calliope starts up. Right nearby the Little Mermaid area is the Storybook Circus area of Fantasyland, largely themed around the iconic Disney masterpiece Dumbo. At the entrance to the area, a large marquee bears the name "Storybook Circus". The area inside of the circus grounds seems somewhat temporary, and that's the point. The Storybook Circus had just recently moved into the forested outskirts just outside of the mystical forest, just beyond the castle.

Upon entering into the circus grounds, guests are met by streetmospheric circus Cast Members, such as clowns, mimes and baton twirlers. The entire area is a bustling interactive and entertainment ground for streetmosphere and live entertainment.

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Large flags and posters adorn the area, while the circus seems to stretch all the way to where a series of tents is located at the far end of the land.

On the left as you enter is the Big Top Souvenirs store. The entire store is inside of a huge circus tent, featuring Dumbo and Storybook Circus merchandise. The store also features the Big Top Treats snack stand, offering some of the sweetest treats in all of the Magic Kingdom.

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Immediately on the right is Dumbo the Flying Elephant. As part of the 2012 Fantasyland expansion, the beloved park classic has been relocated here, bringing a completely new experience to the attraction.

Guests enter into a circus tent, where they proceed to enjoy an interactive waiting area. Kids can pass the time by enjoying interactive games and entertainment at a giant circus-themed playground.

When the time comes to ride, you'll notice that the new Dumbo spinners, which includes an additional spinner to handle more capacity for the park, include several new touches to make the attraction even more classical. At the base of both spinners are scenic tablets, each depicting a scene from the classic movie. Below the spinning Dumbos is a new water feature, including a beautiful fountain. The Dumbos fly over the circular water feature, while the found cascades from the internal base of the attraction. At night, the entire water feature becomes illuminated with different colors, creating a vibrancy to the entire area. It is really something great to see!

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Just outside of the Dumbo the Flying Elephant attraction is a statue, featuring the several goofy clowns from the Dumbo film. The clowns are carrying hoses, each of them spewing water across the fountain. Dumbo himself, alongside his lifelong friend Timothy Mouse, often meets guests in front of the fountain.

To the left of the fountain, guests can find the Casey Jr. Splash 'n' Soak Station, a complete water playground, themed around the classic train from the film.

​

Just off of the playground, past the water features are three different food carts: a popcorn cart, a hot dog cart and a pretzel cart.

Just across from the set of Casey Jr. carts, guests will be able to find The Barnstormer starring The Great Goofini. The newly refurbished attraction features Goofy, opening up his own sideshow attraction, in which he invites guests along his aerocraft, before proceeding to lead them through a twisting turn through his circus grounds.

​

To the right of the Barnstormer, the Fantasyland Train Station is located. The next stop after this station is located back on Main Street U.S.A. The Storybook Circus Station is a quaint, beautifully detailed building layered in brick and beautiful gardening.

Just to the right of the Big Top Souvenirs tent, guests will be able to find Pete's Silly Sideshow, a meet-n-greet area. This area used to involve meet-n-greets with Minnie, Donald, Daisy and Goofy, but now, the meet-n-greet will feature more obscure characters. Pete welcomes the guests into his new establishment, a three-ringed circus, where he hosts a series of circus acts, featuring the Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf, Humphrey the Bear, as well as Clarabelle Cow, Horace Horsecollar and Clara Cluck.

Nearby the Sideshow is a small rest area. Shaded by a yellow tent, this place offers guests a place to take a load off, to charge their mobile devices, to just get away from the hustle and bustle of the park.

Exiting the circus area, the guests continue to walk through the forest, soon connecting back to the 100 Acre Wood of the forest. However, there are two more additions to Fantasyland...and I will get to those in the next post. See ya then!

 

[DisneyManOne]

continued​

Continuing east from Storybook Circus, past The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, guests will come across the next sub-land: an area themed to the wacky world seen in Alice in Wonderland.

These two pictures hopefully serve as visual aids as to what I'd like the ambiance of the Wonderland area to look like.

This picture here is what I envision the entrance to Fantasyland would look like from the bridge leading from the Hub to Fantasyland.​

Upon the arrival in Wonderland, guests find themselves in a world unlike any other. We've just "fallen down" the Rabbit Hole and into the curious world of Wonderland, leaving the general sanity and order of the Enchanted Forest far behind us...

Stepping into the aforementioned clearing, we are immersed into a realm of pure imagination, where Alice, the Mad Hatter, the March Hare, Tweedledee, Tweedledum, the Cheshire Cat, the White Rabbit, and the Queen of Hearts all meander about in full meet-n-greet mode, causing a whole lot of general mischief and mayhem amid the truly peculiar setting.

The realistic trees and foliage give way to multi-colored topiaries, giant leaves, and bonsai tree-like growths of varying colors and sizes, with finger-shaped signs pointing in all directions, whether they be up, down, side-to-side, below, above, etc.

Built into one of these trees is a door, boasting a version of the talking Doorknob from the film. The Doorknob is a full-fledged real-time interactive animatronic who, with the help of a nearby Cast Member, is always ready to engage in friendly conversation.

​

Giant plants and flowers surround guests at every turn. An interactive Caterpillar sits atop a mushroom, talking to guests.

In the middle of Wonderland is one of the most beloved rides in all of the Magic Kingdom: the Mad Tea Party.

Shielded from the elements by an overhead glass canopy with an intricate design (exactly the same as Paris'), we hop aboard a teacup for a mad spin around a massive, twirling teapot inhabited by the eternally-tipsy Dormouse. Paper lanterns and stringed-lights illuminate the "dance floor" as night falls upon Wonderland, creating a magical, yet eerie glow. As with other versions of the flat-ride, we are able to control the speed and "spin" of each teacup via a wheel in the center of the "brew." For guests of a younger age, this attraction is a must-see, similar to a certain flying elephant in a different area of the park, but for guests our age who get dizzy easily...well, we'll pass. The attraction is surrounded by topiaries of Alice, the Mad Hatter and the March Hare, giant leaves and vines, hedges and flowers.

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Right in front of the Mad Tea Party is the Cheshire Cafe, which specializes in breakfast, desserts and frozen beverages.

Just a few feet away, taking the place of the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway is a whole new experience here in Fantasyland: Wonderland Canal Cruise.

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This is a fanciful version of Tokyo DisneySea's Aquatopia. Here, you can hop aboard a strange-looking watercraft and take off on a bit of a wild ride. Your watercraft will twist, turn, backup, spin around in place, all while taking you on a seemingly random trip dodging jagged rocks, fountains, spinning whirlpools, and other watercraft. In the center of this madness is an animatronic rendition of the movie's "Caucus Race" scene, complete with Dodo standing on a rock in the middle of the running sea creatures. The direction your vehicle travels in is not random of course, but controlled by unseen technology borrowed from Tokyo Disneyland's Pooh's Hunny Hunt.

Although the watercraft look a little like bumper cars they never actually bump into anything. They also don't move very fast, and even through there are numerous twists and turns this attraction is suitable for kids and adults alike.

In-between the Mad Tea Party and Wonderland Canal Cruise is the quaint cottage of the White Rabbit is our first stop, home of The Mad Hatter. No, not the Mad Hatter, but instead a wide array of Disney-themed hats and clothing, including the ever-popular Mickey Mouse ears. Like the Main Street Department Store back in Eliasburg, we are allowed to have our names embroidered on any hat, but for a small fee, of course. An interior mirror in the shop for trying on hats often provides quite a jump scare when the Cheshire Cat mysteriously appears on the other side of the looking glass, bouncing his head around before quietly disappearing into oblivion.

A teacup sits outside the shop...a perfect place for a photo opportunity.

Also added is a rockwork edifice to conceal the Dumbo tent, and built into it, a Queen of Heart’s Observatory (similar to her castle in Paris), which guests can climb for dramatic elevated views of Fantasyland and the rest of the park. A little hedge maze sits nearby.

Heading back towards the main area of Fantasyland, you'll find that Cosmic Ray's has been removed. Why? Because since my vision for a Tomorrowland refurbishment (Tomorrowland 2071, if you will) will see that all original low, featureless, angular architecture be removed, it’s fitting that Cosmic Ray’s be removed, too. So, in its place, you'll find the Fantasy Gardens.

This lush, outdoor garden is as beautiful as anything you've ever seen. Here is a haven of trees, flowers, topiaries, statues and just pure beauty. Stone bridges pass over tiny babbling brooks that soon spread out into the waterways of the Hub. If you should stroll along the path's meandering pathways, you find yourself within eyesight of a picturesque gathering of five unique gazebos. At each magical destination, you’re invited to shake hands, share hugs, receive autographs and pose for photos with some of your favorite Disney friends.

As classic Disney movie music plays overhead, explore Fantasy Gardens at your own pace. You never know who you might see here in the Fantasy Gardens, because each day brings something different (much like the former Fantasyland Character Festival area). This, combined with the dedicated M&G locations in Storybook Circus and Fantasy Forest, fulfills the park’s stationary M&G needs.

As stated before, there are five different gazebos. Here's who you'll usually find here:

• "Heart" Gazebo: Spend time with a beloved Disney couple at this Victorian-influenced structure featuring a delightful heart motif.
• "Friendship" Gazebo: Here, any day could bring any one of your favorite Disney characters here in this beautiful woodsy setting. Expect to see friends like Aladdin, Mary Poppins and Bert, Pinocchio, Timon, Dopey, Robin Hood, Suzy and Perla...oh, just about anyone at all!
• “Toon Fair” Gazebo: Say hello to Mickey and Minnie Mouse at this festive circus-tent-inspired destination.
• "Fairies" Gazebo: Decorated in shades of green and gold, this is the ideal place to meet Tinker Bell (due to the Town Square Theater meet & greets closing to make way for Walt Disney: One Man's Dream).
• “Crown” Gazebo: Giggle alongside Donald and Daisy, Pluto, Goofy, Duffy the Disney Bear or Chip ‘n Dale at this royal octagonal abode.

But again, anyone could show up here at the Fantasy Gardens, so keep your eyes open!

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Across the way is the Fairytale Garden, which is used for meet and greets with Merida, the heroine from the Pixar film Brave.

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And that just about does it for Fantasyland. In the next post, we're gonna be heading out of this land and into the last land in the park: Tomorrowland! See ya then!

 

[mharrington]

How great this all is! However, I have a complaint...

Nearby the Sideshow, replacing the rest area, guests will find the entrance to a whole-new ride: Mickey's Madcap Circus. [...] I'm sure you want to see it for yourself, right? Well, let's go! (Credit to @mharrington for the ride idea!)

In the interest of time and space, I just wanted to express something: I'm not particularly happy with how the ride turned out. I don't think
Scrooge is a good idea because that might send out the wrong message. I'm also having second thoughts about the orphans in there. Instead, I'm thinking of going by @MANEATINGWREATH's idea for this ride, which dispenses with the orphans and instead features Donald not as a snake charmer but as a trainer of seals, who are to perform a Symphony of the Seas. But one seal, a baby one named Salty, has escaped and Donald tries to track him down.

But that's just my opinion.

 

[DisneyManOne]

How great this all is! However, I have a complaint...

In the interest of time and space, I just wanted to express something: I'm not particularly happy with how the ride turned out. I don't think Scrooge is a good idea because that might send out the wrong message. I'm also having second thoughts about the orphans in there. Instead, I'm thinking of going by @MANEATINGWREATH's idea for this ride, which dispenses with the orphans and instead features Donald not as a snake charmer but as a trainer of seals, who are to perform a Symphony of the Seas. But one seal, a baby one named Salty, has escaped and Donald tries to track him down.

But that's just my opinion.

Sounds intriguing! Although I am partial to the original idea, I'd really like to see this new idea. Is there a link or something that goes to that idea?
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The future: a concept that has captivated the imaginations of the human race for millennia. Some people like Leonardo da Vinci, Jules Verne, Isaac Asimov, and even George Lucas have dedicated their lives to the future and predicting what it might become. Here is a home to the legacies of these and other great visionaries throughout history. The twin orbits of innovation and imagination come together to creates exciting adventures for all to enjoy. Welcome to...

​

Entering Tomorrowland from the hub of Main Street U.S.A., the land's experience begins the very second we approach its entryway. Magnificent fountains (That glow in beautiful colors at night) spurt up from the river beneath our feet as we cross a metallic bridge baring the colors of green and copper. A neon, electrified sign reads the land's name. Just beyond the sign a metropolis of futuristic architecture and lighting make up Tomorrowland. Entering Tomorrowland is like entering a world of neon colors and bizarre architecture straight from the pages of a Buck Rogers comic book or the reels of a Star Wars film.

The entire land will receive an extensive refurbishment, not just in attractions, but also for the exteriors of the land. What do I mean by that? Well, I think S.W. Wilson of Ideal Buildout put it best...

"The 1994 re-do of MK’s Tomorrowland, intended to evoke 1920s/30s pulp Sci-Fi serials like Buck Rogers and Popular Science magazine, introduced a new design style to theme parks, sometimes referred to as ‘Deco-Tech’ (featuring riveted metal plates, glass domes, mechanical palm trees, extra-terrestrial rock formations, etc). I think this re-do was well-conceived and generally well-executed, including the brilliant Avenue of Planets night lighting package, the Astro-Orbitor and one of the best-ever pre-shows featuring the perfectly-programmed and -voiced S.I.R..

One thing that has always vexed me about the 1994 re-do, however, is that once you pass Rockettower Plaza, New Tomorrowland comes to an awkward end, and you’re back in Old Tomorrowland (clearly the land-wide alteration must have seen budget-slashing). There are a few adornments around Cosmic Ray’s (including Sonny Eclipse), but most of the major visual elements (Space Mountain, the majority of the Peoplemover track, Carousel of Progress, the Speedway) remain mostly in the old 1970s style.

Themed lands are like orchestras, and while each section has different instruments making different sounds, they need to be in pitch in order to deliver a pleasing end result. These two styles (Deco-Tech and 1970s Saarinenesque) do not harmonize."

So, with that said, I plan to apply the Deco-Tech architectural styling to the entire land (excepting the iconic Space Mountain). For example, in S.W.'s illustration for an improved Tomorrowland, which you can see below, he applied metallic fins to the rear 2/3 of the Peoplemover. He allso added new spires, domes and other ornamentation to the land’s buildings.

Not only will I have given the Deco-Tech theming to the whole land, but I plan to give the land a new backstory: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to...Tomorrowland 2071.

The concept is simple: the year is 2071 (WDW's 100th birthday) and things have changed. Once, Tomorrowland was a conceptual place - geometric exteriors to big, flat showbuildings. But now, Tomorrowland is (much like it is now) an intergalactic alien spaceport – a stop over for extraterrestrial visitors on their journey through hyperspace. In this new New Tomorrowland, a trip to Mars is as simple as a trip downtown.

You ever notice those rocks at the entrance to Tomorrowland today? They'd get changed up a bit to better fit this new backstory. You see, along the land's main entry, you'll see odd formations: crystals and rocks jutting up from the ground, undulating with light. Whatever these new, strange formations are, they seem to pulse with energy, creating an otherworldly, fantasy landscape. The story here is that these supernatural crystals – uncovered during the construction of this New Tomororwland – were ancient, buried beacons left by sentient beings. Now uncovered and exposed to Earth's sun, the glowing crystals are transmitting messages deep into space, drawing aliens who had long forgotten about Earth.

Now with a re-established relationship, Tomorrowland has turned out to be the perfect place for those aliens to rebuild their Earth port. This new, thriving metropolis isn't just conceptual place, it's a habitable one. People – and aliens – live, work, and play in this urban landscape. There are landed spacecrafts, shops and restaurants run by alien immigrants, and launch ports for you to travel into the wild reaches of outer space.

With this new refurbishment, Tomorrowland now is more alive than ever. Bridges, catwalks, and escalators have created an entire navigable second floor, creating a vast urban area that can be explored and viewed from many vantage points with shops and restaurants overhead, people passing over metallic bridges. The land is alight with neon shimmering off of metal and crystals glowing and pulsing. In fact, those supernatural crystals I told you about are spread out throughout the land, providing power to all of the area.

And you couldn't have picked a better time to visit Tomorrowland, because the spaceport is playing host to a "galactic World's Fair", giving reason for many of the diverse exhibits and attractions. Many of the attractions take place in their own special "pavilions", if you will (for convenience, the pavilions' names will be italicized). All of the attractions and dining facilities have been re-worked to make Tomorrowland a more coherent world.

Moving further into the land, on the left, is the Tomorrowland Interplanetary Convention Center. At first glance, you'll notice that the much-loathed Stitch's Great Escape has finally been removed. In its place is an all-new version of its predecessor...but with quite a twist. Enter Guardians of the Galaxy: An ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter. You read that right. Aliens have landed...as has Star Lord.

http://www./wp-content/uploads/2011/10/AlienEncounterRide.jpg

In case any of you cared to remember, the original ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter was a fantastic Magic Kingdom attraction that relied on the use of "3D sound" and in-theater effects to scare the living daylights out of park guests, centering around a man-eating alien that broke loose and menaced the spectators in the dark. Sadly, the attraction was plagued with complaints by those who did not read the logo, as well as being in the wrong park at the wrong time. This is no longer the case.

Jump ahead decades past Alien Encounter's untimely demise. Tomorrowland now boasts a new and far more light-hearted (but still scary) take on the would-be classic attraction.

Inside the Convention Center, we learn of the Guardians landing in Tomorrowland as per the request of X-S Tech chairman L.C. Clench to examine some strange alien relics found deep below Tomorrowland. Believing to know something of their origin, the Guardians invite us to take part in the demonstration and investigation of the relics. Starting with an introduction by S.I.R. and Skippy, back from the grave, we are ushered into a viewing chamber where the Guardians strap us in and unintentionally resurrect an unnatural alien creature that is centuries old and hungry for some din-din. Luckily, Groot and Rocket are both well-equipped to save us from the ancient creature. With plenty of wit, dark humor, and some definite thrills and chills, this modern day Marvel-incarnation of Alien Encounter finally accomplishes the dreams of all those Imagineers years and years ago who longed to create an immersive encounter with a bloodthirsty alien. The attraction exits out into the Merchant of Venus store.

​

Now, I, like many people, believe that Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor does not belong in Tomorrowland, especially with Pixar Place over at DHS. So, in the former space of the attraction, I'd bring back the attraction that replaced it: The Timekeeper.

​

Much like how Disney brought Captain EO back after Michael Jackson passed away, I'd bring back this beloved Circle-Vision 360 film to honor Robin Williams, who provided the voice for the titular Timekeeper. In this attraction, which takes place in the Metropolis Science Centre, the Timekeeper sends his droid 9-Eye (voice of Rhea Perlmann) through time via the time machine at his side. From there, we're transported through time, from the age of the dinosaurs into the future. At one point, we encounter Jules Verne and H.G. Wells and actually transport Jules Verne into the future along with us.

However, this film will be a bit different from what you may remember. The Timekeeper looks better than ever thanks to a new HD film (while the scenes remain the same to accommodate the Robin Williams/Rhea Perlmann dialogue; they're all new and reshot; even the Jules Verne actor is different) with new in-theater effects and magic. This whimsical attraction would be perfect for Tomorrowland, and to me, I don't know why they closed it down in the first place.

Just past the Timekeeper, in the right side of the land, is the "pavilion" for the Star Command Recruiting Center, the home of Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin.

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One thing that's sorta off-putting about this ride is that it's set through the perspective of a toy. So, with that said, I'd change the storyline around a bit and actually set it in the "universe" of Buzz Lightyear, much like Buzz Lightyear Planet Rescue at Shanghai Disneyland. Here's the official description of the ride:

"Guests will join a mission to help save the day on Buzz Lightyear Planet Rescue, an interactive adventure inspired by the Disney/Pixar Toy Story films. The immersive, new storyline combined with a new, interactive targeting system will make this one of the most engaging attractions at a Disney park. The attraction features cosmic visuals, animated targets, LED screens and real-time feedback from the targeting system. As the story goes, the Evil Emperor Zurg is threatening to destroy the home planet of the Aliens. Buzz Lightyear calls out for more Space Rangers and park guests become his newest Star Command recruits, boarding their own spaceships and shooting on-board blasters with individualized colors. For every target hit, guests rise higher in the ranks of Buzz Lightyear’s elite squadron."

​

With that said, I'd give the ride that new backstory and give it the all-new technology. I'd even update the ride vehicles to be look like the ones in Shanghai (the ride will still be an Omnimover, of course). I'd also give the ride a new, grander marquee, also like Disneyland's (seen above). The queue would be re-designed to look like Star Command's headquarters and the Buzz animatronic would be given a new spiel about the new mission. I'd even keep the speed tunnel in (in keeping with tradition of having speed rooms in this ride area).

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The attraction exits out into Store Command, which features merchandise themed around Buzz Lightyear and Toy Story. Just outside of the attraction location, Buzz Lightyear himself hosts meet & greets.

Across the way, on the opposite side of Merchant of Venus is the Auntie Gravity's Galactic Goodies snack location, which serves ice cream, smoothies and and other sorts of snacks. Continuing past the snack location, on the left, is Mickey's Star Traders, which offers Tomorrowland merchandise. Bridging the passageway from Tomorrowland to Fantasyland are two ‘Waterfalls of Light’, an homage to the original spires that once stood at the hub entry of Tomorrowland.

Now, as established in my series of Fantasyland posts, the Wonderland Canal Cruise attraction will take over the space formerly held by the Tomorrowland Speedway. Now, as you can see in this picture...

...there's a small building in-between the Alien Encounter building and the small forest area near Space Mountain. S.W. did not post what the building was for, but I'd turn that into a new attraction. Even though Stitch's Great Escape has been removed from its' current location, Stitch still does have a presence in the theme park. The Stitch Encounter attraction, originally from Hong Kong Disneyland, finds a fifth home (after Hong Kong, Paris, Tokyo and Shanghai) here at the Magic Kingdom.

This fan favorite makes it fifth home (after Hong Kong, Paris, Tokyo and Shanghai) here in Tomorrowland 2071. It seems like everyone’s favorite blue cosmic monster has “borrowed” Gantu’s ship for an impromptu trip. Thanks to powerful tracking devices, Crisis Command pinpoints his whereabouts and establishes interstellar communication. Stitch is happy to talk, tell jokes and play games with all his new friends, despite knowing the Federation’s hot on his trail.

After receiving an alert that Gantu’s boarding the ship, our furry little friend needs to find his space cruiser fast. Will Stitch escape and return home to his “ohana” before the Captain closes in? Find out by embarking on an extraterrestrial trek that takes you from one end of the wacky galaxy to the next!

​

Back in the center of Tomorrowland is Rockettower Plaza, where the spinning Astro Orbiter is located, looming over the rest of Tomorrowland. The elevator to get up to the ride area will be replaced with an elevator that fits the Deco-Tech styling.

​

At the base of Rockettower Plaza is The Lunching Pad, a counter-service location. The plaza also features conveyor belt ramps up to the Tomorrowland Transit Authority. The Tomorrowland Transit Authority is a pleasant tour of Tomorrowland, along the blue line unit of transit. The tour takes guests above the entrances to many attractions in the land, past Progress City, through Mickey's Star Traders, inside Space Mountain, past a light-cycle race (the old "World of Tron" thing that used to be part of Disneyland's PeopleMover, albeit digitally restored) and past Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. The attraction will also have its 1994-2009 spiel restored, which you can listen to below.

​

Now, if you've read my "EPCOT Center: A New Generation" thread, then you'll know I've made plans to move the Carousel of Progress to the World ShowPlace area. So, with that said, I've decided to turn the former theater area into the Galaxy Palace Theater. The theater retains the same look as that of the original Carousel theater (albeit with Deco-Tech styling), but the interior will be completely re-gutted and the rotating part gone. Why is this happening? Because a new show is coming to town, in the form of Plectu's Intergalactic Revue (I was inspired by @ScorpionX's concept for a new take on the idea, known as the Galactic Cabaret, so credit to ScorpionX).​

This is concept art from when the show was proposed for the "Tomorrowland 2055" project (from which this concept gets most of its inspiration) at Disneyland. The show here at MK would follow this sort of design.
​

Entering the theater, you see a very lavish lobby, combining the art-deco of the 20s and 30s with the NEw Tomorrowland (1994) motif. Adorning the walls are posters for such acts as "Mysteria the Magnificent", one of the galaxy's most talented magicians, and "Dr. Doodad and his Duds", a garage band from the planet Zork. To your right, you may see Security Officer Xyzzy sleeping in his booth with a half-eaten box of donuts. On the other side of the lobby is Garz, who manages the concession stand.

A cast members informs us it's showtime, and we enter the theater. It's a grand theater, one fit for a galactic emperor? Columns soar to the heavens, decorated with the god of extraterrestrial civilizations. At our level is a sea of seats, ready to accommodate the next set of guests. Getting seated, you may hear the voices of the aliens backstage getting ready.

A few minutes later, the lights go down. We are introduced to a friendly alien entertainer, the eponymous Plectu. After an opening number sung by Plectu, we're treated to a series of alien acts, including...

• Ulysses the Great, an alien trainer who kidnaps Earthlings (humans) and makes them do silly tricks (think the kind you'd see a seal or a clown do)
• Lady Mysteria, an opera-singing swamp monster
• Mysteria the Magnificent, a fine magician who cast spells upon the theater, causing glow-in-the-dark, water sprinkles, and bubble effects
• Narf, Darf, and Barf, a comedy trio, much like the Three Stooges, who perform a series of slapstick routines
• A choir of man-eating plants
• C-15 Baldini, a big band singer based on a mix of the Rat Pack members
• Dr. Doodad and his Duds, the previously mentioned garageband that performs a song from their "totally wicked mixtape that, like, the entire galaxy's gonna buy!"
• The grand finale, where all the acts come together to sing a "Thanks for coming" song.

Plectu's Intergalactic Revue should serve as a perfect way to showcase the "alien" aspect of the sci-fi feeling of Tomorrowland.

Located on the second floor of the Galaxy Palace Theater is the Astronomer's Club, an all-new restaurant.

To the right of the theater, another curved escalator takes guests up to the dining area. The dining area is at the center of the second floor with the edges open to the queue space below. Full size glass windows give a view out to Tomorrowland. The food and look could be pretty futuristic. And ever since Cosmic Ray's left to make room for the Fantasy Gardens, this is where Sonny Eclipse performs for the diners.

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No Tomorrowland has a really good futuristic table service restaurant so hopefully this could fix that.

To the farthest eastern edge of the Magic Kingdom, Space Mountain is located.

This is it...the grand-daddy of all Disney thrill rides. Originally opened here in 1975 (one of the few rides in the park to open before Disneyland's version opened), this iconic roller-coaster sends guests hurtling into the inky blackness of space on a wild ride. This attraction will receive a very extensive refurbishment. The ride's current tracks will be removed, and a new, single track will be installed, to model it somewhat as a mixture between the Disneyland track and the Walt Disney World track. The space of the Walt Disney World dome will also allow the track's to be somewhat longer in length. The attraction will feature all new special effects, such as LED stars, new projections, soaring through asteroids, a floating meteor shower and many more effects. The entire lift hill segment will be re-designed to simulate the rocket vehicles ascending towards space, similar to Disneyland's tunnel. Plus, @mharrington had an idea about a new music score for the ride. For the ride's lift hill, he suggested using this piece of music from the 1979 film The Black Hole.

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And once that music ends (and the video, too), the music changes into a custom dramatic music score, different than the music at Disneyland. He suggested a more dramatic version of this music here:

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One building that never sat well with me was the barrel-vaulted arcade plopped in front of the Mountain in 1994. It’s not so much the structure itself, which is okay in isolation, but its oversized-ness and placement. Space Mountain should provide a larger-than-life backdrop to the land and be made to look even bigger than it is (forced perspective). Attaching a large, out-of-scale building to the front side damages that perspective. What I would do is add shorter, more-detailed deco-tech facades that will mark the entrance to SM. There is a large fountain and two reflecting pools in the plaza, befitting a flagship attraction of the park. (Note the WDW Railroad passes through rocks like those found at the entry, bringing visual cohesiveness to the land).

Speaking of which, the pointless stage will also be removed from the land (and side note--the dance party that takes place there--as well as Move It Shake It--will be gone forever), and replacing it is the Stargazer Grill, a new quick-service restaurant. Break away from your travels through Tomorrowland at this open-air terrace—all while indulging in a variety of burgers, chicken fingers, French fries, Caesar salads and more.

The nearby bathrooms will receive some new theming. The roof of the bathrooms hold giant glass spheres overflowing with colored liquid which also runs through pipes and out of the building into the ground below. These kind of touches add up to be big differentiators in theme parks.

Across from Rockettower Plaza, in the space in-between Buzz Lightyear and Plectu's Intergalactic Revue, is a whole new experience. Frankly, I'm really excited about this next ride, that I think it deserves its own post. So, with that said, we'll end things here for today, and I'll take you on this new ride in the next post. See ya then!

 

[Twilight_Roxas]

I thought the Matterhorn Bobsleds was the grand-daddy of all Disney Thrill Rides?

 

[DisneyManOne]

I thought the Matterhorn Bobsleds was the grand-daddy of all Disney Thrill Rides?

That is true, my friend. I should've been more clear...Space Mountain is the grand-daddy of WDW thrill rides. Now, let's move on...
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continued​

You know how I said that there was an all-new addition here in Tomorrowland that I was really excited about? Well, here it is. Welcome to...

Adventure Thru Macro Space
Presented by Delta Airlines
​

As we all know, rather than being a glimpse into the potential scientific wonders of tomorrow, Tomorrowland 2071 is all science-fiction: a world of landed alien spacecrafts, pink and blue neon signs written in extraterrestrial languages, and metallic architecture. And what more quintessential science-fiction story could there be than Fantastic Voyage, where people shrink to microscopic sizes for a great adventure? Seasoned Disneyland guests may remember that this story inspired the classic Adventure Thru Inner Space attraction. Well, those guests will be pleased to see that this attraction will preserve its legacy, serving as a continuation of the original attraction’s story. This ride was crafted by @Basketbuddy101, who created the ride for a project in the "Nineteen Eighty-Four" competition, and it was too good not to include here.

Like many good Disney rides, Basketbuddy set up a backstory for the ride...

"Several decades ago, a shrinking experiment was conducted by distinguished men of science. The experiment’s success, while narrow, prompted the government to invest in shrinking and enlarging technologies, and thus, the Macroscopic Research and Observation Division (MROD) was founded. Since its founding, MROD successfully shrank several biological and non-biological subjects, subsequently returning them to normal size. Today, however, MROD is ready to break new ground by enlarging beyond earthly measure. Guests will make a fabulous journey into “Macro Space,” and instead of shrinking to the size of a snowflake, they will magnify past the Milky Way galaxy itself and several times over again."

With that said, let's get to the ride!

Guests are welcomed to the ride from Rockettower Plaza by a large domed building, blending perfectly into the rest of the buildings of Tomorrowland. This building is the headquarters for the Macroscopic Research and Observation Division--or MROD, for short. After navigating a small yet winding trail, guests look up at the attraction’s large-scale façade, its futurist design vaguely inspired by the style of the original Adventure Thru Inner Space attraction.

The attraction’s marquee looms over guests near the top-center of the building, along with the attraction’s sponsor, Delta Airlines, below it. Easily the best part of the exterior, however, is the iconic ‘Mighty Microscope’ display, which sits just outside the building for guests to see. This faithful reconstruction is truly a blast from the past, sculpted to scale and, according to the attraction’s lore, the same Mighty Microscope used in the 1967 shrinking experiment.

Guests are led through a series of winding corridors. The corridors are meant to look like offices, strange sounds bouncing off the walls from the inside. Like the original Adventure Thru Inner Space, the queue is not very expansive so as to retain the utmost of space for the attraction itself. Guests arrive at a moderately sized hangar of sorts, where the attraction’s omnipresent narrator speaks over a PA system.

“Attention, attention. Welcome to the Macroscopic Research and Observation Division. Nothing can prepare you for the journey ahead, for none have been so bold as to make the journey before you. Nevertheless, we can assure you that your journey to Macrospace, or outer space as you probably know it, will be a safe and successful one thanks to advances in space survival technologies such as our patented force field technology, an invisible protective and oxygen-supporting veil that stands between you and the unforgiving conditions of space."

Guests watch as other guests board navy blue omnimovers. The familiar vehicles travel into a strange, futuristic space shuttle of some kind, a faint red glow permeating through its sleek body. Guests board the familiar vehicle, which winds along the outer edge of the room and into the shuttle and into near-darkness.

“Our elders called them ‘Atommobiles,’ an amusing name to say the least, but hardly appropriate. We retain the name only for tradition’s sake. We’ve mapped out a safe course for you, and with that, your adventure to the unexplored realms of the universe, to macrospace, will begin. This shuttle will transport you past the earth’s atmosphere and into a magnification route, where you may expand without threatening any of the neighboring planets. This time-consuming journey will be greatly reduced by your session of hyper sleep. You must now prepare your body and mind as you begin to pierce the very fabric of normal MAGNIFICATION…MAGNIFICATION…MAGNIFICATION…MAGNIFICATION…"

The sound echoes all around. Guests see and hear nothing for a few moments, implying the passing of time. Suddenly, the vehicle emerges from the darkness and into the massive vacuum known as space. Guests feel a strong wave of air as they see the “shuttle” disappear into darkness. Guests find themselves in a sea of fiber optic lights resembling stars. A massive model of the earth is seen spinning below, the moon glowing gracefully in the distance, along with a moderately-sized sun model. Subtle shooting star projections fly on the walls as tiny meteorite models spin playfully before guests. The narrator makes contact.

“A beautiful sight, our home planet Earth, but miniscule in the grand scheme of the universe. You are approaching the first magnification route, and will soon reach the size of the sun itself. Perhaps even your friends back home may catch a glimpse of you at this size.”

Guests exit the first show room and enter the next, where they have apparently grown large enough to measure up to the sun. Guests feel a wave of warm air as they approach the sun, the other planets, including Jupiter, spiraling around it on hidden mechanisms. Special fiber optic effects send waves of “fire” at guests, sparking like firecrackers. With the use of a hidden fan, brightly lit red and orange fabric simulates “flares” that whip back and forth.

“The sun is an awesome sphere of hot gas, most of it hydrogen. Were it not for your force field, you would meet a fiery end at its hands. Magnification route in range.”

Guests expand yet again as the vehicle enters the next show scene. The sun is no longer visible; guests see only two large galaxies: the Milky Way and its neighbor, Andromeda. This show scene utilizes large, painted, swirling discs on hidden mechanisms. The discs are lit by black light, and spin gracefully before guests.

“The local group, a sight never before seen by the naked eye. Witness the beauty of our galaxy and the spectacular luminescence of our neighbor, Andromeda. The galaxies before you are but two of several smaller galaxies, and yet despite the seemingly-colossal size of this local group… an even greater sight quickly approaches."

The vehicles swim smoothly into darkness as guests continue to enlarge. At this point, the attraction resembles the original Adventure Thru Innerspace, as guests are sent into a seemingly-endless world of interconnected, web-like figures. This show scene will utilize large-scale projection screens to simulate a venture across the infinite landscape.

“Yes, of course, the Virgo Supercluster, a network of galaxies as far as your eyes can see. Each galaxy contains billions of suns. You are so infinitely large that even light itself is slowing before you…but how? Nothing can travel faster than light, or so science has told us. Be wary; yet another magnification route.”

The vehicle travels into a large blacklit show scene utilizing hand-painted mattes and fiber optics. Guests are met with a massive pool of bright pink, orange, and blue colors, all of which glow and swirl with the use of simple mapping effects.

“The cosmos, a network of 100 billion galaxies. Perhaps to the naked eye, it appears as little more than a spectacular collection of colors and motion. This awesome territory is…dangerous. We…we must return to our home galaxy before we are conquered by the perils of macrospace. Go back…go back. Go back…go back…back…back...[the sound fades away]”

The vehicles are sent into darkness. Strong gusts of wind blow from all directions as guests find themselves amidst what appears to be a black hole. With the help of hidden fans and carefully-colored black fabric, guests feel the sensations of being thrust into a hole of absolute chaos. The voice of the narrator is nonexistent as the vehicles travel upward through a thin, ascending tunnel-like show room. After reaching the top of the tunnel, the vehicles dip into the final scene in the attraction.

The vehicle enters an endless ocean of large, translucent bubbles. Inside the bubbles are tiny universes amongst themselves, all of them spinning slowly from within. Sharp-eyed guests may notice a moving eye peering at guests from one of the bubbles, a homage to the eye from the original Adventure Thru Inner Space.

“Yes, if you’re wondering, that was a black hole indeed. We may have lost contact with you, but you narrowly escaped by enlarging once more. Now behold the wonders of the universe on the largest scale imaginable: the Bubble Ocean, a collection of universes in their own right, but we cannot venture on, for although we can certainly push the limits of space, we dare not push the limits of the mind. Brace yourselves for hyper sleep as we prepare a shrinking route back to our home galaxy.”

The vehicles slip into darkness for one last time. All traces of sound fade away as guests “sleep” during the return to the Milky Way Galaxy. Seconds later, the vehicles travel through a cloud of fog as guests find themselves back in the familiar loading and unloading room.

“This has been the first of many future exciting trips to Macro Space in a never-ending search for answers in this vast universe. We hope that wherever your journeys take you on earth, you fly to new destinations on the ‘World’s Most Trusted Airline: Delta.”

As guests disembark their Atommobile, they travel down a long exit hallway, where a newly-composed rendition of the Sherman Brothers' classic song, “Miracles From Molecules,” plays on the ceiling speakers. The new rendition is modern yet faithful, composed by Michael Giacchino. Guests exit the building and find themselves back to the entrance and near the Mighty Microscope.

This concept, naturally, got the highest score of all the projects in the challenge, and for good reason: this is perfect! Basketbuddy, you really know how to make a good ride. I'm sure this will appeal to long-time Disney park fans, people who'd like to enjoy a relaxing Omnimover ride (i;e those who enjoyed If You Had Wings/Dreamflight) and those who'd really like to see a return to edu-tainment in Tomorrowland.
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Now, before we move on to the entertainment, I'd like to showcase what posters I'd like to see lining the entrance tunnels in the Magic Kingdom. So, I'll do that in the next post. See ya then!