What's next for MK, AK, & EPCOT?

It seems as if DHS will be getting the most "love" over the next year or two (or longer). Star Tours will be getting a refurb and MuppetVision will be updated to digital (as well as the addition of the WhatNot Shop). I'm going to assume its safe to say that the Monsters Inc. Coaster as well as a Cars themed area will be announced and built in Pixar Place eventually (who knows when though). I'm also going to throw out that the hat might be moved. I don't have any info, this is just a regather of what I've heard. So it seems that DHS has a pretty good line up of new/refurbished attractions.

Recently there has been a bit more talk about the Imagination refurb, but I guess there has been for a while. When it happens is the major question. So what is really next for EPCOT? :shrug:

MK is getting it's princess M&G land. I'm excited for LM and the restaurant, but that's about it. Is there any idea at all of what will happen in MK after this expansion is complete? Maybe I'm just thinking too far in advanced.

AK... I haven't heard too much speculation recently. (other than the persistent BK rumor everyone loves to throw around ) Is there really anything major in the pipeline for AK?

My last question/comment... the 5th gate. (everyones favorite subject :drevil It's been what, 12 years since a new park at WDW? The longest we've gone previous to these 12 years is 9 years. There hasn't been any announcements of a 5th gate, but does anyone really foresee a 5th gate opening in the next 4-5 years?


I'm hoping maybe some insiders have heard about whats next... if there is even anything. While I'm sure there will be entertainment changes for the 40th, I left that out of this thread as I'm just talking about attractions.

There's always talk of new countries for WS in EPCOT, but hard to fathom a country that has the budget to sponsor at this point in the world economy.

Replacing CMM in AK with an Australia based land or BK.

MK I'd like to see a few more attractions refurbed. Replacing SGE would be nice. I remember talk of extending out beyond the railway at MK into a new land.

Do I have any inkling any of the above is likely? Nope.

Honestly a 5th gate would probably come after a lot of advance expansion of resort capacity... Which doesn't seem to be happening [BLT notwithstanding].

MontyMon said:

There's always talk of new countries for WS in EPCOT, but hard to fathom a country that has the budget to sponsor at this point in the world economy.

Replacing CMM in AK with an Australia based land or BK.

MK I'd like to see a few more attractions refurbed. Replacing SGE would be nice. I remember talk of extending out beyond the railway at MK into a new land.

Do I have any inkling any of the above is likely? Nope.

Honestly a 5th gate would probably come after a lot of advance expansion of resort capacity... Which doesn't seem to be happening [BLT notwithstanding].

Click to expand...

I'm really hoping for some more MK refurbs too. Among them, Peter Pan, Tiki Room, and IASW. Tomorrowland as a whole (I feel) needs quite a bit of work. But the biggest thing I'd love is for Indy to come to ALand. It just seem necessary as it's SO popular in DL.

As for the 5th gate. I don't see it happening, but would a 5th park bring in more people to WDW? Obviously management wants more $$$ so would this be a solution, or just add to the problem?

Realistically and short term?

Fanland North

Energy or Imagination

ST2 and PP expansion

DAK.... depends who calls the shots. A few plans with no one willing to commit.

Exprcoofto said:

As for the 5th gate. I don't see it happening, but would a 5th park bring in more people to WDW? Obviously management wants more $$$ so would this be a solution, or just add to the problem?

Click to expand...

I've argued for a long time that Disney Expansion (not only over seas, but locally) can hurt the whole. A 5th gate means more drain on resources. Which means less money for refrubs and improvments to existing parks. Yes, this is a rather simple minded approach I am taking, but you get the general idea.

marni1971 said:

Realistically and short term?

Fanland North

Energy or Imagination

ST2 and PP expansion

DAK.... depends who calls the shots. A few plans with no one willing to commit.

Click to expand...

Is there a timetable on Pixar Place expansion?

AtHomeBoy_2000 said:

I've argued for a long time that Disney Expansion (not only over seas, but locally) can hurt the whole. A 5th gate means more drain on resources. Which means less money for refrubs and improvments to existing parks. Yes, this is a rather simple minded approach I am taking, but you get the general idea.

Click to expand...

That's true. Honestly, I'd rather see money spent on keeping up with the current parks then adding another one and see less refurbs/upkeep all around.

I think Disney can go a long way before they even need to consider a 5th gate. There are so many projects they can do at the existing parks for now.

After the Fantasyland expansion I think they will tone it down for a little while just because of the expense of the project. Though I hope we see a Tomorrowland expansion in the next 5 years.

Then after that maybe some new projects at Animal Kingdom. I love AK, but it could use a couple more great attractions.

Exprcoofto said:

That's true. Honestly, I'd rather see money spent on keeping up with the current parks then adding another one and see less refurbs/upkeep all around.

Click to expand...

If Disney wants more guests, then expand the existing parks capacities. This gives you the best of both words: More visitors (more MONEY) and more rides. I would imagine adding a new land to each of the existing parks would cost less to build and maintain than a 5th gate.

marni1971 said:

Realistically and short term?

Fanland North

Energy or Imagination

ST2 and PP expansion

DAK.... depends who calls the shots. A few plans with no one willing to commit.

Click to expand...

No.:fork: No "Or".

Both.


It's needed.


:fork:



:lookaroun

JII gets my vote, but how awesome would it be for them to come back with EPCOT Center-esque implications?


And besides...Martin, I've been under the impression that UoE would be a smaller project while JII, of course, gets the fun?

Would rather see more additions to DHS, lose the backlot tour entirely or make it what it was before and bring meaning to the park.

Expand Pixar Place

Update Muppets, change up the Great Movie Ride, change up Indiana Jones

Get rid of Camp Minnie Mickey and creat an Australia based land and give us some more rides.

Epcot, do something with the WOL pavilion and add a country or the WS or if you dont add a country add a ride in Germany, China etc

MK---Get rid of The Swiss Family Tree and add Indiana Jones ride, put Tropical Serenade back, upgrade the audios in some of the dark rides. Lose the speedway and add a coaster.

marni1971 said:

Realistically and short term?

DAK.... depends who calls the shots. A few plans with no one willing to commit.

Click to expand...

Shame. The park could use something, anything at this point.

I guess the Nightastic! campaign will test how well the park operates beyond it's existing hours with current offerings.

I thought a big refurb to WS was planned for EPCOT and it wasn't that long ago I heard about it. I didn't get the feeling it was a new country, though.

Like Epcot Explorer, I don't know why it would be an "either or" about Imagination and UOE. I thought the JII would be a huge deal and UOE would be a relatively small refurb.

And Animal Kingdom needs the most attention out of all the parks, imo. Is that BK/Mysterious Island hybrid concept still on the table? I was thinking it was close to being a done deal

Since DHS is going to be getting a lot of stuff in the future, I'm going against my own feelings and say an Indy dark ride should go in AL. I think it belongs more in DHS in the Lucas section, but it does fit Adventure Land and that place needs another attraction... Unless of course they go back and make the "Lost Expidition Mine Car Ride" or whatever Eddie Soto was working on, for AL and then put the dark ride in DHS. Problem solved!

Disneyland is getting a whole new TL soon. All ours needs is that Futurama ride and it would be set for a long while.

MK-I'm going to say further development in TL. Hoping for Tiki Room,CBJ and CoP overhauls.

AK-Something at CMM

EPCOT-Imagination

Exprcoofto said:

My last question/comment... the 5th gate. (everyones favorite subject :drevil It's been what, 12 years since a new park at WDW? The longest we've gone previous to these 12 years is 9 years. There hasn't been any announcements of a 5th gate, but does anyone really foresee a 5th gate opening in the next 4-5 years?

Click to expand...

It was exactly 11 years between the openings of Magic Kingdom and EPCOT Center. Last April was Animal Kingdom's 11th anniversary, which means we're now in the longest period of WDW history without a new park opening.

Which is fine by me. There's plenty of work to do on the parks they have now. I don't think it's anywhere near time for a new park.

As kind of a neat aside, all 4 WDW theme parks opened in the time it took Disneyland to get one sister park (1955-2001). I know the properties are completely different, but I think there's a lesson there in how much DL has accomplished with such a small footprint. I'd much rather see 4 fully developed theme parks at WDW than what we have now combined with a 5th half-day park based on villain coasters or whatever simply because they have the land to build it.

While there's plenty to be improved, there are things in each of the parks that are simply laughable:
MK: Replace the last scene of CoP (general cleansing of TL)
Epcot: Do SOMETHING with the WoL pavilion
DHS: Fix either Indy or Beauty and the Beast
DAK: Fix either Rafiki's Planet Watch or Camp Minnie-Mickey
Obviously this is just a few of the items on the "to-do" list

drossjr said:

Would rather see more additions to DHS, lose the backlot tour entirely or make it what it was before and bring meaning to the park.

Expand Pixar Place

Update Muppets, change up the Great Movie Ride, change up Indiana Jones

Get rid of Camp Minnie Mickey and creat an Australia based land and give us some more rides.

Epcot, do something with the WOL pavilion and add a country or the WS or if you dont add a country add a ride in Germany, China etc

MK---Get rid of The Swiss Family Tree and add Indiana Jones ride, put Tropical Serenade back, upgrade the audios in some of the dark rides. Lose the speedway and add a coaster.

Click to expand...

Totally agree on all points!! Couldn't have said it better :sohappy::sohappy::sohappy:

Although I agree that things currently in the parks need attention over the next x amount of years to bring things up to date, I don't see why they can't be in the process of the beginning stages of a 5th gate sometime in the near future. If they keep waiting until everything is current, refurbed and up to date before a 5th park, they will never have one. Things ALWAYS need updating and refurbing. When will they not? With as long and as big of a process building a new park is, whenever it gets built, it will surely be during refurbs and new attraction buildings of some sort. I do agree though that more rooms and/or resorts would be necessary in the event of a 5th gate.

I thought a big refurb to WS was planned for EPCOT and it wasn't that long ago I heard about it. I didn't get the feeling it was a new country, though.

Click to expand...

Norway is planned to get a lot of love, depending on who pays for it. SkyDance is sinking. Aside from more places to eat and drink that`s it. The Germany / Japan attraction died with the economy.

Like Epcot Explorer, I don't know why it would be an "either or" about Imagination and UOE. I thought the JII would be a huge deal and UOE would be a relatively small refurb.

Click to expand...

Depends how small you`d call the UOE overhaul. And what funding is available for both and by whom. Imagination V4s funding has been through more hoops than the whole Space Mountain mess.

need2go2wdw said:

Totally agree on all points!! Couldn't have said it better :sohappy::sohappy::sohappy:

Click to expand...

Thanks!