A Whole New World...Revisited

[DisneyManOne]

There is a place where amazing things happen just to put a smile on the face of a child...Where skies sparkle in moments of wonder that get to live forever as your memories...A place where brothers and sisters actually get along, and families get to experience that rare delight of simply being family...

There is a place where magic lives...

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Welcome to Walt Disney World.
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Well, my friends, it's Memorial Day, and just as I promised in the teaser thread, that means it's time for us to once again take a virtual visit to what my vision for a renovated Walt Disney World Resort would look like. Welcome, one and all, to...

A Whole New World...Revisited​

Much like before, we'll start things off with the first park of the resort...

Magic Kingdom

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Magic Kingdom, which opened on October 1st, 1971, is the most iconic theme park in the world, it is a place where Fantasy and reality collide, where guests can explore the realms of Adventure, Fantasy and Tomorrow all in one day and be thrust into the worlds of their favorite stories...but 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.

Main Street, U.S.A.

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Main Street U.S.A. is the turn-of-the-century street, utilized at the entrance of the Magic Kingdom, based on the childhood home of Walt Disney. Main Street U.S.A. is quite possibly one of the best areas of the Magic Kingdom because it stays true to its' theme. As soon as you enter the turnstiles of the Magic Kingdom, in front of you lies the Main Street Railroad Station, hosting the Walt Disney World Railroad. In front of the station lies a beautiful flower display, depicting the face of Mickey Mouse. The sound of an oncoming train can be heard approaching from around the corner of the park.

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To the left and right of the flower display are passages under the train station, leading into the heart of Main Street U.S.A. Inside of the passages are posters from several attractions throughout the park, as well as kiosks for guests to pick up guidemaps and Times Guides. The smell of popcorn seems to travel throughout the passages. The two passages then expand into the Town Square of Main Street U.S.A. In the center of Town Square lies the American flag pole, surrounded by beautiful gardens, a frequent location for several meet & greets with the characters. Sometimes, characters can even be found in front of the railroad station, like at Disneyland.

Once inside of the 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. The Mayor of Main Street 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 performers on the trolley.

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 newly renovated Pixar Place in Disney's Hollywoodland, 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. The first part of the store would remain as is, currently boasting 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. With the restoration of West Center Street, also returning is the Greenhouse Flower Shop, selling flowers, plants and decorative pottery.

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Nearby the Flower Shop 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. Replacing the Main Street Athletic Club (or Hall of Champions, depending on how you prefer to call it) is the return of the Penny Arcade. 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 Goofy's Barn. 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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Outside of the shop, back on Main Street U.S.A., the street then has a small alcove to the right, called Center Street, where silhouette designers and portrait drawers are located to create a drawing for you. 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 Parlour. 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 Parlour, 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. The pathway leading past the Plaza continues to Tomorrowland. On the opposite side of the street, past Casey's Corner and the park's Baby Care Center, 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.

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Back in the center of Main Street U.S.A., the street leads into The Hub, where the Partners statue, a bronze statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse, hand-in-hand, look down towards Main Street U.S.A. The statue is surrounded by beautiful gardens, decorated with flowerbeds, fountains, miniature trees and little statues of some of your favorite Disney characters. These gardens are an ideal place to watch the parades or the fireworks. Right beyond the statue is the beautiful, elegant Cinderella Castle, which stretches high into the sky, creating the perfect image to end Main Street U.S.A.

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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.

Main Street, U.S.A.
1) Walt Disney World Railroad
2) Main Street Vehicles
3) Walt Disney: One Man's Dream
4) Main Street Cinema
5) Penny Arcade

Shopping
A) The Emporium
B) Disney Clothiers
C) Greenhouse Flower Shop
D) Main Street Confectionery
E) Main Street Newsstand
F) Harmony Barber Shop
G) Crystal Arts

Dining
A) Tony's Town Square Restaurant
B) Main Street Bakery
C) The Plaza Ice Cream Parlour
D) Casey's Corner
E) The Plaza Restaurant
F) Crystal Palace

Character Greetings

• Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, Pluto, Oswald, Chip and Dale at the Town Square Gardens
• Mary Poppins, Bert, Cruella de Vil, Pinocchio, Jiminy Cricket, Bernard, Bianca and Snow White throughout Town Square
• Random Disney characters in the Entrance Plaza, much like at Disneyland and at Tokyo Disneyland's World Bazaar (see here for example: http://www.charactercentral.net/L19...DisneyResort_TokyoDisneyland_WorldBazaar.aspx)

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Sorry, there wasn't that much "renovation" for this area, but that is because it is Main Street U.S.A., after all, and it is one of the best kept parts of the park. The rest of the theme park will certainly see MANY renovations and restorations, so stick around, because things are gonna get real good, real quick!

 

[DisneyManOne]

Now then, let's move on to the next land of the Magic Kingdom.

Adventureland

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Guests pass over the wooden bridge, under the signage, where they notice that the vegetation around them becomes thicker and darker. Guests can feel themselves entering into what feels like the heart of a deep and mysterious jungle. The sounds of Main Street U.S.A. have faded away from the dense environment and all that can be heard is the sound of distant drumming. To the right of the entrance of the jungle are a set of buildings designed to emulate the architecture of a Key West/New Orleans city.

At the base of the building is a tropical 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. Inside of the buildings, guests will find that the beloved Adventureland Veranda restaurant has re-opened. This patchwork cathedral of tropical tile patterns, hardwood latticework and French-colonial lighting fixtures is a wonderful place where guests can relax amidst the romanticized sounds of Hawaii and the acclimatized flavors of Asia...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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Further down the jungle path, in-between the buildings, is a small glass veranda, which provides seating. The path along the way continues to be lined with flickering flame torches. Right past the glass veranda is Sunshine Tree Terrace, which boasts several snacks, soft drinks and ice cream floats.

Continuing past the Aloha Isle, guests will come across the Swiss Family Treehouse. The treehouse will remain unchanged, other than a few minor areas being spruced up and cleaned. 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 cave. The interior of this cave is decorated with dense vegetation and cave drawings. This cave used to be the place 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 the Island Supply Store, which features a selection of tropical items like coconuts, necklaces, and non-Disney t-shirts from Billabong and Hurley. Continuing past the store, the guests arrive into the heart of Adventureland, where the former location of the Magic Carpets of Aladdin was located. The Magic Carpets of Aladdin has been removed in order to upkeep the theme and beauty of Adventureland. In place of The Magic Carpets of Aladdin, In its place I would merely plant tropical trees and bushes to help add to the exotic feel of the land. I'd prefer it to look like what it used to look like before the Carpets opened. This picture below should show you what I mean.

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Surrounding the Oasis on the right is the Adventureland Bazaar, a decent sized gift shop featuring many Adventureland-based items, as well as items based on Aladdin and The Lion King, and even merchandise that had been specially crafted from Africa. Aladdin and Jasmine are often found hosting meet-and-greet appearances in a special corner of the bazaar. Right next to the Adventureland Bazaar, 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.

Behind the Oasis is Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room, located alongside Aloha Isle, a tropical ice cream and beverage location that serves the world renowned Pineapple Dole Whip beverages, amongst many other tasty treats. Inside of The Enchanted Tiki Room, an orchestra of tropical birds welcomes the audience into this 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 all of the bits that were left out of the 2011 refurbishment (i;e the Offenbach bit and the sing-along part of "Let's All Sing Like the Birdies Sing"). 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 are the Leaky Tikis water feature. Right beside the interactive water feature is the entrance to the Jungle Cruise, the exotic boat cruise through the perils of a deep jungle and a forbidden temple, hosted by the personality of a wise, cracker-jack skipper, giving you the grand tour of the river.

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As beloved as this ride is now, I'd add in a few more enhancements. First of all, the exterior will be given a second story. This second story (which uses forced perspective) is supposedly the office of the "Voice of the Jungle", radio DJ Albert Awol. As guests head through the queue, they hear Awol provide some of his favorite songs of the 1930's while giving humorous commentary about the jungle and the Jungle Navigation Co.

As guests enter the queue and go down they will pass by several wooden crates that were going to be shipped to Pamela Perkins of the Adventurers Club. Guests will see that some crates have been broken open revealing what was once inside. Now reveled are several drums that guests can play, and exotic spices such as cinnamon and jasmine that now provide a pleasant smell in this area of the queue.

As guests continue they will find a bird cage with a talkative macaw inside. The macaw will have prerecorded jokes to entertain guests. In fact, he will have a one hour loop of jokes. Along the way will be wooden fruit crates. These crates will be stacked up. They were planned to be exporting bananas, cocoa, mangos, guava, and mameys. The smells of these fruits will be coming out. Atop the banana crate will be a spider monkey that will be trying to open the crate, but comically failing. Now guests encounter where the new walls are that hang up paintings, artifacts, and maps.

Up and coming will be several crates and a cage with a moving animatronic tarantula. As guests continue along the walls they will run into a howler monkey who has escaped his cage. The monkey will be at top of an area that has more fruit crates that contain bananas, mangos, papayas, and guaranas. Set up similar to the jewel sorting at SDMT will be a fruit sorter game. Here guests will be sorting bananas, mangos, papayas, and guaranas that are rolling down water to be cleaned.

As guests go down the queue and near the first possible point of entry they will pass by potted trees, plants, and ferns. Said first point of entry will only be used during slow seasons. During peak seasons, the guests will continue the trek through the queue and walk to the Jungle Cruise Operation Center. As guests continue on their way back to the front of the building they will pass by the boat repair area. Here they're will be a steam engine that will act as a mister to cool down the weary travelers. On the other side of the steam engine will a work table with several blueprints of different styles of Jungle Cruise Boats.

The last portion of new added wall will have missing boats, where they were last spotted, and missing skipper notifications. It will also have comedic ads for sights on the Jungle Cruise, and other trips.

The last thing of notice will be a round staircase that leads up to Albert Awol's radio control room. On every step of the staircase will be a jar filled with various preserves rather it be honey or fruit. Guests continue to walk in the queue until they reach the second boarding point (again, only used during peak season).

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.

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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.

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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.

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, 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.

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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...).

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Located nearby the Jungle Cruise entrance is Bwana Bob's shop, which features Jungle Cruise specific merchandise.

Standing tall at the farthest end of Adventureland is the hulking structure of a legendary volcano called Mt. Prometheus.

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Those brave enough to wish to explore this volcano can have their chance. In-between Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Caribbean, a path leads to a cave entrance and then through a rock tunnel. On the other side, guests come face-to-face with the mighty volcano, with a lagoon below with Jungle Cruise boats passing. The train also passes through the cave on an elevated train trestle. The story behind this area and attraction is that a scientific expedition had moved into this long lost jungle volcano inventorying rare minerals that have been found by locals and mining deeper and deeper. All of the structures in the cave are therefore themed to portable trucks that have been repurposed in the cave, including the restrooms, the food truck, and the lab buildings in the ride queue. The cave also houses Vulcania Cove, a sit down Caribbean restaurant that is waterside, similar to the Blue Bayou Restaurant.

Now comes the moment of truth for many brave park-goers...Dare to go inside Mt. Prometheus and take an exciting adventure unlike any other on board Journey to the Center of the Earth.

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Based on the Jules Verne novel of the same name, Journey to the Center of the Earth takes you on a winding trip down to the earth's core. Along the way you will encounter crystal caverns, strange creatures, and a variety of special effects that make this attraction one incredible feast for the eyes. Often breathtaking, sometimes scary, you could ride this attraction dozens of times and still not see everything.

Journey to the Center of the Earth 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 ride that does not disappoint.

Returning back to the main area of Adventureland, the guests exit the Polynesian, dark jungle-themed section of the land and enter the courtyard of a Caribbean village. The Caribbean Plaza is host to several attractions based off of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. 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.

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Across from the mast is a small stage used for Captain Jack Sparrow's Pirate Tutorial, a stage show where Captain Jack and his sidekick, Mack, recruit youngsters to become part of their crew.

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Proceeding into the depths of the Spanish watchtower fortress, guests enter Castillo del Morro, the armed fortress housing the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction. 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, 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."

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 will 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) A Pirates 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 where they leave their boats. They 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. Jack Sparrow himself often meets guests nearby. Also in the area is The Pirates' League, where kids and adults can be made over to look like an official buccaneer.

Located just across the way is the Tortuga Tavern, which showcases a broad arrange of Mexican 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. Nearby 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.

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

Adventureland
1) Swiss Family Treehouse
2) Legend of the Lion King
3) Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room
4) Jungle Cruise
5) Journey to the Center of the Earth
6) Pirates of the Caribbean

Shopping
A) Island Supply
B) Adventureland Bazaar
C) Zanzibar Trading Company
D) Bwana Bob's
E) Plaza Del Sol Caribe Bazaar
F) The Pirates' League

Dining
A) Adventureland Veranda
B) Sunshine Tree Terrace
C) Aloha Isle
D) Vulcania Cove
E) Tortuga Tavern

Character Greetings

• Mowgli, Baloo, King Louie, Rafiki, Timon, Tarzan, Jane and Terk at the Adventureland Veranda
• Aladdin, Jasmine and Genie at the Adventureland Bazaar
• Captain Jack Sparrow at the Caribbean Plaza

 

[DisneyManOne]

Frontierland
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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.

After continuing under the archway from Adventureland and into Frontierland, on the right hand side, the guests will locate Pecos Bill's Tall Tale 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. Right outside of Pecos Bill's, 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. 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.

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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 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 Tumbleweed is mainly to instill more theming into the area, having 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 the Town of 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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Along the edge of the Rivers of America, guests will find the Rafts to Tom Sawyer Island. The wooden rafts escort guests to the island, located in the middle of the Rivers of America and all of Frontierland. 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.

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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 the Town 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.

Longtime visitors to the park may notice a new addition to the land just north of Tom Sawyer Island. That, my friends, is the location of Thunder Mesa.

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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. Also here is the Mile Long Bar, a bar that seems to stretch on forever, 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.

Once past 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 pour down the falls and into the gorge, never to be seen again...that is, by land-dwellers. Those passing by on the Nature’s Wonderland trains can catch a brief glimpse of the happy logs returning from the falls, briefly looping around the river, past a curious moose emerging from the brush, and then entering the mouth of a cavern. 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? The answers to these questions will be answered soon, because before we visit Liberty Square, I will post a full ride-through of this attraction.

Now then, re-tracing the path back past Splash Mountain and towards Pecos Bill's Tall Tale Cafe, the pathway leads deeper into the realm of Frontierland, on the banks of the Rivers of America. On the opposite end of Pecos Bill's is the classic Country Bear Jamboree, a long-time classic of Frontierland and a fan favorite. 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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Located along the same route, on the right-hand side 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. Just outside of the gift shop, located further down the path is the Frontierland Shootin' Arcade. Woody, Jessie and Bullseye host meet-n-greets nearby the Trading Post, while the Country Bears--Big Al, Liverlips, Shaker and Wendell--meet down by the riverbank.

On the right side of the path, past the Shootin' Arcade, is a path connecting back into Adventureland, connecting the lands back towards the Swiss Family Treehouse. Back inside of Frontierland, on the right 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.

The pathway then leads into the next section of the Magic Kingdom, Liberty Square.

Frontierland
1) Splash Mountain
2) Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
3) Davy Crockett Wilderness Arcade
4) Western River Expedition
5) Tom Sawyer Island
6) Rafts to Tom Sawyer Island
7) Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes
8) Country Bear Jamboree
9) Frontierland Shootin' Arcade
10) Diamond Horseshoe Saloon Revue

Shopping
A) The Briar Patch
B) Frontier Trading Post
C) Prairie Outpost & Supply
D) Tumbleweed Traders
E) Big Al's
F) K.A. Bume TNT Company

Dining
A) Pecos Bill's Cafe
B) Golden Oak Outpost
C) Tumbleweed Tavern
D) Aunt Nancy's Ice Cream Parlour
E) The Diamond Horseshoe
F) The Lucky Nugget
G) Mile Long Bar

Character Greetings

• Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox and Brer Bear nearby the Splash Mountain entrance
• Woody, Jessie and Bullseye in front of the Frontier Trading Post
• The Country Bears along the riverbank
• Chip and Dale nearby the Shootin' Gallery

As I said before, our tour of the renovated Magic Kingdom will stop for a bit, so we can take a look at Western River Expedition. So stay tuned--this one's gonna be good!

 

[DisneyManOne]

Now then, ladies and gentlemen, as I promised in my Frontierland post, I give you the much-anticipated ride-through for...

Western River Expedition​

As I stated before, the entrance to this ride is an old sawmill. 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.

“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.

“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 ****gy 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! DEATHUWE 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!

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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 and we have begun chugging uphill, suspenseful music filling the air. 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, we fall down Thunderbird Peak and into the gorge below.

We then make a small turn back into the mountain 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.

Well, how about that? Was that fun or was that fun? Now then, in the next post, our tour of the Magic Kingdom will continue as we enter Liberty Square. See ya then!

 

[DisneyManOne]

Now then, let our tour of the Magic Kingdom re-commence...

Liberty Square
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Continuing off of Frontierland, past the Diamond Horseshoe Saloon, guests continue along the edge of the Rivers of America, and into Liberty Square. 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, titled 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.

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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. Behind Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe, a small gazebo is located, where Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen (from The Princess and the Frog) host meet & greets. Just off of the gazebo, there is a pathway leading back to the entrance of Adventureland.

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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.

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Around the corner from The Hall of Presidents is the Liberty Square Market, a small quick-service location, which offers hot dogs, pretzels, fresh fruit and beverages. Pocahontas and John Smith often meet a few steps away. Directly across from the location is 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.

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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. 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.

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Liberty Square
1) The Hall of Presidents
2) Liberty Belle Riverboat
3) The Haunted Mansion
4) Mike Fink Keel Boats

Shopping
A) Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe
B) Memento Mori

Dining
A) Liberty Tree Tavern
B) Sleepy Hollow
C) Columbia Harbour House
D) Liberty Square Market

 

[MANEATINGWREATH]

Great work! I'm most likely starting over with my dream resort, so I'd love to hear some feedback from you once I do so. I'm glad that my Thunderbird idea lives on at WDW.

 

[Brer Panther]

Please don't get rid of the Pooh ride!

 

[DisneyManOne]

Great work! I'm most likely starting over with my dream resort, so I'd love to hear some feedback from you once I do so. I'm glad that my Thunderbird idea lives on at WDW.

Thanks very much, MEW! I really enjoyed the Thunderbird/Western River Expedition idea when I first read about it back on SYWTBAI, so I decided that I had to put it into my plans...

Please don't get rid of the Pooh ride!

Don't worry, Brer Panther. I would not get rid of the Pooh ride, but I would most definitely make some enhancements to it.
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Fantasyland
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Continuing on from Liberty Square, we enter into Fantasyland, the first part of the entire park that will receive what could quite possibly be the first extensive expansion of the park. We continue to cross under the Columbia Harbour House entrance and pass into a small area themed around the movie Tangled. 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, 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.

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Right in front of the area, to the left, you'll find the beloved "it's a small world". This iconic ride has been given a MASSIVE refurbishment. First of all, the original loading area has been completely torn down. the loading area now in a sheltered canopy-covered canal outside. The facade is still the traditional Small World facade, but now the size of its brothers in California, Tokyo and Hong Kong. It has also been given the paint job Disneyland's version of the ride received when it was sponsored by Mattel, which you can see in the picture below.

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The palace facade replaces the large wall that once sat in the loading area and features the usual toy parade every fifteen minutes. Inside the attraction, new lighting is added, and animatronics, set pieces, props, and special effects are all given general touch-ups to match the perfection of its brothers across the world. I really love the music in this version of the ride (it's a digitally re-mastered version of the original New York World's Fair soundtrack), so I wouldn't touch that. But apart from those refurbishments, the ride will receive no real changes.

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Now then, the original section of Fantasyland has been given a complete facelift to better resemble a little town straight from the pages of a cutesy storybook, a la Fantasyland at Disneyland and Disneyland Paris. The existing Bavarian-style architecture remains, albeit touched up a bit to better match the new architecture being added. Plus, all throughout the "town", charming Renaissance-style arrangements of songs from the films that inspired the attractions of Fantasyland (except for songs from Dumbo, which can be heard in the Storybook Circus area music) play. Here's a list of what you'll hear:

1. "When You Wish Upon a Star"
2. "I'm Wishing"/"Someday My Prince Will Come"
3. "For the First Time in Forever"
4. "The Bells of Notre Dame"
5. "Once Upon a Dream"
6. "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo"
7. "Be Our Guest"
8. "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious"
9. "Gaston"
10. "Dig-a-Dig-Dig"/Heigh-Ho"
14. "Little Wooden Head"
15. "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes"
16. "It's a Small World"
17. "Winnie the Pooh"
18. "A Whole New World"
19. "The Second Star to the Right"
20. "Beauty and the Beast"
21. "The Unbirthday Song"
22. "Out There"
23. "Part of Your World"
24. "You Can Fly!"
25. "Topsy Turvy"
26. "Under the Sea"
27. "Go the Distance"
28. "Reflection"
29. "Let it Go"
30. "I See the Light"

Across from "it's a small world" is Peter Pan's Flight, which, like "it's a small world", has been given a huge refurbishment (Shout-out to the following people: @RMichael21, @Vipraa and @mharrington. Their takes on Peter Pan have served as my inspiration for the ride-through you're about to read.). As we all know, the Disneyland version of Peter Pan has been given a huge refurbishment, as well. So, I'd definitely take some inspiration from that.

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

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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.

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The current outdoor sections of the queue will not be enclosed, but living portraits of different Peter Pan characters will be added on the walls extending the interactive shadow theme that was introduced in the new interactive queue. These portraits are static silhouettes, but every 20 or so seconds, they move around and do different actions that relate to their character. The different portraits are: Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, Wendy, John, Michael, Captain Hook, Mr. Smee, Nana, Tiger Lily and the Crocodile.

The ride itself will be largely the same, as there's not much room to do anything too fancy with it, so all of the updates will be in the ride as is. 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.

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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.

At the same time, a brand-new mural will grace the back wall, allowing for a shinier and fresher area. On the left-hand side of the mural, Neverland is represented. This part of the mural will show the island of Neverland underneath a giant moon, as well as Captain Hook's pirate ship. But where is the Captain? He's in a rowboat, being rowed by Mr. Smee, trying to fend off the Crocodile. This part of the mural will look like the 1998 video release artwork:

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Clouds separate Neverland from London, represented on the right-hand side of the mural. The London side of the mural features Peter, Tink and the Darling children flying above the rooftops of London. It will look something like the artwork for the original 1990 home video release of the movie:

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At the farthest end of the loading area is the Darlings' house, complete with a large window that the ships will fly through to get into the nursery. In addition, the "floor" beneath the ships in the load/unload area will be themed to the rooftops of London, similar to the Disneyland Paris version of the attraction.

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.

You board your larger, more expanded pirate ship as it moves slowly through the load area without ever stopping (except for when they may have to help a handicap person get in or out). As you board, you hear the standard recording that says not to lower the safety bar yourself; it will lower automatically, which it does.

As guests leave the loading area, 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, over the rooftops, through the window and into the nursery. Guests see fully animated animatronics of Wendy, John and Michael start to fly as a projected Tinker Bell flying around the room sprinkling pixie dust. As the ships head out the window, we see Peter Pan's shadow on the wall as it flies toward a nearby window as Peter himself is heard saying, "Come on, everybody, here we go!" The guests see projected shadows of the group flying beside them.

http://www./wp-content/uploads/2015/06/ppfdlr123456-613x454-550x407.jpg ​

You go out the window as an instrumental version of "You Can Fly!" starts up. But this time, in addition to the scene of Nana in the yard down below (a new AA version as she can actually be heard barking), you also can look to your left to see a lit window and silhouettes of Mr. and Mrs. Darling disturbed by the racket outside. "What the dickens?" Mr. Darling can be heard wondering. 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. As we circle Big Ben, we see Peter and the children land on the hands of the clock, and we hear Peter say "There it is, Wendy. Second star to the right and straight on till morning!" The ships then turn to the second star and the see the shadows of the Darlings flying ahead of us.

The ships pass through another simulated cloud and unveil a glittering Neverland in the distance and begin to approach it. Also, all of the water in and around Neverland will feature a projected, moving surface, adding realism. 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. 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.

So anyway, you end this part of the ride by flying over 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.

You then see one last scene before the ride ends: you go through a waterfall and instead of the visuals of the gold-colored ship, you now actually see the ship fly off into the night sky, trailing pixie dust behind it via a projection.You then head to the unload area and get off to the right.

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 "small world". This half will seem to rest by a hill dotted with flowers that the boats will pass by. On the opposite end of Peter Pan's Flight is a brand-new experience at the Magic Kingdom: The Hunchback of Notre Dame Festival of Fools!

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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. The entire interior of the theater, as well as the space formerly held by the Fantasy Faire shop, has been transformed into 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. Trees and a giant wrap-around screen, which projects the Parisian sky, are set behind the stages, giving some depth to the area. 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.

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To the left of the Festival of Fools is a small location, where several characters appear to do Meet & Greet appearances. The location is actually the facade of the 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.

Heading into the center of Fantasyland, guests will find Cinderella's Golden Carrousel. Just south of the carousel is Cinderella Castle, the icon of the Magic Kingdom and, essentially, all of the Walt Disney World Resort. The beautiful spires and turrets travel high into the sky, looking over all of the rest of the Magic Kingdom. Inside of the castle are two magical experiences, the first being Cinderella's Royal Table, a sit-down restaurant where guests can meet Cinderella, Snow White, Aurora, Ariel and Belle. The other experience is the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, where young girls can magically be transformed into a beautiful princess. Just outside of the castle, leading down a path on the left, lies Cinderella's Wishing Well. The path continues to travel down towards the Fairytale Garden, a beautiful rose garden, where Merida, from the Pixar film Brave, hosts meet & greet appearances. The path continues down towards Tomorrowland.

On the path leading to the right behind the castle, guests pass Cinderella's Fountain. The path continues passing to the Sleepy Hollow quick-service restaurant in Liberty Square. However, the archways passing straight through Cinderella Castle showcase several, several glass-tiled mosaics, depicting the story of Cinderella. The passageway leads to the front of the castle, the the castle's forecourt stage, where a new show will take place: Remember the Magic! I'll save the details for this in the "Entertainment" section, so let's move on.

Back up by Cinderella's Golden Carrousel, to the right 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 Rapunzel, the other featuring Anna and Elsa from Frozen.

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Located right off of Princess Fairytale Hall is Sir Mickey's, a shop which specializes in Fantasyland merchandise. You can also get items embroidered in this shop! Continuing on past the 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.

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 a beautiful, enchanted forest. Fiber optic LED lighting embedded in the trees make the entire area seem to sparkle in an array of magic. The first part of this forest is dedicated to the world ofWinnie the Pooh. In the current location of Storybook Treats is Rabbit's Garden, a restaurant which serves 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.

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The refurbishment I'd give the ride would be nothing too big. First of all, I'd replace the current loading area mural (the blank green walls with those pages on them)....

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...with a giant mural of the 100 Acre Wood, done in the style of the map seen in the opening of The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.

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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.

I'd completely gut the brief trip through Owl's House, as well as the Tigger cutout at the start of the Tigger section (in case you don't know what that is, it's what you see in the picture below).

And, I'd completely turn the entire Blustery Day sequence into a ride-through similar to the Tokyo version, complete with Owl's House right in the middle of the room.

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When you pass by, you may notice that the wind has knocked one of Owl's things down to the ground. This is where the picture of Owl and Toad will be found. As you pass through the room, you see some of the sight gags from the Tokyo version. And where the first Tigger cutout can be seen in the current ride, you'll pass by a bush. Tigger will start to bounce from behind the bush and invite you to come bounce with him.

I'd also have the Pooh's house scene be more like Tokyo, complete with starfield and balloon-turning-into-a-Heffalump-head. But, as for the Heffalumps and Woozles scene itself, @Brer Panther had a few things to say about that...

Many new effects and gags are scattered around the room. Heffalump Bees fly above our heads. A large transparent Heffalump is projected on a mirror as we pass by, sucking the honey out of our honey pot. Said mirror also projects an image of a nervous-looking Pooh in our honey pot, making it look as though the bear is with us. And a Heffalump and Woozle play one of those High-Striker games, causing Pooh sitting in a honey pot at the top to fly up and hit the bell. As we make a quick dash out of the scene, the painted raindrops on the wall have been replaced with a projected image of Pooh exiting his dream via an umbrella.

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But most importantly, I would turn all the 2D cutouts into full-fledged 3D figures, like at Pooh's Hunny Hunt at Tokyo Disneyland, especially in the case of the trees and pretty much the entirety of the Heffalumps and Woozles scene. Also, much like Tokyo, I'd replace the old animatronics of the characters with new animatronics that not only blink and move their mouths, but also look a lot like stuffed animals. Here, this video should show you what I mean:

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Speaking of the video, I'd have that instrumental of "Winnie the Pooh" that plays throughout the video underscore the final scene in the ride (the hero party/Pooh in the Honey Tree). Plus, I'd remove those storybook pages at the end of the ride (the one that reads "The End" and the one of Christopher Robin and Pooh walking off hand-in-hand) with a great big storybook page that reads "The End" and features animation of the characters waving goodbye.

The attraction 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.

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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...

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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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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 will relive the story of Beauty and the Beast, as told by Belle and Lumiere.

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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.

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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.

Back outside of the castle, continuing around the Seven Dwarfs' Mine Train, which is located right in the center of the Fantasyland 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 Giftsstore, 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. Upon crossing the bridges into the lagoon formations, guests will find Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid.

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The ride will (surprise, surprise) receive a refurbishment. I know it already got one, but nonetheless, I'd give it another refurbishment to fix a few cracks in the road.

The transition from “Part of Your World” to “Under the Sea” is kind of terrible. You move from a spectacular animatronic rendition of Ariel’s grotto to a wall with plastic fish stapled to it. I would remove the grinning corpse-fish from the wall and either project animated characters onto the existing wall or replace the green portion with a proper screen. This screen could have mermaids and fish swimming to and from Atlantica, and every once in a while, you would see Ariel, Flounder, Flotsam and Jetsam, or even the shark from the movie make their way across the “ocean”. This would bring some depth to the environment by giving Imagineering the ability to create unique and varied characters without much expense, and it would also increase the re-rideability because it's impossible to see every character in the seven seconds you're in there.

The “Under the Sea” scene is a great scene as-is, but it would benefit from one minor addition: bubble machines. Having bubbles fall down from the ceiling would distract from the exposed lighting and increase the “fun” factor. Finally, I would move Flotsam and Jetsam to the “Kiss the Girl” scene. Where they are now, it's hard to hear them over the “Under the Sea” and “Poor Unfortunate Souls” music, as well as the whooshing sound of the exploding rock things beside them. You could move them to the end of “Kiss the Girl”, swimming towards Ariel and Eric, and hear Ursula scream/whisper “Get them!” or “Stop that kiss” or whatever a morbidly obese octopus bent on ruling the ocean would say. This would fix that transition and advance the ride narrative more clearly (in essence, Ursula sends them to stop the kiss, they fail, she sinks while blowing up, Ariel gets her voice back, and everyone's happy) and would de-clutter the “Under the Sea/Poor Unfortunate Souls” transition.

Also, Brer Panther had the idea of replacing the "True Love's Kiss" scene with a screen of giant Ursula lunging towards the riders, ready to attack, but is stopped by Prince Eric.

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.

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

 

[DisneyManOne]

Fantasyland
(continued)

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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. 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. Immediately on the right is Dumbo the Flying Elephant. The new addition has been recently relocated here, bringing a completely new experience to the attraction.

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Guests enter into a circus tent, where they proceed to enjoy an interactive queue, where the time passes rather quickly by enjoying interactive games and entertainment. Arriving at the attraction, 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!

Just outside of the Dumbo the Flying Elephant attraction is a statue, featuring the several goofy clowns from the Dumbo film. The clown are carrying hoses, each of them spewing water across the fountain. To the left of the fountain, guests can find the Casey Jr. Soak 'n' Splash Station, a complete water playground, themed around the classic train from the film. Just off of the playground, past the water features is the Casey Jr. Circus Treats, quick-service snack location. Attached to the same set of train carts, on the very back end, guests can actually find an interactive Dumbo audio-animatronic. The location is a bit off the beaten path, making the discovery of Dumbo very surprising! It'll be even more surprising when the audio-animatronic Dumbo temporarily lifts off of the ground!

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.

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To the right of the Barnstormer, the Fantasyland Train Station is located, having it's previous station being located at Frontierland. 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, replacing the rest area, guests will find the entrance to a whole-new ride: Mickey's Madcap Circus.

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Serving as a way to highlight Mickey and friends ever since Toontown Fair was demolished to make way for the circus, this new dark ride attraction stars Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy and Pluto, as well as a host of others. Mickey and the gang welcome their guests into their tent, where they plan to send the guests through their circus. However, the ride takes a sudden twist, as the guests begin to proceed through a wild, crazy time through Mickey's three ring circus. The best way to describe this attraction would be a fusion between Universal's Islands of Adventure's Cat in the Hat attraction and Disneyland's Roger Rabbit's Cartoon Spin. The attraction will host completely new and innovative dark ride experiences, that will make this attraction one of the most immersive in the Magic Kingdom. But enough talk--I'm sure you want to see it for yourself, right? Well, let's go! (Credit to @mharrington for the ride idea!)

Designer's Note: I originally intended to have Toontown return, but seeing as how the area I put Toontown on serves as a firework fallout area, I decided not to, for fear of guest safety.

The exterior of the ride, which will basically be what you see in the picture above, is beautifully ornate, not giving a single clue to the wackiness inside. Instead, the exterior is intended to portray a sense of awe and excitement. While the design certainly has inherent elements of fantasy, it’s grounded enough so as to contrast with the whimsy that awaits guests inside. The queue leads us into a topiary garden, switchbacks guiding them along past the fanciful hedges. Finally, guests proceed through the arched doors and into the building itself.

The queue is lined with brick-made switchbacks, as well as posters advertising some of the circus' acts, including, but not limited to:

1. Lambert, the Sheepish Lion
2. Willie, the Opera Singing Whale
3. Shere Khan - Man-Eater
4. King Louie: Last of the Jungle Swingers
5. Humphrey the Bear - Picnic Thief Extraordinaire
6. Salty the Seal
7. Clarabelle Cow, Queen of the Tightrope (her poster parodies HM; she stands on a tightrope high above Tick-Tock Croc)
8. Oswald the Lucky Lion Bait
9. Gargantua, King of the Apes (the gorilla from "Donald's Gorilla")
10. Goliath II - The World's Smallest Elephant

Afterwards, we pass by a ticket booth with the ride name on it, which is being manned by Uncle Scrooge McDuck (similar to Mr. Potato Head over at the Toy Story midway ride). The idea is that circuses usually have ticket booths outside the entrance. And who better to run it than Scrooge McDuck, since he's so obsessed with money and all? Of course, he complains that you're going in for free, since you don't have to pay to go on rides. On the booth, there will be a sign that says something like, "Orphans admitted free today". It includes a big hint of what to expect inside.

Once we pass by Scrooge, guests meander through the maintenance garage for the big top's various vehicles, including a Herbie-like clown car, a traditional circus caravan, and a Toon Town-esque fire engine, complete with flat tires. Finally, the path leads us to the loading area, where we board our ride vehicles: trackless vehicles made to look like circus caravans (much like the non-cage cars of the Casey Jr. Circus Train).

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Much like Toy Story Mania, the caravans are adorned with the images of characters on them (taking the places of the eagles and much of the gold patterns seen in the picture above). Being as this is a ride with classic Disney characters, these ride vehicles would have Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy and Pluto's heads on the sides, like on the gondolas for Mickey's Fun Wheel, like so:

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They also will be able to spin about, rather like the couches in the Cat in the Hat ride at Islands of Adventure just up the street from WDW.

As guests board their caravans, Mickey's voice rings out with this safety spiel: "Hi'ya, folks! To best enjoy the circus, please keep your hands, arms, feet, and legs inside the caravan, and keep an eye on your kids. Oh, and don't forget - no flash pictures! See ya inside! Ha-ha!" A Spanish spiel shortly follows. And with that, the caravan departs, taking us right through an open curtain.

Ringmaster Mickey greets us the second we enter, dressed like so (but with the eyes with pupils, not solid black eyes):

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He announces the following acts to come in typical ringmaster style. And then as you leave, you hear Mickey again, as he announces the first act, Minnie Magnifique and Her Pirouetting Parisian Poodles. Then you see the act itself. Here, Minnie Mouse is seen with some of her French poodles. They are doing ballet dances to a balletic version of "Minnie's Yoo-Hoo". Unfortunately, some of Mickey's orphans (those little baby Mickey Mice in nightshirts) all try to run up to play with the cute little doggies, throwing everything into panic and chaos. But you don't see them physically, only their shadows and noises, as you make your way into the next scene. You hear Ringmaster Mickey as he announces the next act: Hyacinth Hippo: Ballerina of the Big Top (and Her Partner, Ben Ali Gator). You then see the hippo and alligator dancing together to "Dance of the Hours". But the twist is that the song is performed nearby by Salty the Seal and His Symphony of the Seas, which is actually a bunch of horns. So this seal is playing the Dance of the Hours music on the horns. But you get just a shade too close to the dancing hippo as she spins in place, one of her arms held in place by the gator. Your circus vehicle accidentally makes contact with her foot and you get kicked away from them into the next scene...

After the Hyacinth Hippo scene, you move into the next scene. Once again, you hear Ringmaster Mickey as he announces the next act to come: The Astounding Donaldo: Snake Charmer. Here, you see Donald Duck dressed as a snake charmer sitting next to a basket in which the snake in question is contained. He starts playing a snake-charmer-like tune on his oboe. The lid opens and who should be inside but Kaa from The Jungle Book! He slowly lifts his head out of the basket, as if under the music of Donald's oboe, but as Kaa's head becomes level with Donald's, his eyes become hypnotic as he sings "Trust In Me". As this happens, Donald's eyes, too, become hypnotic as he falls for the snake's hypnosis, just like what happened to Mowgli. Donald's eyelids slightly lower and he sways his head as you head out again. As you leave the scene, you see Donald's shadow as he slumps over, as if asleep from the hypnosis. Leaving this scene, you hear Ringmaster Mickey's voice again as he announces the next act, and then you see it: Madame Daisy Fortuna. Here, Daisy Duck is dressed as a fortune teller. She stands behind a crystal ball on a table, thus making the area similar to the Seance Room in the Haunted Mansion. As you pass by her, your ride vehicles turned sideways, so you can see her. The room turns dark, with green light from the crystal ball illuminating Daisy's face as she tells you your fortune. It is always different from one ride to the next. For example, on one trip through the ride, she might tell you that in your future, she sees a flight on a flying elephant and a bag of popcorn with your name on it. With that, you move on. Before you move to the next real scene, however, the scent of popcorn fills the air (via a Smellitzer, like at the bakery on Main Street, with its fresh-baked cookie Smellitizer, or at the old Horizons attraction, with its lorange (limes and orange) Smellitzer). You hear Max Goof as he calls out, "Popcorn! Get your popcorn here!" You then see Max, who has been taking a job as a popcorn vendor and is manning a popcorn wagon.

After Daisy's scene (and Max's, too), you then hear Ringmaster Mickey calling out the next act, which you then see:Strongman Pete: Lifter of All Things Heavy. You see Black Pete in a leopard-spot singlet, similar to Goofy's outfit in "Goofy Gymnastics". He lifts up two animals in each hand. One is a calm-looking lion named Lambert, who grins rather sheepishly as he holds a flower in his mouth. The other is an eager-looking bear named Humphrey, who is balanced on top of this weight and doing a juggling act. Among other things, he is juggling a pineapple, a bowling pin, a cup of coffee, and a fishbowl, whose fish (if you can look closely) bears a striking resemblance to Wart from "The Sword In the Stone" when he is turned into a fish. The circus music heard alternates between the "Lambert the Sheepish Lion" song and "The Humphrey Hop". However, he's not really lifting them up – they're tied to balloons! From a nearby booth nearby, one of the Orphans holds up a needle and pops the balloons that are holding up Lambert, causing him to fall to the ground. Pete looks over and holds him back up, hoping nobody saw him fall. In a corner of this scene, you see two cages, purportedly for the scene. In one cage, you see a tiger that resembles the tiger from the Goofy cartoon, "Tiger Trouble", who reaches out his paw and takes a swipe at you. In the other, you see an angry gorilla, resembling the gorilla from "Donald Duck and the Gorilla", shaking the bars of his cage. Amid the racket and the cacophony, your often-spinning circus wagon moves on. Once more, you hear Ringmaster Mickey calling out, this time announcing Professor Von Drake and His Deep Sponge. You come across a diving board, atop which Prof. Ludwig Von Drake is poised, about to dive into a huge sponge. He is wearing some kind of a huge jumpsuit with purple and white stripes on it and a ruffled collar. Some of the Orphans, however, are hanging below the board, which causes him to dive rather prematurely. As he falls, he doesn't realize that the supposedly-damp sponge is very wet. Some of the other Orphans have stuck a fire hose in the sponge and turned it on, filling it up with water. When Von Drake lands on the sponge, he squishes it down, spraying water in all directions, including yours, as you could get somewhat doused if you're not careful. You then move on.

Leaving Pete's scene, you then head into the next scene as you hear Mickey's voice once more, announcing the next act, albeit a short one: Oswald the Lucky Magician. You see a magician's hat on a table and you see a hand reaching out of it, then grabbing something inside. You see Oswald the Lucky Rabbit pulling himself out of the hat, in a twist on an old magic trick. You then move on to the next act, Horace the Rubber-Hose Horse. You see Horace Horsecollar stand there and then start performing a contortionist act, which is exaggerated. He twists his arms and legs and then his whole body in twisty curlicues. The Orphans run up to feel him, but accidentally get him tangled up more than ever. Leaving, another smell fills the air, this one of cotton candy. Here, you see a cotton candy wagon, manned by Clarabelle Cow. You then enter the next act, Pluto the Wonder Dog. You see Pluto as he balances himself on a barrel. This scene is based on a Pluto short called "Wonder Dog", in which Pluto envisions himself as a circus dog to impress Dinah the Dachshund. For this scene, as stated earlier, he stands on a barrel and starts moving across the area on the barrel and rolling it along as he does so. But as you leave the area, you see Pluto's shadow as he loses his balances and falls down with a crash, smashing the barrel. You move on.

As you leave Pluto's scene, you go past the Big Bad Wolf who is a balloon vendor. He is standing next to a balloon cart and is in the process of blowing up another balloon. Given his impressive blowing skills, this balloon is inflated really huge, but as you leave, it pops. You then move into the next act, The Three Little Piggolinis, which the wolf overhears and tries to invade. Here, you see the Three Little Pigs doing a high-wire act. The Practical Pig is seated on a unicycle as he rides across the wire, while the other two pigs, Fifer and Fiddler, are standing on top of it. You see the wolf again as he tries to climb up onto the wire and tries to grab at the pigs. However, the Orphans all see what is happening and try to stop the wolf. As the wolf tries to both grab the pigs and fight off those pesky brats, you move on. All the while, Salty the Seal reappears as he plays "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?" on his horns. As you head out, you pass by a monkey, looking like the one from the one from the posters in the Barnstormer queue, as he swings on a rope and holding a bunch of bananas. By now, most of the Fab Six and then some have been accounted for. You've seen Mickey, Hyacinth Hippo, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Pete, Von Drake, Oswald, Horace, Pluto and the Three Little Pigs (not to mention Salty, Max, Clarabelle and the Big Bad Wolf). But there's still one classic member of Mickey's inner circle yet to be seen. And then you hear the announcement of the grand finale of the show: The Great Goofini - Reckless Rocketeer! Here, you see Goofy dressed as a cowboy, seated on a cartoonishly huge rocket, which he has affectionately referred to as Dolores. It has a saddle strapped on it for Goofy to sit on. What's that? You thought the rocket was smashed against the ground in the queue for the Barnstormer roller coaster? Well, while you were standing in line and you weren't looking, Goofy somehow appropriated Dolores and managed to fix it up better than new in time for the big show! Anyway, he sits on the saddle and is poised for blastoff. He counts down, three... two... one... And then the rocket engines roar and pour out a great deal of smoke that fills the room so you can't see what is going. Suddenly, the rocket is heard (not seen) taking off as you hear Goofy's holler (you know the one...). As you make your way through the room, you hear the rocket crashing into things and knocking out the lights plunging the room into darkness as you leave. Suddenly, you come to the last scene of the ride, where you see the circus in shambles, the result of Goofy's act, and all the characters from the ride are standing there. Among other things, Goofy's rocket is smashed into the ground (again), the orphans are piled on top of the Big Bad Wolf, and Horace Horsecollar is still all tangled up.

Ringmaster Mickey is stuck inside a broken tuba (also surrounded by broken instruments). Mickey says to us, "Well, ah, sorry if this wasn't what you were expecting, but next time you come, everything will be better than ever. So, we hope you enjoyed Mickey's Madcap Circus and, ah, hope to see you real soon! Bye-bye!" As you leave, you arrive at the unload point where you exit your carriages and head back out into Storybook Circus.

At the exit of the attraction, guests will exit out through the Mickey's Toy Stop store. To the left of the exit, guests will be able to find a separate entrance connected to a meet-&-greet area with Mickey Mouse . The entire current Meet & Greet location at Main Street U.S.A.'s Town Square Theater will be moved here in it's entirety. It definitely makes more sense in this location, while also offering up that space for the Walt Disney: One Man's Dream location on Main Street U.S.A. The meet-&-greet location will receive a few tweaks (most notably changing the "Town Square Theater" moniker to "Mickey's Madcap Circus" and switching the magician aspect for a ringmaster aspect), but will generally be left the same.

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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. Continuing east from The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, guests will come across an area themed to the wacky world seen in Alice in Wonderland. Upon the arrival in Wonderland, guests could come across a sign which points every which way, one path leading to the Mad Hatter's, one leading into the Tulgey Wood, to the Queen of Hearts and so on. Guests will arrive at the Mad Tea Partyin its current location. The attraction is surrounded by topiaries of Alice, the Mad Hatter and the March Hare, giant leaves and vines, hedges and flowers. A copy of the roof that stands over Paris' teacups will stand over the Floridian teacups.

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In front of the Mad Tea Party, Alice, the Mad Hatter, the March Hare, the White Rabbit, the Queen of Hearts, the Cheshire Cat and Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum host meet & greet opportunities. Right in front of the Mad Tea Party is the Cheshire Cafe, which specializes in desserts and frozen beverages. Across from the swirling teacups at the Mad Tea Party, you'll find Alice in Wonderland, Disneyland's classic dark ride which has made a second home here. This new attraction will take up some of the space of the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway (one half will be for Alice in Wonderland, the other will be for a new attraction for Tomorrowland). While I know some may protest the removal of the Speedway, what is the point of it being there. Unlike Disneyland's original Walt Disney's Autopia, there is no nostalgia to WDW's, it's been there for 40 years and has no place in Tomorrowland anymore. It is actually situated to be more in Fantasyland than in Tomorrowland, so it is having a pretty serious identity crisis at the moment.

The addition of the classic Alice in Wonderland attraction will definitely add a new realm into Fantasyland and add in that extra boost of classic Disney to make the Magic Kingdom's Fantasyland the best that it can be.

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Right nearby the attraction is the Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall. Replacing Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe, this restaurant is themed around the Queen of Hearts' castle, complete with card soldier statues, stained-glass windows and a giant hedge-maze entrance. The food at the Queen Of Hearts is not your typical hamburger & fries fast-food fare. Selections include herbed chicken on a bed of mixed greens, pasta with a fresh four mushroom sauce, steamed sole, meatloaf wrapped in bacon, plus a variety of soups, salads and lavish deserts.

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That seems like the end, but it's not. Right in between Storybook Circus and Wonderland, a forest stands tall. But as you make your way through the forest, you'll notice the area quickly becoming gloomy and dark, as the trees become slightly gnarlier with dead trees. Echoes come from within the forest. The area is located deep into the forest, far away from the walls of Cinderella Castle, completely in the middle of nowhere. The pathway leads to the base of Bald Mountain, a new attraction that showcases the Disney Villains.

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At the top of the mountain, an audio-animatronic Chernabog comes to life every half hour, before curling his wings and sheltering himself from the light. After entering the building at the base of the mountain, the guests arrive in the dark, gloomy queue. The queue is split into three different rooms. In the first room, the queue winds through an observatory, filled with ancient artifacts. The chamber is lit overhead from the flickering candles of a chandelier. The queue proceeds down a hallway, lined with flaming torches. The queue then empties out into a library, filled with stacks of books. As the guests proceed through the library, the flickering lanterns suddenly blow out, as several souls swarm throughout the room, as if Chernabog had summoned them. The souls disperse and disappear, as the flickering candles re-light, as if none of it had happened.

The queue leads up to the load station. The attraction vehicles consist of two seats together, in rows of five, fitting 10 people in one vehicle. The vehicles use the trackless technology found in Pooh's Hunny Hunt at Tokyo Disneyland, to add a completely new experience to the attraction. The vehicles are painted in a dark purple and black hue and feature a dragon head on front and a dragon tail on the back. Once all are aboard, the vehicle takes off.

The vehicles enter the darkness, as they turn around the corner and proceed into a dim-lit chamber of the castle, featuring the Magic Mirror from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs on the wall directly in front of the guests. Flames burst from within the mirror. After the flames and smoke clears, the face of the mirror lies within. The mirror warns that they are about to enter a world of darkness. The face within the mirror disappears and in its place, is replaced by the reflection of the on-ride guests. Suddenly, the mirror completely shatters, an effect which is done with projectors. Guests proceed through the mirror's broken frame, entering a world of darkness.

The vehicles turn into a pitch black room, as the vehicles begin to swirl and spin out of control. The vehicles take a slight dip, as lights flash across the room, the sounds of the Disney Villains laughing. The guests drop down a slightly smaller drop, before falling into the pits of a cavern. The vehicles move through the darkness, hearing the enchantments, performed by the Evil Queen. The guests come face to face with the Evil Queen, who holds a poisoned apple in her hands. The Queen states that she’ll send them all to a world of fear. The vehicle begins to shake and rumble, as the cavernous passage begins to shake and fall apart. Plumes of smoke erupt around the vehicle, as the guests descend down below the show scene, the queen's laughter echoing behind them.

The vehicle descends down into the base of an eerie green lake, where they are confronted by Hades. Hades sits on his throne, claiming that they’ll never be able to escape his Underworld. Hades opens a passageway, leading further into the Underworld. The vehicle comes face to face with the blood-thirsty Hydra, which snaps and bites at the vehicle. In the next segment of the ride, the vehicle travels down the body of the Hydra, as the monster continues to snap at the guests. The vehicle flies off the tail of the Hydra and take a rapid descent into the river of souls. The room is filled with green smoke and swirling spirits. Large spires of rock stick out from within the water. The vehicles spin throughout the world, as the souls try to grab the guests to keep them into the Underworld. The vehicles move through a cavernous passage.

The vehicles travel along a mountainous ledge. There is a steep drop of the side of the mountain. Ahead, there is what appears to be the skull of an elephant. From within, Shenzi, Banzai and Ed cackle and appear in the eye sockets of the skull. The vehicles come face to face with a perfectly blended and themed projection screen, where Scar appears and, in amazing quality, seems to lunge at the guests. As Scar lunges at the vehicles, the ferocious lion pushes the vehicle off the ledge of the mountain, as it falls backwards down a steep drop. For a moment, the vehicle’s track travels outside, before proceeding to move back into the cavern. As the vehicle lands, a loud splash of water is heard.

The vehicles land in front of a large remodeling of Skull Rock. They enter the mouth of the skull, where they travel down a river. Fiber optic wavy lighting on the ground create the illusion of ripples on the water. Ahead, Captain Hook and Smee have deployed cannons to shoot at the trespassers. Cannon fire shoots overhead, as air jets blast at the guests. Plumes of water erupt from the river, soaking the guests. The vehicles descend down into the river, traveling into the depths of the ocean, the sound of cannon fire echoing in the distance.

The vehicles dive into the depths of the sea, where the guests come face to face with the sea witch, herself. Ursula lets out a grand laugh, stating that they’ll soon be a part of her garden of souls, pointing to the grim souls, plastered to the floor of her lair. The shell she wears around her neck glows radiantly as you leave the room. The vehicles travel through the garden of souls, heading out of Ursula’s lair. The vehicles travel down a gorge of smoky, erupting geysers. Suddenly, a geyser explodes from beneath the vehicle, sending the vehicle to the surface.

The vehicle enters into the next chamber where the guests come in contact with a huge snake version of Jafar. They circle the animatronic, traveling down the snake’s coils. This is a point where the attraction has a distinct rollercoaster feel to it. The coils of the snake act as the rollercoaster track, as the riders zoom past Jafar. A flood of smoke and red lights along the wall, make it seem like you've warped into a mysterious dimension. The vehicle leaves the room just as Jafar tries to snap at them.

The vehicles dive out of the cavernous passage and proceed down a drop on the backside of the mountain, away from view. As they proceed down, they can see the audio-animatronic of Chernabog from above. The vehicle dives back into the mountain and proceeds up a lift hill. Inside, they can hear the mountainous laugh of the villains as they proceed up the hill. There is a moment of silence in the pitch darkness, before the Villains appear before the guests. Maleficent, mistress of evil stands in front of the vehicle. In a burst of flames, Maleficent transforms into a fire-breathing dragon. Lightning flashes as the vehicles jolt back, the dragon's eyes glowing.

The vehicles quickly move foward to the dragon, but descend down into a gap, just below the dragon, escaping from Maleficent’s claws. The vehicle proceeds down the drop, crashing into the lake below the mountain. The vehicles turn around the mountain, escaping from the clutches of the villains. The vehicles re-enter a cavern and proceed into the unload, where they guests exit their vehicles. That is essentially the attraction. It’s still pretty cut and dry, as I think it’s pretty general and there’s no storyline, but you get the gist of it.

Are you scared? Me, too! But luckily, we're gonna be heading out of this land and into the last land in the park: Tomorrowland!

Fantasyland
1) Cinderella Castle
2) Peter Pan's Flight
3) "it's a small world"
4) The Hunchback of Notre Dame Festival of Fools
5) Princess Fairytale Hall
6) Cinderella's Golden Carrousel
7) Fairytale Garden
8) The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
9) Seven Dwarfs' Mine Train
10) Enchanted Tales with Belle
11) Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid
12) Ariel's Grotto
13) Dumbo the Flying Elephant
14) Casey Jr. Splash and Soak Station
15) The Barnstormer starring The Great Goofini
16) Pete's Silly Sideshow
17) Mickey's Madcap Circus
18) Alice in Wonderland
19) Mad Tea Party
20) Bald Mountain

Shopping
A) Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
B) Castle Couture
C) Sir Mickey's
D) 100 Acre Goods
E) Bonjour! Village Gifts
F) Big Top Souvenirs
G) Mickey's Toy Stop

Dining
A) Cinderella's Royal Table
B) Pinocchio Village Haus
C) Storybook Treats
D) Rabbit's Garden
E) Be Our Guest
F) Gaston's Tavern
G) Prince Eric's Village Market
H) Casey Jr. Circus Treats
I) Cheshire Cafe
J) Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall

Character Greetings

• Peter Pan, Wendy, Captain Hook, Mr. Smee and Tinker Bell nearby Peter Pan's Flight
• Pinocchio, Jiminy Cricket and Gepetto nearby the Pinocchio Village Haus
• Lady Tremaine, Anastasia, Drizella at the location nearby Festival of Fools
• Jaq, Gus, Suzy and Perla at the Castle Wall
• Mary Poppins nearby Cinderella's Golden Carrousel
• The Fairy Godmother at the back of Cinderella Castle
• Quasimodo, Esmeralda, Phoebus and Clopin nearby Sir Mickey's
• Merida at Fairytale Garden
• Cinderella, Rapunzel, Anna and Elsa at Princess Fairytale Hall
• Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, Eeyore, Rabbit and Christopher Robin nearby The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Snow White, Prince Florian and the Seven Dwarfs nearby Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
• Gaston and the Bimbettes nearby the Gaston statue
• Ariel and Eric at Ariel's Grotto
• The Three Little Pigs, the Big Bad Wolf, Humphrey the Bear, Clarabelle Cow, Horace Horsecollar and Clara Cluck at Pete's Silly Sideshow
• Mickey Mouse at the Backstage Magic meet & greet at Mickey's Toy Stop
• Alice, the Mad Hatter, the March Hare, the White Rabbit, the Cheshire Cat, the Queen of Hearts, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum throughout the Wonderland sub-land
• Various Disney villains at the Bald Mountain courtyard (but only at night!)

 

[DisneyManOne]

Now then, here's the final land of the Magic Kingdom...

Tomorrowland

​

Entering Tomorrowland from the hub of Main Street U.S.A., the guests pass across the bridge connecting to Tomorrowland. A neon, electrified sign reads the land's name. Just beyond the sign a metropolis of futuristic architecture and lighting make up Tomorrowland. 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.

​

Moving further into the land, on the left, you'll notice that Stitch's Great Escape has finally been removed. In its place, The ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter has returned. This scary experience takes place in the Tomorrowland Interplanetary Convention Center. Famed technological pioneers X-S Tech plans to demonstrate their new teleportation device. But, however, things go awry, and the teleportation signal is diverted to another planet. As a result; a towering, winged and carnivorous alien is beamed into the tube by mistake, as chaos and confusion ensue. This high-octane thriler uses binaural sound and effects to achieve the feeling that the alien is truly stalking through the crowd. The attraction exits out into the Merchant of Venus store.

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

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, Timekeeper sends his droid 9-Eye 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. 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, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin is located. The attraction will feature a refurbishment to replace the current vehicles with the much more reliable ones from Disneyland. Plus, I'd also replace all the 2D scenery and targets with 3D ones. The ride's entrance is given a new, grander marquee. 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, alongside the Little Green Men.

​

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.

​

Back in the center of Tomorrowland is Rockettower Plaza, where the spinning Astro Orbiter is located, looming over the rest of Tomorrowland. 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 a light-cycle race (the old "World of Tron" thing that used to be part of Disneyland's PeopleMover, albeit digitally restored), through Mickey's Star Traders, inside Space Mountain, past Progress City and past Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. The attraction will also have its 1994-2009 spiel restored, which you can listen to below.

​

Continuing on past up north, beyond Rockettower Plaza and next to Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin is the TRON Lightycle Power Run. I am not necessarily a fan of having too much Disney themes clashing in Tomorrowland, where they may not necessarily make sense, but a Tron attraction would make sense in this space. The TRON Lightcycle Power Run lets guests board a train of two-wheeled Lightcycles for a thrilling adventure through the computer world. The attraction is found on the former space of the cast member parking lot and the former home of the Galaxy Palace Theater, and the outdoor portion wraps around the Carousel of Progress.

​

Located right next to the attraction, to the right is Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress.

​

The show will try to be updated yet again. The show will now be presented by the Tomorrowland Metro-Retro Society, a company that showcases how life was in the past and how it could be in the future. As for the show itself, the major theme of the show will be changed: rather than the tribute to the original 1964 version the 1994 renovation had, this will once again focus on how progress has changed our way of living, and will continue to in the near future.

Also, the entire show--not just the final scene--will be updated. In the past, starting from the opening turn-of-the-century scene, the show would take jumps every 20 years, until it ended up with the 1960s. That's how it was at the World's Fair and Disneyland. But after it moved to Florida, the jump from the 1940s to the final scene, allegedly the present day, became bigger and bigger as the years went by. The closing scene was set originally in the 1970s, then the 1980s and then jumped to 2000 when it was updated in 1994.

But now, that all changes. Similar to the show in the past, the show will now have more consistent jumps. It will start off as always at the turn of the century, but then jump every 40 years instead of 20! That's right, after the turn of the 20th century, it jumps to the 1940s, then to the 1980s and then to the 2020s! As such, the script will be revised. On top of that, check out this interesting blurb from Widen Your World's article about the Carousel of Progress.

"This new version received a good deal of praise, but truthfully, it was an overhaul that managed to turn the entire focus of the Carousel Of Progress on its head. The attraction had originally been conceived around the idea of progress and looking ahead, and that spirit had remained true even in the more cautious years of the "Now Is The Time" version. Now though, it had become an exercise in self-indulgent nostalgia, as we had to hear Jean Shepherd in each act not simply talk about improvements in electrical products, but to go on about other cultural aspects of the time. On the one hand, it could be interesting to hear him talk about how they were calling sarsaparilla root beer now, but his pedantic discourse on the "Rat Race" at the beginning of Act III seemed like the kind of pretentious social history lesson one could also hear in the revised script to the Hall Of Presidents. And it also didn't help that unlike Rex Allen and Andrew Duggan, who played Fathers who were clear, intelligent voices of authority, Shepherd's Father was something of a bumbling doofus, making asides about how the Wright Brothers would never make it, nor would Lindbergh (not exactly the kind of thing a character in a show celebrating progress should be saying!). And this was a Father to whom no wife would be passively sighing, "Yes, dear." Instead, the Mother was a smart-talking feminist in every act of the show, and to carry political correctness further, that meant the silly Act III idea of using the food mixer to stir paint now had to be Father's instead of Mother's, and then to cap things off in Act IV, we'd be greeted to the sight of Shepherd's father ruining Christmas dinner because of his inability to grasp the finer points of his robot oven. Other changes, like tying each act of the show to a holiday rather than the natural progression of seasons, and renaming daughter Jane as Patricia, seemed merely pointless. Ultimately, while fans of the Carousel who hadn't seen the show since its Disneyland days would find more to like about this version just from the song alone, those who had grown up with the Carousel Of Progress at WDW and first learned of the show through the song, "The Best Time Of Your Life," were the ones who now had reason to feel a bit left out amidst the general nostalgia celebration that surrounded the new version. And in a decade where the Michael Eisner-led management of the Disney corporation seemed determined to stamp out all traces of the things that had made Walt Disney World's first two decades so special to begin with, perhaps that ultimately wasn't too much of a great big beautiful surprise."

I think, based on this review, we should try and fix it up slightly and make the father less of a doofus. For instance, he will not be making the asides about the Wright Bros or Lindbergh. And also, we'll give Jane her original name back, and again, instead of the nostalgia-based tribute to the original 1964 version, this version will now focus on the original theme: how progress has changed our way of living, and will continue to in the near future.

This would be made evident in an all-new introductory spiel: "Welcome to Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress. You're in for a real treat. You see, most carousels just go round and round without getting anywhere. But on this one, at every turn, we'll be making progress. And progress is not just moving ahead. Progress is dreaming and working and building a better way of life. Progress is a commitment to people. A commitment of making today and tomorrow the best time of our lives. It wasn't always easy. At every turn in our history there was always someone saying "Turn back. Turn back." But there is no turning back. Not for us. Not for our carousel. The challenge always lies ahead. And as long as man dreams and works and builds together, each day will always bring a great big beautiful tomorrow. May the century begin."

​

Across from Rockettower Plaza, in the new space given by the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway being removed, I'd like to bring back a beloved classic: If You Had Wings.

​

Designer's Note: I originally intended to have Dreamflight return here, but with the announcement of Eastern Airlines' return, I decided to bring If You Had Wings back instead.

We've all wondered at some point what it's like to fly. We've dreamed about it, we've daydreamed about it, and some have even attempted it (understanding full well that the hospital bill would be very expensive). But if anyone could deliver the experience, it would be the fine folks at Disney. And deliver they did, with a simulated hang-glider ride mixing OMNIMAX technology and a revolutionary motion simulator. But before that, there was If You Had Wings. This beloved (and much-missed) attraction, once again sponsored by recently-revived Eastern Airlines, puts guests on Omnimover vehicles and whisks them into a whimsical journey past exciting destinations, particularly those in the Mexico/Caribbean area (essentially, the ride was one big Eastern Airlines commercial) all ending with an exhilarating speed simulation!

​

And to the farthest eastern part of the park, Space Mountain is located. This attraction will also receive a very extensive refurbishment to replace the entire track of the attraction, 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.

​

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 alien 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 the former Skyway station/current bathroom area 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.

Tomorrowland
1) Astro Orbiter
2) Tomorrowland Transit Authority
3) The ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter
4) The Timekeeper
5) Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
6) TRON Lightcycle Power Run
7) Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress
8) If You Had Wings
9) Space Mountain

Shopping
A) Merchant of Venus
B) Mickey's Star Traders
C) Store Command

Dining
A) The Lunching Pad
B) Auntie Gravity's Galactic Goodies

Character Greetings

• Buzz Lightyear in front of Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
• Stitch across from Merchant of Venus
• Push, the talking trash can out and about throughout the land

Now then, in the next post I will discuss the entertainment at the park, as well as a special new addition to the Hub. See ya then!

 

[Twilight_Roxas]

Does Hiro & Baymax appear in Tomorrowland as M&G were the former arcade building is?

 

[mahnamahna101]

Now then, here's the final land of the Magic Kingdom...

Tomorrowland

​

Entering Tomorrowland from the hub of Main Street U.S.A., the guests pass across the bridge connecting to Tomorrowland. A neon, electrified sign reads the land's name. Just beyond the sign a metropolis of futuristic architecture and lighting make up Tomorrowland. 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.

​

Moving further into the land, on the left, you'll notice that Stitch's Great Escape has finally been removed. In its place, TRON: The Game Grid is located. I am not necessarily a fan of having too much Disney themes clashing in Tomorrowland, where they may not necessarily make sense, but a Tron attraction would make sense in this space. The attraction consists of guests being transported into the ENCOM Computer System, where the guests seat in a theater-in-the-round domed, rotating, levitating chamber, illuminated with projections and special effects. During the course of the attraction, the Master Control Program forces the guests onto the Game Grid inside of the computer system. An audio-animatronic Tron appears in the ride on numerous occasions. Unlike Stitch's Great Escape, this attraction features no black outs whatsoever, but does feature plenty of spinning and effects. 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, Timekeeper sends his droid 9-Eye 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. 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, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin is located. The attraction will feature a refurbishment to replace the current vehicles with the much more reliable ones from Disneyland. Plus, I'd also replace all the 2D scenery and targets with 3D ones. The ride's entrance is given a new, grander marquee. 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, alongside the Little Green Men.

​

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.

​

Back in the center of Tomorrowland is Rockettower Plaza, where the spinning Astro Orbiter is located, looming over the rest of Tomorrowland. 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 a light-cycle race (the old "World of Tron" thing that used to be part of Disneyland's PeopleMover, albeit digitally restored), through Mickey's Star Traders, inside Space Mountain, past Progress City and past Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. The attraction will also have its 1994-2009 spiel restored, which you can listen to below.

​

Continuing on past up north, beyond Rockettower Plaza and next to Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin is INVASION! A Galactic Adventure, a new mildly-thrilling dark ride on the scale of Indiana Jones Adventure or Pirates of the Caribbean. The ride is based on an original story & characters in tune with the land’s setting. Among the visual motifs that connect Tomorrowland are spheres, spires and mocha alien rockwork. Here all these elements combine in what appears to be an ancient alien temple/mysterious structure and a giant spherical artifact that holds the secret to saving or destroying the galaxy.

Since so much of Tomorrowland involves rocket ships/space travel, this would avoid that and focus on other sci-fi elements appropriate to the Buck Rogers-like tropes of this Tomorrowland (e.g., an infinite power source, a doomsday weapon, a wicked alien villain, a heroic rogue, an ancient seeder-species... maybe all of the above!). And like Indy, the actual events that take place during the ride would be variable and form a somewhat loose experience rather than tightly plotted one (Dinosaur), to enhance re-rideability.

Located right next to the attraction, to the right is Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress. The show will try to be updated yet again. But this time, not just the final scene, but the entire show will be updated. In the past, starting from the opening turn-of-the-century scene, the show would take jumps every 20 years, until it ended up with the 1960s. That's how it was at the World's Fair and Disneyland. But after it moved to Florida, the jump from the 1940s to the final scene, allegedly the present day, became bigger and bigger as the years went by. The closing scene was set originally in the 1970s, then the 1980s and then jumped to 2000 when it was updated in 1994.

But now, that all changes. Similar to the show in the past, the show will now have more consistent jumps. It will start off as always at the turn of the century, but then jump every 40 years instead of 20! That's right, after the turn of the 20th century, it jumps to the 1940s, then to the 1980s and then to the 2020s! As such, the script will be revised. On top of that, check out this interesting blurb from Widen Your World's article about the Carousel of Progress.

"This new version received a good deal of praise, but truthfully, it was an overhaul that managed to turn the entire focus of the Carousel Of Progress on its head. The attraction had originally been conceived around the idea of progress and looking ahead, and that spirit had remained true even in the more cautious years of the "Now Is The Time" version. Now though, it had become an exercise in self-indulgent nostalgia, as we had to hear Jean Shepherd in each act not simply talk about improvements in electrical products, but to go on about other cultural aspects of the time. On the one hand, it could be interesting to hear him talk about how they were calling sarsaparilla root beer now, but his pedantic discourse on the "Rat Race" at the beginning of Act III seemed like the kind of pretentious social history lesson one could also hear in the revised script to the Hall Of Presidents. And it also didn't help that unlike Rex Allen and Andrew Duggan, who played Fathers who were clear, intelligent voices of authority, Shepherd's Father was something of a bumbling doofus, making asides about how the Wright Brothers would never make it, nor would Lindbergh (not exactly the kind of thing a character in a show celebrating progress should be saying!). And this was a Father to whom no wife would be passively sighing, "Yes, dear." Instead, the Mother was a smart-talking feminist in every act of the show, and to carry political correctness further, that meant the silly Act III idea of using the food mixer to stir paint now had to be Father's instead of Mother's, and then to cap things off in Act IV, we'd be greeted to the sight of Shepherd's father ruining Christmas dinner because of his inability to grasp the finer points of his robot oven. Other changes, like tying each act of the show to a holiday rather than the natural progression of seasons, and renaming daughter Jane as Patricia, seemed merely pointless. Ultimately, while fans of the Carousel who hadn't seen the show since its Disneyland days would find more to like about this version just from the song alone, those who had grown up with the Carousel Of Progress at WDW and first learned of the show through the song, "The Best Time Of Your Life," were the ones who now had reason to feel a bit left out amidst the general nostalgia celebration that surrounded the new version. And in a decade where the Michael Eisner-led management of the Disney corporation seemed determined to stamp out all traces of the things that had made Walt Disney World's first two decades so special to begin with, perhaps that ultimately wasn't too much of a great big beautiful surprise."

I think, based on this review, we should try and fix it up slightly and make the father less of a doofus. For instance, he will not be making the asides about the Wright Bros or Lindbergh.

Across from Rockettower Plaza, in the new space given by the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway being removed, I'd like to bring back a beloved classic: If You Had Wings.

​

We've all wondered at some point what it's like to fly. We've dreamed about it, we've daydreamed about it, and some have even attempted it (understanding full well that the hospital bill would be very expensive). But if anyone could deliver the experience, it would be the fine folks at Disney. And deliver they did, with a simulated hang-glider ride mixing OMNIMAX technology and a revolutionary motion simulator. But before that, there was If You Had Wings. This beloved (and much-missed) attraction, once again sponsored by recently-revived Eastern Airlines, puts guests on Omnimover vehicles and whisks them into a whimsical journey past exciting destinations, particularly those in the Mexico/Caribbean area (essentially, the ride was one big Eastern Airlines commercial) all ending with an exhilarating speed simulation!

​

And to the farthest eastern part of the park, Space Mountain is located. This attraction will also receive a very extensive refurbishment to replace the entire track of the attraction, 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.

​

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 alien 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 the former Skyway station/current bathroom area 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.

Tomorrowland
1) Astro Orbiter
2) Tomorrowland Transit Authority
3) TRON: The Game Grid
4) The Timekeeper
5) Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
6) INVASION! A Galactic Adventure
7) Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress
8) If You Had Wings
9) Space Mountain

Shopping
A) Merchant of Venus
B) Mickey's Star Traders
C) Store Command

Dining
A) The Lunching Pad
B) Auntie Gravity's Galactic Goodies

Character Greetings

• Buzz Lightyear in front of Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
• Stitch across from Merchant of Venus
• Push, the talking trash can out and about throughout the land

Now then, in the next post I will discuss the entertainment at the park, as well as a special new addition to the Hub. See ya then!

Loving this!

The great thing about the additions is that they're all E-tickets someone over the age of 8 might enjoy! Not just spinners and M&Gs.

They'd also take a lot of pressure of Big Thunder, Splash, Space and SDMT.

 

[DisneyManOne]

Does Hiro & Baymax appear in Tomorrowland as M&G were the former arcade building is?

Not that I'm aware of.

Loving this!

The great thing about the additions is that they're all E-tickets someone over the age of 8 might enjoy! Not just spinners and M&Gs.

They'd also take a lot of pressure of Big Thunder, Splash, Space and SDMT.

Thank you very much, my friend! Tomorrowland really needs some TLC right now, in my opinion.
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Now then, let's head back to the Hub to discuss that special addition I was telling you about, as well as take a look at the entertainment here at the Magic Kingdom.

The special addition to the Hub is Walt's. Replacing the rarely-used Tomorrowland Terrace Noodle Station, Walt's serves as the Club 33 of the Magic Kingdom. 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, 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. The architecture would flow from the style of Main Street with a bit more sophistication, including 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 would not be the only room however. The rest of the smaller dining rooms would each be based on a land of the park. I’m basically copying the concept of Walt’s in Disneyland Paris. I definitely feel that people would pay into this club, just looking at all the other special events and opportunities that Disney currently has no problem selling.

Plus, I'd make the building on two different floors. Why? Because when you look at the Plaza Restaurant from the Tomorrowland side of the Hub, you see this...

Being within eyesight of the back of the building just ruins the illusion. The addition of Walt's would surely fix that up perfectly.

Now then, let's discuss the entertainment.

Entertainment​

First of all, I'd like to have the original version of the Main Street Trolley Show be brought back. Don't get me wrong--I really love the idea of having the show change with the seasons, but I honestly love the original version, which really serves as a fun and unique way of helping guests begin their day at the Magic Kingdom.

​

Next, I'd like to talk about the new castle show that I mentioned in my post about Fantasyland: Remember the Magic!

This is essentially a new version of the Viva Magic show that used to run at Tokyo Disneyland. Basically, the show is a celebration of the best of Disney, highlighting many musical moments from some of your favorite Disney films--like "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" from Fantasia, "So This is Love" from Cinderella and "Pink Elephants on Parade" from Dumbo.

​

But however, there will be a few changes. First off, the stage will be completely re-modeled. It will lose the smaller stages to allow for set pieces to rise up from the ground. Plus, a second floor will be built below the current stage and a small circular area, much like the one on Tokyo's stage, will be built in the center of the two levels.

As for the show itself, the "Disney Carnivale" song that serves as the beginning and ending of the show will be dropped. Instead, the show will end with "Mickey's Magic Land" and begin with "Remember the Magic", a song that underscored the 25th anniversary parade of the same name. But here, it would most likely be performed in the style here:

​

The "Disney Medley" segment will include a brief bit involving Peter Pan and Wendy dancing to "You Can Fly". After the medley, a performance of "Circle of Life" from The Lion King is done. I picture this to be performed in the same style as the Lion King Celebration Parade at Disneyland, albeit fit to fit the stage.

​

At the start of the segment, Pride Rock rises from the stage with Simba, dressed similarly like this...

​

Simba looks to the heavens as we hear Mufasa's voice: "Simba...a King's time as ruler rises and falls like the sun. Although the sun has set on my time, just remember, that I will always be there to guide you. And now, Simba, it is time for you to take your rightful place in the Circle... the Circle of Life."​

From there, performers dressed like animals, alongside stilt-walkers representing giraffes and elephants and drummers fill the stage as the song is performed. Also joining in the festivities are Nala, dressed like in the picture above, as well as Timon, Pumbaa and Rafiki, dressed like this...

​

And of course, the song ends with Rafiki lifting Simba and Nala's cub high in the air.

Plus, much like Cinderella's Surprise Celebration, after the show, the characters meet guests at the Hub.

Show Setlist
-"Prologue: Remember the Magic"
-"It All Started with a Mouse"
-"The Sorcerer's Apprentice" (from Fantasia)
-"Disney Medley" (feat. elements of Alice in Wonderland, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Winnie the Pooh, Pinocchio, Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty and The Jungle Book)
-"Circle of Life" (from The Lion King)
-Medley from Cinderella ("A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" and "So This is Love")
-"Pink Elephants on Parade" (from Dumbo)
-"Night on Bald Mountain" (from Fantasia)
-"Mickey's Magic Land"

Then, of course, we have the park's daytime parade: Disney's Festival of Fantasy Parade. The parade starts at 3 o' clock, starts in Frontierland and then makes it way down Main Street U.S.A., via the hub access that connects the two lands. This parade is definitely a step up from any of the previous parades that have been in the Magic Kingdom in the past few years. The parades include lavish, beautiful floats, amazing music, a plethora of Disney characters...and did I mention the 32-foot-long fire-breathing dragon?

​

However, since the parade celebrates the denizens of Fantasyland, there's one certain character who inhabits the realm that doesn't appear: Winnie the Pooh. With that said, I'd give Pooh his very own float.

The float would be centered around Mr. Sanders (aka the tree Pooh calls home).

​

Pooh happily stands outside his house, waving to guests as he passes by. A table completely covered in honey pots stands to the left-hand side of the door. The house rests on a small hill. On the bottom-left side of the hill, Tigger is seen bouncing up and down with glee. On the right side, Piglet sweeps up the leaves as they fly past. Eeyore, Rabbit, Christopher Robin, Owl and Kanga with Roo, lead the way for the float, carrying colorful flying flags. At the back of the float, a giant storybook is open, with an illustration of the rest of the forest.

That's the only change I'd make to this otherwise amazing parade. Now then, at night is when things really get good. In honor of the Magic Kingdom's park-wide renovation, the beloved SpectroMagic will make its triumphant return!

​

Now, the parade will receive limited refurbishments, while still keeping the same soundtrack and most of the original floats. And I know that some of them have already been demolished, but I don't see why Disney can't simply re-build them. I'm not going to go into full detail with this parade as it is mainly going to be the same as it used to be, with a few additions. Here are the floats.

Introduction to this Magic Night

• Entrance Float with Trumpeteers
• SpectroMagic Entrance Float
• Four Orbs Spectro-Men on Twirly Orbs
• Mickey's Magical Float

The Worlds of Music in the Silly Symphonies

• Music Unit featuring the Genie, Goofy and Chip and Dale

The Wonder of Sleeping Beauty's Garden

• Peacock Float
• The Garden with Flora and Fauna Float
• The Garden with Merryweather, Aurora & Phillip Float

The Whimsy of Winnie the Pooh's Dream World

• Giant Woozle-in-the-Box Unit
• Heffalump-Baloon-Mobile Unit

The Fantasy of the Little Mermaid's Ocean

• Giant Swimming Fish Unit
• Bubble Fish Unit (3 Fishes)
• Ursula Unit
• Little Mermaid Unit (Sebastian Float, Ariel and Flounder's Float and King Triton's Royal Chariot)
• Whirly Fish Swimming Pods

The Serene Rivers of Light

• Firefly Lilly Pads
• Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen Float
• Floating Lanterns Unit
• Rapunzel and Flynn Boat with Lanterns Unit

The Imagination of Fantasia

• Fantasia - Spinning Hippo Float
• Fantasia - Fountain with Ostrich's Float
• Fantasia - Flying Horses Float
• Chernabog's Night on Bald Mountain Float

The World of Dreams in a Grand Disney Cavalcade

• Casey Jr. Float
• Royal Ball Float
• Finale Unit (featuring characters from Song of the South, Three Little Pigs, Cinderella and Alice in Wonderland)
• Magical Carousel Float
• Second Finale Unit (Mary Poppins, Peter Pan, Pinocchio and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)

Again, it's not very detailed, but that is because a lot of the parade is staying the same, so there won't be much of a difference between this and a former version of it that can be looked up online. However, this revised parade does feature two new float units. The first is The Whimsy of Winnie the Pooh's Dream World. This unit, replacing the former garden unit, is themed around the “Heffalumps & Woozles” segment of Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day. First up, like the Giant Swimming Fish unit that introduces the Little Mermaid unit, four giant Woozle-in-the-Boxes make their way down the parade route. A mysterious, dream-like version of “On This Magic Night” plays alongside an equally mysterious rendition of "Heffalumps and Woozles". Following them is a giant mobile of Heffalump balloons. Multicolored Heffalump balloons spin above the crowds. There are five balloons, each holding a certain Pooh character: Tigger, Piglet, Eeyore, Rabbit and Christopher Robin. Behind the mobile is a giant Heffalump balloon, with Pooh himself inside.

After the Little Mermaid unit is The Serene Rivers of Light unit. This unit begins when a set of lilly pads, with twinkling fireflies make their way down the parade route. Water ripples spread from the base of the pads. Parade performers simulate twinkling butterflies. Louie, the Alligator and Ray make their way through the pads.

Followed by the small additional section, Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen make their way down the parade route, sitting in a large lily flower. The petals surround the two of them, while the leaves light up in bright, green lights. The petals of the flowers also illuminate with lights, seeming to spread a magic off of them. It appears that the entire flower is being upheld by a watery spout.

Following the Princess and the Frog Unit, the last new additions are placed, the Tangled Unit. The tangled units consists of three units. The first unit consists of a large overhang supported by cornering bars, all made black so that they are dark to see, upholding numerous lanterns suspended from the overhang, glimmering in the darkness. The lanterns hang from all different heights, making them seem as if they are beginning to rise into the sky. At the base of the float, watery waves are simulated through the darkness, by blue wavy lights and a low-setting fog.

The following float features Rapunzel and Flynn in a small boat, just above the blue wavy lights and low fog. The score of "I See the Light" plays. On both side of the float, floating lanterns are located to the sides and above the boat, almost engulfing the scene. This float is followed by an identical float to the first unit of the Tangled section: a float completely consisting of floating lanterns, suspended from an overhang at all different heights. From the looks of the scene coming down the parade route, the entire Tangled unit looks like a stream of floating lanterns descending down upon Main Street, glimmering in the darkness.

​

This has been fun, but our day at the Magic Kingdom isn't over yet. In the next post, I'll share with you my ideas for a refurbished version of the park's nightly fireworks spectacular Wishes: A Magical Gathering of Disney Dreams. See ya then!

 

[orlando678-]

I like your ideas, but i had wished for more new things as theres a lot of the previous thread an i hoped for something new for the nighttime parade and shows. But overall great job

 

[MANEATINGWREATH]

I know it's not your idea, but the one thing about adding an attack and death scene for Ursula in place of "True Love's Kiss" is the fact that the ride is an omnimover, shuttling hundreds of guests throughout the ride by the minute. Not only would this effect (probably accomplished by a screen) have to restart every few seconds, some riders would completely miss the effect since the ride vehicles are constantly moving. Some riders would see the effect from the start, while others would come in halfway, others at the end, etc. That's not to mention the fact that omnimovers are notorious for slowing down and stopping every so often to necessitate handicap boarding. It would be awkward if the riders stopped at this scene and watched Ursula die over and over again.

I'd suggest another alternative to adding a battle scene with Ursula. It's possible, but it will take some extra thinking.

If you're going to bring back SpectroMagic, why not completely redo it? Paint the Night, if you haven't seen it (I've seen it twice in person, it's so much better in person) yet, is an outstanding representation of a modern day Electrical Parade. I'd say bring it back to a modern setting, completely overhauling everything.

 

[Brer Panther]

I'm kind of surprised you didn't move the Princess Fairytale Hall and use the space for a new dark ride.

 

[DisneyManOne]

I'm kind of surprised you didn't move the Princess Fairytale Hall and use the space for a new dark ride.

Well, I honestly think that Fantasyland is dark-ride heavy already (especially with my additions of Alice in Wonderland, Mickey's Madcap Circus and Bald Mountain), so I'd just leave it be.

I like your ideas, but i had wished for more new things as theres a lot of the previous thread an i hoped for something new for the nighttime parade and shows. But overall great job

If you're going to bring back SpectroMagic, why not completely redo it? Paint the Night, if you haven't seen it (I've seen it twice in person, it's so much better in person) yet, is an outstanding representation of a modern day Electrical Parade. I'd say bring it back to a modern setting, completely overhauling everything.

Well, truth be told, I was planning to have a new version of SpectroMagic in the park. See, I recently came across this epic idea by @RadiatorSpringsRacer for a new version of the parade, which took the concept of Paint the Night...but put it on a much bigger scale. I didn't want to include it, because I know so many loved the original version.

Ah, but who am I kidding, you probably want to hear about the new version, right? Well, okay then! Here we go:
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Here's how RadiatorSpringsRacer devised the concept...

The thought is to have different parade units - whirlyballs, costumes, parts of floats, etc. basically covered in pixels - or rear-projected - so that they can completely change their appearance at any time. In effect, the entire thing is a display.

There would be an art station open at the park until a couple of hours before the parade starts, in which guests could pick a paper template for whichever paintable unit they wanted to design, and then get to work. Disney's done this sort of thing before with LuminAria; why not plus it? (If you're familiar with the process of putting textures onto a 3D model, this concept should be easier to visualize.)

All the submitted paintings, after being properly checked, sorted, scanned and what not, would be cycled through along the parade route.

Guests' designs could be linked to their MagicBands, and an alert could also be sent to each guest's MDE app to let them know where to sit/stand along the route to see their design(s) in action. Can you imagine the character interaction possibilities of this sort of thing? "Thank you for making this for me!" "Your painting looks wonderful." "I love the red/blue/gold/etc." "Say, this reminds of the time [insert event from movie here]."

For the sake of character interaction, new versions of all Made With Magic accessories will be released for the parade that can sync with wearers' MagicBands.

This new take on SpectroMagic will ultimately be not just a cavalcade of art and color, but a tribute to each person's individuality and imagination; their power to express themselves and bring to light everything that inspires them.

Jiminy Cricket's 10-minute announcement (and subsequent announcements) will be changed to better reflect the new twist on the parade:

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your Spectromagical host, Jiminy Cricket! Everybody in the Magic Kingdom welcomes you. You know, somehow Disney fantasy seems a little more alive at night. In fact, it was Walt's favorite time in the park. Come along with us, to see the magic worlds of Disney, all lit up with millions and millions of lights.

Now, we've been pouring over all the great art that's been done up today, and we can't wait to see it glow out there on the streets. If you painted something for us, make sure you head over to where it's set to show up if you haven't yet. And remember, when your design does get close to you, anything you're wearing that's Made With SpectroMagic is gonna sparkle in a bunch of different colors depending on what you made...like it's doing right now! The magic starts in ten minutes."

Opening Unit

The parade begins the same as it did before: the iconic waltz strains of "On This Magic Night", Jiminy's narration and the opening float with the trumpeters. Following them are the SpectroMen on the whirly-balls. Now armed with paintbrushes, they can change the colors of any accessories the guests are wearing with a cheerful wave. A reimagined SpectroMagic title float (by which I mean it will NOT look exactly the same as the original) comes into view next, writing the parade's logo before our eyes once again. Tall internally lit prisms line the float down the middle, and embedded holographic glitter lets them sparkle brilliantly.

Following them are more SpectroMen on whirly-balls, as well as Mickey's iconic float. But this time, the crystal ball Mickey stands over will feature selected artwork. Upon seeing whatever new artwork comes into view, Mickey will remark about it.

Paintable Items: Whirly-balls, SpectroMagic logo, crystal ball

Music Unit

Following this is the music unit. It will remain the same as it was during the original run of SpectroMagic, but the instruments will be much more animated. Each instrument's bells, strings, etc. glow a different color when that instrument is played. Also, Genie's baton is replaced by a paint brush.

Alice in Wonderland Unit

Following behind the music unit is a new unit themed around Alice in Wonderland. Tulgey Wood makes up the front of this float - Alice is flanked by a few trees, with animatronic creatures sitting on their branches. The Cheshire Cat makes mysterious remarks about the guests' painting on the trees.

The butterflies from the former garden unit walk behind this float, alongside the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter and the Queen of Hearts.

The next float in the unit involves Queen of Hearts' rose bushes, whose roses are all continually changing color as the playing cards paint them. Yet more cards surround the float, and they can use their brushes to paint any accessories the guests are wearing.

Paintable Items: Tulgey Wood trees; butterflies' wings; roses

Hunchback of Notre Dame Unit

Several of Quasimodo's handmade wooden figures dance around his replica of the Notre Dame cathedral, which he and Esmeralda stand on top of. A rendition of "God Help the Outcasts", done in the style of "On This Magic Night" is heard throughout this unit.

Paintable Items: Wooden figures, Notre Dame windows

Toy Story Unit

For this, I'd basically make a replica of the float from Paint the Night, but have various blocks and even Etch-a-Sketch surrounding the giant Slinky, which, of course, will project the artwork.

Paintable Items: Blocks, Etch-a-Sketch

Little Mermaid Unit

Following this float is the Little Mermaid unit. The giant swimming fishes and the "bubble fishes" lead the way, as they did before. The hull of the sunken ship at the front of Ariel's float is now filled with treasure--treasure that the guests have painted. Behind Ariel's float, Sebastian conducts an orchestra of fish.

Paintable Items: Ship's treasure; fish in the orchestra

Winnie the Pooh Unit

Since I really like my concept for the "Heffalumps & Woozles" sequence, I'd give it new life here. Riding on a giant wave of color-changing honey, high above guests' heads is a giant mobile of Heffalump balloons. There are four different balloons in the mobile, each one carrying a different character--one carrying Tigger, one carrying Piglet, one carrying Eeyore and one carrying Rabbit. Behind them all is another Heffalump balloon carrying Pooh. Of course, all five characters will react to the different artwork. Heck, Tigger could do his "Why, it's spectacular!" from The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh when he comments on the artwork. (And if you don't know where the quote comes from, it's from the ending to the episode "Donkey for a Day", which you can watch in the video below...)

​

Paintable Items: Balloons

Big Hero 6 Unit

The idea I had for this one's main effect is a bit more radical and I'm not sure if it would work, but...instead of painting, guests would be given clay to mold, it would be scanned, and its shape would be shown in a projection on the float, being formed by Hiro with his microbots at the back of the float. At the front is Fred, spewing fire of several different colors. The rest of the team moves on foot along with this unit, with effects to boot - Gogo's outfit dazzles as she spins, Wasabi's blades glow, Honey spews colored smoke from her capsules, and Baymax can show the guests on his hyperspectral camera.

Paintable Items: Microbots

Cars Unit

In a recreation of his body art studio - with paint cans, display hoods and such all around - Ramone faces backwards, bouncing on his hydraulics and holding his airbrush. He paints the cars rolling behind him - Lightning McQueen (with his original Piston Cup parts), Sally and Mater - as well as the guests' accessories. Guido has come along as well, driving and spinning about.

Paintable Items: Lightning, Sally, Mater, Ramone

Tangled Unit

The base of the unit is made to look like part of Rapunzel's tower, bordered by all the creative endeavors she took on while she was kept there - pottery, candles, paper maché, etc. Its walls display several of the guests' paintings at a time. Rapunzel herself is carried high by her expanse of astoundingly long hair, which flows to the bottom of the unit and lights up as it does in the film.

Paintable Items: Tower wall

Finale

As the previous float fades out of view, the parade's ending theme fills your ears. The first thing we see in the finale is an audio-animatronic Dumbo, who hovers about in special blue-and-magenta garb. Behind him is Casey Jr. (For this float, I'd honestly re-use the Casey Jr. float from Disneyland Paris' Wonderful World of Disney Parade, albeit without Dumbo atop him, because in this parade, he's in front of him...)

Onboard the passenger cars of the train are some of the characters who appeared in the original SpectroMagic: Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox, Brer Bear, Madame Upanova (the ostrich from Fantasia), Fifer Pig, Fiddler Pig, Practical Pig and the Big Bad Wolf.

Following behind Casey Jr. is a princess-based float. Heralded by couples waltzing romantically to the music, the float is a castle balcony on which Snow White and Prince Florian, Cinderella and Prince Charming, Aurora and Phillip and Belle and the Beast waltz. The float should look something like this...

Jaq and Gus, as well as Tinker Bell and Jiminy Cricket, pop in and out of the castle towers' windows. The Three Fairies float towards the back, and Flora and Merryweather consistently fuss over whether to paint the guests' accessories pink or blue.

Inspired by, but not identical to, the boat from Steamboat Willie, a black-and-white vessel comes sailing in on a rainbow sea of paint, parting it into waves. Pluto is at the controls, which include a whistle whose tone harmonizes with the parade music. The boat's wheel and smokestacks move in time with the music as well.

Following behind the boat is a float from the original SpectroMagic: the carousel float.

Surrounding the carousel are Mary Poppins, Pinocchio, Gepetto, the Seven Dwarfs, Aladdin, Jasmine, Peter Pan, Baloo, Timon and the like.

Behind this is one last float. Heralded by SpectroMen (this time, walking on the ground), we see a small float featuring Donald, Minnie and Jiminy Cricket.

However, this float shall be expanded at the back to include a unique design similar to the one at the end of Mickey's float in Paint the Night...

Paintable Items: Train cars, dancers' ballgowns, picture panels on the carousel canopy, design on the back of the final float

And that's what I'd do for a new SpectroMagic.
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Well, that was fun, and I honestly think this would be better than the original SpectroMagic, so this is definitely going into my plans. But anyways, in my next post, we'll finally get to the new Wishes. See ya then!

 

[DisneyManOne]

And now, at last, we come to the final piece to close out the Magic Kingdom: Wishes: A Magical Gathering of Disney Dreams. This epic fireworks display weaves a tale of the power of dreams, as told by Jiminy Cricket. Originally, I had no intention to update this show...but then, I saw Disneyland Forever on YouTube. Upon seeing Disneyland Forever, I plan to update Wishes to bring it up to par with Disneyland Forever. To do this, I plan to use projections on the castle, and set up various effects all around the Hub--water screens, water fountains, and various other things.

So, let's not waste another second. Let us take in the spectacle of...

Wishes: A Magical Gathering of Disney Dreams

​

Night has settled all across the Magic Kingdom. The murmur of guests rings down Main Street U.S.A., as you approach the center of the hub, by the Partners Statue, to find a good location to view the fireworks for their opening night debut. Cinderella Castle is illuminated in a dark blue hue, as the light of the moon reflects down onto the hub. After watching the new version of SpectroMagic, you find yourself anticipating what lies in store next. The trees down Main Street U.S.A. twinkle with pixel lights, enchanting the street making everything seem magical. The smell of popcorn settles into the hub, as families quickly rush to get some ice cream and their spots to see the fireworks. Anticipation rises.

Introduction: A World of Wishes

Then, a rich, low chord is struck, as all of Main Street U.S.A. and Cinderella Castle black out, enveloping the entire entrance of the park and the hub in complete darkness. Then, the chord builds higher and higher, crescendoing into the iconic opening fanfare. From this point, the show is largely the same as it is before. But, after Aladdin's voice is heard saying "Genie, I wish for your freedom" and the choir sings "Wishes", that's where the changes start.

Scene One: Dreams Take Flight

Jiminy Cricket: All it takes is a simple wish to let all of your dreams take flight!

Peter Pan suddenly emerges from one of the balconies of Cinderella Castle. Peter Pan emerges off of the balcony and appears to fly across the front of the castle.

Peter Pan: Hey there, everyone! Now, think of the happiest things, it's the same as having wings! All you need is faith and trust. Oh, and one thing I forgot, dust! Tinker Bell!

Suddenly, the entire castle becomes illuminated in a darker golden color. Golden streams fireworks fall around the castle.

Peter Pan: Come on, everybody! Here we go! Off to Neverland!

In that instance, suddenly, Peter Pan flies around the castle. With the use of projections, the castle appears to be shrinking smaller and smaller. Wait, we're flying! Clouds soon cover the castle, as six different water screens surround the castle emerge, projected with fanciful clouds, making it seem as though the entire hub is floating in the middle of the sky. As this is happening, the tune of "You Can Fly!" is heard, as Peter flies through the clouds, before the segments ends with an arch of firework streams rising from behind the castle, illuminating it with a white light.

Scene Two: Be Our Guest

Then, a drum roll sounds, as the entire castle is illuminated in a dark red hue. The windows of the castle are illuminated with bright yellow lights. Lumiere appears from behind a curtain and welcomes the guests to the magical night that is yet to be seen. The entire hub then explodes in a celebration of color! Fireworks from behind the castle then are perfectly choreographed to "Be Our Guest" as the castle is illuminated in a rainbow of lights.

Fountains to the sides of the castle dance to the melody of the music. In the final segment of the show, Lumiere appears on the castle, which is adorned with numerous colorful spotlights, dancing plates and silverware, as they proceed into the final segment of the show. As the song segues into its' final fanfare, an array of colorful fireworks explode behind the castle, as the fountains dance higher and higher. At the speed of the music picks up, more and more fireworks blast off. It's like a mini-finale and the show has only just begun! In the final chord of the number, a big blast of fireworks erupts completely surrounding the hub, before the hub fades back into the darkness.

Scene Three: Wishes To Be Shared

Jiminy Cricket: Wishes can be very special, escpecially when you share them with friends...

Suddenly, we see the iconic sunrise from The Lion King projected onto the castle, complete with the iconic opening chant. What follows is a beautiful segment inspired by "Circle of Life". The water screens project animals walking towards the castle, which has turned into Pride Rock. As the song ends, a gigantic firework explodes in time to the bass drum hit that ends the song as the projections black out.

Then, projected at the base of the castle, Timon and Pumbaa appear, welcoming the audience to their care-free, no worries lifestyle. An instrumental of "Hakuna Matata" plays, as the castle is soon covered with bugs and grubs, covering all over the castle. Firework explosions in the shapes of types of bugs emerge in the sky, along with other fireworks choreographed to the music. Leaves are projected all along the base of the castle. The fountains at the base of the castle simulate green leaves, to create a dense-jungle like appearance. During the segment, guests can hear Timon and Pumbaa talking about all of the delicious grubs crawling across the castle.

In the midst of the song, a flash of blue appears across the castle, as blue sparkles drape around the castle. The Genie from Aladdin appears!

Genie: Whoa! 10,000 years can give you such a crick in the neck! Hello, people, up here! Come on, we've got some wishes to grant!

This leads into an instrumental of "Friend Like Me", where the Genie uses his magic powers to warp and change the castle. In this number Genie's magical powers are choreographed to the fireworks, as he uses his magic to transfigure the castle, the sparks on the castle are choreographed with real fireworks. At the end of the number, the Genie has multiplied all over the castle and finishes off the number, as a string of blue fireworks shoot into the sky.

At the conclusion of the "Friend Like Me" segment, the water screens re-emerge around the hub, as Aladdin and Jasmine appear, singing "A Whole New World". The two fly around the hub via the water screens, floating along the Magic Carpet, amidst a starry night. The Sultan's Palace from Agrabah is projected onto Cinderella Castle. Water fountains dance in arching formations. Shimmery fireworks blast off into the sky in golden colors. The silvery, starry fireworks descend down over the hub. Beautiful, steams of fireworks shoot up from behind the castle, quiet, not to disturb the beauty of the scene. At the end of the segment, Aladdin and Jasmines descend and the Sultan's Palace fades, leaving the castle twinkling in an array of blinking stars.

Scene Four: Underwater Dreams

As the next sequence begins, the stars fade away and the area is shrouded in complete darkness. Suddenly, we hear the voices of Marlin and Dory from Finding Nemo.

Marlin: Dory, do you see anything?

Dory: Ahh! Something's got me!

Marlin: That was me. I'm sorry.

Dory: Who's that?

Marlin: Who's that? Who else would it be? It's me!

Dory: Are... are you my conscience?

Marlin: (sighs) Yes, I'm your conscience. We haven't spoken for a while. How are you?

Dory: Eh, can't complain.

Marlin: Good. Now, Dory, do you see anything?

A giant white light appears at the top of the castle's tallest spire.

Dory: Yes, I see... a light. Hey, conscience, am I dead?

Marlin: No, I see it too.

Marlin and Dory then appear on the castle, seemingly coming out of the darkness and towards the light.

Dory: It's so...pretty.

Marlin: I'm feeling...happy. Which is a big deal for me.

Dory: I want to touch it.

And with that, they swim up to the spire and watch in awe as the light reveals itself to be a firework. Soon, more fireworks, in shades of blue and green appear to the tune of “In the Big Blue World”, as the undersea environment from Finding Nemo comes to life on the castle and on the water screens.

Suddenly, we find ourselves rising above the surface. The moon's silver light shines down upon the waves. To underscore this haunting sight, guests can hear the faint score to "Part of Your World", as Ariel wishes to be a part of the human world. Soon the castle becomes engulfed with a wave, as if it was being submerged. The entire area soon feels as though it is underwater. Bubbles descend down upon the area and lasers simulate the wavy surface to the ocean, completely enveloping the hub and Main Street. The water screens open to simulate the undersea environment from The Little Mermaid.

Fireworks and fountains dance to "Part of Your World", before the hub becomes alive with color, to the tune of "Under the Sea". Sebastian appears on one of the water screens, as the entire hub wraps with all different sorts of undersea-life seen in The Little Mermaid. The hub becomes alive with an array of colorful fountains. Colorful fireworks blast off into the sky in red, green and blue colors. Arches of fireworks envelop the castle in the tropical, undersea rhythm. Lights envelop the hub, as the song reaches its' climax and blasts of shimmery, twirly fireworks shoot off into the sky.

Scene Five: A Wish to See the World

Projected onto the castle, a series of leaves sweep across, before the instrumental tune of "Colors of the Wind" could be heard. Blue and green fountains rise into the sky, turning into the center, towards the castle. The sky becomes illuminated with different colors of fireworks. Some of the fireworks "sizzle" out, almost as if they are part of the leaves flying across the castle. As the end of the song approaches, the fireworks become more vibrant and larger, until the end of the song, where a series of colorful fireworks arch out from behind the castle.

A silhouette of Hercules onboard Pegasus flies across the castle, as the castle is illuminated in a bright orange color. Huge circular red and orange fireworks blast off to the tune of "Go the Distance" in a grand and bold manner (re-using the same track as that used in the original version of Wishes). The song soon segues into "Out There" from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which keeps the same manner as the previous segment, the fireworks launch out in big, bold patterns to the tune of the music. The Cathedral of Notre Dame is projected onto the castle, as huge fireworks explode out from behind it, completely enveloping the entire hub in the bright oranges and reds of the fireworks.

Scene Six: The Ties of Family

A brief reprise of "When You Wish Upon a Star" plays again.

Jiminy Cricket: If you tell someone about your wish, that doesn't mean that it won't come true, you know. Just like my friend, Pinoke, he and his father both wished on a star...and their wishes came true.

An instrumental of "You'll Be in My Heart" plays, as vines slowly creep up the castle, as blue butterflies fly across the castle. Green fountains shoot up around the castle, as golden streams of fireworks fall during the verse of the song, raining down over the castle, like a canopy. During the refrain of the song, strings of pyrotechnics emerge from the sides of the castle, ending the segment perfectly. The hub soon fades to darkness again, as "Ellie's Theme" from Up plays, as colorful balloons rise on the castle. Colorful fireworks in red, blue, green, yellow and all sorts of colors illuminate the hub, for the incredibly colorful, yet somber musical segment.

Suddenly, the area takes on a cool, mellow blue tone, as we hear the voice of Timothy Mouse.

Timothy: Come on, Dumbo. You can do it. You don't need a magic feather! You really can fly!

And just like that, Dumbo himself appears flying over Cinderella Castle, flapping his big ears and moving his legs. Blue shells are quietly shot in the background, as Allison Kraus' voice sings "Baby Mine". The music softens and Dumbo makes his exit.

Emerging from the side of the castle, Stitch appears, as Experiment 626. He arrives at a balcony in the castle, where he uses his laser gun weapon to shoot into the audience. As he does so, flares emerge all around the castle and the hub, as lazers emerge into the audience, in a completely 3-D realistic way. Stitch lets out a wicked laugh, before proceeding his onslaught of using his laser gun to spark fireworks from all around the castle. Stitch waves goodbye to the audience, as he climbs down the sides of the castle turrets and plunges into the Cinderella Castle moat towards Tomorrowland. A splash is heard and the water fountains shoot up.

Scene Seven: Wishes of Love

Jiminy Cricket: A wish is a powerful thing, especially when it comes from the heart...

The darkened hub becomes illuminated to the grand tune of "One Song" from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, before proceeding into elements of "Someday My Prince Will Come". The Prince's castle from the film is projected onto the castle, as a colorful mix of golden curtain fireworks is contrasted against the deep blue hues of the dancing fountains. Hearts are also projected onto the castle.

Immediately following the refrain from Snow White, "So This Is Love" from Cinderella sweeps through the hub, the castle takes on a gloss, glassy appearance, not too different from glass slippers, perhaps? Bold blue and white orb fireworks explode in the sky, almost as bright and shimmery as diamonds. Heart fireworks explode in the sky, as blue dancing fountains illuminate the base of the castle.

Following the Cinderella segment, the hub livens up to the tune of "Once Upon a Dream" from Sleeping Beauty. Cinderella Castle takes the form of King Stephan's castle from the film, as a battle ensues between blue and pink fireworks above. The bright fireworks light up the castle, lighting up the structure in an array of blue and pink lights. Flying across the castle are small red, green and blue orbs; Flora, Fauna and Merryweather. During the segment, guests can hear Flora and Merryweather chanting "Make it pink!" or "Blue"! At the base of the castle, the fountains themselves are battling out between deciding whether to be blue or pink.

As the song slowly fades, a single floating lantern is projected, rising up the castle.

"I See the Light" starts playing throughout the hub, as the water screens surrounding the hub soon become illuminated with several floating lanterns, which also completely illuminate the castle. Rapunzel begins to sing the verse of the song, as golden fountains rise from the base of Cinderella Castle. Golden fireworks explode overhead. It really does feel as though the entire hub is surrounded in floating lanterns. As Flynn joins Rapunzel during the refrain of the song, real floating lanterns float from the base of Cinderella Castle and rise into the sky, out of sight. As the song slowly finishes out its' final chords, the tone of the music turns somewhat darker, dismal. The castle falls into a dark blue/purplish color.

Scene Eight: Dark Forces Ignite

Jiminy Cricket: Uh oh, now don’t worry. Just remember, always let your conscience be your guide. Let your conscience be your guide…let your conscience be your guide…

Suddenly a flash of light appears across the castle, as a firework makes a gigantic, thunderous noise. In a golden circular frame, the face of the Magic Mirror appears, stating to the guests that dreams can give way to a world of nightmares. Flames burst from within the magic mirror, engulfing the mirror and spreading across the castle. Real jets of fire ignite off of the castle.

The Queen: Slaves in the magic mirror, come from the farthest space. Through wind and darkness, I summon thee. Let me see thy face. A blast of wind, to find my fate. A thunderbolt, to cast my spell. Alas, grant me my wish as well.

Smoke emants from the castle, as green fountains emerge from its' base. Projected green some rises along the castle, before the evil face of Scar from The Lion King appears from within the green smoke. Suddenly, a rock theme of "Be Prepared" takes hold, as bold green and yellow fireworks illuminate the sky, cackling above. The segment ends with a thundersome crackle, from the fireworks above. The green lights remain on the castle, as a shadowy figure of Dr. Facilier is projected onto the castle, performing "Friends on the Other Side". During the number, the dark shadow uses his "voodoo" powers to create the magical firework displays at hand, in many different shapes. Dark shadowy creatures swarm the castle. This segment is similar to the "Friend Like Me" segment, where in, the animation on the castle, is choreographed with the fireworks.

Suddenly, bursts of flame appear from the castle, as "Hellfire" plays. Huge orbs of red and orange fireworks explode in the sky, painting a haunting picture of a darkened Cinderella Castle in the forefront. It seemingly appears as though the sky is on fire from the mass arrangement of fiery red fireworks. Fiery beams emerge from jets on Cinderella Castle. The segment ends with an explosion of blood red fireworks surrounding the hub.

When the light from the fireworks fade, a very familiar villain appears in a burst of green flame on the castle stage.

Maleficent: Behold the power of all evil! This kingdom shall become my dominion of nightmares!

Blasts of green fireworks emerge from behind the castle. Projected thorns begin to cover the castle. The water screens open to reveal a thorn forest surrounding the hub. Jets of fire appear from within the hub, spreading the blaze across the river, seemingly making it seem as though the hub is surrounding by a river of fire! Blasts of green and purple fireworks explode in the sky, creating a haunted scene. The fireworks explode faster and faster, as the fire sears farther. Maleficent's wicked laugh fills the hub. The momentum continues to build and build until…

Sorcerer Yensid appears on the castle and halts the madness by casting forth his hands. Upon doing so, the fountains rise and rush upwards towards the castle. The fire is distinguished and the madness finally subdues, as Maleficent's laughter fades away. The twisted green and purple mash of colors on the castle fades away, illuminating the castle in a light blue glow.

Scene Nine: A Bolt Out of the Blue

Smoke still clears from the previous madness, surrounding the castle, as all falls silent. A slight glimmer of light sparkles across Cinderella Castle. From here on out, the rest of the show plays out just like it did before, starting from Jiminy's line "You know folks, you gotta be careful what you wish for around here, or you'll get yourself in an awful mess."

Finale: A Wish Triumphant

For this new version of Wishes, the finale will be changed a bit. After Jiminy Cricket says "'Cause that, my friends, is where the magic lives", the castle becomes black and white and Walt Disney himself seems to walk through the castle entrance.

Walt: To all who come to this happy place...welcome.

Then, as the choirs sing the current finale, the castle projects scenes of Disney characters having their wishes come true. An orchestra of fireworks jet into the sky, of all different colors. They illuminate Cinderella Castle, which grows brighter and brighter. Streams of fireworks shoot from the Castle, towards the sky, crossing in front of one another. The fountains rise higher and higher, as the music builds. On the final note, a burst of golden fireworks surrounding Cinderella Castle and the hub illuminate the Magic Kingdom, before fading away into the dark.

Jiminy Cricket: See what a little wishing can do?

Cinderella Castle lies, shimmering thoughout the night.

Wishes: A Magical Gathering of Disney Dreams
INTRODUCTION: A WORLD OF WISHES
1) Wishes Theme
-Jiminy Cricket's Introduction-
2) When You Wish Upon a Star

DREAMS TAKE FLIGHT
3) You Can Fly!

BE OUR GUEST
4) Be Our Guest

WISHES TO BE SHARED
5) Circle of Life
6) Hakuna Matata
7) Friend Like Me
8) A Whole New World

UNDERWATER DREAMS
-Marlin and Dory's Interlude-
9) In the Big Blue World
10) Part of Your World
11) Under the Sea

A WISH TO SEE THE WORLD
12) Colors of the Wind
13) Go the Distance
14) Out There

THE TIES OF FAMILY
15) When Your Wish Upon a Star (Reprise)
16) You'll Be in My Heart
17) Ellie's Theme
18) Baby Mine
-Stitch's Interlude-

WISHES OF LOVE
19) One Song/Someday My Prince Will Come
20) So This is Love
21) Once Upon a Dream
22) I See the Light

DARK FORCES IGNITE
-Magic Mirror Interlude-
23) Be Prepared
24) Friends On the Other Side
25) Hellfire
-Maleficent's Takeover Interlude-

A BOLT OUT OF THE BLUE
-Blue Fairy's Interlude-
26) Wishes Theme (Reprise)

FINALE: A WISH TRIUMPHANT
-Walt Disney's Interlude-
27) Finale ("Wishes" Theme/When You Wish Upon a Star)

28) Exit Music (Wishes)
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And with that, our tour of the Magic Kingdom has come to an end.

Now, whenever I finish an overview of a park, I'll post a full attraction/dining/shopping list, like the one you're about to see (I decided not to list the character greetings, since I already talk about them in my main posts, anyway). And this symbol right here--FP+--will denote which attractions will use the FastPass+ service.

​

Main Street U.S.A.
1) Walt Disney World Railroad
2) Main Street Vehicles
3) Walt Disney: One Man's Dream
4) Main Street Cinema
5) Penny Arcade

Shopping
A) The Emporium
B) Disney Clothiers
C) Greenhouse Flower Shop
D) Main Street Confectionery
E) Main Street Newsstand
F) Harmony Barber Shop
G) Crystal Arts

Dining
A) Tony's Town Square Restaurant
B) Main Street Bakery
C) The Plaza Ice Cream Parlour
D) Casey's Cornery
E) The Plaza Restaurant
F) Crystal Palace

Adventureland
6) Swiss Family Treehouse
7) Legend of the Lion King
8) Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room
9) Jungle Cruise FP+
10) Journey to the Center of the Earth FP+
11) Pirates of the Caribbean

Shopping
A) Island Supply
B) Adventureland Bazaar
C) Zanzibar Trading Company
D) Bwana Bob's
E) Plaza Del Sol Caribe Bazaar

Dining
A) Adventureland Veranda
B) Aloha Isle
C) Sunshine Tree Terrace
D) Tortuga Tavern

Frontierland
12) Splash Mountain FP+
13) Big Thunder Mountain Railroad FP+
14) Davy Crockett Wilderness Arcade
15) Western River Expedition FP+
16) Tom Sawyer Island
17) Rafts to Tom Sawyer Island
18) Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes
19) Country Bear Jamboree
20) Frontierland Shootin' Arcade
21) Diamond Horseshoe Saloon Revue

Shopping
A) The Briar Patch
B) Frontier Trading Post
C) Prairie Outpost & Supply
D) Tumbleweed Traders
E) Big Al's
F) K.A. Bume TNT Company

Dining
A) Pecos Bill's Cafe
B) Golden Oak Outpost
C) Tumbleweed Tavern
D) Aunt Nancy's Ice Cream Parlour
E) The Diamond Horseshoe
F) The Lucky Nugget
G) Mile Long Bar

Liberty Square
22) The Hall of Presidents
23) Liberty Belle Riverboat
24) The Haunted Mansion
25) Mike Fink Keel Boats

Shopping
A) Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe
B) Memento Mori

Dining
A) Liberty Tree Tavern
B) Sleepy Hollow
C) Columbia Harbour House
D) Liberty Square Market

Fantasyland
26) Cinderella Castle
27) Peter Pan's Flight FP+
28) "it's a small world"
29) The Hunchback of Notre Dame Festival of Fools FP+
30) Princess Fairytale Hall FP+
31) Cinderella's Golden Carrousel
32) Fairytale Garden
33) The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh FP+
34) Seven Dwarfs Mine Train FP+
35) Enchanted Tales with Belle
36) Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid
37) Ariel's Grotto
38) Dumbo the Flying Elephant
39) Casey Jr. Splash and Soak Station
40) The Barnstormer starring The Great Goofini
41) Pete's Silly Sideshow
42) Mickey's Madcap Circus FP+
43) Alice in Wonderland
44) Mad Tea Party
45) Bald Mountain FP+

Shopping
A) Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
B) Fantasy Faire
C) Tinker Bell's Treasures
D) Sir Mickey's
E) 100 Acre Goods
F) Bonjour! Village Gifts
G) Big Top Souvenirs
H) Mickey's Toy Stop (featuring the Backstage Magic meet & greet FP+)

Dining
A) Cinderella's Royal Table
B) Pinocchio Village Haus
C) Storybook Treats
D) Rabbit's Garden
E) Be Our Guest
F) Gaston's Tavern
G) Prince Eric's Village Market
H) Casey Jr. Circus Treats
I) Cheshire Cafe
J) Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall

Tomorrowland
46) Astro Orbiter
47) Tomorrowland Transit Authority
48) The ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter FP+
49) The Timekeeper
50) Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
51) TRON Lightcycle Power Run FP+
52) Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress
53) If You Had Wings
54) Space Mountain FP+

Shopping
A) Merchant of Venus
B) Mickey's Star Traders
C) Store Command

Dining
A) The Lunching Pad
B) Auntie Gravity's Galactic Goodies

Entertainment
--Magic Kingdom Welcome Show
--Citizens of Main Street
--Main Street Trolley Show
--Main Street Philharmonic
--The Dapper Dans
--Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom
--Captain Jack Sparrow's Pirate Tutorial
--The Notorious Banjo Brothers and Bob
--Royal Majesty Makers
--Storybook Circus Giggle Gang
--Remember the Magic
--Disney's Festival of Fantasy Parade FP+
--SpectroMagic FP+
--Celebrate the Magic
--Wishes: A Magical Gathering of Disney Dreams FP+

In the next post, we'll begin our tour of the next park at WDW: EPCOT Center!

 

[Twilight_Roxas]

Great job. Even though its already in Celebrate the Magic wonder where well Let It Go would be if it was in Wishes even if its own segment with Jiminy narrating something about it.

 

[RadiatorSpringsRacer]

I can't tell you how honored I am that you liked my parade idea!