Hi all,
I had an idea for the future 5th Gate at Walt Disney World. It would kind of take the idea of Tokyo Disney Sea of having themed ports around the world and instead base it on an entire park based on the theme of Adventureland, but having different themed lands based on different regions of the world. (I'm debating between either calling the park "Disney World Park," or "Disney's Adventure World.") For instance the first land that one visits when entering the park is a mid-1800's Nantucket Island Seaport. Like Main Street U.S.A., the port area could be lined with authentic buildings of the era containing shops, eateries, and functioning establishments appropriate to the era. In this area would be an attraction called the "Nantucket Sleigh Ride," where you are dragged by a whale that has been harpooned. It would be loosely based on Moby Dick. The whaling ship Pequod could be docked at the Nantucket Harbor (the Straight Wharf in the novel). Guests could board and explore the ship and interact with some cast members dressed up as the characters from the Herman Melville novel such as Captain Ahab, Ishmael, and Queequeg. The Pequod could periodically set sail for the adjacent Caribbean Land (the last land that will be discussed, which is to east of the Nantucket Island Land) to drop guests off before returning to the Nantucket Island Seaport.
At the center of the park would be a hub from which one can walk to all of the different lands that radiate out in a circle. The hub will be quite large (a bit more expansive than in the castle parks). At the center of the hub will be a reproduction of the Lighthouse of Alexandria (the Pharos of Alexandria). It will serve as the iconic feature or landmark for the park. Guests could ascend a staircase (to get some exercise) that would lead them to an observation level that provides a commanding view of all of the different lands in the park. So as to make it ADA compliant, there would also be a number of elevators for guests unable or unwilling to climb the stairs. Since the top will depict a flame (it should be sufficiently well lit so as to avoid having to put an aircraft warning light at the top). It could therefore be far taller than the 199 foot limitation on the castle and other landmarks characteristic of Disney parks. Aside from the hub, when you enter the park, there will be a river that rings the entire park that takes you to all of the different lands (basically a water ride in lieu of something like the Magic Kingdom Railroad). On it are boats similar to the jungle cruise since the entire park is based on Adventureland. From which you can visit the various lands in a clockwise fashion.
As you move around the park in a clockwise manner along the river, the next land next to Nantucket Island Seaport Land is Mesoamerica/Latin America. The rivers that will be depicted with audio animatronic animals appropriate to Latin America would be the Amazon and Ucayali. Within this land would be a number of attractions and rides. One of which might be my idea for an Indiana Jones Adventure ride (like the one I proposed in another thread) like the one in California, however based on looking for Aztec Treasure. The show building would be hidden underneath an Aztec pyramid. There could also be another Indiana Jones ride through the Amazonian Rain Forest where you are riding in the Soviet vehicles that also float in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. You could be chased by Soviet soldiers in other jeeps before entering a river at the top of a hill, before cascading down the river (like the Pirates of the Caribbean ride (a Splash Mountain type drop might be a bit too dangerous)). Also, in this land would be an attraction dealing with Robinson Crusoe, since it possibly took place on an island off of Chile. There would also be an attraction based on Tenochtitlan (modern day Mexico City), with its pyramids, as it was when it was an island city. This may be reduced to just a reproduction of the Templo Mayor on an island reached by causeways. You could have an Aztec Dance of the Flyers (Voladores) performance in front of the pyramid. If not Tenochtitlan, then Tikal in Guatemala. There would also be a reproduction of the Sugarloaf Mountain on an island like in Rio de Janeiro with a gondola taking you to the top of the mountain. There also could be a recreation of Thor Heyerdahl's Kon-Tiki Raft Expedition that takes guests back and forth to the adjacent Polynesian Land to an area that depicts Easter Island (Rapa Nui) with its famous statues (moai). As for the cuisine, there would be a restaurant and cantina with authentic food from the region (both Mexican and South American cuisine).
As you move around the park in a clockwise fashion along the river, the land next to Mesoamerica could be New Zealand (Aotearoa) and Polynesia. There would be audio animatronic animals like those found along rivers throughout Polynesia. This land would share some similarities to the Polynesian Cultural Center on Oahu, but be more interactive with rides. You could have depictions of various Polynesian villages such as those found on Hawaii, Tahiti, Samoa, and New Zealand. You could have a performance of the Polynesian Fire Dance and the Maori Haka. There could be a ride based on Kamehameha I’s conquest of the island of Hawaii where guests ride in catamarans as they sail off from Oahu to the Big Island. In this land could also be a meet and greet with characters from the novel H.M.S. Bounty as they have established a settlement on Tahiti.
As you move around the park in a clockwise manner along the river, the next land next to New Zealand and Polynesia would be Australia. There would be audio animatronic animals like those found in Australia, such as Kangaroos and Koala Bears. There could be a reproduction of the settlement at Botany Bay (the penal colony) where modern day Sydney is located. You could have nefarious ruffians kind of like the pirates in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. There could also be an attraction where guests board Range Rovers or Land Rovers as they explore the Australian Outback. Their destination is to a reproduction of Ayers Rock (Uluru). There could also be an attraction where guests board glass bottomed boats so that they can explore the Great Barrier Reef.
As you move around the park in a clockwise manner along the river, the next land next to Australia is East Asia. The river would have audio animatronic animals based on what are found along the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers. This land would have an attraction based on the Disney movie Mulan. There would be a depiction of the Imperial Summer Palace in Beijing. There also would be a depiction of the Great Wall that guests can walk on. You could have a live show of performers acing out the (Chinese) Dragon and Lion Dances. The land would also include a depiction of Kyoto and reproduction of Mount Fuji with an E-Ticket ride (coaster). There would be a restaurant in this land providing Chinese, Korean, and Japanese food.
As you move around the park in a clockwise manner along the river, the next land next to East Asia is Southeast Asia. This section of the river based on the rivers in this region have audio animatronic animals based on the Mekong, Salween, and Irrawaddy. There would be a depiction of the Angor Watt temple that is in Cambodia. One of the attractions would be based on Swiss Family Robinson. A smaller version of their tree house than the one in the Magic Kingdom would be on an island with the Junk at anchor nearby. That is the one with the Indonesian pirates depicted in the 1960 film. Guests could board and explore the Junk. There would also be a 20,000 leagues ride like the one at Tokyo Disney Sea (including the Nautilus submarine) docked at Vulcania Island. In this land would also be a restaurant providing Thai and Vietnamese food.
As you move around the park in a clockwise manner along the river, the next land next to Southeast Asia is the Indian Subcontinent. The section of the river based on this region's rivers having audio animatronic animals would be based on the Ganges and Indus. In this land would be a reproduction of the Taj Mahal. There would also be an Indiana Jones attraction (like the one I mentioned in another thread) that takes place in a mine car under Pankot Palace (the one depicted in the film). It would be like the ride in Disneyland Paris. There would also be an attraction in this land based on the Jungle Book. It could be a live show with actors. There would also be a restaurant providing authentic Pakistani and Indian food such as tandoori (though nothing like what was shown in Temple of Doom).
As you move around the park in a clockwise manner along the river, the next land next to the Indian Subcontinent is Sub-Saharan Africa. The audio animatronic animals along this section of the river would be like those found along the Niger, Congo, and Zambezi. In this land could have attractions based on Timbuktu, the old castle in Zanzibar, and the Lion King (such as a live show). From the castle in Zanzibar, guests could board a dhow and travel back and forth between the Sub-Saharan Africa Land (the East Coast of the Continent) and the adjacent Near East Land that will be mentioned next. There also could be an island with Tarzan's Treehouse on it like the one at Hong Kong Disneyland. There would also be a restaurant providing African food like those found in Disney's Animal Kingdom.
As you move around the park in a clockwise manner along the river, the next land next to Sub-Saharan Africa is the Near East (the Middle East and North Africa). The audio animatronic animals along this section of the river would be those found along the Nile, Tigris, and Euphrates. There would be reproductions of the Sphinx, a pyramid like the ones at Giza in Egypt, a Ziggurat like in Babylon, and a small reproduction of the ancient Persian capital of Persepolis. The Egyptian pyramid could involve a dhow, without its sail raised following an artificial channel into the Egyptian pyramid and then having an encounter with a mummy or mummies terrorizing the riders on the dhow (kind of like the experience of guests in the Haunted Mansion in the Magic Kingdom). There would also be attractions based on Aladdin and Sinbad the Sailor in this land. There would be a restaurant providing food from throughout the region (i.e. Moroccan, Turkish, Arab, Persian, etc. cuisine). There would also be a restaurant called Rick's Café Américain based on the one depicted in the film Casablanca.
As you move around the park in a clockwise manner along the river, the next land next to the Near East is Europe. This section of the river would have audio animatronic animals based on those along the Danube and other European rivers such as the Rhine, Seine, and Italy's fabled Rubicon. There could be depictions of the Parthenon before it was heavily damaged in the 1600's, as well as, the Doge and Campanile in Venice, and Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria (which could house a hofbrau house restaurant). There could also be a reproduction of St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow. Some of the characters one meets in this land could include meet and greets based on the Hunchback of Notre Dame, the Three Musketeers, Don Quixote, and the Nutcracker. The Venice setting could provide for a new attraction based on the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular. Except fans watching from an amphitheater could watch a choreographed chase scene with the boats seen in The Last Crusade. It would kind of be like "Lights, Motors, and Action!," but on the water. Mt. Vesuvius could tower over this land and have an E-ticket ride (coaster). There could be a restaurant providing various cuisine from throughout Europe.
As you move around the park in a clockwise manner along the river, the next land next to Europe (and last land, which is also next to the Nantucket based entry land), would be based on the Caribbean. The river section could have audio animatronic animals that are similar to those seen on the rivers in Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba. It would have an area based on the pirate town Port Royal in Jamaica. Part of which could sink under the water kind of like how the town of Port Royal sank below the waters after an Earthquake centuries ago. I'm not sure how this could be done. However, the attraction could have some similarities to the Earthquake attraction that used to be found at the Universal Studios parks. There would also be a reproduction of the Black Pearl from Pirates of the Caribbean that guests could board. Additionally, there would be a new ride or attraction based on Pirates of the Caribbean that differs from the one's found at the other parks. I haven't quite figured out how it would work, but it might be a ride with an omnimover system or some other ride feature. It would not be a rollercoaster since there are already quite a few in my proposed park. There would be elements of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies throughout this land, kind of like the rethemed Tom Sawyer Island at Disneyland. You could have a reproduction of Blackbeard's ship the Queen Anne's Revenge. It could attack a Spanish Galleon that guests board as they travel back and forth from the Caribbean Land (specifically the island of Hispaniola) on their way to the adjacent Europe Land that was mentioned above. You could have a meet and greet based on the characters portrayed in Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island. Treasure Island could be a staged live production in a theater. In addition, there would be a restaurant providing cuisine from the Caribbean.
Disney could even have hotels themed to each of the lands I proposed surrounding the park (kind of like the hotels they envisioned when the Magic Kingdom opened in the early 1970's). Hotel guests could board a "jungle cruise" type boat to cross the river to the adjacent dock in each land. If it is properly themed, then the hotels could be seen as an extension of the park. Basically, they would continue the theming beyond the park's borders.
Well, these are my ideas for the 5th Gate at WDW, let me know what you think?
I had an idea for the future 5th Gate at Walt Disney World. It would kind of take the idea of Tokyo Disney Sea of having themed ports around the world and instead base it on an entire park based on the theme of Adventureland, but having different themed lands based on different regions of the world. (I'm debating between either calling the park "Disney World Park," or "Disney's Adventure World.") For instance the first land that one visits when entering the park is a mid-1800's Nantucket Island Seaport. Like Main Street U.S.A., the port area could be lined with authentic buildings of the era containing shops, eateries, and functioning establishments appropriate to the era. In this area would be an attraction called the "Nantucket Sleigh Ride," where you are dragged by a whale that has been harpooned. It would be loosely based on Moby Dick. The whaling ship Pequod could be docked at the Nantucket Harbor (the Straight Wharf in the novel). Guests could board and explore the ship and interact with some cast members dressed up as the characters from the Herman Melville novel such as Captain Ahab, Ishmael, and Queequeg. The Pequod could periodically set sail for the adjacent Caribbean Land (the last land that will be discussed, which is to east of the Nantucket Island Land) to drop guests off before returning to the Nantucket Island Seaport.
At the center of the park would be a hub from which one can walk to all of the different lands that radiate out in a circle. The hub will be quite large (a bit more expansive than in the castle parks). At the center of the hub will be a reproduction of the Lighthouse of Alexandria (the Pharos of Alexandria). It will serve as the iconic feature or landmark for the park. Guests could ascend a staircase (to get some exercise) that would lead them to an observation level that provides a commanding view of all of the different lands in the park. So as to make it ADA compliant, there would also be a number of elevators for guests unable or unwilling to climb the stairs. Since the top will depict a flame (it should be sufficiently well lit so as to avoid having to put an aircraft warning light at the top). It could therefore be far taller than the 199 foot limitation on the castle and other landmarks characteristic of Disney parks. Aside from the hub, when you enter the park, there will be a river that rings the entire park that takes you to all of the different lands (basically a water ride in lieu of something like the Magic Kingdom Railroad). On it are boats similar to the jungle cruise since the entire park is based on Adventureland. From which you can visit the various lands in a clockwise fashion.
As you move around the park in a clockwise manner along the river, the next land next to Nantucket Island Seaport Land is Mesoamerica/Latin America. The rivers that will be depicted with audio animatronic animals appropriate to Latin America would be the Amazon and Ucayali. Within this land would be a number of attractions and rides. One of which might be my idea for an Indiana Jones Adventure ride (like the one I proposed in another thread) like the one in California, however based on looking for Aztec Treasure. The show building would be hidden underneath an Aztec pyramid. There could also be another Indiana Jones ride through the Amazonian Rain Forest where you are riding in the Soviet vehicles that also float in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. You could be chased by Soviet soldiers in other jeeps before entering a river at the top of a hill, before cascading down the river (like the Pirates of the Caribbean ride (a Splash Mountain type drop might be a bit too dangerous)). Also, in this land would be an attraction dealing with Robinson Crusoe, since it possibly took place on an island off of Chile. There would also be an attraction based on Tenochtitlan (modern day Mexico City), with its pyramids, as it was when it was an island city. This may be reduced to just a reproduction of the Templo Mayor on an island reached by causeways. You could have an Aztec Dance of the Flyers (Voladores) performance in front of the pyramid. If not Tenochtitlan, then Tikal in Guatemala. There would also be a reproduction of the Sugarloaf Mountain on an island like in Rio de Janeiro with a gondola taking you to the top of the mountain. There also could be a recreation of Thor Heyerdahl's Kon-Tiki Raft Expedition that takes guests back and forth to the adjacent Polynesian Land to an area that depicts Easter Island (Rapa Nui) with its famous statues (moai). As for the cuisine, there would be a restaurant and cantina with authentic food from the region (both Mexican and South American cuisine).
As you move around the park in a clockwise fashion along the river, the land next to Mesoamerica could be New Zealand (Aotearoa) and Polynesia. There would be audio animatronic animals like those found along rivers throughout Polynesia. This land would share some similarities to the Polynesian Cultural Center on Oahu, but be more interactive with rides. You could have depictions of various Polynesian villages such as those found on Hawaii, Tahiti, Samoa, and New Zealand. You could have a performance of the Polynesian Fire Dance and the Maori Haka. There could be a ride based on Kamehameha I’s conquest of the island of Hawaii where guests ride in catamarans as they sail off from Oahu to the Big Island. In this land could also be a meet and greet with characters from the novel H.M.S. Bounty as they have established a settlement on Tahiti.
As you move around the park in a clockwise manner along the river, the next land next to New Zealand and Polynesia would be Australia. There would be audio animatronic animals like those found in Australia, such as Kangaroos and Koala Bears. There could be a reproduction of the settlement at Botany Bay (the penal colony) where modern day Sydney is located. You could have nefarious ruffians kind of like the pirates in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. There could also be an attraction where guests board Range Rovers or Land Rovers as they explore the Australian Outback. Their destination is to a reproduction of Ayers Rock (Uluru). There could also be an attraction where guests board glass bottomed boats so that they can explore the Great Barrier Reef.
As you move around the park in a clockwise manner along the river, the next land next to Australia is East Asia. The river would have audio animatronic animals based on what are found along the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers. This land would have an attraction based on the Disney movie Mulan. There would be a depiction of the Imperial Summer Palace in Beijing. There also would be a depiction of the Great Wall that guests can walk on. You could have a live show of performers acing out the (Chinese) Dragon and Lion Dances. The land would also include a depiction of Kyoto and reproduction of Mount Fuji with an E-Ticket ride (coaster). There would be a restaurant in this land providing Chinese, Korean, and Japanese food.
As you move around the park in a clockwise manner along the river, the next land next to East Asia is Southeast Asia. This section of the river based on the rivers in this region have audio animatronic animals based on the Mekong, Salween, and Irrawaddy. There would be a depiction of the Angor Watt temple that is in Cambodia. One of the attractions would be based on Swiss Family Robinson. A smaller version of their tree house than the one in the Magic Kingdom would be on an island with the Junk at anchor nearby. That is the one with the Indonesian pirates depicted in the 1960 film. Guests could board and explore the Junk. There would also be a 20,000 leagues ride like the one at Tokyo Disney Sea (including the Nautilus submarine) docked at Vulcania Island. In this land would also be a restaurant providing Thai and Vietnamese food.
As you move around the park in a clockwise manner along the river, the next land next to Southeast Asia is the Indian Subcontinent. The section of the river based on this region's rivers having audio animatronic animals would be based on the Ganges and Indus. In this land would be a reproduction of the Taj Mahal. There would also be an Indiana Jones attraction (like the one I mentioned in another thread) that takes place in a mine car under Pankot Palace (the one depicted in the film). It would be like the ride in Disneyland Paris. There would also be an attraction in this land based on the Jungle Book. It could be a live show with actors. There would also be a restaurant providing authentic Pakistani and Indian food such as tandoori (though nothing like what was shown in Temple of Doom).
As you move around the park in a clockwise manner along the river, the next land next to the Indian Subcontinent is Sub-Saharan Africa. The audio animatronic animals along this section of the river would be like those found along the Niger, Congo, and Zambezi. In this land could have attractions based on Timbuktu, the old castle in Zanzibar, and the Lion King (such as a live show). From the castle in Zanzibar, guests could board a dhow and travel back and forth between the Sub-Saharan Africa Land (the East Coast of the Continent) and the adjacent Near East Land that will be mentioned next. There also could be an island with Tarzan's Treehouse on it like the one at Hong Kong Disneyland. There would also be a restaurant providing African food like those found in Disney's Animal Kingdom.
As you move around the park in a clockwise manner along the river, the next land next to Sub-Saharan Africa is the Near East (the Middle East and North Africa). The audio animatronic animals along this section of the river would be those found along the Nile, Tigris, and Euphrates. There would be reproductions of the Sphinx, a pyramid like the ones at Giza in Egypt, a Ziggurat like in Babylon, and a small reproduction of the ancient Persian capital of Persepolis. The Egyptian pyramid could involve a dhow, without its sail raised following an artificial channel into the Egyptian pyramid and then having an encounter with a mummy or mummies terrorizing the riders on the dhow (kind of like the experience of guests in the Haunted Mansion in the Magic Kingdom). There would also be attractions based on Aladdin and Sinbad the Sailor in this land. There would be a restaurant providing food from throughout the region (i.e. Moroccan, Turkish, Arab, Persian, etc. cuisine). There would also be a restaurant called Rick's Café Américain based on the one depicted in the film Casablanca.
As you move around the park in a clockwise manner along the river, the next land next to the Near East is Europe. This section of the river would have audio animatronic animals based on those along the Danube and other European rivers such as the Rhine, Seine, and Italy's fabled Rubicon. There could be depictions of the Parthenon before it was heavily damaged in the 1600's, as well as, the Doge and Campanile in Venice, and Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria (which could house a hofbrau house restaurant). There could also be a reproduction of St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow. Some of the characters one meets in this land could include meet and greets based on the Hunchback of Notre Dame, the Three Musketeers, Don Quixote, and the Nutcracker. The Venice setting could provide for a new attraction based on the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular. Except fans watching from an amphitheater could watch a choreographed chase scene with the boats seen in The Last Crusade. It would kind of be like "Lights, Motors, and Action!," but on the water. Mt. Vesuvius could tower over this land and have an E-ticket ride (coaster). There could be a restaurant providing various cuisine from throughout Europe.
As you move around the park in a clockwise manner along the river, the next land next to Europe (and last land, which is also next to the Nantucket based entry land), would be based on the Caribbean. The river section could have audio animatronic animals that are similar to those seen on the rivers in Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba. It would have an area based on the pirate town Port Royal in Jamaica. Part of which could sink under the water kind of like how the town of Port Royal sank below the waters after an Earthquake centuries ago. I'm not sure how this could be done. However, the attraction could have some similarities to the Earthquake attraction that used to be found at the Universal Studios parks. There would also be a reproduction of the Black Pearl from Pirates of the Caribbean that guests could board. Additionally, there would be a new ride or attraction based on Pirates of the Caribbean that differs from the one's found at the other parks. I haven't quite figured out how it would work, but it might be a ride with an omnimover system or some other ride feature. It would not be a rollercoaster since there are already quite a few in my proposed park. There would be elements of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies throughout this land, kind of like the rethemed Tom Sawyer Island at Disneyland. You could have a reproduction of Blackbeard's ship the Queen Anne's Revenge. It could attack a Spanish Galleon that guests board as they travel back and forth from the Caribbean Land (specifically the island of Hispaniola) on their way to the adjacent Europe Land that was mentioned above. You could have a meet and greet based on the characters portrayed in Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island. Treasure Island could be a staged live production in a theater. In addition, there would be a restaurant providing cuisine from the Caribbean.
Disney could even have hotels themed to each of the lands I proposed surrounding the park (kind of like the hotels they envisioned when the Magic Kingdom opened in the early 1970's). Hotel guests could board a "jungle cruise" type boat to cross the river to the adjacent dock in each land. If it is properly themed, then the hotels could be seen as an extension of the park. Basically, they would continue the theming beyond the park's borders.
Well, these are my ideas for the 5th Gate at WDW, let me know what you think?
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