Going along with what what I introduced in another thread, I'd like to further discuss this idea for a 5th gate at WDW.
The Park would be called Seas of Time, and be located just north of Animal Kingdom. This would facilitate the creation of a new 'downtown'/resort area linking the two parks. And furthermore, this would inspire the construction of a monorail route to connect the 7seas lagoon/BayLake/MK resort area to the Epcot/DHS/Boardwalk resort area to this brand new area.
The inspiration for the park lies with the (from my point of view) phenomenally successful and exciting Tokyo DisneySea property, but throws in a twist that incorporates a theme not yet fully explored by Disney: history.
In many ways, nautical navigation and history correspond due to the effect sea travel has on commerce, the spread of culture, and exploration. So, hopefully that's enough to convince you on the theme. Now to the park!
Overview:
The park itself will have a unifying imagineered narrative to explain its existance. Much the same way parks in the 90's did. You know, like Typhoon Lagoon was a resort hit by a storm, Blizzard Beach a melting ski resort after a freak Florida snow storm, Pleasure Island even had a story behind it (something like a Mr. Pleasure who sold his old factories to people so they could become clubs, I'm serious!). I love these stories.
The story for this park is that there is an island in the ocean that is independent of time. This way, peoples from all history can accidently maroon and settle there. The particular story doesn't matter - but I think the centerpiece of the park should be the element that reflects the story. My take on it now would be something like: "At the birth of stars, a young star fell to the earth and crashed on a lone island. Because it fell out of the sky too soon, its effect on time and direction were disastrous. All around it, yesterday became tomorrow, tomorrow yesterday, and today was lost all together. North would turn to South to East to West and back again. As the star grew, trapped inside its crater, the effect grew more and more powerful. In order to prevent the universe from folding in on itself, a powerful and wise scientist/magician at the end of time, before the sun was to set for the very last time, built a cap on the star to contain its power and protect history from being disrupted. As a result, the island itself disappeared from history - only to appear suddenly and briefly at different locations around the world throughout history." Okay, a little dense for families, but I hope it could be distilled. The 'cap' the scientist/magician built is a tower called the Chrono-Compass, which looks as cool as it sounds, and keep the island from interfering with history.
The Park, now, has to appear to be an island - so I imagine something like the MK, but with a beefy river ringing it instead of railroad tracks. At the island's center is a crater, with the large Chrono-Compass tower sticking up out of it. The place where 'Main Street' would be is instead a large lake - like the one at Epcot. Just below the lake is the entry gate. Now it gets fun.
When you walk through the gate, the theming is very modern and high-tech - with a Verne-like steampunk 'spice'. Here are the utilities: strollers, lockers, etc. The ground very gradually sinks down towards the lake. If you stand right past the gate, and look ahead, the land right up against the lake would be just a few feet higher. This land will arch gently, so that below it is the ceiling and entry to a below ground area (where the gradually lowering path leads).
If you walk to that arch, and stand next to the rail that keeps you from jumping into the lake, you can look across at the island. The shore on this side of the island is sort of crescent shaped, with the crescent arcing away from you. From this vantage point you can see an Atlantean temple, a Roman War Galley, a Portugese sailing ship, an American steamliner and skyscrapers, a Big Ben wannabe, the Parthenon, and at the center of it all, the crater with the Chrono-Compass. Most curiously, especially at night, if you look into the water you'll see something else...
The Lands (each represents a time period/culture that has reached the island):
1) Port Tomorrow
The slope down into the ground, right after the entry gate, leads to a glass-enclosed plaza that is actually under the water in the bay. Granted, its not deep under the water - the ceiling glass being perhaps inches below the water's surface - but the effect is there: you are in an underwater town of the future.
Here you have the normal fares of shops and foods, but there are two key features. You see, the plaza is circular, with the path leading down into it, and a path leading up out of it to the island on the other side (it's a gradual slope, but there will be elevators). The two key features are in circular enclosures branching off each side towards the island (yes, hidden Mickey). One is a restaurant whose walls actually hold aquariums (no fish swimming in the actual lake) - and of which Coral Reef would be very jealous. The other 'ear' is an interactive 4-D movie. This tells the story of Port Tomorrow. Basically, in the future people live under the water. And one group in particular has been mining and may have stumbled upon the 'legendary island lost to time'. Spraying water, buckling beams, and underwater chase movie etc. etc. are the fare. But you get to watch it and figure out what the island is all about.
At night, the lights of Port Tomorrow light up the lake. And they dim a bit for fireworks/light show which can be seen from inside the plaza. Plus, special lights from the plaza light up as well. So people there at the time are 'in the middle of it'. A nighttime spectacular that has to be seen twice to get the full experience? Yes!
When you leave Port Tomorrow, you go up the ramp to the crater floor at the island's center (did I mention the slope was very gradual, and the path was very wide).
2) The Crater
The Crater is basically a hub. There won't be room for sitting or anything here. There will be one attraction though. The Chrono-Compass will feature an Astro-Orbiter type ride. The line for the ride takes you past the story of the existence of the island.
Assuming you take the first lava tube on your right, you'll end up in:
3)The Mediterranean
The first thing you might notice here is the Italian theming. This area will be split up by a canal with little bridges. A plaza similar to St. Mark's in Venice will feature fast food Italian style. The first attracition you'd notice is 'bumper boats'. The water will only be about half an inch deep, so these are basically decorated bumper cars - but - the copilot has a teeny spritz gun that shoots little squirts periodically at adversaries.
The Spanish theme quickly takes over, and as you reach the far end of the 'crescent' shore of the island you'll arrive at a faithful replica of a sailing ship of the era. You can walk aboard, look around, pretend like you're firing a cannon or steering the rudder, and walk off. This and all boats in the park, while not perhaps 100% accurate in scale and layout, will be decorated very authentically - but will all feature tons of interactivities. Hidden electronics will react to things like turning the wheel, or knocking on the captain's door etc. The Spanish area will feature shops - and one day perhaps - an entrance to Mermaid Lagoon across the 'river' (but that's for an expansion).
The last component of this large Mediterranean area is the Portugese area. This will be dominated by a series of steps modeled after the staircase in Braga, Portugal (check it out). This is the line. At the top is a facade built into - seemingly - the crater's outer wall. The ride is indoors and features a boat not unlike those 'viking boat' rides at carnivals. This one is decorated like Henry the Navigator's caravel. The boat never leaves it's spot, but sits on a framework that allows the boat to slide around a little, forwards, backwards, twisty. The room itself is all four walls and ceiling a projector screen. The base has the ability to fill very quickly with water, and there are massive gusher/sprayers. The ride is "Journey to the End of the Earth". You get the picture. I will note that the ride will try and simulate the enviromental effects of this journey and be very compelling. An E ticket hit!
Outside, to the right of these stairs (north of the crater) is an archway. Underneath this archway is immediately another one feet away. To the right, where you stand now, is...
4)The Arabian Coast
Aladdin, Sinbad, etc. Could be as small as one fast food: 'The Middle Eats' Moving on through you arrive at...
5) Polynesian Grove
Okay, this isn't a land - it's a spot like Epcot's African outpost. There are a few palm trees, a flower garden, some Polynesian canoes, and a spinning/Dumbo ride: Moai Monsoon - yes the middle is a giant Easter Island Moai!
But as you continue on you reach...
6)Ancient Rome
You are now more or less on the other side of the crater. The park is more of an oval than a circle - longer one way then the other.
Rome consists of a Pantheon (big circle building, look it up) lodged into a rockface, with a Trajan's column out front, followed by a Hippodrome. The Hippodrome features a chariot race ride that is rather fun because there's a competitive aspect - though it will be geared towards kiddies. The paths through this plaza are more constricted, to give the sense of Rome being a large dense place. On one side of the hippodrome, below the crater, are Roman shops selling Merch. On the other side is an aqueduct. You can walk under this aqueduct wherever, it's mostly a 'space separator' though it has one more important purpose: Passage to the Underworld.
Inside the Pantheon building is the line/staging area for this ride, which is basically POTC visits Hades. The Pantheon itself is lodged into an artificial cliff face which serves as both an Acropolis for the Greece section, but is basically the cleverly disguised ride building. The story is that a Roman somebody or other has heard from a Greek guy he knows he knows a guy who knows a guy who talked to Hercules once a long time ago, that there's a passage to the underwold in Rome's sewers (work with me). So you get on a boat that goes up an incline that shows off Roman construction scenes and tools, and you basically ride down the top level of the aqueduct to a portion of the crater (you can see the Chrono-Compass from up high for about a second or two), and then you ride down the bottom level of the aqueduct into the 'Acropolis'. Inside there are underwold scences, and twisty water ways, and an encounter with Cerebus and Hades and the fates etc. Spooky and fun! The Haunted Mans...water ride! It would be funny to see the hitchiking ghosts cameo in togas!
And then you get off and walk under the aqueduct into...
7)Ancient Greece
This area is more open and developed whereas Rome was just a couple of rides. Greece features a (greek) galley and harbor which you can visit. It's an open plaza too. Bathrooms, fast food, etc. There's a Odeon built into the Acropolis (wow, this thing is turning into Big Thunder Mesa), with a - what else - Hercules show (yay, he gets to be in an actual park!). But the show will only cameo Hercules and otherwise have the appearance of a greek play (masks and all). And of course, atop the Acropolis is the Parthenon, which is what else but a fancy restaurant serving greek cuisine. That's all there is to say about Greece, but it will certainly be a beloved spot.
A road opens into the Greece plaza, and if you go down it you arrive at an intersection. This area is...
8)Industrial Age London
A fake Big Ben chimes as cute little stores sell Dickensian novelties. One facade is an entrance to an attraction: Around the world in 80 days. This ride assumes Phineas Fogg invented a 'faster' balloon. It's basically a gondola-style lite roller coaster. The blimps zoom around above the 'city-scape'.
If you go right at the intersection, you'll reach the top shore of the island, and you'll see two bridges. One looks like the Tower Bridge. The other, will discuss later.
If you go left, you'll arrive at the lake, and this shore features...
8)New New York Harbor
The area you enter will feature the bow of a Steamliner on one side, a broadway marquise on the other. Like TDS, the marquise will be a broadway best of, the liner will have a fancy seafood restaurant. However, the back of the ship will feature the line/staging area for a ride. There will be a section for kids to simply 'play around' on the boat.
The ride will center around an attack by a giant squid on the boat. You have to get in a lifeboat, the boat crosses a hidden bridge into the nearby building, and the ride features going down a whirlpool to an underground land of prehistoric monster sea creatures.
The building facades on the outside will look like New York City. Which will whimsically blend in with the Acropolis, Big Ben, etc. It's like playing Civ II or SimCity... anyway. There will be a 'cranes' ride which will be a variation on the swings/parachute type ride - sort of a C ticket. And there will also be a Chicago ganster car chase indoor dark ride that could be thrilling and fun.
Anyway, back to what's across the shore from London..
9)China!
An interactive Chinese Junk, chinese food, a great wall/dragon roller coaster (Chinese dragon IOA, take that!). And of course, the second bridge I mentioned earlier will have Chinese motifs.
Back to New York, after the last building, there's this one spot of land left...
10)Atlantis
Yes, finally a place to sell the Merch in a Disney park!!! Atlantis will have a table service restaurant that serves an eclectic tropical/mediterranean mix. It will also have a Peter Pan like suspended dark ride that is very very vertical. It will have all the cool "It's a rock, oh wait the lines are glowing, oh it's an opening techie thingie" designs like from the movie (but see also Zelda: Wind Waker). The story will center around the Atlantean's attempts to discover the truth about the beginning of the universe and 'where it came from' (no comment by the way). The experiment ends in disaster, and a fun ride through the temple. I think the restaurant should be terraced multi-level, into the side of this same temple. With a suspended track from the ride having the cars go 'outside' but near the diners like at Mexico pavillion.
AND....
That's about it. Plenty of room for expansion. Yes, this park is 8000 times more ambitious than even the most ambitious attraction. Think about how huge Tower of Terror is and all it really does is drop. My theory with this park is that it won't consume much land area, and that it will sort of by a vertical park by densely packing Big Thunder Mesa like constructions up against each other. I also expect the park to appeal to older people, but anticipate that younger folks will love it too. Really, at this point Disney has no need to lay down a new gate. Anything conventional they want to do they have room to do in the 4 existing parks. So if they ever built a 5th gate, I'd expect some big thinking like this.
Thrill. Technology. Scale.
Please let me know what you think.
The Park would be called Seas of Time, and be located just north of Animal Kingdom. This would facilitate the creation of a new 'downtown'/resort area linking the two parks. And furthermore, this would inspire the construction of a monorail route to connect the 7seas lagoon/BayLake/MK resort area to the Epcot/DHS/Boardwalk resort area to this brand new area.
The inspiration for the park lies with the (from my point of view) phenomenally successful and exciting Tokyo DisneySea property, but throws in a twist that incorporates a theme not yet fully explored by Disney: history.
In many ways, nautical navigation and history correspond due to the effect sea travel has on commerce, the spread of culture, and exploration. So, hopefully that's enough to convince you on the theme. Now to the park!
Overview:
The park itself will have a unifying imagineered narrative to explain its existance. Much the same way parks in the 90's did. You know, like Typhoon Lagoon was a resort hit by a storm, Blizzard Beach a melting ski resort after a freak Florida snow storm, Pleasure Island even had a story behind it (something like a Mr. Pleasure who sold his old factories to people so they could become clubs, I'm serious!). I love these stories.
The story for this park is that there is an island in the ocean that is independent of time. This way, peoples from all history can accidently maroon and settle there. The particular story doesn't matter - but I think the centerpiece of the park should be the element that reflects the story. My take on it now would be something like: "At the birth of stars, a young star fell to the earth and crashed on a lone island. Because it fell out of the sky too soon, its effect on time and direction were disastrous. All around it, yesterday became tomorrow, tomorrow yesterday, and today was lost all together. North would turn to South to East to West and back again. As the star grew, trapped inside its crater, the effect grew more and more powerful. In order to prevent the universe from folding in on itself, a powerful and wise scientist/magician at the end of time, before the sun was to set for the very last time, built a cap on the star to contain its power and protect history from being disrupted. As a result, the island itself disappeared from history - only to appear suddenly and briefly at different locations around the world throughout history." Okay, a little dense for families, but I hope it could be distilled. The 'cap' the scientist/magician built is a tower called the Chrono-Compass, which looks as cool as it sounds, and keep the island from interfering with history.
The Park, now, has to appear to be an island - so I imagine something like the MK, but with a beefy river ringing it instead of railroad tracks. At the island's center is a crater, with the large Chrono-Compass tower sticking up out of it. The place where 'Main Street' would be is instead a large lake - like the one at Epcot. Just below the lake is the entry gate. Now it gets fun.
When you walk through the gate, the theming is very modern and high-tech - with a Verne-like steampunk 'spice'. Here are the utilities: strollers, lockers, etc. The ground very gradually sinks down towards the lake. If you stand right past the gate, and look ahead, the land right up against the lake would be just a few feet higher. This land will arch gently, so that below it is the ceiling and entry to a below ground area (where the gradually lowering path leads).
If you walk to that arch, and stand next to the rail that keeps you from jumping into the lake, you can look across at the island. The shore on this side of the island is sort of crescent shaped, with the crescent arcing away from you. From this vantage point you can see an Atlantean temple, a Roman War Galley, a Portugese sailing ship, an American steamliner and skyscrapers, a Big Ben wannabe, the Parthenon, and at the center of it all, the crater with the Chrono-Compass. Most curiously, especially at night, if you look into the water you'll see something else...
The Lands (each represents a time period/culture that has reached the island):
1) Port Tomorrow
The slope down into the ground, right after the entry gate, leads to a glass-enclosed plaza that is actually under the water in the bay. Granted, its not deep under the water - the ceiling glass being perhaps inches below the water's surface - but the effect is there: you are in an underwater town of the future.
Here you have the normal fares of shops and foods, but there are two key features. You see, the plaza is circular, with the path leading down into it, and a path leading up out of it to the island on the other side (it's a gradual slope, but there will be elevators). The two key features are in circular enclosures branching off each side towards the island (yes, hidden Mickey). One is a restaurant whose walls actually hold aquariums (no fish swimming in the actual lake) - and of which Coral Reef would be very jealous. The other 'ear' is an interactive 4-D movie. This tells the story of Port Tomorrow. Basically, in the future people live under the water. And one group in particular has been mining and may have stumbled upon the 'legendary island lost to time'. Spraying water, buckling beams, and underwater chase movie etc. etc. are the fare. But you get to watch it and figure out what the island is all about.
At night, the lights of Port Tomorrow light up the lake. And they dim a bit for fireworks/light show which can be seen from inside the plaza. Plus, special lights from the plaza light up as well. So people there at the time are 'in the middle of it'. A nighttime spectacular that has to be seen twice to get the full experience? Yes!
When you leave Port Tomorrow, you go up the ramp to the crater floor at the island's center (did I mention the slope was very gradual, and the path was very wide).
2) The Crater
The Crater is basically a hub. There won't be room for sitting or anything here. There will be one attraction though. The Chrono-Compass will feature an Astro-Orbiter type ride. The line for the ride takes you past the story of the existence of the island.
Assuming you take the first lava tube on your right, you'll end up in:
3)The Mediterranean
The first thing you might notice here is the Italian theming. This area will be split up by a canal with little bridges. A plaza similar to St. Mark's in Venice will feature fast food Italian style. The first attracition you'd notice is 'bumper boats'. The water will only be about half an inch deep, so these are basically decorated bumper cars - but - the copilot has a teeny spritz gun that shoots little squirts periodically at adversaries.
The Spanish theme quickly takes over, and as you reach the far end of the 'crescent' shore of the island you'll arrive at a faithful replica of a sailing ship of the era. You can walk aboard, look around, pretend like you're firing a cannon or steering the rudder, and walk off. This and all boats in the park, while not perhaps 100% accurate in scale and layout, will be decorated very authentically - but will all feature tons of interactivities. Hidden electronics will react to things like turning the wheel, or knocking on the captain's door etc. The Spanish area will feature shops - and one day perhaps - an entrance to Mermaid Lagoon across the 'river' (but that's for an expansion).
The last component of this large Mediterranean area is the Portugese area. This will be dominated by a series of steps modeled after the staircase in Braga, Portugal (check it out). This is the line. At the top is a facade built into - seemingly - the crater's outer wall. The ride is indoors and features a boat not unlike those 'viking boat' rides at carnivals. This one is decorated like Henry the Navigator's caravel. The boat never leaves it's spot, but sits on a framework that allows the boat to slide around a little, forwards, backwards, twisty. The room itself is all four walls and ceiling a projector screen. The base has the ability to fill very quickly with water, and there are massive gusher/sprayers. The ride is "Journey to the End of the Earth". You get the picture. I will note that the ride will try and simulate the enviromental effects of this journey and be very compelling. An E ticket hit!
Outside, to the right of these stairs (north of the crater) is an archway. Underneath this archway is immediately another one feet away. To the right, where you stand now, is...
4)The Arabian Coast
Aladdin, Sinbad, etc. Could be as small as one fast food: 'The Middle Eats' Moving on through you arrive at...
5) Polynesian Grove
Okay, this isn't a land - it's a spot like Epcot's African outpost. There are a few palm trees, a flower garden, some Polynesian canoes, and a spinning/Dumbo ride: Moai Monsoon - yes the middle is a giant Easter Island Moai!
But as you continue on you reach...
6)Ancient Rome
You are now more or less on the other side of the crater. The park is more of an oval than a circle - longer one way then the other.
Rome consists of a Pantheon (big circle building, look it up) lodged into a rockface, with a Trajan's column out front, followed by a Hippodrome. The Hippodrome features a chariot race ride that is rather fun because there's a competitive aspect - though it will be geared towards kiddies. The paths through this plaza are more constricted, to give the sense of Rome being a large dense place. On one side of the hippodrome, below the crater, are Roman shops selling Merch. On the other side is an aqueduct. You can walk under this aqueduct wherever, it's mostly a 'space separator' though it has one more important purpose: Passage to the Underworld.
Inside the Pantheon building is the line/staging area for this ride, which is basically POTC visits Hades. The Pantheon itself is lodged into an artificial cliff face which serves as both an Acropolis for the Greece section, but is basically the cleverly disguised ride building. The story is that a Roman somebody or other has heard from a Greek guy he knows he knows a guy who knows a guy who talked to Hercules once a long time ago, that there's a passage to the underwold in Rome's sewers (work with me). So you get on a boat that goes up an incline that shows off Roman construction scenes and tools, and you basically ride down the top level of the aqueduct to a portion of the crater (you can see the Chrono-Compass from up high for about a second or two), and then you ride down the bottom level of the aqueduct into the 'Acropolis'. Inside there are underwold scences, and twisty water ways, and an encounter with Cerebus and Hades and the fates etc. Spooky and fun! The Haunted Mans...water ride! It would be funny to see the hitchiking ghosts cameo in togas!
And then you get off and walk under the aqueduct into...
7)Ancient Greece
This area is more open and developed whereas Rome was just a couple of rides. Greece features a (greek) galley and harbor which you can visit. It's an open plaza too. Bathrooms, fast food, etc. There's a Odeon built into the Acropolis (wow, this thing is turning into Big Thunder Mesa), with a - what else - Hercules show (yay, he gets to be in an actual park!). But the show will only cameo Hercules and otherwise have the appearance of a greek play (masks and all). And of course, atop the Acropolis is the Parthenon, which is what else but a fancy restaurant serving greek cuisine. That's all there is to say about Greece, but it will certainly be a beloved spot.
A road opens into the Greece plaza, and if you go down it you arrive at an intersection. This area is...
8)Industrial Age London
A fake Big Ben chimes as cute little stores sell Dickensian novelties. One facade is an entrance to an attraction: Around the world in 80 days. This ride assumes Phineas Fogg invented a 'faster' balloon. It's basically a gondola-style lite roller coaster. The blimps zoom around above the 'city-scape'.
If you go right at the intersection, you'll reach the top shore of the island, and you'll see two bridges. One looks like the Tower Bridge. The other, will discuss later.
If you go left, you'll arrive at the lake, and this shore features...
8)New New York Harbor
The area you enter will feature the bow of a Steamliner on one side, a broadway marquise on the other. Like TDS, the marquise will be a broadway best of, the liner will have a fancy seafood restaurant. However, the back of the ship will feature the line/staging area for a ride. There will be a section for kids to simply 'play around' on the boat.
The ride will center around an attack by a giant squid on the boat. You have to get in a lifeboat, the boat crosses a hidden bridge into the nearby building, and the ride features going down a whirlpool to an underground land of prehistoric monster sea creatures.
The building facades on the outside will look like New York City. Which will whimsically blend in with the Acropolis, Big Ben, etc. It's like playing Civ II or SimCity... anyway. There will be a 'cranes' ride which will be a variation on the swings/parachute type ride - sort of a C ticket. And there will also be a Chicago ganster car chase indoor dark ride that could be thrilling and fun.
Anyway, back to what's across the shore from London..
9)China!
An interactive Chinese Junk, chinese food, a great wall/dragon roller coaster (Chinese dragon IOA, take that!). And of course, the second bridge I mentioned earlier will have Chinese motifs.
Back to New York, after the last building, there's this one spot of land left...
10)Atlantis
Yes, finally a place to sell the Merch in a Disney park!!! Atlantis will have a table service restaurant that serves an eclectic tropical/mediterranean mix. It will also have a Peter Pan like suspended dark ride that is very very vertical. It will have all the cool "It's a rock, oh wait the lines are glowing, oh it's an opening techie thingie" designs like from the movie (but see also Zelda: Wind Waker). The story will center around the Atlantean's attempts to discover the truth about the beginning of the universe and 'where it came from' (no comment by the way). The experiment ends in disaster, and a fun ride through the temple. I think the restaurant should be terraced multi-level, into the side of this same temple. With a suspended track from the ride having the cars go 'outside' but near the diners like at Mexico pavillion.
AND....
That's about it. Plenty of room for expansion. Yes, this park is 8000 times more ambitious than even the most ambitious attraction. Think about how huge Tower of Terror is and all it really does is drop. My theory with this park is that it won't consume much land area, and that it will sort of by a vertical park by densely packing Big Thunder Mesa like constructions up against each other. I also expect the park to appeal to older people, but anticipate that younger folks will love it too. Really, at this point Disney has no need to lay down a new gate. Anything conventional they want to do they have room to do in the 4 existing parks. So if they ever built a 5th gate, I'd expect some big thinking like this.
Thrill. Technology. Scale.
Please let me know what you think.
