This is a new type of Imagineering thread: basically, I'm inviting you to take a look back at expansions, refurbishments or new rides, and tell how you would change it around.
For example, here's how I would have done the Fantasyland expansion at the Magic Kingdom...
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The date: September 12th, 2009. The creative minds at Walt Disney World are abuzz with excitement. Today, they have sent out a press release about a new project for the park.
Perhaps Alice from “Alice in Wonderland” put it best when she first arrived in Wonderland and said, “Curiouser and curiouser.” That may very well be the reaction of guests when they come to the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. For until the following summer, things at Fantasyland are sure to be topsy-turvy and some things known and loved at this area of Walt Disney World's first theme park will be absent. This is due to the fact that the Magic Kingdom is preparing several brand-new adventures to further enhance this most fantastic and unreal land.
Like Disneyland's Fantasyland, all architectural exteriors of the land at WDW will be restyled to create the respective atmospheres of a European village, coupled with landscaping, animation and improved development of the themed looks the likes of which made Disney famous. The attractions will be revamped to more closely echo the movies from whence they came.
One of the few untouched areas of the new Fantasyland will be Cinderella's Golden Carrousel and the immediate vicinity thereof, which may very well be the only thing left untouched by the remodel (along with Cinderella Castle). As a result, this will be the only attraction left open for the duration. Yet even it will be slightly affected by the remodel, though not so much as a part of a rehab as its music tracks to be revised for reasons soon to be stated.
The Skyway station (and the hill leading up to it) will be completely demolished. This will make room for a brand-new Pixie Hollow area, where you can meet and greet Tinker Bell and her pixie friends. It will look more or less like the area at Disneyland. This is not only to make use of underused property, but also to tie in with the Peter Pan ride nearby.
And speaking of which, nearby we have Peter Pan's Flight, which will receive a makeover on a par with the one at Disneyland. First and foremost, the old medieval tent is GONE! What's there now? A new ride exterior that will look something like this:
The Fastpass area will also be relocated to allow for a new store, which is where riders go after getting off the ride (this is also where people exiting the Philharmagic show will be deposited, too). It's a much bigger Tinker Bell's Treasures store (the old one will be renamed and rethemed). Also, a statue of Peter Pan, referencing the statue in Kensington Gardens. This was originally intended for inclusion at DL's ride's entrance as part of the 1983 FYL overhaul, but never was. But now, it has been built!
Inside, the queue area winds around like usual. But once you get to the load area, you'll see even more changes. First of all, while the flying ships will continue to load and unload with the Omnimover system, the chassis for them will be replaced to allow for lighter ships, which now have not one, but two rows to seat four (all versions of the ride will get this). Also, the back of the load area now replaces the different bits of scenery with a big mural.
It will be identical in design to the Anaheim version, but in this case, rather than having Peter Pan and the Darling children on a cloud, they will now be flying above the city of London. It 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.
Now, the ride itself, while largely identical to what you see now, will nevertheless have its fair share of alterations.
So, anyway, 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). The ships have all been replaced to allow for more weighty people to ride and they're more comfortable. As you board, you hear the standard recording that says not to lower the safety bar yourself; it will lower automatically, which it does. You then proceed forward above the newly-added rooftops of London and then through a window into the usual first scene of the Darlings' nursery. You go past the scene of Wendy sitting next John and Michael, who are in their beds. You 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!"
You go out the window to the usual "You Can Fly! You Can Fly! You Can Fly!" melody that is heard in this ride like usual. 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. You then go over the usual scene of London, which will have been relatively untouched by the overhaul, save for more convincing effects here, including improved car effects on the streets and even the effect of the Thames' river's water "shimmering" in the moonlight.
You then go past the usual scene of the moon and Peter and the Darlings' silhouettes on it. But this time, they're going in the opposite direction, a more appropriate direction as you head toward the usual scene of the Neverland fly-over. 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. But aside from that, 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. The crocodile waits nearby, ticking away. Swinging around the ship, the pirates are all knocked out and the usual scene of a victorious Peter (now wearing Hook's hat) 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.
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 see a cloud version of it in the London sky, just before the unload area. Across from it is the Darling house and you see Mr. Darling looking at it and saying, "You know, I have the strangest feeling I saw that ship once... a long time ago, when I was very young..." You then head to the unload area and get off to the right. The exit path leads into the aforementioned Tinker Bell's Treasures store.
Across the way from Peter Pan is the beloved classic "it's a small world". While not much in the ride itself will change, the loading area is a different story. The original loading area will be completely torn down, the loading area now in a sheltered canopy-covered canal outside. Standing proudly behind the loading area is the iconic clock-tower facade, 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.
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.
Nearby Peter Pan is the 3D spectacle Mickey's PhilharMagic. For those who haven't been to the Magic Kingdom in quite some time, Mickey's PhilharMagic is a 3D show starring Donald Duck, as he explores the musical realms of such films as "Beauty and the Beast", "The Little Mermaid" and "Aladdin". Much like the other exteriors here, the medieval tent look will be removed, and in the case of PhilharMagic, will be replaced with something like this:
Heading past Cinderella's Golden Carrousel, we come across Snow White's Scary Adventures. For many years, there have been complaints that the ride is too scary for little kids. We at Disney hope to fix that with this refurbishment. In fact, this ride will even be getting a new name: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
The ride's new exterior is themed around the Queen's Castle, much like at Disneyland and Disneyland Paris.
Once inside the ride building, you'll once again find yourself inside an enchanted forest, bloomed in imaginative three dimensions. The atmosphere seemd only peaceful, harmonious, enchanting and inviting – promising a grand fairytale adventure with elegance. On the right hand side of this peaceful fairytale forest atmosphere, an ingeniously realized waterfall splashes happily with shiny vibrating strings portraying the water. Next to the waterfall is the Seven Dwarfs' Diamond Mine "entrance" – although it was the actual exit of the ride vehicles. In the middle of the forest is a three-dimensional miniature of the Seven Dwarfs' Cottage.
At the left hand side, near the loading area is the Evil Queen's Castle, emerging from murals into impressive three dimensions as the Castle Courtyard. Winding through the queue, we eventually reach the stretch of land located in front of the cottage, finding a parade of mine cars pulling in and out, loading and unloading happy (or not-so-happy passengers). Each mine car sits a maximum of six people and bares the name of one of the dwarfs. Boarding a mine car ourselves we are given a quick safety spiel by an unseen hag. "For a safe adventure, please remain seated, keeping your hands, arms, feet, and legs inside the mine car, and please do watch your children. And remember, smoking and flash photography are never permitted in this enchanted world, hee hee hee! Farewell!" With her cackles behind us, our car pulls forward into the forest, the three-dimensional trees seamlessly emerging from the beautifully-painted wall mural behind it.
Heading towards the Evil Queen's Castle, we make a loop around the Wishing Well. As we pass by, we hear Snow White sing "I'm Wishing", dreaming about "the one I love". The same song was heard at this Castle Courtyard area, echoing even to the queue area. Much like before, the version you hear is the same version heard in The Mickey Mouse Revue.
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After the vehicle circles the Wishing Well, it drives towards the miniature of the Seven Dwarfs' Cottage, makes a u-turn and approaches the Castle Courtyard itself. Under the golden sun, Snow White sits on the stairs in her scullery maid garment and holding a white dove. The singing of "I'm Wishing" is a bit more louder, to feel as if she's singing it. Behind wonderfully stylized flower bushes, the Prince, sitting atop his white horse, watches her. Behind Snow White and the Prince, the remaining courtyard is lit with dramatic blue, as the Evil Queen stands behind a window and spies upon the Princess. From there, we make a sharp left and enter the Castle itself. Inside, we came face to face with the Slave in the Magic Mirror through a simple but impressive projection effect. The exquisitely painted set featured the Magic Mirror in its 1937 movie appearance, with the ornamental stone frame with signs of the zodiac around the mirror. Inside, the Mirror's Slave revealed: "Alas, Snow White is the Fairest One of All".
"Never!" yells a voice behind the vehicle. It's the voice of the Queen! Suspenseful music (taken directly from the film) and the distant sound of howling wind and howling wolves welcome us to the narrow corridors of her Gloomy Dungeon, ghostly voices telling us to turn back. Countless skeletons pop up in the dungeons, some hanging from chains on the walls, others simply fallen to the floor. Perhaps the most iconic of these skeletons (from a memorable moment in the film) is a skeleton trapped beneath iron bars, reaching for a nearby pail of water, having died doing so. We turn towards a archway leading to the relative safety of the outside world set in a blue night sky with glistening stars. Our escape is foiled - the Hag has summoned a large portcullis to come crashing down, blocking our path. Suddenly, on the door, we see the silhouette of the Queen drink from a goblet, and we see her figure slowly morph into an Old Hag. We turn right into the Queen's laboratory. Whirring gizmos and bubbling potions on either side of the track illuminate the Hag dipping a skull-faced apple into a green-glowing cauldron, taunting us..."Apple deary?" Her cackle follows us as barely avoid being by falling equipment shelves and turn a sharp left outside of the Castle and into a dark forest. In the darkness, ominous eyes glow, but as we turn away, we find out that the eyes are those of the kind-hearted woodland creatures, who point the way to the Seven Dwarfs' Mine.
Inside we are immediately immersed into a glistening grotto filled with dazzling jewels and diamonds embedded into the walls, stacked into piles, and stocking lonesome mine cars. The dwarfs appear hard at work, singing "Dig-a-Dig-Dig" diligently. Grumpy and Bashful have their backs turned, picking away into the cavern walls, Sleepy asleep in a deer-pulled mine car, the deer very angry at his lazy rider. Making a left we pass by a small shaft opening in which Happy and Sneezy emerge on a handcar very slowly. Sneezy suddenly gathers up a sneeze and creates a rather powerful sneeze, sending the handcar flying forward. Doc and Dopey appear surveying diamonds to our right. Although Doc takes his work seriously, Dopey sees it as a game, holding the diamonds up to his eyes and instantly causing thousands of his eyes to be projected throughout the mine in a stunning effect, taking them down and removing the projections, putting them again and restoring the projections. Another mine shaft door moves aside for us, allowing us access into the forest at sunset. We find ourselves about to go under a log spanning a canyon, a miniature waterfall near our path. As we pass under, we see the Seven Dwarfs actually march atop the log, singing "Heigh-Ho". We pass under the log and make a right turn. True enchantment may have fill the hearts of some travelers, as the Seven Dwarfs' Cottage emerges from the serene forest ambience. Inside the cottage, the Seven Dwarfs made merry music and singing a "Silly Song". Immediately inside the dwarfs can be seen dancing about, singing, playing miniature instruments, and having an all-together good time with Snow White who waltzes about the room gleefully with Dopey standing on Sneezy's shoulders wearing an over-sized jacket. The woodland creatures have also gotten in on the fun, watching from the windows. The fun is cut short however when we exit the cottage (through the ride's many "crash doors")...
The near second we exit the Cottage we are immediately greeted by the Hag who lurks outside a window, clutching the apple, her raven perched on her free hand. "Go on deary...take a bite!" She cackles once more, our car making a sharp right back into the woods, passing by the Prince. "Snow White! Where are you?" The searching Prince is quickly left behind as we head back towards the Cottage, the dwarfs lining both sides of the track, each one warning us not to proceed, others shouting for Snow White to run. Making a left turn explains the shouting: Snow White appears inside the Cottage, popping out of the front half of an opened door, ready to bite into the apple. The Hag stands close by with a big ole' grin, "That's right deary! Take a bite!" Thunder and lightning crash, sending us straight back into the Mysterious Woods. As we enter the Hag can be heard shouting “Now I'm the fairest in the land!” Two mean-eyed vultures watch us pass, their heads moving in perfect unison as they follow our every move.
Thunder rumbles above the hills as we hear the Dwarfs' commotion with Doc's flustered voice: “It's the Quicked Ween—the Wicked Queen! Come on men!” We pass through some trees to find ourselves at the Stormy Mountain, where the Dwarfs are seen on a nearby cliff, scared. Why are they scared? I don’t know, maybe because…the Witch is about to crush them (and us) with a boulder! Rain falls heavily (and even seems to run down the side of the cliff). The Witch is seen, ready to dislodge the boulder. “Fools! I’ll crush your bones!” she yells. She laughs wildly, only to lose her footing and fall backwards, screaming in horror (her scream taken directly from the film), a burst of fog and light occurring (this hides the figure which falls backwards into a hole, raising back up for the next vehicle seconds later).
We pass under the mountain and find ourselves back in the forest. A moving choral rendition of “Someday My Prince Will Come” fills our ears, cuing the ride's Finale. Directly before us lies Snow White in her opened glass coffin, the Prince leaning down to kiss her, the now peaceful forest surrounding us via colorful murals, a beautiful sunset at hand.
Turning right we see six of the dwarfs waving towards Snow White and her Prince who ride away towards the Castle in the Clouds (the couple, horse and Dwarfs are figures, the castle is part of a mural.) Dopey on the other hand waves in the opposite direction - classic Dopey - waving down to us and wiggling his ears from a top an overhead bridge. A set of painted doors showcasing a beautiful sunset on the horizon with a banner reading "And they all lived happily ever after..." painted across it. The doors move apart and we wheel back into the loading area, exiting our mine car.
Just down a couple feet away from Snow White, longtime visitors will be quite excited to find that a certain someone has returned to Walt Disney World--none other than J. Thaddeus Toad, who has re-claimed the ground Toad Hall once stood on before Winnie the Pooh came along. And now, a new generation of Disney fans can step inside a motorcar for a crazy spin on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride!
But apart from that, the ride will remain the same: same loading area, same vehicles and the same wild adventures on two different tracks!
But however, once you get past the Carrousel and Village Haus, things will be a bit different. A gabled bridge leads the entrance to a more natural, garden-esque area. Much like Paris' Fantasyland, the area is surrounded by rivers, flowers and trees.
A few feet away from the bridge, you'll find a re-located Dumbo the Flying Elephant, which now sits on the banks of a picturesque stream, surrounded by flowers. Also, one side of the ride is flanked by an impressive waterfall and (much like Anaheim, Paris and Hong Kong) even flies over a ring of water surrounding the hub of the ride.
Look over to your left, and you'll find a small Alpine hut nearby the Village Haus. This serves as the entrance to Pinocchio's Daring Journey, a favorite from Disneyland in California. This dark ride takes you through the world of Disney's 2nd animated feature, as you follow Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket on a quest to make Pinocchio a real boy.
Unlike previous versions of the ride, there will be a few changes. First off, a brand-new safety spiel will be added for the ride, as recited by Jiminy Cricket himself: Hi there. I'm Jiminy Cricket, conscience official. You're about to embark on a journey with my friend, Pinocchio. But before you do, here's a word of advice: remain seated with your hands, arms, feet and legs inside and parents, watch your kids. Well, I'll see you under the wishing star.
From here, the ride is the same as Disneyland's...until you reach Monstro. While the other versions have you passing by him, here we'll actually go into his mouth (a la Storybook Land). You go down the throat of the monster and find yourself in the belly. Here, you see Geppetto's small schooner. Pinocchio has made it inside the beast. A fire is already built. "I've come to save you, Father!" Pinocchio says. "But how?" Geppetto asks. "We'll make him sneeze us out with the fire here," Pinocchio replies. You go through the raft and then head back up the throat and out the mouth where more lightning flashes as well as a slight burst in speed are used to simulate Monstro sneezing.
You then swing around through the rocky crevice nearby and the rest of the ride from here on continues as in California. Here Jiminy says that they made it home to the village and you enter the workshop. Inside, you witness the holographic Blue Fairy disappear, leaving a trail of fairy dust behind. Here, Pinocchio will actually look like a real boy instead of just a puppet. "It's my dream come true!" Geppetto cries. "You ARE a real boy!" You then pass by Jiminy Cricket with the oversized gold conscience badge on him and then head straight for the unload area. The ride exits out into a new shop--Gepetto's Workshop, a shop that sells sweets, toys, puppets, etc. (it’ll be a toddler’s dream come true!)
Despite Mr. Toad returning to Fantasyland, fans of Pooh need not lament. A few feet away from Pinocchio's Daring Journey, you'll find a small area made to look like the 100 Acre Wood, the forest Winnie the Pooh calls home.
What I really like about this sub-land is its immersive environment. The area is full of trees and the homes of Pooh's friends, which would have sight gags and jokes. For example, Pooh’s house would be there, and if you knock on the door, you hear Pooh inside saying no one is in because he is eating honey at the moment. You'll even find Owl’s House, where an animatronic Owl interacts with guests, sleeping in his rocking chair until someone rings a doorbell, waking him up, and he regales them with stories of his wacky relatives, similar to Mr. Potato Head at Toy Story Mania!
A giant book at the edge of the wood marks the entrance to Pooh's Hunny Hunt, one of the most well-known rides from Tokyo Disneyland.
This trackless dark ride takes guests inside giant "hunny" pots and into the 100 Acre Wood for a storybook adventure with Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, Rabbit, Eeyore and the rest of the gang. But however, this ride will expand on Tokyo's version a bit.
After the Heffalumps and Woozles scene, the tunnel exits out through a log and into the scene. This is basically like the Blustery Day scene, but we’ll seem to be higher due to the flood.
The first gag we pass by is Pooh, who is sitting on a tree branch that we go under. He sits with 10 honey pots as he says “Oh, no! I must rescue my supper!” Owl still rambles about his family from inside his house, which is starting to sink. Then, we pass by Piglet, who is bailing while sailing atop a chair. Then, we pass by Eeyore, stuck atop his stick-house, as he complains “First the rain, and now this.” Sailing right by him are Tigger, Rabbit, Kanga and Roo, all in an umbrella boat.
Then, things get dramatic as the music changes, and things take on a darker tone. First, we pass by Pooh, sailing head-first in a honey-pot canoe. Then, we pass by Tigger and Piglet, the former is trying to save the latter from a log. “We’ll save you, Piglet!” cries Tigger. “Oh, hurry, Tigger!” says Piglet. “It’s a very big waterfall!” And with that, you plummet down one (about the same size as the drop on Pirates of the Caribbean), getting spritzed when you land.
Then, we pass under a rainbow as we hear the narrator say “At last the rain went away, and everyone gathered together to say…” “Hooray!” yells the gang, finishing the sentence. “Hooray for Pooh, too!” pipes up Piglet. “Speaking of which, where is that silly ole bear?” asks Tigger. To find out, we finish the ride like at Tokyo (with Pooh inside the Honey Tree).
The ride exits out into Pooh Corner, a gift shop inside a house in the woods. In the center of the Wood is The Hunny Tree, a spinner ride in the vein of Dumbo, where guests spin around the Honey Tree in giant balloons. Just watch out for bees! The window at Rabbit's house has been turned into the serving window of 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.
Just a few feet away from the 100 Acre Wood, Prince Eric's castle stands proudly in an alcove of fanciful rockwork and crystal waters. A statue of Ariel, the Little Mermaid herself resting on the shoreline. If one listens close enough they can hear the echo of Ariel's voice bouncing off of the rocks.
Inside the castle, you'll find the Voyage of the Little Mermaid, an attraction that takes riders right into the music and magic of "The Little Mermaid". Remember that virtual ride-through on the 2006 Platinum Edition DVD of the movie? Well, we're bringing that to reality right here.
Also, because of the new ride, we will be closing the long-running show of the same name at Disney's Hollywood Studios. To the right of the castle, behind a beautiful cascade of waterfalls, Ariel's Grotto is located. Inside of the grotto, Ariel herself is ready to meet guests.
On the other side of the river, a second bridge leads to an entirely new experience for our Fantasyland: the Fantasy Gardens. In this beautiful new area, you'll find five articulately-decorated gazebos, underneath which, you can meet with some of your Disney friends. And much like the former Fantasyland Character Festival, the characters you'll be able to meet will vary each day, but you'll often find some princesses here.
Now, heading back towards the rest of Fantasyland, just west from Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, 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 Party in 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.
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).
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.
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.
That seems like the end, but it's not. Right in between Wonderland and nearby Mickey's Toontown (which will also get a refurbishment...but that's another story), 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 gnarilier 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.
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.
With this new refurbishment, Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom will be able to sparkle as never before, with many new attractions and a new character experience, Fantasyland will delight a new generation while still keeping in touch with some of our long-time guests.
This new Fantasyland is scheduled to open sometime around 2012.
Fantasyland 2.0
1) Cinderella Castle
2) Pixie Hollow
3) Peter Pan's Flight
4) "it's a small world"
5) Mickey's PhilharMagic
6) Cinderella's Golden Carrousel
7) Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
8) Mr. Toad's Wild Ride
9) Dumbo the Flying Elephant
10) Pinocchio's Daring Journey
11) Pooh's Hunny Hunt
12) The Honey Tree
13) Voyage of the Little Mermaid
14) Fantasy Gardens
15) Mad Tea Party
16) Alice in Wonderland
17) Bald Mountain
Shopping
A) Tinker Bell's Treasures
B) Sir Mickey's
C) Seven Dwarfs Mining Co.
D) Gepetto's Workshop
E) Pooh Corner
Dining
A) Cinderella's Royal Table
B) Pinocchio Village Haus
C) Lumiere's Kitchen
D) Mrs. Pott's Cupboard
E) Rabbit's Garden
F) Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall
Character Greetings
What do you think? But anyways, this is what this thread is for--posting your thoughts on how certain expansions, refurbishments or rides themselves should have gone down.
I'm really excited for this thread, because I know lots of you have ideas similar to the one I just posted above. So, until next time, see ya soon!
For example, here's how I would have done the Fantasyland expansion at the Magic Kingdom...
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The date: September 12th, 2009. The creative minds at Walt Disney World are abuzz with excitement. Today, they have sent out a press release about a new project for the park.
Fantasyland 2.0
Perhaps Alice from “Alice in Wonderland” put it best when she first arrived in Wonderland and said, “Curiouser and curiouser.” That may very well be the reaction of guests when they come to the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. For until the following summer, things at Fantasyland are sure to be topsy-turvy and some things known and loved at this area of Walt Disney World's first theme park will be absent. This is due to the fact that the Magic Kingdom is preparing several brand-new adventures to further enhance this most fantastic and unreal land.
Like Disneyland's Fantasyland, all architectural exteriors of the land at WDW will be restyled to create the respective atmospheres of a European village, coupled with landscaping, animation and improved development of the themed looks the likes of which made Disney famous. The attractions will be revamped to more closely echo the movies from whence they came.
One of the few untouched areas of the new Fantasyland will be Cinderella's Golden Carrousel and the immediate vicinity thereof, which may very well be the only thing left untouched by the remodel (along with Cinderella Castle). As a result, this will be the only attraction left open for the duration. Yet even it will be slightly affected by the remodel, though not so much as a part of a rehab as its music tracks to be revised for reasons soon to be stated.
The Skyway station (and the hill leading up to it) will be completely demolished. This will make room for a brand-new Pixie Hollow area, where you can meet and greet Tinker Bell and her pixie friends. It will look more or less like the area at Disneyland. This is not only to make use of underused property, but also to tie in with the Peter Pan ride nearby.
Inside, the queue area winds around like usual. But once you get to the load area, you'll see even more changes. First of all, while the flying ships will continue to load and unload with the Omnimover system, the chassis for them will be replaced to allow for lighter ships, which now have not one, but two rows to seat four (all versions of the ride will get this). Also, the back of the load area now replaces the different bits of scenery with a big mural.
It will be identical in design to the Anaheim version, but in this case, rather than having Peter Pan and the Darling children on a cloud, they will now be flying above the city of London. It 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.
Now, the ride itself, while largely identical to what you see now, will nevertheless have its fair share of alterations.
So, anyway, 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). The ships have all been replaced to allow for more weighty people to ride and they're more comfortable. As you board, you hear the standard recording that says not to lower the safety bar yourself; it will lower automatically, which it does. You then proceed forward above the newly-added rooftops of London and then through a window into the usual first scene of the Darlings' nursery. You go past the scene of Wendy sitting next John and Michael, who are in their beds. You 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!"
You go out the window to the usual "You Can Fly! You Can Fly! You Can Fly!" melody that is heard in this ride like usual. 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. You then go over the usual scene of London, which will have been relatively untouched by the overhaul, save for more convincing effects here, including improved car effects on the streets and even the effect of the Thames' river's water "shimmering" in the moonlight.
You then go past the usual scene of the moon and Peter and the Darlings' silhouettes on it. But this time, they're going in the opposite direction, a more appropriate direction as you head toward the usual scene of the Neverland fly-over. 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. But aside from that, 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. The crocodile waits nearby, ticking away. Swinging around the ship, the pirates are all knocked out and the usual scene of a victorious Peter (now wearing Hook's hat) 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.
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 see a cloud version of it in the London sky, just before the unload area. Across from it is the Darling house and you see Mr. Darling looking at it and saying, "You know, I have the strangest feeling I saw that ship once... a long time ago, when I was very young..." You then head to the unload area and get off to the right. The exit path leads into the aforementioned Tinker Bell's Treasures store.
Across the way from Peter Pan is the beloved classic "it's a small world". While not much in the ride itself will change, the loading area is a different story. The original loading area will be completely torn down, the loading area now in a sheltered canopy-covered canal outside. Standing proudly behind the loading area is the iconic clock-tower facade, 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.
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.
Nearby Peter Pan is the 3D spectacle Mickey's PhilharMagic. For those who haven't been to the Magic Kingdom in quite some time, Mickey's PhilharMagic is a 3D show starring Donald Duck, as he explores the musical realms of such films as "Beauty and the Beast", "The Little Mermaid" and "Aladdin". Much like the other exteriors here, the medieval tent look will be removed, and in the case of PhilharMagic, will be replaced with something like this:
The ride's new exterior is themed around the Queen's Castle, much like at Disneyland and Disneyland Paris.
At the left hand side, near the loading area is the Evil Queen's Castle, emerging from murals into impressive three dimensions as the Castle Courtyard. Winding through the queue, we eventually reach the stretch of land located in front of the cottage, finding a parade of mine cars pulling in and out, loading and unloading happy (or not-so-happy passengers). Each mine car sits a maximum of six people and bares the name of one of the dwarfs. Boarding a mine car ourselves we are given a quick safety spiel by an unseen hag. "For a safe adventure, please remain seated, keeping your hands, arms, feet, and legs inside the mine car, and please do watch your children. And remember, smoking and flash photography are never permitted in this enchanted world, hee hee hee! Farewell!" With her cackles behind us, our car pulls forward into the forest, the three-dimensional trees seamlessly emerging from the beautifully-painted wall mural behind it.
Heading towards the Evil Queen's Castle, we make a loop around the Wishing Well. As we pass by, we hear Snow White sing "I'm Wishing", dreaming about "the one I love". The same song was heard at this Castle Courtyard area, echoing even to the queue area. Much like before, the version you hear is the same version heard in The Mickey Mouse Revue.
from 0:41 to 1:24
After the vehicle circles the Wishing Well, it drives towards the miniature of the Seven Dwarfs' Cottage, makes a u-turn and approaches the Castle Courtyard itself. Under the golden sun, Snow White sits on the stairs in her scullery maid garment and holding a white dove. The singing of "I'm Wishing" is a bit more louder, to feel as if she's singing it. Behind wonderfully stylized flower bushes, the Prince, sitting atop his white horse, watches her. Behind Snow White and the Prince, the remaining courtyard is lit with dramatic blue, as the Evil Queen stands behind a window and spies upon the Princess. From there, we make a sharp left and enter the Castle itself. Inside, we came face to face with the Slave in the Magic Mirror through a simple but impressive projection effect. The exquisitely painted set featured the Magic Mirror in its 1937 movie appearance, with the ornamental stone frame with signs of the zodiac around the mirror. Inside, the Mirror's Slave revealed: "Alas, Snow White is the Fairest One of All".
"Never!" yells a voice behind the vehicle. It's the voice of the Queen! Suspenseful music (taken directly from the film) and the distant sound of howling wind and howling wolves welcome us to the narrow corridors of her Gloomy Dungeon, ghostly voices telling us to turn back. Countless skeletons pop up in the dungeons, some hanging from chains on the walls, others simply fallen to the floor. Perhaps the most iconic of these skeletons (from a memorable moment in the film) is a skeleton trapped beneath iron bars, reaching for a nearby pail of water, having died doing so. We turn towards a archway leading to the relative safety of the outside world set in a blue night sky with glistening stars. Our escape is foiled - the Hag has summoned a large portcullis to come crashing down, blocking our path. Suddenly, on the door, we see the silhouette of the Queen drink from a goblet, and we see her figure slowly morph into an Old Hag. We turn right into the Queen's laboratory. Whirring gizmos and bubbling potions on either side of the track illuminate the Hag dipping a skull-faced apple into a green-glowing cauldron, taunting us..."Apple deary?" Her cackle follows us as barely avoid being by falling equipment shelves and turn a sharp left outside of the Castle and into a dark forest. In the darkness, ominous eyes glow, but as we turn away, we find out that the eyes are those of the kind-hearted woodland creatures, who point the way to the Seven Dwarfs' Mine.
Inside we are immediately immersed into a glistening grotto filled with dazzling jewels and diamonds embedded into the walls, stacked into piles, and stocking lonesome mine cars. The dwarfs appear hard at work, singing "Dig-a-Dig-Dig" diligently. Grumpy and Bashful have their backs turned, picking away into the cavern walls, Sleepy asleep in a deer-pulled mine car, the deer very angry at his lazy rider. Making a left we pass by a small shaft opening in which Happy and Sneezy emerge on a handcar very slowly. Sneezy suddenly gathers up a sneeze and creates a rather powerful sneeze, sending the handcar flying forward. Doc and Dopey appear surveying diamonds to our right. Although Doc takes his work seriously, Dopey sees it as a game, holding the diamonds up to his eyes and instantly causing thousands of his eyes to be projected throughout the mine in a stunning effect, taking them down and removing the projections, putting them again and restoring the projections. Another mine shaft door moves aside for us, allowing us access into the forest at sunset. We find ourselves about to go under a log spanning a canyon, a miniature waterfall near our path. As we pass under, we see the Seven Dwarfs actually march atop the log, singing "Heigh-Ho". We pass under the log and make a right turn. True enchantment may have fill the hearts of some travelers, as the Seven Dwarfs' Cottage emerges from the serene forest ambience. Inside the cottage, the Seven Dwarfs made merry music and singing a "Silly Song". Immediately inside the dwarfs can be seen dancing about, singing, playing miniature instruments, and having an all-together good time with Snow White who waltzes about the room gleefully with Dopey standing on Sneezy's shoulders wearing an over-sized jacket. The woodland creatures have also gotten in on the fun, watching from the windows. The fun is cut short however when we exit the cottage (through the ride's many "crash doors")...
The near second we exit the Cottage we are immediately greeted by the Hag who lurks outside a window, clutching the apple, her raven perched on her free hand. "Go on deary...take a bite!" She cackles once more, our car making a sharp right back into the woods, passing by the Prince. "Snow White! Where are you?" The searching Prince is quickly left behind as we head back towards the Cottage, the dwarfs lining both sides of the track, each one warning us not to proceed, others shouting for Snow White to run. Making a left turn explains the shouting: Snow White appears inside the Cottage, popping out of the front half of an opened door, ready to bite into the apple. The Hag stands close by with a big ole' grin, "That's right deary! Take a bite!" Thunder and lightning crash, sending us straight back into the Mysterious Woods. As we enter the Hag can be heard shouting “Now I'm the fairest in the land!” Two mean-eyed vultures watch us pass, their heads moving in perfect unison as they follow our every move.
Thunder rumbles above the hills as we hear the Dwarfs' commotion with Doc's flustered voice: “It's the Quicked Ween—the Wicked Queen! Come on men!” We pass through some trees to find ourselves at the Stormy Mountain, where the Dwarfs are seen on a nearby cliff, scared. Why are they scared? I don’t know, maybe because…the Witch is about to crush them (and us) with a boulder! Rain falls heavily (and even seems to run down the side of the cliff). The Witch is seen, ready to dislodge the boulder. “Fools! I’ll crush your bones!” she yells. She laughs wildly, only to lose her footing and fall backwards, screaming in horror (her scream taken directly from the film), a burst of fog and light occurring (this hides the figure which falls backwards into a hole, raising back up for the next vehicle seconds later).
We pass under the mountain and find ourselves back in the forest. A moving choral rendition of “Someday My Prince Will Come” fills our ears, cuing the ride's Finale. Directly before us lies Snow White in her opened glass coffin, the Prince leaning down to kiss her, the now peaceful forest surrounding us via colorful murals, a beautiful sunset at hand.
Turning right we see six of the dwarfs waving towards Snow White and her Prince who ride away towards the Castle in the Clouds (the couple, horse and Dwarfs are figures, the castle is part of a mural.) Dopey on the other hand waves in the opposite direction - classic Dopey - waving down to us and wiggling his ears from a top an overhead bridge. A set of painted doors showcasing a beautiful sunset on the horizon with a banner reading "And they all lived happily ever after..." painted across it. The doors move apart and we wheel back into the loading area, exiting our mine car.
Just down a couple feet away from Snow White, longtime visitors will be quite excited to find that a certain someone has returned to Walt Disney World--none other than J. Thaddeus Toad, who has re-claimed the ground Toad Hall once stood on before Winnie the Pooh came along. And now, a new generation of Disney fans can step inside a motorcar for a crazy spin on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride!
Despite Toad's return, one thing will be different: the exterior. The exterior will now better reflect the English-Tudor style seen at Disneyland's version of Mr. Toad.
But however, once you get past the Carrousel and Village Haus, things will be a bit different. A gabled bridge leads the entrance to a more natural, garden-esque area. Much like Paris' Fantasyland, the area is surrounded by rivers, flowers and trees.
Unlike previous versions of the ride, there will be a few changes. First off, a brand-new safety spiel will be added for the ride, as recited by Jiminy Cricket himself: Hi there. I'm Jiminy Cricket, conscience official. You're about to embark on a journey with my friend, Pinocchio. But before you do, here's a word of advice: remain seated with your hands, arms, feet and legs inside and parents, watch your kids. Well, I'll see you under the wishing star.
From here, the ride is the same as Disneyland's...until you reach Monstro. While the other versions have you passing by him, here we'll actually go into his mouth (a la Storybook Land). You go down the throat of the monster and find yourself in the belly. Here, you see Geppetto's small schooner. Pinocchio has made it inside the beast. A fire is already built. "I've come to save you, Father!" Pinocchio says. "But how?" Geppetto asks. "We'll make him sneeze us out with the fire here," Pinocchio replies. You go through the raft and then head back up the throat and out the mouth where more lightning flashes as well as a slight burst in speed are used to simulate Monstro sneezing.
You then swing around through the rocky crevice nearby and the rest of the ride from here on continues as in California. Here Jiminy says that they made it home to the village and you enter the workshop. Inside, you witness the holographic Blue Fairy disappear, leaving a trail of fairy dust behind. Here, Pinocchio will actually look like a real boy instead of just a puppet. "It's my dream come true!" Geppetto cries. "You ARE a real boy!" You then pass by Jiminy Cricket with the oversized gold conscience badge on him and then head straight for the unload area. The ride exits out into a new shop--Gepetto's Workshop, a shop that sells sweets, toys, puppets, etc. (it’ll be a toddler’s dream come true!)
A giant book at the edge of the wood marks the entrance to Pooh's Hunny Hunt, one of the most well-known rides from Tokyo Disneyland.
This trackless dark ride takes guests inside giant "hunny" pots and into the 100 Acre Wood for a storybook adventure with Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, Rabbit, Eeyore and the rest of the gang. But however, this ride will expand on Tokyo's version a bit.
After the Heffalumps and Woozles scene, the tunnel exits out through a log and into the scene. This is basically like the Blustery Day scene, but we’ll seem to be higher due to the flood.
The first gag we pass by is Pooh, who is sitting on a tree branch that we go under. He sits with 10 honey pots as he says “Oh, no! I must rescue my supper!” Owl still rambles about his family from inside his house, which is starting to sink. Then, we pass by Piglet, who is bailing while sailing atop a chair. Then, we pass by Eeyore, stuck atop his stick-house, as he complains “First the rain, and now this.” Sailing right by him are Tigger, Rabbit, Kanga and Roo, all in an umbrella boat.
Then, things get dramatic as the music changes, and things take on a darker tone. First, we pass by Pooh, sailing head-first in a honey-pot canoe. Then, we pass by Tigger and Piglet, the former is trying to save the latter from a log. “We’ll save you, Piglet!” cries Tigger. “Oh, hurry, Tigger!” says Piglet. “It’s a very big waterfall!” And with that, you plummet down one (about the same size as the drop on Pirates of the Caribbean), getting spritzed when you land.
Then, we pass under a rainbow as we hear the narrator say “At last the rain went away, and everyone gathered together to say…” “Hooray!” yells the gang, finishing the sentence. “Hooray for Pooh, too!” pipes up Piglet. “Speaking of which, where is that silly ole bear?” asks Tigger. To find out, we finish the ride like at Tokyo (with Pooh inside the Honey Tree).
The ride exits out into Pooh Corner, a gift shop inside a house in the woods. In the center of the Wood is The Hunny Tree, a spinner ride in the vein of Dumbo, where guests spin around the Honey Tree in giant balloons. Just watch out for bees! The window at Rabbit's house has been turned into the serving window of 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.
Just a few feet away from the 100 Acre Wood, Prince Eric's castle stands proudly in an alcove of fanciful rockwork and crystal waters. A statue of Ariel, the Little Mermaid herself resting on the shoreline. If one listens close enough they can hear the echo of Ariel's voice bouncing off of the rocks.
Also, because of the new ride, we will be closing the long-running show of the same name at Disney's Hollywood Studios. To the right of the castle, behind a beautiful cascade of waterfalls, Ariel's Grotto is located. Inside of the grotto, Ariel herself is ready to meet guests.
On the other side of the river, a second bridge leads to an entirely new experience for our Fantasyland: the Fantasy Gardens. In this beautiful new area, you'll find five articulately-decorated gazebos, underneath which, you can meet with some of your Disney friends. And much like the former Fantasyland Character Festival, the characters you'll be able to meet will vary each day, but you'll often find some princesses here.
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.
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.
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.
With this new refurbishment, Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom will be able to sparkle as never before, with many new attractions and a new character experience, Fantasyland will delight a new generation while still keeping in touch with some of our long-time guests.
This new Fantasyland is scheduled to open sometime around 2012.
Fantasyland 2.0
1) Cinderella Castle
2) Pixie Hollow
3) Peter Pan's Flight
4) "it's a small world"
5) Mickey's PhilharMagic
6) Cinderella's Golden Carrousel
7) Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
8) Mr. Toad's Wild Ride
9) Dumbo the Flying Elephant
10) Pinocchio's Daring Journey
11) Pooh's Hunny Hunt
12) The Honey Tree
13) Voyage of the Little Mermaid
14) Fantasy Gardens
15) Mad Tea Party
16) Alice in Wonderland
17) Bald Mountain
Shopping
A) Tinker Bell's Treasures
B) Sir Mickey's
C) Seven Dwarfs Mining Co.
D) Gepetto's Workshop
E) Pooh Corner
Dining
A) Cinderella's Royal Table
B) Pinocchio Village Haus
C) Lumiere's Kitchen
D) Mrs. Pott's Cupboard
E) Rabbit's Garden
F) Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall
Character Greetings
- Tinker Bell and her fairy friends at Pixie Hollow
- Peter Pan and Wendy nearby Peter Pan's Flight
- Merlin after the Sword in the Stone ceremony
- The Fairy Godmother, Jaq, Gus, Suzy and Perla in the Castle Courtyard
- Mr. Toad nearby Mr. Toad's Wild Ride
- Pinocchio, Gepetto and Jiminy Cricket nearby Pinocchio's Daring Journey
- Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, Eeyore and Rabbit nearby Pooh's Hunny Hunt
- Ariel inside Ariel's Grotto
- Various Disney characters at Fantasy Gardens
- Alice, the Mad Hatter, the Queen of Hearts, Tweedle Dee, Tweedle Dum, the Cheshire Cat and the March Hare nearby the Mad Tea Party
What do you think? But anyways, this is what this thread is for--posting your thoughts on how certain expansions, refurbishments or rides themselves should have gone down.
I'm really excited for this thread, because I know lots of you have ideas similar to the one I just posted above. So, until next time, see ya soon!
