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MK Cars-Themed Attractions at Magic Kingdom
- Thread starter wdwmagic
- Start date
SamusAranX
Well-Known Member
Correct but those were non-IP “throws” that struck out. When it comes to the now IP or bust mandate…they’re risking that spiral universal was (and arguably might still be) in. Cars may become timeless like Snow White. It may not. If not, if Disney in ten years sees data that it’s not as popular. Are they gonna commit the funds to a reskin, or leave it? Will every park in WDW being just random IP mish mash preserve the parks reputation as a thematic, lush theme park that’s different then the six flags and USF of this world? Who knows…we get to wait and see
Professortango1
Well-Known Member
I can spend several hours wandering around Isle of Berk and enjoying the atmosphere. The kinetic energy of the attractions, the animatronics, the puppetry. Add in a stellar show, a good family coaster, and a pair of fun filler rides and you have a good land.
MK's Fantasyland....has a far worse family coaster that is a kiddie coaster in disguise. It has the worst 3D movie attraction I've experienced at Disney. It has the Little Mermaid ride from DCA with a much better facade/queue. A comprabale Small World with a far worse facade/queue. And a worse Peter Pan.
I'll give MK this; I loved the first half of Enchanted Tales with Belle. It just needs a better second half of the experience.
Isle of Berk shows us what Galaxy's Edge should have felt like. Magic Kingdom's FL shows us what Disneyland's MK felt like 30-some years ago. Only with fewer darkrides.
If I was a kid, I would have felt like I was walking into Mecca walking into IoB. The land's design, the training camp play area, the interactive elements and dragons to discover everywhere. Discovery is a huge part of the guest experience that Disney used to understand, but seems to have stopped evolving in the 80's. Universal has picked up that torch with the Wizarding World and has now applied it to IoB and SNW as well.
eddie104
Well-Known Member
Why do people tend to always talk down about today’s imagineers when they are just following directives set by management ?
If anything it has the opposite effect.
I absolutely agree with this 100 percent.
People tend to forgot how long DL has been around versus WDW. Amount of attractions that existed and closed is pretty long.
I mean look at the state of their Fantasmic and you can tell TDA doesn’t give rat’s a** about presentation.
flynnibus
Premium Member
Ok, let's pump the brakes before we keep broadening the statement wider and wider.
The initial comment was about Fantasyland.. and then about the appeal of Uni vs Disney to teenagers.
Teens don't tend to be a vacation demographic by themselves.. they still rely on their family getting them somewhere. So it's hard to separate them when just talking about total attendance numbers like TEA.
UNI has a long standing approach to the teen and older crowds.. with only a cursory approach to the younger crowd. This is seen in their marketing and how much they build towards the junior audience in brands and accessibility (height requirements, etc).
UNI doesn't have a stroller problem
Its challenging when you start creeping towards broad generalizations that want to read like ALL teens believe this, etc.. because it's not an all or nothing. It's simply about a product that is more targeted or maybe more appealing to a specific demo broadly - but not all members play out the same.
Drew the Disney Dude
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- Yes
The land clearing on Floridian Way is moving QUICKLY. You can see Tiana’s and Cinderella Castle clear as day from outside of the park.
BagOfGroceries
Well-Known Member
Because it is hot as balls.
ChrisFL
Premium Member
Speak for yourself
Dreamer19
Well-Known Member
You are absolutely right, I shouldn’t be painting with a broad brush the way that I did. Living within the Orlando/Disney bubble, I know several terrific Cast Members, some of which are in Imagineering.
That being said, during the Splash Mountain conversion to TBA, I attended a party where I conversed with an Imagineer working on TBA. He was very open and almost gleeful about tearing out “an ugly part of Disney’s history” and how the rest working on the project were in agreement.
Knowing what I know now about how the Splash Mountain destruction was treated even beyond that isolated anecdotal conversation, I am VERY weary of anything coming out of Disney leadership OR Imagineering.
flynnibus
Premium Member
Disney didn't pick something because they thought it would last 50years... they picked something they thought would be popular with broad appeal. The fact it's lasted 50years is a bonus... not a criteria they screen attraction choices with to start with.
You simply can't have a mindset that we can only build things that will successfully last 3 generations plus. You'd never get out of your own way and you'd miss out on so many opportunities. That's why we can have attractions that last only 10 years and still be enjoyable. Not every topic will be a 'forever' one.. The park designers know this, they just don't want to miss entirely. They have an expected lifespan for an attraction and if they exceed that.. fantastic. But no one has expectations they will build the next POTC or they should pass on it.
Bigger topic of how one designs theme parks.. but company's survive on their commercial success, not their academic review.
Bocabear
Well-Known Member
Honestly, The People Mover is one of my favorite things at the Magic Kingdom...I ride it every visit... and while it may not be THE reason I go to the Magic Kingdom is it part of the reason...Like a bunch of other things.... If you go to the park for ONE attraction, you will eventually get bored with that one thing.... To me the park is a million points of light... Lots of things that attract me back over and over.... Which are bit by bit going away. sadly... Losing Hall of Presidents might not be the reason I would stop going to the park, but it could be one of the reasons...
flynnibus
Premium Member
I can't ride it without being bummed about how barren it is vs what it used to be. The special peak into the buildings and attractions is what always made it so unique to me as a engineering obsessed kid. Now it just feels like a shell of itself.. on a platform that isn't nearly as novel as it was 40 years ago.
SamusAranX
Well-Known Member
I would argue the Disney experience is what helped elevate them above their competition…that in tandem with truly well built attractions. If thrill rides were all that people cared about, Universal would have way more market share then it currently has. To me, Disney is greater than the sum of its parts. You keep removing and replacing, and putting the current IP flavor of the day, E ticket dominant mentality for new “expansion” in the works; you run the risk of forgetting that it’s a thematic quality, consisting of A-E, experiences, visuals, shows etc that made Disney the best overall experience. I’m not a Disney doomer (although all “empires” fall, in principle, including economic). But I also have doubt about the directions they’re taking. The Republic of Cars is a symptom (despite positive developments with the project that make me feel a bit better but still not onboard completely) . Will be an interesting next ten years for WDW.
Figments Friend
Well-Known Member
Yes, Bob’s Disney for sure.
Has been so for quite some time.
Walt is just that ‘old guy’……
Do we think Bob really has an understanding of what Uncle Walt actually accomplished …?
Sure was more than just turning a profit for the shareholders.
Oh Bob….
( Apologies to @monothingie for ‘stealing’ your image….but it needs to be seen at a larger scale. )
Disgruntled Walt
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- No
Magic Kingdom is NOT suffering; it's the number one theme park in the world!
flynnibus
Premium Member
Sure, but you're again focusing on hindsight and trying to make it into design criteria.
Things like DL becoming part of the SoCal culture was not a design criteria. Things like the parties and bands were experiments that paid off, not them designing to become part of culture. Things like kids returning as parents and starting the next generation of loyalists are successful outcomes - not design inputs.
Yes, Disney of the 50s through the 80s designed differently with different inputs than they do today. They were also a very different company in scope and breadth. The consumers were also different. Disney doesn't live in a time capsule, they are constantly trying to understand now and the future, not just what worked in 1967.
I agree Disney is not just a park of rides together.. we can see that still today in the better parks. But success today is not necesarily just repeat what was done in 1955 or 1967. Mainstreet isn't filled with sponsors selling complete randomness.. people are not woo'd by the carnival aspects of a ride like Mr Toad.
Disney still needs to build big all in experiences.. but that doesn't mean it can only come in the form of something like an Adventureland model... or only in the form of original concepts only. Future success can come in forms different from what was done before.
flynnibus
Premium Member
And ROA and TSI aren't trending the same... so congrats on pointless cites!
Bocabear
Well-Known Member
It also doesn't mean that it can only come in IP concepts only as well. It should be a mix of things, and IP should not be the only deciding factor on what makes a great attraction..... It seems like this thinking is getting us some pretty mish-mashed parks these days....
ToTBellHop
Well-Known Member
Hopefully, Fantasyland will be less slammed once people actually visit all those acres on the western side of the park.
Of course, for me, the quiet of TSI was a wonderful respite from a bustling park but I understand why that isn’t desirable operationally.
flynnibus
Premium Member
When it doesn't work - I agree, critique. But more often than not we see people attacking the ideas out of pure definition... because it didn't match what they knew to be successful before. That's not imagineering - that's what got copy cat products that never were as good as the original.