MK Piston Peak and Villains Land Construction Thread

[gorillaball]

The only confusing part left would be the relatively small apparent size of the signature dark ride's show building... but perhaps verticality and/or that shape not containing the attraction's entire area is the answer...

Which box are you referring to as the signature dark ride? The most NE one, that is larger than HM or Small World? (If we can assume that black box equates to building size)

 

[Marc Davis Fan]

Which box are you referring to as the signature dark ride? The most NE one, that is larger than HM or Small World? (If we can assume that black box equates to building size)

Yes, that's what I'm referring to. According to @wdwmagic's numbers, it's substantially smaller than, for instance, Rise of the Resistance, Dinosaur/Indy, etc. This certainly does not necessarily mean it's "too small," but it does make me curious about the attraction's scale, given Disney's emphasis on the "grand scale only Disney can deliver" language for this specific project.

 

[gorillaball]

Yes, that's what I'm referring to. According to @wdwmagic's numbers, it's substantially smaller than, for instance, Rise of the Resistance, Dinosaur/Indy, etc. This certainly does not necessarily mean it's "too small," but it does make me curious about the attraction's scale, given Disney's emphasis on the "grand scale only Disney can deliver" language for this specific project.

Gotcha. Yep, it shall keep us speculating for the next several years for sure.

I am most curious about the latest sketch guess (from lentesta) w the land actually utilizing space NW of the tracks. That is interesting, I’ll try to not get my hopes up.

 

[Tha Realest]

it does make me curious about the attraction's scale, given Disney's emphasis on the "grand scale only Disney can deliver" language for this specific project.

E-Ticket
C-Ticket
Shopping
Restaurant

 

[Marc Davis Fan]

E-Ticket
C-Ticket
Shopping
Restaurant

I mean the scale of the anticipated dark ride in the northeast corner.

 

[lentesta]

So Disney's responses to CFTOD's questions, which we generally interpreted here to mean the project area was not extending beyond the railroad tracks, should actually not be interpreted that way? This would profoundly change our understanding of the project's scope/scale.

The only confusing part left would be the relatively small apparent size of the signature dark ride's show building... but perhaps verticality and/or that shape not containing the attraction's entire area is the answer...

Ooooh. I wasn't aware of that. Can you post a link to those responses? I'll run them by some people.

 

[lentesta]

2 trains is already the norm. (Not referring to the current state) The rule of thumb that both WDWRR and DLRR follow is total number of stations - 1 = number of trains for regular operations. During expected busy times, both railroads will usually run the same number of trains as there are stations. If there’s a new station, which I don’t see necessary due to the close proximity to Frontierland Station, the WDWRR would more than likely move to a 3 train normal operation. However, with Frontierland being so close, they might be able to get away with keeping 2, though I don’t see it as the likely option.

Good point. As soon as I hit <post> I knew I needed to clarify that.

Here are the intrastation distances in the MK, assuming that's a Villains train stop:

0.35 miles = Main Street USA station to Frontierland Station
0.3(ish) miles = Frontierland Station to Villains Station
0.35 miles = Villains Station to Storybook Circus Station
0.46 miles - Storybook Circus Station to Main Street, USA

So the new station segment length would be within ~250 feet of the MSUSA-Frontierland segment.

Plus it'd be another way to get guests from the back back back of the park to the exit. Seems to make sense.

 

[Captain Barbossa]

Good point. As soon as I hit <post> I knew I needed to clarify that.

View attachment 905822

Here are the intrastation distances in the MK, assuming that's a Villains train stop:

0.35 miles = Main Street USA station to Frontierland Station
0.3(ish) miles = Frontierland Station to Villains Station
0.35 miles = Villains Station to Storybook Circus Station
0.46 miles - Storybook Circus Station to Main Street, USA

So the new station segment length would be within ~250 feet of the MSUSA-Frontierland segment.

Plus it'd be another way to get guests from the back back back of the park to the exit. Seems to make sense.

All very true. A good example of what a Frontierland-Villainsland leg could look like, in terms of distance, would be Main Street-New Orleans Square at DL, which is shorter than Main Street-Frontierland at MK.

 

[EPCOTCenterLover]

I'm not excited for Piston Peak at all, but Villains, absolutely. I just hope the land is better done than New Fantasyland. That was a project with too many missed opportunities.

 

[dmc493]

Really interested what the transition between lands looks like... Disneyland SWGE style tunnels and rockwork? Or something more heavy tree style?

 

[Marc Davis Fan]

Ooooh. I wasn't aware of that. Can you post a link to those responses? I'll run them by some people.

I'm referencing @lazyboy97o's description of the exchange between Disney and CFTOD regarding the uses of land beyond the railroad tracks, so they should be able to provide further details/thoughts. (I'm still hoping it meant something like "walkable areas," allowing attractions to extend beyond the tracks...)

 

[DrStarlander]

Really interested what the transition between lands looks like... Disneyland SWGE style tunnels and rockwork? Or something more heavy tree style?

Sounds like Jim Shull/Len Testa share a theory that the long skinny building next to BTM could be a guest walkway tunnel (which would be covered in earth/foliage as a berm). Though I can understand some skepticism due to its length (around twice the tunnel into SWGE at DHS) and the fact it's straight rather than doglegged, which would seem desirable for "transition psychology" and precisely because of its length. Here are some images of the facility/structure of these tunnels at DHS and DLP for comparison.

Even if this structure is not a tunnel, I would expect a different tunnel entrance to the land elsewhere.

And if the skinny building is not a tunnel, I'm going with the other theory that the long building is storage for parade/show floats. The similarity of the skinny VL building and the Fantasmic float storage building at DLP and parade storage buildings in DCA seem noteworthy. (A long narrow shaped building just has so few uses in a theme park either for guest-facing or back-stage other than float storage, wet or dry).

And even if there was a use for a long skinny backstage building, why would it be placed in the middle of the park (no doubt causing decades of inconvenience and consternation) unless it was specifically needed right there for guest-show purposes. For example, the long-shot possibility is that that wide open area of the land would have a body of water for a Fantasmic-like show, with floats coming from behind a waterfall as at DLP. Or perhaps the MK dry parade route is changing.

 

[James Alucobond]

It’s long, but assuming all buildings are not shown, they could use it as an arcade of sorts. Do rockwork/trees on the south side to mitigate views from Big Thunder, and have the north side exit into shops and dining. Dining could be at the far west end with patio looking out toward the angled section of the dark ride facade for fireworks and shows.

 

[Disstevefan1]

why would it be placed in the middle of the park (no doubt causing decades of inconvenience and consternation)

I wondered that when they built the pump station/water treatment plant for Moana in EPCOT ON STAGE, turning what once was guest area into infrastructure.

 

[JD80]

so, it now looks like they ARE going to build slightly beyond the RR tracks after all? (it appears one of the show building "facilities" will straddle the existing RR track area.). If so, that makes more sense on why they cleared so much land back there.

It's not behind the railroad tracks if they move the railroad tracks.

 

[JD80]

Do we have an overlay of water management and the rest of the parks? How do walkways line up elsewhere with drainage?

 

[DrStarlander]

In the scenario where the skinny building is for wet floats, the structure near HM could be for a shorter transition tunnel (similar to scale at DLP going into SWGE) and the path could go around a show lagoon toward the "village/high street." This would be somewhat in-keeping with the concept art.

Overall the Frontierland/Villains Land could have a figure-8 configuration, with the walkway along BTM being kind of a Big Thunder Trail. Or maybe this entrance to the land/walkway doesn't exist.

 

[MatthewWho13]

The green line on the CAD is sanitary sewer so blackwater (waste water), grey water, ETC. That feeds back to the main MK service utilities but also goes out to a external line that is larger and to a lift station (for water). The sewer utilities do not have to be in any certain place like a walkway or anything and the lines are direct route connections for the main buidlings that will need them. If a structure doesnt have a wastewater need its not on the map....

 

[co10064]

I spoke with Jim Shull yesterday. His interpretation is similar:

- The manholes tell us what the walking paths are going to be - they're there for drainage.
- The Villains coaster track is likely west of the load station
- The canal to the north likely is not being moved or changed
- Floridian Way could be moved (eventually) if needed

Jim wasn't sure if the building on the railroad tracks is a station. His doubt comes from the close proximity to the Frontierland station. Jim said that if that's really a station, they'll need to run two trains to keep service times low.

Here's what I interpreted that as. Orange is walkways.

View attachment 905810

This makes a lot of sense, but my question would then be, what becomes of the open area directly west of Haunted Mansion/south of the show building? Would it stay forested or for an expansion pad? I wonder if the coaster somehow crosses over the guest pathway and also makes use of that space.

 

[gerarar]

Some pictures I took from TBA and the bridge from earlier this morning (1/31):