Japan Castle Refurb

[aladdin2007]

Did they say what type of attraction and what the theme was?

Yeah the guide set it would have been a gondola dark ride throgh Venice. How nice that would have been!!! Along with Rhine River and a Japan attraction.

 

[aladdin2007]

And to further elaborate on that, the entrance on the right would be themed to look like Venice while the exit at the rear of the pavilion would have been themed to Rome with grander Roman architecture.

 

[jt04]

And to further elaborate on that, the entrance on the right would be themed to look like Venice while the exit at the rear of the pavilion would have been themed to Rome with grander Roman architecture.

I really wish they would finish the Germany ride or the Italy ride. They both sound great. At the very least though WS needs at least one thrill ride IMO

 

[Rob562]

That is big! Why would Disney build something that large unless they were planning on using it for something sometime in the future? After all, Meet the World wasn't going to be that big, was it?

Using Gmaps pedometer, I measure the diameter of the Carousel of Progress building (just the part where the show is, not the outer part where the TTA track and queue is) to be about 170 feet. The taller, square portion of the unused Japan show building is 137 feet on each side. I'd say that Meet the World was to be in the taller, square area, and the remaining, lower portion would be queue, pre and post-show areas.

-Rob

 

[marni1971]

And to further elaborate on that, the entrance on the right would be themed to look like Venice while the exit at the rear of the pavilion would have been themed to Rome with grander Roman architecture.

Almost - a 2 story restaurant was to have been built on the right of the pavilion. At the rear of the current pavilion was to have been a new structure with archways; the entrance and exit would both have been here (possibly layed out as you say - there isn`t a lot of info on the Italian ride)

Here`s a rough composite of the attraction, again from an earlier thread - note the restaurant http://forums.wdwmagic.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=24033&d=1176731654 and a rough plan here http://forums.wdwmagic.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=24031&d=1176644470

Using Gmaps pedometer, I measure the diameter of the Carousel of Progress building (just the part where the show is, not the outer part where the TTA track and queue is) to be about 170 feet.

Remember MTW was to have been a smaller inverted carousel like in Tokyo - static seats on the inside, rotating sets on the outside. There were plans a long time ago to fit a carousel theatre into the Tomorrowland CircleVision building - WED had planned a smaller carousel theatre than the COP in 1970. Here`s a direct to scale composite of Tlands CoP and Japan http://forums.wdwmagic.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=22210&d=1139181360

 

[Grim Grinner]

I think everyone's missing the fact that the Ninja ride/exhibit is there...

hiding, lurking-biding its time for the perfect strike! Heck, it may even be disguised as another country! Who ever heard of Morocco anyway? (just kidding)


In all seriousness, there is such an amazing history and culture in Japan that you could use up an entire theme park to celebrate it.

How sad would it be to have "Soarin' Over DisneySeas"? Hey look at this gorgeous park- and how you can't have it!

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

Too cool....But where does MT Fuji fit in here?

 

[tomm4004]

"Meet the World" was an attraction located at Tokyo Disneyland that recently closed to make way for a new e-ticket. It was originally designed for Epcot Center's Japan Pavillion.

I saw this show in Tokyo. It was OK, not great. I don't think it would have played that well for foreign audiences.

 

[wickedfan07]

Martin, how do you know all of this stuff!? No matter what we're talking about, you can always come in with an image or info on the subject. Thanks! That Italian pavilion with all of its bells and whistles looks cool. Maybe, someday, we'll get it for real. (Being 50% Italian, I'd love that.)

 

[wannab@dis]

There is plenty of room in the existing building to build a major attraction. It is probably empty except for storage. Once more there is plenty of room already for a major attraction in the existing building. As in, more than enough, ample, plenty, boat loads, over the top, room in the existing building. The building is big, it is empty, it is bigger than a bread box, it's cavernous and it could contain a major e-ticket ride because it is empty and could contain a lot of stuff. Like a whole lot. It's even bigger than the HM and IASW put together. So that is big. And the building is tall, real tall.....

Maybe you were trying to be funny... but that is not accurate at all.

 

[marni1971]

Martin, how do you know all of this stuff!? No matter what we're talking about, you can always come in with an image or info on the subject. Thanks! That Italian pavilion with all of its bells and whistles looks cool. Maybe, someday, we'll get it for real. (Being 50% Italian, I'd love that.)

How do I know? Years and years (and years!) of research, collecting, and spending far too much money. As Michelle says it`s not a hobby. It`s an obsession. And I can`t deny it.

Regarding Italy, info on future phases is really hard to come by. I`ve pieced together what I know from official sources and little talks I`ve had over the years. As I can figure out the ride was always a phase 2B proposal. Phase 2A was to have been the roman ruins wallaround, leading eventually to the gondola ride (the boats were never bought - the ones docked at the Isola were built for that purpose). The west side restaurant was planned in late 1983, but for reasons listed below - money and timing - was never built either.

In 1980 Rhine River was to be built, with Meet the World. El Rio Del Tiempo was to be a phase 2 attraction. MTW had design issues, and Rhine River was mothballed with just the queue and load building complete due to the over budget and over schedule of the park. They simply didn`t have enough time or manpower to open by October 1st - taking the RR crew off and not addressing the problems with MTW would help the manpower situation, but not the budget. There was no chance Italys Gondola ride could be built too.

With no MTW, Gondolas, RR or EL Rio, plus Denmarks water ride being scrapped with the pavilion World Showcase capacity was well below the planned level. Soloution? Build El Rio and add the others as and when. El Rio was the most advanced down the line ride, with the lagoon area planned and ready to go, plus half the ride area and load/unload areas also planned for phase one.

EPCOT Center opened twice over budget but on time - and with an extra $100m planned to be spent in its first year with commited sponsors any chance of seeing the phase 2 attractions mentioned above built was remote since all eyes were on Horizons, JIIs ride, Morocco and The Seas.

By the end of `83 Morocco was underway, JII and Horizons were open, The Seas was back on the draqing board (and almost `Living`) but the company was in a finnancial mess due to EPCOTs over run and TDLs manpower demands from WED. And of cousre in `84 management changed and the rest is history.

 

[Imagineer Mitch]

Did anyone else think this thread was about TDL's Cinderella Castle? :lookaroun

LOL me!

 

[cpeterstx]

There is plenty of room in the existing building to build a major attraction. It is probably empty except for storage. Once more there is plenty of room already for a major attraction in the existing building. As in, more than enough, ample, plenty, boat loads, over the top, room in the existing building. The building is big, it is empty, it is bigger than a bread box, it's cavernous and it could contain a major e-ticket ride because it is empty and could contain a lot of stuff. Like a whole lot. It's even bigger than the HM and IASW put together. So that is big. And the building is tall, real tall.....

Yeah, but is it big? :lookaroun

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

How do I know? Years and years (and years!) of research, collecting, and spending far too much money. As Michelle says it`s not a hobby. It`s an obsession. And I can`t deny it.

Regarding Italy, info on future phases is really hard to come by. I`ve pieced together what I know from official sources and little talks I`ve had over the years. As I can figure out the ride was always a phase 2B proposal. Phase 2A was to have been the roman ruins wallaround, leading eventually to the gondola ride (the boats were never bought - the ones docked at the Isola were built for that purpose). The west side restaurant was planned in late 1983, but for reasons listed below - money and timing - was never built either.

In 1980 Rhine River was to be built, with Meet the World. El Rio Del Tiempo was to be a phase 2 attraction. MTW had design issues, and Rhine River was mothballed with just the queue and load building complete due to the over budget and over schedule of the park. They simply didn`t have enough time or manpower to open by October 1st - taking the RR crew off and not addressing the problems with MTW would help the manpower situation, but not the budget. There was no chance Italys Gondola ride could be built too.

With no MTW, Gondolas, RR or EL Rio, plus Denmarks water ride being scrapped with the pavilion World Showcase capacity was well below the planned level. Soloution? Build El Rio and add the others as and when. El Rio was the most advanced down the line ride, with the lagoon area planned and ready to go, plus half the ride area and load/unload areas also planned for phase one.

EPCOT Center opened twice over budget but on time - and with an extra $100m planned to be spent in its first year with commited sponsors any chance of seeing the phase 2 attractions mentioned above built was remote since all eyes were on Horizons, JIIs ride, Morocco and The Seas.

By the end of `83 Morocco was underway, JII and Horizons were open, The Seas was back on the draqing board (and almost `Living`) but the company was in a finnancial mess due to EPCOTs over run and TDLs manpower demands from WED. And of cousre in `84 management changed and the rest is history.

SO cool...You need to write a book....NOW.

 

[marni1971]

Yeah, but is it big? :lookaroun

Yes.

Me write a book? I`ve been asked that a lot. Maybe when I retire from editing

- though it`d end up being a series of books :wave:

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

YAY!


Can I reserve a advance copy?

 

[DisneyDellsDude]

- though it`d end up being a series of books :wave:

I'd buy them in a heart beat.:wave:

 

[SeanC]

There is plenty of room in the existing building to build a major attraction. It is probably empty except for storage. Once more there is plenty of room already for a major attraction in the existing building. As in, more than enough, ample, plenty, boat loads, over the top, room in the existing building. The building is big, it is empty, it is bigger than a bread box, it's cavernous and it could contain a major e-ticket ride because it is empty and could contain a lot of stuff. Like a whole lot. It's even bigger than the HM and IASW put together. So that is big. And the building is tall, real tall.....

So you mean it "is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind- bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts to [this] space." Like that kind of big?:ROFLOL:

 

[jt04]

Maybe you were trying to be funny... but that is not accurate at all.

Yes I was joking but if you consider total square footage I might still accidently be right. Have you considered a bit of bourbon to take the edge off wannab? You need to lighten up a bit.

Even if I was wrong it does not change the fact that the building is big. You might even say gargantuan. Larger than large. So big it has it's own micro-climate. So big Godzilla and Mothra could stage a pay-per-view battle royal. That building is so massive it could even hold the Titanic if the Titanic was cube shaped and not sitting on the bottom of the ocean. That kind of big. It could even hold all of Marni's recorded knowledge in book form although with little room to spare. Have you gotten the point yet?

 

[jt04]

So you mean it "is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind- bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts to [this] space." Like that kind of big?:ROFLOL:

Yes It's mind boggling. And I haven't even begun to describe how tall it is....