Devils advocate points out it was announced as a phased project with openings (Avengers) from 2021.
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Transformative Multi-Year Expansion Announced for WDS Paris
- Thread starter Jwhee
- Start date
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
Why is this an issue? Why can’t people just accept that Disney tends to announce projects early in the design process and typically shortly after they’ve been approved to be built.
Bernswss
Active Member
Absolutely true, the problem is if you're planning on opening an expansion in 2023 (Frozen, the lake & promenade) starting construction in 2022 won't cut it... I'm very familiar with all the reasons why it had to be delayed and have defended Disney in the past. But in the end we now have a 2026 opening for the phase meant for 2023 and a 2029 (currently slated) opening for the phase meant for 2025.
It's an issue when you compare "construction" times with other parks, in my message I meant it more as the reason behind so many people thinking Disney is slow when it comes to building. It's not that they're slow, it that they take a very long time to start the actual construction.
denyuntilcaught
Well-Known Member
Very, very fair! I was measuring the duration from the latest announcement to dirt in the ground as the marker, not from the 2019 announcement. A coping mechanism, if anything.
Some of us may have an issue with it because of how the company manages expectations - poorly - compared to other companies. To announce projects years in advance only to cancel them and reannounce them later on, while simultaneously positioning itself as an industry leader and charging premium prices can damage reputation and trust amongst a portion of the consumer base. It's something I'd never recommend working internally for a big brand but they do it out of hubris, lack of organization, or both.
UNCgolf
Well-Known Member
Have they actually done this?
The only thing I can think of that they officially announced and then cancelled is the Main Street Theater.
They can be both
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
There’s also the Galaxy’s Edge Lite but that seems like a good idea since the full version didn’t get the desired reception.
The Avengers E-Ticket maybe half counts as it had its own issues but also got mired in COVID.
The bulk though are related to Epcot and people refusing to accept that COVID was an unprecedented global disruption.
So not even anything all that great. Main Street Theater was the right idea but there are serious questions about the execution.
Gusey
Well-Known Member
Things officially announced than cancelled a few years later has been happening a lot since 1955/6: Walt Disney announcing Liberty Street on the Disneyland Show then it was delayed continually until it was eventually cancelled for the 1959 Tomorrowland expansion (Matterhorn/Subs/Monorail). Equatorial Africa was in the Epcot opening special, and Spain and Israel were in the guide books. The 1990s had the Disney Decade announced in TV Specials in 1990/1 and a lot of those projects cancelled (Dick Tracy, Great Muppet Movie Ride, Mt Fuji rollercoaster, Russia Pavilion, Alien Encounter @ Disneyland, Hollywood Land @ Disneyland to name a few). Since 2009 and the creation of D23 and Parks Blog, we've had the original plans for New Fantasyland (Pixie Hollow & Cinderella/Sleeping Beauty houses), Hyperion Wharf, Main Street Theater, Mary Poppins @ Epcot, PLAY! @ Epcot, Quinjet @ DCA) When it comes to DLP, the opening special advertised a Little Mermaid dark ride and Beauty and the Beast animatronic show & MGM Studios Europe. They also announced alongside Avengers Campus & Frozen a Star Wars Land, which was announced in 2018 and cancelled by 2021/2022. When you write down the list of everything announced then cancelled, it's a Big List
UNCgolf
Well-Known Member
I only meant in the last 15-20 years, not since the start of the company. I also should have specified outside of COVID, since COVID changed a lot of things and several of the ones on your list were COVID casualties.
Gusey
Well-Known Member
Ah, right. Just thought I'd point out that announcing a major attraction then cancelling it later is not something new from the last 15-20 years. Biggest example is Haunted Mansion which was first announced 7 years and 7 months before it would end up opening. Again, I think the introduction of Disney Parks Blog and D23 Expo's in 2009 saw the trend of Disney announcing new projects earlier than in the late 90s and early 2000s. Other theme park companies like Universal don't have a daily blog for "news" or a fan expo where they're expected to announce new projects, even if they've only just been greenlit. When you look at the early 2000s new projects, the announcement was a lot closer to the opening date: Monsters at DCA opened 8 months after its announcement, Bug's Land 7 months, Toy Story Playland at WDS 10 months, Buzz @ DLP 1 year, Rock n Rollercoaster 1 year, Toy Story Mania 1 year and 4 months, Soarin' @ Epcot & Lights Motors Action 1 year and 6 months, Nemo @ Disneyland 1 year and 10 months, Tower of Terror @ DCA 2 years 2 months. Probably the most recent to have a similar announcement to opening timeline was Mickey and Minnie's @ HS at 2 years and 7 months or 7 Dwarfs at 3 years and 4 months.
Gusey
Well-Known Member
The ones in the most recent years (not counting COVID) were probably New Fantasyland's changes (Princess meet and greets replaced by 7 Dwarfs so more of an update to plans), Hyperion Wharf at Downtown Disney, Main Street Theater @ Magic Kingdom, Star Wars @ WDS and the daytime Harmonious fountain show at Epcot. Not so many if you don't count the Covid impacted ones
Animaniac93-98
Well-Known Member
At this point I'm just glad that Le Petit Galaxy's Edge was replaced with something else and not nothing
And that the 2nd flat ride for Adventure Way was not just a baseless rumour
And that the 2nd flat ride for Adventure Way was not just a baseless rumour
BrianLo
Well-Known Member
The cancellations are also mostly retrospective to a particularly tumultuous moment in history. If we walk away from pre-2020 we actually see an unusual hot streak.
There’s a lot of stuff that has been offhandedly announced that frankly would be cancellation fodder. From lounges, to Zoogether, country bears to Porto’s. I wouldn’t really call follow through a problem they have right now. The only thing I can’t say with certainty they seem to be engaging in with the 30-40 odd things they’ve announced in the last 5 years is the 2nd Cars ride. Maybe COP, I guess, but also we’re barely off that announcement.
I’d also flip the script and say OLC was quite inconsistent last decade without a real inflection like the Pandemic. Perhaps things were rolled out too early there, but neither major expansion really resembled their first wave announcement.
Same. Sure it would be nice to have had everything shifted up 3 years, but I certainly am not unhappy with the trade off of time leading to something more uniquely developed.
There’s a lot of stuff that has been offhandedly announced that frankly would be cancellation fodder. From lounges, to Zoogether, country bears to Porto’s. I wouldn’t really call follow through a problem they have right now. The only thing I can’t say with certainty they seem to be engaging in with the 30-40 odd things they’ve announced in the last 5 years is the 2nd Cars ride. Maybe COP, I guess, but also we’re barely off that announcement.
I’d also flip the script and say OLC was quite inconsistent last decade without a real inflection like the Pandemic. Perhaps things were rolled out too early there, but neither major expansion really resembled their first wave announcement.
Same. Sure it would be nice to have had everything shifted up 3 years, but I certainly am not unhappy with the trade off of time leading to something more uniquely developed.
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
Longer than that even. The Haunted House is on the 1958 fun map.
Animaniac93-98
Well-Known Member
So the decorative railings added to ToT are not just to make it prettier, it's also to hide added antennas to boost in park wifi
(per DLPWorks)
(per DLPWorks)
Animaniac93-98
Well-Known Member
Lion King started constriction in the Fall of this year
3 years is the average length of Disney constructions projects of this scale
My guess is the 35th anniversary will run from March 2027 until the end of September 2028
They could bookend that with the opening of the Up flat ride and then Lion King in the Summer of 2028
TheDisneyParksfanC8
Well-Known Member
Then at D23 2028 you can announce the final new land post LK.
Animaniac93-98
Well-Known Member
I'm greedy. I want two!