A GIF showing the before and after.
My New New, or North Fantasyland expansion idea. Here I am going to attempt to touch on as much as I can. The expansion is entirely grounded in realism and could easily come to fruition. All dimensions are accurately sourced from Google Earth, including height.
To begin, the exterior and entrance of It's a Small World would be entirely removed and given an overhaul which would resemble the exterior Small Worlds in Paris, Hong Kong, and Anaheim. Adding this exterior element would not only make the ride much more attractive, but it would also eliminate the bottleneck between Peter Pan's Flight and SW. The new SW queue would take shape in the western half of Pinnochio's Village. The actual exterior would tower a minimum of 45 feet to block the show building. The exterior facade would be based on the recently updated Tokyo Disneyland facade which also happens to be a minimum of 45 feet tall. Due to the extension overhaul, the SW interior would also get a facelift with the addition of various Disney Properties similar to some of the other SWs across the globe have received. This is only a move to convince Chapek to bite on the rest of the expansion.
The eastern portion of the newly demolished Pinnochio Village would be replaced with a path leading to an entirely new area of the park.
The Beauty and the Beast Ride from Tokyo which is set to open in 2020 just in time for the Olympics is one of the three major anchors of the new area. The ride fits perfectly into place as the building measured 150 by 90 meters. The full Beast castle would be placed just in front of the ride exactly as it is in Tokyo, except the exterior would be snow-covered unlike in Tokyo.
The resemblance to the Tokyo BatB expansion stops at the ride. Everything else is entirely different due to differing circumstances.
The pathway to enter the land would mimic the cramped nature of Diagon Alley in Universal Studios Orlando while encapsulating the spirit of Hogsmeade. The area is only 125 feet wide, which could handle small shops on one side, probably SW side, and facades on the other. The further you travel down the path the more snow-covered the buildings become. The facades and shops would block the SW show building and hide the backside of Be Our Guest. The town pathway resembles what is going to occur in Walt Disney Studios in Paris where it was described as a Champs Elysees.
People would be drawn into the land by the clock tower weenie in front of the B&tB Quick Service on the north side of the expansion. The restaurant would serve as a visual draw to bring guests into the land. The quick-service restaurant is crucial due to the expanded capacity of the park, and the removal of Pinnochio Village. The restaurant would very substantial. Be Our Guest used to not require reservations for breakfast or lunch but as of recent, it has been changed to reservations for the entire day. This new restaurant would fill the void Be Our Guest has created, while simultaneously increasing the overall food capacity, and replacing Pinnochio Village. The backside of the Restaurant would have facades similar to Big Thunder Mountain where guests traveling on the railroad could see as they pass by.
The area outside of the Quick Service + Restaurant is the Castle Courtyard which would contain the entrance to the BatB ride and frozen fountains and snow-dusted shrubbery.
The placement of the BatB land would be perfect above the existing area. In the new Fantasyland expansion, Beast's castle is seen on a hilltop in the distance, however, by going through the rocks you can go into the castle. Likewise, by going around the rocks through another path you wind up in front of Beast's castle. Instead of seeing it in the distance you go the distance to see it. Part of what works so well about this design is the castle being off to the side. Entering the land you do not initially see the land, but instead, you stumble upon the castle once you turn the corner, similar to how the castle is stumbled upon in the movie.
Going in the opposite direction of Beast castle puts you in a new and foreign world. Or perhaps a foreign holiday! To enter Halloween Town, you have to leave the castle gates which are marked in gold in the image. Once you have left the castle grounds you are greeted by foreign trees and tombstones which resemble nothing from this planet. A picture which includes the graveyard and another which includes the trees.
Soon you are thrust in the heart of Halloween town from NBC. A shop, a restroom, and another shop which doubles as ride exit giftshop serve as the primary makeup of Halloween town. An image of the town is included.
At the end of Halloween town lays the city hall. The building would serve two primary purposes. One, as a weenie/sightline to draw guests in from the Beauty and the Beast land, and two, to serve as the entrance and queue for the NBC ride. As already mentioned, the ride would exit into the northern giftshop. The ride would either feature a trackless or original ride system to immerse guests into the NBC world.
Just before city hall to the left would be Oogie Boogie Man's, Dinner Show. The attraction would feature an animatronic like never before seen in order to encapsulate the true spirit of Oogie Boogie. The restaurant itself would be in Oogie Boogie's lair. Unorthodox drinks and foods could be served. Very Instragramable. It would undoubtedly please Chapek.
Just before city hall to the right would be a stage which contains animatronics playing the land's area music. it would not be a show, but simply adding to the land's ambiance. During special events, such as the Halloween or Christmas parties, the area could be transformed into a block party throughout the night where the music is drastically changed. The musicians would be no other than the street performers from NBC. A photo of these fine gentlemen is included.
All sightlines and dimensions for the land and the transition from BatB and NBC work rather well. The expansion is entirely possible and it would indisputably make the Magic Kingdom a serious contender for the top parks in the world. The quick-service restaurant is a weenie for the town path, Beast's castle is a weenie for leaving NBC, and city hall is a weenie going into the land.
The expansion would add three major additions. The BatB ride, NBC ride, and Oogie Boogie Dinner Show. With the addition of Tron, these new attractions would balance the coaster and dark ride amounts within the park. BatB is expected to be a high capacity ride as would NBC. Something MK desperately needs, and Tron is not resolving this issue as it has a low capacity. The expansion would cost on the ballpark of $1 billion which is not bad when considering the overwhelmingly positive impact the land would have on both MK and WDW.
The expansion could even be done in two phases. Phase one would include Halloween town and the BatB town, but the castle and ride would be missing. This seems counterintuitive, but if there is a temporary exclusivity deal with the Oriental Land Company, Beast's castle and the ride would be unable to be built for a certain amount of time, say 5 years. As a result, a plausible time frame of the expansion would be 2023 except Beast's castle and the ride which would open in 2025.
Please comment below all thoughts, concerns, ideas, criticisms, and admiration. Feedback is highly desired.
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