20,000 Demolition Coming April 19, 2004

[ToTBellHop]

So for this major E-ticket, since the entrance to toontown is inbetween 20K and the speedway, would they expand Toontown and have its entrance near Ariel's Grotto and then have the new e-ticket across that vast expanse of land b/t Ariel's Grotto and the far side of the Speedway?

 

[CaptainMichael]

I would definitely like for them to get rid of the Speedway, it is a tremendous waste of space. Tomorrowland could definitely use something new or demolish Toontown and make the Villain Land or BOTH!

 

[Lee]

The info I have is very short on details.
I was told "an" e-ticket, but I don't even know that the e-ticket would be on one spot or the other, or a combination of both areas.

I think this needs to simmer a bit longer before it's ready to eat.
If you smell what I'm cookin'.

 

[COProgressFan]

The sooner the better to get rid of that tacky wand at Epcot. The projection system on SSE sounds cool -- I have thought they should do something like that for a while.

Lee, when you say the wand will be coming down sooner than originally thought, how soon are we talking?

CoP

 

[paulcmartens]

When...

I remember in 88 them having a projection with LAZORs on Spaceship earth creating a rotating globe effect. I was dissapointed that they didn't have that in 2004 when I went back.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Re: When...

Originally posted by paulcmartens
I remember in 88 them having a projection with LAZORs on Spaceship earth creating a rotating globe effect. I was dissapointed that they didn't have that in 2004 when I went back.

They had this effect right up until the Millennium Celebration. I am guessing the new projection would be much more impressive and perhaps run all night in the park (although there is something magical about the pink/purple/blue lighting on Spaceship Earth...

 

[PixyDust]

Originally posted by Lee
Jump and shout.......and say goodbye to .....the Indy Speedway.
If my source, who would probably know, is correct the speedway will be pulled out soon after the lagoon. A major e-ticket for the MK could be announced within the next year to 18 months.

Yea! My husband and I were just talking last week while walking past the speedway how it needs to be removed. It smells bad, and is so noisy. And I can ride this same ride at any theme park across America.

 

[Hank Scorpio]

I too never managed to ride the 20K ride.

But from what I have learned from reading various websites and these boards is that you boarded submarine capsules that submerged into the water. They basically followed a track around the lagoon and you saw plastic fish and burried treasure etc. I think it was meant to give the illusion that you where quite deep in the water when in fact you are just below the surface. Although I would have loved to have said I went on it before it closed, I don't stay awake at night thinking about it. It doesn't sound to me like a top quality attraction.

 

[marni1971]

It was for me in 1979!!!

 

[ogryn]

I rode it on my first trip and was scared stupid by it.

I never had the chance to ride it when I was older and braver.

 

[barnum42]

Originally posted by Hank Scorpio
I too never managed to ride the 20K ride.

But from what I have learned from reading various websites and these boards is that you boarded submarine capsules that submerged into the water. They basically followed a track around the lagoon and you saw plastic fish and burried treasure etc. I think it was meant to give the illusion that you where quite deep in the water when in fact you are just below the surface. Although I would have loved to have said I went on it before it closed, I don't stay awake at night thinking about it. It doesn't sound to me like a top quality attraction.

The fish on strings were a little cheesy, but the ride had charm and I enjoyed it. The subs never avtually submerged. The viewports you looked out of were below the surface, the illusion of diving was achieved by the soundtrack and lots of bubbles passing the windown. The bigger dive to the greater depths of the ocean was done the same way, but at the point the attraction entered the darkenss of the ride building.

 

[Dr.Seeker]

Ok. This may be outdated, but in a recent trip to WDW i was chatting with a cast member who told me some interesting facts abour 20K for example:

Walt Disney owned the 6th largest submarine fleet in the world thanks to that ride.

The ride close because spare parts were incresingly hard to find for the old subs.

An Atlantis themed 20K should be coming in the future.

Exciting stuff0- but the thing thats got me is the 'Dark Kingdom' supposedly opening in 2007 on WDW turf. It would feature Maleficent's Castle as the focal point and have more extreme and thrill based rides.

Hope this is useful.

Seeker.

 

[Lee]

Originally posted by COProgressFan
Lee, when you say the wand will be coming down sooner than originally thought, how soon are we talking?

Not sure.
It was built to last up to 10 years, which would be around 2009.
However, from what I gather it may not see another year. I'll try to nail it down better.

 

[Lee]

Originally posted by Dr.Seeker
Ok. This may be outdated, but in a recent trip to WDW i was chatting with a cast member who told me some interesting facts abour 20K for example:

Walt Disney owned the 6th largest submarine fleet in the world thanks to that ride.

The ride close because spare parts were incresingly hard to find for the old subs.

An Atlantis themed 20K should be coming in the future.

Exciting stuff0- but the thing thats got me is the 'Dark Kingdom' supposedly opening in 2007 on WDW turf. It would feature Maleficent's Castle as the focal point and have more extreme and thrill based rides.

Hope this is useful.

Seeker.

Whew, he did a number on you.
Walt had the 6th largest sub fleet in the 60s with DL's subs.
Spare parts were not a big reason for closure.
The Atlantis theme was tested at DL, then scrapped when the movie bombed.
Dark Kingdom? Nope.

 

[brentley2]

Originally posted by Hank Scorpio
I too never managed to ride the 20K ride.

But from what I have learned from reading various websites and these boards is that you boarded submarine capsules that submerged into the water. They basically followed a track around the lagoon and you saw plastic fish and burried treasure etc. I think it was meant to give the illusion that you where quite deep in the water when in fact you are just below the surface. Although I would have loved to have said I went on it before it closed, I don't stay awake at night thinking about it. It doesn't sound to me like a top quality attraction.

That's pretty much right...I remember riding as a kid, even at 6 or 7, I remember looking at stuff out the portal, with the plastic fish on fishing wire, and then realizing I could see the top of the water out of the portal and thinking...hmmm...yeah, this doesn't impress me.
The whole part of the thing attacking the sub was not that great either....oh, and the sub smelled really bad too. Worse than the mold smell at Splash Mountain.
I never have grieved for 20K....

 

[MKCP 1985]

Can ANYONE confirm work began on 4/19 (yesterday) as planned, and if so, to what extent?

Don't get me wrong - these are very interesting discussions. But until the demolition of the lagoon begins with the first step . . .

 

[Piebald]

Originally posted by brentley2
That's pretty much right...I remember riding as a kid, even at 6 or 7, I remember looking at stuff out the portal, with the plastic fish on fishing wire, and then realizing I could see the top of the water out of the portal and thinking...hmmm...yeah, this doesn't impress me.
The whole part of the thing attacking the sub was not that great either....oh, and the sub smelled really bad too. Worse than the mold smell at Splash Mountain.
I never have grieved for 20K....

I rode it and I thought it was one of the worst rides Disney ever had. If you think Star Tours or SSE are outdated you really need to go back in time and ride 20k. I wasn't even like 7 and I thought the ride was dumb. I mean, when you're 7 even the silliest things amuse and impress you and I just remember thinking "mommy lets get out and go across to MR TOAD'S WILD RIDE!"

 

[dox]

Well I rode 20,000 on every trip from 1973, my first at age 3, until it closed. As a child, I enjoyed it I have to say. Yes I could see the surface of the water and the strings but it was fun. The worst part about the entire ride was the wait in line. OH GOD DID IT TAKE FOREVER!! We never rode this attraction in the day due to the heat, despite it being a cover queue. Now by the time the 90s rolled around I have to say i rode it out of pure nolstagia. The paint was peeling everywhere and all the fish were faded. It no longer had any charm. But not so much due to the lack of maintenance, but the passage of time. Even as a kid people debated this ride's existence. My brothers who were only a few years older always hated it. If disney wasn't going to replace it with somethign else, they did the right thing in scrapping it altogether. Even Walt got rid of several attractions at D L over the years that became outdated or were problem prone.

LEE - God do i have mixed feelings about the Indy Speedway. I've never been a fan of this ride not even as a kid. But the lines here are always huge. Kids tend to love that ride. Any word on what kind of e-ticket ride is being discussed, e.g. roller coaster, dark ride, etc.

 

[Shaman]

Originally posted by Lee
Not sure.
It was built to last up to 10 years, which would be around 2009.
However, from what I gather it may not see another year. I'll try to nail it down better.

One can only hope that it doesn't see another year...I wonder though, how easy is it too remove?

 

[ToTBellHop]

Originally posted by objr
One can only hope that it doesn't see another year...I wonder though, how easy is it too remove?

It couldn't be that hard...it didn't take much more than 6 months to build...