20k Meet-and-Greet May Be Permanent...

[Empress Room]

According to General Grizz's best friend at a certain other internet source, the rumored Winnie the Pooh Meet-and-Greet in the former 20k site may in fact be permanent and not simply a temporary patch until a new e-ticket ride arrives.

Although the site offers no factual evidence, it does state that other "temporary" WDW attractions eventually turned out to be permanent based upon guest surveys and acceptance (e.g. Voyage of the Little Mermaid, Festival of the Lion King and Beauty and the Beast). The theory is that the "One Acre Wood" Meet-and-Greet may also turn out to be a permanent addition of the Magic Kingdom foresaking the e-ticket ride we are all hoping to see one day.

The theory doesn't quite make sense to me. A character meet-and-greet is not on even par with the stage shows mentioned above that out performed returning audience's expectations, IMHO, so a parallel argument cannot necessarily be made.

In any event, here's hoping that Pooh doesn't hit the fan if management decides to make the temporary fix a permanent "solution."

 

[longfamily]

Let's hope that this is not the case. It would not be very logical to use that space as a meet & greet forever when a perfectly good ride could be built there. I say leave the meet & greets in toon town and on main street.

 

[speck76]

It could be permanent.....it is way too early to tell at this point.

The land that 20K occupied was a very large parcel, and a lot of land exists behind this area too, but is currently used for support purposes.

WDW could build multiple attractions on this site.....just because the meet and greet will be built first, it does not mean it is the only thing that will ever be built on this parcel.

Also, the MK has had a lot of new rides built in the last few years....Pooh, Buzz, Philharmagic, Wishes, SGE.......the MK does not really need anything new right now.

 

[Hakunamatata]

According to General Grizz's best friend at a certain other internet source, the rumored Winnie the Pooh Meet-and-Greet in the former 20k site may in fact be permanent and not simply a temporary patch until a new e-ticket ride arrives......In any event, here's hoping that Pooh doesn't hit the fan if management decides to make the temporary fix a permanent "solution."

Just a reminder note that, at Disney, nothing is permenant....... i.e. 20k, Mr. Toad, common sense, wuppsss, did that slip our?

 

[nickcarraway]

Maybe they could combine the best of both worlds with a meet-and-greet dark E-ticket. Riders would get into vehicles actually mounted with cameras, which would stop just long enough for riders to have their picture taken with various characters along the way.

 

[General Grizz]

This is merely speculation. No indication of this happening, really, except looking at a Disney trend. Unfortunately, the thought is somewhat credible.

I, for one, hope that the Meet and Greet fails miserably (ha!) if it were to be considered for permanent installation.

What a disgusting thought.

 

[Poncho1973]

MK has had a lot of new rides built in the last few years.... Wishes

OOOOOH! I wanna ride a firework!!! Please, please, please!!!

 

[Empress Room]

This is merely speculation. No indication of this happening, really, except looking at a Disney trend. Unfortunately, the thought is somewhat credible.

Agreed, Grizz, but it's only a credible trend for "show type" temporary attractions. (No one knew/knows how well any movie-based theatric show will last. There are certainly exceptions to the contrary - Tarzan Rocks, D*ck Tracey and the Jungle Book one at AK.)

In any event, I'm not sure if it makes sense that an otherwise prime parcel of real estate in one's signature theme park is best served by a meet-and-greet.

 

[Scooter]

Let's face it...Meet and Greets are popular with Youngsters and their parents.

They're a quick fix until Disney desides to allocate $$ for something more Permanent.

It's a win win situation for Disney.

Unfortunately, for people like myself, who's kids have grown up and are on their own, Meet and Greets are not all that special.

Aside from Mickeys tent in Toontown, IMHO, there is no such thing as a Permanent Meet and Greet...they're just areas where Disney Characters can hang out until Disney decides to do something else with that space.

I liked it much better when there were no meet and greets and the characters just magically showed up out of nowhere.
The surprise look on the kids faces was great.

I remember once my wife was standing in Disney/MGM Studios when out of nowhere Donald Duck snuck up behind her and tapped her on the shoulder.
Thank Gawd I had the video camera turned on..talk about Magic...my wifes face lit up like a child on Christmas morning.

 

[Poncho1973]

Aside from Mickeys tent in Toontown, IMHO, there is no such thing as a Permanent Meet and Greet

Which... in itself... brings up the laughable use of the word "temporary"... as most of the features of TT were meant to be just that.

 

[bhg469]

thats it im going on a hunger strike.

 

[AEfx]

It's pretty obvious - Hill wasn't making comments that people like myself haven't already made here. When temporary additions become popular, and/or more cost effective they stay. It's no secret that Mickey's Birthdayland was supposed to be temporary, or that the shows cited also were not expected to last this long. That was an article any Disney fan could have written; I didn't find it awfully profound.

AEfx

 

[joel_maxwell]

permanent meet and greet....................... 2 words............. SIMPLY TRAGIC!!!!!

 

[Lynx04]

It could be an ugly truth. Although, it is a large area to have for just a meet and greet and play area. Are they going to include a basball diamond? Maybe they just can't figure out what to put there that would fit in place other then Pooh meet and greet. I think they are truely undicided at this point. I think because nothing was mentioned during the Stitch opening makes me believe that even more. Usually they make announcement during opennings of attractions. I kinow the land isn't completely finished being filled but I don't see why they wouldn't announce it if they knew sense it is almost filled. They probably see a window of opportunity to come up with more ideas until the spring openning of LMA and Soarin. Of course this is just an educated guess. I don't know what the mindset of the imagineering department has when it comes to these things.

 

[nickcarraway]

What would make a meet-and-greet permanent? Are the characters going to be bolted to the ground? It seems a meet-and-greet, rather than a show, could never really be that permanent. Some queues and some costumes. Maybe a few set pieces. What’s so permanent other than an unwillingness for change? Now a meet-and-greet E-ticket ride. Well, that’s the kind of permanence I’d like to see.

 

[Empress Room]

What would make a meet-and-greet permanent? Are the characters going to be bolted to the ground? It seems a meet-and-greet, rather than a show, could never really be that permanent. Some queues and some costumes. Maybe a few set pieces. What’s so permanent other than an unwillingness for change? Now a meet-and-greet E-ticket ride. Well, that’s the kind of permanence I’d like to see.

I suppose that the permanency of a meet-and-greet depends wholly on the amount of financial resources spent on the theming. Certainly, the new "Woody and Friends" meet-and-greet in the Diamond Horseshoe Theatre is pretty static and temporary. The only capital invested are a few backdrops and signs to an already completed and vacant theatre building. Putting in a new permanent show in that venue is financially a no-brainer. On the other hand, if Disney invests a substantial amount of money building and creating an intricate meet-and-greet theme in the 20k location (a necessity to some extent since it is nothing more than a pile of dirt now), it may be more difficult to abondon the "temporary" nature of such an investment in order to build a more expensive and seemingly "permanent" e-ride attraction.

 

[Ariel17]

Agreed, Grizz, but it's only a credible trend for "show type" temporary attractions. (No one knew/knows how well any movie-based theatric show will last. There are certainly exceptions to the contrary - Tarzan Rocks, D*ck Tracey and the Jungle Book one at AK.)

In any event, I'm not sure if it makes sense that an otherwise prime parcel of real estate in one's signature theme park is best served by a meet-and-greet.

There's a D!ck Tracey show?

 

[Empress Room]

There's a D!ck Tracey show?

There was (I believe) although it was short-lived. My recollection (fractured as it may be) was that it came out right after the movie (1990). It may have only been at DL and not WDW, but there was such a promotion tied into the release of the flick.

 

[AEfx]

There was (I believe) although it was short-lived. My recollection (fractured as it may be) was that it came out right after the movie (1990). It may have only been at DL and not WDW, but there was such a promotion tied into the release of the flick.

It was definately at WDW. There was also a shop attached where you could star in your own "________ Tracy" video with other guests dressed up like ________ Tracy characters. I have pics of myself as a kid in the yellow trenchcoat and fedora.

The show was shortened and shortened until it eventually went away - it was about a diamond heist and was actually pretty entertaining (especially Breathless - who looked a fair bit like Madonna).

Anyone know when it actually closed?

AEfx

 

[Empress Room]

It was definately at WDW. There was also a shop attached where you could star in your own "________ Tracy" video with other guests dressed up like ________ Tracy characters. I have pics of myself as a kid in the yellow trenchcoat and fedora.

The show was shortened and shortened until it eventually went away - it was about a diamond heist and was actually pretty entertaining (especially Breathless - who looked a fair bit like Madonna).

Anyone know when it actually closed?

AEfx

Thanks, AEfx. It's always comforting to see that what you swear existed in the past wasn't just a fanciful Disney dream. Now that you mention the show, I remember seeing it. I believe that it was called "The Great Diamond Heist" and I saw it both at DL as part of DL's 35th birthday celebration and at WDW. Breathless did look a lot like a young Madonna...(sighs)...

Someone ought to know when it closed.