3 hopeful changes to PoTC - Lee/Corrus please verify

[dxwwf3]

Say there, pardon the thread drift, but what is this Western River Expansion you speak of? This is the first I've heard about it. Is this why it took them so long to put something where Splash M. is?

If you can read a novel, Jim Hill has a great 9 part series about the WRE. Otherwise, the short version comes from Magical Mountain.net:

"Big Thunder Mountain began as an idea for a ride to replace Pirates of the Caribbean at Walt Disney World. A Team of Imagineers created a new area for Walt Disney World with the theme of an old west town. The area would be called Thunder Mesa, and feature an animatronic show like Pirates of the Caribbean called The Western River Expedition and a run-a-way mine train ride that would sit on top of a mesa (Thunder Mesa).

When it was decided that Pirates of the Caribbean would in fact be built at Disneyworld after all, the mine train project was slated to open by itself. Years went by however and nothing got built. "

And eventually BTMRR was built.

 

[Dizknee_Phreek]

Tetanus shots ... need I say more.

:lol:

I have actually seen someone dumb enough to drunk water at the Jungle Cruise. I cringed when I saw it.

At least it's not Small World water with all those coins that millions of people have touched. Plus I once saw a used diaper floating in IASW ... YUCK.

Ugh!! That's completely disgusting! :hurl:

 

[Dizknee_Phreek]

If you can read a novel, Jim Hill has a great 9 part series about the WRE. Otherwise, the short version comes from Magical Mountain.net:

"Big Thunder Mountain began as an idea for a ride to replace Pirates of the Caribbean at Walt Disney World. A Team of Imagineers created a new area for Walt Disney World with the theme of an old west town. The area would be called Thunder Mesa, and feature an animatronic show like Pirates of the Caribbean called The Western River Expedition and a run-a-way mine train ride that would sit on top of a mesa (Thunder Mesa).

When it was decided that Pirates of the Caribbean would in fact be built at Disneyworld after all, the mine train project was slated to open by itself. Years went by however and nothing got built. "

And eventually BTMRR was built.

Ahhhh! Very interesting indeed! I dunno, though...I'm kinda glad things worked out like they did in MK. Would've been interesting to see what they would've done with Western River Expedition, though.
Thanks so much for the info! And for posting the short version :animwink:

 

[CSUFSteve]

Would've been interesting to see what they would've done with Western River Expedition, though.

And for a while this was widely rumored to be on the drawing boards for Disneyland Paris since it would have themed well nicely next to Phantom Manor. I think that was more of an Internet rumor though. Before the WRE rumor was the Splash Mountain rumor, which was serious, until EDL's fortunes didn't pan out its first couple of years of operation.

 

[marni1971]

^ Geyser Mountain was originally planned to go next to Phantom Manor (hence the Geysers next to ROTFW) - another idea that mutated - first into the Jules Verne freefall ride in Discovery Mountain, then the ToT years later)

Splash at DLP is still floating around (!) - as the hybrid water coaster. 2012 is also being mentioned, but again as a rumour. Interestingly, DLPs Splash is located almost exactly where WDWs is. What little info there is apart from a water coaster is a run off after the drop like Orlando, but laid out like Tokyo, and with a duel load setup.

 

[T-1MILLION]

If anyone has mention this..I do not think so.

If you want a smal sample of what Western river might have been like. Or at least a few left over animatronics for it. They ended up using a few for Living with the land at EPCOT for the storm scene. Just a fun little fact for you.

 

[marni1971]

The other story says Listen to the Lands animatronics were modelled on the WRE plans, but were always designed for installation in EPCOT Center. They were a tribute to Marc Davis and the WRE project by WED.

The best idea of WRE`s atmosphere is at DLP - in the finale of Phantom Manor; the ghost town of Thunder Messa to be precise. Its no coincedence the name is the same!

 

[T-1MILLION]

The other story says Listen to the Lands animatronics were modelled on the WRE plans, but were always designed for installation in EPCOT Center. They were a tribute to Marc Davis and the WRE project by WED.

The best idea of WRE`s atmosphere is at DLP - in the finale of Phantom Manor; the ghost town of Thunder Messa to be precise. Its no coincedence the name is the same!

Of course and the theming of Paris' thunder Mesa shows just how awesome it could have been!

:wave:

 

[DisneyDellsDude]

Of course and the theming of Paris' thunder Mesa shows just how awesome it could have been!

:wave:

To bad we didn't get it.

 

[ballewclan]

Both.
Personally, I'd love to have the "up-the-waterfall" at WDW's PotC. I do understand the thematic challenges, though. You board in the bowels of a prison, tour the Caribbean by boat, then return to....the prison?
DL, TDL, and DLP have it right. You leave a peaceful Bayou/Cove, visit the Caribbean, then return to the same peaceful spot. Nice.

Yeah, I think the idea of a peaceful entrance and exit is better than what we have at WDW.

But I understand that at WDW we're challenged thematically...I wonder if some drastic changes will EVER take place.

 

[T-1MILLION]

Yeah if you like the pirate movies and stuff you should be happy though. Because if WDW did not have Pirates I can pretty much assure you that there would never have been a movie.

 

[CaptainMichael]

Yeah if you like the pirate movies and stuff you should be happy though. Because if WDW did not have Pirates I can pretty much assure you that there would never have been a movie.

We would have gotten it eventually.

 

[T-1MILLION]

Possibly, but very doubtfull. You have to think how much more popular Pirates is thanks to WDW. No matter if it is not as good or long. Many millions more have ridden it compared to DL.

 

[MiklCraw4d]

Incidentally, I forgot to mention that WDI learned its lesson after MK's Pirates. Tokyo's is literally a carbon copy of our Pirates, pre-Splash bridge. And their post-tunnel rooms are frickin' HUGE, very very tall, the show scenes seem almost full scale. They have two drops as well. Tokyo has Blue Bayou just like we do.

Is the Tokyo Pirates going to remain as-is? I haven't heard any mention of changes. Won't it be strange if the only 'pure' Pirates remains in Tokyo? I think that would be cool... it'd be nice to have the reference version extant somewhere in the world. Then again, they could be changing it for all I know.

I've just always had a complex because WDW got the short end of the stick and by far the worst version of Pirates.

I say we go ahead and build the WRE and show 'em what for...

 

[CaptainMichael]

I say we go ahead and build the WRE and show 'em what for...

I've been saying this forever.

I still think that Hong Kong should get it. There's no reason not to, and it would give HKDL the signature attraction it desperately needs.

 

[MiklCraw4d]

I've been saying this forever.

I still think that Hong Kong should get it. There's no reason not to, and it would give HKDL the signature attraction it desperately needs.

Except... they don't have Frontierland! DOH!

They could retheme it, of course.. but then it'd be turning right back into Pirates. Besides, I'm a selfish WDW geek and I want it. I say put it on the northwest corner of the Rivers of America where Pocahontas's ghost town is now. There's an awful lot of room up there...

 

[CaptainMichael]

Except... they don't have Frontierland! DOH!

That's nothing a few bull dozers, dirt, concrete, and western buildings can't fix.

 

[MiklCraw4d]

That's nothing a few bull dozers, dirt, concrete, and western buildings can't fix.

Now you're talking

 

[CaptainMichael]

Now you're talking

Well something needs to be done, and a new land with an original mountain with two original attractions inside said mountain would definitely be something.

 

[Pete C]

:lol:


Ugh!! That's completely disgusting! :hurl:

They had to of cleaned out all that water during the rehab of IASW. Do they ever clean out the water aside from rehabs?