50 for the 50th

[DisneyManOne]

Maybe @kap91 might be interested in looking this Mary Poppins idea over

I can easily see the picnic concept and the carousel be set up near that excellent Jolly Holiday concept. Maybe the gazebo that's already there at the UK pavilion could alternate being hosting meet and greets and serving as a stage for an actual Pearly Band.

 

[spacemt354]

I can easily see the picnic concept and the carousel be set up near that excellent Jolly Holiday concept. Maybe the gazebo that's already there at the UK pavilion could alternate being hosting meet and greets and serving as a stage for an actual Pearly Band.

That's a great idea as well, DisneyMan!

The UK Pavilion was going to be our first choice, but we had another idea for it that will be coming later in 2020 -- being brave about the idea for it

 

[kap91]

Maybe @kap91 might be interested in looking this Mary Poppins idea over

It’s cute, though a little oddly placed with the Tower of Terror towering over it and the rest of sunset Blvd nearby.

I’m a fan of the Carmel Apple stand for sure though!

 

[spacemt354]

It’s cute, though a little oddly placed with the Tower of Terror towering over it and the rest of sunset Blvd nearby.

I’m a fan of the Carmel Apple stand for sure though!

That's true - though I think some taller trees should compensate the view and make it feel like it's own little area especially since the current theater sinks down a bit and with some extra foliage the tower could be hidden.

 

[spacemt354]

2020
Explorer's Harbor at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park
Spring 2020

After the annual winter refurbishments to the Disney Water Parks, and the continued success of Volcano Bat at Universal Orlando Resort, Disney has decided to upgrade the water parks in response, adding new attractions to both Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach (in a later project). In 2017, Disney opened a new attraction at Typhoon Lagoon called Miss Adventure Falls, a family raft style attraction which involves the Society of Explorers and Adventurers character, Mary Oceaneer. S.E.A. for short, is a continued overarching story throughout many of the Disney parks both domestic and abroad, and having the story continue in the water park was a very unique and fun choice for the imagineers.

While the attraction is...alright, the storyline left much to be expanded upon, as Mary Oceaneer and the rest of S.E.A. are explorers and one would think this group of explorers would happen upon a famous typhoon wrecked location while they are studying their cartography. As it so happens, Mary Oceaneer decided to explore more of the coast around Mt. Mayday.

As she explored the wrecked tropical paradise, she noticed a large cargo ship beached in a harbor, almost as if it had been tied down and swayed in the wind (though more fortunate than the ship that currently resides on the top of Mt. Mayday)

The foliage had overgrown around the ship - essentially turning it into a tree house of exploration! Roots and branches overgrown around the ship led to walkways and paths up and around the ship's interior and exterior, and as she traveled along, she noticed an early emblem of S.E.A. and the ship name, Mobili, quickly deducing that this must have been one of the first generation S.E.A. members who, maybe, is still on the island? She dubbed it Explorer's Harbor and wrote to Jason Chandler, the founding member of S.E.A., about its discovery.

In 2016, Shark Reef closed to the public after being one of the most unique attractions in the parkhaving the chance to swim along with many exotic sea dwelling animals. Long story short, the high costs of operation eventually led to its closure, and dormant occupancy...until now!

Explorer's Harbor will expand out from Miss Adventure Falls, furthering the S.E.A. presence in the park, adding more capacity, and multiple new attractions.

New Typhoon Lagoon Map

Explorer's Harbor will be located in the same place as Shark Reef used to be in, using the area as an expansion pad of sorts to add the new attractions in and around the wrecked S.E.A vessel.

Anchors Away

3 Body Tube drop slides are perched 60 feet above the ground on the top deck of the tilted ship. Off the port side, guests will plunge down the former anchor shaft and into multiple hairpin turns and into a splashdown below. Each slide has different drops, twists, and turns so you'll have multiple new options to choose from. Typhoon Lagoon, and all of Disney Water Parks, don't have a body tube slide so this would be a unique offering in the water park, and would rival Universal's Volcano Bay.

Starboard Falls

Another water park attraction that Disney doesn't have is a water town and exploratory playground. On the ship's upright starboard side and near the barnacle ridden bottom of the ship, water is still flowing out from the interior, and dumps gallons of water on awaiting guests below. Around the water tower is an interactive play area that uses water guns, mazes, and other adventures.

The Chandler Club

The Chandler Club is an exclusive dining option at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon that fortunately for guests has not been damaged too badly by the wrecked ship. It was built by the S.E.A. explorers who settled on the island before the storm hit. Inside is a beautiful mahogany room with large (broken) windows peering out onto the rest of the water park. In addition there are easter eggs to other S.E.A. attractions around the world, such as the Hightower Hotel, Mystic Manor, and Big Thunder Mountain. The now open air dining facility is a quick service option and can be accessed near the wrecked Mobili.

Ultimately this expansion will not only bring more capacity to Typhoon Lagoon, but three experiences on par with newer classes of water parks and bringing something to guests visiting Typhoon Lagoon that they haven't seen before.

Thanks for reading - hope you enjoyed and tune in tomorrow as we head from one S.E.A. attraction to another, heading for the wildest ride in the wilderness!
------------

P.S. - had to share, here's a really cool photo of Mt. Mayday being constructed in the late 80s, and Epcot Center in the background!

 

[D Hulk]

The continued success of Volcano Bat at Universal Orlando Resort.​

 

[spacemt354]

...Much cooler name

 

[Suchomimus]

Is that the dragon’s uglier, smaller cousin?

 

[spacemt354]

2020
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad SFX Update
Spring 2020

One of the smaller additions for the 50th but still very prudent are the rumored updates coming to Walt Disney World's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad prior to the 50th Anniversary. In 2014, Disneyland's Big Thunder Mountain, which is essentially a mirror version of Walt Disney World's plus the town setting, a few other props, and one big difference which is the new finale to the attraction as guests climb up the 3rd lift hill through the interior of the mine.

Around 3:25


These are incredible special effects and really enhance the experience on the attraction. Guests have been calling for these improvements to Big Thunders around the world, in particular Walt Disney World - and before the 50th in the Spring of 2020, the new effects will be added to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad as part of a 6 months refurbishment project.

In addition to Disneyland's effects, Big Thunder Mountain will also receive an updated coat of paint, new geyser effects as the trains roar back into the station as well as other small enhancements to this classic attraction at the Magic Kingdom.

Stick around as two more updates will be posted throughout the day as the Spring of 2020 is really offering so much to see and do at the Walt Disney World Resort!​

 

[D Hulk]

Is that the dragon’s uglier, smaller cousin?

 

[Suchomimus]

Congratulations! Your Pokémon has evolved!

 

[spacemt354]

2020
Remember Me: A Coco Adventure
Spring 2020

With the box office success and both critical and audience approval, Disney/Pixar's Coco has quickly become a fan favorite film and one that Disney fans immediately look to the Mexico Pavilion in Epcot, for a potential attraction. According to rumors, that attraction might become a reality sometime in 2020. For this project, we'll take a guess and say Spring 2020.

As of now, the Grand Fiesta Tour, featuring the Three Caballeros, averages short wait times around 5-15 minutes, and has a very small queue area. For a full tour of the Mexico Pavilion as it currently is - @nelsonj3 and ResortTV1 again has you covered!


For a Coco overlay however, lines could be longer, requiring an extension of the queue, which we did by removing the Kidcot Fun Spot, and re-routing the exit to extend multiple switchbacks of the queue through the former Kidcot location. This will hopefully provide more queue capacity for the popular IP insertion, similar but not on the same scale as what was done with Frozen Ever After in Norway right next door.

Attraction Capacity
Surprisingly, the theoretical ride capacity for the boat ride was build for 2,400 guests per hour...which is around the theoretical capacity for Spaceship Earth. But with the load/unload sections being separate, which is the main determinant for ride capacity, I'd say the boat ride could max out somewhere around 1,800 - 2,200 guests per hour (which is still a lot of people and would be a great crowd eater for Epcot) Especially compared to Frozen Ever After which has an operational ride capacity of around 900 guests per hour

New Mexico Pavilion Floorplan

Attraction Ride-Through
The attraction that we are designing is going to have a sort of non-linear story-telling method. The timeline of the attraction will take place after the film, and in a future Día de Muertos celebration, following Imelda Rivera, Hector, and the Rivera family crossing over from the land of the dead for the celebration.

As we pass by the old Mayan temple, which has been replaces by an amazing combination of projection screens and physical sets, we look to our left and see the magnificantly colorful land of the dead.Glistening on the water below is the orange gateway that takes people from the land of the dead to the living world.

As we approach the old tunnel section we see at the end of the tunnel, the fiercely loyal spirit guide 'alebrije' - Pepita, as you are guided through an incredible aura of color and light as the spirit guides illuminating presence lights up the tunnel.

After the tunnel scene, we flash to Miguel's village as the town gets ready for the Day of the Dead celebration that night.

We see singing and dancing in the streets as the Riveras have once again embraced music in their family. Miguel is at a spirit guide stand (with a few other Pixar characters as well) singing along with the rest of the town, with Dante right at his side.

As we turn the corner around the town scene and enter into Miguel's family house, we approach the ofrenda and see Miguel's grandma, Abuelita Elena Rivera, talking to him about Mama Coco's visit tonight and being reunited with Hector.

Rounding the corner and transitioning into night, we are back to the time presented in the beginning of the attraction, as the deceased Rivera family is reunited with Miguel and his living family. On the screen to the side, Miguel sings Remember Me, to Mama Coco as she sings along as well.

After the quiet, somber moment, we trek down the river to the town celebration, hearing music and joy from the square.

As we enter the finale scene we see both Hector and Miguel with his guitar singing El Mundo es mi Familia as fireworks go off in the surrounding landscape

And as we enter the small corridor back to the unload area, Dante is seen guiding us back from our journey sitting next to Miguel's guitar.

Conclusion
Overall, I really enjoyed the film and hope that it gets its due at the Mexico Pavilion, as its inclusion would really bring some colorful new popularity and still remain true to Mexican culture and edutainment.

Thanks for reading and let me know what you think and if you have any ideas you have for a Coco attraction in the Mexico Pavilion (or in other Disney Parks!)​

 

[D Hulk]

2020
Remember Me: A Coco Adventure
Spring 2020

With the box office success and both critical and audience approval, Disney/Pixar's Coco has quickly become a fan favorite film and one that Disney fans immediately look to the Mexico Pavilion in Epcot, for a potential attraction. According to rumors, that attraction might become a reality sometime in 2020. For this project, we'll take a guess and say Spring 2020.

As of now, the Grand Fiesta Tour, featuring the Three Caballeros, averages short wait times around 5-15 minutes, and has a very small queue area. For a full tour of the Mexico Pavilion as it currently is - @nelsonj3 and ResortTV1 again has you covered!


For a Coco overlay however, lines could be longer, requiring an extension of the queue, which we did by removing the Kidcot Fun Spot, and re-routing the exit to extend multiple switchbacks of the queue through the former Kidcot location. This will hopefully provide more queue capacity for the popular IP insertion, similar but not on the same scale as what was done with Frozen Ever After in Norway right next door.

Attraction Capacity
Surprisingly, the theoretical ride capacity for the boat ride was build for 2,400 guests per hour...which is around the theoretical capacity for Spaceship Earth. But with the load/unload sections being separate, which is the main determinant for ride capacity, I'd say the boat ride could max out somewhere around 1,800 - 2,200 guests per hour (which is still a lot of people and would be a great crowd eater for Epcot) Especially compared to Frozen Ever After which has an operational ride capacity of around 900 guests per hour

New Mexico Pavilion Floorplan

Attraction Ride-Through
The attraction that we are designing is going to have a sort of non-linear story-telling method. The timeline of the attraction will take place after the film, and in a future Día de Muertos celebration, following Imelda Rivera, Hector, and the Rivera family crossing over from the land of the dead for the celebration.

As we pass by the old Mayan temple, which has been replaces by an amazing combination of projection screens and physical sets, we look to our left and see the magnificantly colorful land of the dead.Glistening on the water below is the orange gateway that takes people from the land of the dead to the living world.

As we approach the old tunnel section we see at the end of the tunnel, the fiercely loyal spirit guide 'alebrije' - Pepita, as you are guided through an incredible aura of color and light as the spirit guides illuminating presence lights up the tunnel.

After the tunnel scene, we flash to Miguel's village as the town gets ready for the Day of the Dead celebration that night.

We see singing and dancing in the streets as the Riveras have once again embraced music in their family. Miguel is at a spirit guide stand (with a few other Pixar characters as well) singing along with the rest of the town, with Dante right at his side.

As we turn the corner around the town scene and enter into Miguel's family house, we approach the ofrenda and see Miguel's grandma, Abuelita Elena Rivera, talking to him about Mama Coco's visit tonight and being reunited with Hector.

Rounding the corner and transitioning into night, we are back to the time presented in the beginning of the attraction, as the deceased Rivera family is reunited with Miguel and his living family. On the screen to the side, Miguel sings Remember Me, to Mama Coco as she sings along as well.

After the quiet, somber moment, we trek down the river to the town celebration, hearing music and joy from the square.

As we enter the finale scene we see both Hector and Miguel with his guitar singing El Mundo es mi Familia as fireworks go off in the surrounding landscape

And as we enter the small corridor back to the unload area, Dante is seen guiding us back from our journey sitting next to Miguel's guitar.

Conclusion
Overall, I really enjoyed the film and hope that it gets its due at the Mexico Pavilion, as its inclusion would really bring some colorful new popularity and still remain true to Mexican culture and edutainment.

Thanks for reading and let me know what you think and if you have any ideas you have for a Coco attraction in the Mexico Pavilion (or in other Disney Parks!)​

¡Me gusta!

I reckon DisneySea’s Lost River Delta might be able to support a Coco attraction. It’s 1930s Indiana Jones Mexico, mostly, but there’s also a Saludos Amigos/Three Caballeros meet ‘n’ greet. And since they’re planning on maybe expanding the park into the parking lots behind LRD, there’s room available.

 

[Suchomimus]

¡Me gusta!

I reckon DisneySea’s Lost River Delta might be able to support a Coco attraction. It’s 1930s Indiana Jones Mexico, mostly, but there’s also a Saludos Amigos/Three Caballeros meet ‘n’ greet. And since they’re planning on maybe expanding the park into the parking lots behind LRD, there’s room available.

I reckon you’re talking about de la Cruz.

 

[D Hulk]

THE CONTINUED ADVENTURES OF VOLCANO BAT!

 

[spacemt354]

THE CONTINUED ADVENTURES OF VOLCANO BAT!

I haven't even fixed the typo specifically so Volcano Bat can live on!

 

[Suchomimus]

Rare photo of a Volcano Bat overlooking Volcano Bay; Circa 2017

 

[spacemt354]

2020
The Ello Cruiser Resort at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge
Spring 2020

The boutique resort complex coming to the outer rim of Disney's Hollywood Studios themed around Star Wars, while no official timeline, has recently been rumored to be coming out around the time of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. With that slated for the Fall of 2019, and no work or even location designation yet, I'll give Disney some leeway and say it'll open around the Spring of 2020 if all goes as planned.

When I first heard of a Star Wars Resort - I was a bit excited considering just last year for a competition I designed a Star Wars Resort actually where the Disney Riviera Resort and Caribbean Beach Renovations are going on. The idea of being even further immersed in the Star Wars Universe is something that is definitely interesting. But when I heard boutique resort I first said...

Well...what is a boutique resort...I never heard of it

Basically now I remember it as...boutique - petite. It's small, and after doing some research around to other resort hotels of that style, really I'd be shocked if this resort accommodated more than 100 guests at a time. So 25 rooms with 4 per room perhaps? At least that's what I'm guessing for this project.

Backstory
After watching the Episode VIII trailer and reading about what is called the Colbalt Squadron, part of the Resistance Navy, B/SF-17 bombers, I got to thinking...that could maybe be the rumored starship resort? The Ello Cruiser is the name of one of the navy bombers, named after Ello Asty, a pilot in the original Colbalt Squadron, and who fought in the assault on Starkiller Base in The Force Awakens

The ships look about 4-5 stories tall, and is taking place in action, which is another thing that will happen in this resort. It is rumored to only be a 2-night (extremely expensive) stay in the resort, where you and your family/friends will be completely involved in an ongoing story throughout your stay. Live action role playing is rumored to play a major part in the resort experience, as digital SFX will make it seem like this resort is out in the Star Wars Galaxy.

You'll be provided with garments and other assorted attire that you'll wear around the starship, as well as have assigned roles for when the First Order arrives and you have to go into battle. Star Wars walk-around characters will also be present and you'll be able to interact with them as you can see in the concept renderings, R2D2, BB-8, and more characters from the films seem to be there with you.

(The one image I'm able to do on Blender...comes in handy for this)

From what it seems you'll be traveling to various locations (possibly planets) throughout your stay, including special access to Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge where you will play a vital role in that story as well.

Location

There seem to be two rumored locations for the resort - one further away from the park, and one right behind Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, that would provide close access to the backstage area of the land, and a potential entrance point for when the resort guests land on Batuu and continue their adventure.

As the original Hollywood Studios entrance path is being re-routed and new cast parking is filling in the original entrance space, the original road access point could be extended around a bend still, now dropping off guests at the Ello Cruiser. This would also help as the resort will need plenty of cast members, and having the cast parking directly adjacent to the resort would make sense. The location is an educated guess on my part, the resort could be in a completely different place, but for fun I'm going to guess that it is located right behind Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, in the small land space behind the park and adjacent to World Drive. Lastly, being about 4-5 stories tall, and in the location it would be in, as travelers drive down World Drive (one of the most heavily driven roads in Walt Disney World) they can get a sneak peak over the trees at the Ello Cruiser docked on the outskirts of Batuu as an introduction to Disney's Hollywood Studios.

--------------

Who knows, Episode VIII may change all of this next week, so after seeing the film I will come back to this project next weekend. But for now - let me know what you think and what you would do for a Star Wars Resort. Thanks again and check back tomorrow as we travel from a galaxy far far away, to the turn of the century Americana. ​

 

[MonorailRed]

THE CONTINUED ADVENTURES OF VOLCANO BAT!

Volcano Bat was seen doing Christmas shopping at Disney Springs this morning....

 

[D Hulk]

Volcano Bat was seen doing Christmas shopping at Disney Springs this morning....

New reports suggest Volcano Bat has flown south to Costa Rica...