FireMountain
Well-Known Member
My god, you can guess anything! By any chance were you planning to put tonight's winning lottery numbers in Project Tomorrow?Pretty close for just guessing
Resort Layout
-
Welcome to the WDWMAGIC.COM Forums!
Please take a look around, and feel free to sign up and join the community.
50 for the 50th
- Thread starter spacemt354
- Start date
2021
Walt Disney World Pelican
Spring 2021
The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin hotels are operated by Marriott International, Inc. in the Epcot Resort Area of the Walt Disney World Resort, with the Swan opening Jan 13, 1990 and the Dolphin June 1, 1990.
Image circa early 1990s
Since then, they have dominated the skyline of the Epcot Resort area, two resorts that I think have a lot of charm to their designs.
You can check out the resorts from @nelsonj3 and ResortTV1 as they recently viewed the Christmas decorations!
The Backstory
In 2016, height test balloons were seen hovering over the tennis courts adjacent to the Swan hotel and next to the Fantasia Gardens mini-golf course, with many speculating this to be the beginning of a 3rd hotel in the complex. While the Swan and Dolphin are both large resorts, having a combined total of 758 rooms in the Swan plus 1,509 rooms in the Dolphin, the tennis courts didn't seem like a reasonable location for a 3rd resort of that size. Thus, rumors swirled about the possible removal of Fantasia Gardens, which would provide the space needed for a 3rd hotel of the same magnitude.
However, based on the latest rumors, it appears that the 3rd hotel will be more of a boutique resort, similar to Marriott Suite hotels that are a few floors in height. We've decided to run with this rumor, and build the 3rd resort for this complex, coming before the mad rush in 2021 for the 50th, so that it can be open and ready for guests. We've named it - the Pelican, the 3rd resort in the Marriott complex.
Resort Location
The location of the resort provides walking paths to both the Fantasia Gardens, as well as the greater Swan and Dolphin Resort complex, which enables guests to walk to both of the close-by theme parks.
*Concept Art coming soon*
These two images are taken from a relatively new Residence Inn by Marriott in Boston, MA. I'm posting this because I used to walk past this all the time and when thinking of a possible Marriott boutique resort for the Swan and Dolphin complex, my mind went to this for a design. While The Pelican will adapt the color patterns and exterior facade of the Swan and Dolphin, the images above can provide a relatively approximate height comparison for how tall our resort would be. 7-8 stories, and a pool/restaurant/bar on the top floor, something unique for a Disney Resort.
Resort Layout
As mentioned before, the orange and blue color patterns will make its way over to The Pelican, with 6 fountains surrounding the jutted out sixth floor of the building exterior. Each floor will have roughly 10 suites, ranging from 1 Bedroom to 3 Bedroom layouts *floor plans coming soon* as well as the aforementioned top deck pool and restaurant/bar area.
The storage areas that were once located by Fantasia Gardens are now moved to a filled in pond by World Drive, and the previous parking lot is expanded to not only hold guest parking for The Pelican, but also the Fantasia Gardens parking, which has their own designated lane to park and exit, though the path to get in the complex is the same. Lastly, the previous walkways to the Swan and Dolphin remain untouched with the construction, as only the tennis courts are removed.
-----
This was actually the project that sparked the entire thread concept. Red did the logo for The Pelican...and it just snowballed into...hey why don't we try to build up Walt Disney World to the 50th and beyond? So expect a bit more concept art and detail for this over the coming days/weeks, but this is essentially the pitch, and it will be interesting to see if this becomes a reality as the current thought process of Disney is leaning towards these small boutique resorts.
Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed and as always feel free to leave your thoughts down below!
https://www.wdwmagic.com/resorts/wa...-swan-and-dolphin-addition-named-the-cove.htm
@MonorailRed
Our Spring 2021 est
Official booking opening is March 1, 2021. Also Pelican>"The Cove"
DisneyManOne
Well-Known Member
2021
The Life Around Us at the Harvest Theater
Summer 2021
Since January 21, 1995 - The Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable, has been a 12:22 show in the Harvest Theater, including characters from The Lion King, to talk about environmental changes that were a big topic of discussion in the 90s, and still are today. This show replaced the original Symbiosis show, reusing some images but adding segments of Lion King animation to it.
Personally, this show is still beyond boring, and in the 12:22 run time, I could have looked all this info up on Google by then. Losing its sponsor of Nestle in 2009, I think by 2021 - this will be in need of a refurbishment. But for a theater only holding 428 guests at a time, what could it possibly replace that wouldn't be so over the top that it would increase the crowds too much, but also not repeat the same information of the previous incarnations.
We've come up with -- The Life Around Us -- an epilogue to the Living with the Land boat ride attraction.
Living with the Land explores the Epcot research laboratories on agricultural and harvesting, but keeps the attraction central to Epcot itself, while the exploration for its research impact globally, is limited, and/or further explained on the 'Behind the Seeds' guided walking tour. As guests are dropped off of the boat ride, now they will be welcome to go back up the escalator (which is the only way to the exit anyway) and are invited into the Harvest Theater for a 15 minute show about how the research at Epcot and The Land will impact global agriculture, climate change, biotechnology, and a variety of other topics.
Rather than guests just watching a film telling them about the climate and life on earth, two to three research cast members will be interviewed for the theater show and will be explaining throughout the film, their work at Epcot to the audience, almost like a research symposium right there in Epcot!
This to me at least, would be worth checking out at least once, as the information would be updated with new data and results coming in throughout the years. It also connects the Harvest Theater with The Land, rather than being a more separate show, and excuse for IP (which Epcot already has plenty of).
Overall, while a relatively minor change, this could help restore a bit of what Epcot was originally about - an experimental community -- and in particular The Land, which along with The Seas, are the most research heavy pavilions in Future World, so it would be nice to see it evolve and be further implemented in the parks. As a final comparison, if anyone remembers the old Maelstrom attraction in Norway, after the boat ride was finished, guests were invited to sit for a brief film on the country, to further elaborate on what they had seen. That was in the inspiration for this project as it has been done before in Epcot and hopefully could be done once more!
----
Thanks for reading and check back once again tonight for another installment as we approach the home stretch to the beginning of the 50th Anniversary celebration!
Well, it may not be The Life Around Us, but something new is finally coming to the Harvest Theater!
DisneyManOne
Well-Known Member
New Renaissance
10 Minutes (5 songs)
Song #1
We Know The Way
Moana
After Donald unpacks all the instruments, including a grand piano, from the small box, he is tempted to try on the Sorcerer's Hat himself. He does so, which causes the magical instruments to come to life and play an extremely unpleasant melody. However, when Donald picks on and taunts a small flute, the other instruments rise up against him, creating a chaotic whirlwind of magic and music. Donald loses the hat in the storm and passes through different scenes from different movies while trying to retrieve the hat. After the whirlwind passes, we land on a Polynesian vessel as "We Know The Way" is sung by Moana and other characters from the film, as they point Donald in the direction of the hat. Donald looks up at it and guests can smell the 'sea of the ocean breeze' as Donald tries to not tip over to get the hat. He eventually does and you go into the ocean without the hat.
Song #2
When We're Human
The Princess and the Frog
When you pop up from the ocean you have transitioned into a New Orleans bayou as characters from The Princess and the Frog sing "When We're Human" which is ironic to Donald being an anthropomorphic figure himself. Donald continues down the bayou to find the hat and sees a glowing light at the end of the river, and heads for it.
Song #3
I See The Light
Tangled
The light ends up being a lantern from the film Tangled, as Rapunzel sings "I See The Light" from the film. Her and Flynn sit in their canoe together as they allow Donald to join in for a touching moment in the attraction. As Donald and the guests look around the floating lanterns, the hat can be seen taking one of their places and Donald goes after it but is accidentally attached to a floating lantern and goes off into the sky again.
Song #4
Let it Go
Frozen
Donald notices the night sky change to snow and he starts shivering as he hits a snowy mountain side and the guests and Donald snow tube on the lantern down the mountain and towards Elsa who is singing "Let It Go" from Frozen. As snow falls from the top of the theater, and 4D effects surround the guests with chills and ambiance, Elsa blasts snow into the mountain and the hat comes crashing down out of Donald's grasp, but as he almost jumps to get it, she provides an ice slide for him and the guests to careen down.
Song #5
Untitled Song from Film in 2019/2020 that will probably be the new hit
Untitled Film in 2019/2020 that will probably be the new hit
Yada Yada Yada, good song, funny Donald moment, kids love it. Then...Donald encounters the magical whirlwind from earlier. Donald gets sucked inside, finding himself back onstage, still in the whirlwind.
Mickey returns, puts on the hat, and uses its powers to restore order. As Mickey conducts the orchestra, Donald gets stuck in a tuba, which launches him across the theater so that he lodges headfirst in its back wall. Donald, in audio animatronic form, is stuck in a hole in the back of the theater. Only his legs are visible. After struggling from falling in, he eventually falls into the hole and is no longer seen. In the end, Goofy tells the audience to return their "opera glasses" in the bins outside of the theater and says goodbye to the viewers.
----------
That was actually pretty fun to write, I hadn't done a PhilharMagic redo before, but I think in the next few years or so it definitely needs some sort of update to remain at the pinnacle of 3D shows in WDW. And it's a chance to include some characters that might not see a true attraction anytime soon.
Thank you for reading - hope you enjoyed, comment below with any feedback and tune in for more content as the day goes on!
Also, I think we now have a prime contender for Song #5 in the "New Renaissance" show...
https://www.wdwmagic.com/dining/bon...at-disney-springs-closing-later-this-year.htm
With the replacement of Wolfgang Puck and the insertion of Jaleo, the adjacent restaurant, Bongos Cuban Cafe, was one of the rumored restaurants to receive an overhaul this past spring when announcements were planned.
So far, nothing has been announced to replace Bongos Cuban Cafe...
Until now!
Introducing...
Spitha
An original modern Greek seafood restaurant located on the shoreline of Lake Buena Vista and in the heart of Disney Springs West Side.
Modern Greek restaurants are a bit of a rarity at Disney Springs, and for the Bongos fans or at least fans of Cuban cuisine, fear not - similar to the treatment Wolfgang Puck received, in Part 2 of the West Side overhaul, it will find its place in the pantheon of Disney Springs.
Back to Spitha, Greek for 'Spark', it takes inspiration from the modern styles of the West side, bringing over nuanced Mediterranean flavor to Disney Springs. Living up to its name, Spitha will provide a 'spark' to the West Side, with beautiful views of Lake Buena Vista, succulent cuisine, and a new hot spot come Christmas 2018.
A full sample Dinner Menu is provided below:
Starters/εκκινητές
Breaded Calimari - Served with feta, tomato, herbs, and garlic 21.
Saganki - Traditional Kefalograviera cheese 17.
Lobster Gyros - Cucumber tomato relish and mint tzatziki 19
Spinach Pie - Baked stuffed filo with spinach, feta, leeks 15.
Shrimp Santorini - Baked shrimp with white wine, tomato broth and feta cheese 25.
Mussels Tsikoudia - Roasted tomato herb broth, topped with feta cheese 20.
Sardines - Grilled, topped with lemon and extra virgin olive oil 14.
Carb Cakes - Deleware jumbo lump with herb aioli 28.
Octopus - Charcoal grilled with red and yellow roasted Holland peppers 28.
Salads/σαλάτες
Greek Green Salad - Mixed Greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onions, olives and feta 20.
Romaine - Baby romaine lettuce with creamy feta dressing 17.
Arugula - Sliced red onions topped with goat cheese in a balsamic vinaigrette 18.
Greek Bruschetta - Chopped Greek tomato salad on whole wheat rusks 17.
Takis Salad - Chopped romaine lettuce with dill and lemon vinaigrette 16
Entrees/εισόδους
Salmon - Orzo cherry tomatoes, broccoli rabe 35.
Halibut - Beets, pearl onions and potatoes 37.
Swordfish - Red pepper stuffed with vegetable rice 37.
Tuna - Green beans, fingerling potatoes, red onions with lemon vinaigrette 38.
Plaki - Oven baked sea bass with onions, tomato, and herbs 39.
Shrimp Scampi - With black olives and corn risotto 39.
Side Dishes/πλαστικά πιάτα
Build Your Own Seafood Tower
Shrimp Cocktail 7. Each
Main Lobster 3.25 Each
Pacific Cherrystone Crabs 2.25 Each
Kushi 3.75 Each
Littleneck Clams 2. Each
Lobster Cocktail 1lb. chilled lobster 29.
Desserts/επιδόρπια
Baklava - Layered fillo with almonds, walnuts and orange honey syrup 11.
Galactobourico - Semolina custard with orange lemon syrup 11.
Amygdalopita - Greek almond cake with figs and chocolate 11.
Apple Tart - Warm apple tart with vanilla ice cream 10.
Classic Greet Yogurt - With honey, nuts and sour cherries 12.
Wine/Κρασί
(Examples)
Chardonnay, Cypress, J. Lohr Vineyard, Central Coast, 2012 9.
Chardonnay, Ferrari-Carano, Sonoma County, 2010 13.
Sauvignon Blanc, Casa Lapostolle, Rapel Valley, 2012 10.
Pinot Grigio, Ca’Donini, Delle Venezie, 2012 9.
Rose, Chateau Beaulieu, Coteaux D’Aix-En- Provence, 2012 10.
Riesling, SeaGlass, Monterey County, 2011 9.
Moschofilero, Boutari, Mantinia, 2012 10.
--------------------
Part 2 of the Disney Springs West Side Renovation will come - sometime in 2019!
Hope you enjoyed! Thanks so much for reading and check back tomorrow as we will venture into the next calendar year (2019) with a smorgasbord of new additions coming to The Walt Disney World Resort!
FireMountain
Well-Known Member
2021
Walt Disney World Pelican
Spring 2021
The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin hotels are operated by Marriott International, Inc. in the Epcot Resort Area of the Walt Disney World Resort, with the Swan opening Jan 13, 1990 and the Dolphin June 1, 1990.
Image circa early 1990s
Since then, they have dominated the skyline of the Epcot Resort area, two resorts that I think have a lot of charm to their designs.
You can check out the resorts from @nelsonj3 and ResortTV1 as they recently viewed the Christmas decorations!
The Backstory
In 2016, height test balloons were seen hovering over the tennis courts adjacent to the Swan hotel and next to the Fantasia Gardens mini-golf course, with many speculating this to be the beginning of a 3rd hotel in the complex. While the Swan and Dolphin are both large resorts, having a combined total of 758 rooms in the Swan plus 1,509 rooms in the Dolphin, the tennis courts didn't seem like a reasonable location for a 3rd resort of that size. Thus, rumors swirled about the possible removal of Fantasia Gardens, which would provide the space needed for a 3rd hotel of the same magnitude.
However, based on the latest rumors, it appears that the 3rd hotel will be more of a boutique resort, similar to Marriott Suite hotels that are a few floors in height. We've decided to run with this rumor, and build the 3rd resort for this complex, coming before the mad rush in 2021 for the 50th, so that it can be open and ready for guests. We've named it - the Pelican, the 3rd resort in the Marriott complex.
Resort Location
The location of the resort provides walking paths to both the Fantasia Gardens, as well as the greater Swan and Dolphin Resort complex, which enables guests to walk to both of the close-by theme parks.
*Concept Art coming soon*
These two images are taken from a relatively new Residence Inn by Marriott in Boston, MA. I'm posting this because I used to walk past this all the time and when thinking of a possible Marriott boutique resort for the Swan and Dolphin complex, my mind went to this for a design. While The Pelican will adapt the color patterns and exterior facade of the Swan and Dolphin, the images above can provide a relatively approximate height comparison for how tall our resort would be. 7-8 stories, and a pool/restaurant/bar on the top floor, something unique for a Disney Resort.
Resort Layout
As mentioned before, the orange and blue color patterns will make its way over to The Pelican, with 6 fountains surrounding the jutted out sixth floor of the building exterior. Each floor will have roughly 10 suites, ranging from 1 Bedroom to 3 Bedroom layouts *floor plans coming soon* as well as the aforementioned top deck pool and restaurant/bar area.
The storage areas that were once located by Fantasia Gardens are now moved to a filled in pond by World Drive, and the previous parking lot is expanded to not only hold guest parking for The Pelican, but also the Fantasia Gardens parking, which has their own designated lane to park and exit, though the path to get in the complex is the same. Lastly, the previous walkways to the Swan and Dolphin remain untouched with the construction, as only the tennis courts are removed.
-----
This was actually the project that sparked the entire thread concept. Red did the logo for The Pelican...and it just snowballed into...hey why don't we try to build up Walt Disney World to the 50th and beyond? So expect a bit more concept art and detail for this over the coming days/weeks, but this is essentially the pitch, and it will be interesting to see if this becomes a reality as the current thought process of Disney is leaning towards these small boutique resorts.
Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed and as always feel free to leave your thoughts down below!
https://www.wdwmagic.com/resorts/di...magic-kingdom-walkway-to-become-a-reality.htm2021
'Walkway' to Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa
Summer 2021
This one is a tricky one. On one hand it is entirely plausible, the other hand, it coming by the 50th anniversary, or ever, I'm not even so sure about. I'm talking about the oddity that is the elongated Magic Kingdom walkway to ...nowhere.
From the look of this image above, out of the gates of the Magic Kingdom, walkways going to both Disney's Contemporary Resort and Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa head out to their respective destinations. The Contemporary walking path meets the resort, and provides a wonderful feature that is uncommon at many Disney Resorts...the ability to walk into a park from your resort. At Disneyland, and other smaller Disney Resorts around the world, this may seem second nature, but at Walt Disney World...it is a huge luxury for guests like us who prefer walking rather than taking transportation.
The only problem with the Grand Floridian walkway is...it's a dead end.
Roughly 0.4 miles of walkway from the gates of the Magic Kingdom, to the dead end of the walkway to the Grand Floridian, for nothing more than just added personalized bricks.
Seems like a wasted opportunity on paper, and a simple fix that makes sense for Disney to just connect the walkway to the Grand, adding more of a perk to the resort.
The problem with this though is multi-part
1) The demand of Grand Floridian guests for this extended walkway, just hasn't been there. If it was, it would have already been built. As mentioned before after seeing the response of engineers to this question that has plagued the fan community for some time, it is completely plausible to build a draw bridge and finish the walkway. Why a draw bridge? Well, that leads to the second problem.
2) The Electrical Water Pageant floats are stored behind a canal that the walkway would pass over, so you'd need to build a draw bridge. Okay so far...a small draw bridge seems harmless, but there is a third problem
3) The Riverboat uses the canal at the end of the walkway to travel to Bay Lake for maintenance. Now we need a big draw bridge
So as you can see at first glance, it would seem simple to just build a small bridge, nothing more than a short connection, and then a second short connection a bit more down the road over another even smaller unused waterway, and just like that the resort is connected on a 0.65 mile walk (roughly the same distance from the Yacht Club to Disney's Hollywood Studios via the connected walking path...so nothing too long.
However, the cost of this bridge is an issue, and one that, unless guests demand it, Disney has no will to make it happen. While I think this would be a fantastic addition to the resort, the Grand Floridian already has the highest resort rate on property, so adding an extra benefit probably won't curtail that price.
But...this seems like a complete waste of space and opportunity. So if in the near distant future, we don't get a connection to the Grand Floridian...at least let's use this beautiful walkway for the 50th.
What I'm thinking could be a possibility is a *cough* new water show viewing, hint for @MonorailRed 's upcoming project.And a gala for the 50th celebration, There's so much space over there that this walkway could become the 'hub' for events and meet-ups, information, history dedications, and more - all with a wonderful view of the Seven Seas Lagoon.
It would give purpose to the area and help better utilize the 'blessing of size' WDW has to offer, because you will need every square inch of it for the 50th. Taking crowds out of the Magic Kingdom, or at least, not adding crowds to it for a 50th Pavilion of sorts, would to me at least be a great way to use this space. And then, maybe one day, my wish for it to be connected to the Grand Floridian will be realized.
----
I hope you've enjoyed this recent experiment with sort of off beat or unexpected, smaller entries into the syllabus of projects. I felt like we were focusing on attractions and resorts a lot (because many things have been announced/rumored regarding those) but I also wanted to test the waters so to speak with different elements of Walt Disney World that rarely get brainstormed in armchair imagineering, yet still keep that realism in mind.
Thank you again for reading, let me know your thoughts, and see you tomorrow!
There is hope!
DisneyManOne
Well-Known Member
Man, you guys are good at predicting the future!
Suchomimus
Well-Known Member
2018
DuckTales World Showcase Adventure
Summer 2018
The Agent P World Showcase Adventure is an interactive game in Epcot throughout the World Showcase Pavilions as you find clues and follow a story-line based on the Phineas and Ferb characters. With the success of the 2017 animated DuckTales series, the interactive game will be overlayed with the Scrooge McDuck, Hewie, Dewie, Louie, and many more characters on a hunt using an ancient Mayan treasure map that leads throughout the countries of the world to its destination.
Along the way, you'll encounter other characters who are after the same treasure, and you'll have to work alongside your favorite characters from the show in order to suceed in your missions.
The missions will be similar in concept to the previous iterations of the World Showcase Adventure, using a mobile device and going to specific locations around the pavilions to complete your tasks. DuckTales characters will be installed in locations throughout the pavilions as well, similar to the Agent P show, example below in the Germany Pavilion.
Overall, this will be a fun little overlay as well as integrate a new popular IP into the parks while still maintaining an exploration of various cultures throughout World Showcase, gaining a bit of appreciate for the detail and designs the pavilions have to offer.
--------------------
*Just a quick note before proceeding into the next topic.
The scope of this project combines both real and imagined concepts. Predicting the details of confirmed future WDW projects while also sprinkling in original ideas, but trying to keep the same practical sense to those original ideas in order to 'feel real'. So just to clarify I have no inside information about what is to come. If some of this stuff actually happens that would be amazing - but for example this next project is not confirmed or even rumored, but I'm slotting it in to happen next year. This is an original idea with a practical flare. Hope you enjoy!
Disney's DuckTales World Showcase Adventure to open in Epcot
A replacement for Disney Phineas and Ferb - Agent P's World Showcase Adventure is in the works.
www.wdwmagic.com
mickeyfan5534
Well-Known Member
Almost word for word tooDisney's DuckTales World Showcase Adventure to open in Epcot
A replacement for Disney Phineas and Ferb - Agent P's World Showcase Adventure is in the works.
2021
'Walkway' to Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa
Summer 2021
This one is a tricky one. On one hand it is entirely plausible, the other hand, it coming by the 50th anniversary, or ever, I'm not even so sure about. I'm talking about the oddity that is the elongated Magic Kingdom walkway to ...nowhere.
From the look of this image above, out of the gates of the Magic Kingdom, walkways going to both Disney's Contemporary Resort and Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa head out to their respective destinations. The Contemporary walking path meets the resort, and provides a wonderful feature that is uncommon at many Disney Resorts...the ability to walk into a park from your resort. At Disneyland, and other smaller Disney Resorts around the world, this may seem second nature, but at Walt Disney World...it is a huge luxury for guests like us who prefer walking rather than taking transportation.
The only problem with the Grand Floridian walkway is...it's a dead end.
Roughly 0.4 miles of walkway from the gates of the Magic Kingdom, to the dead end of the walkway to the Grand Floridian, for nothing more than just added personalized bricks.
Seems like a wasted opportunity on paper, and a simple fix that makes sense for Disney to just connect the walkway to the Grand, adding more of a perk to the resort.
The problem with this though is multi-part
1) The demand of Grand Floridian guests for this extended walkway, just hasn't been there. If it was, it would have already been built. As mentioned before after seeing the response of engineers to this question that has plagued the fan community for some time, it is completely plausible to build a draw bridge and finish the walkway. Why a draw bridge? Well, that leads to the second problem.
2) The Electrical Water Pageant floats are stored behind a canal that the walkway would pass over, so you'd need to build a draw bridge. Okay so far...a small draw bridge seems harmless, but there is a third problem
3) The Riverboat uses the canal at the end of the walkway to travel to Bay Lake for maintenance. Now we need a big draw bridge
So as you can see at first glance, it would seem simple to just build a small bridge, nothing more than a short connection, and then a second short connection a bit more down the road over another even smaller unused waterway, and just like that the resort is connected on a 0.65 mile walk (roughly the same distance from the Yacht Club to Disney's Hollywood Studios via the connected walking path...so nothing too long.
However, the cost of this bridge is an issue, and one that, unless guests demand it, Disney has no will to make it happen. While I think this would be a fantastic addition to the resort, the Grand Floridian already has the highest resort rate on property, so adding an extra benefit probably won't curtail that price.
But...this seems like a complete waste of space and opportunity. So if in the near distant future, we don't get a connection to the Grand Floridian...at least let's use this beautiful walkway for the 50th.
What I'm thinking could be a possibility is a *cough* new water show viewing, hint for @MonorailRed 's upcoming project.
It would give purpose to the area and help better utilize the 'blessing of size' WDW has to offer, because you will need every square inch of it for the 50th. Taking crowds out of the Magic Kingdom, or at least, not adding crowds to it for a 50th Pavilion of sorts, would to me at least be a great way to use this space. And then, maybe one day, my wish for it to be connected to the Grand Floridian will be realized.
----
I hope you've enjoyed this recent experiment with sort of off beat or unexpected, smaller entries into the syllabus of projects. I felt like we were focusing on attractions and resorts a lot (because many things have been announced/rumored regarding those) but I also wanted to test the waters so to speak with different elements of Walt Disney World that rarely get brainstormed in armchair imagineering, yet still keep that realism in mind.
Thank you again for reading, let me know your thoughts, and see you tomorrow!
2021
Walt Disney World Pelican
Spring 2021
The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin hotels are operated by Marriott International, Inc. in the Epcot Resort Area of the Walt Disney World Resort, with the Swan opening Jan 13, 1990 and the Dolphin June 1, 1990.
Image circa early 1990s
Since then, they have dominated the skyline of the Epcot Resort area, two resorts that I think have a lot of charm to their designs.
You can check out the resorts from @nelsonj3 and ResortTV1 as they recently viewed the Christmas decorations!
The Backstory
In 2016, height test balloons were seen hovering over the tennis courts adjacent to the Swan hotel and next to the Fantasia Gardens mini-golf course, with many speculating this to be the beginning of a 3rd hotel in the complex. While the Swan and Dolphin are both large resorts, having a combined total of 758 rooms in the Swan plus 1,509 rooms in the Dolphin, the tennis courts didn't seem like a reasonable location for a 3rd resort of that size. Thus, rumors swirled about the possible removal of Fantasia Gardens, which would provide the space needed for a 3rd hotel of the same magnitude.
However, based on the latest rumors, it appears that the 3rd hotel will be more of a boutique resort, similar to Marriott Suite hotels that are a few floors in height. We've decided to run with this rumor, and build the 3rd resort for this complex, coming before the mad rush in 2021 for the 50th, so that it can be open and ready for guests. We've named it - the Pelican, the 3rd resort in the Marriott complex.
Resort Location
The location of the resort provides walking paths to both the Fantasia Gardens, as well as the greater Swan and Dolphin Resort complex, which enables guests to walk to both of the close-by theme parks.
*Concept Art coming soon*
These two images are taken from a relatively new Residence Inn by Marriott in Boston, MA. I'm posting this because I used to walk past this all the time and when thinking of a possible Marriott boutique resort for the Swan and Dolphin complex, my mind went to this for a design. While The Pelican will adapt the color patterns and exterior facade of the Swan and Dolphin, the images above can provide a relatively approximate height comparison for how tall our resort would be. 7-8 stories, and a pool/restaurant/bar on the top floor, something unique for a Disney Resort.
Resort Layout
As mentioned before, the orange and blue color patterns will make its way over to The Pelican, with 6 fountains surrounding the jutted out sixth floor of the building exterior. Each floor will have roughly 10 suites, ranging from 1 Bedroom to 3 Bedroom layouts *floor plans coming soon* as well as the aforementioned top deck pool and restaurant/bar area.
The storage areas that were once located by Fantasia Gardens are now moved to a filled in pond by World Drive, and the previous parking lot is expanded to not only hold guest parking for The Pelican, but also the Fantasia Gardens parking, which has their own designated lane to park and exit, though the path to get in the complex is the same. Lastly, the previous walkways to the Swan and Dolphin remain untouched with the construction, as only the tennis courts are removed.
-----
This was actually the project that sparked the entire thread concept. Red did the logo for The Pelican...and it just snowballed into...hey why don't we try to build up Walt Disney World to the 50th and beyond? So expect a bit more concept art and detail for this over the coming days/weeks, but this is essentially the pitch, and it will be interesting to see if this becomes a reality as the current thought process of Disney is leaning towards these small boutique resorts.
Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed and as always feel free to leave your thoughts down below!
Now looking at this resort in person for the first time today I can say it's a bit too modern and the design of the Swan and Dolphin has more of the 'Disney' touch to it.
Disney Warrior
Well-Known Member
I swear space are you a prophet or are you secretly a real disney imagineer?
Unfortunately neither haha
This was a fun project a few years ago attempting to guess when/what will be added for the 50th. Naturally it was before covid so a lot of stuff got shuffled around.
2021
'Walkway' to Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa
Summer 2021
This one is a tricky one. On one hand it is entirely plausible, the other hand, it coming by the 50th anniversary, or ever, I'm not even so sure about. I'm talking about the oddity that is the elongated Magic Kingdom walkway to ...nowhere.
From the look of this image above, out of the gates of the Magic Kingdom, walkways going to both Disney's Contemporary Resort and Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa head out to their respective destinations. The Contemporary walking path meets the resort, and provides a wonderful feature that is uncommon at many Disney Resorts...the ability to walk into a park from your resort. At Disneyland, and other smaller Disney Resorts around the world, this may seem second nature, but at Walt Disney World...it is a huge luxury for guests like us who prefer walking rather than taking transportation.
The only problem with the Grand Floridian walkway is...it's a dead end.
Roughly 0.4 miles of walkway from the gates of the Magic Kingdom, to the dead end of the walkway to the Grand Floridian, for nothing more than just added personalized bricks.
Seems like a wasted opportunity on paper, and a simple fix that makes sense for Disney to just connect the walkway to the Grand, adding more of a perk to the resort.
The problem with this though is multi-part
1) The demand of Grand Floridian guests for this extended walkway, just hasn't been there. If it was, it would have already been built. As mentioned before after seeing the response of engineers to this question that has plagued the fan community for some time, it is completely plausible to build a draw bridge and finish the walkway. Why a draw bridge? Well, that leads to the second problem.
2) The Electrical Water Pageant floats are stored behind a canal that the walkway would pass over, so you'd need to build a draw bridge. Okay so far...a small draw bridge seems harmless, but there is a third problem
3) The Riverboat uses the canal at the end of the walkway to travel to Bay Lake for maintenance. Now we need a big draw bridge
So as you can see at first glance, it would seem simple to just build a small bridge, nothing more than a short connection, and then a second short connection a bit more down the road over another even smaller unused waterway, and just like that the resort is connected on a 0.65 mile walk (roughly the same distance from the Yacht Club to Disney's Hollywood Studios via the connected walking path...so nothing too long.
However, the cost of this bridge is an issue, and one that, unless guests demand it, Disney has no will to make it happen. While I think this would be a fantastic addition to the resort, the Grand Floridian already has the highest resort rate on property, so adding an extra benefit probably won't curtail that price.
But...this seems like a complete waste of space and opportunity. So if in the near distant future, we don't get a connection to the Grand Floridian...at least let's use this beautiful walkway for the 50th.
What I'm thinking could be a possibility is a *cough* new water show viewing, hint for @MonorailRed 's upcoming project.
It would give purpose to the area and help better utilize the 'blessing of size' WDW has to offer, because you will need every square inch of it for the 50th. Taking crowds out of the Magic Kingdom, or at least, not adding crowds to it for a 50th Pavilion of sorts, would to me at least be a great way to use this space. And then, maybe one day, my wish for it to be connected to the Grand Floridian will be realized.
----
I hope you've enjoyed this recent experiment with sort of off beat or unexpected, smaller entries into the syllabus of projects. I felt like we were focusing on attractions and resorts a lot (because many things have been announced/rumored regarding those) but I also wanted to test the waters so to speak with different elements of Walt Disney World that rarely get brainstormed in armchair imagineering, yet still keep that realism in mind.
Thank you again for reading, let me know your thoughts, and see you tomorrow!
So nice lol such great views too!
DisneyManOne
Well-Known Member
Welp, here's another prediction coming true!
It was recently announced that the Coco scene that was added to DCA's PhilharMagic will be coming to the Magic Kingdom on November 12. True, it's not the randomized version predicted here; but it is still a refurbishment, nonetheless.
2021
Mickey's PhilharMagic Refurbishment
Summer 2021
Mickey's PhilharMagic replaces Legend of the Lion King in 2003 and was met with very good reviews, and a reputation for being the best '3D show' at the Walt Disney World Resort. Nevertheless, with almost 20 years of mileage on it at this point in time, the attraction has become a bit predictable, and with the new Disney Renaissance of films and songs, the attraction could use a tune up for the 50th anniversary. With that said, rather than making the attraction one note, as in the same songs each time, in the refurbishment, there will be 3 show possibilities the guests can see.
Classical - Including Disney films and songs pre-1990s
Renaissance - Including Disney films and songs in the 1990s
New Renaissance - Including Disney films and songs in the 2010s
While each one of those shows follows a set narrative, the variability of seeing random shows not only offers guests more re-rideability for the attraction, but also now includes a wider variety of songs, now not restricted to a handful for one show. Other than that - the attraction will stay essentially the same (if it aint broke, don't fix it) with the queue and plot lines still revolving around Donald and Mickey's hat.
Queue and Preamble
The theater doors open. Mickey Mouse is performing with his PhilharMagic Orchestra at the Fantasyland Concert Hall. Inside, there are posters advertising the Concert Hall's past productions and performers, such as Hadesfrom Hercules, Ariel from The Little Mermaid, Genie from Aladdin, Wheezy from Toy Story 2, Willie the Whale from Make Mine Music, The Three Caballeros, The Big Bad Wolf and The Three Little Pigs. Upon entering the theater's lobby, guests pick up their "opera glasses". During their wait, guests hear orchestral music from Fantasia, Fantasia 2000, and other Disney animated films.
Goofy is the Concert Hall's stage manager and admits the guests into the main theater, where final preparations for the performance are underway. Minnie Mouse then tells the guests to put on their "opera glasses." Minnie then realizes that Donald Duck has gone missing and goes to tell Mickey. Goofy then raises the curtain to reveal that the stage is empty, except for a conductor's podium and Donald, who is sleeping in a box. Mickey races onto the stage in a hurry, quickly telling Donald to unpack the instruments. Mickey places his famous Sorcerer's hat on the podium, then leaves, telling Donald, "Don't forget the orchestra. And don't touch my hat!"
Classical Version
10 minutes (5 songs)
Song #1
You Can Fly
Peter Pan
After Donald unpacks all the instruments, including a grand piano, from the small box, he is tempted to try on the Sorcerer's Hat himself. He does so, which causes the magical instruments to come to life and play an extremely unpleasant melody. However, when Donald picks on and taunts a small flute, the other instruments rise up against him, creating a chaotic whirlwind of magic and music. Donald loses the hat in the storm and passes through different scenes from different movies while trying to retrieve the hat. After the whirlwind passes, guests go to Peter Pan, where the chorus is singing "You Can Fly" from the film. Peter sprinkles pixie dust on Donald, which gives him the ability to fly. As you soar through the clouds, the hat appears to fly next to you but drops into the ocean below. Donald and the guests dive down into the ocean below.
Song #2
Under the Sea
The Little Mermaid
As the hat sinks 'under the sea' Sebastian greets Donald and the guests with a symphony of the song "Under the Sea" from The Little Mermaid. As the song continues, Donald attempts to get the ever illusive hat back, but it continues to float away before an eel comes around and zaps Donald as the screen goes to black.
Song #3
Bare Necessities
The Jungle Book
You wake up in a Jungle floating in a river next to Baloo as he begins to sing the song "Bare Necessities" from The Jungle Book. As all the jungle animals join in to dance along, the hat makes its way up a tree and you follow Donald up to the top of the tree where the music fades away and the bright sunny sky fades to a moonlite night sky with a bright shining star in the distance.
Song #4
When You Wish Upon a Star
Pinocchio
Jiminy Cricket tells Donald, as Donald sits there worried that he lost the hat, that he should let his conscious be his guide. "When You Wish Upon a Star" begins as Donald and the guests reach closer and closer to the shining star as the song continues in the background before the light from the star transitions into the next scene.
Song #5
The Sorcerer's Apprentice
Fantasia
The dark comes back for a second. When the light focuses, we find ourselves in The Sorcerer's Apprentice, where Donald has shrunk. The walking brooms come in, spilling water on Donald. Guests feel the water on their laps, which triggers hidden water sprayers in the back of the seats. A broom Donald's size comes in, carrying a big bucket. Donald snatches the bucket away, but only gives it back when a giant broom comes in. The giant broom spills water on Donald. He encounters the magical whirlwind from earlier. Donald gets sucked inside, finding himself back onstage, still in the whirlwind.
Mickey returns, puts on the hat, and uses its powers to restore order. As Mickey conducts the orchestra, Donald gets stuck in a tuba, which launches him across the theater so that he lodges headfirst in its back wall. Donald, in audio animatronic form, is stuck in a hole in the back of the theater. Only his legs are visible. After struggling from falling in, he eventually falls into the hole and is no longer seen. In the end, Goofy tells the audience to return their "opera glasses" in the bins outside of the theater and says goodbye to the viewers.
Renaissance
10 minutes (5 songs)
Song #1
The Bells of Notre Dame
Hunchback of Notre Dame
After Donald unpacks all the instruments, including a grand piano, from the small box, he is tempted to try on the Sorcerer's Hat himself. He does so, which causes the magical instruments to come to life and play an extremely unpleasant melody. However, when Donald picks on and taunts a small flute, the other instruments rise up against him, creating a chaotic whirlwind of magic and music. Donald loses the hat in the storm and passes through different scenes from different movies while trying to retrieve the hat. After the whirlwind passes, Donald is tossed into a Paris street where the tale of Quasi Modo is told, and Donald sees the hat race up into the bell tower above. As the tale is told through song, Donald climbs up the side of Notre Dame, and sees the bells furiously ringing as the song closes, but accidentally gets hit with one of the bells and the screen goes to black.
Song #2
Be Our Guest
Beauty and the Beast
The light comes back on thanks to Lumiere, who begins to sing "Be Our Guest". Guests can smell the food, triggering hidden smell cannons in the theater, and when the bottles pop, they feel a quick blast of wind in their faces surrounded by cakes, which triggers hidden air cannons in the back of the seats. One of the bottles pops Donald and the audience up into the sky where they float among the clouds and land on Aladdin's Magic Carpet.
Song #3
A Whole New World
Aladdin
Guests go to Aladdin, where Aladdin and Jasmine are singing "A Whole New World." Donald sees the hat, but unfortunately, the hat gets knocked away by Iago, and Donald jumps after it landing in the middle of a training ground.
Song #4
I'll Make a Man Out of You
Mulan
After Donald jumps for the hat it gets tossed away deeper into the forest, and you are now in the world of Mulan as "I'll Make a Man Out of You" is being sung in the background. Dodging and ducking (pardon the pun) Donald races after the hat into the lush forest and thinks he has grabbed the hat as the screen goes black and the music stops.
Song #5
The Circle of Life
The Lion King
"Hey Timon, what's this?" you hear as the screen is still black, it comes back and you see Pumbaa trying to eat the hat "Doesn't taste like chicken" Donald flips out but his screech starts lines up with the start the bellowing sounds of "The Circle of Life" from The Lion King and his yell is deafened to the audience, as the herd races towards Pride Rock, as Donald is picked up by a flock of birds and you soar towards the finale as the music swells and He encounters the magical whirlwind from earlier. Donald gets sucked inside a whirlwind from before as the hat is held up by Rafiki on top of Pride Rock, and he finds himself back onstage, still in the whirlwind.
Mickey returns, puts on the hat, and uses its powers to restore order. As Mickey conducts the orchestra, Donald gets stuck in a tuba, which launches him across the theater so that he lodges headfirst in its back wall. Donald, in audio animatronic form, is stuck in a hole in the back of the theater. Only his legs are visible. After struggling from falling in, he eventually falls into the hole and is no longer seen. In the end, Goofy tells the audience to return their "opera glasses" in the bins outside of the theater and says goodbye to the viewers.
New Renaissance
10 Minutes (5 songs)
Song #1
We Know The Way
Moana
After Donald unpacks all the instruments, including a grand piano, from the small box, he is tempted to try on the Sorcerer's Hat himself. He does so, which causes the magical instruments to come to life and play an extremely unpleasant melody. However, when Donald picks on and taunts a small flute, the other instruments rise up against him, creating a chaotic whirlwind of magic and music. Donald loses the hat in the storm and passes through different scenes from different movies while trying to retrieve the hat. After the whirlwind passes, we land on a Polynesian vessel as "We Know The Way" is sung by Moana and other characters from the film, as they point Donald in the direction of the hat. Donald looks up at it and guests can smell the 'sea of the ocean breeze' as Donald tries to not tip over to get the hat. He eventually does and you go into the ocean without the hat.
Song #2
When We're Human
The Princess and the Frog
When you pop up from the ocean you have transitioned into a New Orleans bayou as characters from The Princess and the Frog sing "When We're Human" which is ironic to Donald being an anthropomorphic figure himself. Donald continues down the bayou to find the hat and sees a glowing light at the end of the river, and heads for it.
Song #3
I See The Light
Tangled
The light ends up being a lantern from the film Tangled, as Rapunzel sings "I See The Light" from the film. Her and Flynn sit in their canoe together as they allow Donald to join in for a touching moment in the attraction. As Donald and the guests look around the floating lanterns, the hat can be seen taking one of their places and Donald goes after it but is accidentally attached to a floating lantern and goes off into the sky again.
Song #4
Let it Go
Frozen
Donald notices the night sky change to snow and he starts shivering as he hits a snowy mountain side and the guests and Donald snow tube on the lantern down the mountain and towards Elsa who is singing "Let It Go" from Frozen. As snow falls from the top of the theater, and 4D effects surround the guests with chills and ambiance, Elsa blasts snow into the mountain and the hat comes crashing down out of Donald's grasp, but as he almost jumps to get it, she provides an ice slide for him and the guests to careen down.
Song #5
Untitled Song from Film in 2019/2020 that will probably be the new hit
Untitled Film in 2019/2020 that will probably be the new hit
Yada Yada Yada, good song, funny Donald moment, kids love it. Then...Donald encounters the magical whirlwind from earlier. Donald gets sucked inside, finding himself back onstage, still in the whirlwind.
Mickey returns, puts on the hat, and uses its powers to restore order. As Mickey conducts the orchestra, Donald gets stuck in a tuba, which launches him across the theater so that he lodges headfirst in its back wall. Donald, in audio animatronic form, is stuck in a hole in the back of the theater. Only his legs are visible. After struggling from falling in, he eventually falls into the hole and is no longer seen. In the end, Goofy tells the audience to return their "opera glasses" in the bins outside of the theater and says goodbye to the viewers.
----------
That was actually pretty fun to write, I hadn't done a PhilharMagic redo before, but I think in the next few years or so it definitely needs some sort of update to remain at the pinnacle of 3D shows in WDW. And it's a chance to include some characters that might not see a true attraction anytime soon.
Thank you for reading - hope you enjoyed, comment below with any feedback and tune in for more content as the day goes on!
It was recently announced that the Coco scene that was added to DCA's PhilharMagic will be coming to the Magic Kingdom on November 12. True, it's not the randomized version predicted here; but it is still a refurbishment, nonetheless.
“Together We Are Magia” … at Walt Disney World Resort
I’m very proud to be a Hispanic/Latinx cast member at Walt Disney World Resort and that’s one of the reasons why I’m always excited to share the different events and opportunities we have to celebrate our cultures with all of you. As part of
disneyparks.disney.go.com
Map wasn't too far off eitherThe dates were *slightly* off - but the space station name was close!
