After the Fantasyland expansion, then what?

[mharrington]

With the fervor over the Fantasyland expansion at the Magic Kingdom, I can't help but wonder: what are they going to do next after it's done? Now, I know they are doing something with "Avatar" at the Animal Kingdom, but as much as I'd like to see them work on the Studios or Animal Kingdom, I think they should turn their attention back to Epcot and deal with something that I'm sure a lot of us are all clamoring for: fixing the Imagination pavilion!

Your thoughts on what should happen at WDW after the Fantasyland expansion?

 

[NoChesterHester]

Over a billion dollars now in ongoing projects for WDW... I'd be shocked if there was anything else before the 50th anniversary.

 

[SeaCastle]

Seinfeld dark ride for MGM Studios.

 

[invader]

If I put my money on anything....

- Pixar Place Expansion announcement probably at the 2014 DHS 25th anniversary.

- Future World Rehab for EPCOT Center

 

[Computer Magic]

Seinfeld dark ride for MGM Studios.

Best post ever. I always thought replace the Great Move Ride with different Seinfeld scenes.. :lookarou

 

[Disaddict]

:ROFLOL: Sorry, I'm really not trying to sound snotty so please don't take this that way but when I read this thread title I couldn't help but laugh. People have been begging and begging for something new and big since TSM and then they do something big (New Fantasyland) and then something else big (I hope) right on it's heels (Pandora) and the next thing someone says is "What's next?!" LOL I found that hilarious. :ROFLOL:

But to answer, I think they ought to spend some time and money in EPCOT. I know, I know, it's sponsor driven. But not all of it. They could work on the FutureWorld section and, for the lack of a better phrase, "Future it up".

They should really look into the expansion of Pixar Place. If they are going to walk away from hand drawn animation and get in bed with Pixar then they should just rip off the bandaid, sign the divorce papers with hand drawn animation, and go for it. Expand the Pixar Place section. The only problem is that it looks like they will have to do some major rennovations backstage or they will need to remove Lights Motor Action. The park is surrounded by roads and highways. No serious room for expansion back there where Pixar place is right now.

 

[FigmentJedi]

They should really look into the expansion of Pixar Place. If they are going to walk away from hand drawn animation and get in bed with Pixar then they should just rip off the bandaid, sign the divorce papers with hand drawn animation, and go for it. Expand the Pixar Place section. The only problem is that it looks like they will have to do some major rennovations backstage or they will need to remove Lights Motor Action.

2D animation's not really going anywhere. John wants Disney to keep producing traditional stuff and he feels guilty about Pixar being one of the factors in it's decline.

Also, I don't think Lights Motors Action would be all that missed.

 

[Disaddict]

2D animation's not really going anywhere.

And that's a shame too. My son (8) actually asked me one day, when I was watching the old Looney Tunes, why I found it so funny? He said it looked stupid. I asked him why he thought it looked stupid and he said "Look at the way they're drawn? they didn't even use a computer." That's the first time I ever thought about smacking him. "Yes son. In my day we had to wait a whole 4 years to get a decent hand drawn cartoon movie in the theaters. Now they crap one out after a 15 minute jam session in some office."

 

[FigmentJedi]

And that's a shame too. My son (8) actually asked me one day, when I was watching the old Looney Tunes, why I found it so funny? He said it looked stupid. I asked him why he thought it looked stupid and he said "Look at the way they're drawn? they didn't even use a computer." That's the first time I ever thought about smacking him. "Yes son. In my day we had to wait a whole 4 years to get a decent hand drawn cartoon movie in the theaters. Now they crap one out after a 15 minute jam session in some office."

No, I meant in the sense that 2D animation is sticking around at Disney. Even with Pooh's meh box-office, there's two 2D films currently in early development, with rumors going round that one of the possible concepts Clements and Musker are pitching is Rumplestiltskin.

 

[mharrington]

But to answer, I think they ought to spend some time and money in EPCOT. I know, I know, it's sponsor driven. But not all of it. They could work on the FutureWorld section and, for the lack of a better phrase, "Future it up".

I thought most of the sponsors had ditched Future World.

 

[Scuttle]

Over a billion dollars now in ongoing projects for WDW... I'd be shocked if there was anything else before the 50th anniversary.

If anything I could see a possible UoE refurb I think that a lot of attention needs to go to Future World.

 

[britdaw]

After the Fantasyland expansion, I highly doubt we'll see anything new for a while... This is going to be a pretty big deal, so I think it would probably be at least 10 years or so before they do anything else that's comparable.

 

[El Grupo]

I appreciate the intense desire held by many to address Imagination. However, I wish TDO would focus their attention on reopening the WoL pavilion with either the same or a new theme.

Sad to see this pavilion relegated to serving as an events center. Would be nice to have it back as an attraction before the end of Epcot's 30th anniversary year (Oct. 2013).

 

[nngrendel]

That's the first time I ever thought about smacking him.

Now thats funny! :ROFLOL::ROFLOL:

 

[djkidkaz]

Why do people keep clamoring for Epcot updates? AK and the Studios are the two parks that need it! I never walk around Epcot or Magic Kingdom feeling like theres nothing to do. This is my typical trip to the Studios:

Walk to Aerosmith and TOT. Ride those once each. Yay that was fun!

Lets go check the wait time at TSMM. 120 minutes? Um no! Well, now what?

I guess I'll just head back to the resort and rest a bit until I go to Magic Kingdom or Epcot later.

Occasionally I'll rotate in either a viewing of the Muppets, AIE, Backlot or GMR, but thats only to make me feel like I didn't waste my time going to that park.

 

[WDWmazprty]

Seinfeld dark ride for MGM Studios.

Maybe they could redo PoTC and include Jerry.

 

[devoy1701]

Seinfeld dark ride for MGM Studios.

Maybe they could redo PoTC and include Jerry.

"But I don't want to be a pirate!"

:lol:

And that's a shame too. My son (8) actually asked me one day, when I was watching the old Looney Tunes, why I found it so funny? He said it looked stupid. I asked him why he thought it looked stupid and he said "Look at the way they're drawn? they didn't even use a computer." That's the first time I ever thought about smacking him. "Yes son. In my day we had to wait a whole 4 years to get a decent hand drawn cartoon movie in the theaters. Now they crap one out after a 15 minute jam session in some office."

This is one of the reasons my fiance and I have bought all of the Walt Disney Treasures DVD sets. I want my kids to appreciate and love Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck for what they were...not for this Mickey Mouse Clubhouse crap! I also bought them for myself because I will enjoy watching the classic shorts with my children instead of that Clubhouse Crap!

I don't like that Clubhouse crap...

:lookaroun

 

[tizzo]

With the fervor over the Fantasyland expansion at the Magic Kingdom, I can't help but wonder: what are they going to do next after it's done? Now, I know they are doing something with "Avatar" at the Animal Kingdom, but as much as I'd like to see them work on the Studios or Animal Kingdom, I think they should turn their attention back to Epcot and deal with something that I'm sure a lot of us are all clamoring for: fixing the Imagination pavilion!

Your thoughts on what should happen at WDW after the Fantasyland expansion?

Well, you seem to dismiss Avatar - but the announcement mentioned a construction start date that seems to butt up pretty close to the end of Fantasyland construction, and which takes us into around 2015. That doesn't seem like much of an accident.

Now if we want to prime the rumor pump, Jim Hill had an article yesterday about why the official 40th anniversary events are so muted, and it included this little gem:

So - again - if you're kind of underwhelmed by what you see at the Magic Kingdom tomorrow, don't worry about it. It's all part of the plan. One that will pay off in October 1, 2021. When a celebration that will kind of redefine the term "over-the-top" will then get underway. With brand-new parades and shows being staged in all five of the Disney World theme parks.

And - no - that's not a typo. I did say five.

The full article can be found here.

If we're to give any credence to Hill's tease, and believe that a fifth park will be open by the 50th anniversary in 2021, well, then you'd expect that to be getting started roughly when Avatarland construction is scheduled to wrap up. Which means that there will be major construction under way pretty much constantly for the next decade, implying that anything significant for Epcot is a ways off.

On the other hand - Fantasyland is supposed to greatly increase the capacity of MK, in which case - depending on how disruptive Avatar construction is - it could be easier to do the kind of major work at Epcot that would temporarily reduce it's capacity.

 

[deltalove]

To satisfy both sides of the argument I am seeing here, why don't they make the "5th park" a Pixar themed park and refurb DHS to be a true "animation-only" park. I mean that's what DHS is about right: The good old days and what not? So why not actually theme DHS around the "good old days" of animation, when Mickey was a work of art and not a work of computer clip art. All the kids who are growing up on Pixar would be satisfied by the new park.

 

[mharrington]

To satisfy both sides of the argument I am seeing here, why don't they make the "5th park" a Pixar themed park and refurb DHS to be a true "animation-only" park. I mean that's what DHS is about right: The good old days and what not? So why not actually theme DHS around the "good old days" of animation, when Mickey was a work of art and not a work of computer clip art. All the kids who are growing up on Pixar would be satisfied by the new park.

Well, in order for a Pixar park to viably work, then all parts of the resort should funneled over to the new park. This includes not only the stuff from DHS, but also from the MK (Buzz Lightyear, Laugh Floor), Epcot (the Nemo-angled Living Seas) and the Animal Kingdom (Nemo stage show). What's more, considering how things have been done in the past, I really don't think that Mickey and the gang are going to be locked out, either.