WDW Vacationer
Active Member
If it really is because of money,I fear we will get nothing to replace the meet an greets.
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Al Lutz: Tom Staggs stepping back and reconsidering many aspects of FLE
- Thread starter aklodge
- Start date
NewfieFan
Well-Known Member
Evil Genius
Well-Known Member
See this scares me... "a while" could be a very long time!
Like empty 2K Lagoon long time...
Pioneer Hall
Well-Known Member
The days when Meet and Greets used to replace attractions is long over. Now it is empty land replacing meet and greets. I think WDW management needs to go over to CA and get some training from George and his team.
mickeysaver
Well-Known Member
I really liked the majority of what was planned to be done with the FLE. I think that it would be great for all of the Princesses to be able to be comfortable inside out of the heat or cold and that would also make waiting to see the Princesses a more interactive experience, which I think would make an excellent addition to the MK. I was rather disappointed that Snow White was snubbed. I feel that they could do so much with her and the 7 Dwarfs that would yield a very balanced experience. I never understood the facination with Aurora. :hurl: The whole cottage behind the castle for Cinderella was a weird concept that I could do without too. I understand the reasoning behind a double Dumbo, but really I think that just moving the original with a reworked que would be sufficient. I am really bummed about Pixie Hollow. That sounded really great. I love the meet & greet experience that is there now, but a whole area like that would be really awesome. Of course, I think that I favor Fairy Mary a bit, so the ability to be shrunk down to only a few inches tall and way less fluff has a big appeal to me at times. :animwink:
I really believe that they could do something more interesting the Sword and the Stone. Bring in Merlin and rework the old show that they used to do and they could make a really nice experience out of that. Add in Tiana's restaurant with a few AA's like Louie and I think you would have a hit too. Bring in Pochahontas with a new show, similar to the Forest Friends show like they had at AK and that would also be a pretty balanced experience. There are plenty of ideas for things that could be done to fill that area that would still be fantasy, but would also be more balanced experiences.
Honestly, I cried when I learned of the FLE expansion because I thought about how great it would be to be able to spoil our grand-niece there when she was 4-5 years old. Now, I am just disappointed that this seems to be totally headed to the dumper and that all of those great hopes are just completely dashed. It just stinks when the promise was made and we were told to believe it and that the budget would not suffer.
I really believe that they could do something more interesting the Sword and the Stone. Bring in Merlin and rework the old show that they used to do and they could make a really nice experience out of that. Add in Tiana's restaurant with a few AA's like Louie and I think you would have a hit too. Bring in Pochahontas with a new show, similar to the Forest Friends show like they had at AK and that would also be a pretty balanced experience. There are plenty of ideas for things that could be done to fill that area that would still be fantasy, but would also be more balanced experiences.
Honestly, I cried when I learned of the FLE expansion because I thought about how great it would be to be able to spoil our grand-niece there when she was 4-5 years old. Now, I am just disappointed that this seems to be totally headed to the dumper and that all of those great hopes are just completely dashed. It just stinks when the promise was made and we were told to believe it and that the budget would not suffer.
imagineer boy
Well-Known Member
Yeesh, I hated the concepts of the princess M&Gs but they're at least better than nothing at all! :brick:
mickeysaver
Well-Known Member
^^ All that negativity aside, some of the park VPs (okay, DHS and Epcot) are truly trying to improve their parks. (LoW is somebody else's decision.) I'll give them a shout-out.
Agreed on the DHS point, I really enjoyed my chat with him and am proud to say that I even got to shake his hand. The Epcot point is a hard sell mostly due to the whole LoW issue...sometimes I wonder how he can be such a dunce about this issue given that he has to have some of his daddy's genes roaming around inside somewhere. :shrug:
Biff215
Well-Known Member
I also question the certainty of Al's information. He does seem to be right much of the time but he also doesn't hesitate to jump all over WDW any chance he gets. I don't doubt there will be changes to the original concept art, but we all knew that was likely as it was. Lutz shouldn't act like DCA is getting everything that was originally planned anyway.
I can't imagine what FL would look like without the other princess cottages in between the restaurant and Mermaid. I would guess it would either be landscaped or simply walled off. Either would be disastrous in my opinion as both could end up staying a long time.
I get that not everyone is thrilled with the M&G's, but this could end up much worse. A nice concept would completely be ruined and the money would likely go elsewhere (maybe even outside of WDW). Scrapping PH would leave enough space to work in another dark ride that could be less gender specific.
I'm hoping Phase 1 is completed as planned not just because I like it, but also because I fear what we will end up with otherwise.
I can't imagine what FL would look like without the other princess cottages in between the restaurant and Mermaid. I would guess it would either be landscaped or simply walled off. Either would be disastrous in my opinion as both could end up staying a long time.
I get that not everyone is thrilled with the M&G's, but this could end up much worse. A nice concept would completely be ruined and the money would likely go elsewhere (maybe even outside of WDW). Scrapping PH would leave enough space to work in another dark ride that could be less gender specific.
I'm hoping Phase 1 is completed as planned not just because I like it, but also because I fear what we will end up with otherwise.
tirian
Well-Known Member
LoW was made over his head. I've heard he's trying to increase all the Christmas cheer at Epcot this year; we'll have to wait to see.
RSoxNo1
Well-Known Member
Al Lutz is basically saying what was said in the Jim Hill article 2 weeks ago.
At the same time, it's entirely possible his information is from a different source than Jim. In fact, I'm guessing that's the case.
To Staggs' credit, he isn't pulling the plug on FLE. He reportedly wants to spread the money to multiple attractions in the MK instead of investing it all into Princesses for Potty Trainers. It actually looks like several good things are on their way to Florida right now.
But TDO's decisions continue to undermine anyone else's good intentions: Lights of Winter, fewer Christmas offerings, less entertainment, Space Mountain's half-hearted refurb, overpriced table service restaurants, overpriced hard-ticket events, fewer perks at the hard-ticket events, no plan for PI, no upgrades to dark rides in the MK, the same day parade since 2000, etc.
Again, all things that Jim Hill said two weeks ago (and in the follow up on our podcast. Staggs had the same concerns about the expansion that most of us had. The problem is, it's not likely that sweeping changes will be made to it.
Al has excellent sources... for Disneyland.
I agree. Which is why when he comes out with his news/commentary on anything WDW, I'm going to take it with not a grain of salt, but an entire lick.....
DisneyNut2007
Active Member
Agreed.
I, too, am still among those who believe that everything that was announced as part of Phase 1 (TLM, B&tB, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Dumbo, etc.) is still going to be built as planned, with either EXTREMELY minimal cuts or no cuts at all.
Lutz is still a big fat liar and needs to leave WDW and all of Disney alone.
It's bad enough that we have a Moderator on here (DisneyInsider) who is obviously just as bad as Lutz.
Buried20KLeague
Well-Known Member
When was Mermaid supposed to open at WDW?
The DCA one is going up CRAZY fast... The building is close to being finished. I haven't looked in the last couple weeks, but I don't think they've even gone vertical with the building at WDW.
Sad.
The DCA one is going up CRAZY fast... The building is close to being finished. I haven't looked in the last couple weeks, but I don't think they've even gone vertical with the building at WDW.
Sad.
2012 for the WDW version assuming all goes as planned.
WDW has required a lot of site prep, but now the foundations are in, things should start moving pretty quickly.
aladdin2007
Well-Known Member
This is all sad really, they always get our hopes up at here at the world and then boom, they back out or leave the space empty or water it down and do budget cuts. Spaceship Earth is a prime example of TDO'S stupidity and yes Siemens too. But anyway,
Was hoping it would be a good thing to rethink FLE. But hmmm its not sounding very promising unless they have something up their sleeve we dont know about. Look what Disneyland just did with their Snow White ride, great new effects that could easily be implemented here, but no of course not.
Hopefully Staggs wont let TDO just cut FLE down to nothing more than mermaid and a resturant. I mean surely he will suggest a replacement for the eastern half? Or maybe a different new attraction in the park it sounds like. Im now wondering if mermaid wont get cuts in some way.
Was hoping it would be a good thing to rethink FLE. But hmmm its not sounding very promising unless they have something up their sleeve we dont know about. Look what Disneyland just did with their Snow White ride, great new effects that could easily be implemented here, but no of course not.
Hopefully Staggs wont let TDO just cut FLE down to nothing more than mermaid and a resturant. I mean surely he will suggest a replacement for the eastern half? Or maybe a different new attraction in the park it sounds like. Im now wondering if mermaid wont get cuts in some way.
Buried20KLeague
Well-Known Member
That would be good to see.
Either way, the DL Resort is going to get my 2011 cash... What with WOC and Mermaid new on the docket, at the very least.
Buried20KLeague
Well-Known Member
I have no inside information, but wasn't there talk on here that plans had already watered Mermaid down from a solid E to a C/D?
I haven't heard that about the DL version... It'll be interesting to see if the two versions differ.
aladdin2007
Well-Known Member
True, however I thought they were using the same blueprints and everything making two of everything?
Some of the alternate ideas will make a lot of people happy. It's not all doom and gloom - have faith.