EPCOT Announced: Mary Poppins Attraction in UK Pavilion

[MisterPenguin]

A Mary Poppin's Tea Party sounds great! Finger sandwiches, pastries, and clotted cream. All while Mary sings and gets pictures with each family. I'm in.

What?

Oh, the spinny ride?

Never mind.

That there isn't a tea room in the UK pavilion is a crime.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

That there isn't a tea room in the UK pavilion is a crime.

There's an old barn near us that was converted decades ago to be a store. In the last 20 years or so, it was converted to be a restaurant - it just keeps changing hands. I don't quite know why nothing there has managed to survive because it's on a street that sees TONS of traffic. One of the recent iterations was a very nice-looking tea room.

 

[Haymarket2008]

The project has been in the mud for over a year. Epcot deserves better. Trash it. I’ll take the cancellation with open arms.

 

[The Grand Inquisitor]

The project has been in the mud for over a year. Epcot deserves better. Trash it. I’ll take the cancellation with open arms.

I hope this means Mary Poppins would get a proper ride in the future.

 

[Horizons '83]

No it wouldn’t. That’s how you get burdened with mediocrity.

At this point i'd rather have the project put on hold or scrapped altogether than get a waterdown "attraction" with a watered down budget.

 

[412]

I hope this means Mary Poppins would get a proper ride in the future.

Plenty of people, myself included, think EPCOT needs more small attractions to round out the park. Why, in your view, is it a bad idea for one of these small attractions to be themed to Mary Poppins?

 

[The Grand Inquisitor]

Plenty of people, myself included, think EPCOT needs more small attractions to round out the park. Why, in your view, is it a bad idea for one of these small attractions to be themed to Mary Poppins?

Because what we were supposed to get was not even a ride. It was a meet and greet like the Belle one at Magic Kingdom. Mary Poppins deserves a lot better than just a meet and greet.

 

[412]

Because what we were supposed to get was not even a ride. It was a meet and greet like the Belle one at Magic Kingdom. Mary Poppins deserves a lot better than just a meet and greet.

That makes sense. For me, I would be disappointed if Disney spent any money on another Enchanted Tales with Belle-like experience, regardless of the IP. It's not the Mary Poppins part that specifically bothers me.

I don't totally subscribe to the idea that certain IPs "deserve" a certain size of attraction. If the UK pavilion needs a D-ticket and Disney wants to theme it Mary Poppins, I wouldn't be upset that Mary Poppins didn't get a bigger ride. I don't mind when Disney's most-prominent IPs lack rides (the Lion King) and when Disney's most-prominent rides are themed to unpopular IPs (Splash Mountain).

 

[The Grand Inquisitor]

That makes sense. For me, I would be disappointed if Disney spent any money on another Enchanted Tales with Belle-like experience, regardless of the IP. It's not the Mary Poppins part that specifically bothers me.

I don't totally subscribe to the idea that certain IPs "deserve" a certain size of attraction. If the UK pavilion needs a D-ticket and Disney wants to theme it Mary Poppins, I wouldn't be upset that Mary Poppins didn't get a bigger ride. I don't mind when Disney's most-prominent IPs lack rides (the Lion King) and when Disney's most-prominent rides are themed to unpopular IPs (Splash Mountain).

I agree. The UK pavilion should be able to hold a small fantasy land like dark ride for Mary Poppins.

 

[Haymarket2008]

That makes sense. For me, I would be disappointed if Disney spent any money on another Enchanted Tales with Belle-like experience, regardless of the IP. It's not the Mary Poppins part that specifically bothers me.

I don't totally subscribe to the idea that certain IPs "deserve" a certain size of attraction. If the UK pavilion needs a D-ticket and Disney wants to theme it Mary Poppins, I wouldn't be upset that Mary Poppins didn't get a bigger ride. I don't mind when Disney's most-prominent IPs lack rides (the Lion King) and when Disney's most-prominent rides are themed to unpopular IPs (Splash Mountain).

I am as big a WDW fan as the next person, but I haven't stepped foot inside Enchanted Tales with Belle. Nothing about that experience sounds enjoyable without having a kid to entertain. A Mary Poppins version would be yet another thing that a significant amount of guests will just walk by. You're right, it is that particular type of experience that is problematic.

 

[RobWDW1971]

I am as big a WDW fan as the next person, but I haven't stepped foot inside Enchanted Tales with Belle. Nothing about that experience sounds enjoyable without having a kid to entertain. A Mary Poppins version would be yet another thing that a significant amount of guests will just walk by. You're right, it is that particular type of experience that is problematic.

Yup, if I went to the Enchanted Tales with Belle by myself security would follow me around the rest of the day.

 

[Rich Brownn]

I am as big a WDW fan as the next person, but I haven't stepped foot inside Enchanted Tales with Belle. Nothing about that experience sounds enjoyable without having a kid to entertain. A Mary Poppins version would be yet another thing that a significant amount of guests will just walk by. You're right, it is that particular type of experience that is problematic.

I did it without a kid, and liked it. The mirror sequence is pretty awesome and we had a really good Belle. Watching her interaction with the kids was really cute. Its a weird mix up though. It could be a M&G, but also part-show. (At the one I was at only the kids in the show got the M&G part - I assume that's changed?)

 

[No Name]

IPs don’t “deserve” certain quality of attractions. Theme parks are their own storytelling medium.

 

[GladToBeHear]

This video was filmed in December 2019, and I only state that the ride will be an indoor flat/spinner attraction. Then towards the end of the video I give an example of how a basic spinner attraction could be interestingly implemented, by showing Disney Patents from many years ago. But of course, I also state that IT IS NOT the ride system. Just want to put that out there.

I FULLY INTEND on doing a video CLEARLY stating that Poppins is cancelled, once we receive some sort of confirmation, and will unlist (make unavailable) the original announcement video from D23.

I feel that blogs and YouTubers who make such a BIG DEAL about a new ride, should also give EQUAL WEIGHT to the news that the project has been cancelled to help inform the public responsibly.

Of course. I have no inside information and have no clue what becomes of this project. But this is the best video I've seen about it. Kudos to you. I really enjoy your channel.

 

[larryz]

There's an old barn near us that was converted decades ago to be a store. In the last 20 years or so, it was converted to be a restaurant - it just keeps changing hands. I don't quite know why nothing there has managed to survive because it's on a street that sees TONS of traffic. One of the recent iterations was a very nice-looking tea room.

I underlined the clue...

 

[dreamfinder]

(At the one I was at only the kids in the show got the M&G part - I assume that's changed?)

Usually they pick adults/older kids to be the suits of armor. Any adults are more than welcome to pick up one of the assorted pieces of silverware/dishes they pass out at the end to anyone who wants one.

As for the M&G I've seen both. I've been there where CMs tried to keep random kids from running up for pictures, and I've seen some where they had no problems with it. Seeing as how they pass out the extra silverware for as many kids who want it, I can't realistically see them from keeping people who didn't participte from getting quick pictures.

 

[Goofy213]

I don't see how any meet and greet is going to work when you have to stay 6 feet away from the other people. Unless all the pictures are panoramic.

 

[MisterPenguin]

I don't see how any meet and greet is going to work when you have to stay 6 feet away from the other people. Unless all the pictures are panoramic.

It's unlikely you can do almost anything at WDW and still keep a 6 foot distance. For a discussion of that, please see this thread...

Opening WDW with Social Distancing

This thread created for the narrow topic of discussing opening WDW with social distancing still in force since it keeps coming up in the Big Thread… WDW and Social Distancing People have been arguing whether it is possible that WDW can open and still maintain social distancing. Of course WDW...

forums.wdwmagic.com

 

[ImperfectPixie]

I underlined the clue...

That kind of thing is actually quite popular around here. It's a very historic town.

 

[The Grand Inquisitor]

This is pretty interesting video. He discuss a lot of interesting stuff that Disney might do regarding EPCOT and Mary Poppins.