News Announced: Mary Poppins Attraction in UK Pavilion

[doctornick]

So they fancy Frozen an E-ticket complemented by the C boat ride next door. The version I hear would similarly bring an E to France and something more modest next door while you wait for you Rat FP. I'm all for more balance in WS. I'm aware of an IP concept and a non-IP. Can't share further as it is still early. It could be announced with or after Rat but open before.

All those people arriving at the soon-to-be enlarged International Gateway entrance by boat, gondola, or foot won't have to walk half a mile to find a ride. Phew.

This actually sounds like a surprisingly reasonable plan. It would really solve the distribution of attractions (specifically, rides) around the WS lagoon since these would be on the exact opposite side from the rides in Mexico/Norway. It would be nice to also have something added in the Italy/Germany area (new pavilion with a ride perhaps?) to really round everything out.

I'd be curious if this would result in all of WS just opening at 9am like FW. Even if all the restaurants and stores don't all open, you could at least have the rides and films and a few (more) places for breakfast and just have the path open for people to walk around.

 

[doctornick]

Yes there is .5 acre there. Perfect for a small ride.

If the OP is correct about a theme, I could easily see a flat ride or even a small Fantasyland style dark ride themed to the Loch Ness monster. And certainly a gift shop with Nessie plush to sell.

 

[ToTBellHop]

This actually sounds like a surprisingly reasonable plan. It would really solve the distribution of attractions (specifically, rides) around the WS lagoon since these would be on the exact opposite side from the rides in Mexico/Norway. It would be nice to also have something added in the Italy/Germany area (new pavilion with a ride perhaps?) to really round everything out.

I'd be curious if this would result in all of WS just opening at 9am like FW. Even if all the restaurants and stores don't all open, you could at least have the rides and films and a few (more) places for breakfast and just have the path open for people to walk around.

Certainly Rat and UK would open with the park. It is unclear to me if the back 6 pavilions would also open. Perhaps if they get a 12th pavilion added back there...

 

[marni1971]

Certainly Rat and UK would open with the park. It is unclear to me if the back 6 pavilions would also open. Perhaps if they get a 12th pavilion added back there...

Would 13 be considered unlucky?

 

[Grimley1968]

Would 13 be considered unlucky?

Yes, which means they need to go right by 13 and have 14 pavilions.

 

[marni1971]

Yes, which means they need to go right by 13 and have 14 pavilions.

Do they now....

 

[TWSITT]

I am pretty sure Busch Gardens has a roller coaster named after Nessie

Yes, and it is in their UK/Scotland section of the park...and it has been there forever. It would be an odd choice for Disney to do a ride of the same name in their UK section.

Edit - They have 2 Nessie rides - a kids and an adult ride featuring the sea monster

 

[wannabeBelle]

Move them behind the Yorkshire County seating area. That would be super neat, IMO.

I love it!!! Closer to the Rose & Crown and the Beer stand over there, easier to get a refreshment before the show!! Marie

 

[Skipper of the SEA]

Would 13 be considered unlucky?

It's lucky in Italy.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Expect the Gondola to assist in a reconfiguration of the backstage area around the UK, Gateway and Showplace.

Considering the art of hiding show buildings is limited to rockwork to modern WDW designers, would the Gondola + Nessie indicate some Highland rocks? A sort of Scotland subland behind the rather England-centric UK pavilion?

Inspired by Scotland's Nevis Range mountain gondola system?

Also, which are the two proposed WS countries? Brazil, Cuba? Russia?

 

[Haymarket2008]

What I've heard of is hardly a huge ride. Not the scope of Ratatouille like some of you are hoping.

I think a modest D ticket would fit the pavilion really nicely. The U.K. doesn't scream "E-ticket" attraction to me. Then again, Ratatouille isn't the definition of an E, imho.

 

[Grimley1968]

I think a modest D ticket would fit the pavilion really nicely. The U.K. doesn't scream "E-ticket" attraction to me. Then again, Ratatouille isn't the definition of an E, imho.

Agreed. I think space is too limited for an E ticket, but there are lesser types of attractions that could handle a lot of people and get them off the sidewalks for a few minutes. Something in UK, as well as the Rat ride in France, could go a long way toward distributing guests throughout WS better than now and give people more of a reason to go counter clockwise through there.

 

[Haymarket2008]

Agreed. I think space is too limited for an E ticket, but there are lesser types of attractions that could handle a lot of people and get them off the sidewalks for a few minutes. Something in UK, as well as the Rat ride in France, could go a long way toward distributing guests throughout WS better than now and give people more of a reason to go counter clockwise through there.

Exactly. And the addition of a thematically/aesthetically appropriate attraction will only improve the pavilion, which is one of my favorites.

 

[doctornick]

Yes, and it is in their UK/Scotland section of the park...and it has been there forever. It would be an odd choice for Disney to do a ride of the same name in their UK section.

Edit - They have 2 Nessie rides - a kids and an adult ride featuring the sea monster
View attachment 192979 View attachment 192984

Of all the reasons to not do a ride, the existence of a similar themed ride 800 miles away has got to be at the bottom of the concerns. Especially for something as well known and significant as the Loch Ness Monster.

 

[Princess Leia]

Also, which are the two proposed WS countries? Brazil, Cuba? Russia?

If Brazil doesn't get a pavilion, I'd be shocked. That country makes the most sense for one of the open plots.



India or Australia, however...

 

[Magic Feather]

A quick commentary on the possibility of a Poppins ride in the UK (that I can neither confirm nor deny as being most likely, as I simply do not know the specifics of the themes being considered). I get that it takes place in London, and Frozen takes place in a Norway-ish country, but that still does not change the fact that it is a bit hypocritical to praise the concept of Poppins and bash on Frozen. Poppins by no means centers around English culture (unless you count accents & tea), while still having slight inspirations, akin to Frozen. I would deem it a worse fit in WS that Rat, as far as IPification goes. Ultimately, I am just a concerned that the prospect of a practically perfect Poppins ride, is blinding us from seeing how this could damage a bit of the integrity of EPCOT. Now, having said that, seeing as EPCOT is going down this road, be it with or without Mary, I would personally advocate for it as a best case, especially since EPCOT Center is dead.

 

[TWSITT]

Of all the reasons to not do a ride, the existence of a similar themed ride 800 miles away has got to be at the bottom of the concerns. Especially for something as well known and significant as the Loch Ness Monster.

I don't think I said they should not do a ride based on this idea. I was pointing out the fact that another well known theme park that is also made up of different countries uses Loch Ness in their UK section. So yes, I think it is an odd choice for Disney to use an idea a Beer company had 40 years ago. With that said i would still welcome a Loch Ness ride at Epcot as it would be much better than a worn down yellow and green coaster from the 70s.

 

[doctornick]

A quick commentary on the possibility of a Poppins ride in the UK (that I can neither confirm nor deny as being most likely, as I simply do not know the specifics of the themes being considered). I get that it takes place in London, and Frozen takes place in a Norway-ish country, but that still does not change the fact that it is a bit hypocritical to praise the concept of Poppins and bash on Frozen. Poppins by no means centers around English culture (unless you count accents & tea), while still having slight inspirations, akin to Frozen. I would deem it a worse fit in WS that Rat, as far as IPification goes. Ultimately, I am just a concerned that the prospect of a practically perfect Poppins ride, is blinding us from seeing how this could damage a bit of the integrity of EPCOT. Now, having said that, seeing as EPCOT is going down this road, be it with or without Mary, I would personally advocate for it as a best case, especially since EPCOT Center is dead.

Agreed. I find the interest in a Mary Poppins ride for that pavilion to be curious, as it seems to me to be a poor fit for the reasons you mention.

As I said earlier, if they wanted to use a Disney IP for an attraction at the UK pavilion, Sword In the Stone is probably the best option.

 

[Princess Leia]

Geez, @Direwolf27, we get it. You must work for the Brazilian Board of Tourism

I think the Brazilian Board of Tourism would be more than thrilled

 

[MisterPenguin]

I hope they don't go with Nessie because:

1. Overdone by other parks

2. Not a thing. It's a debunked urban legend. Now, if Disney had appropriated Nessie into a popular animated feature, as Disney is wont to do with public domain IPs, then it would make sense. Or let's put it this way, if Epcot was in Paris, would you want them to add a Big Foot ride to their American pavilion?


While Mary Poppins isn't a cultural documentary of the UK/England, well, very few IPs are cultural documentaries of their setting. You get a general milieu of the culture, but not much edutainment. That makes almost any popular IP a fail for inclusion into Epcot. But, if you're going to do it anyway for that magical merchandising synergy, then the solution is to do what they did for Frozen, namely, put in as much cultural accoutrements as you can. With the Frozen gals, they added very detailed Norwegian architecture.

So, they can to that for Poppins. Imagine a Poppinesque indoors carousel where the walls, floor, and ceiling have projection-map projections that have you riding through the streets of London, then into the countryside, then in a horse race, and so on. It's basically a Poppins travelogue.

Although... like with any carousel, it will be low capacity. In fact, with the little space available, almost anything would be low capacity.