Answer to Epic Universe?

Snake

Active Member
Original Poster
It seems Disney is now content following rather than leading in the theme park business. They build in response to Universal, Nintendo land in California has Disney building a new land at Disneyland. The Hagrid coaster in Florida made disney build Guardians of the Galaxy. Raptor Coaster made Disney build Tron. When Epic Universe comes will Disney have a new theme park of their own in development? They could have already made a new park with all the new rides they have built instead of tearing down old ones to build them.
 

Snake

Active Member
Original Poster
Disney really upped their game when they built Pandora and Galaxy's Edge in response to Harry Potter @ Universal. But I just can't see them building a 5th theme park just because Universal is building their third.
They better do something, Universal just keeps chipping away, when that new park opens there's going to be a serious reckoning on attendance between parks. The whole reason they built Hollywood Studios was because Universal was opening a Florida park. Lord knows Disney has enough hotel rooms for 2 more theme parks.
 

Cmdr_Crimson

Well-Known Member
tenor.gif
 
In the Parks
Yes
Fifth park isn't happening until Disney figures out how to pry loose the theme park rights to Marvel in Florida from Universal's death grip on them. (I write that as a more elaborate way of saying "effectively never.")

And it isn't like Disney is hurting for space in any of its existing four parks. Actually, it's really sort of the opposite: Hollywood Studios has nine rides total and one of those is Star Tours (and another is Rise, which already has multiple threads of discourse on the virtual queue which really doesn't need to be rehashed in this thread also). Dinoland in Animal Kingdom might as well be a skeleton for how desperately in need of fleshing out that corner of the park is. The half of Epcot that's currently under construction could hold way more than what's currently being built.

I'm not an insider or an employee or anything, but I can state with 100% absolute certainty that Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom will both see multiple additional major expansions long before Disney breaks ground on Disney's Marvel Universe of Adventure, which they will have named exactly that as a final shot at the corpse of a completely defeated Universal who was forced to sell them back the rights to prop up a bankrupt Comcast in the year 2045.
 

J4546

Well-Known Member
theres no need for a 5th park, and to say disney is following universal is just not true. This site has a lot of haters but in reality Disney isnt hurting for people to come to their parks. And in this current time bubble (+/-2) years, they have added so much stuff its incredible. Star Wars Lands, Toy Story Lands, Tron Coaster, GotG Coaster, Space 220, Rat, Major Epcot overhaul, MMRR, Avengers Campus. Im certain they will add to one of the 4 parks in Florida before they build a new one.
 

DisneyMusician2

Well-Known Member
I think the Star Cruiser is going to be their main focus but I don't think a 5th park is even really feasible from an operations perspective. And I've said before on other threads I don't think WDW management is all that concerned about overall attendance numbers at the moment.
 

Marc Davis Fan

Well-Known Member
I know this is a very unpopular opinion, but from a "maintaining its name as the leader" standpoint Disney's best best is to... expand The Magic Kingdom.

(1) The Magic Kingdom will be viewed as "Disney" by most people, and most importantly it's what they'll remember as having been "Disney," whether that's justified or not (it's not, obviously).

(2) In order to maintain its standing, "Disney" should blow people away (and they should remember it as such).

(3) The Magic Kingdom doesn't have anything at the impressiveness/immersion-level of World Showcase (impressive, technically not "immersive"), Animal Kingdom (all of it, minus Dinoland), or Galaxy's Edge. I would go so far as to say that The Magic Kingdom is the only WDW park where visitors do not have a chance to experience Disney at its most impressive.

(4) A major, top-quality new land or two would not only bring The Magic Kingdom back to showcasing Disney's capabilities, but if done right, it could ease crowding by expanding capacity. Galaxy's Edge did this for Disneyland: the park actually became easier to maneuver on crowded days.

Nintendo land in California has Disney building a new land at Disneyland.

What land are you viewing as a response to Nintendo?

Despite being nearly a decade late? The original “Potter Swatters” were cancelled.

😲

Is there anyplace to find information about those plans?
 
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cookiee_munster

Well-Known Member
Despite being nearly a decade late? The original “Potter Swatters” were cancelled.
Any possible info/hints on what was planned?

It's been said here and in countless other threads. Until the other 4 parks are properly fleshed out again with some great new attractions, a 5th park won't really be considered. It'll come one day. But not for a while.
 

Imagineer45

Active Member
Actually, Tron and the Guardians coaster were announced before Hagrid and the VelociCoaster if I'm not mistaken.
This is technically true. Tron and Guardians were both announced in 2017, while Hagrid's and VelociCoaster were not announced until 2019 and 2020, respectively. However, Disney typically announces projects before their designs are even finalized and construction is months away at a minimum, whereas Universal announces them six months or so from opening, so this is not a fair comparison. Hagrid's and VelociCoaster had their permits filed in 2017 and 2018, respectively.

And it isn't like Disney is hurting for space in any of its existing four parks. Actually, it's really sort of the opposite: Hollywood Studios has nine rides total and one of those is Star Tours (and another is Rise, which already has multiple threads of discourse on the virtual queue which really doesn't need to be rehashed in this thread also). Dinoland in Animal Kingdom might as well be a skeleton for how desperately in need of fleshing out that corner of the park is. The half of Epcot that's currently under construction could hold way more than what's currently being built.
The non-MK parks currently have 9 rides each, and people in California complain that DCA is lacking attractions with 19... However, Disney's current attitude is quality over quantity, as smaller spinners and dark rides that boost overall numbers been overlooked, so it is unreasonable to expect every park to be at 20+ before a 5th park is "needed".

I know this is a very unpopular opinion, but from a "maintaining its name as the leader" standpoint Disney's best best is to... expand The Magic Kingdom.

(1) The Magic Kingdom will be viewed as "Disney" by most people, and most importantly it's what they'll remember as having been "Disney," whether that's justified or not (it's not, obviously).

(2) In order to maintain its standing, "Disney" should blow people away (and they should remember it as such).

(3) The Magic Kingdom doesn't have anything at the impressiveness/immersion-level of World Showcase (impressive, technically not "immersive"), Animal Kingdom (all of it, minus Dinoland), or Galaxy's Edge. I would go so far as to say that The Magic Kingdom is the only WDW park where visitors do not have a chance to experience Disney at its most impressive.

(4) A major, top-quality new land or two would not only bring The Magic Kingdom back to showcasing Disney's capabilities, but if done right, it could ease crowding by expanding capacity. Galaxy's Edge did this for Disneyland: the park actually became easier to maneuver on crowded days.
I think you have it backwards. People will always go to MK because of your first point. The goal is to get people to go elsewhere as well. One way is to adjust dynamic pricing to account for this, while the other is to add "can't miss" attractions to the other parks (SW:GE, Pandora, etc.).
 

JIMINYCR

Well-Known Member
Even with Uni's additional park, Disneys still going to be able to draw the majority of people. Nothing Uni has done, even having lost the HP brand, hasnt shown Uni able to over take Disney. They may lose a day or two out of someones trip to Fla, but the majority of their days will always be Disneys, and thats making a difference.
 

DisneyMusician2

Well-Known Member
Also having been with a few first-timers, I think you'd be shocked about how many are 'blown away' by the Haunted Mansion and its a small world even today. We take this stuff for granted because we're veterans and theme park junkies, but the majority of the population has never seen anything really like this even at some of their regional parks.
 

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