Arendelle Village expansion (Frozen) update watch.

[Old Mouseketeer]

Rehearsal halls.

Actually, the small one on the left is the rehearsal halls and recording studios, as well as the facilities for guest performing groups. The longer building on the right is the main Entertainment building. This includes a lot of parade support on the ground floor (including costume issue for parades and Fantasmic!), the main entertainment laundry, hair and makeup for all entertainment at the resort, tech services, and the shed for the parade support trailers. Upstairs is a lot of costume storage and the main entertainment offices.

 

[Old Mouseketeer]

The HM in Fantasyland doesn't bother me, it's the poor integration of the exterior with the surrounding area. Why did they decide to just cut and paste WDW's Haunted Mansion instead of creating a building that better fit the FL story?

Because the founder of TDL literally wanted a cut and paste from the two Disney parks. He specifically wanted a "greatest hits" park, with certain exceptions for local culture. There was originally an emphasis on all things American. English was used where it set the theme. American theme park food was highlighted. The only truly Japanese element was the Meet the World attraction. One of the biggest (and trickiest) accommodations was with respect to nametags. In Japan, a subordinate would NEVER call their boss by the first name. This presented an unresolveable dilemma. The solution (at least in the early years) was to use nicknames. I got this from an Imagineer and a friend who worked there the second year it was open.

I always resented that it didn't have its own castle and Haunted Mansion, and that the train didn't go around the park. But in Japan the train could only be a certain length and have only one station/stop or else it would be regulated as public transportation rather than a theme park ride. This would require a separate ticket as does the TDL monorail.

Interesting note: The HM in TDL is a mirror image of WDW. In both cases, the show building is mostly identical to DL, but rotated 90 degrees. The entrance/exit is also reversed. And neither has an elevator in the stretching room because of the high water table. Oddly, while Paris has an elevator, its purpose is not to take guests under the RR tracks, as the show building is actually inside the berm. Rather, it is to lower the profile of the show building relative to the rest of Frontierland.

Sorry for rambling. I know this was O/T. We now return you to our bar fight which is still in progress.

 

[Old Mouseketeer]

True, and hopefully they will address the issues of the Mickey meet-n-greet spot and the kiddie coaster. As I said before, the Mickey meet-n-greet could be relocated closer to the Roger Rabbit ride, in the former Jolly Trolley barn. As for the kiddie coaster, maybe it could repurposed for the Frozen subsection, maybe themed to Kristoff's sleigh.

Relocating the Mickey meet and greet (much less Minnie) is a huge proposition. Do you realize that underneath it is a major support facility for characters, including costume issue, break room, photopass and host office, conditioning room, restrooms, and audio room for Toontown? This is approximately the area of the red rectangle on the photo below. It is actually smaller than the upstairs footprint of Mickey's House. OTOH, the Jolly Trolley barn is represented by the green diamond.

 

[DDLand]

It seems ironic so many of these parks and resorts could desperately use parking structures, meanwhile Disney Springs is throwing them in like it is going out of style. With seemingly no road blocks or push back on cost from the notoriously cheap TDO.

Isn't it? I guess we can thank RCID and Municipal Bonds for that... The joys of owning a government!

 

[Old Mouseketeer]

Isn't it? I guess we can thank RCID and Municipal Bonds for that... The joys of owning a government!

The best government money can buy. It's good to be the King!

 

[TP2000]

Wait, TSI is being removed for Cars Land in Tokyo?

That was a rumor from Al Lutz/Miceage around late 2012 or early '13 as I remember. The entire Rivers of America area in Tokyo Disneyland was proposed to be gutted and turned into Cars Land.

 

[BrianLo]

Just to bump this thread before I run the Star Wars one off the rails. It's increasingly clear permanent support structures are occupying all of the 'expansion' space proposed by Mice Chat more than a year ago. What's struck me recently with the Frozen plans in Tokyo having shifted a bit more recently to behind Arabian coast for "more space" was to play around with google maps acreage.

In Tokyo: The expansion pad at Tokyo Disney Sea that wasn't big enough is 5.5 acres.

In Disneyland: Taking out all of Toontown, the Music rehearsal building and what they have proposed as an expansion pad comes up a bit short closer to 5 acres.

Needless to say this has me generally thinking where or what do they want to take out for Frozen instead? Obviously Frozen is going to come eventually. Too much of a cash cow to ignore.

 

[Mike S]

Just to bump this thread before I run the Star Wars one off the rails. It's increasingly clear permanent support structures are occupying all of the 'expansion' space proposed by Mice Chat more than a year ago. What's struck me recently with the Frozen plans in Tokyo having shifted a bit more recently to behind Arabian coast for "more space" was to play around with google maps acreage.

In Tokyo: The expansion pad at Tokyo Disney Sea that wasn't big enough is 5.5 acres.

In Disneyland: Taking out all of Toontown, the Music rehearsal building and what they have proposed as an expansion pad comes up a bit short closer to 5 acres.

Needless to say this has me generally thinking where or what do they want to take out for Frozen instead? Obviously Frozen is going to come eventually. Too much of a cash cow to ignore.

I'm thinking the answer may not go over too well with the DL fan base...

 

[BrianLo]

I'm thinking the answer may not go over too well with the DL fan base...

Probably. This is the "extreme" way to carve up space for Fantasyland.

NOT all for Frozen obviously. A bit of a New Fantasyland/Tokyo's expansion hybrid. Would require at least a new indoor theatre and two franchises. I know it looks ridiculous, but SWE looked totally ridiculous at first blush.

12.5 acres, that's about as much as they can realistically free up total.

 

[Mike S]

Probably. This is the "extreme" way to carve up space for Fantasyland.

NOT all for Frozen obviously. A bit of a New Fantasyland/Tokyo's expansion hybrid. Would require at least a new indoor theatre and two franchises. I know it looks ridiculous, but SWE looked totally ridiculous at first blush.

12.5 acres, that's about as much as they can realistically free up total.

I thought the whole basis of the DL Frozen rumor was that it was simply getting the E Ticket and a miniland to go with it and not the whole land Tokyo's getting.

 

[Old Mouseketeer]

Probably. This is the "extreme" way to carve up space for Fantasyland.

NOT all for Frozen obviously. A bit of a New Fantasyland/Tokyo's expansion hybrid. Would require at least a new indoor theatre and two franchises. I know it looks ridiculous, but SWE looked totally ridiculous at first blush.

12.5 acres, that's about as much as they can realistically free up total.

Well, the north square is a no-go. That's the rehearsal hall and recording studios, also home for visiting performing arts groups and frequently used for auditions for all live performers (a friend of mine auditioned today for the Groot meet and greet). It's known as N-18 and it's directly to the left of the main Entertainment building (N-19) and to the right of the parade float building. There's just nowhere to put these functions. Those three buildings are near sacrosanct. Every Entertainment function that can possibly be moved off-site have been (and a few outsourced outright). I'm betting against this building going away. The most logical plan is for the indoor theater to replace Fantasyland Theater and Arrendel to go where old motor boats and at least part of Autopia (if not all of Subs).

 

[TP2000]

I just posted this video in the Star Wars thread, but it seems to apply here as well. It's from a unique mystery angle from some rooftop along Ball Road. It shows the new warehouse buildings they have recently built on the "Expansion Pad" area, and to be honest these are cheap modular buildings that may be budgeted for use for only a few years. It may end up staying there for decades, but they are the cheapest construction a city will allow for long-term habitation. (Referring to the white one-story warehouse at the 0:50 point in the video)

 

[Deleted member 107043]

I just posted this video in the Star Wars thread, but it seems to apply here as well. It's from a unique mystery angle from some rooftop along Ball Road. It shows the new warehouse buildings they have recently built on the "Expansion Pad" area, and to be honest these are cheap modular buildings that may be budgeted for use for only a few years. It may end up staying there for decades, but they are the cheapest construction a city will allow for long-term habitation. (Referring to the white one-story warehouse at the 0:50 point in the video)

I wonder where that was filmed. It almost looks like it could have been from inside DL's backstage area.

 

[BrianLo]

Well, the north square is a no-go. That's the rehearsal hall and recording studios, also home for visiting performing arts groups and frequently used for auditions for all live performers (a friend of mine auditioned today for the Groot meet and greet).

It's a shame they can't secure more land towards the Eastern gateway project. I understand those buildings are used and needed, but there is no reason some of those functions have to physically be that close to the park itself. Aren't the visiting preforming groups in DCA anyways? Auditions and recordings by no means need to actually be on property.

The other option in a grand rethink would be to build more backstage facilities with the Florida utilidoor mindset.


I only keep bringing up that building in this thread because it was slated to originally go in an earlier version of Star Wars that was looking at Toontown.

 

[Ismael Flores]

you're right, at least it's tucked back there. but as soon as I go underneath the sign I feel like I'm at Universal or six flags. roger rabbit is fun, but the land is just a big bubble plastic mess otherwise. in the summer months it's unbearable to sit on anything over there too. I get it about meeting Mickey and Friends, but I just feel they could've done much, much better.

If they are going to leave just too town east they really should consider adding a roof to the area.
I don't think it would be to difficult to enclose what would be a smaller area of toontown. It would give that small area a whole news life and lower the cost in maintenance.

With new lighting technology and projections they could really make this a pretty fascinating place to visit and it wouldn't have to close for fireworks.

 

[Old Mouseketeer]

I wonder where that was filmed. It almost looks like it could have been from inside DL's backstage area.

I would bet this is from the top of the TDA parking structure. I think it's the only possibility. And it doesn't look like it could be a drone.

 

[Old Mouseketeer]

It's a shame they can't secure more land towards the Eastern gateway project. I understand those buildings are used and needed, but there is no reason some of those functions have to physically be that close to the park itself. Aren't the visiting preforming groups in DCA anyways? Auditions and recordings by no means need to actually be on property.

The other option in a grand rethink would be to build more backstage facilities with the Florida utilidoor mindset.


I only keep bringing up that building in this thread because it was slated to originally go in an earlier version of Star Wars that was looking at Toontown.

I don't think so. My Entertainment sources tell me that the department is at the limit of moving off-site. The very nature of the department requires a certain footprint on-property. Live entertainment is resource-intensive.

 

[vancee]

The other option in a grand rethink would be to build more backstage facilities with the Florida utilidoor mindset.

You'd think they do this with Star Wars Land, have utilidoors underneath it. They could save lots of room, but it looks like they will not be doing it.

 

[Phroobar]

Why don't they just build backstage facilities and offices on upper floors of attractions?

 

[Curious Constance]

Why don't they just build backstage facilities and offices on upper floors of attractions?

Too loud?