Attractions Built Since 2005: Have I Got This Right?

[Weather_Lady]

My Dad will be coming with us on our May 2014 WDW trip. He said to me the other day, "since I haven't been to WDW since April 2005, there must be dozens of new things to see! Tell me about all the new attractions they've built in the last nine years!"

Now, I know when Dad says attractions, he doesn't mean shows or meet-and-greets -- just "rides" -- and that when he says new, he means entirely new and not rethemed, trimmed or upgraded (e.g., Dumbo, Star Tours, Country Bear Jamboree, etc.). So I stammered something about a Little Mermaid dark ride in the Magic Kingdom, a gentle Snow White coaster that will likely be done by the time we visit, Toy Story Midway Mania in Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom's Dinosaur and Expedition Everest. I also mentioned that Snow White's Scary Adventures was gone. Dad's palpable disappointment was mystifyingly unabated by my reassurance that Toontown has been demolished/rethemed and that there were some nice new bathrooms to explore in the Magic Kingdom.

What am I missing? Is 5 "new" attractions really "it" since 2005? I want to be sure and introduce Dad to all the things he hasn't seen before.

 

[jlsHouston]

My Dad will be coming with us on our May 2014 WDW trip. He said to me the other day, "since I haven't been to WDW since April 2005, there must be dozens of new things to see! Tell me about all the new attractions they've built in the last nine years!"

Now, I know when Dad says attractions, he doesn't mean shows or meet-and-greets -- just "rides" -- and that when he says new, he means entirely new and not rethemed, trimmed or upgraded (e.g., Dumbo, Star Tours, Country Bear Jamboree, etc.). So I stammered something about a Little Mermaid dark ride in the Magic Kingdom, a gentle Snow White coaster that will likely be done by the time we visit, Toy Story Midway Mania in Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom's Dinosaur and Expedition Everest. I also mentioned that Snow White's Scary Adventures was gone. Dad's palpable disappointment was mystifyingly unabated by my reassurance that Toontown has been demolished/rethemed and that there were some nice new bathrooms to explore in the Magic Kingdom.

What am I missing? Is 5 "new" attractions really "it" since 2005? I want to be sure and introduce Dad to all the things he hasn't seen before.

I can't think of any new rides since 2011 except Mermaid. Well is the new TT considered new ? I never got to ride the old TT so I can't compare any differences.

You and your dad's conversation almost sounds like something we could put on YOUTube and label it A PLEAD TO WDW MANAGEMENT FROM YOUR LOYAL CUSTOMERS....

 

[Bairstow]

Countdown to Extinction/Dinosaur isn't new. It was an opening day attraction when Animal Kingdom opened in 1998.

Disney doesn't need to build new rides to get people to come back.
So they don't.
I mean, heck, y'all are still going.

 

[danlb_2000]

My Dad will be coming with us on our May 2014 WDW trip. He said to me the other day, "since I haven't been to WDW since April 2005, there must be dozens of new things to see! Tell me about all the new attractions they've built in the last nine years!"

Now, I know when Dad says attractions, he doesn't mean shows or meet-and-greets -- just "rides" -- and that when he says new, he means entirely new and not rethemed, trimmed or upgraded (e.g., Dumbo, Star Tours, Country Bear Jamboree, etc.). So I stammered something about a Little Mermaid dark ride in the Magic Kingdom, a gentle Snow White coaster that will likely be done by the time we visit, Toy Story Midway Mania in Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom's Dinosaur and Expedition Everest. I also mentioned that Snow White's Scary Adventures was gone. Dad's palpable disappointment was mystifyingly unabated by my reassurance that Toontown has been demolished/rethemed and that there were some nice new bathrooms to explore in the Magic Kingdom.

What am I missing? Is 5 "new" attractions really "it" since 2005? I want to be sure and introduce Dad to all the things he hasn't seen before.

From my Ride Build Rate thread:

Soarin' Epcot 5/5/2005
Expedition Everest AK 4/7/2006
Toy Story Midway Mania DHS 5/31/2008
Under the Sea with the Little Mermaid Magic Kingdom 12/6/2012
Test Track Presented by Chervrolet Epcot 12/6/2012
Seven Dwarfs Mine ride ??/??/2014

 

[Weather_Lady]

Countdown to Extinction/Dinosaur isn't new. It was an opening day attraction when Animal Kingdom opened in 1998.

Disney doesn't need to build new rides to get people to come back.
So they don't.
I mean, heck, y'all are still going.

You're right about Dinosaur -- it was closed when we tried to visit on our 2005 trip, so we didn't get to experience it then. I was thinking it must not have been finished, but it must have been down for repairs.

As to your second point, yes, we're (or is it w'all?) still going, but return visits would be less few-and-far-between if there was anything new to see. In any event, I wasn't trying to rant about Disney's lack of progress. I just asked what was new.

 

[marni1971]

Test Track Presented by Chervrolet Epcot 12/6/2012

Test Track was a retheme as per the ops post. So that's to date four attractions.

Maybe they'll get lucky and the mine train D ticket will be open too by the time they visit!

 

[asianway]

Test Track was a retheme as per the ops post. So that's to date four attractions.

Maybe they'll get lucky and the mine train D ticket will be open too by the time they visit!

TT = lipstick on a pig

 

[SJN1279]

From my Ride Build Rate thread:

Soarin' Epcot 5/5/2005
Expedition Everest AK 4/7/2006
Toy Story Midway Mania DHS 5/31/2008
Under the Sea with the Little Mermaid Magic Kingdom 12/6/2012
Test Track Presented by Chervrolet Epcot 12/6/2012
Seven Dwarfs Mine ride ??/??/2014

Seas with Nemo and Friends
Star Tours: The Adventure Continues
Massive upgrade for Spaceship Earth

 

[The Empress Lilly]

From my Ride Build Rate thread:

Soarin' Epcot 5/5/2005
Expedition Everest AK 4/7/2006
Toy Story Midway Mania DHS 5/31/2008
Under the Sea with the Little Mermaid Magic Kingdom 12/6/2012

Okay so we got those four left.

Briefly from the top of my head (please add!), closures since last time weather_lady's father last visited:

Snow White
Wonders of Life, although it had been operating only seasonally since...2003/4?:
- Cranium Command
- Body Wars
- Let's be kind and only count all the other attractions and exhibits as one attraction
Pocahontas at DAK, well the entire CMM area but its main draw will reopen late this year again

All of Pleasure Island closed too.

So since your dad visited last time ten years ago, WDW has got a net minus of a handful of rides and its entertainent district.
But lots of new restaurants! And orange, grey and brown rockwork in the place where FL previously had only the darkgrey 20k rockwork! All this for only double the price of what he paid in 2005!

 

[danlb_2000]

Seas with Nemo and Friends
Star Tours: The Adventure Continues
Massive upgrade for Spaceship Earth

Those three are just updates which the op said he didn't care about.

 

[trylon57]

oh but they've added plenty of "meet and greets"! I'm sure your dad will love those!

 

[copcarguyp71]

Massive upgrade for Spaceship Earth

mas·sive(măs′ĭv)
adj.
1. Consisting of or making up a large mass; bulky, heavy, and solid: a massive piece of furniture.
2. Large or imposing, as in quantity, scope, degree, intensity, or scale: "Local defense must be reinforced by the further deterrent of massive retaliatory power" (John Foster Dulles). See Synonyms at heavy.
3. Large in comparison with the usual amount: a massive dose of a drug.
4. Pathology Affecting a large area of bodily tissue; widespread and severe: massive gangrene.
5. Mineralogy Lacking internal crystalline structure; amorphous.
6. Geology Without internal structure or layers and homogeneous in composition. Used of a rock.

 

[Mouse_Trap]

There really is very little in terms of rides added since then.
Even from those, Soarin' in pretty lame - just like the Cinema 360 from the 80's but with moving seats and different smells.

Little Mermaid really is pathetic if your older than about 7. However the Fantasyland expansion is fantastic to look at.

7D should be good, hopefully that will be open for you.
EE is excellent but its not really a extreme coaster, its all about the story, theming and some novel elements.

Not been on Midway Mania - queue's have been way to long. But it seems very popular. It still is just another peoplemover with interactive shooting though realistically.

However, nobody has mentioned that technically there is a new Dumbo ride........

 

[twebber55]

wow pretty embarrassing

 

[flynnibus]

Some scenes completely removed and replaced...
Others with much more advanced AAs...
New narration...
entire descent changed
screens added to vehicles

Yah.. I think that's as about as big as you can get without changing every scene or the ride system itself. So.. I'm gonna have to disagree

 

[copcarguyp71]

Agree to disagree...

entire descent story / scenes removed and a placebo of a screen installed on vehicles to draw attention away from the part of the story they removed, Large triangles were supposed to have projections on them but did not happen due to rushed finish and low funding (Per marni1971 http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/spaceship-earth-triangles.879825/page-2#post-5920488) scenes that were removed interfere with continuity of the story (for me), Jeremy Irons version much better (IMO)...not because of who does the narration but because of the content of the story presented. Just my $0.02 tho

 

[BiffyClyro]

It's satisfying enough though if you haven;t been for so long!
He won't even care when he gets there

 

[Weather_Lady]

From my Ride Build Rate thread:

Soarin' Epcot 5/5/2005
Expedition Everest AK 4/7/2006
Toy Story Midway Mania DHS 5/31/2008
Under the Sea with the Little Mermaid Magic Kingdom 12/6/2012
Test Track Presented by Chervrolet Epcot 12/6/2012
Seven Dwarfs Mine ride ??/??/2014

Thank you. I wasn't counting Soarin' or Test Track as they were both open (Soarin' must have been in a soft opening stage) when we visited in April 2005.

It's satisfying enough though if you haven;t been for so long!
He won't even care when he gets there

I'm sure you're right.

 

[Funmeister's Delight]

Additions/changes to Disneyland Resort since 2005

Attractions:
Monsters Inc Mike and Sulley to the Rescue
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
World of Color
Radiator Springs Racers
Luigi's Flying Tires
Mater's Junkyard Jamboree
The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure
Sleeping Beauty Castle Walk through
Red Car Trolley
Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters
Pirates Lair
Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar
Toy Story Midway Mania


Refurbs:
Silly Symphony Swings (previously Orange Stinger)
Goofy's Sky School (previously Mulholland Madness)
Mickey's Fun Wheel (previously Sun Wheel)
Space Mountain (Compete makeover)
Enchanted Tiki Room (Complete makeover)
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (Complete makeover)
Pirates of the Caribbean
Haunted Mansion
It's a Small World
Star Tours: The Adventures Continue
Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln; The Disneyland Story
Fantasmic (New Dragon, Flotsam and Jetsam, Tick Tock, new projectors)

Scene additions changes:
Jungle Cruise
Snow White's Scary Adventures
Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye

New Seasonal Attractions:
Jingle Cruise

New Entertainment:
Mickey and the Magical Map
Soundsational Parade
Five and Dime
Red Car News Boys
Instant Concert Just add Water
Fantasy Faire Shows
Citizens of Buena Vista Street
Mad T Party (Previously ElecTRONica)

New Lands:
Carsland
Buena Vista Street

 

[danlb_2000]

Additions/changes to Disneyland Resort since 2005

Attractions:
Monsters Inc Mike and Sulley to the Rescue
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
World of Color
Radiator Springs Racers
Luigi's Flying Tires
Mater's Junkyard Jamboree
The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure
Sleeping Beauty Castle Walk through
Red Car Trolley
Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters
Pirates Lair
Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar
Toy Story Midway Mania


Refurbs:
Silly Symphony Swings (previously Orange Stinger)
Goofy's Sky School (previously Mulholland Madness)
Mickey's Fun Wheel (previously Sun Wheel)
Space Mountain (Compete makeover)
Enchanted Tiki Room (Complete makeover)
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (Complete makeover)
Star Tours: The Adventures Continue
Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln; The Disneyland Story
Fantasmic (New Dragon, Flotsam and Jetsam, Tick Tock, new projectors)

Scene additions changes:
Jungle Cruise
Snow White's Scary Adventures
Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye

New Seasonal Attractions:
Jingle Cruise

New Entertainment:
Mickey and the Magical Map
Soundsational Parade
Five and Dime
Red Car News Boys
Instant Concert Just add Water
Fantasy Faire Shows
Citizens of Buena Vista Street
Mad T Party (Previously ElecTRONica)

New Lands:
Carsland
Buena Vista Street

Nice list, but the op was asking about WDW, not DL.