News 'Beyond Big Thunder Mountain' Blue Sky concept revealed for Magic Kingdom

[networkpro]

It's weird hearing the tomorrowland loop and seeing the tea cups.

It's really weird seeing all of the guests.

 

[doctornick]

Except, there is limited buildable land North of the train station. It is the train maint. for Big Thunder and the canal.

There is literally an designated expansion pad behind Splash. @marni1971 has show maps with that prior. And if they are serious about “beyond thunder mountain” then they have to connect there somehow - either they fill in (at least part of) the RoA or they build a bridge over the canal and the logical place to do that is from area behind BTMRR/Splash. Yes the train service station would need to be taken into account with any plans but that can be done as it would pretty much exclusively be used after hours.

 

[scottieRoss]

There is literally an designated expansion pad behind Splash. @marni1971 has show maps with that prior. And if they are serious about “beyond thunder mountain” then they have to connect there somehow - either they fill in (at least part of) the RoA or they build a bridge over the canal and the logical place to do that is from area behind BTMRR/Splash. Yes the train service station would need to be taken into account with any plans but that can be done as it would pretty much exclusively be used after hours.

Here is the 2020 plan image.
the salmon color is buildable land, The light green is marginally usable/Conservation area.
The only buildable areas are just north of (Beyond) Big Thunder and then moving across the top of the areas behind the park to the utilidor entrance.
The expansion pad is located in the already planned area behind Pirates-East of the canal-south to Seven Seas Lagoon.
The large salmon to the East of Magic Kingdom is currently used now for TRON

 

[doctornick]

Here is the 2020 plan image.
the salmon color is buildable land, The light green is marginally usable/Conservation area.
The only buildable areas are just north of (Beyond) Big Thunder and then moving across the top of the areas behind the park to the utilidor entrance.
The expansion pad is located in the already planned area behind Pirates-East of the canal-south to Seven Seas Lagoon.
The large salmon to the East of Magic Kingdom is currently used now for TRON

I'm not sure if we are talking about the same thing. There is absolutely an expansion pad in Avdentureland south (and a bit west) of the POTC show building - there's also a smaller Adventureland expansion pad next to Crystal Palace once meant for an additional restaurant, but that's neither here nor there.

But there is an specifically designated expansion pad just north of the bathrooms behind Splash (outside the RR station/berm) basically in between BTMRR and the train service building. It's not huge, probably not enough for a ride, but could easily fit a restaurant/shop type stuff for New Orleans theming.

I can't find the map that @marni1971 has shared in the past showing all the designated expansion pads but it was on there. Maybe someone like @RSoxNo1 might have it saved somewhere. I did find this comment by Martin though (the "northwest" he is talking about is basically the "beyond thunder mountain" area):

North west, a long term area for expansion. Possibly a last resort area given the canal and its associated wet dock and double lock gates would need crossing. Possibly harder to get to as well given Splash and BTM, although the area around the BTM garage (directly north of Splash) has been looked at recently for possible Frontierland expansion. This would obviously help in pushing onstage closer to the plot.

I'm not great with drawing, but the expansion are was IIRC the area in red below. I highlighted in yellow the Splash bathrooms.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Just watched Tombstone for the first time a few weeks ago....AMAZING.

3:10 to Yuma is also fantastic…

Ironically who Kathy kennedy and sweater Bob gave Indy and Star Wars too

(After attempting to give it to JJ Reboot, Rian the Dim…and about 10 other people…

Except the one who did a decent job…he’s banished from San Francisco for doing something relevant )

 

[Tha Realest]

3:10 to Yuma is also fantastic…

Ironically who Kathy kennedy and sweater Bob gave Indy and Star Wars too

(After attempting to give it to JJ Reboot, Rian the Dim…and about 10 other people…

Except the one who did a decent job…he’s banished from San Francisco for doing something relevant )

Jon Favreau?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Jon Favreau?

No…that’s gone too cute

Gareth edwards

Or did you mean James mangold

 

[Tha Realest]

No…that’s gone too cute

Gareth edwards

Or did you mean James mangold

You said someone was banished for doing something relevant. It does seem like leadership repels certain creatives. I thought Edward’s was pushed aside after his cut of Rogue One wasn’t working and they had to bring in Gilroy to save the day.
also, Lord & Miller. i didn’t hate Solo but feel like I would’ve enjoyed the experience and vibe of their film and vision better (all of their films and projects have been uniformly excellent).

 

[dennis-in-ct]

Gotcha, I had made this more spread out + ambitious layout for the lands so that may have been why I got that response. Closing Villains Land at night would definitelyView attachment 710354 not be ideal.

I assume this is why people were saying to move small world to Epcot. To free up the space to get to the proposed villain’s land!

 

[MisterPenguin]

I can't find the map that @marni1971 has shared in the past showing all the designated expansion pads but it was on there.

View attachment 697624

Green are the interior park pads @marni1971 has indicated exist. The orange is a harder-to-get-to but slated-for-next (possibly) pad. The yellow is the obvious easy-to-get-to pads surrounding the MK. The red is pie-in-the-sky that would require a bunch of stuff to make happen, like rerouting canals (blue). And the red column is where the fireworks pad is.

With the land-usage maps, there really isn't such things as completely unsuitable (unless there are sink holes). Unsuitable land can be made suitable with enough money and dirt. Preservation land can be traded by buying up green acres elsewhere.

 

[BrerFoxesBayouAdventure]

I like New Orleans Square. I think Latinxland would be nice, although not not as nice as a western Frontierland is. The problem I have with this is why Frontierland has to be replaced at all. If you're gonna retheme a land, retheme Fantasyland!! That land is some serious TLC and NFL did almost nothing for it. Just made if feel aesthatically disorganized.

As a latino myself I genuinely hate the idea of getting my own "special little inclusive land" that has zero IP I'm interested in. I don't care about being represented, just give me fun rides with entertaining characters for god's sake!

 

[Rich Brownn]

Echoing @Sirwalterraleigh, they had limited space & money comment, it doesn’t change my opinion. The thematic transition from Tomorrowland to Fantasyland is appalling

Even with limited space, he didn't have to loop it around the Matterhorn (which also can never make up its mind which land it belongs in).

 

[Rich Brownn]

I assume this is why people were saying to move small world to Epcot. To free up the space to get to the proposed villain’s land!

Even if Small World was moved what about the big box Mansion building located right next to it now?

 

[BlakeW39]

As a latino myself I genuinely hate the idea of getting my own "special little inclusive land" that has zero IP I'm interested in. I don't care about being represented, just give me fun rides with entertaining characters for god's sake!

Yep, and while I am black I never once would have EVER asked for Splash to be closed. But they are not concerned with what we want, sadly

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

You said someone was banished for doing something relevant. It does seem like leadership repels certain creatives. I thought Edward’s was pushed aside after his cut of Rogue One wasn’t working and they had to bring in Gilroy to save the day.
also, Lord & Miller. i didn’t hate Solo but feel like I would’ve enjoyed the experience and vibe of their film and vision better (all of their films and projects have been uniformly excellent).

We probably agree

Though I still think edwards was “too serious” for their tastes. Was a fan and was on record as saying it was star WARS…

But that was also when they they thought they “really nailed it” by making a silly reboot that has looked worse every day since…so hubris was high.

I think the lord and Miller thing might have been too silly. And it was of course always a back story nobody really wanted. I mean…you kill off ford cause he was grumpy and wanted a big check….then do a back story like 2 years later?
They could screw up a 1 car funeral at LFL.

Ok…we’re off course. For another time

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Yep, and while I am black I never once would have EVER asked for Splash to be closed. But they are not concerned with what we want, sadly

…wait…you’re Black?!?

…kidding. But my personal opinion was and still is that they have always missed and opportunity to use walt Disney’s life and evolution of the company over the 20th century to acknowledge how persistent prejudice was in the context of society and how they have moved forward. He was a flawed man and the people that have followed have improved that. Our public policy is still more slanted - brutally obviously now thanks to Boom - than the Walt Disney Company. Acknowledgment of our mistakes leads to better people…and we can do that together.

Have you read “Who’s afraid of song of the south”? Recommend it if you haven’t.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I assume this is why people were saying to move small world to Epcot. To free up the space to get to the proposed villain’s land!

There is no villains land.

It’s a unicorn and pretty obvious counter to Diagon and the monsters land under construction up on kirkman.

But they’re not gonna do it. It’s just so their fans spin it to create fake buzz. They’ve been manipulating that one 20+ years.

And besides…it would go in studios. Which people also conveniently forget that Iger sorta landlocked without major capacity adds already. Lost potential.

 

[pdude81]

The exit is open to PB, but doesn't really go into it.

It can be easily walled off.

I really wonder if they'd shut down CBJ and spend money to build the wall and then open it back up. But they'd have to anyway to do work on the restaurant as guests couldn't be walking through an active (indoor) construction zone. The other question I have is whether or not that confusing exit is also needed to meet fire codes for the restaurant.

So to try to get a better understanding of this, I had to see what was being rumored. I haven't watched one of his videos in a while but checked this one out so I'm at least familiar with what was said and what wasn't.


First I'll start with a direct quote from the video:
"I can tell you with near certainty what I'm about to tell you will be happening, to some degree, at the Magic Kingdom in the near future."

He seems to be clearly saying that he's getting indications from sources about a restaurant to go along with the Splash rework. We've seen information about this for a while here so that's not a surprise. What he says about the entire rest of this appears to be opinion. I think this or that will stay. Maybe they'll change the look of these buildings. Maybe they'll add BTMRR to a new land up expanded northward.

I'll start with something that seems plausible, which is where he mentions that they want to do a complete refurb on CBJ to modern animatronics to improve show experience and cut maintenance costs. That would be smart and answers my question above about CBJ exit and what would happen with a wall. If both are being redone at the same time then I can see CBJ staying.

However, none of the rest of the MV video makes any sense to me. If they are going to retheme Pecos Bill, I don't assume the entryway that faces Frontier Land would need to be the same. That part of the building could still match the aestaethics of Frontierland which can turn right along the water there. It would take a bit of transition work, but here's my unsolicited idea:

(I can try to sketch this up if anybody cares about my thoughts, but I won't assume that right now.)

From the perspective of walking west through FL past CBJ:

- Make a right to go over the bridge and stay in FL or go straight into a WDW version of NO square.
- If follow the water line there would be some more trees or other cover on your left visually block the flume ride
-TSI boats are to the right and BTMRR straight ahead.

If you went straight to NOSQ:
- Flume ride ahead and you hand a right the same as you would now to get there.
- The trees or other cover mentioned for FL would instead be to your right
- Rebrand train station to NOSQ
- Transition area with turn like the do b/w SWGE and TSL

and here's the big one. If you're going to annex something into New Orleans square, how about Pirate's of the Caribbean. Adventureland can end with JC and Tiki Room.

I apologize if you just read this whole thing and want that minute of your life back.

 

[pdude81]

Also I'd like to give a shout out to @marni1971 for his Ultimate CBJ tribute video. Now I understand why there was an exit into Pecos Bill's in the first place. The original design seems much better than what we have now.

 

[Fox&Hound]

There is no villains land.

It’s a unicorn and pretty obvious counter to Diagon and the monsters land under construction up on kirkman.

But they’re not gonna do it. It’s just so their fans spin it to create fake buzz. They’ve been manipulating that one 20+ years.

And besides…it would go in studios. Which people also conveniently forget that Iger sorta landlocked without major capacity adds already. Lost potential.

Curious question- why would if go to DHS over MK? Has that been on the table before?

I love the Disney villains, but I fear they would screw it up. Building sleeping beauty’s castle covered in thorns while a roller coaster ride takes you past a giant AA dragon Maleficent would be epic. A spinner themed to Ursula where you ride her tentacles and an “Evil Queen” apple cart- not so much. And which one would we get?