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

[MadderAdder]

Epic was officially announced Aug 1, 2019 (and rumored/discussed before that) - it is scheduled to open in 2025. People act like it's on a 2 year turn around, it's not. Does Universal build faster than Disney, yes.

"I didn't hear about..." and "feels like..." are your perceptions of the world, not entirely based in fact.

Okay, six years for an entirely new theme park, not one land or two rides. Still better…

 

[Chef idea Mickey`=]

So the beyond big thunder mountain stuff they talked about last year, they talked about this year. So that's over a year of just talking.

If/when they ever actually decide what is going there, it will be many years after that (5 to 7 years) before something is open to the public.

They MUST STOP playing these games. DO NOT SHOW blue sky stuff that are not green lit.

Even projects that are green lit are many times changed to budget cuts and takes many, many years to complete.

From the moment I first head of EPIC Universe, it wasn't too long after I saw construction photos and it goes without saying they are MOVING FAST on this project as we can see by the photos.

Whatever special district EPIC Universe resides in, that got out of the way and let them build.

For REAL! Why can't they just stick to Universal's page book and just keep whatever they're doing a secret you can still do survey feedback calculations about how people would feel about a land on this and that. Universal hasn't even named announced their newest resorts officially nor did they throw concept art of it before its become a reality! Even in the beginning you couldn't confirm for sure what the lands of EPIC Universe would 100% be aside exception Nintendo World! Especially with all the changes no one is excited anymore if the wait is years and years and it doesn't come fruition like the first concept art which most times are way better than the second and third take Epcot for example!

 

[doctornick]

You do realize that there shouldn’t be that much time differential between a whole new park and a new land, right? They happen at the same-ish pace regardless of how many lands you’re building simultaneously.

Yeah, this always seems like a silly criticism. Building multiple things in parallel at once shouldn't cause a project to overall be slower since each invidisual land/ride/etc (in this case) doesn't impact the build of something else. It's not like Uni is going to build the Monsters Land completely and then shift gears and start building How Train Your Dragon next then do Nintendo after that is done. They are all being built at the same time.

 

[gorillaball]

Universal is impressive. Epic Universe has been very exciting. Universal has the money and the "will" to decide on projects and start moving...and move strong and fast. It even seems that when they change their plans...the new idea is an improvement on the original idea!

Disney?....nope. They waffle and flounder back and forth. Their plans get stuck in INTERNAL red tape and get voted and revoted in Disney committe. They dont have the money and when they DO agree to build something...it's budget DOUBLES mid-way through and then is scaled DOWN before it finishes.

Universals plans right...budgets right...builds right...builds fast and finishes on (roughly) time. Disney does the opposite on everything.

Oh...by the way. Universal is about to get a 10-15 BILLION dollar check from Disney in the next 4 months for their portion of HULU. What do you think that Universal will be able to do with Disney's 10-15 BILLION dollars?

The sky is the limit for Universal and I'm SURE they smell Disney blood in the water. They just go hire Disney's best people and they run full speed.

So Universal didn't cut a ride from the new HP land at Epic? hmmm.
Sometimes perception is dependent on which pair of glasses you pick up.
Keep in mind - I'm not saying Disney doesn't build slow, they do, agonizingly slow. They would obviously help themselves a lot of they knew how to keep things under wraps until further along in the process.

 

[Dear Prudence]

So the beyond big thunder mountain stuff they talked about last year, they talked about this year. So that's over a year of just talking.

If/when they ever actually decide what is going there, it will be many years after that (5 to 7 years) before something is open to the public.

They MUST STOP playing these games. DO NOT SHOW blue sky stuff that are not green lit.

Even projects that are green lit are many times changed to budget cuts and takes many, many years to complete.

From the moment I first head of EPIC Universe, it wasn't too long after I saw construction photos and it goes without saying they are MOVING FAST on this project as we can see by the photos.

Whatever special district EPIC Universe resides in, that got out of the way and let them build.

I was thinking the same thing. Stop showing us the pie in the sky, and start showing us things they are actually working on.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Okay, six years for an entirely new theme park, not one land or two rides. Still better…

The project didn’t start when it was announced. It had already been in productions for years at that point.

For REAL! Why can't they just stick to Universal's page book and just keep whatever they're doing a secret you can still do survey feedback calculations about how people would feel about a land on this and that. Universal hasn't even named announced their newest resorts officially nor did they throw concept art of it before its become a reality! Even in the beginning you couldn't confirm for sure what the lands of EPIC Universe would 100% be aside exception Nintendo World! Especially with all the changes no one is excited anymore if the wait is years and years and it doesn't come fruition like the first concept art which most times are way better than the second and third take Epcot for example!

That description of Universal’s playbook is completely divorced from reality.

So Universal didn't cut a ride from the new HP land at Epic? hmmm.

And that’s just the thing that people learned about.

 

[Chef idea Mickey`=]

That description of Universal’s playbook is completely divorced from reality.

So they did announce Epic Universe a new theme park but that's about it. I don't think it was an official announcement but an announcement made at the Convention Center to my memory. My point is Disney is hurting itself more and more with throwing out wow factors over and over again plans that at the end of the day become myths, never built or resumed. Universal has done far less than Disney with the talk!

 

[Disstevefan1]

You do realize that there shouldn’t be that much time differential between a whole new park and a new land, right? They happen at the same-ish pace regardless of how many lands you’re building simultaneously.

We will agree to disagree.

I cannot believe it should take the same time to start with an empty lot with no infrastructure and build an entire new theme part and three hotels VS. an additional land to an existing park.

 

[James Alucobond]

We will agree to disagree.

I mean, I don't agree to disagree. It's a fact. Assuming the same building schedule for each land, it takes the same amount of time to build one land as it does to build five unless you're staggering or doing it sequentially. Likewise, it takes the same amount of time to build one hotel as it does to build three. Sometimes, existing infrastructure is more of a hindrance than starting with a blank slate.

 

[UNCgolf]

We will agree to disagree.

I cannot believe it should take the same time to start with an empty lot with no infrastructure and build an entire new theme part and three hotels VS. an additional land to an existing park.

There's often little or no infrastructure where they are building a new land either, though. And they potentially have to work around the existing park instead of having free rein to do whatever.

 

[Disstevefan1]

I mean, I don't agree to disagree. It's a fact. Assuming the same building schedule for each land, it takes the same amount of time to build one land as it does to build five unless you're staggering or doing it sequentially. Likewise, it takes the same amount of time to build one hotel as it does to build three. Sometimes, existing infrastructure is more of a hindrance than starting with a blank slate.

I did kind of derail the discussion in that the time it takes from empty lot to building a land within an existing park. I understand your rationale. That was my fault.

My initial gripe was Disney announces these projects at D23 and calls them Blue Sky and announces them way too early. and it will be many years IF anything opens to the public.

I have resolved myself to totally ignore these announcements as they will most likely not happen, but for others it may set expectations.

As a fun exercise, the clock started back in Sept. 2022 for beyond thunder as that was when in was announced at D23, and then RE announced this year, so lets see how much time passes before whatever they try to do back there actually opens to the public.

Given its (more difficult, thank you) to build a new land in an existing park, I say it will take 7 years, from breaking ground whenever that is going to happen and we have no idea when that is going to happen. Having said that, I will guess, it will open about 8 years from now, if it happens at all.

 

[Cliff]

We need to give Josh a little break. He is under a LOT of pressure at these D23 events. He is prolly being told:

1.) Go out there and create the "impression" that the US parks are on the verge of greatness and that HUGE things are on the way.

2.) Dazzle people with as many ideas as you can and create the "idea" that the company is STRONG and that everything is STABLE and fine.

3.) Do NOT "promise" anything to stockholders. Do not cause people to make financial decisions based on unrealistic expectations.

4.) Josh...Disney could be held financially LIABLE if you "promise" anything that is not true.

How do you balance two radically conflicting goals on stage?

 

[Disstevefan1]

We need to give Josh a little break. He is under a LOT of pressure at these D23 events. He is prolly being told:

1.) Go out there and create the "impression" that the US parks are on the verge of greatness and that HUGE things are on the way.

2.) Dazzle people with as many ideas as you can and create the "idea" that the company is STRONG and that everything is STABLE and fine.

3.) Do NOT "promise" anything to stockholders. Do not cause people to make financial decisions based on unrealistic expectations.

4.) Josh...Disney could be held financially liable if you promise anything that is not true.

How do you balance two radically conflicting goals on stage?

No blame goes to Josh, he is just a performer in the dog and pony show.

The blame goes to the top.

 

[Rich Brownn]

Wow, thatch a long time ago! This is not about EPIC as it mentions 700 time-share units, a pair of 18-hole golf courses, and more than 2 million square feet of retail space.

After the Sept. 11 attacks everything by everyone halted in fact Universal sold off land that was intended for whats mentioned in this article I think.

In your research do you know when EPIC universe was first mentioned? It doesn't matter, I don't feel like I am waiting 7 years for EPIC to open no matter when its first announced.

It feels like to me its taking FOREVER for Disney to finish (whatever they are trying to do) in EPCOT.

The land was sold off to cover debts for Vivendi (the owner at the time). Has nothing to do with 9/11

 

[Rich Brownn]

Okay, six years for an entirely new theme park, not one land or two rides. Still better…

It was originally scheduled to open in 2023 (4 years) but the pandemic cost them a year construction time and another delay in ramping back up and shortages of materials.

 

[Disstevefan1]

The land was sold off to cover debts for Vivendi (the owner at the time). Has nothing to do with 9/11

Thanks for the clarification.

 

[WaltsTreasureChest]

I did kind of derail the discussion in that the time it takes from empty lot to building a land within an existing park. I understand your rationale. That was my fault.

My initial gripe was Disney announces these projects at D23 and calls them Blue Sky and announces them way too early. and it will be many years IF anything opens to the public.

I have resolved myself to totally ignore these announcements as they will most likely not happen, but for others it may set expectations.

As a fun exercise, the clock started back in Sept. 2022 for beyond thunder as that was when in was announced at D23, and then RE announced this year, so lets see how much time passes before whatever they try to do back there actually opens to the public.

Given its (more difficult, thank you) to build a new land in an existing park, I say it will take 7 years, from breaking ground whenever that is going to happen and we have no idea when that is going to happen. Having said that, I will guess, it will open about 8 years from now, if it happens at all.

You’re gonna be an old man when you get your new Disney ride

 

[UNCgolf]

To ensure guests walk around and window watch all the sea mammals instead large portion sit watch and leave.

I don't think that was ever a concern -- you can't see all the animals from the tunnel windows anyways, but the pavilion was so much better when it was one unified concept.

Now most people just skip the Nemo ride and go straight to the aquarium (although I think that was happening before they changed it to Nemo too because they'd let it stagnate).

 

[Disstevefan1]

You’re gonna be an old man when you get your new Disney ride

So true. Cant argue with that.

 

[Cliff]

Too many people think that Disney is loaded with money and can afford to build all these fantasy ideas anytime they want. They think that Disney is just being in-decisive or just un-sure of the correct idea to implement.

The hard reality that too many people (Pixie Dusters) must finally come to grips with is that Disney does NOT have the finances to afford much of these ideas right now. The truth is that Disney is laying of thousands and thousands of good people and will likely be broken into pieces and sold off separately down the road. For some, this is a really hard concept to swallow. It's like finding our your emperor has no clothes! Disney is now hurting BADLY and this is a fact.

It's like that scene in Forest Gump where he's running across the country and has a mob of "believers" that are following him religiously. When Forest stops and says he is tired and wants to go home...people are stunned in disbelief and they say "what?...what?...........what do "WE" do now??"

This is a harsh and painful reality for some people. We put this corporation on a pedestal and when we find out it's not what we think it is....we try to rationalize it away with all kinds of psychological tactics.

No,...not every fan is like this...but sadly, some very much ARE like this.