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

[lazyboy97o]

I’d be curious as to why it would be “trickier”.

Because the Rivers of America is directly connected to the Seven Seas Lagoon and thus the larger water management strategy of Walt Disney World. Whereas Disneyland could just fill in parts of Rivers of America, at the Magic Kingdom that volume of water and the additional water the Rivers could hold would have to be relocated along with providing the additional water management capacity required of any expansion.

 

[EricsBiscuit]

Because the Rivers of America is directly connected to the Seven Seas Lagoon and thus the larger water management strategy of Walt Disney World. Whereas Disneyland could just fill in parts of Rivers of America, at the Magic Kingdom that volume of water and the additional water the Rivers could hold would have to be relocated along with providing the additional water management capacity required of any expansion.

Hopefully that protects the river somewhat from any shortsighted bean counters.

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

I'm curious whether any of the proposals would call for the permanent docking of the riverboat.

 

[Squishy]

Because the Rivers of America is directly connected to the Seven Seas Lagoon and thus the larger water management strategy of Walt Disney World. Whereas Disneyland could just fill in parts of Rivers of America, at the Magic Kingdom that volume of water and the additional water the Rivers could hold would have to be relocated along with providing the additional water management capacity required of any expansion.

Didn't they literally drain the whole thing a few years ago?

 

[EricsBiscuit]

I'm curious whether any of the proposals would call for the permanent docking of the riverboat.

Would be such a shame. Especially after they just spent a small fortune refurbishing it (including a new boiler).

Edit: they have so much space back there that they could build outside the WDWRR tracks with minimal downtime for either the WDWRR or the Liberty Belle. No matter what they do, they’re going to need to spend a lot of money on site work. A fortune on dirt alone. No sense in shortening the river and losing 2-3 attractions for another 1-2 years.

 

[MagicHappens1971]

I'm curious whether any of the proposals would call for the permanent docking of the riverboat.

I don't think this would actually happen.

 

[Squishy]

I don't think this would actually happen.

If it does, that's how you know the end is near

 

[lazyboy97o]

Didn't they literally drain the whole thing a few years ago?

Temporarily. Water wasn’t fully prevented from lowing into the area during the work and the temporary dam could have been breached/removed if a significant weather event occurred or was expected.

 

[GhostHost1000]

Moana belongs in Adventureland. Use that Shanghai pirates tech and build a great e ticket behind pirates and adventure land will be on the map.

Rejigger Frontierland as an easy to west progression. The bears in appalichia. Add more line trees and rocks. Leading into New Orleans around Tiana and then the far west with big thunder and ultimately Mexico. I think that progression fits the idea of the frontier very well from a westward expansion view. I would do giant villains section for the rest to connect back to mansion. And while there back there build the Asian Beauty and the Beast ride and connect it to Belles house. To plus up fantasyland. I'd take out the speedway and use that for some of the fantasy springs attractions. Maybe expand Peter Pan and then the old pan into tangled since we apparently can't get rid of small world.

As much as coco goes with Mexico in Epcot the space for a great ride isn't really there and I would rather they build out other countries. Give us a mulan attraction in China and poppins in UK.

If we're doing tropical americas the you can do encanto in Ak. I hate losing dinosaurs and feel like they should kept the Dino theming and build tropical just where hester and Chester's area is. Restuarantoaurus I think is well themed it's just the other side that isn't.

Hollywood you can do pretty much anything. The different studios as the lands always made the most sense to me but that ship has sailed. Something to take over all of the animation courtyard whether it's Zootopia or something all new would be preferable. Using those available marvel characters would be cool.

They could take up the Swiss family Robinson treehouse space.

 

[BrianLo]

I can get behind Moana as long as they do it right. At least that's a movie that seems to have staying power.
Good movie, characters, and story.
Movies like Encanto do not, so I'll chalk Moana up as a win.

Moana was 1 and Encanto 2 in 2023 for top movies streamed across all platforms.

Moana being most popular is valid. Encanto not being incredibly popular, is not. It also wasn’t Encanto’s first year run and other franchises that I don’t think anyone really question their validity of park expansions (new Black Panther and Avatar films) it managed to overtake.

 

[Squishy]

 

[Teddybearre]

Hey everyone! I apologize if this is a dumb question, but I just wanted to catch myself up on the current beyond big thunder rumors. I’ve heard that villains is still on the table, which if so, would be a dream come true for me. Any other recent rumors that I should know about?

 

[Brer Panther]

There were rumors flying around on here previously that Zootopia might be added here as well.

 

[OSUPhantom]

If Disney misses the opportunity to capitalize on their villains with a land then shame on them. Whatever these supposed focus groups of surveys told them is nonsense and this is a golden opportunity they should not miss.

 

[britain]

Again, boo to villains land. Villains are what make hero attractions great.

 

[EPCOT-O.G.]

Again, boo to villains land. Villains are what make hero attractions great.

Villains are decidedly out of vogue in their recent films. Unless the “villain” is society itself.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Villains are decidedly out of vogue in their recent films. Unless the “villain” is society itself.

They tried to have one in Wish…and do we remember Melissa McCarthy in TLM? They still have villains.

 

[James Alucobond]

They tried to have one in Wish…and do we remember Melissa McCarthy in TLM? They still have villains.

Was gonna say ... Wish's villain was actually almost shocking in his treatment considering he had backstory that could've made him redeemable, but ... forbidden magic and all that.

 

[flyerjab]

I’m beginning to wonder how much of Beyond Big Thunder is going to happen. It would seem that possibly Coco and Encanto are headed to DAK.

With the way Josh was slinging around concept art the past few years, I’m starting to consider all possibilities anymore. Moana (at least for now) Disney appear to be part of DAK’s expansion plans. This IP still seems very popular, more so deserving of a larger attraction than the Epcot walk through. Maybe they pivot away from BBT and expand Adventureland . Over the last decade, Fantasyland was redone, Tron was added to Tomorrowland, and now Frontierland is getting a completely refurbished E-Ticket. Besides Liberty Square, Adventureland is full of all original (meaning old) attractions. Maybe they tap into that expansion plot and add a Moana attraction there. Unless they are content with just a walk through, previous iterations of concept art tells me they are still looking at possible future attractions with this IP. And I don’t see it as part of a BBT expansion.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Was gonna say ... Wish's villain was actually almost shocking in his treatment considering he had backstory that could've made him redeemable, but ... forbidden magic and all that.

I think the only safe place for Chris Pine, especially when he tries to sing, is locked away in a magic ball.