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

[Disgruntled Walt]

DHS got a major ride based on a character almost 100 years old.

Nope. #notmyMickey

Walt after seeing the new Mickey Mouse cartoons:

"WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE TO MY MOUSE?"

And after realizing they replaced the Great Movie Ride:

"YOU GOT RID OF THE WIZARD OF OZ MUNCHKINLAND RECREATION FOR THIS NIGHTMARE?!"

 

[MisterPenguin]

Nope. #notmyMickey

Walt after seeing the new Mickey Mouse cartoons:
View attachment 787870
"WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE TO MY MOUSE?"

And after realizing they replaced the Great Movie Ride:
View attachment 787871
"YOU GOT RID OF THE WIZARD OF OZ MUNCHKINLAND RECREATION FOR THIS NIGHTMARE?!"

That's the guy who approved this...

 

[TheRealSkull]

Are we saying Lightning McQueen is just as timeless as Mickey Mouse

No but he is very profitable. Cars made an estimated $10 billion in merchandise sales from the first movie alone. Cars was also second behind Star Wars in leading Hollywood movies based on merchandise sales revenue.

 

[eddie104]

No but he is very profitable. Cars made an estimated $10 billion in merchandise sales from the first movie alone. Cars was also second behind Star Wars in leading Hollywood movies based on merchandise sales revenue.

You’re really selling this franchise huh ?

 

[TheRealSkull]

You’re really selling this franchise huh ?

Nah just "revving" up some facts here, my friend.

 

[TheRealSkull]

You’re really selling this franchise huh ?

In all seriousness, I just don't think RSR would be a bad addition. To summarize what I said earlier, great land, very beautiful, very profitable. But I'm sure whatever they put back there will be wonderful. It is MK's largest expansion in history after all, so the pressure is on at WDI.

Not trying to sell anything, just my opinion.

 

[Chef idea Mickey`=]

In all seriousness, I just don't think RSR would be a bad addition. To summarize what I said earlier, great land, very beautiful, very profitable. But I'm sure whatever they put back there will be wonderful. It is MK's largest expansion in history after all, so the pressure is on at WDI.

Not trying to sell anything, just my opinion.

I'm actually wondering something else, the largest expansion in MK's history deserves something that is timeless and beautiful. To not have the World of Arendelle and now Encanto relocated something colorful or landscape that lights up at night is necessary at least to contrast a Villains environment next door.

 

[Haymarket2008]

We have to remember that TDR is probably not expanding anytime soon in the foreseeable future so they had no choice but not knock this expansion out the park.

True, yet this would also apply to Magic Kingdom. The only TRUE expansion of genuine size left is the Beyond Big Thunder area. They have to nail this.

(The Adventureland expansion plot, AFAIK, isn’t being looked at for anything except for one ride. That doesn’t really count.)

 

[TheRealSkull]

I'm actually wondering something else, the largest expansion in MK's history deserves something that is timeless and beautiful. To not have the World of Arendelle and now Encanto relocated something colorful or landscape that lights up at night is necessary at least to contrast a Villains environment next door.

Whatever is next to Villians needs to be colorful (of course with a transition that is done correctly between the Villians land and whatever is going next to it to prevent sightline and anything from that area being visible from either side). I'm assuming we are saying this based off the idea that we associate the theme Villians with darker color palettes.

Hoping we don't go down this path in terms of lighting again. It wouldn't contrast Villians enough. I'm not hating it, it's cool, but it's starting to become a little repetitive:

 

[James Alucobond]

I'm assuming we are saying this based off the idea that we associate the theme Villians with darker color palettes.

I don’t mind if they go that route with the central castle, cathedral, or whatever in a possible villain expansion, but I hope the land itself is not colorless and dull. That would be a poor expression of Disney’s villains, who are themselves often incredibly vibrant. I realize it’s not finished yet, but the Dark Universe look of a bunch of gray stone that seems to have been rubbed down with a metric ton of bootblack is exactly what I don’t want.

 

[TheRealSkull]

I don’t mind if they go that route with the central castle, cathedral, or whatever in a possible villain expansion, but I hope the land itself is not colorless and dull. That would be a poor expression of Disney’s villains, who are themselves often incredibly vibrant. I realize it’s not finished yet, but the Dark Universe look of a bunch of gray stone that seems to have been rubbed down with a metric ton of bootblack is exactly what I don’t want.

I doubt it. Like you said, that's Universal's bread and butter. Disney's Villians are much more whimsical. Renaissance era ones at least.

 

[doctornick]

True, yet this would also apply to Magic Kingdom. The only TRUE expansion of genuine size left is the Beyond Big Thunder area. They have to nail this.

(The Adventureland expansion plot, AFAIK, isn’t being looked at for anything except for one ride. That doesn’t really count.)

There’s other space - some requiring less work than others - that can be used to expand MK besides BBTM. there’s a designated expansion pad north of Tron for example.

 

[BrianLo]

If Disneyland can come out of the woodwork with 30 acres after we for sure for sure thought it was out of room (even before galaxies edge and MMRR)… I’m sure Magic Kingdom can come up with endless creative ways to make space.

 

[TheRealSkull]

If Disneyland can come out of the woodwork with 30 acres after we for sure for sure thought it was out of room (even before galaxies edge and MMRR)… I’m sure Magic Kingdom can come up with endless creative ways to make space.

Yep. No reason to fill in Tom Sawyer's Island and ROA when the Magic Kingdom is already a concrete jungle.

 

[easyrowrdw]

Exactly. A Fantasy Springs style expansion based on villains is pretty much ideal for MK. I don't really understand why the powers that be have seemed to sour on the villains idea (especially given the positive in person response and online chatter)

Villains seems like something that excites “Disney adults” and a lot of superfans online. I don’t know how well that translates to regular guests and kids, in particular. Anecdotally, I think my kids would be scared at the prospect of it.

 

[TheRealSkull]

Villains seems like something that excites “Disney adults” and a lot of superfans online. I don’t know how well that translates to regular guests and kids, in particular. Anecdotally, I think my kids would be scared at the prospect of it.

True. IMO, it would work better at Disneyland, known to cater to Magic Key Holders more.

 

[999th Happy Haunt]

Villains seems like something that excites “Disney adults” and a lot of superfans online. I don’t know how well that translates to regular guests and kids, in particular. Anecdotally, I think my kids would be scared at the prospect of it.

Oh god forbid

 

[doctornick]

Villains seems like something that excites “Disney adults” and a lot of superfans online. I don’t know how well that translates to regular guests and kids, in particular. Anecdotally, I think my kids would be scared at the prospect of it.

I don't really think that would be a significant problem, especially as I would expect the villains to be more flamboyant than creepy. They have villains M&Gs in the parks and resorts and kids do just fine.

That being said, if Disney has a concern about this, seems to me an easy way to deal with it is to have the villains land set up in a way that you can bypass it if walking near the entrance as opposed to being funneled into it if you are near. So I guess what I'm picturing is Coco or whatever else is build BBTM, you can walk from there to the other side of the RoA (near HM) without entering villains land, but also having entrances to the villains area off the path that you can go in if you desire.

 

[mysto]

True, yet this would also apply to Magic Kingdom. The only TRUE expansion of genuine size left is the Beyond Big Thunder area. They have to nail this.

The TTC parking lot is huge, they could totally built Lawrence of Arabia land there. Complete with majestic vistas. Or more likely 20,000 DVC studios.

 

[SilentWindODoom]

Whatever is next to Villians needs to be colorful (of course with a transition that is done correctly between the Villians land and whatever is going next to it to prevent sightline and anything from that area being visible from either side). I'm assuming we are saying this based off the idea that we associate the theme Villians with darker color palettes.

Hoping we don't go down this path in terms of lighting again. It wouldn't contrast Villians enough. I'm not hating it, it's cool, but it's starting to become a little repetitive:

Ohmygoodness! A forest. It would be the perfect. Have a forest at the edge of the other portions of the expansion becoming more gnarled and Snow-White-like until you hit the land. It's so iconic. Not just in the Disney canon, but it's often said the whole point of fairy tales like the Grimm ones was to scare children out of trusting strangers and wandering from home into dangerous places like the forest. Using that transition to travel into the land would be perfect.

I don't really think that would be a significant problem, especially as I would expect the villains to be more flamboyant than creepy. They have villains M&Gs in the parks and resorts and kids do just fine.

That being said, if Disney has a concern about this, seems to me an easy way to deal with it is to have the villains land set up in a way that you can bypass it if walking near the entrance as opposed to being funneled into it if you are near. So I guess what I'm picturing is Coco or whatever else is build BBTM, you can walk from there to the other side of the RoA (near HM) without entering villains land, but also having entrances to the villains area off the path that you can go in if you desire.

While this sounds like a good idea, I don't know if this is possible without traveling through the current location of and evicting the native tribe on the waterfront. It's bad enough they decided that the jungle is a place for foreign tourists and the locals don't belong there. I do not want to see the same on the Rivers of America.