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

[Door Coaster]

This is a rough estimate, but according to Google Earth, there's about 35 acres of land back here. I'm not an architect but, if they could build a bridge between the edge of Big Thunder and these new "lands" and a pathway between Fantasyland they could have the best of both worlds. I honestly have no idea how realistic this is butView attachment 697863

Villains would need to close at night. It's far too close to the firework launch sites here.

 

[MagicHappens1971]

Villains would need to close at night. It's far too close to the firework launch sites here.

I mean Disneyland does it was with ToonTown. It’s not completely unprecedented

This is also my very optimistic idea, in actuality, all of the lands/expansions could take up the plot of one or maybe even two spaces.

 

[UNCgolf]

I mean Disneyland does it was with ToonTown. It’s not completely unprecedented

You'd want a Villains Land open at night, though. That would probably be the most popular time!

 

[MagicHappens1971]

You'd want a Villains Land open at night, though. That would probably be the most popular time!

Agreed

 

[Door Coaster]

I mean Disneyland does it was with ToonTown. It’s not completely unprecedented

Yes, but Villains optimally would be designed with nighttime operations in mind. Having it close at sunset would be simply embarrassing.

 

[Ghost93]

If the Coco/Encanto/Villains land ever happens, I still believe at least part of Tom Sawyer's Island would be rethemed and made to connect with those lands.

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

I think it's been established there's no easy way to put Coco in Mexico. They'd have to shut down half of the pavilion (if not the whole thing) and do major construction to make it work, because there's nowhere to put a queue.

I guess they could eliminate the tequila stand and shove something in between the Odyssey and the current building, but they'd still have to do some significant renovations to the existing pavilion to connect back in.

Oh I know, hence my little disclaimer - I don't particularly want Coco in EPCOT (or Frozen, or any of the ill-fitting IP's that have been proposed or built for World Showcase), but of the existing landscape at WDW that's maybe where it could make the most sense without building a whole mini-land for it. AK is out, DHS would be a stretch, but at least there's a cultural component that could be expanded on for EPCOT. But I agree that the facility is too small for something that would undoubtedly be popular.

I'm also not sold on the idea that a Flight of Passage-like attraction is the best ride concept for the IP. While riding on the back of an Alebrije would no doubt be fun, I think for guests the aspirational moment in Coco is more about visiting the Land of the Dead and seeing that place "for real". There could be some absolutely thrilling set design and illusions in creating that space dimensionally, not to mention the great Animatronic moments they could create with the Calaveras. It would be nice to slow down and drink in that environment rather than blister past it in a CGI screen-fest, especially if like Flight of Passage you never get to see the creature you're riding on. Witnessing a big Alebrije animatronic would make more of an impact to me than "riding" one on another simulator.

 

[MisterPenguin]

at one point Disney did attempt to port the Quinjet, Avengers and all, to EPCOT. It would have replaced WOL. They got too bullish when asking Uni if they could use the license and Uni responded by killing it stone cold dead. Ironically Uni's own Avengers E project (which would have replaced Doctor Room's Doom's Fearfall and backstage areas) stalled out and died at roughly the same period in time.

Where is this info from?

 

[MagicHappens1971]

If the Coco/Encanto/Villains land ever happens, I still believe at least part of Tom Sawyer's Island would be rethemed and made to connect with those lands.

I would agree, but I wonder if they would still run the rafts or make it so that you could only get there on foot by whatever new passageway is created

 

[MagicHappens1971]

Where is this info from?

I was wondering the same. I remember rumors of some other Marvel attraction coming to WoL but not the quinjet and especially not all the universal drama

 

[Door Coaster]

Where is this info from?

One second please...

Did we ever learn what the proposed attraction was? More Guardians? Stark Expo?

It would have replaced the building. But that ship sailed.

Avengers E.

Pass. Maybe they were too bullish and that’s a reason it didn’t happen. Hence the “no more Epcot Marvel” mantra from above.

Like I said earlier this could be a reason why it’s not happening

 

[Door Coaster]

I was wondering the same. I remember rumors of some other Marvel attraction coming to WoL but not the quinjet and especially not all the universal drama

Knowhere was another proposal.

GotG into the WoL was a proposal. One of many. Not the top one.

The future of this building is still undecided.

 

[doctornick]

Side note: Coco and Encanto would be labeled as Frontierland probably right? It would be really weird if they were just their own thing.

Coco/Encanto would not be part of Frontierland. Maybe they would be individual small land or they’d come up with a different encompassing theme for both.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Hey, armchair imagineers. The purple area is off limits for one or more of the following reasons:

• Too close to fireworks
• Block backstage access
• Land is unsuitable for building

The area around the number 4 could theoretically be opened up if they move a fireworks launch pad.

 

[Door Coaster]

Hey, armchair imagineers. The purple area is off limits for one or more of the following reasons:

• Too close to fireworks
• Block backstage access
• Land is unsuitable for building

The area around the number 4 could theoretically be opened up if they move a fireworks launch pad.

View attachment 697872

Alright so looking at the map I made it seems WDW has indeed taken this fact into consideration and it's why the river's being shortened. Villains by the looks of it is at least somewhat going into that area by Fireworks Pad #4, which will require relocation if Villains gets built.

 

[doctornick]

if it came down to it, it’s probably easier/cheaper to move to fireworks launch sites more north if they needed to open up more land than it is to do things like redirect canals or redo the the ROA/train tracks.

 

[J4546]

If they reroute the canals, rerouting the road wouldn't be nearly as hard right?. They could easily push them back and drastically increase expansion size

 

[Animaniac93-98]

To me I'd prefer if this expansion was set up like this:

- Coco is like Diagon Alley, more a place to explore on your own and see entertainment than a ride. There could be a similar transition from land of the living vs land of the dead (like London vs Diagon) and a trolley going through the whole complex. Stages are set up for entertainment and bulk of expansion's food/shopping would be here

- Encanto is ride through house, like Mystic Manor. There's also interactive stuff to explore around area like Nintendo World

- Villain land has boat ride through Forbidden Mountain. Focus is on gothic/high fantasy villains like the Cinderella Castle Mystery Tour to also transition to Fantasyland. There is also a smaller outdoor ride so families with younger children have something to do. Dining/retail is in adjacent spooky New England corner that leads to Liberty Square with references to Hocus Pocus and Sleepy Hollow

 

[ToTBellHop]

ToTBellhop suggested that they could actually be New New Fantasyland.

That was when an option involved connecting to Fantasyland east of HM. I don’t believe that is the plan so I believe this would be a new land. Not sure what they’d call it.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Hey, armchair imagineers. The purple area is off limits for one or more of the following reasons:

• Too close to fireworks
• Block backstage access
• Land is unsuitable for building

The area around the number 4 could theoretically be opened up if they move a fireworks launch pad.

View attachment 697872

4 would be moved back toward Floridian Way if Villain Land actually gets built. I don’t believe the area behind small world is in play.