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

[James Alucobond]

I did like the Moana art though. Would love to see done together with a ride in Pandora and then burn the Zootopia art.

This plus creating a night show and doing something more compelling with Planet Watch would go a long way toward making AK feel more robust.

 

[orky8]

Talking to a few of my friends in Imagineering, I get the sense that they are currently very, very busy on an unannounced/unconfirmed project.

Not sure if it's this one, but they seem to be cooking up something exciting over at Imagineering.

I look forward to riding this in 6 years.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I look forward to riding this in 6 years.

If they didn’t break ground overnight your gonna come in short

 

[GhostHost1000]

If they didn’t break ground overnight your gonna come in short

Next…ILL prebooking for new attractions in 6 years to attempt to fund it

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Next…ILL prebooking for new attractions in 6 years to attempt to fund it

Logistically impossible…

Still searching for money for the quinjet, the carousel, a new golf cart for horticulture and two new recycled plastic garbage cans for outside beach club next to the slide

 

[pdude81]

Yeah, I’m sure I’m just projecting my hopes but another attraction in Pandora just makes a ton of sense with how modern Disney seems to feel that movie box office numbers should be the main driver of theme parks. And working there instead of spending a ton just to replace Dinosaur with Zootopia also makes operational sense.

I did like the Moana art though. Would love to see done together with a ride in Pandora and then burn the Zootopia art.

My concern here is that makes the park even more unbalanced all day. FOP queue winds around the land anytime the parks are half crowded, and it's confusing enough in the morning at rope drop. Now if it's a C/D then fine, that along with a Moana flume would help capacity as well as finally send some people off to the right each morning.

 

[pdude81]

This plus creating a night show and doing something more compelling with Planet Watch would go a long way toward making AK feel more robust.

Planet watch was cool as it was, but neutering it and stealing the animation experience from DHS was a silly move. It could never be a huge eater of people due to the (in)frequency of train rides and the medical facilities on site.

Now I wish they would turn that train into a loop and then could build a big new land and train stop in the expansion space next to it. That would be a major help to capacity and also (IMO) drive more traffic to RPW.

 

[castlecake2.0]

Studios?

Oh no…they sunk their capex in there for 20 years…missed that opening.

If anything is announced for studios…it’s a signal that they’re going Lehman brothers

All that money and everything between Hollywood Blvd and Rise is still garbage, the whole middle of that park is embarrassing

 

[doctornick]

My concern here is that makes the park even more unbalanced all day. FOP queue winds around the land anytime the parks are half crowded, and it's confusing enough in the morning at rope drop. Now if it's a C/D then fine, that along with a Moana flume would help capacity as well as finally send some people off to the right each morning.

Hmmm. I actually think one of the aspects that is problematic for DAK is that Pandora is somewhat isolated from the rest of the park and there isn’t enough to do there. I could see the argument that it shouldn’t get another E ticket but more like a C (especially with high capacity) but personally I think adding another attraction to Pandora is the park’s biggest need.

 

[JD80]

If they build another E in Magic Kingdom before Animal Kingdom, they've lost the plot. Fixing Dinoland, a third Pandora attraction, and getting a proper show back in the Rivers of Light theater should be priorities 1, 2, and 3.

We set up a poll on twitter (sorry, had to edit becuase it embedded the tweet)

Would you rather see:

• Build a new expansion at MK beyond Thunder Mountain
• Build a new land connecting RRC and SW Launch Bay at DHS
• Expand Pandora AND build a replacement for Dinoland
• Add two new countries to EPCOT

To your point - they need to do all four of these things with maybe the exception of EPCOT. AK needs more to justify a park ticket but no addition to DHS/AK/EPCOT is going to pull people out of MK so MK desperately needs NEW capacity on any ticket level and DHS is a disaster when it comes to park design and an additional area to create a loop in the park is necessary (along with capacity).

I agree with the AK part, but it all needs to happen.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Hmmm. I actually think one of the aspects that is problematic for DAK is that Pandora is somewhat isolated from the rest of the park and there isn’t enough to do there. I could see the argument that it shouldn’t get another E ticket but more like a C (especially with high capacity) but personally I think adding another attraction to Pandora is the park’s biggest need.

There's definitely room for a spinner!

 

[Animaniac93-98]

That they have done ANY other major attraction work in Epcot, knowing that this complete disaster of an attraction* continues to exist as-is drives me nuts.

Thinking about all the ways they could have gone with this on what would probably have been a smaller budget than the Moana walk-through really chaps my hide.

In hindsight, that $150+ million they blew on Harmonious probably would have been better spent on Imagination.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

All that money and everything between Hollywood Blvd and Rise is still garbage, the whole middle of that park is embarrassing

I’m with you, sister…

All that work and you got the “what the hell are they doing?” Feeling long before the walls came down?

That’s it?!?

 

[FutureCEO]

In hindsight, that $150+ million they blew on Harmonious probably would have been better spent on Imagination.

Yes but Imagineering doesn't have the greatest track record for new or improving rides anymore (at least to me) so Imagination would probably get worse.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

In hindsight, that $150+ million they blew on Harmonious probably would have been better spent on Imagination.

Yes but Imagineering doesn't have the greatest track record for new or improving rides anymore (at least to me) so Imagination would probably get worse.

The institutional rot means they’d ask for $500 mil for that pavilion, get almost nothing done, and corporate would manipulate the budget for PR misdirection…

Oh…and they’d have to ask permission from DDC to remove that really silly Cheeto and coke lounge with the outdated iPod chargers and the leaky windows

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Planet watch was cool as it was, but neutering it and stealing the animation experience from DHS was a silly move. It could never be a huge eater of people due to the (in)frequency of train rides and the medical facilities on site.

Now I wish they would turn that train into a loop and then could build a big new land and train stop in the expansion space next to it. That would be a major help to capacity and also (IMO) drive more traffic to RPW.

I always loved it…but they sure punted on maintaining it/improving it

Two weeks ago I was waiting outside killing time during the animation thing and there’s an old, decaying habit with windows in the front near the little stage outside…

Look down and there’s a water monitor - Mrs Kipling - in there. Chipped paint, windows look like they hadn’t been cleaned in 8 years.

Pathetic. Looked like the Pittsburgh zoo.

It’s embarrassing for the animal and Disney.

 

[ToTBellHop]

I always loved it…but they sure punted on maintaining it/improving it

Two weeks ago I was waiting outside killing time during the animation thing and there’s an old, decaying habit with windows in the front near the little stage outside…

Look down and there’s a water monitor - Mrs Kipling - in there. Chipped paint, windows look like they hadn’t been cleaned in 8 years.

Pathetic. Looked like the Pittsburgh zoo.

It’s embarrassing for the animal and Disney.

I understand the monitor's union is going after Disney HARD for this malfeasance.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I understand the monitor's union is going after Disney HARD for this malfeasance.

…I can’t top that today

(Though people are bothering for work on a Friday…so be damn sure I’ll try )

 

[G00fyDad]

We set up a poll on twitter (sorry, had to edit becuase it embedded the tweet)

Would you rather see:

• Build a new expansion at MK beyond Thunder Mountain
• Build a new land connecting RRC and SW Launch Bay at DHS
• Expand Pandora AND build a replacement for Dinoland
• Add two new countries to EPCOT

To your point - they need to do all four of these things with maybe the exception of EPCOT. AK needs more to justify a park ticket but no addition to DHS/AK/EPCOT is going to pull people out of MK so MK desperately needs NEW capacity on any ticket level and DHS is a disaster when it comes to park design and an additional area to create a loop in the park is necessary (along with capacity).

I agree with the AK part, but it all needs to happen.

Why not ALL of that? Why does it have to be an "either/or" and usually a "nothing at all" for Disney?

 

[JD80]

Yes but Imagineering doesn't have the greatest track record for new or improving rides anymore (at least to me) so Imagination would probably get worse.

Can it get worse?