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

[MerlinTheGoat]

It’s very strange. Some of their most popular and best people-eating attractions rely on methods they’ve now very largely rejected. How many classic attractions offer(ed) few or no significantly advanced animatronics? How many have managed to entertain and move guests for literal decades while also maintaining intimacy to the vehicle and ride path? Meanwhile the biggest and most expensive new ride systems seem to offer sub-2000gph throughout as the rule more than the exception, with show high show quality they are not always willing to maintain.

I’m highly grateful that Tiana’s has so many complex and ambitious figures forthcoming, especially since having multiples of those within one attraction is VERY rare. But I do wish they’d also remember that figures need not be multimillion dollar A-1000’s to entertain. Even Mermaid (which doesn’t use A-1000’s) falls prey to the disparity issue I mentioned before - the very best figures there are great, but the simpler figures are *too* simple, and there’s very little in the midrange to ease the transition between them, and the guests notice.

That's sort of why i'm still nervous about Tiana. There's a distinct possibility that we'll have maybe 20 or so (give or take a couple) high end AA's, but then the remainder will be relegated more to simple Mermaid-caliber props that do one or two repetitive motions. The skins will probably look a bit better than Mermaid at least, but it'll still look fairly off putting up against the more complex figures.

Splash had a variety of motion to its figures as well. But most of the simple ones were tiny (like the hanging possums), and the scenes that packed a large number of characters together generally did a good job of using "proper" animatronics. There were very few instances where a couple of impressive and complex figures were placed next to a large handful of overly simple ones. The finale in particular mostly had figures with a fairly impressive and dynamic range of motion.

That Beaver character in Tiana has me concerned due to how basic it is. Despite their age, Splash's animatronics in the finale scene still moved far more than that Beaver. And if the most of the other critters are of a similar caliber, they'll look very "off" when placed next to the likes of the humans and Louis.

I'm curious what sort of money it would cost to build all electric AA's with roughly the same sort of range as the old America Sings figures. Because even a lot of these now ancient designs still have a really good range of dynamic motion. Especially if they can be outfitted with Compliance tech to make them less jerky.

 

[Yellow Strap]

Peter Pan, Mr Toad and Snow White were/are C ticket attractions. If modern imagineers could pull off new rides similar to those (and not overhype them as something they aren't), I think people would be a lot more receptive.

Look at Little Mermaid. Aside from a small handful of decent AA's, it's a C ticket at best, and still manages to rank below a number of the classic Fantasyland C ticket dark rides due to artistic lapses. To make matters worse, Disney internally classifies it as a D ticket, but then they tried to market it more like an E to the public. So you've got this bizarre mess of an experience that mostly C or below, to a few elements from a D and a tiny handful of elements that fit with an E.

I'd consider the Mickey Mouse ride to be a somewhat more "successful" modern variant of a C ticket when judged on its own merits. But the problem is that it's a replacement for a far superior E, and Disney tried to market it as an E experience when it just doesn't deserve that designation by any stretch IMO. Had Mickey been designed as its own separate attraction in a smaller and more intimate building, AND marketed as a C ticket dark ride, I would have considered it a solid addition to their lineup. Its inclusion at Disneyland seems to have gone over much better.

I find Remy's to be an absolute delight of a ride.

 

[J4546]

It's amazing that some 50 years later, they still can't or won't duplicate something on the order of HM or Pirates. (Even though the DLR versions of both are far superior)

rise is on that scale imo. But I do agree Disney is not making the 7-8+ minute long, and massively scaled dark rides as much anymore.

 

[UNCgolf]

It's amazing that some 50 years later, they still can't or won't duplicate something on the order of HM or Pirates. (Even though the DLR versions of both are far superior)

They had several rides similar to HM or Pirates at EPCOT; they're just all gone now except Spaceship Earth.

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

rise is on that scale imo. But I do agree Disney is not making the 7-8+ minute long, and massively scaled dark rides as much anymore.

Even for those who enjoy Rise (and I think it's very overrated), it definitely isn't equivalent to a Pirates or HM like experience. The show scenes are very flat box-like corridors lined with video projection. And extremely few AA's.

The last ride Disney built that was comparable to the style of those old school E tickets of the late 60s to late 80s is Sinbad at Tokyo Disneysea. Stateside however, Splash Mountain was the last of its kind there. And the jury is still out on whether Tiana can hope to compare (doubt). We've also lost nearly all the EPCOT ones, along with the singular one that DHS had.

 

[Tha Realest]

Not that I have pity, as they're in a mess of their own making, but....

They have a *tight* needle to thread here. They need to add capacity in all four parks, but they need the added capacity to outpace the attendance upticks the expansions are sure to bring. They need ancillary attractions and entertainment to pull people away from the headliners. These are the same things they've been cutting for years now.

Think of how much better EPCOT would be with Cherry Tree Lane and the PLAY pavilion taking a chunk out of the crowd? DHS with its streetmosphere, an additional attraction or two in SWGE plus dining and a show or two? MK with something in the Stitch space, more Main Street entertainment, a fully-functioning day parade and a headlining night parade?

Frustrating.

Yes. But. I believe they’ve cut operational and entertainment costs to the bone to make the revenue and profit numbers look good. Increasing those takes a bite out of the bottom line in a way that’s probably untenable to current management.

 

[celluloid]

The last ride Disney built that was comparable to the style of those old school E tickets of the late 60s to late 80s is Sinbad at Tokyo Disneysea. Stateside however, Splash Mountain was the last of its kind there. And the jury is still out on whether Tiana can hope to compare (doubt). We've also lost nearly all the EPCOT ones, along with the singular one that DHS had.

If nothing else. It says it all when that is the attraction they have to use for the retheme.

 

[MisterPenguin]

As a wise bird once said...

When people don't care for one of the E Ticket rides, they argue vehemently that it's only a D Ticket.

When people really like a D Ticket ride, they argue vehemently that it's indeed an E Ticket ride.

 

[ToTBellHop]

I find Remy's to be an absolute delight of a ride.

I enjoy it too so we can leave these boards together, at least. It’s much less embarrassing to get kicked out with a friend.

 

[Tha Realest]

It's amazing that some 50 years later, they still can't or won't duplicate something on the order of HM or Pirates. (Even though the DLR versions of both are far superior)

I’d gladly do away with MK Pirates if it meant we could’ve kept WOM or Horizons.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Yes. But. I believe they’ve cut operational and entertainment costs to the bone to make the revenue and profit numbers look good. Increasing those takes a bite out of the bottom line in a way that’s probably untenable to current management.

Actually considerable entertainment increases are budgeted for FY 25. Doesn’t mean they can’t cut back down to the bone in ‘26 but summer ‘25 appears to be a sweet spot for entertainment fans.

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

Actually considerable entertainment increases are budgeted for FY 25.

Citizens of Hollywood, please?

 

[HauntedPirate]

Even for those who enjoy Rise (and I think it's very overrated), it definitely isn't equivalent to a Pirates or HM like experience. The show scenes are very flat box-like corridors lined with video projection. And extremely few AA's.

The last ride Disney built that was comparable to the style of those old school E tickets of the late 60s to late 80s is Sinbad at Tokyo Disneysea. Stateside however, Splash Mountain was the last of its kind there. And the jury is still out on whether Tiana can hope to compare (doubt). We've also lost nearly all the EPCOT ones, along with the singular one that DHS had.

 

[ToTBellHop]

I find all of the animatronics on the Safari to be incredibly life-like. Even the obviously-fake hippos. No one can hold their breath that long, not even Disney Parks fans waiting to hear what will be built beyond Big Thunder.

 

[DisneyDean97]

Bridge(s). There was an early proposal to bridge the drive to extend the park (with a wide walkway themed so not to see below). A very early proposal of what became RnRC had a coaster going over World Drive.

There was also a proposal to move guest parking over there with a new tram bridge routing around Fant and the lake and connecting to the main entrance.

That seems like a bygone era when Disney was actually ambitious with projects. I don't see this current administration doing anything on this scale.

 

[ToTBellHop]

That seems like a bygone era when Disney was actually ambitious with projects. I don't see this current administration doing anything on this scale.

Disneyland Forward is incredibly ambitious.

 

[flyerjab]

Actually considerable entertainment increases are budgeted for FY 25. Doesn’t mean they can’t cut back down to the bone in ‘26 but summer ‘25 appears to be a sweet spot for entertainment fans.

I feel like it had to be. There isn’t anything substantial to counter Epic Universe. It would be difficult to counter an entire park debut, but there should be something.

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

Disneyland Forward is incredibly ambitious.

Only because it has to be because of spatial restraints. And TDA is willing to invest in whatever it needs to increase capacity.

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

As a wise bird once said...

Nothing wise about that. I don't care what random lettering Disney thinks it is, something like Mickey doesn't hold a candle next to what preceded it.

 

[HauntedPirate]

Only because it has to be because of spatial restraints. And TDA is willing to invest in whatever it needs to increase capacity.

Personally, I think they should figure out and fix their second park before designing and building a third.