News Big Thunder Mountain to receive full retrack

[Starship824]

Forgive me if I'm wrong but haven't all the other big thunders big retracked already? I know DLR was mostly retracked but wasn't Paris also?

 

[PREMiERdrum]

September and still 18ish months, AFAIK.

 

[davis_unoxx]

When’s space going to get retracted?

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

When’s space going to get retracted?

When this happens:

 

[Ice Gator]

I was talking to a CM at AK a few weeks ago who said they may delay closing Dinosaur while they start work on the Dinorama area.

That honestly makes a lot of sense. I always imagined that Indy would be last on the checklist, especially when they hardly gave any details about it. It kind of sits back in its own corner, so if the rest of Tropical Americas opened before it, it wouldn't really throw off the theme or anything.

I'm guessing they're going to put the most effort into the Encanto dark ride, which I'm 100% on-board with. If they make it something similar like Mystic Manor at HK- utilizing the house being "alive"- it could be incredible. Plus AK is in need of a dark ride and more family attractions (or just attractions in general), so I hope Tropical Americas is a hit and we get that rumored Lion King log flume.

 

[Purduevian]

That honestly makes a lot of sense. I always imagined that Indy would be last on the checklist, especially when they hardly gave any details about it. It kind of sits back in its own corner, so if the rest of Tropical Americas opened before it, it wouldn't really throw off the theme or anything.

I'm guessing they're going to put the most effort into the Encanto dark ride, which I'm 100% on-board with. If they make it something similar like Mystic Manor at HK- utilizing the house being "alive"- it could be incredible. Plus AK is in need of a dark ride and more family attractions (or just attractions in general), so I hope Tropical Americas is a hit and we get that rumored Lion King log flume.

If they take Dino and Triceratops Spin down at the same time AK will be left with the follow rides:

1. Navi River Journey
2. Flight of Passage
3. Kilimanjaro Safaris
4. Expedition Everest
5. Kali river rapids (when not under it's annual refurb in the winter)
6. Wildlife express train (if you count transportation as a ride)

I think at its lowest point DHS had

1. Star Tours
2. Rock n Rollercoaster
3. Tower of Terror
4. TSMM went down for a week before Toy Story land opened

 

[Ice Gator]

If they take Dino and Triceratops Spin down at the same time AK will be left with the follow rides:

1. Navi River Journey
2. Flight of Passage
3. Kilimanjaro Safaris
4. Expedition Everest
5. Kali river rapids (when not under it's annual refurb in the winter)
6. Wildlife express train (if you count transportation as a ride)

Do we have a closing date for Bug's Life yet? Ik it's technically a show but I qualify it as a ride just because of how intense/immersive it is. I can't imagine the Zootopia retheme would take very long if they end up going through with it; it's about time the Tree of Life theater gets a new (less traumatizing) show imo.

 

[Ice Gator]

I feel like Villain’s Land is a concept that the imagineers really want to make but none of the people cashing the checks want to pay for.

Pretty sure that concept has been in the works for ages, not just at WDW but at all the international parks too. It would be a home run for Disney if they would just let them do it imo. It'd serve as somewhat of a response to Classic Monsters Land at Epic Universe. But unfortunately, I can't see it matching up with the DEI checklists the company has been pushing on Imagineers as of recently... I imagine that would throw a wrench in a lot of their ideas for it, especially if they want to use characters like Chernabog, Doctor Facilier, or Hades (too dark/offensive/problematic/etc.)

If we can't get Facilier in the PATF ride, then there's no chance we're getting a Bald Mountain coaster.

 

[marni1971]

For the 4th time ?

 

[Mr. Sullivan]

Forgive me if I'm wrong but haven't all the other big thunders big retracked already? I know DLR was mostly retracked but wasn't Paris also?

IIR Paris wasn’t retracked yet but in its 1 year refurb in 2015/2016, it got new breaks, the facade was repaired, and it got new show scenes. It’s much younger than California and Florida’s but I imagine it’ll get this treatment sooner rather than later as part of all the attention given to that resort.

 

[HauntedPirate]

For the 4th time ?

4th time's the charm? Maybe 5th or 6th, worst case... right?

 

[Surferboy567]

Pretty sure that concept has been in the works for ages, not just at WDW but at all the international parks too. It would be a home run for Disney if they would just let them do it imo. It'd serve as somewhat of a response to Classic Monsters Land at Epic Universe. But unfortunately, I can't see it matching up with the DEI checklists the company has been pushing on Imagineers as of recently... I imagine that would throw a wrench in a lot of their ideas for it, especially if they want to use characters like Chernabog, Doctor Facilier, or Hades (too dark/offensive/problematic/etc.)

If we can't get Facilier in the PATF ride, then there's no chance we're getting a Bald Mountain coaster.

Surely though with all the rumblings we are probably getting some version of Villians land for Beyond Big Thunder? Even if it’s safer and toned down.

My mind does go directly to a bald mountain coaster and something to do with Mal, her dragon form, and thorns.

EDIT: The Facilier thing also does worry me though. That was the perfect place to use him.

 

[ToTBellHop]

When’s space going to get retracted?

Set for February 31, 2026.

 

[Ice Gator]

EDIT: The Facilier thing also does worry me though. That was the perfect place to use him.

I had thought he was just absent because it takes place after the movie, but that has since been debunked and apparently the team behind it finds him "problematic" now due to his use of voodoo. I really don't think we're going to get a proper Disney villain (who isn't a twist villain or sympathetic) in a Disney movie ever again.

 

[Mr. Sullivan]

I had thought he was just absent because it takes place after the movie, but that has since been debunked and apparently the team behind it finds him "problematic" now due to his use of voodoo. I really don't think we're going to get a proper Disney villain (who isn't a twist villain or sympathetic) in a Disney movie ever again.

It wasn’t so much that he was problematic in the way people assumed, but according to the most recent reports its rather that the company is making a concentrated effort to move away from any sort of religious iconography. That doesn’t preclude a traditional villain from ever appearing again, just not one tied to a form of religion or real life mysticism.

 

[DisDude33]

It wasn’t so much that he was problematic in the way people assumed, but according to the most recent reports its rather that the company is making a concentrated effort to move away from any sort of religious iconography. That doesn’t preclude a traditional villain from ever appearing again, just not one tied to a form of religion or real life mysticism.

In that case the live action Hercules should be pretty interesting. lol

 

[Delta-7]

What does Brayden mean by saying the new explosion effects may be “value engineered?” Looked it up but I’m still confused. Is this implying they may be better or worse than what’s in the other versions?

 

[Mr. Sullivan]

In that case the live action Hercules should be pretty interesting. lol

I was thinking about this as well, but I also got to thinking about this: in the modern world, the way we discuss mythology sort of completely skips over that it was a religious thing for the Greeks. It was, absolutely, but I'm curious if they would look over this because it today doesn't carry a religious connotation as much as it does a fantastical story of heroes and villains and romance connotation.

 

[Mr. Sullivan]

What does Brayden mean by saying the new explosion effects may be “value engineered?” Looked it up but I’m still confused. Is this implying they may be better or worse than what’s in the other versions?

Well firstly he doesn't really "mean" anything. He used to be a great source for park news but since he's relocated he's fallen down the rabbit hole of click bait titles, rage bait content, and stirring the pot gets his stuff more views and clicks and attention.

What his statement would be implying is that they would be doing the changes in a cheaper (and implying it'd be crappier) way than DL did. However, there is absolutely nothing to even say that they're going to add the effects period let alone do it on the cheap. This rumor pops up every few years and these click bait news sources run with it as if it's a done and dusted fact.

 

[eddie104]

Well firstly he doesn't really "mean" anything. He used to be a great source for park news but since he's relocated he's fallen down the rabbit hole of click bait titles, rage bait content, and stirring the pot gets his stuff more views and clicks and attention.

What his statement would be implying is that they would be doing the changes in a cheaper (and implying it'd be crappier) way than DL did. However, there is absolutely nothing to even say that they're going to add the effects period let alone do it on the cheap. This rumor pops up every few years and these click bait news sources run with it as if it's a done and dusted fact.

Yes I use to love him until his personality did a 180 and he turned into Tom Corless 2.0.

However I do trust his sources so that’s the only recent I posted it.