News Cars-Themed Attractions at Magic Kingdom

[Wall-e]

The Cars ride looks like it will only be a couple minutes long at most, so that claim is going to be a thing regardless.

The concept art shows it wrapping around the entire area with some figure 8’s, twists, up and down hill areas and at least one indoor component (possibly two with the load/unload area). You’ll likely have fast points and slower scenic points of the ride. Test track was almost 5 minutes and RSR is about 4 minutes so I’d put this around 4-4.5 minutes since it likely won’t have the high speed section that TT and RSR has.

 

[Charlie The Chatbox Ghost]

So, 24 hours later, how're we all feeling about this? Any hope that Disney will adjust plans to address the concerns people have (losing the water and natural views, parking the riverboat instead of losing it, etc)?

 

[el_super]

We could have had Moana, Cars, Villains and kept ROA.

No. Not at all. ROA isn't being removed because of a land use/planning decision. It's being removed because of 30+ years of erroding support for the story and theme. It's being removed because of dwindling attendance numbers. It's being removed because of high ratio between maintenance/turnstile clicks.

You can't undo 30+ years of cultural progress.

 

[ToTBellHop]

So, 24 hours later, how're we all feeling about this? Any hope that Disney will adjust plans to address the concerns people have (losing the water and natural views, parking the riverboat instead of losing it, etc)?

No chance. We have spent decades not caring enough to ride the riverboat or visit TSI. Now is too late to care. Ship has sailed.

It costs a fortune to keep maintaining the riverboat (relative to its ridership).

Visit both before the end of this year if you really like them!

 

[Wall-e]

To be fair, it's not all that relevant now. The last movie did less than stellar. Cars 2 is generally looked at as one of the worst Pixar movie. Outside of 4 to 7yr old boys, it's not all that popular. It just sells A LOT of merch to that demo. I'm guessing that's there play with this.

That said, a classic attraction can come from any ip or no ip at all. Radiator springs racer is a fantastic ride in a really well done land. Heck, splash mountain should have shown everyone that. If the ride is awesome and revolutionary, people will have this same conversation when it's time to rip it out in 15/20yrs to make room for something more modern. There's a lot of ips that are more deserving of a major ride in magic kingdom. So I don't think it's necessarily cars, it's the placement and park that's the hang-up for many.

Cars sells. How much are those diecast cars going for in the parks these days? Low overhead due to a small product that kids eat up. Cars has a current crossover with NASCAR too so although seemingly irrelevant to the general Disney population and perhaps not as well received in film form it still is a modern classic franchise that was ground breaking in its time.

Although it can be goofy (looking at you Mater) and doesn’t have a “classic” style and elegance of something older like Snow White it still is meaningful to the WDW company as a whole and is relevant to kids today.

 

[Raineman]

So, 24 hours later, how're we all feeling about this? Any hope that Disney will adjust plans to address the concerns people have (losing the water and natural views, parking the riverboat instead of losing it, etc)?

I think budget cuts will make them adjust their plans, and hopefully will save that small section of the river along the LS/FL walkway. Still don't like it, though, and I'm definitely on the side of "my WDW days are done if they do this". It's been a slippery slope for years with the changes they started making, and it's only going to get exponentially faster now. I'm sure the younger generations will enjoy the new WDW, but they can have it.

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

My understanding was the other option was Cars goes where Beyond Big Thunder will eventually be. So we'd keep Rivers of America, get Villains, and get Cars. And that would be it for MK under the current land development paperwork. (I could be wrong.)

This seems to ignore other previously identified sites such as the Fire Mountain site.

There's still a couple of sizeable expansion pads. This is a map I made some years prior to Tron, most of which was verified by Martin.

Martin told me that everything aside from plots 5 and 6 were/are official pads, and we now know that 6 is also seemingly one since Villains was supposed to go there. 5 could probably be used as well (along with the small retention pond between the two if it was relocated, though they would need to reroute MK Drive a bit). Even with Tron, half of 4 is still unused. 1 was originally considered for Fire Mountain, and was recently considered for Moana. 2 was where the MSUSA theater would have gone.

There is still a ton of space to expand the park without replacing anything. The idea that they are even close to running out of usable land is absurd.

 

[WDWhopper]

The park has to evolve to be relevant 20-30 years from now. This is part of it. Kids and families barely have a desire to go on these rides now. But 20 years from now Cars/Jeep ride could be a park icon that draws people to the park.

OR, they could put these new ideas and plans into a new park and leave Magic Kingdom be. Magic Kingdom is the number one theme park in the world and it is nowhere near the most technically advanced or have the newest rides. It is number one because it is iconic and it is the original. Take that essence away, and you lose all that.

 

[el_super]

So, 24 hours later, how're we all feeling about this? Any hope that Disney will adjust plans to address the concerns people have (losing the water and natural views, parking the riverboat instead of losing it, etc)?

I feel pretty meh about it. Admittedly as a Disneyland I don't feel too much of the attachment to the ROA over there in general, but the one thing Disney does that I cannot stand in any way shape or form, is removing trees and greenery. It's a weird pet peeve of mine.

The other weird pet peeve of mine is WDI's tendency to remove any source of shade in an area, since, there is no point in building massive mountain range / facade / building unless people can see it.

So far... just from the concept, this seems to be addressing both those concerns. If they can find a way to build a mountain, and still cover it in trees and greenery to the point of creating a wilderness feel, I think it would be a good compromise. And I generally agree with others here that suggest it needs to have moving water features as well.

It looks interesting enough. But also: I hate Cars.

So ... meh.

 

[Kamikaze]

To be fair, it's not all that relevant now. The last movie did less than stellar. Cars 2 is generally looked at as one of the worst Pixar movie. Outside of 4 to 7yr old boys, it's not all that popular. It just sells A LOT of merch to that demo. I'm guessing that's there play with this.

That said, a classic attraction can come from any ip or no ip at all. Radiator springs racer is a fantastic ride in a really well done land. Heck, splash mountain should have shown everyone that. If the ride is awesome and revolutionary, people will have this same conversation when it's time to rip it out in 15/20yrs to make room for something more modern. There's a lot of ips that are more deserving of a major ride in magic kingdom. So I don't think it's necessarily cars, it's the placement and park that's the hang-up for many.

By your reasoning, they shouldn't do any Princess stuff because the target demo for that is 4-7 year old girls.

 

[DisneyRoxMySox]

I’m on the record as saying RSR is my favorite ride at DLR. I’d love to have it in WDW…but this isn’t the right location.

I have no doubt the new ride will get long lines. If Moana replaced Pirates it would get long lines, too. If *insert IP* replaced Haunted Mansion, I’m sure it would get long lines, too. If they mow down the castle and plop down zootopia, I’m sure it would get long lines, too. Sorry, not trying to be sarcastic, it’s just not an effective argument for me that this is a good decision.

Disney used to be the best at giving people what they didn’t know they wanted (feature-length animated films, multi-plane animation, a theme park, attractions like Tower of Terror etc.). Now all they do is give the masses what they think they want.

Doing the above is hard. Doing the above consistently is even harder, but it’s what made Disney, Disney. But I guess the risk of continuing that strategy is just too risky for the shareholders.

 

[DisneyFan18]

All the other parks have a water area: Animal Kingdom has a water loop, Hollywood Studios has the pond where Gertie is, and Epcot has the lake. I'm afraid that MK will lose it's identity and just become a park jammed with rides

And that’s exactly my point, your fear is valid, but the truth is we don’t know how it will actually enhance or diminish the area until the final product is done.

We have associated this area with RoA because it has existed this way for a long time, so we can’t phantom in our minds it being different. And that’s valid.

Nonetheless, the truth is that Frontierland and Liberty Square will be different by the time this project, whether that absolutely ruins that area of the park, improves it or ends up something in the middle remains to be seen. It’s okay to be afraid and have reservations, but let’s not jump on the doom and gloom buggie. The negativity can be exhausting.

 

[Incomudro]

I see lots of water features in the art, including what looks like a huge waterfall.

If you think we are getting what is shown in the concept art, I don't know where you've been the past few years.

 

[vagabondarts]

They just opened a new office 20 minutes from MK

I thought they had filed bankruptcy and went under after their dark ride coaster design was passed over for Mario Kart and Mad Ramp Peak at Genting Skyworlds sits rotting.

Well, if they're back, that's great as I always liked their stuff

 

[doctornick]

It’s more complicated than that. We all knew access to the new expansion around RoA would be very challenging to hook up, and it was becoming cost-prohibitive to build everything there at this point. So, instead, they will replace the area that makes access to the expansion so challenging, set up much of the expansion to hold construction materials, and then have it set aside for further expansion in the decades ahead instead of basically using all of their expansion space for a few rides. I actually think they are planning for the future pretty well even if I do wish we could keep the RoA.

I mean that's fine and I get the logic. I just don't understand why they couldn't have arranged things to allow for a portion of the waterfront to remain from Peco's Bill to the Liberty Belle dock. Just keeping that would allow for the proper environment while still allowing for plenty of expansion room. I mean, they seem to be keeping some part of the river intact near BTMRR, but that's probably the area where it makes the least sense (since that is a desert environment) as opposed to the New England seaside town and western riverfront area.

(Also would allow for the Belle to be docked and utilized on stage)

 

[Disnutz311]

Do something people! Sign the petition below and make your voices heard. It only takes a second and we are just getting started. If you can read this, then you can sign it. Pass it on.

This campaign needs you now

Preserve and Safeguard the Rivers of America at the Magic Kingdom, Disney World

chng.it

 

[zombiebbq]

Ridiculous.
And, how long did it take them to build, essentially, a park in Epcot…?
This is going to be excruciating.

This. They never even did half the stuff they promised in Epcot so I fully expect this to be half-done and the half they do complete to take a decade lol Anyone ever figure out why they are slow as molasses or is it just the Disney way nowadays?

 

[Incomudro]

I guess so. But what was stopping them from at least keeping the water front and docking the river boat and just doing bridges to get the new area. Why do have to remove the entire area. Why can't we have a compromise?

Paving the river and making it a walking path is disgusting and the main part of this that truly bothers me.
I could otherwise handle the facade of rockwork and trees that'll go up.
Disney still does a good job with that.
But, jeeze - put it on the other side of the water.

 

[Wall-e]

OR, they could put these new ideas and plans into a new park and leave Magic Kingdom be. Magic Kingdom is the number one theme park in the world and it is nowhere near the most technically advanced or have the newest rides. It is number one because it is iconic and it is the original. Take that essence away, and you lose all that.

Yes I’ve enjoyed what is there for almost 40 years (pains me to say). But if they can deliver something like this on a theme park scale I think my kids, grandkids, my wife and I will all very much enjoy this for the next 40 years.

 

[UNCgolf]

This is an area of the park that no one cares about except a few online die hards. Disneys job is to make money. That’s it. Nothing else. This will make them more money than the existing, dead land that no one cares about. Again, no one cared about this part of the park until yesterday, now all of the sudden it’s the greatest thing in world history and should always be saved regardless of the fact that that the real customers dont care about it.

You say that, but you're actually wrong -- most people do care about it even if they don't consciously realize it because it's an integral part of the design of a large part of the park.

When the waterfront is gone from LS/FL, people are going to dislike it. They may not even be able to place a finger on why, but they're going to think the area feels wrong now, and it's because that whole section of the park was designed to have a waterfront.

That doesn't mean Tom Sawyer Island itself needs to stay (I don't think it does) but eliminating the waterfront entirely is going to really screw up that section of the park and people are absolutely going to notice it, even if it's solely a subconscious feeling, and it's going to negatively affect their experience.

It's similar to if they filled in the World Showcase Lagoon and put a bunch of buildings there. It would cause serious problems for the World Showcase, because the whole loop is designed with a waterfront in mind.