News Cars-Themed Attractions at Magic Kingdom

[Quietmouse]

Seems like significant water features planned

I mean the concept art does show a water fall.

 

[erasure fan1]

Disney Princesses, as a franchise, $45b. Cars, $21.5b. Princesses had a 70 year head start. There are also 21 movies vs 3 and 13 different princesses.

So yes, it kinda is 'on the same planet', if we're being completely honest.

I'm not sure I trust a site that pulled it's info from Wikipedia. But that's still less than half, so maybe not same planet but continent.

Again, placement is the issue, as well as removing RoA. But the IP isn't the problem, and it isn't a 'not relevant' IP like you said.

Agreed. And I didn't say the ip was an issue. I've said bring a cars ride to wdw since radiator springs. I also didn't say that it's not relevant. I said it's not that relevant now unless you're a male kid. And the performance of the last movie confirms that. This is a money play, plain and simple. They are going to sell millions upon millions of toy cars. And good for them, that's what they want. Imagination is a complete joke. But they keep it because figment sells. They don't care about our feelings for tsi or roa or if it even makes thematic sense. It's why I'm so surprised they haven't put in a nightmare b4 xmas ride. Jack sells tons of merch as well. I'm not knocking cars as an ip. But in the pantheon Disney ips, it's way down the list for things to go into the magic kingdom, the highest profile park in the world in my opinion.

 

[Kamikaze]

Another thing about this that I think a lot of the cheerleaders are missing. For a significant percentage of our limited natural lifespan on this Earth, MK will be a huge ugly pit. They didn't have to choose this.

Just ... wow.

 

[CSOM]

I'm in a weird camp here. Cars Land in DCA is great. Radiator Springs Racers is an amazing attraction, the backdrop is beautiful and I even like Junkyard Jamboree. I'm not a fan of Rollicking Roadsters, but it's not meant for me anyways.

I think Cars is a bit of an odd fit for this area, but we're also not getting new additions that are free of IP. I like that this is potentially a new ride system for the anchor attraction and that it's not a clone of RSR, even if it's an inferior attraction (we don't know whether or not it will be).

What I actually do like is the placement. This is very valuable real estate that was remarkably under utilized. Don't get me wrong, water has a place in Disney Parks and that aesthetic will be missed, but I actually like this choice.

For me, the Rivers of America weren't sacred. I couldn't tell you the last time I went to Tom Sawyer Island or went on the Liberty Square Riverboat. There is ALWAYS outrage if Disney removes anything, they know this and it's why they didn't reveal this on Saturday night. I'm sure (as evident by a 136 page thread) that TSI and the Riverboat carried with them precious family memories and you're probably just as upset as I was when Reflections of Earth went away.

For me, Cars is a weird choice that I don't love but I'm taking a wait and see approach. However, expansion in to this area is something that I fully support.

I'm with you

 

[Kamikaze]

I'm not sure I trust a site that pulled it's info from Wikipedia. But that's still less than half, so maybe not same planet but continent.

The numbers are more or less correct. Obviously changed a bit since that was written. But they're close enough.

And 70 years is a large amount of time to build up a lead.

 

[danlb_2000]

Oh... there's a lot of people who will fight you on that one!

Just like Imagineering I forced an IP in to make my joke work.

 

[James Alucobond]

Poll question:

If this ride was not attached to the cars ip, but was rather called “mickeys off road racing”, and the cars were skinned to be old classic looking cars with the same racing wilderness theme would there be less back lash?

Or is this all to do with getting rid of the boat and river ?

I think this would be fundamentally designed differently to begin with if the ride vehicles were evocative of a time period more consistent with Liberty Square and Frontierland. With this design, it seems very much centered around concealing what doesn’t fit until that’s revealed by circling around and entering through the back. You could spare more space for additional water rather than cliff faces and walls of trees if the ride content were different. The cars contribute to the problem not just because they’re anachronistic but because they necessitate a certain kind of design to hide the anachronism.

That said, I am probably more go-with-the-flow than others here purely because I do think it will ultimately look fine and feels designed from all angles. I’m generally more triggered by things like the TRON box or the Cosmic Rewind box.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Poll question:

If this ride was not attached to the cars ip, but was rather called “mickeys off road racing”, and the cars were skinned to be old classic looking cars with the same racing wilderness theme would there be less back lash?

Or is this all to do with getting rid of the boat and river ?

If the cars fit the time of the area (so up to 1920’s with Tiana I think?) that would be much better for the theme of the land, yes.

Also…. If they could have kept the River in tact so the steamboat could make a short loop around the new attraction - even better.

 

[the_rich]

@lentesta @wdwmagic @Moth @PREMiERdrum
Am I wrong in thinking that there is a rather large waterfall that flows into a river of sorts separating the new ride from liberty square? That's what the concept art seems to depict.

 

[KDM31091]

A waterfall or small pond or puddle is not the same thing as a huge river, I'm sorry. It is not going to add the same atmosphere or vibe or kinetics. Is it better than no water yes, hopefully they follow through and place it in locations that maximize the visibility and kinetics. But, this is a huge loss no matter what.

 

[peter11435]

Why not?

Seriously?

 

[the_rich]

A waterfall or small pond or puddle is not the same thing as a huge river, I'm sorry. It is not going to add the same atmosphere or vibe or kinetics. Is it better than no water yes, hopefully they follow through and place it in locations that maximize the visibility and kinetics. But, this is a huge loss no matter what.

If they do something similar to grizzly peak at the boundary of the ride and liberty square I think it would be better than roa. That area of dca is amazing in my opinion.

 

[peter11435]

A waterfall or small pond or puddle is not the same thing as a huge river, I'm sorry. It is not going to add the same atmosphere or vibe or kinetics. Is it better than no water yes, hopefully they follow through and place it in locations that maximize the visibility and kinetics. But, this is a huge loss no matter what.

The new area will have its own atmosphere, vibe, and far more kinetics.

 

[WaltWiz1901]

Poll question:

If this ride was not attached to the cars ip, but was rather called “mickeys off road racing”, and the cars were skinned to be old classic looking cars with the same racing wilderness theme would there be less back lash?

Or is this all to do with getting rid of the boat and river ?

Nah, it's definitely about the loss of the RoA/TSI. If they were so adamant on putting Cars into the Magic Kingdom, as weird of a fit as it is, there was literally ample space behind Big Thunder Mountain to put it without sacrificing the soul of that side of the park...

 

[DisneyRoxMySox]

It's not over in the sense of "there's still a chance the rivers may stay in some form" or "it's going to get a lot worse and we're going to lose more iconic attractions"?

My general thought here is that Haunted Mansion gets annexed into Fantasyland and we lose HoP to, something.

I think Liberty Square’s days are numbered. I also think Frontierland gets a name change to Wilderness-land. Think of the synergies with their DVC properties!

The Safari is a wonderfully designed attraction with great care and attention applied to the entire thing. It’s amazing. But if Tow Mater was your tour guide it would be absurd.

I was starting to be OK with the Cars franchise in Frontierland, but your post made me realize I was compromising.

What also really surprises me is were getting so much Cars yet none of it is going to the cars area in AdventureWorld (Paris). I park that desperately needs more and a Cars ride (making that area a proper land and not a retheme of the studio tour) would go such a long way

I think this was a project for DAW originally. Lots of clues point to this. Might actually be a cool attraction in the snow.

I agree, there needs to be a balance. I like that WDW feels more engrossing in the lands, than just ride/ride/ride, like Six Flags.

Ah yes, we are discovering the difference between a theme park and an amusement park. (No real sarcasm directed at you, just the universe.)

 

[KDM31091]

The new area will have its own atmosphere, vibe, and far more kinetics.

But I feel like it will not be calm and relaxing. It will be loud and hectic and crowded. But hey, I'd love to be wrong!

 

[el_super]

Does having attractions based on movies really add that much to the bottom line? Like if that Cars ride opens tomorrow what percentage increase would they see over sales of cars plushies and blu-rays or whatever?

I think a big change worth understanding, that a lot of fans don't want to accept any longer, is the ease and availability of non-IP experiences. In the 1950s, or the 1970s, when the predominant method of travel for families were road trips, going to a place that was equal parts wilderness and fantasy was a novel concept. But today? If you want to see the wilderness you can jump and a plane and fly there. You want to see a steam powered stern-wheeler on the Mississippi? You can do that. Southwest probably has a discount to MSY.

The world is, as Disney predicted, a smaller place now and trying to sell an experience that isn't entirely authentic, when the real experience is so accessible now, just doesn't fly.

That's why Disney leans so heavily on IP now: it's the one type of experience that Disney, and only Disney, can provide.

Same with Star Wars land they tied it so heavily to the sequel trilogy which A) No one was all that crazy about and B)was already OVER by the time the land opened and now they have this land junking up the property that they really don’t know what to do with. It’s telling that the Star Wars hotel was closed and the galaxy’s edge for Paris was quietly cancelled and replaced with lion king.

This comment caught me rather off guard, because after post after post of comments about atmosphere and place making, there is still that basic premise that no, attractions are based on their content and IP over everything else.

Do you know what Imagineering absolutely nailed about Galaxy's Edge? The placemaking. The atmosphere. The quiet corners. The shady respites. Yes it's going to be awhile before the trees grow in but the fundamentals are all there.

And at the end of the day people still trash it because none of that really matters. Shame really.

 

[peter11435]

But I feel like it will not be calm and relaxing. It will be loud and hectic and crowded. But hey, I'd love to be wrong!

The interior portion might be some of those things in places. But the stretch from the Riverboat towards Tiana will not be.

 

[Beacon Joe]

Ah yes, we are discovering the difference between a theme park and an amusement park. (No real sarcasm directed at you, just the universe.)

 

[phillip9698]

There is outrage because there is no need to rip out anything. They could conceivably add the Cars land and Villains land and maintain the ROA/TSI, or at the very most, shrink it a bit. No one loses in that scenario. They constantly boast about the "blessing of size", but we almost always have to give up at least one attraction to get something new.

You are operating under the incorrect assumption that these 2 updates are the only thing planned for that area in the future. The assumption that Cars and Villains are the complete plans would allow one to conceive an alternate plan that keeps TSI/ROA. Disney has not shared the complete plans for that portion of the park.

TSI/ROA isn’t being removed because they can’t figure out a way to make it fit with Cars and Villains. It’s being removed because it doesn’t fit with the overall plan which will be shared TBD.