News Cars-Themed Attractions at Magic Kingdom

[MisterPenguin]

Is that forever, ever? Or just for now?

Dunno. Disney didn't say why there weren't in the LL mix, nor a timeline for how long.

 

[dreamfinding]

Heck, the Figment book with DREAMFINDER recently sold incredibly well. People love the parks original stuff. Disney should realize if they make MORE parks original stuff, that's more characters to merchandize. You want to give people things they can't experience anywhere else in the parks. I can watch Cars or Encanto anytime I want on Disney+, but I can't see the Country Bear Jamboree or Jungle Cruise (the true versions, the parks versions) anytime I want, so it draws me to the parks to experience those unique attractions. Unique merch only sold in the parks is a cherry on top. I like those attractions so I'll buy that merch.

If they took all of the profit from Figment merch and spent it on the ride, it’d be an absolute E ticket.

 

[The Chatbox Ghost]

This is 100% facts. We have bought way less merch lately because of two reasons, it seems every location is selling the same thing no matter the area or even the park. Also because it’s the same stuff you can find in retail stores. More unique merch tied to the parks is what we want.

A bit of an anecdotal point- last time I was at WDW (2022-2023, for New Years), I tried to find magnets for the parks since I collect magnets. There was a huge lack of magnets everywhere! Absolutely nothing for HS and MK (MK only had New Years and WDW 50th Magnets), Epcot only had a leftover 40th magnet and AK was the only one with a magnet specifically for that park. Outside of parks magnets, I wanted one for MuppetVision, Country Bears, Splash Mountain, and Haunted Mansion, but couldn't find any- settled with a die cast peel magnet with generic Muppets stock images on it. When I asked a cast member, they said that Disney has decided to stop making as many magnets, which has caused lots of guest complaints. Additionally, I saw the same merchandise EVERYWHERE. Every store had New Years/2023 magnets and 50th merch. Lots of stores had merch for properties that didn't fit (saw Marvel and Star Wars stuff in Animal Kingdom). I barely bought any merchandise the entire week I was there, I bought more at Universal because they actually had unique things to buy! (Though they also lacked magnets...)

Disney knows there's guest demands for specific products but won't make them. It's crazy!

 

[The Chatbox Ghost]

If they took all of the profit from Figment merch and spent it on the ride, it’d be an absolute E ticket.

But instead they'll just use that money to support their failing businesses and help Iger buy another car, lmao

 

[phillip9698]

A bit of an anecdotal point- last time I was at WDW (2022-2023, for New Years), I tried to find magnets for the parks since I collect magnets. There was a huge lack of magnets everywhere! Absolutely nothing for HS and MK (MK only had New Years and WDW 50th Magnets), Epcot only had a leftover 40th magnet and AK was the only one with a magnet specifically for that park. Outside of parks magnets, I wanted one for MuppetVision, Country Bears, Splash Mountain, and Haunted Mansion, but couldn't find any- settled with a die cast peel magnet with generic Muppets stock images on it. When I asked a cast member, they said that Disney has decided to stop making as many magnets, which has caused lots of guest complaints. Additionally, I saw the same merchandise EVERYWHERE. Every store had New Years/2023 magnets and 50th merch. Lots of stores had merch for properties that didn't fit (saw Marvel and Star Wars stuff in Animal Kingdom). I barely bought any merchandise the entire week I was there, I bought more at Universal because they actually had unique things to buy! (Though they also lacked magnets...)

Disney knows there's guest demands for specific products but won't make them. It's crazy!

Yep, i collected shot glasses. Had to stop because I couldn’t find unique ones for the resorts anymore. They were all 50th anniversary glasses.

 

[LittleMerman]

Cars is def not a first choice for me, especially in Frontierland, but at least they're original attractions and not Radiator Springs Racers. I don't care at all about Tom Sawyer Island but the river was a nice backdrop. Wish they could just extend the land out another way.

 

[Jrb1979]

I was out but ya'll lured me back in with this IP in the parks discussion...Peter Pan, Mister Toad, Alice in Wonderland, 20,000 Leagues, Snow White, Song of the South/Splash Mountain, Buzz Lightyear, Dumbo...IP's that have been in the parks for over 25 years, some since the park opened. It is my opinion/observation that the position of some people that the MK was not built with IP's in mind is being made because Cars does not fit their view of what a traditional Disney IP is.

However, I am sorry to say that the current generation of kids has little emotional attachment to the traditional MK and Disney IP's that where integral to the MK when it opened. Being in my forties and a child of the late 80's/early 90's Disney to me is IP's like Aladdin, Little Mermaid, Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, and then Pixar as they came to form as well. The original MK IP's were to some extent dated for me as a kid too. They are even more dated for my children who have no desire for anything related to PP, SW, Dumbo, or Alice.

An influx of IP's for their generation is absolutely necessary for the MK to form an emotional attachment in their heart's that they will then be able to pass along to their children.

Again many are missing the point. It's not the IP that many have an issue. Even I agree that they need new IP in the parks to get the new generation interested. The issue at least for me is going away from what made the Disney Parks different and unique. Each park had its own theme and IP that fit those parks.

IMO of all the new announcements from D23 the only one that fits the park it's going in is the AK one. The parks are slowly becoming an extension of each other.

 

[Kamikaze]

Yep, i collected shot glasses. Had to stop because I couldn’t find unique ones for the resorts anymore. They were all 50th anniversary glasses.

Toothpick holders*

 

[mickEblu]

The funny thing is, Disney could sell merch for ANY parks IP if they wanted to. Haunted Mansion merch sells. Figment merch sells. If they made merch for Pirates (the ride, not the movie), Country Bears, Jungle Cruise, Small World, etc., it'd sell. People love the parks IP more than Disney expects. The CBMJ shirt has been selling well because people WANT CBJ merch. Disney would rather just sell the kind of merch you can get at any Target in America, because it's safe.

They save all the cool high end, attraction specific stuff for D23 and sometimes milestone attraction anniversaries.

 

[FLDisneyFan]

A bit of an anecdotal point- last time I was at WDW (2022-2023, for New Years), I tried to find magnets for the parks since I collect magnets. There was a huge lack of magnets everywhere! Absolutely nothing for HS and MK (MK only had New Years and WDW 50th Magnets), Epcot only had a leftover 40th magnet and AK was the only one with a magnet specifically for that park. Outside of parks magnets, I wanted one for MuppetVision, Country Bears, Splash Mountain, and Haunted Mansion, but couldn't find any- settled with a die cast peel magnet with generic Muppets stock images on it. When I asked a cast member, they said that Disney has decided to stop making as many magnets, which has caused lots of guest complaints. Additionally, I saw the same merchandise EVERYWHERE. Every store had New Years/2023 magnets and 50th merch.

Yep, i collected shot glasses. Had to stop because I couldn’t find unique ones for the resorts anymore. They were all 50th anniversary glasses.

Wow. Both of these are very true. I just got back from a trip to Disneyland, and wanted magnets to bring back for myself and friends. I could find only a very few, and they were primarily suited to put on cars. (I wanted the refrigerator type magnets.) I also could not locate any shot glasses. I had to settle for generic "California" souvenir magnets and shot glasses at the airport.

 

[plutofan15]

Toothpick holders*

Beat me to it.

 

[Wall-e]

Again many are missing the point. It's not the IP that many have an issue. Even I agree that they need new IP in the parks to get the new generation interested. The issue at least for me is going away from what made the Disney Parks different and unique. Each park had its own theme and IP that fit those parks.

IMO of all the new announcements from D23 the only one that fits the park it's going in is the AK one. The parks are slowly becoming an extension of each other.

I see your point but for at least half of the MK’s existence there’s been a Pixar IP presence (Buzz for one) in the park. I understand that perhaps the MK was a more fantastical IP driven park but also wanted to demonstrate that we’ve been outside of that central them for over 25 years now (which is all of my adult Disney experience).

 

[Wall-e]

So to respond to myself, what may or may not fit the theme of any WDW park is not a recent issue and (in the case of the MK) if "non-conforming IP's" have been in the parks for 25 years or more then at some point we have to accept that this has been part of the park's evolution for a significant portion of it's existence.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

The analogy works if you consider this a sacrifice of aesthetics and atmosphere for more "efficient" utilization of the area.

Correct - the Central Park analogy is very fitting. Space is definitely an issue in nyc, I’m sure the city needs money - I don’t think income from the Central Park carrousel is doing the job! Haha.

The did not know about the river being removed and both were shocked when I told them about that.

yes - the artwork looks great but so does the artwork for the original Frontierland.

If the current Imagineers are truly stewards of Walt's vision I believe that is what Walt would be happiest about. What joy will this new land bring to the children of tomorrow?

The current imagineers design and build what Bob Iger approves. Walt didn’t want to be an AA and one of his grand-daughters is against it - but the imagineers are doing it anyway. Be careful on turn “what Walt would be happiest about”

 

[KDM31091]

Again many are missing the point. It's not the IP that many have an issue. Even I agree that they need new IP in the parks to get the new generation interested. The issue at least for me is going away from what made the Disney Parks different and unique. Each park had its own theme and IP that fit those parks.

IMO of all the new announcements from D23 the only one that fits the park it's going in is the AK one. The parks are slowly becoming an extension of each other.

Exactly. I’m not fully against IP. I’m against the random hodgepodges that all the parks are slowly melting in to.

 

[SirLink]

HOP is a dusty, dated, creepy attraction that should have left the parks before certain other changes. The Moments with Mr. Lincoln isn't...really my thing, either, but it's vastly more impressive to me and way less creepy than HOP.

Nah not creepy

 

[Wall-e]

The current imagineers design and build what Bob Iger approves. Walt didn’t want to be an AA and one of his grand-daughters is against it - but the imagineers are doing it anyway. Be careful on turn “what Walt would be happiest about”

It seems a lot of people take liberties around these parts when interpreting what Walt would want today. I did not mean to put myself into that category but I thought that making a generalization about his seeming desire to create attractions that mostly cater to children and the joy they bring would be accepted.

 

[Kamikaze]

It seems a lot of people take liberties around these parts when interpreting what Walt would want today. I did not mean to put myself into that category but I thought that making a generalization about his seeming desire to create attractions that mostly cater to children and the joy they bring would be accepted.

Luckily, we'll be able to ask AA Walt what he wants soon.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

I thought that making a generalization about his seeming desire to create attractions that mostly cater to children and the joy they bring would be accepted.

“Disneyland will be the essence of America as we know it: the nostalgia of the past with exciting glimpses into the future.” - Walt Disney

I don’t think Walt wanted attractions that mostly cater to children - the only ones that fit that description in the original park would be located in Fantasyland.

But as you say, it gets tricky knowing what Walt would or would not like.

We do know that the Riverboat, Steam Train, and Monorail were the things he personally owned - so it’s pretty clear to me that he would be against removing the riverboat for sure.

 

[Incomudro]

“Disneyland will be the essence of America as we know it: the nostalgia of the past with exciting glimpses into the future.” - Walt Disney

I don’t think Walt wanted attractions that mostly cater to children - the only ones that fit that description in the original park would be located in Fantasyland.

But as you say, it gets tricky knowing what Walt would or would not like.

We do know that the Riverboat, Steam Train, and Monorail were the things he personally owned - so it’s pretty clear to me that he would be against removing the riverboat for sure.

Yeah... I don't always ponder "What would Walt think," but I feel very safe in my belief that if we unfroze his head he would be devastated at the idea of removing that river and boat.