News Cars-Themed Attractions at Magic Kingdom

[John park hopper]

My question is, will these ATVs be portrayed as gas or electric…?!

Pix dust

 

[Cliff]

There is no movement, just a lot of trolling. I'm sure it's happening in many places, but in this particular thread, you're the one who started us down this unfortunate path.

"Unfortunate" path? So in your mind, the "proper" path is to accept the destruction of the river, island and riverboat. "That" path is the where we "ALL" belong on? This is the "correct" path?

If we disagree with this path, that makes us "bad" in some way? Everybody that does "not" want the river destroyed is creating an "unfortunate" pathway? "Unfortunate" for who exactly?

This is a PASSIONATE, SINCERE and LEGITIMATE debate!...that will happen on every forum in the Disney world. We can't just shut down discussion because it does not agree with Burbank. I'm 100% certain this debate is also happening INSIDE the company on many levels....and RIGHTFULLY SO!

Protest is NOT a "bad" or an "unfortunate" thing in this world. Good things have come from protest. (look at the good that came from the 1960's protests) Seriously....this very country was literally BORN from protest.

Please...let's not try to shut down voices that don't agree with a particular narrative.

Let's respect ALL voices,..even the ones we disagree with. This forum should NEVER be an echo-chamber for one idea only. That's literally THE most psychologically unhealthy way to be.

Yes, I disagree with your opinion on this one but I 100% respect it and would never try to shut it down.

 

[LittleBuford]

"Unfortunate" path? So in your mind, the "proper" path is to accept the destruction of the river, island and riverboat. "That" path is the where we all belong on.

No. You know what I mean. I’m referring to your attempt at politicising the discussion.

I have no problem whatsoever with opposing the filling in of the river. I myself am opposed to it, as are many others here who haven’t seen the need to couch their feelings in irrelevant and inflammatory ideological terms.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

That some didn't turn a profit wasn't important, because the park was viewed as a whole with the understanding that attractions, retail and restaurants don't compete with each other, but work together to sell the experience.

Yes! An excellent example of this in one store is the 3rd part Arribas Brothers on Main Street. No one is buying the $20,000 castle on display - and I highly doubt enough ornaments and figures are sold to pay the full cost of having the glass blower in the back and the glass sculpter in the front. But those 3 things get people into the store to wander, to stay and then they buy the cheap figure that was made in China and THAT is how they make the money.

It's my guess that this destruction of the Rivers of America idea is originating from a small group of Burbank and Glendale executives.

An insider (not on this site) has claimed it was pretty much all Iger.

People at D23 are not uncomfortable with "Frontier Cars" and the concept itself.

I think they were…. Based on the blue sky presentation everyone was expecting Coco and/or Encanto for beyond. Cars at Frontierland, even beyond, is a pretty big leap in theming.

 

[Cliff]

No. You know what I mean. I’m referring to your attempt at politicising the discussion.

I have no problem whatsoever with opposing the filling in of the river. I myself am opposed to it, as are many others here who haven’t seen the need to couch their feelings in irrelevant and inflammatory ideological terms.

The historic "controversy" and history involving this simulated location is a REAL thing. Yes, Tom Sawyer and Mark Twain are a hotly debated historic topic in 2024. Just like the "Song of the South" and "Splash Mountain" debate, this is a recycling of this same issue.

Yes,...Mom can choose to not allow this specific scrutiny here. I get it. This forum is intentionally highly censored and as the owners, that is their right to do. 100% Agreed.

I just don't think that closing our eyes and looking the other way makes the issue disappear. It's still going to exist everywhere. I also don't think this discussion is in the category of "political" at all.

 

[peter11435]

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An insider (not on this site) has claimed it was pretty much all Iger.

There have been plans and proposals for removing the river/boat/TSI since before Iger was CEO.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

There have been plans and proposals for removing the river/boat/TSI since before Iger was CEO.

I was referring specifically to cars.

 

[Ghost93]

The historic "controversy" and history involving this simulated location is a REAL. Yes, Tom Sawyer and Mark Twain are a hotly debated historic topic in 2024. Just like the "Song of the South" and "Splash Mountain" debate, this is a recycling of this same issue.

Yes,...Mom can choose to not allow this specific scrutiny here. I get it. This form is intentionally highly censored and as the owners, that is their right to do. 100% Agreed.

I just don't think that closing our eyes and looking the other way makes the issue disappear. It's still going to exist everywhere. I also don't think this discussion is in the category of "political" at all.

I think the controversy surrounding Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn (with both novels containing stereotypes and racist slurs used to refer to Black people and Native American people) is only indirectly responsible for the closure of Tom Sawyer's Island. By that, I mean that there aren't active petitions against the ride like there were for Splash Mountain, but that the racism controversies that associated with Mark Twain's work have likely played a role in Tom Sawyer falling into obscurity — at least, relative obscurity compared to 1971.

I don't think Disney is shutting the island down because people think the island is racist — there have been adaptations of both novels that have mostly removed the overt racism. HOWEVER, the controversy surrounding both the Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn novels is likely why they aren't mandated reading in most schools anymore. And because they are no longer required reading, Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn aren't part of the general consciousness of most American children nowadays, and therefore they have less attachment to the characters and less of a desire to visit the island while vacationing at Magic Kingdom.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

I think they were…. Based on the blue sky presentation everyone was expecting Coco and/or Encanto for beyond. Cars at Frontierland, even beyond, is a pretty big leap in theming.

Yes, I think Cars always would have been a hard sell because it just shifts the time frame of the whole land so far toward the present that, as I've said before, the old land ends up being something like a Dinoland USA-style Western tourist town. At least if it was located 'beyond Big Thunder' in some sense you could make the argument that you are progressing to a new time and place as you necessarily do as you walk between lands in a theme park. Cars also just seems like a more polarising IP that sells merchandise by the bucketload, but can seem one of their more obnoxious IPs if you don't love it in a way that I don't think films like Coco or Encanto divide opinion so sharply.

As it is, I know I'm a broken record on this, but I really scratch my head when people talk about this as an area themed to the Pacific Northwest or natural beauty, because that is not what this land is going to be themed to. The land is themed to a world populated entirely by anthropomorphised cars. It's not "tour the Pacific Northwest with the cast of Cars", it's "what would the Pacific Northwest look like in a world run by talking cars and where even the landscape grew to resemble car parts."

 

[Animaniac93-98]

HOWEVER, the controversy surrounding both the Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn novels is likely why they aren't mandated reading in most schools anymore. And because they are no longer required reading, Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn aren't part of the general consciousness of most American children nowadays, and therefore they have less attachment to the characters and less of a desire to visit the island while vacationing at Magic Kingdom.

This is similarly why DLP has Adventure Isle instead of Tom Sawyer Island, to appeal to a European audience.

But Paris still has the equivalent attraction. The removal of TSI in WDW isn't just the loss of a different (better IMO) version of that specific thing, it removes something else you can experience at your leisure in favor of another thrill ride with a height requirement that will have ungodly long lines unless you shill out for LL (or maybe that's the point).

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

By that, I mean that there aren't active petitions against the ride like there were for Splash Mountain

I wouldn't call that one petition very active. Nobody cared about that ride's connection to those stories.

I don't think the removal of TSI/Rivers has anything to do with cultural politics or where Tom Sawyer stands in the public consciousness. I think it's because they don't want to build as much outside the berm, and this was the (dumb and disgruntling) alternative.

 

[Phicinfan]

See I have the fix here…..
Instead of ATVs or off road vehicles….

We do covered wagons pulled by tractors that have eyes and act like people and the race is to claim land in the old west?!?!

You get cars aspect and keep the frontier aspect!

Watch this be the kiddie friendly ride

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Cars also just seems like a more polarising IP that sells merchandise by the bucketload, but can seem one of their more obnoxious IPs if you don't love it in a way that I don't think films like Coco or Encanto divide opinion so sharply.

Cars is a merchandising juggernaut, but far from Pixar's most successful franchise when measured in box office receipts and audience/critical reception.

Cars 3 was considered a disappointment when it made less than $400 million worldwide back in 2017. Both it and Cars 2 are at the bottom of IMDB ratings for Pixar Movies (only Lightyear is lower).

Cars Land transcends this perception because of its quality placemaking and headliner ride.

 

[UNCgolf]

This is how retail at parks like Disneyland and The Magic Kingdom was designed as well.

A mix of high volume, one-stop-shopping stores and small, unique shops that acted like exhibits to occupy time. That some didn't turn a profit wasn't important, because the park was viewed as a whole with the understanding that attractions, retail and restaurants don't compete with each other, but work together to sell the experience.

That changed in the 90s when any store that wasn't making x margins was thrown out.

Now entire swaths of park acreage are viewed this way. Not pulling your weight on a spreadsheet? Time to go. Never mind the operational need to not have every ride be over indexed, or the aesthetic value a setting may provide.

This is honestly one of the biggest things that makes the parks a worse experience now -- the Magic Kingdom and especially Hollywood Studios have taken significant hits from this shift. DAK was mainly built/developed after the shift, so it didn't really change, and EPCOT has managed to keep some uniqueness due to the World Showcase.

Tastes regarding attractions etc. can vary wildly from person to person, but I'd guess the vast majority of visitors aren't excited that the stores throughout the parks tend to sell variations of the same merchandise (with a few exceptions, especially when that merchandise is also generally available at World of Disney and/or the resort gift stores. It means there's little reason to spend much time looking in the different stores in the parks, which has knock on effects for capacity and crowding.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

This is honestly one of the biggest things that makes the parks a worse experience now -- the Magic Kingdom and especially Hollywood Studios have taken significant hits from this shift. DAK was mainly built/developed after the shift, so it didn't really change, and EPCOT has managed to keep some uniqueness due to the World Showcase.

It helps when third parties have input and operate venues like stores, restaurants and exhibits.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Cars is a merchandising juggernaut, but far from Pixar's most successful franchise when measured in box office receipts and audience/critical reception.

Even as an over all franchise in the USA & Canada several Pixar properties perform better including Toy Story, Inside out, incredibles and Finding Nemo.

 

[MrPromey]

It helps when third parties have input and operate venues like stores, restaurants and exhibits.

I'm sure that's the only reason you can still see glass blowers in the MK.

 

[Nickm2022]

I think the real bad thing here, is not Cars replacing Tom Swayer or Rivers, but rather the fact that they had the concept art revealing this replacement ready to go, and pourpously waited to reveal this a day after D23 instead of at the actual convention, this shows they knew its not a popular choice and didn't care.

 

[bwr827]

I think the real bad thing here, is not Cars replacing Tom Swayer or Rivers, but rather the fact that they had the concept art revealing this replacement ready to go, and pourpously waited to reveal this a day after D23 instead of at the actual convention, this shows they knew its not a popular choice and didn't care.

Or it simply shows they understand a packed arena crowd is not ready for nuance and rational thinking.

 

[SirLink]

While I think TSI had long outlived its usefulness, the river itself is incredibly pretty and an indispensable part of the Magic Kingdom landscape. They could have easily found a way to keep part of it, while making the island itself - even if it was somehow attached to the mainland - far more useful.

My other big issue with this the sign out front of MK says "Here You Leave Today And Enter The World Of Yesterday, Tomorrow And Fantasy" and no lands in the park are of today, really. Cartoon cars in essentially present day Pacific Northwest isn't really transportive to a different time or a fantastical location. This is just indicative of a larger problem - they've really lost sight of theme parks being themed.

There doesn't need to be a land for 'today' as your "leaving today" when you enter through the arch.