News Cars-Themed Attractions at Magic Kingdom

[Stripes]

If the canal is the issue it can be closed off and portions of the river and island can remain.

The Liberty Belle would need to be maintained.

That’s an opinion not a fact - i think the original planning was much more ambitious and well thought out. You of course can disagree - many people think it was bad planning to have the parking lot separated from the magic kingdom - I think it’s wonderful and makes the park more special.

Those are opinions - not facts.

I also don’t think the parking lot being where it is was bad planning. It was excellent planning.

This situation is different.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

The Liberty Belle would need to be maintained.

The steamboats are maintained within the park in California, Paris, and Tokyo.

 

[CoasterCowboy67]

I disagree 100% - Disneyland is the poster child and the masterclass in theme park design. The only major issue is how they have neglected parts of Tomorrowland.

Yeah hard disagree. DL’s potpourri of lands make little sense with each other anymore, and Adventure/New Orleans/Critter/Frontier are all mini-lands that jam right into the other with little transition. The park is crammed with rides at the expense of realistic immersion. Zero comparison

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Yeah hard disagree. DL’s potpourri of lands make little sense with each other anymore, and Aventure/New Orleans/Critter/Frontier are all mini-lands that jam right into the other with little transition. The park is crammed with rides at the expense of realistic immersion. Zero comparison

If Disneyland is wrong I don’t want to be right! Haha

 

[Stripes]

The steamboats are maintained within the park in California, Paris, and Tokyo.

Well…

i think the original planning was much more ambitious and well thought out.

Maybe it wasn’t so well thought out then?

Seriously though, I doubt they go through all of this when they don’t have to.

 

[Captain Barbossa]

The steamboats are maintained within the park in California, Paris, and Tokyo.

That’s because there are dry docks built within those rivers. (Can’t find Paris’ but I’m assuming it’s there)

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Maybe it wasn’t so well thought out then?

Seriously though, I doubt they go through all of this when they don’t have to.

There’s nothing wrong with the current system and I think it’s well thought out - but other options exist if they want to close the canal.

That’s because there are dry docks built within those rivers. (Can’t find Paris’ but I’m assuming it’s there)

Right… so they build a dry dock if they want to close off the canal.

 

[Stripes]

There’s nothing wrong with the current system and I think it’s well thought out - but other options exist if they want to close the canal.

Of course, options exist. But let‘s face it if you were a business executive looking at this situation and the pros and cons list of all the options, you’d be fired for going with any option other than the one Disney is going with. I mean, it’s not even a close call. It’d be a huge, blatant waste of shareholder money in order to appease a small minority of fans who would prefer ROA over a thrilling new Cars attraction.

And the only reason this is the case is due to flawed planning back in the sixties.

 

[peter11435]

Right… so they build a dry dock if they want to close off the canal.

Massive investment to keep a high cost attraction that nobody rides.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Massive investment to keep a high cost attraction that nobody rides.

I wasn’t aware it has 0 riders per hour. News to me.

 

[CoasterCowboy67]

I wasn’t aware it has 0 riders per hour. News to me.

You heard it here first!

You know exactly what he means and he isn’t wrong

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

You heard it here first!

You know exactly what he means and he isn’t wrong

“Nobody rides” is 100% false. Words matter.

 

[Captain Barbossa]

If they were to keep a portion of the RoA and the Liberty Belle (none of which are happening), there are 2 options. I’m using the suspension bridge as a rough dividing line. Please excuse my crude drawing skills.

Options #1: Northern Portion

The northern portion of the river would be kept with the southern half being filled in for cars. This would allow the Liberty Belle continued access to the mini maintenance dock in the canal and ultimately the main dry dock located in the northeast corner of Bay Lake. However, a new passenger loading dock would have to be built.

Option #2: Southern Portion

The southern portion of the river would be kept with the northern half being filled in for cars. This would allow the continued use of the current passenger loading dock. However, a new dry dock/maintenance area would have to be built within the river.

Of the 2 options, option 1, imo, would be the best due to the construction of a new passenger loading dock being cheaper and easier than a dry dock. Not to mention this option would more than likely provide the longer ride time.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

If they were to keep a portion of the RoA and the Liberty Belle (none of which are happening), there are 2 options. I’m using the suspension bridge as a rough dividing line. Please excuse my crude drawing skills.

Options #1: Northern Portion

View attachment 811611
The northern portion of the river would be kept with the southern half being filled in for cars. This would allow the Liberty Belle continued access to the mini maintenance dock in the canal and ultimately the main dry dock located in the northeast corner of Bay Lake. However, a new passenger loading dock would have to be built.

Option #2: Southern Portion
View attachment 811612
The southern portion of the river would be kept with the northern half being filled in for cars. This would allow the continued use of the current passenger loading dock. However, a new dry dock/maintenance area would have to be built within the river.

Of the 2 options, option 1, imo, would be the best due to the construction of a new passenger loading dock being cheaper and easier than a dry dock. Not to mention this option would more than likely provide the longer ride time.

There is also option 2.5 - the #2 option with a connection to the maintenance canal.

 

[Captain Barbossa]

There is also option 2.5 - the #2 option with a connection to the maintenance canal.

???

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

???

Pretty much - but you’d add a bridge to complete the loop - the bridge would have a drawbridge section of course.

 

[Captain Barbossa]

I wasn’t aware it has 0 riders per hour. News to me.

“Nobody rides” is 100% false. Words matter.

You must’ve missed the memo that explains “that I don’t ride” somehow equals “that nobody rides”.

 

[peter11435]

I wasn’t aware it has 0 riders per hour. News to me.

You know exactly what I meant. Obviously it isn’t 0 riders per hour. But when an attraction usually operates at about 15% of its designed capacity think it’s fair to say nobody is riding.

 

[EricsBiscuit]

This, I hate all the comments about that, especially in DHS with monsters possibly replacing muppets. People having been saying "No they should leave animation courtyard for Future expansion AFTER this" they say the same about the ROA. News flash THIS IS THE FUTURE EXPANSION RIGHT NOW.

Exactly!

Building on the Rivers of America gives them easy land to build on as it doesn’t need much to make building suitable. It’ll be cheaper and, importantly, much faster than any of the alternatives.

Meanwhile, they are bulldozing the trees and creating a gravel laydown yard in the red and green areas below. They will be using this land to store equipment and materials for building the Cars attractions and the Villains land.
View attachment 811598

The land in red is considered marginally unsuitable and I doubt they will ever build on this land. However, the land in green is considered marginally suitable and after Cars and Villains start wrapping up I can see them making that land suitable and connecting it to the rumored Adventureland expansion in blue.

Getting rid of the Rivers of America and the Liberty Belle also enables them to build over the canal. Martin shared that the areas in green and blue are considered expansion plots by the company and I believe getting rid of the ROA is truly long-term thinking that will correct some flawed land planning that took place when MK was being designed back in the 1960s

The land planning decisions are only “flawed” if you are as cheap and unimaginative as modern Disney. I don’t think WDP in the 60’s could have fathomed how terrible their future leadership would be.

Massive investment to keep a high cost attraction that nobody rides.

High cost? It takes 4 CMs to operate! A little bit of water, biofuel and some oil. Not “high maintenance“ at all. Saying nobody rides it is also obviously wrong and a lazy attempt at hyperbole.

 

[peter11435]

You must’ve missed the memo that explains “that I don’t ride” somehow equals “that nobody rides”.

I actually ride the riverboat on many of my Magic Kingdom visits.

It’s not that “I don’t ride” it’s that very few people actually do ride.