News Cars-Themed Attractions at Magic Kingdom

[MisterPenguin]

Country Bear takes place in the 30s

CBJ had the Bears singing songs from the 1950's and 1960's.

 

[celluloid]

CBJ had the Bears singing songs from the 1950's and 1960's.

Written in.
You know Pirates of the Caribbean was made in the 1960s right? But does not take place in the 1960s.
Grease was also a film made off of the play in the 70s...butnit was about the 1950s.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Written in.
You know Pirates of the Caribbean was made in the 1960s right? But does not take place in the 1960s.
Grease was also a film made off of the play in the 70s...butnit was about the 1950s.

These were actual songs from the 50's and 60's that were somewhat well-known at the time. Not songs written to pretend they're from the 30's.

 

[October82]

Yes they have... which is why it's so weird to keep suggesting they need to stay the same.

They don’t need to stay the same. Acknowledging that doesn’t mean all change is good.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Not songs written to pretend they're from the 30's.

But the songs were and are performed in a vintage style. Ragtime piano player often plays modern Disney songs in a ragtime style for example. Doesn’t automatically place Casey’s / Coke Corner in the modern day.

 

[BuzzedPotatoHead89]

Genius? If you had any part of any park to pick apart for discontinuity of timeline and location, it would be this one. Australian submarines at the foot of a Swiss mountain? Intermixed with a modern monorail and race cars? Yet another reason Disneyland’s ride density has done a huge disservice to its suspension of disbelief / feeling of immersion. I am so glad MK is not following in its path! Phew!

How is adding Cars not 10x more consistent with its surroundings than this mess?

Different strokes for different folks. As a west coaster I’m genuinely happy so many WDW fans are happy with this direction and hope the company sees this as a green light to continue their creative experimentations on the east coast.

I agree and think that maybe if TWDC learns anything from this forum it is that the east coast parks should be treated as “laboratories for modern innovation” both in new attractions and cost efficiency/optimizations going forward.

 

[Epcot81Fan]

Who needs bodies of water in a theme park?!

Boring!

The obvious low-hanging fruit is to fill in World Showcase Lagoon - think of all the new space for food booths!

By definition, all change is good or you don’t get it and hate progress!

 

[CoasterCowboy67]

... When have trees not made the final product? If there's one thing we can count on, it's more trees.

They haven't made standalone minilands in Magic Kingdom. They have appended subsections to larger lands, like how Fantasyland is now divided between the original medieval tourney area, New Fantasyland, and Storybook Circus. This is being tacked onto Frontierland because they can somewhat justify it semantically, but they know it's visually inconsistent with the existing area and are therefore cloaking it with flora and other barriers. It's possible these barriers recede slightly toward the end of Thunder Mountain, but I think the geyser section may actually be at a different elevation that's not immediately apparent from the artwork. Any buildings you can see just look like lodges, and a lot of the vehicle track toward the outside actually looks to sit below the elevation of the main Frontierland walkway.

Susbsections appended to larger lands are at least expansions of existing concepts. They didn’t need to do that — they could just announced a Cars mini land and be done with it. Build a potpourri of disjoint mini lands like Hong Kong DL. They didn’t, and should get credit for that

I don’t see that artwork and think “let’s hide this” — odd thing to want to do with such a massive investment. Is someone forcing them to do Cars? Instead, I see a large building down below that will likely provide panoramic views of the area, I see the geyser area around Big Thunder very much in front of the Cars kiddie area. At best, we don’t know either way

 

[CoasterCowboy67]

Different strokes for different folks. As a west coaster I’m genuinely happy so many WDW fans are happy with this direction and hope the company sees this as a green light to continue their creative experimentations on the east coast.

I agree and think that maybe if TWDC learns anything from this forum it is that the east coast parks should be treated as “laboratories for modern innovation” both in new attractions and cost efficiency/optimizations going forward.

The competition is much stiffer in Florida, so innovation and modernity are musts here. The California parks -- Disney and otherwise — aren’t really incented or expected to innovate. They’re not vacation destinations with nearly as much interest or demand. I think they’re fine to remain as time capsules for folks interested in that

 

[MisterPenguin]

But the songs were and are performed in a vintage style. Ragtime piano player often plays modern Disney songs in a ragtime style for example. Doesn’t automatically place Casey’s / Coke Corner in the modern day.

So if "You Got a Friend in Me" was sung by the CBJ in a "ragtime style" then that would be OK to place set the bears in the 1930s?

 

[BuzzedPotatoHead89]

The competition is much stiffer in Florida, so innovation and modernity are musts here. The California parks -- Disney and otherwise — aren’t really incented or expected to innovate. They’re not vacation destinations with nearly as much interest or demand. I think they’re fine to remain as time capsules for folks interested in that

While I don’t agree with all of your reasoning I agree with enough of your conclusion that I do think it makes sense for local parks in California to draw on some aspects of nostalgia given the attendance mix of locals-tourists.

For better or worse: The theme park market generally from it (and what people come to expect) is different in California vs Florida.

 

[James Alucobond]

I don’t see that artwork and think “let’s hide this” — odd thing to want to do with such a massive investment. Is someone forcing them to do Cars? Instead, I see a large building down below that will likely provide panoramic views of the area, I see the geyser area around Big Thunder very much in front of the Cars kiddie area. At best, we don’t know either way

Literally all of the Cars facilities face inward away from the rest of Liberty Square and Frontierland, and even if you suppose there are some minor sightlines from Thunder Mountain where the artwork becomes geographically unclear, that still leaves 90% of the views obstructed from outside. The only entrance is from the north. No existing pathways connect to it. It is very intentional that it is mostly hidden and disconnected from classic Frontierland. If they thought it would seamlessly integrate with the rest of the land visually, it would face outward without wasting valuable space on a treeline buffer, and the area would have more access points for better crowd flow. No one's forcing them to do Cars, but there is an IP mandate and a dearth of active IP that fits well within the existing Frontierland framework.

 

[Quietmouse]

I think if all the rock work, water features, and landscaping make it into the final product, this could actually be visually equal or maybe even an upgrade (to some). Sadly, I don’t think all this scenery will make it through. If it does though, it would actually be a pretty amazing land, in my opinion.

Controversial opinion, but you’re right.

The dark dirty water, the outdated shell of Tom Sawyer island, much of it is outdated and dirty and not well kept.

The boat will be missed.

But from a theming perspective, if done correctly and appropriately, it could very well be a huge boost to the overall theming of frontier land.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

So if "You Got a Friend in Me" was sung by the CBJ in a "ragtime style" then that would be OK to place set the bears in the 1930s?

I haven’t seen the current show - so if you are asking something about the current show I’m not following?

 

[MisterPenguin]

I haven’t seen the current show - so if you are asking something about the current show I’m not following?

You don't need to see the current show to answer the questions.

If CBJ sang "You Got a Friend in Me" and someone said, that's not 1930s! Would you say, "Yes, it is set in the 1930s because they're singing it in 1930s style!"

 

[mickEblu]

They’re not vacation destinations with nearly as much interest or demand. I think they’re fine to remain as time capsules for folks interested in that

 

[Ghost93]

View attachment 813484

If Disneyland got rid of Rivers of America in favor of a more modern IP, it would easily surpass the Magic Kingdom's attendance!

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

You don't need to see the current show to answer the questions.

If CBJ sang "You Got a Friend in Me" and someone said, that's not 1930s! Would you say, "Yes, it is set in the 1930s because they're singing it in 1930s style!"

The style does set the time - at least in Disney parks logic. Banjo Brothers & Bob used to sing Friend like me in Frontierland and it fit right in. Also the piano players at the Golden Horseshoe at Disneyland would do Friend Like me as well. Seemed like a natural fit.

 

[celluloid]

These were actual songs from the 50's and 60's that were somewhat well-known at the time. Not songs written to pretend they're from the 30's.

Yeah, real country novelty songs, that took place without many jarring time references. The point is the same. The year the songs were produced does not ding the point the same way racing automobiles driving through a rally in an area themed to The American Frontier.

It was very common in the 1950s for novelty songs to do this.
"In 1814 we took a little trip..."
"Please Mr. CUSTAR, I don't want to die"
Many songs made in then1950s were novelties and homage to the rustic American Frontier styling.
Country Bear Jamboree was themed to just that.

 

[Architectural Guinea Pig]

However, Cars is not at all interchangeable with the other attractions in Frontierland in the way that you're describing because it's quite simply not visually coherent with the other elements of the area. Everything else is designed to be viewed together, but Cars is not.

"But of course, this rule only applies to Frontierland! Everything else in Magic Kingdom is essentially beautiful and cohesive and designed to be viewed together... Cars will be the END of it all! The magic will be lost!"

Honestly, the fact that the only gaudy element of the part is the cars themselves is crazy good, especially cars with more off-road adventure vibes. "Fans" are complaining about a beautiful new mountain structure, tons of explorable area, trees, rockwork, detail, waterfalls, and springs. Magic Kingdom has way too much unattractive and downright ugly places, but of course they all fit into their respective time zones and fit into their lands with a loosely strung explanation so it doesn't matter.