News Cars-Themed Attractions at Magic Kingdom

[BasiltheBatLord]

On a related note: it is WILD how much the Overton window has shifted on what can be changed, cut and reconfigured at the parks.

Things like retheming Splash Mountain and nuking RoA feel like ideas that would never have been seriously considered by the company even 10 years ago. Nothing is safe or sacred anywhere now.

 

[DCLcruiser]

I assume the riverboat gets demolished backstage? Its such a beautiful boat, I'd rather it be displayed somewhere.

Maybe it will go to Disney Springs?

 

[Big_Shakalaka]

But will it be a fantasyland or Tomorrowland expansion on top of Autopia

or, hear me out... nothing. Quiet nothingness.

 

[Horizons '83]

I guarantee the day they announce a replacement for the Speedway, the exact same complaining we're seeing today will be made about that too.

I'd celebrate it.

 

[kevlightyear]

I assume the riverboat gets demolished backstage? Its such a beautiful boat, I'd rather it be displayed somewhere.

I say permanently dock it at the Grand Floridian. It doesn't make sense thematically, but not any crazier than Mary Poppins theming. At least the color matches.

 

[Captain Barbossa]

They’ve already stopped ordering replacement parts for it

Very few replacement parts for the LB are things they can just order. The majority, especially the mechanical components of the steam engine, have to be machined in house. While the new boiler is more modernized, everything else it still pretty mid 1800s technology.

Not currently, but you don't think they'd consider invest in repurposing it for actual transit from TTC to MK? If not, what else do you do with it? It doesn't seem to have a place in the current plans.

The LB would have to be rebuilt from the ground up for it to be used on the lagoon. That’s not happening. But even if it did, I highly doubt it would remain steam powered.

 

[monothingie]

Not as of yet but I hope I’m wrong

Hopefully not at DHS…

 

[Charlie The Chatbox Ghost]

Maybe it’s just me but I really don’t feel that “the park’s legacy” argument works here.

This isn’t Disneyland. MK’s version of Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island et all has never, ever been on the level of importance or significance that Disneyland’s is. Unlike Disneyland’s version, this particular corner of the park gets really ignored beyond it just being a way to get to the rides in the area people care about.

The RoA and riverboat are deeply integral part of Disneyland’s identity, especially with Fantasmic! being performed there and it’s co-relationship with other nearby attractions. That has NEVER been the case for Magic Kingdom. It has never been a highlighted point of the park, has never been held up as one of its sacred jewels. It has always just been “Disneyland has it so we do too.”

MK’s version of Frontierland has been incredibly weak for decades. Among the worst (if not THE worst in the world, bottom two). It getting a massive overhaul I feel has been an inevitability for ages.

I understand nostalgia for RoA. I do. I have it myself. I’ve loved it. But the park isn’t really losing anything critical to it’s existence and identity here.

This was never sacred ground here. I do feel the image of a river and riverboat is indeed a fixture and foundation of Disney iconography, just that that comes from a completely different park.

If you want to knock this from a thematic point of view, I’ll gladly join that. I don’t think Cars really belongs here either. But I really also cannot start to pretend that MK’s RoA or TSI is or ever has been important to this park, let alone a part of its legacy.

I can agree with this, but I really think the biggest loss here is the river itself and the visual energy it brings. It adds breathing room, kinetic energy, world building, and a peaceful view to take in. If they replace TSI with the Cars ride that’d work perfectly for me. Keep the rivers. But they’re getting rid of the entire river and island for the Cars ride despite having plenty of space north of the river- I imagine this is all because they don’t want to redo the railroad berm again.

Also, this just removes multiple smaller attractions for people to do that don’t really require waits. People hate waiting in long lines already, and adding two more long lines in place of a handful of attractions with no lines doesn’t do much for capacity.

 

[Haymarket2008]

Genuinely asking: what is stopping them from putting a Cars land in World Showcase Lagoon now?

 

[Starship824]

Is it possible the reason they didn't mention the liberty bell because it's still staying? They said they were "transforming" the area so maybe the river loop simply gets altered to allow more guest pathways up to villains but the back half of the river stays?

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

This might be an unpopular opinion, but kids today don't know who Tom Sawyer is, nor do they care about a steam-powered riverboat. Besides, maintaining an island with a steam-powered riverboat circling it every 20 minutes or so gets expensive in the long run, and the infrastructure they had to maintain to keep this obsolete (by today's standards) bit of fantasy going just isn't justified by today's MBA standards.

And the kids of today are the ticket buyers of tomorrow. Better to put something in that THEY can relate to. Boomer G'paw gonna be gone soon anyway...

Think upon this... now that there's another Car ride coming into MK, expect pressure to mount on repurposing the land eaten up by Tomorrowland Speedway...

Meanwhile, who's the robot being memorialized in that mountain peak?
View attachment 808611

Oh my god, it's Groot isn't it... Starlord visited TSI as a child...

 

[ppete1975]

No. It has no navigation, limited propulsion, limited safety, sits low in the water etc etc etc

Its really not much different than jungle cruise is it?

 

[Kamikaze]

My biggest complaint is that I don't think Magic Kingdom should be a priority in the first place, no matter where they put it. It becomes acutely apparent when you're in the app booking Lightning Lanes. "Wow, Magic Kingdom has so much to do, I don't know how we're going to get to everything! Wow, Hollywood Studios has six major headliners... and basically nothing else! Wow, Epcot and Animal Kingdom need more stuff!"

While I agree with you, you have to blame the dumb dumbs for that. Three different groups.

One is the short stay guest that only visits MK.
Two are the guests that might go to 2-3 parks. One of those is always MK.
Three are the 'don't you be puttin that kiddie stuf in mah Epcot (insert DHS/AK)!!!!1111!' crowd.

Losing the riverboat and the rivers sucks, it does, but progress is progress. TSI, even though I have very strong memories there, I won't miss. Wasted space in its current iteration.

 

[GhostHost1000]

View attachment 808634
Is it possible the reason they didn't mention the liberty bell because it's still staying? They said they were "transforming" the area so maybe the river loop simply gets altered to allow more guest pathways up to villains but the back half of the river stays?

I don’t think that’ll look right cruising by villainsland

 

[Dizknee_Phreek]

I knew this was being considered since 2016. I didn’t think they’d be daft enough to approve it.

It’s not over yet either.

That sounds ominous.

 

[ppete1975]

Another issue putting it where the riverboat is etc, is this is going to be smaller than I think we are hoping for. In an area that has no limitations for space, once again we shoe horn something that should take up a large footprint into a small area.

 

[Wall-e]

One more thing I noticed…this entire land seems sunk down to the level of the concrete of the river.

Also…it seems water and waterfalls will be integral to this area. The arrow is pointing in what I believe is the direction the concept art of the ride is showing (which is around the are of the current boat dock). Once you are on the ride you will be immersed in an interesting environment.

 

[John park hopper]

Personally I always found the Riverboat was a nice rest from walking around the park all day and found it always full

 

[Haymarket2008]

It’s a concern if half of livery square is gone. For me, anyway. That’s part of the Mansion’s ambiance. It’s part of a New England town on the banks of a river.

Correct, this destroys a lot of the placemaking of Liberty Square

 

[djkidkaz]

Seeing the artwork, I'm not sure what to think. TSI and ROA are a huge waste of space and putting an attraction on that space is fine by me, however the river adds atmosphere, ambience and a nice change from nothing but concrete elsewhere. I hope the Cars ride does incorporate water and a little river somehow.

The concept art for cars AND villains shows a lot of water features. They even talk about slashing in puddles on the cars ride. There will be plenty of water effects for the water they are replacing.