News Cars-Themed Attractions at Magic Kingdom

[doctornick]

That's an important distinction: they don't change things that are popular, no matter what level of malice you assign to their decision making. They can't replace Pirates with Cars because it's still too popular. The other side of that argument is that they MUST replace things that are not popular anymore. They are not running a museum.

Um, Splash?

 

[George Carpenter]

Honestly, I don't mind the Rivers or TSI being filled in. They look pretty but that's about it for me. If they make it look like the concept art where it's a cozy mountain/forest area that could be just as beautiful.

But I am annoyed that this was all supposed to be "Beyond" BTM & only Villains will be. Use the space more!!!

I'm glad they left lots of room for future expansion. Villains could definitely grow which is something that few other lands can do.

 

[eddie104]

Let’s be honest the ROA and Tom Sawyer Island we’re pretty much a blank canvas for Disney to work with.

Most people are lamenting the loss of serenity and relief in a crowded park like the MK.

Unfortunately Disney does not see it that way and whether utilize it for something most guests will use.

I’m not saying those areas were of waste of space but if you want more capacity you need to use the areas you current have to their fullest potential especially an area that’s 95% empty land.

 

[billy023]

If the Epcot re-do had worked, I would have given them the benefit of the doubt with this one. However, the disaster of that - along with all the new resort hotel towers invading sight lines, the shilling of IP where it does not belong, the Las Vegas attention to surface glitz - has showed me that Disney has lost its way. When money is NOT dictated by the stock market, you get the artistry of Tokyo Disney. When the stock market rules you get a frontierland of rocks and no water. Symbolic.

 

[lazyboy97o]

The only way to make this really work is to have the backside look like the dry west, not the Pacific Northwest and its evergreens. They would need to double to old west buildings on both sides of the street. I guess that is why the boat landing building is staying.

While building out the other side of the path would create a stronger pedestrian experience, it would do so in isolation and in contradiction to the story. Frontierland doesn’t have a lot of chronological separation from Main Street, USA. The shootout on Main Street is a classic western trope. But Frontierland wasn’t telling an urban story like Main Street, USA. Even with these new attractions, it’s still supposed to be telling a story of great expanses of land. Adding a second block creates a very urban typology.

 

[DCLcruiser]

I never said TSI/ROA = national park. I am merely refuting the idea that the frontier theme in totality is dead.

I like Frontierland. I like BTMR. I just don't think national parks are on the same level as TSI/RoA. Even as a kid in the 90s I never had any interest in TSI.

 

[SteamboatJoe]

Sorry, I updated my last post, as I confused you with the other poster.

I just don't think TSI is fantasy. Maybe it was cool in the 70s and 80s. I've never been eager to go as a kid of the late 80s/early 90s.

To be honest, I care more about the riverboat than the island itself.

 

[Beacon Joe]

Kind of makes you think it was intentionally *designed* not to be super packed/busy. Apparently that means it’s “unpopular” and no-one likes it.

I've sort of suspected that's why they often didn't run the keel boats.

"There is no merchandising or calculable ROI on TSI." --> "Let's not run the keel boats every day because why would we shunt guests to a location with no ROI." --> People can rarely get on boats to TSI --> "See, nobody goes to TSI." --> Kill it and pave it over for gift shops"

 

[el_super]

For a one minute ride across the river? How busy and pre-planned is your day?

Kind of makes you think it was intentionally *designed* not to be super packed/busy. Apparently that means it’s “unpopular” and no-one likes it.

The crux of the issue: people weren't utilizing this desperately needed space. Either it's not as needed as people want to think, or the burdens to utilizing it were too high. Either way the result is the same.

Um, Splash?

Splash wasn't popular because of the IP.

 

[UNCgolf]

It’s funny seeing these arguments in these threads, because the insistence of “neighborhood character” and attempts to stop development is why cities across the world are in a housing crisis.

Eh, AirBNB and other corporate investment schemes are as much, if not more, to blame for this.

More importantly, this is a theme park, not a city.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

There is something tragically poetic and symbolic about an auto-centric land replacing a relatively "natural", historic portion of the park.

Maybe it's just me, but don't roads and cars kind of take the charm and romance out of the wilderness? Do people really go to the real wilderness and wish that there were more roads and the sound of cars whizzing by? If so, I guess Disney is creating that fantasy for them.

 

[V_L_Raptor]

Look at the artwork released today, there is a giant waterfall that everyone will see walking down through Liberty Square from the hub. Similar to the Matterhorn.

Give it time. Eventually they'll decide those waterfalls are as difficult to maintain as the old Tomorrowland ones, and they'll be taken out of service. Why build something to maintain it, after all?

 

[duncedoof]

They're losing Scott Gustin... It's truly over.

 

[basas]

Sorry, I updated my last post, as I confused you with the other poster.

I just don't think TSI is fantasy. Maybe it was cool in the 70s and 80s. I've never been eager to go as a kid of the late 80s/early 90s.

No worries. Everyone has different interests. I’m a kid of the late 80s and I loved it…but then I’ve always had a passion for American history and read the books in high school.

I also love the Cars franchise (which seems to put me in the minority around here). Radiator Springs Racers is my favorite ride at Disneyland Resort. I’m also not opposed to cloning. I’d love to have a version of it in Florida. But we could have gotten that without blowing up a quarter of the park…

 

[AdventureHasAName]

Place this ride in Test Track, Pixar Land, Tomorrowland Speedway, or almost any one of the World Showcase countries ("Cars around Italy/Germany/America") and there would be almost no complaints.

 

[Beacon Joe]

Maybe it's just me, but don't roads and cars kind of take the charm and romance out of the wilderness? Do people really go to the real wilderness and wish that there were more roads and the sound of cars whizzing by? If so, I guess Disney is creating that fantasy for them.

Mater's Moab Adventure. I could get behind that.

But in another park.

 

[britain]

We all thought that maybe the upper half would get cut off. Instead its the lower half. It appears the upper half is still there, unless this is thrown together artwork and they didn't think about that. Could they still retain the riverboat in the upper half with the launch just on the other side of HM?

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I have a feeling that's just a little lagoon to help the edges of Big Thunder which was designed to look good up against a shoreline.

On a similar topic, it's going to feel weird having land creep right up to Tiana's splashdown area.

Others have said it, I'll say it too: Glad they didn't do this to DL, but in all honesty, WDW's Frontierland was never clicking correctly for me. Maybe because more money and effort was put into Liberty Square? (The dinky Frontierland sign didn't help.). Maybe because it never got Western River Expedition? Maybe because it never had more animated vignettes along the river bank - it always felt a little lazy, like, "Florida swamp will be sufficient atmosphere here in the back." And, on a similar note, the WDW river isn't a respite like it is in Anaheim. You want to relax riding a real boat on Floridian waters? WDW still has a few options like that.

In any case, it's becoming "American National Park Land". It's going to create some REALLY crazy reframing of things.

 

[SteamboatJoe]

I've sort of suspected that's why they often didn't run the keel boats.

"There is no merchandising or calculable ROI on TSI." --> "Let's not run the keel boats every day because why would we shunt guests to a location with no ROI." --> People can rarely get on boats to TSI --> "See, nobody goes to TSI." --> Kill it and pave it over for gift shops"

If they wanted to increase traffic to TSI, all they needed to do was turn Fort Langhorn into a merch shop selling limited time popcorn buckets and have Aunt Polly's serve special cupcakes.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Never done either attraction shutting down now I am trying to decide if we should do it at the end of September so we can at least experience it once or just forget it so we never know what was lost lol

Why would you not want to experience it? Both the riverboat and Island are the definition of classic Disney theme park and original opening day attractions.

 

[erasure fan1]

Tsi is barely used. Replacing muppets with monsters Inc instead of them using animation courtyard would be a mistake imo. It's still draws a crowd and people like it.

The point of my post is they don't need to get rid of either. They aren't in a position where space is gone, and you have to make a choice. Even though I'm not a crazy fan of TSI, I just don't see any reason at this point for it to go.