News Cars-Themed Attractions at Magic Kingdom

[mickEblu]

I think it does somewhat, but with the comments I've seen so far, here and on social media. there are alot of people applauding this change and passive-aggressively shaming those of us that don't like this. Those are the people that Disney loves.

Those people applaud EVERYTHING Disney does. They could replace the castle with a giant middle finger and they’d be ok with it. But I don’t think they re the majority.

 

[duncedoof]

Fantastic perspective.



"I remember when my family started going to Disney, it felt like there were *so many* lesser-known secrets to discover that kept us coming back. Interactive card games & scavenger hunts, pin trading, Hidden Mickeys, little museums & exhibits, beautiful secluded spots to chill out.

No, that stuff isn't all must-do for the family there for one day trying to max out their number of attractions-ridden. But the obscure things were *why* my family often desired more days at the parks, and kept coming back. Because there were little treasures to stumble upon too. [...]

It gives you a sense of agency and identity in a theme park to know that you can discover the things *you* like to do and enjoy the experience in a way that's different to others. When everything is a super must-do attraction with a 120-minute wait, there are no hidden gems.

In terms of hidden gems, Tom Sawyer Island & The Riverboat were the pinnacle of that idea to me. Some people have said "you never ride them," but I do. Every time. Because when I go to a theme park, I'm not just interested in rides—I'm interested in atmosphere, beauty, discovery..."

 

[Dear Prudence]

Here's the thing though, Disney must have numbers for how many people visited Tom Sawyer Island and the Liberty Belle. If you love an attraction, make sure you experience it every time you visit to get the numbers up. Before this announcement, there was very little public love for Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America and any vlog I've seen featuring those attractions, they appear to not be very busy?

At Disneyland they're always slammed (which I loooove)

 

[Nickm2022]

I'm not upset with the idea of moving Frontierland more towards the nature of the American west but more why they're doubling down with cars instead of giving1 cars ride and 1 of something new. My hope is at least this Cars ride is a new ride system/veichile.

I also think COCO now no longer coming to Frontierland and the concept art for the DCA looking so much the 3 Callebreros makes it likely it will eventually come to the Mexico pavilion

 

[Quietmouse]

Here's the thing though, Disney must have numbers for how many people visited Tom Sawyer Island and the Liberty Belle. If you love an attraction, make sure you experience it every time you visit to get the numbers up. Before this announcement, there was very little public love for Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America and any vlog I've seen featuring those attractions, they appear to not be very busy?

The problem is less about the attraction themselves but rather about the long wait times for loading and unloading and how hard it was to get to Tom Sawyer island and once getting there having nothing substantial to do.

The other problem is Disney world is expensive. Just 4 days for an average family of 4 will run you close to 4k dollars. Maybe more families would be willing to do TSI and the river boat but when your vacation is only 4 day and you are rushing to the next experience then the boat and island become an easy skip.

 

[kevlightyear]

For those wondering why the facades of existing buildings don't look quite right in the artwork...

 

[Incomudro]

Poseidon Entertainment just did a video on Disney resorts, really lauding the best it has to offer but ending with disappointment at the current trend of blander looking ones they're making, or the choices to do things like slap The Incredibles everywhere on the Contemporary, that sort of thing. It's a pretty great launching off point for discussions of "what IS Disney?" to most people - like, to me Disney is a series of design choices and styles. Ergo, something like the Yacht and Beach Club is interesting because it's that Disney style's take on those very things, the Wilderness Lodge is the Disney style's take on a mountain resort, etc. You get some characters here and there, mostly around the gift shops, but it's not overbearing.

The newer stuff is pretty much generic hotel towers, but with Disney characters drawn on some surfaces or what have you, and now it's bleeding over into the previously built hotels (e.g. "throw Beauty and the Beast into our 'Florida in the Victorian Era' themed resort because...reasons!"). I suppose to some that makes it "more Disney", but I think a stronger case can be made that it's abandoning a lot of Disney design principles, thus making it less Disney than it was before, even if that feels strange since it involves an increase in the number of visible Disney characters.

I watched that video last night.
While I don't always agree with him, I was all in on that one.

 

[DisneyNittany]

Not saying I like this, but it sort of makes sense to me.

I had been wondering how they were going to attempt to transition between Fantasyland to Villains and from the American desert to Villains, and had assumed that it would be through a scary/haunted forest. So, turning Frontierland into a more American Northwest/US National Parks theme helps them get there easier.

Now, I still don't really know how Cars fits, but the thematic change I guess makes sense if that's the thought process.

 

[easyrowrdw]

I’m speaking on the incredible theming of the Wilderness Lodge being brought to the park. I think if done correctly that alone would be a huge win for everyone. Maybe I’m seeing the vision of the concept art differently then some people but what I see are depth, forced perspective, scale, theming (separate the current area of LS and HM), and a variety of natural elements. I’m imagining how this land will look from BTM, it seems to be a natural valley in the park.

And to everyone saying the ATV’s will be loud and take away the ambiance, what if they are EV’s? So much is unknown at this point but I’m just delving into what I see and what I see is an area that has the look of being something special. AND it isn’t even the most spectacular thing on the docket (Villians!). It’s like an appetizer.

Sure, I understood what you meant. My opinion is that such a feat is impossible when you have Cars in Frontierland. It doesn’t matter how great the fake mountains and waterfalls and real trees look.

The Safari is a wonderfully designed attraction with great care and attention applied to the entire thing. It’s amazing. But if Tow Mater was your tour guide it would be absurd.

 

[Bleed0range]

I’m really upset about ROA too, but to be a bit more optimistic… I am intrigued by what this ride is. Is it made to just look off road or will it actually be like real dirt paths? Is this some kind of trackless thing? If so how does that even work without being down every day when if one thing is slightly out of whack on Rise it goes down?

 

[phillip9698]

It's only unpopular because it's a hassle to get over there. There's plenty of ways they could've solved that issue. Additionally, TSI and the RoA are experienced by EVERY guest who visits that area of the park, because they are the grounding visual element. They add immersion and beauty to the area. You can't quantify that in numbers. Replacing them with a thick tree line, snowy rocks, and the muffled sounds of "Kachow" will take away so much from the area.

I keep seeing this but how do you explain the chill areas in Epcot and AK, which are extremely easy to get to, being empty as well?

Why should anyone assume the chill and quiet area of MK would be more popular when those areas are also abandoned in the other parks?

There is absolutely no evidence that making TSI easier to get to would increase its popularity enough to warrant its continued existence.

 

[Raineman]

Fantastic perspective.



"I remember when my family started going to Disney, it felt like there were *so many* lesser-known secrets to discover that kept us coming back. Interactive card games & scavenger hunts, pin trading, Hidden Mickeys, little museums & exhibits, beautiful secluded spots to chill out.

No, that stuff isn't all must-do for the family there for one day trying to max out their number of attractions-ridden. But the obscure things were *why* my family often desired more days at the parks, and kept coming back. Because there were little treasures to stumble upon too. [...]

It gives you a sense of agency and identity in a theme park to know that you can discover the things *you* like to do and enjoy the experience in a way that's different to others. When everything is a super must-do attraction with a 120-minute wait, there are no hidden gems.

In terms of hidden gems, Tom Sawyer Island & The Riverboat were the pinnacle of that idea to me. Some people have said "you never ride them," but I do. Every time. Because when I go to a theme park, I'm not just interested in rides—I'm interested in atmosphere, beauty, discovery..."

Disney would love it if everyone at the parks had that park commando mentality-rush from ride to ride, thinking about the next ride even before they are on the current ride, and never wanting to slow down and look, or explore, or discover. This is the kind of people that Disney is remolding the parks for, and this is why the parks will be unrecognizable to people like us in 20 years.

 

[mickEblu]

I guarantee you this is the kind of thing where a casual fan will show up to the park and feel the loss of the river. Maybe not TSI or being able to ride the riverboat so much but that vista. It’s the DNA, soul of the park or however you want to phrase it. It’s part of the quintessential castle park experience. Not to be tossed out lightly for a Cars ride.

 

[Snapper Bean]

I mean I get the "hidden gem" concept. But I think we're beyond that at this point. Maybe if Disney hadn't spent the last 20 years building a kajillion hotel rooms and zero new parks.

 

[Quietmouse]

Sure, I understood what you meant. My opinion is that such a feat is impossible when you have Cars in Frontierland. It doesn’t matter how great the fake mountains and waterfalls and real trees look.

The Safari is a wonderfully designed attraction with great care and attention applied to the entire thing. It’s amazing. But if Tow Mater was your tour guide it would be absurd.

Ips can change. Lands cannot (at least for not many decades). As long as the wilderness theme is nailed that’s all that matters. Cars will die out and it will become mickeys frontier racing..whatever, theme is critical more than anything else .

 

[disney fan 13]

One thing to keep in mind is that when discussing a mega corporation like the Walt Disney company, not all online discussion about it is organic. Any company in this position would likely be running a large online influence campaign around such a controversial decision.

 

[Incomudro]

Rise of the Resistance is incredible. The Skyliner is a amazing achievement that is free and fun. Ratatouille and the France expansion is gorgeous and lovely. Cosmic Rewind is one the best rides in Orlando, hand down.

So yes...we have.

Rise is excellent.
Galaxies Edge in which it resides is a shell of what Disney promised us.
The Skyliner is a great addition, if an off the shelf item.
Ratatouille is a serviceable ride in an otherwise nicely done expansion.
Cosmic Rewind is a fun ride hideously housed in a way Disney of 'yore would have never done.
Matter of fact Cosmic Rewind kind of personifies the new Disney way.
Just put a square peg in a round hole, who cares what it looks like?
They had the same thinking with the barges in Epcot - fortunately those were removable.
There again, they proved they didn't understand the human mind and how water views affect it.

 

[Wall-e]

Not saying I like this, but it sort of makes sense to me.

I had been wondering how they were going to attempt to transition between Fantasyland to Villains and from the American desert to Villains, and had assumed that it would be through a scary/haunted forest. So, turning Frontierland into a more American Northwest/US National Parks theme helps them get there easier.

Now, I still don't really know how Cars fits, but the thematic change I guess makes sense if that's the thought process.

He gets it. This isn’t just about one area. It’s about bringing them altogether for what’s to come. So much unknown at this point, just looking forward to what we do.

 

[Raineman]

He gets it. This isn’t just about one area. It’s about bringing them altogether for what’s to come. So much unknown at this point, just looking forward to what we do.

The areas were already brought together-every land at MK, since 1971. There was no need to change things and have to bring them together again. Create brand new areas, and bring them together, not overlap on current areas that do not need that.

 

[The Chatbox Ghost]