News Cars-Themed Attractions at Magic Kingdom

[DisneyRoxMySox]

This seems to me like someone is who actually informed on the subject speaking about how we got here. It does actually line up with talking points I’ve heard for several years now about the actual physical state of the river itself, the consequences of the way it was built, and the logistical and operational issues associated with those issues. If someone here with more knowledge refutes, by all means do it, but this all makes sense to me and I’ve been hearing about problems with the river bed for awhile.

He also said “Frontierland sucks.” so.

 

[Jrb1979]

Wouldn't it be weird if everyone waited to see before they judged it? How do you all know that it won't have water, or shade, or kinetic energy?

You're getting yourselves all worked up about something that's already been decided and may end up being a good thing. Hit the pause button and bring the outrage back in 2029 if this is terrible.

It may look amazing and will probably be a good ride. That's not the problem or why many or upset. At least for me it's not what's leaving or Cars coming but it's another shift towards taking the parks theme out the park.

I understand those in charge don't care as for them all attractions are now is dollar signs. What I don't understand is why so many fans just don't care about a parks theme any more.

 

[Streetway]

There's something potentially being announced possibly as soon as next Destination D23 just as work starts on RoA that can be open as early as late 2026 to soften the blow for fans for another park. It'll be a fan favorite if it happens.

Disney has plans for 2026. I've heard some stuff, others have heard some stuff. Let's see where stuff happens.

Stuff.

If this does happen it’ll hit like crack. It’s a shame though that if you know what finally happens, it’ll be a move of “hey, we know we’ve made you angry and taken things away, here’s something back to make it up to you”. But it’ll be a good constellation prize.

 

[mickEblu]

Water effects cost money. Water effects get turned off.

I’m referring to that claim made by Bill Zanetti that there will be plenty of water features in the land and yet nothing meaningful is showcased in the concept art.

 

[Incomudro]

Wouldn't it be weird if everyone waited to see before they judged it? How do you all know that it won't have water, or shade, or kinetic energy?

You're getting yourselves all worked up about something that's already been decided and may end up being a good thing. Hit the pause button and bring the outrage back in 2029 if this is terrible.

We know based on recent experience on what Disney promises vs what they deliver.
Additionally, no matter what they physically construct - it's not going to be remotely on the scale of the waterways they are paving over.
Disney hasn't been all that great a keeping the water features they do construct working reliably either.
If they constructed this land on the other side of the river, my opinion of what they are doing would be quite different.
I love Cars.

 

[LSLS]

Overreact much?

They're literally building a Walt AA and putting in a turntable so they can show the current Lincoln show (which always draws only small crowds) while also having the Walt show. If that isn't a nostalgia play, I don't know what is.

Honestly, not sure I am completely, but I'd be fine if you just eliminate "Nostagic" from the line. How about "Again, remember this is the company eliminating anything if it's not making max profits for LL." Still gets my same point across that they aren't going to eliminate money making places for attractions they can't put a paid line skip on. If they could add it, maybe.

 

[HauntedPirate]

I thought we here at WDWMagic had taught people that you cannot trust modern Disney concept art. Apparently we have failed.

 

[mickEblu]

I thought we here at WDWMagic had taught people that you cannot trust modern Disney concept art. Apparently we have failed.

Usually that means the finished product will be worse than the concept art. Rarely if ever is it better.

 

[MisterPenguin]

In fairness, I found a nicer photo, with a filter, of ROA.

View attachment 809204

And here’s Tokyo. MK’s ROA was nothing special and now our Frontierland will be distinguished by its unique beauty rather than it’s unique blandness.

View attachment 809205

View attachment 809206

View attachment 809207

Credit to https://x.com/thehappyzan?s=21

All pretty.

All far from "paradise."

 

[DKampy]

People on this site are just very, very against change.

I can sympathize with those who mourned the loss of Splash Mountain as that was a top 5 attraction and as iconic as Pirates of the Carribbean, the Haunted Mansion and it's a Small World. But I have a hard time believing there are that many die-hard Tom Sawyer Island fans. Hardly anyone goes on Tom Sawyer's Island and I doubt the average person would even know what the Rivers of America is when discussing theme parks. The Cars retheme announcement is something that will really only bother hyper-online parks fans.

Personally I like Tom Sawyer (the novel and its adaptaions) much more than I like Cars, but from a business standpoint this retheme is a no brainer. You are freeing up 10-12 acres that park guests rarely utilize and giving the crowds multiple major e-tickets in their place (cause removing the island also enhances access to the villain land).

To go along with this…. I grew up going to Disney with Tom Sawyer Island ( despite not going much as an adult) and ROA are very nostalgic to me… my wife went to WDW for the first time 20 years after we met… when I told her about this… she said that is great…. They needed to replace Tom Sawyer island… she has also said doozies like Splash Mountain needed a new theme it felt dated and The Country Bears needed updates as it felt like an older Chuck E Cheese

 

[Jrb1979]

To go along with this…. I grew up going to Disney with Tom Sawyer Island ( despite not going much as an adult) and ROA are very nostalgic to me… my wife went to WDW for the first time 20 years after we met… when I told her about this… she said that is great…. They needed to replace Tom Sawyer island… she has also said doozies like Splash Mountain needed a new theme it felt dated and The Country Bears needed updates as it felt like an older Chuck E Cheese

Sure update old attractions. Why can't they put new attractions that fit the theme of the area?

 

[bwr827]

For Villains Land? That’s not going to be open in 5 years - they may start building it in 5 years haha.

I expect it will open in 2029.

 

[FigmentFan82]

I currently have no pointers it's Imagination. Leaning towards a retheme of RnR.

Incredible

 

[MisterPenguin]

Potentially the latter. I hope I’m wrong (things are a right mess behind the scenes at the mo)

They're also a mess looking at it from the front.

 

[danlb_2000]

You mean 'well into' 2025, not 2026, correct?

I think the question is 'When are they going to drain the river?' because thats when, to everyone, it will look like work is going on. And I don't think its clear in the current permit whether or not they need to drain the river before they do the water management work.

Well into 2025. The current permit isn't for the actual project, so I assume we will see a future permit for the actual work that is going to be done.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Besides it being themed to 'early American colony', there isn't much besides HoP thats 'about' America. There's not much meant to educate or experience other than the theming.

If they close HoP, they can put A.I. in the AAs and have them do CM duties like staff the entrance tapstyles.

Oh, hi Mr. Lincoln, my husband has the child's MagicBand, he had to run back to the hotel to get it.

Mr. Lincoln: Ma'am, a house divided cannot enter.

 

[lentesta]

My point was if it were more thematically appropriate in Magic Kingdom and Frontierland, I’d be more in favour.

Cars certainly deserves a ride or land at Disney World, but why not put it in Hollywood Studios.

And while it isn’t at all what Disney likes to do these days, it would be better to base attractions off of more established properties that we know will be reasonably popular well into the future (and Pocahontas could well get a live-action remake at some point). Cars has performed well in the past, and the first film at least should be popular well into the future, though Cars 3 didn’t perform well at the box office, and so might any subsequent sequels.

I see your point.

I think Disney thinks these are its constraints:

• Frontierland is no longer a viable concept. Americans haven't watched family-friendly Westerns, as a genre, in TV or movies in probably sixty years.
• New rides have to be attached to a commercially viable IP franchise to reduce risk
• New Lightning Lane revenue is a key consideration for future development

We can argue all day about whether those should be the constraints. But for the sake of argument, can we accept those as more or less the things Disney thinks are true?

Here are the top-grossing Disney IP from that list above, and their approximate revenue. I'm not sure how up to date it is for any particular franchise:

• Mickey Mouse ($61.2B)
• Winnie the Pooh ($48.5B)
• Star Wars ($46.7B)
• Disney Princesses ($45.4B)
• The Marvel MCU ($32.9B)
• Spider-Man ($25.5B)
• Cars ($21.5B)
• The Lion King ($15.2B)
• Toy Story ($14.8B)
• Avengers ($14.3B)
• Frozen ($13.9B)
• Pirates of the Caribbean ($7.9B)
• Muppets/Sesame Street ($7.7B)
• X-Men ($7B)
• Ice Age ($6.4B)
• Avatar ($5.78B)
• Beauty and the Beast ($3.52B)
• Iron Man ($2.9B)
• Guardians of the Galaxy ($2.71B)
• Indiana Jones ($2.6B)

Let's cross out on the list the things Disney can't build in Florida (e.g., Marvel), and highlight in red the ones that already have substantial presence somewhere else in WDW.

The ones in green are the ones left to choose from, using the criteria above:

• Mickey Mouse ($61.2B) - Hollywood Studios
• Winnie the Pooh ($48.5B) - Magic Kingdom
• Star Wars ($46.7B) - Hollywood Studios
• Disney Princesses ($45.4B) - Magic Kingdom
• The Marvel MCU ($32.9B)
• Spider-Man ($25.5B)
• Cars ($21.5B)
• The Lion King ($15.2B) - Animal Kingdom
• Toy Story ($14.8B) - Hollywood Studios
• Avengers ($14.3B)
• Frozen ($13.9B) - EPCOT, Hollywood Studios
• Pirates of the Caribbean ($7.9B) - Magic Kingdom
• Muppets/Sesame Street ($7.7B) - Hollywood Studios
• X-Men ($7B)
• Ice Age ($6.4B)
• Avatar ($5.78B) - Animal Kingdom
• Beauty and the Beast ($3.52B) - Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios
• Iron Man ($2.9B)
• Guardians of the Galaxy ($2.71B) - EPCOT
• Indiana Jones ($2.6B) - Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom

That helps understand what's happening here, right?

Edit: X-Men crossed out b/c Universal

 

[MisterPenguin]

I think it all goes in here:
View attachment 809228
But this is the wrong thread so best end here.

Will no one think of the new Coke stand?!?!

 

[psherman42]

Wouldn't it be weird if everyone waited to see before they judged it? How do you all know that it won't have water, or shade, or kinetic energy?

You're getting yourselves all worked up about something that's already been decided and may end up being a good thing. Hit the pause button and bring the outrage back in 2029 if this is terrible.

Because *maybe a waterfall and a stream cannot replace what is already there. And *maybe having water and shade also doesn’t solve the other issue which is cars does not belong in Frontierland.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Will no one think of the new Coke stand?!?!

It’s far easier to move that than it is to move Mitch in Marketing’s cubicle. You think you can put a cubicle just anywhere? We will move RnRC to California Adventure before we move his cubicle.