News Cars-Themed Attractions at Magic Kingdom

[Pi on my Cake]

They could keep the River as is and build on an expansion pad and it wouldn’t be a nightmare.

Maybe, but that's an entirely different discussion since all I was talking about was the pitch of trying save just the bottom island. Which would still be blocking any practical way to get to the new lands without adding bridges to the island or making the river much skinnier. Both of which would involve losing the riverboat. And even if they could keep the riverboat going, it would be a worse experience to a degree that imo its not worth saving anymore.

My hope is it gets dry docked somewhere on a remaining part of the river and used as a quiet space. Add some seats, some fans, maybe some museum displays on Mark Twain. Add the checkers boards and rocking chairs from Tom Sawyer. Leave it as a tribute to the past and as a relaxing spot to cool down. Maybe even keep one level for that, one with a Tiana meet and greet, and one that's flexible for operational needs.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Maybe, but that's an entirely different discussion since all I was talking about was the pitch of trying save just the bottom island. Which would still be blocking any practical way to get to the new lands without adding bridges to the island or making the river much skinnier.

Neither are required…. Sorry to post this again but this thread moves fast! Haha.

 

[bwr827]

As a fan I don’t want to hear any of the ROI excuses. They have enough room to build Cars Land AND at the very least keep the bottom loop of the river between Mansion and Thunder. The river and Tom Sawyer island were never designed to be super high capacity. People couldn’t walk on water in the 50’s either. If the island was designed to be high capacity you wouldn’t need to take a raft to get there. So any argument that the River or island are underutilized is a moot point to me. It’s about the atmosphere. Cut the river in half, close what’s left of the island and dock the boat if you have to but don’t get rid of the whole thing. The Conspiracy theorist in me says this may have been the plan all along. Give fans the worst possible scenario and gauge the reaction. Then when you reel things back in a bit they re happy.

I might just be crazy and not remembering correctly, but didn’t you say in the Disneyland thread that you have never visited Magic Kingdom?

 

[Steamboat71]

I really think people trying to save the bottom island don't know how bad of shape that island is in. Any change beyond basic refurbishment would, unless I'm mistaken, require it all brought up to modern safety/Ada compliance. Which I don't believe a single square inch of that island is. If they were going to keep any part of the island, they would still basically need to demolish it and start over. At that point, why not have something new that might have a better chance at connecting with more people?

Plus, I understand the riverboat is a cool visual for the land, but if there's just the bottom half of the island then everything interesting to see on the riverboat ride will be gone and the ride will be incredibly underwhelmingly short. A riverboat ride that just loops around the bottom island would just be the world's most expensive set piece for the land while greatly limiting the options for bridges and other paths connecting to huge new lands making terrible bottlenecks for crowds

I hope parts of the river stay for aesthetic reasons (and the concept art does show parts of it staying, granted it also shows Paris Frontierland so take it with a grain if salt). But this really is an all or nothing kind of a deal

Potential solution for the ADA issue: Make the Island inaccessible to guests and relocate some of the ROA props to the bottom Island such as the Animals, Indians, Beacon Joe, Burning Cabin, and the River Pirates Hideout. Maybe even keep some old TSI sets intact such as Aunt Polly's and the mills. Even though the trip would be only seven minutes long, this sternwheeler riverboat is one of the few left in the world that's actually steam-powered, and it should be preserved in order for future generations to appreciate a time where these riverboats scaled the mighty Mississippi in order to help build the USA.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Potential solution for the ADA issue

I don’t think there is an ADA issue - Disneyland just did major work to the treehouse and reopened it. Removing the bridge to the larger island and redoing a path doesn’t make this a “new build”

 

[Pi on my Cake]

Neither are required…. Sorry to post this again but this thread moves fast! Haha. View attachment 811492

That's not even the whole bottom island. Imo that's not enough to be worth saving, but that's just my opinion. Plus, your map ignores the Haunted Mansion queue. Which means another path would need to be added. Which means cutting into the river. Which would either be skinny enough to be a bottleneck or wide enough to effect the riverboat.

Of course, the queue and entrance to Haunted Mansion could be redone completely to open that up having guests enter from behind in Villains land. But that seems like a lot of effort just to save 1/4 of the riverboat imo. Especially the least interesting 1/4

 

[gorillaball]

so why does Disneyland continue to expand and add attractions and yet with fewer guests per year, and paying CM’s much more, the admission cost is actually lower?

Is that factual or revisionist memory? Between 1995 and 2019 Disneyland’s most significant new attraction was… Buzz Lightyear or Pooh?

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Slap googly eyes on the Thunder Mountain locomotives and pretend it’s part of the Cars IP.

Ka-choo choo!

 

[gorillaball]

While I don’t want Small World to die, it kind of should move, IMO. Tangled makes too much sense nestled between its restrooms and the German-named Village Haus. Small World, meanwhile, has plenty of more sensible places it could go. It could replace the Speedway utilizing the white clockwork aesthetic it has sometimes had, it could be puzzled into Storybook Circus by leaning into Blair’s colorful illustrations, or it could somehow be added to EPCOT for thematic purposes.

But why spend all that money to move something and end up with nothing added? I’d get it if we all said they had plenty of capacity, otherwise I don’t think $ should be spent to love something unless it’s a no brained… IE Lion King theater for Pandora.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Is that factual or revisionist memory? Between 1995 and 2019 Disneyland’s most significant new attraction was… Buzz Lightyear or Pooh?

that doesn’t contradict what I said? And of course in 95 they opened Indiana Jones and in 2019 Galaxies Edge followed by Runaway Railway in 2023.

There was also Rocket Rods in there which was a significant investment but a total disaster.

 

[Quietmouse]

one could make the argument that there has been very little progression with technological advancement with the magic kingdom and its attractions.

In a vacuum thats fine, but magic kingdom is easily one of the most expensive theme parks on the planet and it’s lagging seriously behind with moving forward.

I’d argue and say 1/4th if it’s attractions are just antiques by this point and are given reason to exist because of severe nostalgia attached.

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

Slap googly eyes on the Thunder Mountain locomotives and pretend it’s part of the Cars IP.

 

[DisneyHead123]

one could make the argument that there has been very little progression with technological advancement with the magic kingdom and its attractions.

In a vacuum thats fine, but magic kingdom is easily one of the most expensive theme parks on the planet and it’s lagging seriously behind with moving forward.

I’d argue and say 1/4th if it’s attractions are just antiques by this point and are given reason to exist because of severe nostalgia attached.

I think one has to be cautious with this line of thinking. Which pulls more tourists, a high tech arcade or a quaint, vintage beach town? Which do people rave about more, the high tech animatronics in Tiana’s Bayou Adventure or the low tech ones in Haunted Mansion? Why did the virtual reality experiences in Disney Springs close while the 1970s Tiki themed Ohana restaurant is still generally packed?

Increasingly, people have access to technology in the comfort of their own homes. I think the parks should integrate new technology, of course, but making it a focal point is a serious error, to my mind.

 

[Quietmouse]

I think one has to be cautious with this line of thinking. Which pulls more tourists, a high tech arcade or a quaint, vintage beach town? Which do people rave about more, the high tech animatronics in Tiana’s Bayou Adventure or the low tech ones in Haunted Mansion? Why did the virtual reality experiences in Disney Springs close while the 1970s Tiki themed Ohana restaurant is still generally packed?

Increasingly, people have access to technology in the comfort of their own homes. I think the parks should integrate new technology, of course, but making it a focal point is a serious error, to my mind.

I think it’s a fine line for sure.

I would argue the haunted mansion has been progressively tinkered with by imagineering for years and decades now, it’s like there passion project, and that’s why it’s so successful.

 

[Casper Gutman]

I think it’s a fine line for sure.

I would argue the haunted mansion has been progressively tinkered with by imagineering for years and decades now, it’s like there passion project, and that’s why it’s so successful.

The tinkering has nothing to do with its success. In a great many ways the tinkering has made it a lesser attraction. They tinker because they want to leave a mark on something that is already indisputably timeless.

To a great degree, technology is a distraction. What actually matters is brilliant storytelling, ingenious scene building, wit, charm, and detail - all interrelated. Those are the things that make classic attractions, attractions that can't be replaced by handheld screens, that draw guests from around the world again and again. And those are the things modern Disney seems incapable of mastering.

 

[Quietmouse]

The tinkering has nothing to do with its success. In a great many ways the tinkering has made it a lesser attraction. They tinker because they want to leave a mark on something that is already indisputably timeless.

To a great degree, technology is a distraction. What actually matters is brilliant storytelling, ingenious scene building, wit, charm, and detail - all interrelated. Those are the things that make classic attractions, attractions that can't be replaced by handheld screens, that draw guests from around the world again and again. And those are the things modern Disney seems incapable of mastering.

Tokyo Disney sea is proof and evidence that technology can very much used in a profound way that elevates the experience as a whole.

I agree with the points you mentioned, but if you attached 2024 technology it’s a surreal experience.

 

[Delta-7]

View attachment 811524

It was a splendid day on the Island of Iger. All the engines were working hard to be right on time. They love being responsible, reliable, and very useful, and it makes them feel important. However, they don't like confusion and delay.

I.M. Fearless was puffing along the riverside track, when a workman flagged him down.

"Bother!" he huffed. "I'm going to be late to the yards. What's the matter now?" The workman approached him.

"This line will be closed soon for a while" he explained. "We're marking the river for a new racing rally." I.M. Fearless was shocked.

"Not the river! This is the loveliest part of the line! It's so quiet and scenic."

"Times are changing I'm afraid," said the workman. "Bob Iger needs new use for this area to bring in more guests." I.M. Fearless grew unhappier still. He continued on his way to tell the other engines at the yards.

 

[JSouth25]

I think one has to be cautious with this line of thinking. Which pulls more tourists, a high tech arcade or a quaint, vintage beach town? Which do people rave about more, the high tech animatronics in Tiana’s Bayou Adventure or the low tech ones in Haunted Mansion? Why did the virtual reality experiences in Disney Springs close while the 1970s Tiki themed Ohana restaurant is still generally packed?

Increasingly, people have access to technology in the comfort of their own homes. I think the parks should integrate new technology, of course, but making it a focal point is a serious error, to my mind.

I agree. While Disney has been known for making cutting-edge animatronics and experiences, they’re most known for creating timeless attractions and experiences that resonate with people on a deep level and makes them want to keep coming back to create new memories. Nostalgia is a big part of what makes Disney what it is, and while I think it’s important to create new experiences that push boundaries, it’s also important to preserve these elements of the parks that make Disney so great. I mean, two of the greatest attractions they ever made came out in the late 60s, and people still love them to this day.

 

[Quietmouse]

I agree. While Disney has been known for making cutting-edge animatronics and experiences, they’re most known for creating timeless attractions and experiences that resonate with people on a deep level and makes them want to keep coming back to create new memories. Nostalgia is a big part of what makes Disney what it is, and while I think it’s important to create new experiences that push boundaries, it’s also important to preserve these elements of the parks that make Disney so great. I mean, two of the greatest attractions they ever made came out in the late 60s, and people still love them to this day.

Nostalgia is a powerful drug.

 

[HMF]

I think it’s a fine line for sure.

I would argue the haunted mansion has been progressively tinkered with by imagineering for years and decades now, it’s like there passion project, and that’s why it’s so successful.

Sometimes to the detriment of the attraction.

The Unnecessary Changes To Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion.

How Imagineers destroyed the unique charm of Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion.

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