News Cars-Themed Attractions at Magic Kingdom

Brer Panther

Well-Known Member
You always say Disney wants less people in your theme parks.
Do they? If they want less people in the parks, wouldn't adding all these IP-based rides, ones that will supposedly draw more people to the parks than non-IP ones, be counterproductive?

I figured the raised prices were just because Disney wants to make more money.
 

el_super

Well-Known Member
What do you think is the closest comparison during the Walt era?

Adding the Matterhorn maybe? They didn't even know what land it was in when it first opened. Or maybe Small World being in its own 'land' when it opened? Lincoln on Main Street? Caribbean pirates in New Orleans? Or what about carving New Orleans out of Frontierland to begin with?

There's lots of examples of things being put into Disneyland because they were fun and not because they fit or supported the theme.
 

TrainsOfDisney

Well-Known Member
Adding the Matterhorn maybe?
I had thought about that one - the Matterhorn, monorail, subs, autopia, fantasyland / Tomorrowland jumble only works because of Bob Gurr and the overall genius planning of how attractions can interact with each other. But of course Matterhorn replaced nothing.
Or maybe Small World being in its own 'land' when it opened?
That was an expansion…. So good!
Lincoln on Main Street?
Abraham Lincoln shouldn’t be on Main Street USA?
Caribbean pirates in New Orleans?
This is still a very odd transition theme wise - and one of the reasons I think California and Florida are tied - the setup and theming is so much better in Florida. But again… this didn’t take anything away did it? Actually not sure on the history of that section of the park.
 

CoasterCowboy67

Well-Known Member
That’s not how themed areas work - if you establish a land as 1840s-1920’s that doesn’t mean you can double the time span.

I would also argue that everything in the current Magic Kingdom is “vintage” - even Tomorrowland is a retro / vintage look.

Outside of Tomorrowland - I don’t think there is anything post 1920’s-1940’s
This is a geographic themed area, and Cars is consistent with that definition. D23 confirmed that is the direction. The time period is irrelevant, as its irrelevant everywhere else in the park with rides spanning centuries

The vintage feel and percieved time bound is not intentional — it’s indicative of little updates done to the park except for Tomorrowland and Fantasyland who by definition are based on old fairytales.

There is nothing inherent about Magic Kingdom that prevents it from keeping up with modern times. When Disneyland opened in 1955, plenty of rides were set 20-30 years prior. Cars, right now, is 20 years old
 

James Alucobond

Well-Known Member
This is a geographic themed area, and Cars is consistent with that definition. D23 confirmed that is the direction. The time period is irrelevant, as its irrelevant everywhere else in the park with rides spanning centuries
If it were as wholly irrelevant as you claim, they wouldn't be going to extreme lengths to hide the Cars attractions from the rest of Frontierland. You can certainly make the argument that "frontier" is a much broader term than people are allowing for, and you can even suggest that it's okay to have different isolated subland pockets that explore different kinds of frontiers. However, Cars is not at all interchangeable with the other attractions in Frontierland in the way that you're describing because it's quite simply not visually coherent with the other elements of the area. Everything else is designed to be viewed together, but Cars is not. The Imagineers know this; that's why they're sequestering it away behind trees and walls.
 

CoasterCowboy67

Well-Known Member
If it were as wholly irrelevant as you claim, they wouldn't be going to extreme lengths to hide the Cars attractions from the rest of Frontierland. You can certainly make the argument that "frontier" is a much broader term than people are allowing for, and you can even suggest that it's okay to have different isolated subland pockets that explore different kinds of frontiers. However, Cars is not at all interchangeable with the other attractions in Frontierland in the way that you're describing because it's quite simply not visually coherent with the other elements of the area. Everything else is designed to be viewed together, but Cars is not. The Imagineers know this; that's why they're sequestering it away behind trees and walls.
Extreme lengths?? We dont know any of this. We have one overheard piece of artwork. From my read of that artwork, Cars will be very visible if you’re standing in front of Tiana or Big Thunder. Just across a pathway. Doesn’t seem hidden at all, and if they wanted to make it different from Frontierland, they would have made it a standalone mini-land as they’ve been very willing to do recently. The fact they didn’t indicates this is not a standalone or disjoint concept. Quite the opposite — it’s a consistent extension of the geographical references
 

CoasterCowboy67

Well-Known Member
D23 confirmed that Frontierland is “being reimagined” - so yes, it’s a change.
You’ve referenced the phrase out of context. He is referring to reimagining ROA / TSI (an existing part of the land) into these Car experiences. Not the entirety of Frontierland being reimagined.

Instead, D23 reminds us the definition of Frontier that the park and land has adhered to — the American west
 

CoasterCowboy67

Well-Known Member
I had thought about that one - the Matterhorn, monorail, subs, autopia, fantasyland / Tomorrowland jumble only works because of Bob Gurr and the overall genius planning of how attractions can interact with each other.
Genius? If you had any part of any park to pick apart for discontinuity of timeline and location, it would be this one. Australian submarines at the foot of a Swiss mountain? Intermixed with a modern monorail and race cars? Yet another reason Disneyland’s ride density has done a huge disservice to its suspension of disbelief / feeling of immersion. I am so glad MK is not following in its path! Phew!

How is adding Cars not 10x more consistent with its surroundings than this mess?
 

James Alucobond

Well-Known Member
Yes, but will those trees and walls make it to the final product? I don't think that's a guarantee, given what we've seen in recent years.
... When have trees not made the final product? If there's one thing we can count on, it's more trees.
Extreme lengths?? We dont know any of this. We have one overheard piece of artwork. From my read of that artwork, Cars will be very visible if you’re standing in front of Tiana or Big Thunder. Just across a pathway. Doesn’t seem hidden at all, and if they wanted to make it different from Frontierland, they would have made it a standalone mini-land as they’ve been very willing to do recently. The fact they didn’t indicates this is not a standalone or disjoint concept. Quite the opposite — it’s a consistent extension of the geographical references
They haven't made standalone minilands in Magic Kingdom. They have appended subsections to larger lands, like how Fantasyland is now divided between the original medieval tourney area, New Fantasyland, and Storybook Circus. This is being tacked onto Frontierland because they can somewhat justify it semantically, but they know it's visually inconsistent with the existing area and are therefore cloaking it with flora and other barriers. It's possible these barriers recede slightly toward the end of Thunder Mountain, but I think the geyser section may actually be at a different elevation that's not immediately apparent from the artwork. Any buildings you can see just look like lodges, and a lot of the vehicle track toward the outside actually looks to sit below the elevation of the main Frontierland walkway.
 

TrainsOfDisney

Well-Known Member
If they dont stand up to the same bar you expect new additions to adhere to, I will gladly point out the double standard 😁
Just in case it wasn’t clear - I’m not 100% against cars being in or adjacent to Frontierland. I’m 100% against removing the riverboat and all of the island - even if the island could no longer be visited.

Now do I think modern cars belong in the middle of Frontierland, no, but I don’t think Avatar belongs at DAK and I enjoy it for what it is.
 

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