News Cars-Themed Expansion at Magic Kingdom

[Brian]

Or Disney will ka-plow ahead and only after construction is done realize all of this should have been dealt with first.

FTFY

 

[JustInTime]

Are we fully losing Rivers of America?

 

[Andrew C]

Are we fully losing Rivers of America?

I really hope not.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Sounds like TSI and the Riverboat are indeed leaving.

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

The big knock against using this space is the massive water management changes that would have to be made. You have to make up for all of the capacity of the Rivers of America somewhere else. The whole surrounding area would have to be redesigned to drain and move storm water somewhere else. It’s a lot of expense that will hopefully deter such rampant destruction.

I don't mean to oversimplify the process or claim there wouldn't be expenses involved, but it wouldn't be the first time they filled in large bodies of water and rerouted their drainage areas elsewhere. If you look around at the areas just outside of the park boundaries alongside Floridian Way, there's a lot of land that I could see them hollowing out to build more retention ponds (and they could connect them to the existing canal running into the RoA.

God forbid, they could even conceivably dig retention ponds out in the "Beyond Big Thunder" expansion plots outside the railroad berm areas of expansion instead.

The problem is that there seems to be people within the company that genuinely want the Riverboat, RoA and TSI gone. The desire to perma dock the Riverboat at least has certainly come up in discussion before, I recall Martin stating there were various pushes over the years to do so.

Keep in mind that filling in RoA and creating new retention ponds elsewhere is probably viewed by some in the company as being easier and less cost prohibitive than expanding outside the railroad berm. The RoA already contains a concrete foundation, so the land it's built on top of is already technically more "developed" compared to the expansion pads which is undeveloped swampy land.

People were complaining for months that they would clone Radiator Springs and Racers.

Awesome that they instead announced a brand new attraction that’s thematically designed to blend into the frontier.

Early complaints of “Ugh no villains and just Cars!” quickly turned to “Ugh vague details of Villains and I doubt it will be good anyway.”

The goal posts of crapping on Disney move faster than Velocicoaster around here.

I've always opposed Cars in Frontierland, regardless of the form. I'd have been more receptive of a clone of the existing DCA variant over in Hollywood Studios. Provided it included the town and was built on an unused plot of land and didn't replace anything of importance.

 

[spectromagic04]

Sounds like TSI and the Riverboat are indeed leaving.

That really stinks.

 

[EricsBiscuit]

Sounds like TSI and the Riverboat are indeed leaving.

Such a mistake. If they do this, I’m seriously considering canceling my AP.

 

[JustInTime]

Sounds like TSI and the Riverboat are indeed leaving.

Hopefully we at least keep the river in some form.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Hopefully we at least keep the river in some form.

There will be water, for sure.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Frontierland was clearly both problematic and insufficiently "Disney" for today's management.

An easy target for change led by franchises and self promotion.

As one of the enduring original core lands of the park, it could have been tastefully updated, preserved and improved, but not by a leadership obsessed with branding above all else.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Or Disney will plow ahead and only after construction is done realize all of this should have been dealt with first.

It’s not something you can just ignore.

 

[EricsBiscuit]

I’m looking at photos I’ve taken of BTM and it definitely looks like they’re taking out the RoA. This isn’t a shortening, this is a complete replacement.

 

[Andrew C]

I’m looking at photos I’ve taken of BTM and it definitely looks like they’re taking out the RoA. This isn’t a shortening, this is a complete replacement.View attachment 808259View attachment 808260

This is the back side, right?

 

[Captain Barbossa]

Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer’s Island have been living on borrowed time, but it still sucks we’re more than likely losing them. I’m real upset about losing the Liberty Belle. If they can find a way to somehow dry dock it closer to splash, I can see them doing that and turning it into a tiana restaurant, unfortunately. Tbh, if it wasn’t for the fact that it houses Fantasmic, I’m sure DL’s river and island would’ve been long gone by now.

 

[EricsBiscuit]

This is the back side, right?

No I took it from the riverboat. In the photo, TSI is to my right and the entrance to BTM my left.

 

[doctornick]

Frontierland was clearly both problematic and insufficiently "Disney" for today's management.

But somehow okay to keep at DL?

 

[EricsBiscuit]

Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer’s Island have been living on borrowed time, but it still sucks we’re more than likely losing them. I’m real upset about losing the Liberty Belle. If they can find a way to somehow dry dock it closer to splash, I can see them doing that and turning it into a tiana restaurant, unfortunately. Tbh, if it wasn’t for the fact that it houses Fantasmic, I’m sure DL’s river and island would’ve been long gone by now.

Tbh I know it probably makes financial sense for them to replace it. I was hoping they never would because it is such an amazing experience. Hopefully they preserve it in some way. I’m very sad right now but I’m getting over it. There are bigger things in life than Disney and Disney does not define who I am. It’s just a hobby I enjoy. God made a big beautiful earth for me to explore and I think I’m gonna do more of that now.

 

[HuckleBerryFin]

Ironic for an account with your username to laugh at them removing a riverboat. It’s a piece of American history. It also happens to be one of my two favorite attractions, the other being the railroad.

Sorry, it’s just funny when people announce that they are threatening to cancel their subscription, like the company cares..

They’ll sell the little boat as a AP popcorn bucket that you can scoop the last of ROA water in.

 

[vikescaper]

Tbh I know it probably makes financial sense for them to replace it. I was hoping they never would because it is such an amazing experience. Hopefully they preserve it in some way. I’m very sad right now but I’m getting over it. There are bigger things in life than Disney and Disney does not define who I am. It’s just a hobby I enjoy. God made a big beautiful earth for me to explore and I think I’m gonna do more of that now.

I hate to sound this way but Disney probably views Tom Sawyer Island and Rivers of America as a liability at this point. Between wildlife causing havoc on the island (bears) and people deciding to take a swim in RoA, I can see why Disney wants to get rid of both.

 

[jason976]

People were complaining for months that they would clone Radiator Springs and Racers.

Awesome that they instead announced a brand new attraction that’s thematically designed to blend into the frontier.

Early complaints of “Ugh no villains and just Cars!” quickly turned to “Ugh vague details of Villains and I doubt it will be good anyway.”

The goal posts of crapping on Disney move faster than Velocicoaster around here.

A lot of truth here. Prepare to be blasted though

 

[The Chatbox Ghost]

Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer’s Island have been living on borrowed time, but it still sucks we’re more than likely losing them. I’m real upset about losing the Liberty Belle. If they can find a way to somehow dry dock it closer to splash, I can see them doing that and turning it into a tiana restaurant, unfortunately. Tbh, if it wasn’t for the fact that it houses Fantasmic, I’m sure DL’s river and island would’ve been long gone by now.

Yep. As much as I hate to say it, modern audiences don’t care about relaxing scenic stuff, they just want thrills and familiarity. It’s awful.

Tom C raised a good point last night when I asked him if he could see Pecos becoming Hungry Bear Barbecue instead of Tiana’s- WDW is a totally different audience from any other park. It’s mostly tourists who come with the expectation of seeing Disney movies in the parks. They don’t want original stuff. Elsewhere it’s mostly regulars revisiting, which is why you see stuff like a Country Bear restaurant in Disneyland- the crowds there will appreciate it meanwhile in Florida you’d just get tourists going “where’s this movie or that movie?”

It’s a miracle we even have the CBJ, Tiki Room, CoP, and pretty much anything original. Really, the only park IPs safe forever are Pirates and Mansion. Despite last night seemingly confirming that Disney’s “Holy Trinity of Parks IP” are Pirates, Mansions, and Country Bears (if those musical numbers with original matching graphics for all three are anything to go by), the bears don’t have the luxury of security through large fandom, movie franchises, and merchandise (though they easily could if Disney bothered). All this to say- nothing that’s not IP is sacred in Florida. Not with current management in charge, anyways.