News Cars-Themed Expansion at Magic Kingdom

[Animaniac93-98]

But somehow okay to keep at DL?

DL's doesn't have the same attraction mix. Splash Mountain is in CC, there's no Country Bears and Tom Sawyer Island already got a Pirate makeover. The ranch area was removed and the RoA shortened for Galaxy's Edge.

Big Thunder Mountain is the only major attraction and it's too popular to remove.

"Frontierland" the a name isn't going anywhere, but it has morphed into something more suited to today's Disney.

The best Frontierland is thankfully still intact in Paris.

 

[Snapper Bean]

I must be a spazz because I am actually looking forward to this. An offroad Cars ride through Pine trees and red rocks? Cool by me. I also think that the Disney parks should focus on things kids like more than old boomers.

 

[Pam Hates Penguins]

It may not have been Cars Land for DHS, but since 2016, I knew something like it was inevitable
Sorry, had to come on here after all these years just to say that.

 

[Brian]

I also think that the Disney parks should focus on things kids like more than old boomers.

The whole point of the Disney theme park was to build things that kids and 'old boomers' can both enjoy.

 

[BaconPancakes]

Leave it to Disney to pick the absolute worst franchise nobody asked for.

 

[Chef idea Mickey`=]

That crowd response to this reveal was entirely silence with a few notable boos throughout that entire presentation for Cars. There was no clapping. These are Disney's biggest supporters.

That's all that needs to be said about this expansion.

That's only because these people thought Villan's and Coco would be gone from the picture and only Cars would be there or something else instead for better words. Most people only saw those two properties as moving forward and others as just rumors.

 

[EricsBiscuit]

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.

Those were probably factors but I think the biggest one is they see it as an overall waste of space. They see two attractions with limited capacity, mediocre attendance, and no IP using up a lot of space and they want to change that. It makes sense on paper. It just sucks to lose even more of what used to make Disney different.

 

[erasure fan1]

This is going to be a hit, trust me!

Of course it is. WDW fans are starving for new experiences. So a big well themed e-ticket in magic kingdom is going to kill. That doesn't mean it makes sense, but unfortunately the mindset is take what you can get with the fans.

but I have never walked in an original Disney park and I am almost 60. I think those who want to keep everything original…I get it….but there has not been an original park since 1956.

I don't think that's at the heart of the issue. I think this a great alternative to radiator springs racer. But like everything it seems, they have no real obligation to maintain thematic integrity. That's what people are mad about. It's just find aspot, and shoehorn it in.

I took it as a knee jerk reaction. There had to be better options for a Villains land. And yes I am already discounting it. Why? Josh was vague. Does Disney even know what they're doing here yet? It's a commit, an announcement but still feels early days Bluesky to me .

It very much feels like Disney saw the reaction dark universe received and said, wait a second, we planned something like that years ago. And decided to green light it. It's like most things Disney does now. Very reactionary instead of leading the way.

 

[Chef idea Mickey`=]

Can't say I'm surprised. It has been pretty evident for a while that the traditional cowboy themeing of Frontierland was going to get phased out.

Speaking of cowboys it looks to be the rumored Woody Attraction Mickey Views speculated along Cars isn't a thing or was it a component they eventually dropped. Perhaps Desert Land is no more but instead Wilderness Land behind the Frontier is why.. including Coco out!

 

[vikescaper]

Those were probably factors but I think the biggest one is they see it as an overall waste of space. They see two attractions with limited capacity, mediocre attendance, and no IP using up a lot of space and they want to change that. It makes sense on paper. It just sucks to lose even more of what used to make Disney different.

I hold no special connection to RoA or TSI but I am sad that we will potentially be losing another water feature in the park. I hope that if this is indeed the plan, that they somehow keep a portion of RoA.

 

[bwr827]

Maybe if they committed and actually opened one(like Velocicoaster) people could appreciate the attempts or have faith.

The things you post are not mutually exclusive.

I don't want a clone of Radiator Springs Racers or a cars attraction in an American Frontier themed land.

It’s not a claim of mutual exclusivity.

It’s the immediate reach for the next possible complaint without a moment’s breath to appreciate or imagine the good.

 

[lazyboy97o]

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.

I would find it doubtful for it to be cheaper. Instead of adding capacity you’d be adding and replacing. Other relocation projects haven’t really been of the same scope in terms of how much and how far. But it runs headlong into the bizarre desire among some to remove the Rivers of America.

The concrete at the base of the rivers isn’t really meaningful. It’s spread out and really only there to maintain definition and hold the track. I’d also guess they never really bothered to deal with any leaks.

 

[solidyne]

Basically, too many among current management are under 40. It's not just that they don't have the sentimental attachment to "Old Disney." It's that their phone-fried brains can't even comprehend the slow and gentle, things like [EDIT: admittedly, semi-fake] natural beauty and connections (however superficial) to history.

 

[𝕴𝖒𝖆𝖌𝖎𝖓𝖊𝖊𝖗97]

Removing the river is really sad. Putting modern cars into Frontierland is just wrong. And Cars is the IP my source was telling me they heard about and thought it didn't fit in the theme of Magic Kingdom.

The off-road racing attraction sounds cool, but not for Magic Kingdom. I wish they had put this in DHS (though that was probably the third option behind adding a Pacific Northwest area to Animal Kingdom and sticking it in there ).

 

[Haymarket2008]

No way we are losing Rivers of America completely.

This will almost certainly be akin to the Disneyland overhaul. We’ll get a sizable percentage of the island shaved off and the river will be reduced.

Honestly, I’m fine with that. The way they handled it in Disneyland is objectively an improvement on what was there.

 

[trainplane3]

So what happens to the Liberty Belle? Scrapped?

 

[Delta-7]

No way we are losing Rivers of America completely.

This will almost certainly be akin to the Disneyland overhaul. We’ll get a sizable percentage of the island shaved off and the river will be reduced.

Honestly, I’m fine with that. The way they handled it in Disneyland is objectively an improvement on what was there.

Hope that is the case but they did say Cars will be in a “reimagined” part of Frontierland which based on many responses here implies they’re removing something, and that might be the river and island connecting the dots. We shall see though..

 

[Chef idea Mickey`=]

Hard disagree. There are no IP-specific lands in Magic Kingdom. They don't belong. And if it's going to happen, please don't start with cars!

Whether you want Magic Kingdom to stay the same, Disneyland has Star Wars Galaxy's Edge and Hong Kong has Frozen and Toy Story, Shanghai has Zootpoia. Paris seems the only other one that will stay the same for now. IP is going to be everywhere unfortunately.

 

[Rhinocerous]

This is the back side, right?

No, the back side of water is in Adventureland.

 

[Snapper Bean]

Sorry kiddos….we’re not riding this new technologically cutting edge ride, grandma and grandpa can’t get past the thematic inconsistencies from the park in 1975. I know you’re only 8 but go read your Mark Twain.