DHS to Get the DCA Treatment?

[WDW1974]

You forgot the new Frankenweenie film/exhibit attraction coming to DCA next month for Halloween. You know, to continue to balance out the crowds even more when Haunted Mansion Holiday and Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy open 100 yards away at Disneyland on September 14th for the Halloween season?

Lutz is the first person to mention a Frankenweenie seasonal attraction coming to DCA this year, but his track record is so solid that it's likely to happen. You have to marvel at the ideas and green lights that come tumbling out of TDA executive conference rooms with new ideas and fresh offerings the usual MO there. Why the same never seems to tumble out of TDO conference rooms, I will never understand.

Yes, i saw that ... it sounds like two 'attractions' ... a preview in Muppetvision theater and an exhibit in the Animation Building. Not sure of my upcoming DL dates yet, but it would be great to get to see them too.

As to WDW, they bring (trot out) the tourists visiting once in a lifetime need everything to be the same when they visit. Of course, this doesn't stop them from HUGE seasonal excuses to sell say copious amounts of food and booze at the Food and Wine Fest, which certainly changes the vibe of the park as well as the look of areas with all those carts/stands.

 

[WDW1974]

Just curious -- how long has the Monsters Inc. Door Coaster rumor been kicking around? Has to be about 8 years now, right?

It wasn't serious until around 2006-07 when it came very close to being approved and some work on the building was even done in prep, but it was killed in 2008 and has never come close to returning since ... but it is cheap enough that it could easily be slotted back if folks at TDO desired.

They don't.

 

[ZaneB]

There will never be a Muppet Land in DHS.

There practically already is. Just on a very small scale

 

[ZaneB]

I still think the answer for this park is themed studios lots. It sticks with the movie theme and is in essence already there it just needs to be beefed up.

Pixar Studio - Add a couple more rides, take over the backlot.Move Pizza Planet. Do Ride and Go Seek and make the incredibles an awesome ride. For characters that are always out they have no ride! Totally take over the backlot. Add in the kiddy bugs rides and toy story rides. Ratatouille. The only thing I wouldn't add is Wall-e because that should be a new tomorrowland dark ride in place of Stitch.

Lucasfilm Studio - Star Tours, Indy - I'd add a second star wars ride or an actual indy ride. The stunt show needs to go. Restaurants.
Muppet Studios - Keep MuppetVision, add a ride, Turn Mama Melrose into a Muppet Restaruant and same for Pizza Planet
Walt Disney Studios - Revamp the Area, keep the drawing class, lose the rest, Build Florida Toon Town here. Bring Back the houses but make them super interactive.
Hollywood Studios - This is sunset boulevard.

No i know this can never happen but Streets of New York would be the perfect Marvel Studios because Marvel is all about New York.


Finally revamp the movie ride.

What great ideas! I always imagined a Marvel Area being a new york street and as you walk down the buildings are being destroyed by the villains, then you turn a corner and all the villains are fighting back!

I really hope they give Pixar Studios a huge expansion! My idea was always to move every pixar themed ride (except nemo seas) in all of WDW there, leaving lots of space for new rides all around WDW!

 

[unkadug]

Um, yeah, except Kermit can never compete with Mickey Mouse when it comes to popularity. If he couldn't do it when Jim Henson was alive, he ain't about to do it now.

He doesn't HAVE to compete with Mickey. For the same reason that all the other meet and greets (besides Mickeys) have lines is proof that people like other Disney characters besides the Fab Five. The Muppets will be assimilated also.

 

[Thrill Seeker]

Kathy apparently is moving to a permanent position at WDW, but to what end, I'm not clear. But no one should read that to mean Carsland is coming to TPFKaTD-MGMS because it isn't.

We also had insiders saying Transformers would never come to Orlando... Well, that appears to be happening...

 

[danlb_2000]

Hey, Lee ... who clued you in on the whole subject (and helped kill anotherDisneyPlace at the same time)?

BTW, after reading Al's story and hearing reviews from friends I am thinking I may stop into Carthay Circle for a drink and appetizer, but having serious reservations about making them to dine there.

I just ate there last week and although the resturant is pricy, I felt that the food and service were great and justified the price. Not to mention we got to watch the Pixar parade from the balcony which was an added bonus.

 

[aladdin2007]

Kathy apparently is moving to a permanent position at WDW, but to what end, I'm not clear. But no one should read that to mean Carsland is coming to TPFKaTD-MGMS because it isn't.

What is your opinion on Kathy's work? I think she could be a fairly good thing for WDW. Shes been with the company for quite awhile now I believe. While Imagination still needs to be totally redone, she at least made it better (with the meager budget given) than what it was in 99 after the first atrocious redo.

 

[Jim Handy]

Kathy apparently is moving to a permanent position at WDW, but to what end, I'm not clear. But no one should read that to mean Carsland is coming to TPFKaTD-MGMS because it isn't.

Supposedly Kathy is going to be involved with multiple projects...from what I've told. As a producer she could be working on anything.

 

[Alektronic]

It wasn't serious until around 2006-07 when it came very close to being approved and some work on the building was even done in prep, but it was killed in 2008 and has never come close to returning since ... but it is cheap enough that it could easily be slotted back if folks at TDO desired.

They don't.

My prints say Aug 2008. So it must been submitted for approval after that, then it got killed because of money.

 

[HMF]

What is your opinion on Kathy's work? I think she could be a fairly good thing for WDW. Shes been with the company for quite awhile now I believe. While Imagination still needs to be totally redone, she at least made it better (with the meager budget given) than what it was in 99 after the first atrocious redo.

She was in charge of turning the Living Seas into a glorified Playhouse Disney show which in my book is Un-forgiveable.

 

[rudyjr13]

My prints say Aug 2008. So it must been submitted for approval after that, then it got killed because of money.

During late October 2008 Keys to the Kingdom tours, the tour guides were "leaking" that the ride was coming in the next couple of years. I know because I was there. It took place at the very end of the tour while in the Utilidoors before heading back up. Clearly the economic disaster that followed after my trip had a big impact on shelving it.

 

[Ignohippo]

Animal Kingdom is at least cohesive. It still needs attractions, but the problems are simply a lack of attractions. With DHS, it has a handful of high quality attractions, but the park itself is disjointed. That's why the DCA treatment is a greater need for DHS. In the Animal Kingdom it simply needs expansion and a replacement for Dinorama.

The biggest thing with DHS is its incredible untapped potential. I see DHS as the Islands Of Adventure park of WDW. It's a place where you can have an enormous amount of properties combined which actually make it stronger (Disney, Pixar, Muppets, Lucas, Marvel (someday), a Roger Rabbit themed Toon Town, etc.). All of the other parks have strong themes. The theme of DHS should simply be a celebration of the movies and entertainment. Forget the "studios" and movie making aspect. That ship sailed long ago.

Disney desperately needs a park that appeals to teens. One that would make teens as excited to come to WDW as their younger siblings are and would actually beg their parents to come to WDW. DHS is best poised to be the "thrill" park of WDW. Combine the thrill rides for teens and adults with Pixar, Muppets and Toon Town for young kids and a history of the movies for adults, and you have a park that uniquely appeals to all demographics.

More than any other of the WDW parks, DHS has by far the most untapped potential. EPCOT and DAK certainly need love too, but at least those parks have continuity and overriding themes that work very well. DHS was horrifically designed, has a theme that never developed, and is terribly lacking of rides and attractions.

 

[RSoxNo1]

With the subject of Dinoland and Dino-Rama being brought up, I just want to point out that Pixar is in the process of making The Good Dinosaur, a film about a world in which dinosaurs never became extinct. I think, if this film were to do well, it may be just what Disney needs to improve that area of Animal Kingdom.

This wouldn't surprise me at all, although my preference would be to put all Pixar related content in DHS from here on out.

 

[Orangelake555]

What is your opinion on Kathy's work? I think she could be a fairly good thing for WDW. Shes been with the company for quite awhile now I believe. While Imagination still needs to be totally redone, she at least made it better (with the meager budget given) than what it was in 99 after the first atrocious redo.

besides the fact that the second redo has figment in it i actually think the first redo was the better of the two (minus figment). look up the first and now that the shock of loosing figment is gone I think it was much better

 

[andre85]

in fairness, that's not entirely true. lee admitted that avatar had crossed his desk, but he didn't believe it to be valid/far along enough to pass it on.

And we have to take him at his word of that. Right.

 

[marni1971]

besides the fact that the second redo has figment in it i actually think the first redo was the better of the two (minus figment). look up the first and now that the shock of loosing figment is gone I think it was much better

Really? 80% of the show space was bare. Let alone the reconfigured vehicle orientation to try to hide the fact.

 

[marni1971]

She was in charge of turning the Living Seas into a glorified Playhouse Disney show which in my book is Un-forgiveable.

It was either that or close the pavilion. Like the Wonders travesty but with no hope of reopening.

 

[RSoxNo1]

I would only guarantee the WDW info ...

RSRs is very pricey, even if reproduced and takes up a huge footprint. I can tell you for a fact it is not on the agenda to be built in either Paris or Shanghai at this time and I doubt it ever will be.

I know it's a theme park land vs. a hotel, but there are so many similar components between Carsland and the Cars section of the Animation Suites. It would be a little redundant to clone Carsland. Honestly, if that much money is going to be poured into a project I'd much rather see something different. Carsland is very well executed, but the one Disney mantra is getting a little tired.

Also, I want my napkins back.

 

[RSoxNo1]

It was either that or close the pavilion. Like the Wonders travesty but with no hope of reopening.

The Seas could have worked if it was closed in Epcot and reopened in DAK with a newer theme. The problem is, Sea World is an entire park devoted to The Seas concept, so a single land in DAK or a single pavilion in Epcot won't do it justice by comparison.

I think the Nemo overlay brought some life back into that pavilion. The queue for The Seas with Nemo and Friends is great, and there are decent components to the attraction. It's an improvement over a closed pavilion.