Disneyland Paris - Disneyland Park Expansion

[Evilgidgit]

Wooh! First thread on the forum! Most of this is copied from my blog, and it was an easy option to rely on for a first post. There has since been some recent announcements fo Disneyland Paris, which I'll incorporate here.

With Walt Disney Studios Park getting one hell of an expansion starting in 2019, it makes sense for Disneyland Paris’ first gate gets some love as well. Though architecturally beautiful, DLP hasn’t actually had a major attraction added in that wasn’t a refurbishment (e.g. Buzz Lightyear). This blue sky re-imagineering would involve expanding the various lands of the park, introducing new attractions (not all them being IPs), and sorting out theming issues in certain places like Discoveryland.

Each phase would theoretically take place over five year periods, with Phase One starting in 2018 to 2021, when the major work on WDSP begins, so both parks would be expanding in unison. Phase Two covers 2012-2025, which would also celebrate the resort’s 30th anniversary, while Phase Three is the distant 2025-2030.

PHASE ONE (2018-2021)
The changes for Phase One are quite minimal to begin with. With Star Wars Land popping up in WDSP after 2021, it makes sense to move all related attractions over there, so Discoveryland would be stripped of its Star Wars features over time, though Star Tours wouldn’t go until Phase Three. In Discoveryland, Space Mountain returns to its original story and themes as “From the Earth to the Moon”, to keep in line with the original theme of the land. We also know that Mickey's Philaharmagic is coming to Discoveryland Theatre for a while. A bit odd to have such an old show come to Paris, but a new attraction is better than nothing at all. It would stay there for a little while.

I also planned Colonel Hathi's Pizza Outpost to get a refurbishment, and revise it as the Explorers Club Restaurant, with additional relation to the growing S.E.A. storyline across the resorts. I can imagine it having a comedic tone akin to Marc Davis’ brand of humour, and having direct tie-ins to both the Indiana Jones coaster. Turns out Imagineering plan on turning Hathi's restaurant into a buffet with new theming, though that has yet to be revealed. I am guessing it may be similar to my ideas, or relate a bit more to the Indiana Jones coaster. The animatronic birds in the restaurant would also be redesigned to host their own mini-tribute to The Enchanted Tiki Room with a jazzy song number or two. The menu may also be changed to reflect a more British or African cuisine choice.

One major issue in the park is a proper place to meet the beloved Disney Princesses. There is the small Princess Pavilion on the end of It’s A Small World, but it doesn’t feel impressive enough for such iconic characters.

Instead, a new medieval hall would be built opposite the pavilion in-between Sir Mickey’s Boutique and the ice cream parlour. The new Princess Fairytale Hall would be larger, and consist of an entrance to the queue line, which leads into two separate halls for M&Gs with random princesses, for some more variety, though times would be listed. Elsa and Anna would be together, though since Frozen will be getting a land of its own in WDSP, their appearances may be rarer than others. The old pavilion could easily be reimagined into another M&G area for other characters, or even a small shop related to It’s A Small World.

Phase One wraps up with one additional attraction. A brand new one in Frontierland. With the old ranch area on the left side of the land apparently no longer being used, it makes sense to replace it, and inject some much needed reasons to go over to that side of Frontierland.

The new attraction is a concept created by Marc Davis called America’s Wilderness, a dark ride that takes guests through four different nature scenes, each in a cycle of the season. We start in summer, than go through autumn, winter, and finally, spring. Guests approach an old wooden train station, where a large thicket of trees stand behind it to hide the show building. It might seem a bit weird having such a ride concept in such close proximity to the train station and Big Thunder Mountain, but why not?

After settling in the quaint steam train, which can house up to 30-to-40 guests, the ride takes off into a tunnel and through a new take on Nature’s Wonderland. Each of the four scenes come with that classic Marc Davis brand of visual humour. In the summer scene, the train travels through an open, sunny prairie. Critters include a bear with its head stuck in a beehive, a groundhog take on whack-a-mole, and guests with an eagle eye may glimpse sight of Bambi, Thumper, and Flower. Things become a whole lot more colourful in autumn, as the trees change colour, and a variety of animals dwell in the scene, like squirrels and chipmunks fighting over food, and even a buffalo makes an appearance.

Winter is set at night under a beautiful full moon, making the snowy forest look like a dream. Even the temperature goes down. Wolves lurk amongst the trees, a snow owl stretches its wings on a branch, and a poor beaver attempts to free its frozen dam from the icy river. The final scene is in spring, marking the start of new life in the forest, with new baby animals like fawn and bear cubs exploring their home, before the train returns to the loading bay. Additionally, numerous attractions get upgrades, and a new daily parade and a fireworks show could be introduced too.

Being a sucker for Disney nostalgia, I say bring back the classic Main Street Electrical Parade, or do a brand new night time parade, but one that isn’t Paint the Night. Each park should have their own unique entertainment.

 

[Evilgidgit]

PHASE TWO (2021-2025)

The second phase would come into effect whilst WDSP was undergoing its big transformation. To make up for this, Disneyland Park would incorporate some big new additions, and the start of a lengthy realignment for Discoveryland.

Let’s start in Fantasyland, with the introduction of a new sub-land. There is room to spare behind Fantasyland Station. Early plans for the park was to build the Matterhorn Bobsleds, and a tunnel had been made that would go under the railway. But, since the mountain never appeared, the tunnel was unused, covered by the Mickey Mouse M&G hall. Now, that tunnel shall be resurrected as the entrance point to a new subland based around Beauty and the Beast.

First off, the Mickey Mouse hall is bulldozed, with fans now able to meet Mickey in Main Street. The tunnel is opened up, taking guests under the train station, and right into the heart of Belle’s Village. The sub-land’s main paths wraps around the back of Alice’s Curious Labyrinth, with a secondary path linking up to the area where Casey Jr. and Storybook Canal Boats sit. Due to the limited land available, the Beauty and the Beast land is small, mostly dominated by the exterior of the show buildings for the attractions, which are hidden behind the mountains and an impressive model of Beast’s castle, which mixes with the rockwork, relying on forced perspective a little.

Guests can wander through Belle’s Village, which features a bookstore, Gaston’s Tavern (a counter service), and a couple of other shops. To the north of the village is a small path leading to Beast’s castle, which has the same exterior as the one at the Magic Kingdom. Travelling down the bridge to the entrance, takes guests into a large foyer that leads to the signature dark ride, and the Be Our Guest restaurant.

The dark ride, Belle's Enchanted Castle, weaves its way through the halls of the gloomy castle, the queue line illustrated with stain glass windows depicting the film’s prologue, and early moments. Based on the attraction eventually coming to Tokyo Disneyland, guest board giant tea cups, and travel through the scenes of the film.

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We travel through the dungeons first, where Belle negotiates with the Beast to free her father. Onwards, the teacups go through winding, eerie hallways with gargoyles looming over us. However, there is a light waiting for us in the foyer - the candlelight of Lumiere welcoming us to the dining hall. The show stopping “Be Our Guest” comes next, a lengthy scene as we travel through the kitchens and into the dining hall, where the servants are putting on quite the show for Belle. Dancing cutlery, spinning plates, Lumiere atop a tower of tupperware.

Afterward, the ride takes us into the darker west wing, where everything is in ruins. We pass through the Beast’s chamber, glimpsing the rose as we pass by, only to take a sharp right and come face-to-face with a ferocious animatronic of the Beast, roaring at Belle to get out. However, we pass by a stain glass window, depicting the Beast’s battle against the wolves, and being saved by Belle. We pass by his bedroom, where Belle is healing him. The next scene depicts the library, where Belle and the Beast are reading a book together. The last scene is the iconic ballroom scene, which the tea cups circle from the outside. Before our eyes, the Beast transforms into a human as he dances with Belle. We depart from the story, down a hall, and into the unloading bay.

The other new addition to Fantasyland would a dark ride based on The Little Mermaid, Ariel's Undersea Adventure, another attraction that was meant to be in Disneyland Paris in early stages. I would prefer not to just be a carbon copy of the other versions of the ride, but more along the imagined ride, a simulated ride through can be viewed below. Though, the outside would be Prince Eric’s castle, with the queue line leading through caverns and to the loading bay. It was a little tricky deciding on where to put the ride, but it made sense with my plans for Discoveryland, to gut the Videopolis building, turning it into a joint building for two attractions, with room for a small restaurant too.

n seashells, guests sail through a sea of shipwrecks. Scuttle perches on a rock, attempting to recall Ariel’s story, but gets his facts mixed up. We travel under the sea, and through a large shipwreck before us, seeing Ariel and Flounder searching for human trinkets, only to be attacked by the shark. As we travel down into an underwater cave system, the beautiful towers of Atlantica are visible in the distance. The shells pass by scenes of “Part of Your World”, set in Ariel’s grotto, where a statue of Eric stands. Sebastian tries to convince Ariel to stay underwater, and we venture into the “Under the Sea” sequence, with a huge number of dancing animatronics.

The ride takes a darker turn, as Flotsam and Jetsam lead Ariel to Ursula’s lair, where they make their devilish deal via “Poor Unfortunate Souls”. Following Ariel legged shadow, we return to the surface, passing through Eric’s castle, and out into a lagoon where “Kiss the Girl” occurs, Ariel and Eric trying and failing to kiss. Flotsam and Jetsam appear to drag us back underwater, through a dark crevice, and then back to the surface into a frightening, stormy sea where a gigantic Ursula has seized the trident. A shipwreck ends up impaling her, and she is electrocuted by lightning, casting us into darkness. We pass by Ariel, who sits on a rock, and her tail magically transforms into a pair of legs. In a final scene, we pass by Ariel and Eric’s wedding ship as they sail away to their happy ever after. The attraction also comes with a gift shop, and Ariel’s Grotto, for a M&G with our favourite mermaid.

Over in Adventureland, it makes sense to create a full circuit around the land to avoid bottlenecking on specific paths. For this, a new attraction is required. I’ve been wracking my brains on what to put here, from a Polynesian section with a Moana ride, to an indoor version of the Jungle Cruise. Instead, the new attraction is like the Jungle Cruise, but replacing the boats with jeeps.

Jungle Jeep Adventures is a dark ride through a remote but vaguely located jungle setting, with the tours run by the Jungle Exploration and Skipper Co. The exterior is another temple, resembling an extension of the Indiana Jones temple, both more inspired by Ta Keo in Angkor. Inside, guests jump into driverless jeeps which can hold about six people, and venture off through the temple and out into the jungle. The ride would be indoors, and would feel like a real jungle, being hot and humid, but obviously systems would be on hand should thing environmentally go wrong.

Several scenes from the Jungle Cruise are included – the elephant bathing pool, the hippo pool (with the jeeps going over a rickety bridge), the rhinoceros and the men up the pole, the crocodiles, the natives ambush, Trader Sam, etc. However, there would be a more linear hint of a storyline in the ride, with whispers of animal idols actually being gods, a cursed treasure (a nod to Pirates), and more connections to the members of the Society of Explorers and Adventures. The Trader Sam bar is adjoined to the ride, reimagined as a tiki-themed restaurant, once a skipper dining hall, now a “classy” joint for guests.

Discoveryland’s changes will be to unite the land under one theme – an 19th century view of how the future could have been, based on the imaginations of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells. However, most of the changes will come in Phase Three. For now, Videopolis is removed, and the building, or at least most of it, is repurposed to house a balloon simulation ride based on a mix of 80 Days Around the World and The Islands On Top of the World. Think like a steampunk, 19th century take on Soarin’. The ride would use 360-degree Circle-Vision projections to give the impression that the balloon is floating around the globe.

Phase Three will be posted at a later date, once I figure things out, as I was unsatisfied with some of my initial choices for it.

 

[stitchcastle]

This is long overdue! Though I'd love to see Arendelle as part of Phase Three, as well as Geyser Mountain in Frontierland.

Also, I need to find where it says it but the original Island of the Top of the World ride concept for Discovery Bay involved an inverted monorail type ride system. You could easily use the giant holes in the second level of Videopolis as part of the queue to a separate ride building for it.

 

[Evilgidgit]

This is long overdue! Though I'd love to see Arendelle as part of Phase Three, as well as Geyser Mountain in Frontierland.

Arendelle is gonna be in WDSP come 2021-2014 so that's out of the running. Geyser Mountain on the other hand...

 

[Suchomimus]

Arendelle is gonna be in WDSP come 2021-2014 so that's out of the running.

Well they could always change it out since nothing’s official yet.

 

[Evilgidgit]

Well they could always change it out since nothing’s official yet.

Considering they are putting around $2 billion into this project, I doubt they'll just decide to up and dump Arendelle behind Fantasyland when they have a huge amount of room in WDSP, whilst room is quite limited at DLP.

 

[Evilgidgit]

And now onto Phase Three.

PHASE THREE (2025-2030)
These changes would take place after Walt Disney Studios Park's expansion has been complete, or near completion. I suppose it depends how long it takes to make that lake. I noticed there is also room to spare in the expansion artwork, so perhaps I'll do a phase four of sorts for WDSP afterward.

Anyway, Phase Three wraps up my blue sky plans for Disneyland Park. Of course, this is nearly fifteen years into the future, so we have no idea how Disney's success will go. They may gain new franchises, surprise success with films like with Black Panther, and could have devoured Fox, Paramount, and Warner Bros. by 2030...unlikely, but you never know.

First off, with my plans for Frontierland, and the removal of Videopolis, there would be no theatres in the park. This creates a bit of a dilemna. So, the Plaza Garden restaurant would be removed, and replaced with a large Main Street Theatre. It would take inspiration from the MK one that was announced at last year’s D23 Expo, which appears to not being built now. Perfect opportunity to salvage the design and use it elsewhere.

Let’s go to Discoveryland to make the final changes, which is a pretty large overhaul. Both Buzz Lightyear and Star Tours are removed, as do all traces of IP related to non-19th century franchises (even that cute WALL-E and EVE statue has to go). I thought about what would fit in the new Discoveryland thematically, and what would go where. I had a few ideas, thought about bringing back Le Visionarium (The Timekeeper) in memory of Robin Williams, but decided to go in a new direction.

As you know, Videopolis would be gutted and used as an interjoined show building for both Ariel's Undersea Adventure, and the ride based on Around the World in 80 Days. There would still be room for the Hyperion eatery. Anyway, Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters is removed and possibly moved to Toy Story Playland, so a new attraction can go in the round theatre. I debated for some time about what should go in there, and decided on something quite exciting but still sticking with the themes of Discoveryland.

The War of the Worlds would utilise the same ride system as Astro Blasters. The show building would be reimagined as a Martian red alien temple of some kind, an invasion of Earth, with everything covered in red weeds, hinting the building was once human in design but has been taken over by the Martians. Guests would board ride vehicles which are made from stolen alien tech, and must engage Tripods and Martian shock troopers in battle til the menace die as per the story's end. I did consider using the Discoveryland Theatre at the back of the land behind Space Mountain, and have guests enter into an optimistic environment. However, having a building covered in otherworldly, red, alien plants could also be inviting, instead of shoving it into the back of the land.

Now, in Discoveryland Theatre, I wanted to at least put some sort of animatronic show in there. Initially, I had New Horizons, essentially a new take on the classic Epcot ride. However, it didn't really blend in well with the theming of Discoveryland, so I did a bit of jiggery pokery, and reinvented it as Horizons: A Journey Through Innovation - a sit-in animatronic theatre show inspired by The American Adventure. The theatre, inside and out, is redesigned to resemble an older Italian building, the Leonardo da Vinci Theatre. Guests pass by exhibits and galleries displaying da Vinci's creations and papers, along with those of others. Once seated in the 1500-seater theatre, guests can enjoy a 20-minute show, where several famous inventors (Verne, Wells, Edison, Tesla, or da Vinci) take us through time, showing major innovative moments of technology across the centuries, and having a little dive into the possibility of the future like space colonisation, ocean exploration, etc.

The last two additions to Disneyland Park are probably the most ambitious. First off, Star Tours would remain in the park until Star Wars Land is completed. It is then removed, and a very large volcano is built at the back of Discoveryland. That's right. Journey To the Centre of the Earth would be coming to Disneyland Paris. Though, considering how huge the volcano is at DisneySea, it might be a slightly smaller incarnation. I am not about how to ride would work out. Either it would a copy of the thrilling dark ride from Tokyo DisneySea, the same concept seen when Space Mountain was the larger Discovery Mountain, or would utilise Star Tours' simulation technology for a smaller budget. Thoughts?

And finally, Frontierland receives a long wanted E-ticket attraction: Geyser Mountain! It was to have been built in Frontierland long ago, but never saw the light of day. I thought it would be a nice E-ticket attraction to put in the park. Yeah, there’s Big Thunder Mountain, but some variety doesn’t hurt.

Geyser Mountain is like a western version of the Tower of Terror, but instead of sending guests plummeting down an elevator shaft, it is up into the air, “powered” by a sudden geothermal eruption. Location wise, Geyser Mountain would actually be off-site, across the western railroad, and in the exterior corner of the resort. Chaparral Theatre would be removed, and replaced by a large rocky structure, acting as the entrance way to the attraction.

It would also tie in with the overarching story of Frontierland, related to the mining history of Thunder Mesa and the Ravenswood family. The experimental, subterranean excavation machine is built within a complex facility, topped with a tall wooden tower, that actually houses the ride’s signature launch tower, meant to filter out an imaginary steam pocket of an underground geyser under the buildings.

After journeying through the mining facility’s workshop and various backrooms, guests file into the barn and board mining vehicles. The ride take guests through beautiful caverns based on the Rainbow Caverns from Mine Train Thru Nature’s Wonderland. An earthquake occurs as you travel further into the mines, and the geyser erupts, causing the vehicles to speed up and to be launched up and down several times into the launch tower amidst a blast of steam. It would also give guests a spectacular view of the park. The ride takes guests sliding down a track, and to a slow, steady return to the unloading bay.

RECAP
So, here is the following changes/additions to Disneyland Park per my expansion ideas.

<Phase One>
-Space Mountain returns to its "Earth to the Moon" theming to unify Discoveryland.
-Mickey's Philharmagic in Videopolis until Phase 2.
-Colonel Hathi's Pizza Outpost > Explorers Club.
-Princess Fairytale Hall (M&G) to replace the small booth outside IASW.
-America's Wilderness (replacing the old petting zoo)
-Bring back The Main Street Electrical Parade (or Paint the Night/a new nighttime parade).

<Phase Two>
-Beauty and the Beast subland behind Fantasyland Station (Belle's village, Gaston's Tavern, dark ride, Be Our Guest).
-Videopolis is gutted save the dining area, serving as a joint show building for The Little Mermaid dark ride (and gift shop/M&G), and Around the World in 8- Days dark ride.
-Jungle Jeep Adventures (between Indiana Jones and Pirates)
-Trader Sam's Outpost.

<Phase Three>
-Main Street Theatre (replacing Garden Plaza restaurant)
-The War of the Worlds shooter (replacing Astro Blasters)
-Journey to the Centre of the Earth (replacing Star Tours)
-Horizons: A Journey Through Innovation (animatronic show)
-Geyser Mountain.

And for now, there you have it. I may do a Phase Four to focus on WDSP's progress, and an additional post to pitch my night-time parade for the park. I'd love to hear your ideas for expansion ideas for DLP!

 

[stitchcastle]

anyone wondering what Geyser Mountain would look like in the park, Andreas Seltenheim made a 3d mock up of it here:

as for WDSP, I'd love to see it have a much grander Main Street-style entry way. I mean the immediate instinct is to port over Hollywood Blvd from DHS complete with the Chinese Theater (which I think was meant for WDSP anyway). Though I wouldn't mind exploring the possibility of using a more fanciful version of The Griffith Observatory (compliments the Tower of Terror as well as justify the more space and sci-fi themed elements of the park) as a new park icon. This would also thematically allow for the inclusion of Pandora, creating a very space and sci-fi focused theme park.

 

[Evilgidgit]

As for WDSP, I'd love to see it have a much grander Main Street-style entry way. I mean the immediate instinct is to port over Hollywood Blvd from DHS complete with the Chinese Theater (which I think was meant for WDSP anyway). Though I wouldn't mind exploring the possibility of using a more fanciful version of The Griffith Observatory (compliments the Tower of Terror as well as justify the more space and sci-fi themed elements of the park) as a new park icon. This would also thematically allow for the inclusion of Pandora, creating a very space and sci-fi focused theme park.

Those are some neat ideas. There is a large amount of space behind ToT in the expansion concept art. It is are either doing that technique of putting greenery where behind-the-scenes buildings go, or are saving it for a rainy day. I love the idea of choosing Griffith Observatory over the Chinese Theatre. Some variation would be welcome.

 

[Evilgidgit]

I decided to have a go and designing a new nighttime parade for my proposal for Disneyland Paris.

I humbly present the Wish Upon the Night Sky Parade!

This brand new, magical, imagination parade would serve as a spiritual successor to The Main Street Electrical Parade, and be a cousin to Paint the Night Parade. It would follow the current parade route through Disneyland Paris, starting in Fantasyland and going down Main Street. The parade takes a lot of guiltless inspiration from Tokyo Disneyland’s eye melting version of TMSP (“Dreamlights”), and a few ideas of my own. Major themes of the parade are a celebration of Disney animation, magic, stars, wishes, and the beauty of the night. As such, I wanted to include a variety of different characters and floats that reflect these themes.

There is even a min-story of sorts. The opening float, inspired by “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” in Fantasia, is set on an ocean of stars, magic, and water, in a flooded workshop. Mickey stands atop a watery wave resembling a hand, waving his hands above dramatically as he controls the seas and stars. Broomsticks pour buckets of endless water across the float. In the middle of the float is Yen Sid’s spellbook, its pages turning on their own. Mickey has summoned the heavens to enchant the night with magic and wonder. And he has attracted some friends along too.

Following Mickey’s float (“Sea of the Sorcerer’s Stars”), is one based around Pinocchio, invoking the wishing star. The float is split into two parts, taking inspiration from Pinocchio’s float in Tokyo Disneyland’s new anniversary parade. A clockwork representation of Geppetto’s workshop passes by, resembling a large cuckoo clock. Pinocchio sits on the rear of the first section in a theatre booth. Towering over him atop the second half is the Blue Fairy, who uses her magic to bring him to life. The rear turns the flowing dress of the fairy into the red and white colours of a Pleasure Island circus tent, reflecting a different type of alluring light.

Next up, we have the unappreciated The Princess and the Frog. Tiana stands within a steamboat or showboat, shining brightly and reflecting the ripples coming from the small bayou in front of it. Tiana dances with Naveen and a number of jazz players. Trails of fireflies light up the sides of the boat, along with Mama Odie’s dancing bird friends. Perched on the end of the steamboat’s bow is Ray the Firefly, gazing out at an unseen Evangeline.

On the theme of wishing stars and such, we move on to a two-part Peter Pan unit. The first unit is basically the film’s float from Festival of Fantasy, but now covered in starlight, pixie dust, and the beautiful colours of the rainbow. The pirate ship is removed from the top of the rainbow, replaced with Peter Pan and Wendy as they take in the sights. Tinker Bell perches on the back in her hollow, covered in exotically-coloured plants.

The second unit is Captain Hook’s pirate ship, covered in pixie dust, and creates the illusion that it is flying across the stars. Captain Hook, Mr. Smee, and his pirate crew sing sea shanties, unaware that they are being followed by Tik-Tok, who also appears to be swimming through the stars.

One thing I wanted to include in the parade was a Brother Bear float. A highly underrated film from a time where Disney was apparently losing its touch. Nonsense. The scenes where Kenai encounters the spirits atop the mountain is just spectacular, and I wanted to represent it within the parks. Kenai and Koda stands atop a large mountainous mass, as the beautiful lights of their spiritual ancestors fly across the mountain (via projections). A variety of other animals watch the events around them, including the moose Rutt and Took, who make dim-witted but impressed comments about the spectacle. Perched on a rock mound on the back is the large eagle spirit of Kenai’s brother Denahi, his wings and feathers shimmering with golden light.

We move on to the Disney Princess portion of the parade. I pondered over which princesses to include, and then Dreamlights provided me the answer with its amazing floats based on Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, and Tangled. So, I decided to borrow those three floats and include them in my parade. Cinderella’s magnificent coach, with spiralling wheels, and silver horses, passes by, with Cinderella and Prince Charming within.

Afterward comes a two-piece Beauty and the Beast float. Lumiere perches atop a pile of singing and dancing dishes, performing “Be Our Guest”. I’d also add Cogsworth and Mrs. Potts to the float too. The larger float is a large open abbey of sorts, mixing the ballroom with a garden. Belle and the Beast dance in the middle of the float, surrounded by stain glass windows showing key parts of the fairy tale’s narrative like the enchanted rose.

And we have the Tangled float. Rapunzel’s tower dominates the whole float, with her long enchanted hair wrapped around the outside and vanishes through the window at the top, illuminating the interior of the tower. Rapunzel and Eugene stand at the foot of the tower, admiring the lanterns that surround the float.

I wanted to include a Frozen float too. This parade would be introduced during Phase Two of my plans, and by then, Frozen’s sequel would have come out and be hugely popular. The float is a magnificent icy blue in colour, showing off the magical details of Elsa’s castle. Across the ice walls, endless snowflakes are seen falling. Elsa and Anna are perched on the steps, while Olaf skates around on a snowed over ledge attached to the staircase to the castle. On the back of the float, Marshmallow sits happily, watching small blasts of snowflakes float down from above.

Keeping in line with the theme on wishes, Snow White gets her own float, based around the wishing well from the film. It is perched under a large apple tree (hee-hee!), and a number of birds are perched on top of the well’s roof. Snow White sings, as the Seven Dwarfs lead the float onwards.

In the next section of the parade, the theme changes to literal travel amongst the stars – space travel! Naturally, we need to include Toy Story here, but also a couple of others animated classics as well. Most of the time, Toy Story floats a towering mess of random toys and characters. Here, I wanted to focus primarily on Buzz Lightyear and his retro sci-fi world…uh, galaxy. In a miniaturised (or just a playset) space port, Buzz sits in his rocket, recording “a mass amalgamation of thousands of sparkling light”. The likes of the Little Green Men and even Emperor Zurg make appearances on the float. Also, an eagle-eyed person may spot Woody on the float.

Afterward, we use the power of illusions to bring WALL-E and EVE together, floating through space using a fire extinguisher. This would be accomplished by having the whole, albeit, small float by pitch black. The two robots look like they are floating, actually balanced on poles, painted black. The extinguisher constantly spits out “foam” as the loving robots float by.

And, we have a bit more of a surprise – Treasure Planet! Seriously, those Disney films released between 2000 and 2004 need some love. I love Treasure Planet. A really great father-son story with a unique art style and universe. Jim Hawkins sails by on his Alponian solar cruiser, hovering above a float “made” of cosmic dust and meteorite. Afterward, the RLS Legacy follows, a futuristic galleon, with BEN the robot, Long John Silver, Captain Amelia, and Dr. Doppler sailing on it.

The next float is Winnie the Pooh and friends. Pooh sits on a log with Piglet, looking out towards the stars in front of his woodland home. The tree is alive with fairy lights and fireflies, and Pooh has plenty of honey pots on standby. Tigger, Rabbit, and Eeyore follow after. But, the night can bring about unwanted pests like Heffalumps and Woozles. Colourful but nightmarish phantoms of Pooh’s “enemies” hunt for honey pots in the dark, appearing as hot air balloons and airships. The floats take inspiration from the version in Hong Kong’s Flights of Fantasy Parade.

But, the nightmares are chased away by the rest of Mickey’s friends. Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Daisy, Pluto, Chip & Dale, Oswald and Ortensia are dressed up as sorcerers, each travelling on their own little glowing platform (like in Paint the Night). Oswald and Ortensia bring up the rear on their own float, resembling a medieval castle (as a nod to Oh, What A Knight). Oswald uses a large telescope to view the stars with Ortensia, and throws out his hands, guiding the flow of lights across the castle.

And finally, to leave a shining light on the parade, Elliot the Dragon passes by, carrying his friend Pete in his arms, and carries an old fashioned lantern within the coils of his tail. The lights on his body fade in and out, giving the impression he is turning invisible, leaving the lantern to float through the darkness on its own.

Other potential floats to add or replace the current up would include The Incredibles, Inside Out, Moana, Dumbo, and Wreck-It Ralph.

 

[Evilgidgit]

Since I imagined what Disneyland Park might go through during the expansion of WDSP over the course of nearly fifteen years, it makes sense to actually do the same to the second gate in question. I'll match it to the goings on in DLP over the three phases I pitched. As a reminder, Phase One is 2018-2021, Phase Two is 2021-2025, and Phase Three is 2025-2030. Of course, a lot of this is up in the air, since we have no idea was successes Disney will have down the line, whether or not they'll buy 20th Century Fox, end up distributing the forsaken Avatar sequels, any more surprise hits, etc. So take this stuff with a pinch of salt.

I'd like to keep things brief, since I feel I overanalyse things or go into too much detail.

Phase One

Phase One would pretty much be dedicated to getting ready for the big expansion, with the gradual closing of several attractions, and the transformation of Production Courtyard into Marvel Land (or whatever it'll be called). We see the closure of CineMagique (sob!), Rock 'n' Rollercoaster, Armageddon, and the Motors Stunt Spectacular. They would be refurbished and redesigned one at a time, though I'd have Armageddon and the stunt show close together, since the new Iron Man ride would draw large crowds.

The big question is if the whole west wing is becoming all-Marvel, then what would be going into the old TV studio where Stitch Encounter and the Disney Junior show are? I have a couple of ideas, which I'll get too shortly.

One major addition would be replacing the Magic Carpets with the Omnidroid Whirler, obviously based on The Incredibles and its sequel. Seriously, the whole film production theme is going away, so it makes sense to re-theme the ride into something a little bit more suitable. The Art of Disney Animation would remain, but get refurbishments, a daily tutoring guide to drawing Disney characters, and new film reels actually describing the history of animation. Also, add in a M&G area, and possibly turning one of the theatres into a preview area for new films.

Anyway, by 2021, Marvel Land would be complete, or at least near completion, transformed into the spacious Avengers headquarters, all with sleek blue, white, and black architecture and a slightly futuristic feel to it. The stunt show, the S.H.I.E.L.D. Superhero Spectacular, would basically stay the same, albeit reimagined as a "recruitment day" for new agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. to get the lowdown on the agency's gadgets and heroes. The feisty host will show off the agency's tech and vehicles, while making passing comments on the Avengers. That is til HYDRA agents led by Crossbones arrive to hijack things. Then, Captain America, Falcon, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Bucky Barnes, and others show up to liberate the event. The building would now appear as an outdoor "test arena", with guests venturing through the site's facilities and passed a large helibird.

Rock 'n' Rollercoaster is now the Iron Man Launcher, similar to the Iron Max Experience. Guests enter the Stark Labs, witnessing some of Tony Stark's creations. Iron Man invites guests to test out his ARC-powered "thrill ride", coming up with some excuse it is for military purposes, but just admits he built a rollercoaster. Cue speeding through the ride with AC/DC blasting through the seats! Eventually a bad guy (Ultron, Iron Monger, someone else) shows up to cause trouble, and Iron Man uses the coaster itself to battle the enemy with sheer speed and force.

I could have easily turned Armageddon into the new Ant-Man ride, but decided to do something else. The show building would be made larger, to accommodate Hulk: Containment Breach. This is another S.H.I.E.L.D. facility, but operated with Stark and Bruce Banner. Banner has designed tech to contain the Hulk should he cause trouble, and is obviously using himself as a guinea pig. Things go wrong, Banner Hulks out, and guests have to evacuate the facilities in vehicles as the Hulk goes on a rampage. This dark ride would use a lot of special effects, and I imagine a really advanced, impressive, and intimidating Hulk animatronic. The Hulkbuster would turn up, along with a couple of D-list Marvel badguys to fight the Hulk. I wanted to do something a little different, and I think the Hulk needs a little more representation and love in the theme parks.

The old CineMagique theatre has a new Avengers stunt show in based on/inspired by Infinity War. And as for the TV studio...truth be told, I am torn. I have two concepts. The first is a Spider-Man suspended dark ride, that uses new technology to make the player actually swing through the adventure. The second is transform the studio into a Wakanda embassy, and install some sort of Black Panther river ride within, transporting guests to Wakanda itself. Though, Wakanda kinda feels like its needs a whole land to itself. Which do you think I should go with?

Lastly, the two restaurants in Production Courtyard get morphed together into the Hall of Heroes diner. Oh, and the Studio Tram Tour closes as work on the lake and beyond begins!

Phase Two

Phase Two would result in at least the lake and Frozen Land being open, with Star Wars Land being finished in Phase Three's first year. First off, the lake (or Lake Méliès) would be pretty big, with enough room for a daytime parade and a night-time spectacular too. I imagine the World of Colour being brought over, or something new would suffice. The new path past Tower of Terror to the lake would remain mostly green and pretty, but with potential for additional entertainment. Studio One would be redesigned inside from the ground up, with new paths opening on both sides of the building to provide several entrances into the park.

Over in Toy Story Playland, the new Alien Swirling Saucers debut in the expanded section of the land. With the potential of more room, I would include two extra attractions. One would be a new version of Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters, moved out of Discoveryland eventually, set within Buzz's toy spaceship packaging. The other would be taken from Shanghai's version of Toy Story Land, the Mater's Junkyard Jamboree-inspired Woody's Roundup.

Frozen Land (or "The Kingdom of Arendelle") is set on the other side of the new lake, with the North Mountain serving as a secondary icon of the park after the Earffiel Tower. I would give the land at least three attractions - Frozen Ever After, the boat ride from Epcot; Expedition to the North Mountain, a Matterhorn or Expedition Everest coaster where a group of explorers seek out a rare monster (actually Marshmallow), and end up going on one hell of a ride back down; and Wandering Oaken's Sleigh Skid, a whip ride where guests go out on a frozen pond in sleighs, and are dragged around by Sven and friends. The Arendelle castle serves as a major restaurant and a M&G area for Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf. There are several other shops, restaurants, and entertainers within the town area, while Oaken has extended his business to dining as well.

Phase Three

Phase Three would pretty much consist of Star Wars Land opening. However, while it will likely just be a clone (heh) of Galaxy's Edge, I would like to see a little variety. Perhaps make it a mix of all three trilogies in terms of story and character inclusion. Star Wars Land would be a mass interactive play experience as intended, with half of the chaotic settlement run by the Resistance, and the other more sleek, orderly, and run by the Empire/First Order.

Right away, we have the classic Canteen, where Captain Rex of Star Tours serves as DJ. Another dining facility is owned by Dex (Obi-Wan's friend from Episode II), resembling an alien version of an American diner. A third is set in a rundown, abandoned droid-making factory. Heck, Cosmic Ray would even show up to surprise theme park veterans. The land would have countless themed shops and curiosities to explore. Various characters roam the streets including a few familiar faces.

Attraction-wise, the Millennium Falcon simulation ride would be the main event. On the opposite end of that is Rise of the First Order, a dark ride where guests are members of the Empire wannabes. The "hidden" Jedi Temple would welcome guests to learn the ways of the Force. Rather than being limited to kids, people of all ages can participate. I would also include an additional fourth attraction, a walk-on shooter, Bounty Hunter Blasters, where various space scumbags are looking to collect your heads, and it is up to guests to make it through the lair in one piece.