Frontierland makeover

[lazyboy97o]

WDI: So how are those Garner Holt AAs workin' out for ya?
TDO: ...
WDI: Well, if Rasulo hadn't decimated MAPO, maybe we could make some for ya.

I don't understand why so many want to knock Garner Holt.

If they cut any more from SDL, all you'll have is a castle and a few spinners ...

But they're all be so Magical!! Cheaper materials don't mean anything because the Imagineers fill everything with Magic!!

 

[WDWFigment]

Actually, I've seen internal docs that says SDL will open in 2015. How? I have no clue, but I have witnessed the wonders of Chinese construction firsthand and they can put up cities overnight. Just don't lean to heavily against a wall, wouldn't want to bring the building down.

I'd go to DLP if I could. My AP is burning a hole in my pocket. And despite having one for something like five of the last seven years, I have NEVER been at the holidays. I did hear the parade is nice, but very short ... think like a 5-float calvacade more than an actual parade. But you are close, UK right?

It's definitely *not* worth visiting Disneyland Paris at Christmas to see the Christmas Cavalcade. It's cute for what it is, but it's not spectacular by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[SirLink]

It's definitely *not* worth visiting Disneyland Paris at Christmas to see the Christmas Cavalcade. It's cute for what it is, but it's not spectacular by any stretch of the imagination.

But if say you live in the UK and are going to go for a weekend away - its fine at least it is something new as opposed to a certain resort.

 

[phi2134]

I know there is much disgust with the way that the Florida theme parks have been run...but to be honest, what is different from the way they run their business compared to any other business I have had experience with. This is corporate America at it's finest and it has infested the ranks down there.

Flip Flopping on ideas and never making a final decision
Cost cutting at its finest
Not listening to its employees and making inane decisions based on the upper management's thoughts
Inability to act on and listen to its customer's complaints

I feel like the idea of an expansion/update of Frontierland is the absolute last thing Florida needs at this point. Being someone out of the "know" and depending on these boards for info, this seems to come way out of left field. Tomorrowland is wasting away, rides are falling into disrepair and yet they are going to spend their money on one of the things that can wait.

I feel like they are just trying to save money, reuse specs and designs that they have come up with in the past as cost saving measures to appease the non-judgmental Disney money spenders. lets get the rides and parks back up to par with repairs and maintenance, stabilize that aspect of the parks first....then......move on to some bigger and better things. The way WDW use to be was a goldmine of fun and nostalgic experiences, they can get some great parks back to their roots by focusing on this first. Then they need to plan the big projects and get some new technology and rides into the parks. Hell, even while they are fixing stuff up, draft up the rides and the plans and have them ready to go for your long term plan. Don't keep us waiting for 10 years for something new when you could be fixing up the stuff in the park currently.

 

[IWant2GoNow]

I was thinking... If bulb's info is accurate, are they looking to put another water ride in FrL so they can take Splash down for a year or more since it FINALLY has been brought to their attention that the ride is seemingly held together with spit & Scotch tape?

A lot of people love Splash Mountain but a new attraction that also gets you wet I feel would offset the grumbling of complaints.

It's truly sad when the only time we can expect something new to be built is to redirect the crowds so they can take something down for a refurb...

 

[Slowjack]

So is there any concept art floating around for WRE?

Oh yes. It's possibly the most well-documented never-built, which is one of the reasons it endures in the collective Disney fan imagination. I think the best overview, with plenty of art, is at Widen Your World (link).

 

[Taylor]

Oh yes. It's possibly the most well-documented never-built, which is one of the reasons it endures in the collective Disney fan imagination. I think the best overview, with plenty of art, is at Widen Your World (link).

Thanks! They didnt put as much effort on concept art back then did they, at least they made great rides

 

[TP2000]

Meanwhile, in Tokyo, it seems they've got HUGE plans for their Frontierland (or Westernland, as it's called there)....

According to Al Lutz this morning, Oriental Land Company is seriously considering turning Tokyo Disneyland's Rivers of America section of Westernland into... Cars Land. http://micechat.com/16904-cars-land-in-tokyo/

Very, very interesting.

 

[SirLink]

Meanwhile, in Tokyo, it seems they've got HUGE plans for their Frontierland (or Westernland, as it's called there)....

According to Al Lutz this morning, Oriental Land Company is seriously considering turning Tokyo Disneyland's Rivers of America section of Westernland into... Cars Land. http://micechat.com/16904-cars-land-in-tokyo/

Very, very interesting.

Well maybe we will now get some rock work with our version, especially as then they likely would be building duplicate cars at the same time.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Meanwhile, in Tokyo, it seems they've got HUGE plans for their Frontierland (or Westernland, as it's called there)....

According to Al Lutz this morning, Oriental Land Company is seriously considering turning Tokyo Disneyland's Rivers of America section of Westernland into... Cars Land. http://micechat.com/16904-cars-land-in-tokyo/

Very, very interesting.

That just sounds awful. It's a shame that, after the amazingness of Tokyo DisneySEA, that the Oriental Land Company has followed Disney down the obsession with franchises.

 

[TP2000]

That just sounds awful. It's a shame that, after the amazingness of Tokyo DisneySEA, that the Oriental Land Company has followed Disney down the obsession with franchises.

Radiator Springs Racers is the 21st century version of Pirates of the Caribbean; one of those mega-E Tickets that people gush about to the folks back home "You won't believe this new ride they've got!"

Wrap up that excellent ride in an amazing environment like Cars Land, and I think it's only local (and delusional) SoCal fans who want to keep that all to themselves. It's inevitable that it will be cloned for other parks around the world, just like Pirates and Space and Thunder and Midway Mania and Star Tours and Splash and Mansion and Small World and Soarin' and Jungle Cruise and Tower of Terror, etc.

As for Tokyo's Rivers of America, I never thought it worked very well. It is so perfectly maintained and overly manicured, like a stereotypical Japanese garden, that a ride on their Mark Twain comes off as being sterile and very fake. The unfortunate 1970's Corporate Theme Park vibe is at its strongest in Tokyo on their Rivers of America. I love me some Tokyo time, but I won't miss their obviously fake reproduction of the Rivers of America for one minute.

Now, what might this all mean for WDW's Rivers of America? Or for Cars Land East in WDW?

 

[SirLink]

Radiator Springs Racers is the 21st century version of Pirates of the Caribbean; one of those mega-E Tickets that people gush about to the folks back home "You won't believe this new ride they've got!"

Wrap up that excellent ride in an amazing environment like Cars Land, and I think it's only local (and delusional) SoCal fans who want to keep that all to themselves. It's inevitable that it will be cloned for other parks around the world, just like Pirates and Space and Thunder and Midway Mania and Star Tours and Splash and Mansion and Small World and Soarin' and Jungle Cruise and Tower of Terror, etc.

As for Tokyo's Rivers of America, I never thought it worked very well. It is so perfectly maintained and overly manicured, like a stereotypical Japanese garden, that a ride on their Mark Twain comes off as being sterile and very fake. The unfortunate 1970's Corporate Theme Park vibe is at its strongest in Tokyo on their Rivers of America. I love me some Tokyo time, but I won't miss their obviously fake reproduction of the Rivers of America for one minute.

Now, what might this all mean for WDW's Rivers of America? Or for Cars Land East in WDW?

It'll be built in Tokyo before TDO are happy with their value engineered version.

 

[Kuhio]

The whole concept is sorta like condoms and ketchup, they don't go together even if you can buy them both in bulk at Costco!

I gotta say... I'm a bit surprised to see the words "condoms" and "ketchup" in a post that doesn't also include some combination of the words "imagineer," "fanboi," "backstage," or "the fixings bar at Tortuga Tavern that day last September."

 

[the.dreamfinder]

It'll be built in Tokyo before TDO are happy with their value engineered version.

Why do I feel that this value engineering with DHS Carsland will lead to JL forcing burbank to reform/kill TDO? Don't want to make skipper John unhappy.

 

[FrankLapidus]

Why do I feel that this value engineering with DHS Carsland will lead to JL forcing burbank to reform/kill TDO? Don't want to make skipper John unhappy.

We can only hope. WDW needs Lasseter, badly in my opinion, to get his hands dirty and restore some of the creative quality that used to be synonymous with the resort. The fact is there are too many number crunchers and pencil pushers at TDO and not enough creative people (or at least those who really recognise the value of creative people) and Lasseter is one of the few people with enough clout to perhaps change that. If TDO makes a mess of his beloved Cars franchise then maybe Lasseter will finally have the motivation to finally involve himself a bit more at WDW.

 

[RunnerEd]

Yeah, but think of the uber kewl fanboi rumor we could start here if we wished?

On the subject at hand, and I've been busy with work and the holiday and haven't had time to read it all, I can only state that I know of no serious major project coming to MK. I trust the OP's sources, so I believe either there's something in the very early stages that may be getting played up by folks with agendas who wish to see it happen OR Disney is trying to plug some holes in their leaky ship.

I don't believe the one project that's been tossed about for Frontierland (basically destroying TSI for an off the shelf soaker ride) has ever had any serious traction either. The whole concept is sorta like condoms and ketchup, they don't go together even if you can buy them both in bulk at Costco!

Well said Sir, Harumph!

 

[articos]

Yes clearly he cares, especially when they had plans for the WDW parks in retaliation to Potter. Oh look at what we got - only 1.5 of them, oh well Uncle Iger must surely care about the division.

Even though occupancy rates are down, spending is down - they still 'value engineer' attractions, like I said clearly he cares - and the buck stops with him. TDO needs a corporate culling top to bottom!

We'll agree that TDO needs some new blood.

 

[Slowjack]

Thanks! They didnt put as much effort on concept art back then did they, at least they made great rides

No problem. I think the difference is that most of the concept art the public sees now is intended as advertising, whereas a lot of what you;ll see for older rides are in-house sketches, used as communication between the designers to clarify ideas.

 

[SirLink]

We'll agree that TDO needs some new blood.

So by that winkie I presume you either know some info, PM me.

 

[HMF]

I don't understand why so many want to knock Garner Holt.

Because it's not MAPO.