LA Times: WestCot Announced as Third Park

[Pat X]

New Disney “Third Gate” Announced in California
CEO says new park to be ready by 2009.



By Spencer Hill, Mos Def staff Writer

ANAHEIM--- CEO George J. Mitchell announced plans for a third installment to the Disneyland Resort today, claiming a total of $4 Billion to be spent on a single park located on a present day strawberry field.

Highlights of the installment include a Monorail and tram extension to the new park -titled Westcot- along with a massive "E-Ticket superstructure" containing seven attractions inside what is being referred to as "The Atrium", and five other unique adventures placed outside.

"Westcot will be the Pacific Coast counterpart to Epcot," stated Mitchell. "This addition will focus on major, high budget attractions that will enchant and thrill guests with Disney Magic in a way they never have before."


Some local residents expressed their concern on the new development, pointing to the most recent update to Disney's west coast beachhead: Disney's California Adventure, a park that has yet to meet goals of attendance and sales in recent years.

"From what they have promised today and what we have been given in the past, this sounds entirely repetitive," said Sue Dims of Huntington Beach, an Annual Pass-holder for the resort. "I remember the same hype over (Disney's California Adventure) that they are using now, and I'm convinced this new place will be filled with more 'clones' of attractions in other Disney owned parks."

Mitchell declined to comment on the reliability of the more recent theme park expansions, claiming that "(The Walt Disney Company) knows what our guests in California want from the responses gained on the 2001 expansion. Our newest attraction "The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror" opening this May to Disney's California Adventure is expected to improve the current situation by exploiting this new feedback."


I hate April Fool's, don't you? :lol:

 

[jrriddle]

I was in a meeting all morning and totally forgot what day it is.
Jim Hill's article on LOTR coming to DAK completely "got me".
I read the whole article with my mouth open. Remember the rumour about the same time as the Harry Potter rumour that no one had the themepark rights for LOTR tied up yet. I bought it hook line and sinker.
By the time I got to the Westcot story I had already looked at the calander.

 

[paulcmartens]

if...

if you hadn't posted with that smiley...I would have totally believed you! lol

Speaking of though.. a cast member 2 weeks ago did say to me there was some activity going on in the 'third theme park' area. He seemed excited.

Also...what's up with thirdthemepark.com...how longs it been like that? Seems forever for me.

 

[Pat X]

Thirdthemepark.com is not owned by Disney anymore, some guy has it, I think. It was cool when it was an official Disney site.

 

[paulcmartens]

Clever...

Thanks Pat...

Just noticed your quote from Roy, clever...never thought too much of that guy.

I would love it if they built a blizzard beach over there!

 

[Pioneer Hall]

When I saw George Mitchell was CEO, I knew it was a joke right away. Eisner is still the CEO, he just isn't the chairman of the board. Two totally different positions.

 

[Pat X]

Re: Clever...

Originally posted by paulcmartens
Thanks Pat...

Just noticed your quote from Roy, clever...never thought too much of that guy.

I would love it if they built a blizzard beach over there!

Well, I used to like Roy. But the more I read about him and the more he just complained without offering any real alternatives, it kinda turned my off.

With the third theme park, well, I like Blizzard Beach too, but I hope they build a theme park and not a water park...doesn't it get too cold and rainy in S. CA for it to stay open during the winter?

 

[jrriddle]

This is from Marcie at MouseInfo (she works for Disney):

"My question is, Is it true that they have decided to forget about the third park addition or are they still considering to develop one within the next decade. I have heard many say that first they need to build out Disney California Adventure and fix it.”

Since DCA started out below expectations in attendance the idea of the 3rd theme park was put on hold for the past 3 years. Since the change in leadership from Paul to Jay Rasulo back in 2002 the idea of any new theme parks being built either at DLR or at WDW have been put on the back burner. If attendance continues to track up for the DLR parks over the next few year, there is always a chance that the 3rd park idea might get turned back on. However, don’t expect any movement on the 3rd park with construction anytime over the next 3 to 5 years at the earliest."

AND:

“Now for a question. Somebody on another board recently claimed that Rock and WaterScape ( rockandwaterscape.com, they did some work on DCA ) has seen preliminary proposals from Disney for plans to build DisneySea as the third gate starting in 2006.

It just doesn't make much sense to me, and I thought I remember reading that the third gate was on the back burner until at least 2010.”

As I mentioned above, yes the 3rd gate is nowhere near under development at this time. If there is any movement on development it probably wouldn’t happen until later in this decade. However there are business indicators that need to continue to improve and sustain their growth over the next few years at DLR before they can justify a 3rd theme park."

 

[JackSkellington]

Disney does own the strawberry field though. And it is a large plot of land, so who knows.