Magic Kingdom 50th Anniversary Plans

[Haymarket2008]

I’m 19. Took honors and AP classes all throughout high school and college. We have never once talked about Mark Twain. It’s an outdated property that needs a refurb.

Nah. It really doesn’t. Using your logic would remove quite a bit out of the parks.

 

[Sharon&Susan]

Why does your profile say you're 32?

Isn’t it obvious? He found the Fountain of Youth! As you know no one can lie on this electronic super highway!

 

[Kman101]

Nah. It really doesn’t. Using your logic would remove quite a bit out of the parks.

And seems to have. GMR was constantly called "outdated" by those who chose not to care about these films. Not saying the ride itself didn't badly need a total overhaul and refresh, but I get annoyed hearing things called outdated when someone just hasn't done their homework on them or they choose not to care (and If someone doesn't want to care, that's fine, their choice but IMO you are doing yourself a disservice). Me, if I don't know something I find out. I guess I was lucky to grow up when I did. I can appreciate things from all eras and genres and not think they're old or outdated. I actually prefer "outdated" and "old" many of the times compared to current stuff.

 

[seabreezept813]

That's sad. What are they teaching you kids now? I'm only in my 30s and I'm so much more aware of "the old" than most people younger than me. I find that sad. Instead of decrying it outdated, maybe read it and learn about him? Sorry you have that viewpoint.

They teach Twain. I teach high school English. We read Huck Finn. When I taught 8th grade we read Tom Sawyer. I take my kids to Twain’s house in CT too.. Twain is definitely covered and Huck Finn is almost always one of the AP lit texts.

 

[MKeeler]

Adding rides allow the people who show up to do more rides. That is if attendance remains the same. That's a simple mathematical fact.

The problem is that more rides are likely to draw in more people. And if a brand new E-Ticket draws in more people than it can go through in one day, then it has only made the overcrowding worse.

And that is a different metric than the feeling of over-crowdedness where you want to pull people off the streets so that infrastructure isn't overwhelmed. If the ride has a long queue and the ride can 'hold' lots of people, then it pulls them 'off the streets' and the park feels less crowded. That is, until the fireworks show, and then all the extra people that showed up for the new ride try to pack themselves into an already-full Hub.

To me this is an argument for why stopping construction of the Main Street bypass theater was a mistake. The Magic Kingdom needs thematic additions that are pleasing and crowd-absorbing, but not necessarily crowd-attracting. Arguably, a better expansion plan would be a lot of high hourly throughput C and D tickets over any new E ticket additions. (Or at least an appropriate number of B, C, and D ticket attractions added at the same time as any E ticket to offset capacity for any increase in attendance).

 

[Kman101]

They teach Twain. I teach high school English. We read Huck Finn. When I taught 8th grade we read Tom Sawyer. I take my kids to Twain’s house in CT too.. Twain is definitely covered and Huck Finn is almost always one of the AP lit texts.

Thank you! Very good to know

 

[Kman101]

To me this is an argument for why stopping construction of the Main Street bypass theater was a mistake. The Magic Kingdom needs thematic additions that are pleasing and crowd-absorbing, but not necessarily crowd-attracting. Arguably, a better expansion plan would be a lot of high hourly throughput C and D tickets over any new E ticket additions. (Or at least an appropriate number of B, C, and D ticket attractions added at the same time as any E ticket to offset capacity for any increase in attendance).

Bingo.

Despite what they may think, TRON *will* have a reaction with guests and it will be a big draw.

Mermaid was the right idea for New Fantasyland, just the ride itself was going by the movie, not through it. The coaster sort of hurts yet makes up for some past lost capacity so it's a wash with that one, imo. It should have been longer. But they still lacked a true e-ticket. I know they wanted that to be Mermaid but it's not. The exterior is. The inside lacks. We really should have received the Beauty and the Beast ride alongside the restaurant.

 

[Kman101]

I'm not going to lie, I didn't know half of the films in GMR, but you know what? I loved that ride.

And that's the thing, you didn't necessarily even need to know them. But I get why some would find the ride lackluster or boring or outdated. I get it, even if I don't agree. It definitely needed a thorough update. But if anything were to replace it I guess it would have to be Mickey Mouse (or for me, The Muppets), which of course he is. So that was a smart choice even if I disagree with it. They knew he'd get less of a pushback especially if they knock his attraction out of the park.

 

[MrConbon]

Then what were you trying to say, that Disney should only do topics that kidsare talking about? I took away from your post that Disney should make areas based on what the kids are talking about. IPs are useless in the long term anyway. More people go on the Haunted Mansion at DL than Pooh. People are willing to wait in 30 minute lines for Toad, but the Little Mermaid is lucky to have 100 people board it in 30 minutes.

Nah. It really doesn’t. Using your logic would remove quite a bit out of the parks.

And seems to have. GMR was constantly called "outdated" by those who chose not to care about these films. Not saying the ride itself didn't badly need a total overhaul and refresh, but I get annoyed hearing things called outdated when someone just hasn't done their homework on them or they choose not to care (and If someone doesn't want to care, that's fine, their choice but IMO you are doing yourself a disservice). Me, if I don't know something I find out. I guess I was lucky to grow up when I did. I can appreciate things from all eras and genres and not think they're old or outdated. I actually prefer "outdated" and "old" many of the times compared to current stuff.

Even if Tom Sawyer was a big and popular IP, the land is terribly used. Even on days where the land is packed, it’s still not a lot of people. Like another poster said above. There could be 6 haunted mansions in that space. Magic Kingsom has a huge problem with congestion and opening up a land in that huge area would do wonders.

 

[doctornick]

Even if Tom Sawyer was a big and popular IP, the land is terribly used. Even on days where the land is packed, it’s still not a lot of people. Like another poster said above. There could be 6 haunted mansions in that space. Magic Kingsom has a huge problem with congestion and opening up a land in that huge area would do wonders.

Except there's plenty of other land -- easier to use, even -- that could be used to expand guest areas. I think most people would agree that MK needs more guest space, but replacing TSI/RoA seems like an inefficient way to do so. Why replace when you can expand?

 

[MrConbon]

Except there's plenty of other land -- easier to use, even -- that could be used to expand guest areas. I think most people would agree that MK needs more guest space, but replacing TSI/RoA seems like an inefficient way to do so. Why replace when you can expand?

The expansion areas are not nearly as large as TSI. Why get rid of GMR if Mickey’s Railway could be built somewhere else? Why get rid of Snow White and replace it with a meet & greet? Disney would rather repurpose the space they have then expand. You can even keep the river, just build a bridge to the island

 

[MrConbon]

Keep the rivers of America. Level the island and turnit into a New Orleans area with a restaurant and a princess and the frog boat ride through the swamps. Boom, easy done. Build a bridge to cross the river.

 

[Sharon&Susan]

The expansion areas are not nearly as large as TSI. Why get rid of GMR if Mickey’s Railway could be built somewhere else? Why get rid of Snow White and replace it with a meet & greet? Disney would rather repurpose the space they have then expand. You can even keep the river, just build a bridge to the island

Both of those are faulty comparisons, both of those used the original buildings of what they replaced. There’s a reason Pooh didn’t replace 20000 leagues and replaced Toad instead. 20000 leagues would’ve required lots of work beforehand to make the land useable just like Tom Sawyer Island would need lots of preparation to build something comparable to Splash Mountain on it.

 

[MrConbon]

Both of those are faulty comparisons, both of those used the original buildings of what they replaced. There’s a reason Pooh didn’t replace 20000 leagues and replaced Toad instead. 20000 leagues would’ve required lots of work beforehand to make the land useable just like Tom Sawyer Island would need lots of preparation to build something comparable to Splash Mountain on it.

Paving over 20,000 leagues took just as much effort as leveling the island would take.

 

[Sharon&Susan]

Paving over 20,000 leagues took just as much effort as leveling the island would take.

And it took about ten years until Disney was willing to do it and replaced a ride right across the way even though it could’ve been built on the lagoon.

 

[FigmentForver96]

A theme park is a sum of all its part and takes many different experiences to make it well rounded. TSI and SFT are examples of experiences that require the guests to slow down and enjoy the smaller things. Each park does it in a totally different way and it’s really needed to make it work.

Magic Kingdom - TSI
Epcot - Exhbits, hands on interaction
Hollywood Studios - Exhibits, shows
Animal Kingdom - Shows, trails

You cannot just go around and tear out the “boring” aspects because there is no moving ride. That defeats the entire principal of what made Disney parks unique to begin with.

 

[MrConbon]

A theme park is a sum of all its part and takes many different experiences to make it well rounded. TSI and SFT are examples of experiences that require the guests to slow down and enjoy the smaller things. Each park does it in a totally different way and it’s really needed to make it work.

Magic Kingdom - TSI
Epcot - Exhbits, hands on interaction
Hollywood Studios - Exhibits, shows
Animal Kingdom - Shows, trails

You cannot just go around and tear out the “boring” aspects because there is no moving ride. That defeats the entire principal of what made Disney parks unique to begin with.

The exhibits take up an extremely small amount of space. Nothing could be put in those areas other than like a bathroom or a food cart.

Shows bring in massive capacity. Which is something the Magic Kingdom needs and should of had with the Main Street theatre.

 

[FigmentForver96]

The exhibits take up an extremely small amount of space. Nothing could be put in those areas other than like a bathroom or a food cart.

Shows bring in massive capacity. Which is something the Magic Kingdom needs and should of had with the Main Street theatre.

Depends on what you define as “exhibit” Innovations, Imageworks, are examples of large exhibits. In their prime, traveling through them took hours and large sums of the day. Epcot is a prime example of what happens when the exhibits or “filler” are stripped away.

 

[geekza]

People are willing to wait in 30 minute lines for Toad, but the Little Mermaid is lucky to have 100 people board it in 30 minutes.

While I am on board with the point you're trying to make, Mr. Toad was added to Disneyland because he was one of the main characters in a 1949 Disney film. He's IP, just well-handled IP.

 

[Sharon&Susan]

While I am on board with the point you're trying to make, Mr. Toad was added to Disneyland because he was one of the main characters in a 1949 Disney film. He's IP, just well-handled IP.

I could’ve been clearer on my post, my thoughts on the matter is it doesn’t if an IP is popular or not or if it has an IP, it’s the word of mouth that matters in the long run.