brb1006
Well-Known Member
And please refurb Space Mountain!
-
Welcome to the WDWMAGIC.COM Forums!
Please take a look around, and feel free to sign up and join the community.
Magic Kingdom 50th Anniversary Plans
- Thread starter redshoesrock
- Start date
- Status
Disone
Well-Known Member
I think your expectations are high. I personally would love to be surprised but I am NOT anticipating anything of the scale of Disneyland's (AKA "Disney Park's" world wide) 50th or WDW's last anniversary celebration, the 25th. I would expected some banners, a merchandise push, and what ever opens up that year anyway being rolled into the "New to celebrate our 50th anniversary!!!".
I think the real reason for the anniversary acknowledgement is mainly the merchandise sales opportunity.
TTA94
Well-Known Member
@marni1971 I lost track on the DHS rumors but is there any chances F! may get the Disneyland upgrades by 2021? I would hope by then it would get some love.
Last I heard they weren’t planning on it but of course that could change.
matt9112
Well-Known Member
yeah the netting issue stinks (the inner me says add fine print to ticket sales) because stuff happens it's life. but the other part or me says least we don't walk through metal detectors to get on rides. sad in reality because wrapping a coaster around pathways and such is very iconic and really adds to the atmosphere of an area.
with that said I think tight painted netting kept close to the track (manta comes to mind) doesn't look bad and in this land? your not detracting from much.
tirian
Well-Known Member
It sounds like you’re describing DL, not the MK at WDW! Every evening I’ve ever spent in DL has been a nightmare, regardless of the time of year. As soon as school ends for the day, the park is packed with teenagers and local families burning off steam before going home for the night. Then Fantasmic shuts down the Frontierland/New Orleans Square side of the park. The fireworks and PTN make the hub and Main Street a cacophony of pushing, shoving, and screaming as CMs wave flashlights and keep everyone moving in a single-file line.
At WDW, the MK now has a massive hub and the Main Street bypass. Crowds from parades and fireworks are better controlled now than ever before.
EricsBiscuit
Well-Known Member
Yes DL at is a NIGHTmare. It takes longer to walk from Splash to like Star Tours than to circle World Showcase while bouncing on a pogo stick blind folded and the only words you can say are "I like pizza from Pizzarizzo!"
matt9112
Well-Known Member
MerlinTheGoat
Well-Known Member
At this point, Big Thunder needs far more than simple cosmetic work and new effects. It's in dire need of a whole track replacement, the thing has gotten very janky and uncomfortable. It still isn't nearly as bad as Space Mountain, which at this point I consider an un-rideable and un-enjoyable embarrassment to what it once was (also not entirely sure I believe it's safe). But BTM is still in very bad shape and needs a track overhaul ASAP to avoid becoming as bad as Space Mountain has. I heard Disneyland got its track replaced for the 60th and it's said to be much smoother than before.
Last edited:
cheezbat
Well-Known Member
When is the last time you rode? They did a track redo awhile back....and it's MUCH smoother than Space Mountain currently.
Notes from Neverland
Well-Known Member
I thought Big Thunder was in pretty good shape in regards to the track during our January 2018 visit.
MerlinTheGoat
Well-Known Member
January, I live close to WDW.
The last lengthy refurb to BTM was in 2016. It only lasted about 3 months and whatever track work they did didn't make the ride any smoother. It's still very jerky and has only continued to decline over the past decade. Disneyland by contrast received a 13-month overhaul for the park's 60th. This apparently included a full-track replacement. I cannot speak from experience, but it reportedly made the ride incredibly smooth and feel like a new coaster.
I never said it was as bad as Space Mountain, there's almost nothing as bad as Space Mountain at this point. Space is an embarrassment, degenerating to the point where it's not even remotely enjoyable anymore. It passed my threshold of even being tolerable, I can't help but worry it may not even be safe (possibly unfounded, I still won't ride it because of the pain and lack of fun).
Big Thunder isn't at that level yet. But nor should it (or any ride) be allowed to get that bad. It's due for a track replacement. I had the good fortune to experience the Paris version of Big Thunder when it was still quite new (mid 90s), incredibly smooth and comfortable. It would be wonderful for WDW's to feel like that again.
Last edited:
cheezbat
Well-Known Member
Interesting.
Having ridden both Disneyland's and Magic Kingdom's Big Thunders in the past few months, i can see a slight difference...but nothing remotely close to the ricketiness of MK's Space.
UpAllNight
Well-Known Member
Who knew the wildest ride in the wilderness needed to be a smooth seamless experience.
MinnieWaffles
Well-Known Member
My favourite time to ride it is after dark where it REALLY feels like the wildest ride!! It's almost scary because you can't see where you're going, and tons of fun.
999th Happy Haunt
Well-Known Member
I feel the addition of the Hatbox Ghost to the Haunted Mansion would be an obvious thing to do.
Cesar R M
Well-Known Member
Are they waiting for Space Mountain to literally fall apart again?
MerlinTheGoat
Well-Known Member
It has almost been a decade since Space was scheduled for a new track and never got one. They are obviously well aware the ride has serious problems. The vehicles were slowed down so they would put less stress on the structure.
When I expressed concerns about the ride's safety a few years ago, @tirian provided a comment that indicated my concerns may not be unfounded. I don't know if this is still accurate today, but he said engineers who had knowledge on the ride's inner workings were not at all comfortable with its condition.
I don't think the executives running WDW (or TWDC itself) are in it for the long-term. They probably plan to be long gone by the time things start failing catastrophically. And conveniently, whoever has taken over by that point will take the blame and shoulder the cost of cleaning up the fallout.
It has been a common sentiment lately from many respected members on this forum that WDW management is currently consistent with a business on the verge of going out of business. We obviously know this isn't happening, but the condition of the parks and overall management makes it LOOK like this. Similar to Disneyland's dark age from the mid 90s to early 2000s under Paul Pressler and Cynthia Harriss. "Run it to failure". Thankfully no one has died (and hopefully it won't reach that point).
trainplane3
Well-Known Member
You're implying it hasn't been falling apart for a while now?
I kid but I think we all know the ride needs major, tear down, rebuilt love. And the trains to glow again. Okay that last one is just me. But both of those seem like a impossibility at this point.
- Status