Magic Kingdom 50th Anniversary Plans

[mahnamahna101]

Thank you for sharing this info and the spark that has created an interesting thread!

That said, were these "leaders" of yours the type who wear slightly wrinkled Dockers, short sleeved shirts, jangling pin lanyards, and a radio earpiece so they can respond to spilled popcorn and ride break downs? In other words, low level management who wander the theme parks supervising hourly workers?

If so, I wouldn't put too much stock in what they would know five years out, much less what they might share in a team meeting. I doubt even the senior executives in TDO have given much thought yet about MK's 50th anniversary plans for 2021. But that certainly wouldn't have filtered down to the low level managers in charge of hourly CM's by this point.

What's more likely is that Magic Kingdom may finally be getting some of the high-profile and very extensive makeovers that two of Disneyland's E Tickets have received; the 2.5 year closure of Space Mountain in 2003-2005 that led to its current showmanship. And the 1.5 year closure of Big Thunder Mountain in 2013-2014 that created its current all-new plotline and special effects. Perhaps add in a big remake of Tom Sawyer Island like Disneyland got that required a six month closure in 2007, and the rumored additions of Star Wars to the parks for Tomorrowland, and you've got a few neat things in the pipeline for Magic Kingdom over the next few years. And those rumors have morphed into a botched attempt at hinting at 50th Anniversary plans in a team meeting.

But a full scale re-Imagineering of both Tomorrowland and Frontierland that has already filtered down to lower management in the theme parks? That's way too aggressive to be talked about at this early stage, much less at that low level on the management totem pole. And the last 15 years of history at WDW parks don't support such a strategy either.

Star Wars won't come to MK's Tomorrowland...

Honestly, I'd be happy with:
Frontierland enhancements (Big Thunder/Splash overhauls, CB update)
new parade
new fireworks show
Adventureland enhancements (Jungle Cruise update)
Fantasyland enhancements (Peter Pan increased RV capacity, IASW update, Pooh update, Tea Party update)
Tomorrowland enhancements (Space Mountain overhaul, PeopleMover upgrade, CoP update, Buzz update, Stitch and Laugh Floor replacements)

$500 million or so over the next 6-7 years to get the park looking/running perfect for the 50th.

2021/2022 - Expansions for Frontierland/Tomorrowland announced (Speedway demolished, drawbridge for RoA added).

I have no doubt there's plans to expand MK in the far-future, but getting the rest of the park up-to-speed for the 50th should be the primary goal. Before 2021/2022, getting AK, DHS and Epcot as close to MK's level as possible is a higher priority than expanding MK's attraction count.

I just don't see anything major being added to MK so soon... especially since Epcot and DHS need something between Pandora and the 50th.

 

[JEANYLASER]

What is RoA?

 

[CaptainAmerica]

what is RoA?

Rivers of America

 

[JEANYLASER]

I would like to see the new Tomorrowland as well.

 

[IMFearless]

I think the priority has to be:

- Maintaining and enhancing MK only
- Developing, expanding and adding serious interest to the other gates

To put in anything major into MK at this point would be madness, the park has become so crowded it is in danger of having a negative effect on the average guest's experience, yet Epcot and DHS have vast tracts of unused or dead space, with many guests leaving in the late afternoon or early evening.

Honestly, I think the change to Fantasmic's schedule to every night from January is an attempt to retain some level of attendance in DHS.

I would love to see upgrades to well loved attractions in MK such as the BTM enhancements or SM overhaul. This level of investment won't drive up attendance in the way that new attractions would. It's only us forum nuts that would say... "I'm really excited to go on Space Mountain because I heard it got new trim brakes"

The average guest would not notice such things, but if there are specific additions elsewhere on property it would certainly be more favourable than adding more to MK in my opinion.

 

[mahnamahna101]

I think the priority has to be:

- Maintaining and enhancing MK only
- Developing, expanding and adding serious interest to the other gates

To put in anything major into MK at this point would be madness, the park has become so crowded it is in danger of having a negative effect on the average guest's experience, yet Epcot and DHS have vast tracts of unused or dead space, with many guests leaving in the late afternoon or early evening.

Honestly, I think the change to Fantasmic's schedule to every night from January is an attempt to retain some level of attendance in DHS.

I would love to see upgrades to well loved attractions in MK such as the BTM enhancements or SM overhaul. This level of investment won't drive up attendance in the way that new attractions would. It's only us forum nuts that would say... "I'm really excited to go on Space Mountain because I heard it got new trim brakes"

The average guest would not notice such things, but if there are specific additions elsewhere on property it would certainly be more favourable than adding more to MK in my opinion.

To be honest, expanding certain areas of MK wouldn't be huge attendance draws, either (I.E,: non-Fire Mountain/JttCotE clone/B&TB dark ride/Tomorrowland E-ticket... all would be huge attendance boosters due to either their stature or IP popularity)

But:
"A new original Tomorrowland C-ticket just opened behind Buzz!"

"A new dark ride opened in Frontierland in the back corner behind Big Thunder!"

Those are things that older adults and die-hard Disney fans will love, but the average person won't get too excited about. Especially Frontierland, since Americans aren't too keen on cowboys/Wild West these days.

If TDO didn't release any marketing at all for them (no billboards, no ads, no press releases, etc) and just started building, I don't think there'd be much of an attendance increase for non-IP based additions. The key is to stick to either minor character-based ones (As/Bs) or non-IP based for major ones (Ds/Es)

 

[Jose]

I think it's pretty soon to discover what the 50th will bring us...

 

[mahnamahna101]

I think it's pretty soon to discover what the 50th will bring us...

Whylightbulb just revealed New Frontierland is near a greenlight.

That's what the $350m for MK is supposedly for.

 

[Jose]

Whylightbulb just revealed New Frontierland is near a greenlight.

That's what the $350m for MK is supposedly for.

So TDO is doing things fast

 

[doctornick]

Whylightbulb just revealed New Frontierland is near a greenlight.

That's what the $350m for MK is supposedly for.

Actually, it's not clear if the $350M is for the alleged Frontierland expansion or something else. The way @whylightbulb was talking makes it seem like the Frontierland information he is hearing is something new which would be different that the ~$350M that was approved previously by the BoD. Wouldn't there be specific plans that were approved at that time unlike the Frontierland stuff which seems to be still being developed?

But I would also think it would be odd to have multiple different projects approved separately in short order.

So, who knows? We'll surely have some more details trickle out as time goes on.

 

[WDWLover#1]

I think the priority has to be:

- Maintaining and enhancing MK only
- Developing, expanding and adding serious interest to the other gates

To put in anything major into MK at this point would be madness, the park has become so crowded it is in danger of having a negative effect on the average guest's experience, yet Epcot and DHS have vast tracts of unused or dead space, with many guests leaving in the late afternoon or early evening.

Honestly, I think the change to Fantasmic's schedule to every night from January is an attempt to retain some level of attendance in DHS.

I would love to see upgrades to well loved attractions in MK such as the BTM enhancements or SM overhaul. This level of investment won't drive up attendance in the way that new attractions would. It's only us forum nuts that would say... "I'm really excited to go on Space Mountain because I heard it got new trim brakes"

The average guest would not notice such things, but if there are specific additions elsewhere on property it would certainly be more favourable than adding more to MK in my opinion.

This!

 

[Cesar R M]

Whylightbulb just revealed New Frontierland is near a greenlight.

That's what the $350m for MK is supposedly for.

Well, it will depend on how fast they build and expand.
At the glacial speed Disney builds, it might be done just in time for the 50th.

 

[BlueThorness]

I was told awhile ago that yes, MK will be getting a new electrical parade. The leader I talked to said, "I hope it's not Paint the Night," but they said it in such a way that led me to believe that it's probably going to be Paint the Night. (YMMV)The MSEP wasn't supposed to last this long - it was supposed to be "retired" again about three/four years ago, but because of what happened to SpectroMagic, MSEP had to stick around longer than anticipated. Frankly, speaking only for myself, I'll be glad to see MSEP go. Some of the floats are so old most guests have no idea what it is (Pete and Elliot being the biggest example, IMHO).

Sorry, but what "happened" to SpectroMagic? I actually love the MSEP. I would watch both performances of it, every day, if I could, but I'd also love to see Paint the Night.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Whylightbulb just revealed New Frontierland is near a greenlight.

That's what the $350m for MK is supposedly for.

I am struggling to imagine they are the same. It doesn't make sense.

The BoD gave a green light for $350m to MK a few weeks back. If the Frontierland work is "about to receive the green light," it's a separate project. I also cannot imagine any "New Frontierland" costing just $350m. That didn't even buy us a relatively unambitious New Fantasyland in the early 2010s; it certainly won't buy New Frontierland in the late 2010s, early 2020s. $500-750m minimum.

 

[ford91exploder]

The only thing coming to WDW for the 50'th will be more upcharge events and perhaps redoing the TTC. Not sorry to be so cynical for the last 10 years all WDW has done is close stuff and create hard ticket upcharge events which in the beginning were a good value with the dessert party being a prime example

As I recall it was $26 bucks which was not bad for uncrowded viewing and a nice selection of treats, It's now north of $50 bucks and is almost as crowded as Main St and has a much reduced selection of treats. If the quality of the event had remained the same (crowding/treat selection) I'd probably say "I'm on vacation and it's Disney" However with the gross reduction of quality and doubling of price these days It's 'I'll pass thanks".

 

[mahnamahna101]

I am struggling to imagine they are the same. It doesn't make sense.

The BoD gave a green light for $350m to MK a few weeks back. If the Frontierland work is "about to receive the green light," it's a separate project. I also cannot imagine any "New Frontierland" costing just $350m. That didn't even buy us a relatively unambitious New Fantasyland in the early 2010s; it certainly won't buy New Frontierland in the late 2010s, early 2020s. $500-750m minimum.

...I'd be inclined to agree... if only, because it would mean Tomorrowland and Peter Pan have a shot at getting some love for the 50th. Not likely, but possible.

Personally, if TDO was in a 'go big or go home' spending mood, they should have just gone with $5 billion for the whole resort. $2.8 billion for DHS, $1 billion for MK, $1 billion for Epcot, $250 million for AK (essentially one new D/E post-Pandora). Then, by 2021-2023, every park will have gotten some substantial love ($1 billion at least for each park since 2014/2015)

That one CM also mentioned New Tomorrowland, so maybe the initial $350 million is intended for that? I could see Tomorrowland getting overhauls of Space, CoP, and Speedway with a Stitch replacement as the 'big' addition for $350 million. Especially since there's no construction and a Stitch replacement could be $60-70 million since everything except the Stitch characters could stay.

$500-750 mlilion is a bit much for what's rumored to be enhancements to Big Thunder, Splash, and Country Bears, an E-ticket raft ride, and possibly some new restaurants. The enhancements should equal Mermaid's $100 million or so budget... that's all three. The raft ride should be $100-120 million, since they're supposedly the cheapest E-tickets to build. New restaurants could equal about $100 million or so. $350-400 million adds up... unless it's a lot more substantial than what we're thinking.

NFL cost $425 million and had just as much as that (SDMT/Mermaid=new Frontier E, second Dumbo/B&TB mini-land/Pan queue/M&G=enhancements and new dining options)... $450-500 million is the most I see being spent on this. $700-750 million plus the already approved $300-350 million would probably mean more than just Frontierland is getting expanded. Adventureland or Tomorrowland would end up with something, too.

 

[Fox&Hound]

Um, I hate to derail a good thread that 'could' have merit many years from now ... and, no, I know of no solid plans to add ANY real substance to the MK right up to the 50th and see absolutely no way there will be complete redos of two lands, but ...maybe I can direct the crazies from my thread over here to Armchair Imagineer and Fantasize their hearts out.

Even if this were to pan out as 100% true and major things did happen, who in their right mind feels it's OK to allow another six years to slip away like they have no meaning as the MK gets staler, more homogenized and more ghetto?

The last major expansion (Splash Mountain as, sorry, New Fanasyland does not count!) was in 1992. Think about how old you were then and what you were doing (who you were dating, were you going to school, working, having your first child, your first broken heart etc.) and justify the continued stagnation or join in the mindless (and it is) #HubBub about an empty, hot, fake grass center of what was once a beautiful park.

Ummm how on Earth does New Fantasyland not count? Just because you may not like it, it provided MK with a new restaurant, new show/experience with Belle, 7DMT, double dumbo, Ariel, and more shops. I don't care what sat stagnating on the property before (20,000 Leagues), NFL gave us some wonderful additions to MK and I don't understand how people can be so dismissive.

 

[montyz81]

We (the CMs in the part of MK where I work) had a meeting with two of our leaders who were talking about various internal things (high guest satisfaction ratings, great job, here's where we can improve, etc etc). Our leaders also mentioned that, while there won't be a huge celebration for the 45th anniversary coming up next year, Disney is already planning for the 50th anniversary. They said that the current plans are to completely overhaul both Frontierland and Tomorrowland both in the facades and adding new attractions. They said to expect some big, big changes in those two lands, although they admitted they didn't have any specifics as to what "New" Frontierland and "New" Tomorrowland would look like, nor what attractions would be added.

There isn't room inside the tracks, New attractions?? Something has to be sacrificed. I am betting on Tomorrowland Speedway.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Ummm how on Earth does New Fantasyland not count? Just because you may not like it, it provided MK with a new restaurant, new show/experience with Belle, 7DMT, double dumbo, Ariel, and more shops. I don't care what sat stagnating on the property before (20,000 Leagues), NFL gave us some wonderful additions to MK and I don't understand how people can be so dismissive.

It has absolutely no "wow!" Something Disney used to unveil annually.

 

[Mike S]

There isn't room inside the tracks, New attractions?? Something has to be sacrificed. I am betting on Tomorrowland Speedway.

I beg to differ. There's room for two big things without sacrificing the Speedway.