First attraction of
Adventureland
Adventure to Paradise Falls
Introduction
Welcome to Paradise Falls - A Land Lost in Time. Take flight with Carl, Russell, and others from the 2009 Disney/Pixar film, Up, as you soar on a whimsical adventure to the top of Paradise Falls, and encounter some rollicking thrills and excitement along the way. This E-ticket attraction will be the first "true" E-ticket at the Magic Kingdom since Splash Mountain, and will serve as the icon of Adventureland, nestled as the weenie in the expansion plot south west of Pirates of the Caribbean, for decades to come.
Approach to Adventureland
The "adventure" begins as soon as you enter the Magic Kingdom under the Main Street Station. Lining the walls are posters of various attractions in the park, and added to this list will be a poster for Adventureland's newest E-ticket
While in Adventureland from the Main Street side, a subtle glimpses at a 137 ft tall mountainous water fall can be seen as you turn the corner from Main Street, giving guests a sense of adventure to discover what that really is. From the Frontierland side, there is a noticeable waterfall perched high into the Magic Kingdom skyline, echoing from the land ahead. Adding to the magic Kingdom mountain range, Paradise Falls hopes to bring the best of a Disney style dark ride with an exhilarating and unique twist specific for this attraction.
In addition, to add to the immersion in the Up story and the Paradise Falls attraction, the MyDisneyExperience app will have an added element called "My Adventure Book"
With this new feature, as a tie in to the brand new Paradise Falls attraction, guests can chronicle their vacations using old fashioned style designs from PhotoPass+ and create their own Adventure Book of their vacation, which they can have shipped to their house, fully authentic just like the page styles in the film (for a small Disney fee of course)
There will be many interactive MyMagic+ and NextGen Enhancements on this attraction, as its inception in 2023 will mark the 10 year roll-out anniversary of MyMagic+ and the Phase 2 process of further integration into your vacation experience.
Paradise Falls Landscape Description
The massive 137 ft tall waterfall off deep in the Adventureland wilderness will be visible as guests approach the entrance to the attraction. Surrounding by rich foliage and tropical landscapes, the large waterfall, also using forced perspective, is a carbon copy of Paradise Falls from the film. Upon approaching you can see the rush of the water flow down the side of the mountain and into the falls below. Arriving at the entrance to the attraction, you'll notice even the ambiance surrounding background music has changed to the Michael Giacchino soundtrack from Up - and you know your adventure is out there!
Located in-between a gap between Pirates of the Caribbean to the right and the sloped entrance to Jungle Cruise on the left, you will enter through Carl and Ellie's South America building and traverse (actually cardinally south in the park) over the train tracks (which will go through a newly designed tunnel underneath the walkway, and to the expansion pad beyond the railroad.
Entrance and Queue
Upon reaching the attraction, you see a balloon stand and a building which says South America on it, a replica of the one that Carl and Ellie owned and worked in during the film. Off to the side, there is even a Meet and Greet location for the characters from Up (check your times guide for more information)
The Stand-By entrance can be seen above along with the Fastpass+ entrance. For this attraction however, guests are encouraged to use the Stand-By line to get the full effect of the queue storyline. The Fastpass+ edition is a brief interpretation of the longer montage.
Guests enter the South America showcase and see illustrations, newspaper articles, and more of Carl and Ellie's favorite explorer Charles Muntz. You walk past Carl and Ellie's desks and see pictures of their marriage on the walls and a picture of young Ellie with goggles placed in a circular frame on Carl's desk. You also can spot the grape soda as well, in addition to Ellie's Adventure Book nestled in the corner and a letter from Carl, showing their love for each other.
The unique aspect of this queue is that while indoors (and overpassing the Walt Disney World Railroad) to the expansion plot beyond the brim, you feel as if you're outdoors and in the queue you progress with Carl and Ellie in age.
The "Married Life" soundtrack begins to play and in this continuously progressing queue. You follow Carl and Ellie on their adventures throughout their life as you trek up with them to the top of the (Bug's Life) hill for a picnic. AAs of the two of them in their middle aged physiques are positioned on the picnic blanket looking up into the ever changing cloud sky and conversing with each other.
As you walk back down other side of the hill you reach the front-yard of their colorful house, and see them washing the same window of the house. This time they appear older. You traverse inside the house can see them now dusting off the interior when you see the AA Carl look at the large parting of South America and their house on Paradise Falls and as you pass by you audibly hear him say he's going to take Ellie to Paradise Falls.
Sadly the next environment you walk into is the exterior of Carl and Ellie's house at night, with Carl holding a single blue balloon and looking out from his porch before making a turn inside.
While the queue gets quiet and dim for a brief time, the levity of the situation is quickly brought into fold as you meet Russell around the corner. Russell introduces himself and says he's going to go get his Assisting the Elderly Badge and wanted to know if you all wanted to come along too. The AA figure of Russell will be representative of the Mr. Potato Head figure in Toy Story Midway Mania, however much more advanced where they can interactive and chat even more with guests as they stroll by. There will also be interactive Up games as well themed to the Wilderness Explorers as you pass by the Russell AA and back to Carl's house
You then reach the pre-show area of the attraction where you walk onto Carl and Ellie's porch and listen to Russell
"Well I gotta help you out somehow" says Russell much to Carl's dismay and chagrin as he sees construction managers talking to people off in the distance from Shady Oaks Retirement Village.
Pre-Show and Hydraulator Technology
You then enter the living room space where Carl and Ellie used to spend their time and see that Carl has set up a contraction on the window sill with ropes and strings coming out of the fireplace. Music swells and suddenly the floor begins to shake as if an earthquake is happening, then you see out the windows the rising skyscrapers, the approaching clouds, and the silhouettes and shadows of thousands of balloons floating atop the house, lifting it into the air.
"So long boys! I'll send you a postcard from Paradise Falls" you can hear Carl yell from the back of the house.
As you stand around the house, you are actually moving at a slow distance upwards towards the 2nd floor of the building. However, for the illusion, you are on a trip towards South America. The 4 minute Pre-Show scene takes you through the clouds, as you gaze around at the detail of the living room and the authenticity from the film. Then out the porch front door window you see Russell waving his hands sporadically and Carl.
In the hallway you can hear the conversation between Russell and Carl
Russell "Mr. Fredrickson, please let me in"
Carl "No....ok fine, you can come in"
Russell: "Mr. Fredrickson, I only wanted an assisting the elderly badge, I didn't know I'd need to assist all these people too. But they are my friends and they have to come.
Carl: No.
Russell: Please??
Carl "Ugh...fine, but they aren't traveling in our house"
Russell: "Oh time for me to use my senior wilderness basket weaving badge!"
Carl "Basket, what?"
Russell "I'll do it Mr. Fredrickson!"
(The Next Gen technology will take voice acting tools from Monsters Inc Laugh Floor and utilize them to change the dialogue of this scene each time to fit each audience.)
You then race into clouds and a storm outside as you feel the rumbling of the house heading through the clouds, thunder and lightning outside, and you approach a rocky surface and make an abrupt landing.
You walk back out the front door and have arrived at the opposite side of Paradise Falls where the attraction begins.
Ride Vehicles
You approach the ride vehicles which are baskets tethered to the bottom of Carl and Ellie's house being supported by the balloons. The baskets seat 12 guests (3 rows of 4).
The attraction is designed using a combination of roller coaster track (above and below) along with hydraulic lifts that push your vehicles from one location to the next seamlessly without you even realize due to the projection screens hiding the technology. Throughout the indoor attraction, you are immersed 360 with the world of Up on the journey to Paradise Falls, providing one of the most visceral attractions Disney has ever invented with a mix of dark ride, family style indoor roller coaster components, all in a virtual reality environment, complete as well with physical sets and Audio-Animatronics.
Attraction Ride-Through
Boarding your baskets you are whisked into the jungles of South America for a slow moving journey above the trees.
Scene 1 - Meeting Kevin
From down below Russell exclaims: "Hey Mr. Fredrickson look a bird!"
"That's nice Russell" Carl responds.
Suddenly the House begins to descend into the trees as if air is being let out of the balloons and you soar through the trees towards the ground.
"Hey stop that!" Carl yells up to the roof as you a exotic tropical bird poking holes in the balloons above. You then see the AA bird standing next to Russell on the ground as Russell says that the bird likes chocolate.
"Ugh..more nonsense Ellie" Carl sighs to himself.
"I'm going to name him Kevin" Russell declares.
Scene 2 - Dug
From there you exit the jungle and enter a rocky portion of the mountain, almost about halfway to Carl's destination on top of the Falls. You then meet Dug, an AA talking Labrador Retriever who introduces himself to everyone.
Dug: "Hi there, my master says I need to take this bird as my prisoner"
Carl: "I am not your master"
Dug: "Oh yes I know, my master is smart and -- *squirrel* ---
Russell: "Can we keep him??"
Carl: "No"
Russell: "But it's a talking dog!!"
Then out of the right side, a large floating blimp that says the Spirit of Adventure on it, ascends from below the cliffs. It is piloted by Charles Muntz and several other talking dogs aboard the blimp.
Scene 3 - Charles Muntz
While Carl thinks that he's finally met one of his childhood icons, he soon discovers that Charles Muntz is after Kevin, the exotic bird he has been searching for his whole life. Airplanes piloted by the other talking dogs lead by Alpha, charge the house and poke holes in the balloons.
Scene 4 - Dinner with Charles
You view the interior of the blimp as the house is attached to the side of the blimp and you see the dogs, Charles, Carl, and Russell eating dinner, with the dogs eating Russell's hot dog.
Charles explains that the bird he has been after for years might have reappeared, and Russell explains that it "looks like Kevin" This intrigues and simultaneously infuriates Charles when Carl denies every know of the bird. Charles sends his dogs to the plane and Carl and Russell have to escape back to the house.
Scene 5 - Airplane Battle
The planes charge out of the side of the blimp as your basket and house sway out of the way to avoid contact.
One of the planes comes flying through and snaps the tethered string that is holding your basket to the house and, disconnecting from the house and attaching to roller coaster track, your vehicle swings down and gets picked up by by another airplane and you go soaring through the sky. You sway around a bend and see Carl and Ellie's house next to the massive Spirit of Adventure blimp as the plane your attached to goes in for another attack run
Before you reach the House however, Russell takes a leaf blower and balloons and distracts the pilot, sending you on an incline into the sky.
Scene 6 - The Confrontation
Still attached to one of the dog planes, you pass by Carl trying to fend off Charles Muntz from getting to Kevin.
Muntz: "Any last words Fredrickson? Come on spit it out!"
Carl spits out his teeth and escapes to the top of the blimp as you travel up with him with his house floating next to him, attached to the side.
Scene 7 - Spirit of Adventure
As you sail off to the top of the blimp you are released from the airplane and drop in a drop shaft down to the surface of the Spirit of Adventure. You see Carl trying to hold onto his house, Kevin shows up and Charles tries to capture the bird, but fails, as Kevin blows him away with the leaf blower.
With Dug in command of the blimp, and since he doesn't know how to drive it, the blimp begins to tilt and Carl loses a grip on the house. Your basket begins to fall off the side of the blimp as you pick up roller coaster track from below, and facing sideways, see Carl and Ellie's house fade into the clouds and disappear.
Russell "Wait we have to save the others!"
Dug "I will save them...because I love them"
As you drop 3 stories off the side of the blimp you are picked up by a tandem of Charles' dogs and tied to the bottom of the Spirit of Adventure. With Russell and Carl now piloting the blimp, you begin your journey back home. As the ride concludes, your basket sways to look back at Paradise Falls one last time.
You see a thick fog of clouds, which then dissolve to show Carl and Ellie's house perched up next to the Falls with the balloons swaying in the wind.
You proceed to the unloading dock which is themed to the Spirit of Adventure blimp.
Post-Show Walk-Through
You exit on the Spirit of Adventure blimp and walk through the halls of the ship and interact with Charles' talking dogs, Carl, and Russell as you fly home from South America. You see Carl give Russell the Ellie-Badge (the Grape Soda pin) for assisting the elderly. You notice Kevin (who's actually a girl) and her babies as you fly over the jungles of South America.
The post show concludes with technological projection mirrors which reflect back images of you and your significant other as Carl and Ellie, images that can be saved to Photopass+
Gift Shop - South America (It's like America....but South)
You then enter back into Carl and Ellie's South America building where you will enter the gift shop portion of the attraction with merchandise from Up.
This merchandise includes:
A Senior Wilderness Explorer Badge and outfit.
A Carl and Ellie Mailbox
The Ellie Badge Pin
Stuff Animal versions Kevin, Dug, Alpha, and Russell.
Carl's False Teeth
Assorted shirts and shorts
Conclusion
After exiting the attraction, you feel a sense of hope and adventure, and you still have that image of Carl and Ellie's house landed in their spot next to Paradise Falls.
Something that we have saved to the end of the attraction is that on top of Paradise Falls is Carl and Ellie's house. Upon first glace, due to the forced perspective of the Mountain and it not being within walking distance, the house may go unnoticed.
Every morning, as you're approaching the Magic Kingdom to begin your day on the boat, monorail, or simply sitting along the Seven Seas Lagoon enjoying the view, you might catch a glimpse as synthetic "balloons" rise up from Carl and Ellie's House upon Paradise Falls, creating a spectacular hidden moment you'll never forget, and a breathtaking view that adds to the picturesque Magic Kingdom skyline.