Marvel coming to WDW?!?!

[ford91exploder]

Mine was approved last night and taken down this morning. I don't understand why a respectful message from a fan actually praising the (current) attraction and expressing his/her opinion needs to be taken down.

EDIT: This makes you wonder why they would bother taking down these posts if there was no truth to this GOTG rumor. But that brings up another question. Just how much to do the Stevens of the world/ Disney Parks bloggers know about these current plans?

Steve aka @wdwmagic has probably forgotten more about Disney than most of us ever knew, The Disney Parks Bloggers, Well they put what they are told to put out there by Disney Marketing communications and know precisely nothing.

 

[Donaldfan1934]

The news to me here is:

• Guardians can't be used after the Avengers team-up? That really sucks. I was really hoping for some sort of permanent Marvel presence in Orlando, and not Big Hero 6. My understanding of the contract was that this was locked in time and the Avengers "family" was defined as it existed in the 90's when the contract was signed. How was Disney ever considering a Guardians ride in The Great Movie Ride building if they weren't going to be able to use those characters beyond Infinity Wars? Were there contract renegotiation that fell through? (A previous Spirit thread said relations between Disney and Universal were very favorable, so maybe?)
  
• Bob Chapek reads his mail. Which is good. We'll soon see how he responds.

I believe what Jim Hill is saying, but that part makes absolutely no sense considering their history together so far. They've crossed over in the comics before, so why would them crossing over in a movie suddenly change things? By that logic, Fox should own their film rights since they crossed over with the X-Men in the comics.

 

[Donaldfan1934]

The funny thing is as much as I think Disneyland is more sacred than DCA, the loss of TZTOT would bother me more than Star Wars Land at DL. At least there we re talking about mostly backstage area and the ROA not being butchered as badly as we once thought is a great thing. In fact we may end up being able to make the argument that the ROA was enhanced. It also likely saves the ROA from being permanently removed ( crazy idea I know but I wouldn't put it past them) or reduced even more for a very long time.

In addition, as much as it doesn't make sense to add a single IP land in Walt's park you can at least follow the reasoning. It was the only available real estate to add a proper SWL in So Cal (waiting for a third gate was never going to happen in a reasonable amount of time). With the GOTG permanent overlay for TOT it's really hard to follow any sort of reasoning. You don't destroy and water down a classic E ticket attraction for a little extra short term revenue. A shortsighted cheap and lazy cash grab is all it is. This whole thing just screams temporary overlay and not this ridiculous idea.

I get your point, but you lost me at the "waiting for a third gate was never going to happen in a reasonable amount of time" part. That's the exact problem with TWDC today. They want immediate gratification rather than make the right decision. Star Wars is an evergreen franchise, so it makes little difference if they built it now or in 10-20 years. I like the fact that it saves the ROA, but I just wish they were building the right land(s) to save it instead. There's so much potential being wasted with SWL taking up the entire back half of the river.

 

[doctornick]

I believe what Jim Hill is saying, but that part makes absolutely no sense considering their history together so far. They've crossed over in the comics before, so why would them crossing over in a movie suddenly change things? By that logic, Fox should own their film rights since they crossed over with the X-Men in the comics.

I think people are using the term "family" far too broadly in these instances. If simply working together or appearing in some media together was enough to be included in the same "family" than there's really no point to the convoluted contract between Marvel and Uni -- pretty much every character in the mainstream Marvel universe (616) has appeared somewhere with the characters that Uni uses.

As I've said repeatedly, there's a heck of a lot of gray area in defining "families". The courts would really have to decide for sure. I wouldn't be surprised if Uni and Disney have worked together behind the scenes to clarify things and avoid potential confusion and litigation down the road. Disney wouldn't be considering GotG for DHS unless they were absolutely certain they would have use of those characters indefinitely. Furthermore, if there were any questions, it would have already been discussed between Disney and Comcast when the GotG characters appeared at DHS for a dance party.

 

[Donaldfan1934]

Yes, Yes there was You can blame Meg Crofton and Iger for that one.

Iger? I thought the cuts were 100% TDO, not Burbank. I guess you should blame him for not getting involved though.

 

[Donaldfan1934]

I think people are using the term "family" far too broadly in these instances. If simply working together or appearing in some media together was enough to be included in the same "family" than there's really no point to the convoluted contract between Marvel and Uni -- pretty much every character in the mainstream Marvel universe (616) has appeared somewhere with the characters that Uni uses.

As I've said repeatedly, there's a heck of a lot of gray area in defining "families". The courts would really have to decide for sure. I wouldn't be surprised if Uni and Disney have worked together behind the scenes to clarify things and avoid potential confusion and litigation down the road. Disney wouldn't be considering GotG for DHS unless they were absolutely certain they would have use of those characters indefinitely. Furthermore, if there were any questions, it would have already been discussed between Disney and Comcast when the GotG characters appeared at DHS for a dance party.

True, I've heard that Disney and Comcast lawyers discuss things like this often. One of the big things that has been allegedly discussed was the Monorail and Bus wraps.

 

[rioriz]

I think people are using the term "family" far too broadly in these instances. If simply working together or appearing in some media together was enough to be included in the same "family" than there's really no point to the convoluted contract between Marvel and Uni -- pretty much every character in the mainstream Marvel universe (616) has appeared somewhere with the characters that Uni uses.

As I've said repeatedly, there's a heck of a lot of gray area in defining "families". The courts would really have to decide for sure. I wouldn't be surprised if Uni and Disney have worked together behind the scenes to clarify things and avoid potential confusion and litigation down the road. Disney wouldn't be considering GotG for DHS unless they were absolutely certain they would have use of those characters indefinitely. Furthermore, if there were any questions, it would have already been discussed between Disney and Comcast when the GotG characters appeared at DHS for a dance party.

Replies like this end the endless back and forth and have no place here...

 

[Fox&Hound]

Does anyone else sometimes think that maybe Marvel in general isn't the best property for a theme park?
I've probably posted this before, but the predominate theme of most Marvel comics for the majority of their run is the interjection of extraordinary people into modern, if unremarkable settings, usually New York. This might make for a good film, and obviously makes for popular comic books, but I'm not sure it's ever going to translate especially well to a theme park area, where place, rather than story or character, must naturally be king.
Just thinking for a bit, ARE there many locations in the Marvel universe that would make for good theme park areas? Other than a new specific buildings, like the X-men mansion, I really can't think of many. This is probably why the Marvel area at Universal is such a disgusting, frightful mess, even if the attractions are excellent.

Something like Guardians of the Galaxy is actually more attractive, if only because it lets the Imagineers do Tomorrowland again.

I completely agre! I think this is why Universal had a hard time and resorted to giant cut out characters thrown all over their "land" and it looks so bad! Yes I think Disney movies lend themselves to more immersive theming for sure....

 

[ford91exploder]

Iger? I thought the cuts were 100% TDO, not Burbank. I guess you should blame him for not getting involved though.

Decisions to scrap a capital upgrade plan even if they originate in a operating unit usually require CEO signoff, Generally at large corporation once something is in the 10's of millions CEO needs to approve even if it's only an email

 

[Donaldfan1934]

Decisions to scrap a capital upgrade plan even if they originate in a operating unit usually require CEO signoff, Generally at large corporation once something is in the 10's of millions CEO needs to approve even if it's only an email

Totally makes perfect sense. As I mentioned in my original post, he's the man in charge so he does deserve some of the blame.

 

[WesternRiverExplorer]

Does anyone else sometimes think that maybe Marvel in general isn't the best property for a theme park?
I've probably posted this before, but the predominate theme of most Marvel comics for the majority of their run is the interjection of extraordinary people into modern, if unremarkable settings, usually New York. This might make for a good film, and obviously makes for popular comic books, but I'm not sure it's ever going to translate especially well to a theme park area, where place, rather than story or character, must naturally be king.
Just thinking for a bit, ARE there many locations in the Marvel universe that would make for good theme park areas? Other than a new specific buildings, like the X-men mansion, I really can't think of many. This is probably why the Marvel area at Universal is such a disgusting, frightful mess, even if the attractions are excellent.

I'm not in any way in favor of even a temporary overlay to ToT, but I do think you are wrong about Marvel not having good locations that would be interesting in a theme park setting. Here's a small list:

Wakanda - A kingdom in Africa ruled by the Black Panther, thought to be one of the most advanced civilizations on earth, though their tech is cleverly hidden in what looks like traditional African art and architecture.
Attilan - Hidden city of the Inhumans, sometimes located on the moon.
Asgard and the Nine Realms - Realms of the "Gods", trolls, giants, fairies, dwarves, fire demons, etc. Based on Norse Myth
K'un-Lun - A mystical kingdom hidden in Tibet, similar to the myth of Shangri-la.
The Microverse/Quantum Realm - An entire universe discovered when Ant-Man shrinks to sub-atomic levels.
Madripoor - An island nation that is known for being a hive of villainy, corruption, and piracy.
The Savage Land - A land that time forgot, full of Dinosaurs, cave men, lost alien temples, Atlantean cities, mythical beasts, megafauna, and a Tarzan-esque character called Kar-Zar.
The Dark Dimension, Nightmare World, Dream Dimension, etc. - Countless bizarre dimensions explored by the Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange.
Atlantis - Is any explanation needed?
Cosmic Universe - Alien worlds on top of alien worlds, all strange and colorful, Guradians has only scratched the surface.

And many, many more. The Marvel universe is boundless, and part of me would like to see WDI tackle it uninhibited by what's popular, profitable, or best known, and also not tied down to exactly how things are in the movies. However, they should give their shot at a self contained park of its own, give it room to breathe and not wreck things in other parks.

As a side note, I hear a lot of mention of ToT somehow being made into "the Collector's Mansion". Perhaps I don't know enough of the Collector's history, but I'm not familiar with him owning a human mansion? In the movie he has a base/museum inside the severed head of a god-like alien called a Celestial. I'm sure that wouldn't look at all out of place at the end of Sunset Blvd.

 

[Wikkler]

I'm not in any way in favor of even a temporary overlay to ToT, but I do think you are wrong about Marvel not having good locations that would be interesting in a theme park setting. Here's a small list:

Wakanda - A kingdom in Africa ruled by the Black Panther, thought to be one of the most advanced civilizations on earth, though their tech is cleverly hidden in what looks like traditional African art and architecture.
Attilan - Hidden city of the Inhumans, sometimes located on the moon.
Asgard and the Nine Realms - Realms of the "Gods", trolls, giants, fairies, dwarves, fire demons, etc. Based on Norse Myth
K'un-Lun - A mystical kingdom hidden in Tibet, similar to the myth of Shangri-la.
The Microverse/Quantum Realm - An entire universe discovered when Ant-Man shrinks to sub-atomic levels.
Madripoor - An island nation that is known for being a hive of villainy, corruption, and piracy.
The Savage Land - A land that time forgot, full of Dinosaurs, cave men, lost alien temples, Atlantean cities, mythical beasts, megafauna, and a Tarzan-esque character called Kar-Zar.
The Dark Dimension, Nightmare World, Dream Dimension, etc. - Countless bizarre dimensions explored by the Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange.
Atlantis - Is any explanation needed?
Cosmic Universe - Alien worlds on top of alien worlds, all strange and colorful, Guradians has only scratched the surface.

And many, many more. The Marvel universe is boundless, and part of me would like to see WDI tackle it uninhibited by what's popular, profitable, or best known, and also not tied down to exactly how things are in the movies. However, they should give their shot at a self contained park of its own, give it room to breathe and not wreck things in other parks.

As a side note, I hear a lot of mention of ToT somehow being made into "the Collector's Mansion". Perhaps I don't know enough of the Collector's history, but I'm not familiar with him owning a human mansion? In the movie he has a base/museum inside the severed head of a god-like alien called a Celestial. I'm sure that wouldn't look at all out of place at the end of Sunset Blvd.

The only settings of those that are somewhat recognizable to the public are Asgard and Atlantis, which are based on mythology, the Cosmic Universe, which isn't that practical to implement as a land, and the microverse, which needs time to take hold. Lots of time.
A more recognizable image of Marvel is this:

A ruined city isn't the ideal place to walk through and explore in a family theme park.

 

[wdisney9000]

The only settings of those that are somewhat recognizable to the public are Asgard and Atlantis, which are based on mythology, the Cosmic Universe, which isn't that practical to implement as a land, and the microverse, which needs time to take hold. Lots of time.
A more recognizable image of Marvel is this:

A ruined city isn't the ideal place to walk through and explore in a family theme park.

I would not mind a Scarlet Johansen Land. Just her in different outfits..., maybe a virtual reality attraction too. Oh, and they can throw Margo Robbie in there as well!

 

[Wikkler]

I would not mind a Scarlet Johansen Land. Just her in different outfits..., maybe a virtual reality attraction too. Oh, and they can throw Margo Robbie in there as well!

You get to tour a giant Scarlett Johansson. Tier pricing depending on the area you visit

 

[Mike S]

I'm not in any way in favor of even a temporary overlay to ToT, but I do think you are wrong about Marvel not having good locations that would be interesting in a theme park setting. Here's a small list:

Wakanda - A kingdom in Africa ruled by the Black Panther, thought to be one of the most advanced civilizations on earth, though their tech is cleverly hidden in what looks like traditional African art and architecture.
Attilan - Hidden city of the Inhumans, sometimes located on the moon.
Asgard and the Nine Realms - Realms of the "Gods", trolls, giants, fairies, dwarves, fire demons, etc. Based on Norse Myth
K'un-Lun - A mystical kingdom hidden in Tibet, similar to the myth of Shangri-la.
The Microverse/Quantum Realm - An entire universe discovered when Ant-Man shrinks to sub-atomic levels.
Madripoor - An island nation that is known for being a hive of villainy, corruption, and piracy.
The Savage Land - A land that time forgot, full of Dinosaurs, cave men, lost alien temples, Atlantean cities, mythical beasts, megafauna, and a Tarzan-esque character called Kar-Zar.
The Dark Dimension, Nightmare World, Dream Dimension, etc. - Countless bizarre dimensions explored by the Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange.
Atlantis - Is any explanation needed?
Cosmic Universe - Alien worlds on top of alien worlds, all strange and colorful, Guradians has only scratched the surface.

And many, many more. The Marvel universe is boundless, and part of me would like to see WDI tackle it uninhibited by what's popular, profitable, or best known, and also not tied down to exactly how things are in the movies. However, they should give their shot at a self contained park of its own, give it room to breathe and not wreck things in other parks.

As a side note, I hear a lot of mention of ToT somehow being made into "the Collector's Mansion". Perhaps I don't know enough of the Collector's history, but I'm not familiar with him owning a human mansion? In the movie he has a base/museum inside the severed head of a god-like alien called a Celestial. I'm sure that wouldn't look at all out of place at the end of Sunset Blvd.

"The Marvel Universe, a whole new park for Disneyland Resort"

I can dream

 

[WesternRiverExplorer]

Good to know that the only places theme park goers can find palatable are places they've already seen.

 

[Mike S]

Good to know that the only places theme park goers can find palatable are places they've already seen.

So glad I went to the Himilayas before going on Everest. Wouldn't have enjoyed it nearly as much otherwise.

 

[olie64]

In all seriousness had there been any more news on this topic of GoTG coming?

 

[Nemo14]

I know this wasn't directed at me, but it's relevant nonetheless. I spoke to a Steven Donaldson and if my memory serves me, he referred to you as "that guy" or something to that effect when talking about Internet rumors. He informed me that anytime disney makes an announcement it would be made by the parks blog. He said that there are no plans to retheme ToT. He also noted that due to changes ongoing at DHS, the Tower is currently the park icon. I told him I expected the answers he gave and I found them hard to believe. Anyway, here is Stevens information...


Steven Donaldson

Guest Experience Services

Walt Disney World Resort

407-934-7628

I got a call from him today in answer to a letter I wrote to Chappie. He denied that there are any plans to do anything to ToT, and tried to claim that this was "probably an April Fool's rumor". @WDW1974 would be happy to know that I informed Mr. Donaldson the error of his ways.

 

[Bairstow]

I'm not in any way in favor of even a temporary overlay to ToT, but I do think you are wrong about Marvel not having good locations that would be interesting in a theme park setting. Here's a small list:

Wakanda - A kingdom in Africa ruled by the Black Panther, thought to be one of the most advanced civilizations on earth, though their tech is cleverly hidden in what looks like traditional African art and architecture.
Attilan - Hidden city of the Inhumans, sometimes located on the moon.
Asgard and the Nine Realms - Realms of the "Gods", trolls, giants, fairies, dwarves, fire demons, etc. Based on Norse Myth
K'un-Lun - A mystical kingdom hidden in Tibet, similar to the myth of Shangri-la.
The Microverse/Quantum Realm - An entire universe discovered when Ant-Man shrinks to sub-atomic levels.
Madripoor - An island nation that is known for being a hive of villainy, corruption, and piracy.
The Savage Land - A land that time forgot, full of Dinosaurs, cave men, lost alien temples, Atlantean cities, mythical beasts, megafauna, and a Tarzan-esque character called Kar-Zar.
The Dark Dimension, Nightmare World, Dream Dimension, etc. - Countless bizarre dimensions explored by the Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange.
Atlantis - Is any explanation needed?
Cosmic Universe - Alien worlds on top of alien worlds, all strange and colorful, Guradians has only scratched the surface.

And many, many more. The Marvel universe is boundless, and part of me would like to see WDI tackle it uninhibited by what's popular, profitable, or best known, and also not tied down to exactly how things are in the movies. However, they should give their shot at a self contained park of its own, give it room to breathe and not wreck things in other parks.

As a side note, I hear a lot of mention of ToT somehow being made into "the Collector's Mansion". Perhaps I don't know enough of the Collector's history, but I'm not familiar with him owning a human mansion? In the movie he has a base/museum inside the severed head of a god-like alien called a Celestial. I'm sure that wouldn't look at all out of place at the end of Sunset Blvd.

I'm not saying these aren't actual places from comic books, but other than Atlantis I ain't heard of none of this stuff.

The whole point of theme parks using pre-existing fictional settings and places is to cross-promote through recognition. I'm sure you could build some great theme park areas out of all kinds of crazy comic book ideas, but if 99.999% of the public has no concept of what the licensed property is trying to represent, what's the advantage of using one of these super-obscure places rather instead of having the imagineers design and conceptualize a land from scratch?

Note: In an ideal world, 100% of what the Imagineers designed would be from scratch.