Mary Poppins attraction (whatever it may be): Fantasyland or World Showcase?

[nickys]

It is itself "British/UK culture" since it's written by a British author and set in London, Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland are as well, I think it fits the UK Pavilion the same way Mark Twain, being an American Author is one of the hosts of The American Adventure

It’s set in London. HoweverPL Travers was Australian and moved to England in her mid twenties. She never took British citizenship.

Someone says it’s a commentary on how the British middle class raised children at the time. That may well be true, however she also had a very similar childhood with several servants in large houses. So you could argue it was as much autobiographical as commentary.

If an attraction gets built it will be going in World Showcase, and it’s a perfectly suitable IP for the U.K. pavilion if there is to be an IP themed attraction there.

The question the OP asked was would it fit best in World Showcase or in MK. Mary Poppins used to have meet and greets in the MK, in front of Casey’s. The ride would fit perfectly well in MK, just as Peter Pan does. If they moved IASW to Epcot that would leave a space suitable for a really good MP ride for sure. I don’t think that will happen but overall I think it would fit better in MK.

 

[JustAFan]

In the early days of WDW (i.e., back in its developmental/construction phase), it was briefly considered to retheme the Fantasyland dark rides to different movies than in Disneyland. The original rides were all classified by mood, with Snow White being a dark and scary ride, Mr. Toad a crazy ride, and Peter Pan a beautiful ride. For WDW, it was apparently considered to replace Snow White as the dark and scary ride with Sleeping Beauty, Mr. Toad with Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman, and Peter Pan with Mary Poppins. However, Roy O. Disney, who had taken over the company after Walt's passing, mainly to guide the Florida project to completion, overruled this, insisting that the rides all remain as they were in California.

As such, a Mary Poppins ride never got built then. The closest it ever got to being a ride was a scene in The Great Movie Ride at Disney-MGM Studios. But that's neither here nor there, since the ride is long gone.

Fast forward about fifty years later, and a new Mary Poppins ride is (or at least was) in consideration for the United Kingdom pavilion at EPCOT. However, the pandemic hit, and the plans for such at least remain in flux, if not nixed outright.

However, whether the ride gets built or not, would Mary Poppins work in World Showcase, where world cultures are celebrated? Or would it have been better off in Fantasyland, where worlds in fictitious stories are celebrated?

There's crossover in many attractions. Does Magic Carpets really belong in Adventureland? It's whimsical enough for Fantasyland. Its theme could work in Morocco in Epcot's WS. You could argue for Hollywood Studios since it's based on a movie.

I imagine more than half of WDW's rides could have an argument for placement in Fantasyland, yet other areas need attractions.

My opinion to this often asked question is they should try to fit attractions in with their surroundings, but ultimately need to disperse them as evenly as possible around the property.

 

[George]

I’ve been leaning on Disney to produce my “Hooray for the Rhine River” movie so I can get that long ago shelved dark ride in Germany.

I’d like a MP ride in Fantasyland and a Dr. Who ride in WS where we experience different areas of the UK in different time periods.

 

[tl77]

It’s set in London. HoweverPL Travers was Australian and moved to England in her mid twenties. She never took British citizenship.

Someone says it’s a commentary on how the British middle class raised children at the time. That may well be true, however she also had a very similar childhood with several servants in large houses. So you could argue it was as much autobiographical as commentary.

If an attraction gets built it will be going in World Showcase, and it’s a perfectly suitable IP for the U.K. pavilion if there is to be an IP themed attraction there.

The question the OP asked was would it fit best in World Showcase or in MK. Mary Poppins used to have meet and greets in the MK, in front of Casey’s. The ride would fit perfectly well in MK, just as Peter Pan does. If they moved IASW to Epcot that would leave a space suitable for a really good MP ride for sure. I don’t think that will happen but overall I think it would fit better in MK.

You're splitting hairs and in doing so missed the point by skipping my second paragraph... If PL Travers "moved to England, is living in England, and writing about life in England" then that book and it's content "are about England and a product of England and it's culture" also it was a popular book in England so that definitely makes it part of English culture ... where as a bunch of animators in California? create a cartoon rat? voiced by American Patton Oswald? this is a product of Americans, and none of these 3 things have any specific ties to France

 

[nickys]

You're splitting hairs and in doing so missed the point by skipping my second paragraph... If PL Travers "moved to England, is living in England, and writing about life in England" then that book and it's content "are about England and a product of England and it's culture" also it was a popular book in England so that definitely makes it part of English culture ... where as a bunch of animators in California? create a cartoon rat? voiced by American Patton Oswald? this is a product of Americans, and none of these 3 things have any specific ties to France

I’m not denying what you say about Mary PoppinsThe first part of my post was correcting your assertion she was a British writer.

The second part was pointing that she herself had a very similar childhood to that quintessential English one, with a nanny who was very much in charge of her upbringing. She chose to write about it and set it n England probably for two reasons. Firstly because she was living there and secondly because it is very much associated with England, even though it was written based on her own experience.

It absolutely makes sense for the U.K. pavilion. Although some, including me, would prefer that the U.K. pavilion be more representative of the U.K. and not just England.

 

[jpinkc]

LOL Yeah lets change the Rose and Crown to the The Stags Head like in Dublin and throw a HOOLEY!!!!

 

[nickys]

LOL Yeah lets change the Rose and Crown to the The Stags Head like in Dublin and throw a HOOLEY!!!!

Errrr, you do know Dublin isn’t n the U.K. ?

 

[Robbiem]

I have to say as a born and raised in London brit Mary Poppins is nothing like my childhood the inbetweeners is much more lifelike.

I only know MP from the film, its not part of UK culture like Winnie the Pooh, Alice in Wonderland or Robin Hood are. I’ve never seen a Mary Poppins book for sale for example anywhere here

Ive no problem with a Poppins ride in world showcase but it doesn’t really represent my culture at all and would be very much a ‘this is how foreigners view brits’ view of things

 

[Dear Prudence]

I just want a Mary Poppins attraction so badly

 

[ᗩLᘿᑕ ✨ ᗩζᗩᗰ]

TBH I think we dodged a bullet with this one. What we would have gotten wouldn't have been what we wanted. (?) The majority here were in favor of a dark ride or Baxteresque Jolly Holiday. The Cherry Tree Lane area would have been swell but the ride concept sounded like carnival swill. Though I do still hope they revisit the idea. Mary Poppins deserves to be represented as more than just a walkaround character.

 

[JustAFan]

I just want a Mary Poppins attraction so badly

Of all the other characters/movies/franchises that have a presence in the parks, especially an attraction, Mary Poppins does seem to be a glaring omission. At best, you might be lucky to occasionally see the main character in a cavalcade any more.

 

[Dear Prudence]

Of all the other characters/movies/franchises that have a presence in the parks, especially an attraction, Mary Poppins does seem to be a glaring omission. At best, you might be lucky to occasionally see the main character in a cavalcade any more.

We see her a lot in Disneyland and she does have Bert and the band with her, but it's just not the same!!!

 

[tl77]

I’m not denying what you say about Mary PoppinsThe first part of my post was correcting your assertion she was a British writer.

The second part was pointing that she herself had a very similar childhood to that quintessential English one, with a nanny who was very much in charge of her upbringing. She chose to write about it and set it n England probably for two reasons. Firstly because she was living there and secondly because it is very much associated with England, even though it was written based on her own experience.

It absolutely makes sense for the U.K. pavilion. Although some, including me, would prefer that the U.K. pavilion be more representative of the U.K. and not just England.

OK so you're just repeating back to me what I originally said now? ...her "place of birth" is irrelevant... like I was born in Philadelphia PA, if I moved to Los Angeles CA, and started writing about life in Los Angeles, I'm now writing about "life and culture" in Los Angeles, which is different than life Philadelphia... we get "snow" now and then for one thing... but you could say I'd now be a "Los Angeles Writer" because I'm writing about Los Angeles

Mark Twain was born in Missouri, he traveled all over the country and world, but Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn are based on his early life in Missouri

So quoting my last quote again... PL Travers "moved to England, is living in England, and writing about life in England" then that book and it's content "are about England and a product of England and it's culture"

 

[nickys]

OK so you're just repeating back to me what I originally said now? ...her "place of birth" is irrelevant... like I was born in Philadelphia PA, if I moved to Los Angeles CA, and started writing about life in Los Angeles, I'm now writing about "life and culture" in Los Angeles, which is different than life Philadelphia... we get "snow" now and then for one thing... but you could say I'd now be a "Los Angeles Writer" because I'm writing about Los Angeles

Mark Twain was born in Missouri, he traveled all over the country and world, but Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn are based on his early life in Missouri

So quoting my last quote again... PL Travers "moved to England, is living in England, and writing about life in England" then that book and it's content "are about England and a product of England and it's culture"

I never disputed what you said, other than she was not British. British is a nationality, which she never held, that’s all.

The rest of my original comment was not directed at you, nor disputing what you wrote. I was pointing out to someone else that the culture she wrote about may have originated in England but she experienced it in her homeland. She did however set in in the city in which she was living, where it would resonate far more with people around the world who saw it as quintessentially English.

 

[wm49rs]

Well, it seems that some people think that Disney IP characters should only be limited to either the Magic Kingdom (preferably Fantasyland) or Hollywood Studios and nowhere else at all.

And it seems you feel the need to create a thread for every notion about IP or ride placement that comes into your mind….