Oh Joy! Piglet

MKCustodial

Well-Known Member
madame_leota_19 said:
That looks like it's going to be a blast for lil kids. Heck i'm 23 + a pooh freak and i can't wait for it to open.

You pretty much covered it: kids and Pooh freaks. And Disney really did a beautiful job in creating tons of the latter in recent years. Personally, I wouldn't mind this play area one bit if there wasn't already a Pooh attraction right across the street. So that, along with all the character meals and merchandise available virtually everywhere... It's just too much Pooh on my face. :hammer:
 

Fran98765

Member
MKCustodial said:
You pretty much covered it: kids and Pooh freaks. And Disney really did a beautiful job in creating tons of the latter in recent years. Personally, I wouldn't mind this play area one bit if there wasn't already a Pooh attraction right across the street. So that, along with all the character meals and merchandise available virtually everywhere... It's just too much Pooh on my face. :hammer:

Pooh is the number one selling character in the Disney line up, of course they are going to utilize that. Pooh sells more merchandise then Mickey. :(
 

MKCustodial

Well-Known Member
Well, I guess this is one of those "egg x chicken" scenarios. Is Disney doing all this because Pooh is the number 1 selling character, or is he the number 1 selling character because Disney's been cramming him down everyone's throats for so long? I mean, on my last visit, in December 99, it was hard to find merchandise that didn't sport the bear or his friends. They were even on the rehab walls!
 

peter11435

Well-Known Member
MKCustodial said:
Well, I guess this is one of those "egg x chicken" scenarios. Is Disney doing all this because Pooh is the number 1 selling character, or is he the number 1 selling character because Disney's been cramming him down everyone's throats for so long? I mean, on my last visit, in December 99, it was hard to find merchandise that didn't sport the bear or his friends. They were even on the rehab walls!
Obviously the real problem isn't pooh. Its why the heck has it been six years since you went to WDW. It think we all need to get you there ASAP. :p
 

MKCustodial

Well-Known Member
peter11435 said:
Obviously the real problem isn't pooh. Its why the heck has it been six years since you went to WDW. It think we all need to get you there ASAP. :p

Well, yeah, there's that pressing issue as well. Various factors were involved, including 9/11, rocketing exchange rates, increased visa bureaucracy, marriage and pregnancy. :lol:
 

MKCustodial

Well-Known Member
Here's an excerpt from All Ears about the new play area. I highlighted what I thought was a very interesting bit:

A new children's play area called Pooh's Playful Spot, located directly across from The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh in Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom, is set to open in September. The area is themed to A. A. Milne's tales of Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, and the rest of the creatures of the Hundred Acre Wood and features water fountains, crawl-through logs and honey pots, a slide, a treehouse, and log-style benches for grown-ups who want to sit and wait.

Now compare that to this little bit:

Years after Disneyland's opening, he would remember "Daddy's Day," where he would take his two daughters (Sharon and Diane) to a local park and sit on a bench as they went 'round and 'round on the merry-go-round. Sitting there, eating his peanuts, he wondered why there were no places where families could go for a good time - together.

Now, I know it'd be stupid to say that tha Magic Kingdom, or WDW for that matter, isn't family-oriented. But carefully looking at it, one notices that all the recent additions to WDW seem to be either thrill rides or kid attractions.

Wouldn't it be nice if every new suit in the Disney Company, as pre-requisite, had to read Walt's biography and a bunch of his quotes? It seems they've been missing the focus lately... Not to mention it was all started by a Mouse, and now they're giving it away to a bear and a an alien! :lol:
 

General Grizz

New Member
MKCustodial said:
Here's an excerpt from All Ears about the new play area. I highlighted what I thought was a very interesting bit:



Now compare that to this little bit:



Now, I know it'd be stupid to say that tha Magic Kingdom, or WDW for that matter, isn't family-oriented. But carefully looking at it, one notices that all the recent additions to WDW seem to be either thrill rides or kid attractions.

Wouldn't it be nice if every new suit in the Disney Company, as pre-requisite, had to read Walt's biography and a bunch of his quotes? It seems they've been missing the focus lately... Not to mention it was all started by a Mouse, and now they're giving it away to a bear and a an alien! :lol:
They're giving it to me? :lookaroun
 

General Grizz

New Member
MKCustodial said:
But carefully looking at it, one notices that all the recent additions to WDW seem to be either thrill rides or kid attractions.

BINGO. Bingo bingo bingo bingo bingo.

Although Soarin' (despite the height requirement) and Mickey's Philharmagic slightly deviate from the rest.

Stitch's Great Escape and JII w/Figment are good examples of "kid"-directed attractions.

Let's hope the new Living Seas doesn't go all-out kid... just because it's hosted by Nemo characters. Turtle Talk is entertaining for all, though.
 

MKCustodial

Well-Known Member
General Grizz said:
Although Soarin' (despite the height requirement) and Mickey's Philharmagic slightly deviate from the rest.

Right, that's why I mentioned "majority". Maybe they aren't even the majority, but it sure seems like it's been a long while since something along the lines of a dark ride got the spotlight.
 

MicBat

Well-Known Member
Personally, I think this is a great addition to the park! A lot of times, kids seem to have endless energy when their parents have none. This will help the kids burn off some of their extra energy while their parents regain some of their lost energy. I've seen too many situations in which parents just lose it with their children and it's because of things like that.

And another thing. It's not like this is a new idea for imagineers. Look at Mickey's Birthdayland/Starland. That whole place was basically just a playground for little kids. I can remember playing in a treehouse that looked nowhere near as fancy as this area is going to be. Anyone have any pictures of that cardboard cutout play area??
 

SirGoofy

Member
MicBat said:
Personally, I think this is a great addition to the park! A lot of times, kids seem to have endless energy when their parents have none. This will help the kids burn off some of their extra energy while their parents regain some of their lost energy. I've seen too many situations in which parents just lose it with their children and it's because of things like that.

And another thing. It's not like this is a new idea for imagineers. Look at Mickey's Birthdayland/Starland. That whole place was basically just a playground for little kids. I can remember playing in a treehouse that looked nowhere near as fancy as this area is going to be. Anyone have any pictures of that cardboard cutout play area??

Totally agree with you MicBat. Sure the kids/parents can't do this together. But sometimes, the parents just want to rest while the kids do something. there is plenty for them both to do in the MK, and this will give the parents a chance to sit down. I noticed this at the Boneyard on my past trip. My mom, aunts, and grandmom wanted a rest, but my sister and cousins wanted to keep going, and the Boneyard gave them a chance to do both.
 

CTXRover

Well-Known Member
The idea of a playground is certainly nothing new for Disney. In fact, it was something Walt himself provided for large groups of guests who visited Disneyland in "Holidayland". While Holidayland was actually separate from Disneyland in terms of admission, it was ideally located where POTC and HM are now located today in DL. And yes, the mini-park consisted of nothing but simple playground equipment barely themed to an area of the park. Below is an example of the structure meant to represent Fantasyland.

park3id.gif


So to say that Walt would not approve of a highly themed playground with a place for parents to take a breather and kids to cool off is probably incorrect.
 

mousermerf

Account Suspended
Also, Disney monitors the use/need of and for these types of areas very carefully. Temporary walkthroughts and play spaces setup for events and festivals have their patronage carefully tracked. There's a reason SpaceNet keeps coming back for every Epcot festival (and the maze area too).
 

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