Photos - Storybook Circus soft opening

[WDW1974]

I think this is where the disconnect is. The FLE was never intended to be an addition for teens and thrill seekers. It was meant to add capacity for younger families which was sorely lacking at this park. They had spent billions on property building and adding capacity for older audiences to expand their demographic base while neglecting their core audience, especially at the MK. This is why they are skewing the FLE towards families and adding things like interactive queues that appeal mainly to the shorter attention spans of children. The MK just was not magical enough for this demo and the FLE seeks to correct this major flaw. It seems to be working. Someone posted a letter from Mr Lasseter that explained all this.

Unfortunately some people only see life through a "what's in it for me" prisim and are therefore potentially dissatisfied with the FLE. But judging from the buzz of the crowd, the laughter in the air and the long lines, I would say Disney is getting this one perfectly correct. Because if they decided they don't want younger families then other parks will fill the void. See Legoland for example.

JT, you are a hoot (hey Lee ... you got an owl smiley handy?) ... do I have to bring out the Walt quote about 'if you aim for kids, you're dead?'

The MK has gone from being a place where MOST of the park was fit for ages 7-97 to one where everything has to appeal to impressionable 5-year-olds. It is NOT at all what the MK was supposed to be about. It's laughable when you say there wasn't enough for the younger demos when that is what the park has become. What attractions are unfit for most children?

And where has Disney spent billions on things for older demos? They shuttered PI (as I'm sure you must have noticed). If you look at the four parks there is very little that the typical seven year-old can't do.

It's just your typical schtick of trying to be argumentative just for the sake of it.

~Some people should go work for Disney Social Media!~

 

[whylightbulb]

They are not about to invest on a TDR scale anytime soon. As I mentioned earlier, anything on that scale will never happen in the states until the economy is growing at 5 or 6 per cent or better for several years. In fact, I suspect that if Iger had known the economy was going to remain in the doldrums all these years we would have never seen Carsland or the FLE greenlighted.

~its the economy, goofy~

Hence the problem...typical corporate MBA thinking that will never allow for progress. Despite the lagging economy WDW has consistently maintained a very steady, if not growing, attendance. I realize some of this is due to discounting but the fact remains that the parks themselves are packed, even in what used to be slow seasons.

Besides that the best times for expansion are when construction costs are low and vendors are desperate. First it was 911, then it was the economy, then the economy again. Enough of the excuses! The economy has very little to do with why they aren't producing top quality product, it's a philosophy straight out of the pits of MBA Hell I'm tired of branding, outside IPs and rigged surveys. Give us the next Pirates or the next IJA!!!

 

[whylightbulb]

You are absolutely right. The way to have turned Storybook Circus into a wow would have been to create an all new Dumbo with a serious ride system and not a spinner.

One of the many concepts shot down by our top notch management in charge at WDW

 

[The Empress Lilly]

You are absolutely right. The way to have turned Storybook Circus into a wow would have been to create an all new Dumbo with a serious ride system and not a spinner.

But kids like spinners! They are colourful, they move. Move predictably. They like it because they can figure it out, because it is not too large for them to see it as a whole. A spinner is like Test Track for toddlers.

They can understand the mechanism, yet still have the imagination to forget they are one a large pole. Toddlers fly and soar. Most importantly, they can control it, kids love to fly that thing up and down.

To me, if there is one thing that isn't a problem with Storybook Circus, it is the Dumbo spinners. They look awesome, they've doubled capacity. It's all good.


The problems instead are basing an entire land on a spinner. (Are they serious? :brick. And a circus theme, which is an ill fit. And an entire land based on a franchise. Placemaking based on cartoon imagery instead of real people.

Disney is magical when you walk in a central European village, with fairy tales everywhere. Not when they recreate the fairytale itself. This has always been the difference between the Disney sophistication and the cheap wannabees. The MK works because it looks like 'real' people could live there. What doesn't work, is if it looks like cartoons dwell there.
Cowboys live in Frontierland, not Woody. Human space travellers live in Tomorrowland, not Stich and Sully. Even in Fantasyland, which is inhabited by cartoons, the placemaking is all based on humans. The cartoons are made to fit the human world. Cinderella comes to live as a real human, dwells in your world. Instead of the human trying to fit in a physically impossible toontown.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

One of the many concepts shot down by our top notch management in charge at WDW

And rightly so if you ask me. The kids don't need a state-of-the-art Dumbo dark ride. They need a spinner. And the MK needs the kinetics of a spinner.

 

[fractal]

But kids like spinners! They are colourful, they move. Move predictably. They like it because they can figure it out, because it is not too large for them to see it as a whole. A spinner is like Test Track for toddlers.

They can understand the mechanism, yet still have the imagination to forget they are one a large pole. Toddlers fly and soar. Most importantly, they can control it, kids love to fly that thing up and down.

To me, if there is one thing that isn't a problem with Storybook Circus, it is the Dumbo spinners. They look awesome, they've doubled capacity. It's all good.


The problems instead are basing an entire land on a spinner. (Are they serious? :brick. And a circus theme, which is an ill fit. And an entire land based on a franchise. Placemaking based on cartoon imagery instead of real people.

Disney is magical when you walk in a central European village, with fairy tales everywhere. Not when they recreate the fairytale itself. This has always been the difference between the Disney sophistication and the cheap wannabees. The MK works because it looks like 'real' people could live there. What doesn't work, is if it looks like cartoons dwell there.
Cowboys live in Frontierland, not Woody. Human space travellers live in Tomorrowland, not Stich and Sully. Even in Fantasyland, which is inhabited by cartoons, the placemaking is all based on humans. The cartoons are made to fit the human world. Cinderella comes to live as a real human, dwells in your world. Instead of the human trying to fit in a physically impossible toontown.

I Love this post!

 

[whylightbulb]

And rightly so if you ask me. The kids don't need a state-of-the-art Dumbo dark ride. They need a spinner. And the MK needs the kinetics of a spinner.

Wow seriously? I'll tell you what how about we do both the spinner and the dark ride? Remember the spinner was already there.

I don't know what kids you are talking to but when I was a kid I loved the complex dark rides. My kids loved and still love the complex dark rides. I went on Dumbo once as a kid and that was enough for me. On the other hand I couldn't get enough of the Haunted Mansion.

 

[whylightbulb]

I Love this post!

I don't have a problem with keeping Dumbo as is. I'm just saying that a Disney park needs more than rides that go round in circles and a series of cheap tableaus.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Wow seriously? I'll tell you what how about we do both the spinner and the dark ride? Remember the spinner was already there.

I don't know what kids you are talking to but when I was a kid I loved the complex dark rides. My kids loved and still love the complex dark rides. I went on Dumbo once as a kid and that was enough for me. On the other hand I couldn't get enough of the Haunted Mansion.

I would love a spinner - dark ride combo! Also, the MK is drastically short on dark rides. To think they are even going to demolish another! :fork:

But spinners are spinners. I'm not going to slag off Dumbo itself just because I'm underwhelmed with the Fantasyland Reclamation Project.

A Dumbo spinner has a place regardless of dark ride concerns. From day one (I think?) Disneyland's Fantasyland has had a spinner, a carrousel, teacups. These things have their place too in a Disney park.
Not in Adventureland, where a mechanical spinner by default is a complete theme destroyer. But rockets soarin' high above Tomorrowland, and flying elephants somewhere in Fantasyland? Yes, absolutely. They add movement to their lands, and there's no denying the littlest kids love to ride them.

 

[mrerk]

Love the Carolwood references at the train station.

Are the restrooms in the same place, or rebuilt elsewhere. If so, where?

 

[Captain Chaos]

The dark ride they are lacking for Storybook Circus should have been that Mickey Mad House ride I have read about... Seems like that ride is a perfect fit for Storybook Circus... And seemed like something EVERYONE could enjoy, not just the 5 year olds...

 

[Tom]

Love the Carolwood references at the train station.

Are the restrooms in the same place, or rebuilt elsewhere. If so, where?

The restrooms are inside the train station now.

 

[ctxak98]

I think If they made a Casey junior attractions that was incorporated into a dark ride would be cool....I guess similar to SDMR. Either way a dark ride in storybook circus sounds awesome. This is kind of a stretch but they could also have something to do with A bugs life and that circus act! idk just a thought!

 

[rioriz]

I am not making excuses but want clarification if possible...

Didn't we hear that when it was decided to build SDMT then most of the budget from Pixie Hollow was transferred there and that is how we ended up with this expanded version of SBC? The whole area beyond the train station screams "last minute fix due to transfer of budget and I am sure we will find better use for the land occupied by the tents in 5-10 years".

 

[FigmentJedi]

A fantastic example of a more recent Disney family ride is the Sinbad attraction at DisneySea. This ride is tame for the little ones, has a fantastic, catchy song written by Alan Menken, and is colorful. At the same time it has a touching story and amazing animatronics. These are things that the entire family can appreciate. It is an attraction that meets all the Disney standards as well. Is it too much to ask to have those kind of attractions at WDW? What about more like Pirates...I loved that one as a little kid.

Sinbad was better before the change. They took a ride that had monsters and actual threats for Sinbad to face and transformed what was essentially the cute but manly baby of It's a Small World and Pirates of the Caribbean into a stereotype of what people think of what Disney does to stories, removing all conflict and inserting a cute animal sidekick.

Inserting a song as a unifying element is fine, but why couldn't they have Menken give us something more adventurous?

 

[Tip Top Club]

Unpopular Opinion: I don't know why they didn't just build Pixie Hollow.

I know the fairies franchise will fade...but Tinkerbell Won't. And neither will Neverland/Peter Pan. All the original plans were for was a new Fairy Greet (Which would have led to more great view-blocking rocks, and another small flat ride (Similar to Mater's Junkyard Jamboree from what I've gathered) That seems to be a much better use of the space then a fountain play area and tents. And quite frankly, they probably could have found a place for the fountain play area if they really wanted to.

Honestly if It were me we would probably have Curious Labyrinth, or another dark ride, or something, but that's neither here nor there as ... well... It's not me.

 

[Rob562]

I really think something will have to be done with it and it is not finished. The entire side facing the speedway is exposed, it can't stay that way. You can also clearly see it from all over the Barnstormer, and on the walkways around that area. There is also at the moment no physical barrier (other than the temporary construction wall) to stop guests entering the speedway track. This last point makes me think something will be done. It does however seem strange that it is not in place already, as it will surely be harder to do now guests are in. The 24 hour work on this in recent weeks does seem to suggest though that operations have been desperate to get extra capacity for spring break and Easter.

Unfortunately the green showbuilding was clearly shown on the Expansion scale model. There was no tent shell around it.

But hey, one can still hold out hope. There wasn't anything shown on the model to block the sightlines of the Mermaid building being visible between the tents when viewed from the train station, yet it looks like they're in the process of building something there now.... (keeping fingers crossed)

As for the railings, there appears to be some along the walkways between Dumbo and the Barnstormer, access for the fire exits out of the showbuilding and the tent back out into the main part of the land. (Pic 45) I presume more will be added on the far side of the Dumbo complex.

-Rob

 

[wdwmagic]

Unfortunately the green showbuilding was clearly shown on the Expansion scale model. There was no tent shell around it.

But hey, one can still hold out hope. There wasn't anything shown on the model to block the sightlines of the Mermaid building being visible between the tents when viewed from the train station, yet it looks like they're in the process of building something there now.... (keeping fingers crossed)

As for the railings, there appears to be some along the walkways between Dumbo and the Barnstormer, access for the fire exits out of the showbuilding and the tent back out into the main part of the land. (Pic 45) I presume more will be added on the far side of the Dumbo complex.

-Rob

There are far more trees in the model than are actually there now. I think it is possible to has a lot of it with landscaping, fingers crossed.

 

[devoy1701]

There are far more trees in the model than are actually there now. I think it is possible to has a lot of it with landscaping, fingers crossed.

I don't know why they didn't build a little berm as well. It could have atleast blocked the back part of the building and leave less for folliage to have to fill in. With a 8-10ft tall berm and some dense evergreens or Oak or Magnolia Trees on top of it they could have easily hidden the building from view.

 

[xdan0920]

To your comment about them theming the outside of the building. It is like people...it is what is on the inside that counts. If the haunted mansion looked like a warehouse on the outside I would still ride it and love the attraction. It might not look as pretty but the ride would still be same.

I strongly disagree with this. If HM did not have that beautiful facade, the experience of riding it would not even be remotely the same. Seeing a giant show building that looks like a warehouse takes the guest completely out of the show. When you ride HM you don't even realize you are riding around a giant warehouse. It feels like you are inside the Mansion itself. Without the facade completely shading the show building, you would not get the same experience.

As far as this Dumbo show building...

They really need to get this figured out. It comes off as incredibly lazy, and a big middle finger toward the guests.