Possible Frontierland expansion

[MerlinTheGoat]

Well, there's still 2 or 3 weeks in September when the Audience drops to the smallest crowds Disney gets.

I must have caught that briefly back in 2010 myself. I visited sometime around Labor Day (either before or after, can't recall at the moment) and the crowds were surprisingly low and manageable for the most part. The intense summer heat was also beginning to ease up somewhat as well. Twas a pretty good time to visit IMO.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Yup I know that's not TWDC's plan to give us a place to stop and relax for even 5 minutes. Their plan is get more people to visit, stay longer and therefore spend more. And a new E-ticket would do that.

Really? I seem to recall a nice quiet little space designed specifically for stopping and relaxing by the Tangled restrooms. That space is universally mocked and ridiculed around here.

 

[aladdin2007]

Sometimes i really wonder where y'all come up with this information. That i am personally aware of nothing is on the check book for expansion of fronteirland. There will be upgrades to make TSI a little more hi tech for the 21st century tech savy children. But ROA and the Lily Belle are not going anywhere. The budget has been set for MK's 50th birthday. Most of it will just go to renovating and sprucing up some attractions. MK is like Manhattan Island you cant really build anything anymore because its been all built up. Possibly if it ever hapoens in the future another space mountain event may happen where an attraction is put behind the WDWRR. With a tunnel linking it to the main park or simply put taking out another land and building a frozen world or some other crap given the state of who visits disney 10-15 years from now. But Fronteirland is not going anywhere anytime soon.

Maybe not in the center or in the proper of the current lands, but there are still several perfectly good expansion pads to build on.

 

[marni1971]

Maybe not in the center or in the proper of the current lands, but there are still several perfectly good expansion pads to build on.

Including behind BTM. Long term but it is designated.

 

[xdan0920]

Just curious, regarding budgets. Who is the original source here for MK getting 350 mill? I know the sources of the overall 3bill. But who said MK gets 350 mill?

 

[xdan0920]

You and I both know a lot of people post just to hear themselves talk......

 

[marni1971]

Just curious, regarding budgets. Who is the original source here for MK getting 350 mill? I know the sources of the overall 3bill. But who said MK gets 350 mill?

I may have mentioned it somewhere.

 

[doctornick]

MK is like Manhattan Island you cant really build anything anymore because its been all built up.

That is just so far from true. There are expansion pads is pretty much every area plus a ton of space that is underutilized or could become utilized with some modifications. MK has a lot of room to add stuff and accommodate the overcrowding that occurs.

 

[xdan0920]

I may have mentioned it somewhere.

Thanks Martin.

 

[FigmentJedi]

Why? Why would they relocate a vastly inferior shooter ride to a park that already has a better one ... one that is in the midst of being expanded?

I would disregard that chatter.

But Buzz Lightyear is the superior ride in that it's actually a ride and not just a series of flatscreen TVs loaded up with generic Wii shovelware.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

That is just so far from true. There are expansion pads is pretty much every area plus a ton of space that is underutilized or could become utilized with some modifications. MK has a lot of room to add stuff and accommodate the overcrowding that occurs.

But adding stuff actually makes the overcrowding worse. More square footage may spread the guests out a bit during the day, but the worst crowd control issues happen during parades and fireworks. No matter how spread out your new additions are, the larger total number of guests will still congregate on Main Street all at once three times a day.

 

[Matt_Black]

But Buzz Lightyear is the superior ride in that it's actually a ride and not just a series of flatscreen TVs loaded up with generic Wii shovelware.

But I can actually SEE if I hit something or not and readjust my aim with TSMM. Buzz's targeting stuff is bupkes, in my humble opinion.

 

[doctornick]

So, I was thinking about the "why" of a MK expansion. From an operation standpoint, one would think the goal would be to have crowds spread out more to the other three parks especially at night. Pandora/Rivers of Light at DAK and the DHS overhaul are certainly being funded for that reason. Frozen at Epcot and even rumored stuff like a new version of RoE probably have the same idea in mind. Obviously, there is the 50th anniversary coming up which could provide some motivation for something by 2021 in MK.

I'm wondering if DVC is a motivation for looking to expand MK -- in the sense of adding something exciting. Allegedly, the Polynesian sales have been slow and the next location for sale will be Wilderness Lodge. By making additions to MK and using that in promotional marketing, perhaps they feel it could help spurn profitable DVC sales?

 

[Shaman]

How far ahead does Disney plan/budget? Is it possible the bulk of the $350m will go to TL/misc as part of the 5 year plan (that includes DHS makeover) and this Frontier Land stuff is designated for on/after MK's 50th?

MK has lots of space to build stuff...especially once you include replacing attractions like the Speedway, CoP, Jungle Cruise. Some of those take up lots of space.

RoA area is huge. Maybe once they rework the area, there will be additional expansion pads?

This is good news regardless.

 

[Chef Kronk]

I would love to see this Frontierland expansion happen! Epcot sadly seems to be the only park that'll be left in the dust for a while...

 

[CaptainAmerica]

How far ahead does Disney plan/budget? Is it possible the bulk of the $350m will go to TL/misc as part of the 5 year plan (that includes DHS makeover) and this Frontier Land stuff is designated for on/after MK's 50th?

They have a general 10 year plan and a more specific 5 year plan. The 10 year plan might say something like "$1B - DAK expansion." Then for the five year plan it would get more specific and say "$400M Avatar E-ticket, $200M Avatar boat ride, etc."

 

[Kman101]

I have to say a Frontierland expansion would be surprising. I'd welcome it, of course, depending on what they give us and what they (maybe) take away. I would think other areas (Adventureland/Tomorrowland) could/would get attention first but maybe their time is coming too. Tomorrowland has been getting fresh paint over time (the new color scheme around PeopleMover/Astro). But to them, Stitch and Buzz and Monsters can't really be seen as a priority, like we see them as. To me, I never go on any of them so Tomorrowland could use three new attractions, but that's me and not the majority. Adventureland could use a mountain. I'd rather they go with that first but again, that's me.

I'm also shocked if we get the Country Bear season overlays back.

What's going on at WDW? Just seems too good to be true, LOL. I'm not complaining at all, just very surprised by all of this.

 

[Matt_Black]

What's going on at WDW? Just seems too good to be true, LOL. I'm not complaining at all, just very surprised by all of this.

Well, Disney is "back" in the public eye. They've had numerous successful animated films, Pixar and Marvel Studios are both doing well, etc. When Disney is doing well, people are more likely to eye a vacation down there.

 

[LAKid53]

That is just so far from true. There are expansion pads is pretty much every area plus a ton of space that is underutilized or could become utilized with some modifications. MK has a lot of room to add stuff and accommodate the overcrowding that occurs.

Agree. By my very rough estimate, WDW probably has 8,000 - 10,000 acres available for development. And before anyone jumps all over me about the math, I will remind you that about 1/3 of the approximately 27,000 acres purchased has been set aside for conservation.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Agree. By my very rough estimate, WDW probably has 8,000 - 10,000 acres available for development. And before anyone jumps all over me about the math, I will remind you that about 1/3 of the approximately 27,000 acres purchased has been set aside for conservation.

Your very rough math is very roughly correct. 1/3 developed, 1/3 left to develop, 1/3 never-to-be-developed.

That said, I think the capacity for expansion specifically as it relates to the theme parks is much more limited, not by space, but by time. I can't see them ever building beyond six days worth of attractions in the "core four" theme parks (i.e. excluding water parks and the like). That means a two-day MK, a two-day Epcot, a full-day DHS, and a full-day DAK. Anything beyond that doesn't make much sense because you're not going to attract a sufficiently significant number of new guests to justify the investment.