Possible Frontierland expansion

[Sage of Time]

I believe that is called the Tomorrowland Speedway-Method. Martin (I believe) posted a fun graphic awhile back of the series of shortenings of the Tomorrowland Speedway over the years. Worth a chuckle.

I'm good with that.

 

[Monorail_Orange]

As it stands how many trains can run at once?

The "blocks" or zones as currently configured, allow for a maximum of 3 trains on the route at once. There are 4...erm, the should be 4 if Lilly Belle ever comes back...complete trains so they can rotate for maintenance and still operate at full capacity. I don't believe there is enough space to make additional blocks to be able to run 4 trains all at once.

 

[danlb_2000]

So has it been confirmed that this is a Frontier Land themed expansion or a new land altogether (Critter Country, New Orleans Square, Discoveryland)?

Nothing has been confirmed.

 

[WildcatDen]

Wasn't there some scuttle not too long ago about adding a second "back" entrance (at the risk of giving pun material to those inclined to use it)

Umm. Why were you looking at me when you typed that?

 

[asianway]

The "blocks" or zones as currently configured, allow for a maximum of 3 trains on the route at once. There are 4...erm, the should be 4 if Lilly Belle ever comes back...complete trains so they can rotate for maintenance and still operate at full capacity. I don't believe there is enough space to make additional blocks to be able to run 4 trains all at once.

DL can run 4, and I've heard there was a possibility of a fifth being workable once the ranch area was developed. Of course, steam trains and Star Wars may clash a bit...

 

[Brian Swan]

What would that make Kali River Rapids? Isn't that essentially equivalent

It would throw into relief just how much KRR sucks...

 

[Brian Swan]

How so? I haven't been on Grizzly from the videos they seem very similar, not disagreeing just wondering in what way?

GRR is twice as long, goes through two tunnels and over a trestle, has beautiful theming, and a larger final drop. GRR is probably the best raft rapids I've been on. KRR is close to - if not - the worst I have been on...

 

[Brian Swan]

Why? Its 20 years old.

Yes, it's 20 years old. But it still ranks up there as quite possibly the best designed, themed, and built attraction that Disney has turned out since PoC and HM. The only other two that come close are ToT and RSR...

 

[Smiddimizer]

GRR is twice as long, goes through two tunnels and over a trestle, has beautiful theming, and a larger final drop. GRR is probably the best raft rapids I've been on. KRR is close to - if not - the worst I have been on...

Clearly you've never been to Singapore.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Yes, it's 20 years old. But it still ranks up there as quite possibly the best designed, themed, and built attraction that Disney has turned out since PoC and HM. The only other two that come close are ToT and RSR...

There's no way on God's Green Earth that I would ever compare the Dinosaur/Indy ride to HM/POTC.

 

[asianway]

There's no way on God's Green Earth that I would ever compare the Dinosaur/Indy ride to HM/POTC.

Dinosaur never. Indy comes close

 

[Brian Swan]

I honestly dont visualize the same Indiana Jones ride at DHS. But as for toy story i have heard some chatter that Buzz Lightyear may be relocated from MK to DHS as an expansion along with ever so rumored Pixar Place

I sometimes chuckle when people talk about "moving attractions" as if was as simple a putting the Scrambler from the county fair on the back of a flat bed and driving it to the next town. To "move" Buzz, a completely new building would have to be constructed, the ride system (which has been in place for almost 50 years and was never designed to be taken apart) would have to be carefully disassembled (or rebuilt from scratch) and reassembled in the new location, and then all of the set pieces would have to be relocated (the easiest part).

I don't see Disney spending more money to move it than it probably cost to re-theme If You Had Wings...

 

[Brian Swan]

There's no way on God's Green Earth that I would ever compare the Dinosaur/Indy ride to HM/POTC.

My comparison was that PoC and HM are two iconic, great rides, and Disney hasn't really offered very much in DL/MK since - except for Indy, and although I forgot it on my first list, Splash.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Dinosaur never. Indy comes close

Does it? A lot of its excitement comes from the ride system. You might feel differently if you gently glided past a painted monster on the ceiling or the big snake in a boat.

 

[asianway]

Does it? A lot of its excitement comes from the ride system. You might feel differently if you gently glided past a painted monster on the ceiling or the big snake in a boat.

More like the scale and scope of the main room as well as the queue.

 

[SYRIK2000]

This seems more and more like an extreme makeover.

~move that boat~

I say we pick up the whole park and move it over a few hundred feet. Shouldn't be too hard it's just a few hundred feet.

 

[SYRIK2000]

Nothing I can add yet.

@marni1971 you kill me every time you say "Yet"

 

[Brian Swan]

Lee, I really hope it is NOT Geyser Mountain. The concept just doesn't thrill me.

I think the idea is kind of cool. But according to the artical it requires a deep water table to house the shaft. The water table in the MK wasn't deep enough for a second waterfall on PoC, so this sounds like a technical no-go for WDW right from the start. WDW needs a GOOD raft ride; this would seem like a natural fit...

 

[doctornick]

Is there anything else in that area they're thinking about removing?

Most of Frontierland is pretty solid in it's current lineup. I'd be curious if anything else might go the way of the dodo in favor of something new.

It's an interesting question. I think it safe to say that BTMRR and Splash are safe. The only other existing attraction of note is CBJ -- I certainly wouldn't be surprised if that were to be on the chopping block for a replacement -- DL's version did go bye bye a while ago and it's probably not popular/iconic enough to warrant being considered untouchable -- but @whylightbulb who broke the Frontierland news stated at the same time that CBJ might be getting a seasonal version again. So, it seems to be safe for now.

I mean, they can't get rid of Pecos Bill, could they? That's the only other thing of note in the area.

So, basically, if something is happening in Frontierland, it's either using the RoA/TSI space or it is being built on formerly unused land. There's a denoted expansion pad behind Splash/BTMRR that could be used. Or they could use space north of the canal outside the railroad berm is they want to go into brand new undesignated land.

 

[Brian Swan]

I think that's why "Raft Ride" has some of us nervous. Richly themed Raft Rides that are a transportive experience are in VERY short supply in the Themed Entertainment industry. They're all . . . pretty much the same . . . and not known for creating a reliably equal experience for all riders. How many times have you ridden Kali River Rapids where one or two people got drenched and everyone else is bone dry?

I don't believe for a second that Disney COULDN'T create a grand, immersive, truly dynamic ride experience out of a Rapids ride, but given the precedent attractions using that ride system across the world, it would certainly be the exception to a disappointing rule.


That said, are we too quick to assume "Raft Ride" = "River Rapids"? Because I'm realizing that's sort of what's being inferred, but not necessarily what's being implied.

Disney HAS created a rich immersive raft ride - it's called Grizzley River Rapids, and it's in DCA...