Let's try and make some sense with all the pixie dust flying around ... RIGHT NOW NOTHING is coming to the MK or DAK for that matter (hence, Joe Rohde being moved to the Grand Hawaiian project). It was that or he'd have likely gone elsewhere when the boutique animal park was killed.
Anyhow ... we all know Star Tours 2.0 is eventually coming to FLA ... and the Monsters coaster as well at Studios ... but beyond that?
Again ... right now ... NOTHING ... it's great that the chatter in the fan/online community is on high because it's summer, Disney isn't doing much of substance in the USA beyond DCA and WDI did just invite a group of CMs up there who aren't good at keeping their mouths shut (which is likely part of the plan by those who want to gain traction by pointing out how stale ... how soulless MK has become due to inept, greedy management ... knowing if they show all those kewl models and renderings off, someone is going to shout their mouth off to various webmasters ... and guess what? They have!)
I did want to comment on the following:
There is no concept of the carousel going anywhere. Dumbo would possibly move, but not the carousel. The castle courtyard idea already exists in theory, and the changes would simply solidify the theme that's already there. In fact, the courtyard idea was part of FL's plan back when WDW was being built; Dorothea Redmond worked on the concept.
Exactly. Thanks. Dumbo would move. But not that far. Tea Party would move as well. NOTHING in ANY plans would move the Carousel. It's all about adding texture and detail to the area ... and making way for the massive showbuilding Mermaid would require.
This list does seem like a list of rumors, but the rumors exist because plans have floated around at various times. Make no mistake, Toontown in its present form IS going away. The land is too valuable to ignore, and the plans have changed many times over the last ten years. It's a matter of WHEN and HOW—and nothing seems to be moving right now.
That's just the thing ... there's plenty of real estate open in MK ... so many dead zones. And Toontown may blow, but they want to keep the core concept. That's been one of the 'issues' with the Fantasyland plans to begin with because they would eat up a chunk of Mickey's Tentland.
And again, I agree ... NOTHING is happening now.
There is no land behind the Pinocchio Village Haus, just a nearly 3-story drop to the tunnel entrance.
Yes. But why spoil delusion with fact?
~~~~~
Plans do exist, and WDI is working hard to push several fantastic projects through in the MK. Everybody, including execs, knows that the park suffers capacity issues; but certain individuals are unwilling to press the "Go" button to get this stuff done. Poor management? Oh, yes.
Sure. It starts with the stranglehold Jay Rasulo has on WDI and P&R. He has been incredibly savvy in his efforts to weed out anyone who isn't one of his people. And that filtered down from major guys 'resigning' from WDI to execs that took 'buy-outs' earlier to even mid-level park ops managers who were axed in the recent bloodletting.
It's a power play by one guy who has no magic and appreciates creativity as much as Sarah Palin appreciates David Letterman.
Unlike Michael Eisner, new Sheriff Iger is very hands-off and so long as Jay delivers numbers he isn't likely to step in no matter what happens to the parks.
I know some people have accused a certain Mac Sandwich at the happy boards of proclaiming that nothing's coming to the MK, but that's not what he said. He said that the plans DO exist, but they haven't received the full greenlight. That corresponds to the information that many others, including our Lee and Martin, have received. We need to keep hoping that Lassetter and others ignore "As-long-as-it's-a-timeshare-I'm-happy-because-I-don't-know-what-the-he11-I'm-doing" Rasulo and push the plans forward.
Lee MacDonald and I don't see eye to eye to many things (again, I wish some of the more intelligent voices here had witnessed some of our battles) but the man is very 'in' with Disney at a high level. Often we butted heads because he spun things a certain way (he still has a fascination with Tom Fitzgerald and a hatred of Tony Baxter I don't quite get ... and he is very well known on his own site for proclaiming the opinion -- and he is entitled to it -- that he prefers DCA to TDS).
BUT HE KNOWS HIS STUFF.
When he says that Eric Jacobson's team has had a $500 million plan for Fantasyland for over two years, I believe that. Not just because he says it but because I know there have been plans (the number I had heard was $350 million, which was shocking enough.)
I don't know anyone (or anyone I respect) that is saying there aren't plans. But what you need to realize is there are always plans. That's what all those coffee table books that all the fanbois buy are for ... all the plans that happened, happened in a different form or very often ... didn't happen at all.
When Leemac says that it is ALL BLUE SKY at this point, I sadly defer to that because: 1.) I know nothing to the contrary from my sources; and 2.) WDW management is more conservative than the typical FOX News watcher in the best of times; and 3.) These are most definitely not the best of times; and 4.) Disney seems to feel that timeshares are the reason people visit WDW.
So while this thread can go on for 500 pages, I'll be back at the LP later trying to discern what is really going on (or not).
