News Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge - Historical Construction/Impressions

BrianLo

BrianLo

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Rich T said:
Mind blown. Gotta remind myself that a lot of that was backstage area! So 25% of DL's gonna be Star Wars...it's not such a huge change...right? Heh...eh...
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The ROA, railroad and Fantasmic storage will take up a chunk and eventually Frozen too. But it is a maasive plot of land they managed to scrounge up. If they add roughly another 25% of guest walkway capacity to the park maybe it can absorb more crowds than it attracts... Maybe.
 
Burgower1994

Burgower1994

Well-Known Member
Wow that a big chunk of land but not all of it is for Star Wars Experience. That land also includes the river and the new Frozen ride. I wish that prime real estate would have some original ideas but it is is going to be exciting to see this expansion. In the next five years, we are going to have three states of the art rides, multiple dining establishments, shops, new ways to experience the RR, RoA and Fantasmic. We are witnessing a renaissance with Disneyland and it exciting to see Disneyland finally getting a couple of E-ticket attractions!!
 
D

Deleted member 107043

BrianLo said:
This photo was posted in Spirit's thread a few times. Of course as a sign of Disneyland's end times, but of interest to this thread I'm sure.

moredisney-jpg.142235
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I was wondering when we'd see an aerial shot of the expansion. I knew it would look huge from above, but like the rest of you I'm stunned by the size of this project.
 
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D

Deleted member 107043

BrianLo said:
The ROA, railroad and Fantasmic storage will take up a chunk and eventually Frozen too. But it is a maasive plot of land they managed to scrounge up. If they add roughly another 25% of guest walkway capacity to the park maybe it can absorb more crowds than it attracts... Maybe.
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Excellent point, and something I hadn't really thought about. I'm willing to bet a kernel of Orville Redenbacher's Gourmet Popping Corn that metrics related to increased capacity were emphasized when the concepts were being pitched to Disney leadership. This isn't some overblown Star Wars vanity project - we are witnessing the biggest game changing expansion inside the berm since the late 1960s. Depending on your perspective it's a great time to be a Disneyland fan.
 
Phroobar

Phroobar

Well-Known Member
Looking at that picture, if Disney did level Tomorrowland like so many people around here would like to see, they would be restructuring half the park. The Autopia, subs and Tomorrowland take up a huge amount of space. After SWL and Tomorrowland are done, they would have changed 2/3rds of Walt's park. Granted they made it bigger too.
 
TP2000

TP2000

Well-Known Member
BrianLo said:
This photo was posted in Spirit's thread a few times. Of course as a sign of Disneyland's end times, but of interest to this thread I'm sure.

moredisney-jpg.142235
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The vast majority of that dirt area was off limits to visitors and was "backstage". This is a HUGE expansion of the park, especially when you include the expansion pad for Frozen that is next to Toontown.

The green box marked in that photo is the parking lot and office parks that Disney bought in the last few years to turn into a new parking structure. Not included in the green box is the adjacent Carousel Inn/Pizza Press property that will be used as the skybridge over Harbor to get to and from the parking facility.

Major, major expansion happening in Anaheim now and for the next three years.
 
SSG

SSG

Well-Known Member
phruby said:
Looking at that picture, if Disney did level Tomorrowland like so many people around here would like to see, they would be restructuring half the park. The Autopia, subs and Tomorrowland take up a huge amount of space. After SWL and Tomorrowland are done, they would have changed 2/3rds of Walt's park. Granted they made it bigger too.
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The amount of space taken up by Autopia & Nemo is crazy big. You have to marvel at it and wonder what could be done with all that area
SubsAutopia 2.png
 
D

Deleted member 107043

How am I just now realizing that most of the Motor Boat Cruise lagoon was filled in? When did that happen? o_O
 
NobodyElse

NobodyElse

Well-Known Member
Curious Constance said:
Geez! It's crazy big!

I wonder what that acreage actually works out to be?
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According to this crude estimation I did, 6.87 acres.
UouW8u.jpg


Without arguing for or against Autopia (I comprehend both sides of that issue), I still believe that in it's heyday this area was a wonder of layered multi-use. Monorail, stacked over the PeopleMover, over Autopia, over the Subs. (Stepping back a few feet, perspective might have you include the motorboat cruise or Skyway in the mix, but that's just part of the kinetic fun.)

If they were to re-purpose this area, we would probably assume the removal of the Subs and Autopia. The sore reminder of the Peoplemover would finally have to be dealt with. The remaining attraction (Monorail) would turn more into a mode of transportation by removing the spaghetti bowl and routing it around the perimeter.

It's a large area. I just hope they would use it wisely if they decide to make drastic changes.
 
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Curious Constance

Curious Constance

Well-Known Member
NobodyElse said:
According to this crude estimation I did, 6.87 acres.
UouW8u.jpg


Without arguing for or against Autopia (I comprehend both sides of that issue), I still believe that in it's heyday this area was a wonder if layered multi-use. Monorail, stacked over the PeopleMover, over Autopia, over the Subs. (Stepping back a few feet, perspective might have you include the motorboat cruise or Skyway in the mix, but that's just part of the kinetic fun.)

If they were to re-purpose this area, we would probably assume the removal of the Subs and Autopia. The sore reminder of the Peoplemover would finally have to be dealt with. The remaining attraction (Monorail) would turn more into a mode of transportation by removing the spaghetti bowl and routing it around the perimeter.

It's a large area. I just hope they would use it wisely if they decide to make drastic changes.
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Thanks!

How much do you charge for that mock up?
 
NobodyElse

NobodyElse

Well-Known Member
Curious Constance said:
Thanks!

How much do you charge for that mock up?
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No charge (until that free month of ImageShack expires).

It is kind of amazing to look at Google Maps and see how easy it would potentially be to get the monorail to circle that area. They'd probably have to replace ~9 sections of track and supports to straighten the now intersecting curves and adjust for grade changes. Depending what kind of attraction they put in, views would mostly all be on the left side of the Monorail. If they end up with a large show building, (and they had extra cash laying around) they could construct a tunnel with screens on both sides. It would be fun to rotate different sets of scenery. On Thursdays, they could throw back to the Super Speed Tunnel. :)
 
D

Deleted member 107043

TP2000 said:
That was also when they extended the caverns a bit out into the lagoon.
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Yeah, and the result is super awkward looking when you're in the park (and from the air). I suppose people who never saw the original lagoon don't know the difference.
 
Phroobar

Phroobar

Well-Known Member
Dr. Hans Reinhardt said:
How am I just now realizing that most of the Motor Boat Cruise lagoon was filled in? When did that happen? o_O
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In 2007, the former Motor Boat Cruise waterways were drained during final construction of the neighboring attraction, Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage. During this time, around 2/3 of Motor Boat Cruise's former waterways were filled in with landscaping, creating more of a space buffer between the freshwater-based submarine lagoon, and the 'green system' water of Motor Boat Cruise's area (shared with the castle moat, Jungle Cruise, Rivers of America, and Storybook Land canals). During this time, the former tracks that lay hidden beneath the green water were covered up or destroyed. In April 2007, a new dam was built, and green water filled back into the area known as Fantasia Gardens (the former Motor Boat Cruise loading dock).
 
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D

Deleted member 107043

Mike S said:
Like me. What is the difference?
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Here's the way the lagoon looks now. Notice the large rocky outcropping that stands out like a sore thumb beneath the Monorail beam before it crosses the lagoon.

minemine2.jpg


Now here's how it looked before Nemo arrived and the caverns were expanded. Notice how the Monorail crosses the lagoon before the cave entrance.

5-61_Lagoon_1.jpg


Here's an old shot from the Skyway that gives a view of the entire lagoon. Compare the size to the current layout in the aerial view in SSG's earlier post. It's much smaller now.

subs23.jpg


Finally here's the rendering for the entire area that was used to market the Tomorrowland expansion in 1959. The connecting canals and adjacent lagoon is the Motor Boat Cruise attraction.

4562298-19988064-thumbnail.jpg
 
GiveMeTheMusic

GiveMeTheMusic

Well-Known Member
While riding in a sub is neat-o, the Nemo ride is total garbage. The best parts of the original were actually looking out into the water - a segment that as Hans demonstrated above, has been significantly shortened by expanding the show building. Once you get inside, you're looking at LCD screens. WOW SUCH THRILL MANY AMAZE

Will not shed one tear when the inevitable closing announcement comes.
 

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