Star Wars themed land announced for Disneyland

[TP2000]

It's pointless and in an awkward area, but I'm fine with it for the most part.

True. But unless Monsanto wants to build another House of the Future there, I'm not sure what else you could do with that little pocket of land. Perhaps an elaborately landscaped smoking area?

I think this whole RoA/DLRR/Star Wars Land concept is fascinating because it really seems to be drawing the fans (us) into two distinct camps. There's the group that thinks altering the northern half of the existing Rivers of America boat route is a horrible and blasphemous idea, and there's the group that thinks it's not a bad idea and could lead to a better Rivers of America audience experience and frees up a lot of land for Star Wars.

I'm firmly in the latter group, although I am quite sad to be losing the Thunder Ranch petting zoo. If they could build a new little ranch area with a petting farm in the unused land between Big Thunder Mountain and the River by '19, that would be really perfect in my opinion.

Now that Toontown appears to be staying, at least for the short-term, the attraction count for Disneyland by 2019 is going to be sky-high. No other Disney theme park will be able to come close to matching Disneyland for the depth and breadth and sheer number of rides and attractions it will have. Disneyland will be adding two new E-Tickets to its ride roster, and quite a bit of new dining and entertainment options.

 

[1023]

First.... Eclipse is awesome....!

Second....

True. But unless Monsanto wants to build another House of the Future there, I'm not sure what else you could do with that little pocket of land. Perhaps an elaborately landscaped smoking area?

I think this whole RoA/DLRR/Star Wars Land concept is fascinating because it really seems to be drawing the fans (us) into two distinct camps. There's the group that thinks altering the northern half of the existing Rivers of America boat route is a horrible and blasphemous idea, and there's the group that thinks it's not a bad idea and could lead to a better Rivers of America audience experience and frees up a lot of land for Star Wars.

I'm firmly in the latter group, although I am quite sad to be losing the Thunder Ranch petting zoo. If they could build a new little ranch area with a petting farm in the unused land between Big Thunder Mountain and the River by '19, that would be really perfect in my opinion.

Now that Toontown appears to be staying, at least for the short-term, the attraction count for Disneyland by 2019 is going to be sky-high. No other Disney theme park will be able to come close to matching Disneyland for the depth and breadth and sheer number of rides and attractions it will have. Disneyland will be adding two new E-Tickets to its ride roster, and quite a bit of new dining and entertainment options.

I am starting to come down on this side. I was taken aback by the idea of editing a signature attraction that Walt put such effort into. Now, I think this opens up many possibilities for the rest of the under-developed land in the park. I still want the flamethrowers assaulting ToonTown to make way for something new.

I also think that a loop around the RoA would be a good thing.

*1023*

 

[britain]

I'm starting to think that there has GOT to be a fair amount of D, C, and B attractions in SWL. 14 acres really is huge. Exciting to think about!

 

[TP2000]

First.... Eclipse is awesome....!

Second....

I am starting to come down on this side. I was taken aback by the idea of editing a signature attraction that Walt put such effort into. Now, I think this opens up many possibilities for the rest of the under-developed land in the park. I still want the flamethrowers assaulting ToonTown to make way for something new.

I also think that a loop around the RoA would be a good thing.

*1023*

Yeah, the Eclipse is fantastic. I'm on the deck watching the full moon return and now the Disneyland fireworks just started like they are celebrating the Lunar Eclipse too.

If you look at the RoA setups in all the other parks there's elements of drama in most of them. I think an edited version for Anaheim could get new rock work, waterfalls, animatronics, even fire effects (Hong Kong). But the American parks have the most passive and tired River setups. The Baxter rehab in Anaheim six years ago helped move it along better than Orlando's ultra-tired and boring flood control channel, but not by much.

I love me some Walt history, but the Rivers of America boat rides in 2015 are sleepy and tired, noticeably hokey looking, and about 4 or 5 minutes too long. If Star Wars Land forces changes to this huge piece of property hosting very few customers each day, so be it. Thanks Chewbacca!

 

[Old Mouseketeer]

Many great comments. I love the experience on RoA and have friends who work those attractions. Bottom line--there's just no justification for the amount of land and the cost versus the ridership. No one knows better than me what RoA contributes to the ambiance of the three lands it borders. But if shortening TSI and RoA saves it, then so much the better.

Supposedly there was a Blue Sky proposal to replace the River in Westernland in Tokyo with Carsland. Let's be thankful that didn't go forward.

Remember, Finding Nemo Subs is probably dead in the water (LOL) two years after Finding Dory comes out. It's the worst capacity/cost ratio for any Disney attraction worldwide.

 

[Old Mouseketeer]

I'm starting to think that there has GOT to be a fair amount of D, C, and B attractions in SWL. 14 acres really is huge. Exciting to think about!

I think the model is Carsland and the Harry Potter lands. These are extremely immersive, down to the restrooms in Diagon Alley. Look at all the environmental touches with HP--Knockturn Alley, the Dragon, the area behind Diagon Alley and all the Wand-activated special effects. You just want to sit there and BE in the movie.

If the press release is correct and the Cantina and Streetmosphere acts are as fully themed as they promise, this would be amazing. There's a rumor that the RP game in Frontierland was a test for SWL. I haven't heard anything substantive from insiders, but I think it's a good bet that Disney will have more than two attractions in 14 acres. So far, with Carsland and the Fantasyland additions at WDW it appears that they have upped their game with Universal nipping at their heels. We'll know more in November and December at Disneyland.

And Damn, I hope Launch Bay is as good as it sounds.

 

[Old Mouseketeer]

All of this work, when all they had to do was take out Toontown, a much less loved area of the park in comparison to Frontierland and Critter Country. If a Fantasyland expansion, without Frozen, of course, is in the works, my "upset, angry, and irritated" level will go from a 10 to a 5. Hopefully something like that is happening.

Define "much less loved". Do you have small children? Are you going to take out Lincoln and place the Mickey meet-and-greet in the Opera house a la WDW?

And don't even think of touching Gadget's Go-Coaster. Just sayin'. Hmmmppphhhh!

 

[TP2000]

Many great comments. I love the experience on RoA and have friends who work those attractions. Bottom line--there's just no justification for the amount of land and the cost versus the ridership.

No kidding. I don't have friends who work those attractions, nor do I have an MBA in Business or access to TDA cost analysis reports, but I do have Google Earth.

And one look at Google Earth tells me that an area that takes up over 25% of Disneyland but is only able to host a few hundred riders per hour and only from 10AM to 5PM on even the busiest of days tells me that there are better uses for all that land. It's obvious.

Disneyland is 60 years old. If it's going to make it another 60 years it's going to have to get really smart and really inventive with its land use. This Star Wars Land plan seems to do a lot of things correctly for the good of the park for at least the next 30 years.

It pushes out the footprint of the park and reclaims previously "Backstage" acreage for use by paying visitors. It edits and downsizes the 1955 version of what may have been a major attraction to 1950's audiences (Mark Twain/Island/Canoes) but is now too often a forgettable afterthought to 21st century audiences. And it gives them the opportunity to beef up and re-Imagineer rather passive and dull experiences (Mark Twain/Columbia/Railroad) and preserves their 1955 concepts for the next several decades.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

I made this picture last night before I read @Old Mouseketeer 's post; I think it gets pretty close to 14 acres without destroying too much of TSI. It would also allow you to connect in Critter Country, the old Big Thunder Ranch area, and maybe even the IASW area (or they could build a small dark ride on the grave of the Fantasyland theater).

The easiest place to expand the orange area further would be that white-roofed building near the M&F ramps, but that's the parade building. The buildings right behind Toontown are ones that I think people said were expendable, so there could either be a show building that snakes back there, or they could build a new parade building behind Toontown and build some of Star Wars on the parade building site.

 

[veritas55]

I also love the atmosphere of ROA, but, as others have posted, for a land-locked park with few areas for expansion, it makes perfect sense to reduce the footprint of ROA and TSI. The ratio of guest-use-to-land-use is completely out-of-whack in that area. The proposed plan (with the railroad turning and bisecting TSI at the top half) allows the aesthetic of the river and the boats from New Orleans square to be largely preserved, but reclaims a big portion of otherwise highly underutilized (but prized) land. Toon Town remains mostly an abomination, but it at least is much more utilized than the portion of ROA and TSI that they seem to be re-purposing.

I don't get how anyone can be criticizing management for "desecrating" the park. The reality is that the land options to continue to grow the park are severely limited and if virtually any of us were running the park, we would begin with an obvious analysis: which large sections of the park are the most underutilized by guests? TSI, ROA , and the Ranch undeniably fit that bill. I actually think it is a credit that management appears to be trying to preserve a good chunk of ROA and TSI, when a true bean counter mentality would fully justify replacing the entire section.

 

[asianway]

In unrelated news, Disney Store dropped a limited release Tom Sawyer Island t-shirt today.

Sound familiar?

 

[dweezil78]

There's a rumor that the RP game in Frontierland was a test for SWL. I

It may have been -- though I think the first use of the overall framework will be put to use in Shanghai's Treasure Cove. If you saw the artwork they had up at the Expo last month, there were several elements that made it seem as if there was an interactive pirate game to participate in from what I recall.

 

[Mouse Trap]

No kidding. I don't have friends who work those attractions, nor do I have an MBA in Business or access to TDA cost analysis reports, but I do have Google Earth.

And one look at Google Earth tells me that an area that takes up over 25% of Disneyland but is only able to host a few hundred riders per hour and only from 10AM to 5PM on even the busiest of days tells me that there are better uses for all that land. It's obvious.

Disneyland is 60 years old. If it's going to make it another 60 years it's going to have to get really smart and really inventive with its land use. This Star Wars Land plan seems to do a lot of things correctly for the good of the park for at least the next 30 years.

It pushes out the footprint of the park and reclaims previously "Backstage" acreage for use by paying visitors. It edits and downsizes the 1955 version of what may have been a major attraction to 1950's audiences (Mark Twain/Island/Canoes) but is now too often a forgettable afterthought to 21st century audiences. And it gives them the opportunity to beef up and re-Imagineer rather passive and dull experiences (Mark Twain/Columbia/Railroad) and preserves their 1955 concepts for the next several decades.

I know we don't see a lot of this here too often... but I'd just like to take a post to say I always thoroughly enjoy reading your posts on this forum. You have a refreshing view for honoring Walt's original dream, while understanding the future and TWDC's evolution and always throw the facts in to back yourself up. A good change from a lot of the usual arguments and bumbling judgmentals we see here.

 

[Mouse Trap]

I made this picture last night before I read @Old Mouseketeer 's post; I think it gets pretty close to 14 acres without destroying too much of TSI. It would also allow you to connect in Critter Country, the old Big Thunder Ranch area, and maybe even the IASW area (or they could build a small dark ride on the grave of the Fantasyland theater).

The easiest place to expand the orange area further would be that white-roofed building near the M&F ramps, but that's the parade building. The buildings right behind Toontown are ones that I think people said were expendable, so there could either be a show building that snakes back there, or they could build a new parade building behind Toontown and build some of Star Wars on the parade building site.

I'm still hoping the theatre gets relocated or spared. It really doesn't make much sense. It eats people and is really the only one of its kind at DL.

 

[Figments Friend]

I think the best thing to come out of all of this if what is being talked about now comes to pass is this -
Having a through way that finally removes the 'dead end' in Critter Country.
It will indeed be a plus to have that be a area you can walk all the way around back to Frontierland or Fantasyland.

Still not keen on the whole 'Star Wars' addition in this Park, but if it causes the area to be accessible now all the way around the River that can only be a good thing.

-

 

[TP2000]

I know we don't see a lot of this here too often... but I'd just like to take a post to say I always thoroughly enjoy reading your posts on this forum. You have a refreshing view for honoring Walt's original dream, while understanding the future and TWDC's evolution and always throw the facts in to back yourself up. A good change from a lot of the usual arguments and bumbling judgmentals we see here.

Wow, thank you for that. I'm happy to be part of the Disneyland conversation, wherever it leads.

 

[Phroobar]

I don't see the subs going anywhere even after Find Dory happens. What I would like to see is the sub's show building reinforced for a second story show building on top. I'd love to see something along the lines of Epcot's Seabase Alpha put there with the subs being a preshow journey to the base. Maybe other rides can come out of Seabase Alpha such as an underwater spinner or scuba diving coaster in the water or an underwater alien encounter ride or an updated version of DisneySea's 20K beneath the sea. The sea base could really show off living under the water in the future and help bring back the theme of Tomorrowland.

 

[EPCOTCenterLover]

I'm getting used to the idea of a smaller river and shorter rides around it. I just hope they do this really well! Star Wars doesn't fit in the park in that location, but it is what it is. Certainly will better the crowd flow, and it will be great to be able to walk around the river.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

I think the best thing to come out of all of this if what is being talked about now comes to pass is this -
Having a through way that finally removes the 'dead end' in Critter Country.
It will indeed be a plus to have that be a area you can walk all the way around back to Frontierland or Fantasyland.

Still not keen on the whole 'Star Wars' addition in this Park, but if it causes the area to be accessible now all the way around the River that can only be a good thing.

-

That's just what I was thinking, especially if it also connects to Toontown and that is no longer a dead end (until fireworks). Literally the only thing that has me kinda-sorta excited (I'm over the whole Millennium Falcon thing) is the prospect of connecting the lands via the Star Wars Land.

 

[mickEblu]

I'm getting used to the idea of a smaller river and shorter rides around it. I just hope they do this really well! Star Wars doesn't fit in the park in that location, but it is what it is. Certainly will better the crowd flow, and it will be great to be able to walk around the river.

I'm also excited for Critter Country to not be a dead end anymore as well as being able to walk around the river... As long as it doesn't come at the cost of losing Hungry Bear. Which I think is unlikely but raises the question. Where would this path go? Is there enough room between the Pooh ride and hungry bear? or maybe they ll close the Pooh store or chop it in half?