MK Stitch's Great Escape Replacement— Don’t Hold Your Breath

[Ayla]

That literally just sounds like someone who reads uninformed wishful speculation on this and other forums.

Isn't that basically the definition of reddit? That place is a cesspool.

 

[Splash4eva]

Isn't that basically the definition of reddit? That place is a cesspool.

We can say that about all social media lol

 

[peterwendy]

Sorry if someone else already posted this, but I read online that Stitch won’t get redone because it is filled with asbestos and if they redo it they would need to redo Cosmic Rays too to clear it and with the money it brings in they dont want to have to close it. Any truth to that rumor?

Stitch is a breakroom now with tables in the queue area for CMs to sit at during break. Some water coolers in there too etc. Just a regular breakroom now. Theatre is still intact, and signs are still on queue walls and floors too. Pretty cool to see, but it doesn't seem like they're worried about asbestos, haha. At least this was the case as of a little over a year ago.
Besides, there are multiple signs throughout the tunnels warning that you may be exposed to asbestos. The buildings are so old I think they legally have to put up warnings. I would assume most of the park is the same, maybe that's how the rumor started.

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

I’ve said it before and will say it again. They need to double down on retro futurism. They’ll never be able to keep up with what the current iteration of the “future” is.

Rockets/robots/weird technology is the way to go for sure.

In fairness, when have they ever really tried? Disneyland 1955 was really the only time a Tomorrowland attempted to genuinely predict anything, and even then it was still mostly reliant on demonstrations of cutting-edge technologies more than attractions based in an ever-expiring future. Since that version the Tomorrowlands have always been at good bit “out there”.

People like to talk about how “the Future always catches up to you” but forget that it’s never really caught up to Space Mountain. The trick is to do roughly what you said - create a vision of a Tomorrow that always was and never will be - only they need to really renew their commitment and double down on that with an attraction lineup that is fun, exciting, and unified around the actual theme. When they’ve done that it has actually worked. And more than once! But over time they dilute it and screw it up, and THAT is the issue.

The problem isn’t that Tomorrowland can’t work, it’s that they aren’t even trying to let it work.

 

[doctornick]

Tomorrowland is basically Sci-Fi fantasyland (as opposed to a theoretical real future) at this point. They should just lean into that which feels more appropriate for a castle park anyway - they work as an idealized/comforting version of their themes as opposed to realistic ones.

 

[Drdcm]

In fairness, when have they ever really tried? Disneyland 1955 was really the only time a Tomorrowland attempted to genuinely predict anything, and even then it was still mostly reliant on demonstrations of cutting-edge technologies more than attractions based in an ever-expiring future. Since that version the Tomorrowlands have always been at good bit “out there”.

People like to talk about how “the Future always catches up to you” but forget that it’s never really caught up to Space Mountain. The trick is to do roughly what you said - create a vision of a Tomorrow that always was and never will be - only they need to really renew their commitment and double down on that with an attraction lineup that is fun, exciting, and unified around the actual theme. When they’ve done that it has actually worked. And more than once! But over time they dilute it and screw it up, and THAT is the issue.

The problem isn’t that Tomorrowland can’t work, it’s that they aren’t even trying to let it work.

Well said.

There are little bits of where I think they were on to something, but they’re so isolated. Some examples are the robot palm tree things that open up during the day and close up at night. And the little futuristic vacation spot scenes in the space mountain exit.

 

[Bocabear]

I feel like there's a degree of truth to this. Not necessarily true that they don't want to close Cosmic Rays because it makes too much money, but rather because there aren't enough large QSR locations in the park to offset its capacity. Rays serves so many guests its not even funny, often filling its dining room and overflow seating for hours on end.

Since the Stitch/AE footprint is so small, it would make sense if designers want to eat into the Cosmic Rays footprint for attraction space, and if building codes require them to update the entire structure anyway then they might as well go all in. The big issue though, as mentioned, is where do you send the rest of those hungry guests? Pecos, Harbor House, and Pinocchio are all on the opposite side of the park. Opening Tomorrowland Terrace fulltime sounds like an option, but it would still need more to supplement it because it needs to close at dinner time for firework parties.

Suffice to say, if the plan is for a Stitch replacement to overlay the existing theatre, it could come in the near-mid term; if the plan is for a Stitch replacement to alter the space significantly, it'll come much further down the line.

Why not close down the Speedway now for a big new update and retrofit and redesign the entrance building to include a huge Quick serve overlooking the Speedway...boarding and operations for the Speedway would all be below the level for dining and kitchen etc..,It could be super sleek and futuristic...allowing a fresh new dining experience, and allowing the Stitch space to be expanded into Cosmic Ray's as needed. Use a smaller part of Cosmic Ray's restaurant footprint as a smaller drink and snack location maintaining a portion of the the original dining room and stage (Sonny Eclipse) to be part of that smaller quick serve...

 

[Bocabear]

In fairness, when have they ever really tried? Disneyland 1955 was really the only time a Tomorrowland attempted to genuinely predict anything, and even then it was still mostly reliant on demonstrations of cutting-edge technologies more than attractions based in an ever-expiring future. Since that version the Tomorrowlands have always been at good bit “out there”.

People like to talk about how “the Future always catches up to you” but forget that it’s never really caught up to Space Mountain. The trick is to do roughly what you said - create a vision of a Tomorrow that always was and never will be - only they need to really renew their commitment and double down on that with an attraction lineup that is fun, exciting, and unified around the actual theme. When they’ve done that it has actually worked. And more than once! But over time they dilute it and screw it up, and THAT is the issue.

The problem isn’t that Tomorrowland can’t work, it’s that they aren’t even trying to let it work.

That is it!! It did work for a brief time...

 

[UNCgolf]

Stitch is a breakroom now with tables in the queue area for CMs to sit at during break. Some water coolers in there too etc. Just a regular breakroom now. Theatre is still intact, and signs are still on queue walls and floors too. Pretty cool to see, but it doesn't seem like they're worried about asbestos, haha. At least this was the case as of a little over a year ago.
Besides, there are multiple signs throughout the tunnels warning that you may be exposed to asbestos. The buildings are so old I think they legally have to put up warnings. I would assume most of the park is the same, maybe that's how the rumor started.

Asbestos isn't really dangerous until it's disturbed, so generally people are fine to be somewhere with asbestos insulation/whatever else. If you're going to renovate, though, it makes sense to remove it.

 

[Ryandisney]

I feel like when they where buliding tron they should have just done a whole tomorrow land refreshment like asteros is a just a spinner that can go people mover Retrack that do the Tokyo Disney space mountain re theme buzz or update it replace the cars on speedway put something in the stich buliding also move the laugh floor to mgm and combine that buliding with the buzz update and finally update the carousel

 

[WondersOfLife]

I feel like when they where buliding tron they should have just done a whole tomorrow land refreshment like asteros is a just a spinner that can go people mover Retrack that do the Tokyo Disney space mountain re theme buzz or update it replace the cars on speedway put something in the stich buliding also move the laugh floor to mgm and combine that buliding with the buzz update and finally update the carousel

We would have been without Tomorrowland for roughly 14 years.

 

[Ryandisney]

We would have been without Tomorrowland for roughly 14 years.

Start at the front and work back and open it as u go

 

[Disstevefan1]

I have no idea but could it be when an attraction is closed, its not taxed as much as an open operating attraction?

Is it possible if Disney gets some sort of property tax break for the square footage for closed spaces like Stitch and WoL?

We know Disney loves tax write offs where they can get them.

 

[Bocabear]

I think everyone thought that when they were building Tron they were going to overhaul the look of tomorrowland....they started, then just ended up poainting everything white and gave up....
Surely there is an Imagineer that can create some cohesive harmony between the attractions that are currently there and replacement attractions for those that do not fit the theme of the ares... Speedway, Shuttered Stitch, Laff Floor...

 

[EagleScout610]

We would have been without Tomorrowland for roughly 14 years.

Yes but just think of how many photo ops you can put on the walls to charge people for. That's thinking the Bob way

 

[aladdin2007]

I think everyone thought that when they were building Tron they were going to overhaul the look of tomorrowland....they started, then just ended up poainting everything white and gave up....
Surely there is an Imagineer that can create some cohesive harmony between the attractions that are currently there and replacement attractions for those that do not fit the theme of the ares... Speedway, Shuttered Stitch, Laff Floor...

I feel like TDO is allowing local management to make poor choices in this land, instead of bringing in Imagineering. To save costs of course, hence why stitch is left empty. Unless something has changed TDO still has to pay and buy projects/changes from Imagineering, unless Burbank forces it. Otherwise its up to local decsion thus the reason why Tomorowland looks like a ghetto left to rot. No cohesion, no direction.... Only recent plus being the better peoplemover narration implemented last year, why someone got that right but doesn't get it about the rest of the area...is mind boggling. Disney World needs a new president already! We might see better changes if we got one.

 

[Rosso11]

I feel like TDO is allowing local management to make poor choices in this land, instead of bringing in Imagineering. To save costs of course, hence why stitch is left empty. Unless something has changed TDO still has to pay and buy projects/changes from Imagineering, unless Burbank forces it. Otherwise it’s up to local decsion thus the reason why Tomorowland looks like a ghetto left to rot. No cohesion, no direction.... Only recent plus being the better peoplemover narration implemented last year, why someone got that right but doesn't get it about the rest of the area...is mind boggling. Disney World needs a new president already! We might see better changes if we got one.

Exactly! This is what most people do not realize. It’s up to the management of Florida to make these changes. Jeff Vahle holds all of the power. Not WDI

 

[HMF]

Exactly! This is what most people do not realize. It’s up to the management of Florida to make these changes. Jeff Vahle holds all of the power. Not WDI

You can also thank Jeff for the Hatbox Ghost being in the wrong place.

 

[Purduevian]

It still blows my mind that Space 220 (~25,000sqft) went in EPCOT instead of the Stitch space (~31,000sqft if you include ice cream and store).

It could have shared a kitchen with cosmic rays, would have been cheaper to build, and given the park with the weakest TS another option.

 

[aladdin2007]

It still blows my mind that Space 220 (~25,000sqft) went in EPCOT instead of the Stitch space (~31,000sqft if you include ice cream and store).

It could have shared a kitchen with cosmic rays, would have been cheaper to build, and given the park with the weakest TS another option.

Interesting points for sure