The New Fantasyland

[JustInTime]

I don't see our Tom Sawyer Island getting any re-theme anytime soon. Our TSI is nowhere near POTC so the Pirate's Lair concept wound not work here and I fail to see how Princess and the Frog will change it.

they could retheme the island to have a new orleans square theme. think about the rides/restaurants/walkthroughs they could do. It would be amazing. plus the river boat looks just like the one in the movie...

 

[JustInTime]

I don't know. The island could be a possibility, but i wouldn't think PatF.

ok, then what theme would you like to see? I am assuming this is where the big expansion would go besides Country Bears...

 

[Hobnail Boot]

I'm not going to tell you guys the actual plan I was told. I have a job with the company and a possible future that I'm not going to jeopardize by posting detailed proposals online.:wave:

But I can tell you the other land I heard mentioned was Frontierland.

I've never really been a fan of our Frontierland, but I believe it's one of the last areas in the MK that needs improvement at the moment. Other areas far exceed Frontierland in the need for some TLC and additions, and Fantasyland is definitely one of them. I just hope that this massive expansion includes the facade updates some have been discussing as that has been the focal point of all recent Fantasyland rumors for me. From the look of the plans, it does appear that Pooh's queue is going to be reworked and possibly Snow White as well. We can only hope at this point...

 

[dxwwf3]

Without a doubt, Frontierland is the land that needs the least amount of work in the MK. The CBJ just got a pretty nice refurb and it has the best attraction in the park IMO, Splash.

 

[ms7479a]

I just looked at the box office sales data and it looks like Harry Potter has once again blown the doors off anything Disney has released lately (in both live action and animation including pixar). Harry Potter 6 made more money in one day than Up managed to make in a week :lol:.

No offense, but I think comparing Harry Potter with Up is like comparing apples and oranges. Anyway, lets look at the box office numbers from the first five Harry Potter movies and compare them to Disney's top five grossing movies from over the same period (courtesy of IMDB).

Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone (2001): $968,657,891
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002): $866,300,000
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004): $789,458,727
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005): $892,194,397
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007): $937,000,866
Total (2001-2007): $4,453,611,881

Top Grossing Disney Movies by Year:
2001: Monsters Inc., $528,900,000
2002: Lilo and Stitch, $262,700,000
2003: Finding Nemo, $865,000,000, Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, $653,200,000
2004: The Incredibles, $624,037,578
2005: Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, $738,809,845
2006: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, $1,060,332,628
2007: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, $958,404,152, Ratatouille, $615,935,493

Top Five Total (2001-2007): 4,275,746,625

It looks to me as though the numbers are fairly comparable.

 

[WDWFigment]

No offense, but I think comparing Harry Potter with Up is like comparing apples and oranges. Anyway, lets look at the box office numbers from the first five Harry Potter movies and compare them to Disney's top five grossing movies from over the same period (courtesy of IMDB).

Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone (2001): $968,657,891
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002): $866,300,000
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004): $789,458,727
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005): $892,194,397
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007): $937,000,866
Total (2001-2007): $4,453,611,881

Top Grossing Disney Movies by Year:
2001: Monsters Inc., $528,900,000
2002: Lilo and Stitch, $262,700,000
2003: Finding Nemo, $865,000,000, Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, $653,200,000
2004: The Incredibles, $624,037,578
2005: Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, $738,809,845
2006: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, $1,060,332,628
2007: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, $958,404,152, Ratatouille, $615,935,493

Top Five Total (2001-2007): 4,275,746,625

It looks to me as though the numbers are fairly comparable.

To be fair, you did just compare 5 HP movies to 9 Disney movies.

 

[DisneyJunkie]

Umm... Am I the only one that feels this list, if true, is less than unsatisfactory? Maybe it's just me. :shrug: :zipit:

No, I have to agree that that list of new things in Fantasyland sounds like pure crap. Too much "Little Mermaid" in there. Definitely need something like an Aladdin Cave of Wonders Adventure ride, or maybe a Mary Poppins Hop into the Painting Attraction, or even an Alice in Wonderland dark ride (in the vein of Mr. Toad, Snow White, Peter Pan, or Pooh).

 

[Thrill Seeker]

For those wondering, it'll take 2 years to build Mermaid at DCA, if Disney started in October of this year, they could be done by October 2011.

It might not take as long here because the DCA sight requires some major demolition, while our proposed sight is just a big grassy former lagoon, so because of that, we could possably get ours done in a shorter time frame thant DCA.

As for the blueprints, I found them interesting. Hopefully they are actually true, but knowing Disney, they will probably scrap those plans now that the public has gotten a hold of them and do something else...

 

[RSoxNo1]

I realize that you are trying to illustrate the popularity of harry potter and thus the popularity one would assume WWOHP will receive, which I won't dispute. I do want to correct your statements though:

The following are facts:
Pirates: Dead Men's Chest from 2006 opened with 55.8 million in 2006, pretty comparable to HP's opening day of 58.1 million, although realizing this was on a Wednesday. Either way, far from "blowing the doors off" anything Disney has released lately. In fact, Pirates DMC remains the third highest grossing film worldwide of all time, and only one of 4 films to ever cross 1 billion dollars (no HP film has done this). Putting aside the merits of that particular film, Pirates DMC remains more popular of a film than any Harry Potter film domestically or worldwide to date. That said, I don't know how much impact the popularity of those films translated into attendance at the parks.....

Also, Up actually made 93 million in its first week. Sorry to burst your bubble that HP 6 "made more money in one day" than Up did in its first week. In fact, Up is this summer's second best film to date behind only Transformers in terms of box office receipts (although I believe HP will end higher in the end). Up is also Pixar's second highest grossing film behind only Nemo.

Source: boxofficemojo.com

Attendance at Pirates of the Caribbean has definitely increased since the movies and the refurbishment. However, I don't think it has changed into an attraction that drives attendance like say the addition of Expedition Everest, or what is assumed the Wizarding World of Harry Potter will do.

Of course it did, it's a once in a generation phenomenon, comperable to Star Wars in the late 70's/ early 80's. The next two movies based on the last book will probably bank even higher than this one. The problem Uni will find out is it is a one trick pony. The books are complete, and after 2011 so are the movies. You can only mine so many ideas from the material. By 2012 all the tweens will have moved on to Twilight and the next big thing after it, where as most of the Disney Animation canon is timeless and still able to draw a crowd years later. Here are characters that are still fresh 20 to 50 years after their original marketing. Do you think Potter will still be relevent in 2015, let alone 2020?

One could argue that this expansion is Disney cashing in on children love of the Princess craze, but Uni is trying the same with HP; only doing it after the ship has sailed.

As I've said, the theme of the attraction is really only relevant for a short period of time (relative to the life of most theme park attractions). If the attraction itself is well done, most people aren't going to care what movie or franchise it's tied to. Splash Mountain is the ultimate example of this - one of the most popular attractions in all of Walt Disney World is based on a movie that the company won't release due to racial undertones and that the vast majority of guests have never heard of.

A friend of mine just got done analysis the plans and he says he can make out railroad tracks and a patchwork almost storybook land look in the dumbo area...If they add Casey Jr. or Storybook land or the Dumbo's Circus Discovery Bay concept I will definetly be onboard with this overhaul.




The Harry Potter franchise basically reinvented childrens fantasy and got people reading at a time when it looked like book reading was a becoming unpopular/fadding away.



She says that and then releases another HP novel (The Bard tales which are referenced in the novels) plus as I said one day these films will need remakes. Regardless though this series has left a HUGE impact as big as Star Wars that will be remembred for generations to come. If you call this a fad than Star Wars and Indy are fads too.

Of course, then you have the parents that don't want their kids reading books about fantasy and magic. I won't go into my full rant on that, but suffice it to say, I don't agree.

Surprised me too. But I would put money on Adventure before Frontier. Fantasyland is the front runner though.

I would hope that with any major attractions/capacity additions in Frontierland it would attempt to spread crowds out from the Big Thunder/Splash Mountain area? Are their expansion pads in Frontierland? Are you talking about a revisit to Discovery Bay? If they are to keep the chronology of Liberty Square through Frontierland (ignoring Splash Mountain) where would Discovery Bay fit in along the line? What year does Big Thunder Mountain take place?

 

[NewfieFan]

No, I have to agree that that list of new things in Fantasyland sounds like pure crap. Too much "Little Mermaid" in there. Definitely need something like an Aladdin Cave of Wonders Adventure ride, or maybe a Mary Poppins Hop into the Painting Attraction, or even an Alice in Wonderland dark ride (in the vein of Mr. Toad, Snow White, Peter Pan, or Pooh).

How is there too much "Little Mermaid"? There's one attraction, a M&G, and a shop!?! That's pretty standard, if you ask me!?! :shrug:

 

[Disneydad75]

I would hope that with any major attractions/capacity additions in Frontierland it would attempt to spread crowds out from the Big Thunder/Splash Mountain area? Are their expansion pads in Frontierland? Are you talking about a revisit to Discovery Bay? If they are to keep the chronology of Liberty Square through Frontierland (ignoring Splash Mountain) where would Discovery Bay fit in along the line? What year does Big Thunder Mountain take place?

There doesn't appear to be much land available in Frontierland. There's a section on the island to the rear of the Fort, and possibly some room between the river and the HM show building. The problems with these 2 spots would most likely be usable space and logistics...

I believe BTM is set in the Califoria Gold Rush era, circa late 1800's.

 

[Studios Fan]

How is there too much "Little Mermaid"? There's one attraction, a M&G, and a shop!?! That's pretty standard, if you ask me!?! :shrug:

Agreed. That Adventureland re-do / expansion sounds interesting. Is it a case where we get either Fantasyland and Adventureland or just one gets a re-do?

 

[castevens]

Agreed. That Adventureland re-do / expansion sounds interesting. Is it a case where we get either Fantasyland and Adventureland or just one gets a re-do?

My guess would be Fantasyland only because of the gender breakdown which was brought up earlier in this thread. In short, there are 2 lands "for boys" and 1 land "for girls," being Fantasyland, which is really quite small. Having said that, Fantasyland has many more operational rides as-is than Adventureland

 

[calicommando]

I believe BTM is set in the Califoria Gold Rush era, circa late 1800's.

maybe mid 1800's. 49ish

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

I'm not going to tell you guys the actual plan I was told. I have a job with the company and a possible future that I'm not going to jeopardize by posting detailed proposals online.:wave:

But I can tell you the other land I heard mentioned was Frontierland.

What the heck could they do there? The land is pretty good.


WRE?


*runs away*:lookaroun:lol:

 

[IWant2GoNow]

Same park. Different lands. 2 different proposals from what I've heard. And 2 that excite me much more than this.

And on the HP talk, it is just as big as Star Wars. The thing is an absolute phenomenon, and will stand the test of time much better than Captain Jack Sparrow ever will.

New Fantasyland... Beastly Kingdomme rears its ugly head once more... and now more MK lands being spiffed up and updated?? I CAN'T BREATHE! There's too much going on... but it sure is awesome. Haha. I know every last one of these are just rumors, but the Rubik's Cube messages from the insiders are very intriguing. I sense October 1st may be the new Christmas for Dis-nerds. :xmas:

 

[Walter Yensid]

Has anyone who is a cast member at MK or the insiders see any activity near the tunnel or in the plot where TLM/Beauty and the Beast would allegedly be going.

I know that land is pretty clear, but I would be interested to hear if anyone has seen any construction vehicles, trailers, surveyors, etc back there as of late. We know there has to be an official announcement first, but we know from that past, that there has been some pre-construction, pre-announcement work on other additions/refurbs. Maybe, not necessary with such an open plot, but interested to hear if and when people see activity.

Seems like this would be the logical place to start as there would be no impact on the park.

 

[dhall]

B&TB area isn't likely to be a 2nd castle

Over in the MiceChat thread, someone's described the Belle area as being themed to the her home village. I think this makes a lot more sense than using the Beast's castle, since

• the village idea ties into the adjoining Pinnochio architecture better (I know the it looks like the castle wall will separate the two, but we don't know how visually separate the two will be, given that there will still be a lot of openings in the wall to alleviate guest flow
• the village idea also presents more opportunities to logically include store fronts for retail & food, and is easier to associate themed food stalls as well.
• it doesn't make sense to have too many dueling weenies in one area

 

[Figment4Ever]

My impression was there were two separate areas, Belle's Village and Be our Guest...Belle's Village would be as you say, but the Be our Guest restaurant would be Beast's castle. Could be wrong but that's how I viewed the blueprints.

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

My impression was there were two separate areas, Belle's Village and Be our Guest...Belle's Village would be as you say, but the Be our Guest restaurant would be Beast's castle. Could be wrong but that's how I viewed the blueprints.

I thought the same thing...it enforces the idea of there being more than one land here.