The Talk, News, Rumors, About Phase 3

[danlb_2000]

Heard lights and such were also being removed so sounds like business as usual. This is good.

I am wondering what they are going to do with the wall that runs along the side of the Muppets Courtyard. I wonder If they will leave the structure there and put some theming on the Muppets side that ties in with that area.

 

[jt04]

I am wondering what they are going to do with the wall that runs along the side of the Muppets Courtyard. I wonder If they will leave the structure there and put some theming on the Muppets side that ties in with that area.

I do. And we should be able to discern the long term fate of Muppet Courtyard by the quality of it. Actually one of the adds I am really looking forward to if the area is permanent.

 

[DisneyGentleman]

So I reached out to "my guy." He said IF Star Wars Land was moved to SoA, it would open closer to DL's version (only a 6-12 month delay, vs. 2 years) but the plan would then be to fill all of the show venues at the front of the park with new shows and call it a day (i.e. mermaid and BATB would get replacements and perhaps Indy would stay with a new show).

Kylo Ren's Stunt Spectacular

 

[Pam Hates Penguins]

@BrianLo said that if SWL would go in the LMA area, it has a very unlikely chance of phase 3.

 

[ToTBellHop]

@BrianLo said that if SWL would go in the LMA area, it has a very unlikely chance of phase 3.

View attachment 137308

Will they build your Carsland at Epcot then? There's an expansion plot between the Land and the Seas. They could call it The Rocks.

 

[Pam Hates Penguins]

Will they build your Carsland at Epcot then? There's an expansion plot between the Land and the Seas. They could call it The Rocks.

I'll let you know after I get off the phone with Bob Iger.

 

[rioriz]

Phase 4 was planned for Animation Courtyard so I could see how that may turn into 3 while opening the other side of the park with the weenies!

The money is there and something will happen

 

[BrianLo]

@BrianLo said that if SWL would go in the LMA area, it has a very unlikely chance of phase 3.

View attachment 137308

I said the opposite actually. I don't think it seriously effects the odds of a phase 3 one way or the other. It might look quite different, but it was never finalized when everyone heard about it last summer.

 

[doctornick]

I said the opposite actually. I don't think it seriously effects the odds of a phase 3 one way or the other. It might look quite different, but it was never finalized when everyone heard about it last summer.

Yes, I tend to agree with you that changing the location of Phase 3 shouldn't impact the potential of what is build. It seems unlikely that they were considering reusing any infrastructure for Phase 3 -- what would they reuse? Catastrophe Canyon? LMA? Maybe the Premiere Theater, but that's not exactly a complex building and could be easily built in a new location.

So, the issue should only be space and they can create the proper space in the front of the park (Echo Lake) or elsewhere (behind Animation/near RnR or even by expanding the park boundaries by claiming wetlands) if they wanted. Sure I could see them wanting to put multiple Pixar properties next to each other, but that's not that big deal if they are separated. It's not like it is the same theme.

 

[PizzaPlanet]

Phase 4 was planned for Animation Courtyard so I could see how that may turn into 3 while opening the other side of the park with the weenies!

The money is there and something will happen

I can see Monster Inc going into Animation Courtyard. It would be right next to Toy Story.

 

[mhaftman7]

The question I have is a little more complicated. The current agreement MCA has with Marvel prevents the usage of "family" members of The Avengers and X-Men. Is that limited to the original lineup that MCA used/currently using? Is that limited to specific individuals i.e., Steve Rogers is Captain America, but Falcon and The Winter Soldier also have taken that mantle. So are they unusable? Thor has also changed to a female version. Is she unusable. More people than Bruce Banner have become a "Hulk". Are they unusable. What time frame does the "family" encompass? Between Avengers and Avengers West Coast, the teams have had revolving doors. I think at some point that Marvel would try to buy out MCA, but that's something that's gone on for years I'd imagine. In one direction, I could see a push for an expansion at DHS, but in another, would the long term projected profitability justify waiting it out and opening a new gate?

 

[SCOTLORR]

Back when the announcements for these lands first happened, @marni1971 said (On his Map) that LMA/SOA was phase 3 and animation courtyard was the expansion pad for phase 4. Now with SWL likely to go in LMA/SOA, I feel like the more likely area for a phase 3 would now be a mix of animation courtyard and where SWL was originally planned for (Around Indy). Since it can be directly connected to TSL, animation could be where they put the pixar part of phase 3 (door coaster anyone?) then over where Indy is they can make an indiana jones mini land and maybe re-skin star tours to a different IP. It's not as huge as what we originally thought phase 3 would be, but if they did this I'd still consider it a success.

 

[LieutLaww]

Disney cannot use pretty much anyone under the Marvel banner, even GOTG is a grey area due to their affiliation in part with the Avengers. The contract Universal has is very iron clad with pretty much no wiggle room for Disney.

 

[doctornick]

The question I have is a little more complicated. The current agreement MCA has with Marvel prevents the usage of "family" members of The Avengers and X-Men. Is that limited to the original lineup that MCA used/currently using? Is that limited to specific individuals i.e., Steve Rogers is Captain America, but Falcon and The Winter Soldier also have taken that mantle. So are they unusable? Thor has also changed to a female version. Is she unusable. More people than Bruce Banner have become a "Hulk". Are they unusable. What time frame does the "family" encompass? Between Avengers and Avengers West Coast, the teams have had revolving doors.

Indeed. I'm of the mind that the "family" clause is relatively non-specific and open to interpretation. The lawyers could duke it out if Disney would try to push the envelop. It's possible and even likely that Disney/Marvel and Comcast/Uni have gotten together to "clarify" potential gray areas in a mutually satisfactory way -- there are least were rumors of some discussions a year or two ago before plans for an Avengers ride in IoA came about.

Regarding specific properties, it's evident that GotG and Big Hero 6 are clear for WDW to use, since they have previously be used in the parks. Most of the other major properties are clearly off limits for Disney (Hulk, Captain America, pretty much any Avenger like Iron Man or Ant-Man, any X-Men, Fantastic Four and their related characters, Spider-Man and related characters). IMHO, some of the possible gray area characters could include Dr. Strange, the Inhumans, people from SHIELD.

Regardless, Disney cannot use the Marvel name in the theme parks, so they don't get that ability use branding.

 

[HauntedMansionFLA]

@BrianLo said that if SWL would go in the LMA area, it has a very unlikely chance of phase 3.

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The future expansion in purple would fit nicely where Muppets is located and connect the land to ST.

 

[elchippo]

Toy Story and Star Wars will get built (by 2020?), and once they are operating, Indy 5 will be out, and if successful perhaps they will bulldoze Indy Show for a proper (yet minimal) Indy Land. They could still call the Stunt Show Area "Indyland" in the meantime, just as Muppet Courtyard has received its official designation. Makes more sense to leave this people eater up and running while everything else is closing. I'm very intrigued by this Phase 4/Animation Courtyard talk. I still want a "Classic Walt" land.

 

[doctornick]

Toy Story and Star Wars will get built (by 2020?), and once they are operating, Indy 5 will be out, and if successful perhaps they will bulldoze Indy Show for a proper (yet minimal) Indy Land. They could still call the Stunt Show Area "Indyland" in the meantime, just as Muppet Courtyard has received its official designation. Makes more sense to leave this people eater up and running while everything else is closing. I'm very intrigued by this Phase 4/Animation Courtyard talk. I still want a "Classic Walt" land.

To their credit, it does seem like "getting them open ASAP" (while taking into account Disney's slow building nature) is the plan for DHS right now. The cutbacks in TSL and the placement of SW in the SoA/LMA area indicate a desire to open them quickly. I'm expecting something like TSL by early 2018 and SWL sometime in 2019.

I think they'd wait to do anything in the Echo Lake area until at least TSL is open, but I hope when TSL opens they will close the stunt show at that point and work on something in Echo Lake (perhaps an Indiana Jones ride at least if not some Pixar stuff) such that hopefully we'll get some type of "Phase 3" stuff by around 2021 -- in time for the 50th anniversary of WDW.

As for your thought about a "Classic Walt" area, I've always been a big fan of doing something like that -- an area themed to Disney animated films (as opposed to Pixar). If they tear down the Animation building (including the offices there), it opens up a ton of space and a possible connection to where RnR is. You could do some variant of Toontown perhaps. One of my pipe dreams for such an area would be to "bring back" Mr. Toad's Wild Ride updated using LPS tech (like how Tokyo's Pooh is updated).

 

[AKL2003]

Back when the announcements for these lands first happened, @marni1971 said (On his Map) that LMA/SOA was phase 3 and animation courtyard was the expansion pad for phase 4. Now with SWL likely to go in LMA/SOA, I feel like the more likely area for a phase 3 would now be a mix of animation courtyard and where SWL was originally planned for (Around Indy). Since it can be directly connected to TSL, animation could be where they put the pixar part of phase 3 (door coaster anyone?) then over where Indy is they can make an indiana jones mini land and maybe re-skin star tours to a different IP. It's not as huge as what we originally thought phase 3 would be, but if they did this I'd still consider it a success.

I agree...I'd add updating the BatB show (including the theater)...perhaps add a decent parade...DHS would definitely be heading in the right direction.

 

[doctornick]

I agree...I'd add updating the BatB show (including the theater)...perhaps add a decent parade...DHS would definitely be heading in the right direction.

New show in BatB theater (which is supposed to be getting enclosed), a daytime show at the Fantasmic theater and a replacement for VOTLM (if that building continues to exist) should be stuff that Disney should do for this park.

And, yes, a day time parade. At least do small processionals for whatever newest film comes out.

 

[ToTBellHop]

New show in BatB theater (which is supposed to be getting enclosed), a daytime show at the Fantasmic theater and a replacement for VOTLM (if that building continues to exist) should be stuff that Disney should do for this park.

And, yes, a day time parade. At least do small processionals for whatever newest film comes out.

They will still make those show updates even with Phase 3 in question. We will CERTAINLY get two new lands and a handful of new shows around the park. I ANTICIPATE at least 1 further big ticket ride (new) as well. As originally envisioned, we would have gotten at least one more full-fledged land.