To Infinity and Beyond: The Future of Walt Disney World

[DisneyManOne]

Disney's Animal Kingdom
North America
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Redwood Creek

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Coming from someone who has lived in the Northern United States for most of his life, you can't deny that North America has given the world some highly majestic animals. As such, a whole new area of Disney's Animal Kingdom is devoted to those sorts of animals. As you can tell from the picture above, this land is themed around a redwoods national park. Sharing a name with a DCA attraction, Redwood Creek is a natural oasis of wood, rock and water.

The first major attraction here is the Redwood Creek Path, the land's animal trail. This trail features some animals that are more familiar to American tourists, but can still be a good chance to learn more about the animal kingdom. Small animals are first on the path with raccoons, prairie dogs, groundhogs, opposums, ferrets, foxes, squirrels, rabbits, skunks and beavers in their natural habitats. Next are some of the largest animals of the park, American bison, as well as American alligators. Then, we see wolves and coyotes in caves, followed by a trip past a North American bird habitat. After that guests pass a small habitats for deer, elk and pronghorns, before going across a stream that is the habitat for a family of otters. After that is the main animal of the trail, grizzly bears. This will be a very large habitat that is built up into the rockwork of the mountain. This is meant to be the most impressive animal area of the expansion and possibly of the park, taking you right into an authentic national park.

Nearby is a replica of DCA's Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. It features a network of trails simulating a trail in a redwood forest, a large network of stairs and rope bridges, a traverse rock climbing wall, a zip line, side-by-side slides, and an amphitheater, used for telling traditional Native American stories. Explorers can also visit the "Spirit Cave" to find what spirit animal represents them (bear, wolf, eagle, moose, salmon, and skunk).

The main building of this land is a heavy timber lodge building, which plays host to the Hungry Bear Restaurant. Its name and inspiration comes from the counter service restaurant in Disneyland. The restaurant is situated on the edge of a river, spreading throughout the redwood forest. The lodge also plays host to demonstrations of North American animal behavior; particularly some of the bigger animals on the Redwood Creek Path. Overlooking the edge of the river is the Yellowstone Carousel, basically a covered carousel with North American animals.

In a secluded area of the deep redwood forest is a stage area, known as "Grandmother Willow's Grove", serving host to another former WDW favorite that has returned from the attraction graveyard: Pocahontas and Her Forest Friends. In this show, Pocahontas, Grandmother Willow and a little sapling named Sprig set out to find the fabled protector of the forest. As Pocahontas discovers the path she must take, she interacts with live trained animals such as rabbits, opossums, a skunk, a porcupine, a snake, and rats. All in all, the show is mainly about the importance of protecting and preserving our forests.

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In addition to playing host to Pocahontas and Her Forest Friends, Grandmother Willow's Grove also serves as a home for live storytelling shows. In these shows, which run alternately with Forest Friends, Pocahontas, joined by an apprentice storyteller (and a few audience members), tells the tales of the Native American people. Passed down from generation to generation, these stories are based on a respect for all forms of life, especially the plants and animals we depend on. For an example of how this storytelling would work, I highly encourage watching this video sharing a well-known Native American tale (in this video, it starts around the 2:25 mark).

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The final point-of-interest here in North America is the Redwood Creek Station, the second of only two stops the Wildlife Express makes on its trek (the first one being in Africa, of course).

Passing underneath a train trestle a few feet away, you'll find yourself on a pathway leading towards Rafiki's Planet Watch.

But that's not all: North America is also home to two amazing, innovative dark rides. Frankly, I think I'll have to devote a whole post to talking about them. See ya then!

 

[DisneyManOne]

Disney's Animal Kingdom
North America
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The Dark Rides​

As previously stated, North America will play host to two brand-new dark rides. What sets these dark rides apart from other Disney dark rides is how they're presented. They both have scarce reliance on dialogue, with an emphasis on music and an impressionist art-driven narrative. It should spark strong emotional responses, is essentially what I'm saying.

Bambi: A Life in the Forest

This is a concept devised by @spacemt354 for the current, soon-to-be-concluded season of SYWTBAI. Inspired by the concept sketches of the legendary artist Tyrus Wong, this dark ride, themed around the 1942 animated masterpiece, features an ingenuous concept: scenes that flow together in a rhythmic harmony that illustrate Bambi's maturation from a young fawn to the leader of the forest, told through several makeshift vignettes of the forest seasons of Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, and back to Spring.

The ride building is built into the same complex as the shops and restaurants of South America and the Great Barrier Reef. Its show building is the same size as that of The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh over at the Magic Kingdom. Guests begin their experience by stepping inside a wooden lodge building, winding through a series of switchbacks, where birds and other woodland creatures can be heard chirping and humming along with the spring sunshine. Lining the queue are impressionist forest paintings throughout the switchbacks, that quite literally, 'paint' the picture of where you are heading in the attraction.

As you approach the load area, a large nest approaches as your ride vehicles, symbolizing not only a connection with nature, but also an underlying reference to an attachment towards motherly figures, as being in a birds nest is an allusion to Bambi's close relationship with his mother.

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As the nest glides off into the forest, we hear morning birds and a crisp spring/summer breeze before us as we turn the corner to see Bambi with his mother, as well as Thumper, Flower, and Faline in the distance calling for Bambi to play with them.

he jovial and upbeat background music gives the guests a calming sense of serenity throughout the forest, as the nest glides through the trees, and we see Bambi playing along, his mother watching proudly, and looming in the distance, The Great Prince of the Forest, watching and protecting the forest from 'Man'.

As we transition into the next season, the leaves have turned and we see some of the woodland creatures preparing for hibernation, Bambi and his mother prance along as the fall season transitions into snow for the next scene. We then hear a gunshot as Bambi's echoing call for mother can be heard throughout the snow covered trees. A shadowing figure, The Great Prince, appears in the distance to tell Bambi, "Your mother can't be with you anymore. Come, my son." For an added emotional effect - after the line of dialogue is spoken, the scene flows into complete silence as the background music fades, and you watch Bambi slowly stride off with the shadowy figure in the distance and the scene continues to black amidst the silence.

The blackness of the tunnel acts as a time jump as we now see Bambi as a young stag the following winter, courting Faline as more gunshots are heard in the distance through the forest and the trees begin to turn orange and red. Sensing danger, your nest begins to franctically swerve back and forth through the tattered remains of the forest. This room utilizes the "burning Rome" smellitzer from Spaceship Earth, as the room's aroma places you in a burning forest with the pumped in smell of burning wood.

Bambi is seen taking charge, making sure everyone from his family and friends is safe, leading away the hunter's dogs as more gunfire shoots off in the background of this dramatically intense scene.

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As the smoke clears and fire settles, Spring emerges with the forest critters gathering for a grand reveal. The nest turns to see Bambi as The Great Prince of the Forest, with 'Love is a Song' playing in the background. As you turn towards the unload area, you see Bambi standing on a rock formation high above his forest, and Faline with newborn twins, as Bambi has grown into his true destiny.

The second dark ride can be found on the farthest outskirts of the national park. We head down a forest trail past thundering waterfalls and crystal-clear streams. Rock formations in the shape of eagles, owls, and other "forest spirits" lay hidden among the falls, suggesting that perhaps magic lays deep within the earth. Totem poles appear on either side of the trail, the distant howl of a wolf setting an eerie tone. Down the trail, the drumming and chanting of the Native American people seems to grow louder and louder, until we finally find ourselves in front of a world seemingly untouched by modern man. Marked by a great rock formation, covered in grass, wildflowers and waterfalls, weaved boats stand ready to takes us down...

The Rivers of Nature
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This all-new attraction, created specifically for Disney's Animal Kingdom, is a gentle boat ride that takes you through a natural forest habitat, meeting all the various inhabitants of the forest, and seeing how they live. A Native-American-inspired score serves as the underscore for the ride, providing a very natural feel. There's no spoken dialogue. This ride is a truly emotional experience, relying heavily on natural sights and sounds. It all culminates in a beautiful moment where we encounter...well, I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's experience the ride for ourselves.

Overlooking all of Redwood Creek, the Rivers of Nature is marked by a haven of rocks, trees, waterfalls and just all around beauty. We meander through the woods and come across a wooden dock, where a parade of worn-out wooden boats passes through, guests stepping in and out as they prepare to take their journey. Now, if the idea of wooden boats reminds you of the Amazon River Adventure or Mystic River Mountain just a few feet away, fear not. This ride is as gentle as a quiet river. The journey begins as you pass by the river that sails past the lodge, and into the rocky structure itself. Native American flute music fills our ears as we enter the dark caverns. Suddenly, from within the caverns, the stars appear overhead. They turn into constellations, immersing us in a beautiful night atmosphere.

Soon, we find ourselves deep in the heart of the forest. Trees, flowers, plants and small animals like snakes, frogs and bugs all reside here, living peacefully in harmony with each other and the land. The trees occasionally turn bright green and send a beautiful green beam towards a green sky-bird that flies past. What is this creature? But before we can guess, the bird flies off...for now. A few feet away, we come across a beaver colony. In a scene taken out of Nature's Wonderland, friendly beavers build their dams and chop down trees in a sense of true companionship and cooperation. The bird from before flies past, and the beavers nod their heads respectfully. Again, our curiosity peaks. Who is this bird, and why were the beavers acknowledging it? We haven't time to wonder, because we find ourselves in Bear Country. These bears are gentle, casually scratching their backs against trees, and foraging for fish. The bird again flies past, and the bears acknowledge it. Why???

Say, is the temperature rising or it is just us? That's because we've wondered out of the forest, and into the desert. Cacti and prarie dogs roam the desert, as it gives way to the prairies, where the buffalo roam, and the deer and the antelope play. As we leave, we make an unsettling discovery...is that a forest fire in the distance?

The animals desperately run through the burning branches, trying to get away. The fire rages stronger and stronger...until, the bird from before appears. With the swoop of its mighty wings, the fire stops. The animals turn round to face the bird and bow to it. Through the use of SFX, it's revealed that the bird is actually the spirit of Mother Nature, represented here as a green-skinned woman with flowers in her hair, and wearing a long green cloak. With a wave of her hand, we suddenly find ourselves in...

...the true Heart of the Forest. This is where all flora and fauna, fish and fowl, animal and human, live in harmony. The trees intertwine, the flowers blossom, it all adds up to Disney's biggest and most elaborate show scene. This should beat out the ending of Na'vi River Journey for sheer beauty. As we circle through the Heart, a choir joins the triumphant Native American music. It's just too beautiful, I cannot even describe it in mere words. Just close your eyes and picture a world where nature rules supreme. Isn't it beautiful?

As we head out, we come across one last scene. It's a scene similar to the "American farm" scene from EPCOT's Living with the Land, but it's night instead of dawn. A boy is casually looking up at the star-and-moonlit sky, in awe. Suddenly, the bird flies past. The trees give off the green beam again. The boy gasps. The bird turns back into Mother Nature, and gives the boy a reassuring smile. With that, she turns back into the bird and flies off into the night. We pass through yet another constellation-filled cavern and return to the old dock.

 

[DisneyManOne]

Wow, it's been quite some time since we've been here. I've been busy with college work, as well as starting work on Sorcerer's Apprentice. So, why don't we dive back in? We've still got a little bit more of Animal Kingdom to explore, so let's get exploring!
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Disney's Animal Kingdom
Arctic Ocean

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Polar animals are always some of the most popular animals at many zoos and aquariums. Penguins, otters, and polar bears are animals I always wanted to see in the park, so this Arctic Ocean mini-land would serve as an amazing way to include polar animals into the Animal Kingdom experience. The entirely indoor land is accessed by a new bridge over the small river separating Everest from the Theater in the Wild.

The entrance is a polar ice cave, blending with the rockwork of Everest next door. Inside, the rock work opens up to a large indoor atrium, which simulates an arctic night sky. This clearing contains seating area for the Ice Cave Cafe counter service location, which serves fish and chicken. The very center of the cleaning holds a medium sized rockwork form, which disguises projectors which display the Aurora Borealis on the ceiling above.

The mini-land's animal path, the Polar Caves Path, is accessed through another ice cave off of the main clearing. The path features an arctic fox habitat, an arctic wolf habitat, a potential arctic rabbit habitat, a seal and walrus habitat, a beluga whale habitat, maybe a narwhal habitat, a large penguin habitat, and then the main room, the polar bear habitat which includes windows that look underwater.

At the far back of this land is Polar Journey, a mild coaster experience along the ice. The queue goes through more ice caves before reaching one of 2 load platforms. One serves FastPass+ while the other serves the standby queue. The vehicle is a sled with 4 seats in one row, very similar to the vehicles from Primeval Whirl, except less uncomfortable and more padded. The two loading tracks merge and enter the dark ride portion of the ride. We are introduced to a polar bear family before seeing the baby polar bear wander away. These scenes would be primarily animatronic based, with a little projection. After a few more scenes, the track splits again to enter the coaster section. The coaster is very low thrill, with the main point just to simulate the sled slipping and sliding on the ice. The track takes the sled through small hills and turns as we follow the polar bear sliding through the ice caves, seen in projections that we quickly pass. Eventually they are reunited and we pull back into the unloading area. The exit then leads to a small gift shop on either side.

 

[DisneyManOne]

Disney's Animal Kingdom
The Dino Institute

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As we all know, the main problem with the current Dinoland U.S.A. in its current formation is that the vast majority of the the land is a theme park within a theme park. It is not like Disney has never done this before, a notable example being DCA's Pixar (formerly Paradise) Pier, but that actually works. It has gotten better over the years, with the additions of Little Mermaid, Toy Story Mania and World of Color and they actually fully committed to the idea of having a romanticized boardwalk area. However, over at DAK, they sort of dropped a bomb here. Chester and Hester's Dino-Rama just doesn't match up with the Dinosaur attraction. Plus, the land takes up so much space by adding in the midway carnival games in the middle, which doesn't really make much sense being in a dinosaur themed land.

As such, I plan to give the entire land a major renovation. This renovation will call for the complete removal of Chester and Hester's Dino-Rama, including all of the midway games, TriceraTop Spin and Primeval Whirl. Also, something to address is that, when guests enter into The Dino Institute, they are still in the current day real-world. They are not entering into the world of the dinosaurs, as that simply interferes with the storyline of the Dinosaur attraction, where guests have to go back in time. The entire land has to take place in the real world in order for it to consistently make sense. With that said, the entire land will heavily use the theme of time travel, to go back to a time when dinosaurs did exist. While dinosaurs may be extinct, they still play a major part in the story of Disney's Animal Kingdom. The Dino Institute displays the beliefs and attitudes about dinosaurs that we have come to believe for all of the world to see. The Dino Institute "theme" from the Dinosaur attraction has been expanded to fit the entire land in two distinct areas: the Institute itself and the excavation site.

The excavation site, the first area guests enter in this land, has the look and feel of a working paleontological dig. Entering the site, guests will first come across The Boneyard on the left side of the path. The area would become far more detailed and immersive than its current state with a tremendous amount of rockwork meant to resemble the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Continuing into the area where Chester and Hester's Dino-Rama used to exist, there is now a new attraction: The Excavator. The Excavator, a rejected concept which has been revived for this re-working of Dinoland, would have fit in perfectly with the backstory of Dinoland. For those of you that don’t know the tale, Dinoland started out as the site of a sand and gravel company. One day, as workers were digging up sand to load into a waiting dump truck, they uncovered a massive dinosaur bone. Scientists were then called to the scene and discovered that, just below the surface, was the paleontological find of the century. A wealthy benefactor for a local college immediately swooped in and bought up the sand and gravel pit. That same wealthy benefactor became obsessed with why it was that so many perfectly preserved dinosaur skeletons could be found in this one spot. The only way to solve this particular mystery was to travel back in time and then attempt to observe whatever it was that actually caused this massive dinosaur extinction. The wealthy benefactor thus poured billions into the creation of the Dino Institute, whose research resulted in the invention of the Time Rover.

In this original backstory, the Excavator was supposed to be a piece of equipment which was left over from the site's sand and gravel pit days, a series of ore cars that had once been used to haul materials up out of the heart of this pit to the area where the dump trucks got loaded up. Over time, due to over-digging and as the sand in the pit began to shift, the Excavator became unsafe to operate. The sand and gravel company then shut down the ore cars and the Excavator stood empty and abandoned for a few years, becoming even more rickety and unsafe. Then, when the wealthy benefactor bought the sand and gravel pit, he sent in groups of college students to work on the site. These college students then decided to put this old and unsafe piece of mining equipment back to work again, allowing them to use the old, rusty ore cars to haul some of the larger dinosaur bones that they've discovered. As guests move through the queue for this attraction towards the load area, they walk past dozens of "Condemned" signs in addition to all sorts of safety barriers that the sand and gravel pit's workmen had set up that the college students have recently pulled down. The ride itself is a wooden roller coaster that takes guests past antiquated pieces of mining equipment, dodging around massive dinosaur bones and fossils, and careening through unstable mine shafts that could collapse at any moment. This wild and crazy ride is similar to the experience of Big Thunder Mountain but “plussed” with new technology. In fact, I think the Grizzly Mountain Mine Cars from Hong Kong Disneyland provide an apt comparison.

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Hidden in the shadows of the dig site is a dense forest of Northern California inspiration, a la Yosemite National Park or the Redwoods. The waters of the bay drift past our path, quietly seeping into the heart of the unknown. At first glance, the forest appears harmless, but a quick listen proves otherwise...some unnatural beast has unleashed an unheard of, almost primeval shriek. This forest is none other than the home of Voyage to the Lost World, a trip into a forested realm inhabited by, you guessed it: dinosaurs. We are practically on our own as we venture through this fantastic world untouched by mankind where the fearsome Tyrannosaurus Rex and majestic Brachiosaurus all live in relative peace among their fellow dinosaurians. It isn't until we show up that things go awry, much to our dismay. Much of the attraction is inspired by Fantasia's infamous "Rite of Spring" segment as well as Ford's Magic Skyway of the 1964-1965 World's Fair and the Universe of Energy at EPCOT Center (those dinosaur animatronics will be moved over here), while the storyline and concept are loosely inspired by the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. You can bet that a climactic drop involving never-ending combat between a certain T-Rex and Stegosaurus is in order.

On the farthest edge of the land, just before heading back towards Journey into the Jungle Book and Expedition Everest, guests will find Trilo-Bites, a small quick-service location. The area also features the Cretaceous Creatures display unit, which offers the skeletal bone remains of several dinosaurs, similar to the one of the Carnotaurus constructed in the queue of the Dinosaur attraction. The exibits offer a wealth of information about each of the dinosaurs, while also continuing to carry out the Dino Institute theme throughout the entire land. Leading back towards the path to Discovery Island, guests will come across Restaurantosaurus, which will be remodeled to match the theme of The Dino Institute, to feature skeletal replicas of several Dinosaurs and mosaics of every era of the Dinosaurs along the walls of the restaurant.

At the far back of the pavilion, guests will find the Dino Institute headquarters, home of the land's signature attraction: Countdown to Extinction. On Countdown to Extinction, guests board EMV vehicles known as "Time Rovers" and travel back in time to rescue an iguanodon. Here, guests are sent back in time, to the end of the Cretaceous Period, to the end of the dinosaurs, right before the meteor that struck the Earth impacts. The trip takes guests on a frantic chase through prehistoric forests, as they catch glimpses of broad displays of different dinosaur species, crashing meteors and several encounters with a Carnotaurus, whom spots the guests as his prey. As for refurbishing the ride, I'd make sure that all the effects were restored to their original working condition. For example, guests riding today might not know that the Pterodactyl originally swooped down at the Time Rover and the Compsognathus leapt over the vehicle as it passed by. In addition, there are multiple lighting and smoke effects that were originally part of the ride that are no longer working.

I would also take the opportunity to “plus” Countdown to Extinction with enhanced show scenes to make the experience even more immersive. Dinosaur shares the same track layout as the Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland, but where the two differ is in the amount of detail featured on the ride. Whereas Indiana Jones has elaborately themed and detailed scenes, Dinosaur is very dark with lighting that mostly just highlights the large animatronic figures while paying little attention to their surroundings. I would seek to enhance the attraction by building up the environments around the animatronic figures. A good example of this comes from some of the original concept art for the attraction.

Also, I read on Wikipedia that when Countdown to Extinction turned into Dinosaur, they toned down a couple aspects because, now that the ride was a tie-in to the film, more kids would be riding. So, with that said, I'd restore a few things from the early days of the ride. I'd make the EMV motion much more intense and restore the ride's original soundtrack. In the original soundtrack, after the encounter with the first audio-animatronic Carnotaurus, the footsteps and roars of the dinosaur could be heard directly behind the vehicle, giving guests the feeling that they were being pursued. And that sounds really frightening...and perfect for a ride like this! This would allow the ride to become more popular than it currently is!

Now, don't think that our time at Disney's Animal Kingdom is done just yet. I've heard that one of the winning projects of The Sorcerer's Apprentice competition involved a South America land built in-between Africa and Pandora. But as for me, well, since I've already got a South America, that seems a bit redundant. I would love to take the opportunity to finally bring Beastly Kingdom to life, but I don't see how this could be feasible.

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Unless, of course, we re-route that service road, I don't see how that could work. If anyone worked on that South America project for Sorcerer's Apprentice, could you tell me how you were able to get around that? Until then, I'll see you guys in the next post.

 

[DisneyManOne]

Disney's Animal Kingdom
Beastlie Kingdomme

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Earlier today, I asked @spacemt354 about my little problem regarding Beastly Kingdom. This is what he had to say:

"I think Red had mentioned she was back there when she worked Pandora...the big rectangular building is a cafeteria which could probably be relocated and the stream behind it drained or integrated into the land along with the far left side...the only thing that limits it is you can't go north of the parking lot because it's animal zone."​

Well, if it's really not that big a hassle, here's what I'd like to do. Welcome, one and all, to Beastlie Kingdomme!

A crystal-clear stream trickles beneath an arched footbridge, churned by a thundering waterfall pouring from a nearby rock formation in the shape of a fire-breathing dragon. The twisted forests and colors of Pandora and the exotic village of Harambe meet to form a path to continue on into the forests of Beastlie Kingdomme, welcoming us to the world of mythological beasts and animals, a fairy tale come true for RPG nerds everywhere. At last, this land, long since lost to the pages of history, shall finally join the storied history of Disney's Animal Kingdom, finally completing the triptych of animals represented in-park: Animals that are, animals that were, and animals that never were. On the horizon, an ancient castle stands tall above the kingdom, perhaps inhabited by the darker creatures of mythology. On the adjacent horizon, a luscious mountaintop casts a welcoming shadow on the kingdom below, perhaps inhabited by the kinder creatures of mythology.

Passing the bridge and going through a brief forest, we first find ourselves standing before a golden house. This estate is Mythica Manor. Inside this Renaissance-inspired home, we find a museum-like tribute to the various creatures of folklore. Real-life cryptozoology is also featured within the museum, exhibits showcasing the likes of the Sasquatch, Loch Ness Monster and Yeti on prominent display. Going westward from Mythica Manor, we come across the "darker" side of Beastlie Kingdomme.

In taking the dark forest road, guests would be led along a path with charred suits of armor, abandoned weapons, and an eerie smokey atmosphere. Emerging from the path, we find ourselves before an old tavern. This is the Heroes' Tavern, a place where knights of old used to rest. When they weren't fighting dragons or saving damsels, you can bet they were right here, enjoying themselves. The bill of fare is traditional pub fare: meat, chicken, vegetables, tons of desserts, cheeses, and all that jazz. Plus, this is a good place to go for ale, mead and other English beer.

But just beyond this tavern, we head towards a certain town under the shadow of a curled-hill...a trail separate from the others leads to an ancient castle perched high above the treetops, appearing to be battered and worn from an ancient battle centuries ago...

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A clearing in the forest brings us to the threshold of this ancient stronghold, immediately surrounding us with a Stonehenge-like arena seeming to have been built as a tribute to some great spirit. In the center of it all rests the skeletal remains of a mighty dragon, and not of the Maleficent variety. This giant fossil was at one time a true medieval dragon, the ones in which haunted the dreams and visions of the European countryside in the Dark Ages. Suddenly, a massive fireball spews from the twisted-facade of the castle, closely followed by a pair of reptilian eyes peering outward before disappearing into the shadows. From within, we hear screams of absolute delight and terror. We have stumbled upon the remains of the Dragon's Tower.

Venturing deep inside the castle, we find that at one time a Royal Family of unknown origin resided over the surrounding land, ruling with a cheerful, loving hand. Scorch-marks and the skeletal remains of many a charred-knight imply that long ago, a dragon had indeed attacked the castle and all those within it, perhaps even taking over the estate. Our suspicions are confirmed when we come face-to-face with a band of giant vampire bats whom have been gifted with the ability of speech. These bats are a band of thieves known as the Dracula Six, and according to local legend, the dragon that now resides within this castle has a sea of treasure underneath his belly that he's not willing to share anytime soon...unless it's stolen... Boarding a bat-winged roller coaster train suspended from the ceiling, we embark deep within the castle to rob the sleeping dragon of his priceless gems, only to unintentionally awaken the beast and undergo a thrilling, chilling roller coaster ride through the remains of this charred castle past restless spirits, booby traps, and of course, the dragon overlord himself.

As the Dragon's Tower has an in-ride photo opportunity, it seems only fitting that a gift shop is located just near the exit, Dragon's Tower Portrait Studio, a medieval-themed photo supplier and Dragon's Tower-themed gift shop nestled in the former dungeon of the once-grand castle...

On the eastern path leading from Mythica Manor, we find ourselves in a land of rolling green hills, trickling streams, and endless, patchwork fields of multi-colored flowers and temperate trees bathed in the colors of autumn. The remainder of Beastly Kingdom represents that of Ancient Greece, land of heroes and monsters, gods and goddesses, adventure and magic, a natural fit in the realm of mythical beasts.

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This area features two attractions. First is Fantasia Gardens, a boat ride themed around the animal-based elements of Fantasia. Along the same lines as Storybook Land Canal Boats or Shanghai's Journey to the Crystal Grotto, this is a gentle boat ride past dioramas, both outdoor and indoor. Expect to see the sights and sounds of Ancient Greece, as represented in "The Pastoral Symphony"; the yo-yo-ing flamingo and his disapproving brood of "The Carnival of the Animals"; Noah's ark, as seen in "Pomp and Circumstance"; and, of course, the dancing animals of "Dance of the Hours".

Second, and perhaps the most intricate and detailed of the attractions in Beastly Kingdom, would be Quest for the Unicorn, an interactive maze where guests wander through a labyrinth in search of the mythical and elusive unicorn. Guests would need to awaken five golden icons in order to enter into the underground grotto where the unicorn lives. It was slated to be very visually engaging and detailed, as seen in the concept art below...

From there, the path connects back to the Dragon's Tower, but I don't really wanna go there again. So, let's just head on back to the mainland, why don't we?

And with that, I guess that just about does it for Disney's Animal Kingdom. But don't think that we're done yet. I've still got a ton of ideas left for the rest of the World, and I think we'll start off with a bang. We've always wondered what the fifth park of WDW will be, and recent postings on Ideal Buildout have given me quite a bit of inspiration. You'll find out what I have in store sometime over the weekend. Until then, see ya real soon!

 

[DisneyManOne]

Ladies and gentlemen, my concepts for a 5th park of Walt Disney World have gone back and forth on many subjects. But recently, I was enamored with a recent post from the famous Ideal Buildout blog, proposing a new take on Tokyo DisneySea to replace Walt Disney Studios Paris as Disneyland Paris' new second gate (this was before that park's massive expansion was announced, might I add).

And I was really inspired by this concept, so much so, that it inspired me to create this new prompt.

Welcome, one and all, to...

Port Disney

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"To all who come seeking adventure, welcome. Port Disney imbues all who enter with a spirit of curiosity and excitement. Here, all are invited to set sail for mysterious and exciting ports of call; lands of adventure, intrigue and romance. Port Disney is dedicated to all those who yearn to venture outside their comfort zone, and explore the unknown. May your adventures here be adventures worth remembering for years to come."

That is the official dedication of Port Disney, fifth park of Walt Disney World. An American cousin to Tokyo DisneySea, Port Disney is the place where the exotic ports of call we can only read about or see on the silver screen come to life. Attractions take inspiration from other parks, be they Disney or otherwise, brought to new heights with a unique approach. Classical concepts mix with newfangled experiments. Port Disney boasts many beloved Disney properties, plus exciting never-before-seen concepts. Family-friendly features appeal to the young, and the young-at-heart, while thrill rides draw in a wider audience. Elaborate details deliver big time, from the grandeur of the iconic Mt. Prometheus down to the humblest drinking fountain. Diverse, immersive and endlessly explorable, Port Disney is loaded with exhaustive creative detail at every turn. This is a fantastic “Blue Sky” offering which Walt himself would be proud to have near his final dream.

I've been debating on where to put it. To me, there are two prominent locations. First, I could place it right along the banks of Bay Lake...

...or, as S.W. Wilson placed another 5th park prompt, on the former space of Hotel Plaza Boulevard, near Disney Springs. In his words, "The genesis for this exercise was seeing photo updates of DisneySprings progress, with the 1970s/80s suburban sprawl Official WDW Hotels and Sun Bank always popping up in the background, ruining the visage. Here, we can fix that and replace all those concrete & glass mid-rises with a unique, tier I park. A strip of forest beyond the park helps isolate the mundane sprawl of Orlando & I-4 from the utopian escapism found within the WDW borders."

Frankly, I'm leaning more towards the former Hotel Plaza Boulevard space, myself, but what do you guys think? Let me know. Of course, no matter where it's placed, the only things that should be visible are the resort that serves as its entrance point and Mt. Prometheus.

Ticket pricing and hours are consistent with the rest of the Walt Disney World Resort. And of course, this park will make full use of MyMagic+. Altogether, Port Disney combines the best of classical and modern Disney. Its focus on the ongoing fantasies of the 20th Century makes it an ideal complement to the nostalgia of the Magic Kingdom and Disney's Hollywoodland, the culture and maturity of EPCOT Center, and the discovery of Disney's Animal Kingdom. Port Disney’s theme is vast and timeless, yet specific and unique. With a dedicated focus on detail and immersion, Port Disney is a shining new star in Imagineering’s sorcerer cap, and a proud sibling to its fellow parks.

Also, it should be noted: Why did I include that Disney Cruise line video in this post? Well, it's because that video contains this park's theme song. Yes, I would give each park of Walt Disney World its own theme song. Magic Kingdom's would be "When You Wish Upon a Star", EPCOT Center's would be "Celebrate the Future Hand in Hand", Disney's Hollywoodland's would be "Hooray for Hollywood", Disney's Animal Kingdom's would be "Circle of Life", and Port Disney's would be "Cross the Sea", the song heard at the beginning and end of the video. It's a real beautiful song, and it's a perfect way to ease into a world of adventure unlike anything Walt Disney World has ever seen before! Stay tuned, because our journey at Port Disney is just beginning!

 

[Suchomimus]

Ladies and gentlemen, my concepts for a 5th park of Walt Disney World have gone back and forth on many subjects. But recently, I was enamored with a recent post from the famous Ideal Buildout blog, proposing a new take on Tokyo DisneySea to replace Walt Disney Studios Paris as Disneyland Paris' new second gate (this was before that park's massive expansion was announced, might I add).

And I was really inspired by this concept, so much so, that it inspired me to create this new prompt.

Welcome, one and all, to...

Port Disney

​

"To all who come seeking adventure, welcome. Port Disney imbues all who enter with a spirit of curiosity and excitement. Here, all are invited to set sail for mysterious and exciting ports of call; lands of adventure, intrigue and romance. Port Disney is dedicated to all those who yearn to venture outside their comfort zone, and explore the unknown. May your adventures here be adventures worth remembering for years to come."

That is the official dedication of Port Disney, fifth park of Walt Disney World. An American cousin to Tokyo DisneySea, Port Disney is the place where the exotic ports of call we can only read about or see on the silver screen come to life. Attractions take inspiration from other parks, be they Disney or otherwise, brought to new heights with a unique approach. Classical concepts mix with newfangled experiments. Port Disney boasts many beloved Disney properties, plus exciting never-before-seen concepts. Family-friendly features appeal to the young, and the young-at-heart, while thrill rides draw in a wider audience. Elaborate details deliver big time, from the grandeur of the iconic Mt. Prometheus down to the humblest drinking fountain. Diverse, immersive and endlessly explorable, Port Disney is loaded with exhaustive creative detail at every turn. This is a fantastic “Blue Sky” offering which Walt himself would be proud to have near his final dream.

I've been debating on where to put it. To me, there are two prominent locations. First, I could place it right along the banks of Bay Lake...

View attachment 276794​

...or, as S.W. Wilson placed another 5th park prompt, on the former space of Hotel Plaza Boulevard, near Disney Springs. In his words, "The genesis for this exercise was seeing photo updates of DisneySprings progress, with the 1970s/80s suburban sprawl Official WDW Hotels and Sun Bank always popping up in the background, ruining the visage. Here, we can fix that and replace all those concrete & glass mid-rises with a unique, tier I park. A strip of forest beyond the park helps isolate the mundane sprawl of Orlando & I-4 from the utopian escapism found within the WDW borders."

View attachment 276798
View attachment 276799​

Frankly, I'm leaning more towards the former Hotel Plaza Boulevard space, myself, but what do you guys think? Let me know. Of course, no matter where it's placed, the only things that should be visible are the resort that serves as its entrance point and Mt. Prometheus.

Ticket pricing and hours are consistent with the rest of the Walt Disney World Resort. And of course, this park will make full use of MyMagic+. Altogether, Port Disney combines the best of classical and modern Disney. Its focus on the ongoing fantasies of the 20th Century makes it an ideal complement to the nostalgia of the Magic Kingdom and Disney's Hollywoodland, the culture and maturity of EPCOT Center, and the discovery of Disney's Animal Kingdom. Port Disney’s theme is vast and timeless, yet specific and unique. With a dedicated focus on detail and immersion, Port Disney is a shining new star in Imagineering’s sorcerer cap, and a proud sibling to its fellow parks.

Also, it should be noted: Why did I include that Disney Cruise line video in this post? Well, it's because that video contains this park's theme song. Yes, I would give each park of Walt Disney World its own theme song. Magic Kingdom's would be "When You Wish Upon a Star", EPCOT Center's would be "Celebrate the Future Hand in Hand", Disney's Hollywoodland's would be "Hooray for Hollywood", Disney's Animal Kingdom's would be "Circle of Life", and Port Disney's would be "Cross the Sea", the song heard at the beginning and end of the video. It's a real beautiful song, and it's a perfect way to ease into a world of adventure unlike anything Walt Disney World has ever seen before! Stay tuned, because our journey at Port Disney is just beginning!

It’s going to be interesting seeing you create some new content for Port Disney since TLM is over at MK, Sinbad at Epcot and FN/D at AK, and the whole OLC-Disney deal, so this has gotten me excited for it.

 

[DisneyManOne]

It’s going to be interesting seeing you create some new content for Port Disney since TLM is over at MK, Sinbad at Epcot and FN/D at AK, and the whole OLC-Disney deal, so this has gotten me excited for it.

Thank you very much, my friend! What say we dive in and see what Port Disney has in store?
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Port Disney
Mediterranean Harbor

​

As I said in my previous post, I'm gravitating towards having Port Disney take the place of Hotel Plaza Blvd. As such, it'll be quite the journey to get here. A day at Port Disney begins even before you enter the park. A pathway leads from Disney Springs Marketplace directly to the park's Entrance Plaza. A bus station and parking structure sit to the right-hand side of the property; with a path leading to the Entrance Plaza. Here in this Entrance Plaza, our gaze is first held by the Aquasphere, one of the three major icons of Port Disney. From atop a fountain, a large model of our water planet spins gently about.

Heading from the Entrance Plaza, guests are drawn by obscured views of the distant Mt. Prometheus. Before us is the welcoming structure of Disney's Mediterranean Resort, situated right along the edges of the Entrance Plaza, offering dramatic views of Mediterranean Harbor and the rest of Port Disney. The hotel is oriented around lush gardens, and comes complete with pools, sauna, fitness club, and upscale shopping and dining amenities. Disney Vacation Club members enjoy exclusive access to premium penthouse suites. Weddings are held on a rooftop patio overlooking Mediterranean Harbor. During holiday evenings, the Mediterranean Resort glows warmly in the Celebration of Lights, guaranteed to draw visitors from across the world.

Upon stepping through an archway built into this hotel, we find ourselves in the first port of Port Disney: Mediterranean Harbor.

Mediterranean Harbor serves as our entrance point into Port Disney; this park's equivalent to Main Street, U.S.A., if you will. You won't find many rides or attractions, but you will find the majority of the park's shops and restaurants. For the most part, this port will be identical to the Tokyo DisneySea version. Same kind of shops; same kind of restaurants; all that. What's interesting about this land, though, is that it's divided into three distinct ports: Rome, Riviera and Tuscany. Venice is already well-represented at EPCOT Center's Italy pavilion, so no need for that.

Of all things, the Tuscan zone will receive quite a bit of attention here in Port Disney. In Tokyo DisneySea, this area is home to one of the port's major restaurants, Zambini Brothers, as well as the Mediterranean Harbor station for the Port Disney Tramp Steamer. I would add in two attractions here. First, I'd add in a theater to play host to live stage performances. I actually have an idea for a new stage show based on The Little Mermaid. I think I'll share this in a separate post.

The other major new attraction here is Leonardo's Workshop, a suspended dark ride through the workshop of one of history's greatest minds, passing by humorous depictions of some of his outlandish inventions. In fact, we even ride on one of his flying inventions! All in all, this should be a very whimsical, original dark ride, in the same vein as something like Dreamflight or Journey Into Imagination.

Now, there's one major difference between the international harbors. The fortress at Tokyo DisneySea? That's not gonna be part of this. Instead, we have a new fortress for people to explore: Il Forte della Scoperta, a coastal16th Century fort, with an adjacent carrack, La Avventura, to explore. Inside Il Forte della Scoperta, you'll discover multiple hallways linking rooms containing fanciful displays and activities ranging from the entertaining to the interesting to the educational. Although you can't really get lost, it's labyrinthine enough that you will have trouble drawing a mental map of the place until you have visited several times. One room contains a large model representation of the solar system; planets can be moved independently by hand turning wheels connected to a system of belts and pulleys. One room contains a pool with miniature radio-controlled galleons that you can steer yourself for 100 yen. There is a life-sized flying contraption that you can operate and kids can climb on (don't worry--it doesn't really fly!). One room has a giant pendulum clock, and one of the outside catwalks has cannons which you can fire out into Mediterranean Harbor.

And that's all I have to say about Mediterranean Harbor. Next post will more than likely be my Little Mermaid show concept. See ya then!

 

[Suchomimus]

So what about Voyage of the Little Mermaid?

 

[Suchomimus]

I realize that you didn’t talk about the Jungle Cruise. Any reason for that?

 

[DisneyManOne]

I realize that you didn’t talk about the Jungle Cruise. Any reason for that?

Well, I didn't really have much to offer for ideas, but I do have a few. And BTW, guys, this project is still very much alive. I've just been supremely busy lately. But, now that summer's here, I plan to return to this project. And why not begin with a look at the Jungle Cruise?
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Magic Kingdom
Adventureland
~~~~~~
Jungle Cruise Refurbishment

​

Located beyond the confines of an old vine-covered boathouse, now torn apart by years of rain, rotting and entangled in vines, the tramp steamer cruise through the jungle leads past fearsome natives, hungry lions, a tour through an ancient flooded temple, and an encounter with good old Trader Sam, the head cannibal...I mean head salesman in the jungle, all the while being led by the wise-cracking narratives of a “bold and seasoned“ traveler.

As for changes I'd make to this ride; first of all, I'd get rid of the extended queue in order to make way for the Black Pearl and a path to Indiana Jones Adventure. In order to allow for more queue-ing in peak season, I'd open up the second story of the boathouse, much like Disneyland's.

The overall look of the Amazon has been updated. Sailing down the Amazon will now feel like you're really there. A dense canopy shelters the river from the elements, adorned in vibrant blossoms and the occasional exotic insect. A gentle mist pours down from the arched canopy in a refreshing breeze, beautiful and mesmerizing. Here in this first part of the Amazon, hidden in the treetops, you'll find an animatronic sloth, casually chewing on some leaves with a lazy glazed look on its face while wearing a skipper's hat.

Soon, the canopy parts to reveal Inspiration Falls. At this point in the journey, I’d bring back two sets of animatronic frogs (designed by the legendary Marc Davis) that lined the waterways nearby Inspiration Falls. Not only are these frogs cuter than cute, they move, too! The adults open their mouths and actually distend their vocal sacs, while the babies rock back and forth on their legs. If that’s hokey, so be it.

​

But that's not all! Completely roaming through the mysterious Amazon is an LPS-addled jaguar. The LPS will allow the jaguar to accurately walk around the jungle floor of the Amazon. Occasionally it will stalk a cruise going by.

In the Congo, a family of baboons will be added next to the raided camp. Also, I’d add a bit of a punch to this scene, as well. This addition is used in the Disneyland version of the ride. Some of the apes are now armed. More importantly, that these gorillas and baboons are now taking pot shots at various flammable objects that are floating in the river. And every time these apes hit one of those gas cans...ka-boom! A well-concealed water cannon sends river water high into the air...and eventually splashes down on some guests. Now, if you go on the ride today, you’ll notice a big, yet useless, stone mass just nearby this scene. The reason why it’s there is because an extension of the gorilla scene had been designed by Marc Davis and marked for a home in that rock. It was going to be another big gorilla swinging out over the water, pummeling a crocodile that was stupid enough to swim within reach. I’d add that scene back in.

I've heard that the African Veldt scene was once a bit more...open, shall we say. It had less trees, thus making it look more open and vast. Of course, this idea depends on why they planted more trees (I;e to block views of parade floats going back to the warehouse, etc.), but I'd like to restore this "open" look.

​

Heading into Crocodile Country, you'll notice that this area has become a bit more populated. To the left of the boat, across from Old Smiley and Ginger, is another lost Marc Davis idea brought back from the dead: a group of crocodiles having cornered a (for some reason) flightless parrot on top of a twiggy tree on the island side of the river.

And as we head out of Crocodile Country towards Schweitzer Falls, we fall victim to a sudden attack! A trio of hungry crocs charge the boat, just narrowly missing their mark.

Now, let’s talk about the temple scene. This will get a few refurbishments to make the scene even more creepy than it already is. As we approach the temple, another crocodile lunges forward at us, surprising our skipper, but then lurches back. Before we enter the temple, fire shoots out of two stone torches in front of it. Inside, in a move recently added to Tokyo’s version of the ride, eerie projection mapping will be added. The tiger still growls at us and stares at us with his glowing eyes, but that’s not the only scary thing about the temple. Statues appear to move their heads to look at us (not animatronics, just simple rotating heads). Around one bend, we see four king cobras, who hiss and spit water at us. On our way out of the temple, we see new animatronic macaques that move with fluidity and make typical monkey sounds as they swing around. We’re in no danger; they’re just monkeying around.

Finally, here’s a change that will affect the whole ride in itself. What you have just seen are the changes I’d make to the ride during the day. But at night, inspired by what recently happened regarding Tokyo’s cruise, the classic excursion quite literally takes on a new light come nightfall. Special lighting, fog, and other special effects make the entirety of the jungle appear more alive than ever, as does an onboard soundtrack that is only featured at night.

 

[DisneyManOne]

I must admit, you guys: work on Port Disney is still slow-going. But for now, I'm gonna focus more on what I would do for the parks currently; because, after all, building a fifth park would jack up prices even higher than they are now. So, for now, I'd like to share a few new ideas I have for the Magic Kingdom, starting with...
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Magic Kingdom
Frontierland
~~~~~
The Legend of Zorro

​

When it comes to Disney's vast history with television, many agree that one of their best series was Zorro. The story of a man living in Spanish California, fighting evil and injustice under one of the most famous aliases of all time, was a smash success back in the 50s, and it still remains a seminal classic today. Plus, don't'cha just love that theme song? Yet, the show remains underrepresented among today's Disney classics. Well, I was recently inspired by @D Hindley's excellent Myth of Zorro concept for an idea to bring Zorro to the Magic Kingdom.

Now, D Hindley proposed bringing Zorro's legacy to life through a big, Pirates/Western River Expedition-esque dark ride, joining Zorro on a quest to once again, save his hometown from the tyranny of Governor Monastario. But, there would be no room for it at the Magic Kingdom, and I don't want to sacrifice the chance to finally build Western River Expedition. What to do? Well, the now-defunct podcast "What's the Attraction" proposed a possible idea.

​

Their idea is to turn Fort Langhorn on Tom Sawyer Island into a theater for an outdoor stunt show. The set-up: Governor Monastario has lured us all here as bait for his latest scheme to catch Zorro. But ever the crafty one, Zorro is able to outsmart the Governor, setting the stage for many an epic duel.

And of course, Zorro can often be found on the streets of Frontierland, meeting all senors and senoritas. What do you think? Could an idea like this work? This is one I'm on the fence about, honestly.

 

[DisneyManOne]

Now, here's an idea that I am definitely agreeing with: a brand-new take on the newly expanded Storybook Village.
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Magic Kingdom
Fantasyland
~~~~~
Storybook Village Expansion 2.0

One of the biggest let-downs of the modern-day Fantasyland is that incredibly narrow pathway in-between Peter Pan's Flight and "it's a small world".

As such, I would take this opportunity to move "small world" to another corner of the park and give it a refurbishment so that it can finally stand on its own against its larger counterparts. But what of the space left behind? Well, I would finally open up that pathway, and take the opportunity to bring some more classic Disney stories to life. In the grand style of Disneyland's Fantasyland, here is the place where three beloved stories neighbor each other, inviting guests to step into their worlds. Three distinct villages, each with their own unique stories to tell. Let's get exploring!

~~~~~
Rapunzel's Village

​

First of all, the world of Tangled has expanded its presence in Fantasyland. Here, we'll really feel like we're inside a village in Corona, decked out for a big festival to celebrate Rapunzel's birthday; her first birthday since her return to the kingdom. What's currently missing from the Magic Kingdom version will be here, that being the same excitement and energy from the movie that made the festival magical. Throughout the day, live music will be played on a stage in the center of the courtyard. Secondly, characters like Rapunzel and Flynn, alongside the Snuggly Duckling thugs--Hookhand, Big Nose, Vladimir, Attila, Tor, Gunter, Ulf, Bruiser, Killer and Fang--will be walking around the area greeting with guests, eager to share dreams. A new gift shop has been added near the toilets, continuing the festival theme and selling some more unique merchandise. Leaving the village behind, we enter a dense forest, overrun by trees, rocks, and roots. Situated right in this outcropping is perhaps, one of the more recognizable aspects of the film...

That's right, The Snuggly Duckling makes its first dining appearance in any Disney theme park. Although a bit similar to Gaston's Tavern or the Pinocchio Village Haus, the Snuggly Duckling is distinctly different as not only does it have a large artificial tree in its core, the entire building is slanted and built at an unnatural angle. Better yet, the Snuggly Duckling sells menu items not sold anywhere else in the park, such as pastrami, dessert pies, and various stews. However, it will be a smaller restaurant to give a more personal and intimate experience, as if actually visiting the tap room from the movie. While it isn't a character dining location, part of what will make the experience worth the price will be the wait staff being in character as regular members of the establishment along with periodic mini shows among the staff taking the stage.

Along a beaten path near the Snuggly Duckling is the entrance to a C-ticket dark ride: Tangled: A Royal Celebration. In a similar vein to Frozen Ever After, this ride does not simply retell the story of Tangled. Instead, it builds upon a story set after the events of the film. The queue's starting point begins a few feet away from the restaurant. We enter through a side door, past the busy dining room and around the back to the kitchen, which serves as our preshow. There, the cook (an animatronic behind the counter) explains that unfortunately, he's having a hard time keeping up with the demand because his entire staff's gone to the kingdom for Rapunzel's birthday celebration and the annual releasing of the lanterns. Therefore, he encourages the guests to go off and join them! The cook explains to guests that he knows a shortcut, and reveals a secret passageway into a dark tunnel. Cast members then herd riders through this door and into the caves underneath the Snuggly Duckling.

This final stretch of queue brings riders to the loading area, a deep, underground cavern underneath the tavern. Here, guests board small vehicles, similar to those formerly seen at Snow White's Scary Adventures (three rows of two). In fact, Disney has re-used this fleet of vehicles for this new attraction! Note, however, that this time around, these vehicles have been given notable technological upgrades. In this modern day, the vehicles can change speed (or stop/start) and rotate on a rotating base.

As the ride begins, the vehicle rounds the corner and emerges from the cave into the forest. As riders continue along, they soon encounter an animatronic Flynn Ryder, Maximus and Pascal. They quickly explain to guests that Rapunzel's birthday celebration is beginning soon and they have to hurry to make it in time! Flynn points in the direction of a hidden tunnel in a large rock face and tells guests to use it as a shortcut. The vehicles, as a result, speed up and enter the next scene through the outcropping.

Next, with a large swell in music, the oasis in which Rapunzel's tower sits is revealed. Flynn, having "followed" guests into this scene, explains that the tower now sits abandoned after Rapunzel's ordeals. He then checks his watch and realizes that they must hurry to catch the release of the lanterns, as it's getting dark.

In the next scene, Flynn leads riders through a eerie area of the woods, which imagineers purposely placed at this point. The stark contrast between the previous scene builds tension and suspense as the vehicles crawl at a slower pace. But, when a swarm of bats takes flight, the vehicles spin, as if taken by surprise, and speed off.

In the next scene, guests arrive at a river bed. Flynn, already on the other side, calls to the riders to cross. But, as the vehicles enter the river (created using projections and creative lighting effects), they are swept away. The rotating base of the ride vehicle helps this effect, as the vehicles gently turn to simulate the chaos of a ebbing river.

However, in the next scene (more of a transition) as the sun sets, the river releases the vehicles into the open expanse of the bay. In the distance is the kingdom and village. The vehicles move onto the land and into the next scene.

Now, in the village, guests approach the castle gates. Citizens of the kingdom wave at the vehicle as it passes. At the gate, an animatronic Rapunzel greets the vehicle and thanks them for coming. Now the celebration can begin!

In the final and largest scene, we "float" on the water away (backwards) from the kingdom as hundreds of lanterns lift into the air in the distance. "I See The Light" plays in this finale. Guests turn away from the kingdom and back into the forest.

The vehicle rotates and then returns to the load/unload area. Finally, guests disembark their vehicles and exit into the gift shop.

A new Cast Member entrance gate has been built within the forest. And of course, every night, you can join Rapunzel and Flynn to send some floating lanterns in the air. You'll definitely be "seeing the light"!

~~~~~
Pinocchio's Village

​

Just across the street from the Snuggly Duckling, we find a familiar sight: the warm homestead of Geppetto the toymaker. In the tradition of Central Europe, the storefront window of Geppetto's Toy Shoppe appears laden with countless marionettes, cuckoo clocks, music boxes and peculiar toys - but mostly marionettes. On the highest windowsill, Figaro the cat enjoys an afternoon snooze, blissfully unaware of the cheerful bird just inches from his reach... Inside the workshop, we find a collection of unique toys and gifts, puzzles and sweets, handmade and handcarved, some imported from Central Europe. This humble shop is every child's dream come true, and it sits right next door to the warm, inviting windows of the Pinocchio Village Haus. The windows that once looked out towards "it's a small world"'s loading area now look out to the busy streets of Storybook Village.

Despite all this, the real attraction here is found right next door...

Held within what looks like a fanciful puppet theater, Pinocchio’s Daring Journey puts us aboard an enchanted woodcarver's cart where we explore a world where wishing upon stars and puppet shows are an everyday occurrence. But as usual, dangers are abundant in the world of fantasy, with vile coachmen, man-eating whales, greedy puppeteers, and little boys transforming into donkeys lurking around almost every corner. What will happen? Will our intrepid little hero ever become a real boy? Now, what excites me about this particular idea is that I’d give the ride an expansion, allowing for more scenes and a more coherent storyline. Allow me to demonstrate.

The ride's exterior is modeled after the beautiful exterior of Disneyland’s ride. Passing underneath the theater entrance, we find that although the exterior may look Californian, the queue takes inspiration from Tokyo Disneyland’s version of the ride. After passing through those wooden switchbacks, we arrive at the loading area, which also looks like the Tokyo version. Passing through the loading area is a never-ending parade of woodcarver’s carts, ready to take guests through the world of Pinocchio. As we wait to board, we hear Jiminy Cricket provide the safety spiel.

Once inside our cart, we set off. Passing by a few village facades, a la Tokyo, we pass under an arch and towards Geppetto's workshop at night. The Wishing Star shines high above as we stop outside his workshop. Through the window, we see a workbench where a lifeless puppet--namely, Pinocchio--is seated. Suddenly, a holographic Blue Fairy appears, taps the puppet with her wand, and brings him to life. In doing so, she says: "Little puppet made of pine... wake! The gift of life is thine." The puppet moves around and says, "I can move! I can talk!" The Blue Fairy adds, "Prove yourself brave, truthful and unselfish, and someday you'll be a real boy." She turns to Jiminy Cricket standing nearby and says, "Mr. Cricket, I dub thee Pinocchio's conscience." Then she disappears.

As we pick up motion, we hear Geppetto exclaim, "It's my wish come true! Pinocchio's alive! But now you've got to go to school." The projected night turns to day as we head out onto the cobblestone streets. The instrumental strains of “Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee” fill the air. We see Pinocchio, with books in one hand, and an apple in the other, being enticed by Foulfellow and Gideon. “My dear Pinocchio”, Foulfellow says, “you should take the easy road to success...to the theater!” As the two rogues escort Pinocchio toward the theater,, Jiminy appears again and calls out in protest, "Wait, Pinocch! You can't go with those ill winds in cheap clothing! You can't be an actor! You've got to go to school!" But this has no effect as you approach the entrance to Stromboli’s puppet theater…

Entering the puppet theater, we see Pinocchio performing “I’ve Got No Strings” alongside a Dutch puppet and a French puppet.

But as we leave, we hear Stromboli laughing sadistically as he bellows, "You will never get away from Stromboli now!" You then enter the backstage of the theater, similar to other versions out there. Here, other puppets are imprisoned in cages, Pinocchio especially, in a bird cage, as Stromboli leers at him menacingly, while saying, "This will be your new home, my little wooden gold mine!" You go past the both of them, past Jiminy Cricket pointing the way out. You go through the giant cage and out into the cobblestone street.

Heading back out onto the streets, we come across a fork-in-the-road. Foulfellow and Gideon are standing beside it. It looks they've been messing with the directional signs. One points the way to Geppetto's Workshop and the other points the way to Pleasure Island. From the way the signs are pointing, you (and by extension, Pinocchio) seem headed in the right direction, but then the fox laughs uproariously while the cat hiccups. Jiminy calls out, "Wait! You're going the wrong way!"; it seems you are now crossing a stone bridge over some water, towards Pleasure Island…

Pleasure Island is similar to other versions out there: you wend through the area, full of carnival attractions, themed to sweets and such, while "Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee" plays on a circus organ. At the farthest end of Pleasure Island is the Pool Hall, shaped like a giant 8-ball. Here, the truth about Pleasure Island hits, as Lampwick starts turning into a donkey before the terrified eyes of Pinocchio. Meanwhile, the Coachman stands menacingly off to the side and says, "So, you blokes choose the easy life, do ya?"

Leaving the Pool Hall, you see donkeys in crates, some wearing boys' clothing and either braying a melancholy bray or crying, "Mama!" and "I wanna go home!" while the Coachman says, "You boys have had your fun!" Meanwhile, Jiminy point the way out of Pleasure Island as he cries, "We gotta get outta here, before it's too late!" Just then, you come face-to-face with the Coachman again as he tries to pull open the door to a giant crate labeled "To the salt mines", while saying, "Don't leave yet!"

Somehow, you manage to slip by, and you come across a stormy sea, which is occasionally illuminated by flashes of lightning. Here, Jiminy stands on a sign reading, "Beware of Monstro, the Terror of the Deep!", while the cricket himself warns, "Watch out for Monstro! Nothing escapes from him!" You head forward into darkness, where you hear an unearthly roar. One last flash of lightning reveals that you're approaching the huge gaping maw of a whale… That’s right! In this version of Pinocchio’s Daring Journey, we actually get to go inside Monstro!

The innards of the beast are littered with various shipwrecks. In the center of it all are Pinocchio and Geppetto on their ramshackle boat, contemplating their predicament. Pinocchio proposes a way to escape from Monstro by building a fire so the great whale sneezes. You pass by an effect of Pinocchio building a fire (it's a shadow effect, backlit by the fire). The room then rumbles and shakes, simulating an upcoming sneeze. Suddenly, the cars turn backwards, as if to go back the way you came, and then exit out of the whale's mouth. It is similar to Expedition Everest, with two hallways next to each other. To enhance the effect, you see a projection of Pinocchio and Geppetto on the raft blasting out with you.

You blast out onto a sandy shore. Turning back around, we find ourselves once again on the streets of cobblestone. To the instrumental strains of “When You Wish Upon a Star”, we cruise past the serene streets of the village. Jiminy floats down on his umbrella as he says “We’re almost there now!” At last, we return to Geppetto’s workshop, the Wishing Star shining high above it. As we head inside, we find ourselves in pitch darkness. The only light comes from the ethereal light of the Blue Fairy, who waves her wand. And as she disappears, the lights come back on to reveal Pinocchio, sitting on the bed...finally a real boy. A beaming Geppetto stands beside him, Figaro and Cleo nearby. “It’s my dream come true!” Geppetto exclaims. “You are a real boy, Pinocchio!” “Gee, Father!” says Pinocchio. “I’m so glad to be home!” Finally, you see Jiminy standing by with a huge "Official Conscience" medal on his shirt while he says, "Gee, thanks, Miss Fairy..." With that, the doors to the workshop open and we head back out to the loading area.

Now, just in-between Rapunzel and Pinocchio's distinct villages is a covered wooden bridge, decorated with blue and white bunting and...is that a snowflake at the top of it all? This can only mean one thing. This is our passage point into...

~~~~~~
Kingdom of Arendelle

​

We have just transitioned from a medieval village that could be just about anywhere in Europe to the chilly fjords of Scandinavia, Architecture that recalls the color, excitement and intrigue of a well-worn Scandinavian seaport line the streets, ridden with reindeer-tracks and the remnants of a thick frost. Up ahead, we catch a glimpse of Queen Elsa's ice palace, shimmering in the shadow of the mighty North Mountain. Much like Rapunzel's village, there's a storyline to be found here. After the events of Frozen, the gates to Arendelle Castle have been permanently opened to the public! And to celebrate, Queen Elsa and Princess Anna are inviting one and all to come celebrate "Summer Snow Day".

For this, I was largely inspired by @Imagineerland's New Orleans concept for his Magic Kingdom: Dream Version post. To be frank, this would take up the same space, if my estimations are correct. Anyways, with what I'm shooting for--a small, fully-explorable Scandinavian town--it should fit in such a small footprint. In keeping with the small footprint, I would design it more like the Hong Kong Disneyland concept (pictured above) rather than the much larger Tokyo DisneySea concept. This takes up the patch of greenery north of the Cast Parking Lot, hence the covered bridge to get there. This is essentially the Magic Kingdom equivalent of Toontown at Disneyland, seeing as how both close ahead of the fireworks to ensure guest safety. Of course, if the Magic Kingdom stays open after the fireworks are done, Arendelle will re-open its gates after all the explosions are done.

A hidden channel brings the waters of the Rivers of America into the fjord of Arendelle. The calm lagoon basks in the glow of the overhead sun, its dancing reflection cast across the land. Amid a grove of tall pines on the outskirts of the Enchanted Forest, Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post (and Sauna) welcomes weary travelers to its year-round "big summer blowout!" The friendly “Wandering” Oaken sells any and all things Frozen, including fresh carrot-snacks and winter-wear unique to our Magic Kingdom. Oaken’s backyard sauna, clearly built to resemble the Gol Stave Church of Oslo, Norway hisses and trembles from the steam within, often accommodated by a chorus of friendly “Yoohoos!”

Across a cobblestone footbridge and into the heart of town, we first visit Troll Handel (“The Troll’s Dungeon”), marked by a wooden troll beckoning for passers by to drop-in for a spell. Miniature trolls, authentic glassware and other imports of the Scandinavian culture are all for sale. The neighboring Restaurant Ved Elven (“Restaurant by the River”) basks along the water’s edge from a dockside dining area, its menu: lefse and meatballs to name a small few. Arendelle Treats fills the air with the wafting scent of its freshly baked pastries and candies, an “old world” bakery typical of a Norwegian bakeshop. Of course, expect to find lots and lots of chocolate-related goodies.

The frozen - literally - fountain in the heart of town marks the entrance to the lavish and celebrated Crown Jewel Theater, noted for its soaring clock tower-turned glockenspiel. Once at our seat, we are invited to join in the fun of For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration. This show, moved here from Disney's Hollywood Studios, is a comical re-telling of the story of how true love thawed the frozen heart, narrated by two newbie historians, Erik and Aria. On-screen lyrics and apperances by Anna, Elsa and Kristoff make for one musically fun time for all. It all ends with a spectacular chorus of “Let it Go”, which culminates in an indoor-snowfall, respectively.

​

The spectacular facade of Arendelle Castle stands as yet another castle in Fantasyland, the fourth castle to be found here (after Cinderella's, the Beast's and Prince Eric's). A flurry of snowflakes appear to flow heavenward from the highest tower, the obvious handiwork of Queen Elsa. Royal bunting bears the back-to-back silhouette of Anna and Elsa, pointing our path down a cobblestone road and to the wide-open gates of the fantastical palace. Inside, we are cordially invited to enjoy a personal audience with the heroes of Frozen. A quick tour of Arendelle Castle’s well-appointed halls and chambers ends in a spacious greeting chamber, where Anna, Elsa, Kristoff and Olaf are waiting, ready to share "warm hugs" with all those who come to meet them.

On the farthest outskirts of the kingdom is the mighty North Mountain, where Elsa's ice palace resides. The North Mountain is truly a glorious natural sight, and the perfect place for photo ops. Oh, and be sure to keep your eyes peeled: you may see the Walt Disney World Railroad pass by on a rocky bridge in front of the mountain! Built into this mountain is an ice cave, our entrance into Frozen Ever After.

Moved here from EPCOT Center, this is considered one of Disney's biggest achievements in what dark rides can do these days. And it is a wonderful attraction, but I would take the opportunity to "plus" the attraction and make it bigger and better; and give it a more coherent storyline.

After meandering through the icy caves of the North Mountain, we board our boats and begin our journey. The ride would begin much like it currently does--with us passing by Olaf and Sven and the Trolls, who would be found on both sides of the track. But from here, things would get different. After passing through the dimly-lit troll valley, we glide through a dark forest, where the glowing eyes of the wolves menace. We make it through however and see Anna on her sleigh on the left, greeting us. She tells us that she's going up to the North Mountain to pick up Elsa, so that the Summer Snow Day festivities can begin in Arendelle. We pass under a snow-covered rock arch and come up upon Wandering Oaken’s, where he stands on the porch and offers us his winter sale. In the windows, we see projections of his family in the sauna, waving. We float into a nearby barn and meet Kristoff and Sven, and then emerge into the Crystal Forest, filled with pointed ice spikes and Olaf and Anna pointing our way to visit Elsa.

From here, we head up to the second floor of the attraction: Elsa’s ice palace. Above us are ornately carved ice arches. At the top, we turn left to a wall of pointed ice arches looking out over the frozen mountain landscape, just as a very familiar song begins. Through a swinging set of doors, we finally arrive. This take on the ice palace would be far more extravagant than the Epcot version. Here, the palace will actually form in front of our very eyes. In front of us is a large automated set piece of the palace which actually grows in front of us in time to the music, as Elsa, who we see projected in the balconies, uses her powers. We then float underneath it and the huge ice chandelier above, pulsing with the music. Then we continue out of the tower and under the icy arches and to the next scene, where we see Elsa on her balcony completing the song. As we pass her by, we hear Anna calling to her, telling her she’s needed back in Arendelle. And so, the ride ends like it currently does: we pass by Marshmallow and the Snowgies, head down the mountain and return to Arendelle, where Anna, Elsa and Olaf bid us farewell.

Just like at EPCOT, we exit out into a gift shop. Themed around another wooden building in the village, this time built into the mountain rockwork, Olaf’s Holiday Hearth celebrates the splendor of the season - each season in fact, from the summer to the spring. Each holiday is showcased in a unique and interchanging collection of ornaments, miniature villages and handmade decor. The glistening, ice-crafted tree of Olaf’s Frozen Adventure twinkles come December, its glistening lights casting an illumination for the impressive display of nutcrackers, boselwood trinkets and tiny villages awash in the Christmas spirit.

~~~~~~~​

And there we have it: the new Storybook Village expansion! Keep in mind, all my other expansion-based ideas: moving "it's a small world" and adding in a Wonderland sub-area, are still part of the plan. And if you're interested in reading those ideas again, just click here.

 

[Suchomimus]

Now, here's an idea that I am definitely agreeing with: a brand-new take on the newly expanded Storybook Village.
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Magic Kingdom
Fantasyland
~~~~~
Storybook Village Expansion 2.0

One of the biggest let-downs of the modern-day Fantasyland is that incredibly narrow pathway in-between Peter Pan's Flight and "it's a small world".

As such, I would take this opportunity to move "small world" to another corner of the park and give it a refurbishment so that it can finally stand on its own against its larger counterparts. But what of the space left behind? Well, I would finally open up that pathway, and take the opportunity to bring some more classic Disney stories to life. In the grand style of Disneyland's Fantasyland, here is the place where three beloved stories neighbor each other, inviting guests to step into their worlds. Three distinct villages, each with their own unique stories to tell. Let's get exploring!

~~~~~
Rapunzel's Village

​

First of all, the world of Tangled has expanded its presence in Fantasyland. Here, we'll really feel like we're inside a village in Corona, decked out for a big festival to celebrate Rapunzel's birthday; her first birthday since her return to the kingdom. What's currently missing from the Magic Kingdom version will be here, that being the same excitement and energy from the movie that made the festival magical. Throughout the day, live music will be played on a stage in the center of the courtyard. Secondly, characters like Rapunzel and Flynn, alongside the Snuggly Duckling thugs--Hookhand, Big Nose, Vladimir, Attila, Tor, Gunter, Ulf, Bruiser, Killer and Fang--will be walking around the area greeting with guests, eager to share dreams. A new gift shop has been added near the toilets, continuing the festival theme and selling some more unique merchandise. Leaving the village behind, we enter a dense forest, overrun by trees, rocks, and roots. Situated right in this outcropping is perhaps, one of the more recognizable aspects of the film...

That's right, The Snuggly Duckling makes its first dining appearance in any Disney theme park. Although a bit similar to Gaston's Tavern or the Pinocchio Village Haus, the Snuggly Duckling is distinctly different as not only does it have a large artificial tree in its core, the entire building is slanted and built at an unnatural angle. Better yet, the Snuggly Duckling sells menu items not sold anywhere else in the park, such as pastrami, dessert pies, and various stews. However, it will be a smaller restaurant to give a more personal and intimate experience, as if actually visiting the tap room from the movie. While it isn't a character dining location, part of what will make the experience worth the price will be the wait staff being in character as regular members of the establishment along with periodic mini shows among the staff taking the stage.

Along a beaten path near the Snuggly Duckling is the entrance to a C-ticket dark ride: Tangled: A Royal Celebration. In a similar vein to Frozen Ever After, this ride does not simply retell the story of Tangled. Instead, it builds upon a story set after the events of the film. The queue's starting point begins a few feet away from the restaurant. We enter through a side door, past the busy dining room and around the back to the kitchen, which serves as our preshow. There, the cook (an animatronic behind the counter) explains that unfortunately, he's having a hard time keeping up with the demand because his entire staff's gone to the kingdom for Rapunzel's birthday celebration and the annual releasing of the lanterns. Therefore, he encourages the guests to go off and join them! The cook explains to guests that he knows a shortcut, and reveals a secret passageway into a dark tunnel. Cast members then herd riders through this door and into the caves underneath the Snuggly Duckling.

This final stretch of queue brings riders to the loading area, a deep, underground cavern underneath the tavern. Here, guests board small vehicles, similar to those formerly seen at Snow White's Scary Adventures (three rows of two). In fact, Disney has re-used this fleet of vehicles for this new attraction! Note, however, that this time around, these vehicles have been given notable technological upgrades. In this modern day, the vehicles can change speed (or stop/start) and rotate on a rotating base.

As the ride begins, the vehicle rounds the corner and emerges from the cave into the forest. As riders continue along, they soon encounter an animatronic Flynn Ryder, Maximus and Pascal. They quickly explain to guests that Rapunzel's birthday celebration is beginning soon and they have to hurry to make it in time! Flynn points in the direction of a hidden tunnel in a large rock face and tells guests to use it as a shortcut. The vehicles, as a result, speed up and enter the next scene through the outcropping.

Next, with a large swell in music, the oasis in which Rapunzel's tower sits is revealed. Flynn, having "followed" guests into this scene, explains that the tower now sits abandoned after Rapunzel's ordeals. He then checks his watch and realizes that they must hurry to catch the release of the lanterns, as it's getting dark.

In the next scene, Flynn leads riders through a eerie area of the woods, which imagineers purposely placed at this point. The stark contrast between the previous scene builds tension and suspense as the vehicles crawl at a slower pace. But, when a swarm of bats takes flight, the vehicles spin, as if taken by surprise, and speed off.

In the next scene, guests arrive at a river bed. Flynn, already on the other side, calls to the riders to cross. But, as the vehicles enter the river (created using projections and creative lighting effects), they are swept away. The rotating base of the ride vehicle helps this effect, as the vehicles gently turn to simulate the chaos of a ebbing river.

However, in the next scene (more of a transition) as the sun sets, the river releases the vehicles into the open expanse of the bay. In the distance is the kingdom and village. The vehicles move onto the land and into the next scene.

Now, in the village, guests approach the castle gates. Citizens of the kingdom wave at the vehicle as it passes. At the gate, an animatronic Rapunzel greets the vehicle and thanks them for coming. Now the celebration can begin!

In the final and largest scene, we "float" on the water away (backwards) from the kingdom as hundreds of lanterns lift into the air in the distance. "I See The Light" plays in this finale. Guests turn away from the kingdom and back into the forest.

The vehicle rotates and then returns to the load/unload area. Finally, guests disembark their vehicles and exit into the gift shop.

A new Cast Member entrance gate has been built within the forest. And of course, every night, you can join Rapunzel and Flynn to send some floating lanterns in the air. You'll definitely be "seeing the light"!

~~~~~
Pinocchio's Village

​

Just across the street from the Snuggly Duckling, we find a familiar sight: the warm homestead of Geppetto the toymaker. In the tradition of Central Europe, the storefront window of Geppetto's Toy Shoppe appears laden with countless marionettes, cuckoo clocks, music boxes and peculiar toys - but mostly marionettes. On the highest windowsill, Figaro the cat enjoys an afternoon snooze, blissfully unaware of the cheerful bird just inches from his reach... Inside the workshop, we find a collection of unique toys and gifts, puzzles and sweets, handmade and handcarved, some imported from Central Europe. This humble shop is every child's dream come true, and it sits right next door to the warm, inviting windows of the Pinocchio Village Haus. The windows that once looked out towards "it's a small world"'s loading area now look out to the busy streets of Storybook Village.

Despite all this, the real attraction here is found right next door...

Held within what looks like a fanciful puppet theater, Pinocchio’s Daring Journey puts us aboard an enchanted woodcarver's cart where we explore a world where wishing upon stars and puppet shows are an everyday occurrence. But as usual, dangers are abundant in the world of fantasy, with vile coachmen, man-eating whales, greedy puppeteers, and little boys transforming into donkeys lurking around almost every corner. What will happen? Will our intrepid little hero ever become a real boy? Now, what excites me about this particular idea is that I’d give the ride an expansion, allowing for more scenes and a more coherent storyline. Allow me to demonstrate.

The ride's exterior is modeled after the beautiful exterior of Disneyland’s ride. Passing underneath the theater entrance, we find that although the exterior may look Californian, the queue takes inspiration from Tokyo Disneyland’s version of the ride. After passing through those wooden switchbacks, we arrive at the loading area, which also looks like the Tokyo version. Passing through the loading area is a never-ending parade of woodcarver’s carts, ready to take guests through the world of Pinocchio. As we wait to board, we hear Jiminy Cricket provide the safety spiel.

Once inside our cart, we set off. Passing by a few village facades, a la Tokyo, we pass under an arch and towards Geppetto's workshop at night. The Wishing Star shines high above as we stop outside his workshop. Through the window, we see a workbench where a lifeless puppet--namely, Pinocchio--is seated. Suddenly, a holographic Blue Fairy appears, taps the puppet with her wand, and brings him to life. In doing so, she says: "Little puppet made of pine... wake! The gift of life is thine." The puppet moves around and says, "I can move! I can talk!" The Blue Fairy adds, "Prove yourself brave, truthful and unselfish, and someday you'll be a real boy." She turns to Jiminy Cricket standing nearby and says, "Mr. Cricket, I dub thee Pinocchio's conscience." Then she disappears.

As we pick up motion, we hear Geppetto exclaim, "It's my wish come true! Pinocchio's alive! But now you've got to go to school." The projected night turns to day as we head out onto the cobblestone streets. The instrumental strains of “Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee” fill the air. We see Pinocchio, with books in one hand, and an apple in the other, being enticed by Foulfellow and Gideon. “My dear Pinocchio”, Foulfellow says, “you should take the easy road to success...to the theater!” As the two rogues escort Pinocchio toward the theater,, Jiminy appears again and calls out in protest, "Wait, Pinocch! You can't go with those ill winds in cheap clothing! You can't be an actor! You've got to go to school!" But this has no effect as you approach the entrance to Stromboli’s puppet theater…

Entering the puppet theater, we see Pinocchio performing “I’ve Got No Strings” alongside a Dutch puppet and a French puppet.

But as we leave, we hear Stromboli laughing sadistically as he bellows, "You will never get away from Stromboli now!" You then enter the backstage of the theater, similar to other versions out there. Here, other puppets are imprisoned in cages, Pinocchio especially, in a bird cage, as Stromboli leers at him menacingly, while saying, "This will be your new home, my little wooden gold mine!" You go past the both of them, past Jiminy Cricket pointing the way out. You go through the giant cage and out into the cobblestone street.

Heading back out onto the streets, we come across a fork-in-the-road. Foulfellow and Gideon are standing beside it. It looks they've been messing with the directional signs. One points the way to Geppetto's Workshop and the other points the way to Pleasure Island. From the way the signs are pointing, you (and by extension, Pinocchio) seem headed in the right direction, but then the fox laughs uproariously while the cat hiccups. Jiminy calls out, "Wait! You're going the wrong way!"; it seems you are now crossing a stone bridge over some water, towards Pleasure Island…

Pleasure Island is similar to other versions out there: you wend through the area, full of carnival attractions, themed to sweets and such, while "Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee" plays on a circus organ. At the farthest end of Pleasure Island is the Pool Hall, shaped like a giant 8-ball. Here, the truth about Pleasure Island hits, as Lampwick starts turning into a donkey before the terrified eyes of Pinocchio. Meanwhile, the Coachman stands menacingly off to the side and says, "So, you blokes choose the easy life, do ya?"

Leaving the Pool Hall, you see donkeys in crates, some wearing boys' clothing and either braying a melancholy bray or crying, "Mama!" and "I wanna go home!" while the Coachman says, "You boys have had your fun!" Meanwhile, Jiminy point the way out of Pleasure Island as he cries, "We gotta get outta here, before it's too late!" Just then, you come face-to-face with the Coachman again as he tries to pull open the door to a giant crate labeled "To the salt mines", while saying, "Don't leave yet!"

Somehow, you manage to slip by, and you come across a stormy sea, which is occasionally illuminated by flashes of lightning. Here, Jiminy stands on a sign reading, "Beware of Monstro, the Terror of the Deep!", while the cricket himself warns, "Watch out for Monstro! Nothing escapes from him!" You head forward into darkness, where you hear an unearthly roar. One last flash of lightning reveals that you're approaching the huge gaping maw of a whale… That’s right! In this version of Pinocchio’s Daring Journey, we actually get to go inside Monstro!

The innards of the beast are littered with various shipwrecks. In the center of it all are Pinocchio and Geppetto on their ramshackle boat, contemplating their predicament. Pinocchio proposes a way to escape from Monstro by building a fire so the great whale sneezes. You pass by an effect of Pinocchio building a fire (it's a shadow effect, backlit by the fire). The room then rumbles and shakes, simulating an upcoming sneeze. Suddenly, the cars turn backwards, as if to go back the way you came, and then exit out of the whale's mouth. It is similar to Expedition Everest, with two hallways next to each other. To enhance the effect, you see a projection of Pinocchio and Geppetto on the raft blasting out with you.

You blast out onto a sandy shore. Turning back around, we find ourselves once again on the streets of cobblestone. To the instrumental strains of “When You Wish Upon a Star”, we cruise past the serene streets of the village. Jiminy floats down on his umbrella as he says “We’re almost there now!” At last, we return to Geppetto’s workshop, the Wishing Star shining high above it. As we head inside, we find ourselves in pitch darkness. The only light comes from the ethereal light of the Blue Fairy, who waves her wand. And as she disappears, the lights come back on to reveal Pinocchio, sitting on the bed...finally a real boy. A beaming Geppetto stands beside him, Figaro and Cleo nearby. “It’s my dream come true!” Geppetto exclaims. “You are a real boy, Pinocchio!” “Gee, Father!” says Pinocchio. “I’m so glad to be home!” Finally, you see Jiminy standing by with a huge "Official Conscience" medal on his shirt while he says, "Gee, thanks, Miss Fairy..." With that, the doors to the workshop open and we head back out to the loading area.

Now, just in-between Rapunzel and Pinocchio's distinct villages is a covered wooden bridge, decorated with blue and white bunting and...is that a snowflake at the top of it all? This can only mean one thing. This is our passage point into...

~~~~~~
Kingdom of Arendelle

​

We have just transitioned from a medieval village that could be just about anywhere in Europe to the chilly fjords of Scandinavia, Architecture that recalls the color, excitement and intrigue of a well-worn Scandinavian seaport line the streets, ridden with reindeer-tracks and the remnants of a thick frost. Up ahead, we catch a glimpse of Queen Elsa's ice palace, shimmering in the shadow of the mighty North Mountain. Much like Rapunzel's village, there's a storyline to be found here. After the events of Frozen, the gates to Arendelle Castle have been permanently opened to the public! And to celebrate, Queen Elsa and Princess Anna are inviting one and all to come celebrate "Summer Snow Day".

For this, I was largely inspired by @Imagineerland's New Orleans concept for his Magic Kingdom: Dream Version post. To be frank, this would take up the same space, if my estimations are correct. Anyways, with what I'm shooting for--a small, fully-explorable Scandinavian town--it should fit in such a small footprint. In keeping with the small footprint, I would design it more like the Hong Kong Disneyland concept (pictured above) rather than the much larger Tokyo DisneySea concept. This takes up the patch of greenery north of the Cast Parking Lot, hence the covered bridge to get there. This is essentially the Magic Kingdom equivalent of Toontown at Disneyland, seeing as how both close ahead of the fireworks to ensure guest safety. Of course, if the Magic Kingdom stays open after the fireworks are done, Arendelle will re-open its gates after all the explosions are done.

A hidden channel brings the waters of the Rivers of America into the fjord of Arendelle. The calm lagoon basks in the glow of the overhead sun, its dancing reflection cast across the land. Amid a grove of tall pines on the outskirts of the Enchanted Forest, Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post (and Sauna) welcomes weary travelers to its year-round "big summer blowout!" The friendly “Wandering” Oaken sells any and all things Frozen, including fresh carrot-snacks and winter-wear unique to our Magic Kingdom. Oaken’s backyard sauna, clearly built to resemble the Gol Stave Church of Oslo, Norway hisses and trembles from the steam within, often accommodated by a chorus of friendly “Yoohoos!”

Across a cobblestone footbridge and into the heart of town, we first visit Troll Handel (“The Troll’s Dungeon”), marked by a wooden troll beckoning for passers by to drop-in for a spell. Miniature trolls, authentic glassware and other imports of the Scandinavian culture are all for sale. The neighboring Restaurant Ved Elven (“Restaurant by the River”) basks along the water’s edge from a dockside dining area, its menu: lefse and meatballs to name a small few. Arendelle Treats fills the air with the wafting scent of its freshly baked pastries and candies, an “old world” bakery typical of a Norwegian bakeshop. Of course, expect to find lots and lots of chocolate-related goodies.

The frozen - literally - fountain in the heart of town marks the entrance to the lavish and celebrated Crown Jewel Theater, noted for its soaring clock tower-turned glockenspiel. Once at our seat, we are invited to join in the fun of For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration. This show, moved here from Disney's Hollywood Studios, is a comical re-telling of the story of how true love thawed the frozen heart, narrated by two newbie historians, Erik and Aria. On-screen lyrics and apperances by Anna, Elsa and Kristoff make for one musically fun time for all. It all ends with a spectacular chorus of “Let it Go”, which culminates in an indoor-snowfall, respectively.

​

The spectacular facade of Arendelle Castle stands as yet another castle in Fantasyland, the fourth castle to be found here (after Cinderella's, the Beast's and Prince Eric's). A flurry of snowflakes appear to flow heavenward from the highest tower, the obvious handiwork of Queen Elsa. Royal bunting bears the back-to-back silhouette of Anna and Elsa, pointing our path down a cobblestone road and to the wide-open gates of the fantastical palace. Inside, we are cordially invited to enjoy a personal audience with the heroes of Frozen. A quick tour of Arendelle Castle’s well-appointed halls and chambers ends in a spacious greeting chamber, where Anna, Elsa, Kristoff and Olaf are waiting, ready to share "warm hugs" with all those who come to meet them.

On the farthest outskirts of the kingdom is the mighty North Mountain, where Elsa's ice palace resides. The North Mountain is truly a glorious natural sight, and the perfect place for photo ops. Oh, and be sure to keep your eyes peeled: you may see the Walt Disney World Railroad pass by on a rocky bridge in front of the mountain! Built into this mountain is an ice cave, our entrance into Frozen Ever After.

Moved here from EPCOT Center, this is considered one of Disney's biggest achievements in what dark rides can do these days. And it is a wonderful attraction, but I would take the opportunity to "plus" the attraction and make it bigger and better; and give it a more coherent storyline.

After meandering through the icy caves of the North Mountain, we board our boats and begin our journey. The ride would begin much like it currently does--with us passing by Olaf and Sven and the Trolls, who would be found on both sides of the track. But from here, things would get different. After passing through the dimly-lit troll valley, we glide through a dark forest, where the glowing eyes of the wolves menace. We make it through however and see Anna on her sleigh on the left, greeting us. She tells us that she's going up to the North Mountain to pick up Elsa, so that the Summer Snow Day festivities can begin in Arendelle. We pass under a snow-covered rock arch and come up upon Wandering Oaken’s, where he stands on the porch and offers us his winter sale. In the windows, we see projections of his family in the sauna, waving. We float into a nearby barn and meet Kristoff and Sven, and then emerge into the Crystal Forest, filled with pointed ice spikes and Olaf and Anna pointing our way to visit Elsa.

From here, we head up to the second floor of the attraction: Elsa’s ice palace. Above us are ornately carved ice arches. At the top, we turn left to a wall of pointed ice arches looking out over the frozen mountain landscape, just as a very familiar song begins. Through a swinging set of doors, we finally arrive. This take on the ice palace would be far more extravagant than the Epcot version. Here, the palace will actually form in front of our very eyes. In front of us is a large automated set piece of the palace which actually grows in front of us in time to the music, as Elsa, who we see projected in the balconies, uses her powers. We then float underneath it and the huge ice chandelier above, pulsing with the music. Then we continue out of the tower and under the icy arches and to the next scene, where we see Elsa on her balcony completing the song. As we pass her by, we hear Anna calling to her, telling her she’s needed back in Arendelle. And so, the ride ends like it currently does: we pass by Marshmallow and the Snowgies, head down the mountain and return to Arendelle, where Anna, Elsa and Olaf bid us farewell.

Just like at EPCOT, we exit out into a gift shop. Themed around another wooden building in the village, this time built into the mountain rockwork, Olaf’s Holiday Hearth celebrates the splendor of the season - each season in fact, from the summer to the spring. Each holiday is showcased in a unique and interchanging collection of ornaments, miniature villages and handmade decor. The glistening, ice-crafted tree of Olaf’s Frozen Adventure twinkles come December, its glistening lights casting an illumination for the impressive display of nutcrackers, boselwood trinkets and tiny villages awash in the Christmas spirit.

~~~~~~~​

And there we have it: the new Storybook Village expansion! Keep in mind, all my other expansion-based ideas: moving "it's a small world" and adding in a Wonderland sub-area, are still part of the plan. And if you're interested in reading those ideas again, just click here.

So, no Mr. Toad?

 

[mharrington]

Now, here's an idea that I am definitely agreeing with: a brand-new take on the newly expanded Storybook Village.
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Magic Kingdom
Fantasyland
~~~~~
Storybook Village Expansion 2.0

One of the biggest let-downs of the modern-day Fantasyland is that incredibly narrow pathway in-between Peter Pan's Flight and "it's a small world".

As such, I would take this opportunity to move "small world" to another corner of the park and give it a refurbishment so that it can finally stand on its own against its larger counterparts. But what of the space left behind? Well, I would finally open up that pathway, and take the opportunity to bring some more classic Disney stories to life. In the grand style of Disneyland's Fantasyland, here is the place where three beloved stories neighbor each other, inviting guests to step into their worlds. Three distinct villages, each with their own unique stories to tell.

I hate to be a downer, but I'm not entirely sure how feasible it really is to relocate Small World to another part of the park. It's also pretty difficult to do anything in the space back there, because that's where they shoot off the fireworks in the general area. You would be required to shut that area down for the duration, not just Arendelle. I don't think you would want to do that, would you?

 

[DisneyManOne]

So, no Mr. Toad?

Sorry. Disneyland will have to remain the place to go to get your Toad fix. But, I am considering adding a Toad meet-and-greet to my ideas, having an atmosphere character putter about on a motorcar around Storybook Village, meeting new friends.

I hate to be a downer, but I'm not entirely sure how feasible it really is to relocate Small World to another part of the park. It's also pretty difficult to do anything in the space back there, because that's where they shoot off the fireworks in the general area. You would be required to shut that area down for the duration, not just Arendelle. I don't think you would want to do that, would you?

This is a map off the fireworks fallout zone, contained within the yellow. The launchpad itself is in the center of the zone. As you can see, the only area that would be affected would be the Arendelle area. That would be the only thing that would have to close, whilst Tangled and Pinocchio can remain open. Plus, "it's a small world", being located to the west, would be free from the fallout zone.
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Disney's Hollywoodland
Muppet Studios
~~~~~
The Great Muppet Ride

I've been thinking: With the closure of The Great Movie Ride, it seems rather pointless to do a parody of it. So, with that in mind, I've turned to the vaults of The Sorcerer's Apprentice and came across a true masterpiece: The Great Muppet Ride. Despite the similar name, this ride isn't a parody of the movies. Instead, it's a parody of Disney Parks as we know them. The basic storyline is that the Muppets are welcoming guests to their own ride. The only problem is...they can't find it! While you frantically help Kermit search for the ride, the other Muppets have run amok trying to create their own attractions to make up for its absence. Will you find the missing ride? Will the Muppets be kept under control?

A map of the mayhem​

As I said in my initial post, this ride would replace the soon-to-be-obsolete Star Tours, as well as Tatooine Traders. Standing on the western edge of Muppet Studios, separated from Echo Lake by a small brick wall, is the Muppet Theater.

The Muppet Theater stands triumphantly, giving no clues as to what mayhem lies inside. Tethered down on one of the rooftops is Kermit's old hot-air balloon, which used to mark Muppet*Vision 3D, but was since removed because it would be seen from Galaxy's Edge.
As we walk in, it is clear that this is no ordinary theater. A ticket booth sits in the entrance. We see a sleeping rat in the chair with tickets in his hand. As we continue to move through the queue, we see a number of movie posters on the wall. The floor is a floral pattern, as can be found in old theaters, and the walls are red and gold. A ledge about 20 feet above the floor runs the length of the walls.

Spaced out evenly around the lobby are golden statues. Each has a mirror image of itself so that they appear to be touching one another. We see Kermit standing magnificently and flexing. Another is Gonzo staring at the sky with his nose up, touching the nose of the mirror. Miss Piggy lays on a chaise lounge with her hair blowing in the wind. Around the top of the room are lights shining towards the ceiling inside gold shells. An elaborate chandelier hangs at the center of the room, made of ornate crystal with gold accents. High above is a small balcony. Every so often we see Kermit appear on the balcony. He speaks to the crowds below.

Kermit: Oh gosh, that’s a lot of people. (Clears throat) Hello everybody. Thank you all for coming to the world premiere of The Great Muppet Ride! We’ve been so excited to bring you a one of a kind attraction and we hope you all enjoy it very much. You know, we’ve done so many performances in this theater, and it feels really good to put it to use again. We feel right at home and we hope you do too.

Scooter (interrupting): Kermit, we need you backstage.

Kermit: Now?

Scooter: Yeah.

Kermit: Oh, well, all right. Sorry folks, it looks like I’m needed backstage. Well I hope you all enjoy the ride. On behalf of all the Muppets, we thank you for coming to the Great Muppet Ride!

We pass doors at the front of the room and move down the hallway toward the backstage area. The halls are lined with posters from Muppet films, records, and signatures of the guests and performers that have played this beautiful theater throughout the years. As we reach the end of the short hall, we come to the backstage area-- a small room with cream-painted brick walls and green accents on the doors. Up a small set of stairs, we pass two dressing rooms from which we can hear indiscernible voices, chickens, Cows, Bike Horns, a trombone practicing, and other random noises occasionally. At the end is one last door that says “loading bays.” This is where trucks usually pull up to unload equipment for shows, but it has been transformed into the loading platform for The Great Muppet Ride.

Like Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway over at the Chinese Theatre, this is a trackless dark ride. The ride vehicles can arrange themselves in infinite ways. For example, they could be configured in Omnimover fashion, in a roller coaster car pattern, or even in a theater seating formation.

The ride vehicles will consist of two rows that can each seat up to 4 people. They will have a red and gold color scheme, with decorative patterns and fleur de lis on both flanks. The ride will board in groups of 5 vehicles at a time, which will also travel together throughout the experience. Animatronic versions of Statler and Waldorf will occupy the front row of one of the vehicles from each group, riding with the guests and occasionally commenting on the action. Thus, the maximum total capacity of each group of vehicles will be 36 people.

SCENE 1: INTRO
As we enter our ride vehicle, we hear a short Sousa-esque fanfare as Sam the Eagle can be heard through the vehicles’ speakers.

Sam: Ahem. Welcome, gentlemen and ladies to the Great Muppet Ride. Before you ride, I must notify you of all safety concerns. Please keep all arms, and legs inside the ride vehicles, with all of your personal belongings in the net...thing below your seat. Ehem. Yes. Not complying is not only uncivilized, but is also extremely unpatriotic.

Suddenly, Waldorf chimes in.

Waldorf: You’d think this ride is dangerous.

Statler: No. He’s right. We’d all be running to the end, otherwise.”

The pair laugh their iconic laugh.

Sam: Yes. Hmm. Finally, no flash photography or video while riding.

Statler and Waldorf again pipe in.

Statler: Why not?

Waldorf: That's a good thing. It’ll keep us from seeing the ride.

Both: Ohohohoho!

With a quick thanks, Sam’s fanfare fades as we pull out of the loading platform.

Rounding a corner, with each car following single file, we begin making our way down a beautifully decorated hall. The walls are adorned with deep red curtains and large marble arches. In between each arch stand marble statues, each depicting a different Muppet. As we make our way down the hall, a fanfare very reminiscent of the Muppet Show theme begins. Suddenly, we hear another voice.

Kermit: Hi ho. Kermit the Frog here, and welcome to the Great Muppet Ride! We’ve spent countless hours into making the best ride we could, and are now ready to show it off to you.

Making a slight turn, we notice that the statues and arches have disappeared, and we are now in a hall only adorned with red curtains. Towards the end of the hall, we can make out a large canvas sign bearing the Great Muppet Ride logo blocking the ride path. Continuing down closer to this sign, the fanfare builds and builds, eventually becoming a full blown-out rendition of the end of the Muppet Show theme with lyrics about the Great Muppet Ride. The wall curtains raise to reveal a whole chorus of Muppets on each side, very enthusiastically singing their song. Finally the line of vehicles stop right in front of the large canvas sign as the song climaxes with “Here we go, it’s the Great Muppet Ride.” As the last note holds, the canvas sign very quickly and unceremoniously rolls up, revealing a completely empty and drab-looking warehouse. The last note of the song collapses.

Waldorf: "Well that was a surprise."

Statler: "You're telling me. This is much better than I expected."

SCENE 2: THE GONE MUPPET RIDE
We emerge into a warehouse-like soundstage. Bare and dilapidated, one thing is certain—despite what we were lead to believe, this is NOT the Great Muppet Ride. Our ride vehicles move toward the other side of the room and stop in a circle formation around a table, where animatronic versions of Kermit, Scooter, Rizzo, and Walter are gathered in deep discussion.

Kermit: You’re telling me we LOST the whole RIDE?

Scooter: Er, sorry Boss, but it looks like it. See, I can’t figure out how it happened. We had it here ready to install yesterday, but—

Walter: We have to try to find it! Look, (motions toward ride vehicles), the guests are already here!

Rizzo: Oh, come on. Kermit, this is great! Listen, how are we supposed to make money on rides anyway? Now we can use the land for merchandise sales! Oh, and while we’re at it, let’s take out some benches. People can’t buy anything when they’re sitting down!

Kermit: No, Walter’s right. We have to try to find the ride. (To guests) Hey, why don’t you help us look? It won’t take too long.

Scooter: I have a bad feeling about this…

Our ride vehicles regroup and exit the soundstage.

SCENE 3: TIKI ROOM
We find ourself in a beautiful tropical-themed room, with birds of all sorts hanging from the rafters. The birds from the "Birds In the Trees" sketch, the chickens, the penguins, and even a reluctant Sam Eagle all make an appearance. A miniature Big Bird also makes a cameo. One notable group are birds from one of Jim Henson's early sketches for the Muppet Show:

The birds break into a chorus of the Tiki Room song. Several of them sing off-key, and Sam the Eagle rolls his eyes in displeasure.

Sam: Bah! This is undignified!

Nevertheless, the singing goes on, and our ride vehicle moves through the maze of birds as their perches are drawn up into the rafters to allow us to move through.

We hear the voice of Kermit, who seems aghast at the spectacle.

Kermit: What's going on here?

Bird: We heard you couldn't find your ride. So we decided to make our own! Oh, and guess what, the others are doing the same thing!

Kermit: Oh boy... (to audience) We'd better find that ride quickly.

SCENE 4: MUPPET LABS
As we enter the next room, we see Dr. Bunsen Honeydew appear on a screen.

Honeydew: Welcome to Muppet Labs. I am Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, and this is my faithful assistant, Beaker.

As we make our way further into the room, we notice that the room is really just one giant screen. There are no props, no theme; only a giant floor to ceiling screen that gently curves at the room’s corner. Suddenly, Kermit pipes in.

Kermit: Dr. Honeydew, what exactly is this?

Honeydew: Ah, Mr. Kermit, I’m glad you asked. This is the future of themed attractions. Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the Muppet Labs Virtual Ride. With this system, there are endless possibilities.

Kermit: But Dr. Honeydew, where’s the excitement? Where’s the adventure?

Statler: Where's the exit?

Honeydew: But, Mr. Kermit, you don’t understand. With the right technology, we can create an exciting attraction for millions of people to enjoy. Just take a look at Beaker. Can’t you see him tittering with delight?

We hear Beaker scream as the screen pans to show Beaker, in a vehicle similar to our own, shooting back and forth, and spinning all around an empty warehouse. Dr. Honeydew continues.

Honeydew: See, it’s perfectly safe. Allow me to further demonstrate.

Suddenly, the vehicles come to life as they begin madly spinning and zigzagging through the empty room.

Statler: They’re trying to shake us.

Waldorf: Good. Anything to get us out of here quicker.

Suddenly, Beaker’s car crashes into a large machine with a bang and a flash. The screen quickly swipes back to Dr. Honeydew.

Honeydew: Oh no, Beaker. You’ve gotten into the Clone-O-Matic again.

Kermit: C-clone-O-Matic?

Honeydew: Yes. It was a failed experiment. It makes hundreds of smaller copies of whatever is put into it.

We hear thousands of meeps off in the distance, apparently all running off together.

Honeydew: Wait. Beakers! Where are you going? I need to corral the Beakers. Thank you.

Kermit: ...well thanks, Doctor Honeydew. Now, how do we get out of here?

Suddenly, our cars once again come to life and form a single file line. Turning to the left, we quickly make our way towards the screen. Without any hesitation, we “crash” through the large screen leading into the next scene.

Kermit: Well that’s one way to get out. And we’ve found the Beakers.”

SCENE 5: IT'S A MEEP WORLD

Passing through the now broken screen, we find ourselves in a very bright room. The room is decorated with abstract pastel shapes and mobiles. As we wind our way through the room, we notice that something’s a bit...off. It seems as though all the Beakers have gotten together to perform a rounding, piercing rendition of “It’s A Small World.”

Statler: -hums It’s A Small World-

Waldorf: Wh-what are you doing?

Statler: This song. It...gets to me.

Waldorf: Oh no. It’s getting to us!

Statler: Ah!

Waldorf: (screaming) Let us out of here! It’s starting to get to us.

We continue through the room, passing the multitude of Beakers as they wreak havoc through the ride. One Beaker has gotten himself stuck in a large, Mary Blair-esque hippopotamus. Another has fallen backwards through the set, revealing part of the backstage area behind the ride. A few Beakers fly about in brightly colored airplanes. Of course, one has fallen out, hanging on for dear life. One Beaker has soared even higher than the aviator Beakers; right into the set lighting hanging from the tall ceilings. Despite their accident-prone nature, the Beakers still meep along to the song in perfect harmony.

Finally after passing all of the Beakers, we see Dr. Honeydew off slightly backstage. He’s holding a very large net, probably to capture the Beakers. Behind him stands a very large machine. It’s the Clone-o-Matic, with the word “Un” taped to the side, right before the word “Clone.”

SCENE 6: GONZO (ELEVATOR/RAMP)
Leaving the beautiful sounds of Beaker behind, we begin to enter a more circus-looking area, passing by a gigantic, vintage looking poster advertising “The Great Gonzo” and his Human Cannonball act.

Statler: The Great Gonzo.

Waldorf: Heh. The only thing great about him is his health insurance.

Both: Ohohoho!

Turning a corner, we see a gigantic red and yellow cannon pointed off in the distance (it’s a matte.) As we make our way closer to the cannon, a short trumpet fanfare flares up as we hear the voice of Gonzo.

Gonzo: Welcome, ladies and gentlemen. Tonight, you will witness my most incredible act yet. The first interactive stunt to be performed EVER. Perfect for a theme park ride! Now, please, if you will step into the cannon.”

Statler: Wha-- You want us to go into the cannon?

Gonzo: Please, I'm running on a schedule.

With that, we are ushered into the back of the cannon. It’s dark inside. We can see a small bit of light above, obviously looking out of the cannon.

Gonzo: Now. Get ready in 5...4…

Camilla: Bwak.

Gonzo: Not now, darling.

Amid the clucks, we feel a short bounce. Gonzo yells.

Gonzo: No! Don’t adjust the cannon. It’s already been lit.”

The elevator begins sending us up as we are shot from the cannon and sent through the clouds. We stop with a thud. The doors open to a bright light.

Statler: Are we dead?

Waldorf: Oh I hope so.

SCENE 7: SWEDISH CHEF
In an open area that appears to be somewhere on Main Street USA, we come to a snack cart. The vehicles form a line side by side in front of a large countertop covered with food. On the right is a popcorn kettle. On the left is a large pot with steam coming from the top. The smell of baked bread fills the air as we see Pops the doorman run from behind the cart with a huge basket of baguettes. All of a sudden a Muppet with a red mustache and a chef's hat much too big for his head pops up behind the counter.

Swedish Chef: Halooo. Her da shmerda floopy dor?

Waldorf: What did he say?

Statler: No clue, was that English?

Chef: Bork a florda da bork, ba doo. Floopy Dor?

Waldorf: I think he’s asking if we’d like anything to eat?

Statler: I think everyone here would love a cheeseburger.

At this request the chef stops moving about and slowly looks at Statler. A small tomato on the table begins to speak.

Tomato: Oh, now you did it. Take cover everyone.

All of a sudden, the chef goes crazy. He begins to grab popcorn, candy apples, and turkey legs and throws them everywhere. He’s yelling and banging on the table. During this time a small lobster begins to move across the table as if to try and get away. The Chef seems him, grabs him and throws him back into the pot on his left that splashes. Small squirts of water fly at us along with more items in the chef’s rampage.

Tomato: You guys had better get out of here.

Waldorf: You don’t have to tell me twice.

Statler: Lets blow this chicken coop.

The Vehicles begin to move again into a single line. The table moves to the right and out of our way while the chef pushes his cart away, still ranting in understandable Swedish and throwing food everywhere.

SCENE 8: MUPPETS OF THE CARIBBEAN
The vehicle rotates 45 degrees to the right but keeps moving slowly in the same direction. We see a grand pirate ship, two-masted, with sails tattered and ripped. The ramparts are scuffed and charred from battles past. We see cannons sticking out and firing across our path. As we move past, bursts of air blow as red light flashes from the cannons of the ship. At the helm is Dr. Teeth. Instead of his normal hat he is sporting a wide brimmed black hat with holes in the brim and a long green feather sticking straight back. He’s dressed in a black floor length coat with a white shirt, a cutlass in one hand and the helm in the other. He laughs and waves his sword. In the center of the main deck, we see 4 cannons fanning outward. As we move even with them, a scraggly pink and orange figure pops up behind them wearing an eye patch and sporting a bandanna and gold hoop earrings. He begins to bang on the cannons vigorously with drum sticks as he begins to shout.

Animal: YO HO!! YO HO!!…PIRATE…PIRATE!!!!!

A loud BOOM and a huge puff of smoke and red light flashes from each of the barrels. The smoke blocks our view of everything and all we hear is the music from Pirates of the Caribbean and distant cannon fire. The smoke clears as we pass the figurehead on the bow of the ship. Where there is usually a woman or animal of some kind we see Miss Piggy carved beautifully but chipped, scratched and showing signs of years at sea.

We move through to a dark room and hear spooky sounds in the dark as the vehicle turns back.

SCENE 9: MUPPET MANSION

We find ourselves entering a room very reminiscent of the classic ballroom scene from The Haunted Mansion. Looking up a bit, we notice Wayne and Wanda as they dance on a balcony in front of a large set of windows. Completely wrapped in each other, they sing “Here I’ll Stay” from the musical “Love Life.” As Wanda sings the lyric “Here I’ll stay,” there is a sudden crash of thunder and lightning. The pair are startled by it, lose their balance and crash through the window they were dancing in front of.

Leaving that disaster behind, we find ourselves in the middle of the ballroom, surrounded by pairs of dancers perpetually waltzing. In the distance, we hear an organ playing the iconic “At The Dance” theme from the Muppet Show. Here, the vehicles separate and twist and turn through the ballroom, stopping at two sets of dancers each. For simplicity’s sake, here’s a list of what these dancers will say

Pair of Ghosts
Ghost 1: I’m getting into the moving business
Ghost 2: Local?
Ghost 1: No. Ghost to ghost.

The Man and His Bat
Bat: You drive me absolutely batty.

Another Pair of Ghosts
Ghost 1: Why don’t we stop and have a drink
Ghost 2: We can’t. They don’t serve spirits here.

The Mummy and his Date
Date: Can you keep a secret?
Mummy: Of course. I’m great at keeping things under wraps.

Even More Ghosts
Ghost 1: I’ve started collecting rocks.
Ghost 2: Oh yeah? What kind?
Ghost 1: Tombstones.

Two Monsters
Monster 1: I’ve been reading a lot of Shakespeare.
Monster 2: Oh yeah? What’s your favorite?
Monster 1: Romeo and Ghouliet.

We reconvene at the other end of the ballroom, and see that the organ is being played by none other than Rowlf. As we pass, Rowlf turns his head and says:

Rowlf: Heh. How’s that for a sprited dance routine?

SCENE 10: FOZZIE BEAR JAMBOREE

We enter a theater that looks much like the Muppet Theater, but much smaller. The vehicles line up side-by-side and the lights go dark. A Dixie style piano kicks in and a small curtain to the left of the main stage opens, and there stands a rather shabby looking bear with a pink and white bow tie and brown hat, holding a guitar.

Fozzie: Howdy everyone, and welcome to the Fozzie Bear Jamboree. You know we always start the show with a joke, and I’ve got a great one for you tonight. In our house we use paper plates. At the end of the meal my wife erases the dishes…Wocka Wocka!

Waldorf: Hey you remind me of Edger Allen Poe.

Fozzie: Edger Allen Poe wasn’t funny.

Waldorf: Yeah and neither are you!

Both laugh.

Fozzie: Hm…Tough ride. Now folks, we have a real treat for you. A beauty beyond anything you could possibly imagine. She comes from a small town in upstate New York, but she’s as country as a coyote on a moon lit night. A voice with angelic qualities…

Miss Piggy’s Voice Shrieking: Hurry it up, will ya!

Fozzie: Okay, okay…The Beautiful Miss Piggy!

Our vehicles move into the next room, an almost identical theater. The tune of “Many Happy Hangovers to You” begins as Fozzie begins to strum. From the ceiling, a swing slowly lowers with Miss Piggy sitting on it. Wearing a pink dress and matching hat with flowers, she begins to sing. Come the chorus, she begins to swing faster and faster. In her excitement she falls off the swing and out of sight, screaming into the orchestra pit at the front of the stage. The music awkwardly stops.

Statler: Encore, Encore!

Waldorf: Not so loud. They may hear you and start it all over again.

Fozzie: Sorry folks it looks like we need a few more rehearsals.

Waldorf: A few? I wouldn’t quit your day jobs.

Both Laugh

SCENE 11: PENGUIN SPINNER
In the style of Dumbo the Flying Elephant, we see a spinner ride before us. But instead of ride vehicles; the penguins are strapped to the arms of the spinner. They are going crazy, controlling the arms of the ride to go up and down. We hear Kermit’s voice:

Kermit: Looks like they can finally fly!

Our ride vehicles arrange themselves into a circular formation around the spinner ride, each of them lining up with and facing one of the penguins. We begin to rotate at the same speed as the penguins, which eventually gets even faster, until we break off and keep spinning into the next scene.

Waldorf: Penguins flying? Now I've seen everything.

Statler: No you haven't.

Waldorf: I haven't?

Statler: You can't see 3 feet in front of you without your glasses!

SCENE 12: MUPPET TORNADO (ELEVATOR)
We move into a new room, which is an elevator with combined physical sets and screens. It is clear to see that the Muppets have gone a little overboard. It seems that they all are trying so hard to impress that they are falling over each other: Pigs on our left with a cotton candy stand, rats to the right running a variety of midway games (basketball shot, a dunk tank, and ring toss, among others). At the end of the row we see a rather small rat attempting to carry a giant stuffed Mickey, rather unsuccessfully as she is struggling to lift it.

The final game we see is Break a Plate. Seemingly from nowhere, a fish is launched from across the room. Looking back where it came from, we see Lew Zealand celebrating as he has successfully broken a plate. We move foreword and we see 4 singing cacti dressed as the Dapper Dans ,singing “You are my sunshine”. Muppets begin to move so fast in a giant whirlwind, that we can barely make out who they are anymore. Baskerville the hound takes pictures with Goofy, Annie Sue and Milred Huxetter run past as they jump in line for bumper cars; even Robin the Frog, Kermits little nephew, seems to be running amok. A loud bang is heard and the Flying Zucchini Brothers go flying overhead. Beauregard and George the Janitor try desperately to clean up after them. Dropping popcorn on the ground behind them is Waldo C. Graphic. He stops just in front of us and winks before moving on behind George.

Statler: You think they’ve gone a bit overboard?

Waldorf: Nah, this is just the medium part of the ride.

Statler: The medium part?

Waldorf: Well, it's certainly not well done.
Both laugh.

SCENE 13: FINALE
In the midst of all the chaos, we hear Walter’s voice yelling.

Walter: Wait, everybody!

Suddenly, the hubbub stops. Our ride vehicles begin to turn around and proceed out of the elevator room, as dramatic music begins to play in the background. Walter gets our attention again, standing before us as an animatronic.

Walter: Guys! The ride is just around the corner. It was here the whole time!

Turning the corner, we once again see an entrance with a large canvas over it that reads The Great Muppet Ride. This time, Kermit is sitting on top of the entrance. The rest of the Muppets all flock to the ride, as our vehicle moves steadily toward it. Fiber-optic fireworks shaped and colored like Muppets characters are set off in the background, framing the ride entrance beautifully. As the dramatic music builds up even further, the Muppets start another chorus of their theme song with lyrics having to do with the ride.

As soon as the canvas covering the entrance is lifted... a giant explosion lights up the entire scene, destroying everything. The lights go completely dark for a few seconds.

Statler: That’s what they call a “brilliant” finale!

When the dust clears, we see Crazy Harry before us in the entrance of the ride, laughing maniacally. The Great Muppet Ride has been completely destroyed. Our vehicles move into what was the ride entrance, where we see the other Muppets turn to Kermit, covered in ash and soot from the explosion.

Fozzie: Kermit, we didn’t mean to go completely crazy coming up with new rides.

Pepe: Yah, we were just trying to help, okay.

Kermit: (sighs) I know. (turns in our direction) And even though you all didn’t get to experience the Great Muppet Ride… well, I think the search for it was a pretty good ride in itself!

The other Muppets nod their heads, murmuring in agreement. They break into song, singing one last musical number in the ruins of the Great Muppet Ride. This song, Rainbow Connection, won't be identical to it's former versions, but more of an adaptation that combines nostalgia with new energy. The song begins normally but as the song progresses, the tune and tone of the piece becomes more upbeat. This conveys the emotions of the Muppets as they realize that despite the fact that the ride has been destroyed, them being together is all that matters.

Why are there so many songs about rainbows
And what's on the other side...
Then the speed begins to pick up.
Rainbows are visions (visions)
But only illusions (illusions)
And rainbows have nothing to...
hide!

What's so amazing
That keeps us stargazing
And what do we think we might see
Someday we'll find it
The rainbow connection
The lovers, the dreamers, and me

All of us under its spell, we know that it's probably magic

Have you been half asleep?
And have you heard voices?
I've heard them calling my name
Is this the sweet sound
That called the young sailors?
The voice might be one in the same

I've heard it too many times to ignore it
It's something that I'm supposed to be
Someday we'll find it
The rainbow connection
The lovers, the dreamers and me

La da da di da da dum da duh da da dum di da ohhh

Our ride vehicle turns to look back at them as it moves into the unloading platform.

Statler: That was terrible!

Waldorf: Absolutely awful!

Statler: Let’s ride it again!

I can easily see why this won the hearts of The Sorcerer's Apprentice a few years ago. It's an absolute treat, and one that would definitely be a must-do for any day at Disney's Hollywoodland!

And while we're here, I might as well talk about what I'd do at Echo Lake. First of all, Guardians is staying at Epcot. This means that The Incredibles will be the only superheroes we can find here. Also, I'd move a few of the shops around. I don't know how I'll do that yet. Basically, Echo Lake would more than likely be a cul-de-sac of sorts, given the Great Muppet Ride taking up the place of Star Tours and Incredibles taking the place of Indiana Jones.

 

[mharrington]

This is a map off the fireworks fallout zone, contained within the yellow. The launchpad itself is in the center of the zone. As you can see, the only area that would be affected would be the Arendelle area. That would be the only thing that would have to close, whilst Tangled and Pinocchio can remain open. Plus, "it's a small world", being located to the west, would be free from the fallout zone.

Okay, but I'm not still not sure if it's possible to relocate Small World.

 

[Pi on my Cake]

Okay, but I'm not still not sure if it's possible to relocate Small World.

Okay, but I'm not still not sure if it's possible to relocate Small World.

It is definitely possible but it is maybe not practical.

BUT that bottleneck between pan and small world is terrible and perhaps the biggest problem with all of WDW. And it will only get worst as time goes on. And moving small world, while expensive, is probably the most practical solution to the problem.

 

[mharrington]

It is definitely possible but it is maybe not practical.

BUT that bottleneck between pan and small world is terrible and perhaps the biggest problem with all of WDW. And it will only get worst as time goes on. And moving small world, while expensive, is probably the most practical solution to the problem.

But you said it wasn't practical. And are you saying that the only thing preventing a relocation of the ride is money?

 

[Pi on my Cake]

But you said it wasn't practical. And are you saying that the only thing preventing a relocation of the ride is money?

Its not practical, but it is the least impractical solution to a problem that is going to need to be solved eventually.

The problem is that moving Small World essentially means demolishing the original and building a brand new one. That's a lot of cost. Plus needing a new location to put the rather large attraction. All that expense just to clear some space because you can't advertise moving a 50 year old attraction as a new building to bring people in. No return on the investment.

But it is in no way impossible and something, I believe at least, is going to have to be done eventually. That bottleneck must be fixed and Fantasyland is pretty boxed in for new additions.