Transformative Multi-Year Expansion Announced for WDS Paris

[MKeeler]

Did someone talk about this? If this is true, then the rumors of adding just Rise of The Resistance could be true, which in my opinion would be better than at the Studios, especially since they could add Star Tours to Star Wars Land and that ride is really great, much better than MF.

This highlights my problem with the IP strategy, and I hope this is a since discarded concept.

Discoveryland has a strong theme already and could be one of the most amazing lands Disney has ever created if they stuck with that theme. Even by just sticking with existing rides they've already created. Imagine if Discoveryland changed Space Mountain back to the original theming with Jules Verne. Then add Journey to the Center of the Earth, the 20,000 Leagues ride from Tokyo, and Soarin themed to Soarin Around the World in 80 Days. If they really wanted to commit, retheme Star Tours to Time Machine and Buzz to War of The Worlds.

Disneyland Parc needs a dedication to theme and aesthetics and additional attractions that compliment those. Committing to Discoveryland accomplishes that, not discarding it.

Studios on the other hand needs additional themed lands, as well as attractions. It needs an identity. And allowing you to explore the great worlds of Disney movies works. A Star Wars land would work well there. And if Lion King is a land, you could transition from the Savannah to Galaxy's Edge or Tattooine well.

Just tired of seeing the cart lead the horse.

 

[MKeeler]

Or they could go the easier route and just make the exterior look like an aquarium, throw in a water feature, and get rid of the Magic Carpets & Cars Race Rally...

Change out Magic Carpets for The Whirlpool and Cars for Blowfish Balloon Race and you've got a Finding Nemo themed section, to strengthen the Pixar Area. That would now be Nemo, Toy Story, and Ratatouille.

 

[IMDREW]

I always thought magic carpets would be a cool stingray migration ride.

 

[Timothy_Q]

It's also about time they remove the costume building that's stuck in between the 3 pixar areas, and use it for further expansion and to give the area a nice Pixar hub that connects to each section

 

[DCBaker]

*Walt Disney Imagineering has posted a clearer video of the Walt Disney Studios Park Expansion Site.






*Edited to add the video from WDI.

 

[Moon knight]

Wow I didn't know they were going to be this cheap for this *new* photolocation, at least the Luxo Jr. lamposts are nice...
For some reasons they thought it was needed to retheme this food truck with Toy Story few meters away from... Toy Story Playland.

And for God's sake Up's flying house and the Pizza Planet truck deserve to be realized in 3D !

 

[DCBaker]

 

[SplashJacket]

The Toontown spot should be razed. Not rethemed. The issue isn’t irrelevant IP, the issue is quality.

 

[LittleMerman]

From what I understood.

2025 :

-lake promenade with: Two flat rides ( tangled/ Little Mermaid); English Garden; Lake with new show(s)? , restaurants.
-Theater district: reimagined entry sequence.
-Frozen land.

2027:

-Lion King Land ( 3 themed areas).

2028/29:

Pandora.

Rumour has it that a new show probably marvel themed might appear next year to replace the late moteur action.

Has Mermaid been proven or just rumors?

 

[Henry Mystic]

Wow I didn't know they were going to be this cheap for this *new* photolocation, at least the Luxo Jr. lamposts are nice...
For some reasons they thought it was needed to retheme this food truck with Toy Story few meters away from... Toy Story Playland.

And for God's sake Up's flying house and the Pizza Planet truck deserve to be realized in 3D !

Yeah, surprising move. It’s pathetically ugly now, and looks to continue to be that way.

 

[Moon knight]

I mean wouldn't it be much better to relocate all the random PIXAR statues/interactive props of both parks in a park-like setting in this Pixar-themed land, with some red bricks work (just like the Emeryville Studios), a nice fountain, trees and Carl's house ?

 

[mrflo]

Why would they even announce something like the change of a background as news - especially if it is that tacky. Are they trying to test how cheap they can go and get away with it? Other parks like Europa-Park keep adding little updates each season and would not even highlight those things.

I generally appreciate the fact that they did this kind of event - like a little D23 Expo presentation. My expectations regarding the announcements were very low. But I am quite puzzled by the fact that it was that sparse.

 

[rickreptile]

Would have been more interesting if they extended the crush coaster rock work, like a fun place to go on pics with various finding nemo/dory characters or the suggestions Moon Knight posted.

 

[cjkeating]

This screenshot is from the drone video DLP released this week and has really opened to my eyes to how this expansion is going to rebalance the park.

I know it is winter so the trees don't have leaves but I don't think I have appreciated how much the lake is going to be the new centre of the park and not 'a barren lake with one ride around it' as many people describe it. Cars Road Trip and Toy Story Playland will connect directly to the lake, I'm not 100% sure if Avengers Campus will but I think there will be a short cut' to the lake from Super Diner. Going forward with whatever the two lands next to Frozen will be the front of the park 'Theatre District' and the messy Nemo/Cars/Carpets area will feel very disconnected from the rest of the park.

I don't think this matters for the Theatre District as it will have destination shows that will draw people back but the more I think about it I feel like the Nemo/Cars/Carpets are will become a (more) problematic area and in need of a signifiant change in the future. I am being realistic here so thinking 2030 onwards. With people complaining about the lakeside flat rides I do think this is some future proofing of the parks line up for when Carpets and Cars no longer exist.

 

[Toni25]

Going forward with whatever the two lands next to Frozen will be the front of the park 'Theatre District' and the messy Nemo/Cars/Carpets area will feel very disconnected from the rest of the park.

I don't think this matters for the Theatre District as it will have destination shows that will draw people back but the more I think about it I feel like the Nemo/Cars/Carpets are will become a (more) problematic area and in need of a signifiant change in the future. I am being realistic here so thinking 2030 onwards. With people complaining about the lakeside flat rides I do think this is some future proofing of the parks line up for when Carpets and Cars no longer exist.

I'm thinking once priorities are set & met (=the lands around the lake are finished), there will be a time & budget to polish the rest.
At some point they might upgrade the Theater District & demolish the Studio entrance to create something fresh (I'm sure they're aware the trees are just a quick, cheap fix).
The Pixar area has that massive customs building that someone pointed out again a few days ago + cars, carpets & maybe even crush? could be demolished and have a proper "Pixar Land".
Avengers campus still has an expansion plot.
Every Area is upgradeable.

 

[Moon knight]

I'm thinking once priorities are set & met (=the lands around the lake are finished), there will be a time & budget to polish the rest.
At some point they might upgrade the Theater District & demolish the Studio entrance to create something fresh (I'm sure they're aware the trees are just a quick, cheap fix).
The Pixar area has that massive customs building that someone pointed out again a few days ago + cars, carpets & maybe even crush? could be demolished and have a proper "Pixar Land".
Avengers campus still has an expansion plot.
Every Area is upgradeable.

I really don't see them destroying Front Lot+ Studio 1. They thought about it but decided not to. You may not remember but Buena Vista Street reused some of the existing showbuilding of DCA 1.0. Besides, you can't expect them to bulldoze everything and start anew when they didn't even have the budget to demolish the Dinotopia scene from WDS Studio Tram Tour...

Some elements of this expansion are, indeed, placeholders to maintain a decent capacity in this park. The Stunt show Arena, Cars Road Trip and the newly revealed PIXAR Plaza will likely stay 'til Pandora opens (2029 ?). A new show will be introduced next year in the Stunt Show Arena. That's gonna be fun, but let's face it DLP won't maintain such a stadium 20 more years given how Avengers Campus has been successful so far and how costly it is for TDP to keep it. Cars Road Trip occupies a surface area of an entire land while it *only* cost them $40 million, $20 million less than Star Tours 2.0. Finally, the Costuming/ImagiNation building is getting less and less relevant. Basically each land of the WDS will benefit from a dedicated building for performers, a good portion of the current costuming building is now part of the Ratatouille area (Public restrooms and the Marianne shop), its days may be numbered even more now given how important the now under construction costuming building (Dreams) will be. It wouldn't surprise me much if they decide in the 2030's to transform the ImagiNation building into a Pixar counter service restaurant with a "Worlds of Pixar" store alongside a more elaborate Meet&Greet area.

 

[cjkeating]

I'm thinking once priorities are set & met (=the lands around the lake are finished), there will be a time & budget to polish the rest.
At some point they might upgrade the Theater District & demolish the Studio entrance to create something fresh (I'm sure they're aware the trees are just a quick, cheap fix).
The Pixar area has that massive customs building that someone pointed out again a few days ago + cars, carpets & maybe even crush? could be demolished and have a proper "Pixar Land".
Avengers campus still has an expansion plot.
Every Area is upgradeable.

I really don't see them destroying Front Lot+ Studio 1. They thought about it but decided not to. You may not remember but Buena Vista Street reused some of the existing showbuilding of DCA 1.0. Besides, you can't expect them to bulldoze everything and start anew when they didn't even have the budget to demolish the Dinotopia scene from WDS Studio Tram Tour...

Some elements of this expansion are, indeed, placeholders to maintain a decent capacity in this park. The Stunt show Arena, Cars Road Trip and the newly revealed PIXAR Plaza will likely stay 'til Pandora opens (2029 ?). A new show will be introduced next year in the Stunt Show Arena. That's gonna be fun, but let's face it DLP won't maintain such a stadium 20 more years given how Avengers Campus has been successful so far and how costly it is for TDP to keep it. Cars Road Trip occupies a surface area of an entire land while it *only* cost them $40 million, $20 million less than Star Tours 2.0. Finally, the Costuming/ImagiNation building is getting less and less relevant. Basically each land of the WDS will benefit from a dedicated building for performers, a good portion of the current costuming building is now part of the Ratatouille area (Public restrooms and the Marianne shop), its days may be numbered even more now given how important the now under construction costuming building (Dreams) will be. It wouldn't surprise me much if they decide in the 2030's to transform the ImagiNation building into a Pixar counter service restaurant with a "Worlds of Pixar" store alongside a more elaborate Meet&Greet area.

I think the 'Theatre District' and Studio 1 refurbishment will keep them in a suitable condition for the foreseeable future. There really isn't much more they can do with them for a 'net again' when there are other areas of the park that have expansion plots and as I theorised I think their relevance will decrease as the gravity of the parks moves to the lake. The Nemo/Cars/Carpets Pixar Place area however will stick out as quite a mishmash of conflicting themes [and the untamed blue soundstage] when the rest of the park will now be true one IP lands.

 

[Moon knight]

UPDATE :The Royal Reception Meet and Greet in Arendelle : The World of Frozen/le Monde de la Reine des Neiges
Each guest will be able to meet Anna and Elsa inside their Castle without actually be in it. The concept will be similar to the Training Center in Avengers Campus. You'll have to book in advance a reservation on your DLP guest account to participate to this experience. Then they'll make you briefly wait in the Portrait Gallery of the castle as seen in the first movie (1). The grandfather clock will be a proeminent prop. Once your turn, the castle staff will lead you down one of the the castle corridor (2) to meet the two sisters, in what looks like to be their living room from Frozen II. Obviously the rooms will feel much smaller in reality.

1.

2.

3.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Someone else suggested giving Magic Carpets and Cars Race Rally a Finding Nemo overlay and that makes sense to me. Gives each Pixar movie (Finding Nemo, Ratatouille, Cars, Toy Story) its own sub land inside "Worlds of Pixar".

 

[mrflo]

This screenshot is from the drone video DLP released this week and has really opened to my eyes to how this expansion is going to rebalance the park.

I know it is winter so the trees don't have leaves but I don't think I have appreciated how much the lake is going to be the new centre of the park and not 'a barren lake with one ride around it' as many people describe it.

If you compare the beautiful views from the back of Fantasyland (e.g. the Queen of Hearts Castle) to this it is staggering. The whole skyline with the back of ToT and TSL ride structures is not something they can improve easily. Even lots of trees - in particular during winter - might not be able to cover this up. Makes you realise again and appreciate how much thought on so many levels went into the original park.

Talking about winter & original park, the whole new area does not seem to have much shelter for days with unpleasant weather conditions. Imagine for a family with small kids having to go back from Frozen land all the way to Studio 1 during a rainstorm in November.