Transformative Multi-Year Expansion Announced for WDS Paris

[Supersnow84]

Yeah the expansion would be fine if frozen was worth walking to the far end of the park for but being a half land with a d ticket, a gift shop and a quick service doesn’t really warrant being at the far end of the lake with nothing else to anchor it, at the very least steal HK’s old idea for wandering oaks dancing sleighs

That said I also agree calling it ghastly is a massive over exaggeration

 

[LondonTom]

I preferred the old version apart from looking a bit spruced up, I just think it felt more like a setting than just a photo backdrop. (A cartoon take on the Pixar campus could work with the new Worlds of Pixar theme for instance..)

I like the Luxo lamps though!

 

[Kevin_W]

At least it looks better than what was there before, I guess?


Careful now!

I'm not as familiar with the park as some. Where is this? Is the blue building on the right Crush's Coaster?

 

[Sir_Cliff]

I'm not as familiar with the park as some. Where is this? Is the blue building on the right Crush's Coaster?

You can see the location here just above Crush's Coaster and below the Ratatouille logo. Behold WDS in all its glory:

 

[Supersnow84]

You can see the location here just above Crush's Coaster and below the Ratatouille logo. Behold WDS in all its glory:

View attachment 728599

seeing it from this angle while the park needs the lake for expansion room it drives home even further than frozen really should have been on this side of the lake and the lake was a backdrop till they committed the money to filling it out

 

[Sir_Cliff]

seeing it from this angle while the park needs the lake for expansion room it drives home even further than frozen really should have been on this side of the lake and the lake was a backdrop till they committed the money to filling it out

I do think either a Star Wars or Pandora land sitting on the other end of the lake would have been far more appropriate as a backdrop to the park than another fairytale castle. If you want to differentiate this park as a journey into the worlds of different movies, that is. One of the things that doesn't thrill me about the plans is that it's hard to see any cohesive vision for the park.

 

[Supersnow84]

I do think either a Star Wars or Pandora land sitting on the other end of the lake would have been far more appropriate as a backdrop to the park than another fairytale castle. If you want to differentiate this park as a journey into the worlds of different movies, that is. One of the things that doesn't thrill me about the plans is that it's hard to see any cohesive vision for the park.

The castle is set to be an exact replica of the HK one so I doubt that arendelle will even act as a terribly good park backdrop considering you can only partially see arendelle castle and see (but it doesn’t dominate) Elsa’s ice palace over the train line in fantasy land and Main Street

But I agree they should have picked a more commanding land to be the backdrop to the lake

 

[Sir_Cliff]

The castle is set to be an exact replica of the HK one so I doubt that arendelle will even act as a terribly good park backdrop considering you can only partially see arendelle castle and see (but it doesn’t dominate) Elsa’s ice palace over the train line in fantasy land and Main Street

But I agree they should have picked a more commanding land to be the backdrop to the lake

The thing that worries me most from the pictures I have seen from HKDL land is that you can see where the mountain facade ends and the plain show building begins when looking at the land from a distance (in this case, Main Street Station). I really hope they build out that facade further in Paris, because otherwise I fear it will look especially unimpressive compared to the theming in the park next-door from certain angles.

 

[JakeDLP]

The thing that worries me most from the pictures I have seen from HKDL land is that you can see where the mountain facade ends and the plain show building begins when looking at the land from a distance (in this case, Main Street Station). I really hope they build out that facade further in Paris, because otherwise I fear it will look especially unimpressive compared to the theming in the park next-door from certain angles.

I might not be 100% on this but I remember hearing somewhere that the Paris version will have a little more theming around the sides and back. I remember reading this somewhere.

 

[IMDREW]

The WDS version of the land is angled differently. Making for a better view from the front of the park.

 

[Supersnow84]

HK is also doing work right now to cover the rest of the show building, there is scaffolding up all over the TSL side of the north mountain

But IMDREW is correct while it’s a pretty much exact replica Paris will be angled differently, while in HK looking front on the hook of the mountain above the ice palace is on the right but behind the palace, in Paris it’ll be almost horizontally to the right (as if the whole mountain has been rotated clockwise about 30 degrees) this should give a flattening effect making the rear ground look larger

The show building for FEA also has to be covered better in Paris because the area immediately to the left of FEA might be a guest pathway in the future for Paris but in HK if they ever use the Toy Story plot then the ride building will border FEA’s ride building allowing for the non themed parts to hide each other

 

[Jwhee]

Thoughts?

 

[Sir_Cliff]

Did look like a nice photo-op from this little video of Miguel running through the little Pixar cityscape! Not sure if this is just something they did for the media event for the new Together show or if the characters will be taking photos among the cityscape:


Always up for more Coco in the parks! Well, maybe that new restaurant in Frontierland could have been handled better, but in principle!

 

[JakeDLP]

I like the new photo op and I think it's way more thematically consistent than what it was. I don't know why people are acting like it's the death of art and wishing stones upon it

 

[cjkeating]

I like the new photo op and I think it's way more thematically consistent than what it was. I don't know why people are acting like it's the death of art and wishing stones upon it

Same. The Toon Town style wall was weird in its placement as far as I was concerned.

 

[LondonTom]

I like the new photo op and I think it's way more thematically consistent than what it was. I don't know why people are acting like it's the death of art and wishing stones upon it

Its a studios park, it was toon studios... (much like the toontown)

No one has called it the death of art or wished stones upon it, just pointing out if DLP is going to the trouble of updating this photo op, they should have done it properly, instead of a splash of paint on a structure that doesn't make as much sense now.

Its fine, its just the lack of effort when it wouldn't have taken a lot more to properly improve the area.

 

[JakeDLP]

Its a studios park, it was toon studios... (much like the toontown)

No one has called it the death of art or wished stones upon it, just pointing out if DLP is going to the trouble of updating this photo op, they should have done it properly, instead of a splash of paint on a structure that doesn't make as much sense now.

Its fine, its just the lack of effort when it wouldn't have taken a lot more to properly improve the area.

I'm pretty sure it follows the same concept as the original location except it's all Pixar themed now

 

[Supersnow84]

Is Paris as a whole still haemorrhaging guests or has that been arrested since the studios do over really kicked into high gear

I knew there was analysis a little while ago that said parc Disneyland having never had an expansion was contributing to its falling attendance

 

[AndyS2992]

Is Paris as a whole still haemorrhaging guests or has that been arrested since the studios do over really kicked into high gear

I knew there was analysis a little while ago that said parc Disneyland having never had an expansion was contributing to its falling attendance

What do you mean? Except for 2020 and 2021 due to Covid and closures, Paris’s attendance is now back to pre pandemic levels of 10 million a year with Walt Disney Studios having its highest attendance levels ever in 2022. The 30th anniversary has been a big success for the park. Disneyland Paris continues to be the most visited theme park in Europe.

Disneyland Park Paris historical attendance data

Annual attendance figures for Disneyland Park Paris. Explore the popularity of Disneyland Park Paris over the years.

queue-times.com

The only reason for a potential dip in 2023 would be the current issue with annual passes where Disney has now risen the prices, removed all of the benefits and have a very unpopular reservation system in place causing pass holders to boycott it seems. But the park does need a new build ride, hasn’t had once since 2006‘s Buzz Lightyear ride. All the other new attractions have been updates and rethemes of existing rides.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

Yes, Paris has been the bright spot in recent annual reports as far as the international parks and resorts are concerned.

The only reason for a potential dip in 2023 would be the current issue with annual passes where Disney has now risen the prices, removed all of the benefits and have a very unpopular reservation system in place causing pass holders to boycott it seems. But the park does need a new build ride, hasn’t had once since 2006‘s Buzz Lightyear ride. All the other new attractions have been updates and rethemes of existing rides.

I don't know much about the Paris AP program, but I am curious as to why they are being so aggressive in raising prices and removing benefits. They don't seem to be struggling with the same capacity issues as the US parks and could probably use the extra attendance. Best I can figure is that they are thinking longterm and attempting the big 'reset' the Chapek touted at the US parks as a way of changing expectations and controlling attendance while wringing every last cent out of guests.

EDIT: I see there is another thread explaining the logic of all this.