Transformative Multi-Year Expansion Announced for WDS Paris

mrflo

mrflo

Well-Known Member
If you look at the background you can see that they are using images from the LK CGI remake in the background as a reference. Seems like at least the outdoor setting will be based on that movie. Hopefully the ride itself will be based on the animated original instead. Otherwise it could look quite creepy.

Glad that this has been finally announced and construction for this attraction is supposed to start next year. Though calling this an immersive land would be an exaggeration. Seeing Imagineers from Paris' Avengers Campus being in charge again is not that comforting either. Right now, I am having a hard time seeing how this is supposed to be a major new chapter or the leap forward for WDS/DAW as some insiders told us. The fact that this will be a book report style ride is another big minus for me - though that's just my personal preference.

I am sure DLP Marketing will have a blast promoting the arrival of this popular IP in the WDS/DAW and attract many visitors. Though now that I have seen the first concepts, I think this would have better fit in Adventureland after all and something like Pandora should have taken its place in WDS/DAW.

mrflo said:
Another view of the Lion King model from the DLP D23 video.

View attachment 808116
Click to expand...
 
S

SnowWhitesPrince

Member
I think this is essentially a Splash Mountain Retheme, it will be great as part of the 'big picture' when everything is built in 1-2 decades, not so much on its own. On a positive note the plan seems at least to be to start construction while they are still building/just finishing frozen which is good.
And if we are lucky we get the water based Avatar land next which seems to be the Pirates Shanghai boat system?
Then we have 3 boat rides next to each other. What are they thinking?
The small steps are bigger than before, but Paris would need everything which has been announced for other parks and more like now imo. It's a miracle they survived without any real additions for 20+ years.
Also long overdue SM 3 return to its original theme, get rid of Buzz and Aladdin spinner, enlarged SW land behind Star Tours. Tear down Autopia and build 20'000 leagues/journey to center of the earth from Disneysea instead expanding the Verne theming.
Tron somewhere without ruining the theme of existing attractions would be nice. :)
 
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nickys

nickys

Premium Member
The opening date for Frozen is worse than I anticipated, especially with the visible accelerated progress recently.

And it sounds as if the new lake show won’t one until then either - which is frankly BS.

I’m also disappointed that nothing new was announced for DLP other than the night show.

BUT a whole lot is happening and has happened recently that didn’t have a D23 announcement. New shows seem to be bread & butter to DLP, for example. So maybe there will be other new stuff, like one of those potential new E-ticket rides, announced later. Perhaps they just haven’t made a final decision yet, or wanted to hold something back. 🤞🤞

I have to be hopeful. 😊 Realistically now, this is probably going to be the Disney park I’ll be visiting more than 3-4 years from now.
 
montydysquith-navarro

montydysquith-navarro

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
SnowWhitesPrince said:
And if we are lucky we get the water based Avatar land next which seems to be the Pirates Shanghai boat system?
Then we have 3 boat rides next to each other. What are they thinking?
Click to expand...
I could be misremembering, but I remember reading somewhere that DLP management doesn't like the idea of having the majority of rides around Adventure Bay to be water rides. Judging from the creative direction of Pandora West (DCA), I'd wager that if the land does come to the Studios/DAW in the future, it will be set in a different location from the two other Pandora lands and use a different ride system for the headliner. Fire and Ash seem to be set in a volcanic region, so if Pandora Further East comes to be, they're probably going to use that as the primary location.
 
mrflo

mrflo

Well-Known Member
SnowWhitesPrince said:
The small steps are bigger than before, but Paris would need everything which has been announced for other parks and more like now imo. It's a miracle they survived without any real additions for 20+ years.
Also long overdue SM 3 return to its original theme, get rid of Buzz and Aladdin spinner, enlarged SW land behind Star Tours. Tear down Autopia and build 20'000 leagues/journey to center of the earth from Disneysea instead expanding the Verne theming.
Tron somewhere without ruining the theme of existing attractions would be nice. :)
Click to expand...
Fully agreed. In terms of scope nothing additional has been shown since the WDS 2.0 announcement in Feb 2018. Now we just know confirmed that Star Wars has been replaced by the Lion King. The US parks already have major announcements from the Turbocharged plans while DLP is waiting for those initial projects to finally open. Apart from those details around the Lion King, the big question for me is what is the timeline moving forward and if/when/how DLP will benefit from those 60 billion Turbocharged dollars. Some sources seemed very confident and insisting that DLP would benefit in a major way - even more than DLR - from those investments. Was it all just blue sky plans to pitch for the money that is now still going mainly to the US parks after all?
 
rickreptile

rickreptile

Member
I honestly was expecting a bit more in terms of announcements with slowly more and more themeparks (especially the Efteling and Europapark) competing for the international market and with a potential new Universal park coming to Europe, Disney will be facing some competition, they will remain number 1 i'm sure but at this rate i can see people skipping disney in favor of parks that actually invest into new rides properly.
I know plenty of people who have no interest in visiting DLP because of the high price and nothing new for years.

I'm wondering as well why Frozen still needs another year to actually be completed.
 
croboy82

croboy82

Well-Known Member
Yeah a third boat ride will be an overkill so I doubt Paris is getting the DCA Avatar ride. Hoepfully something brand new as it will still take about 5 years to even start with that one.
 
mrflo

mrflo

Well-Known Member
Shocked Lion King GIF

Me also just fully realising that in the meantime DCA will get a completely new Avatar land and double the size of their Avengers Campus each with all-new unique e-ticket rides plus a Coco attraction. I think WDS/DAW will not be able to catch up with DCA any time soon. At least we have the space for all those things.
 
A

Aramar

Member
I'm going to try to be positive. Hong Kong and Shanghai also got only 1 ride announced and Tokyo nothing. The D23 is always focused on the American parks, so all other resorts can announce new rides at any other time. Fingers crossed 🤞
 
Toni25

Toni25

Well-Known Member
So let me get this straight:
6 years since the expansion was announced, they now confirmed Stars Wars is getting replaced with Lion King.
Basically NOTHING new, no new ride, no new land, just a replacement of something announced in 2018.
An ENTIRE LAND with what seems to be a rethemed Splash Mountain. So we are STILL on the original 2 billion budget.
NOTHING announced for the main park. NO NEW LANDS OR RIDES for the Studios.
Doesn't feel turbocharged to me, it's barely charging in fact there's constant power outages.

I am extremely underwhelmed and disappointed to say the least.
I expected something to be announced for the main park.
I expected an Avengers Campus expansion or a 3rd land or a new E-Ticket.
I expected the Lion King announcement to be better?! The concept art was a mess, a barren savannah.
A single ride, the old cheap splash. This is the "upgrade" from RISE OF THE RESISTANCE?!
It all feels so mediocre, I find it absolutely baffling. Where does all that money go?
 
U

UpAllNight

Well-Known Member
I read somewhere pre d23 they’d kept some announcements back for another section. Could this possibly be the imagineer panel today where they discuss, say Runaway Railway and be like, “oh and we’re building one in Paris too”? I know I’m clutching at straws here but, seriously unimpressed with Paris’ lot.

If nothing else just give us some top tier clones, like Mystic Manor in advertureland.
 
F

fTs

Member
Hopefully we get more clarity on the log flume. Not sure the art with the CGI Lion King is the latest since it shows a log flume with 1 person per row whilst the model shows 3 per row and animated Lion King.
 
Toni25

Toni25

Well-Known Member
fTs said:
Hopefully we get more clarity on the log flume. Not sure the art with the CGI Lion King is the latest since it shows a log flume with 1 person per row whilst the model shows 3 per row and animated Lion King.
Click to expand...
I seriously hope it's not a direct splash copy.
This ride better be 15-20 minutes long with a unique layout and some cool mechanics & effects in place.
 
cjkeating

cjkeating

Well-Known Member
I think everyone had way too high expectations. Historically DLP has had next to nothing announced at D23.

DLP does not do what the American parks do and announce things in advance. WDW and DL have announced plans that are going to stretch to 2030, many of these plans are not ready to be built. DLP announces things when they are ready to be built or even don't announce projects when they are being built. The WDSP expansion was a rare exception because of its scope.

Why would they announce another lake land on the same day as announcing LK? Expect that at the next D23.

This also doesn't mean they can't announce plans for the main park, SM etc. before then but they really want the current focus to be on WDSP for its relaunch and continued expansion.
 
nickys

nickys

Premium Member
I mis-posted this in the WDW forum initially.

I read elsewhere that the Rapunzel spinner won’t open until 2026 either. Is this true or misinformation?

Please tell me it’s not true. 😫🫣
 

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