Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid closing for month long refurbishment Feb 2-Mar 6

[doctornick]

and if they relocated Small World like they're doing in Tokyo it would open up a lot of potential for expansion in both Fantasyland and the North end of Frontierland

If only. Especially since WDW has pretty much the ideal location to actually put IASW -- World Showcase. Not that I have a problem with it in FL of course, but it just screams placement in the permanent World's Fair that is Epcot.

Also, just a quibble but it would really be allowing for "potential access" to a northern Liberty Square expansion, not Frontierland.

I really don't think MK needs anything else for a while... It has the most to do out of the WDW parks... EPCOT could really use some love...

Moving IASW to Epcot to allow for a MK expansion could be a "two birds with one stone" kind of thing in that regard....

 

[orlando678-]

I think that Pinocchio would have been a great choice! Actually if he would have been there with that unbuilt disneyland flume ride than I think new fantasyland would have been a bit more complete. Maybe a Stromboli show could have been there, a geppetto shop, and some pleasure island rides and shops. Maybe even that big pool ball bar where the guy changes into a donkey.

 

[marni1971]

I really don't think MK needs anything else for a while... It has the most to do out of the WDW parks... EPCOT could really use some love...

Capacity wise the Mk is still lacking. However the attractions need a lot of love first.

But Epcot and DHS need more help.

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

Is that nostalgia or ride quality though?

Considering how many young people over the years have grown up to love Peter Pans Flight alongside splashier confections, I'd bet it at least has something to do with ride quality. The production value is far from the highest in the land, but there's more to ride quality than production value. Otherwise, everyone would have given up on the Fantasyland Dark Rides as soon as Pirates and Mansion opened. It's clear that people think this ride has something worthwhile to offer.

 

[Brer Panther]

Here's what I would do, personally:
- Give Peter Pan, Pooh, and Little Mermaid a nice refurbishment a la the recent Alice refurbishment they did out west.
- Get rid of the Tommorowland Speedway and build an Alice in Wonderland dark ride in its place.
- Use the space behind Pooh and the Princess Fairytale Hall to build a new dark ride... Maybe Sleeping Beauty?
- If we're going for the "Princess Fairytale Hall gets the boot idea", use that space to build a new version of Mr. Toad.
- I considered maybe putting something based on the Pink Elephants from Dumbo in the circus, but given that the Pooh ride has a scene with Heffalumps and Woozles, it might be a bit redundant.

 

[Matt_Black]

Hey, at least my mom has never gotten sick on Little Mermaid.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Considering how many young people over the years have grown up to love Peter Pans Flight alongside splashier confections, I'd bet it at least has something to do with ride quality. The production value is far from the highest in the land, but there's more to ride quality than production value. Otherwise, everyone would have given up on the Fantasyland Dark Rides as soon as Pirates and Mansion opened. It's clear that people think this ride has something worthwhile to offer.

Kids also like Dumbo and Primeval Whirl. That doesn't make those rides good. The best thing Peter Pan's Flight has going for it is the ride system. It's arguably the best vehicle of any attraction. The show scenes however, are still sorely lacking.

 

[TyrantBoss]

If they are going to refurb The Little Mermaid then they need to really amp up the ending. We need a GIANT URSULA and a climactic scene. Something a bit dramatic and a little scary (but not too scary...God forbid any little kid see anything but sunshine and rainbows in a Disney ride).
Giant Ursula is integral to the story to show her at full power. Then she gets beaten and the kids can be happy.

To me...the ride is very anti climactic. It's like having an Aladdin ride but Jafar never becomes the All Powerful Evil Genie and is then vanquished.
It neuters the story.

 

[orlando678-]

The problem with the vehicles of the Little Mermaid is, is that it doesn't make you feel as if you go under the sea, which is the point that makes the Little Mermaid special, it brings you to an undersea world. Peter Pan is known for flying and that is what the ride makes you feel like, Snow white is scary and the ride vehicles moved so fast to give a bit of a frightened atmosphere. I think the ride vehicles should have been different so to make it feel like you are undersea. I have the Walt Disney Imagineering book and there was a concept art of a very different little mermaid ride similar to Pooh's hunny hunt with clamshell vehicles that spin over the water and the heffalumps and woozles scene would be the under the sea scene here. I'd love to have seen that ride.

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

Kids also like Dumbo and Primeval Whirl. That doesn't make those rides good. The best thing Peter Pan's Flight has going for it is the ride system. It's arguably the best vehicle of any attraction. The show scenes however, are still sorely lacking.

The ride system is part of the ride's quality. I agree that they could do more with the show scenes. I never said they shouldn't. I wish that they would. They could be absolutely stunning, and they do fall short of that by a good amount. I will argue, however, that despite this, Pan is the better ride overall. The ride system is a big part of that, for sure. The sensation of flying over London and through Neverland is far more effective, in my opinion, than any sensation Mermaid tries to evoke, despite the advanced technology in that attraction.

I wasn't suggesting that "kids like it, so it must be good", because I don't think that's a good bar by which to judge a premium-priced experience. All I'm stating is that beautifully designed show scenes alone do not a quality ride make. Pan's show scenes are lacking, we agree there. The unique ride system goes a long way to make up for them, as does the loose narrative structure of the ride experience. The ride is much less about retelling the story of Peter Pan and more about the rider getting to fly off to Neverland in a Pirate Ship. Mermaids efforts to retell the story of The Little Mermaid bog it down. I'd rather just take a trip under the sea where I get to see I wouldn't even argue WDW's Pan is the best of them - of all the versions out there, I'd argue this one is the worst. But I prefer riding it to Mermaid. I have more fun on Pan, despite it's quaint show scenes and lack of advanced animatronics. Mainly I find myself riding Mermaid to enjoy the queue and the couple animatronics that are really great. I wish that level of design and finishing existed in Pan, it certainly deserves it, but I don't think the technical specs of Mermaid surpass the emotional impact of Pan. For all of Mermaid's well-finished scenery, the ride leaves me cold.

 

[tl77]

Good but I think your thing might be off as it's showing the possible expansion taking place on top of the rivers of america!

The area is a bit more north of the show building. Imagine if they did move small world, that's some serious expansion space.

Well, at the risk of wandering even further off topic... There were permits filed last year to put another water retention pond next to the current one north of Small World, so I was assuming that would happen at some point, and there always seems to be rumors of the river boat being permanently docked and that north end of Tom Sawyer Island being turned into a river rapids ride or something very different from what it is now of the there's not

 

[tl77]

Also, just a quibble but it would really be allowing for "potential access" to a northern Liberty Square expansion, not Frontierland.

In DL that area almost became Discovery Bay, and I think in both DL and TDL that area is Critter Country today, but in TDL Splash Mt is wrapped around their Haunted Mansion Show building in that area... but your right could be Liberty Square, could be Frontierland, or could something else altogether like Discovery Bay

 

[marni1971]

and there always seems to be rumors of the river boat being permanently docled

Old rumours thankfully.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Old rumours thankfully.

Unless they wreak this one in drydock as well.

 

[tl77]

Old rumours thankfully.

That's good, because there's a ton of land around the Rivers of America, there's just no way to get to it, but if they moved Small World a bit and created a short cut through Fantasyland it would open up all that area without disrupting the River Boat

 

[Bocabear]

Wow that is an ambitious plan! and a really fun idea...it would certainly add capacity!

 

[Castle Cake Apologist]

The main entrance to the tunnels is behind/under the IASW show building, so I'm not sure how feasible it would be to move it or tear down the building.

I also don't personally think that IASW fits into Epcot stylistically at all. Other than the fact that it explores different parts of the world. But the whimsical design of the ride itself is all Magic Kingdom.

 

[flynnibus]

The main entrance to the tunnels is behind/under the IASW show building, so I'm not sure how feasible it would be to move it or tear down the building.

It's actually behind the Village Haus.. to the right of IASW... IASW is immediately to the west of it.

 

[marni1971]

^ indeed. On the fan map above you see the yellow circle loop? That's the Utilidor entrance.

 

[matt9112]

^ indeed. On the fan map above you see the yellow circle loop? That's the Utilidor entrance.

how big is the main tunnel area? what types of trucks and stuff can use them?