Vastly Expanded Fantasyland??

[TP2000]

Like I said earlier, there needed to be an update to Fantasyland, I like what they are doing, but I think it is perceived as an expansion because they waited 12+ years after taking out 20k.

You just summed it up perfectly. I couldn't agree more.

Interesting thing here is that this "expansion" only gains back hourly capacity that was built into the park in 1971, but was lost 25 years later. Even though the Omnimover of Little Mermaid should have a higher hourly capacity (2,000 per hour) than the submarines did (1,600 per hour), it's still not a huge increase in capacity with the meet n' greets factored in. It's only a slight increase over what was already there when Fantasyland opened in 1971.

 

[Sketch105]

In the 1990s, it was all about building the biggest, most expensive ride you could with the technology available.

This still rings, true, but the audience has become sophisticated and they don't just want meat-grinder, turn-and-burn experiences. They want more personalized time for themselves.

Attractions like the new Fantasyland Expansion, the NextGen character meet-n-greets, etc. are aiming to make smaller, more personal experiences that improve guest experience very subtle.

We can complain about the loss of an E-Ticket in this area, but truthfully this is the new direction of theme parks developing this era.

 

[TP2000]

Attractions like the new Fantasyland Expansion, the NextGen character meet-n-greets, etc. are aiming to make smaller, more personal experiences that improve guest experience very subtle.

We can complain about the loss of an E-Ticket in this area, but truthfully this is the new direction of theme parks developing this era.

But that only seems to be the case at WDW, where FLE is the only theme park construction happening for the next few years aside from the Star Tours remake (which according to Lee and other insiders, was forced on TDO by Burbank and Anaheim). Universal Florida just opened the Harry Potter mega E Ticket as the headliner there. Disney California Adventure is building the massive Cars Land expansion with the mega E Ticket Radiator Springs Racers as the headliner.

I'm actually looking forward to seeing how FLE integrates new tech into the queue and personalization experiences at Dumbo and the Princess houses. But to say that's the way the entire theme park industry is directing itself doesn't seem to jibe with all the other big construction projects happening now in theme parks beyond WDW property.

 

[darthokeefe]

You guys are losing the point...

1) Nothing is replacing 20K that has been gone for 15 years...its not like that was shut down for this expansion..it hasnt been there for YEARS AND YEARS

2)These so called Meet and Greets are much more than Meet and Greets ...They are imersive experiences...the thing that brings people to disney year after year...If you want thrill rides go to six flags..Disney Thrill rides are not even thrill rides..These M&G are about seeinging the magic up front.....They ARE attractions...they WILL be popular and EVERYONE will be talking about them

3) The Little mermaid area will have a dedicated Ariel Meet and Greet in her own grotto....No show like belle and Cindy but a Meet and greet none the less, so that is not going away

4) THe only question mark is the Pixie Hollow area..Im hopping for something else...we'll see....But i will say I'd rather see Pixie Hollow than an empty space

5) of course it is an expansion...that assertion that it is not is just silly....It has a huge footprint and will be themed beautifully...Mickey will be moved to Main street so no worries about him.

 

[paul436]

It's an expansion off Fantasyland, not the Magic Kingdom.

I think this quote just about covers the question.:shrug:

 

[RSoxNo1]

You just summed it up perfectly. I couldn't agree more.

Interesting thing here is that this "expansion" only gains back hourly capacity that was built into the park in 1971, but was lost 25 years later. Even though the Omnimover of Little Mermaid should have a higher hourly capacity (2,000 per hour) than the submarines did (1,600 per hour), it's still not a huge increase in capacity with the meet n' greets factored in. It's only a slight increase over what was already there when Fantasyland opened in 1971.

1600 for the subs? That can't be right.

 

[MickeyMind]

You guys are losing the point...

1) Nothing is replacing 20K that has been gone for 15 years...its not like that was shut down for this expansion..it hasnt been there for YEARS AND YEARS

2)These so called Meet and Greets are much more than Meet and Greets ...They are imersive experiences...the thing that brings people to disney year after year...If you want thrill rides go to six flags..Disney Thrill rides are not even thrill rides..These M&G are about seeinging the magic up front.....They ARE attractions...they WILL be popular and EVERYONE will be talking about them

3) The Little mermaid area will have a dedicated Ariel Meet and Greet in her own grotto....No show like belle and Cindy but a Meet and greet none the less, so that is not going away

4) THe only question mark is the Pixie Hollow area..Im hopping for something else...we'll see....But i will say I'd rather see Pixie Hollow than an empty space

5) of course it is an expansion...that assertion that it is not is just silly....It has a huge footprint and will be themed beautifully...Mickey will be moved to Main street so no worries about him.

That is precisely my biggest problem with this whole expansion, Mickey is being sacrificed so that cindy can have a house right next to her castle,or so I can color with aurora.. Its not right that toontown is being removed, there is no need for that, the princesses only appeal to young girls, while the fab 5 appeals to all ages and genders.. Just seems stupid for disney to remove toontown, this is the MAGIC KINGDOM the #1 most visited park on the planet, Mickey and friends NEED a REAL home here!

 

[The Empress Lilly]

One of the sad things about this expansion is that the MK will not expand to the Railroad.

Over at DL, they've been forever struggling with lack of space. The RR was extended northwards, later toontown was build across the track.

The MK was supposed to have all the space it needed, to solve this problem. Yet, forty years on, it is still the smallest of the castle parks. The real FLE expansion should've expanded to the north, giving the MK the number of attractions the FL + Toontowns have in DL, DLP, and Tokyo.

 

[BrerFrog]

You guys are losing the point...

1) Nothing is replacing 20K that has been gone for 15 years...its not like that was shut down for this expansion..it hasnt been there for YEARS AND YEARS

2)These so called Meet and Greets are much more than Meet and Greets ...They are imersive experiences...the thing that brings people to disney year after year...If you want thrill rides go to six flags..Disney Thrill rides are not even thrill rides..These M&G are about seeinging the magic up front.....They ARE attractions...they WILL be popular and EVERYONE will be talking about them

4) THe only question mark is the Pixie Hollow area..Im hopping for something else...we'll see....But i will say I'd rather see Pixie Hollow than an empty space

1) It is easy to argue that the expansion is replacing 20K, after all it is basically using the same area that ride once occupied. If this construction had started in 1995 we would be calling it a replacement, but since it is now 16 years since the ride closed it is called an expansion.

2) I am 20, male and I love the princesses movies, but I just can't be excited for the M&Gs. I would have welcomed impressive Dark Rides on those movies, though. Truth is those M&Gs do not appeal to everyone.

4) If Pixie Hollow gets the rumored amazing Dark Ride (Does anyone know about the current state of that project?) I will certainly be excited, without it I don't have much interest in the area.

 

[stlbobby]

Two thoughts, I think the FL expansion and the Harry expansion will end up being about equivalent. I want to qualify this by saying I haven't been to IoA and none of us has seen what will actually happen in FL, but it seems they are both one big E-ticket, a couple re-themed smaller rides, a big new dining experience and a few new shops.

I'm not talking about how good one is compared to the other, only the actual number of things added to the parks it seems pretty close.

And meet and greets may not be for everyone and seem to be down the list for the hardcore fans like the posters on here. But I book a lot of WDW vacations and they are very popular with the average guest. They are always mentioned as one of the "must sees" for families. I have been surprised at how often M&G information is request, especially when the family is teens and no little ones.

Disney is adding these things because people want them.

 

[DisneyJoe]

1600 for the subs? That can't be right.

The track was 1600 ft long.

Each sub held 38-40 people, there were 8 subs, the ride took 8 minutes - this was from wikipedia and a few other sites.....

 

[DisneyWeather!]

My family, with two girls under 8 and a boy, are extremely excited for the "expansion". We have been there twice in the last 3 and a half years and are looking forward to something fresh. My younger daughter is a huge LM fan and is beside herself. I just wish it would all be finished by our next visit in the summer of '11. I agree with the above posters that it may not appeal to all, but it appeals to the majority. All of the under 8 or 9 year olds for sure and many of the over 27 - 38+ year olds with all of the children under 8 or 9. These kids live for meeting and hugging the characters and filling an autograph book with the same characters they got less than two years before. Plus, it helps keep butts off of the rides for the people who aren't visiting the FL area because there aren't enough "thrill" rides. I personally think the scenery at the World is a huge part of the experience for me and based on the pictures, it should greatly enhance that part of it. Pixey Hollow is another sore subject for many. I can only speak for my crew, but the girls (Son is too young to be a fan of anything right now) are huge fans. They can't wait for the themed area to be finished. Again, I really wish it would be done next visit. (but hey, that is a great reason for another trip the following year or two after!)

 

[fngoofy]

You guys are losing the point...

1) Nothing is replacing 20K that has been gone for 15 years...its not like that was shut down for this expansion..it hasnt been there for YEARS AND YEARS
*I fail to see what time has to do with this. They took out 20k, waited, and now they are finally putting in LM.

2)These so called Meet and Greets are much more than Meet and Greets ...They are imersive experiences...the thing that brings people to disney year after year...If you want thrill rides go to six flags..Disney Thrill rides are not even thrill rides..These M&G are about seeinging the magic up front.....They ARE attractions...they WILL be popular and EVERYONE will be talking about them
*Well hush my mouth. Then I also look forward to what will undoubtedly be the "immersive experience" I will have in my resort bathroom's shower: "FEEL THE WATER PULSE OVER YOU...BECOME ONE WITH THE SOAP...EXPERIENCE A WASHCLOTH LIKE NONE OTHER"

3) The Little mermaid area will have a dedicated Ariel Meet and Greet in her own grotto....No show like belle and Cindy but a Meet and greet none the less, so that is not going away
*Thank goodness

4) The only question mark is the Pixie Hollow area..Im hopping for something else...we'll see....But i will say I'd rather see Pixie Hollow than an empty space
*You mean like 20k was? Heck just wait awhile and they can "expand" into this area.

5) of course it is an expansion...that assertion that it is not is just silly....It has a huge footprint and will be themed beautifully...Mickey will be moved to Main street so no worries about him.
*It is not an expansion if it takes up the same space as the previous attraction that was there.

By the logic used by some, the space in Tomorrowland where Buzz is currently must be a remarkable piece of real-estate.

It was "If You Had Wings", "Dream Flight", "Take Flight" and now Buzz.
By my count that's THREE EXPANSIONS in one spot.....

MY GOODNESS, it just hit me. That's not an attraction, its a TARDIS!

Nothing else would allow for that much expansion within the confines of those walls! That is some NextGen Tech!

A-Mazing.

 

[Evil Genius]

No they aren't physically expanding that area of the park really. But what they are doing is expanding the use of the land! From a paved over 20K, playground and dull Toon Town to a emmersive forest, LM dark ride, new castle/resturant, interactive meet and greets, and double occupancy Dumbo...to me that is expansion!

 

[TP2000]

1600 for the subs? That can't be right.

According to several online sources, the hourly capacity at Disneyland of the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage runs in the 1400 to 1600 range.

That figure comes from using the original 1959 vehicles and loading setup. When they built the 20K subs for WDW's opening in '71 they redid the stairwells and loading area for that version of the ride to increase efficiency from knowledge gained by operating the original Disneyland version from 1959 to 1971.

Surely those improvements got them to the upper range of the Disneyland hourly capacity.

 

[Biff215]

By the logic used by some, the space in Tomorrowland where Buzz is currently must be a remarkable piece of real-estate.

It was "If You Had Wings", "Dream Flight", "Take Flight" and now Buzz.
By my count that's THREE EXPANSIONS in one spot.....

MY GOODNESS, it just hit me. That's not an attraction, its a TARDIS!

Nothing else would allow for that much expansion within the confines of those walls! That is some NextGen Tech!

A-Mazing.

I can see why some are still upset by the loss of the Subs, but would you seriously rather have the dated versions of the former incarnations of Buzz still there?

Whether it's an expansion or repurposing, it's still positive either way in my book.

 

[RSoxNo1]

The track was 1600 ft long.

Each sub held 38-40 people, there were 8 subs, the ride took 8 minutes - this was from wikipedia and a few other sites.....

According to several online sources, the hourly capacity at Disneyland of the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage runs in the 1400 to 1600 range.

That figure comes from using the original 1959 vehicles and loading setup. When they built the 20K subs for WDW's opening in '71 they redid the stairwells and loading area for that version of the ride to increase efficiency from knowledge gained by operating the original Disneyland version from 1959 to 1971.

Surely those improvements got them to the upper range of the Disneyland hourly capacity.

One of the biggest complaints about the subs was their capacity... 1600 guests per hour is pretty decent. As far as I know, Soarin' and Toy Story are less than that.

I was under the impression that the capacity for the Subs was like 1000-1200.

 

[misterID]

Two thoughts, I think the FL expansion and the Harry expansion will end up being about equivalent. I want to qualify this by saying I haven't been to IoA and none of us has seen what will actually happen in FL, but it seems they are both one big E-ticket, a couple re-themed smaller rides, a big new dining experience and a few new shops.

I'm not talking about how good one is compared to the other, only the actual number of things added to the parks it seems pretty close.

And meet and greets may not be for everyone and seem to be down the list for the hardcore fans like the posters on here. But I book a lot of WDW vacations and they are very popular with the average guest. They are always mentioned as one of the "must sees" for families. I have been surprised at how often M&G information is request, especially when the family is teens and no little ones.

Disney is adding these things because people want them.

The only edge, THE only edge FLE has over Potter Land is the new space and the appeal to small children with the M&G's. That's it. I don't see how its close. FL will be busy... Like it always is. But it won't appeal to the same people. You can't even compare FJ with an omni mover attraction which all the insiders here are calling a D not a strong E.

You guys are losing the point...

2)These so called Meet and Greets are much more than Meet and Greets ...They are imersive experiences...the thing that brings people to disney year after year...If you want thrill rides go to six flags..Disney Thrill rides are not even thrill rides..These M&G are about seeinging the magic up front.....They ARE attractions...they WILL be popular and EVERYONE will be talking about them

"So called" M&G? They ARE M&G's. No matter how you swing it. And you're basically saying, if you don't like the M&G's because they don't appeal to you, go to Six Flags... Ooookay. No one was talking about thrill rides... A little easy on the trigger, hoss. No ones making fun of your mother or stomping on Mickey's face because they don't like the Princess M&G's. :lookaroun

:lol:

 

[Dragonrider1227]

this just seems like maintenance construction as opposed to park expansion.

Yeah, but which sounds more exciting?
"Hey, kids? Want to go see the Fantasyland maintenance construction?"
Yeah, doesn't have quite the same ring to it :lookaroun

 

[Mstr Gra-c]

I'm sorry but why does this thread exist? It's an entire thread based on the heir-splitting, symantic nit-picking of a "Debbie Downer". The admins should close this thread and focus more energy on discussing the plusses and minuses of what is coming rather than what it should be called. The important part is that it's a change/improvement...and despite whether you like the M&G's or not, thats a good thing.