Walt Disney World: The Next Chapter

[DisneyManOne]

Well, it's Memorial Day, and as I promised, it's time to once again delve into my vision for a refurbished take on the Vacation Kingdom itself, Walt Disney World. But first, a bit of backstory. I've been in the Armchair Imagineering business since 2012, when I first joined Visions Fantastic. During that time, I learned a lot about the art of Armchair Imagineering and the history of the Disney parks in general. In 2013, inspired by the works of people like @MANEATINGWREATH and @mharrington, I posted my very first thread regarding the changes I'd make to WDW (check it out here). Over time, some things have changed, some things have stayed the same, but the same basic structure remains.

If I may quote from MEW in the introduction to his insanely epic Disneyland Australia resort thread (check it out here), "S.W. Wilson of Ideal Build-Out has a wonderful philosophy that the park should be the E-Ticket, not just the attractions. I share this same philosophy, so not only will my park have lands on the level of immersion and quality as...oh, say Cars Land, Tokyo DisneySea...or the Wizarding World of Harry Potter...each and every attraction will be of the highest-caliber, being perfect compliments to the immersion level of each land."

I think that just about does it. Let us now cut the chit-chat and begin our journey through the metaphorical "next chapter" in Walt Disney World's history.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There is a place where amazing things happen just to put a smile on the face of a child, where skies sparkle in moments of wonder that get to live forever as your memories...

A place where brothers and sisters actually get along, and families get to experience that rare delight of simply being family...

There is a place where magic lives...

Welcome to Walt Disney World.

​

Walter Elias Disney was many things: an animator, an entertainer, a family man, a pioneer in movies, television and in the modern-day theme park. But above all else, Walt was the very definition of inspiration. Time after time, this man has inspired people to follow their dreams and shoot for the stars, no matter what the circumstances. To this day, thousands of people continue to be inspired by the legacy of Walt, particularly the legacy he left that is Disneyland.

“To all who come to this happy place: Welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past, and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America, with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world.”

— Walter E. Disney, July 17, 1955

When Walt Disney spoke those immortal words on that fateful day--July 17th, 1955--the world was welcomed to a whole new level of family entertainment. Gone away was the typical chaos of theme parks, for Disneyland took guests to places they once read of in books or seen on the silver screen. Elephants flew and rockets set off for the moon. Riverboats rode the mighty Mississippi of the 1800's and animated features came to life. Characters such as Snow White or Pinocchio roamed the streets freely. It was a land of pure fantasy and adventure, a once in a lifetime opportunity to explore the jungles of Africa or the wilds of the extinct American frontier.

But, old Uncle Walt was always looking for ways to “plus” his craft. He had heard that only 5% of people east of the Mississippi River (75% of the country’s overall population at the time) came to Disneyland. Plus, he disliked how other businesses were springing up around Disneyland, and wanted control of a much larger area of land. And so, in 1959, they began to look for land for a second theme park/resort to supplement its Californian brother. In November of 1963, Walt flew over Orlando, Florida. Seeing the well-developed network of roads, including the planned Interstate 4 and Florida's Turnpike, with McCoy Air Force Base (which would later become the Orlando International Airport) to the east, Disney selected a centrally located site near Bay Lake. Although they used fake company names in order to get cheaper prices on the land, the news soon was made public, and on November 15th, 1965, Walt announced that Disney World was being built.

However, thirteen months after the announcement was made--December 15th, 1966--Walt passed away from cancer. But his brother, Roy O. Disney, did not want to see his brother’s final dream fade away, so he deliberately postponed his retirement to oversee construction of the resort’s first phase. He even had the resort’s name change from Disney World to Walt Disney World. In his own words: “Everyone has heard of Ford cars. But have they all heard of Henry Ford, who started it all? Walt Disney World is in memory of the man who started it all, so people will know his name as long as Walt Disney World is here.”

Although the resort opened on October 1st, 1971, the resort’s official grand opening would take place twenty-four days afterwards on October 25th, 1971. On that day, all eyes turned to Town Square as Roy dedicated his brother’s final dream.

“Walt Disney World is a tribute to the philosophy and life of Walter Elias Disney... and to the talents, the dedication, and the loyalty of the entire Disney organization that made Walt Disney's dream come true. May Walt Disney World bring Joy and Inspiration and New Knowledge to all who come to this happy place ... a Magic Kingdom where the young at heart of all ages can laugh and play and learn — together.”

— Roy O. Disney, October 25, 1971

And now, here we are today. Walt's final dream has grown into one of the most beloved and popular vacation destinations in the world. Boasting four theme parks, two water parks, a whole entertainment district and dozens of hotels, there's a lot to do and a lot to cover here at the parks.

But, right now, let's just begin our grand tour. I must say: some things will change, some things will stay the same. But in the theme park world, it's natural for that sort of thing to happen. As Walt once said, "Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world."

So, are you ready? Then let's begin.

​

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Where better to begin our journey than at the place where it all began: the Magic Kingdom.

​

Fantasy, Adventure, Magic and Wonder. These four principles perfectly describe the Magic Kingdom. Inspired by older brother Disneyland, this is a realm unlike any other. This is a realm of three-dimensional fantasy, a place where places we could only read about come to life before our eyes. A place where American pioneers and British colonies brave the untamed wilderness, dreaming of success and prosperity. A place where majestic castles scrape the crisp Floridian skies and intergalactic travel is a thing of the modern world. A place where when you wish upon a star, your dreams really do come true.

However, in the present day, the fantasy seems a little...tarnished. A lot of the problem has to do with basic maintenance for the attractions, while other problems stem from the fact that space is not utilized at it's best potential. But hopefully, with this refurbishment, the Magic Kingdom will set and maintain a standard that was started when Walt Disney opened the gates to the original Disneyland in 1955.

“Please stand clear of the doors. Por favor mantenganse alejado de las puertas.”

​

Having been aboard the Walt Disney World Monorail for quite some time now, we find ourselves soaring past Seven Seas Lagoon. A sudden burst of excitement fills the air as a young child bursts from her seat and rushes to the window, pointing excitedly at something outside. Looking out the window we find that she has been the first to spot the Magic Kingdom itself, its wondrous mountain ranges and countless gleaming structures dotting the horizon. The whole cabin can't help from smiling at her beaming face. The park gets closer and closer until we finally come to a complete stop at the Magic Kingdom monorail station, one of the monorail's six stops, this particular one located to the western side of the park's entrance. Gleefully heading down the ramp, we approach the main entry gates having already purchased our tickets. The park's turnstiles is the first of what will be many fanciful details located throughout the resort, the turnstiles graceful and elegant, made of wrought-iron and accented with gold. What we find on the other side of the turnstiles is a truly stunning sight...

In front of us lies a beautiful flowerbed boasting a luscious floral arrangement of Mickey Mouse, very much so resembling the intros to his cartoons of the 1940's, a classic and welcoming image. Just above the flowerbed is Main Street Station, a train station boasting the appearance of a gingerbread-trimmed building of a turn-of-the-century Midwestern town. A clock tower is the most prominent feature of the station, the second being a large sign hung over the massive doorway reading "THE MAGIC KINGDOM", with the park's population and elevation level in smaller lettering below. The sound of an oncoming train can be heard approaching from around the corner of the park. In front of the station is a clean-cut track that plays home to the Walt Disney World Railroad, a vintage steam-powered railroad with intentions of embarking on a grand circle tour of the Magic Kingdom.

​

Each morning at park opening, a train pulls into the station, filled with countless Disney characters. From the moment the clock hits 9:00 A.M., the varied characters step down from the station and run into the park, being the first meet-n-greets of the day.

​

Intrigued by all the excitement and the sounds of distant cheerful music, we head straight towards one of the two tunnels located beneath the railroad tracks, each tunnel lined with intriguing posters beckoning guests to head towards the park's many dazzling attractions and entertainment and marked by a plaque bearing this phrase:

"Here you leave today, and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What could possibly be on the other side of the tunnel? Well, that's a revelation that will be uncovered in the next post. Until then, what do you guys think so far?

 

[Twilight_Roxas]

Cool wonder what you plan to do with MK, and the Shanghai Disneyland attractions.

 

[DisneyManOne]

You wonder what I'm going to do with MK, @Twilight_Roxas? Let's find out.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Perhaps you've dreamed of returning to an earlier time. A time of home-spun values and simple living. A time when electricity was born and a new century was about to begin. This dream takes shape and surrounds you here on Main Street, U.S.A.

​

What was America like at the turn-of-the-century? Perhaps it was something like this recreation of everyone's hometown. The sights and sounds of fun nostalgia are everywhere. EVERYWHERE. There's a friendly greeting at the old City Hall. The measured pace of the horse-drawn streetcar as it trots up and down the street. And then there's the hiss of live steam as a vintage locomotive pulls into Main Street Station. Dozens of happy guests walk up and down the street, chatting happily (Or not-so-happily) amongst themselves as they pop in-and-out of the various shops and restaurants nestled along the sides of the pavement. Main Street is the essence of hometown America at the dawn of the twentieth-century. The scent of freshly baked cakes and candies and the twinkling pin lights outlining the gingerbread trim of the colorful buildings evoke a small-town atmosphere. Rows of speciality shops carry a colorful variety of old-time merchandise. At night, the thoroughfare glows in the flickering light of gaslit streetlamps and seemingly thousands of miniature electric lightbulbs strung amongst the sides of the buildings. Main Street, U.S.A., is engaging proof that the best of yesterday can still be found today.

Once through the tunnels, you'll find yourselves in Town Square. In the center of Town Square lies the American flag pole and a statue of Roy Disney and Minnie, surrounded by beautiful gardens. Town Square also boasts gigantic shade trees, as does the innermost ring of the Hub. Why? Because fireworks viewing is a secondary concern. A shady, park-like environment for most of the day trumps unobstructed viewing, as does the critical “curtain effect” a tree-filled hub provides. This, unfortunately, will cause the meet & greets that occur here to stop. But, despite that, you'll still be able to meet characters around the rest of Town Square. Characters like Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy, Pluto, Oswald, Chip and Dale, Mary Poppins, Bert, Mr. Penguin, Pinocchio, Jiminy Cricket and Cruella de Vil.

See, what I'm trying to do is try to bring back that "roaming" character ideal that Disneyland has, and try to lessen the "set" ideal, so that's why you'll see all these characters here, as well as the occasional character or two in the entrance plaza (for this, I was inspired by Tokyo's set-up of having characters in the entry plaza. See here for details.)

Once inside of Town Square, guests can find the spiraling staircases leading up to the Main Street Train Station. Once at the doors of the station, one can see far down to the opposite end of Main Street, U.S.A. all the way to the inspiring and beautiful Cinderella Castle. If one has a good eye, one can see the Main Street Vehicles making their way down the street. There are all kinds of vehicles making their way down the street: a horse-drawn trolley, an omnibus, an old-fashioned fire truck and a jitney.

Every inch of Main Street, U.S.A. is filled with atmosphere and smiling faces, making you feel as though you're really in a bustling turn-of-the-century town. Mayor Weaver and the other Citizens of Main Street mingle with the guests, making sure that they are enjoying their day. If you are lucky, you may catch a glimpse of the Main Street Philharmonic marching band making their way down the street, or the Dapper Dans singing near the storefronts, or the performers of the Main Street Trolley Show sharing the songs of the season.

Just west of Town Square is City Hall, a Victorian-style structure home to the park's Guest Relations. Flanking the City Hall to the left is the Chamber of Commerce, the park's "package pick-up" area. To the right is the Main Street Firehouse, the home-base location for the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom interactive game. Across the way lies the Town Square Exposition Hall, where Walt Disney: One Man's Dream has been relocated from Disney's Hollywood Studios. The re-vamped historical attraction features original artifacts from Disney's life, state-of-the-art animatronics that Disney had worked with, history of the Walt Disney World resort, models of several park icons, including the Fantasyland Expansion and the Disney's Hollywood Studios renovation, as well as a twenty minute video of the history of Walt Disney's life, narrated by Julie Andrews and Walt Disney himself! The area also features a giant mural from the days when the Exposition Hall played host to The Walt Disney Story, featuring characters from every single Disney animated film made during Walt's time in the company, from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (technically, the last film Walt personally produced was The Jungle Book, but at least half of Many Adventures was supervised by Walt, plans for what would become Robin Hood were going on in Walt's time and The Aristocats was the last film Walt personally green-lit). Plus, the mural also features the characters from short films (i;e the Three Little Pigs; Mickey and the gang) and some from films that aren't even fully animated (i;e Song of the South).

All in all, the mural will look just like the original mural seen below, but just leave out the characters from The Rescuers, Pete's Dragon, The Fox and the Hound, The Black Cauldron and The Great Mouse Detective.

​

To the left of Walt Disney: One Man's Dream, Tony's Town Square Restaurant is located. Town Square then empties out into the central street of the park, leading down towards Cinderella Castle. Main Street now boasts extensions to help control crowd flow; two to be exact. At the northern tip of Town Square, the town splits into a three-way fork in the road, with a main drag (Main Street), western extension (Liberty Arcade), and an eastern extension (Discovery Arcade). The Main Street Vehicles naturally head up and down Main Street and throughout the day and late at night, but only before and after the daily entertainment has occurred, as Main Street itself becomes prime viewing for three amazing events.

​

First, every afternoon, Main Street comes alive with Disney's Festival of Fantasy Parade, a glorious procession that celebrates all of the classic Disney stories that are brought to life in Fantasyland. The parade includes lavish, beautiful floats, amazing music, a plethora of Disney characters...and did I mention the 32-foot-long fire-breathing dragon? At night, the street lights up with SpectroMagic: Colors Combined, a heavily-updated lift of the original Magic Kingdom classic, combining elements from the original SpectroMagic and Paint the Night. Here is a parade where guests can help bring color and magic to life, featuring such floats as...well, you'll just have to be patient and see. Shortly after Paint loops around Town Square and exits backstage near the Firehouse, the heart of the park is washed aglow with the Wishes nighttime spectacular, an unbelievable production that must be seen to be believed.

In this all-new take on a Magic Kingdom classic, we join Jiminy Cricket and the Blue Fairy on an odyssey through the world of Disney, to see what a little wishing can do. This nighttime spectacular utilizes live actors, puppets, animatronics, fireworks, mist screens, projection mapping, lasers, and nearly anything else one can utilize in a nighttime spectacular to bring the power of wishes to life, all performed directly in front of the park's crowning jewel, Cinderella Castle.

Built in forced perspective, Main Street serves not only as the main road of the Magic Kingdom, but also serves as the best view of the not-so-distant Snow White Castle. The Emporium, a Disney superstore of an era gone-by greets us from the western side of the street. Along the side of the building are six window displays, each one displaying a scene from a Disney movie. On the outside of the window is a plaque with a brief description of the story. The current window displays have been removed and replaced with new displays. These new displays will be done in the same style as Disneyland's Enchanted Window displays (which are animated to display two scenes). Viewing them from left to right we have “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” “Peter Pan,” “The Little Mermaid,” “The Lion King,” “Toy Story,” and “Tangled.”

As for the shop itself, it doesn’t even feel as though you are on Main Street USA, but rather, in a very well-themed shopping mall. So with that, I'd revert the Emporium back to its original state and open some new stores. Having several smaller stores as opposed to one large store would fit better thematically with Main Street and also allow for a greater variety of merchandise. Also, as much as practicable, technology must defer to the time-period being presented in each environment. This means no Starbucks digital menu boards, nor any modern pics of food photo-shopped onto any menu, big or small (save Tomorrowland, where such tech would exist). Exit signs should be done in period style (cases) and fonts. No modern slat-wall shelving for merch – instead use period shelving. Have historic lighting dominate (no track-lighting) so as to take attention away from what modern lighting is necessary.

The Emporium currently boasts houseware, generic Walt Disney World merchandise, media items, photo and video necessities, snowglobes, walls of plushes, towels and other types of merchandise.

Today, on the right side of Main Street while walking towards the castle, there is a small side street known as Center Street. There use to be a continuation of Center Street on the left hand side as well, known as West Center Street, but this was removed in order to expand the Emporium. I would restore Center Street on this side because it offers a great, out-of-the-way place to relax and enjoy a quiet moment away from the hustle and bustle of Main Street. Center Street also helps give the allusion that Main Street USA is bigger than it actually is, adding some depth to the area.

West Center Street features an amalgam of shops, including the New England Clock Shop and the extremely beautiful Greenhouse Flower Shop, which extends into an outdoor area located in the center of West Center Street selling beautiful flowers and plants. The area also features the Harmony Barber Shop, which has returned to its old location here on Center Street. This is the perfect place to get a haircut and it's also a popular place for baby's first haircut. And don't be surprised if the Dapper Dans drop by to serenade. They are a "barbershop quartet", after all. There are also facades for a Chinese Hand Laundry, the Livery and Champion Cyclery.

​

On the right-hand side of West Center Street is the Disney Clothiers store, which features clothes for everyone, for any occasion. Walt Disney World based t's seem to be the most popular, while the Disney Princess section is also popular.

​

Replacing the Main Street Athletic Club (or Hall of Champions, depending on how you prefer to call it) is the return of its original tenants: the Penny Arcade and the House of Magic.

​

On the corner of the store, guests can find Casey's Corner, a quick-service restaurant where guests can have classic ball-game foods, while watching some of Disney's sports-related short cartoons. Outside of the restaurant is a seating area, where an old ragtime pianist often performs to the delight of many guests.

On the right side of the street is The Chapeau, selling hats and all sorts of headgear. You can even get mouse ears personalized here! On the opposite side is the Main Street Confectionery, which offers some of the sweetest treats in the entire resort! Just past the Confectionery is the Main Street Cinema, which showcases some of Disney's classic cartoons, such as Steamboat Willie, Flowers and Trees and Plane Crazy. The Art of Disney display from inside of the cinema has been removed and replaced with seats, making the theater a quiet get-away, to enjoy some of the earlier masterpieces of Disney animation.

​

Nearby is Uptown Jewelers, which sells fine jewelry, china, clocks, Disney figurines and pins. Outside of the shop, back on the street, the street then has a small alcove to the right, namely, East Center Street, where silhouette designers and portrait drawers are located to create a drawing for you. Like West Center Street, East Center Street features multiple different shops, including Sherman Music Co., a music shop decorated with always active period radios and plenty of CD's and DVD's to sell, and WED Photography, a photographer's studio selling a great stock of film and disposable cameras. This place is also an instant photo-processing center, and the place where guests can buy their pictures taken in a ride or by a PhotoPass photographer during their stay. The crown jewel of East Center Street, however, is the Storybook Shoppe. The legacy of Disney is built upon stories, and there is no better place to find books filled with all the best Disney tales than right here! This colorful shop offers a wide selection of Disney books for children of all ages. And not only that, the shop is every child's dream: a pleasant toy store filled with window displays and a wide collection of toys, books, models, and hobbies. Memorabilia involving Walt Disney and his many hobbies can be found on display, a distant partner shop to One Man's Dream. This is a great shop for those whose budgets keep them away from the high priced glass shop nearby.

At the end of the alcove, another small seating area is located. Back down on the right side of the street, the Crystal Arts shop is located, which features crystalline, glass figures, sculptures and pictures. Next to Crystal Arts is the Main Street Bakery, which features a specialty breakfast, a small selection for lunch and pastries and desserts throughout the day, as well as Starbucks coffee. On the opposite side of the Main Street Bakery is the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor. This place is quite possibly the best place to get some good ice cream throughout the entire resort and is typically always packed before the parade or fireworks.

The street comes to an end and then forms into the circular hub that centralizes the park. However, there are still a few more dining locations to be discovered. On the right side of the street, past the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor, the Plaza Restaurant is found. The Plaza features a decent sized menu for its' small location. Nearby is an all-new restaurant: Walt's.

I think the introduction of a Club 33 type experience would be a popular addition to the resort. Florida obviously doesn't have as strong a local crowd as Disneyland, but its attendance levels are so high that this should work just as effectively if altered. I don’t think it should be or have to be as expensive. This would definitely not be the major investment of Club 33, instead just a cost significant enough to make it exclusive but still something an annual passholder could consider. It would still have an exclusive atmosphere however.

Walt's replaces the Tomorrowland Terrace. That spot never felt right since it was Tomorrowland themed but almost entirely in the Hub area. This definitely fixes that problem. The architecture would flow from the style of Main Street with a bit more sophistication. The restaurant features a Victorian décor in keeping with the feel of Main Street while also including numerous photographs celebrating Walt Disney’s life and works. The restaurant is actually divided into five rooms, one for each of the five original lands of Disneyland--Main Street, Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. This restaurant would be a much needed addition to the Magic Kingdom and give an upscale alternative for adults looking for a more quiet dining experience.

The restaurant's lobby features an old piano, a fancy elevator, and and entrance to a botique called Lillian’s (named so in honor of Walt’s wife). As you head to the dining rooms on the second floor, you go up a staircase that documents historic moments in Walt’s life and in the building of the Walt Disney Company and Disneyland. At the top of the stairs you’ll find the main dining rooms. All of the rooms are very lushly decorated, with plenty of details to help you remember which land you’re in. The Adventureland room has a mini pirate ship, for example!

But the crown jewel of the restaurant is a rotunda with large windows looking out to the hub. This dining room would have a great view to castle and the nightly fireworks, making this club even more special. This restaurant would be a much needed addition to the Magic Kingdom and give an upscale alternative for adults looking for a more quiet dining experience. The pathway leading past Walt's continues to Tomorrowland.

On the opposite side of the street, past Casey's Corner and the park's Baby Care Center/First Aid, is the Crystal Palace, an elegant, but casual location for breakfast, lunch and dinner, that also serves as a character dining location for Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore, Tigger and Piglet.

From there, the path continues on towards Adventureland.

As for those two extensions I told you about, well, here's where I finally get into more detail regarding them. In the style of Disneyland Paris, Main Street is now garnished with two arcades (long, enclosed walkways) that run behind the shops and restaurants. The Liberty Arcade on the left and the Discovery Arcade on the right offer backdoor access to every merchant on the street. This is a wonderful attribute. On inclement days or when a parade is running, it's nice to have an alternate way of getting from one end of Main Street to the other.

From the eastern corner of Town Square (in-between the Car Barn--where the horses that pull the trolley rest--and the Emporium, in the current place of the Harmony Barber Shop), you step through the heavy wooden doors into the warm shelter of Liberty Arcade, a covered walkway spanning the length of the street, lit by both gas and electric, constructed with ornate ironwork displaying the statue's crowned head. Liberty Arcade presents the story of one of America's greatest landmarks: the Statue of Liberty through historic photographs, artworks and display cases.

The arcade can be reached via doors at either end or by Liberty Court on West Center Street. The Emporium, Disney Clothiers, House of Magic and Casey's Corner link directly onto the walkway.

​

The Discovery Arcade, on the other hand, celebrates a time of great ideas and great inventions. The boom of the turn-of-the-century gave those of the time a feeling that anything "can, and will" be achieved by man. Discovery Arcade pays homage to these great minds, from their ingenious yet humble patents to their wildest dreams of futuristic cities. As you stroll along the warm, gas-lit arcade of wooden features and striking green ironwork, large, startling posters depict cities 100 years into the future, whilst in contrast, display cases house inventions and ideas from the most local, small-town turn-of-the-century visionaries.

The central area of Discovery Arcade is a break from the style of the two walkways either side. Here the optimistic warmth turns to a more industrial brickwork style and the faintly gothic features show Main Street's youthful optimism growing up and moving on.

The arcade is reached via entrances at either end of Main Street. The Storybook Shoppe, Crystal Arts, WED Photography, Main Street Bakery and The Plaza Restaurant link directly onto the walkway.

​

Discovery Arcade replaces the lightly-dressed backstage walkway currently in use. In addition, the arcade will also block one really big eyesore. When you look at the Plaza Restaurant from the Tomorrowland side of the Hub, you see this.

​

Being within eyesight of the back of the building just ruins the illusion. The addition of the Discovery Arcade would surely fix that up perfectly.

The last beep of the motorcars and clang-clang-clang of the trolley are behind us now, for we have just stepped foot into The Hub, the heart and soul of the Magic Kingdom.

​

The Hub serves as the primary access point to the rest of the park's major lands: Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. Front and center, we find the ever-symbolic "Partners" statue, a lasting bronze tribute to Walt Disney and his partner-in-crime, Mickey Mouse. The statue is surrounded by gigantic trees and beautiful gardens, decorated with flowerbeds, fountains, trees and little statues of classic Disney characters. The gardens offer prime viewing locations for Wishes, and during the day, they serve as the site for random character appearances, a good way to meet various--and rarely-seen--characters.

The waters of the castle's moat encircle the perimeter of the Hub, gently rolling into larger bodies of water within nearly every land. The Main Street Vehicles make stops just near the castle bridge. Two pairs of twin turrets rest on either side of Cinderella Castle, cleverly-disguised projector towers that cast their colorful imagery upon the castle during Wishes, as well as its "prologue", if you will, Celebrate the Magic.

Longtime visitors may notice that the stage in front of the castle has been removed (a temporary stage will be erected in September and removed in January, so that way the shows at the Halloween and Christmas parties can still play). However, during the rest of the year, entertainment can still be found, because occasionally, the Main Street Philharmonic or some other form of street performers will delight guests. Here's an example: Tokyo's marching band performing in the forecourt area.

​

On our Main Street, the stage is set for Cinderella Castle, a focus for the wonder that is the Magic Kingdom, and Walt Disney World in general. Cinderella Castle is a fairytale brought into the world of reality, magical, romantic, and breathtaking. Its many towers scrape the sky while the mighty drawbridge beckons guests to enter. The surrounding moat is filled with water, water poured in through numerous lion heads sculpted into the bottom perimeter of the castle. The Disney family crest rests proudly above the castle's entrance, a tribute to the man responsible for this dream come true. Trinkling streams (almost miniature waterfalls) pour into the river on either side of the castle, coming in from forested rivulets. Inside the castle, several glass-tiled mosaics depict the story of Cinderella. It's a truly magical sight. Cinderella Castle creates the perfect image to end Main Street, U.S.A.

Off to the left of the hub, the sound of distant drumming can be heard, as the trees and vegetation clear out of the way to produce the torch-lit entrance way into Adventureland...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And thus, our tour of Main Street, U.S.A. is complete. I won't do an overall roster of attractions, dining and such. I'll save that for the end of the overall walk-through. But for now, what do you all think? I'd love to hear some feedback from you!

 

[DisneyManOne]

And now, we move on to the next land in the park. Once again, if you guys have any feedback, feel free to post it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The world of dreams can take on many forms. Some project us into mysterious and exotic locales, far away from the every day. These are the dreams that become real in Adventureland.

​

As brave Magic Kingdom guests enter Adventureland from the southwest corner of the Hub, their senses are stirred by the sights of intense jungle foliage, the harrowing sounds of not-so-distant wild animals, the trinkling of hidden streams, and the aromas of exotic blossoms. In this remarkable realm of adventure and exploration, guests experience an amazing amalgam of many of the world's far-off places and uncharted regions. A hazy mist rains down from the trees overhead. Exotic colors catch the eye among the lush landscape. Rustic colonial architecture stands between bazaars straight out of the pages of an Arabian Nights adventure.

As you enter Adventureland you cross an old footbridge. The great sign welcoming you to the land, decorated with spears, primitive masks and...human skulls...glows eerily at night as nearby bamboo torches light up the surrounding darkness. Exotic creatures call out from the dense rainforest as a murky green river below flows out into the foggy abyss of this tropical setting.

Now, today's Adventureland is generally a mishmash of generic adventure tropes. And we can blame the arrival of the Magic Carpets of Aladdin for that. When the Carpets arrived, it brought the film's Arabian feel right in the middle of what once was a land fully Polynesian-based, and that does not mesh well. And on top of that, the attraction serves mostly to add unnecessary clutter to Adventureland. So, with that said, The Magic Carpets of Aladdin will be removed in order to upkeep the theme and beauty of Adventureland. And with this removal will come an all-new backstory. (Oh, and before we continue, I'd like to give a shout-out to @MANEATINGWREATH, whose "Dream Resort" threads inspired this backstory).

Stepping into Adventureland is like stepping into the reels of Raiders of the Lost Ark or The Jungle Book. The year is 1933... The luscious and untamed landscape of the surrounding jungle hints at exploration and adventure... Rugged, weather-worn architecture of no specific origin protrude among the treetops, their occupants being the few brave merchants and settlers who dared to explore such an untamed region... Seldom ancient ruins decay among the plantlife, nearby excavation tools scattered nearby. This is truly a romanticized vision of an exotic world that never was, seemingly forgotten by time and pop culture. This introductory sub-area of Adventureland is known as the Forgotten Kingdom.​

​

Miniature crystal-clear waterfalls and calm, refreshing streams flow past walkways and into reed and mangrove-draped swamps and pools. A hazy mist rains down from the towering trees above... Exotic birds and insects chirp loudly in the distance... A beat-up power generator plumb in the middle of town gives "flickering-life" to the dusty lanterns strung from tree-to-tree, hinting at an ongoing excavation. In the distance, a water buffalo snorts and a black panther snarls... Crackling '30's-era music emits seemingly from out of nowhere... Primitive artifacts line the fences blocking the unaccessible portions of jungle foliage. Not only that, the F.K.E.T. (Forgotten Kingdom Expedition Team) has set up base here, having found several rare and unusual artifacts of a civilization lost in the sands of time. Here, we can explore the base and see what artifacts they've uncovered. Evidence of their explorations can be found all through the Forgotten Kingdom. Streetmosphere performers act as F.K.E.T. members, roping guests in to help them with their crazy expeditions.

To the right of the entrance of Adventureland are some of the buildings that were built by some of those aforementioned merchants. All of the existing Key West/New Orleans-style buildings will receive refurbishments to better fit the "Forgotten Kingdom" backstory. At the base of the first building we encounter is a wooden veranda, adorned with palm leaves and tiki torches. On the veranda, characters from The Jungle Book, The Lion King and Tarzan host meet-and-greet appearances. Expect to find friends like Mowgli, King Louie, Baloo, Colonel Hathi, Tarzan, Jane, Terk, Timon, Rafiki, and even a monkey or two from King Louie's kingdom.​

​

Inside of this first building, guests will find an all-new restaurant in the form of the Jungle Navigation Co., Ltd. Skipper Canteen. This patchwork cathedral of tropical tile patterns, hardwood latticework and French-colonial lighting fixtures is a wonderful place. According to legend, the year was 1911. In that year, Dr. Albert Falls--the man who famously discovered Schweitzer Falls--founded the Jungle Navigation Co., a shipping business that moved cargo along the jungle rivers. However, once his granddaughter, Alberta, took over the company, business unfortunately declined.

Noticing that the local area had become more of a spot for globetrotters than cargo shipping, a skipper approached Alberta with the idea to offer guided tours of the jungle rivers to passengers. And since then, business has been booming! So much so that the Jungle Skipper Canteen was opened to feed hungry passengers fresh from their Jungle Cruises. Inside the Skipper Canteen, guests can enjoy “World Famous Jungle Cuisine” in one of several unique dining rooms – including the crew mess hall, the Falls' family parlor and a once-hidden secret meeting room of the famed Society of Explorers and Adventurers. The restaurant is even staffed by the skippers! It's all just a stone's throw from the Hub's canal in one direction and the Swiss Family Treehouse in the other.​

​

Located across from the Skipper Canteen is Bwana Bob's merchandise stand, which boasts a full range of chic-jewelry to prepare you for jungle fashions, as well as offerings such as sunglasses, flip-flops, toy guns, and straw hats. Further down the jungle path, in-between the Skipper Canteen and the other buildings, is a small glass veranda, which provides seating. The path along the way continues to be lined with flickering flame torches. Right past the glass veranda is Sunshine Tree Terrace, which boasts several snacks, soft drinks and ice cream floats. The mascot for this snack stand is the Little Orange Bird, who you can occasionally see wandering about, meeting up with new friends.

​

A new music group can be found here in the Forgotten Kingdom. The Adventureland Swingers perform every hour at the veranda, bellowing away at the chords of 20's and 30's jazz standards. Being from the jungle, these jazz musicians wear Dixieland-style clothing covered in vines and moss, one going so far as to have a giant spider plastered onto his back, another joined by a shoulder-perched parrot. Occasionally, some of the Disney jungle characters will join the band, dancing around and encouraging guests to join in.

Continuing past the Sunshine Tree Terrace, guests will come across the Swiss Family Treehouse. The treehouse will remain unchanged, other than a few minor areas being spruced up and cleaned.​

​

Now, the first major change involves the small expansion pad next to the Treehouse and the Jungle Cruise. Behind the treehouse, in the former dense jungle area right in-between the treehouse and the Crystal Palace, you'll find the entrance to the Deep Jungle Theater, made to look like an old cave, once used by man, but now reclaimed by the jungle. Dense vegetation grows between the path and the theater to reinforce the depth of the jungle. Height will not be that much of an issue either, because the theater depresses down underground.​

The interior of this cave is decorated with dense vegetation and cave drawings. Why cave drawings? According to legend, this cave was where shamans would weave the tales of the many amazing animals that roamed the jungle. Some even say these stories still are told, especially the story that the shamans have called the Legend of the Lion King. You can enter this cave to hear the awe-inspiring tale of Simba, the little lion destined to be king and his struggle to find his place in the circle of life.

​

Continuing past the Swiss Family Treehouse, the guests will come across a stone, gated passage to the right, connecting to the mid-point of Frontierland. Also connected to the passage is Crocodile Mercantile, with its crocodile-shaped sign, fishing net-decorated interior, and general Cajun-theme sells the likeliness of inventory related to Disney's animal-themed characters, from Mickey and Minnie to Simba and Nala. Crocodile Mercantile replaces the completely unneccessary/theming-ruining Sunglass Hut.

Continuing past the store, the guests arrive into the heart of Adventureland. The music of the 30's fades away in favor of music with a more exotic flavor--music of Arabian, Polynesian and African descent. This is where cultures from all over the globe gather together in trade. As stated at the beginning of this post, the Magic Carpets of Aladdin have been removed. In its place is a small Rapa Nui garden with interactive Easter Island heads and a new, expanded Adventureland Bazaar that will give a winding-narrow-streets-overflowing-with-exotic-goods feel akin to the short-lived, but awesome, bazaar that opened with Disneyland Paris.

​

The idea is to show that unique merchandise locations can enhance over-all theme & show (and profits) rather than detract (as most generic/modern shops do).

So many people from all the different corners of the world have come and gone through the Forgotten Kingdom ever since its founding, and with them, they brought all sorts of wonderful things. In this sheltered center of trade and fellowship, colorful tarps and tapestries provide shade as we examine the various Disney-themed "wares of mystery and intrigue." Here, we we find ourselves lost in a close-knit maze of winding streets, open-air merchant stalls, and a spacious plaza surrounding an elaborate fountain. Minstrels (the Arabian Minstrels) of the era parade the streets playing exotic melodies, while cracked fountains in the shape of lions and tigers protrude from the aged-walls and keystones. A pair of hand-carved stone camels "relaxing" near a turret often spit water, providing a bit of a refresh from the often-hot Floridian sun. Cross-legged merchants and crafty salesmen sell their authentic wares from atop hand-woven rugs spread out along the walls and corridors.

​

Aladdin, Jasmine, Abu, Genie, and even Jafar make their homes in the streets of the Bazaar, often wandering about or staying put near the plaza's beautiful fountain. Aladdin receives more representation in the form of the Enchanted Passage of Aladdin. This unique experience retells the story of Aladdin through animated window displays and dioramas, many in which utilize rather sophisticated special effects. The experience mostly takes place upstairs, to allow the nearby shops to stay open.

​

Right next to the Adventureland Bazaar and the Enchanted Passage, under the canopies and tropical architecture of the bazaar, the Zanzibar Trading Company is located, boasting many African carved animals, masks and figures. The left side of the entire plaza is adorned in tropical foliage, masking the Jungle Cruise attraction.

You know, as you walk through the Forgotten Kingdom, you may just get a spring in your step and feel that happy feeling one gets while adventuring. Maybe it's just a trick of the atmosphere...or a trick of the wonderful side-effects given by the delicious Dole Whip and fruits sold at Aloha Isle, which is a neighbor to Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, where the "birds sing words and the flowers croon." The colorful macaw hosts of the show - Jose, Michael, Fritz, and Pierre - welcome you into a tropical Polynesian display, to witness a musical extravaganza of songs and wonder. This show will have been refurbished for a brief period yet again to install even more effects and more lighting and to re-install the "Enchanted Fountain" as well as the sing-along/whistling portion of "Let's All Sing Like the Birdies Sing" (I originally intended to have the bit where the birds whistle "Barcarolle" from Offenbach's "Tales of Hoffmann", but let's be honest: that part really burdens the show's pace). Overall, with these new refurbishments, there is more enjoyment to bring this show further back to its' original glory.

​

Across from Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room is the Leaky Tikis water feature, an adventurer's go-to getaway on a hot day. Located just a few paces away from the center of this Forgotten Kingdom is the entrance to the Jungle Cruise. Located beyond the confines of an old vine-covered boathouse, now torn apart by years of rain, rotting and entangled in vines, the tramp steamer cruise through the jungle leads past fearsome natives, hungry lions, a tour through an ancient flooded temple, and an encounter with good old Trader Sam, the head cannibal...I mean head salesman in the jungle, all the while being led by the wise-cracking narratives of a "bold and seasoned" traveler. There's a lot I want to say regarding refurbishments for this ride, so we'll just move on for the time being and return to the cruise later on.

​

Continuing on from the Jungle Cruise, we will now come across a stunning Southeast Asian temple right on the banks of a misty, forgotten river, with waterfalls tumbling from all around it. This waterlogged River Temple contains one of the Magic Kingdom's newest and biggest E-tickets ever: Indiana Jones and the Lost Expedition.

​

The storyline behind this ride is simple. It's 1937, just after the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Dr. Henry Jones, better known as Indiana Jones, stopped by the Forgotten Kingdom to pick up some supplies...but ended up discovering this long-forgotten temple. It wasn't until Indy invited his good friend Sallah to the temple that the F.K.E.T. was formed and Sallah decided to capitalize upon the popular mythology of the temple to fund the excavation. Much to Indy's dismay, Sallah opened the temple to tours from random visitors, such as you and I, with promises of riches unlike any other.

But if you think this is just gonna be another version of Disneyland's Indiana Jones Adventure, think again. Lost Expedition combines the beloved EMV ride we know today with a mine car-roller coaster ride. This -- coupled with the fact that the Walt Disney World Railroad and the Jungle Cruise travel through this enormous show building -- really made this one heck of a show. "But how exactly would all of these pieces fit together?," you query. It's funny that you should mention that. For here's an elevated view of the entire site plan for the ride.

​

You continue down a dense jungle pathway in-between the Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Caribbean approaching the mountain. Tall trees and plants surround the area, truly immersing the guests in a jungle environment. Winding through the overgrown bamboo and through an archaeological camp, you’ll find yourselves at the start of the queue. Once you get on line, you'd then have to decide which Indiana Jones-based adventure you actually wanted to have.

​

If you want to go on the jeep expedition (Which takes guests deep inside the enormous river temple, which -- because of its elaborate golden shrine -- is loaded with booby traps intended to keep trespassers out), you gotta go to the motor pool.

​

This off-roading dark ride begins outdoors, sending guests aboard troop transports along the river’s edge, across a shaky suspension bridge, through the ancient jungles, and into the collapsing temple of the water’s edge. There, riders encounter an ancient altar, darts, and (of course) a rolling boulder before making their way into the heart of the temple: a volcanic chasm sending guests teetering along canyons and across bridges above molten hot lava.

On the other hand, if you prefer to experience the car attraction (which sends you careening around the edge of a volcanic chasm aboard a rickety old mine car), you have to have hiked uphill to the site of the old abandoned mine (I.E. The load / unload station for this indoor roller coaster). You board your ore car and descend into the temple in a style more familiar to fans of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. The swaying, tilting mine car coaster would take place in that same volcanic chasm, spiraling along the lava, roaring down drops, and racing head on toward the jeeps navigating the same chamber as the two rides interact.

​

But that's not all! If you're not the adventurous type, you still have a chance or two to see this amazing temple. First, if you ride the Jungle Cruise, in addition to all the animatronic animals and stupid puns, you become part of the story as a collapsed temple tower diverts the boats into the Temple along a cooled lava vent as even the Jungle Cruise boats emerge in the temple’s volcanic heart with the ore carts flying by and Jeeps sputtering on below. In addition, after sailing past a sacrificial altar, you float through a flooded cavern and encounter several of the booby traps that Dr. Jones already defeated.

​

After exiting the flooded cavern, the Jungle Cruise would have passed under a new tressel bridge for the Walt Disney World Railroad. Speaking of which...

​

The park's iconic steam trains also pass right through this enormous show building, giving Magic Kingdom visitors a sneak peak at the giant rolling ball sequence from the jeep expedition as well as a brief glimpse of the volcanic cavern that served as the centerpiece for the ore car attraction.

​

Indiana Jones and the Lost Expedition may very well be the most dynamic and epically sized project Disney has ever brought to life, with four rides taking place in the temple chamber.

​

No trip to the Lost Expedition is complete without a visit to Sallah's Souvenir Stand, an Indiana Jones-themed superstore, cozily nestled beneath a rugged canvas-tent. Indiana Jones, Marion and Sallah themselves often meet guests nearby the temple.

Indiana Jones and the Lost Expedition is one of the Magic Kingdom's major attractions, and unless you have no tolerance whatsoever for thrill rides, this is a "must do" attraction. This is a fantastic ride that does not disappoint.

But don't think the action ends here. Returning to the center of the Forgotten Kingdom, we decide to head over to that boathouse and take a ride on the "world-famous" Jungle Cruise.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And there we have the Forgotten Kingdom of Adventureland! What do you guys think?

 

[Twilight_Roxas]

Cool btw with Pirates I saw multiple comments on youtube, and maybe here that WDW's Pirates should be replaced by Shanghai Disney;and's Pirates.

 

[DisneyManOne]

I'd prefer not to change it to Shanghai's ride, @Twilight_Roxas. I'd prefer to keep the ride as it is, albeit a bit more expanded. Besides, the original ride is a tried-and-true Disney classic.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Returning from the temple, our curiosity peaks as we head down towards that old, vine-covered boathouse that marks the entrance to the Jungle Cruise. It's been said that the ride has been given many enhancements since the last time we've been on it, and we'd like to see those enhancements for ourselves. (I won't be doing a full-fledged ride-through, instead I'll be doing a list of all the new changes, since the rest of the ride will be largely the same.)

If you want to see what the ride looks like currently, watch the video below.

​

~The Queue~

-The boathouse has been given a re-do. The second story has been opened up to serve as an extended queue, a la Disneyland. The reason why this has happened is because the current extended queue has been demolished in order to make way for Indiana Jones.

​

~The Amazon~

-Roaming through the Amazon scene will be a jaguar AA, with LPS incorporated into it. The LPS will allow the jaguar to accurately walk around the jungle floor of the Amazon. Occasionally it will stalk a cruise going by. When it is seen by the skipper, he/she will activate from their boat a growl from the jaguar. There will be two of these animatronics--one for the day and one for the night.

-That jaguar isn't the only danger in the waters of the Amazon. A group of water-jumping piranhas will be seen attacking the boat at one point, a la Disneyland.​

​

-As the boats near Inspiration Falls, a sloth will be hanging out in a tree. The sloth will be casually chewing on some leaves with a lazy glazed look on its face while wearing a skipper's hat. The skipper will, of course, point out this is where he/she last crashed, and lost their favorite hat.

-I'd also bring back a set of animatronic frogs that lined the waterways nearby Inspiration Falls. Not only are these frogs cuter than cute, they move, too! The adults open their mouths and actually distend their vocal sacs, while the babies rocked backward and forward on their legs. If that's hokey, so be it.

​

~The Congo~

-As mentioned in the previous post, before you pass by the campsite taken over by the apes, you'll enter the temple along a cooled lava vent as the boat emerges in the Indiana Jones temple’s volcanic heart with the ore carts flying by and jeeps sputtering on below. Upon exiting the temple, the boat passes under a new trestle bridge for the Walt Disney World Railroad, before finally heading to the ape campsite.

-A family of baboons will be added next to the raided camp.

​

-Also, I'd add a bit of a punch to this scene, as well. This scene is used in the Disneyland version of the ride. Some of the apes are now armed. More importantly, that these gorillas & baboons are now taking pot shots at various flammable objects that are floating in the river. And that -- every time these apes hit one of those gas cans...Ka-BLAM! A well-concealed water cannon sends river water high into the air. Which eventually splashes down on some guests.

-If you go on the ride today, you'll notice a big, yet useless, stone mass just nearby the gorilla camp scene. The reason why it's there is because an extension of the gorilla scene had been designed by Marc Davis and marked for a home in that rock. It was going to be another big gorilla swinging out over the water, pummeling a crocodile that was stupid enough to swim within reach. I'd add that scene back in.

​

~The Nile~

-At the African Veldt scene, the lion pride has been given new movement. The cubs will be playing. The lionesses get a closer smell of the zebra, and seem to be eating him. The lion will be standing there roaring opening and closing his mouth.

~The Mekong~

-Now, let's talk about the temple scene. This will get a few refurbishments to make the scene even more creepy than it already is. As we approach the temple, a crocodile lunges forward at us, surprising our skipper, but then lurches back. Before we enter the temple, fire shoots out of two stone torches in front of it. Inside, also as seen in the Tokyo video, eerie projection mapping will be added. the tiger still growls at us and stares at us with glowing eyes, but that's not the only scary thing about the temple. Statues appear to move their heads to look at us (not animatronics, just simple rotating heads). Around one bend, we see four king cobras (although, there should be five...it'd be wise for you to check the boat...), who hiss and spit water at us.

​

-On our way out of the temple, we see new animatronic macaques that move with fluidity and make typical monkey sounds as they swing around. We're in no danger; they're just monkeying around.

-Located in-between the elephants and Trader Sam is another lost Marc Davis idea brought back from the dead: a group of crocodiles having cornered a (for some reason) flightless parrot on top of a twiggy tree on the island side of the river.

​

-Finally, here's a change that will affect the whole ride in itself. What you have just seen are the changes I'd make to the ride during the day. But at night, inspired by what recently happened regarding Tokyo's cruise, the classic excursion quite literally takes on a new light come nightfall. Special lighting, fog, and other special effects make the entirety of the jungle appear more alive than ever, as does an onboard soundtrack that is only featured at night. Check out Tokyo's version for yourself, right here:

​

And those are all the changes I'd make to the Jungle Cruise. Now, after such a thrilling excursion as that, I suggest we take a break. In the next post, we'll finish up Adventureland by setting sail for a world inhabited by a rowdy band of pirates.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What do you guys think? Should there be any more additions to the classic ride?

 

[DisneyManOne]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Facing the greatest danger upon leaving the Jungle Cruise, the return to civilization, you'll find a path that leads away from the thatched roofs, tiki torches and colorful bazaars we've found throughout the Kingdom. In comparison to the swampy atmosphere we've grown to know and love, the plants alongside the path appear to be bright and more reminiscent of an island in the Caribbean Sea. From our standing point we can smell the scent of "paradise," a very nice tropical smell of fruit, fresh foliage, and clean seawater. On the other side of the path we can see the looming figures of various works of architecture.

Walking down the trail we leave the jungle-like atmosphere of the Forgotten Kingdom behind. The jungle has become a tropical paradise, lining both sides of the path (Which turns out to be a bridge). A crystal-clear waterfall pours down into a rushing stream. Nearby, a band of Hawaiian shirt-wearing musicians play a collection of steel drums and maracas. This encourages us to move forward and towards the other side of the bridge. As we continue a sign appears reading "WELCOME TO CARIBBEAN PLAZA."

http://www./wp-content/uploads/2015/03/IMG_8762-550x412.jpg
​

No longer are we in the dense rainforests of the Forgotten Kingdom. We are now in the tropical paradise that is the Caribbean. Spanish-style architecture overtakes the plaza as dock-side shops and taverns line the streets. The smell of saltwater and all the delicious foods of the nearby restaurants fill the air and further strengthen the atmosphere. Tropical music fills the air, a nice departure from the swinging sounds of the 1930s music we've been hearing. Two different musical groups show up every day. First, we have Sonidos del Paraíso (Sounds of Paradise), a steel-drum band, who provide us with the tropical sounds that only the Caribbean can provide. And then, we have The Bootstrappers, a band of ragtag musical pirates that sing wild sea chanteys and drinking songs for the enjoyment of all would-be pirates.

Immediately to our right, we see a small lagoon standing on the former grounds of what used to be the Pirate Tutorial stage. The lagoon turns into a river, that flows beneath the bridge separating Caribbean Plaza and the Forgotten Kingdom, and winds up as part of the rivers that the Jungle Cruise sails upon. The Black Pearl, Captain Jack Sparrow's famed ship, sits proudly on the dark surface of the lagoon.

​

An appropriate bridge connects the mainland to the infamous vessel, allowing us to explore the inner and outer sanctums of Jack Sparrow's beloved ship. Guests can scout all of the hidden artifacts, treasure maps, the cursed medallions and even the Dead Man's Chest throughout the hull of the ship, collected by Captain Barbossa, Captain Jack Sparrow and the entire crew of the Black Pearl throughout their excursions. Interactive elements are naturally in great supply, including but not limited to an animatronic Jack the Monkey and a rum cellar that has been recently emptied...sigh...why is the rum always gone? Deep in the hull of the ship, lies a watery, gloomy passage. In the passage, the guests can experience a simulated attack by the formiddable Kraken, who seemingly drags the ship underwater! In one passage of the Black Pearl, a meet-and-greet is hosted with Captain Jack Sparrow himself. On the deck, guests can witness real pirates doing their daily chores of pillaging and plundering, they can use real telescoped the scout out the secrets of Adventureland and use the interactive water features to blast away their onlookers. The entire Black Pearl serves as a repurposed version of the Pirates Lair over at Disneyland to fit into Walt Disney World's Adventureland.

Standing nearby is Honest Marooned Pete's, a "half-off," bargain bin of pirate-themed toys and refreshments sits in the hull of an overturned rowboat. Honest Marooned Pete himself never makes an appearance in the flesh, but his hand-drawn image appears on many of the crude posters advertising his "honest deals."

​

Back on the mainland, over to the left, is the imposing structure of Castillo del Morro, an old Spanish armed fortress, since long abandoned. Two different vertical structures stand tall about the fortress, the first being the Torre del Cielo watchtower, and the other being an old pirate mast, with a black sail upon it bearing the phrase "Pirates of the Caribbean" and above that, a skeleton up in the crow's nest, looking out into the distance with a telescope. Below the mast, you'll find that the iconic green barker parrot has returned.

​

The flag of the Jolly Roger proudly waves from the highest turret, symbolizing that pirates have indeed taken over this former house of justice. Inside the fortress, you can take off to face these rogues yourselves, aboard one of Disney's most beloved theme park attractions: Pirates of the Caribbean.

​

Set sail with the wildest crew to ever sack the Spanish Main! Entering past the watchtower and past a weathered sail bearing the title of the attraction, we meander through the fortress' entrance and find ourselves in an old Floridian swamp. Boarding a boat there, we set sail for the not-so-distant harbor of Port Royal where the Wicked Wench and its crew have launched a full-scale invasion in search of the town's treasure supply. But that's not all--Jack Sparrow himself is looking for the treasure, too. Can he find it before the others do? A chance encounter with the Kraken, mermaids, and a devastating maelstrom make this version of the attraction more adventurous than ever, and a must-see in any Magic Kingdom visit.

This ride will be receiving a huge refurbishment. While similar to the 1967 original, the ride is now a combination of elements from both Marc Davis's mind and that of the films as to provide a happy medium for fans of both. On top of that, I plan to expand the ride building and lengthen the ride, to bring it up to the standards of its Disneyland brother. This specific move would require the complete removal of the majority of the queue (essentially, as soon as the guests move past the stone arches of the entrance of the fortress, where the queue currently splits into two directions (as seen the picture below)...

​

...from that point on, the entire queue will be removed and the loading station will be located right there.) and the draining of the attraction's waterways, which has not been done since the 1970s, and would need to be refurbished for a period of nine months. It seems like a pretty drastic move, but I think that it could successfully be done.

The ride exits out into Tesoros Misteriosos (Mysterious Treasures) is a pirate-themed superstore built within the remains of the fortress. Dripping ceilings and ill-gotten goods adorn the walls, a compliment to the hook hands, eye patches, telescopes, stuffed parrots, and pirate hats up for sale. Nearby is The Pirate's League, where kids and adults can be made over to look like an official buccaneer.

Located just across the way is El Pirata y El Perico (The Pirate and the Parrot), a quick service Spanish-inspired restaurant themed to a shady pirate tavern. The tavern, resembling an old seaside inn of sorts reminds us of an age of seabound exploration and travel, when uncharted bodies of water meant mythical creatures were waiting for unsuspecting prey to travel into their midst... Inside the tavern, one can hear and see the shadows of pirates plotting mutinies and treasure raids behind closed doors.

I don't know if this would work or not, but remember how I told you about the new loading area? Well, much like many other versions of the Pirates ride, I'd add in the Blue Lagoon Restaurant nearby this loading area. Here, you can dine on cuisine straight from the Caribbean, Cuba, Spain and New Orleans. But the main reason this restaurant is popular is the immersive setting.

You may recognize this restaurant as Blue Bayou. But rather than immerse guests in a New Orleans setting, like California and Tokyo, this restaurant takes a page from Disneyland Paris and has the setting be "located" on a Caribbean beach in an outdoor restaurant at nighttime. The dining area overlooks the jungle river the boats ride along as they start their journey. Guests dine under paper lanterns and a thick canopy of live oaks dripping with Spanish moss. There are wonderful details all around you that immerse you--crickets chirp, frogs croak and fireflies wink.

​

But, the best way to immerse yourselves in the theming is to sit by the water. And why is that? Because not only are you furthest away from the lobby and kitchen in this area (and being seated by the kitchen can and does ruin the ambiance), but you also have a fantastic view of the deep jungle...as well as adventurers sailing off to partake in a little pirate-y fun! Besides giving you a glimpse of the Pirate boats, these seats also get you closer to the water and the bayou that lends the restaurant its name. Really — the lighting is perfect. Certainly lives up to the name, yes? Yes, I'd highlight recommend a meal at Blue Bayou as part of your Magic Kingdom experience. You certainly won't regret it.

But despite all these strange yet wonderful things, our attention keeps turning back towards Castillo del Morro. Are we truly brave enough to come face-to-face with those rascally Pirates of the Caribbean?

...

We are.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And that's Caribbean Plaza! Next post will be a full-fledged ride-through of the refurbished Pirates of the Caribbean. Any thoughts or comments?

 

[Brer Panther]

I really liked the Jungle Cruise improvements.

 

[MANEATINGWREATH]

I'm definitely going to probably use "Brothers" in my final draft's version of Adventureland haha.

 

[DisneyManOne]

I really liked the Jungle Cruise improvements.

Thank you very much!

I'm definitely going to probably use "Brothers" in my final draft's version of Adventureland haha.

It is a pretty amazing song, perfect to segue into the feel of the area. I really wish that a bit more of Terry Gilkyson's original score was used for the movie.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Castillo del Moro may not seem too imposing, but inside is an adventure unlike any other in the Magic Kingdom: Pirates of the Caribbean. Many people have dreamed about setting sail with pirates since childhood, and here at the Magic Kingdom, these dreams can become a reality.

By the way, as stated before, this will be a blend of both the pre-Jack Sparrow version and the post-Jack Sparrow version. Since a good majority of the ride leans towards the pre-Jack Sparrow version, I'd highly advise you to watch these videos:

​

Castillo del Moro, as stated before, is an old Spanish-inspired armed fortress. A nearby watchtower features a real working clock. Nearby, a weathered old mast lies washed up from a shipwreck of years past. Atop the crow's nest, a skeleton sits, telescope in hand. Attached to the mast is an old black sail, bearing the words "Pirates of the Caribbean" in blood-red letters. Below the mast, sitting on a rock nearby, is a little green Parrot, enticing guests to step into the world of pirates...

"Yo ho, yo ho, a parrot's life for me. (Squawks.) A parrot's life for me! A parrot's life for me! (Whistles, does a Wolf Whistle and then whistles again.) Avast there, you lubbers! This be the place, if you be seeking adventure and salty old pirates. (Squawks) Salty old pirates! Salty old pirates!(Whistles.) We pillage and plunder! Rifle and loot! Yo ho, me hearties yo ho! (Squawks and whistles.) Heave to, maties! There be longboats waiting down by Pirate's Cove! Waitin' to take you to the Spanish Main! (Whistles.) Right this way! Through the arches and down past the dungeon, in the old fortress. (He whistles and it sounds like a ship's Bosun Whistle.) We sail with the tide! Sail with the tide! (Whistles.) Don't miss the boat maties!"

​

Stepping deeper in the fortress, we go under a pair of stone arches. Above the arches is a painting of a skull and crossbones, surrounded by a banner reading "Yo-Ho, Yo-Ho, A Pirate's Life for Me." Beyond these arches, we find ourselves not in an old Spanish fortress, but rather, in an old swamp in the Caribbean. Palm trees and sand-lined beaches fill our field of vision, amidst settings of old shipwrecks. This all sets the mood for the adventure that's to come.

​

Standing on an old dock, we see a never-ending parade of worn-out boats make their way through the dense swamp, heading off for who knows where. Echoing throughout the loading area is the an old pirate's voice: "Ahoy there, crew! For your safety, remain seated, keeping your hands, arms, feet, and legs inside the boat—and watch your children. And no flash pictures! Prepare to make sail!"

Our excitement mounting, we board our boat and set sail. An aura of mystery and foreboding is upon us as we sail along a dark, misted river, surrounded by deep jungle foliage. In the distance, the sounds of an approaching waterfall can be heard. The boats continue deeper along the river, the mood becoming much more tense. Suddenly a gust of sea air blows us into the the deep, dark caverns of a rocky passage in the shape of a skull. Inside the caverns, flickering torches light the walls, illuminating several bats from overhead. The boat briefly travels down the cavern, before coming across a familiar voice. Ahead, the sound of an approaching waterfall draws nearer, as a skeleton plaque is seen just overhead. The skeleton begins to speak.

"Psst! Avast there! It be too late to alter course, mateys. And there be plundering pirates lurkin' in ev'ry cove, waitin' to board. Sit closer together and keep your ruddy hands in board. That be the best way to repel boarders. And mark well me words, mateys: Dead men tell no tales! Ye come seekin' adventure with salty old pirates, eh? Sure you've come to the proper place. But keep a weather eye open, mates, and hold on tight. With both hands, if you please. Thar be squalls ahead, and Davy Jones waiting for them what don't obey."

Upon the conclusion of the spiel, the boats take a quick dip down into the deeper caverns of the passage. A high-spirited chorus of the ride's iconic theme, "Yo-Ho, Yo-Ho, A Pirate's Life for Me", plays, a tune which will become a familiar sound throughout our journey. as the boats continue through the caverns. The boats take another plunge down a second waterfall and into the ruins of a dark, musty grotto. Waterfalls cascade down from the rocky ceilings of the chamber, as a low mist covers the scene. The boats makes their way around large boulders and stagmites, revealing the remains of a disheveled skeleton crew washed on a forgotten beach. The pirates guard the a treasure chest, which holds a plethora of gold and jewels.

​

The boats continue to glide through the grotto, as a thunderstorm starts to erupt over our heads. We hear seagulls squealing and thunder pounding. Soon, we enter the abandoned hull of a sunken pirate ship. In the wake of the disaster, the pilot of the ship continues to steer the ship, as a fierce, severe hurricane erupts outside of the ship, illuminating the skeletal figure with brief flashes from the lightning. The boat passes through the Captain's Quarters, where a pair of skeletal pirates are caught in the middle of a tough game of chess. In his bed, the skeletal Captain is examining a treasure map, while holding a mangled chalice. On the opposite end of the ship's hull, a harpsichord plays a macabre version of the attraction's theme. The boats exit out of the ship's hull and into the caverns of the grotto again. The caverns are plentiful with huge piles of gold, treasure chests and unspeakable riches. In the far end of the cavern, the Aztec Chest from the original Pirates of the Caribbean film is seen.

​

The boats exit out of the glittering chamber and out into a dark chamber, where lightning flashes overhead. Projected onto the walls of the chamber, huge cyclones wrap around the rocky waters, as the boats make their way across the vast sea. Wind wraps around the boats, whipping at the guests. Mist is dispensed all throughout the ceiling of the room, making it seem as though a heavy rain is falling from the uneasy storm, without actually getting the guests wet.

​

Throughout this ominous storm scene, ghastly voices warn the guests of the perils they face, as they travel to world's end.

OLD PIRATE'S VOICE: You may not survive to pass this way again!

SKULL'S ECHO: Dead men tell no tales, tales, tales, tales...dead men tell no tales, tales, tales, tales...dead men tell no tales, tales, tales, tales...

FOREBODING PIRATE'S VOICE: No fear have ye of evil curses says you. Aye? Hehehe. Properly warned ye be, says I.

Then, at the penultimate moment of chaos and confusion, the boats take another, sudden, third plunge. As the storm settles and we float back out into the ocean, we find ourselves heading towards the Caribbean town of Puerto Dorado...and for that matter, in the midst of a great battle! On our left is the Wicked Wench, pounding away with her cannons at a Spanish fort on the coast. The fort fights back with all of it's might, but the winner of the battle is yet to be determined. Cannon fire blasts in-between the ship and fort, which happens to be the exact route of the guests, sometimes even getting them wait. Large impacts of wind hit the guests, simulating the feel of cannon fire.

Longtime visitors may notice that Barbossa isn't commandeering the Wicked Wench anymore. In this new version, I want old Captain Jack to be the only character from the films to be in the ride, for reasons that I will get into in just a few moments. Anyways, you'll find that the red-coated, Paul-Frees voiced Pirate Captain has returned in Barbossa's place.

​

"Fire at will! Stand by at your guns mates! (To the fort.) Strike your colors, you bloomin' cockroaches! By thunder, we'll see ya to Davy Jones! Surrender, you lilly-livered lubbers!"

(NOTE: I do not know the exact script for it, but the original audio between the Pirate Captain, the crewmen and the Spanish soldiers will be restored.)

Our boat drifts past the battle and into Puerto Dorado itself. Thank Heaven we survived that scene! But, no...we're not safe yet. It appears that pirates have completely taken over the town! Those villainous scoundrels are everywhere! To our immediate right, the unfortunate mayor of the town, a man named Carlos, is being tortured in the town square. Carlos is tied up and suspended over a water well. His rope is being held by a pirate, who periodically dunks Carlos into the water and then pulls him out again. His wife watches in horror from a window above. Captain Jack Sparrow watches the scene from behind a set of cargo.

​

FIRST PIRATE: Speak up, you bilge rat! Where be the treasure?

CARLOS' WIFE: Do not tell him Carlos!

SECOND PIRATE: Scuttle the old cockroach!

(The pirate lowers poor Carlos into the well.)

CARLOS: (As he descends.) No! No! Por favor! No- blub blub blub...

THIRD PIRATE: Hoist him aloft again matey. By gum, he'll talk!

(Carlos is brought back up for some air. He spits out the excess water as if he were a fountain.)

CARLOS' WIFE: Don't tell him! Don't be chicken!

(One pirate takes a shot at the open window. The woman screams and closes up quickly. Carlos is lowered back into the drink.)

CARLOS: I am not chicken! I will not talk- blub blub blub.

As you can tell, this scene has reverted back to its original audio, without any mention of Captain Jack. The reason why is very simple: Much like in the old days, the pirates are simply looking for treasure hidden within the town. Jack, who obviously isn't a part of the crew, is secretly searching for the treasure himself, thus why he appears to have found it at the end of the ride.

Anyways, we float past the town square and find ourselves in another area of town. Here, the women of the town are being auctioned off as brides-to-be for lonesome pirates. The auctioneer, a fancy dressed pirate, is preparing to sell a fat young maiden to the buccaneers. She doesn't seem to be to distressed about it. The voluptuous red-headed woman who is next in line, and who the drunken pirates clamor for, doesn't seem to concerned either. Many of the other women in line, generally average in looks, are weeping in sorrow.

​

AUCTIONEER: (Gesturing the overweight wench to the pirates.) We anchor now ya swabies! What be I offered for this winsome wench? Stout hearted--

FIRST PIRATE: Hey, are you selling her by the pound?!

AUCTIONEER: (To the chubby woman.) Shift your cargo deary. Show 'em your larboard side.

SECOND PIRATE: We wants the red head!

AUCTIONEER: Belay that, you fo’c’s’le swab!

THIRD PIRATE: Oy! The red head!

ALL PIRATES: We wants the red head! We wants the red head! We wants the red head!

AUCTIONEER: (To the red head.) Strike your colors, you brazen wench! No need to expose your superstructure! (To the crowd.) And now you bilge rats... do I hear six?

DRUNK PIRATE: Six it be! Six bottles of rum!

AUCTIONEER: I'm not spunging for rum! It be gold I'm after!

CROWD: We wants the red head!

ARMED PIRATE: Quiet, you scum! (He fires a shot over the pirates' heads to shut them up.)

Our craft sails silently onward. We pass under a stone arch and find ourselves in a residential part of the town. There are balconies and staircases here and there. Throughout the town, several pirates are seen chasing around the female villagers of the city, who are shocked and frightened by the rogues. Two pirates are scene stealing many goods from one specific house. Sitting below, near the waterline is a dapper pirate dressed in gold and blue. He smiles stupidly and has a habit of laughing due to the influence of alcohol. He appears to have quite of a load on. But then, which of the pirates here hasn't? He asks us...

"Have you set your eyes on the bewitched maiden in your travels? Oh she be a lively lassie she were. Oh, I tell you true... I'd like to hoist me colors on the likes of that shy little wench! Uh ha, uh ha, uh ha ha ha, uh ha. I be willin' to share, I be! Ha uh ha!"

The poor woman of which the pirate speaks is hiding in a barrel directly behind the drunkard. She slips her head up and takes a peek. Quickly she retreats into the relative safety of the barrel.

​

Recently, Jack was in the poor maid's place, but now, he's moved to the far left side of the scene. Here, a pirate has fallen asleep in a drunken stupor, the key to the town's treasure vault tightly gripped in one hand, and the map leading to it in his lap. On either side stands a horse and a goat, both in which walk a sneaky Jack attempts to steal the map and key. Right as Jack is about to get it, the animals make noise, causing him to retract as the pirate makes some horrid noises in the form of snores. Jack goes back and, of course, the animals react. This never-ending sequence is guaranteed to garner a few laughs.

We sail on into the ride's penultimate scene. Here, the pirates, in a drunken frenzy have set the entire town ablaze, as the buildings crackle with fire. The old fire effect has been removed and is replaced with Pepper's Ghost effect flames, making the effect seem all the more realistic. The flames fill the night air with an orange glow. To our right, we pass one pirate who sits on a barrel with a bottle of rum. Several alley cats stand near him, one with it's back arched, hissing wildly.

BARREL PIRATE: Here, kitty, kitty, kitty! Hehehe, have a nice little tot of rum with Old Bill, eh? Hehehe… (Cats meow shrilly.) Come on, now—be a nice little pussycat! (He laughs and coughs.) Oh, you be a feisty one, you be. (Cats meow angrily.)

Nearby, we find ourselves within arm's length of a rowboat with two very intoxicated pirates seated in it and filled to overflowing with rum bottles, including some in the water nearby. On our left, we pass a trio of pirates singing "Yo-Ho, Yo-Ho, A Pirate's Life for Me" alongside a donkey and a dog. Nearby them is a man with one foot in a row boat, the other on the dock. His arms are loaded with loot, several hats are sitting atop his head. He tries to sing the song with the rest of the crowd, but his nervousness about stepping into the boat precludes him from participating.

To our right, a drunken pirate sits happily in the mud with three little pigs. Like four old mates, they share music and rum. Beside the drunken pig pirate, is an archway leading to another section of town. Sitting above the arch is another drunken pirate. His hairy leg hangs directly over us, prompting us to hold our breath until we've passed the arch.

In the next part of town, we find ourselves in the village jail. Six pirates are locked in two cells that sit right next to each other--three in the first, three in the second. A furry dog sits casually, just out of reach of the cells. He hold in his innocent jaws the keys to the jail. The pirates are whistling, and cooing for the dog to come over. The dog seems immune to their pleas and sits there, nonchalantly.

​

LEFT PIRATE #1: Grab his tail! Go on, grab it!

LEFT PIRATE #2: Don’t scare him!

RIGHT PIRATE #1: There you go, dearie. Come on—have a nice bone, eh? That’s a good lad! Come on, now!

LEFT PIRATE #1: Oooh, steady now. Steady, steady. Here, that’s it. Take the keys off his ruddy neck.

RIGHT PIRATE #1: It’s us what needs your ruddy ‘elp, not them blasted lubbers!

RIGHT PIRATE #2: Oh, that blasted pocket-pickin’ pirate!

(Left Pirate #3 whistles for the dog.)

LEFT PIRATE #1: Bring Old Bill them nice keys!

RIGHT PIRATE #2: Blasted blackhearted cur!

LEFT PIRATE #2: Here you be, Spot. How’s about a nice, juicy bone?

LEFT PIRATE #1: Over ‘ere, Spot! Over ‘ere. Now, easy boy!

LEFT PIRATE #2: Here, give us the keys, you scrawny little beast!

RIGHT PIRATE #1: I say grab his ears.

(Left Pirate #3 keeps whistling.)

LEFT PIRATE #2: Walk him over to the noose. Come on, now! Hold it higher. Higher, I say! Higher!

RIGHT PIRATE #1: Ugh, mangy mutt! Hit him with a soup bone!

LEFT PIRATE #1: Here, doggy. Here, here, doggy! Nice doggy!

RIGHT PIRATE #2: Belay that talk. We want the keys, not the mutt, you swab.

RIGHT PIRATE #1: Can’t you reach any further, you stub-winged bilge rat?

We enter into the final room, where Captain Jack Sparrow sits on a throne, surrounded by all sorts of treasures. He acknowledges the guests, before sending them on their way.

​

CAPTAIN JACK SPARROW (singing) Drink up me hearties, yo ho! Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me! (speaking) I raise a toast to all of our many shipmates lost at sea. Salut, mes amis! (singing) Drink up me hearties, yo ho! Rascals and scoundrels; villains and knaves. Drink up me hearties, yo ho. We’re devils and black sheep. We’re really bad eggs. Drink up me hearties, yo ho. (speaking) Drink up, lads! There’s treasure enough for all. I shall take this paltry sum as a stipend to cover my expenses…and the chest of jewels. (singing) Drink up me hearties, yo ho! Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me! (speaking) A toast to piracy, and its many shiny rewards. As a career, what could be more rewarding? (singing) Drink up me hearties, yo ho! (speaking) I humbly accept this magnificent treasure as my reward for a life of villainy, larceny, skullduggery, and persnickety-ny.

Straight ahead, we see a lighted area. As we come closer, it is evident that there are no more pirates. At last, our boat is floating to safety. Safety by the way of the disembarking area. That old pirate voice we heard at the beginning is heard again: "When the boat stops, please be steppin’ out to yer right. All hands, prepare to go ashore by steppin’ out to yer right."

Upon exiting the boats, guests take a conveyor belt that exits out into Tesoros Misteriosos. We pass through the shop and head back out into Caribbean Plaza. Having had quite enough jungle-based adventure for one day, we find that we've reached the edge of the jungle...and the entrance to the wild, wild west!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And there we have the all-new Pirates of the Caribbean! If there's anything I missed regarding the ride, be it scene or dialogue, please don't hesitate to tell me. I do plan to watch a full-fledged ride-through of the current WDW Pirates soon, and I will update the post if I did miss anything.

Apart from that, what do you guys think so far?

 

[DisneyManOne]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The year is 1885 as a proud sternwheeler makes its way up a muddy river. Stagecoaches and covered wagons make their way up the street, as simple townsfolk and Native Americans walk side by side. Gold miners sail out on makeshift rafts to the mines across the river, while music and laughter emits from the local saloon. And from the dense wilderness comes the whistling of trains and the lonely howl of a coyote, longing to be with its companions. The realm we have entered is an amalgam of sights and sounds that authentically conjure up images of America's expansion. Come by land, water, or rail, the pioneer days live on in...Frontierland.

​

I think, next to Main Street U.S.A., Frontierland is one of the most thematically solid areas of the Magic Kingdom. I feel like Frontierland could use a little bit of a sprucing up, so additions to Frontierland will continuously be made to enhance the theme of the area, while also renovating the current attractions throughout the land, as well as giving the area a few new surprises.

Although there are many ways to get to Frontierland--be it via the Walt Disney World Railroad or from under the archway that leads to Adventureland, its main entrance is located nearby Liberty Square. As you head past the Diamond Horseshoe, a very fitting transition from Colonial America to the Old West, you find yourself standing before Fort Lincoln, an accurate representation of a Civil-War era stockade.

​

The American flag billows from atop the log-built turrets, while poised-and-ready rifles peer over the walls of the fort, ready for battle. Crossing a grand entry-bridge (also composed of logs), we pass above a small river that stretches out into the Rivers of America. A hand-carved sign reading "Frontierland" hangs from Fort Lincoln's opened-gates. When parade time comes around, a few Cast Members usually come along to remove the sign, lest it block the way of the oncoming floats. Just a short distance away, the music of many a classic western film call to us, beckoning us to continue further. Our adventure back in time is about to begin...

Our adventure back in time begins in the first of two sub-areas in Frontierland, this sub-area being the little mining town of Tumbleweed, a dusty-old town thriving off of the nearby gold mines. Even if the fortune of the town hasn't been as lucky as it has been in the past, things are pretty nice around here, most folks are happy (Although some aren't very friendly), the water is clean (Well, somewhat clean), and the local farming community has been spitting out some pretty big crops (At least if they haven't been eaten by the nearby moose population)!

Truly, we feel as if we have stepped into the reels of a classic western, Blazing Saddles and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly coming to mind as we take in the romanticized western-architecture. Horseshoe-prints and wagon wheel-tracks appear embedded in the pavement... Cacti and tumbleweeds create rugged gardens among the planters... A cigar store Indian stands guard from a nearby porch... Fellow guests relax from the heat of desert life atop rocking chairs and a hammock, taking in the shade of a quiet storefront... Wanted posters and advertisements for various frontier goods and services line the walls of the dust-kissed buildings, offering bits of humor here and there (i.e. Pain For Less Dentistry)... This is truly a journey back in time...

Immediately to your left is the Frontierland Shootin' Arcade, a good old-fashioned shooting exposition, where interactive elements and triggers make one feel as if they conquered the West. Nearby is the Frontier Trading Post, Tumbleweed's general store. Marked by its antler-covered rooftop (an old trick to attract cowboys), this shop, owned by "Texas" John Slaughter, sells authentic Western wares, such as Native American-made blankets, figurines, and artwork. If you're feeling peckish while riding through the vast wilderness, stop by Prairie Outpost & Supply to grab some sweet treats.

From there, the pathway leads deeper into the realm of Frontierland, on the banks of the Rivers of America. A nearby passage brings guests into the heart of Adventureland. We are in the dead center of Tumbleweed, where anything can happen. Most notably, you may find yourself caught within the song-filled celebration of the Frontierland Hoedown. As if it were a flashmob of the modern-era, a select group of Frontierland cast members and characters, including Brer Bear, Horace Horsecollar, Clarabelle Cow, Big Al, and Liver Lips McGrowl quietly sneak into the large "dance-floor" outside the saloon and randomly burst into a dance break. Following their flash mob, we are invited to participate, learning such steps as the electric slide, the box step, and so on so forth...

This musical motif the Hoedown provides seems only fitting as to transition towards the next major attraction of Frontierland. Standing before us is a musical revue composed of pure fantasy, the Country Bear Jamboree.

​

Held within the historic Grizzly Hall, the Country Bear Jamboree is one of the Magic Kingdom's quintessential classics. Hosted by Henry, a top hat and shirtfront-clad brown bear, we are taken on a musical journey through some of the greatest songs in the history of America's country-western heritage. Clap along to original and classic country tunes during this fun-filled hootenanny, and behold the zaniest group of bears the world has ever known, as they display their musical know-how. Overflowing with humor and heart plus a few surprises, this fan favorite features an uplifting down-home, southern sensibility. Much like its neighbor, Enchanted Tiki Room, this show will be refurbished to include all the bits that were left out of the show's 2012 refurbishment.

​

The Bandwagon, a large Conestoga wagon set up outside the theater's entrance sells a small sampling of what can be found in Frontierland's bigger shops, including merchandise unique to the Country Bear Jamboree.

Adjacent to Grizzly Hall's entrance is Big Al's Galley, a riverside establishment selling bread bowls, clam chowder, tomato bisque, lobster rolls, and the beloved Disney turkey leg (and pork shank). Big Al, perhaps the most memorable character in the Country Bear Jamboree can be heard snoring loudly from his cave which is coincidentally located along the muddy shoreline near the restaurant's riverside dining area. As evident by the various portraits and statues found around the galley, Big Al has an affinity for sailing and fishing, dramatic portraits showcasing a much skinnier and younger Al venturing out upon the high seas.

Woody, Jessie, Bullseye, Pocahontas, Meeko, Kenai, Koda, Brer Rabbit, Brer Bear, Brer Fox and the Country Bears themselves--Big Al, Liverlips McGrowl, Shaker and Wendell--all make appearances in Tumbleweed. Although they mostly wander around at their own discretion to cause general mischief, a specified meet-n-greet space is found in the form of Lookout Dock, a small dock offering stunning views of the Frontierland mountain range, a perfect photo opportunity with your favorite frontier character.

Nearby Grizzly Hall is Pecos Bill's Tall Tale Inn & Cafe, a large saloon style quick-service restaurant that serves south-western foods, hamburgers, onion rings, ribs and a complete salad bar, amongst many other things on the menus. The quick-service restaurant features both seating indoor, as well as an outdoor seating area, which makes for a prime seating location during the 3 o' clock parade. If guests enter Frontierland from Adventureland, it's safe to say that this is the first thing they'll see. Across the way is the Golden Oak Outpost, which is a smaller quick-service stand, which mainly features chicken strips and french fries. There is also a small seating area, illuminated with flickering lanterns, to the left of the stand.

Continuing further ahead into Frontierland, the path on the right takes guests further into the reaches of the theme park, along the banks of the Rivers of America, while the path straight ahead takes guests across a bridge in front of a prickly briar patch, leading to Splash Mountain.

​

On-board Splash Mountain, based upon the animated segments of lesser-known Disney film Song of the South, guests ride in logs and follow Brer Rabbit on a journey to his "laughing place", whilst trying to avoid his enemies, Brer Fox and Brer Bear. It all ends with a 50-foot, 45-degree angle down Chickapin Hill and into the briar patch below. Splash Mountain will forever be the X-Factor to Frontierland. It, along with Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, are the highlight attractions of this land. With that said, I believe that Splash Mountain is one of the best attractions in the park...when everything is operating correctly. A decent refurbishment will allow maintenance to be done on the ride system, while also fixing the effects and broken animatronics that have stopped working over the years. I honestly think that there should be thunder and lightning effects as the logs go up the big drop. A simple renovation to fix some problems, to do some painting and some maintenance will bring this attraction back to its' former glory. The attraction exits out into the Briar Patch gift shop. The gift shop will see the arrival of a fireplace for those times when it gets chilly in Orlando (yes, it happens), and will mainly focus on wares themed to Song of the South, as well as Disney's forest-based features, like Bambi and The Fox and the Hound.

Continuing past Splash Mountain, the rocky golden cliffs of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad can be seen just ahead.

​

To the left, the path dissects down under the entrance to the Frontierland Train Station, which also leads to the entrance of Splash Mountain. Beneath the Frontierland Train Station is a small playground themed to Song of the South. Nearby the playground, Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox and Brer Bear host meet & greets. Just past the under-croft leading below the Frontierland Train Station, guests can find the newly added expansion of the town of Tumbleweed.

I'm not sure how many of you are familiar with the backstory of Frontierland, but Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is located in a town called Tumbleweed. The addition of this area is mainly to instill more theming into the area, having this section of the town overlap into the setting of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, making it seem as if the town had been built into the sloping formations of the mountain. The Yensid Hotel and bathhouse labeled "Baths 5 Cents" serve as a clever disguise for the public bathrooms, a subtle nod to Disneyland's long-gone Bear Country. Other faux-storefronts appear, allowing us glimpses into typical western life. A peek inside the Assayer's Office shows a desk covered in gold nuggets, but a closer look at the abandoned assayer's chair shows a fresh supply of bulletholes in the back of the chair, hinting at something gone awry in the past. The Sheriff's Office and Jailhouse next door do allow us to enter, giving us a chance to attempt to breakout of an "authentic" frontier prison or place our face within the frame of our own wanted poster.

The town's bold sheriff, Sheriff Jack actually resides within his office from time to time, keeping an eye out for suspicious individuals. When Black-Eyed Bart, notable bank robber and general fiend robs the local bank, Sheriff Jack whips out his pistol and gives chase, thus enacting a humorous, slapstick gunfight throughout this portion of town, ending in Black-Eyed Bart falling down the local wishing well with a stick of lit dynamite, thus splashing bystanders with "well-water."

Also here is the Tumbleweed Traders shop and one quick-service restaurant, called the Tumbleweed Tavern. Signs of apparent earthquakes have seemingly shook the town in the past. The buildings look a bit ram-shackled, cracks in the ground, some which spout geysers of water, gathered provisions for the quake scattered about, along with boulders having crashed down into the town.

In the center of the town is the aforementioned wishing well that apparently has no bottom, having been completely ripped out from underneath because of the earthquake. A fun tip to do is to throw a coin into the well and wait to hear that it doesn't make a sound...most of the time.

One of the gift shops from the town sell various diamonds excavated from the secret diamond mines of Big Thunder Mountain. The caboose of a train dangles loosely from the roof of the wooden ceiling of the gift shop. Continuing through the town and arriving at the steps of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, large sections of the queue have been completely rebuilt, adding new references to Tumbleweed into the attraction. This refurbishment will co-align with the current renovation that is actually taking place on the attraction. Complete sections of the track will be replaced, the entire "town" section of the ride will be restored so that all of the animatronics, water geysers and effects are working, but most noticeably, the entire scene of the third lift hill, the "collapsing cavern" seen will have been completely restored, having returned the boulders to be collapsing inside of the cave.

​

Against the edges of Frontierland and the nearby Liberty Square are the Rivers of America, a large waterway that serves as a home for Tom Sawyer Island. Originally, I was looking for a replacement for the island, it just seems old and out-of-date, but it got me thinking that it's original, older quality, is sort of what makes it special. It is a lot like the same reason for keeping the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse in Adventureland, it is part of the original, non-Disney charm, that makes it unique to the land.

​

In order to get to the island, you need to take a raft. A dock is located nearby Splash Mountain. The majority of the island will have stayed intact, having a few of the playgrounds and paths been replaced to accommodate the re-opened Aunt Polly's Dockside Inn, an outdoor eatery under a beautiful wood-carved gazebo, overlooking the Rivers of America.

​

Another addition to the island will be Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes, which can only be accessed from Tom Sawyer Island. Aboard the Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes, guests with a host Cast Member, can set off from Tom Sawyer Island and canoe their way down the Rivers of America, taking in the sights of Tumbleweed, a secret mine cavern on the outskirts of Big Thunder Mountain, the settlement of an Indian campground and an even closer look at a dark cemetery nearby a foreboding manor.

​

But, as some long-time visitors may notice, there's a new area in Frontierland, just north of Tom Sawyer Island...

...but we'll get to that in the next post.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What do you guys think so far? Anything I should add in Frontierland? Thoughts, comments and/or concerns? Just let me know by posting.

 

[DisneyManOne]

Before we move on, I would just like to point out that the following posts were heavily inspired by this excellent post regarding the history of Thunder Mesa and the Western River Expedition. If you have the time, check it out right here.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As I stated in the previous post, there's a whole new area of the land just to the north of Tom Sawyer Island. This area, my friends is known as Thunder Mesa.

​

Thunder Mesa is the third formation in the Frontierland mountain range. Not only that--this mountain actually has a little bit of history behind it. If you are a theme park fan you have almost certainly at one point or another heard about the aborted 1971 attraction Western River Expedition. Western River is largely considered the greatest (or second greatest) unbuilt theme park attraction ever, but just as interesting as the attraction is the legend behind it: an earnest, serious effort to outdo the 1967 Pirates of the Caribbean, Western River Expedition was an ambitious attraction done in by just the right combination of bad luck, timing, expense, and its creator, Marc Davis. It's a great story, and a great myth, about a great designer and his best effort.

Thunder Mesa is big and expansive, filled with all sorts of little details leading up to one amazing new adventure here at the Magic Kingdom.

​

Okay, now that we've got these in front of us, let's start picking out landmarks we can recognize. There's three major landmarks on the outside of Thunder Mesa. The first is this curious collection of buildings on the southernmost side:

​

Notice the train running through the center of it. This is the Mesa Terrace, a sort of Western version of Disneyland's Blue Bayou. The lobby and tables are housed in the buildings running along the walkway, by all appearances a normal Western town from the front but inside ,a single connected curved open space. Inside, under the roofs of the town, tables face out across a bucolic old west town, complete with a forced perspective central "street".

Every so often, trains roll through, carrying passengers up towards the plateau of Thunder Mesa. In terms of style and execution, I imagine this as being something like a cross between the Blue Bayou and the boarding area of Disneyland's Mine Train Thru Nature's Wonderland:

​

Nearby, a gigantic ore elevator and mine shaft entrance burrows into the mountain, providing the entrance to the Western River Expedition boat ride.

​

A bit further along, a rambling railroad platform sits by a cove that's fed by a gigantic waterfall tumbling down off the top of the Mesa and flowing back into the Rivers of America:

​

This structure provides the loading and unloading platforms for multiple attractions, that take riders up into the top of the Mesa.

​

These attractions bring riders to different areas of the top of the mountain, these areas probably being very much like various tableau and scenes seen along Nature's Wonderland. Look carefully here and you can see a forest of cacti on the left, probably not dissimilar to Nature's Wonderland's Saguaro Forest. In the center is a Painted Desert, a forced perspective hill that rises up to a vanishing point above a tree line, thus implying that it continues on forever.

On the right we can see a sort of "geyser gulch" the train travels through just before it makes the big trip back down off the Mesa.

​

There are four different attractions that cruise through this desert. First, we have the Rainbow Caverns Mine Train. If you look at the models, you can see train tracks going along a bridge past the waterfall. Well, you can board that train for a trip into the Living Desert and through beautiful Rainbow Caverns. As your train enters the hot, arid desert, take a look at the cacti. Why, they almost look human! Watch out for those Balancing Rocks. Uh-oh, they’re rolling around. Let’s hope they stay up there.

​

You know, this Living Desert is a place where all four attractions meet as one. The other three include Conestoga Wagons, where you'll feel as if you're a pioneer on that wagon rolling West. You’ll be pulled by two strong horses, as your Conestoga Wagon takes you on a genuine dirt path along the Rivers of America and through the Living Desert. There are also Stage Coaches, which shares paths with the Wagons and Pack Mules, that ride along a specially crafted trail through the Living Desert.

​

Any of these attractions can get through the Living Desert, but only the Rainbow Caverns Mine Train takes you into beautiful Rainbow Caverns. The caverns are dark inside except for pools and waterfalls of brightly colored, glowing water. Soft music adds to the mood of Rainbow Caverns. Illuminated only by the glowing water, you can make out the stalagmites and stalactites of the cave.

​

But yet, those aren't the only ways to get around Thunder Mesa. On the banks of the Rivers of America is a dock serving the Mike Fink Keelboats (more on that when we get to Liberty Square).

On the other side of Thunder Mesa itself is the Big Thunder Ranch.

​

My reasoning for this area is based on the fact that there used to be a ranch like this one in Disneyland (which was removed to make way for Star Wars Land) and the fact that a ranch already exists on property--namely, the Tri Circle D Ranch at Fort Wilderness. It made sense to use this area as a day home for some these animals, especially the ones that already travel to the MK. This would be unique for the park and serve as a secondary draw back to this corner of the park. Basically the front area would be a petting zoo like area for smaller animals like sheep or goats and the rear larger area would be for the horses, including a covered viewing barn.

But enough about all that: let's move on to what you really came here to see: the Western River Expedition.

​

This is one of the rides people think about when they think of rides that people wish were built. The Western River Expedition was once considered to be the Magic Kingdom’s version of Pirates of the Caribbean. But sadly, the idea was shelved due to Pirates arriving by popular demand. But now, Western River Expedition has finally come to be. This attraction helps balance out the thrill-heavy attractions of Frontierland with something that the entire family can enjoy together. On the ride, we'll join Hoot Gibson, a wise old owl, on a journey back in time to the days of the Old West, where the miners dug for gold, the raunchy noises of drunken cowboys sounded from the saloon, and bandits were known to cause terror...but in this time of desperation, the Indians would attempt to summon the great Thunderbird itself to end all these evils. Will the Thunderbird end all? Will the bandits get you? Will the cowboys sober up? Well, we ain't gonna find out just standing here like cattle.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unfortunately, we are gonna be standing around like cattle for a few minutes longer. Our adventure on the Western River Expedition will begin in the next post!

 

[DisneyManOne]

I'd really appreciate some feedback, guys. I'd love to know what you guys think so far.

By the way, this ride-through of Western River Expedition is going to be a bit different than you may remember. I recently came across the Passport to Dreams Old and New blog's retrospective on what the WRE could have been (see it here).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As stated in the last post, it is now time for us to explore Frontierland's newest E-ticket: Western River Expedition.

The entire ride, similar to Pirates of the Caribbean in Adventureland, is held completely indoors. Let's take a closer look inside the mighty Thunder Mesa and see what adventure awaits...

​

What you're looking at is three show buildings - working from left to right--I call them A, B and C--which contain the Western River Expedition boat ride. The open space in the center is where the pond is located.

To make this easier to look at and think about, FoxxFur of the Passport to Dreams Old and New blog tried to convert this 3/4 view model into a 2D layout. He made some guesses and took some liberties; this is merely a look at what it could've been like, corroborated by tiny, grainy photos of a model.

​

However, in this picture, only A and C are highlighted. What happened to B? Well, that honestly looks like a ride-through diorama. Not a Grand Canyon-style one; this seems to be based on the seasons. We can see open fields, lightning strikes, a forest and waterfall or stream, and a snow covered landscape. There are a number of Davis gags abound--specifically designed for it--and which are sometimes misrepresented online as Nature's Wonderland gags (ex. the forest was likely intended to be full of comic bears in the Nature's Wonderland style.) It's also possible this is where the long-gestating idea, championed by Dick Nunis, of the Railroad going through a snowstorm originated. Regardless, it's the sort of thing the east coast railroad has always needed and never has had.

Okay, enough preliminaries. Let's finally begin our voyage on the Western River Expedition!

Western River Expedition is housed in two enormous show buildings with a third, merely large show building connecting them. Each of these show buildings are comparable in size to the Pirates of the Caribbean main show room and likely feel very similar, only with rock work instead of a Caribbean town: open ceilings, walls covered in cloud projections and perspective effects, a whole little world with a roof on it.

After entering below the giant ore elevator, guests walk through a mine shaft and exit into Show Building A, which represents a canyon at sunset.

​

Crossing over a natural arch, guests can look down to their left to see boats returning to the load area, and new boats loading down below them. The ride's soundtrack plays in a lush, Hollywood Western style as the queue winds slowly down to the attraction's loading dock amid trees and brush typical of the American southwest. A stream splashes down alongside the load area.

Throughout the load area, the friendly voice of our narrator, Hoot Gibson, a wise old owl who used to entertain at the post-show of the former Walt Disney Story, is heard giving the safety spiel: "Hooo! Hooo! Howdy, everybody! Heading for a cruise ‘round the riverbed, are we? Well then, for your safety, please stay seated and keep your hands, arms, feet, and legs inside the rowboat, and please watch your young'uns. Oh, and be sure to stow your personal belongin's away. There are bandits ‘round these parts. Enjoy the frontier now, ya hear?"

Casting off from a simple wooden loading dock, the boats drift placidly though a canyon as the sounds of nature overtake the boat. We find ourselves immersed beneath a tube-shaped sunset-lit sky. On the horizon is the dim-light of a setting sun, luscious desert foliage, rocks, and the occasional howl of a coyote strengthening the atmosphere. For the first time, we see ol’ Hoot Gibson as he sleeps on an overhead tree branch, pictured below, before waking and looking down with a hoot.

“Hooo! Hooo! Roamin’ the ol’ frontier, are ya? No better place for a good adventure if you ask me. Some of the best adventures happen right here in the west, and nights like these remind me of the good ol’ days of cowboys and pioneers.”

Passing under Hoot, we head towards an old cave. A close look at the model shows splotches of red, yellow and blue on the rocks to the left before the cave, suggesting a kind of indoor variation on the Devil's Paint Pots from Nature's Wonderland. You can look at the evidence and make up your own mind.

The boats pass into a darkened cavern filled with hundreds of stalactites.

​

A stalactite comes into view shaped like a rabbit. From inside this stalactite, echoing dimly in the cavern, a bit of music plays, imagine perhaps rhythmic drums.

​

The boats pass more stalactites that resemble increasingly familiar Old West shapes - a coyote, a cowboy, an old man. From inside each stalactite, a bit more of the melody emerges until the entire cavern feels filled with ethereal music and we notice ever more familiar shapes in the flowing rock work.

​

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And that's where we'll stop for now. What a way to begin our adventure, am I right? Stay tuned, though, because what lies beyond the cavern is something you need to see to believe!

 

[DisneyManOne]

Sorry for the lack of postings lately. I've been super-busy. Now, let's continue our journey on the Western River Expedition.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Exiting the cavern, the boats slip gently through a desert at dusk as they are followed by the Western River Expedition theme music summoned in the caverns. Slightly above the boats off to the left, a railroad track runs - and occasionally a full size train rumbles past, the Walt Disney World Railroad passing through.

Back outside in the simulated night air, the music has taken on a minor key. A chorus of singing voices may be heard, until the boats turn a corner and reveal a stagecoach holdup taking place on a bridge spanning the Western River:

​

The Bandits holding up the Stagecoach, complete with their own personal mariachi and theme song, seem too busy with their latest crime to stop and rob us too - but, the leader in a top hat menacingly suggests to us, all in song, that he may meet us again soon.

Passing underneath the Stagecoach, boats wind their way through the open prairie at nightfall. White clouds gently rake a periwinkle blue sky. All around, large shadowy buttes dot a landscape and open sky awash in twilight blue.

A group of Buffalo curiously investigate the home of some prairie dogs.

​

Nearby, a cowboy sings to calm his cattle under the night sky. His tune is a slow-step version of the Western River Expedition theme. The cattle join in, bellowing along with his tune.

​

Framed in natural rock arches, coyotes howls pick up the tune. The underscore music swells.

​

The cowboy's team rest nearby around a campfire, bringing another guitar and harmonica into the mix. Picking up the tune is the cook at the chuck wagon...

​

...and an entire chorus of cactus!

​

The placid strumming of the cowboy song transforms into a honky tonk piano. Raucous shouting may be heard, and gunfire. Hoot Gibson, now wearing a cowboy hat, pops-down from nowhere, upside down. “Boy, this is back when the Tumbleweed Gold Mines were basically the gathering place of all the prospectors in the West. They all gathered right here in Dry Gulch. These desperate souls all wanted a piece of it, ya know? I guess greed always get the best of those human folks. Mines went bust due to it…”

This town is a simple two-sided affair, with clapboard buildings in both sides of the ride flume and the bridge over the river at the end:

​

So that's the shape of the town I'm going to be working with here. Also, to fully understand this scene we have to (finally) bring in discussion of Mary Blair's work on the ride.

It's well known that Marc wanted to use Mary Blair's art to color-style the ride. Unlike with It's A Small World, however, the ride wasn't necessarily going to end up looking like a piece of Mary Blair art. The fact that Davis would from time to time put out pieces of Western River art with similar Mary Blair bold colors has led to yet more confusion.

Western River Expedition was intended mostly to be made up of rock work and desert scenery, and it was going to be WED-style stylized naturalistic rocks and scenery, with Blair vivid colors. The "Night on the Town" sequence in Western River Expedition would be the height of the ride's intense color stylization.

The right side of the town set would be bathed in bright blue moonlight, the houses standing out against the hue with green clapboard and yellow windows.

​

This blue-toned side of the town is filled entirely with Cowboys drinking and carousing, shouting and singing.

​

It seems as if the cowboys have had a very successful cattle drive, and, with their newfound wealth, they simply must spend it on some pointless endeavor, so why not get drunk?

The festivities begin, appropriately enough, at the local saloon, where a drunk-out-of-his-mind cowboy sits atop his drunk-out-of-his-mind horse atop the general store. The cheerful cowpoke fires his guns in the air, hollering various terms considered offensive to prairie folk back in the day. His horse gives off a gleeful, hiccup-ridden neigh, followed by the occasional burp. The angry general store owner stands on one side of his shop's porch, waving his fist and screaming at his rooftop visitor while on the other side, a cowboy companion cheers on his friend, waving his hat in the air. A nearby horse tethered to the porch cheers on his horse counterpart as well. A mother attempts to cover her child's ears to spare him from the cowboy's profanity. Ironically, her elderly mother is screaming more profanity at the cowboy than he's screaming at them, waving her closed-umbrella furiously.

SHOP OWNER: Get down from there at once you no-good cowpoke!

COWBOY: Yeehaw! I've never felt this good! I'm a flying eagle!

SHOP OWNER: I'll call the cavalry on you in an instant! You piece of rat fodder.

MOTHER: Don't listen, Billy, these men are bad.

GRANDMOTHER: Hush, Sarah! Get down here you rascally, flea-bitten varmint! Curse you and your drunkard friends!

COWBOY: (Singing) The shop owner and the cowman should be friends! Oh the shop owner and the cowman should be...friends?

SHOP OWNER: I'm not your friend, you filthy son of a gun! A pox on your house!

COWBOY: I'm a cowpoke, I have no house!

MOTHER: Never become a cowboy, Billy, they're horrible men.

GRANDMOTHER: Shut up, Sarah! Your father was a cowboy and I was a cowgirl. I give-in. Stay up there you filthy cowboy! A pox on your house, Mr. Shop Owner.

SHOP OWNER: Mrs. The Kid? What happened to you?

GRANDMOTHER: I'm a cowgirl at heart, you sorry excuse for a human.

MOTHER: Mother!

​

The saloon itself, known as The Gilded Lilly, features a cancan dancer on the front porch, raising her leg very high, boasting a golden slipper. Two sheepish gentlemen, surprisingly in suits, touch the slipper giggling. A nearby horse attempts to bite a carrot on the ground, but the rope tying him to a post prevents him from doing so. A special entry to the saloon labeled "SAIL-INS WELCOME" appears, guarded by a grinning Native-American wearing a floppy-hat, Navajo blanket, and a huge keg of moonshine in his hands, its top sporting a dimly-lit flame. His eyes shift around suspiciously, almost as if they were following us. The house pianist has been wheeled outside, pounding away at the keys of the honky tonk piano wildly, respectively playing the Western River Expedition theme song. A showgirl holding a rose sits atop the piano, much to the pleasure of a blushing, almost Pecos Bill-like cowboy holding his hat to his chest. The showgirl's rather burly boyfriend appears behind the blushing-poke, cracking his knuckles, ready to fight. One cowboy has fallen face-first in the mud, his rear end facing up, now the home of a chicken and her nest.

Surrounded by torches, a Snake Oil salesman known as Dr. Fix-It at the end of the street demonstrates his wares with the help of a local strong-man (or rather, just a man behind a piece of wood made to look like a strong-man), with music provided by a lad and lass on banjo and trombone and a rather angry bear playing a fiddle (the bear in which is chained to his seat reluctantly, locked-in heavily)

FIX-IT: Yes, Sir, yes, Ma'am, I, Dr. Fix-It have the answer to all your problems! I present the one and only Strong-Man Potion! It will solve all your problems guaranteed. Want to impress your spouse? Want to pass school? Want to skip out on chores? Drink one drop of this tonic and your life is saved! Don't be a pig. Be a man!

GIRL: But I am a little girl. How can this help me?

FIX-IT: Do you want that dolly in the toy shop window?

GIRL: Yes!

FIX-IT: Well, you can't have it unless you're a strong-man!

GIRL: And how! I'll take twenty!

FIX-IT: Easy, little lady. It'll cost you a sum of eighteen dollars - three payments - no refunds.

GIRL: I'm sure daddy has that money. I'll write you a check!

FIX-IT: That-a girl! How about that, ladies and gentlemen? Our first customer Who's next? Who wants a bottle?

BOY: I do! I do!

FIX-IT: Son, you're a genius. What for?

BOY: I want to marry Mary Sue.

FIX-IT: Mary Sue? Why, that's a horse's name! Why marry her when you can be a strong-man forever? You don't need love!

BOY: And how! I'll take fifty!

FIX-IT: That'll only cost you one hundred dollars - five payments - no refunds!

Off to the side of Dr. Fix-It's wagon is another little stint to cheat customers out of money; “Take Your Picture with a Bear” A photographer takes a picture of a rather goofy-looking cowpoke with his arm around a huge stuffed bear.

The left side of the street is bathed in a fiery red by the setting sun. On this side, a bank robbery and gun battle is underway, the result of too much alcohol and too little authority.

​

For starters, various shady-looking outlaws duck in-and-out from behind misplaced safes, overturned furniture, and other objects, firing away at both us and the other criminals across the way. The Union Soldier-like Cavalry have joined in on the battle, returning fire, and attempting to keep what little peace the town has left. Their brave general sits atop his proud horse, raising a cutlass high in the air screaming "FIRE!" Only, instead of his men firing, a criminal fires at his hat, causing it to spin around a 360-degrees. The same effect happens to numerous other objects, including misplaced hats, bottles of moonshine, and just about anything else able to be pushed around by bullets. A very pretty cowgirl pokes her head out of a stable, stealthily firing at a nearby bandit's rear-end, hitting him, and making him holler (like Goofy).

Robbers have pulled the entire safe out of the bank and are using it as a shield.

​

The barber hangs out of the Tonsorial Parlor, returning fire. His customer, still with a red-and-white-checkered-apron round his neck and a glob of shaving cream on his face stands outside, firing back at the robbers. (This gag is lifted almost directly from For A Few Dollars More, and I must admit I did not expect Davis to be a potential Sergio Leone fan)

​

The Mayor opens the doors of City Hall, angrily shouting “I will have order! As mayor of this city, I…” A gunshot is aimed towards him. He looks at us and simply says, “You’re on your own, pal.” And with that, he goes back inside. The sheriff cuddles up to his horse a la Ichabod Crane, unaware of the clearly-visible tunnel being dug beneath him, leading out from beneath the jailhouse and into freedom. The sounds of the escaping prisoners can be heard digging away underground. His Calamity Jane-style deputy hides behind a building, taking an absurdly long time to choose her targets.

​

And, at the end of the street:

​

Yep, it's old Mr. Death, the local mortician, eager at all the chances his business will get once the fire ceases.

The Blue/Red split that mirrors the tone of the scenes found on either side of the river is the boldest stylization found on the ride, and even more remarkable for being conceived in the form of a sunset. FoxxFurr of Passport to Dreams Old a New drew a watercolor interpretation of what this could have looked like in person. Because this will no doubt be misconstrued by somebody as authentic concept art, he put a big, dumb watermark over it to hopefully prevent more misinformation being circulated about this ride.

​

Boats turn a corner towards the left and pass through a narrow canyon between two buttes. The sounds of the honk-tonk piano and gunfire fade as now pounding native drums take up the rhythm of the Western River Expedition theme.

The transition out of the Dry Gulch scene and into the next is made by passing under a bridge, where a cowboy and Native American stand. Whilst the cowboy fires off his guns and screams the song lyrics, the neighboring Native American plugs his ears and keeps a single eye-open, not amused by the unnecessary sound.

​

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And this is where we'll stop for now. In the next post, we'll finish our journey on the Western River Expedition. In the meantime, what do you guys think so far? Any thoughts, comments or concerns?

 

[DisneyManOne]

And now, let's finish our journey on the Western River Expedition.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Native American drums and chanting are heard in the distance as we enter a dense pine forest on the outskirts of town. Smoke can be seen arising from among the trees. Hoot, now wearing a feather headdress, reappears, even having war paint on his cheeks, wings folded. “These natives have gathered to take part in a traditional rain dance. But be warned: a storm is coming…” Over to the western shore is a Plains Indians Village, where the natives are partaking in a rain dance ceremony of sorts. These stunning animatronics chant and pound drums, some even dancing as the fire produces smoke-made images of the water and the sins of mankind. An incoming storm can be heard, complete with rumbling thunder, a crackling in the underbrush, and a cold breeze. A shaman dances wildly to the native sound. In the distance, another rain dance is being held on a butte, and it's remarkably effective, sending cascading rain down... atop only the butte, at first. Water pours down the side of the butte, widening into flowing rivers and rushing towards the boats.

​

As the sounds of the storm get louder and more dramatic, the friendly Chief attempts to warn us from proceeding: “No. It’s too dangerous. Please do not go further”. But it's too late. The water has become rapid, the storm has begun, and rain, thunder, and lightning surround us from all sides. Storm clouds glower overhead and bolts of lightning tear the sky as rain can be seen falling on the distant plain. The little boats move slowly towards a dark canyon straight ahead.

Thunder and lightning rip the sky far above as we slip slowly into the narrow space. Flood water begins to pour into the canyon from the buttes above to the left and right, spattering on jagged rocks.

​

The boats turn another corner and begin chugging up a huge waterfall. The eyes of unknown animals flash in the dark around them.

​

Arriving at the top of the waterfall, the boats move slowly through a great forest at the top of the butte on the edges of the plain. The rain continues to fall, but the rain dance was too late - the lightning has already set the trees ablaze.

​

The tall trees have already begun to topple and the boats pass below several as they creak and groan, flames dancing atop each one when into view comes:

​

The bandits stop the boat and demand your money. After a moment's hesitation, the boats slip down a waterfall to escape, splashing down in a darkened cave.

The canyon at sunset where we began comes back into view, and with it returns the triumphant, Hollywood version of the Western River Expedition theme. Hoot Gibson glides in on a little rowboat, dressed as a fisherman, complete with line cast in the water and pole in his wings. "Ain't nothing like a western adventure, eh? Oh, but don't be sad. There'll always be a day for another adventure on the western frontier. Until then, smooth sailing! Hooo! Hooo!"

We return to the little wooden dock where they boarded and passengers disembark, back through a mine shaft, emerging at the base of the huge Thunder Mesa complex, ready for a new adventure on the frontier, or maybe even a return trip on the Western River Expedition.

And just like that, we've covered Frontierland. So, let's take the keelboat back to the mainland, and move on to the next area of the Magic Kingdom...Liberty Square.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What do you guys think? Did you enjoy the voyage on the Western River Expedition? Oh, and by the way, I apologize if my posts have been redundant given my past WDW renovation threads. It's just that I really do enjoy the ideas I come up with, so expect to see more familiar ideas springing up.

Apart from that, are there any comments, concerns or thoughts you have?

 

[DisneyManOne]

From this Gateway stirs a new nation waiting to be born. Thirteen separate colonies have banded together to declare their independence from the bonds of tyranny. It is a time when silversmiths put away their tools and march to the drums of a revolution, a time for gentlemen planters to leave their farms and become generals, a time when tradesmen leave the safety of home to become heroes. Welcome to Liberty Square!

​

What was America like during the days of its infancy? Liberty Square takes guests back to the days of America's foundings. The smell of revolution is in the air. The fife and drum echoes throughout the land. Blue-coated men roam the streets. This truly is a world just ready to be born.

Before we get into the land proper, I must address a few things. First of all, the current area loop will be swapped out for the return of the 1980-2010 loop. Also, have you ever noticed those brown-colored streets? They were originally cobblestone, and I'd like for them to revert back thusly.

Continuing off of Frontierland, past Ft. Lincoln, guests continue along the edge of the Rivers of America, and into Liberty Square. Serving as a border between the settings of Frontierland and Liberty Square is the Diamond Horseshoe, a sit down restaurant, specializing in good, old-fashioned western food and root beer. The location also hosts the beloved Diamond Horseshoe Saloon Revue, which will make its triumphant return.

​

Located just off of the Diamond Horseshoe Saloon is the Liberty Tree Tavern sit-down restaurant, a quaint, charming tavern, boasting the best of the best kinds of Thanksgiving foods one could find. The Liberty Tree Tavern is one of the best locations to get a good meal in all of the Magic Kingdom and boasts plentiful, hearty food.

​

Continuing on from the Liberty Tree Tavern, guests enter into the Liberty Tree Plaza. In the center of the plaza, a 100-year old oak tree, the Liberty Tree, stands, towering over the surrounding colonial buildings of Liberty Square. Cascading down from the branches of the Liberty Tree are several lanterns, representing the thirteen colonies. Located nearby the Liberty Tree, is a molded replica of the Liberty Bell. Surrounding the Liberty Bell are the state flags from each of the original 13 states, as well as the American flag. In this plaza, certain people--like Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and the like--meet guests.

​

Off to the right of the Liberty Tree is a pathway, leading back to the hub of Main Street, U.S.A. The pathway connects back to the central hub of the park, just in front of Cinderella Castle. Along this pathway is Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe, a small, but varied holiday store, which boasts Christmas items throughout the entire year.

​

Just off of the shop, there is a pathway leading back to the entrance of Adventureland. Directly across from Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe is Sleepy Hollow, a colonial eatery, which boasts amazing funnel cakes, waffles, ice cream sandwiches, muffins, coffee and hot chocolate and other delectable treats. Modeled after the home of Legend of Sleepy Hollow author Washington Irving, Sleepy Hollow features an outdoor seating area, which offers a wonderful view of the courtyard in front of Cinderella Castle. Sleepy Hollow also offers a small covered seating area, which features a small, almost hidden, forested pathway, leading to the backside of Cinderella Castle. The pathway offers amazing view of both Main Street U.S.A. and Cinderella Castle.

​

On the back end of the Sleepy Hollow seating area, there is an alcove, leading back into the heart of Liberty Square. The alcove cuts through several buildings and leads back into the Liberty Tree plaza, just on the other side of Sleep Hollow. To the right is The Hall of Presidents. The attraction is hosted in a building modeled after Philadelphia's Independence Hall. The audio-animatronic show is hosted by Morgan Freeman, depicting a brief presentation of the history of America, followed by the introduction of all of the presidents who have led America in the past. The attraction features complete speeches given by former presidents Abraham Lincoln and George Washington, as well as current President of the United States, Barack Obama.

​

Nearby is Heritage House, a store that doubles as a historical research center, where curious park-goers can learn more about the history of our great nation. Now, let's address the elephant in the room regarding this area: the Liberty Square Market and subsequent seating area.

Rarely-used, takes up space, it's gotta go. Interestingly, the original plans for Liberty Square involved two small New Orleans Square-type streets--one where the Liberty Bell display is now, and one where this seating area is now.

Now, of course, I wouldn't really touch the Liberty Bell. Besides, as this picture shows, two small buildings can easily fill the space the seating area and market takes over.

Here is a rendering of DL's proposed Liberty Street from the early 60's to illustrate the "look" of these buildings and small lanes.

There are various craftsman shops in these buildings. There's a woodcarver's shop, an apothecary, a weaver, a print shop, a glassblowing/glassmaker studio, Paul Revere's silversmith shop, a cabinet-maker and a blacksmith barn, each staffed by real craftsmen practicing their skills.

One of the shops here is the Finery, a store that stocks many goods from the early days of America. This store has a special "cellar" that leads to underground access to the landing station for the Liberty Belle Riverboat, a beautifully decorated tiered riverboat, which embarks down the Rivers of America on a twelve minute voyage. Of course, this creates the illusion that the store owner receives his deliveries from freighters that come up to the dock. In fact, a little freighter is docked right nearby, making the area look like a busy port.

​

To the right of the Liberty Belle Riverboat entrance, a slope leads up into the final section of Liberty Square, as the colonial buildings start to close into a small courtyard. On the left, the Columbia Harbour House offers a quaint dining experience, as the dining hall is filled with ship ornaments, harbor sculptures, seaside paintings and other sea lore. The menu consists of seafood-based dishes, such as shrimp, lobster rolls, calamari, along with salads. One of the new buildings here connects to the second floor of the restaurant, which will receive a special--yet private--dining room.

​

Across from that is a dock for the Mike Fink Keelboats, which also take guests around the Rivers of America, making a stop to pick up or drop off guests at Thunder Mesa.

​

To the right is a passageway, leading into the next land of the Magic Kingdom, Fantasyland. Ahead of the Columbia Harbour House is the Memento Mori store, a small but quaint store, which almost looks as if it is a colonial maid's den. The location specializes in merchandise themed around the Haunted Mansion, as well as The Nightmare Before Christmas. On the porch of the shop are two small rocking chairs, overlooking the rest of Liberty Square.

​

Also, I must mention that I'd plant more trees to block any and all views of Rapunzel's tower from Frontierland and Liberty Square.

Ahead, looming high on a hill lies The Haunted Mansion, which seems to overlook all of Liberty Square and the Rivers of America. The Haunted Mansion welcomes guests to take a delighfully devilish trip through the haunted, decaying estate, home to 999 happy haunts...but there is always room for one more. The only major change I'd make here is to get rid of the expanded interactive queue and scale the queue back to the way it used to be.

​

With Liberty Square behind us, we head towards a more luscious, almost forested-region of the Magic Kingdom. Familiar tunes ring into our ears, overwhelming our senses with old-fashioned nostalgia. It's almost as if we...wait...we have! It's almost as if we've stepped into Fantasyland, the happiest land of them all!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Are you guys ready to explore Fantasyland? I know I am! I'll see you there. Until then, what do you think of Liberty Square?

 

[Twilight_Roxas]

cool. I wonder how your version of Wishes is going to compete with Shanghai Disneyland's Ignite the Dream?

 

[DisneyManOne]

cool. I wonder how your version of Wishes is going to compete with Shanghai Disneyland's Ignite the Dream?

I'm not entirely sure myself, but the answer will be uncovered when we finish our tour of the park. After all, a day in the park wouldn't be complete without watching the nighttime spectacular.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Make a wish...you're about to enter a world where classic Disney stories leap off the screen and come to life like never before. Here is a land where elephants fly, teacups dance and every corner holds a bit of the magic of dreams come true. If the Magic Kingdom has a heart, it is surely here. This is Fantasyland.

​

With the westernmost portion of the park well behind us, things take a more fantastical turn as we cross the mighty drawbridge spanning the Hub's lagoon and approach Cinderella Castle, gateway to Fantasyland.

Stepping foot within the castle, we are immediately "welcomed" by an orchestral medley of "When You Wish Upon a Star", "Once Upon a Dream", "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" and "Someday My Prince Will Come". You can listen to this medley in the video above. The sheer size and magnificence of Cinderella Castle is fully realized once inside the castle's lavish interior, laden with decor reminiscent of the medieval era; vivid tapestries, stone statues, fine-glass windows, and hand-crafted glass mosaic murals illustrating the tale of Walt Disney's classic, Cinderella.

The Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boutique resides on the first floor of the castle, the broom closet-turned abode of Cinderella's Fairy Godmother. In this enchanted chamber inhabited by chattering mice and whistling bluebirds, children of all ages are allowed the chance to magically transform into his or her own favorite Disney character (mostly princesses), a dream come true for many a youngster.

A few paces away, a staircase leads to Cinderella's Royal Table, a sit-down restaurant. Held in a hall decorated with with royal shields, flags, massive stained glass windows, and huge medieval chandeliers. The restaurant provides stunning views of Fantasyland, in addition to character appearances--notably Cinderella, Snow White, Aurora, Ariel and Belle--throughout the course of each meal. In addition, the Fairy Godmother, as well as Jaq, Gus, Suzy and Perla often meet guests nearby the castle every day.

A climb to the third-floor takes us to the closed-off residence of the Cinderella Castle Suite, an in-park hotel suite if you will. Only reserved for those of us with special circumstances (or taking a guided tour of the park), the Cinderella Castle Suite is an immersive gem hidden within the castle walls, a luxurious penthouse suite of fantastical proportions. With a master bedroom, jacuzzi-tub, and stunning view of Fantasyland, the Cinderella Castle Suite is truly and quite literally the suite of our dreams...

Just outside of the castle, leading down a path on the right, lies Cinderella's Wishing Well. On the path leading to the left behind the castle, guests pass Le Fontaine de Cendrillon. Small yet beautiful, this fountain features a bronze sculpture of Cinderella. And if you look at it just so, you'll notice that the crown in the mural behind the sculpture is positioned right on the sculpture's head. The path continues passing to the Sleepy Hollow quick-service restaurant in Liberty Square.

But now, it is time to leave the splendor of Cinderella Castle behind and enter Storybook Village, a quaint little village with architectural inspiration derived from the likes of Bavarian, Swiss, and Tudor-styles. Cobblestone streets lead the way past the ornate buildings and beautiful gardens. The existing Bavarian-style architecture remains, albeit touched up a bit to better match the new architecture being added. All of the original Renaissance fair tents have been removed in favor of this new Village setting. Minstrel-style arrangements of classic Disney tunes and non-Disney tunes alike fill the air, creating a sense of medieval trade and fellowship. The glistening shape of Cinderella's Golden Carrousel sits front and center in town, its 90 wood-carved ornate horses--and one intricately carved chariot--circling merrily. Luscious musical arrangements of Disney classics are "self-played" by the carousel.

​

The Sword in the Stone rests in front of the carousel, unable to be pulled by even the strongest of would-be knights. An inscription above the sword reads: "Whosoever pulleth out this sword of this stone and anvil is rightwise ruler born of England." At certain times in the day, Merlin the Magician comes around for the Sword in the Stone Ceremony. Here, Merlin invites kids up to the mighty sword and test their strength. The best part? Whoever pulls the sword out becomes the king or queen of Fantasyland!

​

Among the "storybook" architecture, we find a collection of various shops and adventures, each representing the world of fantasy better than the last. To our right, the first building we see is Castle Couture store, which is a fanciful European building, draped with ivy crawling up the sides of the building. Inside of the store, guests will find a bounty of Princess-related merchandise.

Just nearby is an old building, heavily influenced by the design of medieval Paris, decked out in banners and streamers, almost as if it was being prepared for a big party. Above the entrance to this building is a large bell tower, the bell of which rings to sound the hour. Atop this bell tower is a white flag. And if all those days of Shakespearean study in school have taught us anything, that can only mean one thing: a play is happening! Step inside this building and become part of a brand-new experience at the Magic Kingdom: The Hunchback of Notre Dame Festival of Fools!

​

To be quite honest, although I really enjoy Mickey's PhilharMagic, I feel that it just doesn't fit in with Fantasyland. A show highlighting the best of Disney music really belongs in Disney's Hollywood Studios, which is where this show will be sent. On top of that, The Hunchback of Notre Dame is one of Disney’s more underrated movies and features an array of beautiful music that makes its adaptation to stage very easy. With its darker themes and imagery, this is definitely a movie that is appreciated more by adults, but it still includes its lighter moments that children can enjoy.

Once inside the building, you enter the holding area, which is themed to look like the inside of a building like Notre Dame. Candles provide light, and stained-glass windows represent the main characters in the story. In one certain corner, the three gargoyles--Victor, Hugo and Laverne--have been known to strike up conversations with people. Yes, this holding area has an aura of beauty and wonder.

But the theater itself, however, is themed to look as though we've stepped out of the cathedral and into an outdoor courtyard. The stage is set around a medieval theater-in-the-round, with multiple small stages, decorated with colorful flags and banners, filling the audience's point of view, all wrapped around a central stage where most of the action takes place. In addition, the theater also utilizes a large wrap-around scrim to act as a sky and fake hills and trees, thus giving the illusion that we're really outside. A gigantic troupe of gypsy actors, led by Clopin and a quartet of flag-wavers known as the Vexilators, proceed to tell the tale of Quasimodo in the style of medieval play structure, bringing a new style of entertainment to the Magic Kingdom.

​

The show exits out into the Fantasy Faire gift shop. Held in a shop resembling a gypsy camp, the shop features mainly Fantasyland and Magic Kingdom merchandise, as well as merchandise based upon The Hunchback of Notre Dame. To the left of the theater is a small location, where Quasimodo, Esmeralda, Phoebus and Clopin host meet & greets.

A few feet away is a Tudor-style building, which serves as the home of one of the all-time classics here at the Magic Kingdom: Peter Pan's Flight. Here, you can board a colorful galleon and, with the help of some pixie dust, embark on a high-flying adventure, passing many of the unforgettable settings and scenes made famous in Walt Disney's 14th animated masterpiece. From the Darling’s nursery in Kensington Gardens to swooping over rooftops and beyond, buckle up for a joyous voyage to Never Land that’ll have you “hooked” on faith, trust and pixie dust!

​

This new, refurbished take on the classic dark ride is fully immersive--heavily influenced by Shanghai's version as well as the update Disneyland's version received--with new set pieces and animatronics, as well as an all-new finale sequence. Near the exit of the attraction, Peter Pan, Wendy, Hook, and Smee make meet-n-greet appearances, often wandering around Storybook Village and causing general mischief.

​

Across from Peter Pan's Flight, the golden spires and fanciful shapes of a magnificent palace protrude high above the cobblestone streets and towers of the village. Something clearly tells us that this was not originally part of the village. The palace is comprised of structural formations of an odd variety, almost "Mary Blair" in style, a stark contrast to the rest of the village. Topiaries in the shape of animals from around the world fill the colorful gardens and planters, while quirky instrumentals of that ever-famous tune, "It's a Small World" constantly fill the air, each time portrayed in a different form of instrumental from a different culture.

​

The palace itself is a glistening, abstract palace representing various symbols from around the world. In the center of it all is the smiling face of a googly-eyed clock tower that rings off every fifteen minutes with a parade of "dancing" dolls representing a different country of the world. Inside this magnificent palace is the "happiest cruise that ever sailed," the beloved "it's a small world".

​

Boarding a brightly-painted boat, we set sail across the entire globe and visit the various countries and continents where children in cultural garbs and settings perform the titular song in their respective language. Better yet, the entirety of the cruise appears to be composed of toys and materials accessible to children, making this appear to be a trip of the world as seen through the eyes of a child.

Like its next-door neighbor, this iconic ride has also been given a massive refurbishment. But we'll get into that later on. There's so much to talk about, I don't want to do it in this post.

No trip around the world is complete without a trip through Small World Imports, a Mary Blair-esque toy store that specializes in dolls, appropriate considering that It's a Small World itself is filled with dolls.

Nearby the ornate "small world" is a small area themed around the movie Tangled.

​

If you enter Fantasyland from Liberty Square, this is where you'll find yourself. The area does not offer any major attractions or meet & greets, but instead offers theme park guests a chance to simply rest and relax amidst a highly-themed environment. Rapunzel's tower sits atop a rocky waterfall (As stated before, more trees will be planted to block views of it from Liberty Square and Frontierland), while other nods to the film include various Pascals hidden among the area, Flynn's satchel, Maximus' hoof-prints and of course, multiple frying pans.

​

Flynn Rider often meet guests in the middle of the area (and oftentimes head out into the nearby Storybook Village). Plus, don't be surprised if you see a few ruffians running about. Despite their outwardly appearances, they're really nice guys.

Just off of "it's a small world" is the Pinocchio Village Haus, a quick-service restaurant which features mainly Italian dishes, such as pasta, pizza and parmesan chicken. Due to the refurbishment of "small world", the area will receive a new themed back-half. The back-half of the restaurant will now match the front-half, complete with those windows that overlook the area. A Bavarian-esque tower stands tall, separating the two halves of the restaurant.

​

Pinocchio, Geppetto and Jiminy Cricket often meet guests in front of the restaurant.

That covers the left-hand side of Storybook Village. Now, let's talk about the right-hand side. The first building we see is quite unique. It's a small cottage...with a beanstalk curling up alongside it. This cottage is the home of Sir Mickey's, a shop which specializes in Fantasyland merchandise. You can also get items embroidered in this shop!

Continuing on from there, the next building you'll find is Princess Fairytale Hall. This is where guests to this kingdom can meet up with Disney royalty. There are two rooms in this hall: one featuring Cinderella and Aurora, the other featuring Rapunzel and Tiana. Plus, after the daily parade, their princes come by to join in the meetings and greetings (this means Flynn will meet guests in the Village from park opening to 3:00 p.m., when the parade steps off. From there, he joins Rapunzel in the Hall.) But you may wanna keep your eyes peeled...you never know who may drop by.

Plus, given that the tournament-tent facades are going down, the facade for Princess Fairytale Hall will adjusted properly. The facade will now look just like the facade for Disneyland Paris' Auberge de Cendrillon, complete with a replica of the pumpkin coach nearby!

​

Going on past Princess Fairytale Hall, serving as a transition point between Storybook Village and the nearby Enchanted Forest, guests will come across the Castle Wall, which stretches all the way from Pinocchio Village Haus to Storybook Treats, an ice-cream shop that has re-located and taken the place of the rarely-used Friar's Nook. The wall is adorned with flags and tall turrets, as beautiful flower beds surround the base of the wall. Flickering, candle-lit lanterns hang from the turrets of the stone wall. This wall is also a good place to meet Lady Tremaine, Anastasia and Drizella.

But we'll get to the Forest later. For now, let's head back a bit. A mysterious pan-flute seems to be calling us...calling us to take an adventure unlike any other...

​

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What a way to begin our tour of Fantasyland, am I right? In the next post, we'll take a ride on the refurbished Peter Pan's Flight.

What do you think so far?

 

[Twilight_Roxas]

Cool. So its going to be like Shanghai Disneyland's Peter Pan, but with elements from both the MK, and Disneyland versions?

 

[DisneyManOne]

Cool. So its going to be like Shanghai Disneyland's Peter Pan, but with elements from both the MK, and Disneyland versions?

That's correct, Twilight. Let's take a look right now.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Like the version found in Disneyland Paris, Peter Pan's Flight is held within the walls of a Tudor-style building. Stone walls and wooden supports, topped by patched roofs as blue as the sea, fill our field of vision. Our entryway into this building is through an old tower. Perched atop the tower is an old weathervane, with arrows pointing towards the different directions of the compass and Captain Hook's ship, the Jolly Roger, atop it. Nearby is a similar weathervane, but minus the arrows and with a silhouette of the Crocodile atop it.

​

Perched on the panelings of the tower's balcony is a sign marking the ride as "Peter Pan's Flight". Longtime visitors may notice it as the exact same ride sign as the current version, with a giant cloud bearing the ride's title and Peter Pan, the Darling children and Tinker Bell soaring past Big Ben. However, there's been an added bonus. The words have been embedded with LED lights, so when night falls, it will look as if the words are glowing with pixie dust.

​

Hanging from the tower are two signs, one to the left boasting the FastPass+ return time, and the one to the right boasting the current wait time. Stepping through the tower, we pass through ornate wooden switchbacks, much like Paris' queue. It should be noted that I would remove the interactive queue, on the grounds that I think it's foolish to go through the Darlings' nursery when you already go through it on the ride. In addition, some of the space will be used for the ride itself. Much like Shanghai, statues of the ride's characters can be found throughout the queue.

The ride itself will be largely the same, as there's not much room to do anything too fancy with it. However, the track and pirate ships will be scrapped and replaced. First, the fleet of ships will be replaced, allowing for more polished and new ships to fly to Neverland and back. But these new ships will feature two rows of two (similar to the Disneyland Paris version), allowing for a doubled capacity and parties of two, three and four to ride together.

​

The track will be completely replaced, allowing for a smoother ride and a more believable experience. With the current tracks and vehicles, the ships squeak along the track, taking away some authenticity.

However, the crown jewel of the new ride system is the additional Kuka arm disguised into the mast and sails of the ship. This new Kuka arm will allow the vehicle to be programmed with many new movements that the current system cannot do. Throughout the refurbished attraction, the vehicles will now tilt slightly forward, backwards or side to side. In addition, the Kuka arm allows the ship to rise or fall along the track.

Now, let's move on to the ride itself. All of the scenes in the right have received a full work over and enhancement to bring the classic ride into the 21st century while still having the nostalgic charm of the original 1971 attraction. All of the audio animatronics in the attraction will be replaced with new, enhanced animatronics with full range of motion. In addition, all-new set pieces will be created, and state of the art LED effects will fill our field of vision.

You board your larger, more expanded pirate ship. The ride's Omnimover-esque loading system will be discontinued. This will be important, because if it was kept in, it would ruin the effect. What effect? I'll tell you later. As you board, you hear the current safety announcements.

WENDY: For your safety, remember to stay seated with your hands, arms, feet, and legs inside the pirate ship. And do watch your children. See you in Neverland! (Spanish safety spiel.) To ensure a safe flight, please remain seated with your hands, arms, feet, and legs inside your pirate ship. And please watch your children. Just a touch of pixie dust, and you’ll be on your way! (Spanish safety spiel.)

Once all guests are aboard, suddenly, a projection of Tinker Bell appears in the nearby trees, spreading her pixie dust. As she flies through the trees, projections and mounted LED lighting the pirate ships begin to glow with pixie dust. Suddenly the ships come to life and float upwards and forward. We pass through swinging doors made to look like foliage (a la the opening to Disneyland's Winnie the Pooh ride) open and we begin our journey.

We find ourselves in London, the moon rising high over the nearby houses. The house of the Darling family sits to our left. Making a left turn, we pass through a window and into the nursery. The nursery is as ornately-themed as all the other versions are. Standing nearby another window in the nursery, we see Peter Pan holding Tinker Bell in his hand, shaking her so that pixie dust is seen falling down upon Wendy, John and Michael, who start to fly. As we head out the window, we see projected shadows of the group flying beside them.

http://www./wp-content/uploads/2016/05/pp-800x400.jpg ​

You go out the window as an instrumental version of "You Can Fly!" starts up. We hear Peter Pan's voice calling: "Come on, everybody! Here we go...! Off to Neverland!" Nana floats nearby (as we can see, some of the pixie dust must have gotten on her), waving good-bye with her paw. We sail past some of the neighboring houses on the Bloomsbury street the Darlings call home. The ships really come alive here bobbing, tilting and weaving though the scene to replicate the feeling of flight. 


Then the ships pass through a cloud (simulated by a fog effect) to unveil a glittering London beneath them. The entire set has been revamped to make it glitter in the night while projections and LED’s add to the magic, including improved car effects on the streets and even the effect of the Thames' river's water "shimmering" in the moonlight.

​

The entire room is surrounded by a large projection screen depicting the night sky. As we exit, we can see Peter and the Darlings flying past the moon (as they pass the moon, their silhouettes are seen). Peter is heard saying "There it is, Wendy. Second star to the right and straight on till morning." The ships then turn to face a giant mist screen, projecting the "second star to the right", which reveals itself to be the island of Neverland. Tinker Bell appears via projection and motions for them to follow her.



The ships pass through the mist screen and suddenly they are flying right over Neverland. All of the water in and around Neverland will feature a projected, moving surface, adding realism. The cannon effect here from Captain Hook's ship is the same, but Hook and Smee's voices have been updated. Hook now says, "Here they come, Mr. Smee! Shoot 'em down!" To which Smee responds, "Aye-aye, Cap'n!" and then fires. The ship quickly swerves to dodge the cannonball but guest can feel the wind rush by them. But aside from those, the scene is more or less identical as to how it has always been: same mermaids, same Indians and so on and on. However, the cawing noises made will also be updated to sound more like seagulls. In addition, more set pieces will be added to make Neverland feel more immersive.

So anyway, you end this part of the ride by flying past Skull Rock and from there, flying by the usual scene of the ride with Wendy about to walk the plank of Hook's ship, John and Michael and the Lost Boys lashed to the ship mast, the pirates all looking on and Peter and Hook dueling up in the mainbrace. Here, the figures of Hook and Pan are improved and more convincing as their blades somehow connect. Also, so that Hook can duel with his sword instead of his hook (as is the case in the ride now, bizarrely), the positions of the two will be switched, so that now Peter Pan is on the left and Hook on the right. This is also to keep the hook on Hook's left arm as usual (in Disneyland, it's on his right arm, for some reason). All the figures have been updated to fully animated animatronics giving real life to the scene. Meanwhile, the crocodile waits nearby, ticking away as usual.

​

Swinging around the ship, the pirates are all knocked out and the usual scene of a victorious Peter (now wearing Hook's hat and coat) and the Darling siblings poised at the ship's steering wheel as Peter tells Tinker Bell, "We're sailing for London." The ship now glows a bright shade of gold (in the form of fiber-optics which quickly covers the entire ship). You then see the usual scene of a defeated Hook standing precariously on the crocodile's jaws to avoid going into his mouth. Unlike previous verisons, the jaws actually try to scissor shut (with Hook's legs with it). Hook calls out for help to Smee, who answers from a rowboat. The projected water effect will also be showcased in this scene.

Once past Hook, we pass by one more scene, direct from Shanghai. Two more swinging doors made to look like foliage part to reveal Peter and the Darlings standing in front of Hangman's Tree. Peter bids us farewell, and gestures to Tinker Bell, who flies past sprinkling a curtain of pixie dust down onto the ship. We pass by a screen depicting the gold-colored ship flying off into the night, trailing pixie dust behind it. However, once it passes the moon, we see it become a cloud.

​

You then head to the unload area and get off to the right.

Exiting the Tudor manor, our ears are filled with another strange sound--a loud, ticking noise. We gaze up at the palatial exterior of "it's a small world", and decide that, since we're standing here anyway, to give this classic ride a whirl.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What do you think, guys? Next post will be the "small world" ride-through.