WDW will have a 4 year gap of nothing!

[Hakunamatata]

Yea, idk about you but I don't spend thousands of dollars on my trips to go to a free entry out door shopping mall.

Who does?

 

[CP_alum08]

Hmmm... would be nice

Maybe the promotion for the next 4 years is
"4 years of Refurb"

That would be awesome! I would gladly take 4 years of refurb with nothing "new" added. Sadly we seem to be the minority.

 

[THEMEPARKPIONEER]

Lets see... Some cutbacks here and there, maybe half of Fantillushion will "pay a short visit", they will finally ruin Maelstrom which is probably on the to do list, create a new mode for the Yeti, do some more glow in the dark spray paint art work in Spaceship Earth, and I bet there will be some new broken features thruout the park. You can't say nothing, there's something new, different ( broken ) every day.

 

[marni1971]

Marni, was there a story behind SGE like with Journey into your imagination?

Story as in how it came to be? Yes.

Stupid guests ignored multiple written and verbal warnings. Did the attraction then complained it was scary for their poor defenceless kids. Complained. So TDO bowed to the minority and overlayed SGE on the not-inexpensive AE infrastructure, despite the height limit restricting exactly the demographic they were aiming for. Numerous tweaks of height limit, the addition of more lighting, and a head in the sand mentality got it to where it is today.

 

[unkadug]

Story as in how it came to be? Yes.

Stupid guests ignored multiple written and verbal warnings. Did the attraction then complained it was scary for their poor defenceless kids. Complained. So TDO bowed to the minority and overlayed SGE on the not-inexpensive AE infrastructure, despite the height limit restricting exactly the demographic they were aiming for. Numerous tweaks of height limit, the addition of more lighting, and a head in the sand mentality got it to where it is today.

Just another example of perfectly normal people leaving their brains and common sense at home while on vacation.

And another example of "Knee-Jerk" reactions to overwrought,over planning, moronic moms protecting their "butterfly" children from imaginary demons such as touching a germ, Pleasure Island and Disney villains.

 

[WDWoptmist]

I don't think that Disney will add "nothing" I fully expect them to change and upgrade soarin over the next 4 years. They will certainly do something with Frozen considering how incredible the movie was and how successful it has already been. I would also be surprised if we didn't see small Star Wars additions in HS before 2017, we may not see many huge attraction additions in the 3.5 to 4 years but after that time we will see an explosion of additions throughout the parks with Avatar and Star Wars. I really think Frozen will be a strong presence in the parks sooner rather than later. Once MM+ is finally in our rear view we will begin to see positive things happening in the parks again IMHO

 

[Nubs70]

That's all just rumor from Miceage, and only focused on the original Soarin' ride at California Adventure.

Which brings us to the logistics of getting it installed at WDW, if the Miceage rumor is true for Anaheim and gets transferred to WDW.... Soarin' at DCA is rumored by Al Lutz/Miceage to close this February and remain closed for four months to install new digital projectors and new screens, plus upgraded audio and effects equipment. A four month full-closure rehab of both theaters for DCA this winter into early summer. Which hasn't been announced or hinted at by Disney yet, by the way.

How the heck will they pull that off at Epcot where they can't afford to close anything for rehab for fear of losing precious ride capacity???

By building a third theatre then refurbing the originals, one at a time.

 

[BigTxEars]

Lots of Disney bashing these days. It seems there is a lot of love / hate relationshisp on all Disney forums these days. Not sure what Disney could do to win in some peoples eyes, have they done anything in the past 10 years that has not been bashed on the internet? I can't recall anything. Almost like they can't win...

I really think they do a great job given everything they are up against. I just don't see the reason to bash them at every turn. I really do not see where Universal is doing a job that is that much better than Disney. The Universal Parks has the same issue as WDW does of old and stale rides, T2, ET or Twister anyone? I enjoy both sets of parks but WDW has a magic that Universal just does not.

I would love new stuff at WDW every time I go, who would not? But realistically that is not going to happen. I am just content to enjoy the magic that is WDW.

 

[billDozer]

The recent upgrades to Pirates quickly deteriorated to a static skeleton and a little audio. Not to mention cracking boats.
The most recent work done to TTA was merely clean up of the EPCOT model, leaving newly exposed lighting. The cars still colide at load and there are no plans to fix that.
Dinosaur has seen no work recently other than the picture dino not working half the time.

pirates added speakers and a new projector at the waterfall scene that looks and sounds good. lights before the drop got an upgrade and a new fog machine was added after the drop. the new boats arent good but they be switched out soon, and im pretty sure that when they added the mermaid effects they had no intention to maintain them.
tta has added back more plexiglas to see space mountain, and cleaned up progress city.
dinosaur added back the original lasers.
more little things like this that keep what we like working and looking better is all i really want for the next few years while they plan for one or two bigger things

 

[TubaGeek]

pirates added speakers and a new projector at the waterfall scene that looks and sounds good. lights before the drop got an upgrade and a new fog machine was added after the drop. the new boats arent good but they be switched out soon, and im pretty sure that when they added the mermaid effects they had no intention to maintain them.
tta has added back more plexiglas to see space mountain, and cleaned up progress city.
dinosaur added back the original lasers.
more little things like this that keep what we like working and looking better is all i really want for the next few years while they plan for one or two bigger things

What I want is rides at the quality that they intended them.

 

[marni1971]

.
tta has added back more plexiglas to see space mountain,
dinosaur added back the original lasers.

I'm afraid they didn't.

 

[ddbowdoin]

Who does?

I'm afraid a lot do... I guess some people live in areas where there is nothing more than desolation and Olive Gardens.

I have four pretty large malls and every store imaginable within a 30 min drive in every direction from me. Downtown Disney is pretty boring.

 

[Hakunamatata]

I'm afraid a lot do... I guess some people live in areas where there is nothing more than desolation and Olive Gardens.

I have four pretty large malls and every store imaginable within a 30 min drive in every direction from me. Downtown Disney is pretty boring.

For a destination I agree but I don't think people go to Disney exclusively for DD. But that being said it's an integral part of many guests trip.

All this said not including the fact that many Adventurers would likely make the trip just to visit the cloob for a Kungaloosh before it was shuttered.

 

[BigTxEars]

I'm afraid a lot do... I guess some people live in areas where there is nothing more than desolation and Olive Gardens.

I have four pretty large malls and every store imaginable within a 30 min drive in every direction from me. Downtown Disney is pretty boring.

Hey now that sounds like where I live, well except we don't even have the Olive Garden. Not even a single "brand name" sit down restaurant in town Of course we have no traffic or crime either so it's a fair trade off!

I like DTD and thinks its part of the WDW experience, but would not travel to see it alone.

 

[TP2000]

By building a third theatre then refurbing the originals, one at a time.

Ah, yes! There was a photoshop post here a few months ago showing how a third theater hangar could be built at the back of The Land pavilion.

That would be quite a construction and rehab project that would take at least two years to finish, if bulldozers moved in today. Although the whole goal of this digital upgrade is allegedly to be able to show the new Soarin' The World film that debuts in 2015 for Shanghai Disneyland. It would seem Epcot is now out of the running for that new film debut in '15, if a multi-year construction project and rolling rehab is required.

Interestingly, the Soarin' Over California rehab just popped up on the official Disneyland.com calendar today, now that the calendar pushes into February. Soarin' Over California at DCA closes Tuesday, February 18th for its rumored rehab that Miceage said would last into June.

Disney has yet to mention why Soarin' is closing, or anything about a digital upgrade to the theaters, but the rehab now showing on the calendar suggests that Miceage knows what they have been talking about here for the past few months. No real surprise there.

What will be a four month rehab this winter/spring at DCA would require a couple of years at Epcot? If they ever begin that process at Epcot. That will be interesting to watch.

 

[TP2000]

I just can't put Disney Springs into the same category as something new in the parks.... At least when they brought in Pleasure Island it was a new concept, West Side and expansion, Springs doesn't bring anything new to the table in reality other than parking garages.

You aren't the only one who can't put a remodeled shopping mall into the same category as theme park expansion and new rides.

I also can't put new-yet-uninspired DVC wings at existing Deluxe Resorts into the same category as theme park expansion.

Nor can I put MyMagic+ bands and "touch points" into that same category. Or new Value Resorts with BIG! fiberglass wacky props plopped around the shoebox motel buildings to prove how much wacky fun you are having.

Once the Seven Dwarves Mine Train opens and Magic Kingdom replaces its 25 year old afternoon parade with a new one this spring, it appears us theme park fans can take a three year nap until Avatarland opens in late 2017.

 

[Gabe1]

You aren't the only one who can't put a remodeled shopping mall into the same category as theme park expansion and new rides.

I also can't put new-yet-uninspired DVC wings at existing Deluxe Resorts into the same category as theme park expansion.

Nor can I put MyMagic+ bands and "touch points" into that same category. Or new Value Resorts with BIG! fiberglass wacky props plopped around the shoebox motel buildings to prove how much wacky fun you are having.

Once the Seven Dwarves Mine Train opens and Magic Kingdom replaces its 25 year old afternoon parade with a new one this spring, it appears us theme park fans can take a three year nap until Avatarland opens in late 2017.

Oh you took the words right out of my mouth.....

I so miss the last few years of the 80's and the 90's. Every fall going down for 2 weeks with so many new things to explore that sometimes we had to go in the summer to for a quickie.

The parade is suppose to be so very tall, which maybe, just maybe Disney fixed the need for guests to sit on a curb for hours to be front and center. If they have fixed this I'll give them kudos for that. I have no explanation as to why I am not excited for Dwarf, maybe Disney has bored me to death with this expansion taking so freak'n long.

And wacky resorts are not my thing either.

 

[TP2000]

And wacky resorts are not my thing either.

Nope, me either. I appreciate that Disney is building lodging for modest pocketbooks, but the overall design direction they've gone with is not appealing to me. Nor can I equate it with actual theme park development and new rides.

Art of Animation is the perfect example; big shoebox slabs of prefab motel units with painted flats and wacky! props placed around for "theme". Versus an actual theme park expansion with great new rides and fabulously themed environments. One I can get super excited about, and one just makes me go "Meh."

It's this....

Versus this...

One interpretation of the Cadillac Range, with a bunch of motel rooms inside...

Versus this interpretation of the Cadillac Range, with a thrilling E Ticket animatronic spectacular inside...

As a theme park fan, which one excites you more?

 

[oswaldmickey]

Four years of nothing new? Pfft if rumors are true,

we have the closing of beauty and the beast show, Indiana jones stunt show, the streets of America, the stunt show, the back lot tour, the Osborne family lights, American idol, figment 2.0, and re-introduced captain E.O. 2010 version with half the "4D' special effects closures to look forward to. Can anyone else say construction wall /billboard photo spot opportunities to look forward to! Yes please!

 

[StarWarsGirl]

How the heck will they pull that off at Epcot where they can't afford to close anything for rehab for fear of losing precious ride capacity???

Test Track was closed for month and the park managed to still do fine. I think Soarin' could close and it would still be fine. IMO Epcot is the park that handles the crowds the best.