Studios Fan
Active Member
A Blue Sky Cellar would be nice at WDW.
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Whats with Fantasyland Expansion?
- Thread starter gamedude
- Start date
TP2000
Well-Known Member
I've heard of it, and it always makes me laugh. :ROFLOL:
However, I refuse to believe that it is a concept exclusive to WDW and deserves to be the blanket excuse why WDW management doesn't have to live up to their previous standards for maintenance, upkeep and technological updating.
Anaheim and Tokyo (I'm not that familiar with Paris) are able to handle routine downtimes and regular updates to existing attractions, with rehab calendars available online months in advance. And I'm sure it bums out some folks in Anaheim just as it does in Orlando. Heck, go look at the Disneyland board on this website and see some comments from tourists who are bummed that the Rivers of America at Disneyland will be drained this winter and there won't be Fantasmic! or the Canoes or the Columbia during their upcoming visit. But somehow they survive, and Disneyland continues to pull in 15 million visitors per year from San Diego and Seattle and Sydney and Seoul without ruining everyones vacation.
In short, the REHABS RUIN VACATIONS excuse is total bunk, and only a convenient cover for WDW management and their defenders to continue with their lowered show standards. There, I said it!
Now, about that Fantasyland Preview Center.... Where could it go? How about the Town Square Exposition Hall once they move the Meet Mickey experience there during the Toontown closure?
headhoncho34
Member
You do understand that we have 4 parks and not 2. Its easier for DL to handle their parks better then WDW because of the size of their resort.
TP2000
Well-Known Member
Yes, I do realize that. And I'm afraid it's just another lame excuse.
The wrong management can run two parks into the ground just as easily as the wrong management can run four parks into the ground. See Paul Pressler and Cynthia Harriss in Anaheim circa 1997-2003 for reference. It would seem to me that having four parks would allow you to close a major E Ticket like Space Mountain for a year or more and rehab it completely and thoroughly, like Disneyland did with their Space Mountain in 2004-05. But now we are to believe that having four parks and theoretically more attractions (although the attraction count is nearly identical between Anaheim and Orlando, and about to tip in Anaheim's favor by 2012 when five new attractions open) somehow also means you can't close stuff for proper rehabs because the property is so large and has so much to offer?
And if having Space Mountain closed was such a travesty, how did WDW survive the busy summer season with it closed? Why not just extend it another six months and reopen it in April, 2010 as totally new instead of just rehabbed? The answer of course is money and willpower. There apparently isn't the willpower with WDW management to spend the money to do it right and live up to the standards set back in the 20th century.
All that said, we're talking about a Fantasyland Preview Center here. But if someone wants to suggest that simply having a Preview Center to help explain all the construction walls, and build some hype for future vacations, would somehow RUIN VACATIONS then let's have at it. :animwink:
Studios Fan
Active Member
Rehabs are necessary, so I have no problem with them.
headhoncho34
Member
You got a point for years WDW management has used 4 parks as an excuse as not updating attractions. Peter Pan and Snow White are in horrible condition an should be refurbed along with all the existing facades in FL.Yes, I do realize that. And I'm afraid it's just another lame excuse.
It would seem to me that having four parks would allow you to close a major E Ticket like Space Mountain for a year or more and rehab it completely and thoroughly, like Disneyland did with their Space Mountain in 2004-05. But now we are to believe that having four parks and theoretically more attractions (although the attraction count is nearly identical between Anaheim and Orlando, and about to tip in Anaheim's favor by 2012 when five new attractions open) somehow also means you can't close stuff for proper rehabs because the property is so large and has so much to offer?
And if having Space Mountain closed was such a travesty, how did WDW survive the busy summer season with it closed? Why not just extend it another six months and reopen it in April, 2010 as totally new instead of just rehabbed? The answer of course is money and willpower. There apparently isn't the willpower with WDW management to spend the money to do it right and live up to the standards set back in the 20th century.
All that said, we're talking about a Fantasyland Preview Center here. But if someone wants to suggest that simply having a Preview Center to help explain all the construction walls, and build some hype for future vacations, would somehow RUIN VACATIONS then let's have at it. :animwink:
Next Big Thing
Well-Known Member
From what i've heard from some MK cast members, they have been starting to work on stuff for this in backstage areas.
TP2000
Well-Known Member
The Fantasyland Dark Rides are a great example. Go ride Peter Pan in WDW, then get on a plane and ride Peter Pan at Disneyland a day later, like I've done recently, and you'll be amazed. Of course the original 1955 Peter Pan was rebuilt at Disneyland in 1982, and the facades are very different, but since then Disneyland has updated it and rehabbed it quite a bit. It just had another long rehab this year after having a long one in '04 and a few shorter once since then, for no other reason than to replace the boats with bigger models and update the 1990's fiber optic technology, lighting and audio equipment, even though the fiber optics and audio were already noticeably more advanced than the 1971 WDW version. And now it's simply shocking how the two rides differ.
And yet there sits the WDW version of Peter Pan, trying desperately to pretend that Nixon is still in the White House and the Brady Bunch is still on TV. It's just really odd.
And how on earth having four parks can be used as an excuse for that is beyond me. If they've got four parks, they've theoretically got enough alternate options to keep people entertained during a four month Peter Pan refurbishment. The only Disney property that should be making excuses for rehabs is Hong Kong Disneyland, which still has a comparatively small roster of attractions to choose from.
ChrisFL
Premium Member
Agreed, I'm tired of the lame excuses...
But to a point, someone said the rehab schedule should be out months in advance, that's true, and for people planning their vacations with ADR's needing 180 days in advance, etc. they would probably have to plan their rehabs that far in advance to let people know, you know, so they don't RUIN VACATIONS
TDO...here's the deal, WDW has some of the highest attendance of theme parks worldwide if you believe the numbers, to KEEP those numbers, major overhauls and rehabs of some attractions to bring them up to THE REST of the Disney parks would be a good standard, and for those small amount of people who fret over their vactions being RUINED because of one or two attractions being down....they clearly either don't like most of the other attractions or they just want to complain because they didn't plan well.
Either way, you can't please all of the guests all of the time, but if rehabs TRUE updates and maintenance go the way of the do do bird, you'll be losing a lot more than just those guests
headhoncho34
Member
Agreed hopefully they will be refurbed along with the rest of the expansion. They have been worn down for too long now.
_Scar
Active Member
Wanna know the sad part?
People still come even with not much being refurbed.
People aren't revolted by Peter Pan's condition obviously since it has arguably the longest average wait throughout the day :lol:
ChrisFL
Premium Member
For now, they still come...yes, they wait for Peter Pan, then they ride it once, then don't come back for 3 years hoping it will look better but it doesn't....or they forget how it looked the last time they were there.
The Disney company used to be worried about constantly Exceeding people's expecations, now they, at least in Orlando are trying to scrape by with not lowering people's expectations too much.
I know it's a long shot, but I HOPE Harry Potter brings a lot of guests away from WDW, even if it's only for a year or so, that way TDO wakes up and does something about it, before 2014
DisneyParksFan1
Active Member
Oh my, Peter Pan is in TERRIBLE condition, and the lines are still LONGG!
Ugh, makes me sad.
Ugh, makes me sad.
headhoncho34
Member
Harry Potter will most definitely crush WDW's attendance. Will all the harry potter fans in the Orlando are and around the country WDW's attendance will see a major decline.
_Scar
Active Member
Don't think it will at all. If anything DHS/DAK will take a knock or two but not Epcot or MK which guests seem to favor more.
TP2000
Well-Known Member
Those long lines for Standby are because of Fastpass. Disneyland doesn't run Fastpass on Peter Pan, the line is long, but it shuffles along and rarely goes over 30 minutes. Same goes for Midway Mania, which has Fastpass in WDW but doesn't at California Adventure.
I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Mermaid open at California Adventure in 2011 and not offer Fastpass, but offer it when it opens in WDW in 2012. The infamous blueprint of the Fantasyland expansion showed a Fastpass line and a Standby line for Mermaid in WDW.
Let's hope the Fantasyland expansion project includes funds to update and rehab Snow White and Peter Pan in WDW. It's fairly obvious they won't be touching the exterior of those attractions as part of the Fantasyland project, but I would hope they have plans to bring some of the technology and set design from Disneyland.
It would be kind of silly to have these dusty, neglected dark rides stuck in 1971 sitting next door to these snazzy new interactive meet n' greets and 21st century offerings.
RSoxNo1
Well-Known Member
I'm not convinced. Universal couldn't market Islands of Adventure successfully, what has changed?
Yeah, if Disney takes a hit - it's going to be at DHS and AK. I'd love to see the attendance take enough of a hit that it prods them into massive spending, but it didn't happen with the edition of the entire Islands of Adventure park, and the biggest addition (attraction wise) for Harry Potter is not a family friendly attraction.
I do think Disney will make an announcement (or perhaps release some Fantasyland artwork) around the time of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter's official opening.
djkidkaz
Well-Known Member
Construction that we'll actually be able to see?
ChrisFL
Premium Member
The brand name of Harry Potter....as soon as people hear those two words, they'll be booking their trips
fireworkz
Active Member
The reason: most are traveling with children who don't nit-pic about one or two things not working correctly, they just want to go on a Peter Pan ride and the only ride that "flies". Don't get me wrong it sucks PPF is in rough shape, just expressing the reality of the situation.
And now I have the Pina Colada song in my head too!