Why Abandon Old Ideas?

[blueboxdoctor]

After reading the Universal vs. WDW thread I was wondering why WDW has abandoned old ideas. For example, Beastly Kingdom. Due to budgetary reasons it couldn't be made when the park first opened. Fine, makes sense, but why not bring it back? It seems like a lot of people on here would like to see it finally exist, and I'm one of them. I'd much rather have that than Avatar, which will be dated in no time while fantasy has been around for a very long time.

It seems this has happened to Hollywood Studios (apparently the main street was supposed to be bigger) and EPCOT (the whole Project Gemini never really took off as it was supposed to).

What old ideas would you like to see come back? If you're unfamiliar with them then you can check out this helpful site, which I'm currently reading through and it's very interesting.

 

[afar28]

Whenever I read sites about cancelled projects, I think of what could have been, and think how rides like Stitch's Great Escape made it through and not these

 

[afar28]

Oh, and some of my favorite cancelled projects are:
AK: I have been waiting for beastly kingdom for 13 years. I also always thought the Excavator in AK would be cool.
MK: Bald Mountain, Fire Mountain, and Thunder Mesa
Epcot: Bullet Train, Little Mermaid retheme of the seas instead of Nemo, and Russian WS land
DHS: Mickeys Movieland

 

[luv]

Disney is penny wise and pound foolish.

 

[WED Purist]

Disney doesn't always abandon old ideas, some of the ones listed on that web site are reality now.

 

[danlb_2000]

Disney doesn't always abandon old ideas, some of the ones listed on that web site are reality now.

For example:

Snow White Mountain
A kiddie rollercoaster through the Seven Dwarfs Mine. Snow White's Scary Adventures would have been rethemed to another animated film.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

MK: Bald Mountain, Fire Mountain, and Thunder Mesa

Thunder Mesa exist at Disneyland Paris

 

[Matt7187]

MK: WRE (which may be happening!), Bald Mountain, Fire Mountain, DuckTales dark ride

Epcot: Soarin' around the world, Rainforest roller coaster, mt. Fuji roller coaster, bullet train

DHS: Muppet movie ride, Dick Tracy's crimestoppers, mi coaster (which wasn't on that website)

DAK: Beastly Kingdom

And just think about all the things they have thought up that we have never even heard of!

 

[afar28]

Thunder Mesa exist at Disneyland Paris

I had no idea...thanks!

 

[ChrisFL]

After reading the Universal vs. WDW thread I was wondering why WDW has abandoned old ideas. For example, Beastly Kingdom. Due to budgetary reasons it couldn't be made when the park first opened. Fine, makes sense, but why not bring it back?

That project was abandoned because the same people who originally worked on it went to Universal Creative and created parts of the ideas for IOA.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Many of the ideas are forever dead because they are "Disney," which for the case of the parks is anything already known as "Disney," be it from consumer products, films, television or, in special circumstances, existing for a time in the theme parks. However, something new cannot be introduced and become "Disney" by appearing first in the theme parks. In today's environment Beastly Kingdom is not "Disney" because there is not something by another division of Disney already by known as Beastly Kingdom.

Thunder Mesa exist at Disneyland Paris

I had no idea...thanks!

Only in name. There is no massive, multi-attraction complex hidden within a themed showbuilding that itself is an attraction that people can explore.

 

[TearDownTheHat!]

MK: Thunder Mesa
Epcot: Mt. Fuji coaster
Hollywood/MGM Studios: Muppet Studios, Roger Rabbit area( forgot the name )
Animal Kingdom: Beastly Kingdom

 

[LVgoN2WDW]

Add an Australia to epcot! Bye bye outpost!

 

[Sketch105]

MK: Fire Mountain/Villain Mountain, Western River Expedition
DAK: Beastly Kingdom
Hollywood Studios: Dick Tracy's Crimestoppers, Anything Roger Rabbit related.

I get it though. As an artist, you can work on something so hard and push it to develop...and when it doesn't become a reality you tend to sweep it under the rug and work on something else. Sometimes you bring back old ideas and incorporate them into new ones (which Disney does, but sometimes it pales in comparison to the original idea). With Disney it's all about timing, budget, and "cheerleading"- executives and figureheads who want to push the idea through.

 

[flavious27]

Disney has people that design ideas for attractions, parks, hotels, and resorts all of the time so that they get better at their jobs. Some of those ideas are shown to higher ups in the company that are interested or they find out about them through the grape vine. Those executives will either use them as vaporware to test group it, use as leverage, or use as general movement towards something in the future. At the same time, executives will have attractions designed for a current IP that could have a lasting effect or to jump onto a bandwagon.

Then there are attractions, parks, hotels, and resorts that get green-lighted but get shelved. Legendary Years was shelved mid project because of the downturn in the tourism industry; though it was redesigned into a different theme and was opened. Disney's America had a much worse fate, with multiple events that cancelled the project.

From the ashes of those failed projects, you get other attractions. Kali Rapids was partly based on the water ride for Disney's America. The Movie Pavilion at EPCOT became MGM. Even looking back almost 5 decades, Walt's EPCOT lead WDW to be built, RCID to be incorporated, we got a second gate that had part of the feel of the EPCOT concept, and celebration was built. Really no good idea will just disappear, someone will find it and try to use it in some form or another.