It struck me today that Disneyland Paris has very few 'extinct' attractions. I can really only think of three in the past 23 years. The Old Mill Ferris wheel, HISTA and Le Visionarium. And WDS has only the TV Tour. (If there are any in either park, I'll be happy to be corrected).
Not surprisingly it can be argued that one of the main reasons for this, is the financial issues of the resort. ie. "Why spend money to replace a working attraction?"
Now, that aside, is the fact that things have stayed the same for so long be something to be celebrated rather than embarrassed by?
Sure we'd all love new attractions, but sometimes these do have to replace existing rides that sometimes still have a fan base. For example, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (MK), Horizons and World of Motion (EPCOT) and The Country Bears Jamboree (DL) all are still fondly thought of and very much missed amongst fans.
Thankfully at Disneyland Paris, you can still ride those attractions you've loved for a quarter of a century.
Interesting topic! It's hard to think of loosing an attraction in DLP. We all are used to them so much.
Maybe only ... I don't know .... but some days ago we were on Star Tours and I thought the place needs really a change. So, I won't miss it, I think.
We still remember the post show at the exit of IASW. We could see the miniatures in May 2010 before the closure and restructuring to Princess Pavillion. My daughter still remembers looking through the small windows with the children inside, years ago she asked me about it.
Here I found some interesting information about it + The Old Mill.
http://www.designingdisney.com/content/lost-treasures-fantasyland
And you must not forget the canoes in Frontierland and the woodcarver's workshop (Santa's house now).
...and Captain EO
It s a shame some attractions had to go like SM 1 and Visionarium which destroyed the Jules Verne theme. I also miss the old Mill.
Don,t forget all the great shows on the four stages in the park,unfortunately the stages are standing empty or gone now.
River Rogue Keelboats are gone too.
I personally miss the videogame arcade in the Village ;D
Quote from: Mileto on December 08, 2015, 04:55:45 PM
Here I found some interesting information about it + The Old Mill.
http://www.designingdisney.com/content/lost-treasures-fantasyland
Thanks for that link. I guess it was no surprise that it closed - even on busy days it probably wasn't all that appealing.
And thanks everyone for all the other attraction suggestions. I knew there had to be more than those I mentioned.
...
It is still impressive (to some extent - its still a shame as well) at just how much of the original
EuroDisneyland Paris is still there.
Imagine if they'd demolished Alice's Curious Laberynth to install Place du Remy? (just as an example, it's a thematic stretch I know!).
There'd be a lot of disappointed fans, especially as its something iconic to our Fantasyland, but on the other hand there would be a great new dark ride an mini-land added to the park.
Quote from: Rocketeer on December 08, 2015, 07:43:56 PM
Imagine if they'd demolished Alice's Curious Laberynth to install Place du Remy? (just as an example, it's a thematic stretch I know!).
There'd be a lot of disappointed fans, especially as its something iconic to our Fantasyland, but on the other hand there would be a great new dark ride an mini-land added to the park.
Not that I'd like to see the Labyrinth demolished, but I'd rather we had the Alice dark ride instead.
Quote from: glenn on December 08, 2015, 05:55:33 PM
Don,t forget all the great shows on the four stages in the park,unfortunately the stages are standing empty or gone now.
Not so. Frozen Sing-Along is in the Chaparral Theatre, Royal Christmas Wishes at the Castle Stage, and Jedi Training Academy is running in Videopolis. Only the Fantasy Festival Stage is no longer, with Meet Mickey Mouse taking up that slot in 2012.
Don't forget Critter Corale that's gone too. OK it smelled a bit but it was nice to see the animals I remember some very cute baby goats one summer. Woody's Roundup Village (which replaced the corale) has also gone. Discoveryland has lost Honey I Shrunk The Audience and of course there are the geysers in Frontierland (although if the rumours are true they could soon be restored).
I too miss the old mill ferris wheel, I did actually ride it and didn't think it was that bad (the view from the top was very good across Fantasyland).
I would miss certain other things but I do think the park needs some new attractions.
TTFN
When I mentioned the stage shows and stages standing empty I was talking about stage shows that were on every day on every stage all through the year.
Now they are only shown during peak seasons.
As for the Jedi show it,s very good for the kids but not something you would go back to watch more than once.
Just some shows that I can remember.
Beauty and the beast.
Mulan.
Lion king.
Minnie's birthday party.
Lilies follies.
En scene sil vous plas.
Noel de Mickey.
Tarzan.
Pochohantis.
Mickey,s winter wonderland.
Let livre magique.
Winnie the Pooh.
There are more but but I can,t remember .Disneyland Paris used to put on a lot of shows,but now only one or two.
Quote from: tigger1974 on December 09, 2015, 01:21:07 AM
I would miss certain other things but I do think the park needs some new attractions.
That makes me think... as I've said, a lot of attractions are 25 years old now.
We've known them for so long that people are connected to them even more than usual. So even if they added a no doubt popular attraction like 'Frozen Ever After' The Boat Ride, the fact that it replaced 'Le Pays des Contes de Fées' (for example) it would be quite unpopular.
Odd example, but look at (the much derided) 'Superstar Limo' in DCA. It was only around for a year and most don't miss it. Perhaps if it had stayed until DCA 2.0 then maybe it would have become a kitschy fan favourite (although unlikely!).
I guess it depends on the attraction. It seems to me that most won't miss Armegeddon Effets Speciaux despite it being there since '02. In fact they could probably replace it with 'Le Superstar Limo' and no one would complain! ;)
I actually do think it is something to be embarrassed about.
The best example I can think of is Fantasyland. Look at it, it celebrates the classic Disney movies of the Walt Disney era, the golden age or whatever you want to call it, Sleeping Beauty, The Sword in the Stone, Pinnochio, Alice, Snow White, Peter Pan etc. and whilst I think all of that is well and good it is extremely dated. Disneyland California suffers a similar problem I believe (although on a lesser extent) although there it is because they are very bound by tradition and to even consider taking one of Walt's originals there (except Autopia) is blasphemy.
DLP doesn't have that issue. What about the things that have came out or become popular since the Disney rennaisance? They have as much a place in Fantasyland as anything else does. Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, Tangled, The Princess and the Frog, Frozen and soon Moana. Even Brave if you are happy to count Pixar's Merida as a DISNEY princess. That is sure to be over half of the princesses which make up a big part of the Fantasy theme.
Walt Disney World had that issue, but they fixed it, how? New Fantasyland. They built the Beast's castle and made it into possibly the most magical restaurant in any Disney resort. There is this ride where guests interact with Belle as well, Enchanted tales or something but it has some great animatronics and is basically a walkthrough attraction with Belle guiding the guests. They built Eric's castle and put in a Little Mermaid Dark ride. They made a whole area of gift shops and resteraunts themed around Beauty and the Beast and built Rapunzel's tower. They could have done more than that had they not decided to make the land previously occupied by Toontown into Storybook Circus.
In addition they enhanced their classic experiences by moving Dumbo and they built the Seven Dwarf's Mine train coaster.
DLP has land available, isn't it something like 10 expansion pads in Fantasyland alone? There is space to expand the land to include modern Disney properties, Beauty and the Beast is a natural fit, Most kids love the little mermaid and the Rapunzel area didn't take up too much space. How about we throw in a Frozen area as well to capitalize on the success of the movie?
Even some of the dark rides look a little outdated, how about replacing some of those statues with some anamatronics like the ones on Seven Dwarf's Mine train?
The point I'm making is that whilst DLP hasn't lost any attractions we haven't gained any, Fantasyland sits, having fallen behind Disney's amazing modern movies, Discoveryland could use some modern spice, Frontierland sits half abandoned a lot of the time and Adventureland, I feel needs some modern attractions also.
With DLP it is all down to budget though, we don't have the cash for New Fantasyland or anything else. Yes, people miss the rides that go, Snow White's scary adventures went but I feel it opened up a much more exciting experience with the mine train.
Personally I would absolutely love to see DLP add a Winnie the Pooh ride (DLP is the only park that doesn't have one) but I don't know whereabouts it could be placed - Fantasyland would seem the obvious place but what would be the ride that yielded it's place?
TTFN
Quote from: tigger1974 on December 09, 2015, 07:07:13 PM
Personally I would absolutely love to see DLP add a Winnie the Pooh ride (DLP is the only park that doesn't have one) but I don't know whereabouts it could be placed - Fantasyland would seem the obvious place but what would be the ride that yielded it's place?
TTFN
As far as I am aware there are at least 10 expansion pads of various sizes in Fantasyland so they wouldn't have to get rid of anything. If they did I'd say Pinnochio, I feel its the least well liked of all the Dark rides.
It'd fit with the right theming near the ranch in frontierland if they cleared away part of the ranch.
What the main park really misses is a modern dark ride. Like Indiana Jones Adventure, Journey to the centre of the earth or Mystic Manor.
Yes I love the classics. But the park is filled 70's, 80's and early 90's tech. DLP needs to modernize. Getting the blast scene in BTM is a good start. But they are wasting good opportunities in other refurbs. Seeing that they probably won't change any effects in the soon to be refurbished Peter Pan and Space Mountain doesn't give me much hope for a fully up to date DLP.
^Interesting point - the park is probably the most behind all of the parks in terms of tech. Although sometimes adding new tech for the sake of it is not always the best way forward. Look at what they did to Spaceship Earth and the pointless screens.
However, the improvements to Peter Pan in Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom are a perfect example of how an old attraction can be modernised whilst keeping the traditional dark ride feel.
And given that Fantasyland has such potential for expansion, it sounds like all the current attractions will remain. However they will need improving if subsequent attractions are added that have cutting edge technology like that of Mystic Manor.
So if Fantasyland is at the bottom of the list, which land is most likely to have attractions replaced? I'm guessing
Frontierland and Adventureland are probably also low on the list which means Discoveryland has to be the top. Autopia and the HISTA/Eo (Cinemagique) theatre being prime candidates for replacement.
I feel like DLP could inject some life into Fanstayland by cleaning up Alice's Labyrinth instead of replacing it. There is a lot of room to expand, but that maze just needs a little bit of TLC and I think it would brighten up the whole place.
Frontierland would be my best guess to new stuff. There's a lot of room up by the Pocahontas Village etc. With them cleaning and sorting out The Rivers of the Far West it would be great to see some more boats out on that. Poor Mark Twain... :'(
^I agree, Frontierland is really in need of another attraction. Its especially obvious right now, with the river closed the only thing worth going into the land for is Phantom Manor.
Quote from: Rocketeer on December 17, 2015, 09:43:02 PM
^I agree, Frontierland is really in need of another attraction. Its especially obvious right now, with the river closed the only thing worth going into the land for is Phantom Manor.
Agreed. Frontierland has what, 2 attractions that people go on every trip, Phantom Manor and Thunder Mountain. Fantasyland has a plethora of must do attractions, Discoveryland has Star Tours, Space Mountain, Buzz and a variety of things you'll do every so often like Autopia, Jedi Training, Nautilus etc., Adventureland has Pirates, Indiana Jones, and then the whole land to do a ton of exploration which is really what that land is about. Frontierland has literally Big Thunder and PM, Nothing else there is worth doing unless it happens to have Frozen ongoing because the rest of the place is a kids playground, shops/restaurants and the shooting gallery.
Frontierland could really benefit from Splash Mountain...
Totally agree with something like splash mountain, even the UK parks have some type of outdoor water ride, even my kids said DLP needs something like this.
Quote from: Zee79 on December 21, 2015, 12:07:45 AM
Totally agree with something like splash mountain, even the UK parks have some type of outdoor water ride, even my kids said DLP needs something like this.
True, and Tokyo Disneyland has Splash and they have more snow on average than Disneyland Paris.
Quote from: mrpiggywinkles52 on December 20, 2015, 11:34:40 PM
Frontierland could really benefit from Splash Mountain...
I agree, or at least another E-Ticket.
We know there's land available. I guess Frontierland is just not high up on the priority list for new attractions. The BTM refurb being the main focus instead.
Gonna quote myself here...
Quote from: mickey1980 on December 11, 2015, 07:48:50 PMDLP needs to modernize. Getting the blast scene in BTM is a good start. But they are wasting good opportunities in other refurbs. Seeing that they probably won't change any effects in the soon to be refurbished Peter Pan and Space Mountain doesn't give me much hope for a fully up to date DLP.
So... IASW opened without the expected Disney character addition (like in Anaheim, Hong Kong, Tokyo)
Why?.. These static statues cost zero to nothing in Disney terms..
^Maybe WDI/EDI realised they're not a necessity?
In Disney Village, Hurricane bar no long exists but its location can still be seen. Sad really, the Village misses that type of night life. ::)
^Does it just sit empty now? Seems like a waste.
And good point bringing up the Village, although it has had some major changes in recent memory - King Ludwig's and the Earl of Sandwich.
Quote from: Rocketeer on January 08, 2016, 10:46:58 PM
^Does it just sit empty now? Seems like a waste.
If I remember correctly, it is used for staff leisure occassionally
^Well that's something I guess. At least its not completely mothballed.
I think Disney Village needs a massive overhaul. It looks really tacky and 90s. When you compare it to Downtown Disney and Disney Springs, it's a bit embarrassing right?
Did anyone see this article on MiceChat today? http://micechat.com/117514-inside-disneyland-paris-meeting-daniel-delcourt-deputy-ceo-operations/ Hopefully that means the Village will get a much needed facelift and modernisation.
On a side note, I'm really excited about the potential return of the Mark Twain. I think Rivers of the Far West attractions would be easy additions to Frontierland that would make a big difference.
Quote from: CentralPlazaPerson on January 08, 2016, 02:10:11 PM
In Disney Village, Hurricane bar no long exists but its location can still be seen. Sad really, the Village misses that type of night life. ::)
Besides drinking yourself silly in Billy Bobs there is nothing to do in the village. Sports bar is only interesting on weekends. They should open a indoor minigolf and bowling or something. Like the Splitsville.
Hell, build a cocktail Tiki Bar with live music or shows. We Europeans are suckers for that kind of entertainment.
Quote from: True-lifeadventures on January 10, 2016, 09:22:00 PM
I think Disney Village needs a massive overhaul. It looks really tacky and 90s. When you compare it to Downtown Disney and Disney Springs, it's a bit embarrassing right?
Did anyone see this article on MiceChat today? http://micechat.com/117514-inside-disneyland-paris-meeting-daniel-delcourt-deputy-ceo-operations/ Hopefully that means the Village will get a much needed facelift and modernisation.
Thanks for the link to that article! As its a subject worthy of lengthy discussion in its own right, I've started a new thread.
Hope you don't mind. :)
Quote from: Rocketeer on January 11, 2016, 05:06:30 PM
Quote from: True-lifeadventures on January 10, 2016, 09:22:00 PM
I think Disney Village needs a massive overhaul. It looks really tacky and 90s. When you compare it to Downtown Disney and Disney Springs, it's a bit embarrassing right?
Did anyone see this article on MiceChat today? http://micechat.com/117514-inside-disneyland-paris-meeting-daniel-delcourt-deputy-ceo-operations/ Hopefully that means the Village will get a much needed facelift and modernisation.
Thanks for the link to that article! As its a subject worthy of lengthy discussion in its own right, I've started a new thread.
Hope you don't mind. :)
Of course not!
Disneyland in Anaheim has it spot on with several attractions on the river at once. We could do with the Keelboats and Canoes making a return in the summer months. As far as I know, the loading bay for the canoes can still be seen beside the Indian village.
I'll jump on the band wagon for Splash Mountain in Frontier Land. It's need is unprecedented IMO.
Also, back on to past attractions.... Cyber Space Mountain!
On topic:
Adventureland Bazar walk-through was closed and made into Agrabah Café.
It featured a couple of shops in a middle eastern theme.
Nice walk-through and I kinda miss it. I enjoy the walk-throughs and hope that in future expansions they keep adding these little escapes.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adventureland_Bazaar
Shame I can't remember that, Adventureland Bazaar is pretty neat as it is now, so must have been great back then.
Anyone know where the Flying Carpets would have been installed if it had not been requisitioned at the eleventh hour for WDS?
QuoteIt has been speculated that Flying Carpets Over Agrabah was originally intended not for Walt Disney Studios Park but for Disneyland Park next door, where it could have taken residence in Adventureland just like its Florida cousin, on a vacant piece of the land between Adventureland Bazaar and Restaurant Hakuna Matata. Rumour has it that the ride was originally ordered with the intention of placing it here, but when management suddenly decided the new Studios park needed at least one family-friendly ride it was diverted at the last minute. Upon opening in 2002, Flying Carpets Over Agrabah was the only actual ride in the park, besides Rock 'n' Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith and Studio Tram Tour, but it was not shown on any of the plans for the park until the very final blueprints.
Source: http://www.dlpguide.com/guidebook/walt-disney-studios-park/toon-studio/flying-carpets-over-agrabah/
Do they still do a Firework display round the lake by the hotels? When I first visited (2000 ) we saw a display stood at the hotel new York end with a bonfire in the middle and boats with Mickey & Minnie in. I've never seen anything like that again, though I haven't been at that time of year. It was also on that trip I had a very funny night in Hurricanes. Not that I'd be able to now I travel with children but that was a lot of fun!
Quote from: haribosmum on January 19, 2016, 12:35:56 PM
Do they still do a Firework display round the lake by the hotels? When I first visited (2000 ) we saw a display stood at the hotel new York end with a bonfire in the middle and boats with Mickey & Minnie in.
I think that must be the Bonfire Night fireworks. I didn't hear any mention of it in the last couple of years, but maybe someone else may know more.
Quote from: mickey1980 on January 19, 2016, 09:43:31 AM
QuoteIt has been speculated that Flying Carpets Over Agrabah was originally intended not for Walt Disney Studios Park but for Disneyland Park next door, where it could have taken residence in Adventureland just like its Florida cousin, on a vacant piece of the land between Adventureland Bazaar and Restaurant Hakuna Matata. Rumour has it that the ride was originally ordered with the intention of placing it here, but when management suddenly decided the new Studios park needed at least one family-friendly ride it was diverted at the last minute. Upon opening in 2002, Flying Carpets Over Agrabah was the only actual ride in the park, besides Rock 'n' Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith and Studio Tram Tour, but it was not shown on any of the plans for the park until the very final blueprints.
Source: http://www.dlpguide.com/guidebook/walt-disney-studios-park/toon-studio/flying-carpets-over-agrabah/
Thanks for that. :)
I didn't realise there was still an expansion pad in that area of Adventureland. I think adding something there needs adding to the 'to do' list for Burbank. (Admittedly its a very long list these days!)
The Caravan Carousel from Tokyo DisneySea would fit quite nicely there.
I have always said that Flying Carpets is the most random placement ever!
They did used to have fireworks and boat things on the lake but I'm talking years and years ago (over 14 years).