WDW | New Fantasyland expansion

dagobert · August 24, 2010, 11:28:36 AM

On StitchKingdom.com you can watch a video about WDI in general, how Walt came up with the idea of Disneyland, how WDI creates attractions and an insight on the Fantasyland expansion.

http://www.stitchkingdom.com/disney-new ... expansion/

dagobert · October 18, 2010, 07:45:29 PM

Here are some news about the Fantasyland expansion at WDW. I have to say that there are good news and bad news.

First the good news:

It seems that Disney realized that meet and greets with princesses will not attract more people, so they scratched some. I'm very happy about that move. The next good thing is that the long rumoured Snow White Mine Ride, a rollercoaster, will get built where Dumbo is now.

Now to the bad news:
It seems that in February 2011 Snow White's Scary Adventure will close for good. It will be replaced with a meet and greet. Despite the bad things that happened recently at DLRP, I'm happy that closing a classic ride is not going to happen at DLRP.

So there will be nothing new at WDW that can compete with Universal's Harry Potter.

http://www.screamscape.com/html/wdw_-_m ... antasyland

CafeFantasia · October 18, 2010, 07:54:34 PM

I guess it's sad that Snow White's Scary Adventures is getting shut down. But, if some of the same scenes show up in the Seven Dwarfs Mine Ride, then it's understandable. No point in them having two attractions with the same theme.

The Mine Ride sounds interesting. I wonder if it would fit into Fantasyland at Disneyland Paris? Is that a possibility for the future? Is it something they could market successfully, to attract more people to the park?

As for WDW competing with Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, they haven't even caught up with The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man yet, and that ride opened over 11 years ago! So I wouldn't expect them to have caught up with the Forbidden Journey until at least 2021!

Anthony · January 18, 2011, 09:20:50 PM

The reworked New Fantasyland has been officially announced: http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2 ... gdom-park/

It really is very different from what they first announced. Can't quite work out for better or worse yet. At least the Beauty and the Beast area remains intact, and it does make more sense to have the Princess stuff inside the castle walls and the Dwarfs cottage in the land beyond.

DLP-Photos.com · January 18, 2011, 09:32:26 PM

As far as I can see this will broaden the appeal more than the original plan with lots of "Enchanted Meet'n'Greets" all over the place. Now they are mainly focusing those to the new Royal Hall inside the old Snow White building, whereas they will bring an all new Snow White Adventure with a "first-of-its-kind" rollercoaster based on the dwarfs mine (excited to hear more). However closing a classic like Snow Whites Daring Journey is quite a risk/gamble to take!

But then again all I base this on is concept art and having never been to WDW I cannot imagine everything that precise - at first it seems to be for the better in my opinion though!

dagobert · January 18, 2011, 10:19:47 PM

The new Fantasyland looks really great. I'm so glad that these stupid meet and greets are gone and I'm very excited about the new Snow White rollercoaster.

The current Fantasyland is ugly and I'm happy that this will change the whole land. You can't compare WDW's Fantasyland with the one in Paris.

It's a bit sad that a classic like Snow White gets replaced, but I think that the new ride will also be great. At least I hope so.

After TSPL, the first concept arts of Fantasyland with all the meet and greets, all the unnecessary character adding and messing with themes I really lost the faith in WDI, but the Fantasyland expansion lets me hope again.

It seems that Tom Stagg's sons are reponsible for the change to a less girl oriented Fantasyland:
http://blueskydisney.blogspot.com/2011/ ... party.html

CafeFantasia · January 19, 2011, 12:44:18 PM

I'm not too keen on this new Storybook Circus, or the removal of the lake to the right of the bridge leading towards Gaston's Tavern. But the addition of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is a positive one. I like the sound of the on-board soundtrack and the vehicles that swing back and forth. I think losing Snow White's Scary Adventures won't really matter, because so many of the scenes will be replicated and improved upon in this new coaster.

Thinking about it now, Fantasyland at Walt Disney World will only have 2 small dark rides (Peter Pan and Winnie the Pooh). Whereas Fantasyland at Disneyland Paris still has 3 small dark rides (Peter Pan, Pinocchio, and Snow White). It makes me wonder, what if Pinocchio and Show White got replaced by Winnie the Pooh at Disneyland Paris, and this new Seven Dwarfs Mine Train got built elsewhere? Or is the Mine Train too similar to our Casey Junior coaster?

Fantasyland at Walt Disney World actually has (or will have) a number of unique attractions that could be cloned to Disneyland Paris. Which one do you think would have the most impact in France?

- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1999)
- Mickey's PhilharMagic (2003)
- The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Adventure (2012)
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (2013)

dagobert · January 19, 2011, 12:54:56 PM

I also wondered what would happen to the dark rides in Paris. I don't want to see the Winnie Pooh ride near the castle courtyard, because I don't think it fits there. I would prefere the space near Fantasia Gelatti, but I don't know if it is big enough.

Since Casey Jr and Storybook Canal Boats are closed so often, I wouldn't mind if Disney would replace these attractions with the Snow White Mine Train.

CafeFantasia · January 19, 2011, 01:02:35 PM

Why are Casey Jr and Storybook Canal Boats closed so often? Is it because they're too expensive to run? Is it because they provide additional capacity that Disneyland Park doesn't need? Is it because they need a heavy amount of maintenance? Is it because they're not designed to operate in Winter weather?

I mean, suppose Casey Jr and Storybook Canal Boats were replaced with the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, but it ended up being closed as often as they are, it wouldn't really improve things would it?

dagobert · January 19, 2011, 01:08:45 PM

I don't know why they are closed so often. I have been to DLRP five times and the rides were open only once.

I don't think that an elaborate attraction like the Mine Ride would be closed that often. If it would get built in Paris, I think it would also look like the one seen on the concept art.

Anthony · January 21, 2011, 08:17:59 PM

This might be a hard question to answer right now, but what "level" of ride is this new Mine Train? It looks like a promising addition, but they have already got the Barnstormer, which you'd think covered the land for a Casey Jr style tame coaster. Or is it not actually a coaster?

Hopefully nothing will happen to the dark rides in Paris beyond upgrading them with new effects. If we were going to get anything from this New Fantasyland it should absolutely be the Beauty and the Beast area.

Not keen on the Storybook Circus either. It'd be cooler if it was circled by a Casey Jr you could actually ride.

CafeFantasia · January 22, 2011, 12:34:36 PM

@Anthony

The Barnstormer is more of a real coaster than our Casey Junior. The Barnstormer is a proper (though tiny) gravity powered roller coaster, whereas our Casey Junior drives along the track electrically (it's a powered coaster).

I think this Seven Dwarfs Mine Train ride is going to be more like Casey Junior than the Barnstormer. I imagine it being a very controlled coaster, carefully paced with motors.

I really want something to happen to Fantasyland at Disneyland Paris to shake it up a little and make it fresh again. Which is the less popular dark ride, Snow White or Pinocchio? Which one gets the axe? :-)

The Beauty and the Beast area from the MK's Fantasyland Expansion looks fantastic, but seems to lack substance. I mean, there's a story-time thing with Belle and a restaurant that you obviously have to pay to eat in. How much of that would you do on a typical visit to Disneyland Park?

For me, The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure is the crown jewel of the MK's Fantasyland Expansion, and the one attraction that Disneyland Park (in Paris) should get PRONTO. It's all indoors and it's an omnimover type ride so it's got tremendous capacity (unlike Crush's Coaster and everything in Toy Story Playland).

[youtube:2o1709dj]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JM1XCgfnS8&feature=feedu[/youtube:2o1709dj]

dagobert · January 22, 2011, 01:56:08 PM

Quote from: "Alan"@Anthony

The Barnstormer is more of a real coaster than our Casey Junior. The Barnstormer is a proper (though tiny) gravity powered roller coaster, whereas our Casey Junior drives along the track electrically (it's a powered coaster).

I think this Seven Dwarfs Mine Train ride is going to be more like Casey Junior than the Barnstormer. I imagine it being a very controlled coaster, carefully paced with motors.

I really want something to happen to Fantasyland at Disneyland Paris to shake it up a little and make it fresh again. Which is the less popular dark ride, Snow White or Pinocchio? Which one gets the axe? :-)

The Beauty and the Beast area from the MK's Fantasyland Expansion looks fantastic, but seems to lack substance. I mean, there's a story-time thing with Belle and a restaurant that you obviously have to pay to eat in. How much of that would you do on a typical visit to Disneyland Park?

For me, The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure is the crown jewel of the MK's Fantasyland Expansion, and the one attraction that Disneyland Park (in Paris) should get PRONTO. It's all indoors and it's an omnimover type ride so it's got tremendous capacity (unlike Crush's Coaster and everything in Toy Story Playland).

The Little Mermaid would be a perfect addition to DLRP, since a similar ride was envisioned for DLP. I would even prefere it over Ratatouille. DLP deserves a new ride. I think that attraction would give DLRP another boost. The little Mermais is still very popular and nearly everyone knows the movie. It's an elaboate ride with lots of theming. That's an attration on which DLRP should spend money.

The Barnstormer is a kiddy coaster and perfect for the little ones, who can't ride the big coasters, but I don't want to see such an attraction in our Fantasyland. It's mildly themed and so it shouldn't be in our DLP.

Anthony · January 24, 2011, 07:25:43 PM

Quote from: "Alan"I really want something to happen to Fantasyland at Disneyland Paris to shake it up a little and make it fresh again. Which is the less popular dark ride, Snow White or Pinocchio? Which one gets the axe? :-)

Probably Snow White, but then you'd ruin a whole corner of Fantasyland for no reason. DLP has plenty of room to expand Fantasyland still, without needing to lose rides.

Quote from: "Alan"The Beauty and the Beast area from the MK's Fantasyland Expansion looks fantastic, but seems to lack substance. I mean, there's a story-time thing with Belle and a restaurant that you obviously have to pay to eat in. How much of that would you do on a typical visit to Disneyland Park?

Yeah, I'd prefer it if it offered something a bit more worthwhile. How about a dark ride tour of the Beast's castle, using the vague outline/layout of the Little Mermaid dark ride? For Paris, I mean. I'd personally love a whole Beauty and the Beast mini-land beyond the railroad, where we've talked about Little Mermaid going in recent years.

Quote from: "Alan"I think this Seven Dwarfs Mine Train ride is going to be more like Casey Junior than the Barnstormer. I imagine it being a very controlled coaster, carefully paced with motors.

Now that I think about it, couldn't it be rather like Crush's Coaster? Without the spinning obviously. From the concept it seems to have those same twisting outside drops, almost like an old-fashioned ghost train, plus inside cave scenes. Has that been suggested anywhere, or don't WDW fans even know what Crush's Coaster is?

CafeFantasia · January 24, 2011, 07:55:52 PM

@Anthony

Disneyland Paris does indeed have plenty of room to expand Fantasyland. But, you know, if the popularity of an attraction is low (e.g. Le Visionarium) Disney like to replace it with something new. There was plenty of space in Discoveryland to build Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast, without getting rid of Le Visionarium, but that's not how Disney operate. The last time I checked, both Pinocchio and Snow White were way less popular than Peter Pan's Flight.

A dark ride tour of the Beast's castle would be great. But Disney love to clone new attractions, to save on development costs. So, if they're going to open the Little Mermaid ride at DCA this year (2011) and at WDW next year (2012), why not open the same ride at Disneyland Paris the year after (2013)?

I haven't read anywhere that the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is going to use the same ride system as Crush's Coaster. You may be right, but I don't think it's going to be like that. The concept art shows trains of 4 cars, with 4 guests per car, so that's 16 guests per train. I have a feeling it's going to be manufactured by Vekoma, unlike Crush's Coaster which is manufactured by Maurer Söhne.