Fantasyland Expansion

[Goin2Disneyland]

We are concerned with REAL problems that you speak of. Sir Cliff is one of the great internet thinkers, as far as I'm concerned.

But as this a Disney forum, we will opine, concern and openly discuss Disney things. Please discuss the topic and not each other. Carry on.

[jupiter]

Sorry, Jupiter, but I still cannot agree with the over-the-top cynicism and negative attitudes that you, KNRG and Sir Cliff continue to express.

Time to stop being jaded and instead, concern yourselves with REAL problems in the world (such as the economy, the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, etc.).

Wow, I continue to express "over-the-top cynicism"? Many times, actually, I've barked at people here for being too jaded and never happy with anything. (I think KNRG was one of those people I barked at, once!) I think you may be confusing me with someone else. I actually barely consider myself a "regular" as I often go months without visiting this messageboard.

You are entitled to your opinion, but I don't appreciate being chewed out in this case, because I don't feel that I'm one of the "ringleaders" of the Negative Nelly Train. Sometimes I think Disney knocks it out of the park, and sometimes I think they mess up. I think the original plans for the Fantasyland Forest were awesome, and I'm disappointed to hear that the Magic Kingdom will probably end up getting less than those original plans suggested.

Also, using the "focus on 'real' problems" argument is extremely superfluous on a Disney fan messageboard that exists precisely to discuss (or deride) the Disney company.

That argument also very hypocritical; why aren't YOU focusing on those issues rather than insulting us? Who's the more foolish: The fool, or the fool who follows him? The time you wasted telling us we were wasting our time, you could have spent saving the world. Or probably not.

[Snoopy]

Tom Staggs has officially confirmed that the plans for the Fantasyland expansion will be changing:

Disney is redrawing the sweeping Fantasyland expansion plans it laid out last year, even as bulldozers clear land for the project inside the Magic Kingdom.

With the revisions, begun under new Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Tom Staggs, designers are attempting to rebalance the plans, which initially tilted heavily towards young girls by emphasizing attractions and experiences built around Disney’s stable of animated-movie princesses.

“We took a hard look at it amongst a number of us and said, ‘Can we make the appeal broader? Can we make it even better?’ “ Staggs said during an interview this week with the Orlando Sentinel.

The Fantasyland expansion is a critically important project for Disney. The Magic Kingdom, the busiest theme park in the world, now draws more than 17 million visitors a year and needs added capacity to ease pressure on crowds inside the park. The project, billed as the largest expansion in Magic Kingdom history, also comes as Disney World faces heightened competition from Universal Orlando, where the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter has drawn rave reviews — and enormous crowds — since opening in June.

Staggs declined to discuss specific changes to the Fantasyland plans, saying Disney would unveil them “in due course.”

The original plans called for a lavish indoor ride based on the movie The Little Mermaid, a trio of interactive princess character-greeting areas, an elaborately themed Beauty and the Beast restaurant, an expanded Dumbo attraction for young children, and a vaguely defined fairies-themed area.

Staggs said much of what was included in the original plans will be incorporated into the final product and that the changes are “improving it on the margin.” He characterized the revisions as part of any creative project’s natural evolution. As an example, Disney cited Hong Kong Disneyland, where early blueprints included an area dubbed “Glacier Peak” that was eventually replaced with a section themed around the company’s Toy Story film franchise.

“Our process is always iterative and always goes through changes as it goes along,” said Staggs, who was the Walt Disney Co.’s chief financial officer when he switched places with parks-and-resorts chief Jay Rasulo at the start of this year. Staggs added: “I believe one of my most important jobs is to make sure that I’m enabling and challenging our creative process to create the best possible result.”

Disney first announced the Fantasyland expansion plans 11 months ago, with Rasulo personally unveiling them during a convention in Anaheim, Calif., for a company-sponsored, $75-a-year fan club. Staggs is now running the theme-park division and Rasulo is CFO following an executive shuffle orchestrated by Disney President and Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger.

The Fantasyland construction is well underway: Yellow backhoes and mountains of dirt are visible behind temporary construction walls erected inside the Magic Kingdom.

But rumors have been building for weeks that changes were afoot, fueled by reports from a pair of well-known Disney bloggers, Jim Hill of Jim Hill Media and Al Lutz of MiceAge.com.

Company followers say there have been two pivotal developments since the Fantasyland plans were first announced: Staggs was installed as head of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, and Universal opened the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Staggs, who has three young sons, is said to have expressed concerns that the initial plans for Fantasyland were too narrowly tailored to girls. The Wizarding World, meanwhile, has delivered impressive early returns for Universal Orlando since formally opening June 18.

The more than $200 million addition to Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park powered the resort to a 2 percent attendance gain during the second quarter, its first quarterly increase in two years. Attendance at Disney World sank 2 percent during a similar period.

“I think Harry Potter helped” push Disney executives to revisit their approach with Fantasyland, said Lutz, of MiceAge.com. “I think it had an influence to say, ‘Hey, this is something that can be done on this level, and it’s not at a Disney property.’ “

Staggs said Wizarding World has not been a factor in Disney’s Fantasyland plans. “I don’t see evidence that somehow that has changed anyone’s direction or made them think differently,” he said.

But he said Disney is trying to broaden the project’s overall appeal. For instance, plans for three interactive princess meet-and-greets — where children could dance with Cinderella, celebrate Sleeping Beauty’s 16th birthday or play a role in a story with Belle of Beauty and the Beast — are being altered.

“One of the things that I thought the early design did fantastically was delivered on that princess experience. And that does tend to skew towards girls. … We’ve kept that intact — not exactly, necessarily, the way it was presented, but that appeal is there,” Staggs said. “I think we’ve added some things that aren’t just princess-focused, and that’s a good positive.”

Staggs said planners are also reviewing the Fantasyland expansion with an eye toward blending “aspirational rides” — rides that offer thrills or tension — with attractions designed for guests of all ages. And he said they want to ensure that the additions are flexible and can be updated or adapted over time.

The revisions are not expected to substantially alter the construction timetable; most of the Fantasyland additions are still scheduled to open in 2012 and 2013. Staggs said the project’s price tag will “not materially” change with the revisions, though a slight increase is likely because of certain additions. He would not provide specific figures.

Staggs said none of the changes should be interpreted as an indictment of the original Fantasyland expansion plans.

“We had a number of different people look at it and say, ‘Is it accomplishing what we want to from a guest experience standpoint? Is it accomplishing that in a way that is operationally great? Is it as broad as it can be in its appeal?’” he said. “The answer is, it largely did. But we thought we could continue to play with it and make it better.”

Disney says Fantasyland expansion plans are changing | TheDailyDisney.com from OrlandoSentinel.com

[Main Street Mom]

I find that most girls don't mind "boyish" things as long as we get our token girl character. That should make it a lot easier on Disney to find some damn non-Princess franchises to use in any future expansions. I don't get what the deal is, wasn't Disney popular with boys for a really long time? So little boys don't like cowboys & indians anymore. It's not like there are NO franchises for Disney to use to nab boys. The people in charge just fail really, really hard at knowing what boys like, I guess. So I'll give them a hint:

TRON.

Also see: ANY FRIGGING THING THAT HAS MALE CHARACTERS IN IT. DUH.

I completely agree with this. It seems like a lot of what Disney has going on right now is focused on little girls and the princesses. Don't get me wrong I think it's adorable and I know there is a huge market for Disney in this area. But basically making all of Fantasyland into something only little girls would enjoy is not something I'm looking forward too. Of course I'm the mom of 2 boys and I've felt it's been lacking. We love Fantasyland and Peter Pan is a favorite with all of us, I agree with Jupiter that they should expand on some of that. How about bring back the show that involved excalibur in front of the Carousel?! It will be interesting to see what happens in the end.

Basically, while Fantasyland is in need of an upgrade, what the MK really needs is another attraction on the scale of Indiana Jones or bigger.

This would be great!! And exactly what you talking about in general they need something that is going to WOW the guests.

[Buzz&Pirataes88]

I agree whole-heartedly with Disney's move... There's soo many Disney movies, characters, and stories that they could develop into non-gender specific attractions for fantasyland... plus an overload of a princess ambiance would get old, quickly. I wouldn't be surprised if they pulled ideas from HKDL's Toy Story addition, to be added on with tink's area... kind of like a mini-land in a land.

[sweeper]

Hercules anyone? Does he really need to wait for a Greece themed land? The WDW plans need to be grander as well. All of Fantasyland needs a redo so it doesn't look so cheap. Dland and DLP have far better Fantasylands from an aesthetic point of view. And WDW needs to find a way to up the ante with Potter Land so near. Medieval Fair tents need to go.

Or go back an revisit the Adventureland redo and give it a huge makeover. Do something grand for a change WDW please! The Magic Kingdom is the weakest park to me. Nothing that makes it stand out in the Disney parks empire. It's just there and big. The MK needs something new and unique.

[JT3000]

Wake me up when they announce an E-ticket. I want rides, not princesses... unless they're princesses in rides.

[Warting Wafer]

if they are revising the plans to make it more enjoyable for the whole family, that should only be a good thing. Really they should work on more attractions the scale of Pirates or Mansion.

[Snoopy]

Here's an aerial shot of the construction site:

Fantasyland news - New aerial view of the Fantasyland expansion construction site

The foundation has been laid for the Ariel attraction, and it looks like work is beginning on the Beauty and the Beast area as well. By the looks of things construction has stalled on the Pooh/Cinderella/Aurora area, so I'm not sure if that section is planned to make the cut of the new expansion changes that Tom Staggs mentioned.

[Wes1969]

I am glad to see that Disney is taking a second look at things. Ariel's ride, Belle, Gaston and the Be Our Guest Restaurant are locks. Dumbo most probably. That leaves Cinderella, Aurora and Pixie Hollow. Something will need to go in the space vacated by Cinderella and Aurora and it will not be Dumbo because that attractions needs to be next to the Barnstormer. The question is building an attraction with appeal for everyone, but mostly boys. With this, I have a really bad feeling.

I am thinking that the mini-land opening in Disneyland Paris will be what is coming. Parachute Drop, Slinky-Dog Zag Spin and RC Racer, rides in Toy Story Playland look like fun, but they hardly qualify as E-Attractions. In fact, currently the only E-Attraction is Ariel’s ride. I hope this is not the route they choose to go.

I would propose an E-Attraction using the technology (which could probably be improved) that Epcot’s Soar’in uses. Guests would be taken on a Flight with Peter Pan and Tinker Bell to and around Neverland. Currently, no such ride in the Magic Kingdom uses this technology. Peter Pan is a perfect fit To get to the ride, one would have to go through an Enchanted Forest. (Pixie Hollow). All this could be located between Belle, Be Our Guest and Ariel’s Ride. In the space, Peter Pan currently occupies, bring back a fan favorite - Mr. Toad’s Wide Ride.

As I see it, Disney needs to set the standard in theme parks. Why build anything, if you are not planning to outdo your competition. Disney needs the drive, the determination, the vision. The Pixar division of Disney has it. Maybe that Pixie Dust could be sprinkled on the Disney Board of Directors.