WDW being short-changed?
Well, another major press event has come and gone at Walt Disney World and, after all the hype and hoopla (notably over the David Beckham/Beyonce/Scarlet Johansson ad campaign), all we are left to look forward to for the next 18 months is one ride - Toy Story Mania.
While DLP and HKDL seem to be getting the lion’s share of new investment through 2008, WDW looks like it is being somewhat short-changed in the great Disney empire, expected to grow their business with the Year of a Million Dreams, a lot of froth over the new Cinderella Suite and the arrival “sometime in 2008″ of the new Toy Story ride (simultaneously in Orlando and Anaheim).
Now, we know there will be some new developments at Epcot later this year, to coincide with the park’s 25th anniversary (including an all-new IllumiNations show), but this still seems to be very little to go on to excite people about a WDW visit in future. Once the YOAMD hoopla dies down, there is nothing in store for the MK, nothing for the AK (apart from a long-overdue new restaurant), nothing for either water park and nothing elsewhere in the whole resort (unless you include the final stages of the Saratoga Springs Resort).
So Toy Story Mania will be our only real focus for the next year or so in terms of major new attractions, so we have to hope it more than lives up to its advance publicity which, once again, seems just a little thin on the ground. It is being touted like a 3-D, more interactive version of the Buzz Lightyear rides now in each resort, which should obviously go down well with all the family.
And bearing in mind the advance publicity for The Seas With Nemo & Friends distinctly undersold that new ride at Epcot, it is quite possible TSM will be a major shot in the arm at Disney-MGM Studios, even though it only replaces an attraction (Who Wants To Be A Millionaire) rather than being adding an extra one to the park’s line-up.
The one reservation, though, is about the only artist’s impression artwork released so far. This horribly two-dimensional ‘cardboard cut-out’ effect does very little to whet the appetite for the ride itself and we can only hope it significantly undersells the finished product.
In the meantime, it looks like being a l-o-n-g wait for anything else of real significance at WDW.
January 29th, 2007 at 10:39 am
Expedition Everest, Nemo Ride, Nemo Show.. it’s about time the wealth be shared with the west coast. DL has unfortunately sat in WDW’s shadows for far too long and now that we have shown we can put up better numbers we are getting some well deserved attention. Stop whining I’m sure it wont last long.
January 29th, 2007 at 11:46 pm
Wow…yep…that blows, alright. How about something new that is quintessential Disney at the Magic kingdom for heaven’s sake! I mean, the last additions were less than thrilling for the over 10 set. I abhor the change to Alien Encounter …Stitch? Please! It blows! I was bored with Buzz Lightyear before I even went on it for the first time. Pooh? Cute, but not something I crave to ride again and again. the Pooh play area?…this thing belongs out back at one of the resorrts!!! Capt Jack added to “Pirates”? The Davy Jones effect was way better that the static J. Sparrow additions. I would have rather seen one great J. Sparrow addition than 3 so-so ones. Philharmagic?…actually, I love it…but it is a film…not a ride. It seems that our beloved Kingdom is constantly short-changed. Disney takes for granted that the Kingdom will always attract business regardless, and that “good enough” is just that…so why try harder???? And….I’m stepping off my soap box.