[Rumor] Western River Ride - Coming to Disneyland???????

[DisneyChrisDotCom]

Hi all - sorry for not posting in FOREVER - I promise to be a more frequent mice chatter from here on out. Anyway. I heard a rumor that Tony Baxter has delayed his retirement in order to FINALLY bring the Western River Ride, to realization, and the Big Thunder Ranch area is the proposed site for the new attraction. Has anyone else heard this? Is this just a pipe dream? It seems like the Disney folks are mentioning the infamous never built attraction more and more lately. Perhaps this is to build up some hype??? Wouldn't it be wonderful if that really did happen. Frontierland desperately needs something new.

[JerrodDRagon]

Re: Western River Ride - Coming to Disneyland???????

There have been rumors.....but as right now nothing is official on whats happening after the new Princess Fantasy Fair

[mickdaddy]

Re: Western River Ride - Coming to Disneyland???????

My worry is it sounds too much like pirates! Which if not mistaken was originally designed for the pirates space in WDW. Sounds like a fun ride but may need some changes from the original idea. Any way I have high hopes for the new Tony Baxter attraction!

[Dirton]

Re: Western River Ride - Coming to Disneyland???????

We've narrowed bits and pieces here and there but it seems like Baxter is indeed working on a big project before he retires, we're just not sure what yet. We do know from someone who talked with him that it is a movie based attraction (a movie opening up in the near future) and depending on how well the movie does we might see something in Tomorrowland or Frontierland. My moneys are on A Lone Ranger attraction, possibly something along the lines of WRE. But we’ll see.

[WDW1971]

Re: Western River Ride - Coming to Disneyland???????

I doubt it, sorry but don't be expecting it.

I don't see them building a ride that was designed over 40 years ago and which was meant to be a substitute for Pirates of the Caribbean.

I have heard rumors that The Lone Ranger, if does well enough in the theaters, is being considered for Frontierland.

[TL59]

Re: Western River Ride - Coming to Disneyland???????

I just want another attraction for Frontierland, hopefully where Big Thunder Ranch is...

[DisneyChrisDotCom]

Re: Western River Ride - Coming to Disneyland???????

I think Disney needs to stop making attractions only based on their latest movies, and create some original stuff again, just for the parks. Sinbad's Storybook Voyage in Tokyo DisneySea is one of the best attraction Disney has created in decades, in my opinion, and it is NOT based on a franchise.

[Dirton]

Re: Western River Ride - Coming to Disneyland???????

I doubt it, sorry but don't be expecting it.

I don't see them building a ride that was designed over 40 years ago and which was meant to be a substitute for Pirates of the Caribbean.

I have heard rumors that The Lone Ranger, if does well enough in the theaters, is being considered for Frontierland.

Yeah but WRE is different plus we just saw a resurrection of an attraction from the 60s with LFT. It’s totally possible


Regarding originality, it's no secret i'm a fan of movie tie-ins but i don't think using sinbad is a good example of originality. It's a super old story that's been adapted several times. The reason disney uses characters that are popular is because people are familiar with them.

[DisneyChrisDotCom]

Re: Western River Ride - Coming to Disneyland???????

I have no issue with movie tie-ins - but there needs to be more of a balance. Walt Disney himself based many of his new attractions on his latest film releases, but he also created many originals.

[YoungImagineer]

Re: Western River Ride - Coming to Disneyland???????

I like original rides to, but I don't feel as connected. With movie rides or tie-ins, I feel like I know their story/backstory better. But when it comes down to it as long as it is Disney quality I am fine with it. As long as its not all Marvel hahaha jk

[mickdaddy]

Re: Western River Ride - Coming to Disneyland???????

I hope for something original from Tony! If this is his swansong then let him go out with something amazing from his brain. I hope they give him free reign to do whatever he sees fit.

[Guest]

Re: Western River Ride - Coming to Disneyland???????

That would certainly be cool as long as it can differentiate itself from Pirates.

[Mickey Mouse rocks]

Re: Western River Ride - Coming to Disneyland???????

That would certainly be cool as long as it can differentiate itself from Pirates.

They could make it like a outdoor flume ride.

[sleepybear]

Re: Western River Ride - Coming to Disneyland???????

What is the Western River Ride?

[jchamb268]

Re: Western River Ride - Coming to Disneyland???????

Question for you all. What exactly was Western River Expansion?

[Dirton]

Re: Western River Ride - Coming to Disneyland???????

That was walt though (and the awesome ppl her had working with him) but that is really over now. Movie tie ins generate more money and have an instant base for popularity.

[chesirecat]

Re: Western River Ride - Coming to Disneyland???????

Hi all - sorry for not posting in FOREVER - I promise to be a more frequent mice chatter from here on out. Anyway. I heard a rumor that Tony Baxter has delayed his retirement in order to FINALLY bring the Western River Ride, to realization, and the Big Thunder Ranch area is the proposed site for the new attraction. Has anyone else heard this? Is this just a pipe dream? It seems like the Disney folks are mentioning the infamous never built attraction more and more lately. Perhaps this is to build up some hype??? Wouldn't it be wonderful if that really did happen. Frontierland desperately needs something new.

Remember that part of WRE did get built . . . Big Thunder. Originally, WRE was meant to have a boat ride and the mine train attraction added on. Tony embellished upon the runaway mine train concept and turned it into its own ride.

The rest of the ride was the "meat" of the attraction, with several comedic scenes from the Old West, involving bandits, cowboys and indians. It would have been visually stunning, different from Pirates in that respect, but given the technology of 1970s, it would have reused the same boat system.

The general idea of western river expedition makes a lot of sense as Frontierland doesn't have any character driven attractions outside of Tom Sawyer's Island, but we don't really see Tom Sawyer, though there are some Woody meet and greets. Big thunder is just generic theming, not telling a firm storyline.

Given this, the idea of a river style ride that tells a story makes sense. Disney has taken out patents for a new boat system which will allow the boat to be "pointed" and perhaps as adding some special effects as well. Travel on rivers was a part of life in the old west, and it makes sense to utilize this as a ride system. People don't say that Splash is ripping off Pirates because they are both water rides, expect the ride system for a WRE ride to be radically different from Pirates, perhaps offering some thrills between Pirates and Splash.

The WRE river ride sort of had a Pirates setup in that there weren't easily identifiable characters, should the Lone Ranger be used for a storyline, this would provide a ride experience much different from Pirates, and I think it makes sense as the western genre is well known. Plus, even if the Lone Ranger is forgotten in ten years, guests will immediately "get" that the 'sheriff' is after the bad guys.

Gone would be the drunk indians, replaced by Depp's Tonto who is the smarter of the duo, and gone would be the Marc Davis gags found in rides like Pirates and HM to create a more grown-up ride with awe-inspiring scenes and a vivid story, as opposed to people laughing about Pirates chasing women or their food, trying to get a couple dozen hats in a boat and other such gags.

I've heard that the ride might have inside and outside portions, thus giving riders a glimpse of the river as well as some outside portions which help tell the story, in addition to an entire "plaza" which would help to tell the story of the ride and Lone Ranger. Expect much of the inside of the ride to be the Lone Ranger's quest to bring outlaws to justice, as well as western sunsets that depictions of the beauty of the old west, just naturalism isn't really focused upon in Pirates (outside of the bayou scene), thus giving a WRE inspired ride a leg up. WRE, also utilizing the new ride system being developed (perhaps borrowing elements to be used for Pirates in Shanghai), would be faster than Pirates, giving you the sense that you're on the chase with the Long Ranger through western mining towns, a bandit's hideout, a foreboding ravine, a flooded mine, a saloon shoot out and possible encounters with animals like coyotes and vultures.

Right now, Frontierland is just highly themed rides without much story, a totally newly designed Lone Ranger E-Ticket boat ride would add to a land without a ride that tells a clear story.

[merlinjones]

Re: Western River Ride - Coming to Disneyland???????

>>What is the Western River Ride?<<

Marc Davis created extensive work for a "Pirates" level E-Ticket ride through the old west housed in a giant mesa setting, but Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was built instead.

[monster heck]

Re: Western River Ride - Coming to Disneyland???????

They could make it like a outdoor flume ride.

Splash Mountain is a few hundred feet away. Why would they do that?

[choco choco]

Re: Western River Ride - Coming to Disneyland???????

Question for you all. What exactly was Western River Expansion?

It is a 40 year old expansion idea that was NEVER intended for Disneyland and whose individual elements have been so poached over time that it would be pointless to build it now.

But to give you an idea, here is what it looked like: