Phase 2 expansion

[soundtracker]

Perhaps I'm getting a little ahead of myself here, but does anyone know exactly what we can expect from the Phase 2 expansion of both the park and the resort as a whole? I hear that a new, souped-up version of Pirates will be going into Adventureland, and that a new style of Haunted Mansion is also on the cards. Has anyone else heard any rumours about this? And what about smaller attractions and shows?
And can we expect to see additions beyond the berm, such as a Disney Village/Downtown Disney area springing up?
Any information (or just pure speculation) gratefully received!

[Speedway]

You can expect to see a whole new Frontierland, with the usual Splash/Thunder Mountain rides, and as you said brand new takes on the dated Haunted Mansion and PotC themes. While I am on a Hong Kong Disneyland discussion, I might as well say this. The pictures and reports I have heard of Hong Kong pretty much contradict most of the moans I have heard (or read).

The photos on Screamscape show a fantastic looking Jungle Cruise (I find the Magic Kingdom Jungle Cruise one of the most boring rides in the park), an original Adventureland - which is more than I can say about California or Paris - and an interesting Tomorrowland. Yes, the park is small for a Magic Kingdom park, but Phase 2 practically involves a whole new park being built. I think we should save the critiscms (yes that includes you Roy) of un-opened park until it does open.

[Kronk]

I think a Downtown Disney will spring up relatively quickly. There is space alloted for it, and I think that if they want to keep people in the hotels, they will have to give them something else to do besides the park. Otherwise it is just as easy to stay somewhere closer to downtown and take public transportation to Disneyland for a day. HK Disneyland is really out in the middle of nowhere....

[merlinjones]

>>an original Adventureland - which is more than I can say about California or Paris <<

California's IS the original Adventureland. Poster must be a Disney executive.

[Witches of Morva]

ORDDU: A whole new Frontierland, duckling? Where would there be the room to build that? Certainly not within the current berm they've already constructed. Maybe you're saying they plan to build a completely separate park for Frontierland, alone? But, even if that was their plan, it doesn't appear that they have enough land to work with. Please feel free to explain...

[captsmith84]

There are no plans for a new Frontierland AFAIK.

[Witches of Morva]

ORDDU: We didn't really think so, either, Magical Ears, duckling. And thank you for saying so.

ORGOCH: Yeah! After all, ain't they already 'nuff bad bloomers 'n rumors goin' 'round as it is?!

[FrumiousBoojum]

I think it's a bit too premature to judge the park. Really does *look* like it will be a nice park, despite the lower number of attractions and smaller size (which is probably due to its location in part). I'm just going to give it time to open and see if they're actually willing to expand before I judge it too much -- after all, Disneyland and Magic Kingdom were pretty low on attractions at first, yet look at what they became. If it's actually nurtured, it'll become good, maybe even the best of the parks if done right.

My biggest complaints so far:

1) Sleeping Beauty Castle -- are they not able to do another castle besides Sleeping Beauty or Cinderella? I think it's about time that we see a castle based on Beauty and the Beast, Snow White, Mickey and the Beanstalk (2 castles in that one!), Sword in the Stone, or many other films that would supply a pretty good park icon.

2) In those photos, power lines going up the mountain were rather visible... if the mountains with these power lines are rather visible throughout the park, seems a bit too much like it could qualify as some bad show. Anybody know if they are?

Yeah, I do rather object to the low count of the rides and the lower count of the lands... but I'm just going to give it time to grow and see how well they can keep things going.

[NERDEUS]

I like the idea of a NEW castle -- Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty ARE getting kinda old now. haha.

[Barbossa]

I like the idea of a NEW castle -- Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty ARE getting kinda old now. haha.

For something unusual, how about King Triton's castle?

[Rainfully]

For something unusual, how about King Triton's castle?

WOAH! That would be very... gold...

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

My biggest complaints so far:

1) Sleeping Beauty Castle -- are they not able to do another castle besides Sleeping Beauty or Cinderella? I think it's about time that we see a castle based on Beauty and the Beast, Snow White, Mickey and the Beanstalk (2 castles in that one!), Sword in the Stone, or many other films that would supply a pretty good park icon...

Agreed, I think a Beauty and the Beast Castle would be great...

But do you think the communist government wanted them to copy CA's castle because it was smaller and less aristocratic for the Beijing socialists?

[KentB3]

Agreed, I think a Beauty and the Beast Castle would be great...

I in fact designed a Beauty and the Beast Castle for a mock Disney theme park I designed for WDWMagic's Imagineer forum (where I also post), and also posted to the MiceChat Lounge! Here is my drawing of the castle:



The color scheme is basically the same as the Disneyland Paris Castle, which I modeled mine largely after, and combined with the post-transformation castle in the animated movie Beauty and the Beast (1991), as well as adding a number of features from Mad Ludwig's Castle in Neuscheswanstein, Germany; which Disneyland's (and HK's) Sleeping Beauty Castle is almost directly modeled after, and Cinderella's Castle at WDW (and Tokyo Disneyland) took a number of features from Mad Ludwig's Castle as well!

But do you think the communist government wanted them to copy CA's castle because it was smaller and less aristocratic for the Beijing socialists?

That sounds a bit far-fetched to me, but it may be likely! :botox:

[soundtracker]

That's a fine looking castle there, Kent. Very impressive indeed!
Incidentally, I never meant to call into question the quality of the Phase 1 sections of the resort. I know the park is small, but we've all heard these arguements before, and I see no point in going through them again here. I was just intrigued by the rumours about radically new versions of classic Disney ride concepts. That's all I'm interested in, at least for the sake of this thread.
By the way, FroomiusBooJum - did you know that several alternatives to the "classic castle" idea were proposed for the French resort in the late '80s? We almost got a giant sandcastle, complete with bucket and spade!

[FrumiousBoojum]

By the way, FroomiusBooJum - did you know that several alternatives to the "classic castle" idea were proposed for the French resort in the late '80s? We almost got a giant sandcastle, complete with bucket and spade!

Aye... that they did.

I love the futuristic castle that was shown in "The Imagineers" book.

At least the castle of Paris at least *looks* a lot different than the DL original.

[Witches of Morva]

ORWEN: Personally, I'm a witch who doesn't think the castle in Snow White would work because the wicked queen made it all look so gloomy and all. Aside from that, since Snow White at least has a dark ride in all the other parks--the exception being Hong Kong's park--she's already recognized quite a bit from THAT angle. But doing a new version of Beast's Castle--from BEAUTY & THE BEAST--would work very well. I hope they eventually do that.

ORDDU: I imagine that another reason they opted for a Sleeping Beauty Castle that was of the smaller variety is because it saves so much money. No need for new blue prints--no need for more building materials. But, as my dear sister, Orwen, just said; I would prefer a new castle, too, that was based on BEAUTY & THE BEAST.

ORGOCH: Well, dang it all ta HECK!! What' s wrong with doin' the Horny King's Castle from BLACK CAULDRON?! Would somebody answer me THAT?!

[FrumiousBoojum]

Well, the Horn King *is* pretty well represented in the Castle at Tokyo... you've at least got that.

[Witches of Morva]

ORGOCH: Yeah, I know. But where's the representation fer US!! Not that I blames 'em fer ignorin' my two looney sisters. But when they has the nerve ta go 'n leave out the best witch of 'em all--well, they's gone too fer!!! And that dang Horny King's no big shakes, anyways! Cain't raise a proper army! Didja's all see how hard a time he had keepin' it up?! Should a sprayed some a that Viagra spray starch all over 'em, if'n ya asks me!!

[waltopia]

Tokyo DisneySea has two cool new takes on the 'castle' thang:

At the base of the Mt. Prometheus volcano sits a pink renaissance-style "Fortress" for "Exploring", including it's own galleon ship; which is actually a "castle" with around a dozen rooms full of fun things to do inside of it, including a great restaurant. No moat, it sits on a 'bay'.

Also at TDS is Mermaid Lagoon - this entire "land" of the park is inside a building making it feel remarkably like being underwater in a 'Fantasyland'.
Of-course, the outside of the building looks nothing like a building; it is completely concealed as a kind of King Triton's Castle. Not gold like the film, it has the same spire shapes and shell motif; standing about as tall as Disneyland's SB Castle, it is multi-colored and dripping with flows of water cascading down the entire structure. At the lower levels where guests walk into the building and are greeted by a big bronze Triton himself - the corral shapes of the curving walls are covered with an array of sea-themed tiles.
These same walls sweep around and form into the areas where the main structure of the Castle meet up with the rest of the outside areas, incorporating a ride or two and the big river in fron;, becoming flowerbeds, fountains and character meeting places. At night, the whole thing shimmers with millions of fiber-optic lights is swirling colors. Stunning to say the least.

So, it's been done, and very nicely. I think in HK, they wanted to reproduce the original, just as the Japanese had requested direct translations for their park. Obviously, starting small allows the locals to return for the growth to follow, but risks offending the international traveler familiar with the other Disney parks around the world. Hong Kong - who is paying for this park - is apparently more interested in developing a local attraction for Chinese citizens, than a destination resort. The scale makes sense when appreciating that those 1 billion+ people do Not know a Disney park could be different. The old Disney TV showsjust now getting there proves that. All the parks have 'grown' on their local audience, who come to love them watching them develop. Mind you, none of this will impress international Disneyland travelers, but there are actually quite few of them; and the park does offer unique beauties for the connoisseur. HK is an amazing place, but a bit short on things like museums and such - they want to beef up the offerings to make that an even more impressive city with this project, but do not require that it be so massive to draw people to a swamp like central Florida did.
At least thats my impression.

[GeneralShang]

Does anyone have any idea when Phase 2 will start and the projected completion date?