[Idea] Some unfinished business in WDW's Fantasyland

[Disneylandfan85]

With the new Fantasyland now open in WDW's Magic Kingdom, I feel that it's not entirely complete. For one thing, I think they need to update the looks of the Peter Pan ride and Small World at one end and the Mad Tea Party. And that's just the preexisting rides. Anyway, this thread is for my ideas to "finish" WDW's new Fantasyland, so that every part of it is involved.

Thoughts, comments, concerns?

[BandM]

Re: Some unfinished business in WDW's Fantasyland

With the new Fantasyland now open in WDW's Magic Kingdom, I feel that it's not entirely complete. For one thing, I think they need to update the looks of the Peter Pan ride and Small World at one end and the Mad Tea Party. And that's just the preexisting rides. Anyway, this thread is for my ideas to "finish" WDW's new Fantasyland, so that every part of it is involved.

Thoughts, comments, concerns?

I think most people think that. However, I don't why IASW needs a refurb since it got a big one in 2005. Having the facades updated would be nice, they're definitely aged. I'd love to see them rebuild Mad Tea Party the ride looks in pretty piss poor condition.

[KingEric]

Re: Some unfinished business in WDW's Fantasyland

Well the whole reason why they built that dang wall was so that they wouldn't have to update those facades. Because within the castle walls you are in the courtyard, so everything looks castle like.

[goofy donald]

Re: Some unfinished business in WDW's Fantasyland

peter pan is receiving a new interactive queue though once the new bathrooms are open and rumor is its coming to IASW too but I'm not to sure on that one. as for the tea party, i think thats the best were going to get unfortunately.

[KingEric]

Re: Some unfinished business in WDW's Fantasyland

I love how we as Disney fans are just used to settling now! lol

[goofy donald]

Re: Some unfinished business in WDW's Fantasyland

I love how we as Disney fans are just used to settling now! lol

lol i should have queued the "WAH-WAH" sound after my previous post. its so unfortunate lol

[Dapper Dan]

Re: Some unfinished business in WDW's Fantasyland

2005 was still 7 years ago and It's a Small World is looking pretty rough around the edges especially around the facade and Europe room. When I was down last month the clock was missing a figure or two which made the whole thing look pretty embarrassing. It reminded me of the wasteland version from the first Epic Mickey game, which is not a good thing at all. I don't think they could give it a real Small World facade without making it look dumb next to Pinocchio's. There's also no real space there for a person to stand back and see something like that properly. Anything other than the castle walls there would be really hard to pull off.

I'll never understand why they reversed the queue. By having people enter and wait in the facade they just get to see up close and personal for several minutes on end just how rundown those flats are. It's ok though because they're most likely looking out at the boats and across the water at the empty exit queue full of nothing. At least when it was the other way around you had the nice facade to look at while you watched the load area and you were too far away to see what condition it was in. (Hint, in those days it was in better condition too) Even if it did look a bit rough once you got to the other side you were flying up the exit ramp and probably didn't notice. The facade side is probably better for the interactive stuff but none of that is there yet.

I kind of want to see what they do for Peter Pan's facade. Hopefully they do something like the Disneyland version which would look very nice and might even enhance the transition to Liberty Square which is already one of the best land transitions in the park. Unfortunately I doubt we'll get much more than the castle walls that are there now, maybe a new sign.

Other than maybe some new lighting, I don't really think much needs to be done with the Mad Tea Party that isn't general maintenance stuff. It's a pretty simple ride but so is Dumbo. If they can make it look that good they should probably go for it.

Now there's one thing I still think is missing,
I'll admit it's a little pipe dream,
but despite how they changed the original plans,
princesses still rule the land's theme.
I'm not really sure where to place it and there isn't much room left, I know,
maybe they can reroute the speedway track,
or tear down Pete's Silly Sideshow.
For a house in the woods by a clearing.
With a cute little fountain out front,
in those waters where sits a gypsy cart,
following some terrible stunt.
I know that those budget folks are stingy,
and like to do everything small,
but in a land full of kiddie rides and princesses,
could we at least get back Toad Hall?

[BandM]

Re: Some unfinished business in WDW's Fantasyland

2005 was still 7 years ago and It's a Small World is looking pretty rough around the edges especially around the facade and Europe room. When I was down last month the clock was missing a figure or two which made the whole thing look pretty embarrassing. It reminded me of the wasteland version from the first Epic Mickey game, which is not a good thing at all. I don't think they could give it a real Small World facade without making it look dumb next to Pinocchio's. There's also no real space there for a person to stand back and see something like that properly. Anything other than the castle walls there would be really hard to pull off.

I'll never understand why they reversed the queue. By having people enter and wait in the facade they just get to see up close and personal for several minutes on end just how rundown those flats are. It's ok though because they're most likely looking out at the boats and across the water at the empty exit queue full of nothing. At least when it was the other way around you had the nice facade to look at while you watched the load area and you were too far away to see what condition it was in. (Hint, in those days it was in better condition too) Even if it did look a bit rough once you got to the other side you were flying up the exit ramp and probably didn't notice. The facade side is probably better for the interactive stuff but none of that is there yet.

I agree but it's nothing that bad, sure it could use a small refurb of a month or two but I don't think they need to go gutting the building again. I'm more disturbed by the fact that you can see that the facade is a cheap thing made out of plywood and all the turning bits plug into a standard plug at the back, on retrospect the old one fit much better, it worked better with the space.

Now there's one thing I still think is missing,
I'll admit it's a little pipe dream,
but despite how they changed the original plans,
princesses still rule the land's theme.
I'm not really sure where to place it and there isn't much room left, I know,
maybe they can reroute the speedway track,
or tear down Pete's Silly Sideshow.
For a house in the woods by a clearing.
With a cute little fountain out front,
in those waters where sits a gypsy cart,
following some terrible stunt.
I know that those budget folks are stingy,
and like to do everything small,
but in a land full of kiddie rides and princesses,
could we at least get back Toad Hall?

You dare ask Disney to take down those glorious temporary tents?! How dare you!
/s
Would be nice if we could get a variant of storybook canal, a proper Casey JR ride or at least something to do with Toad in FL.

[Disneylandfan85]

Re: Some unfinished business in WDW's Fantasyland

peter pan is receiving a new interactive queue though once the new bathrooms are open and rumor is its coming to IASW too but I'm not to sure on that one. as for the tea party, i think thats the best were going to get unfortunately.

Well, here's the first part of my idea for improving Peter Pan's Flight. I've heard that they're going to add interactive stuff, so I'll focus on the ride itself.

The ride itself will be largely the same, as there's not much room to do anything too fancy with it, so all of the updates will be in the preexisting ride. However, the track and pirate ships will be scrapped and replaced with more up to date mechanisms and lighter ships, like what happened at Disneyland. I'm not sure whether we can have four-passenger ships like in Disneyland Paris or not, but I will replace the ride mechanism.

At the same time, the load area mural will now have more designs something like the Disneyland mural. But in this case, rather than having Peter Pan and the Darling children on a cloud, they will now be flying above the city of London. It will look something like the artwork for the original home video release of the movie:


On the Neverland side of the queue, part of it will show the mermaids and Captain Hook's pirate ship, like in the Mary Blair piece of artwork below (just imagine it as a regular scene, instead of something stylized, as is Blair's style):


Moving on with the Peter Pan ride, it will have its fair share of alterations, many of whose cues are taken from the ride that we've thought of for Disneyland Australia.

So, anyway, you board your larger, more expanded pirate ship as it moves slowly through the load area without ever stopping (except for when they may have to help a handicap person get in or out). As you board, you hear the standard recording that says not to lower the safety bar yourself; it will lower automatically, which it does. You then proceed forward above the newly-added rooftops of London and then through a window into the usual first scene of the Darlings' nursery. You go past the scene of Wendy sitting next John and Michael, who are in their beds. You see Peter Pan's shadow on the wall as it flies toward a nearby window as Peter himself is heard saying, "Come on, everybody, here we go!"

You go out the window to the usual "You Can Fly! You Can Fly! You Can Fly!" melody that is heard in this ride like usual. But this time, in addition to the scene of Nana in the yard down below (a new AA version as she can actually be heard barking), you also can look to your left to see a lit window and silhouettes of Mr. and Mrs. Darling disturbed by the racket outside. "What the dickens?" Mr. Darling can be heard wondering. You then go over the usual scene of London, which will have been relatively untouched by the overhaul, save for more convincing effects here, including improved car effects on the streets and even the effect of the Thames' river's water "shimmering" in the moonlight.

You then go past the usual scene of the moon and Peter and the Darlings' silhouettes on it. But this time, they're going in the opposite direction, a more appropriate direction as you head toward the usual scene of the Neverland fly-over. The cannon effect here from Captain Hook's ship is the same, but Hook and Smee's voices have been updated. Hook now says, "Here they come, Mr. Smee! Shoot 'em down!" To which Smee says, "Aye-aye, Cap'n!" and then fires. There is also an appearance by an orange-colored octopus in the water, a subtle reference for the Return To Never Land sequel, the only such reference made in the ride otherwise themed to the original movie. But aside from those, the scene is more or less identical as to how it has always been: same mermaids, same Indians and so on and on. However, the cawing noises made will also be updated to sound more like seagulls.

So anyway, you end this part of the ride by flying over Skull Rock and from there, flying by the usual scene of the ride with Wendy about to walk the plank of Hook's ship, John and Michael and the Lost Boys lashed to the ship mast, the pirates all looking on and Peter and Hook dueling up in the mainbrace. Here, the figures of Hook and Pan are improved and more convincing as their blades somehow connect. Also, so that Hook can duel with his sword instead of his hook (as is the case in the ride now, bizarrely), the positions of the two will be switched, so that now Peter Pan is on the left and Hook on the right. This is also to keep the hook on Hook's left arm as usual (in Disneyland, it's on his right arm, for some reason). Meanwhile, the crocodile waits nearby, ticking away as usual. Swinging around the ship, the pirates are all knocked out and the usual scene of a victorious Peter (now wearing Hook's hat and coat) and the Darling siblings poised at the ship's steering wheel as Peter tells Tinker Bell, "We're sailing for London." The ship now glows a bright shade of gold (in the form of fiber-optics which quickly covers the entire ship). You then see the usual scene of a defeated Hook standing precariously on the crocodile's jaws to avoid going into his mouth (the jaws actually try to scissor shut (with Hook's legs with it)). Hook calls out for help to Smee, who answers from a rowboat.

You then see one last scene before the ride ends: you go through a waterfall and instead of the visuals of the gold-colored ship, you now see a cloud version of it in the London sky, just before the unload area. You see Wendy, Mr. Darling and Nana looking at it as Mr. Darling saying, "You know, I have the strangest feeling I saw that ship once... a long time ago, when I was very young..." You then head to the unload area and get off to the right.

And that's the new and improved Peter Pan's Flight at WDW's Magic Kingdom's "new" Fantasyland!

[Santana]

Re: Some unfinished business in WDW's Fantasyland

I'm fine with Peter Pan and Small World as they are. As others have said, their facades are justified because they're in the castle courtyard.

The only part of Fantasyland that feels unfinished to me is the Mad Tea Party area. I really wish they had at least given it the glass roof (like the one at Disneyland Paris) like they originally planned to. That whole corner of the park is so weird; it's outside the castle walls but it's still part of Fantasyland, but it isn't made to look like part of the forest like the Winnie the Pooh ride, and it's just a few steps away from Tomorrowland, with no real seperation between the two lands.

The concept art we got a couple days ago for a Wonderland-themed area would have been fantastic, and would have solved all of the issues mentioned above. Sigh.

[FigmentJedi]

Re: Some unfinished business in WDW's Fantasyland

Now there's one thing I still think is missing,
I'll admit it's a little pipe dream,
but despite how they changed the original plans,
princesses still rule the land's theme.
I'm not really sure where to place it and there isn't much room left, I know,
maybe they can reroute the speedway track,
or tear down Pete's Silly Sideshow.
For a house in the woods by a clearing.
With a cute little fountain out front,
in those waters where sits a gypsy cart,
following some terrible stunt.
I know that those budget folks are stingy,
and like to do everything small,
but in a land full of kiddie rides and princesses,
could we at least get back Toad Hall?

Well played!

[Disneylandfan85]

Re: Some unfinished business in WDW's Fantasyland

Now there's one thing I still think is missing,
I'll admit it's a little pipe dream,
but despite how they changed the original plans,
princesses still rule the land's theme.
I'm not really sure where to place it and there isn't much room left, I know,
maybe they can reroute the speedway track,
or tear down Pete's Silly Sideshow.
For a house in the woods by a clearing.
With a cute little fountain out front,
in those waters where sits a gypsy cart,
following some terrible stunt.
I know that those budget folks are stingy,
and like to do everything small,
but in a land full of kiddie rides and princesses,
could we at least get back Toad Hall?

Unfortunately, I don't think they have the room for Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.

The only part of Fantasyland that feels unfinished to me is the Mad Tea Party area. I really wish they had at least given it the glass roof (like the one at Disneyland Paris) like they originally planned to. That whole corner of the park is so weird; it's outside the castle walls but it's still part of Fantasyland, but it isn't made to look like part of the forest like the Winnie the Pooh ride, and it's just a few steps away from Tomorrowland, with no real seperation between the two lands.

The concept art we got a couple days ago for a Wonderland-themed area would have been fantastic, and would have solved all of the issues mentioned above. Sigh.

Funny you should mention the teacups. That's another of my ideas for "finishing" Fantasyland. For one thing, I would replace the canopy roof with something not nearly so tent-like. Instead of a glass roof, however, I would probably cover it over with some structure that resembles huge hedges, not unlike how it was presented in "Alice In Wonderland" (except with a roof over it).

But that's not even the half of it. I'm thinking about doing this ride with different designs than usual, because those teacups designs they have right now are SO 1970s. I was originally thinking about just duplicating the Disneyland teacup designs, but then I thought of doing the cups instead as more like the characters from "Alice In Wonderland", with the characters' color schemes and little pieces associated with them (i.e., the Mad Hatter's 10/6 tag, the Cheshire Cat's grin, etc.). Something like the picture below:


As you can see, there is an idea for the cup with the Cheshire Cat's grin on it. Maybe the one with the green-colored stripe could be themed to the Mad Hatter, with the 10/6 tag on it.

I also noticed that the carousel and now Dumbo have panels that depict scenes of their respective movies ("Cinderella" and "Dumbo", obviously) adorning the central areas. So I decided that the Mad Tea Party, also a spinner ride, should also have images of this kind, too, obviously themed to "Alice". One piece of artwork shows Alice meeting the Cheshire Cat, another shows the Unbirthday Party scene, and so on. But what should they be, though? One obvious one is the tea party scene, as I said, looking like this (but more rendered like for Dumbo):


Or maybe it could look like the image on this purse here:


Thoughts, comments, concerns?

[HMF]

Re: Some unfinished business in WDW's Fantasyland

With the new Fantasyland now open in WDW's Magic Kingdom, I feel that it's not entirely complete. For one thing, I think they need to update the looks of the Peter Pan ride and Small World at one end and the Mad Tea Party. And that's just the preexisting rides. Anyway, this thread is for my ideas to "finish" WDW's new Fantasyland, so that every part of it is involved.

Thoughts, comments, concerns?

It was going to be bigger and include the things you mentioned. Then Management got a hold of it and reduced it to what you see today.

[MTdizzle94]

Re: Some unfinished business in WDW's Fantasyland

The concept art we got a couple days ago for a Wonderland-themed area would have been fantastic, and would have solved all of the issues mentioned above. Sigh.

What concept art?

[Disneylandfan85]

Re: Some unfinished business in WDW's Fantasyland

What concept art?

Probably the artwork in the Disney Gallery's newest exhibit, which got its own article recently here: Disneyland explores the Realms of Fantasy and gets ready for 2013.

[BandM]

Re: Some unfinished business in WDW's Fantasyland

I'm fine with Peter Pan and Small World as they are. As others have said, their facades are justified because they're in the castle courtyard.

The only part of Fantasyland that feels unfinished to me is the Mad Tea Party area. I really wish they had at least given it the glass roof (like the one at Disneyland Paris) like they originally planned to. That whole corner of the park is so weird; it's outside the castle walls but it's still part of Fantasyland, but it isn't made to look like part of the forest like the Winnie the Pooh ride, and it's just a few steps away from Tomorrowland, with no real seperation between the two lands.

The concept art we got a couple days ago for a Wonderland-themed area would have been fantastic, and would have solved all of the issues mentioned above. Sigh.

Wait, that glass roof on the concept art was supposed to be installed? Anyway,, the autopia could be scrapped and be turned into a garden or something (just build a wall between TL and FL to cover it up), it would look nicer then a "future-themed" 1960s stock car simulator from the early 70s. Seriously the transition between the two lands is awful, if they at least went through with the Holidayland they planned in the initial planning it wouldn't be nearly as awkward.

[Disneylandfan85]

Re: Some unfinished business in WDW's Fantasyland

Here's another new idea of mine: I was originally thinking of including a Pinocchio dark ride in this new Fantasyland, but I fear that it would not physically fit in. Then I discovered something else that might work as an alternative, based on an abandoned concept for a possible replacement swing ride for the Orange Stinger at the California Adventure (before they decided to go with Silly Symphony Swings). It's a concept for a Pinocchio-themed swing ride, and it was to be called Geppetto's Workshop. An abandoned concept would finally come to life at WDW's new Fantasyland. Here's what The Neverland Files had to say about it:

When Mouse House management realised they needed to redo Disney's California Adventure and inject some much needed money into the park, one of the goals of the redo was to increase the presense of the characters in the park, something many guests felt was missing. So the Imagineers were challenged with finding some new theme for that giant orange jutting out of Paradise Bay. The Blue Sky Cellar, the display room at the park explaining to the guests why all the work is going on, displays some of this artwork, and I managed to photograph some of the concepts they didn't go with.

The first concept would have themed the ride to Pinocchio, renaming it 'Geppetto's Workshop'. Guests would have become one of the carpenter's puppets, hanging down with their swing chains acting as their strings - a really nice idea! The ride structure itself would have been given a very Victorian look, with a giant clockwork key at the top turning the whole ride into one of Geppetto's toys, and with murals depicting Pinocchio scenes painted all around it.

Here's a piece of artwork for it:


For more information and pictures, go here to The Neverland Files: The Neverland Files: Silly Symphony Swings overlays. Obviously, it would have to be augmented to fit in with Fantasyland, since it was originally intended for Paradise Pier, but it could probably be done, and it would be a fourth spinner ride with panels from another Disney movie. It just looks like something that could actually be built. For the location, I'm thinking maybe out beyond the Village Haus somewhere.

Thoughts, comments, concerns?