So...

Originally Posted By sjhym333

Has the most popular resort destination in the world become so boring that we no longer have anything to talk about? The boards have been really slow and the most recent posts have been about an attraction not built 30 years ago and rocking chairs. (No offense to the original posters. I love the Witches and like talking about what could have been) But it sad to me that with four theme parks, 2 water parks, Downtown Disney, numerous hotels and sports activities that there is not more to discuss.

While the DL Resort readies for the rechristening of DCA, we here in Florida wait for an underwhelming Fantasyland addition and _________. I guess not much else. Meanwhile they keep cutting back on things they already so. The Flower & Garden was underwhelming and I hear the same is true about the Star Wars weekend.

The whole situation is very disappointing to me.

 

Originally Posted By FerretAfros

I'm still excited to go to WDW, and am tentatively planning a trip in January for the Marathon Weekend. But with planning a huge trip, then being out of the country for 3 weeks, and now suddenly needing to pack up everything I own and move across the country (closer to WDW!) on 2-weeks notice, I've just been a little swamped (so to speak) for the last few months.

I think that a bigger issue is that, unlike DLR, there are relatively few LPers who can visit the parks on a regular basis, and feed new information. No, they aren't doing as much to keep things fresh as DLR, but there's still plenty of change going on. A rocking chair-type discussion about DL would go on for pages and pages with furiously passionate discussion from both sides, where the WDW boards only see a couple posts. It's just the nature of the beast. If more people were able to visit on a regular basis, there would be more information to discuss, and more varying perspectives on it. Or maybe that's just me.

 

Originally Posted By HokieSkipper

<<underwhelming Fantasyland addition and _________.>>

I think this is the biggest problem with WDW right now. There's nothing downright exciting going on. Fantasyland will be nice, but it's not going to burn fires under the majority of people for a visit.

Other than that...what is there to look forward to? I'm excited for the Test Track refurb, but that's still going to be the same basic ride. Avatar? Even if it does happen its 3-4 years out.

In the mean time we may get a few refurbs (Pirates, Splash) and maybe even a HM-style do over for the Jungle Cruise...but other than that it's a whole lotta squat. Add to that the fact that 2 of WDW's parks need 700+ million each (at least) and attention akin to what DCA got, and you have just a weird situation.

I still want to visit, and probably will in January. But really, there's very little to get excited about, especially when compared to what Uni and SeaWorld are doing.

<<The Flower & Garden was underwhelming and I hear the same is true about the Star Wars weekend.>>

SWW really, really, really needs new life shot into it from an entertainment perspective. But it's as popular as ever, so I doubt we'll see that.

<<The whole situation is very disappointing to me.>>

I agree. I'm headed to California in the fall and I get so excited talking to people about DCA and Transformers at USH.

I'm on an Orlando theme park site, and we're all excited to talk about the night show, parade, Despicable Me, new KidZone, WWoHP 2.0, and Antarctica at SeaWorld.

But there's just no excitement when it comes to WDW.

 

Originally Posted By dagobert

>>>I'm still excited to go to WDW, and am tentatively planning a trip in January for the Marathon Weekend. But with planning a huge trip, then being out of the country for 3 weeks, and now suddenly needing to pack up everything I own and move across the country (closer to WDW!) on 2-weeks notice, I've just been a little swamped (so to speak) for the last few months.<<<

Sorry for being off topic, but how was your trip to Europe, especially to Austria and Disneyland Paris. It would be great if you could share some experiences with us.

Now back on topic.

There was a project for an expansion or retheming of Downtown Disney. What happened to that?

 

Originally Posted By sjhym333

I think with the economy downturn there were few companies who wanted to pull the trigger on entering into a long term lease at Downtown Disney. I am not sure that it is a Disney issue per se but more a $ issue for many companies and the fear of the capital needed to expand their business.

I have always thought Disney was short sighted on the way they have handled the shuttering of Pleasure Island. If they truly wanted to make changes that would have been great, but it seemed they shut down without any real plans or sponsors to fill the void.

I have said this several times over the years. The biggest problem WDW has is that there is no one person or a group of people who have an overall vision for the property. I think it is the biggest failure of first the Eisner regime then the Jay Rasulo team. Additions are hodgepodge and seem to come along haphazardly. The Studio is the best example of that. But all the parks suffer from a lack of direction. I don't understand why Disney hasn't built more at the AK (and I am still not a believer in a major Avatar addition) but both EPCOT and the MK have allowed to remain pretty inactive in terms of new experiences. My issue with the Fantasyland expansion is not that it is happening, but rather that when Disney finally pulled the trigger on new attractions for the MK this was the best they could do. Had they been on top of continually adding/changing the #1 theme park in the world, the addition would have been a welcomed addition.

 

Originally Posted By wahooskipper

I think it is safe to say that LP leans heavily to the left...coast. Even when DLR doesn't have a lot of building going on I think the conversation tends to lean to California. Add in an impressive redesign of DCA and it is no wonder that is generating heavy discussion.

People criticized the lack of new attractions at the Magic Kingdom (prior to the Fantasyland expansion) yet even through that dry spell the Magic Kingdom remained the most popular amusement park in the world. So, it begs the question as to what they really should do from a fiscal responsibility point of view.

 

Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt

"While the DL Resort readies for the rechristening of DCA, we here in Florida wait for an underwhelming Fantasyland addition and _________."

You know, way back when Eisner was constantly expanding WDW it seemed like every year there was a new attraction, park, or hotel (or all of the above) we Californian's got mostly nothing. A refurb here and a new attraction there. It wasn't until 2001 that Disney really focused attention on Anaheim.

Enjoy the fact that you have a vast selection of Disney theme park experiences to enjoy. New things are on the drawing board for WDW and they'll open in time and then we'll get to be jealous.

In regard to WDWs "underwhelming" Fantasyland, it may not impress you, but this is a huge upgrade from what was there before. The level of detail and storytelling is excellent, and in my opinion The Magic Kingdom's Fantasyland will be the best out of them all.

 

Originally Posted By HokieSkipper

<<The Magic Kingdom's Fantasyland will be the best out of them all.>>

I'm interested to see the final product, because so far I think paris will still outclass it.

 

Originally Posted By Autopia Deb

The entire board has seen a dramatic drop in activity over the last 2 years or so, not just WDW General even though this section has been hit hardest. I think having posters like Spirit leave and others like vbdad cut WAY back is the real reason for lack of activity here. But you know, I really don't miss the long pages of quoted text and a thousand posts of people repeating themselves using those long pages of quoted text.
Still as a D-Lander whose prefers going to WDW I miss the active discussions about it.

 

Originally Posted By sjhym333

I agree that the Fantasyland expansion will look great...Disney still does that well, but the attractions are lacking. The Little Mermaid is probably a D ticket. Mine Coaster is a D ticket and then a bunch of meet and greets. That is what I find underwhelming. A missed opportunity in my opinion.

True, the MK is the #1 theme park in the world and that most guests are not local and return only every several years, but that doesn't excuse both the lack of additions and the ongoing dropping of quality in what remains.

 

Originally Posted By wahooskipper

I agree that it doesn't excuse the "drop in quality" but I think it does excuse the lack of additions. Frankly, for a good part of the year I avoid the MK because of the crowds. I'm not that excited about additional bodies in an already crowded park as the result of the Fantasyland addition.

 

Originally Posted By tonyanton

well, part of the issue of the park feeling crowded is the lost capacity over the past twenty years...some of that will be regained with the Fantasyland expansion. What would also help alleviate some of the "crowded" feeling would be to reopen dead spaces, including multiple shops and restaurants that are either open part-time or were turned into storage rooms. Consider also something like the Diamond Horseshoe, which for most of its history offered shows throughout the day to full crowds.

 

Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt

<<The Magic Kingdom's Fantasyland will be the best out of them all.>>

I'm interested to see the final product, because so far I think paris will still outclass it."

That's possible, as DLP currently has a beautiful Fantasyland, and certainly the most striking Disney castle of all the parks. I guess what intrigues me about WDWs new version is the storytelling elements within the land. Fantasyland Forest and Storybook Circus look much more immersive than anything in DLPs Fantasyland.

 

Originally Posted By davewasbaloo

What about Alice's curious labyrinth, the castle walk through/dragon, and storybookland in paris?

 

Originally Posted By magic0214

<<The entire board has seen a dramatic drop in activity over the last 2 years or so, not just WDW General even though this section has been hit hardest. I think having posters like Spirit leave and others like vbdad cut WAY back is the real reason for lack of activity here.>>

Completely agree. I remember when I first joined in 2007, the Community Discussion and Meets sections were hopping. I barely had enough time to keep up! Now, everything has dropped significantly. I hope it goes back to the way it used to be soon.

 

Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt

"What about Alice's curious labyrinth, the castle walk through/dragon, and storybookland in paris?"

All great! However, it looks like WDWs is going to tie together the various stories being told in a much more cohesive way than in DLP.

"I hope it goes back to the way it used to be soon."

To be honest I hope it doesn't. There was way too much bickering and fighting back then. It's a much more pleasant place to hang out now.

 

Originally Posted By HokieSkipper

<<Fantasyland Forest and Storybook Circus look much more immersive than anything in DLPs Fantasyland.>>

See, I find the "Forest" portion to be a complete mishmash of styles and looks, whereas DLP's feels like one set "kingdom".

Parts of the expansion are beautiful, not doubt, but I just don't see it coming completely together and meshing well.

 

Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt

"See, I find the "Forest" portion to be a complete mishmash of styles and looks, whereas DLP's feels like one set "kingdom"."

Hmmm... I actually think the opposite is true. DLPs Fantasyland is more of a mishmash to me, a very well done mishmash, but a mishmash of European storybook themes and styles nonetheless. At WDW there's been an attempt to organize the stories together into mini-realms, and nothing like this has been done on this scale in any magic kingdom park before. How it will turn out is really anybody's guess, and perhaps I'm jumping to conclusion, but boy, it sure looks great so far.

 

Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA

<To be honest I hope it doesn't. There was way too much bickering and fighting back then. It's a much more pleasant place to hang out now.>

Wow. Be careful there, Dr. Reinhardt. There are many here who would very much disagree with you.

 

Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt

Them is fightin' words Jim.