$3.5 Billion Walt Disney World Expansion? (Part 2)
Current rumors state that Disney’s Board of Directors has improved a CapEx infusion to Walt Disney World of between $3 and $4 billion with projects at Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and, of course, Disney’s Hollywood Studios. We covered the substance of these rumors in Part 1 of our $3.5 Billion Walt Disney World Expansion post, and I offered my commentary on the rumors for the Magic Kingdom.
For Part 2, I’ll quickly recap the substance of the rumors, and then turn to what I think of the plans for Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios/Disney Hollywood Adventure. As for the rumors, they are sourced from reliable insiders on WDWMagic, and summarized there in this synopsis thread. The main rumors concern Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and plans for Star Wars Land, Pixar Place expansion (akin to Toy Story Playland, but based on different films), Blue Sky Cellar, and infrastructure.
That’s the bulk of the amount between $3 and $4 billion expected to be spent on improving Walt Disney World, with Epcot and Magic Kingdom each receiving around $300-400 million. The rumor concerning the Magic Kingdom is that its Frontierland will receive a large expansion, which will presumably account for all of those funds. Over at Epcot, a replacement for IllumiNations is rumored, and it hopefully isn’t going to use all of that budget, as Epcot needs a lot more than just an IllumiNations replacement.
Now, here’s my reaction to the rumors concerning Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot…
My Reaction
As I said before, I’m really excited about all of this, and also optimistic. Disney’s Hollywood Studios is where the bulk of this investment will go, and at the projects there slated to receive something north of $2 billion, this is a project on par with–or possibly larger than–the Disney California Adventure 2.0 project (when all projects there starting with Toy Story Mania and ending with Radiator Springs Racers are accounted for, I suspect DCA 2.0 cost more than $2 billion).
The wheels at Disney’s Hollywood Studios are already in motion. By now you’re probably aware of several attractions having closed here, and speculation is that work is going on behind the scenes with actual construction likely to begin around the start of the new fiscal year on October 1.
First up, what’s not coming. Marvel. After Part 1, some readers wondered why Marvel wasn’t part of these rumors. The reason is simple: Disney cannot use most Marvel characters and the Marvel name at Walt Disney World because the exclusive theme park rights to Marvel characters currently in use plus their “families” and the Marvel name were licensed to Universal in 1994 (for parks East of the Mississippi), well before Disney purchased Marvel.
Some fans aren’t aware of this contract, which is understandable. Many are, and defiantly still seem to think Disney can somehow wrest the rights from Universal by having their legal team find a “loophole.” I have read the contract (and I am an attorney of the non-armchair variety). It is cut-and-dry, with little to no room for interpretation or loopholes.
There arguably is ambiguity in the term “family,” but not enough to make a difference. The problem with that is there aren’t a ton of characters Disney could build a land around if it didn’t use any in the Avengers films (Hulk is currently in use by Universal and any reasonable interpretation of “family” would encompass his fellow Avengers). I love Rocket Raccoon just as much as the next guy, but you’re not going to build a land around him and his buds.
Now, this doesn’t preclude Disney from strategically breaching the contract in the hopes of a settlement that achieves some degree of compromise, or attempting to negotiate a new deal with Universal, but ultimately, the ball is in Universal’s court. This deal is actually pretty fascinating stuff and I’ve reduced it to its most basic, pertinent terms here. I’d encourage you to read the contract itself if you want to learn more, but this post is about what is likely coming, not want isn’t, so I’m going to move on.
The first addition expected at DHS is a version of Toy Story Playland. I already wrote about why I’m okay with this even though I’m not a huge fan of Toy Story Playland. New details concerning this rumor tend to support my hypothesis that this land is part of the package deal because it is a cheap and quick way to up the attraction count in a park that needs quantity just as much as it needs quality. While I would much rather have 5 Star Wars (or other concepts) E-Tickets, that’s cost-prohibitive. The approach here sounds almost identical to Hong Kong Disneyland’s expansion, where they got needed quality in Big Grizzly Mountain and Mystic Manor, and quantity in Toy Story Playland.
The timeline for the DHS project is unclear, but the other upside to a land like Toy Story Playland is that it could be built quickly. If construction started on October 1, it wouldn’t be out of the question for this land to open in 2016. I’m not saying it will, but it could. This land has improved incredibly popular in Hong Kong and Paris, and would be a nice shot in the arm for a park that is probably going to be a sea of construction walls for the next few years.
Star Wars Land is rumored to be where the bulk of the money for DHS is going. Those familiar with this project have stated that these plans have actually improved as they have been iterated upon, and some insiders seem very enthusiastic about how this project has evolved. It seems like Disney really wants to get this land right.
I’m not the biggest Star Wars fan, so I can’t really say there’s something specific I’d like to see represented in this land. What I am hoping is that a single, distinct environment from one of the films, rather than a “greatest hits” of different Star Wars locales. One of the reasons I think Cars Land is so successful is because you feel like you’re actually stepping into that film. Same for the two Harry Potter lands. I think Star Wars has a lot of great environments that could allow for a similar approach, but I’m not sure there is a single environment that is as clear-cut of a choice as any of those environments.
The exception to this is the Death Star and I know a lot of fans would love to see it in the park, but I have a tough time fathoming how this would “work.” The exterior could be done in a style similar to Spaceship Earth, but that would look odd during the daytime and certainly wouldn’t be large enough to do justice to the actual interior of the Death Star. Maybe (hopefully) I’m wrong and the Imagineers could do something mind-blowing with the Death Star, but I’m betting it won’t be a part of these plans.
Ultimately, there’s a reason I write a blog about Disney rather than work for WDI, and that’s because I’m not as creative as the Imagineers. If the plans for Star Wars Land are as impressive as insiders suggest, they are far more impressive than whatever I could dream up. I really don’t care what the style or substance of Star Wars Land is, so long as it blows me away.
Then, there’s Epcot. With over $300 million slated to go to Epcot and the only rumor being that IllumiNations will be replaced, this means that either something else is planned in addition to the IllumiNations replacement, or this is one serious replacement with a huge budget.
IllumiNations is old, could use some more impressive tech, and too abstract for most guests. Despite that, I’m really worried about it being replaced. To me, IllumiNations is a beautiful show with a great soundtrack and sense of optimism…and Disney would never create something like it again. Just look at Future World and the change from ambitious attractions meant to inspire and educate, to cartoonified ones striving for nothing more than to entertain children. For this reason, I would much rather that the core of the show stay intact while upgrades are made to the tech within the show. Add new fountains, a larger globe barge, and some other new effects to bring the show up to current standards. If you’ve seen the new lasers in the show, you know what a difference upgrades like these can make.
Instead, what I suspect will happen is that it will be replaced with an entirely new show, probably a dumbed-down one hosted by Disney characters as they tour the world (think Gran Fiesta Tour). I’m not sure if it would be feasible to install fountains in World Showcase Lagoon a la World of Color (or if that’s even a goal since Rivers of Light will feature fountains), or if they would go in a different direction.
The tech upgrades rather than a complete replacement of IllumiNations would also cost a lot less, leaving more of that $300 million for other projects. Even if you aren’t an IllumiNations fan, I think most people could agree that Epcot has far bigger problems than IllumiNations. From Journey into Imagination to Ellen’s Energy Adventure to Wonders of Life, Future World needs help. Likewise, World Showcase could really use a new country or two. Addressing just 2-3 of these issues would probably eat most of that $300 million budget.
It probably goes without saying that my dream project for Epcot is to have Journey into Imagination restored to its former glory with a new ride, new ImageWorks, and new 3D film. An incredible trackless dark ride plus those other changes would eat a good chunk of that budget. Devote another $75 million to a new country (Brazil?) with a D-Ticket attraction to take some of the anticipated burden off of the Frozen dark ride, and I think Epcot would be a dramatically better park.
I’m optimistic that the plan for Epcot is more comprehensive than just an IllumiNations replacement. More than anything else, I would like Epcot to be an ambitious park again–one that doesn’t just go for the low hanging fruit or panders to the lowest common denominator. Really, though, no matter what happens, it sounds like Walt Disney World is going to look dramatically different–and dramatically better–after all is said and done. Like I said, I’m excited.
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Your Thoughts…
Do you think Toy Story Playland is a good addition? What about a big-budget Star Wars Land? Are you ready to see IllumiNations replaced? What other changes would you like to see at Epcot? I’d love to hear your takes on this rumored $3.5 billion investment in WDW, what your dream changes would be, and other ideas, so if you have any thoughts, post them in the comments.
If a Pixar playland adds some level of kinetic energy to the park and looks good at night, I think this could be a welcome addition. The last time I was at Disney World, I was walking through the Storybook Circus area of the MK one night, and though there’s not much in that area for me personally, it does have an atmosphere to it that I like. If it’s a kiddie area, as long as it’s themed better than Chester and Hester’s Dino Rama, I’ll be fine with it. HS is lacking in attractions for kids. It would be nice to see a new E-Ticket (or just something the whole family can enjoy together) to take some of the weight off of Toy Story Mania.
I really want to see money go to the Imagination pavilion. In an ideal world, I would want to see an attraction more similar in spirit to the original and the Figment comics, that takes advantage of a trackless system. Extend the “track” to take up some of the area where the current imageworks is, and open the upstairs of the pavilion. Yes, I do have nostalgia for the original ride, but I do think these characters can still be very relevant today. I think the Figment comics really have tapped into how versatile and how much potential these characters have to be apart of something fresh and new. There is so much that can be done with this and so much wasted potential currently. Have it be a real journey though imagination: not a journey through the five senses.
I think they have already started construction on the Toy Story area in HS! There was movement at the previous backlot tour when we were there last month, but I can definitely check it out again when we head back next month.
Good article Tom!
I agree something was lost at EPCOT when they went away from the wonder and went to the simplifications [Dumbing down?]. I would love to see the French pavilion get a new film/exhibit. Canada could use an upgrade also. It couldn’t be THAT expensive to upgrade the films compared to creating a ride [Frozen]. Germany always struck me as good locations for a more “dynamic” ride. Most of the older pavilions really need an upgrade or a re-imagining. having so many closed properties really looks bad. I think EPCOT has been the park that has suffered the most from the corporate bean counters. Never been a big fan of DHS. Sort of a half day trip to take some pictures. I am one of those people who is agnostic about MK. On a slow day it can be fun, but on a busy one….
WDW is large enough to allow the Imagineers and visionaries a chance to express themselves AND the commercial side do its thing. Here’s to hopping they get the balance right.
I think investment can only be a good thing, especially in HS which really needs it i think.
I just hope the parks aren’t building sites when i’m there in Feb/March next year!!
Great article Tom.
Few personal “wishes”:
I would wish they could somehow (even through a large fee) reacquire Marvel theme park rights, and crest the long rumored 5th park as a Star Wars/Marvel thrill park, more aimed at the 16-35 year old range. I feel like there isn’t enough space in DHS to properly do SW justice, it’s just too big a universe.
If they do want to do that, they could build a Death Star (with a small pod TIE fighter ride to mimic Test Track) and have the space around it like Endor. The Ewok theaming would be fun for kids. And they need to do some “resurfaced” rides from elsewhere there because DHS does need quantity badly.
Epcot; I hope they can get back to sponsor pavilions and keeping the movies out. Leave the movie stuff to DHS and keel Epcot the way it was (second try) meant to be (if you never read it, look up about Epcot original plans. Was supposed to be a planned community). Epcots “front” was and should be a year round “Worlds fair” showing off the cutting edge knowledge. I would be ok with 1 pavilion always being closed so it can get updates. Worlds Showcase does need a South America showcase badly. Brazil is a nice call.
Sounds like a nice big money investment while WDW undergoes one of its “for the next 20 years” overhaul. I just hope they don’t mess up and go too much “for the now” with attractions and don’t think long term sustainability.
Illuminations has incredible potential if done correctly. Given that EPCOT was a unique concept from the mind of Walt himself, how cool would it be if Walt was the one who actually hosted it? A holgraphic/laser generated Walt complete with actual audio could breathe life into the park and generate the inspiration it was once known for. Not to mention, it could bring a sense of nostalgia and history to the table that seems to be slowly fading away at WDW. Die hard Disney fans get it, but a nighttime show would introduce a new generation to the dream that started it all.
I am so enjoying your blog – I’m a Disneyland vet in the thick of planning after booking my family’s first ever Disney World vacation. I’m happy to be going for several days this fall, finally, before all of the major changes start taking place! Thanks for all of your resources. They’re fun to read and super informative and well-organized. I appreciate that!
Rumors suggest that a big motivator for dhs getting pixar place is because they purchased the attractions for shanghai.. And then they cancelled the land for that park… So they have the rides just waiting for installation.
I’ve been skimming the Spirit thread (and others) at WDWMagic as well. Really hope SW land lives up to the hype. Being a big SW fan and experiencing SWW for the first time this year…it is incredibly popular: talked with a local who has come every year and he said this year was incredibly busy. I can see a fully immersive land to enjoy year round and a hard ticket event ala MNSSHP to replace the SWW. You know Disney has gotta make money somewhere-and keeping the weekends in the spring spreads out the events from other hard ticket parties. I say now that I hope that is not the case as Disney may price itself out of many families range-yet we bought a premium Feel the Force package this year (family of 5) and we all agreed that it was a ton of fun and worth the money-this time…
Really enjoy the blog! And doubly appreciate the Disneyland hotel reviews-think we are going to make a trek westward while the construction happens at WDW
If I could wish just one Disney wish, it would be to put Sinbad’s Storybook Voyage somewhere – ANYWHERE – in WDW. I miss my buddy Chandu.
Will you be doing one of these articles about Disneyland rumors?
Thanks for linking the Universal rights contract! Should save a bit of arguing about facts in your comments section!
How about some speculation on what Disneyland is going to do with their expansion funds? You know, fun stuff, not parking structures and pedestrian walkways? Or maybe there won’t be much left after those boring things…
I think Disneyland will be getting a lot of Star Wars and Marvel. Unfortunately, it sounds like what’s coming in the immediate future is something temporary to Innoventions. I hope that isn’t the case–just get started on the big construction.
The dream for me would be an overhaul of the Imagination Pavilion. A brand new trackless dark ride starring Figment and Dreamfinder in the spirit of the recent comic book success. Something colorful, high tech and maybe a little trippy against the dark background that really gets the imagination going.
In the theatre at the same Pavilion, a new 3D movie showing how imagination and ingenuity have advanced us as a species. No skimping on the special effects of this, and focus heavily on how imagination and innovation will shape the world of the future. In the pre-show, give an overview of how EPCOT Center was Walt’s dream for a city of the future, using some of the clips from his original explanation of his vision. Show the development of the park through the years and really emphasize its roots for those that are unfamiliar. Oh, and use the original Horizons “If we can dream it, then we an do it…” music as the soundtrack.
I think this kind of a change would really please those of us who loved the uniqueness of EPCOT center but would also give a cool attraction for the more casual fans. Energy Adventure and Innoventions need refreshes too, but both could make it a little longer as is.
I think you hit the nail on the head completely. I cannot think of a better attraction for Walt Disney World’s first trackless dark.
My only concern is that 3D movies are waning in popularity; I wouldn’t be surprised if the next incarnation of the Imagination pavilion did away with the 3D theater completely, or just left it around for movie previews that are funded by the studios.
Nice website. Love Star Wars, but it’s more about characters and ride potentials to me than lands. Harry Potter is much better suited to places I want to go and be in. In Star Wars they always want out of where they are… Tatooine, Hoth, Dagobah system. Not even the Death Star to me is somewhere I want to hang out. The exception is the Millenium Falcon, but obviously not being a land, that can only accommodate so many people. The new movies of course could change that. Cool to think about though. Anxious for announcements.
Again, I’m not a huge Star Wars fan, so I may not be the best judge, but I definitely think Tatooine could be built in such a way that people would want to be there. Can you imagine an Audio Animatronics band in Mos Eisley Cantina? What about the fortresses? I don’t know, maybe they could embellish the area a bit to make it something “cooler”, but it seems pretty cool as-is, to me.
The problem is Tatooine is making a Florida swamp resemble Tunisia or Death Valley.
Easier would be Naboo, Endor (but Ewoks :0) or Yavin 4. They at least have trees.
And save Tatooine for DLR 3rd gate.
Couldn’t agree more about Epcot. Would much rather see all the money spent on Future World than other areas, starting with Journey into Imagination.
If I remember correctly, there was a comic book where Rocket Raccoon and Howard the Duck opened up a parody of Disney World. Things got…weird (like most stories involving Rocket or Howard).
Anyway,
I am super excited about any Star Wars developments. My dream is a X-Wing coaster, but I’ll take whatever I can get. But I agree with you, it would be better if they focused on one world, like Tatoonie. Tatoonie would make the best choice, as it’s iconic, has the Cantinia (sit down restaurant and bar!), has a lot of weird aliens and droids that can be intearactive, and has a market place (similar to Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade). Plus Blue Milk, Disney’s answer to Butter Beer. And they can add in an intense Pod Racer ride, and then a slower dark ride with droids and aliens. And of course Star Tours will be added in somehow.
As for Pixar Place, yeah probably some kiddie rides similar to Toy Story Playground or A Bug’s Land, but themed after different Pixar films. And maybe we can get an expansion of Pizza Planet to the point that it looks like the movie, and maybe a sit down Ratatouille restaurant like the one in France.
As for Illuminations, I love it, and would hate to see it go. It’s by far my favorite fireworks/laser show ever! So hopefully they will update the technology, but keep the abstractness.
I agree with Future World, it needs some serious work. Innoventions West is now closed down, and Disney says that they are working on something in there. Hopefully it will not be as lame as Innoventions. I would be down with an entire building of Sum of all Trills simulators. Ellen’s Energy Adventure needs to go. I’m not really sure who rides it. I never had any interest to, and I’ve never seen a line for it. I would rater spend 45 minutes wandering around World Showcase. And I would love Inside Out to take over Imagination or Wonders of Life. I feel like they could do a lot with those characters, and make it educational at the same time.
But I guess we’ll find out their plans at D23. Maybe they will surprise us all and announce things that were not rumored or expected.
Totally agree about Tatooine. I disagree about a coaster, unless it really pushes the envelope and is unlike any coaster we have ever seen. I guess I feel that Disney can do better than a coaster, which is a concept that doesn’t allow for a ton of creativity in design. Plus, it’s sort of tough to hide a coaster.
I’ve heard some rumors recently that we may not hear a ton of details at the D23 Expo. This would be disappointing, but if the Star Wars Land plans contain anything substantive from Episode 7, they will not release them until after the movie is released.
Dreaming big here, but maybe something that combined a sort of “wild mouse” style ride with Space Mountain and Toy Story Mania, housed in a Death Star shaped building? The idea would essentially be that you’re shooting down TIE fighters on your way to blow up the Death Star, an experience that would be pretty insanely rewarding for most fans.
Star Wars has slowly been growing on me over the last 15 years, so I’m excited to see what we get from that. A nice E-ticket would be fantastic, but most importantly, I want a land with depth. And I want a Cantina with fun drinks and a funky AA band.
I agree that Ellen’s Energy Adventure needs severe help, but it needs to be done in such a way that we get to keep the dinosaurs. I seriously ride it just to see the dinosaurs.
What’s your view on some steampunk Figment/Dreamfinder, a la the comic series?
Totally agree about Star Wars Land.
Obviously, I also agree about the dinosaurs in Ellen’s Energy Adventure. While the “science” in the attraction is also outdated/incomplete, I’d still say it’s not in as urgent of a need of help as Journey into Imagination (or Wonders of Life, if Disney decides to use it as an attraction again, instead of special event space).
Agree with your insight on Star Wars Land — hopefully WDI takes a leaf out of the Harry Potter areas and can really dial in on some awesome aspects of the Star Wars series.
Is Brazil as a potential country in Epcot a rumor or your guess? South America is not represented at all, and with the Brazilian guests being such significant tourists it makes sense, just wondered if you’ve heard anything.
I haven’t heard any reliable rumors that Brazil is a potential country for World Showcase, but it just makes sense given guest demographics.
Thanks for using your legal skills to research the issue with Marvel!
I am a fan of more interactive, less structured, attractions with children. So even thought mine will likely be too old by the time it is ready Toy Story Playland sounds like a great idea. I am sad about potentially losing Tom Sawyer’s island though for the same reason.
I’m all for anything Star Wars or SciFi in the parks- although like many people I keep wondering what they’re planning to do with Tomorrowland…
HS and Epcot DEFINITELY need more in the way of attractions. Bring on the money!
Toy Story Playland isn’t a playland in the style of Tom Sawyer Island. It’s a bunch of off-the-shelf amusement park attractions. At least, that’s what it is in Hong Kong and Paris. At Walt Disney World, I could see it having a large playground type area (converting the HISTK area to ‘a bug’s life’ would make sense).
Great article, I hope your optimism is correct.
I agree on most everthing, except Journey into Imagination. The original attraction was certainly better than today’s. But I think is reflected on more grandly due to the passage of time and nostalgia. I think they can do much better with a completely clean slate
I sure hope we receive more info during the D23 Expo next month, especially concerning Hollywood Studios.
If not, the knives will be out BIG TIME within the WDW fandom community.
I wouldn’t want them to revert to the old attraction. Rather, use the familiar characters as the basis for a totally new, really imaginative attraction that merely draws inspiration from the original.
Even if they won’t divulge details about Star Wars Land for DHS at the D23 Expo, I hope they at least announce the big-picture plans for DHS.
I would like to see more of a reverting back to the original. Seeing the way it was on YouTube makes me long for it even more. Figment and DREAMFINDER were cute and adorable. The songs were insanely catchy and the character voices perfect. Now, figment comes across as a slightly obnoxious prankster. I would like to see a mixture of the themes. Five senses works great for the queue. It could be added verses and scenes to the original.