Top 10 Disney World Rumors We’d Bet Against
It’s an exciting time to be a Walt Disney World fan. During the latest D23 Expo, the company announced plans for the next 5 years, through 2030 or so. Rumors and wishful thinking are still swirling for the back half of the decade, with speculation of new lands and attractions, plus ride reimaginings and other expansion. (Updated December 1, 2024.)
Along with fresh and exciting new buzz, some age-old rumors won’t die, popping up again and again over the years with a stubborn persistence. So it should come as no surprise that certain possibilities are making a resurgence once again, given that a few of these projects were pitched during the last development cycle that came to a premature end.
This should come as no surprise. The company has $17 billion investment plans for Walt Disney World in the next decade. Theme parks being an area of strength and stability for the company, with the past decade of investments fueling massive growth. On top of all that, the elephant in the room for Walt Disney World is Epic Universe, the third theme park at Universal Orlando. That will renew the theme park wars in the decade to come, motivating Disney to come up with a better “answer” to Epic Universe than it’s current “nothing.”
With all of that said, not all “rumors” for the future of Walt Disney World are of equal quality or likelihood. Those are air quotes around rumor, as so many of the proposals are WDW diehard’s daydreams. Things we as a fan community would collectively love to see, but are nevertheless unlikely. If this wishful thinking is repeated often enough and with a certain confidence, it takes on quasi-rumor status–like a bad game of telephone. That’s some of the list below.
There are also entries that have more credibility to them, and a greater likelihood of coming to fruition down the road. These are real rumors, or were at one point. If the above category is like a bad game of telephone, this is akin to “where there’s smoke, there’s fire.” Rumors that have lingered because they’re good ideas–and those never die in Imagineering. However, being a good idea doesn’t alone guarantee a project being greenlit, meaning we might have to wait a while longer for these concepts to come to life.
Suffice to say, we’d bet against hearing any of the following announcements during the 2025 Destination D23 or even the 2026 D23 Expo. Maybe in 2030 or beyond, but the chances of anything on this list becoming official in the near-term is exceedingly unlikely…
Skyliner Expansion – This one keeps coming up, and I’m not really sure from where. Every time I hear rumors of a supposed Skyliner expansion, the routes are different. Sometimes there’s a connection for Coronado Springs, Animal Kingdom Lodge, and the All Stars to Animal Kingdom. Then there was Coronado Springs to Blizzard Beach and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. And so forth.
I have a hard time believing that any of these or other routes happen. The first Skyliner fulfilled a goal of getting buses off the roads, upgrading accommodations to create two “Value Plus” and one “Moderate Plus” resort, while giving a new Disney Vacation Club tower in no man’s land a distinct selling point.
Before daydreaming about Skyliner expansion, you have to answer a critical question: what does this do for Disney? Coronado Springs already does reasonably well as the convention hotel, the All Stars serve a role as budget-friendly accommodations, and there’s little incentive to spend a lot to make access easier to a shopping center filled with third parties. About the only possibility, I guess, is further reducing labor and other costs of buses, but I don’t see that alone as sufficiently compelling for Skyliner expansion.
De-Disco-ified Yeti – Joe Rohde “promised” to fix the infamous Disco Yeti that hasn’t worked for most of Expedition Everest’s existence. The legendary Imagineer couldn’t get that done when he was around, and now he’s gone. C’mon, does anyone really believe that Disney is going to spend the money necessary to fix this? When even the park’s biggest advocate–and one with internal influence–couldn’t get it done?
Honestly, I’m fine with it. The Yeti Audio Animatronics was a colossal waste of money for something that can only be seen for a fraction of a second. In a park that has plenty of problems and is in urgent need of a lot of help, the yeti should not be fixed anytime in at least the next decade. Budgets are finite and that’s a poor use of both (down)time and money. Sorry not sorry.
If you still think Disco Yeti should be fixed, which project do you think the ~$50 million should come from? Tropical Americas, Villains Land…maybe Magic Kingdom doesn’t actually need a night parade? Fans complain about Walt Disney World not getting enough attention, but it does–the bigger problem is that the company doesn’t spend money smarter when it comes to WDW.
5th Gate – I’m not even going to dignify this one with a lengthy explanation. We’ve been over this time and time again, but it keeps coming up due to Universal’s Epic Universe.
Many fans expect an equivalent “answer” to Epic Universe, and the only thing that can really compete with a new theme park is a new theme park. That absolutely will not happen. There is a 0% chance Disney announces a 5th theme park for Walt Disney World at the 2025 Destination D23 and like 2% that one is announced by the 2034 D23 Expo.
Read more about the ‘why’ of this: Here’s Why a 5th Theme Park Will NOT Be Built at Walt Disney World in the Next Decade.
Wonders of Wakanda – Back when the first Black Panther movie was a smash success at the box office, there were credible rumors that Disney was evaluating it for the parks. One of the leading contends was it replacing Wonders of Life. Obviously, it did not win out as Play Pavilion was announced instead.
In the last year, both Disney CEO Bob Iger and Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro have discussed Wakanda as a leading candidate for expansion at Walt Disney World or Disneyland. It’s right up there with Frozen and Encanto as the IPs mentioned most.
Repurposing the Wonders of Life pavilion into Wakanda would create a de facto Marvel miniland in World Discovery, and it could be the second ‘Other World Showcase’ pavilion. From Walt Disney World’s perspective, and as a matter of marketability, that probably makes a lot of sense.
Personally, I don’t love the idea of more Marvel in EPCOT, but I suspect that Wakandan technology could be the jumping off point for this to be shoehorned into EPCOT. It wouldn’t make any less sense than the Wonders of Xandar, which works decently well as a framing device.
Still, I don’t think this happens. I do think more Marvel is likely down the road at Walt Disney World if the films start performing better at the box office, and I also think that sooner or later, Universal actually is going to give up the Marvel rights, but I don’t think Wonders of Wakanda is what comes to fruition in Florida.
The Simpsons – There are highly credible rumors that when Universal’s license on the Simpsons expires in 2028, those lands will close. There are myriad reasons for this, from the ride system being in poor shape and approaching the end of its life to Universal wanting dedicated Nintendo presences in each of its existing gates in addition to Epic Universe. Those explanations pass the smell test for me.
What does not pass the smell test is the assumption that once the theme park license reverts to Disney, they will take advantage of that by building their own land, attraction–whatever. This is not a credible rumor, it’s an assumption. And, in my view, it’s not a good one. The Simpsons is valuable to the Hulu back catalog because it has a ton of episodes. I’m highly skeptical that it’s valuable as a theme park property in the 2030s, when the franchise’s peak popularity is over 30 years in the past.
Monsters, Inc. Doors Coaster – Thankfully, I’m not a gambling man–as I would’ve lost money betting against this since Monstropolis was announced during the 2024 D23 Expo and subsequently confirmed as replacing Muppet Courtyard and MuppetVision 3D. Nevertheless, not being one to re-write history, I’m preserving my original (incorrect) prediction for posterity:
Since I’ve been active in the fan community as an adult, there have been rumors of a Monsters Inc. Doors Coaster. At one point, it was a “done deal” for the spot next door to Toy Story Mania in Pixar Place. At some point, the location moved to Animation Courtyard. Other versions place it in Sunset Showcase or area that is currently backstage but could be repurposed to connect dead ends of the park.
For the record, I think the Monsters Inc. Doors Coaster is a brilliant idea for a family-friendly “story” coaster. I also think that there’s truth to the notion that good ideas never really die in Imagineering and that applies to this concept. So I still think there are decent odds this gets built somewhere, someday. I’m just not confident it’ll be at DHS or greenlit until there’s another Monsters movie that does well at the box office.
Liberty Square Removal & Replacement – If I were playing the betting markets, I’d only wager $1 on this. Walt Disney World’s official announcement of Cars Land Replacing Rivers of America, once unthinkable, has opened the floodgates on rumors about large parts of Magic Kingdom being redeveloped.
Topping that list is Liberty Square. It makes complete sense. Liberty Square is adjacent to Rivers of America, contains one of the least popular and most controversial attractions at Walt Disney World (that requires regular updates!), and isn’t as fully-fledged of a land as Magic Kingdom’s others.
The world, both the real one and Walt Disney World, has also changed a lot since 1971. EPCOT Center opened with an American Adventure pavilion, arguably making Liberty Square redundant. Walt Disney World is now an international tourist attraction, calling into question its heavy-handed Americana.
I’m skeptical of all this. While it wouldn’t surprise me if Frontierland and Fantasyland eventually absorb the land, I don’t think there’s any urgent desire to remove Liberty Square from Magic Kingdom. Americana certainly isn’t an issue and the land is not problematic. The international parks (minus Shanghai) all lean heavily into Americana. Heck, Tokyo has more of it than the U.S. parks!
Not only that, but Disney is increasingly sensitive of perceptions, and retheming Liberty Square is likely politically unpalatable for leadership for at least the next decade as the company tries to dig out of assorted controversies. Eventually, Hall of Presidents will go, but the Liberty Square name will likely outlast it. For how long? I’m not willing to bet on that.
Mickey Avenue – Speaking of the international parks, there have been rumors that Main Street USA would be reimagined into Mickey Avenue ever since Shanghai Disneyland opened with the latter. These have been concurrent with claims that the company wants to excise Walt Disney from the parks.
I’d bet much, much more than $1 that this doesn’t happen anytime soon–or ever. For one thing, the contention about Walt is pure rubbish. It’s an outgrowth of (more credible) claims that the contemporary company doesn’t respect his legacy as reflected in the parks as historic areas are reimagined or replaced.
Misguided as they might be, the underlying motivations for that are wholly unrelated to Walt Disney. They’re about replacing “underutilized” capacity, reducing costs, or modernizing infrastructure. Relationship to Walt is coincidental, usually by virtue of these areas being older.
Even giving this a modicum of thought reveals it doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. The company wants to excise Walt Disney from the parks at the same time that it adds countless statues of the man, is creating an advanced Audio Animatronics of him and stage show revolving around his life, and has done numerous other things to honor his legacy. Again, some might be misguided (see the Walt Disney hologram), but those would nevertheless be weird moves for a company keen on forgetting its founder.
Main Street USA likely isn’t going anywhere. At least, not in Magic Kingdom or Disneyland. But I can’t imagine any desire to invest in a replacement in Hong Kong or Paris, either. It would be controversial, costly, and wouldn’t generate any revenue. A perfect storm of reasons for it not to happen.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Expansion – Disney will never admit it, but Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge has underperformed relative to expectations. Look no further than Disney cancelling plans for the Paris version of the land and never cloning the expansion anywhere else. (Not to mention the unmitigated failure of Galactic Starcruiser, but that’s a somewhat separate topic.)
Had Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge been a success, it had plenty of room for expansion at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. And it still seemingly could take over Grand Avenue or more backstage real estate, adding another ride and more in the process. It won’t. At least, not anytime in the foreseeable future.
The best case scenario–and one that I strongly believe should happen–is a soft reboot of the land that ditches the strict “story” and timeline rules to make the land more fun. That could yield more entertainment and the previously-planned restaurant, and it would give Galaxy’s Edge a shot in the arm in the process.
This has now been announced, sort of, thanks to the Mandalorian and Baby Yoda coming to Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. If popular, that could result in further expansion of the land down the road, but no time soon.
Jungle Book Ride – Back before there were credible rumors of a Lion King ride heading to Animal Kingdom, there were reports of a Jungle Book attraction heading to EPCOT as part of an India pavilion. Like Lion King, part of the rumor was that the Jungle Book attraction would utilize the same ride system as Shanghai Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure.
This ride system for an underwater-controlled boat was patented by Disney several years ago, but has yet to resurface in other attractions aside from Shanghai. Previously, the ride system was also rumored for Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure in Fantasy Springs at Tokyo DisneySea and a new Pandora attraction in Animal Kingdom. Now it’s rumored for Pandora at Disney California Adventure.
It doesn’t appear that Jungle Book ride rumors are totally dead. I wouldn’t bet on them coming to fruition anytime soon, but I also wouldn’t bet against them. Jungle Book is one of the few animated classics that doesn’t have an attraction (the live action remake also did really well). That alone adds an element of plausibility to this possibility.
Ice Age Mountain – Ever since Disney acquired the rights to Ice Age via the Fox transaction, ideas have floated around about the franchise finding a home at Animal Kingdom. Fans assumed that since Ice Age was popular (was it really, though?), it’d end up in the parks. The latest iteration of this is an overlay of Expedition Everest.
I don’t think that’ll happen, and I also don’t think any Ice Age attractions or a land will ever happen at Walt Disney World. The company simoly does not view Ice Age as one of its top-tier franchises. There has never been any signal whatsoever that Disney plans on incorporating these movies into the parks.
It should be telling that not even characters have appeared in the parks at this point. If they’re not willing to spend the minimum on entertainment or temporary offerings, what reasonable basis is there for believing they might build a full land or ride?
World Showcase Expansion – Walt Disney World has a long and rich history of unbuilt World Showcase pavilions that came so close to happening. Most notable are Equatorial Africa, Spain, and Israel, all of which were actually announced by Disney. If you’re not familiar with these concepts, there’s a lot about them in Walt Disney’s Epcot Center: Creating the New World of Tomorrow.
Fast-forward to the 2010s, and the big rumor was Brazil. This gained momentum from 2017 to 2019, to the point that an announcement during the latter year’s D23 Expo was believed to be a done deal. In fact, a scheduled tweet from Disney partners “leaked” the news…that never was. While we don’t know for sure what happened, more rumors afterwards suggested it was a timing issue and Disney not wanting to announce during the 2019 Amazon rainforest fires. Then, of course, 2020 happened.
Fast forward again to this year, when Disney announced D23 Brazil: The Ultimate Fan Event to be held in Sao Paulo. Crickets. It does not seem like there’s any appetite for further expansion in World Showcase. Even if there should be. My bet is that Brazil does come to World Showcase eventually, but not before the 2030s.
Disney’s Magical Express Returns – It’s unlikely that Disney’s Magical Express is ever coming back. However, if ever there was a time to bring back the airport transportation that gave Walt Disney World a quasi-captive audience and helped increase occupancy, it’s when the competitor across town is opening a new theme park and has a glut of hotel inventory.
Ending Disney’s Magical Express makes little sense even from a long-term business perspective. This is because, unlike other on-site guest perks, the “free” service was incredibly valuable to Walt Disney World. It made tourists a captive audience who were less likely to go and spend money elsewhere.
Long ago, Walt Disney World determined that the increase in average per guest spending with Disney’s Magical Express plus the perceived convenience and goodwill obtained from the shuttle outweighs the average per guest cost of offering the service. That calculus might’ve changed during the era of pent-up demand, especially as rideshare services became more common and easier to burst the Disney bubble, so to speak.
The opening of Epic Universe might be occasion for revisiting the decision. The biggest threat Universal poses to Disney comes via hotel occupancy numbers. If Epic Universe can peel away even ~10% of on-site guests from Walt Disney World, that’s a big problem.
Disney’s Magical Express could help address that, while also keeping a subset of guests entirely on-site. So while I’d still bet against a return of Disney’s Magical Express, there’s a non-zero chance of it happening…and the likelihood increases if Walt Disney World feels pressure from Universal Orlando.
BONUS: 3rd Gate at Disneyland – DisneylandForward has broken the brains of Disney fans. What was once thought impossible–a third gate at Disneyland–now feels like a foregone conclusion to some. The possibilities of DisneylandForward are really exciting, but a 3rd gate simply is not one of them.
Moreover, DisneylandForward is not a substantive plan or construction project, it’s more like a zoning proposal. DisneylandForward is really all about paving the way for future developments of an uncertain nature by giving Disney more autonomy over land use by relaxing the DRSP.
Its approval does require Disney to invest at least $2 billion into the parks over the next decade, but it doesn’t need to be spent on actual expansion beyond the berms. Disney could spend double that amount on the existing parks without growing the footprint of the resort at all and that would still satisfy the conditions of the DisneylandForward approval. In fact, that’s almost exactly what I think will happen (with the possible exception of what’s currently the Hollywood Backlot being built out into the bus loop).
To end this on an optimistic note, I actually do think I’ll see a third park at Disneyland in my lifetime, possibly before I’m as old as Disneyland is now. Unlike Walt Disney World, there are a lot of reasons why it actually makes sense. Whenever the 3rd gate does come to fruition, it’ll be a direct result of DisneylandForward laying the foundation for it. I just don’t think that it’s in the cards for the medium-term. There’s plenty of room for growth within the existing gates, so that’s what we’ll see first.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What rumors would you bet against being confirmed at the 2025 Destination D23–or ever? Which of these do you think are fan daydreaming? Which do you view as ‘good ideas that never die’ within the halls of Imagineering? Any other persistent rumors for Walt Disney World that you’d bet against? Are you excited/optimistic about what will be revealed during the Horizons Park Panel, or taking an “I’ll believe it when I see it” stance given all of the cancelled projects of the last ~5 years? Any surprise announcements you think might be possible?
I counted a top 12 + the bonus, hehe.
If they kill off liberty square then Walt definitely will roll over in his grave! But seriously why can’t they leave some stuff alone. Bring back the muppets there to appease the muppet fans (which was so old Disney awesome). IP really is messing things up bc you set a life expectancy.
Great analysis.
Some thoughts:
Simpsons is too snarky and irreverent to be featured as “Disney-esque.”
More World Showcase pavilions *should* happen — I suspect the big thing holding them back is the huge cost without clear cut return — You can build rides that add capacity without building a whole pavilion.
But at some point, the World Showcase needs more “world” diversification. It is very much a 1980’s view of the important countries of the world. It’s North America and Western Europe heavy. Yes, Japan and China. Morocco is the only pavilion that’s not a 1980’s major power player.
Today, the absence of India and Brazil look like glaring omissions.
Agree with you that “Main Street” is safe — Too iconic, still popular. There is absolutely no reason to change it.
Liberty Square is not safe — Nowadays, I will navigate through Liberty Square to AVOID crowds. But the building plans for Magic Kingdom seem pretty set for the next several years. So I suspect Liberty Square is safe until the 2030’s.
DME — It’s almost amazing that they ever did it in the first place, it takes a lot of advanced logistics and coordination. Having “undone it” — I can’t imagine them re-investing again.
Though — It is pretty obvious how they intend to lock people into staying on-site. Selling semi-regular visitors DVC, to turn them into generational regular on-site visitors. If you own DVC, you’re staying on-site at Disney, without even looking elsewhere. You are no longer providing Disney with direct annual hotel income, but you’re paying huge upfront, and still spending on park tickets, dining, etc. Over the last 5 years, it seems Disney has doubled down on the DVC model. 3 WDW properties in active sales at once, with another already announced.
I wouldn’t necessarily assume that the next World Showcase pavilion opens with a ride. I think that they know that half of the park *needs* more rides, so it probably would, but World Showcase could also (somehow) use more dining capacity. If they could get a sponsor on board, I think we could see an attraction-less pavilion sooner. (There’s your clear return, minus the huge cost part.)
Liberty Square changes in the 2030s seems like a reasonable prediction. It’s nevertheless amusing to me that it likely will NOT happen until then for the exact reason some of the loudest voices think it will more immediately. Disney’s motivation for changing the land (eventually) will be lack of popularity; one of their primary reasons for preserving it will be to avoid backlash.
Very excellent point about DME and DVC being a substitute for it.
I bet my house against a Monsters Inc Doors Coaster on the advice of this website and now I am homeless
It may not be a “doors coaster” but looks like we are getting something Monsters Inc related a HS! Cant wait for more info on all the drops tonight.
I will forever proclaim that Disney needs a “Dark Kingdom” focused on Disney villains with crazy thrill rides. I dream of it. It would be amazing.
The Snow White ride used to be scary – kind of – before it turned into meet n greet spot
The first iteration was straight up terrifying, with Evil Witches popping up everywhere in the second half of the ride.
Seems like your dream will come true. 🙂 But it might take years until we will step on villanous ground in MK. Hopefully the two rides will be coasters and not simple rides.
There is another World Showcase rumor that keeps popping up. It is about the never built ride in the Germany pavilion. Apparently the show building is there and currently being used as warehouse space. The original ride was supposed to be a sort of dark ride about the history of German culture. It was dropped due to budget issues. The rumor is that some sort of Germany themed attraction will be finally be built. Everything from another Circlevision theater to a boat ride attraction.
This will NEVER happen until they have a billion-dollar Germany-based IP to cross promote. You’re thinking old-school EPCOT Center. Great idea, but not the Disney of 2024.
I know this article is focused on WDW rumors, but I’m glad you didn’t throw in an honorable mention of the Disneyland People Mover. Please don’t take away my hope for its revival!
I didn’t even know the skyliner expansion was a rumor, just thought it had been our collective daydream literally since day one of its opening. I grew up with only having a monorail so I naturally love it. But the skyliner is by far the best Disney transportation in terms of relaxation. Many of us would also love to see walking paths opened. I would 100% opt to walk from AKL to the park. (Side note-I’m never there during the hottest months) And a 5th gate really does seem silly when they can’t maintain the rides they have with lots of existing space to grow within those gates.
I’m very much in the camp of the current parks need more rides before another gate is added. I’m tired of current rides being refurbished because they don’t add any capacity. Studios need more attractions, and ones that don’t constantly break down, EPCOT needs a couple more, and DCA needs some as well. I think increasing the value of the current parks with more attractions would be better than adding another gate and having all the parks at a mediocre level.
Totally agree! I have long argued that 8-9 ride attractions in the 3 parks is ridiculous, and a big reason for long lines. Especially when most of the rides are mediocre and outdated at best. Carlsland in DHS would be awesone. EPCOT has the whole area by Mission Space (which could go away!) to put more excitement in! AK is redoing Dinoland. My hope is that they add rides. not just replace/retheme. WDW does not need a Fifth Gate! They just need to offer more in the gates they have. MK has 27 ride attractions. I still don’t get why they are doing a big expansion there! I like the concepts but…
Tom, I am so curious about your take on the Simpsons. Don’t get me wrong – I have an extremely hard time picturing the IP as a cultural fit for a Disney park. It’s just that my 13-year old son has been waking up indecently early to get extra streaming time in every Saturday since the Simpsons hit Disney+. He and his school friends have an encyclopedic knowledge of the show’s cannon, and delighted in his Simpsons-themed birthday party last year. I have spoken with other parents about this, because it just confounds me that these kids are so into a show that came out when I was a kid, and it seems like my son is not as niche as I suspected he was. I am so curious to know if other parents have Simpsons fans in the house, or whether my little corner of suburban Long Island is an anomaly.
My kids also love the Simpsons. Shows aren’t generally allowed to be so irreverent anymore, so I think that’s a draw. However, I don’t think Disney will do anything with the Simpsons. It’s already been done, and done well.
“The best case scenario–and one that I strongly believe should happen–is a soft reboot of the land that ditches the strict “story” and timeline rules to make the land more fun. ”
The present mish-mash of timelines for Star Tours is the way to go. The original trilogy remains the best and ignoring that wealth of characters and theming is just dumb. The hottest movies and shows often burn out. It is the classics which endure and should be used most heavily. An example: Fantasmic finally ditched the whole Pocohontas sequence (save for the one musical number), relying much more heavily on classic Disney heroes and villains. The whole John Smith heroics and English villains wore old, very fast, but we were stuck with it for decades! The replacement medley is far superior.
An expansion would be nice, but Galaxy’s Edge needs to become more fully Star Wars Land and not just a reminder of some of the weaker movies in the Star Wars filmography.
With only 8 rides in Animal Kingdom, 9 in Hollywood, and 11 in Epcot, they need to deploy resources to doubling them before there is any talk of an unneeded 5th gate. Then they need to focus on entertainment (night time parades), longer park hours, and maintenance. Lastly, transportation needs to be enhanced. New and more efficient monorails that load and unload faster and hold more people, walking paths, more busses that also load and unload faster, boats, and possibly a small train or skyliner routes.
I stay offsite. Offering Magical Express wouldn’t convince me to stay onsite, since it’s just themed Mears.
However, the luggage transfer service that allowed bags to be checked in at the home airport, and magically appear at a Disney hotel? Bring that back and I’m booking a Disney hotel immediately.
I would love to see more Marvel rides in any of the parks. I’m getting older, but I still love sci-fi and fantasy and superheroes. (I love regular day heroes too, like the firefighters who saved our home once, and all the people who do volunteer work to help others.)
Wakanda would be wonderful. Although, maybe some people might think it’s not suitable for Epcot I think Marvel is still very popular and continues to evolve and is actually very family friendly, depending on how old your kids are, and with the exception of Deadpool, and maybe not great for the others for little children, but my kids loved comics, and action figures, and going to any of the super hero movies growing up and continued to enjoy such movies into adulthood. Also, back in the day as a kid myself, as children my brothers and I really enjoyed action figures, comics and the Superman movies growing up. I don’t understand why you might think Marvel/Wakanda are not family friendly. We’re not local and there are already a lot of rides for small kids at Magic Kingdom and as such my kids out grew a lot of the rides there after our first few trips. Children soon outgrow and become bored with Dumbo!! At seven years old my son had absolutely no interest in Figment. Of course if you get to grow up visiting the parks every month I guess you will get more mileage out of the kiddie rides, but a lot of us only get to bring our kids once a year, or once every 2 or 3 years, or maybe even only once. IMHO it’s better if there are a good variety of offerings for all ages. I certainly wouldn’t consider Marvel/Wakanda as “not” family friendly.
@Med I agree! I had been dismayed that Epcot’s Future World theme was being violated by Guardians, but Cosmic Rewind weirdly does fit and is pure fun. Those of us nostalgic for OG EPCOT would love to see a hands-on activity space that delivers surprise and delight – what better concept than a Wakandan tech convention? Additionally, the most family friendly Avengers presence in Disneyland Paris’s Avengers Campus is the Dora Milaje warrior training. (Think Jedi Training Academy with spears and cool beats.)
I did hear the rumor of the skyliner going to Animal Kingdom, that would be exceptional. There is always a busing problem to that park for all resorts. I do agree that the Yeti is a thing of the past and have also seen the woman at the Navi River Journey down a couple of times. Also, extending the Skyliner to Disney Springs would be great, I know that it’s a definite “UGH” to everyone about transportation from and to the airport. Why have extended or more parks when there are a lot of things that need to be fixed already.
Hello Tom,
Regarding the last item “BONUS: 3rd Gate at Disneyland”, so, you see the Avatar Land going into DCA? I think it could be an area added to the Simba parking lot for example.
The Disco Yeti reminds me a bit of that *vastly* overrated Na’vi River Journey ride in Animal Kingdom. A single Shaman sitting with a lot of nothing going on around him?
Seems like a real waste of $$$.
I’m not sure why Joe had such a great reputation. The Avatar ride was his as well.
****
Joe Rohde promised to fix the infamous Disco Yeti that hasn’t worked for most of Expedition Everest’s existence.
Everyone who has convinced themselves WDW “needs” a 5th gate should take a deep breath and think about the facts. People already complain about how current prices are forcing them to scale back their travel plans, with shorter trips being one of the main ways they do so. How does adding another park help in an environment where a lot of people are stretching to afford going to the 4 existing ones? If Disney built a 5th gate, one or more of the other parks would see a decline (my money is on Animal Kingdom, and to a lesser extent Epcot).
I absolutely agree with your comments. I believe any investments should go towards expanding attractions and entertainment across the existing parks, improving guests experience and making them more worthwhile and able to better accommodate the huge crowds. I do think it’s important to keep return guests coming back and attracting new fans by keeping up with the modern times and by adding to & improving current attractions/rides and entertainment so that it doesn’t get tired, but you don’t need to build a 5th gate in order to do any of that.
” I actually do think I’ll see a third park at Disneyland in my lifetime.”
This really caught me by surprise! I think I’ve been so conditioned by your convincing arguments against new WDW parks that I never even considered the possibility at DLR. I know people are going nuts over a park being built in the Toy Story Lot but that strikes me as odd for a whole bunch of reasons. But what do I know?
Is the Toy Story Lot big enough to hold a full theme park? This is a genuine question, I’ve only been to DLR once so I do not have a strong grasp of the size of things.
@Jared yes, the existing Toy Story lot is comparable in size to a full theme park – they could fit one in there as-is. It’s also surrounded by motels/apartments/mobile home parks. It seems quite conceivable to me that if Disney wanted to make it 20% larger at least a couple or their neighbours would be willing to sell, and the parcels are fairly large
Disney also controls those parking lots between the Harbor Blvd hotels and the 5 north of Disney Way. The 2030s Tom mentioned could mean as much as 15 years from now, which could be plenty of time for Disney to acquire even more land between them. Anaheim GardenWalk looks like the biggest piece in the puzzle but it probably wouldn’t be the only one.
Is Ice Age Mountain a real rumor and not just an elaborate gag based on a certain Iger quote? I can see using the theme parks to rejuvenate older properties (like Universal and Monsters), but why not use a hammer for a nail and say that the Tropical Americas are going to be used to boost popular demand for Rio 3?
My favorite WDW rumor will always be “They’re adding a loop.”