Epcot News & Rumors: Jungle Book in World Showcase, Mary Poppins Spinner & New Hotel
This Walt Disney World news & rumor update is all about the Epcot area. From the new Crescent Lake hotel to a mega E-Ticket Jungle Book attraction and India pavilion to a concerning update on the Mary Poppins attraction in United Kingdom, we cover the latest buzz and share our thoughts on the veracity of each story.
We’ll start with the most boring: the Swan and Dolphin Resort is getting a third tower, built on their current property, and adjacent to Disney’s Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf Course. This new tower will be built on Swan & Dolphin’s existing tennis courts, which closed at the beginning of this month to make way for the expansion. The new hotel will be 14 stories tall, have 349 guest rooms, and open in 2020. It’ll also have a rooftop terrace, restaurant & lounge, and 21,000 square feet of meeting space.
While Walt Disney World has yet to officially announce any details about the new hotel, developer Tishman and MetLife released a joint press release providing more information and concept art. Moreover, the special event space adjacent to the mini-golf course also closed last week (that space will become new parking for the mini-golf course, which will lose its current parking lot to the hotel), so this is a done deal.
I never thought I would be in a position of contending that something blemishes the thematic character of the Swan & Dolphin Resorts, but here we are. This new resort, apparently, is themed to a suburban office park and the association with MetLife is ironic, because it looks like the kind of place where insurance adjusters would work.
Not that I’m the biggest fan of Michael Graves. To the contrary, I think allowing the Swan & Dolphin to look the way they do was one of Eisner’s biggest blunders at Walt Disney World (see DisneyWar for more on that). Nevertheless, at least Swan & Dolphin have distinct personality and character, and are provocative designs that would be fascinating outside of Walt Disney World.
This new hotel looks like the place dreams go to die, where white collar drones push papers and a sea of middle-managers cook up new and exciting bureaucracy. It could easily be the setting of Office Space 2. All of this is hyperbolic, of course, and plenty of hotels around the country look just as boring and uninspired on the outside. It’s still disheartening to see this at Walt Disney World.
The plus side is that even at 14 stories, this hotel won’t be visible from within Epcot. Even from around Crescent Lake, it’s likely that the Swan & Dolphin’s existing towers will at least partially obscure it from guest view. In actuality, this isn’t any more problematic than the Disney Springs area resorts, but it’s nonetheless disappointing that Tishman and co. are building the blandest hotel possible next to their most outlandish ones. The juxtaposition of styles will be fairly jarring.
Now, the juicy rumors for Epcot. WDWNT is reporting that Imagineering is developing an India pavilion for World Showcase that would be anchored by a lavish E-Ticket attraction based upon the live-action Jungle Book film. While details are sparse beyond that ride, it’s safe to assume the pavilion would also feature retail, dining, and architecture from India. Personally, I’m thrilled at the potential for the Taj Mahal–one that is not entirely CGI–to find its way into Epcot.
Part of the rumor is 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.
It’s already clear the underwater-controlled boat is going to be the chic ride system for future rumors and fan daydreaming (move over trackless LPS!). Previously, it was rumored to be used for Na’vi River Journey in Pandora and it’s also strongly suspected to be what the upcoming Peter Pan ride will utilize in Tokyo DisneySea’s “FantaSea” expansion.
All of this is for good reason: Shanghai’s Pirates is exceptional, and a large part of its success is predicated upon this dynamic ride system. Moreover, it’s easy to envision the Jungle Book being brought to life via a similar mix of ginormous screens and life-like Audio Animatronics. It’s not just the ride system that fits–it’s the overarching style and staging of the ride. I’m not a creative (but I play one on the internet) and even I can see how this movie would be a great fit for the tech.
Beyond the logic of the movie, ride system, and staging working well together, it makes perfect sense that this would be a blue sky pitch. The Jungle Book was a box office sensation with a sequel planned and one goal of Epcot’s re-imagining is to increase the number of attractions in World Showcase. From that perspective, it’s entirely conceivable that this is a concept that’s on the table for Epcot.
Where the wheels start to fall off is once you come to the real world of finite budgets. We’ve heard multiple accounts that the Guardians of the Galaxy attraction has an astronomical budget (varying reports have put it around or above $300 million) and the Ratatouille dark ride will be another $200 million (give or take), which is still less than that attraction cost in France.
Meanwhile, reports have put Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure’s cost at $450 million. Granted, some of that is likely R&D that wouldn’t have to be replicated. However, construction tends to cost more stateside, and this attraction would entail building an entire World Showcase pavilion. Let’s put the total cost at a very conservative $300 million, which could be too low by around $100 million.
Rumors point to Epcot’s overhaul having an allocated budget of over $1 billion, but those same rumors also suggest that a lot is going to happen beyond what has been announced thus far. From the Central Spine redesign to two new countries in World Showcase to overlays of existing attractions to new restaurants…and so on. As such, it’s hard to imagine that Disney would be willing to allocate ~$800 million of that to just 3 attractions.
This is actually a big reason why the next rumor from WDWNT is more plausible: a Mary Poppins spinner, a la Dumbo, is being developed for the United Kingdom pavilion in Epcot’s World Showcase.
It’s not the first, or even second, time we’ve reported on the rumors swirling about a new attraction coming to the United Kingdom. For the past year, there have been an array of concepts, ranging from Brave to the Loch Ness Monster to Mary Poppins.
In our last update on this rumor just last month, we shared that it appeared Mary Poppins had won out, and a dark ride based upon the film was the most viable candidate for World Showcase. We also offered something of the same caveat as above, that a lot of competing concepts were floating around for Epcot, and they can’t all possibly come to fruition.
We have not heard anything first hand about the status of this potential Mary Poppins attraction, and we have no reason to believe that it’s any closer to becoming a reality now than it was in August. However, a cheap spinner is much more likely not just from a budgetary perspective, but also because it would allow the lucrative World Showplace to remain.
Of course–and this should go without saying–but a spinner is more cringeworthy. Many people, myself included, have come to terms with the reality that characters have come to World Showcase and more are on the way. Frozen Ever After was simply the vanguard of this, and it’s introduction of a fictional country to World Showcase likely made a lot of people numb to future rumors of character additions.
Personally, that’s the case for me. I’m a realist, and I now evaluate new proposals less on the basis of whether they enhance the rich cultural offerings of World Showcase, and more about whether the characters are sensible in context. Under this lower threshold, Ratatouille, Mary Poppins, and Coco all pass muster.
Even as I recognized Disney characters in World Showcase would become the “new normal” never did I imagine that this would occur via amusement park rides. (How naive of me!) Dumbo gets a pass because it’s iconic, but the other spinners are like tumors on their respective lands (except TriceraTop spin, because you can’t have a tumor on a tumor), and the notion of something so tacky being added to the beautiful tapestry of World Showcase makes me cringe extra hard.
In other words, the Mary Poppins spinner rumor is entirely credible. It’s low budget, a terrible fit for World Showcase, and features a hot intellectual property. It’s just our luck that this is what Disney will green light out of all the great concepts floating around for Epcot. I certainly hope it doesn’t find it’s way into the park, but I’ve learned to expect the worst when it comes to Epcot and integrity.
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Your Thoughts
What do you think of these rumors? Would you like to see India built in World Showcase, or is its presence in Animal Kingdom sufficient? Does the idea of an E-Ticket Jungle Book ride appeal to you? What about the Mary Poppins spinner? Thoughts on the third Swan & Dolphin tower? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
I am not a spinner fan in general. TriceraTop Spin is a waste. We actually don’t bother with Dumbo but it is iconic.
However our family loves the magic carpets and Astro Orbiter is unique. It is high up with a view and due to its speed which is perfect you get a bit of centrifugal force unlike the others.
I also bit carousel!
I know a lot of people prefer Epcot as an adult type entertainment, but as WDW is a family resort I don’t believe that’s really feasible. You need to bring in interest for children. Looking at Mary Poppin Spinner being a “cheap” ride, I look at the age group. You need something for smaller fries. India may be great for Jungle Book but I’d prefer Greece with a Hercules theme myself.
Your description of the office building hotel addition had me laughing out loud!
Isn’t a beautifully constructed carousel more likely than a carnival spinner, considering the movie?
Maybe they’ll create it with carousel horses on the spinner as they come off the base in the movie…?
Though a dark ride would be awesome, I could see a carousel being a good option. It is appropriate to the move, and kids love them. It could be cool if made to look like a cartoon, but even one set in the back area would be nice.
Hey guys, we were just at Brunch with Morimoto and he said that he’s opening a new restaurant with an international space station theme at guardians of the galaxy in 2020. First time I’ve heard of this!
It’s probably already in the comments here, but why is this not a Carousel?! That actually goes back to the original movie. You could really put the effort into it so it won’t look tacky, and again, IT’S IN THE MOVIE!!
Why the spinner ride hate? They have a lot of fans, though many of them on the shorter side. During non-peak times, you can often hop in line with very little wait and make the child happy quickly. We didn’t ride Astro Orbiter on our last trip, which apparently is a sore spot and now it’s a priority for next time.
As a adult who has been dragged for company on every up-and-around ride in Disney (some multiple times), what I enjoy is the change of perspective (and the pure joy my kid gets from these rides). It’s kind of fun to look at the parks from that angle – even in Dinosaurland.
What I don’t like about the UK one is potential location. I don’t like the idea of that ride being a huge visual in World Showcase and I don’t see how I get the view without that.
The very FIRST thing they should do at the UK is move the Beer Cart to a side-street location or to an area closer to the lagoon or ANYWHERE the drunken hoards wouldn’t be blocking the walkway. I enjoy a beer or a cider from this cart as much as anyone. It’s not the booze…it’s the location. Of all the booths in the World Showcase, this is the one where the crowds just stand there oblivious to everyone else. Just move the bloody thing out of the way, that’s all.
What would be really cool is if they made a carousel that started out as a traditional carousel and then somehow the ride vehicles left the carousel like in the movie and went through a dark ride that’s a Mary Poppin’s sing-a-long and takes you through the movie on a trackless ride system. Does Imagineering read your blog?! They should…hey, Imagineering…make this happen!
I don’t comment on here, just mostly read Tom’s stuff, but this is such an awesome idea I thought it worth seconding your proposal to Imagineering.
First thing I thought of too. This must be do-able in some fashion and would be a fitting tribute to Walt’s best cinematic endeavor.
There is already a concept for this in imagineering, though not trackless (tech not around at the time). An imagineer submitted it as an idea with his resume when he applied to become an imagineer.
Cool. Trackless would make this ride incredibly fun…and the sing-a-long aspect would make it truly unique to WDW. Who’s the imagineer that submitted this idea with his resume?
Tony Baxter
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mary-poppins-disney-ride_us_57c9a225e4b0a22de095be37
See I heard they were making a Peter Pan ride in the UK pavilion. “Escape to neverland”
It will be similar to the Superman ride in six flags magic mountain. It will launch guests into the center of the world showcase lagoon where they will shoot upward to meet an animatronic Captain Hook who will narrowly miss capturing the riders as they fall back to the earth.
I would welcome an India pavilion as it would mean a dedicated Indian restaurant. Sure, there are restaurants at Animal Kingdom and Animal Kingdom Lodge with some Indian inspired dishes, but no restaurant fully focused on the wonderful cuisine of India, which is one of my faves, after Italian and American.
The addition of India is terrific; frankly, all the other rumors are just depressing
IT’S TIME for Disney to step up to the plate and put in something wonderful to capture
the public’s imagination. GO FOR IT. Build that India pavillion with a real E-Ticket Jungle
Book attraction….and the crowds will come. It will be talked about, even overseas.
Never mind the cheap spinner ride. GO FOR THE BIG ONE.
I welcome any new countries to World Showcase. I look forward to Jungle Book attraction. I love the 1967 version of the Jungle Book so hopefully any animation or animatronics are based off 1967 version rather than 2016 version…I am disappointed with spinner attraction idea for Mary Poppins. I was hoping for a dark ride…I agree with your thoughts about Swan & Dolphin. The hotel is ugly and this new one is so bland.
Considering that Frozen was a mere overlay and then Epcot will get 2 new E Ticket quality attractions and maybe another, somehow you got hung up over a possible new flat ride in the UK Pavilion? The word hyperbolic keeps showing up.
Epcot does need more carnival style rides. In fact, every Disney theme park needs a few. The word is balance. More balance doesn’t mean another 3D movie in every park. These rides are more approachable for kids under 10 and are a needed break between the monotonous Epcot attractions and food/beverage emphasis.
As for Mary Poppins, I would rather have the Merry Go Around as featured in the original movie.
I was about to say the same thing. I would much prefer to see a really beautiful carousel that really captures the spirit of Mary Poppins. Would even be open to an indoor carousel that utilizes screens or sets to transport guests from a London park to the cartoon world of jolly holiday and then back again. A dumbo style spinner would be such a disappointment for the pavilion with arguabley the most iconic IP options.
What bothers me about the Mary Poppins rumor is that it just feels lazy. There are so many options out there. I’d even love to see a two-minute dark ride in the vein of old-style Fantasyland attractions rather than a spinner. Sure, it’s for kids, but it’s also the most predictable route. Disney went outside the box with Pandora, and I’d like to see the same level of ingenuity in everything they do. They don’t have to spend $200 million to make something that’s fun and original.
Agree. Dark rides are perfect for people of all ages and offer much more room for creativity and imagination than a spinner.
A ferris wheel would make the most sense in the UK. The London Eye is iconic and at least WDW doesn’t already have one. Anything is better than another spinner.
Yes – I agree!
I thought of this as well, but also thought a ferris wheel would not be able to handle the volume of guests. The loading/unloading of a ferris wheel is very slow. The wait time would be long!
I know this probably isn’t the popular opinion, but my family loves the Three Caballeros ride in Mexico, and will be so sad if/when it changes. We’ve spent many relaxing moments at the end of an exhausting day at Epcot cruising the ride and enjoying the antics of Donald & Co. It’s cute and charming. While I found the movie Coco emotional and moving, it’s still so new. My family is probably the minority, but the Three Caballeros ride is as much a classic to us as Peter Pan or Small World.
Totally agree the spinner idea is horrible and evokes cheap county fair… of the two a beautifully appointed carousel is far less offensive.
I love the Three Caballeros ride also so that makes 2 of us.
My family loves it too! I will be sad if/when it goes.
Me three, one of my favorites!
Another Cabelleros loving family here! Hope it stays!
I love that it’s “old” Disney in Mexico now. Charming, funny and great for those of us not born in 2007. I hope they don’t mess with it!!!!! We need more Donald and the old gang!!
In the debate of a Coco overlay vs. a new attraction in the UK Pavilion, it was hard to argue for an overlay vs. an addition. But this is why I was was more excited about an overlay. Regardless of it’s appropriateness in Norway, I think Frozen Ever After was extremely well done. If they put that level of care into a coco overlay in Mexico (which is far more appropriate) it could take what is one of my least favorite WDW rides and elevate it towards the top. Meanwhile, another spinner would just be another ride at the bottom of the list. (I think even a carousel would be better than a Dumbo-type spinner.)
The India rumor is something I really hope can come true. A true expansion to the park in terms of attractions would be welcome and India would be a great addition to the world showcase. So would Brazil, but as you say budgets are finite so hopefully we get at least one.
For what it’s worth, the plan (last I heard from reliable sources) is to add two new countries to World Showcase as part of Epcot’s re-imagining. One of those is/was almost certainly Brazil.
The other country is more up in the air–this is the first I’ve heard India mentioned.
Of course, nothing is certain until construction begins and goes beyond the point of no return. The timeframe for new countries is beyond 2021, and a lot can happen with Disney’s financials and the global economy, among other things, between now and then.
A carousel would make a ton more sense…
Changing from a spinner to a carousel is not much progress.
While it’s not much progress from the perspective that both are boring and garden variety amusement park material, an ornate carousel can at least feel classy and organic to a real-world area.
To be sure, I don’t want either, but I’d worry a lot less about a carousel being a significant thematic blemish on World Showcase’s thematic integrity.
Agreed, Matthew. But at least it’s appropriate to the movie.
Sorry. That was a really, really bad Carousel of Progress reference. Sometimes I shouldn’t hit “submit comment.”
I read the rumor was a “spinner ride” also separate from this blog, and I also first thought Dumbo/Magic carpet. But the original Mary Poppins classic scene in the cartoon park where there was the merry-go-round horse race is a timeless classic and not represented in any park anywhere. Plus, in the preview of Mary Poppins returns there is a glimpse of a scene from the same park. It makes complete sense for a cartoonish merry-go-round with horses from the there to be put there. With a little bit of foliage work and scenery work, WDI could make it look like you are stepping right into the cartoon world just like the movie.
There is not really room for a dark ride there. World Showplace Events Pavilion encroaches on once side (it’s used often and makes money), the new Skyliner on the other, and the area boxed in by the road/tunnel/water bridge that connects there the hotels. I would literally bet money on a Poppins themed merry-go-round there if they had a place to bet on that in vegas.
Matthew I always like a good COP reference. The boys and I are at the drug store soda fountain and we cheered your comment with mugs of cold sarsaparilla
If something must go in, and the budget is low, then for the Mary Poppins ride, I love the carousel idea. Like other said, it could easily be themed to the scene in the movie and look really pretty if they worked it into the area in the back with the little park. No spinner ride!!!