With the D23 Expo just a little over a month away, we have reached the time when certain Disney fan sites race to be the first ones to “break” a story. I won’t name the main culprit here, but they have written articles with rumors on The Land and The Seas closing and major updates to Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room and the Country Bear Jamboree. Those possibilities appear unfounded (at least for the time being), and I’m not here to attack anyone. Instead, this scenario gives us a perfect opportunity to discuss what I’d like to see updated at Walt Disney World.
The Magic Kingdom faces a different situation than the other parks because it contains so many classic attractions. Some go back to the park’s opening in 1971 or even to Disneyland before that time. When Disney chooses to make updates (or even remove) the early attractions, fans are going to be upset. But not everything at The Magic Kingdom is sacred. There are plenty of attractions that could use improvements.
Instead of taking a defensive posture to protect attractions we love, let’s ponder updates that make sense. These changes could benefit Disney’s business AND provide a better experience for guests. Those categories should not be mutually exclusive. If Disney wants to continue to draw massive crowds and not lose its most devoted fans, updates should work for both groups. There is always going to be a small and vocal group that hates everything, but most avid fans just want sensible moves. The following list includes ways to improve the park that I’d like to see as a fan. However, none of them are too outlandish for Disney to consider either.
Fix The Final Scene of the Carousel of Progress
While I may get a chuckle out of references to laser discs and a car phone, it’s not a great look for one of my favorite attractions. Disney could take several different approaches with this update. Back in 2016, I listed five possible ways to update the Carousel of Progress. My preferred choice is going far into the future and showing technologies on par with what we saw on Horizons. This would help to prevent a situation where everything is dated in a few years.
Talking about smart phones and making an update to the video game is a start, but that will only last for so long. The other option is shifting the time back to the 1960s and referencing the New York World’s Fair. That move would give the Carousel a timeless feeling and not require more updates.
Add Live Entertainment to The Diamond Horseshoe
When I was a kid in the ‘80s, my parents always took us to see The Diamond Horseshoe Revue. It wasn’t one of my favorites at the time, but it did offer a nice break from the summer heat. The large and striking theater deserves more than being just a dining spot. Disney could add a new live show that pays tribute to the past but has a modern feeling.
Even just adding a live band playing Frontierland-style music would be a significant plus. It would draw more guests to the restaurant, which is good for Disney’s bottom line. Disney also needs to make efficient use of all its space as crowds remain high. Making The Diamond Horseshoe a destination solves multiple problems and doesn’t require a big investment.
Replace the Tomorrowland Speedway’s Vehicles with Electric Cars
There is still a chance that we will see this happen during a future refurb to prepare for the opening of TRON Lightcycle Power Run. I am a little skeptical, however. Disney seems content to stick with the loud, old-school vehicles that don’t match the idea of Tomorrowland. They could do a lot better and still retain what makes the Speedway important.
I understand the need to keep this attraction at The Magic Kingdom. My daughters love the idea of driving a car, and it is a fun way to give them that chance. I just wish that the aesthetic fit better within the land’s overall theme. An update to electric cars with a futuristic set design could also better match the look of TRON and create a stronger environment.
Replace the Princess Fairytale Hall with a Classic Fantasyland Dark Ride
This is the one idea that seems like the biggest stretch. I know that Disney needs permanent spaces for meeting its popular characters. The Princess Fairytale Hall gives them a place to offer meet and greets with four princesses in a single location. Even so, it’s such valuable real estate in the middle of Fantasyland. What makes Disneyland’s area superior is the number of dark rides included within a fairly small space.
I don’t expect a return of Snow White with this update. I’d be okay if Disney even decided to put dark ride spotlighting a recent film like Frozen. They also could mirror the upcoming Beauty and the Beast attraction for Toyko. There are numerous possibilities that could enhance Fantasyland better than a character spot.
Honor the History and Future of Tomorrowland in Place of Stitch’s Great Escape
We know that Stitch’s Great Escape is basically finished despite being listed as just “temporarily closed” on the Disney website. Instead of finding another way to use the circular theater format that goes back to Flight to the Moon, Disney should remove it and start fresh. I’m also not thrilled to see a Wreck It Ralph attraction because it doesn’t fit with Tomorrowland.
Since I’m trying not to break the bank with this update, I’d love to see Disney use this valuable space for an exhibit or show that spotlights Tomorrowland. It could give a sneak peek at TRON while also reminding guests of past attractions. Like the Diamond Horseshoe move, Disney would find an easy way to offer guests a break from the sun and something different from the typical rides.
Add Special Touches Throughout the Park for the 50th Anniversary
I love the idea of providing guests with more to celebrate such a large milestone for Walt Disney World. Some would be new features like enhancing the final scene at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad or spicing up the effects on Space Mountain. Others could look back like installing the Vacation Hoedown version for the summer at the Country Bear Jamboree. We need a lot more than special snacks and commemorative merchandise!
The oldest attractions in the park should look new, and Disney should find ways to only make the experiences better. I’m not talking about adding Moana to the Tiki Room either. Each update would expand on the success of the attractions without drastically changing them. There are so many possibilities to make The Magic Kingdom an even stronger park during its next 50 years.
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If they want to update Tomorrowland Speedway, it’s long overdue to actually give it some speed and revamp it with a CARS theme! What kid who’s seen the movies wouldn’t want to race through the eyes of Lightning, Mater, Sally, Doc, Finn, Holly, and Cruz!? NTM get it looking more like Radiator Springs, or at least like Motor Speedway Of The South(the racetrack of the Piston Cup Championship)!
It’s a good idea, though I wonder if the Cars franchise has legs for the long run. Cars Land is huge in California, but putting those characters in Tomorrowland is also not a great fit. I’d like to see more of a movement towards a futuristic concept. I know the current incarnation doesn’t fit, so I’d like to fix that a bit and theme it better to the surrounding areas. Your idea is definitely an improvement over what’s there, but I’d like to see something that works in Tomorrowland.
About a dark ride in place of Fairytale Hall, what for? EPCOT already has a Frozen ride, why not something closer to Brave? Maybe put us on horseback and let us ride through the Highlands with Merida, and we could even give it an interactive element a la “Midway Mania”, like setting it up with targets we can shoot with virtual arrows!
I’m not locked into Frozen at all, especially with it already in Epcot. I was using that more as an example of something recent. Brave would be great and something unexpected, so I’d love to see it. This is the one idea where I can see what it doesn’t work. I just wish that Disney had a higher prevalence of Fantasyland dark rides in Orlando like they do in California. Thanks for the great comments!
Regarding the COP, my suggestion is to add a 5th scene in place of the unload stage. The ride loads and unloads quickly enough that you could do both simultaneously in a single cycle.
I agree with replacing Tomorrowland speedway cars with electrics. The 4-wheeled vehicle from Tron Legacy would work well with the coaster that’s coming.
I’m indifferent to Wreck-It Ralph. I can’t object to a recent movie about people living inside a computer appearing in Tomorrowland when I embrace a nearly 40-year old film about people living inside a computer.
On the other hand, I think something based on Big Hero 6 would be a vast improvement, since they passed on the obvious opportunity to place it in a revitalized Wonders of Life in Epcot. It takes place in a quasi-futuristic city with a robot. Seems like a good fit, ideally displacing Monsters Inc Laugh Floor.
Big Hero 6 is a good idea, especially when you’re talking about replacing the Monster’s Inc. Laugh Floor. That show is fine but doesn’t fit at all in the area. I know that a Big Hero 6 attraction was added overseas, but I feel like Disney really could have done a lot more with that movie in the parks.
If they were at all interested in having a dark ride in that space, they would have just left in the one that was there.
Very true. Like I said in my comments about it, the idea is unlikely to happen. I’m not predicting what’s going to happen; it’s more what I’d like to see.