Welcome to Theme Park Insider! Join the community or log in
Theme Park Insider
Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube

Disney World's 50th Celebration

Walt Disney World: What should Disney do?

From Tim W
Posted June 20, 2011 at 7:45 AM
Since we are currently in the 40th aniversary celebration at Disney World, I think they need to start seriously considering what to do for their 50th. It has to be epic and memorable. So what do you think should be done during this celebration of 50 years?

Here are some quick thoughts of mine: The celebration should last about 5 years. It should include a mass amount of rides being added to every single park. Like about 20 rides in total. It should end with the grand opening of a new park on the 55th. I will post more during the course of this thread about what I would suggest.


Comments in chronological order. Most recent at the bottom. Scroll down to respond.

From TH Creative
Posted June 20, 2011 at 8:18 AM
My guess is they already are thinking about it.

http://www.themeparkinsider.com/news/response.cfm?ID=945506063

From Tim W
Posted June 20, 2011 at 7:11 PM
Here are some of my ideas for each park.

Magic Kingdom-
1)Add AAs to Peter Pan's Flight
2)Add Fire Mountain to Adventureland,
3)Realize the plans for Western River Expedition
4)Add dark rides to Fantasyland based on Tangled, Pinocchio, Princes and the Frog, and Sleeping Beauty, and other upcoming Disney movies.
5)Bring back Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, using AAs
6)Tron lightcyle ride

Epcot-
1)Replace Circle of Life with Walle show
2)Add a ride based on weather
3)Bring back a Health pavilion
4)Add more rides into World Showcase
5)Add a ride based on Magnetism
6)Revamp the Imagination pavilion

DHS-
1)Completely change park by having it more clearly broken into studio lots; Include Muppet Studio, Marvel Studio (taking over Backlot), and Lucas Studio expanding them in the current areas. Add rides such as new Muppet vision and Indiana Jones adveture.
2)Complete Pixar Place adding rides based on Monsters Inc, Cars, and the Incredibles
3)Revamp Animation Courtyard by replacing TLM show with Animagic from Disney Studios in Paris and return Art of Animation to former glory. Add Roger Rabbit's Car Toon spin
4)Replace Beauty and the Beast with a show based on Tangled, Mary Poppins, or Enchanted.

Animal Kingdom-
1)Add Beastly Kingdom featuring a flock of new rides.
2)Demolish Chester and Hesters Dinorama, reinventing Dinoland USA.

From Tim W
Posted June 20, 2011 at 8:01 PM
I never thought of the Monsters Inc taking over the energy pavilion. However, it definately fits!

From Ashleigh Noad
Posted June 21, 2011 at 1:02 AM
For Animal Kingdom, I'd love to see the proposed concept for the mythical creatures section, in original or new designed form.

From steve lee
Posted June 21, 2011 at 5:58 AM
My expectations: New parade (same floats, but they'll change the theme and music and we'll all pretend to care). New lackluster fireworks show at MK. Yeti still broken. 20 percent increase in ticket prices. Oh, and $30 for a pair of "special" mouse ears celebrating the anniversary.

From Andy Milio
Posted June 21, 2011 at 9:32 AM
Goodness, a Tron ride would be amazing

From Michael Owen
Posted June 21, 2011 at 11:31 AM
Considering attractions need to be planned years before they are opened, I think we're going to see very little for the 50th.

I think Stitch may go from MK, being replaced by a totally new attraction, rather than just a refurb.

With the Fantasyland expansion I can't really see much else happening with the Magic Kingdom.

It would be nice if Epcot got at least two new countries, both boasting an attraction each. A new pavilion in Future World wouldn't go a miss, but I can't see it happening.

A new E-Ticket for both DHS and AK would be fantastic, particularly for the latter, where Everest, Kili and Dinosaur still face crowd issues due to a lack of major attractions in the park.

From Adam Nodjomian
Posted June 21, 2011 at 12:10 PM
You bring up the point of having to plan for years, but for all we know Disney is planning for something big and they're just being very secretive about it. Knowing Disney, they won't let a chance like a 50th annivesary pass up cause promotions equal money.

From Eric S
Posted June 21, 2011 at 8:17 PM
I agree with everything else, but a Soarin ride about Florida would just be boring. I'm Florida born and bred, but there would be like two scenes. Everglades and South Beach. Maybe one that incorporated all of the U.S. or something like that.

From Anthony Murphy
Posted June 21, 2011 at 8:30 PM
I would say they should make Beastly Kingdom.

Perhaps make a new land at each park.

It would also be about time for Disney to set up something new and exciting. Its 10 years away!

From Terry O'Neal
Posted June 22, 2011 at 9:49 AM
I like the idea of adding a fourth mountain to MK, like Tim W's Fire Mountain. I also like the idea of a Princess and the Frog in Liberty Square. Finding a sponsor for the Health Pavilion is good idea, if it's possible. I think they should down Everest as long as needed to get the yeti back to his former self in time for number 50.

From Tim W
Posted June 22, 2011 at 10:42 AM
10 years is adequate time to fix the "Disco Yeti", or as Screamscape just started calling it, "Emo Yeti". Apparently the room with the yeti is entirely dark!

From Terri Pierce
Posted June 22, 2011 at 1:54 PM
Great now even the light has broken and disney won't fix it? They're getting cheap.

From Tim W
Posted June 24, 2011 at 4:10 PM
So in my 5 year plan, I have mapped out about 48 attractions, shows, and experiences yet to be brought to Disney. It would completely makeover every single park. Every month for 4 years, one attraction will be added every single month. I know, ambitious right. Well this is Disney's 50th we are talking about. I think this celebration should give guests a reason to return every few months and definately get annual passes. In the 5th year, that long rumored boutique park would come into frutition entitled Discovery Bay, a long rumored concept based upon HG Wells and Jules Verne.

I would like to highlight the point I made about DHS. The park would simply be renamed Disneywood. In this park, there would be emphasis on lands, rather than the disorganized mess I feel it is now.

The Great Movie ride will be updated to include more current scenes with a special emphasis on Fantasia. Gone is the Sorceror's Hat, and Grauman's Chinese Theater returns to be the park's icon.

Lucas Studios- This studio would overtake Drew Carey's Sounds Dangerous, transfering that advanced Jedi Training Academy into the facility. To avoid repetition with Dinosaur, the Indiana Jones attraction would be a similar coaster to the one found in DLP. The Epic Stunt Spectacular will remain, as well as Star Tours.

Marvel Studios- This studio would become a reality once Disney started negotiations with Universal. It would overtake most of the backlot tour and Lights Motors Action. Basically in this plan, Disney would gain the Marvel Cinematic Universe that Marvel is currently developing. That said, Universal would keep the rights to use Spiderman, X-Men, and Fantastic 4. However, Disney would gain Hulk and Captain America. This studio at Disneywood would feature rides on the Hulk, Captain America, Thor, and Iron Man. In a perfect world, Universal would just simply retheme their entire Marvel island, and Disney would also gain Spiderman, Xmen, and Fantastic 4.

Muppet Studio- This studio has been in talks for a while. It would finally bring the Great Muppet Movie Ride to the park, satirizing some of the greatest movies. Pizza Planet will be rethemed to Gonzo's Pandemonium Pizza Parlor. In the old Hunchback theater, I suggest to place Enchanted the Musical there. While it is not a perfect placement, it is better than that garish scenery they've placed.

Pixar Studio- This studio will finally get the treatment it deserves. The Honey I Shrunk the Audience playground entrance will be moved, and be rethemed to a Bugs Life. Radiator Springs Racers will make its debut towards the back section of this studio. That Monsters Inc Coaster will overtake one of the soundstages, while an Incredibles 4D ride will overtake the other.

Animation Studio- Animators will return the the Magic of Disney Animation to work, and a new show will be brought here. Journey into Narnia and One Man's Dream will close. The One Man's Dream exhibit will be moved to Main Street. Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin will be placed here. Animagic, from Walt Disney Studios, will overtake the Little Mermaid theater. Silly Symphony Swings will be built where the current Playhouse Disney theater is, opening up a new walkway to Sunset Boulevard.

Sunset Boulevard- not much changes happening here, except for the retiring of the Beauty and the Beast show. In its place will come Mary Poppins the Musical, a shortened Broadway version. That new walkway from Silly Symphony Swings to Rock n Roller Coaster will soon one day form the courtyard to what is to be Music Studio.

This discussion has been archived, and is not accepting additional responses.