Magic Kingdom's Broken Fantasyland

[@NinthShinigami]

New Fantasyland made us lose one of the most classic Disney dark rides in Snow White… for a meet and greet… that they could’ve built… I dunno… ANYWHERE else in the land?

[@jasonh277]

I couldn’t agree more! Snow White’s Scary Adventures was an awesome ride!! The roller coaster severely under delivers. The classic ride was charming yet mildly frightening at the same time; the take on Disney’s original classic was awesome! I could have even overlooked that if they refurbished the ride, but to replace it with a meet and greet??? Why??? They had an entire Fantasyland build-out for that!

[@fstanley2328]

@BK Beatty the Mine Ride is weak. It’s a low intensity kiddy coaster with minimal theming. The one part that’s in the mine is kind of cool, but take out that scene and it could be a ride straight out of Six Flags. It pales in comparison to Big Thunder, Everest, and Hagrid’s Motorbike, and I do not understand why it’s the most popular ride in the park. The only positive thing I can really say about it is that it’s way better than Slinky Dog. Talk about a piece of crap that Disney just mailed in.

[@NinthShinigami]

@@fstanley2328 I was just about to reply to that comment lol, you saved me a lotta time and I agree completely on your assessment of the ride. It should be torn down and replaced with something else imo.

[@AngelJD]

I recall how that attraction was before it's 1994 redesign when it was called "Snow White's Adventures" which ironically was more scary then when it became "Snow White's Scary Adventures". In "Snow White's Adventures" Snow White isn't in the attraction herself as YOU was Snow White and seeing things from her perspective. Now my own memory of that version of the ride is hazy but I can recall the attraction being scary with the trees more horrifying and the Witch chasing you down and crashing though a window. In the end the Witch crushes you to death with a giant diamond...ride over. That was a attraction that many didn't know how scary it was for the time riders and took many by shock. Wish it remained.

[@jasonh277]

@@AngelJD I remember when it was previously more scary, but then they watered it down.

[@chrismcdowell7138]

The Disneyland folks do not have the luxury of space, but they still made it work. The Disney World folks have so much space to work with, and they just let it flounder.

[@jasonh277]

You’re right about that! That’s the irony in the entire situation. Disneyland utilized well the space they have; Disney World has a ton of space yet they under deliver with a small coaster, an oversized restaurant, and themed restrooms.

[@erikripley9285]

its a shame that all new expansions in Disneyland resort have the world philosophy of building by putting not a lot in a too much space. I am looking at you galaxies edge and marvel campus. packing stuff in elevates crowds more than just big walkways because it puts people in more lines.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I think about all the space in Toy Story Land and all they could come up with was a short coaster, a flat ride and a small quick-service location. They could have definitely used space far more efficiently.

[@shaefilmsinspace]

Let it…FLOUNDER 😮‍💨 good one

[@nickdoofenshmirtz1351]

Couldn’t agree more. Magic Kingdom can feel so lifeless sometimes. :/

[@jamesg2254]

Removing a dark ride and replacing it with a meet and greet is probably one of the most heinous things Disney has done. At least reskin it to something else

[@michaelg2077]

It is isn’t it?

[@constantlyannoying]

Honestly tho fantasyland is aimed at children not adults and children found the Snow White ride to be very scary. While we as adults don’t find it scary I’m sure most little kids would rather meet their favorite characters than pee on themselves. Not to mention meet and greets must be popular because people wait hours in the meet and greet lines. I don’t mind dogging on the parks but it just makes no sense for me to complain about an area that isn’t aimed at my demographic. We all grow up and things change as we grow up, just like kids interests might change over time.

[@charliemacsart]

Especially a dark ride with so much history behind it. It scared me as a kid, but I hated to see it go.

[@shadowboxplayers420]

@@constantlyannoying When I was a kid I remember vastly preferring Disneyland over MK because of its abundance of dark rides. And I was a complete scaredy-cat. Children can appreciate thrills and immersive experiences too, but how can you know if you don't give them the opportunity? (Sidebar, I didn't want to ride Snow White not due to the scary content but because I didn't want my parents to think I was "girly", huge regret of mine,)

[@constantlyannoying]

@@shadowboxplayers420 I mean if kids wanna ride scary rides they can just get on the ones for everyone. I’ve never been to Disneyland but I plan to go soon. I get the girly thing but for me I always chose to be girly at Disney and then hide it once I left the premesis. I just think Disney needs to get with someone who actually cares about the parks the way we do and do some actually improving updates rather than just repainting things. Magic kingdom used to be my favorite but lately I find myself frequenting in Hollywood studios more just because there’s tons of new stuff and I’ve gotten bored of magic kingdom lately. Bob chapek loves taking our money for mediocrity.

[@chaadlosan]

The problem with Disney's current leadership is that it is not customer centric. It is corporate centric with squeezing out as much money from as few people as possible. Overprice everything so fewer people can go, but make those that do pay disproportionately more than if there were more people at the parks. Lighting Lane is a perfect example of this thinking.

[@robgolebieski4864]

Agree that the current leadership is terrible (especially Chapek). But the parks (at least in Disney World) are always packed so they definitely do not need more people there.. They just need to stop being so greedy and squeezing every last cent out of guests. Like you said Lightning Lane and Genie+ are ridiculous.

[@baronvonlimbourgh1716]

That really isn't going to change anymore. Disney is now a run of the mill multinational. This is what they do. Walts direct influence is now out of living memory within the company and is simply never comming back. Better get used to it i guess.

[@jamesmoulliet5615]

100% the company is completely backward from back in the day. If you take care of your customers, they will take care of you and you will make money

[@baronvonlimbourgh1716]

@@jamesmoulliet5615 what a stupid idea. You can simply not make ALL the money and even more of it every next quarter if you don't treat customers like walking atm machines.

[@jamesmoulliet5615]

@@baronvonlimbourgh1716 the fact you have been on this comment section for over 6hrs makes me think you have nothing else do to in life and have little brain activity. Just stop

[@RussellODingus]

A boat ride themed after the River Styx from Hercules is a top tier idea, my dude.

[@kandikidzora]

Thinking the same thing!

[@loonytunescrazy]

Cool idea with a big animontric Cerberus

[@CollinMckenna]

Kids don’t know who Hercules is, and if they do, they don’t really care about him. You guys seem to forget that Disney makes their most money off of families, so that’s who they’re mainly designing their parks for. Nobody cares if the 30 year old man doesn’t like Dwarves mine train, when their customer base thinks it’s amazing. There is criticism to give Disney, but “This family ride isn’t thrilling enough so it’s a waste of space” is something that has zero business thought behind it.

[@del46_60]

@@CollinMckenna he never said the problem is that it's not thrilling though. the problem is poor theming.

[@unvoicedapollo3318]

Tangled bathrooms are probably the most disrespectful way to pay homage to their properties

[@Jabroniville]

"So we have this great Princess movie that started a new Renaissance! It's only 1/8 as popular as Frozen but we wanna give tribute to it" "Let's give them an to POOP and PEE in!"

[@diegofavaratozfilms962]

Yeah how I like them

[@slimmy_0076]

Don’t agree personally, they could have not referenced it at all just like many other films. I think it’s actually pretty cool that instead of just having a basic themed bathroom, they could use it as an opportunity to get tangled in the parks somewhere

[@cadendicky1855]

I think that Tangled would make for a great ride. Either having it be a boat ride like in that part in the movie with the lanterns or something else.

[@plursocks]

​@@cadendicky1855it'd be cool if they made a huge winding slide dark ride where you see scenes from the movie as you go down!

[@AMagicProduction]

I don’t understand why Disney completely abandoned the C-Ticket level “fantasyland style dark ride”. Literally every park at WDW (including Magic Kingdom) would benefit from adding them. I believe the idea that “every new ride must be an E-Ticket” started under Iger, but it’s not true, every park needs filler attractions- a park that lacks this the worst is Hollywood Studios

[@cmaden78]

I think it was Eisner.. lol but that's just my generation 's bad guy😁

[@gjmcgee]

@@cmaden78 Hot take, Eisner was good for the parks. The quality of the theming of rides from his generation is really good. Great examples being Blizzard Bay, Typhoon Lagoon, Tower of Terror, Everest, Splash Mountain, etc. Some of, if not the best things to come to the parks came under his reign. It felt like he actually cared about the parks and it’s guests. He created innovative rides that weren’t just crappy IP dumps.

[@M50A1]

​@@gjmcgeenot so much create but rather he funded and greenlit

[@jlma889]

I love you ideas! But I think it would make more sense if the entire expansion area was the villains land. Instead of a bridge, it can be a dark cave with “turn back” signs, maybe even bring over a clone of the sleeping dragon from DLP? The cave bridge would narrow the focus in for the guests, make them feel a bit claustrophobic, open their pupils up, and then BAM, they’re suddenly in this crazy magical and evil themed area that feels entirely separate from the rest of fantasyland. And there’s enough villains to fill that place up with well themed dark rides, flat rides, meet and greets shops, restaurants, and interactive experiences. The maleficent coaster, the hades boat ride u mentioned, skull island exploration/playground, maybe a stage show, a more thrilling flat ride and one or two less thrilling, “Haus of DeVille” which could be the evil equivalent to Bibbidi Boppity Boutique, I mean the possibilities r endless with it really. But yeah, that’s the only change I’d make to ur blue skies plan.

[@jaimeerindy4573]

This sounds SO COOL! Might help to age up Fantasyland as well for the tweens/teens

[@bradcsuka5054]

Love it!

[@thespectralchannel]

If only our current CEO cared about high quality creativity, immersive storytelling and ride engineering over stock market shares

[@brandonfox8144]

While I agree, I worry how important the stormwater basins are. Building in a swamp is already tricky, and less places for the water to run off to might result in more flooding and environmental damage.

[@fstanley2328]

The Beast’s Castle is the worst use of forced perspective I’ve ever seen. It’s 30 feet tall and, instead the FP making it look larger, they somehow managed to make it look even smaller than it really is.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I was surprised to find out how tall it was. It failed to achieve what it attempted to do, but in the strangest way possible.

[@sonnyrodriguez1287]

Totally agree with you that Disney should focus more on fully decorating their dark ride scenes, even if that means limited animation for the audioanimatronics. The rides that have lasted all these decades-Pirates, Haunted Mansion, etc.-don’t spend all their time building up to one impressive robot, but instead build atmosphere (and dare I say, wonder!!) with highly detailed scenes, lighting, and characters. Another great video!!

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

It was immensely disappointing when Disney hyped up Rise of the Resistance by stating that it would include almost as many animatronics as Pirates... and then it's mostly static stormtroopers. The battalion works fine for the scene, but it's almost a straight-out lie.

[@solcarlosofficial]

I never understood mine train. Like it’s so similar to big thunder that is in the same park and this version is shorter and worse. And tangled could be an epic ride but we get restrooms….

[@ninjagirl226]

Tangled-themed bungie jump for an up charge?

[@eliseg0001]

Agree! It’s shockingly short and throws me off every time

[@samhainabyss]

coasters aside, a mine train through the dwarf’s mine was the original pitch from walt for what he wanted for his snow white attraction

[@clarktooncrossing3975]

As someone who just went to Fantasyland, I can confirm at least one thing: it’s a small world is in DESPERATE need of repairs!!

[@fstanley2328]

That costs money and doesn’t create an opportunity to nickel and dime people. So it’s a no go for Chapek.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I've heard that Disney refuses to pay their techs enough, so they're having issues retaining old talent and training new people. It would certainly make sense as to why things always seem to be falling apart.

[@fstanley2328]

@@PoseidonEntertainment I’m old enough to remember going to Disney World when they used to brag about their high level of maintenance including mentioning things like how every single burned out bulb on the decorative lighting on Main Street were changed nightly after the park closed. I last went in 2019 and I was shocked at how dirty and broken down so many things have become. I can’t imagine it’s gotten better since the pandemic. I went to Cedar Point a few weeks and it was much cleaner and better maintained than Disney World parks and it wasn’t even close. The monorail system in particular is something I find utterly shameful how they’ve let fall into such disrepair. Rather than buy new ones, I truly believe Disney is going to just keep riding the current ones into the ground until a guest is seriously hurt or killed in an accident. Then, they’re just going to shut the whole thing down for good saying it’s too unsafe to run anymore. You should do a video about the monorail’s current state.

[@spinlok3943]

I have a crazy idea. Move it’s a small world to Epcot. It fits with the world unity theme as well as the worlds fair theme considering it premiered at the 1964 one in New York. Then use its old ride building in Fantasyland for one or several new dark rides.

[@spinlok3943]

Yeah and it’s not a particularly complex attraction either so moving it would be super easy, barely an inconvenience. I was thinking they could tear down the Captain Eo theater and build it there. Though it would face World Showcase. There’s enough room, I measured it on Google Earth!

[@sebastiantorres9283]

Love the idea! I get that Small World is an iconic Fantasyland ride, but its themes of world unity shouldn’t be considered a fantasy (especially now in 2022). Makes perfect sense in Epcot

[@spinlok3943]

@Jonathan Pal Oh no, hard pass on that one. I really dislike putting IP based attractions in the world showcase pavilions. Cheapens the experience. The pavilions do need attractions, just something more original like Maelstrom was.

[@david_walker_esq]

I wouldn't reuse the show building for a new attraction, but use the show building's space as a corridor into the new expansion area north of Fantasyland. The Haunted Mansion's show building could be hidden by quick service and retail space themed to and attached to the Tangled restrooms. The proposed bridge over the roadway between Be Our Guest and The Little Mermaid can also be built, allowing for better traffic flow. Having only the one bridge connection as proposed by Poseidon would create a bottleneck like Mickey's Toontown in Disneyland.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

Maybe, but its Mary Blair art style has become so iconic to Fantasyland that I feel a move would be unnecessary. However, I would definitely be interested in moving the Carousel of Progress over the Epcot, serving as an optional prelude to a new and updated version of Horizons.

[@richardquiggle3340]

I remember years ago when I was very young going to Disneyland in anaheim. All the kids were so excited especially looking for Mr. Walt Disney in the park who was in disguise. I knew Walt Disney arrived to monitor the operation of his park and its employees. His stay in the park was approximately 1 hour. I know this because the intercom came on with someone stating Mr. Walt Disney had left the park in that period of time. Entrance fees into the park were reasonable, we didn't pay for parking, merchandise was of the highest quality along with food within the park. Those were great memories.

[@davidnorman4786]

You are right. Increasing the size of Fantasyland was a failure. You used to be able to walk through and jump on any of the small dark rides with a 10-15 minute wait. They were all great (for C-Ticket rides) and worth a ride for a pass-through. Increasing the size of the area drew more people. Now there are hordes of people in the area, and the rides have 60+ minute rates all the time. The other "big" rides (Seven Dwarves and Little Mermaid) are only fair. Certainly not worth a wait. B&tB dinner? The food was ok, but not worth the price. I sat facing the big windows. The person across from me faced a blank wall at the back of the restaurant. And if you are adding such a HUGE amount of property, why the heck would you get rid of an existing attraction (Snow White) when you could have just as easily built its replacement anywhere else? I used to go to Disney 2-3 times a year. The last visit was so bad that I won't be returning for a decade (if not longer).

[@RobColeFilms]

Probably one of the most underrated theme park channels on KZbin. you bravely call out the many mistakes our favorite theme parks are making when we are too afraid to admit them. Keep it up.

[@NinthShinigami]

💯💯💯

[@RobColeFilms]

I’m not, I’m just not voicing my thoughts yet on YT like Poseidon is here.

[@artanisknarf]

Toad and Snow White also were probably taken out since nothing could be “scary” anymore for kids. They both had frightening elements for kids (I could attest). Instead of embracing the element of freights, different than coaster “thrills,” dark rides are veering away from what they were derived from at amusement parks. Little Mermaid is fine, but there is nothing on it that scares my kids like the Mr Toad train or Snow White Queen/hag scared me as a kid. Kids are still allowed to get scared!

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I hate how Disney caves to complaining parents. If Universal did so, HHN wouldn't be as successful as it is. The scariness was so essential to the personality of those rides.

[@redmagpie1761]

it's a weird phenomenon, especially considering that a lot of kids LIKE to be scared. Mascot horror has become more and more targeted towards children, and even if your kid is easily scared, being scared in a safe environment can help them learn how to healthily handle their fear. Part of being a kid is learning how to grow up and handle yourself, and coddling kids endlessly counteracts this. Kids can tell when they're being talked down to, and they hate it.

[@idk-zt8rx]

Tokyo disneyland still has the original scary snow white ride from 1971 with all the jumpscares and the witch dominating the ride. It seems to just be an america thing since the ride gets really long waits and is popular with kids. It gets longer lines than haunted mansion and pirates because some people just go right back to it after riding.

[@colbystearns5066]

Disneyland still has both rides at least.

[@jtstacey83]

Personally, I would have loved to see them bring the Tokyo Beauty and The Beast ride over. Also, getting rid of Snow White for a meet and greet was such a waste of space.

[@wherethetatosat]

The Tokyo Beauty and the Beast ride is one of the best dark rides I've ever seen. All the benefits of modern technology with all the charm of a classic Disney ride.

[@michaelg2077]

It’s unfortunate WDW doesn’t have it yet.

[@williammccarthy5248]

I never understood how an amusement park that allowed Alien Encounter (for the handful of years it existed) also felt compelled to tear down an Opening Day classic like Snow White; just because the witch and trees were spooky.

[@jtstacey83]

@@wherethetatosat The thing about Tokyo Disney is they still seem to have the spirit alive and well of what Walt would have done. While the 1980s was a rough time for Disney. The Disney people gave them the Bible on how to run the Parks the Disney way. Tokyo had the luxury of being trained by the old guard of Disney, the very people who wrote the book, and because the Japanese adhere to tradition have never changed anything they were taught. Every new person is trained precisely as they would have been back in the 80s when the guest experience was the top priority. Current Disney isn't guest experience-driven, but number is driven. If the number says they can get away with something, they will try to get away with something. Profit over people is the name of the game. Use to they wouldn't mind overstaffing as it enhanced the guest experience. Now, if they can cut an employee or staff to the barebones level they will and this is why the parks are dirtier than ever and don't get me started on the deferred maintenance.

[@gameNLHD]

@@jtstacey83 yup i have never been to disney tokyo but its so funny to me that the only park not owned by disney (it also had a bad rep within the disney company because of it not being a 100% owned disney park) and yet because its japan and like you said trained by the old guard Disney Tokyo is as of now the only wel lets say 2 Disney parks that still feel like the og Disney and not some cash grabbing theme park (its still disney but my god they need to get away from these bad ceo's)

[@robswan4170]

This channel has become one of my favorite if Disney knew anything they would hire you

[@LiLTailormade]

BIG FACTS!

[@TyrellDunn]

The fact that they got rid of Mickey’s Toontown Fair is even more tragic. That was a great place that could have remained

[@NinthShinigami]

It’s sadder when you realize Mickey and Minnie could’ve gone there instead of replacing Great Movie Ride…

[@TyrellDunn]

@@NinthShinigami EXACTLY

[@liamlennon3316]

The great movie ride would just he replaced by something else. It was on its way out

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

@@liamlennon3316 I'm pretty sure that Disney tore it out because they didn't want to spend more money on a new show-building. At least, that's the rumor I've heard.

[@michaelg2077]

It really should have remained.

[@JiJ1511]

I don't really have the money to go to many theme parks. But channels like yours and Defunctland that dive deep into the industry and discuss the various gears in them is just fascinating to me.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

It's certainly a fascinating industry, which I why I enjoy speaking about it so much. It's such an interesting crossroad of entertainment and art, manifested as a physical experience. There's so many artistic disciplines expressed in such spaces as well, ranging from architecture, to music, to set design, to engineering, to crowd control, to the culinary arts, etc.

[@TheMrmagoo22]

I would start with the following: 1. Update Peter Pan to as close to the ride in Shanghai as possible. Needs a major referb 2. As someone else mentioned, move small world to Epcot and use the space for something else. Personally I’d love to see an Aladdin dark ride. Maybe model it after pans flight but in this case be on a magic carpet flying through Agrabah, the palace, the cave of wonders etc. always felt magic carpets of Aladdin was a poor representation of the movie. 3. Definitely close enchanted takes with bell and the restaurant and bring the ride in Tokyo here. They could even add more to their version. 4. Add a Hercules based food stop, a gyro shop. It’s cheap, easy and quick. 5. Definitely get rid of tomorrow land speed way. It’s outdated, smells and the space could be used for something much better.

[@dougmartin7129]

Exactly, that’s where Tron should have been built.

[@lb4842]

Instead of an Aladdin ride how about a Pinocchio ride

[@MistaCoconutTheClassic]

And bringing back mr toads wild ride?

[@MYKroe]

Poseidon, you are spot on about getting rid of the Tommorowland Speedway which is basically a 1950's carnival ride attraction and has no place in a land that is heralding the future.

[@Snoop1000Skins]

Honestly, I’d be interested to see this kind of walkthrough/review/“fix-it” for the rest of the lands in Magic Kingdom.

[@madvilliann]

same

[@cmaden78]

It's Belle sweet❤️

[@cmaden78]

This is a 🔔 ( bell)

[@AuthorCertifiedGoof]

“Over where Mr Toad’s Wild used to be…” ooof that one still stings lol. I never got to ride it but it looked amazing, and certainly a better attraction than the Pooh ride I eventually did experience. Not gonna lie, I love Mickey’s Philharmagic a LOT, but I’m also a sucker for music, especially Disney music. I agree with your assessment, though. Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom was so underwhelming. I didn’t find the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train to be all that great. It felt like a milder version of Big Thunder Mountain and Expedition Everest, two vastly superior coasters.

[@michikip45]

Mr Toads was such a bizarre ride that felt so out of place but that’s honestly what made it special. The Pooh ride has a similar track concept but Mr Toads was waaay faster and jankier, it was def the better attraction ;0;

[@brandonhinete6508]

@@michikip45 Eh I think it's something that can only be loved by hardcore fans, but outside of that Pooh is definitely the better IP and fits way better into Fantasyland.

[@michikip45]

@@brandonhinete6508 I’d agree but the ride is still at Disneyland and considered a favorite lol so clearly it has it place and a good heap of fans. I think both could exist, Pooh may be more relevant but Mr Toad is a classic and the under seen classics like him deserve way more love

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I like PhilharMagic, but I also perceive it as very dated. I think it would be cool if they restored the theater to something in the spirit of the Mickey Mouse Revue though. PhilharMagic has always just struck me as a cheaper version of that.

[@Mariojinn2]

I just have to say the Mr. Toad ride at Disney Land was a sleeper favorite. The Hell part out of nowhere was WILD hahaha

[@Spudson]

Honestly, I'd love if WDW add more Disneyland-style dark rides for animated classics they haven't done yet. Aladdin, Lion King, Fantasia, Robin Hood, Lady and the Tramp, ect.

[@jackbergman4724]

It's so weird that we've never gotten a Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty ride. I feel like Disney World should get a Sleeping Beauty ride (since the castle is Cinderella) and replace the meet and greet and Disneyland should get a Cinderella ride (since the castle is sleeping beauty) and replace Pinocchio

[@deepinthemoney]

Right! It’s wild that we still haven’t got an Aladdin Magic carpet dark ride, similar to Peter Pans. Not that boring magic carpet outside ride. Don’t even get me started on Lion King.

[@carminecdinoproductions]

@@deepinthemoney Why The Lion King?

[@carminecdinoproductions]

@@deepinthemoney An Aladdin Magic Carpet dark ride would be cool.

[@juliabp6057]

@@carminecdinoproductionsbecause it’s literally the best Disney movie ever, and still it hasn’t got any ride until these days.

[@charliejones7512]

I kind of agree with what you mean by the more upgraded animatronics taking up most of the money, making the rest of the ride look substandard in comparison. I would like to point out that some of the more upgraded rides with the more complicated animatronics tend to be the ones that break down more often than not. This is something I’ve been noticing in recent years.

[@Carmastrong855]

Those Cinderella murals are quite beautiful!

[@solcarlosofficial]

My issue is many Disney fans see Disney rides as museums. Parks should evolve and improve. Last time I went to magic kingdom I couldn’t believe I was paying 100$ a day and every ride in fantasy land seemed sooooo outdated. the animatronics barely move. Small world has so much pontential with todays technology now it looks creepy.

[@minecraftdisneyresort1984]

Facts

[@fstanley2328]

Don’t you realize that maintaining and updating things costs money and Bob Chapek has made it crystal clear that is something he will not do unless he thinks he can squeeze more money out of people for it.

[@GameMageVideos]

that's such an apt point. everyone i know who actually likes disney just goes there to spout trivia about every little furnishing on the wall. they never talk about how thrilling a ride is, it's just "walt disney likes this color of socks so all the cast members wear them on thursdays"

[@aaronsarchive82]

I have to partially disagree with you. I think some older rides are charming because they were purposely designed with a minimal asthetic. I mean, the Haunted Mansion wasn't doing anything new when it opened. It was using technology from 100 years prior. But you bring up an interesting point about small world. I think the ride is perfect as is, but it does have potential to be something more. Look at what Disney did with Sinbad in Tokyo DisneySea. The animatronics have the style of their small world counterparts, but they are much more sophisticated. We could have a very high tech small world here in the states if Disney wanted to. Again, I wouldn't personally touch the thing, but it's definitely an idea that could be explored more.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I think that Pirates in Disneyland is a great example of how to keep older experiences feeling "classic" but still contemporary and relevant.

[@mjgrant298]

The Villains idea would be the thing that drew me in - I wish I could have done the one they used to have under the Tokyo Castle. But obviously if anything like this happened, it would be seen as a response to Universals upcoming classic Monsters land at Epic Universe, and Disney would sadly never entertain that

[@anthonycicalese1793]

To be honest with you the entire Walt Disney World resort is broken and has been broken since the late 90s. Disneyland has received these incredible renovations to their marquee attractions for example but Magic Kingdom feels like it is frozen in the 90s. Hollywood Studios is of course beyond repair and desperately needs a complete overhaul. Walt wanted this space in Florida just so he could expand the Magic Kingdom, what's the point of this massive footprint if you refuse to use it

[@Detaur]

Wow I can't believe its been 10 years since New Fantasyland opened. The last time I went to Disney World it was still under construction, this video ended up being pretty nostalgic in that way. Great work as always.

[@ARDIZsq]

As a big fan of Hades as a character, and just the Villains in general, that River Styx ride sounds like an absolute gem of a ride. It would also be really unique compared to Pirates, so parents wouldn't think "oh, it's JUST another water ride."

[@officialmonarchmusic]

Instead, Parents would complain "my kid got scaaaaaaarrreeeed!" 🤦‍♂They always miss the point and it rides the fine line between alarming and funny

[@officialmonarchmusic]

Also, the river Styx could be amazing, I'm astounded that Disney hasn't tapped in to all of this potential yet

[@myfloridahomeshow]

Great content! You mentioned that you didn’t know why Be Our Guest moved to a prix fixe menu. It was actually because people were making reservations to only get ‘the grey stuff’ since it was only available at dinner back then and for people to get photos, so the menu changed to fix that issue and the grey stuff was added to the lunch menu in a trio of desserts (and the lunch menu budget for ingredients was downgraded to stop the grey stuff issue from repeating itself at lunch)

[@lunamax1214]

The main issue I have with "updates" made to the parks is that more and more, disabled folks (such as myself) are finding there is less and less for them to enjoy. Spine patients can't do coasters and simulators, for example. Epileptic folks and those with PTSD can't always handle strobes and flashing lights. Wheelchair users. . .well, you get the idea. This is why I miss Energy Adventure/Universe of Energy; not just because of nostalgia, but because it was the last really big attraction that disabled folks could experience without having to worry overly much about their disabilities getting in the way, and/or holding up the works for everyone else, so to speak. Most of us can't go on Cosmic Rewind, to be frank. With the advent of covid, we're going to see a drastic increase in the number of disabled and chronically ill people in the coming years. Yet. . .no one with any significant power seems to realize this, or care, if the design decisions of most companies are anything to go by. We were always an afterthought well before the end of the Iger era. Now, in the Chapek era, it feels like they don't want to acknowledge we exist at all.

[@jaimeerindy4573]

Love your expansion ideas, but I seriously doubt Disney would get rid of Be Our Guest because it's such a cash cow. I really feel like Disney is afraid to take such big risks, but after Epic Universe opens, they are going to realize that small "updates" and adding random restaurants/m&g areas are not going to cut it anymore.

[@SalivatingSteve]

As a Californian who grew up going to Disneyland, overall WDW appears built on the cheap in comparison. There are abandoned and neglected facilities all over WDW. It’s weird how Fantasyland in Florida has fewer rides when it’s the flagship land of the park. My theory is Disney does this on purpose, they don’t put enough attractions at all the other parks so people are forced to visit all 4. Whereas DLR you get a better value with more attractions per park.

[@fstanley2328]

Ding, ding. Winner, winner, chicken dinner.

[@DavidBehlman]

Californian here, planning a trip to WDW…and I don’t even wanna go to Magic Kingdom. My list of must-rides are mostly Epcot and Animal Kingdom.

[@reecehuff8030]

@@DavidBehlman Magic Kingdom is a glorified merch shop and day care. If you’re an adult going without small children it’s not worth more than a couple of hours for the 2-3 good rides. Go spend time at the other three.

[@dannielz6]

@@DavidBehlman Lol I do exactly the same! Theres nothing that Magic Kingdom has that's better than Disneyland and, apart from the original Tower of Terror, there's no reason to visit Hollywood studios.

[@mikaeruu0309]

@@dannielz6 so totally agree with hollywood studios lol my parents and i visited it in 2017 and it was so very underwhelming in comparison to how it was even in like, 2014 when i last visited? i dont remember rlly but its so dumb lol its not even fun. epcot and animal kingdom are worth your time more than HS.

[@NerdyBenson]

Ya know, I've been going to The Magic Kingdom at least once a year since 2016. I had kept up with news but I've felt since 2016 that Fantasy land is surprisingly my least favorite land to visit. Which is absolutely crazy since I love the idea of Fantasy land and Disney's animated films. I just feel more immersed by every other land, even the incredibly dusty and dirty Tomorrowland (my god, so much dust on the peoplemover). I desperately want to visit Disneyland since it's Fantasyland feels way more fleshed out while Florida's feels like the bare minimum. It honestly feels like a lot of the problems would be fixed if Disney wasn't so cheap and expanded the park. They might be limited by the railroad but it feels like there's a lot of empty land they could expand into. In regards to Philharmagic, I think it should stay but should be updated way more than it has. It eats up crowds and gives people a centralized place to enjoy "Disney". I also agree in tearing down the Tomorrowland Speedway, it feels way more outdated and it literally stinks.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

PhilharMagic is alright, just dated. I would be interested in seeing the space return to a large animatronic show like it was originally.

[@dannielz6]

They are not limited by the railroad. At Disneyland the whole of Galaxies Edge and Toon Town was built outside of the railroad.

[@andrewcalcagno8272]

I really think that Disney should replace the princess meet and greet with an updated version of Mr. Toads Wild Ride. Disney should also replace Mickeys Philharmagic with an updated version of The Mickey Mouse Revue. As for the princess meet and greet, they can remove Enchanted Tales with Belle, and then relocate the princess meet and greet to that space.

[@mosespray4510]

Poseidon, your ideas are great. I'm not sure why Disney Corp never thinks to put someone who loves the IPs and history of the company in charge. They always find a suit with no real love for Walt's vision who promises to squeeze more money out of what they believe to be a bottomless well of customers. I've spent a lifetime loving Disney theme parks and Disney animation, but I'm not optimistic about the company's future. My wife and I and our 11 year-old son are planning a two week trip to Orlando this Christmas/New Year's, and we're going to Universal. Even one year ago we would have chosen Disney World or a Disney cruise.

[@justgrace1354]

You're so right that the SDMT is a waste of space. I would change it to the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train so that the majority of the track is inside the mountain (by covering the track currently outdoors) and then flip the direction of the ride's layout. Instead of a coaster with one scene, it could be an indoor coaster where riders follow the dwarfs from their cabin (keeping the scene with them dancing in the cottage) to the mine (also keeping and moving closer to the cottage scene the little hi-ho scene) but on the way home from the mine the Evil Queen pushes a boulder onto the track and the mine train switches last-minute to a track that dives further into the mine. Riders then travel through caves that are decorated and themed before the dwarfs switch the track or somehow save the riders in the end to bring them back to the cottage (or at least the mine's entrance) and unload.

[@CarolCap131]

I was recently in Disneyland after decades and it was a revelation how much more it offers than magic kingdom or certainly any other disneyworld park. I loved your expansion ideas, especially the ones that involved new ground rather than tear downs and rebuilds. I feel like at disneyworld originally the focus was on interesting amusement parks to bring people to Orlando but at some point the capital focus shifted to the hotels and later time shares and less investment was focused on the parks themselves. In contrast, since Disneyland doesn’t have the land to focus on hotels, they spend more time and money maintaining and improving the parks themselves.

[@raegangarlitz5313]

I am used to Disneyland, and when I visited Magic Kingdom Fantasyland recently I was completely underwhelmed. How does Disneyland have like twice the rides with half the space? So weird.

[@nairbvel]

How dare you propose that the new Disney corporation actually -- gasp! -- *spend* money on improvements when they can simply keep squeezing wallets until people wise up and they fall apart?

[@charliemacsart]

I think all of your suggestions would work wonders for the land, though the only thing I'd do differently is I'd keep Pooh where it is, give it a refurb, and build Mr. Toad in the plot you laid out for Pooh. There's so much nice theming outside of Pooh right now that I'd hate to see destroyed, and it'd probably be overall more cost-effective to just build one new ride and refurb another rather than demolish one ride and build two new entire rides. I may be biased because I really love the Pooh ride at MK, a lot of that being nostalgia, and I just find the style of it charming- it's very akin to the older dark rides in its simplicity, even if it's not as engaging as something like Pirates or the Haunted Mansion.

[@officialmonarchmusic]

I love Mr. Toad. I've always wished Disney would update it with higher speeds and smoke effects and such. I think it would be so fun

[@MysTaeryColorful]

These armchair imagineering ideas are cool! I won't lie, I often disagree with your opinions on Disney parks. They can tend to feel hypercritical. But I do agree that fantasyland's last expansion was totally botched. There was too much emphasis on meet-and-greets and not enough on expanding capacity with rides. Enchanted Tales With Belle hasn't even been open since the shutdowns, and everywhere I look I see underutilized empty space. I think your idea of a villains mini-land is an excellent alternative to the Dark Kingdom Park everybody wants but will never get. Especially the Hades River Styx ride. That mini-land would also help justify bringing back Snow White's ride, and the little neighborhoods concept they had with the original concept art.

[@LittleIslander100]

The concepts for the big Expansion plot interest me a lot. Obviously sometime in the future, near or far, they're gonna want to use that and more Fantasyland is a reasonably likely candidate. Your idea of Arendelle on one side and a Villain area on the other is neat, but it got me thinking what one would put in the middle. Both Arendelle and villains land would probably be mountainous and feature some kind of castle-ey focal point (will Belle's Castle also adjacent), so naturally in the middle you've got a sort of a valley. Embracing the idea there's sort of a melting pot in this magical valley stuck in the middle would help root a mishmash of attractions in the themeing and not overshadow the two big draws on either side. Maybe there's a lot of different cultures converging in this valley -- insert some combination of Pocahontas, Mulan, Jasmine/Aladdin, and maybe even Encanto. Would make for a natural place for a replacement princess meet and greet hall too. Then as you get closer to the villain side it gets a bit more rogueish and seedier - Pinocchio, Robin Hood, and Tangled's settings might fit over here. Obviously you can't fit all of these IPs but the idea there's everything and anything converging in this valley between two opposing ideals of good and evil could thread them all together nicely. Say we clone Pinnochio's dark ride near the entrance to the villains area; its urban setting could transition towards the good side with Encanto's Casita, probably some kind of restaurant. Likewise, Robin Hood or Tangled forest would probably fit next to Mulan's home or Pocahontas nicely. Say we give Mulan the dark ride and put a medieval restaurant/tavern in the Robin Hood/Tangled spot. Maybe you can even shove the themeing kicking and screaming into cohesiveness with the Hades ride and run it by the restaurant, Disneyland PotC style. And then we've got enough room to shove the princess area adjacent to Frozen's entrance with shops interspersed throughout. Theme the whole thing, villains, arendelle, and center as "Fantasy Valley".

[@psycho81212]

I LOVE the idea of a sub-area in Fantasyland dedicated to the Villains a la Knockturn alley at Wizarding World! Could also be a repository for a lot of the more darker mature rides (more intense roller coasters, horror-esque walkthroughs, etc). It would not only add a significant boost in capacity, but would also add more to the Fantasyland experience and make Magic Kingdom one of the definitive Disney parks; more than just a Disneyland clone.

[@jbgood7777]

Adventureland seems to have the most potential for expansion(Cave of Wonders, Moana Boat Ride, Fire Mountain, etc), and can have a thematic overlap with mythological themes. The Beauty and the Beast theming can definitely spread out into a Black Forest/Uberwald expansion theme complete with Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, Pinocchio, Mr Toad and Night on Bald Mountain rides, while on the western side of Fantasyland(near the Haunted Mansion), they could have both a Sleepy Hollow ride and a Pocahontas Dark Ride to overlap with Liberty Square. Frontierland could use Disney's old plans for Discovery Bay and Thunder Mesa as a basis for expansion into a new land.

[@mulliganpictorial]

Imagine if Seven Dwarves Mine Train had been themed, instead, to Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. All those charming British cars galloping over those grass covered hills, and really done it up right for the final trip through hell, Disneyland style

[@lb4842]

That is a really good idea!

[@Owser307]

WOW, you actually followed up on that video covering Fantasyland that I asked about on an earlier video, you are the greatest! This is such a cool topic and I'm glad that you are covering it in your own way.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I honestly don't remember being asked, but I started off with the idea of doing a 10 year retrospective for New Fantasyland and the script evolved into this. I apologize because I didn't actually remember, but I suppose it worked out.

[@Owser307]

@@PoseidonEntertainment That's ok, I only remembered because you replied to my original comment asking about it and you expressed interest in the concept.

[@jssumner82]

What I think Disneylands Park has over MK is that you see movement in the various lands. Likely due to their limited space and less rain, Disneyland utilizes their space with multiple overlapping attractions (i.e., Casey Junior/Storybook Canals, Submarines/Monorail/Autopia/former Peoplemover) and the ride vehicles load or pass in front of you on the attractions' exteriors. I just makes it more visually appealing and makes you want to rides these smaller rides more.

[@JacobElyachar]

I wished that they added a Cinderella Castle Mystery tour. You can have the Evil Queen, Maleficent, and the Horned King but you could add Jafar, Ursula and Cherberbog into the mix.

[@idk-zt8rx]

It would work since the castle is pretty much just there and you can't go inside. There's also a demand for villain attractions and florida isn't prone to earthquakes, so it will definitely be an ideal attraction to add

[@JohnS-ki2zf]

I’ve always had the idea for a speedway replacement using trackless ride vehicles to make a more realistic race, with cars overtaking eachother and maneuvering.

[@aggiemullins]

My theory on why they don’t update Peter Pan is due to its abysmal hourly ride capacity. If they redid the ride to make it a must-do, they would need a full blown vehicle and track overhaul to increase rider capacity to acceptable levels to ensure enough people could actually ride it.

[@nightwish1453]

personally which might be a hot take, without the nostalgia glasses it feels way too underwhelming for it's average wait times it ends up getting as a ride more then the mine train, i know why it does due to it's history but it does feel a bit dated

[@RRRandomRecordings]

Fun fact: back when the Magic Kingdom was still in development, there were plans to give its Fantasyland a totally different slate of dark rides! At Disneyland the three main original dark rides (Mr Toad, Peter Pan, and Snow White) each embodied a certain emotion that determined the tone of the ride; zany, chaotic fun in the case of Toad, beauty and wonder for Peter Pan, and dark fright for Snow White. At Magic Kingdom, Mr. Toad would've been replaced with a ride based on the Wizards Duel from Sword in the Stone, Peter Pan would've been replaced with a Mary Poppins ride that used flying umbrellas as the ride vehicle, and finally Snow White would've been replaced with a scary Sleeping Beauty ride including an encounter with the Maleficent dragon! Obviously this never happened but I think the Sleeping Beauty ride idea would've been the perfect replacement for Snow White's Scary Adventures when it closed. Imagine how cool a Sleeping Beauty dark ride could be!

[@emtadamd9488]

As a west coaster, I like the Snow White mine train. I think a reason it’s a popular ride could be due to the fact it isn’t at other parks. On my first trip to Disney World, my priorities were to rise stuff I don’t get at Disneyland/California Adventure. I may have done multiple rides on the Tower Of Terror. Miss it a lot in California but I do like Mission Breakout alot too.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

Yeah maybe, but I have a feeling that its crowds are the result of artificial demand. Disney blogs want to share their "here's how to beat the crowds at Seven Dwarfs Mine Train!" articles and it creates this perpetual cycle of creating demand by inciting a scramble of people who feel that they "have" to ride it or else they're missing out on a high-demand attraction that otherwise wouldn't continue seeing such dramatic wait times.

[@emtadamd9488]

@@PoseidonEntertainment that could be as well. I’m sure its a mixture of all sorts of stuff. I really enjoy your videos even if I don’t always agree with your views but you caught my interest because Disney parks are losing their luster. I’ve been going to Disney parks nearly every year of my adult life and they aren’t as good as I remember. I may skip them entirely this year and you’ve pointed out a lot of reasons why. Anyways, have a good day.

[@heathermclaren9901]

I was having a lot of fun thinking about the queue for the potential Hades ride and how to make it fit into the whole medieval enchanted forest Fantasyland theming, like taking inspriation from a lot of those old bone churches in Europe and having skull walls and bone chandeliers and skeletons/reapers on stained glass, then slowly transitioning into a more ancient Greek ruins sort of structure (maybe you build it on a slight hill so you have the feeling of descending)...but then I remembered Disney World's Fantasyland does not have cohesive medieval theming anyway. Great video as always, lots to chew on here.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

That's kind of how I vaguely envisioned it. It would be cool to have a façade with old, weathered Greek columns either collapsing or crumbling.

[@ethanfinn9064]

What they did with New Fantasyland in that back area of the park actually isn’t bad, and it’s certainly a step in the right direction. The problem is, they didn’t finish the job. They left the outdated facades beyond the castle which look super outdated, and they didn’t do enough to create more themed attractions like Seven Dwarfs and Little Mermaid. The mine train is actually a super cool concept, it’s just too short. The long wait times it gathers isn’t worth the short ride experience that should be so much longer. But, it makes sense since that’s probably the most well themed attraction in the land. There’s something special about that 1983 refurb of Disneyland’s Fantasyland that no other Disney park has really captured. Magic Kingdom just needs TLC all around, Tomorrowland and Fantasyland being the worst.

[@howardlee7]

This is a fantastic video and spot on. WDW Florida’s Fantasyland is no comparison to the other Disney Parks - in CA and around the world. (I’ve been) Snow White’s Mine Train is overrated and too short. And you’re right - the princess hall is unforgivable that it didn’t become a ride attraction after Snow White’s Scary Adventure vanished.

[@Mikkoscassidine]

Excellent video as always! It’s crazy that you seem to know more about the Disney parks than Disney itself. They need to make you president of Disney parks.

[@1992disney]

You didn't mention that Mickey's Philharmagic was actually updated last year, which basically replaced the Peter Pan scene with Coco and that's it. You also didn't mention that Under The Sea: Journey of The Little Mermaid ride portion was just a clone of The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure at Disney's California Adventure, which opened only a year before the Magic Kingdom version.

[@lacanidjion]

I'm glad I went to be our guest before it declined...

[@TheMellowPumpkin]

There used to be a shop inside Cinderella's Castle called The King's Gallery, and it sold real medieval arms and armor, and other medieval goods, but then it was replaced by Bibbidi Boppidi Boutique in 2007.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

Ah the good old days. Bring back classic Mainstreet too

[@19kilo241]

I would build the unbuilt Bald Mountain coaster planned in 2001 in a villains area as well as a Nightmare before Christmas dark ride to make up for not having the holiday overlay like in California. I would also love Mystic Manor to be added to magic kingdom somehow someday.

[@beneciotheperson]

I like your retheme of Fantasyland, but I think some people might miss Philharmagic, so might I suggest moving that show to Studios? I mean, it would fit great in a new animation building that replaces the outdated Launch Bay.

[@squid65635]

I'm glad you brought up the Little Mermaid ride, since as a big fan of the movie I've always felt the ride has missed potential. I've only been on the California Adventure version, but I've heard that they are pretty much identical and suffer a lot of the same issues. I feel like one of the biggest problems is that there are massive, long stretches between the scenes (particularly at the beginning of the ride and after the Ursual scene) that are practically empty except for some rockwork. IMO they need to focus on these spaces a bit more if the ride is ever going to improve. Doubt that'll happen under current Disney leadership though.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

At least the queue in Magic Kingdom is interesting. On the flip-side though, I suppose the queue at DCA doesn't raise your expectations as high.

[@squid65635]

@@PoseidonEntertainment That is very true unfortunately. The queue takes up an honestly ridiculous amount of space for a ride that never has a wait time longer than 10 minutes. I swear 90% of the queue is ropes off/empty every time I’m there

[@icaliver]

I agree that mine cart ride did need more elements from the movie, maybe passing through of the scary forest or an occasional glimpse of the crone on her way to the cottage. The Little mermaid, did imagineers not watch the action sequences of that movie? The audience could be at Ariel’s side exploring Eric’s kingdom. She was a little speedester with a that carriage. It should’ve been like Pinocchio you enter in dark side Ursula’s Grotto divided with a on the beach side exit. Be our guest just needs to be a ride, there doesn’t need to be a Blue Bayou lagoon/pirates ride. From what I’ve studied Mr Toad would have to take back the space of princess meet and greet and whatever is to it’s side (that’s how bad it is the layout is.) Also Bumper cars, why is bumper carts such a fail experience at Disney parks. (For the kids only) OR another walk through attraction like that Castle dungeon in Tokyo Disneyland. That might solve that small area. What it definitely needs is a Matterhorn type of ride (it’ll has to be natured themed cause nature is a wonderland of its own) I also agree that the transition between lands is lazily done as well. Fantasyland to Liberty Square is awkward But we must remember Florida isn’t an ideal place for a theme park, unlike California. Hurricane, random rainfall, the humidity etc.. slows building production down and raises labor cost. I remember hearing how the Guardians ride was due to open in 2021 but delayed for 2 years for roller coasters with screens and projections. Screens and projections are fine but there’s a charm to led light flying on a black wire. The plus side to this rushed watered down version is that one can finish the park in a day, so the family, friends or whoever can enjoy the other theme parks.

[@mancal5829]

Now that would be a real Fantasyland. I agree that, as it is, it's very underwhelming; worse, perhaps, that what there was before.

[@giop2978]

Ive always wanted a Hercules ride since its my favorite Disney movie, and a Hades Underworld boat ride sounds really cool

[@Brody423]

My issue with the Little Mermaid ride is the lack of water. It makes the ride seem cheaper to me, though I understand the purpose of it helping with ride maintenance.

[@fletch1313]

The worse part of what you are suggesting is that it makes perfect sense and would really work so with that being said we know that this would be turned down by anyone at Disney! Fantastic video though!!!!

[@slopesgameroom]

After going to fantasyland for the 1st time since being a kid only a few days ago. I gotta say that certain aspects really impressed me (like the mine train, Winnie the Pooh's ride and a couple of others) but yep... The food quality and overall experience at Be our guest was average at best... (It was also the most expensive) I understand the importance of a good meet and great area for the princesses but removing snow White's dark ride for it is a bad move!! However, it's worth pointing out that meeting the princesses is super important for a huge chunk of guests, arguably more so than snow White's dark ride. The fact you get to meet 4 of them quite easily in magic Kingdom is a complete breath of fresh air compared to Paris's terrible system that offers 2 completely unknown princesses (of which you only get to see 1 depending on if you speak English or french) after a 2-3 hour wait! If anything needs fixing... It's that!!!

[@dannielz6]

Peter Pan is so popular, I've never understood why its ride system wasnt used for an Aladdin or UP ride. Seems like a no brainer.

[@colbystearns5066]

Those sound like great ideas actually! I think a magic carpet ride for Aladdin or a balloon ride for UP would do quite well!

[@wt7553]

I remember attending the pass holder preview for New Fantasyland and being completely underwhelmed. Then we still had to wait for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and that was underwhelming too. There was so much anticipation for this expansion and we rarely rode anything aside from Seven Dwarfs and Dumbo. I do give them credit for the Dumbo playground and queue. It’s comfortable and well-themed. That was a lifesaver when my boys were little.

[@ChrisPMuffin]

Great ideas as always, makes us see how much space really is squandered!

[@seven471]

I would like to see more homage paid to the classics in the way of rides, like The Rescuers, The Aristocats, 101 Dalmatians.

[@bemiatto67]

I remember someone making a pitch for a Rescuers ride and it sounded awesome

[@vabvaab]

This all feels like when the parks fell into disrepair / had very budget additions under Michael Eisner. Very transparent money grubbing with no creative or long term direction. I feel bad for people experiencing the parks for the first time right now. :/

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I see what you mean, but I would consider this to be different. Many of Eisner's projects were opening, flagrantly cheap, but at least there were other genuine artistic efforts in conjunction with them. Animal Kingdom and later Everest is really a testament to this. Instead, I feel that Iger and Chapek's projects have instead shot for "good enough", coming off as sterile, corporate products designed by committee and built only to provoke merchandise sales. For as many issues as Eisner had, it seemed like things were picking back up again, at least outside of WDSP and Hong Kong.

[@mosespray4510]

Speaking of disrepair, it seems that recently a lot of the animatronics are losing functionality without being properly repaired. In Wisconsin Dells, near where I live, they have a habit of building an attraction and letting it decline year upon year until the whole thing gets torn down and a new attraction is built in its place. It's depressing to watch this happen. I'm interested to know if people who go to the Disney theme parks frequently are observing a similar process.

[@RobCartwright]

I think you have your eras wrong. Under Eisner, the parks experienced massive growth and sprucing up. The Imagineers had free reign to do pretty much anything they wanted. Eisner opened both MGM and Animal Kingdom. It was an incredible time to be at a Disney park during his leadership.

[@bailantilles77]

@@RobCartwright That may have been true about the early Eisner years, however after the financial debacle of EuroDisneyland (which is truly a fantastic park) Eisner changed his view on shooting for the stars as well as a ‘spare no expense’ mantra for projects after that. That’s how you get things like the original incarnation of California Adventure.

[@RobCartwright]

@@bailantilles77 I'm not sure I'd attribute that change in demeanor to Eisner, I'd more pin it on the board whose goal is to make money for shareholders. I think some of the change in Eisner's leadership style probably had to do with the passing of Frank Wells also.

[@DylanRyan8]

you have became my favorite theme park channel thank you so much for the though and effort you put in your videos!!

[@aayotechnology]

Same. But out of curiosity which others do you like on YT?

[@DylanRyan8]

@@aayotechnology Offhand Disney, Defunctland, Yesterworld, WDWNT, TPMvids, Disney Dan, Amusement Labs. I'm sure there are tons others but those are the ones on the top of my head

[@michaelg2077]

Mine as well!

[@michaelg2077]

@@DylanRyan8 those channels are great, and tend to be a little less biased to Disney which is always great!

[@nickbooze9766]

My God was Be Our Guest the worst meal we had in WDW after eating in a few spots in each park two summers ago.

[@GTNover]

Someone at Disney either needs to give this man a well paid job, or at the very least steal all of his ideas he's given you so far for free. But for christ's sake, don't waste this man's talent.

[@AkiDave]

I love how blunt and introspective your videos are 💙

[@austinphillips6279]

Following the fantasea expansion coming to Tokyo Disney Sea in 2023, Magic Kingdom could import the new Peter Pan and Tangled rides. It's a small world could become the Tangled boat ride. The peter pan ride could replace the area big top souvenirs. The current Peter pan dark ride could become something new.

[@muchachoCDMX]

This is your best work so far! I hope somebody at Disney sees this!

[@thebluetarp]

What I find weird, is the fact they built the Haunted Mansion right on the river's edge. Completely closing off access to Park expansion up and around the rivers of America. Where they put the new bathrooms, they could have made a path back that way. They also landlocked themselves on the other side of the river with Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. It seems future planning did not go into consideration when building the Magic Kingdom

[@TheOnlyBongo]

I feel Big Thunder Mountain would have been salvagable if Thunder Mesa became a reality. Like the idea of an "underground" tunnel crossing through the mountain to the other side to continue on around the river would have helped a ton. The Haunted Mansion is completely on them however.

[@thebluetarp]

@@TheOnlyBongo it’s a shame thunder Mesa never got built. An entire big thunder mining town theme sounds truly awesome!

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I see what you mean, but I actually don't find it to be that necessary. Magic Kingdom still had the Tomorrowland expansion space where Tron is now going and they could expand south beyond the backstage parade route to expand Adventureland. I know the northern area I proposed isn't designated for park expansion, but I think that with enough creative thinking, that space could be used up without moving past the Haunted Mansion.

[@aaronsarchive82]

You also wonder how much space we would have had in Adventureland if they never built Pirates and went with Thunder Mesa.

[@HalfEatenMedia]

Be Our Guest is the biggest waste of space, save your money. I got in at the last moment while at the park because someone canceled. I missed the fire works as a result. Would’ve been just as happy with a hot dog

[@thehobbsguy]

There are not nearly enough classic style indoor dark rides at Magic Kingdom's Fantasy Land. And the lack of attraction capacity is a problem at Disney World in general, at every park.

[@morethanfriendsproductions8045]

I really liked your expansion ideas. I'm 1,000% in support of removing the Tomorrowland speedway ride and replacing it with multiple, more interesting, attractions. That ride is a waste of space, and the concept of reimagining it with a truly "Tomorrowland" theme indoors would be perfect!

[@RF74FILMS]

This summer, I went to Magic Kingdom during a busy day. At about 12 Pm, which was rush hour, me and my family went to the New Fantasy Land. Surprisingly it was empty, even the Little Mermaid dark ride had a 5 minute wait time. It was very unusual to us due to the fact the park was filled to the brim.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

So much for expanding pathway capacity if no one goes to the area

[@lightninlarry8936]

Here is my opinion on Magic Kingdom. They don't make any improvements because they don't have to. It has and still is the most visited theme park in the world. People are visiting no matter what the state of the park is. Magic Kingdom is the supposed crown jewel of the Disney parks. I've always thought of it as an afterthought.

[@rileyketvirtis9228]

I love these long video essays at work 😊

[@thatvideojacob]

One of my new favorite channels, I like that you don't just state boring facts, but you actually present your own ideas alongside the hard facts.

[@josephbernados1649]

I mean, the Tony Baxter Mernaid ride was exactly the remedy you were looking for, faster paced. not to mention with a novelty dry-for-wet technology that would've made it feel like you were actually underwater.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I didn't get the impression that the ride improved on this much. Judging from the video, I don't really understand the praise it gets.

[@josephbernados1649]

@@PoseidonEntertainment to be fair the video isn't the actual ride, and i'm sure like Peter Pan's flight, they had the ability to speed it up or slow it down as needed. Plus i"m sure the bubble with water in the ride vehicle would've really rounded out the experience. (Think of what the 20k Ride in Tokyo looks like)

[@TyranoTortoise]

I went to “Be Our Guest” A LOT when I was a Cast Member in 2013 and it was fantastic, food and atmosphere where great. I went in 2018 or 2019 and was INCREDIBLY disappointed with how shitty it had become. What a waste.

[@Raydawggie]

I feel like an Encanto dark ride would be a really smart idea. The entire thing is set in a house for the most part, making it the perfect fit for a very compact dark ride that sends you careening from one room to another with lots of old-school effects. Given all the unique sets in the movie, it could be a good fit for the area and pay tribute to the movie without a huge cost.

[@Spiff99]

@@devonalomar9012 Which wouldn't make sense, since the setting of the movie seems to be Columbia. But then they stuck Frozen in Norway.. so.. yeah, I could see them doing that.

[@liz5089]

@@Spiff99 frozen is supposed to be based in a fictional Norway though? Even Arendelle gets its name from a similarly named town in Norway

[@hillelhalevi]

These are great ideas. Disney should hire you. Seriously. I also thought they should get rid of the race cars. It's old and tired and takes up a lot of space. It's also loud and smelly.

[@Mark-pe2sh]

As always, reasoned, well-thought-out critiques of what they do right and, unfortunately, what they too often do wrong. All of the problems highlighted reflect the poor quality of upper management with repeated failures in caring or understanding the problems the parks face. Poor management down to the lowest level at the parks has been running the experience and park quality into the ground for years. Disney management seems to be incapable of proactive action to fix problems. Probably by design since they don't have to do anything or fix anything if management doesn't care

[@luisalonsoecheverria]

As someone who’s gone to Disneyland his entire life and only this year finally visited Magic Kingdom, I can safely say Disneyland is better. The size of MK doesn’t matter to me. The problem is so many rides and attractions need refurbishments or some of them are shorter than their Cali counterpart. Specifically to Fantasyland, It’s A Small World needs to have their audio system renovated, Peter Pan’s Flight needs to be updated like the Cali version, and Dwarves Mine Train’s projection animations need to be tuned up. Winnie The Pooh in MK feels shorter than the Cali version for some reason. Plus, there also seems to be some missed opportunities with the Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast areas. Honestly, a cool way to revitalize the land is to add a clone of Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast from Tokyo Disney to complement the Be Our Guest restaurant.

[@sethstrattan7380]

If they update Orlando’s Peter Pan, not only projections and new effects, but also new animatronics as well.

[@EternityGroups]

I definitely agree seven dwarves mine train is a waste of space! While snow whites scary adventure was unique in its own way,seven dwarves mine train is just a……well coaster,with some theming at one portion.