Walt Disney World General Discussion

[Dara]

It surely wont get to a stage where people have to be health tested before riding will it? If that happens i, for one, would probably fail!

[DiogoJ42]

If something that daft had to happen, then I guess you would have a medical on entering the park, and be givena wristband depending on how fit you are.

I can't see many guests going along with it though. I know I wouldn't!

[Chris W]

As discussed in the chatroom for practically the whole evening....

Last night at 2am on the 5th of July, 1 Cast Member died when 2 monorails collided. The driver was 21.

The collision occurred outside of the Transport and Ticket Centre on the Epcot rail.

Link to News Story
Link to Video taken seconds after the evacuation




There are a lot of rumours flying about right now, the main theory is in the spoiler below.
This is only a rumour and not fact until the investigation is over.

[spoiler:7pb4xlkp][quote=""NormalVisual on Miceage.com""]The short, short version is that Monorail Central cleared Monorail Pink in reverse into the Concourse (the Epcot side of the TTC) station without being aware that Monorail Purple was still in the station. Pink was cleared with MAPO override, meaning that the driver would have disabled the anti-collision system (there are a variety of legitimate reasons for doing this), and would have been acting on faith that Central wouldn't have cleared him into a dangerous situation because it sometimes is difficult to see everything you'd want to in the cab mirrors, particularly at night on a curve such as the one he was backing along. For whatever reason, Purple just sat in the station without attempting to avoid the accident, and was struck by Pink moving at the full 15 mph allowed during MAPO override. From what I understand, the driver of Purple was a new transfer from another department. Why Central would not have made sure the station was clear before moving any trains is a bit of a mystery, but I've heard that no one was actually in the control console (the control tower-looking place at Concourse) at the time. To my knowledge, there were no electrical or mechanical problems in play here. Again, I have to stress that I'm relating what I've heard, and I was not there. This is a second-hand account from others more familiar with the situation.[/quote]

[url=http://micechat.com/forums/news/119188- ... 1055420438" target="_blank]http://micechat.com/forums/news/119188- ... 1055420438[/url][/spoiler:7pb4xlkp]

RIP Austin Wuennenberg. Condolences to his family and friends.

Crofty - Title Edited

[Spike]

[url=http://www.wesh.com/slideshow/news/19956082/detail.html" target="_blank]http://www.wesh.com/slideshow/news/19956082/detail.html[/url]

Chilling photo of them trying to get in the cabin. It sadly shows why the poor lad hasn't survived the impact. Such a shame and from a supposed safe system with many emergency stop measures.

[Crofty]

Shocking news and truly horrific pictures and video.

I suppose the trains weren't really built to cope with collisions so offer little protection. I really feel sorry for all those involved. The poor driver and the kids who were in the train and had to witness this at what is normally a very magical place.

[Matt.C]

just wondering if you noticed that the title of the topic says Monofail? Or is that mean to be a joke

Crofty - Title edited.

[Chris W]

[quote=""Matt.C""]just wondering if you noticed that the title of the topic says Monofail? Or is that mean to be a joke

Crofty - Title edited.[/quote]

Yeah, sorry. We were calling in the Monofail in chat and I wasn't thinking properly when typing the title out. Pressed F instead of R, I blame my lack of sleep. Apologies.

_______

It looks like the system will be down for another few days whilst the investigation goes on.

Further details are suggesting that a switch in the track did not occur like it should and the accident purely happening due to procedural error.
It all seems to be down to how the MAPO system works. MAPO sounds very complicated when really it should be simple.

[Rathaus]

Shocking. Accidents at the Disney parks always have a grim quality because you get the sense that nothing could ever go wrong. Death and mickey mouse. R.I.P to the people involved.

[Sam]

A family filmed a video of the late monorail pilot Austin when they rode up front sometime last week. A very friendly and charming cast member, who obviously made this trip a magical one for that family. A real tragedy. Warning: the video could be a little upsetting.

[url=http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/loc ... 5988.story" target="_blank]http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/loc ... 5988.story[/url]

[Chris W]

Basically what is going to be happening in the Disney Parks over the next few years, aka a lot of stuff.

Star Tours 2.0 (2011)


Video

Jay Rasulo announced that a new 3-D version of the tremendously-popular "Star Tours" attraction will debut at the Disneyland Resort and Disney's Hollywood Studios in 2011. Based on the iconic Lucasfilm "Star Wars" films, the attraction will include immersive new elements that will take guests to many familiar places in the Star Wars galaxy.

Walt Disney World Fantasyland Expansion (2012-2013)




For Walt Disney World in Florida, Rasulo outlined plans for the largest expansion in the history of the Magic Kingdom, vastly increasing the size of Fantasyland by 2013. Guests will soon be able to:

• Visit their favorite Disney Princess in her castle, cottage, or chateau to share a dance with Cinderella; celebrate Sleeping Beauty's birthday with the Good Fairies; or join Belle in an enchanting story performance in the Beast's castle library.
• Be Our Guest and dine in one of three enchanted rooms inside the Beast's castle.
• Fly with Dumbo high above brand new circus grounds, twice the size of the existing attraction with a new interactive, three-ring circus tent.
• Journey under the sea with Ariel, The Little Mermaid, in her very own attraction - also opening at Disney's California Adventure in Anaheim in 2011.
• Meet Tinker Bell and her friends in the magical world of Pixie Hollow.

Other Expansions include:

• Turtle Talk with Crush at Tokyo DisneySea.
• Toy Story Mania at Tokyo DisneySea.
• Continued Redevelopment of Disney's California Adventure (Cars Land and World of Colour Nightime Show)
• Toy Story Land, Mystic Point and Grizzly Trail at Hong Kong Disneyland.
• Toy Story Playland at Walt Disney Studios, Disneyland Paris.

Plus a variety of other strong rumours (Including Disneyland Paris' 20th Birthday Attraction , Captain EO aka Michael Jackson returning AND Shanghai Disneyland) and other smaller projects.

The next few years are going to be big for Disney fans!

[Sam]

Star Tours 2 sounds fantastic, both the originals in America are fun but a bit creaky these days. I'd like to see C3-P0 and R2D2 in the queue done as the cutting edge animatronics system that Buzz Lightyear at Disneyland uses - it's so much easier to make robot animatronics perfect than humans! I'd like to see the actual movements of the simulator beefed up a bit too - it's a little tame. Maybe smaller but a higher number of machines, more like Back to the Future (RIP)? I'd like to see slightly different films in each park to make it a bit more interesting.

I seriously hope to god it's not based on the three "new" Star Wars filns, but the picture looks depressingly inevitable. I want going on Star Tours to feel like the prequels never happened. :P

So Magic Kingdom will finally break it's circular shape? Is their any aerial plans for Fantasyland? It sounds like it will have to overflow out the top and the ring road will have to be rerouted. Fantasyland needs it though, it's easily the most skippable area of the park, and the theme is very weak at the moment. One thing that worries me... it looks like a pretty massive explansion to only have one new ride, but based on Tokyo DisneySea that seems to be the new formula - less rides and more shops and restaurents and meet 'n' greets... :/

[Rowe]

I'm heavily liking this, seeing as I'm basically the Disney girly and I'm happy Ariel is getting her own attraction back after her Grotto in Anaheim was demolished for the silly Fairy tree although it being in the California Adventure rather than the main park.

[Sam]

[quote=""Disco Ball""]Plus a variety of other strong rumours (Including Disneyland Paris' 20th Birthday Attraction , Captain EO aka Michael Jackson returning AND Shanghai Disneyland) and other smaller projects. [/quote]
Just found this on Screamscape from yesterday:
"2010 - Captain EO - Rumor - (9/11/09) According to the LA Times, Iger stated that they have “no definite plans to bring back Captain EO” at this point in time. They did screen the film in the park the other day it seems and decided that they needed some further input before they could give the project the green light. Could it be that Captain EO was just showing it’s age? Or could it be that it was simply too odd to see Michael Jackson as he was back in 1986 once again, which only made a faint passing resemblance of what he looked like when he died this past June. More as we find out."

I must say, the whole thing sounds kinda creepy, if I was Disney I'd play it safe. Didn't Michael visit Disneyland quite a lot? Still, even if he wasn't guilty of the children stuff I still don't think Disney would want to link in with him too heavily. Also it's have that weird slight "in memory of" atmosphere I imagine both the Intimidators will have.

[Chris W]

I can see it being announced in the new year, they wouldn't have gone through the trouble of putting all the effects back into the 3D theatre if they didn't think it was going ahead.

It would be good for Disney, Jackson had a lot of fans. If it was only shown for a year it would bring in a few extra people to the park.
Its got to be better than Honey I Shrunk the Audience!

________

Another video of the Star Tours 2 announcement for Star Wars fans.

[url=" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;][/url]

Darth Vader: "The Emperor is most displeased about the plans to close Star Tours"
Rasulo: "Our Imagineers are racing towards a reopening in 2014"
Darth Vader: "Unacceptable, the Emperor will not tolerate an opening later than 2011."

[Maelstrom]

The fantasy land re-hab takes over the remaining land left from the old subs ride and also the toon town fair area will be no more (the barnstorm coaster will remail). Their are blue prints on screamscape which we leaked in August

[amcmaster1]

[url=http://disneyandmore.blogspot.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;]http://disneyandmore.blogspot.com/[/url]

^ this blog has some great information on Disney Parks

There is some great new additions coming to Disney Parks - however they dont seem to have much planned to compete with Harry Potter Land when it opens.

[Chris W]

Released a few minutes ago, Shanghai Disneyland is one step closer.

THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY REACHES ANOTHER MAJOR MILESTONE ON SHANGHAI THEME PARK PROJECT

BURBANK, Calif. – November 3, 2009 – The Walt Disney Company today announced that the Project Application Report (PAR) for a Disney theme park in the Pudong district of Shanghai has received approval from the relevant authorities of the central government of China.

“China is one of the most dynamic, exciting and important countries in the world, and this approval marks a very significant milestone for The Walt Disney Company in mainland China,” said Robert A. Iger, president and CEO of The Walt Disney Company.

The PAR approval will enable Disney and its Shanghai partners to move forward toward a final agreement to build and operate the park and begin preliminary development work. Upon completion of the final agreement, the project’s initial phase would include a Magic Kingdom-style theme park with characteristics tailored to the Shanghai region and other amenities consistent with Disney’s destination resorts worldwide.

Also, the return of Captain EO should be announced within days.

[Sir John Talbot]

Let's not forget perhaps the biggest Disney overhaul ever, California Adventure.

You know, I actually loved this park. More than Disney! Crazy I know but it had less queues and a great, chilled atmosphere. Disney is very hussle and bussle and can sometimes be overwhelming.

[quote=""Sam!""][quote=""Disco Ball""]Plus a variety of other strong rumours (Including Disneyland Paris' 20th Birthday Attraction , Captain EO aka Michael Jackson returning AND Shanghai Disneyland) and other smaller projects. [/quote]
Just found this on Screamscape from yesterday:
"2010 - Captain EO - Rumor - (9/11/09) According to the LA Times, Iger stated that they have “no definite plans to bring back Captain EO” at this point in time. They did screen the film in the park the other day it seems and decided that they needed some further input before they could give the project the green light. Could it be that Captain EO was just showing it’s age? Or could it be that it was simply too odd to see Michael Jackson as he was back in 1986 once again, which only made a faint passing resemblance of what he looked like when he died this past June. More as we find out."

I must say, the whole thing sounds kinda creepy, if I was Disney I'd play it safe. Didn't Michael visit Disneyland quite a lot? Still, even if he wasn't guilty of the children stuff I still don't think Disney would want to link in with him too heavily. Also it's have that weird slight "in memory of" atmosphere I imagine both the Intimidators will have.[/quote]

He visited loads, especially in the early-Thriller era when he lived in Encino. He used to don a disguise. I don't think there's anything 'unsafe' about showing Captain EO. At this stage past accusations are irrelevent because they were only that, accusations, and don't inflict on the film at all.

It would be amazing for Disney to house EO again. It's hilariously camp and cheesy but more specifically, magical, on so many different dimensions now. I think it would only be huge fans who could find it uncomfortable in the 'memory' context. For the average Disney-goer it would just be a 'wow' experience.

And that's not to mention Disney are sitting on a PR goldmine.

[AstroDan]

The following ticket price rises have come into effect at both Disney resorts in the USA. Usually, prices rise in August (as they did in 2010) although this year, they have raised them in June - making this the second rise in 10 months.

Prices now as follows, although UK visitors are still generally advised to buy the multi park passes which are around the £220 mark for 2 weeks, rising to £235 in 2012. I would envisage that, by 2013 - for a 2-week Disney and 2-week Flex ticket, the total cost of 2-week tickets in Orlando will reach almost £500 per person. Nobody ever really begrudges paying these figures, as for many of us - a Florida holiday is once in a decade kind of special - but I don't think anybody could deny that the prices really are astonishing. Based on £500 for 2-weeks, with 14 days solid use - you are paying £36 a day - and usually, you would have some breaks.

Anyway, standard pricing as:

WDW:
1 day, 1 park: £54.00

DLR:
1 day, 1 park: £49.30

These prices are + Tax.

[Rob L]

And people complain about Merlin's prices! All I have to say is ouch! I know it is Disney but still that is a hell of a lot of money!