Mouse Extra

Jim Hill Media’s guest writer Robert Bish discussed yesterday what he feels is the gathering roller coaster war that is heading towards Orlando, Florida.  With Sea World beginning construction on a major new coaster and Universal looking to add one within the “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter”, attention turns to Disney.  What will they do in response?

This is where an old rumor ties in to the changing landscape of Orlando’s theme parks.  The report says that Disney World may respond with the type of major refurbishment to Space Mountain that we have heard for some time now.

Where once this Magic Kingdom thrill ride was just supposed to receive some new cars and retheming during its upcoming redo … Now that this Space Mountain’s revamp is sure to be compared to what Universal plans to do with to Dueling Dragons (i.e. Fold all sorts of new story elements & effects into this IOA thrill ride so that this attraction will then themed around the Triwizard Tournament from “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”) … The Imagineers are now supposedly thinking about throwing a whole lot more money at this 33-year-old indoor coaster …

So is this the right way to compact gate busting attractions at the other theme parks?  It depends on how much you think Sea World and Universal can hurt the turnstiles at Disney World.  But on a purely personal level, I think the answer to that question is no.

First of all, now matter how good a refurb is done on Space Mountain people will always pine for the classic attraction.  A facelift type project, like the one at Pirates of the Caribbean or the Haunted Mansion, is one thing.  But totally changing the feel of Space Mountain will bring the inevitable cries of the purists and rightly so.  Space Mountain is already a great ride that brings big crowds decades after it was built.  Fix it up, update the lighting and sound, make the cars better and more comfortable, and you’ll have many ecstatic fans.

But if Disney really wants to combat the other parks they need something fresh and new, not the destruction of something that is already a huge hit.  Don’t waste your time changing an attraction that is already successful into something that may potentially not be as successful or loyally loved.  Instead, invest in a new e-ticket with the marketing power and wide appeal of Expedition Everest, Soarin, or Test Track.  Add a new land to the Animal Kingdom or, build a coaster to the new Pixar section at the Studios.  That will grab the people’s attention.