Are big changes coming to Disney World’s Fantasyland?
MiceAge.com’s Al Lutz, reporting from California, has a story today that concerns fans of Orlando’s Magic Kingdom. It appears Fantasyland may close to getting a major upgrade that could reshape this long ignored section of Disney World’s most popular park and forever change the course of Disney dark rides.
…A big budget proposal fighting its way through the approval process in Orlando involves not only adding a clone of DCA’s Little Mermaid E Ticket to the Magic Kingdom’s Fantasyland, but also upgrading the rest of the Fantasyland attractions with an updated look and new technology. While the tired 1970’s vibe of Florida’s Fantasyland could definitely use a makeover, it’s the new technology to be added to the existing attractions that has the most promise.
Using a system of tiny Radio Frequency ID (RFID) tags embedded in park tickets, key characters on the attractions could interact with each passing vehicle and use personalized information on the riders in each vehicle to embellish the storytelling with personalized references. A Resort guest would fill out a survey form prior to their arrival, and then that information would be downloaded onto the RFID tag embedded in their tickets. Think of this as a much advanced version of the gimmick in Universal’s Hollywood’s now shuttered E.T. attraction where E.T. would bid you farewell by name at the end of the ride, and you’ve got the basic idea. The concept has been branded “Next Generation,” or NextGen for short, in the halls of WDI and they have high hopes for it.
Okay folks, this is where I need your help. You see, I avoid Fantasyland almost entirely. I don’t care for the stuff over there and I don’t have little ones who would. It’s usually nothing more than a crowded and painful passage from the Haunted Mansion to Space Mountain that almost always includes getting run over by a stroller or crashed into by a kid (which for someone over six feet tall can be very painful…if you know what I am getting at…). So I guess I must ask, do you like this idea?
Also, do you agree with Mr. Lutz’s slightly snotty description of Fantasyland as having a “tired 1970’s vibe”? I’m old enough to remember the 1970’s vibe, and I am not sure how many Victorian carousels or gothic castles there were back then.
Also, this RFID idea he speaks of seems like a good one, but I wonder what the cost of it might be. Would having your name called inside Peter Pan really make the difference for you? Maybe for some it would, but I would prefer they develop something a bit more fun and exciting. I guess the whole concept would certainly blow the little ones away who aren’t aware of how it’s done, but filling out the survey would be the big giveaway for the rest of us. And isn’t there something very “Big Brother” going on here?
WeatherbySwann said,
April 23, 2009 @ 12:26 am
Well, I don’t think Fantasyland is tired (I think it has a few of WDW’s best attractions), but I am interested to see how guests would react to the new technology.
Kerry Debski said,
April 23, 2009 @ 12:56 am
I think Fantasyland is AWESOME! Why change the old rides? Add new opportunities instead. I love Peter Pan, its one of our family’s must rides. I hate when they feel the need to “update” the classic attractions.
AirAmerica said,
April 23, 2009 @ 1:57 pm
Why would filling out the survey be ‘big brother’ - like at all… I don’t understand everyone’s obsession with completing these things honestly… I mean, give them your first name but make the rest up - who would know any different!
As for Fantasyland, I never spend any time there either. Not having any children, it seems a place to avoid. I guess that might change in the near future though!
David said,
April 23, 2009 @ 2:58 pm
AirAmerica, let me clarify. The Big Brother part is not about filling out the survey. It is about Disney knowing exactly where you are at all times….
pickles said,
April 24, 2009 @ 2:24 am
I hate that Disney is turning more into a huge computer arcade.
I want rides with animatronics. I like the storylines. I like the simplicity of it all
Nothing could be more enjoyable than bouncing along with tigger in the rain on the pooh ride
forget modern..sometimes classic has more to offer
AirAmerica said,
April 24, 2009 @ 8:09 am
David, the issue you raise comes back to my point. If you don’t give genuine information via the survey ‘who’ are disney going to be following at all times - your assumed identity! Remember, Disney IS NOT a government agency, so no guest would be obligated to reveal their true personal details.
Plus, I don’t understand why it would matter if they knew where paying guests were at all times. How could they possibly use this in a negative way? If you consider that from the moment you enter the park, via the front gate you are restricted - contained within the parks boundaries. Therefore, in a sense Disney already know where you are. In this instance they’ll just be able to be a little more specific. Having said that it will be no different to walking around with your cell phone switched on! The same level of geographical tracking will apply.
However, unlike a cell phone this proposal will allow guests to interact with the facilities - it’s a win, win for everyone. Plus, imagine how good it would be if you became separated from a child and they happened to have their ’smart’ ticket on them… They could be found very quickly!
Finally, next time you catch a plane, think about who knows where you are then. The authorities know your flight number, your seat location and even your medical history for the duration of the flight - much more worrying than Disney tracking you through a theme park!
David said,
April 24, 2009 @ 11:38 am
OK, AirAmerica….you’re frightening the children!! LOL!!
Jon said,
April 24, 2009 @ 6:00 pm
Have you ridden the E.T. ride? The customized greeting part is too fast and barely audible. Most dark rides have that infinitive loop of sound where you can kind of hear what’s in the background, but also hear what’s ahead of you. The Haunted Mansion is one of those attractions where its pretty bad.
Disney using RFID chips is inevitable, but that doesn’t mean the technology is perfect. Canada has an RFID-enabled passport that has gotten a lot of slack. Most RFID items don’t have an “off” switch, which means the ticket/card is constantly beaming out the stored information. Anyone with a $200 RFID reader can capture your information from 30 feet away. Do you really want your kids names available to everyone in the parks, resorts, and Downtown Disney?
I think the risks outweigh the benefits.
Anonymous said,
May 5, 2009 @ 11:15 am
Don’t listen to MiceAge! It’s one of the worst Disney sites to ever walk the face of the earth!
Don’t draw attention to those Statler & Waldorf wannabes knowns as Al Lutz and Kevin Yee!
I also take serious offense to Pickles’ comment as well. The parks are NOT turning into oversized arcades!
GallicDenis said,
May 5, 2009 @ 7:39 pm
I guess I’m just a Disneyaholic. We’ve visited Marceline, Missouri to see the original Main Street, the “Wishing Tree,” the Coca Cola Building, and the old homestead. We’ve taken our kids to Disneyland and Walt Disney World. We take our time and drink in the ambience of all the worlds. Each is special and unique in its own way. There is always something there for the mood I’m in at the time. Yes, I have Fantasyland moods, Toontown Fair moods, Tomorrowland moods, etc. Walt Disney said that Disneyland would never be finished, that it would change and evolve. Fantasyland has had a few makeovers in its time without destroying the character it exudes. Of all the worlds I actually find Tomorrowland to be an oxymoron. It is more reflective of the world of tomorrow with a hugh injection of Jules Verne. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy most of the rides and activities in Tomorrowland. However it has lost its way. Perhaps it should take a cue from Disney Studios with a slight change, “A future that never was and never will be.” At least Fantasyland has been true to its genre. Peter Pan — here I come !!!!!!
Anonymous said,
January 10, 2010 @ 3:10 am
Disney world is a fun place just leave it at that! Some like it other don’t!