May 28, 2014

The Problem with the Magic Kingdom

Just posted from Orlando Theme Park News is the 2014 Magic Kingdom Map- the map that will be handed out to guests starting today. Something is off- and I bet if you think long and hard about it, you can guess exactly what just isn't right. Look closely, then proceed.

Ok, have you figured it out? That's ok, neither have the suits at the Walt Disney Company, although I can bet the very talented folks at Imagineering know exactly what's wrong.

Fantasyland is lop-sided. That's right. There's a whole bunch of room just to the left and north of It's a Small World. They could, if they really wanted, built an elaborate and appropriate home for the new Frozen attraction in this space. Sure, New Fantasyland looks terrific, and the Seven Dwarf's Mine Train coaster looks to be a bit of fun for the elementary school aged set and their grandparents. But there should be more. Especially for Frozen, a worldwide smash.

Disney's got the bucks. Yet it seems as if they think small and cheap with a Maelstrom revamp at Epcot's Norway showcase, while their neighbors next door are building blockbuster attractions like Harry Potter's Forbidden Journey and the new Diagon Alley. Would it necessitate moving backstage spaces and getting creative? Yes. Can it be done? Absolutely. Will it be done? Probably only in Tokyo Disneyland, where Frozen is already a smash.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

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