Is This the New Hidden Gem of Disney's Hollywood Studios?

Olaf Draws! He really does. And this whole new section of Disney's Hollywood Studios feels fresh and organic, a very natural fit for a theme park once based on the creation of the movies. In a solid return to form, Disney Imagineers have created a very special place indeed. What's not to love about an entire theme park area dedicated to Disney Animation? Toss in creative Easter eggs, a little kids playground themed to Alice in Wonderland, and more, and guests can spend an hour or more exploring. 

As an old school Imagineering fan, this smaller project gives me hope that the Carousel of Progress reimagining can be a success in doing something new while still honoring the past. Could a new era in Disney theme parks be on the horizon? Let's hope so!

(Photograph copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Disneyland Attraction Posters: The Fantasyland Collection

The reImagineering of Disneyland's Snow White's Scary Adventure into Snow White's Enchanted Wish comes with a brand new attraction poster. It's certainly not as well done as what came before it, but doesn't that seem to be on par with recent park transitions? (look for the original poster father down in this article.) Never the less, it is what it is. The park has always had charming posters to advertise what was found inside "Walt's park". 

Surprisingly, Mr. Toad and his Wild Ride never had its only poster until the last decade. Kind of an amazing thought but it is true. One of the few opening day attractions to be left out. Does this capture the energy and fun of the attraction? Not really. Maybe the next version will. The ride, however, is still a classic made even better by the refreshing it got in 1983. In fact, the whole of the castle courtyard attractions were made new then.

Click on all these posters to get the largest size.

Walt Disney and his Imagineers ran out of the cash needed to build Fantasyland in the way Walt first envisioned it. In place of the elaborate European village Walt desired, one that eventually came to fruition under Tony Baxter's leadership in 1983, a smaller tournament tent setting was created. Using colorful banners covering flat sided buildings, Fantasyland was still something park guests could not find elsewhere in 1955.

One of the original Fantasyland dark rides, Snow White's Adventures was probably the scariest of the bunch, (although Mr. Toad's Wild Ride through Hell probably gave it a run for its money for the ending alone). As far as I can tell, the original attraction never had a poster of its own. There one above is just a new poster circa 1983, when the attraction name now included the word "Scary" to give parents and small children reason to think twice before boarding. 

The 60th Anniversary King Arthur Carousel poster.

Peter Pan's Flight. Just the name conjures up magical journeys over Neverland- and an extremely long wait for any guest who chooses to queue half an hour after the park opens. The poster below effectively captures the viewer, driving attendance to the ride, and making it one of the most sought after experiences to be found bar none. The simple tournament tent facade didn't do much to set the flavor for the delights inside, but no matter. The poster stands as one of the best pieces of art to be found in this genre. (If you want to read a bit more on the history and creation of this particular attraction, my "Disney Dark Ride Series" begins with Peter Pan's Flight and can be found here.)  Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom fans up in arms about the closure of Snow White's Scary Adventures or Mr. Toad's Wild Ride would have a heyday should Pan ever close, and the media attention would be enormous. It's as much as classic as Pirates of the Caribbean, 20K Leagues Under the Sea, or Journey into Imagination.

We'll come back to a few other dark ride posters, but now it's time for a promotional poster for the Matterhorn Bobsleds.

Where is this attraction located? At different times throughout the history of Disneyland, it was conceptually moved back and forth between Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. No matter. Racing down the icy slopes of the peak is as much a Disneyland tradition as any other. This alpine inspired poster captures all the thrills, providing everything but snowflakes and chills for the full effect. I love this poster! Everytime I look at it, I am tempted to jump aboard the fastest plane to Anaheim or put on my CD collection celebrating 50 Years of the park (A Musical History of Disneyland) just to hear the yodelers . In fact, this poster is one of the few that I own. (The other is Adventure Isle from Disneyland Paris.)

A charming little spinner with the kid-friendliest face long before Winnie the Pooh, Dumbo Flying Elephants continues to be a source of frustration for parents as the queue remains as intense as those for a flight with Peter Pan. Who can resist this rite of passage for their pre-school children? We couldn't. In fact, my last trip on the little elephant was probably 25 years ago. Yet, what a delightful piece of eye candy in the old school Disney vein. I'd hate to see the attraction go. And I'm glad to see Florida is getting its double spinner to move the crowds to the farthest corner of the Magic Kingdom. 

"Canal Boast of the World", yes, when the park first opened, that was the name of the now beloved Fantasyland classic, Storybookland Canal Boats. Thankfully, Disney designers waited until the new name arrived (and the foliage grew in!), before creating a poster for the attraction. But where is an attraction poster for the equally terrific Casey Jr. Circus Train? Maybe it will come in another decade as more changes sweep through the land. As I said at the beginning, Fantasyland is the land with more evolution in execution than any other one in the park. You'd think that award would go to the once futuristic Tomorrowland, but Disney has clearly given up on the concept...for now.

Auction houses often provide great scans of attraction posters!

Ever wonder why there's no poster for Disneyland's iconic castle? So did I. Seems there actually was one. First found in 1966, this little gem was sold at Disneyland's Emporium on Main Street U.S.A. for exactly one summer before it disappeared forever. I love how the creviced hillside was to be seen here- decades before it would appear in person at Disneyland Paris. And look at the colors!

The candy colors of these old attraction posters were quite in vogue back when they were first designed, in direct contrast to the newer "Old Europe" look of the dark ride poster for Snow White that debuted with the construction of the new Fantasyland. I much prefer the old styling. The simple graphics and colors create a mood of escapism that doesn't seem to exist in the newer more in-your-face sensibilities. The Mr. Toad's Wild Ride poster being the prime example of a design mismatch for a classic dark ride.

And speaking again of dark rides, with the debut of the new Fantasyland in 1983 came a new dark ride- Pinocchio's Daring Journey. Although it had its debut in Tokyo, this new dark ride brought some interesting changes to the land of fantasy. Gone was the Welch's Grape Juice Bar and the wonderfully empty and cool respite in the summer, the Fantasyland Theater. (I know I have a poster for the theater attraction somewhere.) Also gone was Skull Rock and its nearby Chicken of the Sea pirate ship restaurant. Effectively, these changes updated the land and set its course for the future. The crowd flow was easier due to a move of all the spinner attractions, but it was the end of the Walt Disney era in a way that almost felt physical when you walked into the castle courtyard.  Fair trade off, I'd say, for the beautifully rich environment and magical far away feel of the place.

"The Happiest Cruise that ever Sailed 'Round the World" needs no introduction. It is probably the most beloved, tolerated, or ridiculed attraction in Disney park history. Love it or hate it, It's a Small World was an instant classic, and I count four different versions of the attraction poster used to promote it. Just like the attraction it promotes, there have been sutler and no so subtle changes. The last one shows the original, with the ride's sponsor of Bank of America shown above the Fantasyland designation. The second, once the sponsorship ended, and the top the newest of all. The bottom one may be the "cleanest" copy of all.

I've saved Alice in Wonderland for last. In many ways, it is the most original of all the dark rides in the park. The combination of indoor and outdoor sections of track and its ride length made it a crowd pleaser. Plus it provided great views of Fantasyland and the right next door Matterhorn Bobsleds! The psychedelic theme and characters make for a delightful, magical trip.  I never could understand why this attraction was not duplicated elsewhere, but I am glad it remains a Disneyland exclusive. Certainly in the beautifully themed Alice section of Disneyland Paris I would have expected a dark ride for the namesake star, but it was not to be.

Whichever color scheme is the right one for the original attraction poster, I do not know. Either one captures the imagination, and the attraction itself is a much better experience than the movie from which it was taken! 

Like Fantasyland itself and Disneyland at large, Wonderland is the perfect ending to this segment of the Disneyland Attraction Poster Series.  The whimsical environment of Alice's story is much like the land in which it is contained: charming and constantly changing.  

Here's the land by land collection at your fingertips:

Main Street USA
Adventureland 
Frontierland 
New Orleans Square
Critter Country
Fantasyland
Tomorrowland

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Alice in Wonderland's Golden Afternoon at the Magic Kingdom

Back then as now, there were a very talented group of women in Imagineering! The very gifted Nila Clayton painted this beautiful concept art for the Alice in Wonderland scene in the Magic Kingdom's opening day original attraction, the Mickey Mouse Revue. What would this assortment of garden flora sing? All in the Golden Afternoon of course! 

As with all attractions, concept art forms the foundation of what's to come. It's here that the Imagineers begin to formulate a feel for the ride or show and how to communicate what they are working to accomplish. Details are worked out, and artwork becomes sets, props, and Audio-Animatronic characters. Just imagine holding up your art and seeing it come to life! 

The end results of years of work is an attraction that engages guests and uplifts them with an experience unique to Disney. In this case, Nila Clayton's beautiful painting became a charming and beloved segment in the Fantasyland favorite. It's a shame that the show went to Japan! Mickey's Philharmagic is great fun, but there's certainly room for both the old and new in the Magic Kingdom. 

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Vintage Fantasyland from the Sky

Some days, you just have to take it all in. We Disney fans can get so focused on debating each other that we can forget how amazing Walt Disney's original Magic Kingdom was in its early years. Or maybe it's because we remember that we are so passionate about the place we love. Disneyland's Fantasyland shines in this vintage photograph. Was it taken from the Matterhorn Bobsleds? Seems to be. During an unexpected recent visit to Disneyland (report on Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge coming soon), I was talking to my son about the Skyway as we waited in line for Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. It was quite a view but certainly worth seeing the buildings which dotted the land and temporarily ruined the fantasy. 

Baxter's Alice in Wonderland Garden

One of the largest and most prestigious projects given the young Imagineer to date, the redesign of the New Fantasyland for Disneyland, was a natural to be handed to Tony Baxter. After his wildly successful Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, he was ready for something iconic and important for "Walt's park". 

Taking lead on the project must have been scary and exciting at the same time! Bringing to life a new version of the centerpiece land of the park was quite an honor- and the results were fantastic! Here's Tony's charming concept art for the queue / garden for the newly reworked Alice in Wonderland attraction.

Dastardly Game

Some Christmas gifts are fun and others are just plainVillainous. If you're looking for a mesmerizing and challenging evening, this may be just the board game you want to bring to your next gathering if it includes fans of Disney animated films. 

What would Ursula, Maleficent or the Queen of Hearts do to defeat Jafar, Prince John, or Captain Hook? Just about anything and everything! But they first have to defeat the heroes in their own world. It's a strategy game like no other. And it has really sweet graphics to boot. 

Thanks to my youngest son for the gift- and for getting us addicted.

Down the Rabbit Hole with Alice

"... All of a sudden, I fell!  Down...

                                                        Down...

                                                                      Down."

Just like Alice of Wonderland fame, I can get caught up in emotions and thoughts that do me no good! Taking me down to the depths, with depression and anger and bitterness overruling me. 

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

(Oh, yeah- the last few paragraphs are from the great Apostle Paul, written to the Christian believers in Rome. Timeless words.)

Disneyland's Wonderland of a Toy Store

Charming! I'm talking about this piece of concept art for one of the first toy stores at Disneyland. Long before one time resort president  Paul Pressler made sure the shops at California Adventure 1.0 were more detailed than the attractions, Walt Disney's Imagineers were tasked with making everything full of rich, colorful, detail. Here's the proof- an old slice of art for a shop in Fantasyland. The style itself gives away the era of which it was produced. Sometimes the old ways are best.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Looking at the Past and the Future of Disneyland's Fantasyland

The very heart of Disneyland rests right behind the castle at the endow Main Street U.S.A. One of the original areas at opening, Fantasyland draws in the young and young at heart since the beginning. Certainly, we think this area of the park is timeless. There's a warmth and charm that feels quaint, authentic, and there through the ages. That said, this section of the park has seen many changes. This 1957 park map shows what it looked like in its earliest incarnation. Definitely from another era, another budget, and another design process.

Peter Pan and his flight to Neverland was the instant breakout attraction in Fantasyland from the beginning. Snow White and Mr. Toad's Wild Ride were also enduring hits, but 60 years later, Pan continues to be the one must-see attraction in the castle courtyard.

When Imagineer Tony Baxter was given the green light to create the Fantasyland Walt Disney always wanted but couldn't afford, he and very talented team did an amazing job of redesigning the area to feel fresh but also timeless. The colorful tournament tent-like facades gave way to stylized versions of European villages. The Imagineers also debuted a new attraction for the California park, bringing a sparkling new Pinocchio dark ride to the line up of rides. 

Attractions were moved, enhanced, added or even deleted. The Fantasyland Theater was gone, the Mad Tea Party was moved to a much better location, and Skull Rock was gone forever- except at Disneyland Paris. The beautiful kid-friendly Storybookland Canal Boats survived the changes as did Casey Jr.'s Circus Train, but eventually the skyway was closed. 


So successful was the revitalization of the land under Baxter, that his Fantasyland became the model for those Magic Kingdom styled parks that followed. Florida's New Fantasyland may make the rethinking of the concept however, as the suits seem intent on cramming in Harry Potter styled lands into the parks, making Fantasyland a prime place to hold several different mini-lands vs. a mix of stories sitting side by side.

Changes are the way of the park. Prior to the transition of the 80's, the Matterhorn Bobsleds and It's a Small World earned their place on the list of beloved attractions. Coming soon in the next decade, a Frozen themed land and rumors (wishful thinking?) of something Beauty and the Beast related coming to a slice of Fantasyland and a bigger slice taken from Mickey's Toontown. 

Imagineers and suits come and go. Though I doubt we will ever see the free reign given to the creatives as was given to the first and second generation of Imagineers, there are signs the suits can give them room to stretch to stunning results. Time will tell.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Disney Hype Machine Has Me on Overload

In the latest announcement from Disney, Zootopia has made over $1 Billion in box office ticket sales. This continues a string of successes like Frozen (naturally), Tangled, and Big Hero 6. Why doesn't this seem all that exciting to me?  I think I am just so done with Disney's hype machine. And yet, the opening of Shanghai Disneyland is just around the corner...

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Initial Thoughts on Shanghai Disneyland

Thanks to terrific sites like Disney and More, the web's been filled with photos and video leaked out of Shanghai Disneyland. And, to be totally honest, I've watched most of the video and looked in detail at the photos. What I've seen is a mixed bag offering.

Let's start with the clear winner: Pirates of the Caribbean Battle for the Sunken Treasure. The new story drives the attraction, and the skeleton to Jack Sparrow in the flesh transition is phenomenal, but it is the combination of filmed segments, detailed sets, and stunning new Audio-Animatronics that pull the whole thing together. From what I can see, Treasure Cove looks fine but suffers from too bright a color palate. 

On the other hand, the massive castle is a bust. The inside might make for a beautiful walk through and really looks lovely, but outside, it's clear the Chinese authorities had something to prove. Clunky, charmless, and without the wow factor of other Magic Kingdom icons. The same can be said for the Voyage to the Crystal Grotto. Prior to entering the basement of the castle, the boats cruise through a garden trough while looking at statues of Disney animated film characters. Boring. And a huge waste of space. The same charmless adjective can be applied to the Tim Burton inspired Alice in Wonderland maze, and unfortunately Peter Pan's Flight- which promised something groundbreaking and delivered little. 

Tomorrowland. Ugh- I had such high hope for this area based on the concept art. Admittedly, Tron's Lightcycles look terrific if somewhat short, and the Jet Packs have potential for a spinner. The interesting piece was looking at the pavement treatment in the land. Seems like it was designed with materials that would be especially easy to replace or hose down should the untrained guests decide to use the walking area as a place to relieve themselves. Perhaps it was just built to deconstruct like so many buildings in the former Soviet Union countries. 

There's not enough footage of Adventure Isle to get a great look, but Mickey Avenue, the alternative to Main Street U.S.A., looks great! The gardens around the castle hub are pleasing- even if it is a bit jarring to see Dumbo and the Carousel on the other side. 

As more photos and video become available, I'll comment. So far, I'd rate Shanghai Disneyland at a "B". Not excellent but with much potential.

Four New Attractions at Tokyo Disneyland

Hot breaking news from Tokyo Disneyland! The great site TDR Explorer, links to a very detailed breakdown of the planned attractions, restaurants, and shops soon to be added for the park's New Fantasyland. Of course, attractions planned from the films are a must- and Beauty and the Beast, Alice in Wonderland and more will be represented in the very large expansion. 

The source reveals a coded list:

Total of 11 buildings (English Translation):

1. 2 Story Water Ride (Attached to a Restaurant(?))
2. 1 Story Attraction with Basement
3. 2 Story Dark Ride
4. Single Story Dark Ride (FastPass?)
5. 3 Story Theatre with Basement
6. 2 Story Restaurant with Basement
7. 2 Story Restaurant
8. 2 Story Shop
9. Single Story Store
10. 3 Story Cast Member Cafeteria (Break Room)
11. Single Story Electrical Building

If you want to read more about what insiders say is coming, go here.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Even More Shanghai Art: Alice, Dumbo, Voyage to the Crystal Grotto, and the Hunney Pots

Well, the pieces of amazing Shanghai Disneyland concept art just keep coming! As you can tell from the art above, the Alice in Wonderland maze is in fact based on the Tim Burton version of the film. Should be very interesting if not bizarre!

The elegant little building above is for Pooh's Hunney Pot Spin, an updated version of the famous Mad Tea Party. If you blow this up by clicking on it (as with all images), you'll find Pooh himself on top with his little blue balloon. Should be fun for everyone. When you throw in the Pooh dark ride, a shops or two and a spot to eat, you've got a little Pooh corner, similar in execution to the mini-Wonderland built at Disneyland in Anheim.

And last (for now!) but not least, here's Dumbo the Flying Elephant. You won't find him in Fantasyland proper, but instead you can fly with him by boarding in the Character Gardens.

Here's a nice look at the Wandering Moon Tea House, which seems to be placed where you would see the Plaza Inn or the Crystal Palace right off the hub. Chinese in style and very elegant and lovely.

The interior of this restaurant looks equally impressive- and you certainly cannot beat the view from these windows as you dine.

 To the right of the image above, you can see the boarding area for the Voyage to the Crystal Grotto, one of Shanghai Disneyland's signature attractions. It will certainly add a nice lagoon of water to Fantasyland, something that is seriously missing in the Stateside parks.

Here's a closer look at the station along with one of the boats guest will board. It should provide a pleasant journey through the land as its shares Disney stories loved around the world.

Lastly, Mulan appears as part of the scenery for the Voyage to the Crystal Grotto, a Storybookland Canal Boats of sorts, designed to familiarize the Chinese guests with classic Disney animated tales.

There's more to come...

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Frozen and More Comes to Tokyo- Concept Art Released: Quick Update Added

We've been waiting for it, and here it is: New Concept art showing what we've long thought to be true. Frozen is coming to Tokyo DisneySea! Certainly the image above shows it will not be a quick layover like what is being built in Norway at Epcot. Walt Disney World will get a cheaper overlay but over in Tokyo, there will be a first class land and a state of the art "E Ticket attraction". All this to be fleshed out by shops and restaurants.

Not to be left behind, Tokyo Disneyland will get new Fantasyland areas themed to Beauty and the Beast (above) and Alice in Wonderland (shown below).

Although details on these projects are scarce, you can bet the suits are planning the Be Our Guest restaurant along with a few surprises. A closer look at the art makes it appear to be a full size castle for the beast. For fans of the Alice film, the hedge maze is a sure bet, creating a mini land of sorts just as in Disneyland in Anaheim.

Projects are set for completion after 2017. The full English press release can be found here.

UPDATE: The Disney Parks Blog finally shared the same photos on April 29th. A very savvy reader slyly commented on the project. I wonder how long it will stay on line!

A leak of additional news can be found on the web. Alice's addition should include a stunning "E Ticket" attraction along with the expected hedge maze. 

My bet is that Beast's castle will include the long abandoned Audio-Animatronics based show once planned for Disneyland Paris.. And, get ready for this - one insider says there is NO plan for a Be Our Guest restaurant but perhaps an actual dark ride. It's all intriguing, but one thing seems certain. Tokyo tends to get it right, don't they?

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Tokyo Disney Resort Expansion Plans

Finally, the Oriental Land Company announces what fans have been hoping for and speculators- like me- have been talking about: Frozen goes to Tokyo Disney Sea and a brand New Fantasyland takes shape at Tokyo Disneyland park. (Click on this image above to make it  REALLY big! Thanks to Alain at Disney and More.)

It's an easily moved Small World after all!

First posted over a month ago, I shared my thoughts about a pending expansion, and it seems I was right on the money except for one major unseen element. It's a Small World will be moving to make way for an Alice in Wonderland themed attraction.

The beautiful and elaborate Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall.

The addition of a new Alice attraction (or two) along with the Tea Cups and the lovely Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall makes Tokyo Disneyland the go-to place for fans of the film. And just when we thought Disneyland in California had cornered the market on that classic film! True to form, it will be a beautifully done little section of the park. But what else is coming to Fantasyland? How about a new and improved attraction roster from the Florida Magic Kingdom makeover?

From the film...

... to fully Audio-Animatronic!

Beast's castle, complete with Belle's village and all the trimmings are taking up residence in Japan. Maybe even the abandoned Beauty and the Beast theater show featuring Audio-Animatronics. It was supposed to open in Disneyland Paris with the first expansion. There will be more, and current rumor suggests that perhaps Tangled may even get something more than restrooms!

And now, September 22nd's post... with a few new ideas tossed in:

The new home of Elsa and Anna, soon to be in Tokyo.

Aside from the incredible and original Mystic Manor at Hong Kong Disneyland, the stunning Cars Land at California Adventure, and all that is to come to Shanghai Disneyland, it does seem as if the Tokyo Disney Resort consistently gets the best attractions to come out of Disney Imagineering. Maybe they will wow fans with all the additions and changes in Central Florida, but that remains to be seen... and hasn't been seen for at Walt Disney World for at least a decade.

The unbelievable Tokyo DisneySea is proof enough. You can take a glance at videos for Pooh's Hunny Hunt at the first international Magic Kingdom, track down a Journey to the Center of the Earth or check out the Hotel Mira Costa in all its glory to decide for yourself . Tokyo Disney Resort is currently where Disney creativity hits its peak- at least in this century!

Tower of Terror in Tokyo presents a great story even without

the Twilight Zone tie-in.

Everyone in the theme park blogsphere understands cloning popular attractions from one park to another is commonplace. Disney does it. Universal does it. Seems everyone does it. So when it came time to enhance Tokyo DisneySea with a version of The groundbreaking Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, the Imagineers bravely gave the attraction a brand new story with a unique  exterior, spellbinding effects and a clever connection to the rest of the park. (What did the Tokyo budgeteers -a new breed of accountants unfortunately gaining momentum- do? Strap the attraction with the cheaper to built and easier to maintain version, the one found in California and Paris.) Yet, the new story is so good, it almost makes up for the accountants' error in judgment.

Let's look a little deeper. Can Disney Imagineers hit home runs by turning the very popular Pixar movies into headliner attractions? Absolutely- when they are given the funds and freedom to do so! To see these adventures, guests must travel to Tokyo since the American parks are left with smaller, less impressive attractions that what is found overseas. Notice a pattern? Here's Tokyo Disneyland's splashy Monsters Inc. Ride and Go Seek! Trust me, after viewing this video, you'll look at the Monsters ride at California Adventure in a whole new way.

Turning Pooh into a must see adventure.

But what can the Suits and Imagineers do with an older and less edgy property? Here's a great little video of Pooh's Hunny Hunt from Theme Park Review. Can a cute story without a roller coaster track or even a traditional thrill element be turned into an "E Ticket Plus" by today's crop of Imagineers? The answer is "yes" when a story is matched with great technology and the right finances to do the attraction concept justice. This is a Fantasyland Dark Ride elevated to the next level, even if the entrance design does seem relatively unimpressive. Certainly, its of a different scale than what you'll find in Critter Country at Disneyland.

Tokyo Disneyland in all its variations of quality.

There's the other side of the coin as well. Tokyo Disneyland is meticulously maintained, yet there are areas that look tired even if well cared for. Why? Well, the older designs duplicated from Florida or Anaheim have run its course, leaving parts of the park to look dated. Take a look at the video tour of the kingdom (above). Tomorrowland is the worst of the bunch, and even the Japanese seem to have given up on a land of the future. Regardless of the quality of what has been added, the toons have arrived. 

Fantasyland is in equally poor shape, strapped with the look of Florida's Magic Kingdom circa 1971, prior to the beautiful to view but substance lacking New Fantasyland. Unfortunately, its a concrete kingdom save for a nice paint job on the castle to differentiate it from the others and a beautiful Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall. Let me be the first to say- Having Dumbo just outside the Haunted Mansion is lazy design work. Word on the street is a New Fantasyland may be one of the things coming with that next big influx of cash. (And it is, but it will take the removal of Tomorrowland's  Grand Circuit Raceway and the Star Jets to pull it off. Not a big loss.)

The suits of the Oriental Land Company clearly understand the park needs upgrades badly to keep it fresh as the one next door. You can rest assured plans are on the table to do exactly that. I do wish they would dust off this project: Sci-Fi City. Here's the concept art for the beautiful redo of Tomorrowland:

Never built Sci-Fi City to replace Tomorrowland.

Imagineer Eddie Sotto, responsible for the beautiful rendition of Main Street U.S.A. in Disneyland Paris, turns the land of the future upside down, giving it a retro comic book feel. A land of 40s space heroes and villains.  Space Mountain gets reimagined including a new piece of exterior track. Disneyland's beloved Flying Saucers return in a new form. Plus more. The entire project just gleams with a bright sheen. Perhaps this project will one day see the light of day in a new expansion.

Disney Sea from the air. Lots of room for Frozen to show up!

The second Tokyo park is not being overlooked. As the suits have chosen to pour billions of dollars into their two parks and the resort at large in the next decade. (Yes, billions). 

Here's DisneySea from the air. Mermaid Lagoon is at the left top with the park entrance to the right. If the estimated $500 million plans are approved, you can count on Frozen's land of Arendelle to become the next port built. Perhaps it will go right across from the American Waterfront. The South American themed Lost River Delta would separate Ariel's kingdom from Elsa's, giving guests a chance to explore ancient ruins with Indiana Jones in between princess focused attractions.

If the suits in Japan go all in, I can see Imagineers creating an Arendelle that may favorably compare in substance to the Pirate themed land being built in Shanghai Disneyland. Can't you just picture a Norwegian style village on the shore with Elsa's first  magnificent castle (below) forming an entry point to a Frozen adventure or two? 

Princess dining and more inside.

Without a doubt Frozen has joined the Disney canon of classic animated films. It's popular worldwide and absolutely a cultural phenomena in Japan. The guests have embraced Mermaid Lagoon as the first Disney land dedicated to one movie property. They will definitely take the newest addition to heart, especially when the port will contain a state of the art attraction using a brand new technology to tell the story. At the estimated cost of $350 Million US, the attraction will be another must-see in a park full of iconic attractions.

Add to it a few more smaller scale attractions, unique shopping and dining. Another theme park smash. Conversely, we lucky Americans are getting a cheap Maelstrom remodel in Florida to represent one of Disney's most popular and profitable franchises... and in a park where its does not belong.

For now, I am waiting to be wowed in Florida. It's been almost six years since my last trip to Walt Disney World, and at the rate in which Disney builds new attractions, it will at least be another 5 or so years before I finally book another trip. Maybe I'll go to Tokyo instead. And maybe you should too.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)