Disney Rumors for July 2023
In this month’s rumors, we’ll talk about a daring gambit Imagineers are considering, one that could change Magic Kingdom visits forever.
Friends, two beloved and ancient Disney attractions are in peril in the latest batch of Disney Rumors. Warning: this conversation may prove incendiary.
The Problem with Building at Magic Kingdom
During previous Magic Kingdom development/Rumors articles, I’ve noted the problem Disney faces with expansion.
Magic Kingdom currently hosts more annual visitors than any other theme park in the world, and that statement has remained accurate for many years.
Past a certain point, Imagineers face an impossible challenge in increasing throughput here. There’s a point of diminishing returns involved.
You can only squeeze a certain amount of throughput from attractions before you reach that point.
When you reach that threshold, your choices grow binary. You can leave everything as is, or you can tear it down and start from scratch.
You’re getting a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach right now, aren’t you?
On multiple occasions, I’ve mentioned that Magic Kingdom currently wastes some space, at least in my evaluation.
You can pull up a park map on My Disney Experience right now to appreciate the giant footprint that Tomorrowland Speedway possesses.
For several years now, I’ve championed the idea of Disney closing this ride and reclaiming the space for something better.
During the pandemic, Imagineers had that chance when they temporarily took the Walt Disney Railroad offline.
Photo: Disney
Disney rebuilt the tracks there and had every reason to accept that Tomorrowland Speedway had run its course.
Park officials obviously disagree with me completely here, as they redesigned this area to allow for Tron Lightcycle / Run.
Photo: Disney
The new railroad path and the altered land usage for Tomorrowland Speedway suggest that Disney has committed long-term to this section.
That decision leaves Magic Kingdom in need of expansion space for a project that comes closer to reality with each passing week.
Imagineers cannot create what lies beyond Big Thunder Mountain until they can create a path to it.
The Two Magic Kingdom Rides in Peril
According to recent rumors, ones stemming from reliable sources, Imagineers are seriously considering the unthinkable.
Disney could feasibly fill in the water at Rivers of America, reclaiming the land for future projects.
Yes, I realize that you may need a safe space or a slug of vodka after reading that. And yes, that decision would come with immediate ramifications.
To land-lock the current Rivers of America, Disney would effectively choose to shutter the Liberty Square Riverboat forever.
Photo: Disney
Maybe Disney has come up with a plan to add water elsewhere, but I just don’t see a way that’s possible. Then again, I lack Imagineering training.
Losing the Liberty Square Riverboat would hurt, but the second thing might shatter your heart into a million pieces.
Disney would also close Tom Sawyer Island permanently in this scenario. In truth, that’s the given here.
Should this plan come to fruition, Imagineers would gain a LOT of space for future expansion.
I’ve previously discussed the incongruity of Frontierland due to its lack of attractions and the impending arrival of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
You may wonder why Disney simply doesn’t build an attraction on the Tom Sawyer Island land, but that answer is obvious.
Currently, guests take a raft to reach the island. It’s impractical to add more to a place that’s already bottlenecked.
Can you imagine the wait for a raft if/when Disney added an E-ticket attraction there?
Also, such a move would place an artificial limit on how much Disney could expand in the area.
By filling in the water, park officials open a plethora of options.
What Would Disney Do with This Land?
In case you’re wondering, I’ve heard nothing that would suggest that Big Thunder Mountain itself is in danger.
Park officials love the attraction every bit as much as guests do.
There’s a reason why Josh D’Amaro’s D23 pitch used the verbiage of “What lies beyond Big Thunder Mountain…”
Photo: Dr DIsney
Still, this ambitious plan would still ask a lot of loyal Magic Kingdom fans.
Again, you can study the park map to understand why. By filling in this waterway, Disney would radically redesign something like a quarter of Magic Kingdom.
Photo: Disney
You love the park as it is, right? While you’d enjoy new attractions, you’re uncomfortable with the thought of Disney changing that much, aren’t you?
Think about how much pressure Imagineers must face in contemplating that scenario. It wouldn’t be the first time, though.
Image: Disney
Magic Kingdom fans remember a time when Seven Dwarfs Mine Train served a different purpose.
Part of this land housed the lagoon for 20,000 Leagues under the Sea: Submarine Voyage.
Disney shuttered that ride in 1994 but kept the lagoon for aesthetics for another decade.
Then, in 2004, park officials drained the waterway and tore down the existing infrastructure.
For a time, Pooh’s Playful Spot lived here before Disney repurposed the space for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.
Image Credit: Disney
That thought should get your wheels spinning.
What would Magic Kingdom look like if it suddenly hosted multiple new attractions on the level of Seven Dwarfs Mine Train?
We’re talking about a massive park footprint that could suddenly include an entire themed land.
Final Thoughts
I’d ordinarily dismiss this Rumor as too absurd. Disney generally doesn’t risk the golden goose like this.
Magic Kingdom would operate without two decent throughput siphons if this plan played out.
Also, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad could feasibly be inaccessible at times.
Credit: Disney
That’s on top of the current absence of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, which definitely leads me to a specific timeline.
I doubt anything would happen until Disney opened that attraction next year.
By that point, cooler heads may have prevailed. Various Imagineers facing the proposition of closing Tom Sawyer Island may come up with a better idea.
Photo: Disney
Still, the fact that Frontierland sticks out like a sore thumb now is a problem.
Draining the river and adding new stuff in what is close to the center of the park is probably appealing to Disney strategists.
I’m genuinely worried this Rumor has some validity to it.
Photo: MickeyBlog
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