5th Park inevitable ?

[sachilles]

This is one reason I question a fifth gate.

MK will always draw. AK has increased draw with Pandora, and I hear rumors of at least one expansion at some point(not including redoing Dino area).
DHS - with SW:GE will be a much bigger draw, but it will desperately need some more capacity rides after that opens.

The issue is Epcot.
IF the rumors pan out - we would increase Epcot with:
2 new pavilions in WS(Brazil and one other) and have heard of potentially 3.
WS will get ride in UK, Rat in France and a ride in one of the new Pavilions.
FW will have GotG, potentially something in WoL, new front gate and spine, and some enhancements to Land and Sea.
Outlier is anything to Imagination - which is for some reason always back seated.
Innovations - I have heard anything from added events there - to demolition, so not expecting anything here.

Even with all this, I don't see DHS and Epcot drawing if they built a 5th Gate. Folks will go to DHS for SW only. Epcot for festivals.

Just my $0.02, but I can't see Disney wanting all the expenditure they are putting in now to go to waste in 5 years or more if they built a 5th gate.

I will add, a 5th Gate will take some HUGE IP idea. So that will cost to invest in.

Net, I just don't see the cost for a 5th gate making sense.

That being said, IF Universal builds their REAL 3rd Gate, and hits a home run with its IP used(Nintendo being a lock), then we would have to revisit.

But, I think Disney is prepping for that, with the additions they have planned in current parks.

To add your post:
I agree with it. I think that one blockbuster IP they could have used as an anchor for that 5th park, is now going to DHS to open in the not to distant future(star wars). I think they only other way to do it with current IP is to do a full Pixar park, with lands related to Monsters inc, Cars, incredibles etc. They've already put those bits into most of the US parks already so that seems like a long shot as well.

 

[hertamaniac]

If you think about it, it would cut down on extra costs of building a new theme park. Roads and Parking Lots wouldn't be necessary to build if they did intend to share with the current parks. Plus it would be a better use of land to have a central parking lot like Universal Orlando does.

Seems logical from a resource sharing standpoint, but I would think there would have to be reconfigured/added/amended roads and parking to accommodate. Uni certainly did put the hooks in place when building the parking garages.

 

[DanBoris]

If you think about it, it would cut down on extra costs of building a new theme park. Roads and Parking Lots wouldn't be necessary to build if they did intend to share with the current parks. Plus it would be a better use of land to have a central parking lot like Universal Orlando does.

Sharing the infrastructure makes some sense, although you would likely have to do some expansion to accommodate a second park. The bigger issue I have with the idea is them building a second park with a similar theme right next to an existing park. I also think if you were going to do this you would do it with MK long before you did it with AK.

 

[Phicinfan]

To add your post:
I agree with it. I think that one blockbuster IP they could have used as an anchor for that 5th park, is now going to DHS to open in the not to distant future(star wars). I think they only other way to do it with current IP is to do a full Pixar park, with lands related to Monsters inc, Cars, incredibles etc. They've already put those bits into most of the US parks already so that seems like a long shot as well.

I agree, SW would have been a great base for a 5th Gate.

As for other options:
No to Pixar - too well used today, so nothing really new to draw folks
I have stated I thought the Villians park could work - you could clone some existing rides with a twist, and a few new ideas and we all know Disney isn't that scary, so it would still be family oriented.
Acquire some new IP - LotR, Star Trek(I wish...), Riordon's Greek/Egyptian/Norse - hero saga's(this would work great for three seperate lands, and they have already done some short stories to tie the three series together..., OR...do they spend HUGE $$$$ and buy the Marvel rights and start a Marvel park?

 

[YesterDark]

I just think they'll increase hopper ticket pricing and by the time a 5th gate is there, the transportation will be much easier allowing you to hop into parks faster back and forth.

 

[Q-man]

I just think they'll increase hopper ticket pricing and by the time a 5th gate is there, the transportation will be much easier allowing you to hop into parks faster back and forth.

This assumes they want people to be able to move parks faster. They had to come up with night shows at both AK and DHS to keep guests there in the evenings instead of mass migrating to MK and EP.

Plus food quality trend is reversing and is slowly improving due to how much better Disney Springs' restaurants are than the parks'.

Would be interesting to see Disney's stats on length of stay, both at WDW and in the individual parks, and spending habits for those with and without PH.

 

[rteetz]

This assumes they want people to be able to move parks faster. They had to come up with night shows at both AK and DHS to keep guests there in the evenings.

DHS has really always had a nighttime show. Fantasmic has been around since the 90s and they had Sorcery in the Sky outside of that.

 

[jade1]

If they build one, I'm going.

 

[Shughart]

Sliding in here to say how much I love the idea of an 'Evil Kingdom' 5th Gate of Villians. Complete opposite of Magic Kingdom. Fleshing out the SW world, or all of Pixar would have been good theming too. Plenty of movies under their belt now. Thought I really don't see another park coming any time soon.

Is AK really that popular? I might be in the minority then. Our 12/19 trip we may be skipping it altogether in order to spend 2 days each in DHS and MK. I saw the Lion King show once. It made me cry. It was wonderful. I have never seen Pandora. I have no desire to see the movie. I feel like the ride doesn't interest me because of it. That probably makes people happy though, one less family in line lol.

 

[rteetz]

I have never seen Pandora. I have no desire to see the movie. I feel like the ride doesn't interest me because of it. That probably makes people happy though, one less family in line lol.

The land/rides are not based on the movie.

 

[disneygirlsng]

Sliding in here to say how much I love the idea of an 'Evil Kingdom' 5th Gate of Villians. Complete opposite of Magic Kingdom. Fleshing out the SW world, or all of Pixar would have been good theming too. Plenty of movies under their belt now. Thought I really don't see another park coming any time soon.

Is AK really that popular? I might be in the minority then. Our 12/19 trip we may be skipping it altogether in order to spend 2 days each in DHS and MK. I saw the Lion King show once. It made me cry. It was wonderful. I have never seen Pandora. I have no desire to see the movie. I feel like the ride doesn't interest me because of it. That probably makes people happy though, one less family in line lol.

I would say that AK is very popular. It is easily my favorite park. And I know there are tons of others that would agree with that. There are those that don't enjoy it as much, just as there are those that don't enjoy each of the other parks as well. AK is always the first park I spend 2 days in, there is soooo much to do. And I would absolutely not skip the Pandora rides just because you haven't seen the movie, especially FOP. It is easily the best ride I've ever been on (and I've been to most of the major theme parks in the US).

 

[Sweettears]

Sliding in here to say how much I love the idea of an 'Evil Kingdom' 5th Gate of Villians. Complete opposite of Magic Kingdom. Fleshing out the SW world, or all of Pixar would have been good theming too. Plenty of movies under their belt now. Thought I really don't see another park coming any time soon.

Is AK really that popular? I might be in the minority then. Our 12/19 trip we may be skipping it altogether in order to spend 2 days each in DHS and MK. I saw the Lion King show once. It made me cry. It was wonderful. I have never seen Pandora. I have no desire to see the movie. I feel like the ride doesn't interest me because of it. That probably makes people happy though, one less family in line lol.

I never saw the movie and still have no interest in doing so. However FOP is the best ride created by Disney to this point in my opinion.

 

[Dutch Inn '76]

The land/rides are not based on the movie.

Huh? Of course they are. Maybe not on the exact story, but Pandora is Pandora.

I don't care for the movie, but the streetscaping in Pandora and the Flight of Passage are excellent. The boat ride is the most disappointing ride at WDW.

 

[rteetz]

Huh? Of course they are. Maybe not on the exact story, but Pandora is Pandora.

I don't care for the movie, but the streetscaping in Pandora and the Flight of Passage are excellent. The boat ride is the most disappointing ride at WDW.

The land/planet is from the movie yes but the land is set 20 years after the film. No characters from the movie are in the land or in the rides.

Navi River Journey certainly could be better but I wouldn’t call it the most disappointing ride at WDW.

 

[Q-man]

DHS has really always had a nighttime show. Fantasmic has been around since the 90s and they had Sorcery in the Sky outside of that.

I forget you can line up for a couple of hours to see Fantasmic! and don't have to buy a dinner package.

 

[Phicinfan]

Is AK really that popular? I might be in the minority then. Our 12/19 trip we may be skipping it altogether in order to spend 2 days each in DHS and MK. I saw the Lion King show once. It made me cry. It was wonderful. I have never seen Pandora. I have no desire to see the movie. I feel like the ride doesn't interest me because of it. That probably makes people happy though, one less family in line lol.

I am with you on not really liking AK. We usually go there on each visit, but spend half a day or so. Just not my families cup of tea.

We usually go for 5 days. We spend 2 at MK, 1 at DHS, 1 at Epcot and 1/2 day at AK and 1/2 day either at waterpark or Disney Springs.

Honestly, when we go to AK, we ride the safari as a family, then kids go hit Everest, and then we pretty much leave. Kali is a bit boring, and Dinosaur kind of beats you up.

Again, I can see the draw for some, but not something we like

 

[jade1]

Navi River Journey certainly could be better but I wouldn’t call it the most disappointing ride at WDW.

Yea and the TEA featured it on it's results PDF.

http://www.teaconnect.org/images/files/TEA_268_653730_180517.pdf

 

[jade1]

Is AK really that popular? .

Well it is #3 in America after MK and DL-which are basically untouchable.

In effect it is #1 in that regard.

 

[sachilles]

I can get that AK isn't for everyone. My wife and I really enjoy it, we could easily just hang out and enjoy it without the rides. My son likes the rides, but he's ten, so he doesn't fully appreciate having a seat and watching the world walk by as much as his parents. We enjoy World Showcase for the same reason.

DHS is the park I'd skip, at least until Star Wars comes in.

 

[Moliphino]

I can get that AK isn't for everyone. My wife and I really enjoy it, we could easily just hang out and enjoy it without the rides. My son likes the rides, but he's ten, so he doesn't fully appreciate having a seat and watching the world walk by as much as his parents. We enjoy World Showcase for the same reason.

DHS is the park I'd skip, at least until Star Wars comes in.

The Nomad Lounge alone would get me to AK multiple times a trip. It's also the second best park for food after Epcot.