Official Fantasyland Expansion Q & A (Mickey gets evicted) PART II

[mymouse]

This is a great photo - but does anyone have any idea where it is?!? It just says Fantasyland... maybe by Pinocchios?

It is indeed by Pinocchios.

 

[DanBoris]

From DanBoris:

Here are the changes I have made:

- Aligned old Dumbo with new one since it looks like they will open together.
- Moved water play area a little earlier since multiple sources have said it will open in the first phase. I don't have it as firm as Dumbo since there is no evidence that they have actually started to install it yet.
- Based on some information from a reliable insider on another board I have move BatB and LM into October and moved the Mine Train out into the first quarter of 2014.

Would you mind sharing the link to the reliable insider info? Thanks!![/QUOTE]

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/showthread.php?t=831577&page=9

 

[DisneyTraveler18]

Here is an update to my calendar:

The darker the color the greater the chance the attraction will open in that month.

Here are the changes I have made:

- Aligned old Dumbo with new one since it looks like they will open together.
- Moved water play area a little earlier since multiple sources have said it will open in the first phase. I don't have it as firm as Dumbo since there is no evidence that they have actually started to install it yet.
- Based on some information from a reliable insider on another board I have move BatB and LM into October and moved the Mine Train out into the first quarter of 2014.

Just to add some things.

1. Both Dumbo's should open together. The old Dumbo arms and elephants are getting refurbished most likely and will be installed once finished.
2. Water play area is a pre-fab structure. Drop it in, connect a few things and you are good to go.
3. Mine Train should be up and running mid to late 2013. It will go up very quickly. And should be completely assembled steel wise by the end of this year easily.

 

[ks-man]

Heading with my family at the end of April. So glad to hear that both Dumbos will likely be open. My daughter will be 3.5 when we go and last year she loved Dumbo. She constantly says it is her favorite ride and I thought we would miss it.

Is the new ride going to be the same as the old one? Will they just have two going to ease the lines or will the old one cater more to the younger crowd with the new one being faster?

Can't wait to take my son (will be 9 months) on It's a Small World. He's gonna love the lights and music as long as he isn't asleep.

 

[DanBoris]

Just to add some things.

1. Both Dumbo's should open together. The old Dumbo arms and elephants are getting refurbished most likely and will be installed once finished.
2. Water play area is a pre-fab structure. Drop it in, connect a few things and you are good to go.
3. Mine Train should be up and running mid to late 2013. It will go up very quickly. And should be completely assembled steel wise by the end of this year easily.

Disney's internal target date for the mine train is in the first quarter of 2014, I have heard that from a pretty reliable source. One of the imagineers at the last D23 also said it would open 18 months after Little Mermaid which again would puts it in 2014. The construction is moving along pretty quickly now, but it may not continue at that pace, especially once the rest of the area opens and the site becomes less accessible.

 

[nytimez]

...and yet it took just 13 months to build the Empire State Building 80 years ago.

 

[DanBoris]

Heading with my family at the end of April. So glad to hear that both Dumbos will likely be open. My daughter will be 3.5 when we go and last year she loved Dumbo. She constantly says it is her favorite ride and I thought we would miss it.

Is the new ride going to be the same as the old one? Will they just have two going to ease the lines or will the old one cater more to the younger crowd with the new one being faster?

Can't wait to take my son (will be 9 months) on It's a Small World. He's gonna love the lights and music as long as he isn't asleep.

Except for some cosmetic differences the new one is identical to the old one. It's assumed that once the old Dumbo is refurbished it will match the new one that is already installed.

 

[DanBoris]

...and yet it took just 13 months to build the Empire State Building 80 years ago.

... and all of Disneyland took one year to build! Time have changed.

 

[d1gitman]

construction time is mostly a function of manpower and scheduling. i'm sure if you analyzed the construction of the empire state building or even Disneyland, you would find the amount of manpower was proportianate to the amount of work completed in said timeframes. furthermore, constructing a theme park from scratch is much different than doing major expansions or renovations while the park is open for business.

 

[DisneyTraveler18]

Disney's internal target date for the mine train is in the first quarter of 2014, I have heard that from a pretty reliable source. One of the imagineers at the last D23 also said it would open 18 months after Little Mermaid which again would puts it in 2014. The construction is moving along pretty quickly now, but it may not continue at that pace, especially once the rest of the area opens and the site becomes less accessible.

Well the first quarter of Disney's 2014 begins October 1st; as their financial year begins. And the first quarter ends in January if im not mistaken. Plus this ride is likely to rise quickly, especially with the rest FLE not ready to open till October.

The interesting thing about this coaster is that it's quite compact. The steel should get together quite quickly as the layout is not that spread out. Now the actually show dressing of the coaster will take some time. But I defiantly don't think it's outside the realm of possibility that it would open in late 2013. Really depends on coaster train testing; which in this case will be extensive.

 

[DanBoris]

Well the first quarter of Disney's 2014 begins October 1st; as their financial year begins. And the first quarter ends in January if im not mistaken. Plus this ride is likely to rise quickly, especially with the rest FLE not ready to open till October.

The interesting thing about this coaster is that it's quite compact. The steel should get together quite quickly as the layout is not that spread out. Now the actually show dressing of the coaster will take some time. But I defiantly don't think it's outside the realm of possibility that it would open in late 2013. Really depends on coaster train testing; which in this case will be extensive.

When I say 1st Quarter 2014 I am talking calendar years. The information that was posted on the other board said it would open 2nd quarter, fiscal 2014 which is Jan-March.

 

[nytimez]

... and all of Disneyland took one year to build! Time have changed.

Tell me about it! It's kind of amazing when you think about it, really. It seems like years ago, big projects were all about "full speed ahead." These days, they seem more about spreading costs out over longer periods or something.

 

[shalom]

construction time is mostly a function of manpower and scheduling. i'm sure if you analyzed the construction of the empire state building or even Disneyland, you would find the amount of manpower was proportianate to the amount of work completed in said timeframes.

I would guess the Empire State Building had a deadline in the contract, where the construction company would pay a penalty if it wasn't done in time, and possible Disneyland as well. Plus the Empire State Building was part of a competition to build "the world's tallest building", which was a big deal back then.

Every day Disneland was being constructed, it was costing Disney money with no benefit; OTOH, the Fantasyland expansion doesn't carry anything like the same costs, since the park as a whole is still open. If anything, dragging it out a bit might help to build anticipation!

Thanks again to all who contribute to this thread, and especially to Lorilais_mommie for starting it and to Berlioz70 for following in Lm's tradition of updating the first post in a timely fashion. You guys do a great job!

 

[DisneyTraveler18]

When I say 1st Quarter 2014 I am talking calendar years. The information that was posted on the other board said it would open 2nd quarter, fiscal 2014 which is Jan-March.

Well I had been hearing that the attraction is ahead of schedule a little bit. They are still saying January-March 2014 to be safe. But they think it may be done sooner. But all that can change.

 

[DCTooTall]

...and yet it took just 13 months to build the Empire State Building 80 years ago.

Damned OSHA and their improved safety requirements slowing things down!



(among the various other comments made here as contributing factors)

 

[ks-man]

Except for some cosmetic differences the new one is identical to the old one. It's assumed that once the old Dumbo is refurbished it will match the new one that is already installed.

So the idea is to have both going to essentially double the capacity and (at least in theory) cut the wait time in half?

Will either one or both start supporting fast pass?

 

[DCTooTall]

So the idea is to have both going to essentially double the capacity and (at least in theory) cut the wait time in half?

Will either one or both start supporting fast pass?

Don't know about FastPass, but last I heard it was supposed to be the first attraction with the NextGen Queue. Basically, instead of standing in a line, you get a number and then go play around the big tent. When it's your turn to board, your boarding number gets shown as now boarding so you can go to your spinner.

 

[shalom]

So the idea is to have both going to essentially double the capacity and (at least in theory) cut the wait time in half?

I think just the fact that it'll be so far from the castle will cut the wait time. I can see why they did it, but IMHO the new Dumbo ride is not going to have the same appeal.

 

[ks-man]

I think just the fact that it'll be so far from the castle will cut the wait time. I can see why they did it, but IMHO the new Dumbo ride is not going to have the same appeal.

I don't know, we took my daughter who was 2.5 last year and we were talking about going in April when she will be a year older. I would have sworn her favorite ride was Small World or else Cinderella's Regal Carousel.

We were talking about Disney last week and all she could talk about was Dumbo and how it is her favorite and that she wants to go on it a hundred times.

There is just something magical that touches the hearts of young kids about the Dumbo ride and that feeling turns into pure nostalgia as you grow older.

 

[Berlioz70]

Some interesting close up shots!

Photo Update: More and more details appearing in the Fantasyland expansion at Magic Kingdom