WDWGuy Blog

What “Pirates” may mean for WDW’s future

Posted on July 11th, 2006 by wdwguy.
Categories: Magic Kingdom, General posts.

Before I start, let me say that everything you see in this post is mere speculation. I have no inside sources at Disney and I am not privy to any corporate information. That being said, with more than 10 years of following the Walt Disney Company pretty closely from afar, I feel like I have about as much insight into the company’s direction as a lay-person can.

And I believe that the success of “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” is going to have a profound impact on Walt Disney World in both the near and distant future. Here’s just a few of the things that I believe will (and won’t) happen, short term:

– There will be yet another update of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” ride within the next year. I don’t think this has been officially announced yet, but the rumors are flying.

– Look for a “Pirates”-themed restaurant at one of the resorts in the near future. The obvious choice would be the Caribbean Beach Resort. The only drawback is that it’s a DVC resort and not open to the general public.

– Typhoon Lagoon will get some sort of “Pirates” attraction.

– You’ll see rumblings that Discovery Island, aka Treasure Island, will reopen soon. But trust me, it won’t happen. Discovery Island is closed, permanently.

Long-term, the impact will be even more profound. In the past, Disney has always looked at theme parks as extensions of the movies. In other words, the timeline should progress something like:

1. Disney comes out with a movie.

2. Movie becomes a big hit.

3. Imagineers spend three years (or more) figuring out a way for the movie to have a permanent presence in the parks.

Take “Toy Story,” for example. That movie was out for at least five years before “Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin” Made its debut at the Magic Kingdom. Same for “Finding Nemo.” And how long was the Magic Kingdom without any kind of Winnie the Pooh attraction.

I believe that you are going to see Disney trying to create synergy between its various production companies and the Imagineers to try to decrease the amoung of time between a moive hitting the theaters and an attraction hitting the parks. Sure it’s a huge risk. For every “Pirates” you have a dozen “Treasure Planets” or a “Haunted Mansion.” But when you can hit a home run, like they have done with “Pirates”, they tend to go a long, long way. I think the temptation to swing for the fences will be too great to pass up.

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