If you’ve been wandering around the Web lately — in particular poking around the discussion boards over at MouseInfo and WDWMagic — you’ve probably already heard the name “Midway Madness” bandied about this past weekend. This is that new interactive “Toy Story” -themed dark ride that’s supposedly being added to both Disney’s California Adventure & Disney-MGM Studios theme park in 2008.
But — what with all the talk about these two new Disney theme park attractions — Disneyana fans seem to have missed the truly significant news that is buried deep down inside of this story.
The DCA version of “Midway Madness?” It’s actually being built back in the Paradise Pier section of that theme park. Which has long been criticized as not having enough family-friendly rides, shows and attractions that feature the Disney characters.
But what’s really significant about this proposed Paradise Pier addition is that “Midway Madness” is being built in place of DCA’s next placemaking project. Which was to have revamped the entire “Sunshine Plaza” section of Disney’s California Adventure. So that — when all this retheming was done — the entrance area of this troubled theme park was then to have resembled the California that Walt Disney first encountered when he arrived in the Golden State back in August of 1923.
Whereas the Disney-MGM version of “Midway Madness” … This interactive dark ride was originally supposed to be built between “Muppetvision 3-D” and “Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano.” You know? That large slab of land that “Al’s Toy Barn” and the old “Hunckback of Notre Dame” theatre currently occupy.
(FYI for all you Disney trivia fans out there: This particular MGM expansion pad was where Muppet Studios was originally supposed to have been built. Which was where the infamous “Great Muppet Movie Ride” would have been located.)
Photo by Martin Smith
However, instead of building a brand-new building to house this dark ride, what the Imagineers have opted to do instead is place Disney-MGM’s version of “Midway Madness” inside of two already-existing structures. To be specific, Soundstage 2 & 3. Which are currently the home of the “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire — Play It!” attraction.
You get what’s going on here yet? In both of these cases, WDI had the option of spending a huge amount of money on something (I.E. A rethemed entrance plaza for DCA, a brand-new show building for MGM) that wouldn’t have had all that big an impact on how the guests actually experienced these two theme parks.
But — in the end — the Imagineers opted to put the needs of the paying customers first. Not the annual passholders, mind you, or the hardcore Disney dweebs. Those people who would have actually noticed that DCA’s revamped entrance area was supposed to represent Walt’s arrival in California circa 1923 and/or would have “Oohed” & “Aahed” if a distinctive looking new show building had been added to MGM’s Backlot area.
Instead, the Imagineers opted — in the case of DCA’s version of “Midway Madness” — to put an family-friendly attraction where it was actually needed. Which — in this case — was ‘way back in that theme park’s Paradise Pier area.
And — in the case of Disney-MGM — the Imagineers finally tried to be somewhat smart with the time & money that they’d been budgeted to build this attraction. Knowing that — if WDI retrofitted several of MGM’s soundstages so that they could then serve as home for that theme park’s new “Midway Madness” ride — they could then keep construction costs down. More to the point, the Imagineers could actually shave months off of the construction time of “Midway Madness.” Meaning that the MGM version of this attraction might then be able to open months ahead of the DCA version of this same attraction.
“So what’s so significant about all this?,” you ask. Well, this is the brand-new WDI that you’re looking at, folks. The version of this organization that — with the hope of impressing both of its new corporate overseers, Bob Iger & John Lasseter — will attempt to do better with the budgets that it’s given. Spending this money in ways that the guests can actually see it & appreciate it. Rather than just on vanity projects.
Which — to be honest — is the way that a lot of WDI-types now see DCA’s placemaking efforts. As a vanity project. An attempt by Imagineers who weren’t originally allowed to work on California Adventure to finally get their hands on that theme park. Remaking DCA in their own image, so to speak.
As one WDI insider recently told me:
“Remaking the ‘Golden Gateway’ and ‘Gateway Plaza’ so that ‘Sunshine Plaza’ then looks like the California that Walt Disney encountered when he first arrived in the state in 1923 is an incredibly stupid idea. Who — outside of a few annual passholders — is actually going to understand or appreciate a concept like that?
That’s $30 million that WDI might as well flush down the toilet. For — if they actually spend that money to redo DCA’s entrance — it’s going to have zero impact on the park’s gate.
After all, nobody goes to a theme park because they heard that that park now has a snazzy new entrance area that tells a story. They go to a theme park because there’s a brand-new ride to ride or a new parade or fireworks show to see.
This whole placemaking thing is a crock. I wish that they’d just abandon this idea and let us get to the job that really needs to be done here. Which is designing & then building all of the rides, shows and attractions that DCA needs. So that that theme park can finally be a worthy companion to Disneyland.”
Of course, the best news here is that the Imagineers decided to build “Midway Madness” in the Paradise Pier section of DCA. Which signals that WDI really hasn’t given up on this side of that theme park. That the Imagineers are going to try & find a way to make this part of the park finally work.
Mind you, this wasn’t always the case. As recently as last year, a certain VP at WDI was still pushing hard for DCA to wash its hands of Paradise Pier. To literally wall off this section of that theme park. Deannex this area to Downtown Disney, so that its collection of carnival-types rides & games could then be considered part of that dining, shopping & entertainment district’s assortment of attractions.
But now that “Midway Madness” is on its way to Paradise Pier (More importantly, given that Steve Davison’s next big extravaganza — the “Wonderful World of Color” fountain spectacular — is expected to be up & running in Paradise Bay by late 2008 / early 2009), this whole area will become the new focal point of that theme park. The place that you have to visit whenever you go to DCA.
Whereas the MGM version of “Midway Madness” … One of the main reasons that this new dark ride is being built on Mickey Avenue is that — sometime in 2007 — Mickey Avenue’s other big attraction, the “Voyage of the Little Mermaid” stage show, will be closing.
Why For? Well, to be honest, for much the same reason that the “Tarzan Rocks!” stage show had to close at Disney’s Animal Kingdom back in January. Because Disney Theatrical was prepping the Broadway version of “Tarzan” and they didn’t want any authorized Disney “Tarzan”-themed productions out there that their new musical could be compared to.
Sooo … Given that Disney Theatrical’s version of “The Little Mermaid” is reportedly due to arrive on Broadway during the 2007 – 2008 season … That’s why MGM’s “Voyage of the Little Mermaid” has to close sometime in 2007.
And given that Disney-MGM could actually use a new attraction that would help drive guests into the backmost portion of this theme park … Well, that’s why (in addition to that construction cost savings) it does make sense to install “Midway Madness” in Soundstages 2 & 3.
Speaking of cost savings … It’s kind of ironic that here are the Imagineers. Working so hard to prove to Mouse House managers that they can do lots better when it comes to the way that WDI spends money on new theme park attractions (This new efficiency initiative supposedly came about because of all the cost over-runs on DCA’s new “Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue” ride. Which reportedly drove the construction costs of this DCA redo well over $30 million).
And yet here’s John Lasseter, the Principal Creative Advisor of Walt Disney Imagineering, suggesting ways that Disneyland‘s new “Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage” can be “plussed.” Even though construction of this $70 million retheming of Tomorrowland’s “Submarine Voyage” was already well underway, with concrete being poured and steel beam being anchored into place, John — in a recent meeting with the “Finding Nemo” design team — was talking about how he wanted changes made to several show scenes. Rather expensive changes, I might add.
And as the “Finding Nemo” design team laughed & smiled at Lasseter’s suggestions, inwardly they wondered. Sure, John would be able to get all the money necessary to make all of these changes (And we’re talking millions here, folks). But — even so — trying to work all of these proposed new show scenes & effects into the “Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage” is going to probably put this Tomorrowland construction project behind schedule. Which might make them miss their Spring 2007 completion date.
But — again — given that it’s John Lasseter who’s asking for all these changes, time & money are no object. Right now, anyway. Though one wonders how long John’s honeymoon period is actually going to last.
Me personally, I think a lot depends on how well “Cars” does at the box office this summer. If Pixar’s newest animated feature pulls in at least “The Incredibles” -level money, then Lasseter can pretty much write his own ticket. Push through whatever theme park projects that he choses.
If — on the other hand — “Cars” under-performs and Wall Street starts talking about how Disney overpaid for Pixar … Well, then this honeymoon may be over real quick. At least when it comes to Lasseter always getting his way with WDI projects.
Anyway … That’s a quick overview of what’s been going on at Disney’s California Adventure, Disney-MGM Studios theme park, Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Disneyland. With a particular emphasis on where this new “Midway Madness” attraction actually fits into the bigger picture.
Your thoughts?