In 2005, Walt Disney World is adding two attractions that are already popular at other company theme parks.
By MARK ALBRIGHT
Published October 11, 2003
LAKE BUENA VISTA - Walt Disney Co. will import two attractions from its European and California theme parks, adding them to the Walt Disney World lineup in 2005.
Soarin' Over California, a hang-gliding simulator ride, will be in the Land Pavilion in Epcot. The Stunt Show Spectacular, a precision-driving show featuring cars, motorcycles, jet skis and fiery explosions, will take over much of the Backlot at Disney-MGM Studios.
For Soarin' the park will use the same film of the Golden State's topography that debuted two years ago at Disney's California Adventure, without restaging it for Florida. The stunt show will be themed only a bit differently from the original at Disneyland Paris.
"We picked them because they are the most popular attractions at the parks where we introduced them," said Tom Fitzgerald, executive vice president and senior creative executive for Disney's 1,300-employee ride design team.
After watching Disney unveil dozens of new attractions over the years at its ever-expanding 47-square-mile kingdom near Orlando, Floridians might scoff at such clear evidence the entertainment giant is using duplicate headline attractions from its other parks. But it's part of a new economic reality at Walt Disney World which, after all, started out as a clone of Disneyland in California.
For the first time in its 32 years in Florida, Disney has no new theme parks coming off the drawing boards for Walt Disney World. Instead, Disney, which will soon have 11 theme parks scattered at five locations around the globe, will add rides to freshen and maximize what it already owns in Orlando. With little attendance overlap between its parks, Disney is taking advantage of its ability to use the same attractions over and over.
"We have no shortage of ideas," said Marty Sklar, vice chairman of Walt Disney Imagineering. "But we already have many great attractions people haven't experienced. Now we have more ability to mix and match product."
Disney unveiled plans for the two imports Friday when 1,200 invited media got a chance to ride the latest attractions developed for Disney World, the Mission: Space simulator ride and Mickey's PhilharMagic, the first computer generated 3-D film featuring the classic old Disney cartoon characters. Disney staged the formal grand opening for both this week.
But officials noted that other high-impact attractions are being developed to premier at Disney World. One is the previously announced Expedition Everest, a roller coaster built into a 199-foot-tall snow-capped peak at Animal Kingdom. The coaster, set to open in 2006, will travel in both directions while being chased by a mechanical version of the Abominable Snowman.
"Except for when we were adding entire theme parks, this is the most blockbuster attractions we have ever had under construction at the same time," said Al Weiss, president of Walt Disney World.
Disney officials Friday also provided details on Stitch's Great Escape, a new ride mixing film and robots, that will open in 2004. It replaces the Alien Encounter, which will close this month after a five-year run. Alien Encounter proved to be an enigma for Disney. First Disney chief executive Michael Eisner thought it wasn't scary enough. After it was pumped up, some parents said it was too scary.
It will be rebuilt as a family attraction with a story based on the popular Disney cartoon Lilo & Stitch.
"With Alien Encounter we had no Disney mythology to build on," Sklar said. "Now we do."
The new stunt show is supposed to breathe new life into the Backlot, a dated part of the studios park that featured old house facades used on TV shows such as the Golden Girls sitcom that was canceled long ago. The New York street scene also will get company in the form of street scenes from San Francisco and Chicago. Disney has some other unnamed project slated for the Backlot.
Soarin' Over California fills a long-standing void in Epcot's the Land Pavilion.
The ride imitates a hang glider ride over California landmarks. The landmarks are shown in a high-definition film projected on an Omnimax domed screen that covers all of a rider's peripheral vision. As the ride begins, riders are lifted, legs dangling from their seats, in pitch darkness. Then they descend through the clouds past the Golden Gate Bridge. The sense of motion is created by wind machines, tilting seats and smells such as salt air and orange scents. Many passengers lift their feet when they pass close to a rolling Pacific surf and duck when a golf ball comes at them.
A Disney engineer designed the unique ride system, building the first mockup from an Erector set over a weekend at home.
