STAR WARS LAND: What Could the Force Bring?

At this point the disturbance in the force has calmed down quite a bit from the long awaited Star Wars announcement at this year's D23 convention. Wow...what an announcement it was. Time for the rumors and speculation to begin. 

Before we dive into what could be coming I want to state that this is all opinion. None of this...NONE OF THIS...has been leaked or announced. It is all opinion and not necessarily opinion of what we think WILL happen but what COULD happen. We know a lot of our readers, like ourselves, can be passionate and want to initiate dialogue and have fun. Pour yourself a plastic cup of blue milk and let's get started.

 The announcement at D23 mentioned that the overall expansion will include 14 acres and only two new attractions were mentioned. This is great! or is it? Here are a few scenarios when a good thing isn't as good as it seems.

The 14 acres 
14 acres is a pretty big space especially for Disney-MGM Studios/Disney's Hollywood Studios/Disney's Hollywood Adventure (or whatever it will be?) but what has to be questioned is how much will be expansion vs. re-purposed? 

Expansion versus re-purposed? What does it matter? We still get new stuff right? Yes and no. We could be talking about the difference between new structures housing new rides, shows and attractions or existing areas with nothing more than painted concrete. The area around Echo Lake (in front of Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular) could easily be re-themed and painted as a transition area leading into the new Star Wars area. No...nothing of real substance but could and would easily be included in the 14 acres. 

A rumor going around the internet is that American Idol or the old Sounds Dangerous stages will be re-purposed as a Jedi Training Academy. (*Interesting side note that some rumors suggest that an advanced audio-animatronic Yoda figure will be incorporated into the new show.) That building is pretty big and easily contributes to the overall 14 acres.

Even with the general transition area (Echo Lake), American Idol and Sounds Dangerous areas you probably still have 12 acres or more to play with.

To be fair the announcement did not mention how much of the 14 acres was guest area and how much was backstage. To prove my point when Disney's Animal Kingdom opened it was herald as "the largest Disney theme park ever built." What guests did not realize was that even though it was the largest park most areas were designated as backstage animal areas and the park opened with the smallest guest area of any Disney park at that time.

Two "NEW" Attractions

The Indiana Jones First Order / Rebellion Adventure

For years fans have wanted a version of the Indiana Jones Adventure from Disneyland to be built in Florida (even though you have Dinosaur...but I guess it is not good enough?). Well, your wish is about to come true...sort of.

It is really easy to use an existing ride system ( a good one at that) as the backbone of an epic battle between the Empire (First Order) and the Rebellion. Imagine being loaded onto Rebellion emergency evacuation vehicles escaping peril until something goes terribly wrong putting you in the middle of peril. 

Of course this would probably be Indy 2.0 but this is our take and wish on what we would like this attraction to materialize into being. FYI the Indiana Jones Adventure in California is right under 1.5 acres.They can even use the same exact ride layout as Indy. It's not like they haven't done it before...right?
 

Millennium Falcon Tours

"Take the controls of the Millennium Falcon" can mean so many things. That could mean almost anything. When you whiz around the track at the Indy Speedway in Tomorrowland you are technically "taking the controls" of the car but then again you also "take the controls" in Mission: SPACE at Epcot. The point is even if you "take the controls" you really...don't. Our guess is you will "take the controls" in the new Millennium Falcon attraction just as much as you do in Star Tours which brings us to an interesting point... (hold on to that Millennium Falcon attraction thought for just a moment)

Say Goodbye to Star Tours 
Disney Cast Blast what are you talking about? Did you not see the announcement? They announced new destinations for Star Tours! It's not going anywhere...or is it? Our theory is that Star Tours is not long for our galaxy and here is why.The new destination(s) announced is merely something to whet the appetite until the first "new" attraction is open. (see Indiana Jones First Order/Rebellion Adventure - IJFORA). Once the IJFORA opens Star Tours will go dark and retrofitted to reopen as the "new" Millennium Falcon attraction. Quite easy to retrofit the cabins to look like the Falcon cockpit allowing you to "take control"...blah, blah, blah...

Something else to support this theory requires us to take a look at Disneyland. We know Disneyland is getting an almost identical version of the announced Star Wars Land. What we know is that it is NOT going into Tomorrowland. What is currently located in Tomorrowland? Star Tours. It does not make sense to have a Star Wars attraction separate from a sparkling brand new multi-billion dollar addition to the park. They will shut it down, convert the simulators into Millennium Falcon simulators and re-install them into the new land in their new location in the park. This will create a huge empty spot in Tomorrowland but that is not for us to discuss what they will do with that spot right now in this post.

There is our take on what was announced. We know there are some things cooking that were not announced. Don't get us wrong. We are excited about the announcement and cannot wait to see what is in store. Hopefully we are wrong about a few things and in a way we wouldn't mind seeing some of the things above actually happen.

Even though what we mentioned is a conservative look of what could happen we could be totally wrong and they could add four attractions on a plot that is a true 14 acre expansion. Most of the fun of announcements is the speculation and excitement of what is coming. The problem is we will probably not see any of this come to fruition any sooner than 2021.

 What are your thoughts? Drop us an email at DisneyCastBlast@gmail.com.

10 Cast Questions: WDW Monorail Cast Remembers Austin Wuennenberg

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  Happy 4th of July! Today we launch a new feature where we ask past and present Disney Cast Members about their experiences in a whole new light.
  
  For our first post we decided to put the spotlight on Walt Disney World Cast Members and how they are remembering Austin Wuennenberg and the tragic accident that occurred in 2009. In honor of Austin, an honorary WDW Monorails tribute was created. Even though this design was not created officially by Disney, it shows the tight bond that Cast Members have for one another.

  
  1. Laura, how long did you work as a Transportation Cast Member in Monorails at Walt Disney World?
  
  From 1999-2004. I started on the Walt Disney World College Program. When I did the Program, they only selected seven students into the Monorail Department out of the thousands College Programmers. I was thrilled because it had always been my dream from the age of 3 to drive the Monorails. I don't know why I always wanted to drive them. I just did. 
  
  
  2. As Walt Disney World is known as a place where families go to visit, it seems there is quite a family environment within the workplace. How is that different than most "normal" jobs?
  
   Disney Cast Members do seem to form a bond and have more of a sense of family than most "normal" jobs. I have had two non-Disney jobs and I have never felt a sense of coworkers being like my family as I did at Disney. Even though it's been ten years since I left the company, I still am very close with a lot of my former coworkers. I am closer with them than the current coworkers I have spent the last ten years with. My current boss said Disney brainwashes the Cast. I disagree. People who have never worked there don't understand and will never understand. I don't think it is so much the Company promoting the family atmosphere in the workplace as it is a byproduct of a unique environment. Is it perfect? Not by any means! Just like a normal family, there is going to be some amount of dysfunction. But overall, it is a very unique environment in which you form tight, lasting bonds with many of your coworkers. You are sharing experiences in an environment that isn't found anywhere else on Earth. Countless families, including my own, are also created when working for Disney. Many of the members of my extended "family" met their spouses while working at Disney. Is Disney really responsible for these relationships? Probably not, but you do have to be a special kind of person to work for the Mouse. So in the long run, maybe Disney is somewhat responsible...
  
  3. As another sad anniversary approaches, WDW Transportation Cast Members are still honor Austin Wuennenberg who was involved in the tragic accident on July 5, 2009. Did you know Austin personally and do you care to share any thoughts or memories about him?
  
    I did not know Austin personally. I only met him once while riding in his front cab when I was just a regular guest. I was with several former Pilots and we started quizzing him and grilling him on everything we could think of pertaining to Monorails. He was entertained and happy to play along. He was also very happy to show off his vast knowledge of the Monorail System. You could tell he truly enjoyed his job. I know that he must have been a wonderful person after seeing the pain I saw in my former coworkers after the accident.
  
  4. The WDW "One Family" Monorail Logo you recently created pays homage to Austin. What inspired you to create this work of art?
  
  

  

  Walt Disney World "One Rail, One Family" Austin Wuennenberg Memorial Design by Laura

   
   I cannot take credit for designing the wings. The wings are based on the wings the pilots wear. After the accident, someone replaced the "Monorail Pilot" on the pilots' wings with "One Rail, One Family" in a graphic image. It has been used by many pilots on their Facebook pages on the anniversary each year. Because the original image has been shared through Facebook so many times, the quality has degraded. As an amateur graphic designer, it irritated me to see this. It seemed disrespectful to the reason we were all doing it, and through no fault of our own. It is the nature of Facebook pictures. Since I don't have the original image and I don't know who created it, I was trying to do everyone a favor and clean it up to make it look better again. While I was working on doing that, the inspiration hit to create a new overall design we could use that incorporated the wings and the ribbons. The design will evolve over the years as I am always learning new techniques that inspire new ideas.
  
  5. What is the significance of the pink and purple ribbons on wither wing of the Monorail Pilot Wings?
  
  The ribbons represent the two Monorails that were lost in the accident - Monorails Purple and Pink. Monorails Purple and Pink were retired by Disney and replaced by Teal and Peach. After the accident, at the memorials held for Austin, many of us wore our pins with ribbons attached to the backs as a symbol of the accident. The ribbons have been symbolic since and I thought they should be incorporated in the design.
  
  6. Do you have additional plans to continue to show the strong bond that Monorail Cast Members have and have had in honoring Austin?
  
  I plan on remembering and honoring Austin each and every year. Even though I was no longer a Cast Member when the accident happened, it still had a great impact on me. It could have happened when I was there and it could have happened to any one of us. It is something that will remain with me and haunt me for the rest of my life for a lot of personal reasons. 
  
  7. What is the biggest thing you miss about being a WDW Monorail Pilot? 
  
   Driving the monorails, of course!
  
  8. If you have any advice for an aspiring Monorail Pilot what would you suggest?
  
  Have fun and enjoy every moment of your time there. It's an experience like no other. Treasure the friendships you make! It truly is like a family. 
  
  9. Which is your favorite color train and why?
  
   My favorite train was whichever train I was driving! Although all of the trains were my favorite, Monorail Purple was and will always be my true favorite train for no other reason than purple is my favorite color. I was always a little happier at work when I saw Purple was my assigned train for the day. 
  
  and finally...
   
  10. Who is your favorite Disney character?
  
   Animated or human? Animated would be Stitch. He's mischievous, but is lovable and just wants to be accepted. Human would be Jack Sparrow because he's just awesome! He's not afraid of what other people think and he's free-spirited.

DisneyQuest: The End of an Error

DisneyQuest was fantastic. It was different. It was innovative. It was an error.

It saddens me that the concept is finally receiving the final nail in the coffin, but it also make me happy to see this longtime neglected attraction close. DisneyQuest is one of the last concepts to remain from the now defunct "Disney Regional Entertainment" department that once had ambitious plans including ESPN Zone and Club Disney establishments.

ESPN Zone note: There are only two locations left both located in California and neither is directly operated by the Walt Disney Company.

For more info about DisneyQuest click here!

The problem with DisneyQuest arose shortly after the chain opened. The business model was flawed leading to the quick abandonment of the American Express sponsored card charging locations throughout the facility. The "pay as you play" model looked like a great money making design, which eventually led to all inclusive play included in your general admission, but soon became problematic. 

Shortly after a few pre-planned updates the innovation of new and exciting offerings dwindled and future planned locations were cancelled. The last remaining location (Walt Disney World) was eventually used to "build value" into group plans and international tickets. It did not cost the company anything extra to add this attraction to new ticket sales and kept enough people coming through the doors to justify keeping it open.

The problem was Disney needed something new for Downtown Disney. Not just a new store and restaurant, but a new brand to keep competitive with Universal CityWalk and International Drive.

Disney Springs is going to breathe new life into the declining entertainment complex. 

How does DisneyQuest fit in? It doesn't. The real estate is worth more than what it was when the West Side opened so changes have to be made. For years it was rumored that it would be converted into an ESPN Zone. With ESPN Zone facing similar problems, this concept would never come to fruition. 

Will the NBA replacement be a slam dunk or a BRICK? 

Disney and the NBA must have something special for this to work. NBA City, locate at Universal Orlando CityWalk, announced its closure the same time the Disney location was announced. *Keep in mind these are two totally different concepts and the NBA City idea is not transferring over. NBA City did ok and am thinking its great location had more to do with its success than the theme.

Just throwing an NBA themed overlay to a building, making it a restaurant and offering interactive games no longer is lightning in a bottle. Playoffs and Finals are seasonal and do not appeal to all guests (or basketball fans as a matter of fact). 

Here are some ideas to make it work:

- Tap into the vast sports broadcasting power of ABC and ESPN to bring state of the art coverage of games and news to visitors.

- Dust off the old "Star of the Day" program from Disney-MGM Studios (yeah, I said it) and host meet and greets with NBA stars.

- Book groups and teams utilizing the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex. (Sure there is an ESPN Wide World of Sports Grill but why not go for the upsell?)

What are your thoughts? Are you sad to see DisneyQuest go? Will the NBA replacement work? Will you go?


If you are a current or ex-Disney Cast Member and have a story or experience to share, please e-mail us at DisneyCastBlast@gmail.com. All emails will be posted ANONYMOUSLY or by a nickname if you prefer.

NEW Posts Coming Soon!!!

Our break is over...FINALLY!

We are going to start posting again with new and exciting stories directly from the Cast Members that do what they do day in and day out!

Stay tuned!