[vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]Details have just been released for Disney’s newest theme park, Shanghai Disneyland, and they are nothing short of impressive.
There’s a fascinating blend of “nostalgia” and “new” with the offerings of this park, giving guests both the familiar classic experience they’ve come to expect, along with entirely unique attractions, to evolve this park concept into something fresh and downright exciting.
Here are some of the particular highlights I noticed:
MICKEY AVENUE
At a glance, the first thing that strikes me with this park is its lack of “Americana” influence. After going through the front entry turnstiles, instead of meandering down Main Street, U.S.A., guests will walk through Mickey Avenue, designed to familiarize them with the iconic class Disney characters, i.e. Mickey, Donald, Goofy, etc.
Noticeably absent are Frontierland and it’s classic E-Ticket ride, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
In their place, however, is a much larger “adventure” footprint in the park. No, not a traditional Adventureland as we know it, where we would expect The Jungle Cruise and Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye. Instead, there are two very distinct lands:
ADVENTURE ISLE
How impressive does this area of the park look!
That towering waterfall volcano reminds me of Mysterious Island at Tokyo DisneySea. You can see flame spurts exploding in the background of the pic. The juxtaposition of water and fire set against a background of lavish trees, rivers, and tropical vegetation bring forth such an epic thematic scope to this land.
The centerpiece ride is Roaring Rapids. This appears to be a plussed clone of Grizzly River Run at Disney California Adventure in Anaheim. Along the way, riders will encounter the creature known as the Q’araq. This animatronic looks absolutely humongous and is sure to deliver an exhilarating thrill along the river. How about something like this with a massive grizzly bear at California Adventure?
Another attraction borrowed from California Adventure, in this case, is Soarin’ over the Horizon, introducing a new ride film featuring iconic vistas and scenery from throughout the world. This is the rumored replacement to Soarin’ over California in Anaheim. The ride is described as “…starting from an ancient observatory nestled in the cloud forest.” Interesting. I wonder if this incarnation is going to have a much more immersive storyline than the California counterpart, which lets you see a blue screen in front of you before rising up, and simply becomes a variety of scenes spliced together with no rhyme or reason. Even something like flying into the clouds before appearing in a new environment would add to the believability of the experience. And hopefully, this version eliminates the Tinkerbell animation at the end.
TREASURE COVE
In another first for a Disneyland park, Shanghai will have a stand-alone land dedicated to pirates, and here we have a much more state of the art version of a classic: Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure. This one seems to be the closely guarded secret of the park, and may very well be the signature experience that stands above the rest. The ride will, “…seamlessly blend Disney storytelling and state of the art technologies…featuring three large media domes, projected effects, lifelike animated figures, theatrical sets and sophisticated lighting…” Sounds a lot like the original we have come to know and love.
But here’s where things get very interesting.
“With a new, highly controlled ride system, the boats can spin, travel sideways, and even move backwards to create a highly personalized experience.”
In other words, the boats aren’t going to move in a simple linear fashion the way they do on the other incarnations throughout the world. Here, there will be much more spontaneous movement. Guests may not be able to anticipate exactly what their boat will do or where it will go. This should bring an entirely new, and exciting, element to this classic experience.
TOMORROWLAND
What a bold, fascinating, and purely unique take on the world of the future for this park. A clear departure from the more crowded utopian cityscape future we’re used to seeing at the parks, here, there seems to be a much more expansive, and yet simplistic, stylistic, and beautiful approach.
In a first, Shanghai Disneyland is doing away with Space Mountain in favor of an all new innovation. TRON LightCycle Power Run is a true one-of-a-kind, and as a fan of both films, TRON and TRON: Legacy, I am so jealous of the guests who get to ride this exhilarating attraction! The ride is a take on an existing motorcycle roller coaster technology that has been around for quite some time now.
To get a feel for the sensation of this ride, if you live in California, check out the Pony Express at Knott’s Berry Farm. Tron LightCycle Power Run looks like a much larger, more immersive, more thrilling version. There is a really unique sense of speed and movement on these cycles. While you are fastened securely, you truly feel like you’re flying as you careen around corners with the wind in your face. This ride technology themed with the dazzling neon lights of TRON as you race through the world of the computer is going to make for a breathtaking high speed journey.
Noticeably missing from Tomorrowland is Star Tours. There is going to be a Star Wars meet and greet pavilion, and similarly, a Marvel area, but no rides, no major presence.
At the same time, there sure is an awful lot of land and open space in this section of the park. With the imminent announcement of Star Wars lands coming more than likely to Anaheim and Orlando, might Shanghai be saving Star Wars for a first expansion of Tomorrowland after the park opens?
These are just some of the highlights, but there are so many more details about this park that were announced. For a first, the “Storybook Castle” will be a place where all of the Disney princesses reside, with what looks to be an immersive boat ride underneath and through the castle, called Voyage to the Crystal Grotto. There will be a Seven Dwarfs Mine Train clone from Magic Kingdom’s Fantasyland in Orlando. The Honey Pot Spin might be an incarnation of Pooh’s Hunny Hunt at Tokyo Disneyland. There are hotels, a Downtown area planned, so much more.
For a more detailed description of the offerings of Shanghai Disneyland, click on this link:
http://www.inparkmagazine.com/shanghai-disney-announces-detailed-list-of-attractions/
There is something bold and fresh and ambitious with this newest take on a Disneyland park. The company isn’t resting on its laurels by simply cloning Pirates of the Caribbean, plopping it down in the middle of the park, and assuming guests will be content. Instead, they are moving this classic attraction forward for today’s generation, introducing the newest of technologies to deliver a one-of-a-kind version of the ride we all know and love.
This spirit seems to emanate throughout all corners of Shanghai Disneyland.
There is something very special here, indeed.
Disney magic at its best.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]