From: wjf@controls.ccd.harris.com (Bill Figie)
Subject:  Disney World expansion?
Originator: wjf@rs2
Organization: Harris Controls
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 14:39:47 GMT


I am posting this for two reasons.  First, it has been almost 2
days since I have seen anything new on this news group.  I can't
believe that there is no one out there posting so them must be
something wrong at my end.  I am getting postings from other news
groups so maybe I have lost rec.roller-coaster in my path somehow.
 Anyways, by posting I should see if it gets out when I go to read
latter in the day.

My second reason is to tell you about some of the plans at Walt
Disney World for the coming years.  There was a big article in the
Orlando Sentinel on Monday.  It basiclly said that all the big
plans for Disney World are either shelved, delayed, or have been
modified.  Disney World just got done building Splash Mountain
(the first new ride in the Magic Kingdom since 1980 and Big
Thunder Mountain).  It cost them $91 million for Splash Mountain. 

They are looking into building another big hotel (the largest in
the state) with 3800 rooms (I think).  It will be moderately
priced (I think they called it budget priced but at 80 to 100
dollars I don't think that is very budget).  No other plans for
the Magic Kingdom soon.  It looks like the remodeling of
Tomorrowland is being pushed back several years. 

 As far as EPCOT
Center goes, things are slowing down there also.  Things are
slowing down on the Russian Pavilion because of what it happening
over there.  The expansion of the Japanese pavilion (which could
be a Mt. Fuji ride) are slowing down as are the Swiss Pavilion
(and what could be a Matterhorn ride).  In the Future World
section, they have a new pavilion being held up also.  I think the
problems are mostly sponsors.  Right now EPCOT is 10 years old and
all their original sponsors contracts are coming due.  Kraft Foods
was bought out by Philip Morris and they are evaluating their
agreement.  The World of Motion is sponsored by GM which is
struggling as is EXXON.  

As far as Disney/MGM, you know that MGM wants their name back to
build their own park.  MGM is suing Disney saying that when they
lent their name, they didn't think that Disney would have a place
where movies and TV shows would be produced.  (How stupid).  I
hope Disney takes them to the cleaners.  Anyway, work is
progressing on the expansion of the park but at a slower rate. 
They still have plans on their Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. 
THis looks to be one intriguing Disney ride.  It will be a
Disney-type free fall.  The paper briefly said the final part of
the ride would simulate a fall in an elevator from 13 stories.  I
can't believe Disney would actually build a real freefall. 
Haven't freefalls "fallen" (sorry about the pun) out of favor with
park goers?  

Finally, Boardwalk at Disney didn't mention anything about a wood
coaster.  As a matter of fact this is one area that is being held
the most and they really don't know what they want to do here. 
They want to put in some shows but don't know.  All they know is
that it is supposed to simulate a boardwalk like Coney Island or
Atlantic City.  Hasn't anyone told Disney that boardwalks like
those used to have great wood coasters associated with them.  This
would be a good place for Disney to build a Santa Cruz clone with
all sorts of thrill rides and stuff like that.

Well that's all I have.  I hope this gets out to you all.  Disney
is going kind of slow now because of the recession, the war,
perhaps the problems at Euro-Disney, and if you ask me, the cost
for them to put in a ride such as Splash Mountain.  Could you
imagine what kind of park you could put in if you were given $91
million dollars?  You could almost build a park from scratch.

	Bill "hello out there" Figie