Listed below are rides and attractions at the Disney Resorts and Parks in Japan, Hong Kong, and Paris - that were never made, 'lie in waiting', or changed into something else!
Disneyland Paris
The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Voyage - A Little Mermaid-themed dark ride, due to open on the hillside facing Pizzeria Bella Notte, so that it would fit the "Mediterranean" look of this part of Fantasyland. However, since Disney California Adventure Park and Magic Kingdom have built this ride, it may open in the European Resort in the future.
Beauty and the Beast - A Tiki Room-style attraction planned for Disneyland Paris, which was to take place on the still available spot of land between L'Auberge de Cendrillon and Pizzeria Bella Notte. It was shelved due to the financial problems the Resort encountered in its early days. However, the attraction would later be taken to the Magic Kingdom as Enchanted Tales with Belle.
Guests would have been ushered into a monumental room of the Beast's Castle where a Be Our Guest scene would have welcomed them, complete with animatronic items and characters. This scene would have stopped with the appearance of the Beast himself, with gargoyles singing Beware the Beast (a twist on the song Kill the Beast). As he accuses guests to "have come to stare at the Beast", a live Belle would have appeared from the audience and chosen a child at random, so that he or she would offer a rose to the Beast, therefore teaching him to love and turning him into his former self (a live Prince). The show would have ended with the song "Beauty and the Beast".
Matterhorn Bobsleds - An updated replica of the popular ride from Disneyland which would have been placed behind Fantasyland Station. A still existing tunnel was created below the station so that the ride could have been accessible from both the Toad Hall area and from Le Pays des Contes de Fées.
Pirates of the Caribbean Shooting Gallery - A never-built Pirate-themed shooting gallery, similar to Rustler Roundup Shooting Gallery in Frontierland. It could eventually become part of Hong Kong Disneyland's future Pirates land.
Tarzan Coaster - A Tarzan-themed coaster was envisioned to be built near Captain Hook's Pirate Ship, using in part the Swiss Robinson Tree structure.
Jungle Exploration - Since Jungle Cruise was scrapped due to climatic concerns, a jeep ride was designed for the park in replacement, due to be placed behind Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril, with the suggested name of La Jungle Inexplorée. Guests would have travelled through a jungle covered by a glass roof and driven past elephants, giraffes, ride on a rickety bridge over hippos and crocodiles, and into an ancient temple where guests would have encountered the I Wanna Be Like You scene from the Jungle Book film complete with animatronic monkeys, Mowgli, Baloo, Bagheera and King Louie dancing to the song. The jeeps would then be sent into a tropical storm where they would be chased by a large tiger before finding a safe way back to civilization.
Indiana Jones Adventure - Since 1995, the large "Jungle Exploration" space behind Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril has been reserved for an attraction of the size of Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye. It is unknown if it may become reality or whether the space is entirely for that attraction.
Splash Mountain - Since Splash Mountain and Disneyland Paris were built at the same time, the ride was not part of the original design. However, Imagineers intended to have it built in the Cottonwood Creek area of Frontierland in the following years. They designed Frontierland Depot so that the station can be easily removed and relocated elsewhere.
Geyser Mountain - A free-fall ride envisioned for Frontierland, possibly located in the Cottonwood Creek area. Designed as a mining facility in the middle of a geyser field, it would have taken guests to subterranean caves filled with golden ore, until they reached the heart of an active geyser known as the Old Unfaithful. The adventure would have come to a climax with the geyser erupting.
Discovery Mountain - A huge Jules Verne-inspired complex in the center of Dicoveryland, linked to Videopolis with glass tubes, which eventually became the Disneyland Paris version of Space Mountain. It was intended to contain the Space Mountain roller coaster (based on From the Earth to the Moon), a tower launch ride similar to The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (based on Journey to the Center of the Earth), a walkthrough attraction inside Captain Nemo's submarine, the Nautilus, alongside an undersea restaurant (later moved outside the complex to become Les Mystères du Nautilus), and a copy of the attraction Horizons from EPCOT.
Tokyo DisneySea
American Waterfront Ride - An unknown ride concept for this rideless land.
Jungle Animatronics Show - A Jungle Book-themed show that would have been situated next to the Indiana Jones attraction. The concept was replaced by Raging Spirits.
Grizzly River Run - A clone of Grizzly River Run at Disney's California Adventure (with altered layout) was designed to fit around Mysterious Island. The concept was replaced by 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
Hong Kong Disneyland
Peter Pan's Flight - A dark ride that would have been placed in Fantasyland. It would have been similar to the Magic Kingdom one.
The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure - When it remained unbuilt at Disneyland Paris, Imagineers redesigned the attraction for Hong Kong. Again the attraction was neglected. A variant of it is currently operating Paradise Pier at Disney's California Adventure and in the New Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom.
Raging Spirits - A speedy roller coaster that would whisk guests through a very dark jungle. The ride would have shared its name with a ride at Tokyo DisneySea.
The Boneyard - The popular Animal Kingdom attraction would have been recreated in Adventureland.
Big Thunder Mountain - The classic mine train roller coaster would have been placed in Frontierland, but Frontierland was never built.
Pirates of the Caribbean - A thrill water ride that would have been placed in Adventureland. [
Unnamed fort adventure - A dark ride based in a pioneer's settlement. Special effects would have been included.
Haunted Mansion - Disney's infamous home of "999 happy haunts" would have been placed in the Frontierland/Wild West area. There have been plans to open a similar attraction in a new park expansion called Mystic Point in 2013.
Grizzly River Run - A version of the California Adventure river raft ride was originally planned as an opening day thrill. It is unknown if the design of the mountain would have changed.
Soarin' - A soarin' style attraction would have been placed in Tomorrowland.
Star Tours - The popular Star Wars-themed motion simulator attraction would have been installed in Tomorrowland.
Raging Spirits and Pirates of the Caribbean - As Hong Kong Disneyland was built under budget by HK $1 billion, plans was to use the money to build Autopia, It's a Small World and a ride that combines Pirates of the Caribbean and Raging Spirits. However, due to Raging Spirits' lack of popularity at Tokyo DisneySea and the high costs of Pirates of the Caribbean, the plans were shelved.
Glacier Peak - This unique attraction was to be an indoor area with weather station, real snow and a roller coaster. But it was considered to be too similar to a new area called Polar Adventure at Ocean Park and rejected by Hong Kong Government, as Rita Lau explained. In the end Toy Story Land is built instead.
Toy Story Mania! - A 4D ride that would have been placed in Toy Story Land.
I have to say something - and I say it with all honesty and without prejudice...why in the world Disney has attempted so hard and spent so much money to erect other "Disneyland's" throughout the globe is beyond me.
First of all, there are thousands and thousands of Americans who need jobs, not just to work at Disneyland but to help create and build it. There are plenty of places within the USA where Disney can expand.
Second, other than Japan, it seems that Disney has placed themselves in countries that can't stand America. From people I've talked to who have visited both parks in Japan and Paris (I don't know of anyone who has visited Disney Hong Kong) they all have told me the same thing: very little at each of the parks, very little to do, and there is not a warm welcome at all - so why the bother with such a huge investment?
All three Disney Parks are failing so miserably that all three are still threatened for closure.
Ya know, the world makes effort to visit the Disneyland's here in the United States - those who really wish to visit the Magic Kingdom's (Anaheim and Florida) come here to the USA - there shouldn't be a need for Disney to place themselves all over the globe for people to come to the parks - they'll come sure enough. Just make them come to us, not bring ourselves to them.
No comments:
Post a Comment