Over the last few years, Universal has spent hundreds of millions of pounds on new attractions. The success of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure and the deep pockets of owner Comcast will ensure that the company’s spending will continue, with new E-Ticket attractions promised for Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando every single year. It’s a truly exciting time for the company and visitors to its parks.
Meanwhile, Disney – still the market leader by some distance – has been accused of resting on its laurels. While Universal has rushed the construction of a second Harry Potter land at Universal Orlando, Walt Disney World has been slowly opening its New Fantasyland expansion in stages (construction walls still dominate the area). Meanwhile, the expensive overhaul of Disney California Adventure is complete and the firm is yet to announce any further additions to the Disneyland Resort.
Universal, the argument goes, is now the industry’s innovator. Disney’s Imagineers are underfunded and unimaginative. The company behind some of the most incredible theme park inventions of all time is on a downward slope, its detractors claim.
Is that fair? Well, there’s certainly an element of truth to the argument that Disney has been slow to respond to Universal’s success with Harry Potter. But just in the last two years, the company has installed the stunning, immersive Cars Land at Disney California Adventure, as well as the impressive Mystic Manor dark ride and Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars at Hong Kong Disneyland. All three have found a home in our list of the highest-rated theme park attractions in the world.
The biggest issue, it seems, is the lack of progress at Walt Disney World. But Disney does have some truly impressive-sounding attractions in the pipeline, as well as an entire new theme park in Shanghai Disneyland. Let’s take a look at what’s in store over the next few years.
7. Avatar boat ride (Disney’s Animal Kingdom)
Construction work has now begun on Pandora – The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. One of two new attractions based on James Cameron’s movie will be a boat ride through the forests of the fictional planet of Pandora, complete with glowing plants and a range of other-wordly inhabitants.
Relatively little is known about the new addition, but Disney has promised to pushed the boundaries of audio-animatronic technology in Pandora. The company, after all, invented audio-animatronics. So we expect to see some really impressive creatures emerge from the forest in 2017.
6. Iron Man Experience (Hong Kong Disneyland)
Hong Kong Disneyland will welcome Disney’s first Marvel-themed attraction in late 2016. Few details have been released of the Iron Man Experience attraction, but it will feature a display of lead character Tony Stark’s inventions. The ride itself will see guests take to the street and skies above Hong Kong to join in a battle with Iron Man himself – and given the amazing job that Disney did on the park’s last set of new rides, we wouldn’t bet against this being at least on a par with the Marvel-themed rides at Universal’s Islands of Adventure.
5. Soarin’ Over The Horizon (Epcot, Disney California Adventure, Shanghai Disneyland)
We love Soarin’, the flight simulator attraction at Disney California Adventure and Epcot. The ride system is unique to Disney, and provides an amazing sensation of flight. Unfortunately, the frequent, jarring cuts in the ride movie undercut the feeling of immersion.
That’s why we’re excited about the planned replacement of the original, California-themed footage with a new movie that takes in scenes across the globe. If Disney can ensure that the edits are smoother, this could take the ride to a whole new level – just as Universal’s HD makeover for The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man breathed new life into that classic attraction.
4. Ratatouille: L’Aventure Totalement Toquée de Rémy (Walt Disney Studios, Paris)
If there’s any Disney theme park that’s in urgent need of attention, it’s Walt Disney Studios in Paris. Originally conceived as a European version of Disney-MGM Studios in Florida, the catastrophic initial performance of EuroDisney forced its reduction to a shadow of the park that inspired it.
It’s great to see that the park is finally receiving some tender loving care, with the addition of an all-new attraction and sub-land themed around Ratatouille. The Pixar movie was, of course, set in Paris – and we can’t wait to see what Disney can achieve when it combines its endearing lead character, Remy, with the trackless ride system used in Hong Kong Disneyland’s stunning Mystic Manor. We won’t have to wait long – it’s due to open in spring 2014.
3. Tron Lightcycle Power Run (Shanghai Disneyland)
Rumors have been circulating of a Tron-themed ride in Disneyland’s Tomorrowland for many years. Now, though, it seems that the under-construction Shanghai Disneyland will be the first park to host the attraction – and it’s expected to be a high-speed chase on a Vekoma Motorbike Launch Coaster. We’re intrigued by the prospect of interlinking, dueling blue and yellow lightcycle tracks – but we’ll have to wait to find out more details. We’ll also have to wait to see whether Disney finds the money to install a version at Disneyland as part of the planned overhaul of Tomorrowland.
2. Avatar flying ride (Disney’s Animal Kingdom)
The headline ride in Pandora – The World of Avatar will be a major, “E-Ticket” attraction that will offer a simulated experience of flying over Pandora. Inevitably, this has led to comparisons with the existing Soarin’ ride at Epcot, which uses a suspended, hang-glider-style ride system to take guests on a tour of California. Given James Cameron’s involvement, though, and the elements that are visible in the plans, it appears that the Avatar ride will actually be considerably more technologically advanced than Soarin’.
The plans show four separate theaters, spread across 3 floors. The ride system itself remains something of a mystery, although there are rumors that it will support enhanced, more realistic movements than the existing Soarin’ system. The video will seemingly be presented in 3-D on a wrap-around screen, with riders donning 3-D specs. This would, of course, be in keeping with the Avatar license, with the movie having made heavy use of 3-D effects.
1. Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure (Shanghai Disneyland)
Image © Disney
Shanghai Disneyland’s version of Pirates of the Caribbean will not be a mere clone of the Disneyland original. Instead, it will be based on the movies inspired by that attraction, and is expected to use completely different technology.
There are two rumors circulating at present about the nature of the ride. One is that it will be a revival of a concept for Hong Kong Disneyland that was never built, and will feature a Splash Mountain-style drop. The other is that it will make use of Disney’s newly-patented “floating Omnimover” ride system – effectively, a floating version of the system employed by the Haunted Mansion and other classic dark rides.
We’ll have to wait and see – but this promises to be one of the most original and exciting attractions at the Chinese park.
Are you convinced?
Does Disney still deserve to be regarded as the most innovative theme park operator in the world? Or has it allowed Universal to steal its crown? Let us know in the comments below!
