Disneyland Paris Expansion Ideas

With Walt Disney Studios Park getting one hell of an expansion starting in 2019, it makes sense for Disneyland Paris’ first gate gets some love as well. Though architecturally beautiful, DLP hasn’t actually had a major attraction added in that wasn’t a refurbishment (e.g. Buzz Lightyear). This blue sky re-imagineering would involve expanding the various lands of the park, introducing new attractions (not all being IP), and sorting out theming issues in certain places like Discoveryland.

Each phase would theoretically take place over five year periods, with Phase One starting in 2018 to 2021, when the major work on WDSP begins, so both parks would be expanding in unison. Phase Two covers 2012-2025, which would also celebrate the resort’s 30^th anniversary, while Phase Three is the distant 2025-2030.

PHASE ONE

The changes for Phase One are quite minimal to begin with. With Star Wars Land popping up in WDSP after 2021, it makes sense to move all related attractions over there, so Discoveryland would be stripped of its Star Wars features over time, though Star Tours wouldn’t go until Phase Three. In Discoveryland, Space Mountain returns to its original story and themes as “From the Earth to the Moon”, to keep in line with the original theme of Discoveryland.

Also in the refurbishment department, the Explorers Club Restaurant is returned to what it once was from Colonel Hathi’s Pizza Outpost, removing elements from The Jungle Book, and making the original British colonial theming front and centre. I can imagine it having a comedic tone akin to Marc Davis’ brand of humour, and having direct tie-ins to both the Indiana Jones coaster, and the growing world of S.E.A. (Society of Explorers and Adventurers), as seen in other resorts. The animatronic birds in the restaurant would also be redesigned to host their own mini-tribute to The Enchanted Tiki Room with a jazzy song number or two. The menu may also be changed to reflect a more British or African cuisine choice.

One major issue in the park is a proper place to meet the beloved Disney Princesses. There is the small Princess Pavilion on the end of It’s A Small World, but it doesn’t feel impressive enough for such iconic characters. Instead, a new medieval hall would be built opposite the pavilion in-between Sir Mickey’s Boutique and the ice cream parlour. The new Princess Pavilion would be larger, and consist of an entrance to the queue line, which leads into two separate halls for M&Gs with random princesses, for some more variety, though times would be listed. Elsa and Anna would be together, though since Frozen will be getting a land of its own in WDSP, their appearances may be rarer than others. The old pavilion could easily be reimagined into another M&G area for other characters, or even a small shop related to It’s A Small World.

Phase One wraps up with one additional attraction. A brand new one in Frontierland. With the old ranch area on the left side of the land apparently no longer being used, it makes sense to replace it, and inject some much needed reasons to go over to that side of Frontierland.

The new attraction is a concept created by Marc Davis called America’s Wilderness, a dark ride that takes guests through four different nature scenes, each in a cycle of the season. We start in summer, than go through autumn, winter, and finally, spring. Guests approach an old wooden train station, where a large thicket of trees stand behind it to hide the show building. It might seem a bit weird having such a ride concept in such close proximity to the train station and Big Thunder Mountain, but why not?

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After settling in the quaint steam train, which can house up to 30-to-40 guests, the ride takes off into a tunnel and through a new take on Nature’s Wonderland. Each of the four scenes come with that classic Marc Davis brand of visual humour. In the summer scene, the train travels through an open, sunny prairie. Critters include a bear with its head stuck in a beehive, a groundhog take on whack-a-mole, and guests with an eagle eye may glimpse sight of Bambi, Thumper, and Flower. Things become a whole lot more colourful in autumn, as the trees change colour, and a variety of animals dwell in the scene, like squirrels and chipmunks fighting over food, and even a buffalo makes an appearance.

Winter is set at night under a beautiful full moon, making the snowy forest look like a dream. Even the temperature goes down. Wolves lurk amongst the trees, a snow owl stretches its wings on a branch, and a poor beaver attempts to free its frozen dam from the icy river. The final scene is in spring, marking the start of new life in the forest, with new baby animals like fawn and bear cubs exploring their home, before the train returns to the loading bay. Additionally, numerous attractions get upgrades, and a new daily parade and a fireworks show could be introduced too. 

Being a sucker for Disney nostalgia, I say bring back the classic Main Street Electrical Parade, or do a brand new night time parade, but one that isn’t Paint the Night. Each park should have their own unique entertainment.

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PHASE TWO

The second phase would come into effect whilst WDSP was undergoing its big transformation. To make up for this, Disneyland Park would incorporate some big new additions, and the start of a lengthy realignment for Discoveryland.

Let’s start in Fantasyland, with the introduction of a new sub-land. There is room to spare behind Fantasyland Station. Early plans for the park was to build the Matterhorn Bobsleds, and a tunnel had been made that would go under the railway. But, since the mountain never appeared, the tunnel was unused, covered by the Mickey Mouse M&G hall. Now, that tunnel shall be resurrected as the entrance point to a new subland based around Beauty and the Beast.

First off, the Mickey Mouse hall is bulldozed, with fans now able to meet Mickey in Main Street. The tunnel is opened up, taking guests under the train station, and right into the heart of Belle’s Village. The sub-land’s main paths wraps around the back of Alice’s Curious Labyrinth, with a secondary path linking up to the area where Casey Jr. and Storybook Canal Boats sit. Due to the limited land available, the Beauty and the Beast land is small, mostly dominated by the exterior of the show buildings for the attractions, which are hidden behind the mountains and an impressive model of Beast’s castle, which mixes with the rockwork, relying on forced perspective a little.

Guests can wander through Belle’s Village, which features a bookstore, Gaston’s Tavern (a counter service), and a couple of other shops. To the north of the village is a small path leading to Beast’s castle, which has the same exterior as the one at the Magic Kingdom. Travelling down the bridge to the entrance, takes guests into a large foyer that leads to the signature dark ride, and the Be Our Guest restaurant.

The dark ride weaves its way through the halls of the gloomy castle, the queue line illustrated with stain glass windows depicting the film’s prologue, and early moments. Based on the attraction eventually coming to Tokyo Disneyland, guest board giant tea cups, and travel through the scenes of the film.

We travel through the dungeons first, where Belle negotiates with the Beast to free her father. Onwards, the teacups go through winding, eerie hallways with gargoyles looming over us. However, there is a light waiting for us in the foyer - the candlelight of Lumiere welcoming us to the dining hall. The show stopping “Be Our Guest” comes next, a lengthy scene as we travel through the kitchens and into the dining hall, where the servants are putting on quite the show for Belle. Dancing cutlery, spinning plates, Lumiere atop a tower of tupperware.

Afterward, the ride takes us into the darker west wing, where everything is in ruins. We pass through the Beast’s chamber, glimpsing the rose as we pass by, only to take a sharp right and come face-to-face with a ferocious animatronic of the Beast, roaring at Belle to get out. However, we pass by a stain glass window, depicting the Beast’s battle against the wolves, and being saved by Belle. We pass by his bedroom, where Belle is healing him. The next scene depicts the library, where Belle and the Beast are reading a book together. The last scene is the iconic ballroom scene, which the tea cups circle from the outside. Before our eyes, the Beast transforms into a human as he dances with Belle. We depart from the story, down a hall, and into the unloading bay.

The other new addition to Fantasyland would a dark ride based on The Little Mermaid, another attraction that was meant to be in Disneyland Paris in early stages. I would prefer not to just be a carbon copy of the other versions of the ride, but more along the imagined ride, a simulated ride through can be viewed below. Though, the outside would be Prince Eric’s castle, with the queue line leading through caverns and to the loading bay. It was a little tricky deciding on where to put the ride, but it made sense with my plans for Discoveryland, to gut the Videopolis building, turning it into a joint building for two attractions, with room for a small restaurant too.

In seashells, guests sail through a sea of shipwrecks. Scuttle perches on a rock, attempting to recall Ariel’s story, but gets his facts mixed up. We travel under the sea, and through a large shipwreck before us, seeing Ariel and Flounder searching for human trinkets, only to be attacked by the shark. As we travel down into an underwater cave system, the beautiful towers of Atlantica are visible in the distance. The shells pass by scenes of “Part of Your World”, set in Ariel’s grotto, where a statue of Eric stands. Sebastian tries to convince Ariel to stay underwater, and we venture into the “Under the Sea” sequence, with a huge number of dancing animatronics.

The ride takes a darker turn, as Flotsam and Jetsam lead Ariel to Ursula’s lair, where they make their devilish deal via “Poor Unfortunate Souls”. Following Ariel legged shadow, we return to the surface, passing through Eric’s castle, and out into a lagoon where “Kiss the Girl” occurs, Ariel and Eric trying and failing to kiss. Flotsam and Jetsam appear to drag us back underwater, through a dark crevice, and then back to the surface into a frightening, stormy sea where a gigantic Ursula has seized the trident. A shipwreck ends up impaling her, and she is electrocuted by lightning, casting us into darkness. We pass by Ariel, who sits on a rock, and her tail magically transforms into a pair of legs. In a final scene, we pass by Ariel and Eric’s wedding ship as they sail away to their happy ever after.

The attraction also comes with a gift shop, and Ariel’s Grotto, for a M&G with our favourite mermaid.

Over in Adventureland, it makes sense to create a full circuit around the land to avoid bottlenecking on specific paths. For this, a new attraction is required. I’ve been wracking my brains on what to put here, from a Polynesian section with a Moana ride, to an indoor version of the Jungle Cruise. Instead, the new attraction is like the Jungle Cruise, but replacing the boats with jeeps.
 

Jungle Jeep Adventures is a dark ride through a remote but vaguely located jungle setting, with the tours run by the Jungle Exploration and Skipper Co. The exterior is another temple, resembling an extension of the Indiana Jones temple, both more inspired by Ta Keo in Angkor. Inside, guests jump into driverless jeeps which can hold about six people, and venture off through the temple and out into the jungle. The ride would be indoors, and would feel like a real jungle, being hot and humid, but obviously systems would be on hand should thing environmentally go wrong.

Several scenes from the Jungle Cruise are included – the elephant bathing pool, the hippo pool (with the jeeps going over a rickety bridge), the rhinoceros and the men up the pole, the crocodiles, the natives ambush, Trader Sam, etc. However, there would be a more linear hint of a storyline in the ride, with whispers of animal idols actually being gods, a cursed treasure (a nod to Pirates), and more connections to the members of the Society of Explorers and Adventures. The Trader Sam bar is adjoined to the ride, reimagined as a tiki-themed restaurant, once a skipper dining hall, now a “classy” joint for guests.

Discoveryland’s changes will be to unite the land under one theme – an 19^th century view of how the future could have been, based on the imaginations of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells. However, most of the changes will come in Phase Three. For now, Videopolis is removed, and the building, or at least most of it, is repurposed to house a balloon simulation ride based on a mix of 80 Days Around the World and The Islands On Top of the World. Think like a steampunk, 19^th century take on Soarin’. The ride would use 360-degree Circle-Vision projections to give the impression that the balloon is floating around the globe.

PHASE THREE

The third and final phase takes place after the changes at WDSP are complete, which would incorporate a new lake, and lands based on Marvel, Star Wars, and Frozen. The concept art implies there may be room for a fourth land. Personally, I would put add one based on Winnie the Pooh. The silly old bear is even more popular than Mickey Mouse in some places, and he deserves his own land beyond a simple dark ride.

First off, with my plans for Frontierland, and the removal of Videopolis, there would be no theatres in the park. So, the Plaza Garden restaurant would be removed, and replaced with a large Main Street Theatre. It would take inspiration from the one that was announced at last year’s D23 Expo, but I don’t think that is being built now.

Let’s go to Discoveryland to make the final changes, which is a pretty large overhaul. Both Buzz Lightyear and Star Tours are removed, as do all traces of IP related to non-19^th century franchises (even that cute WALL-E and EVE statue has to go). I thought about what would fit in the new Discoveryland thematically, and what would go where.

  

One new attraction is New Horizons, a spiritual successor to Epcot’s beloved extinct attraction. A dark ride that delves into the history and growth of technology, New Horizons takes it one step further by exploring the technology that has developed since the 1980s, and then the potential to what lies beyond like space colonisation, ocean exploration, and growing communities in unusual environments. It also examines modern technology like virtual reality, the digital age, and medical marvels. I originally planned to place it in the disused Discoveryland Theatre, but decided to swap it out and put it in the old Le Visionarium building.

Another new attraction is War of the Worlds, based on H.G. Wells’ novel, the eventful radio programme, and the 1950s classic film. This would go in the altered Discoveryland Theatre, redesigned to house a shooter ride. I know it seems rather odd to not use Astro Blasters, but I’d like guests to walk into Discoveryland to see a sight of optimism with New Horizons, rather than an apocalyptic environment of killer aliens. The show building would be reimagined as a Mars red alien temple of some kind, an invasion of Earth, with everything covered in red weeds, hinting the building was once human in design but has been taken over by the Martians. Guests would board ride vehicles which are made from stolen alien tech, and must engage Tripods and Martian shock troopers in battle.

Star Tours is gone too, possibly moved to the new Star Wars Land. However, that simulation technology would be a waste to throw away. So, with a little bit of alteration and the construction of a small volcano to hide the show building, the replacement would be an alternative take on Journey to the Centre of the Earth, based on the ride at Tokyo DisneySea. The simulation technology, or “Terramobiles”, takes guests deep into the Earth’s unexplored, subterranean depths, encountering deadly hazards and nightmarish monsters along the way.

The final addition is perhaps the most ambitious – the near-legendary ride of Geyser Mountain. It was to have been built in Frontierland long ago, but never saw the light of day. I thought it would be a nice E-ticket attraction to put in the park. Yeah, there’s Big Thunder Mountain, but some variety doesn’t hurt.

Geyser Mountain is like a western version of the Tower of Terror, but instead of sending guests plummeting down an elevator shaft, it is up into the air, “powered” by a sudden geothermal eruption. Location wise, Geyser Mountain would actually be off-site, across the western railroad, and in the exterior corner of the resort. Chaparral Theatre would be removed, and replaced by a large rocky structure, acting as the entrance way to the attraction.

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It would also tie in with the overarching story of Frontierland, related to the mining history of Thunder Mesa and the Ravenswood family. The experimental, subterranean excavation machine is built within a complex facility, topped with a tall wooden tower, that actually houses the ride’s signature launch tower, meant to filter out an imaginary steam pocket of an underground geyser under the buildings.

After journeying through the mining facility’s workshop and various backrooms, guests file into the barn and board mining vehicles. The ride take guests through beautiful caverns based on the Rainbow Caverns from Mine Train Thru Nature’s Wonderland. An earthquake occurs as you travel further into the mines, and the geyser erupts, causing the vehicles to speed up and to be launched up and down several times into the launch tower amidst a blast of steam. It would also give guests a spectacular view of the park. The ride takes guests sliding down a track, and to a slow, steady return to the unloading bay.

Those are some ideas of mine. If you have any of your own, leave comments, and please share on social networking. All images belong to their original owners.