Fifth Gate?

[ELLH]

That's largely because, outside of the MK, the parks don't have enough attractions. Each park is currently under-built, attraction-wise, even taking into account attractions currently under construction/announced. Added to that, Disney has been reducing park hours and not always running rides at full capacity.

It's honestly shameful.

No doubt. But a 5th park is another means of adding more rides. It's another option for reducing crowd levels; especially when those levels are characterized by ride wait times.

 

[rteetz]

When we get to this point 5th, 6th, and so on Parks. You have to consider vacation time. Vacation time for most Americans is finite. They don’t have a lot of it and I would imagine the average WDW trip is 5-8 days long. Sure you can visit all 4 parks in that time but once you add more you are cannabilizing other things like Disney Springs and Water Parks and even the existing four parks. There is so much that goes into this sort of decision making and it’s certainly not only about thinning crowds. Disney would likely want to increase crowds overall at WDW if they build a 5th gate. Crowds didn’t rise much overall when AK was opened.

 

[Future_WorldPhonencian]

Im not sure if its the lack of attractions, or the scarce availability of attractions that everyone wants to ride. There are plenty of experiences to be had at Disney that only appeal to a slice of guests or have such a high capacity that no one has to wait for long. Think: Main Street Philarmonic, Dapper Dans, Maharaja Jungle Trek, The Seas, or any show in DHS (except Fantasmic) Certain rides that are headliners that almost everyone wants to experience. Disney needs to add enough of these headliners that people have to pick and choose. Problem is, they are expensive to build, tend to have lower overall capacities, and draw even more crowds in.

 

[LizzyS]

Adding Pandora, SWGE, TSL and a few new rides at Epcot is almost like adding a 5th gate. All those parks have net-new rides amounting to the same we'd probably see in a new park.

Do we want more additions to these parks or just another small park like DHS or AK were at opening with only 4 new rides and a few shows?

Disney just needs to add on to their existing "half day" parks. After the Epcot overhaul, Disney needs to go back to AK and either expand Pandora or change up Dinoland (to get rid of those carnival rides). AK still is pretty light on attractions.

Sure . there is more excitement around a brand new park, but we'll probably see Disney add in yet another new hotel in their vast space before we see a 5th gate.

I agree with you on AK being the park that should be targeted after current projects are completed.

 

[TCRAIG]

Please Please Please Disney open a 5th gate and make it Villain themed!!!

 

[JenboJambo]

A Fifth Gate just doesn't fit into the massive redo and infilling they are currently focusing on. And I maintain the redo and infilling is what needs to happen.

Yeah.... they need to refurb and add to the existing parks so guests will continue to visit them because the 5th gate will be so freaking awesome.

 

[Steph15251]

I feel Disney does not need to build a 5th park ,we all ready have too much theme parks in Florida

 

[leastep]

I’m crossing my fingers for a villains gate!! Take my money, Disney.

 

[writerguyfl]

I wonder about construction capacity, of the specialized type it takes to build theme park lands and attractions. I remember hearing an interview with a historian about Disney's move to Florida in the late 60's. In particular, the historian noted a lack of expertise that already existed in the LA/Hollywood area and the challenges that presented for Florida. Of course, with theme parks providing the lion's share of the Orlando economy for the last 50 years, the infrastructure is there. But how thin will it be spread with one massive project like Universal's, vs TWO massive projects if Disney builds another park.

Back when I worked at Disney World, I wondered about stuff like that. So, I asked. That's essentially what I was told when I asked my manager at Magic Kingdom why it seems to take longer to things in Florida than California.

The Orlando area is much smaller than Southern California. It's 2.4 million people versus 13 million people. Fewer people means fewer companies able to do the specialized work require for a theme park attraction. (Anyone can build a hotel...it's mostly a bunch of identical rectangular rooms.)

 

[toonaspie]

Im not sure if its the lack of attractions, or the scarce availability of attractions that everyone wants to ride. There are plenty of experiences to be had at Disney that only appeal to a slice of guests or have such a high capacity that no one has to wait for long. Think: Main Street Philarmonic, Dapper Dans, Maharaja Jungle Trek, The Seas, or any show in DHS (except Fantasmic) Certain rides that are headliners that almost everyone wants to experience. Disney needs to add enough of these headliners that people have to pick and choose. Problem is, they are expensive to build, tend to have lower overall capacities, and draw even more crowds in.

This is exactly what concerns me about building a 5th gate. The money put into building one only goes so far and if it's anything like Disney's past parks they are going to start out with only a few attractions worth doing while thinning out the other attractions (budget wise). Those few attractions will have the longest waits as they would be the only things worth doing. This has been what non MK parks have been at WDW for many years. Hopefully the recent and upcoming additions will help to improve that. My logic into this is that if you have more stuff worth doing you can spread the crowds out more and the waits won't be so hideous.

 

[Steph15251]

Back when I worked at Disney World, I wondered about stuff like that. So, I asked. That's essentially what I was told when I asked my manager at Magic Kingdom why it seems to take longer to things in Florida than California.

The Orlando area is much smaller than Southern California. It's 2.4 million people versus 13 million people. Fewer people means fewer companies able to do the specialized work require for a theme park attraction. (Anyone can build a hotel...it's mostly a bunch of identical rectangular rooms.)

Not only that it takes forever for even hotels and shopping centers to get build in the Orlando area .

 

[charliebrown]

When we get to this point 5th, 6th, and so on Parks. You have to consider vacation time. Vacation time for most Americans is finite. They don’t have a lot of it and I would imagine the average WDW trip is 5-8 days long. Sure you can visit all 4 parks in that time but once you add more you are cannabilizing other things like Disney Springs and Water Parks and even the existing four parks. There is so much that goes into this sort of decision making and it’s certainly not only about thinning crowds. Disney would likely want to increase crowds overall at WDW if they build a 5th gate. Crowds didn’t rise much overall when AK was opened.

Thats actually a really good point that I think a lot of people miss. Using that logic, it would make more sense for Disney to open another resort somewhere else in the world to reach more people, than to try to increase the amount of offerings at a single resort. And that is what they have done, adding parks all over the world, instead of just making some mega-park at WDW.

Full disclosure: I am NOT say that Disney is planning build a new resort, domestically or internationally.
I AM saying that Disney doesn't want to cannibalize assets.

 

[The Jackal]

Disney has already started planning for a fifth gate. When you add a park you need more places for people to stay. They have been building new hotels in recent years. Grand Destiny Tower, Riviera and several other DVC resorts. Reflections is next and it is a big resort. Universal has 800 acres, that will fill up fast. Some WDW resorts take up hundred plus acres, POR and SSR. Disney owns thousands of acres, yes a lot of it can’t be developed, but they have recently bought thousands of acres they wanted to buy originally. The 4 parks in Orlando are all in the top 10 busiest parks in the world. Even the slowest one averages over 20,000 people a day. The MK is well over 50,000 people a day. On the average day there is well over 110,000 people at the 4 parks. Wait times for rides are long on most days. These are all good things to have. Can they justify a 5th park, yes they can. But they neglected Epcot and are fixing it now. I think after Epcot is finished, you’ll probably hear a new park being built. Just my opinion. I also think they will be putting a new resort by the Grand Floridian since they made a new road and are building a walking path to the MK. Can you say 4th monorail resort.

 

[Liljo22]

Disney has already started planning for a fifth gate. When you add a park you need more places for people to stay. They have been building new hotels in recent years. Grand Destiny Tower, Riviera and several other DVC resorts. Reflections is next and it is a big resort. Universal has 800 acres, that will fill up fast. Some WDW resorts take up hundred plus acres, POR and SSR. Disney owns thousands of acres, yes a lot of it can’t be developed, but they have recently bought thousands of acres they wanted to buy originally. The 4 parks in Orlando are all in the top 10 busiest parks in the world. Even the slowest one averages over 20,000 people a day. The MK is well over 50,000 people a day. On the average day there is well over 110,000 people at the 4 parks. Wait times for rides are long on most days. These are all good things to have. Can they justify a 5th park, yes they can. But they neglected Epcot and are fixing it now. I think after Epcot is finished, you’ll probably hear a new park being built. Just my opinion. I also think they will be putting a new resort by the Grand Floridian since they made a new road and are building a walking path to the MK. Can you say 4th monorail resort.

Was just going to write this exact thing. Disney has been buying up land on the edges so they can build something within the property. I don’t think there is going to be an announcement any time soon because there is so much being built right now. They are planning something though.

I would think it would be something geared more towards teenagers and adults with thrills rides to tap into a market they currently are not in. Hopefully they branch out from Vekoma. While they have gotten better in recent years, they are still behind Intamin, B&M, and RMC.

 

[rteetz]

Was just going to write this exact thing. Disney has been buying up land on the edges so they can build something within the property. I don’t think there is going to be an announcement any time soon because there is so much being built right now. They are planning something though.

I would think it would be something geared more towards teenagers and adults with thrills rides to tap into a market they currently are not in. Hopefully they branch out from Vekoma. While they have gotten better in recent years, they are still behind Intamin, B&M, and RMC.

Disney is constantly buying and selling land. That’s nothing new and is not related to a new park. Most of the time this is to offset wetland usage. Disney has to have certain amount of land designated for conservation and stuff like that.

 

[rteetz]

Disney has already started planning for a fifth gate. When you add a park you need more places for people to stay. They have been building new hotels in recent years. Grand Destiny Tower, Riviera and several other DVC resorts. Reflections is next and it is a big resort. Universal has 800 acres, that will fill up fast. Some WDW resorts take up hundred plus acres, POR and SSR. Disney owns thousands of acres, yes a lot of it can’t be developed, but they have recently bought thousands of acres they wanted to buy originally. The 4 parks in Orlando are all in the top 10 busiest parks in the world. Even the slowest one averages over 20,000 people a day. The MK is well over 50,000 people a day. On the average day there is well over 110,000 people at the 4 parks. Wait times for rides are long on most days. These are all good things to have. Can they justify a 5th park, yes they can. But they neglected Epcot and are fixing it now. I think after Epcot is finished, you’ll probably hear a new park being built. Just my opinion. I also think they will be putting a new resort by the Grand Floridian since they made a new road and are building a walking path to the MK. Can you say 4th monorail resort.

New resorts does not equal another park. Building new resorts is to one draw in new DVC members and to keep people on property vs. staying off site. The resorts they are building are DVC or at convention properties. Gran Destino was built specifically so that resort would have upscale suites for executives coming for conventions at Coronado. Riviera and Reflections both have DVC.

 

[Lewisc]

Star Wars would have been the lead attraction if Disney was going to add a 5th gate. Only shot, small to none. Is if Disney buys the right to use Marvel and has a marvel park.

 

[Liljo22]

Disney is constantly buying and selling land. That’s nothing new and is not related to a new park. Most of the time this is to offset wetland usage. Disney has to have certain amount of land designated for conservation and stuff like that.

Yes. I understand but they have purchased about 1500 acres in the last year. That’s a lot of land to offset land usage within the property. The Universal park is 800 acres.

 

[Liljo22]

Star Wars would have been the lead attraction if Disney was going to add a 5th gate. Only shot, small to none. Is if Disney buys the right to use Marvel and has a marvel park.

At some point, I think Universal is going to be willing to give up the Marvel rights. They are using the comic versions of the characters that are not as relevant as the movie versions. As Disney builds lands with the movie versions, it’s going to make the Universal versions look outdated. DSNY threw out there as a D23 prediction that behind the scenes this negotiation might already be happening.

 

[rteetz]

Yes. I understand but they have purchased about 1500 acres in the last year. That’s a lot of land to offset land usage within the property. The Universal park is 800 acres.

I’ll believe it when I see it. I don’t think we are close to another Disney park yet.