Expanding the Fantasy Starts Today

The word spread like wildfire that groundbreaking for the Fantasyland expansion started today at the Magic Kingdom. Hype surrounds this expansion, but I think the results are going to live up to the hype. The Fantasyland expansion is a wonderful project from both the fan perspective and the business perspective.

This project is going to get people to come to the Magic Kingdom. People will want to see the results of all this labor. Whether it's the revamped Dumbo ride, the princess interactive areas, or the new Voyage of the Little Mermaid E-Ticket, there are many new things to experience in this Fantasyland. By adding a variety of new attractions all at once, Disney is hoping to pull lots of people in, whether it's to meet Belle at her castle or to have a pint of apple juice (remember, it's a dry kingdom) at Gaston's Tavern.

The people who come to see and are impressed with the new Fantasyland will be more likely to purchase souveniers of their favorite parts. I'm hoping Disney will take the time to create some unique merchandise for the various parts of new Fantasyland in addition to the usual Princess t-shirts and dolls. Give the guests something they can take home that they can connect with instead of the ordinary. To be honest, I'm not even sure what these items would be, but I'm sure Disney can come up with something special.

Unfortunately, expansion takes time. We will not be seeing anything new until 2012, and construction will continue until 2013. Ideally, I believe this should have been completed in time to compete with the Harry Potter opening at Universal. However, the fruits of such a long construction period will come. Fantasyland's expansion is truly adding value to the Magic Kingdom, and that will serve Walt Disney World well for years to come.

Captain EO Returns

Tomorrow at Disneyland, Captain EO returns to Tomorrowland. The business reasons are obvious:

• The country is currently obsessed with Michael Jackson.
• It's an easy swap; just pull out the Honey, I Shrunk the Audience film and put Captain EO back in. Also, dress up the 3-D theater in a Captain EO theme.
• Make some special merchandise to sell.

Seems foolproof, right? From a business perspective, it mostly is (more on the mostly part in a minute). Honey, I Shrunk the Audience isn't pulling in large crowds; it's been long overdue for a replacement. Also, Disney hopes to pull in a few extra people looking for an M.J. fix and sell them a t-shirt.

While the business reasons are sound, here's my question: when has Disney ever reverted an attraction to its previous incarnation? I know, just look at my previous post. Let's exclude fireworks and parades from this; Walt Disney World used Fantasy in the Sky for special occasions for years, and the Main Street Electrical Parade already returned to WDW once. Generally, Disney is not a company that goes backward, for better or for worse. For example, Stitch's Great Escape has been dogged by Disney fans since it opened. Why not restore the attraction to its prior incarnation, Alien Encounter? Because Disney likes to move forward.

Finally, here are two reasons why I think this is mostly foolproof:

1. I don't think Captain EO is going to hold people's interest in the long run. While people are interested in Michael Jackson right now, how long is it going to last?
2. M.J.'s background is questionable. While some will come to Disneyland to see Captain EO, others may avoid Disneyland because the attraction has returned. Honestly, I think both factions are very small and at worst will cancel each other out, but it is a risk.

What are your thoughts on Captain EO's return?

(Thanks to coconut wireless on Flickr for the image above)