Walt Disney World makeover: Magic Kingdom getting new Fantasyland with Little Mermaid ride
The facelift will be the biggest overhaul in the theme park's history
Walt Disney World is about to embark on a sweeping facelift for the
Fantasyland section of the Magic Kingdom, in what the resort calls the
biggest overhaul in the theme park's 38-year history.
Plans call for adding a lavish ride based on The Little Mermaid, expanding a
popular Dumbo children's attraction, new interactive areas featuring some of
Disney's best-known princesses, and more.
In addition, Disney said it plans to update Star Tours, the Star Wars-themed
simulator ride in Disney's Hollywood Studios, with new 3-D effects.
The refurbished Star Tours will debut in 2011. The Fantasyland overhaul will
be complete by 2013.
The twin announcements are a Disney World response to the Wizarding World of
Harry Potter, the hugely anticipated project being built by rival Universal
Orlando in its Islands of Adventure theme park. Industry experts expect
Wizarding World to prove a huge draw when it opens in 2010; one that
threatens to siphon attendance away from Disney.
But perhaps more importantly, Disney's Fantasyland expansion could team with
Universal's Wizarding World in helping reignite overall travel to Orlando.
Posted: 12 September 2009
Source: The Orlando Sentinel
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