Parkitecture

 Disneyland Resort revealed the closure of another classic attraction, this time its the Red Car Trolley at DCA in early 2025... The announcement was made public via a tweet by  @ScottGustin , he said: "NEW: Avengers Campus construction at DCA, set to begin in early 2025, will require the removal of the backstage Red Car Trolley barn and will result in Disney discontinuing operation of the attraction in early 2025, Disneyland officials said. A specific date will be shared later." This suggests that the future of the attraction is likely uncertain and most likely is set to close FOREVER! To understand why the Red Car Trolley is closing forever we need to look back and understand why it exists in the first place! When Disney's California Adventure opened in 2001 it featured no Trolley at all, in fact the entrance experience was different. To describe it in 2024 is complicated, think of a giant post card with The Monorail Passing Thru the Golden Gate Bridge. This Post-modern...

  As theme park enthusiasts, we often relish the thrill and excitement of new attractions. However, like any other form of art and architecture, theme park rides deserve scrutiny and critique. By evaluating these attractions, we can push the industry toward excellence and innovation. Here’s why theme park criticism is crucial, especially for Tiana's Bayou Adventure, and what we should consider when evaluating this immersive experience. Credit: Disney The Importance of Sensory Experiences Theme parks are designed to engage our senses—touch, smell, sight, and sound. These sensory experiences are what make theme parks special and memorable. However, the increasing use of screens in rides has sparked some debate. While screens can enhance a scene with dynamic visuals, they often fall short in providing a fully immersive experience. In dark ride environments, the light emitted from screens can create an unwanted contrast, breaking the illusion of being in another world. Instead, traditi...

 Hong Kong Disneyland is the Most Overlooked Masterpiece in the Disney Empire. Many might be surprised by the statement in this article, but I do actually believe this resort has overcome most of its issues and is now a world-class destination. Today I invite you onto a journey of discovery into this incredible resort, from its tumorous history to its great design. As an architecture student I want to study Theme Park Design Theory and today, HKDL will be our case study! Transportation is a topic most Disney fans don't often discuss, but Hong Kong Disneyland is actually incredibly well-designed in this regard, boasting a robust public transit connection via the Sunny Bay Station on the Disneyland Resort Line. While Shanghai Disneyland and Disneyland Paris also enjoy good rail connections, the US theme parks lack this convenience, highlighting Hong Kong Disneyland's strong start in providing accessible transportation. The site of the park also offers some great advantages, the f...

      As Universal Orlando's world class park approaches its 25th anniversary let's look back at the park's history to unveil its secrets and its history! Join us in this adventure thru time and  space! But this park didn't start out as Island's of Adventure, no my friends! After the opening of Universal Studios Florida in 1990, Universal already had plans to expand the park into a worldwide destination resort: Universal City Florida was born.... The concept art bellow showcases the plans for this resort, many elements would evolve into the resort we all know today, while others where forgotten in the dust of time, such as; The Egyptian themed hotel and [our topic] Cartoon World. Planned as Universal's second gate in Florida this park would be the resort's answer to Magic Kingdom with family-friendly properties, the park would feature lands based on Dr.Seuss, Jay Ward ( Know for Rocky and Bullwinkle), Looney Tunes and DC Comics (not marvel!)...  Credit: Uni...

 The biggest surprise of the year just happened, a new Back to the Future inspired ride opened, but not at Universal... Fans of the IP might be eager to experience a new ride, unfortunately I have bad news: It's from Movieland Studios in Italy! "We Are Back: Kids from the Future" is the newest ride in the park that just premiered, and it shares some striking resemblance to the Iconic 80s & 90s movies. The park describes this attraction as:               " We Are Back: Kids from the Future is a simulator that is based on characters of the Back to the Future-film franchise. It revolves around the children and grandchildren of Dr. Emmet 'Doc' Brown.  The ride system includes 8 benches seating 6 people, making for 48 people per ride. Benches are placed in two rows of 4 benches." The entrance features a sign reading: ' Dr. Brown & Sons enterprises', Possibly referring to Jules and Verne that appear in the last movie of the fran...

  Get ready, Disney fans, as a new hotel is on its way to Shanghai Disneyland, and I haven't seen anyone talking about this, at least on major news sites like WDWNT. So, let's take a closer look at this new Art Nouveau hotel! During the opening of Zootopia , Josh D’amaro took the stage with concept art for this project, credit to 吃喝玩乐在上海 for the image. We were able to obtain this information from Xue Bingbing: “Regarding the future plans for the Shanghai Disney Resort, Dai Mingzhe said that Disney is currently planning to build the third resort hotel. On the day of the opening ceremony, the concept image of the third resort hotel was also released.” Shanghai Disney Resort already offers the Toy Story Hotel and Shanghai Disneyland Hotel , so we are excited about what's in store. Keep in mind that SHDL has major expansion plans, so keep your eyes open, as we might see a new land (with a roller coaster) and even a second gate in the future (all based on zoning, planning a...