Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Soarin' Over... Shanghaî Disneyland



Today we are going to soar above Shanghaî Disneyland! I know, there is not a lot of things to see right now on the SDL site, but the pictures above and below are the first one showing from above the site which seems to be ready for the big construction. We'll probably have to wait two more years to see something really interesting on it, though.



But in the meantime have a look at this video from a chinese TV which is the first i've seen filming from helicopter the SDL site!




Talking about Soarin' a Mice Chat member think that one of the Adventureland layouts on the SDL map released recently on different forums and on Screamscape shows a Soarin' theatre, with the usual two theaters back to back. Look at the picture below where you have the red circle. It's true that it looks like something with two theaters and you can even guess the Soarin' concave screen in each. So - and if this SDL map is the latest one which remains to be prove - may be it shows a theater for a Soarin' ride in which they will show the long awaited "Soarin' over the world" movie. But it's hard for me to imagine a ride like this in Adventureland. I mean, you have all the Soarin' machinery which fit better in a Tomorrowland or Epcot environment and which is not that easy to hide or themed with an Adventureland style, right?



Then, someone else said that it is located where we have seen a Mayan temple in the first SDL bird's eye view released when the project was officially announced. In fact if you look well - see picture below - the Mayan temple is ( was? ) located higher, and this supposed Soarin' theater is much below and right behind the big mountain of the Dinosaurs raft ride. Now, everything is possible, specially in a Disney theme park and they could eventually have written a storyline based on how the mayans have found a way to fly - after all they DID had a storyline like this for a never done flying coaster project for Disneyland Paris Adventureland, one more DLP project that never was. And then take this storyline alibi to have the guests soaring all over the world... Still, i may find a little bit too hard to swallow a Soarin' ride inside a Mayan pyramid... But it's true that the layout looks like a Soarin' theatre, so let's give for now to this Mice Chat member the benefit of the doubt for his discovery!



You can see more pictures shot on the SDL site on the always excellent Theme Park Guy Board HERE!

Pictures: copyright Disney, Eastday.com

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

With the Dino-themed Lost River on one side and a Maya Temple on the other, me I see a steampunk ride somewhere beetween Indiana Jones and Jules Verne.

A far more logic theme for a Soarin ride than your "Mayan can fly" theory ;)

Anonymous said...

I think I know why they put this new Soarin' ride in the Adventureland of Shanghai Disney...
You see, Soarin' is like an adventure over California, and it takes you on a journey over California's most famous places and cities. If this turns out to be Soarin' Over the World, then it will be an adventure over many of the world's continents, Adventureland is not just about Africa and Culture, it is about expeditions and exploring new places you've never seen before.

Marco Antonio Garcia said...

Mayans can fly would be indeed very hard to swallow, and it would have to be a Soarin' over the middle ages world, which would be awesome but much harder to be done, not a Soarin' over the world nowadays.

The Dinosaurs raft ride might be something really good, I hope that they do it better than Universal.

Brian said...

Ha - that was me who was talking about the Mayan temple and was interested in those unknown large buildings in Adventureland. I really don't think that structure lines up with the Soarin' facility as you said. I think those other two buildings are on that pad. One Soarin' the other a stage show perhaps?

Instead the Mayan building lines up with the smaller of the two Orange buildings on the map. I think the Pirate building overshadows it, but it's really just as big as any of the FantasyLand dark ride show buildings.

I don't know the scale of Indy but is that big enough?

Not to mention is just screams Disney Sea Indy whenever I look at the concept art, although I'd be delighted with a unique Mayan attraction.

Brian said...

Actually I take back my comment about Indy. BlueSkyDisney was very insistent that's not what it was about a year ago. Even better I say.

Honestly though it doesn't sound like these plans will really be set in stone for another year maybe two. Hopefully they dream up something more exciting instead of Toy story playland.

neil massey said...

I think a possibility that would also cut costs would be to do it similar to the one i did for my university project. I took the ideas of the Soarin ride technology and placed it into an Adventureland themed to that of an old airfield hangar (not much themeing needed to alter the structure if they are strapped for cash!) i called it Icarus Flight School and the ride was based around flying with mythical beasts to Jules Vernes Mysterious Island!