For decades, Disney has innovated, designed and engineered its way to being an industry leader with some of the most well-themed parks and immersive experiences in the world. Through their many new attractions and innovations, Disney has grown and maintained a reputation of providing (mostly) family-friendly attractions. While there have been some exceptions along the way, such as Tower of Terror, Mission: Space and Test Track, Disney continues to create experiences for all ages, sizes and thrill levels.
While the parks have included a few signature roller coasters, such as Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Space Mountain, Disney has tended to avoid stocking their parks with as many coasters as the average Six Flags or Cedar Fair park. This is because it’s no simple task to build a coaster with the standards of scenery and story Disney adheres to. Thus, creating a coaster in a highly themed environment can come with a hefty budget, such as Expedition Everest’s $150 million price tag (adjusted for inflation).
However, in recent years, the Orlando market, and the theme park market in general, has seen a growing emphasis on roller coasters. VelociCoaster and Hagrid’s Magical Creature’s Motorbike Adventure at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, F.L.Y. and Taron at Phantasialand, Baron 1898 at Efteling and Cobra’s Curse at Busch Gardens Tampa are a few that have managed to combine thrill and theme, taking a page out of Disney’s book.
In response, we’ve seen Disney rapidly expand its arsenal of coasters, with additions like Tron Lightcycle Power Run, Slinky Dog Dash, Seven Dwarves Mine Train and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind — Epcot’s first roller coaster. It’s also worth noting that some of these coasters fall into the extreme category, meaning more high-thrill rides are something Disney will look to continue adding. As long as popular non-Disney theme parks in America and Europe continue to build coasters, I’m certain Disney will have to keep going back to the design board for their next thrilling attraction. With that said, here are five coasters I could see coming to Walt Disney World in the near future.
Concept 1: Avatar: Wings of Courage at Animal Kingdom
At first glance, Avatar: World of Pandora is one of the most impressive themed areas in the world. Its marquee ride, Avatar: Flight of Passage is one of the most popular attractions at Walt Disney World. However, looking past the massive ride and impressive scenery throughout the land, the area still feels a bit hollow. Aside from Na’vi River Journey, a small boat ride that I personally feel is more of a D-Ticket attraction, the land features a single quick service restaurant, a drink stand and a gift shop.
I believe another large attraction — a coaster in particular — could give the land much more depth, in the same way Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure added to Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade. Of course, a large coaster with inversions may seem foreign to a highly immersive and detailed land at a Disney park. That’s why I think this coaster would need to be themed like no other to fit in well. It would also be the perfect way to renew the land, as the Avatar franchise is about to return to a prime position in pop culture with two more planned sequels set to be released in the coming years following the success of Avatar: The Way of Water.
Photo courtesy of Chessington World of Adventures
Avatar: Wings of Courage, as I imagine it, would be a launched Bolliger and Mabillard (B&M) wing coaster, with customized supports to mimic rocks and trees, as well as a decorated track disguised as part of the natural setting, similar to the new Mandrill Mayhem family launched B&M wing coaster at Chessington World of Adventures, as pictured above. Very few coasters have used customized support structures, but those who have done so successfully. The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride at Islands of Adventure uses curved steel so that the ride blends in with the wacky architecture around the land.
Photo courtesy of Efteling
Similarly, the custom lift hill structure for Baron 1898 at Efteling forms a magnificent mine shaft elevator.
The Great Leonopteryx
I imagine the supports of this ride could be designed with the same concept — painted or clad with faux rocks or bark. The track would be painted green, and the box spine of the B&M track could be wrapped with vines to make the track appear natural. As for the coaster trains, they could be themed to the Great Leonopteryx, the massive predator seen in Flight of Passage.
While the coaster would only be around the size of X-Flight at Six Flags Great America, an impressive setting within the floating mountains of Pandora would make for one of the most breathtaking coasters ever built. Water features and more floating mountains would create awesome near-miss elements for the coaster, which could be built in the space just behind Navi River Journey, which currently serves as a parking lot.
This addition would be a first for Florida, as a wing coaster is one of the few coaster types the state does not yet feature. Combined with a highly immersive setting and custom track and supports, the coaster would be one of the most well-themed experiences in a park. It would surely come at a large cost, but with Bob Iger back in the role of CEO, an idea like this may just see the light of day.
Concept 2: Tlaloc’s Deluge at Tokyo DisneySea
Tokyo DisneySea will soon open Fantasy Springs, an expansive area featuring rides based on Peter Pan, Tangled and Frozen. Many Disney fans already consider the park to be the most impressive in the chain, if not the world. However, despite an impressive lineup of attractions including a version of Soarin’, Toy Story Mania, Tower of Terror and the unique Journey to the Center of the Earth, DisneySea only features one major thrilling coaster, Raging Spirits. It’s a unique style of Intamin coaster that I would describe as a pseudo-wild mouse with a vertical loop. This might be an intense experience for Disney fans, but I think a park dubbed by many as the “Best Theme Park in the World” deserves a real headlining coaster.
Raging Spirits is located in the Lost River Delta area and is themed to ruins among a Mesoamerican jungle. There is a large plot of unused land next to the large temple that serves as the exterior to the Indiana Jones: Temple of the Forbidden Eye. After the addition of three family rides in the Fantasy Springs expansion, I think a highly themed coaster would be the perfect addition this park needs.
Photo courtesy of Phantasialand
Fitting in with the theme of the land, I would love to see a B&M inverted coaster that intertwines with the terrain, similar to Black Mamba at Phantasialand or Nemesis at Alton Towers. The ride would feature a dark blue track, multiple inversions and high-speed turns around a lost Aztec City. The Nahui-Atl myth in Ancient Aztec culture speaks of a flood that drowned the earth and nearly destroyed civilization. In this case, the coaster would act as the great deluge that flooded the civilization, thus casting it into the Lost River Delta. The winding dark blue track rising above and diving below the ground would represent the rush of water destroying the city.
Both Nemesis and Black Mamba feature impressive theming while still providing an intense experience, so I imagine that with Disney’s budget, they could create a truly immersive coaster environment. I’d also like to mention that I am aware that Katun at Mirabilandia (Italy) is also a B&M invert themed to the Mayan culture. However, since Mesoamerica is not an intellectual property, I would imagine Disney would have no problem theming a similar coaster model to the Aztecs in a Japanese park.
Concept 3: Kiss: Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith remains one of the most popular rides at Walt Disney World. However, the attraction is showing its age. The coaster itself is now 20 years old, and like much older Vekoma-manufactured coasters, it isn’t known for having a smooth ride experience. Though the band Aerosmith will always be a classic rock group, the band isn’t as popular as it once was.
For some time, there has been speculation of an entire refurbishment of the attraction, including replacing the Aerosmith theme but keeping the coaster. I believe the entire attraction could be replaced while keeping its original concept. Disney may have opted to keep the coaster itself when overhauling the Rock ‘n’ Roller coaster in France, retheming it to Avengers: Flight Force. But I believe the higher crowd levels at Walt Disney World should be treated differently.
I think an overhaul of the attraction—with a new generation Vekoma coaster inside—would make for a much greater experience while keeping the spirit of the existing ride. The new attraction would introduce a new and exciting layout, with a new style of trains, improved operations and a smoother ride experience.
Lech Coaster (photo courtesy of Vekoma)
As proven with coasters like Lech Coaster at Legendia Śląskie Wesołe Miasteczko and Fonix at Fårup Sommerland, Vekoma is capable of creating cutting-edge elements in small spaces. Considering enthusiasts have raved about the manufacturer’s latest creations, a coaster like this could become the most intense and thrilling ride at the Walt Disney World resort.
As for the band to replace Aerosmith, I have chosen one that is also a classic rock group with a number of songs any American will recognize: Kiss. With tracks like “Detroit Rock City,” “I Was Made for Loving You,” “I Love it Loud,” and of course, “Rock and Roll All Night,” the ride could feature one random Kiss song for each ride, similar to Guardian’s of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, convincing riders to ride again to see how different tracks enhance the ride experience. As for theming throughout the ride, I don’t think anything extravagant would be needed. Simple projections and lighting effects match the fiery visuals the band usually features in concerts.
With the thrills and improvements provided by a new generation Vekoma, paired with a classic, funky rock band, Kiss could be a great improvement of a fan favorite attraction while still keeping the music-focused atmosphere.
Concept 4: The Excavator at Animal Kingdom
Back when Animal Kingdom was being designed, a second large attraction was imagined alongside Dinosaur: Countdown to Extinction as part of the Dinoland USA area of the park. This ride was known as “The Excavator” and was planned to be a wooden roller coaster set within a fossil digging site. Aside from concept images, little information about the concept has been made public. The coaster was canceled due to budget reasons, and the conceptualized area became Dino-Rama.
It’s safe to say that the Dino-Rama area within Dinoland USA has had the reputation of being one of the least popular areas in all of Disney World, with its lackluster theming and carnival-like rides. Disney has seemed to take note of the area’s lack of foot traffic, having since removed the Primeval Whirl side-by-side spinning coasters. Perhaps now would be a good time to look back at those original concepts meant for the land.
I believe that reviving this idea would make for a great addition to the park, as it would add a large attraction to a neglected part of the park, as well as provide a much-needed E-ticket attraction to a park that some still consider a half-day experience.
Photo courtesy of Worlds of Fun
As for the coaster itself, I think a ground-up wood/steel hybrid coaster from Great Coasters International (GCI), fit with their new steel Titan track, would be the perfect fit. Known for its thrilling elements, smooth track and quick pacing, a hybrid coaster would provide the look of a wooden coaster, but its steel track would resist the problems that true wood coasters in Florida have faced before. Unlike their competitor Rocky Mountain Construction, which has had previous operational issues with larger projects, GCI has a great track record of operations and efficiency. Even if Disney required a few more trains to be on the course at a time, I think GCI would be up for the task.
While this coaster wouldn’t have an in-depth story, it would utilize an immersive setting composed of rockwork, machines and large skeletons, making for fantastic near-miss elements. I think even a large-scale T-Rex skull prop, which the track could pass through, could make for an iconic moment that would become a popular backdrop for photos. It might not be attached to intellectual property, or feature an immersive story, but if “The Excavator” concept were revisualized into a modern GCI hybrid amidst a fun dig site setting, it would provide both a high-thrilling experience and iconic backdrop Disney fans would fall in love with.
Concept 5: The Mos Espa Pod Race at Walt Disney Studios Park, Paris
Galaxy’s Edge, at both Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disneyland, is entering its fifth operating year. Despite Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance being considered by many to be one of the best dark rides on Earth, it had become clear that Star Wars and theme park fans alike would have rather seen the land themed to the original movies.
In 2018, Disney announced an expansion at the Walt Disney Studios park, which would include an Avenger’s Campus, a Frozen land and a Star Wars-themed land. According to concept art, this area looked similar to another version of Batuu, the setting of both Galaxy’s Edge lands. However, as the Avenger’s Campus phase is now open and the Frozen area is under construction, rumors have suggested that this Star Wars area may be canceled.
As of this writing, Disney has not yet confirmed if they will move forward with construction. Despite the article’s claims, I believe that they are in fact still moving forward, but with a different Star Wars story to tell. Could all of the fan feedback about the lack of content from the original movies in the existing Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge lands have persuaded Disney Imagineers to take a second look at designs? I think so.
Perhaps the Paris version of Galaxy’s Edge could take place on Tatooine in a hybrid timeline between the prequels and the original trilogy. If this was the case, it would only be fitting for Imagineers to create a high-speed roller coaster that puts guests behind the “wheel” of a pod racer.
Taron (photo courtesy of Phantasialand)
Imagine a dueling launch coaster, packed with low-to-the-ground turns and intertwined inversions set amongst a rocky desert scene. Think about the expansive environment of Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure at Islands of Adventure, the close encounters with the rockwork seen on Taron at Phantasialand, the desert setting of Radiator Springs Racers and the twisting tracks of West Coast Racers at Six Flags Magic Mountain—all serving as inspiration for a truly immersive Star Wars experience. I couldn’t imagine a better attraction to finalize the $2 billion the company has invested in the park.
What do you think of these coaster concepts? Which would be your favorite ride? Let us know in the comments section below!
Great ideas. I would love to see some of these additions at the parks.
Great Ideas. I would love to see Avatar: Wings of Courage at Animal Kingdom. I will be awesome!