10 August 2010 by Richard Bilbao - Orlando Business Journal
The paint is barely dry at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and work is just underway at the expansion of Fantasyland at Walt Disney World, yet fan and theme park insider sites are touting new additions to the theme parks.
Could the France pavilion at Epcot's World Showcase be getting a new neighbor?
Epcot’s World Showcase has been considering adding a 12th country to the park, with Spain being the likely choice, according to one Walt Disney World insider. There is significant space between the France and Morocco pavilions — enough to accommodate an additional pavilion, said the source. Spain was actually under consideration by Epcot when it was first developed, but like the proposed pavilions for Australia, Russia, Venezuela, Israel and the United Arab Emirates, it never got off the drawing board.
Meanwhile, a Monsters Inc. roller coaster has received the green light to be built by 2014 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, according to several websites.
Not many details have surfaced about this possible ride, but fans are agog that the popular Aerosmith-themed Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, also in the theme park, may have some competition.
The Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor plays at the Magic Kingdom.
Contacted about the possible additions, Walt Disney World said it didn’t have anything to report.
Over at Universal Orlando, the Universal ‘Blue Sky’ Survey asks in-depth questions about how fans feel about the Lord of the Rings, SpongeBob Squarepants, Twilight, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the smash-hit film Avatar being involved in merchandise, rides, meet-and-greet characters or an entire theme park or themed area based on these franchises.
When I took the survey, I was asked more than once how I felt about a Lord of the Rings theme park and if I would ever consider visiting that theme park if it was located behind CityWalk. I answered, “Yes” and, “Oh God, YES!” (Those weren’t options, but if I could have, I would have.)
Universal spokesman Tom Schroder said the surveys mean nothing in particular, but are just a way for the park to see what interests guests.
That weeping you hear is me as I watch my hopes of being able to walk through the Shire fall into the depths of Mount Doom.
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