Every so often, I like to drop by the WDW Magic Forums where this avatar first became known. The other day I saw an interesting topic about the now-shelved Mary Poppins attraction Disney announced at a prior D23.
It’s a little sad now to think about all the things that were planned back in 2019 before we had any inkling that a worldwide pandemic was going to drastically alter the trajectory of our societies. We’re lucky things weren’t apocalyptic… back when Italy was reporting a 6% mortality rate, it easily could have slipped into something akin to the Black Plague. But even as we’ve dodged the biggest bullet, it’s still rough to think about how well the economy was rocking in 2019 and all the neat things that were planned. Disney World is one of those places that had huge ideas, many of which have been shelved indefinitely.
The Mary Poppins attraction is one of those items, but we’re fortunate in that the attraction was approved by the estate of PL Travers. For that reason, there’s some investment from Disney in this concept and I think it’s fair to be hopeful that it will return. After all, trying to get a new concept approved would be quite the hassle, if it is even possible at all.
So, after having commented on the attraction’s conceptual history on the forums, I thought I’d share some of my thoughts in an article here.
The following discussion covers rumors, potentially discarded concepts, and pre-production material. This information is given for fun and should not be perceived as official or verified Disney Company product:
My understanding is that there were several different Mary Poppins attraction concepts floating around. That’s also perceivably why they didn’t reveal what exactly the attraction was, other than just showing a placeholder facade they planned to use. No matter what, the facade was intended to go in. The location was also set in stone: the area behind most of the United Kingdom pavilion in Epcot where a stage currently stands (there use to be a Beatles tribute band performing there). But other than the Cherry Tree Lane construction, what else were they going to do?
Well, one of the ideas floated around for years was the idea of the double-decker carousel. This would have been a smaller attraction meant to fill out the offerings in World Showcase. Honestly, with the two levels going in different directions, and the lights shimmering through the trees, this would have been a beautiful addition. But there were at least two other concepts according to insiders I have spoken with. One was a very small footprint dark ride. The concept art of buildings from the original Mary Poppins film would have acted to hide the show building. However, there was another option that really took things to the next level.
Example of a Double Decker Carousel
According to at least one source, there was an idea of merging the two concepts. The proposal would have had the carousel being a faux merry-go-round with ride vehicles (horses, as well as other carousel-style options) going around the track a number of times before a track switch would send them into a show building. This would have made it feel like the carousel creatures were leaving the attraction a la the film. Once those ride vehicles were gone, the vehicles from inside the show building would return for a rotation before allowing riders to disembark. The same would then occur to the riders who just went into the show building once more. This cycle would have allowed for a carousel and dark ride combo with plenty of ride capacity… even if the duration would have been quite low. The show building itself was less well-described, but I believe it likely would have used screens.
The question we’re left with is whether or not Disney will be dusting off these concepts and arriving at a solution (or a new one) when they get ready to introduce the attraction at some point in the future. It would seem to me to be a question of “when” not “if”, but that’s just me analyzing the situation.
What ideas would you go with if it were up to you? Do you have any novel concepts that you’d like to see Disney try out in the future? Let me know in the comments below, and keep reading That Park Place for all the latest Disney rumors, leaks, news, and reviews!
