9/12/2009

in

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Jay Rasulo announced on Saturday that the Disney theme parks will be updated and expanded in the next few years, and Fantasyland will get the biggest expansion in the history of the park.

Rachel Kolb

There have already been a lot of surprises at the D23 Expo this weekend, but on Saturday, Disney announced their most ambitious plan in years: a major renovation to their theme parks.  
  
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Jay Rasulo announced that Disney World, Disneyland, and Disney's California Adventure will all be seeing changes in the coming years, and Disney World's [http://www.wesh.com/themeparks/20875704/detail.html >Fantasyland will be getting the biggest expansion in the history of the park.  
  
Among the planned changes for Fantasyland are a new castle based on "Beauty and the Beast" and an updated Dumbo ride with higher rider capacity and an interactive three-ring circus show.  
  
[http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-disney13-2009sep13,0,5577394.story >Disney's California Adventure will also be getting a $1-billion expansion including a new area called Cars Land based on the 2006 Disney/Pixar film "Cars."  
  
Star Tours, a ride based on the "Star Wars" films, will be updated to include 3-D special effects and a racing sequence based on "Star Wars: Episode I  The Phantom Menace."  
  
Michael Jackson fans were disappointed, however, that the planned changes to the park did not include bringing back the 3-D attraction <a href="<a" title="http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssMediaDiversified/idUSN1042262120090911">http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssMediaDiversified/idUSN1042262120090911](<a "http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-disney13-2009sep13,0,5577394.story")](<a "http://www.wesh.com/themeparks/20875704/detail.html")