Future of Toon Lagoon

[Parkscope Joe]

I think that’s easy to say now, with the benefit of hindsight and how theme parks have evolved - but back in the 90s, it was a solid get. Maybe not A-tier like Simpsons or LT, but definitely a strong, recognizable IP. Marvel was the riskier play at the time IMO, which is exactly why that “in perpetuity” clause happened.

Universal clearly hoped to usher in a new Ward-era Millennium revival with Dudley and Rocky & Bullwinkle films, but it obviously didn't have any impact (with Marvel ironically becoming the golden goose). Even so, we still ended up with two well-received attractions.

So no - I still don’t think calling Toon Lagoon “bad” is fair or accurate. It just doesn’t fairly reflect the original context or intentions of the land.

We also forget where the parks were in the mid 90s, a sort of part Disney park local park that didn’t have the same hits Disney did during its animation renaissance. Them getting Seuss was HUGE and Toon Lagoon fit that middle area between JP/Seuss and the public domain of Lost Continent.

Toon Lagoon is a land built for a different time and doesn’t really fit anymore (comic strip lane at least). But that doesn’t change history of why it was chosen.

 

[Mad Dog]

Well, we often get posters here that want lands/attractions that aren't recognizable IP's. Well, we have two excellent
attractions that guests love. Few know the now fairly ancient IP's , so it's almost like a land with made up stuff. Bottom line is
the attractions are loved and most guests couldn't care less who the characters on the rides are. .....Then there's the
opposite. A F&F Supercharged IP that's super well known but an attraction just about everyone hates. .....I know what I'd rather
have. Its the land with perhaps the two best, and maybe wettest, water rides in existence. And, if you're old enough to
know and like those ancient IP's, its an added plus.

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

We also forget where the parks were in the mid 90s, a sort of part Disney park local park that didn’t have the same hits Disney did during its animation renaissance. Them getting Seuss was HUGE and Toon Lagoon fit that middle area between JP/Seuss and the public domain of Lost Continent.

Toon Lagoon is a land built for a different time and doesn’t really fit anymore (comic strip lane at least). But that doesn’t change history of why it was chosen.

Oh yeah, I was speaking with the benefit of hindsight; that was the point—TL is the only one of the five OG Islands whose IP selection didn’t end up working out well for them, imo.

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

Yeah, it's really important to remember that Universal was actively making their Brendan Fraser Dudley Do-Right film at the time. They expected/hoped to revitalize this IP slate, but it just didn't come together.

Which is interesting in hindsight cause Universal just tried to revitalize How To Train Your Dragon with a live action and they completely succeeded.

 

[Clive]

Which is interesting in hindsight cause Universal just tried to revitalize How To Train Your Dragon with a live action and they completely succeeded.

Well, it certainly helps that How to Train Your Dragon’s base story (which is recreated basically beat for beat in live action) is much better than that of Dudley Do-Right, which is pretty dreadful.

 

[HHN Maddux]

They use a different handle on Twitter, but this is the person behind Unisounds

Interesting. Although, has anyone else been hearing about this? He's claiming upper management at TL has been told this, and that doesn't make too much sense to me? Why tell leads (who might not even be there anymore by then) that it's closing in 4 years? If it was next year or even 2027 I could buy it, but being told about a closure that's not happening for another 4 years doesn't make much sense.

 

[TheCodeMan95]

Yeah, it's really important to remember that Universal was actively making their Brendan Fraser Dudley Do-Right film at the time. They expected/hoped to revitalize this IP slate, but it just didn't come together.

Hey, 6 year old me loved that movie!

(I remember nothing about it)