Previously unreleased concept art shows more of the delayed Mary Poppins ride planned for EPCOT at Walt Disney World

Mar 22, 2023 in "United Kingdom (Pavilion)"

Unreleased Mary Poppins ride system concept art
Posted: Wednesday March 22, 2023 8:50am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

A former Walt Disney Imagineer has posted concept art for the postponed Mary Poppins ride that was previously announced for EPCOT.

The new art shows an overhead plan view of the attraction, including the preshow area, the ride system, and the exit.

As speculated at the time of the ride's announcement, the ride is a teacup-style spinning flat ride, taking place in a show building with decorated backgrounds.

Announced at the 2019 D23 EXPO, the expansion to the United Kingdom pavilion was to add an entirely new neighborhood at the pavilion, complete with a ride. In the plans, guests would step in time down Cherry Tree Lane past Admiral Boom's house, then enter Number 17, home of the Banks family, where their adventure would begin.

Disney officially announced that the United Kingdom Pavilion expansion was paused in July 2020 as the park reopened from the COVID-19 shutdown. In addition to pausing Mary Poppins, Disney also put a halt to the Spaceship Earth update.

The last official comment on the Mary Poppins ride for EPCOT came from then Disney CEO Bob Chapek, who said in response to a question at the 2022 Shareholder Meeting, that the project is in a holding pattern currently, but looks forward to refunding the Mary Poppins ride in the future.

A lot has changed at Disney since then, and it remains to be seen if the Mary Poppins expansion at the United Kingdom pavilion in EPCOT will be built.

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Kamikaze9 days ago

Why waste time use lot word when few word do trick

lazyboy97o9 days ago

That’s not why. Landmark isn’t an intellectual property designation. Nor does being privately owned by a business confer any intellectual property protections. Trademarks protect things like logos and phrases. A specific graphic representation of a building can be trademarked but it’s not the building itself. Trademarks are unique from copyright and patents in that they can continue to be held so long as they are actively used. Architectural works are protected by copyright, which means the protections eventually expire. This is also a more recent development in intellectual property rights, particularly in the US which is why Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Universal Studios Florida are full of replicas of buildings from around Hollywood. It actually would be permissible to build a replica of Cinderella Castle because it predates the changes to US copyright law protecting the actual building itself. This is also why the story about the Chinese Theatre rights was not true. The London Eye is recent enough that it is still protected by copyright. Victoria Tower and the Eiffel Tower are both old enough that any copyright protection that would have applied has expired. The Eiffel Tower is famously the source of copyright confusion as while the tower itself is not protected by copyright, the night show that was installed in 1989 is protected by copyright. Disney could easily add a Ferris Wheel and people would know the association. Merlin doesn’t own the general concept of the ride or it being in an urban area. The issue is more that’s it’s just not a great idea.

Chef idea Mickey`=9 days ago

Yeah, I know... just like never say to a Taiwan friend anything they are related to China. When referring to Dutch Germans aren't related or connected to Holland nor Belgium! 😜

Kamikaze9 days ago

The Icon/Eye is a business. Eiffel Tower and Big Ben are landmarks. It would be like someone doing 'Floridaland' and putting a Cinderella Castle replica in it. Its not allowed under the law as the Castle is considered the trademarked IP of Disney.

Chef idea Mickey`=9 days ago

Come to think of it, if a scaled Big Ben were to been built it would probably changed Epcot and World Showcase a lot for it would bell chime every hour, no different than Germany but Germany is not loud chimes that you would hear it from the lagoon a mile away..😜 The red telephone booth is one stand out icon itself.

nickys9 days ago

Don’t let anyone from Richmond hear you say that! 😜 I mean, you’re right but they like to think they’re separate! I wish they’d done more with it than just restrooms though! I totally see the point of a landmark but they did go with a different concept in the end. The tea shop shows 4 centuries of buildings. The Rose & Crown has 3 different facades to it - the seaside pub, the country pub and the town pub. The formal gardens and row of town houses are fairly classic. But it’s all more stereotypical rather than from a particular place.

Chef idea Mickey`=9 days ago

Hampton Court Palace is in London, that's a neat feature I didn't know about. Oh I was just asking because old concepts showed having a landmark from London. There is nothing wrong with The UK Pavilion as it is, it's totally recognizable. I just thought each pavilion had a tower or something to stand out from the lagoon and England went quaint.

Bocabear9 days ago

LOL!!! What a mixed bag of nothingness it turned out to be....

Disstevefan19 days ago

I highly doubt there will be any more significant spending in EPCOT now that the completed the "successful" EPCOT renovation.

Bocabear9 days ago

Mostr people around the world think of London icons as representational of the country...much like Europeans think the NYC , Hollywood and Miami represent the US... So the thought of using a very well known piece of architecture from London makes sense... Perhaps they should add more to the pavilion as they expand it one day.... The pavilions all make references to famous architecture from each country.... THe UK Pavilion seems lighter than the others in grand references....

nickys9 days ago

The building housing the restrooms appears to take its inspiration from Hampton Court Palace. But I don’t see why it should be London centric. There are enough people as it is who think it’s the England pavilion.

Chef idea Mickey`=9 days ago

You mean right now today? What is it different than replicating the Eiffel Tower... I suppose Big Ben isn't really replicated but if that was a factor then it wouldn't be in the proposals back in the day.

Kamikaze9 days ago

I'd guess the Icon is trademarked and they couldn't just replicate it.

Chef idea Mickey`=9 days ago

Would any of you want The UK having London Icon? Or do you like the pavilion as is. Originally Big Ben was proposed alongside the Thames River cruise.