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Team Disney Anaheim has just decided to demolish Tom Sawyer Island's Fort Wilderness after years of trying to ignore the looming problems with the aging wood structure. With Pirate's Lair debuting next week the demolition will be handled overnight for the next 30 days. A cement log stockade for Cast Member use only will replace the Fort in the same area that the original stood. Stay tuned for all the details in the next update. Discuss it here.
Oh wow, all I can say is, it's about time!
it is about time, but why now?? why not earlier, did they suddenly get a chunk of cash to redo that end of the island earlier than they originally were.
(30 nights, that would mean when i come it might be in final stages)
Given the time frame.. and so close to opening.. maybe it presented challenges that they couldn't get it past inspection for the uses they wanted.. so it needs to come down all the way?
The timing of the decision seems to support that.. a forced hand so to speak.
Aside from my regular sadness at losing such an old piece of Disneyland, this means the restrooms are history, too, huh? :(
This makes me very sad. I was in Fort Wilderness only once, and it must have been one of the last seasons it was open. I noticed some of the issues with rot, and the next year after I was there they removed the guns... I just think it's very sad and they should have rebuilt it instead of throwing away one of the coolest little secret places in the entire park. There's nothing else like it at all. I will miss it very very much, and wish it had been around for my 10-year-old son, who would have LOVED it. :( :( :(
This is very strange. Why would TDA chose now to tear down the fort? Why not tear it down for phase one of Pirate's Lair or wait until phase 2 begins in a couple of months. The timing of this is very strange. What would require the fort to be torn down if all it was going to be used for was bathrooms anyway. And won't the rebuild affect any plans for phase 2 of Pirate's Lair if it goes through?
As to this, why not keep the fort closed like it has been for years until they close the island again for phase 2. The timing is very bizarre.Quote:
Originally Posted by flynnibus
Dont fret...The Fort Wilderness lives on at the Magic Kingdom in florida both as a theme park attraction on tom sawyer's island and as a resort!
The legacy continues so lets keep moving foward!
I hope they build a huge castle with interactive areas and cool special effects and creepy dungeons in its place. Al mentioned it awhile ago in one of his updates.
Oh wow ... I guess Pirate's Lair is gonna push Tom off the Island sooner then I thought.
I was hoping for renovation, but demolition was not even considered. Well, a piece of Disneyland history is now going. I think that Walt's original belief that kids love to play in a fort has not diminished. But since the fort was closed for so many years, kids weren't enjoying it anyway. It was just fun to see it there.
Because according to reports.. the facilities were to be used by guests and employees. If it can't meet requirements - the need for those facilities are not going away... so you have to make way for a new way to address those needs.Quote:
Originally Posted by HookFan88
Speculation...
As one who loved playing in and around the fort as a child, I will miss what it once was. Unfortunately, it has been years since It was anything like the playground of my youth. I almost prefer that it is gone than to see it continue to fall apart. All the things I loved; the escape route, being able to look out over the island, looking in at the scenes they set up; they disappeared years ago. I hope that whatever they put up to replace it will provide as much joy as the fort did me.
"A cement log stockade for Cast Member use only will replace the Fort in the same area that the original stood. "
This is the sentence that is disturbing. The new fort will not be guest accessible. so it will once again be a building in the middle of the island with nothing to do.
didn't someone say disney was going to do nothing with the fort for phase 1, and wait for phase 2, so now removing it and replacing it is taking part of phase 2 into consideration, but not having to fully use it yet.
we all saw this coming didn't we? writing has been on the walls for ages...