Wizard of Oz attraction

[Hazelrah]

At one time there was going to be a major theme park called the Wonderful World of Oz built appropriately enough in Kansas. I remember seeing the concept art for it, including a flying monkey coaster and some kind of cauldron ride in the Wicked Witch's moat (!!). I guess the developer went under. <link removed>

Also, apparently there was a Land of Oz park in North Carolina that went belly up in 1980. Very kitschy, roadside America type stuff:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_of_Oz_(theme_park)

[Monkey joe]

The MGM version of OZ is owned by Warner now through the Turner merger. Also they are working on a sequel to the oringal film version. So i doubt Disney would move forward with such a project but they could do their own version of it. The Oz books are in public domain, so anybody can make their own version of them which they kind of have at Marvel with a series of graphic novels.

[Jesser-pie]

I know how popular the movie is, so it a ride in theory would be a good idea...
However, I personally don't associate the wizard of oz with disney (and I actuallly do not want to)

However, I did enjoy the scene when I went on the movie ride at HS.

[NeverNeverland]

I've just never liked The Wizard of Oz. I know a LOT of people love it, I'm just not one of them. But what was mentioned earlier is the biggest point...Disney is focusing on
'branding' now, and if it isn't something they can control and sell in a number of formats and markets, they just aren't interested.

Agreed. I hate it.

Though a Wicked section would be cool

[clockworkmonkey]

At one time there was going to be a major theme park called the Wonderful World of Oz built appropriately enough in Kansas. I remember seeing the concept art for it, including a flying monkey coaster and some kind of cauldron ride in the Wicked Witch's moat (!!). I guess the developer went under. <link removed>

Also, apparently there was a Land of Oz park in North Carolina that went belly up in 1980. Very kitschy, roadside America type stuff:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_of_Oz_(theme_park)

Thanks for bringing the Land of Oz theme park to my attention. As much as I love the high-quality Disney theming, I also have a real soft-spot for cheesy roadside attraction and paper-mache best-efforts on low-budgets. Land of Oz looks like it was delightfully weird.

I found a photo gallery here. Dig those groovy mushrooms! What a short skirt on Dorothy! What a night-mare inducing Scarecrow. What I wouldn't give for a plane ride and a time machine.

[Witches of Morva]

ORWEN: Well, I can't imagine anybody not liking The Wizard of Oz. I mean it's only the most incredible fantasy story there ever was!! Why, I would've been willing to trade every broomstick I ever rode for the chance to be Glinda!! (We both have red hair, you know.)

ORGOCH: Well, I'd be willin' ta trade ev'ry wart I ever owned fer the chance to play Maggie Hamilton's part!! Instead, look what I ended up with!! A bit part in a flop of a film where I got stuck with two a the sorriest sisters since the Twisted Sisters!! An' don't go comparin' yerself ta Glinda, Orwen!! Closest part fer yerself ta fit might a been that big, pink bubble--er, better yet, the baloon the wizard flew off in at the end a the movie!

ORDDU: As or the proposed theme park in Kansas, it was voted down by a panel of politicians who were against the idea from the start. The theme park was actually almost voted to be a go. But--from what my sisters and I have read--one of the people on the panel pretended to be FOR the project in the beginning. Then she revealed her true colors and voted against it. But then there was another proposal to build the park somewhere in the state of New York. For a while it seemed as if this one might actually move forward. But we haven't heard anything more about the project in the past year...

[Magenta Panther]

Some time back a company tried to build an Oz park in Kansas. I read about it, and the plans for it seemed pretty impressive. But it fell through - too bad. There really ought to be a major theme park in middle America, and what would be more a more appropriate theme for that park than Oz?

[Imagineer Scott]

Personally, I'd rather them do a classic Mary Poppins dark ride. Keep it in the Disney family and still touch upon a classic movie that everyone loves. It'd be practically perfect in every way.

[Magenta Panther]

Agreed. I hate it.

Though a Wicked section would be cool

I ABSOLUTELY DESPISE WICKED. I tried to read the book. I got as far as the part where the Scarecrow (or was it the Tin Man) hinted that the Witch preferred, um, feminine company, and then the book (which was a remainder, since the books didn't sell well at my place of business, NO WONDER) went into the trash. What utter garbage, to take a good children's book and turn into something skanky. Now, I haven't seen the stage play, which, as I understand it, excises most of the questionable stuff. But it still doesn't appeal to me, thanks to that dreadful book. I spit on it (ptoo!)

And anyone, IMO, who doesn't like the movie The Wizard of Oz has no magic in his/her soul.

[Magenta Panther]

ORWEN: Well, I can't imagine anybody not liking The Wizard of Oz. I mean it's only the most incredible fantasy story there ever was!! Why, I would've been willing to trade every broomstick I ever rode for the chance to be Glinda!! (We both have red hair, you know.)

ORGOCH: Well, I'd be willin' ta trade ev'ry wart I ever owned fer the chance to play Maggie Hamilton's part!! Instead, look what I ended up with!! A bit part in a flop of a film where I got stuck with two a the sorriest sisters since the Twisted Sisters!! An' don't go comparin' yerself ta Glinda, Orwen!! Closest part fer yerself ta fit might a been that big, pink bubble--er, better yet, the baloon the wizard flew off in at the end a the movie!

ORDDU: As or the proposed theme park in Kansas, it was voted down by a panel of politicians who were against the idea from the start. The theme park was actually almost voted to be a go. But--from what my sisters and I have read--one of the people on the panel pretended to be FOR the project in the beginning. Then she revealed her true colors and voted against it. But then there was another proposal to build the park somewhere in the state of New York. For a while it seemed as if this one might actually move forward. But we haven't heard anything more about the project in the past year...

I think the company behind the Kansas Oz park just gave up. They were met with scathing criticism from the local rag masquerading as a newspaper, the Kansas City Star, plus there were a lot of old farts screaming about the park's possible location (not in MY neighborhood, by cracky!), not to mention the demands made on the company to clean up the mess left at the location by the prior owners. Bottom line, I don't think the Would-Be Builders of Oz got any kind of encouragement from anybody, and finally threw in the towel. It was reminiscent of the hassle Walt faced when he thought about building WDW in Missouri: he got a lot of hate from local vendors (especially the Busch family, who were incensed that he had no intention of serving alcohol in the park) and very little support. That plus the lack of available land moved him to build WDW in Florida. But the way I see it, it's karma: the Midwest keeps chasing away anything good in the way of a theme park, and gets stuck with low-rent parks like Six Flags and Holiday World. Serves it right!

[mikelieman]

"There are precious few at ease with moral ambiguities, so we act as though they don't exist!"

[Stitchy]

Not to "poo poo" your idea....but, I know LOTS of people (me included) that HATE the Wizard of Oz. I always thought the movie was more than a little creepy. A ride could be easily avoided....but, a land....would probably be a major factor in me not visiting whatever park it was added to.


*I'm the one on the Great Movie Ride who cheers for the witch in the Oz scene. Say "hi" next time I'm in your ride car.