A Spirited Perfect Ten

[Next Big Thing]

I'm just pleased Sea World is following the Universal method of construction, and not the Disney one.

Summer 2016. I had to check I read that right. So about a year from now, opening with Kong. And they've barely started construction.

How long did Disney take to build that kiddie-coaster mine train again? And how's 2011's big announcement for Animal Kingdom coming along? At this point Disney is just an embarrassment.

You obviously don't understand the difference between an unthemed steel coaster and a steel coaster that then had rockwork and a themed queue placed completely around it. Not to mention a dark ride scene and some placemaking.

Mine Train took 2.5 years. It shouldn't have necessarily taken that long, but it was a MUCH bigger build than a completely unthemed hyper with exposed steel. Six Flags and Cedar Fair Parks around the country throw these types of coasters up in a year or less all the time. It's nothing remarkable for this type of ride.

 

[Next Big Thing]

I think you had it right in the first sentence, Some people LOVE coasters, Others prefer dark rides - nothing wrong with having BOTH so everyone can have fun I don't think one trumps the other they are completely different types of entertainment even though some coasters use dark elements.

Where did I say that we couldn't have both? I'm extremely excited for both. I don't know where you make up this stuff.

 

[Horizons1]

You obviously don't understand the difference between an unthemed steel coaster and a steel coaster that then had rockwork and a themed queue placed completely around it. Not to mention a dark ride scene and some placemaking.

Mine Train took 2.5 years. It shouldn't have necessarily taken that long, but it was a MUCH bigger build than a completely unthemed hyper with exposed steel. Six Flags and Cedar Fair Parks around the country throw these types of coasters up in a year or less all the time. It's nothing remarkable for this type of ride.

Mine Train took 2.5 or 3 years to physically construct? And how many years did it take to physically construct EPCOT?

 

[Next Big Thing]

Mine Train took 2.5 or 3 years to build? And how many years did it take to build EPCOT?

I'm not here to defend the build time. I was just giving the time.

But there is a lot more that goes into a themed coaster like SDMT than a simple steel build like Mako. That's just fact.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Hey, some people love coasters. If you do, an extreme coaster will trump any dark ride just due to being a trill junkie.

I think you had it right in the first sentence, Some people LOVE coasters, Others prefer dark rides - nothing wrong with having BOTH so everyone can have fun I don't think one trumps the other they are completely different types of entertainment even though some coasters use dark elements.

Now I love roller coasters. Always have. I just cant ride them anymore.

I stick to my tame dark rides because thats all I can go on anymore. I didn't renew my Uni AP because there was nothing I really could go on that didn't make me wanna puke. Seriously, wanna know how to get people out of your way at Harry Potter? Act like youre gonna puke on them as you run towards the door. Universal has fantastic roller coasters, best in Orlando. And it kills me that I cant ride them anymore.

So I'll take my dark rides at MK. I just want my dark rides to be motherloving perfect.

 

[PhotoDave219]

I'm not here to defend the build time. I was just giving the time.

But there is a lot more that goes into a themed coaster like SDMT than a simple steel build like Mako. That's just fact.

I think they meant that Disney used to build things in a hurry and with quality back before they worried about things like maximum profit margins and the like.

 

[Next Big Thing]

Now I love roller coasters. Always have. I just cant ride them anymore.

I stick to my tame dark rides because thats all I can go on anymore. I didn't renew my Uni AP because there was nothing I really could go on that didn't make me wanna puke. Seriously, wanna know how to get people out of your way at Harry Potter? Act like youre gonna puke on them as you run towards the door. Universal has fantastic roller coasters, best in Orlando. And it kills me that I cant ride them anymore.

So I'll take my dark rides at MK. I just want my dark rides to be motherloving perfect.

Maybe I misspoke a bit in my original post as it seems some are confusing what I meant. I in NO WAY was saying that we should just build coasters and forget dark rides. It was just my way of saying that a coaster lover would rather a good coaster over a dark ride. Doesn't mean we can't have both.

 

[truecoat]

Disney can solve the Frozen capacity problem with a few changes for expanion (who will notice? They're tourists!):

Gran Froiesta Tour
Living With the Frozand
Frozin'
Frozship Earth
MISSION: Froze

and the list could go on....

They haven't announced it yet but soon will. Big changes coming to Animal Kingdom.

Frozdora, the world of Frozatar!

 

[Next Big Thing]

I think they meant that Disney used to build things in a hurry and with quality back before they worried about things like maximum profit margins and the like.

Oh I know exactly what he meant. But if I said what I wanted too, the response would've been something calling me a pixieduster, which would've just been unnecessary, since i'm probably one of the most middle ground people you'll ever meet when it comes to Florida's Theme Parks.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Just a note on the relative 'popularity' of Shanghai's new flagship Disney Store. Read the below first:

http://www.scmp.com/news/china/soci...ing?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

Now imagine what kind of waits you'd have at the WoD in O-Town or, since some would say that's not a fair comparison even though it is, at the Times Square Disney Store IF you only let 50 shoppers in at a time ... or 100 ... or, hell, let's double that to 200. Think you might have hours long queues, angry shoppers and the appearance that a location might be 'the place to be' -- even if it wasn't?

Yeah, think about that.

Three other pieces of housekeeping, two apparently mentioned in PR releases ... oops, I mean interviews from Tom Staggs and Mary Niven with the LA Times over the weekend:

1.) The no Magic Bands at DLR ... I knew this and told ya this. MM+ isn't coming to DL, no matter how much attention Tom Amity craves. BUT ... aspects of it most certainly will. Some already have in the FP'ing of the Frozen gals meet-greet-and-sleet and Fantasmic. You can expect to see others, so if that is your definition then NGE is coming to DLR. As to it coming to HKDL?!?! I strongly doubt that and my sources in Asia are damn near perfect. The park only has two FP attractions now in Space Mountain and the Winnie the Pooh dark ride. You could argue that on about 300 days a year, you don't even need it on those. It was on Buzz Lightyear, which has never needed it, and was removed for Iron Man construction. (There are no plans to bring it back.) So, not sure what aspects of NGE will wind up there.

2.) The strange statement by Staggs about no classic attractions being removed for Star Wars expansion ... As of a few months ago, Toontown was still the place SW was going. I haven't heard a thing to suggest otherwise. And what is ''classic'' is certainly open to interpretation.

3.) I saw Micechat's Andy 'Fidel's Little Brother' Castro attempt some explanation for the disastrous 24-hour day Friday/Saturday. Now, first, let me be clear I am not saying Andy is doing PR for TDA. I truly respect the young man for being honest about his opinions and I know he's reporting what was given to him from (likely) a fairly well-placed source.

The thing is, though, it doesn't excuse the fact TDA was woefully under-prepared for the crowd that showed up. If I had been them, I would have planned for well over 200,000 people considering all the factors. They didn't plan this event correctly at all. They once again luck out that there wasn't a major incident/stampede where people are injured or even killed. They act like they have no idea how to plan for and control crowds when Disney wrote the book on it.

I missed Staggs' comment, but I also wouldn't consider Roger Rabbit a classic attraction. I love the IP and as such, I have a fondness for the attraction but for me it's like replacing Jaws... it stinks to lose a personal favorite but it truly sounds like something better is coming.

 

[truecoat]

It was already getting pretty old when they opened that part of the Disney farm as a tourist attraction. Most cottonwoods last like maybe 70 years, some of the oldest getting around to 120 and considering this is a tree that a child Walt laid under, it was probably more towards that end of the spectrum.

I think actually it was mostly down to the trunk at this point (and I think some Marceline pages described it as the trunk that remained), but apparently Mother Nature really loved that chew toy. Hopefully the sapling that WDW horticulture grew and had planted for the site from one of the seeds about a decade ago has better luck.

Once they remove the tree, they should let visitors try to find some of his "dreaming" cigarette butts lying around.

 

[RSoxNo1]

5.) Way too many posts here focus on small items, like a Bob Iger picture in Shanghai without discussing the context and why it is important. Been down this road for over a year since I told you how bizarre things had gotten and are in Disney's relationship with 'Shendi'.

It isn't the photo that matters. It's the fact that Shendi is dictating that Bob and Company can't publicize their (and by their, I mean, Disney's) resort to westerners.

You can take a thousand and one pics of Bob touring the site and if the Great Firewall doesn't want them seen in China, which would still be odd considering this is a joint venture that is huge in nature, they wouldn't be. This is the CCP not allowing Disney to run its own PR operations in the USA.

Again, you think that isn't a wee bit odd? Tell me, how many times are we going to have people (people who have never even visited China, let alone worked there and lived there and some of us even did both in a media capacity) say that Bob and Tom's ghostly profile was out of deference to their partners at Shendi? For the uninformed or under informed, the Chinese love ceremony. They even like sharing the spotlight with their international partners. It's validating, reassuring, and, ultimately, declares their importance on the world stage. And, yeah, America still has a certain prestige over there. This is such a profound departure from what normally occurs in these partnerships ... I'm not sure how to put this ... it puts cracks in the very foundation of how these relationships have traditionally worked.

In deference to San Andreas opening this week (I like the Rock, but love California, so I don't want to see it destroyed even in the movies) it isn't just big, but seismically so.

In defense of people putting out a photo of Iger in China, you asked to see a photo of him in China no less than 10 times and you never went into this much detail about the significance of why you're not seeing a photo of him. Clearly he's not in control over there but I don't think the public has grasped that yet. It will be interesting to see what (if anything) happens if that ever becomes mainstream news.

 

[Cesar R M]

Nah, I was on MAGIC when they plucked the MOB from the water from Oasis. Or Royal Scarribean's seven day cruise to the norovirus.

cant be worse than the stream of "poop cruises" by Carnival.. where 3 (or 4?) ships in succession lost power in different areas of the gulf, Caribbean and the Cancun area.

 

[Cesar R M]

I don't understand.
Whether or not it's a good idea, it's almost certain that the Frozen overlay is going to increase EPCOT's attendance.
Even families who are only interested in the princess stuff are probably going to make an afternoon of having to be there.

I don't think anyone's arguing that it's going to lead to investment in the rest of Futureworld, though.

and once they get bored, they will parkhop back to MK.

 

[Cesar R M]

congratulations, you've just passed the modern day imagineer entrance exam!

Disney can solve the Frozen capacity problem with a few changes for expanion (who will notice? They're tourists!):

Gran Froiesta Tour
Living With the Frozand
Frozin'
Frozship Earth
MISSION: Froze

and the list could go on....

but then, I am no surprising if the answer to everything bad at WDW is "Raise prices and just put some frozen stuff there".

Past experience says they did and didn't care.

I think thats the point. Once the thing is bursting to the seams..
They will claim it was the "best attraction EVAH!!'

 

[Cesar R M]

Past experience says they did and didn't care.

What RCCL not capable of retrieving a MOB???,

Retrieving a MOB is basic seamanship makes me NOT want to do RCCL if they can't do something basic like retrieve a MOB, It's kind of easy if you see the MOB go over, Throw a buoy and drop the captains launch.

eeh, I think it was more like.. they never noticed.
The Disney ship was BEHIND the RCCL ship by an hour or so I think. And they spotted the MOB.

 

[Next Big Thing]

Kong, Mako, Cobra's Curse, and now Volcano Bay.

Your move Mickey.

Well, I mean all of these announcements are for the next year or two. Disney has already announced everything they have in production currently for the next few years (Frozen, RoL, Avatar).

 

[Cesar R M]

Well, I mean all of these announcements are for the next year or two. Disney has already announced everything they have in production currently for the next few years (Frozen, RoL, Avatar).

But Avatar was the answer to Hogsmeade.. meanwhile Universal as added.. how much already?
Frozen doesn't count as a "new" real attraction, since its just a retheme with minimum changes.

 

[Next Big Thing]

No, but they will book it for the "new" Frozen ride they know nothing about because their toddler kids are begging them

In order for the toddlers to be begging them, Disney needs to get some info out there about this. Isn't this supposed to open early 2016?

 

[bcoachable]

Yes you can, That vibe is long gone at WDW.

So, are you saying that wdw talent (imagineers) want out of Orlando and would hope to get assigned to other places, like SDL for example, to do projects?
Or are they jumping ship entirely and heading to other theme parks/careers?