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The 60th Anniversary of Disneyland: The Reality of it All
- Thread starter Californian Elitist
- Start date
George Lucas on a Bench
Well-Known Member
It seems like whenever these special events come up now, Disney's just does the old "Disney Side" thing and sells merchandise. We're fortunate that they did slightly more than that for the 60th.
Sage of Time
Well-Known Member
sweat your face off and glisten like a diamond for 7/17 in your retro clothes! what fun.
DPB has a pretty detailed video on what exactly Imagineers changed and updated in Pan. There are more details than we thought.
http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/bl...isneyland-park-with-walt-disney-imagineering/
http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/bl...isneyland-park-with-walt-disney-imagineering/
Vegas Disney Fan
Well-Known Member
I really like a lot of the changes but hope they are easier to see in person, after watching this I went back and re watched the videos and between the ride movement and the camera focusing on one area it's easy to miss most of the new details. Either way the ride looks great, nice and clean and bright.
It's always easy to miss details on a ride when one's experiencing it through a video. That's why actually riding it is the best POV.
Magenta Panther
Well-Known Member
I think a Neverland addition to either or both American parks could be epic. An expansion on the ride, with a truly immersive Pixie Hollow and a full-sized Captain Hook ship that would serve as a restaurant. I think Peter Pan's Flight is popular with guests not just because it was well-imagined and well-built from the beginning, but because they love the Disney film. I think guests would love more of it in the parks. Just a thought...
George Lucas on a Bench
Well-Known Member
I think that Pan should be moved to a new location where they could build a larger, more impressive ride with higher capacity. It's obviously popular enough. With the space freed up in its original location, you can add another dark ride.
To be honest, these updates are not impressive. On the one hand, you could argue that given the ride's old-school nature, the new stuff fits right in and, hey, at least nothing has been ruined (except maybe London?) if you're a fan of the ride as it has existed for decades. However, we're talking decidedly low-tech stuff that could have been installed decades ago in some form or another. Projections, lights (London is just lights on the floor?), static props bobbing around on sticks obviously coming out of the wall, etc. The E.T. Adventure admittedly ripped this attraction off back in the day, but it still impresses and one-ups PPF with its miniature city flyover that's actually three-dimensional. The one in Florida may need a thorough refurb (rehab?), but it's still better than the DL one for the most part. At least there, you can get a Fastpass and not have to wait 70 minutes. I'll give PPF a B-. It's better than it was, but still too long a wait.
Final verdict on 60th attraction "upgrades" AKA updates:
- Hatbox Ghost is alright I guess, despite the awkward CGI face and awful laugh. But the rest of the attraction really needs a refurb, especially the graveyard scene where you can't see anything. Plus, they're just going to ruin it all in a month or so (!) when they close it in August (!!) to install a Christmas version. Grade: D
- Soarin' (Over California) looks like a giant LCD screen now and I have to admit I kinda prefer it the way it looked before, print damage and all, but the attraction basically remains the same. The surrounding Grizzly Peak Airfield is nice, but that's like a separate thing. Soarin': B- / Grizzly Peak Airfield: A
- Matterhorn...so it's closed for like 6 months, the ride itself basically remains the same and perhaps more painful than ever, except now we have new Yetis and a junk pile. I prefer the ice crystals and the classic Yetis personally. The glowing eyes effect is dearly missed. So are the days before the ride gave me lower back pain. I think the tone of the whole thing is too horrific now and doesn't really jive with Fantasyland, but whatever. The ride just isn't comfortable. They didn't do anything about that during a very long closure but spent thousands on new effects that you breeze by. Someone needs to be fired. Grade: D-
To be honest, these updates are not impressive. On the one hand, you could argue that given the ride's old-school nature, the new stuff fits right in and, hey, at least nothing has been ruined (except maybe London?) if you're a fan of the ride as it has existed for decades. However, we're talking decidedly low-tech stuff that could have been installed decades ago in some form or another. Projections, lights (London is just lights on the floor?), static props bobbing around on sticks obviously coming out of the wall, etc. The E.T. Adventure admittedly ripped this attraction off back in the day, but it still impresses and one-ups PPF with its miniature city flyover that's actually three-dimensional. The one in Florida may need a thorough refurb (rehab?), but it's still better than the DL one for the most part. At least there, you can get a Fastpass and not have to wait 70 minutes. I'll give PPF a B-. It's better than it was, but still too long a wait.
Final verdict on 60th attraction "upgrades" AKA updates:
- Hatbox Ghost is alright I guess, despite the awkward CGI face and awful laugh. But the rest of the attraction really needs a refurb, especially the graveyard scene where you can't see anything. Plus, they're just going to ruin it all in a month or so (!) when they close it in August (!!) to install a Christmas version. Grade: D
- Soarin' (Over California) looks like a giant LCD screen now and I have to admit I kinda prefer it the way it looked before, print damage and all, but the attraction basically remains the same. The surrounding Grizzly Peak Airfield is nice, but that's like a separate thing. Soarin': B- / Grizzly Peak Airfield: A
- Matterhorn...so it's closed for like 6 months, the ride itself basically remains the same and perhaps more painful than ever, except now we have new Yetis and a junk pile. I prefer the ice crystals and the classic Yetis personally. The glowing eyes effect is dearly missed. So are the days before the ride gave me lower back pain. I think the tone of the whole thing is too horrific now and doesn't really jive with Fantasyland, but whatever. The ride just isn't comfortable. They didn't do anything about that during a very long closure but spent thousands on new effects that you breeze by. Someone needs to be fired. Grade: D-
Mike S
Well-Known Member
It could all be so much worse, you could be a fan of WDW. I would take all the upgrades you've gotten in a heartbeat.
Sage of Time
Well-Known Member
Are they really going to screw around with Mansion, this year?! Sheesh...
Where would Pan go? The motorboat cruise area? There's no space for it to go anywhere else. Having FP available for the ride would make wait times even longer.
The "new" Matterhorn is fine to me. Nothing bad but nothing great either. What still angers me are those sleds.
Pinocchio and Toad need some upgrades. They could do wonders for the Pleasure Island segment and the Hell segment.
The "new" Matterhorn is fine to me. Nothing bad but nothing great either. What still angers me are those sleds.
Pinocchio and Toad need some upgrades. They could do wonders for the Pleasure Island segment and the Hell segment.
I just realized that I'm going to be taking my first trip to DL on the weekend of the actual 60th.
Mike S
Well-Known Member
Lucky.........I just realized that I'm going to be taking my first trip to DL on the weekend of the actual 60th.
zooey
Well-Known Member
I just realized that I'm going to be taking my first trip to DL on the weekend of the actual 60th.
While awesome, be sure to manage your expectations. It's likely the park will be VERY (very very) busy that day.
Just bought some cat eye sunglasses to match my outfit for the 17th. Exactly two weeks left today...
Sage of Time
Well-Known Member
Enjoy! Expect and plan for crowds!I just realized that I'm going to be taking my first trip to DL on the weekend of the actual 60th.
George Lucas on a Bench
Well-Known Member
Or they could finally rid DL of that barbaric petting zoo and make than an extension of FL with a new Peter Pan's Flight that doesn't have 70 minute waits for a 1 minute ride.
Aaawww, you don't like the letting zoo?
George Lucas on a Bench
Well-Known Member
The animals are adorable but I always feel bad.
I sometimes feel bad, too. The goats seem fine, but I remember the mini cow that used to be there, Clarabelle, always looked sad and lonely. I always felt sorry for her.