Inside WDW new space mountain 11/10/09

Buried20KLeague · Nov 11, 2009

Main Street USA said:
These types of comments are hilarious. If you still go to WDW...ever...then you are ALSO a perfect example of "why WDW gets away with what they get away with."

They'll do whatever they please. Always have, and always will, so long as people like YOU keep giving them money.

Ha!

I'm currently in our longest stretch without a visit to WDW in 15 years. We've still gotten our Disney park fix... But at other resorts around the world, not at WDW.

We're going in a month to WDW. Because we want to take our new 1 year old to a Disney park at Christmas... And it is by far the easiest to travel to with a baby.

But at the same time... We're not spending every dollar at the Disney parks like we normally do. We're going to Sea World. Uni. Gatorland (which we've never done and are looking forward to).

I completely agree that they'll do whatever they please. That's been evident by the countless number of attractions and restaurants and clubs that they've closed. But that doesn't mean I need to bend over and take it.

You'd probably do well not to assume you know my travel patterns and where I spend my money, as well. :wave:

They're getting some money from me for the first time in years this December, yes. But it's a hell of a lot less than they used to get. If everyone else's travel patterns followed mine in the past couple years, WDW management would be absolutely freaking out.

I'm not the sheep. BAAAAAAAAAAAA.

Buried20KLeague · Nov 11, 2009

DDBB said:
Well when that person is basically saying that a refurbrished Ford Taurus is better than a top of the line, brand new luxury sedan then yes...it is a little hard to comprehend.

Wow, after reading this thread I think the wrong space mountain got the refurb, lol. So let me get this striaght...DL's space mountain is boring and has one of the worst layouts in roller coaster history. In fact it's so boring that the only way they could get people to ride it was to trick it out with state of the art special effects, a brand new smooth track, an onboard soundtrack, and everything else it got in it's rebuild. Yet inspite of all that, the ride is still a snoozefest? Maybe they should start using Disneyland's SM to cure people suffering from insomnia?

That's interesting though, cause if the layout is so horrible and the ride is so boring why in the world did they clone it in Hong Kong and Tokyo? I guess there are a lot of sleep deprived people over there.

I didn't realize that WDW's space mountain was one of the most thrilling rides on earth, right up there with Millenium Force and X2. It always seemed a little slow and bumpy to me. Now don't get me wrong, I'm glad that WDW has a unique space mountain layout and all that, but I think people are going a little overboard in trying to justify the scope of this refurb.

VERY good post. :wave:

Main Street USA · Nov 11, 2009

Buried20KLeague said:
You'd probably do well not to assume you know my travel patterns and where I spend my money, as well.

I'm already doing well, in this case, because I never said you were a WDW regular. You need to read again. I said "if you go." Of course, by going in a month, whether you like it or not, you fall under the category of the type of person that you already berated for "allowing them to do whatever they want."

Buried20KLeague · Nov 11, 2009

Atomicmickey said:
"WDW getting the worst end of the stick."

Yes, it get so much less than all the other 4-park, 2-water park, multi-resort properties on the globe.

"a WORTHY next-gen e-ticket"

Worthy of what? Your personal blessing? Wow . . .

"WDW gets away with what they get away with. In Paris, Tokyo, or Anaheim it wouldn't fly."

Um, California Adventure? The half-studios in Paris?

"Worthy" of being in the same class as all the other SM's.

I'm not saying Disney doesn't make mistakes. (You should know by now I would NEVER say that!!:lol

But your two examples hold no water. DCA has been recognized as a failure and they're spending upwards of 2 billion to fix it.

The half-studios in Paris was laughable, I'd agree. I couldn't believe how small it was. But they're also fixing that with a huge expansion.

Hence... Exactly what I said is correct: "WDW gets away with what they get away with. In Paris, Tokyo, or Anaheim it wouldn't fly."

hpyhnt 1000 · Nov 11, 2009

DDBB said:
Well when that person is basically saying that a refurbrished Ford Taurus is better than a top of the line, brand new luxury sedan then yes...it is a little hard to comprehend.

Wow, after reading this thread I think the wrong space mountain got the refurb, lol. So let me get this striaght...DL's space mountain is boring and has one of the worst layouts in roller coaster history. In fact it's so boring that the only way they could get people to ride it was to trick it out with state of the art special effects, a brand new smooth track, an onboard soundtrack, and everything else it got in it's rebuild. Yet inspite of all that, the ride is still a snoozefest? Maybe they should start using Disneyland's SM to cure people suffering from insomnia?

That's interesting though, cause if the layout is so horrible and the ride is so boring why in the world did they clone it in Hong Kong and Tokyo? I guess there are a lot of sleep deprived people over there.

I didn't realize that WDW's space mountain was one of the most thrilling rides on earth, right up there with Millenium Force and X2. It always seemed a little slow and bumpy to me. Now don't get me wrong, I'm glad that WDW has a unique space mountain layout and all that, but I think people are going a little overboard in trying to justify the scope of this refurb.

Agreed. The new queue and load area is looking very nice. However, the track itself remains to be seen, and so far all information points that its been relatively minor with only touch-up work in some areas. WDWs SM deserved a new track; not necessarily a new layout but at least a new track and new ride vehicles. This refurb so far has been good and greatly needed, but it has not been the best.

Buried20KLeague · Nov 11, 2009

Main Street USA said:
I'm already doing well, in this case, because I never said you were a WDW regular. You need to read again. I said "if you go." Of course, by going in a month, whether you like it or not, you fall under the category of the type of person that you already berated for "allowing them to do whatever they want."

Well we obviously have VASTLY different views and opinions on the topic.

I'll agree to disagree.

Atomicmickey · Nov 11, 2009

Buried20KLeague said:
"Worthy" of being in the same class as all the other SM's.

I'm not saying Disney doesn't make mistakes. (You should know by now I would NEVER say that!!:lol

But your two examples hold no water. DCA has been recognized as a failure and they're spending upwards of 2 billion to fix it.

The half-studios in Paris was laughable, I'd agree. I couldn't believe how small it was. But they're also fixing that with a huge expansion.

Hence... Exactly what I said is correct: "WDW gets away with what they get away with. In Paris, Tokyo, or Anaheim it wouldn't fly."

It flew for many, many years. Water held.

Again, since no one here knows the extent of the work done, and since it's not even open yet, any pronouncements are vapor at this point.

Again again, any talk of what COULD have been, is also irrelevant. They COULD have done all the things that people say they were going to, and people still wouldn't have liked it.

Kuhio · Nov 11, 2009

DDBB said:
That's interesting though, cause if the layout is so horrible and the ride is so boring why in the world did they clone it in Hong Kong and Tokyo? I guess there are a lot of sleep deprived people over there.

There are lots of reasons that parks choose to clone one version of an attraction over another, and "quality" is not always the primary factor in the decisionmaking. (Why did HKDL get WDW's version of the Pooh ride, and not TDL's Hunny Hunt?)

Cost is an important factor; size/location is another. I'd bet that one of the main reasons they cloned the DL version of SM for HKDL and TDL is because of size/space concerns. (It's also a reason why DL got the original version it did, rather than WDW's version.) WDW's version is significantly larger, and the way in which the queue enters the mountain requires a greater setback. Neither HKDL nor TDL has the luxury of space to the same extent WDW does. And HKDL was built to a much more intimate (read: modest) scale; they could have had Cinderella Castle or DLP's castle there, but chose to go with the much smaller DL version instead. Even if there was room for the WDW SM in their TL, it would seem out of scale compared to the other landmarks in the park, and in comparison to the overall size of the park itself. A larger SM would also detract from the natural effect of having real mountains in the background.

Of course, either HKDL and TDL could have created an entirely new SM that was the same overall footprint as DL's, but with a new, different track layout -- but that would have obviously required a greater investment in time and money.

Anyway, the majority of visitors to HKDL and TDL will not have had the opportunity to compare experiences with WDW's SM, so it's not like most people who ride their SMs come off with some idea of how the track layout compares to WDW's. (And, until relatively recently, most HK-area residents didn't really have much in the way of roller coasters to compare anyway -- not counting the highly scenic but otherwise forgettable options at Ocean Park.) The assessment of the DL-style SMs' track layout as uncompelling and boring is by virtue of having the luxury to compare it to many other roller coasters, not just WDW's SM. If a DL-style SM was the only, or one of the only, roller coasters I'd ever been on in my life, I'd probably be pretty excited by it as well.

DDBB said:
I didn't realize that WDW's space mountain was one of the most thrilling rides on earth, right up there with Millenium Force and X2. It always seemed a little slow and bumpy to me. Now don't get me wrong, I'm glad that WDW has a unique space mountain layout and all that, but I think people are going a little overboard in trying to justify the scope of this refurb.

I didn't claim that WDW's SM is "one of the most thrilling rides on earth," or the equivalent of Millennium Force as a roller coaster. I was just using MF as an example of a coaster that most would agree is superior to California Screamin' in order to make a point about the relative importance of onboard audio to the overall merits of a roller coaster.

Phonedave · Nov 11, 2009

hpyhnt 1000 said:
I agree. All the same, don't leave it exposed concrete; throw down a layer of that sealant paint stuff people put in their garages and I think it would look pretty good. :shrug:

Seeing as the bottoms of the railing still appear to be wrapped in plastic, I hazard a guess there is more work to be done on the floor.

-dave

Pete C · Nov 11, 2009

I wonder which SM SDL will get? With HKDL nearby (relatively), I wonder if they will do something different there.

DisneyParksFan1 · Nov 11, 2009

Phonedave said:
Seeing as the bottoms of the railing still appear to be wrapped in plastic, I hazard a guess there is more work to be done on the floor.

-dave

Agreed.

Buried20KLeague · Nov 11, 2009

Atomicmickey said:
It flew for many, many years. Water held.

Again, since no one here knows the extent of the work done, and since it's not even open yet, any pronouncements are vapor at this point.

Again again, any talk of what COULD have been, is also irrelevant. They COULD have done all the things that people say they were going to, and people still wouldn't have liked it.

How easy do you think it is to come up with billions of dollars for a budget? That's an awful lot of churros. Wouldn't you think that would take a little time? You know how attendance has been at DCA. Execs have known for years what needed to be done. These things take time. Same with Paris. These parks are brand new, relatively speaking, and they're getting MASSIVE cash. To think they ignored the problems would be short-sighted IMHO.

I want to be clear, too... I'm happy they updated the que, and the pictures look great. I said early in this thread that if they did this and also changed the launch and re-entry tunnels, I would consider this refurb passable.

What bothers me are people that are screaming about how great the refurb is overall. To me, if the ride experience hasn't changed, I can't help but be disappointed, to a point.

hpyhnt 1000 · Nov 11, 2009

Phonedave said:
Seeing as the bottoms of the railing still appear to be wrapped in plastic, I hazard a guess there is more work to be done on the floor.

-dave

Yeah, the wrapping on the railings were revealed after my inital comment. Looks like they'll probably end up doing something along the lines of what I suggested they do. Either way, what we see in that pic is not the finished product, so thats good news all around.

Mickey is King · Nov 11, 2009

Looks pretty cool...anything would be better than before....don't get me wrong, space mountain is/was a classic in it's original form, but these days looking a bit outdated with all of the space and tech advances in the past 10 years..I am looking foreward to riding it in a couple weeks to see if anything else has changed- hopefully a new or improved star field projection

DisneyParksFan1 · Nov 11, 2009

Mickey is King said:
Looks pretty cool...anything would be better than before....don't get me wrong, space mountain is/was a classic in it's original form, but these days looking a bit outdated with all of the space and tech advances in the past 10 years..I am looking foreward to riding it in a couple weeks to see if anything else has changed- hopefully a new or improved star field projection

Your dream may just come true... It's been said by the people whom have ridden the TTA that the starfield has great new projections. Some insiders even saying its HD.

Phonedave · Nov 11, 2009

hpyhnt 1000 said:
Yeah, the wrapping on the railings were revealed after my inital comment. Looks like they'll probably end up doing something along the lines of what I suggested they do. Either way, what we see in that pic is not the finished product, so thats good news all around.

Sometimes I plow through all 20 pages of posts before posting. Other times I reply as I get to them.

Floors are a tricky thing. Some floors are easier to install before any sort of hardware, but then you run the risk of damaging them. Others you want to install after the hardware is in place.

I have seen floors done each way. It's clear that its not going to be something like terrazo that would requires grinders to move all around the railings, but it could be some self leveling coating (presuming that the floor is level) or a roll on application. Who knows? When the area is deemed "fininshed" and all the punch lists are done, then I will make my call.

-dave

djkidkaz · Nov 11, 2009

Main Street USA said:
These types of comments are hilarious. If you still go to WDW...ever...then you are ALSO a perfect example of "why WDW gets away with what they get away with."

They'll do whatever they please. Always have, and always will, so long as people like YOU keep giving them money.

Ha!

Your awesome. Thanks for being awesome! :sohappy:

But unfortunately his response will be " I haven't been going to WDW, blah blah blah!" but yet he and others will still come here to complain.

So they are either liars who still go to WDW and just say they don't to win an argument or they are just annoying posters on a board about a place that they don't like anymore. I wouldn't want to be either of those options.

RSoxNo1 · Nov 11, 2009

Atomicmickey said:
"WDW getting the worst end of the stick."

Yes, it get so much less than all the other 4-park, 2-water park, multi-resort properties on the globe.

"a WORTHY next-gen e-ticket"

Worthy of what? Your personal blessing? Wow . . .

"WDW gets away with what they get away with. In Paris, Tokyo, or Anaheim it wouldn't fly."

Um, California Adventure? The half-studios in Paris?

Walt Disney World is far and away the biggest Disney resort. However, I don't think each of the 4 parks stands up as well as you'd think in terms of attraction line up.

Comparing the two Disneyland parks to the four Disney World parks, you'd be surprised how much is piled into the two parks in California. I know I may be alone here, but at this point I think the Magic Kingdom is the only park in Florida that can be considered a full day park. Sure, you can spend a full day at all of the other parks, but in terms of being full of experiences and attractions the Magic Kingdom is the only park that is dense enough in attractions to fit this bill.

Because so much of Epcot and Animal Kingdom are about experiencing the atmosphere as opposed to seeing attractions the argument about the completeness level of these parks is going to be forever debated. With that said, I would argue that purely from an attraction stand point, California Adventure compares favorably to Epcot, Hollywood Studios and the Animal Kingdom. If it doesn't already trump those three parks, it most certainly will after 2012.

Again, it's just a matter of opinion, but if I were to look solely at the stateside parks (as they are the only ones that I've visited), and I look at the attractions that are must sees for me Walt Disney World needs some work.

Magic Kingdom
Must sees (typically every day I'm in the park): Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Haunted Mansion, Mickey's PhilHarmagic, Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
Once per trip (or less frequent): Hall of Presidents, Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan, it's a small world, Monster's Inc Laugh Floor, Carousel of Progress

Epcot
Must sees: Test Track, Turtle Talk with Crush, Soarin'
Once per trip: The Seas with Nemo and Friends, Mission: Space, Spaceship Earth, American Adventure, Living with the Land, Journey into Imagination, O Canada

Hollywood Studios
Must sees: Tower of Terror, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, Toy Story Mania, Muppetvision 3D (odd that typically I don't see this every day at DCA, but I do at DHS)
Once per trip: Great Movie Ride, One Man's Dream, Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, Lights, Motors Action

Animal Kingdom
Must Sees: Kilimanjaro Safaris, Dinosaur, Expedition Everest, Pangani Forest, Maharajah Jungle Trek, Festival of the Lion Kingd
Once per trip: It's tough to be a bug, Tree of Life and Oasis exhibits, Finding Nemo Musical, Kali River Rapids, Flights of Wonder

Disneyland
Must Sees: Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Indiana Jones, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters
Once per trip: it's a small world, Peter Pan's Flight, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Winnie the Pooh, Pinnochio's Daring Journey, Alice in Wonderland, Nemo Submarine Voyage

Disney's California Adventure
Must Sees: Soarin' Over California, Tower of Terror, Aladdin the Musical, Turtle Talk with Crush, Toy Story Mania, California Screamin'
Once per trip: Grizzly River Run

Atomicmickey · Nov 11, 2009

RSoxNo1 said:
Walt Disney World is far and away the biggest Disney resort. However, I don't think each of the 4 parks stands up as well as you'd think in terms of attraction line up.

Comparing the two Disneyland parks to the four Disney World parks, you'd be surprised how much is piled into the two parks in California. I know I may be alone here, but at this point I think the Magic Kingdom is the only park in Florida that can be considered a full day park. Sure, you can spend a full day at all of the other parks, but in terms of being full of experiences and attractions the Magic Kingdom is the only park that is dense enough in attractions to fit this bill.

Because so much of Epcot and Animal Kingdom are about experiencing the atmosphere as opposed to seeing attractions the argument about the completeness level of these parks is going to be forever debated. With that said, I would argue that purely from an attraction stand point, California Adventure compares favorably to Epcot, Hollywood Studios and the Animal Kingdom. If it doesn't already trump those three parks, it most certainly will after 2012.

Again, it's just a matter of opinion, but if I were to look solely at the stateside parks (as they are the only ones that I've visited), and I look at the attractions that are must sees for me Walt Disney World needs some work.

Magic Kingdom
Must sees (typically every day I'm in the park): Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Haunted Mansion, Mickey's PhilHarmagic, Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
Once per trip (or less frequent): Hall of Presidents, Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan, it's a small world, Monster's Inc Laugh Floor, Carousel of Progress

Epcot
Must sees: Test Track, Turtle Talk with Crush, Soarin'
Once per trip: The Seas with Nemo and Friends, Mission: Space, Spaceship Earth, American Adventure, Living with the Land, Journey into Imagination, O Canada

Hollywood Studios
Must sees: Tower of Terror, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, Toy Story Mania, Muppetvision 3D (odd that typically I don't see this every day at DCA, but I do at DHS)
Once per trip: Great Movie Ride, One Man's Dream, Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, Lights, Motors Action

Animal Kingdom
Must Sees: Kilimanjaro Safaris, Dinosaur, Expedition Everest, Pangani Forest, Maharajah Jungle Trek, Festival of the Lion Kingd
Once per trip: It's tough to be a bug, Tree of Life and Oasis exhibits, Finding Nemo Musical, Kali River Rapids, Flights of Wonder

Disneyland
Must Sees: Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Indiana Jones, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters
Once per trip: it's a small world, Peter Pan's Flight, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Winnie the Pooh, Pinnochio's Daring Journey, Alice in Wonderland, Nemo Submarine Voyage

Disney's California Adventure
Must Sees: Soarin' Over California, Tower of Terror, Aladdin the Musical, Turtle Talk with Crush, Toy Story Mania, California Screamin'
Once per trip: Grizzly River Run

Interesting list. Of course, as you stated, that's your opinon. What I see is that if WDW had Aladdin, California Screamin', and Indiana Jones, they they'd be even or WDW would be ahead. 'Cause those are the only of your West Coast 'must sees' that you can't also get at WDW. And, following that, there are a lot more 'must sees' for you on the East coast. So, it all depends on your mood, I guess. I'm not one to debate east coast/west coast at all, though. I love 'em both for different reasons and see no reason to do much comparing.

djkidkaz · Nov 11, 2009

Buried20KLeague said:
I'm currently in our longest stretch without a visit to WDW in 15 years. We've still gotten our Disney park fix... But at other resorts around the world, not at WDW.

We're going in a month to WDW. Because we want to take our new 1 year old to a Disney park at Christmas... And it is by far the easiest to travel to with a baby.

But at the same time... We're not spending every dollar at the Disney parks like we normally do. We're going to Sea World. Uni. Gatorland (which we've never done and are looking forward to).

I completely agree that they'll do whatever they please. That's been evident by the countless number of attractions and restaurants and clubs that they've closed. But that doesn't mean I need to bend over and take it.

You'd probably do well not to assume you know my travel patterns and where I spend my money, as well. :wave:

They're getting some money from me for the first time in years this December, yes. But it's a hell of a lot less than they used to get. If everyone else's travel patterns followed mine in the past couple years, WDW management would be absolutely freaking out.

I'm not the sheep. BAAAAAAAAAAAA.

If you haven't been to WDW in 15 years, why are you here criticizing a place you've only seen in photos and read about on the internet? How can you down something that you haven't experienced for yourself in that amount of time?

Inside WDW new space mountain 11/10/09

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