why is one ride so amazing tech and the other looks like a bunch of plastic? How can the same company produce two totally different rides experiences? Do the same imagineers review the rides before giving them the green light?
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Navi river ride vs. little mermaid ride
- Thread starter POLY LOVER
- Start date
Bairstow
Well-Known Member
Different teams, different times, different budgets?
Most of the figure fabrication on Little Mermaid was farmed out to Garner Holt, whereas the Avatar stuff was done mostly in-house with oversight from James Cameron.
The most fundamental difference in the aesthetics, I would suppose, is that the source material is so drastically different. One is a partially live-action, photo-realistic film, and the other was a traditionally-animated cartoon that was drawn and inked by hand.
Most of the figure fabrication on Little Mermaid was farmed out to Garner Holt, whereas the Avatar stuff was done mostly in-house with oversight from James Cameron.
The most fundamental difference in the aesthetics, I would suppose, is that the source material is so drastically different. One is a partially live-action, photo-realistic film, and the other was a traditionally-animated cartoon that was drawn and inked by hand.
Yert3
Well-Known Member
I like UtS. Don't know why so many don't. It's a charming attraction. In fact, I didn't even know it existed the first time I rode it in California Adventure. We watched World of Color and then just happened on this attraction and I really loved it. This was back before New Fantasyland and was thrilled when I learned they were bringing it to Florida.
You could say the same about say Superstar Limo vs Haunted Mantion.
correcaminos
Well-Known Member
This absolutely cracked me up! I feel pretty much the same. We will ride the little Mermaid but not if we have to wait more than 5 minutes it's cute, but not very well done. At least it was a step up from Nemo.
Superstar Limo closed right? Not sure I'd compare it to that, unless you are implying that Little Mermaid won't last...
both looked cartoonish to me when I watched, though proportions of faces and such differed. I'd say it was more about budgets than source really. Though comparing Little Mermaid to older rides, I do wonder what they were thinking.
One could say the same thing about a wooden wagon wheel and a no flat tire. Both are round but developed at different times fr different times.
I understand budgets etc. but the lighting, seeing the exposed ceiling, plastic fish. No real under the sea transition. No big money fixes just some creativity, I could fix it with about 200,000 or less. My position is you spent time and money and when you invest that much you have to deliver.
Brad Bishop
Well-Known Member
I'm not a fan of TLM (the ride at MK) It's OK and maybe a step up from Nemo but I wouldn't wait more than 5min for it. For as excited as I was about NFL, this ride was a big factor in leaving me with a "meh" attitude after.
There is one thing to consider: It's all taking place in the water. No other ride has to fake animation under the water. You could say, "But what about 20,000 Leagues???" It was actually under the water. The natural flow of hair and other bits look normal in that situation. For TLM, they had to fake it and, all other things considered, I could see how they went with the plasticy-stylized versions of the characters because of it. When you consider the whole "under the water" bit and still making it look right, it's hard to imagine a different way of doing it.
There is one thing to consider: It's all taking place in the water. No other ride has to fake animation under the water. You could say, "But what about 20,000 Leagues???" It was actually under the water. The natural flow of hair and other bits look normal in that situation. For TLM, they had to fake it and, all other things considered, I could see how they went with the plasticy-stylized versions of the characters because of it. When you consider the whole "under the water" bit and still making it look right, it's hard to imagine a different way of doing it.
Bender123
Well-Known Member
Please never bring up Superstar Limo again...Its basically the prime example of Disney cheapness in the late 1990s and early 2000s. No matter how cheap Mermaid looks, it will never look as bad as that ride. the first JIYI looks like Phantom Manor compared to that ride and JIYI was basically a warehouse with static props.
The memory of that ride brings nightmares and terror to small children.
Bairstow
Well-Known Member
The Nemo ride at Epcot does that.
It's gone now, but there was a neat underwater section on Horizons.
Then there's the "dry" rendition of 20K:
Brad Bishop
Well-Known Member
That's pretty cool (dry 20K).
JIMINYCR
Well-Known Member
Because Disney isnt about to scrap what they have already in place every time something new is brought in. Each new attraction that has updated technology makes the old ones look older and less impressive but the cost of updating would be oppressive. As long as guests continue to wait in line and ride, its doing its job. Until theres massive failures and guest burn out it wont be touched.
Cmdr_Crimson
Well-Known Member
Shouldn't be Navi River vs Living with The Land....both rides show mostly nothing...
Horizons '83
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- No
I can't believe it lasted as long as it did, less than a year. What a disaster that was...
Chef Mickey
Well-Known Member
Disney dropped the ball with Mermaid, like they did with all of New Fantasyland. It is an outstanding show building and a very unimpressive actual ride experience. If I'm not mistaken, they tried to fix the lighting issues and "seeing" other guests so much, but the ride fell miserably flat even still.
Chef Mickey
Well-Known Member
Living with the Land is a great attraction...
Cmdr_Crimson
Well-Known Member
And I mean that as a good thing it has nothing elaborate.. A very simple message which is good...Love the music on that ride..
Navi River Journey....Same Premise....Nothing but visuals.....Big Animatronic at end...that's it...
Chef Mickey
Well-Known Member
Na'vi River Journey was somewhat disappointing, IMO.
The more I think of it, Flight of Passage could have also been better. The land was beautifully crafted, however. I just think Iger has been terrible from an attractions perspective for WDW. FOP is an E-Ticket but instead of being the best E-Ticket at Disney, it's like the 5th best. New should always be pushing the boundries. I think they went a little too "screeny" for FOP and should have focused more on an awesome physical ride experience, combined with the VR.
Cmdr_Crimson
Well-Known Member
Now that you think about it....Pandora is just The Land......Outdoors...Minus a Riffing movie with the Lion King characters...