Studios search lights missing?

AEfx

AEfx

Well-Known Member
ISTCNavigator57 said:
Exactly. Loss of one thematic item would be forgivable; we've seen a wave of decisions like this.
Click to expand...

And something that has this much impact, and is relatively lost cost to run (as I calculated/guesstimated above based on how much other spotlights cost to run - $10/hr in electricity, and if they want to save that - there are much better ways).

I think they served several purposes, several of which masked/assisted in issues particular to MGM:

* Helping people orient themselves in the park at night - the Studio's have the least natural/logical layout of the four parks. All the other parks you can pretty much make a full lap around, at the Studio's you have to backtrack (mostly because of the original design, where a good portion of the park was inaccessible by foot). They have tried to emulate that in areas of the park, but it's the only one that really has "dead ends" and not many distinctive "lands" to differentiate where you are.

* It's something that the average person only sees on TV and movies representing Hollywood - if you are from a major city, you might not be impressed by them, but they definitely have an "awe" factor (and, again, for something relatively cheap - compared, to, say a castle).

* The Studios have the least "build up"/"cool down" factor of all the parks. ToT helped somewhat, but the way it's situated off-center still makes it feel separated in a way. These lights, while they didn't help with the "build up", helped with the "cool down" exit experience, so once you are out of the turnstiles you didn't just feel you were in some mall parking lot. Something that kids (and adults) could look back at as they left as the final image of their day. You can't quantify that sort of thing numerically, but it seems ten bucks an hour at night, plus maintenance was certainly worth it.

So, it is important - I'm not going to lambast Disney without evidence that it simply was a cost-cutting measure (I think there must be more to it), but people that miss why something like this is significant I feel bad for - I'm guessing they are not old enough to remember where magic like this was around every corner, and wasn't whittled down until it was nothing but the "bare neccesities". It was called the Disney Difference.

I feel old. But grateful that I got to see it that way - and ever hopeful that someday, those times will return.
 
marni1971

marni1971

Park History nut
Premium Member
The Villains night searchlights were temporary, in the echo lake area.

Universal and Citywalks reminded me how DTD used to look, let alone MGM.
 
wdw71fan

wdw71fan

Well-Known Member
The lights bring a kinetic energy, a 'pulse' to the park.... Try walking around the animation courtyard at 8pm on a 10-11pm close... it's desolate and lifeless..

I'll look into the lights, and what the deal is.. Perhaps a 'bring back the lighting' campaign is in order...... I suspect that the real reason has more to do with the hat and it's thematic lighting than anything else..
 
TRONorail10

TRONorail10

Active Member
AEfx said:
And something that has this much impact, and is relatively lost cost to run (as I calculated/guesstimated above based on how much other spotlights cost to run - $10/hr in electricity, and if they want to save that - there are much better ways).

I think they served several purposes, several of which masked/assisted in issues particular to MGM:

* Helping people orient themselves in the park at night - the Studio's have the least natural/logical layout of the four parks. All the other parks you can pretty much make a full lap around, at the Studio's you have to backtrack (mostly because of the original design, where a good portion of the park was inaccessible by foot). They have tried to emulate that in areas of the park, but it's the only one that really has "dead ends" and not many distinctive "lands" to differentiate where you are.

* It's something that the average person only sees on TV and movies representing Hollywood - if you are from a major city, you might not be impressed by them, but they definitely have an "awe" factor (and, again, for something relatively cheap - compared, to, say a castle).

* The Studios have the least "build up"/"cool down" factor of all the parks. ToT helped somewhat, but the way it's situated off-center still makes it feel separated in a way. These lights, while they didn't help with the "build up", helped with the "cool down" exit experience, so once you are out of the turnstiles you didn't just feel you were in some mall parking lot. Something that kids (and adults) could look back at as they left as the final image of their day. You can't quantify that sort of thing numerically, but it seems ten bucks an hour at night, plus maintenance was certainly worth it.

So, it is important - I'm not going to lambast Disney without evidence that it simply was a cost-cutting measure (I think there must be more to it), but people that miss why something like this is significant I feel bad for - I'm guessing they are not old enough to remember where magic like this was around every corner, and wasn't whittled down until it was nothing but the "bare neccesities". It was called the Disney Difference.

I feel old. But grateful that I got to see it that way - and ever hopeful that someday, those times will return.
Click to expand...
You've provided a very detailed description of what purpose the lights served, but have not provided any information as to why they have been shut off for so long. I get the point you've made a million times, you love the friggin' lights... blah, blah, blah. Now provide me and everybody else on here with another reason why they have been gone for so long, since you don't think it has anything to do with money. :bored:
 
unkadug

unkadug

Follower of "Saget"The Cult
wdw71fan said:
The lights bring a kinetic energy, a 'pulse' to the park.... Try walking around the animation courtyard at 8pm on a 10-11pm close... it's desolate and lifeless..

I'll look into the lights, and what the deal is.. Perhaps a 'bring back the lighting' campaign is in order...... I suspect that the real reason has more to do with the hat and it's thematic lighting than anything else..
Click to expand...
A store's lighting scheme should not usurp the lighting scheme of the whole park.
 
ABQ

ABQ

Well-Known Member
Are these the lights? Circled in red?
GMR.jpg
 
JenniferS

JenniferS

Time To Be Movin’ Along
Premium Member
It's a very old, very lame family joke:
Where are those lights coming from?
MGM.
Yeah, but where are those lights coming from?
MGM.
Yeah, but where are those lights coming from?

We can do it for 10/20 minutes straight. Multiple times/day.

It would be great if we could resurrect this beloved routine. Not so great for those around us though.
 
Disneyhead'71

Disneyhead'71

Well-Known Member
DManRightHere said:
Nifty. So these exist now? The first photo has 5 beams and the 2nd has 7 beams. Are the 2 outside beams in different locations them?
Click to expand...
Look at the image of the roof of TGR building again. Only five are circled, but there are 7 lights up there. The 2 outside lights are farther out from the 5.
 

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