News Tron coaster coming to the Magic Kingdom

ToTBellHop

ToTBellHop

Well-Known Member
TrainsOfDisney said:
The beginning of Gringotts is probably the single biggest wow moment I’ve had on an actual ride in Florida.

I’m not sure what “less” you are talking about since both rely so much on screens.
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I was referring to the physicality of the coaster portions. Gringotts barely qualifies as a coaster for me. Meanwhile, Mummy is a pretty small coaster that nonetheless packs thrills and airtime. Cosmic Rewind is enormous and I find the coaster itself to be really fun, mostly due to the novel ride system.
 
TrainsOfDisney

TrainsOfDisney

Well-Known Member
ToTBellHop said:
I was referring to the physicality of the coaster portions. Gringotts barely qualifies as a coaster for me. Meanwhile, Mummy is a pretty small coaster that nonetheless packs thrills and airtime. Cosmic Rewind is enormous and I find the coaster itself to be really fun, mostly due to the novel ride system.
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So if we take the theming away Cosmic Rewind is better..., that’s the argument for an Epcot e-ticket?
 
ToTBellHop

ToTBellHop

Well-Known Member
TrainsOfDisney said:
I guess that wasn’t clear to me. I don’t quite get separating theme from coasters for “theme parks.” To me, Gringotts and the Mummy are excellent themed attractions that also have coaster elements.
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It was perhaps lost in the chain, but we were discussing the length of the coaster, since Cosmic Rewind is the longest indoor coaster. That’s why I was focusing just on the coaster.
 
yensidtlaw1969

yensidtlaw1969

Well-Known Member
Casper Gutman said:
Gringott’s isn’t a great ride, agreed. But the theming and storytelling is MILES better then Rewind (or Tron for that matter) - it’s not even close. Honestly, Gringotts and RotR are an interesting comparison - spectacular theming and clear narratives that obscure some fundamental problems with the basic ride experience. My personal opinion is that SOME (not all) of the Gringotts backlash comes from WDW fans unhappy with how clearly Universal was beating Disney at the things Disney is supposed to do better then anyone else, story and theming, when Diagonal opened. SWL has done a lot to catch WDW up on that front (although I still find the Potter lands superior despite preferring Star Wars as an IP).

Essentially, the question becomes - what do people want most out of a Disney and Universal ride? Deep and nuanced theming and story or fun physical sensations? Since my love of WDW is founded almost entirely on my experiences with classic EPCOT, it’s not much of a question for me.
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I think, ultimately, it comes down to people wanting to have a great experience. Part of the blessing of IP is that you can get a very clear sense of what experiences people want to have. The curse, then, is that if you don’t deliver that experience you’re sunk.

The main flaw with Gringotts, to me, is that the movies set the expectation that the ride will be a rip-roaring coaster ride through the deepest, darkest corners of the bank, where you can witness amazing and magical sights. The ride NEARLY does this, it has ALL the pieces it needs to hit a home run . . . aside from the rip-roaring part. It nails the setup, it nails the scenery, it nails the dark corners of the bank . . . but every time we think we’re about to take off it stops us literally in our tracks. There’s an expectation about the pace and they don’t meet it. The non-canon story elements we encounter do not make up for this. That it’s clear they *could* have nailed this amplifies the disappointment factor.

The same can be said of the Mario Kart ride. In attempting to over-deliver they end up missing the mark on the main thing people wanted - to cut loose on the racetrack of their dreams, just like they do in the game. The main expectation is speed and they never give it to you. No amount of well-produced show sets and AR interactivity make up for failing to deliver what guests wanted more than anything else.

This is also where Rise succeeds - people want the experience of being caught mid-battle in a Star Wars spacecraft, and really feel like they’re in one of those moments. While it leans into the films that most people probably would not have favored, it does this ambitiously, realistically, and thrillingly enough to allow guests to have the sort of feelings they hoped to have. This is part of where Smugglers Run gets caught - they nailed the premise of an experience guests want to have, but the execution doesn’t deliver on the guest’s expectations. What should have been a dream-come-true experience instead feels like a letdown. The ride misses the forest for the trees. All the buttons are in the right place, but the ride fails to deliver the emotional experience guests associate with flying the Falcon. It tasks you with a lot of “realistic” in-world business, but that was never what we were there for.

This is part of why it’s so important to get really clear on the aspirational moment guests want before you start filling it out with “stuff” - the stuff is important, but only to the extent that it supports the thing guests actually want to do. Get that wrong and “stuff” won’t save you.

TRON has the right idea - who wouldn’t want to take a Light Cycle for a spin? But, similar to Gringotts, the action’s over before it really gets going. Womp womp. So close, and yet . . .
 
TrainsOfDisney

TrainsOfDisney

Well-Known Member
yensidtlaw1969 said:
This is also where Rise succeeds - people want the experience of being caught mid-battle in a Star Wars spacecraft, and really feel like they’re in one of those moments.
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I don’t think Rise actually delivers that. The scenes with Kylo are well done and feel real (yes I would prefer Vader... who wouldn’t?) but everything else feels very controlled and tame.... like Gringotts.

I definitely agree though with all your points.
 
yensidtlaw1969

yensidtlaw1969

Well-Known Member
TrainsOfDisney said:
I don’t think Rise actually delivers that. The scenes with Kylo are well done and feel real (yes I would prefer Vader... who wouldn’t?) but everything else feels very controlled and tame.... like Gringotts.

I definitely agree though with all your points.
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Your mileage may vary, of course - but generally Rise seems to have struck the right chord for people, and in ways the other referenced attractions don’t seem to.
 
raymusiccity

raymusiccity

Well-Known Member
mlayton144 said:
Do you even goto Disney ? What other USA theme parks do you attend and how do you think they compare ?
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Dollywood !

PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. -- — During the 2022 Travelers' Choice Best of the Best Awards on Tuesday, Tripadvisor officials announced Dollywood as the number one theme park in the United States and the number eight theme park in the world.Jun 14, 2022
 
bhg469

bhg469

Well-Known Member
preludevtec01 said:
I can't believe there is still any hype around this. Universal has built two, better "coasters" since this was announced. Disney has really dropped the ball.
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While I agree with you there is a perceived difference. Velocicoaster is not for everyone.. It is pretty intense and doesn't have the same rideability as the others in the discussion. However!!!! Hagrids is much more approachable and pretty similar in intensity to cosmic rewind but the theming and landscape are much better. It is still my favorite new ride at all the parks and even if you're not a potter fan, like me, you can love it.

Most of that is moot because some people STILL insist they will never go to that park.
 
SplashJacket

SplashJacket

Well-Known Member
yensidtlaw1969 said:
I think, ultimately, it comes down to people wanting to have a great experience. Part of the blessing of IP is that you can get a very clear sense of what experiences people want to have. The curse, then, is that if you don’t deliver that experience you’re sunk.

The main flaw with Gringotts, to me, is that the movies set the expectation that the ride will be a rip-roaring coaster ride through the deepest, darkest corners of the bank, where you can witness amazing and magical sights. The ride NEARLY does this, it has ALL the pieces it needs to hit a home run . . . aside from the rip-roaring part. It nails the setup, it nails the scenery, it nails the dark corners of the bank . . . but every time we think we’re about to take off it stops us literally in our tracks. There’s an expectation about the pace and they don’t meet it. The non-canon story elements we encounter do not make up for this. That it’s clear they *could* have nailed this amplifies the disappointment factor.

The same can be said of the Mario Kart ride. In attempting to over-deliver they end up missing the mark on the main thing people wanted - to cut loose on the racetrack of their dreams, just like they do in the game. The main expectation is speed and they never give it to you. No amount of well-produced show sets and AR interactivity make up for failing to deliver what guests wanted more than anything else.

This is also where Rise succeeds - people want the experience of being caught mid-battle in a Star Wars spacecraft, and really feel like they’re in one of those moments. While it leans into the films that most people probably would not have favored, it does this ambitiously, realistically, and thrillingly enough to allow guests to have the sort of feelings they hoped to have. This is part of where Smugglers Run gets caught - they nailed the premise of an experience guests want to have, but the execution doesn’t deliver on the guest’s expectations. What should have been a dream-come-true experience instead feels like a letdown. The ride misses the forest for the trees. All the buttons are in the right place, but the ride fails to deliver the emotional experience guests associate with flying the Falcon. It tasks you with a lot of “realistic” in-world business, but that was never what we were there for.

This is part of why it’s so important to get really clear on the aspirational moment guests want before you start filling it out with “stuff” - the stuff is important, but only to the extent that it supports the thing guests actually want to do. Get that wrong and “stuff” won’t save you.

TRON has the right idea - who wouldn’t want to take a Light Cycle for a spin? But, similar to Gringotts, the action’s over before it really gets going. Womp womp. So close, and yet . . .
Click to expand...
This post 10000

Honestly, I felt the same thing with Journey to the Center of the Earth. It never lets loose in the way that it should or could. The buildup is perfect, but the payoff just doesn’t meet the expectations.

Setting the correct expectations is very difficult because everyone comes in with different goals, desires, and preconceived notions, but managing those expectations is quintessential.

Mermaid is a prime example. The entrance and queue lead you to believe you’re entering a flight of passage level experience, but the ride simply doesn’t match it. Besides the abrupt finale, I think Mermaid is a solid attraction, it just fails to correctly set expectations.

Contrast this with Gringotts where it’s facade is massive and front-and-center in the land, the queue is gorgeous and intricate, warning signs and videos warning and showing a high-speed coaster whirling around, and the actual ride’s buildup sets expectations sky-high for an actual coaster segment, but when the time comes, the ride ends.

Gringotts is a fine ride, but if it delivered on its promises, it would be receive universal acclaim. What doesn’t help Gringotts is it’s placement. It’s supposed to anchor the park, anchor the headlining land, and serve as the park’s gold-standard attraction. Largely in part because it fails in these regards, I would put Universal Studios Orlando as Orlando’s worst park, meanwhile I’d put Islands as its best.

Another factor that makes it worse, is because it’s supposed to be the headlining attraction, it usually demands massive waits, which decrease the ceiling for disappointment. Ask anyone who waited three hours for Navi River Journey opening weekend if it was worth it, and they will likely tell you no. Navi is a solid C-ticket. It’s queue, entrance, loading station, and everything else about the attraction properly set expectations. The only blunder is when wait times get out of control, expectations become skewed, because with an increased wait comes a need for an increased payoff.

Shanghai Pirates sets expectations really well. Entering the queue, to boarding the ride, to the first couple scenes, nothing about it draws attention to itself. There’s no pre-show, or really anything that should make anyone believe they’re about to experience one of the best rides on the planet.

Rise’s entrance is very very subdued. Has a prolonged rising action, from the queue, to the pre-show, to the transport, and walking off that ship into the star destroyer into that reveal is just wild. Then the actual ride, and everything in it. Everything seemingly tops what came before it. It never fails to deliver a payoff.

Tron just leaves you wanting more, much like Seven Dwarfs Mine train. An extended mine train could easily be the best ride in Magic Kingdom at the moment, but it’s laughably short length inhibits it. Tron and Mine train have good payoffs, but they’re simply not sustained. They don’t have an expectations problem, they have a ride experience problem. Your expectations could be zero for both attractions, but once you get to the payoff, it’s just not sustained to complete the attraction with a curtsy and bow.
 

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