News Tron coaster coming to the Magic Kingdom

[lazyboy97o]

@egg; Sure, images can be cherry-picked. Yours is an example of the extreme opposite; an under construction photo from a vantage point pretty much only viewable to those climbing the treehouse and zooming in with their camera or staying at the Contemporary Resort. But as the Skyway has taught us; any attraction/location that offers views from on high is always going to reveal some backstage that we're not "meant" to see.

I'm not trying to say that Disney gets sightlines correct 100% of the time. They absolutely don't. I think Guardians of the Galaxy is probably one of the most egregious examples of this I have seen in recent years. That said, I don't think the image you shared is what "most" Guests are going to be seeing. Most Guests walking up are going to have a ground level view that looks more like this:

View attachment 704290View attachment 704292

Is the show building still slightly visible in this example? Sure. But no where near the issue your original image made it out to be.

But I'll be fair, too and say that there definitely is an area Disney needs to improve the sightlines for day Guests and that would be the Storybook Circus/Barnstormer:

View attachment 704294

While one could make the argument that only small children and their families waiting in line for Barnstormer would be subject to this view (thus being less likely to notice or care), I don't think that's a proper case to be making. This view in particular absolutely should be worked on and could absolutely be simply fixed with some more stinkin' (taller) trees.

You get to the canopy and the thing you see under it is the box.

 

[DavidDL]

You get to the canopy and the thing you see under it is the box.

Had a hard time figuring out what area you were referring to specifically, at first. As stated previously, I have not had a chance to experience it myself in person. But after digging around, I assume you mean once you finally make it to this vantage point:

Otherwise, it looks like this:

Originally, I was going to make a "grid" pun but I think that would play down the fact that I actually think you are right here. Like the Storybook Circus example, the view from the Restrooms beneath the canopy is absolutely bad show. Which is a shame because the examples provided all seem like they could be easily fixed.

Will they? Probably not (unless there are some trees meant to grow in somewhere). Should they? Yes. Will it be a deal breaker for me when I get there in person? Probably not.. but anything is possible. I guess I'll just have to wait and see when I go and judge it for myself, in-person.

 

[Incomudro]

Pictures like this are truly wonderful, but they have to be so carefully picked out. Most people aren’t looking in that direction and seeing that, instead they’re seeing the building, as they walk up to the ride. I’d guess that more often, in person, people are seeing stuff like this:
View attachment 704272

Who sees this???
Guests in helicopters?

 

[DavidDL]

We’re at that phase of a new ride opening where criticisms that have long been accepted as obvious even by defenders (who choose wisely to fight on other, more defensible hills) must be attacked. Tron is horrendously placed and far too similar to Space. It may arguably be fun, exciting, aesthetically enchanting, a worthy addition to the Magic Kingdom - but it is still horrendously placed and far too similar to Space.

Dark rides are an entirely different matter. They should be viewed as a medium, like film, that can serve an endless variety of stories in every possible genre. They emphasize tone, mood, narrative, visual and audio style, etc. and in doing so offer huge range for creativity. Saying MM is like HM may be true to the extent that Fast 9 is like My Dinner with Andre - they’re both films, but they differ in every other significant way to the extent that the original statement is meaningless.

Theoretically, all this is true also of dark-ride/ coaster hybrids. They have certain inherent limitations- most obviously, they tend to be shorter and feature a much heavier emphasis on physical sensation that fights for focus with storytelling elements. But some coaster hybrids have clearly overcome and/or taken advantage of these limitations - notably Thunder and Hagrid. This makes the indictment of Disney’s string of incredibly similar sci-fi-y coasters in a box even sharper. They make no effort to be significantly different. They’re coasters in the dark, with vague, impressionistic lighting effects - even GotG, which tries and fails to emphasize story to a more significant degree. It’s a shocking failure of imagination.

For the record, my remarks were not meant to be an "attack". I'm sorry if they felt that way to you. You could hold the opinion that TRON should be burnt to the ground and hate it with a passion and while I'd be inclined to disagree with you, that'd be your opinion and I couldn't tell you that you're wrong to hold it. I hold similar beliefs about other attractions and their placement/presentation (like Mission: BREAKOUT!, which I despise) so far be it from me to tell you what to believe. Just know I'm not here to attack anyone.

But to springboard off the notion of opinions; I think it's important to remember that they are just that. Every single Guest who walks through those turnstiles or comments here has their own, completely different and totally arbitrary set of "rules" constructed in their mind that will affect how they view, and their time, in the parks. So while you may think TRON feels horribly placed and too similar to Space, myself and many others might not. TRON is obviously violating whatever rules you've constructed for Magic Kingdom but it's important to remember that those rules aren't engraved as law anywhere. -and as much as I despise something like Mission: BREAKOUT!, many others enjoy it. So I try to remind myself of that reality every once in a while, too. I don't make the rules for anyone but myself. It's nearly impossible to define what's objectively "right", "wrong", "good" or "bad" since we're really just deciding for ourselves. Once we make the decision to enter the park, we're really just Guests along for whatever ride the powers that be decide to take us on. Whether we decide to support said journey at all is up to each of us.

The theme parks are an art form, which is about the only objective truth here. Art and taste is of course, subjective. -and while I get the feeling I will be inclined to continue disagreeing with you once I finally get there and experience the attraction for myself, just know that I think your stance on this matter (like that of others) is to be respected, not attacked.

 

[James Alucobond]

Who sees this???
Guests in helicopters?

Literally everyone staying at the Contemporary. And rooms facing this sell for a premium.

 

[MisterPenguin]

@egg; Sure, images can be cherry-picked. Yours is an example of the extreme opposite; an under construction photo from a vantage point pretty much only viewable to those climbing the treehouse and zooming in with their camera or staying at the Contemporary Resort. But as the Skyway has taught us; any attraction/location that offers views from on high is always going to reveal some backstage that we're not "meant" to see.

I'm not trying to say that Disney gets sightlines correct 100% of the time. They absolutely don't. I think Guardians of the Galaxy is probably one of the most egregious examples of this I have seen in recent years. That said, I don't think the image you shared is what "most" Guests are going to be seeing. Most Guests walking up are going to have a ground level view that looks more like this:

View attachment 704290View attachment 704292

Is the show building still slightly visible in this example? Sure. But no where near the issue your original image made it out to be.

But I'll be fair, too and say that there definitely is an area Disney needs to improve the sightlines for day Guests and that would be the Storybook Circus/Barnstormer:

View attachment 704294

While one could make the argument that only small children and their families waiting in line for Barnstormer would be subject to this view (thus being less likely to notice or care), I don't think that's a proper case to be making. This view in particular absolutely should be worked on and could absolutely be simply fixed with some more stinkin' (taller) trees.

When you get to the red X (see below) heading to TRON, you can't see the BBB any more. You're forced up against the trees and can't see over them.

They just need to so the same in the highlighted orange below. Just get tall, columnar evergreens.

 

[DavidDL]

Literally everyone staying at the Contemporary. And rooms facing this sell for a premium.

Not to get too far off topic but some of those rooms they're selling for a premium are an absolute joke. I saw a video of the "Edna Mode" room they were charging close to $900 dollars a night for and just.. yeah. Gross.

While I don't think backstage sightlines are something that a literal 14 floor hotel is going to be able to avoid when it's built right next to a theme park, the amount they charge and what is offered is definitely something Disney has the power to do something about.

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

Pictures like this are truly wonderful, but they have to be so carefully picked out. Most people aren’t looking in that direction and seeing that, instead they’re seeing the building, as they walk up to the ride. I’d guess that more often, in person, people are seeing stuff like this:
View attachment 704272

Not that it would have completely solved the problem, but imagine if they had at least done something like this with the Canopy:

 

[No Name]

You get to the canopy and the thing you see under it is the box.

Yup.

 

[James Alucobond]

While I don't think backstage sightlines are something that a literal 14 floor hotel is going to be able to avoid when it's built right next to a theme park ...

This is precisely why Space Mountain was built with views from practically every angle in mind. Seeing the show building isn't as much of an issue if the show building just looks decent. They didn't have to do anything extravagant, but concealing the emergency stair, softening some of the corners, and cladding the building in a modified version of the dimensional paneling on the adjacent Chevrolet building in Shanghai would have helped a lot.

 

[DavidDL]

Yup.
View attachment 704303

Clearly the portion of the show building pictured here where you enter the "Grid" segment of the attraction is meant to be seen. Otherwise it would have been painted blue like the other sides that aren't hiding so well.

It's not like this GIF is showcasing something Disney forgot to hide or did "wrong". This is the intended design for this area of show building. Whether or not you believe it to be a style that fits well in Tomorrowland or otherwise matches the feeling/aesthetic TRON Lightcycle Run is going for on the whole is obviously up to you. I don't mind it because I've actually given the outdoor canopy area of this attraction some serious thought in the past. I didn't care for it when I first saw it and had a hard time wrapping my head around the decision by whatever creatives were involved to send us outside on a TRON coaster.

We get digitized into the world of TRON, then we get launched outside and then we're on the game grid? What's up with that? But when I took a step back and thought about this area under it's "upload" context, the choices they were making started to become more clear. Files move through the air into separate digital devices and back all the time. Even now at work (when I post about Disney to get away from the mundane), I send files to wirelessly to the printer next to me on a regular basis. The attraction is doing the same thing when we launch, sending us from one device to another.

Now, my printer is not exactly Cinderella Castle, from a visual standpoint. I think if it were, things wouldn't feel quite right to me. The side of building you've shared definitely has more in common with it than, say, the mountain range of Pandora (right down to the ports on the side that sort of look like where the vehicles are entering and Guests are exiting).

TLDR; I think this portion of the building actually serves its narrative purpose well enough. You're entering "the Grid", which means you're entering a digital device of some kind. Which more often than not, tend to look more like what is pictured here and less like the peaks of Everest. Hate this side of the building if you want but it's intentional, not a mistake.

 

[Casper Gutman]

To what extent does the attraction explain the central premise of the IP, that you are being “digitized” and put inside a computer? Is that made explicit within the attraction? As far as I can tell, there’s no threshold crossed, no moment when you move from our world to the “digitized” world. On the same note, to what extent is the reasoning behind the bike battle explained? It seems like the attraction just assumes riders will be quite familiar with the films.

 

[UNCgolf]

We get digitized into the world of TRON, then we get launched outside and then we're on the game grid? What's up with that? But when I took a step back and thought about this area under it's "upload" context, the choices they were making started to become more clear. Files move through the air into separate digital devices and back all the time. Even now at work (when I post about Disney to get away from the mundane), I send files to wirelessly to the printer next to me on a regular basis. The attraction is doing the same thing when we launch, sending us from one device to another.

Now, my printer is not exactly Cinderella Castle, from a visual standpoint. I think if it were, things wouldn't feel quite right to me. The side of building you've shared definitely has more in common with it than, say, the mountain range of Pandora (right down to the ports on the side that sort of look like where the vehicles are entering and Guests are exiting).

TLDR; I think this portion of the building actually serves its narrative purpose well enough. You're entering "the Grid", which means you're entering a digital device of some kind. Which more often than not, tend to look more like what is pictured here and less like the peaks of Everest. Hate this side of the building if you want but it's intentional, not a mistake.

You leave the building and re-enter the same building with nothing else between, though. I don't think your "upload" context makes any sense because of that.

I also don't think Disney has ever indicated that's what's supposed to be happening. I honestly think you're putting more thought into explaining why the building is like that than Disney did when they designed it.

 

[DavidDL]

When you get to the red X (see below) heading to TRON, you can't see the BBB any more. You're forced up against the trees and can't see over them.

They just need to so the same in the highlighted orange below. Just get tall, columnar evergreens.

View attachment 704299

Be that as it may, it's still really visible from where the photographer is taking the photo. Since this area is meant to feel like Storybook Circus and not like the Grid or Tomorrowland, I think they should patch this sightline up even more than what you've been so kind to share with us (thank you!). I understand that in many cases it's unavoidable (ie. I can see the Matterhorn while waiting in line for Space Mountain at Disneyland) but this structure isn't as "pretty" from other areas of the park. Aside from certain areas inside Tomorrowland or the TRON plaza itself, they should do what they can to hide the box, especially since it seems like such a simple fix.

 

[No Name]

Clearly the portion of the show building pictured here where you enter the "Grid" segment of the attraction is meant to be seen. Otherwise it would have been painted blue like the other sides that aren't hiding so well.

It's not like this GIF is showcasing something Disney forgot to hide or did "wrong". This is the intended design for this area of show building. Whether or not you believe it to be a style that fits well in Tomorrowland or otherwise matches the feeling/aesthetic TRON Lightcycle Run is going for on the whole is obviously up to you. I don't mind it because I've actually given the outdoor canopy area of this attraction some serious thought in the past. I didn't care for it when I first saw it and had a hard time wrapping my head around the decision by whatever creatives were involved to send us outside on a TRON coaster.

We get digitized into the world of TRON, then we get launched outside and then we're on the game grid? What's up with that? But when I took a step back and thought about this area under it's "upload" context, the choices they were making started to become more clear. Files move through the air into separate digital devices and back all the time. Even now at work (when I post about Disney to get away from the mundane), I send files to wirelessly to the printer next to me on a regular basis. The attraction is doing the same thing when we launch, sending us from one device to another.

Now, my printer is not exactly Cinderella Castle, from a visual standpoint. I think if it were, things wouldn't feel quite right to me. The side of building you've shared definitely has more in common with it than, say, the mountain range of Pandora (right down to the ports on the side that sort of look like where the vehicles are entering and Guests are exiting).

TLDR; I think this portion of the building actually serves its narrative purpose well enough. You're entering "the Grid", which means you're entering a digital device of some kind. Which more often than not, tend to look more like what is pictured here and less like the peaks of Everest. Hate this side of the building if you want but it's intentional, not a mistake.

Wow, that’s a wildly imaginative justification of what is, in reality, just the cheapest warehouse structure.

In Shanghai the whole building is the same go-away blue color, but here they realized that wouldn’t fly and made a decision to slightly lean into it. That doesn’t make it meant to be seen, considering how the canopy tries to hide it from their preferred views of the ride. And even if it were, that wouldn’t make it even half decent.

 

[DavidDL]

You leave the building and re-enter the same building with nothing else between, though. I don't think your "upload" context makes any sense because of that.

I also don't think Disney has ever indicated that's what's supposed to be happening. I honestly think you're putting more thought into explaining why the building is like that than Disney did when they designed it.

With all respect, the canopy structure is named the "upload conduit". Type that phrase into Google and you'll see what you get. -and before you launch, the attraction narration informs you to prepare for "upload sequence". I think it's pretty clear you're getting uploaded somewhere.

-and while yes, you are leaving and entering the same building, I think narratively it still works any way you slice it. From the videos of the attraction I've seen, the launch tunnel and re-entry point feel far enough removed to sell the illusion. -and even if it's the same device, it still works because you could simply be "uploaded" into a different part of it. Since I don't know what it would actually be like to digitize myself and be sent into the top vs the bottom of my cell phone, I am willing to buy the suspension of disbelief they are selling here.

 

[UNCgolf]

With all respect, the canopy structure is named the "upload conduit". Type that phrase into Google and you'll see what you get. -and before you launch, the attraction narration informs you to prepare for "upload sequence". I think it's pretty clear you're getting uploaded somewhere.

-and while yes, you are leaving and entering the same building, I think narratively it still works any way you slice it. From the videos of the attraction I've seen, the launch tunnel and re-entry point feel far enough removed to sell the illusion. -and even if it's the same device, it still works because you could simply be "uploaded" into a different part of it. Since I don't know what it would actually be like to digitize myself and be sent into the top vs the bottom of my cell phone, I am willing to buy the suspension of disbelief they are selling here.

I'm pretty sure the launch itself is the "upload", but that doesn't carry on for the rest of the attraction. When the launch happens, you've been uploaded. The actual ride is a light cycle race from the film; it's not supposed to be a simulation of being uploaded somewhere from start to finish.

 

[Poseidon Quest]

Without replying to anyone specifically, I had heard (not sure where, maybe these boards?) that the exterior part of the ride was intentionally done to show Chinese audiences that this was a rollercoaster. I know that Magic Kingdom's Space Mountain is the single most responsible attraction for ride safety standards across the U.S. because of how dangerous it was when it opened and people had no idea they were getting onto a rollercoaster.

That being said, I like the kineticism of the coaster going by as you queue up. There's a lot of debate over how this makes sense within the context of the ride, but I don't think there's really anything to read into. The track isn't diegetic in the story of the attraction, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't work as an experience. I haven't ridden it yet and while I suspect it will feel unfulfilling, I don't have an issue with it at a conceptual level.

Also for those arguing that it's redundant to put it next to Space Mountain, I disagree. While definitely a cousin to Space Mountain, the ride experience is different enough that I don't see them as equivalents. I have a far larger issue with Guardians existing at Epcot, which is essentially just a newer Space Mountain with a thin Guardians overlay. Epcot did not need an attraction like that, even if the coaster portion is admittedly fun.

 

[DavidDL]

I'm pretty sure the launch itself is the "upload", but that doesn't carry on for the rest of the attraction. When the launch happens, you've been uploaded. The actual ride is a light cycle race from the film; it's not supposed to be a simulation of being uploaded somewhere from start to finish.

Sorry, I think there is some confusion with what I said.

My understanding of the attraction, because the canopy is called the upload conduit by Disney, is that you are digitized into the world of Tron and board your Lightcycle. You then are “uploaded” to the game grid via the launch/outdoor upload conduit portion of the ride.

Once you are back inside the show building, I agree, you are no longer being “uploaded”. The transfer is complete at this point. You’ve made it to the game grid and immediately begin your task of capturing 5 energy gates before team red.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Clearly the portion of the show building pictured here where you enter the "Grid" segment of the attraction is meant to be seen. Otherwise it would have been painted blue like the other sides that aren't hiding so well.

It's not like this GIF is showcasing something Disney forgot to hide or did "wrong". This is the intended design for this area of show building. Whether or not you believe it to be a style that fits well in Tomorrowland or otherwise matches the feeling/aesthetic TRON Lightcycle Run is going for on the whole is obviously up to you. I don't mind it because I've actually given the outdoor canopy area of this attraction some serious thought in the past. I didn't care for it when I first saw it and had a hard time wrapping my head around the decision by whatever creatives were involved to send us outside on a TRON coaster.

We get digitized into the world of TRON, then we get launched outside and then we're on the game grid? What's up with that? But when I took a step back and thought about this area under it's "upload" context, the choices they were making started to become more clear. Files move through the air into separate digital devices and back all the time. Even now at work (when I post about Disney to get away from the mundane), I send files to wirelessly to the printer next to me on a regular basis. The attraction is doing the same thing when we launch, sending us from one device to another.

Now, my printer is not exactly Cinderella Castle, from a visual standpoint. I think if it were, things wouldn't feel quite right to me. The side of building you've shared definitely has more in common with it than, say, the mountain range of Pandora (right down to the ports on the side that sort of look like where the vehicles are entering and Guests are exiting).

TLDR; I think this portion of the building actually serves its narrative purpose well enough. You're entering "the Grid", which means you're entering a digital device of some kind. Which more often than not, tend to look more like what is pictured here and less like the peaks of Everest. Hate this side of the building if you want but it's intentional, not a mistake.

You’re completely skipping over that this isn’t just a scene from the ride. It’s your entry experience into the ride. You walk up to and enter the box. No part of the box is painted sky blue either, it’s not supposed to be hidden from any angle.

The ride going outside was not a creative choice. It was, to be blunt, a racist choice. Disney believed the Mainland Chinese audience would not understand an entirely indoor roller coaster. That is why you go outside.

A warehouse does not have any sort of aesthetic association with the notion of technology. Nobody thinks that even though a printer might be considered generic design just as a warehouse might be considered generic design. TRON’s unique aesthetic is itself a romantic imagining of a high tech digital world. In Legacy we see that Flynn was not just using some beige box to host The Grid, but a custom computer that has a giant desk sized touchscreen. The show building does not at all align with the movie’s depiction of digitization and entering The Grid or movement around The Grid, which we also see.