DHS Monster Inc Land Coming to Disney's Hollywood Studios

[UNCgolf]

I think that would work too. I am less concerned with the ride system and more concerned that they skimp on show elements since the dark ride (if there even is one) could be considered secondary to the coaster shown in the Villians concept art. It’s too early to say anything for sure. I just hope it’s not a coaster and then something like Navi River for the secondary attraction. That would be a big disappointment.

I love Navi River and think it's among the best attractions they've built at WDW this century (to the extent that I actually enjoy it more than FoP now that I've been on both a few times, even though FoP is also excellent -- for me NRJ just feels more immersive/there's more to see on repeat rides, whereas FoP is amazing the first time but not as good after you've seen the movie once)... but I completely agree that a ride like it wouldn't work for Villains. NRJ only works as well as it does because it's not trying to be anything more than a calm C ticket through a beautiful alien rainforest; it didn't really need to do anything else beyond being immersive/transportive, which it does very well.

Villains doesn't have anything remotely similar to that.

Also, the capacity of NRJ is definitely too low.

 

[josiah mazelin]

I don't consider those others family coaster

Height req of 40in and speed of around 30mph… doesn’t get much more “family coaster” than that

 

[Bocabear]

I love Navi River and think it's among the best attractions they've built at WDW this century (to the extent that I actually enjoy it more than FoP now that I've been on both a few times, even though FoP is also excellent -- for me NRJ just feels more immersive/there's more to see on repeat rides, whereas FoP is amazing the first time but not as good after you've seen the movie once)... but I completely agree that a ride like it wouldn't work for Villains. NRJ only works as well as it does because it's not trying to be anything more than a calm C ticket through a beautiful alien rainforest; it didn't really need to do anything else beyond being immersive/transportive, which it does very well.

Villains doesn't have anything remotely similar to that.

Also, the capacity of NRJ is definitely too low.

I get that you really love it, and in general it is a beautiful ride...my problem with it, is that it lacks a sense of story... Like Small World, it is lots of eye candy in a slow moving boat that just sort of ends... The one animatronic is amazing, but the ride needed a finale moment... Maybe a gigantic showroom with the tree of life in the middle and more animatronic creatures.... I think that would have made it a bigger more awe inspiring finale...and would have made it feel even more memorable... To me it is not repeatable like Pirates or Haunted Mansion....and it should have been...

 

[FiestaFunKid]

I do like the immersiveness and also find it more reridable in some ways than FOP.

For me, if not for the budget cuts, it could have been a top tier attraction. It just feels a bit too condensed IMO. What they would have done with the proposed drop and extra ride time would have been interesting.

 

[Bocabear]

Wasn't there also a third attraction...Ground coaster attraction that was listed as a phase2 project?? I thought I read something about that when the land opened.... but as we know, Phase 2 never happens....

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

I get that you really love it, and in general it is a beautiful ride...my problem with it, is that it lacks a sense of story... Like Small World, it is lots of eye candy in a slow moving boat that just sort of ends... The one animatronic is amazing, but the ride needed a finale moment... Maybe a gigantic showroom with the tree of life in the middle and more animatronic creatures.... I think that would have made it a bigger more awe inspiring finale...and would have made it feel even more memorable... To me it is not repeatable like Pirates or Haunted Mansion....and it should have been...

Agreed, I don't feel like I ever have to do it again, at least not until there are SEVERAL other things to do in the park and the wait is about 15 minutes tops.

 

[UNCgolf]

I get that you really love it, and in general it is a beautiful ride...my problem with it, is that it lacks a sense of story... Like Small World, it is lots of eye candy in a slow moving boat that just sort of ends... The one animatronic is amazing, but the ride needed a finale moment... Maybe a gigantic showroom with the tree of life in the middle and more animatronic creatures.... I think that would have made it a bigger more awe inspiring finale...and would have made it feel even more memorable... To me it is not repeatable like Pirates or Haunted Mansion....and it should have been...

Pirates and Haunted Mansion are E tickets and Navi is a C ticket. It doesn't make sense to compare them and say it's not as good because it was never intended to have the scale of those attractions; it isn't supposed to be as good. It's a little like complaining that Winnie the Pooh isn't as good as the Tower of Terror.

I don't disagree with any of your suggestions, but again, they're essentially just complaints that it isn't a D or E ticket.

I would love to have a D or E ticket version of Navi, but it isn't supposed to be that. As a C ticket, it's pretty great and probably the best C ticket at Disney World. I wish Disney designed more rides like it, regardless of the scale -- Tiana, e.g., would be a much better ride if it had the detail that NRJ has.

Of course the wait times are too long, but that's just a function of Animal Kingdom not having enough attractions (and also that it's at least relatively popular and people like it, because people don't wait that long for rides they don't really like regardless of the park).

 

[FiestaFunKid]

As a C ticket, it's pretty great and probably the best C ticket at Disney World.

I like it better than most but the reception from fans online and just anecdotally from people I've taked to (which is quite a few since I talk about Disney Parks too much) is mixed at best. Peter Pan, Snow White, and other dark rides were all C tickets during those days and were far more beloved IMO.

 

[UNCgolf]

I like it better than most but the reception from fans online and just anecdotally from people I've taked to (which is quite a few since I talk about Disney Parks too much) is mixed at best. Peter Pan, Snow White, and other dark rides were all C tickets during those days and were far more beloved IMO.

Yeah, people here seem to hate it... but then the wait times kind of fly in the face of that. Why are people willing to wait so long to ride it if no one really likes it that much?

I mean, I certainly wouldn't wait 60+ minutes to ride it because it's not that kind of attraction, despite thinking it's one of the best attractions they've built this century all things considered (ticket status factored in, e.g.). It regularly has the second or third longest line in the park (and occasionally the longest; it actually beats FoP at times), though, so I don't think it can be blamed solely on a lack of attractions.

Personally, I think it's close to being an Imagineering masterpiece as a C ticket. I don't think the ride needs a story; the point is to be transport you to an alien jungle river and it nails that. The detail is excellent, and it might have the best use of screens on any Disney attraction.

All that said, I definitely wish it was an E ticket, because an E ticket version of NRJ would easily be the best attraction in the park (other than the Safari) and one of the best attractions anywhere at WDW.

 

[The Leader of the Club]

All that said, I definitely wish it was an E ticket, because an E ticket version of NRJ would easily be the best attraction in the park (other than the Safari) and one of the best attractions anywhere at WDW.

Boy, have I got some good news for you about DCA.

 

[UNCgolf]

Boy, have I got some good news for you about DCA.

Yeah, I don't know how good that will actually be without Joe Rohde in charge. I could see something with a larger scale but significantly less detail based on many of Disney's other recent builds.

I kind of doubt it will be an E ticket version of NRJ, but I'd love to be surprised. I know it's rumored to use the Shanghai Pirates system, which means it'll likely rely heavily on screens. In my mind, an E ticket version of NRJ would continue to use screens for background movement etc. like current NRJ but have actual physical sets everywhere while adding a ton of AAs, and I don't think that's what we will get at DCA.

I'm also nowhere near as impressed with Shanghai Pirates as other people, though. I do think it's good, but the overreliance on watching movies really drags it down.

 

[dennis-in-ct]

I feel like at Disney things snowball as word gets out it is popular so people strategize to get in it and mental energy to make sure you get on it or your trip is ruined, which makes the line longer which makes people spend even more time ensuring they get to ride, and so on

Like no reason Peter Pan should get the line it does but everyone knows the line is long so focus on riding it, etc

The queue for Peter Pan is really well done. Definitely part of the immersion and draw of the ride.

 

[The Leader of the Club]

The queue for Peter Pan is really well done. Definitely part of the immersion and draw of the ride.

And that’s a recent addition. It was drawing these crowds even before the queue refresh

 

[UNCgolf]

And that’s a recent addition. It was drawing these crowds even before the queue refresh

Peter Pan has a tiny hourly capacity, that's the biggest reason it gets such long lines. That's part of the reason for NRJ's long lines too, although its capacity is a few hundred higher per hour than Peter Pan.

Frozen Ever After is like this too.

 

[JackCH]

Pirates and Haunted Mansion are E tickets and Navi is a C ticket. It doesn't make sense to compare them and say it's not as good because it was never intended to have the scale of those attractions; it isn't supposed to be as good. It's a little like complaining that Winnie the Pooh isn't as good as the Tower of Terror.

I don't disagree with any of your suggestions, but again, they're essentially just complaints that it isn't a D or E ticket.

I would love to have a D or E ticket version of Navi, but it isn't supposed to be that. As a C ticket, it's pretty great and probably the best C ticket at Disney World. I wish Disney designed more rides like it, regardless of the scale -- Tiana, e.g., would be a much better ride if it had the detail that NRJ has.

Of course the wait times are too long, but that's just a function of Animal Kingdom not having enough attractions (and also that it's popular and people like it, because people don't wait that long for rides they don't really like regardless of the park).

I agree. As I said earlier the only real problem with Navi is it shouldn't be the "second" attraction, but is perfect as a third or fourth.

 

[GoofGoof]

I get that you really love it, and in general it is a beautiful ride...my problem with it, is that it lacks a sense of story... Like Small World, it is lots of eye candy in a slow moving boat that just sort of ends... The one animatronic is amazing, but the ride needed a finale moment... Maybe a gigantic showroom with the tree of life in the middle and more animatronic creatures.... I think that would have made it a bigger more awe inspiring finale...and would have made it feel even more memorable... To me it is not repeatable like Pirates or Haunted Mansion....and it should have been...

Exactly this ^ It’s not what the ride is that I have the biggest problem with….its what it could have been. A better ending, some additional AAs and a basic story would have all made it better. If they made it with larger boats and/or maybe double loading they could have almost doubled the capacity coming similar in capacity to a ride like Pirates. AK was in desperate need of another true people eater and FoP is not great for capacity either.

Pirates and Haunted Mansion are E tickets and Navi is a C ticket. It doesn't make sense to compare them and say it's not as good because it was never intended to have the scale of those attractions; it isn't supposed to be as good. It's a little like complaining that Winnie the Pooh isn't as good as the Tower of Terror.

I don't disagree with any of your suggestions, but again, they're essentially just complaints that it isn't a D or E ticket.

My complaint is that it isn’t a D or E ticket . If a land has 2 rides both should be no less than D and preferably E. See Galaxy‘s Edge and hopefully now Tropical Americas . Obviously Monsters will only have 1 E ticket with a show and Cars seems like an E and something smaller. My original reason for bringing up Navi was not to bash the ride but more to say I hope the 2nd ride in Villians does not get the “supposed to be a C ticket” treatment. If they wanted to build an E and 3 Cs that may actually work but if it’s 2 rides both need to be co-headliners.

 

[UNCgolf]

My complaint is that it isn’t a D or E ticket . If a land has 2 rides both should be no less than D and preferably E. See Galaxy‘s Edge and hopefully now Tropical Americas . Obviously Monsters will only have 1 E ticket with a show and Cars seems like an E and something smaller. My original reason for bringing up Navi was not to bash the ride but more to say I hope the 2nd ride in Villians does not get the “supposed to be a C ticket” treatment. If they wanted to build an E and 3 Cs that may actually work but if it’s 2 rides both need to be co-headliners.

That I agree with -- I think Navi as executed is a wonderful C ticket, but Pandora either needed it to be a D/E or they needed a separate D ticket (preferably the latter, since 3 attractions would be better than 2).

Also agree that Villains should not be an E ticket and a C... especially if a roller coaster is the E, since a coaster isn't really conducive to telling a story or featuring the characters at all.

 

[SpectreJordan]

Exactly this ^ It’s not what the ride is that I have the biggest problem with….its what it could have been. A better ending, some additional AAs and a basic story would have all made it better. If they made it with larger boats and/or maybe double loading they could have almost doubled the capacity coming similar in capacity to a ride like Pirates. AK was in desperate need of another true people eater and FoP is not great for capacity either.

My complaint is that it isn’t a D or E ticket . If a land has 2 rides both should be no less than D and preferably E. See Galaxy‘s Edge and hopefully now Tropical Americas . Obviously Monsters will only have 1 E ticket with a show and Cars seems like an E and something smaller. My original reason for bringing up Navi was not to bash the ride but more to say I hope the 2nd ride in Villians does not get the “supposed to be a C ticket” treatment. If they wanted to build an E and 3 Cs that may actually work but if it’s 2 rides both need to be co-headliners.

Monsters is a mini-land and an addition to capacity atleast. But I definitely agree with you for the other lands.

 

[Garyjames220]

Any guesses to when work will start on this project

 

[GoofGoof]

Monsters is a mini-land and an addition to capacity atleast. But I definitely agree with you for the other lands.

Monsters in theory could have been a larger land, but yes, I agree that the project “as is“ makes sense to be a headliner, a show and some dining and shopping. It’s what fits that space without losing Star Tours and I would not trade star tours for a 2nd Monsters ride. It also saves the larger space in AC for a more substantial land that will hopefully feature multiple D/E tickets. I know, I know….I am preparing to be disappointed