defending the so called "Cheap" carnival attractions

[Dragonrider1227]

I've been seeing a lot of people complain when Disney makes a ride or a land based on old style carnival or amusement park rides. Saying that it's "cheap," "unimaginative" or "against Walt's dream." ect.
Now, I can actually agree on the cheap part a bit. I'm pretty sure the powers that be green light the idea simply because they're cheap (Hey, Disney's gotta pay for gas too though) But what really burns me on this is when they say they're "Against Walt's dream." The more I heard that, the more I thought if it was true and I realized it isn't if you just take a few steps back.
When Walt started Disneyland, those types of places were the norm and Walt wanted a change. Now, Walt's change has become the norm. More and more of those types of places are closing down in favor of a more Disney or Universal style park so what was once the same old thing everywhere is actually becoming hard to find and a piece of nostalgia for many people and if there's anything Walt Disney was for in his parks, it was nurturing nostlagia. They're also a slice of classic american history. Something else Walt was into preserving in his parks. Also, didn't Walt want to build one of those little amusement parks in his EPCOT city?

 

[fosse76]

I've been seeing a lot of people complain when Disney makes a ride or a land based on old style carnival or amusement park rides. Saying that it's "cheap," "unimaginative" or "against Walt's dream." ect.

And considering many of those rides made their way into Disneyland when it opened would also refute those claims. Disney just dressed them up better.

 

[Dragonrider1227]

Yeah, isn't the carousel in Disneyland (and Disney world I think) actually made from real carousels back in the late 1800s or early 1900s? They just replaced all the wodden horses with fiberglass ones. Not to mention Disney can make sure they stay safe to ride. I mean, I'd ride Paradise Pier's old style carnival rides, but i'd never ride an ACTUAL old style carnival ride. I want to LIVE! :lol:
Also, i've talked to people. There's a surprisingly large amount of people that would actually prefer to go to a simple amusement park than an over the top theme park. I think these are being made for them more than anything else.

 

[hemloc]

and if there's anything Walt Disney was for in his parks, it was nurturing nostlagia. They're also a slice of classic american history. Something else Walt was into preserving in his parks.

Well, at least someone gets the whole point of Dinoland USA and Dino-Rama!!!

 

[SirGoofy]

Well, at least someone gets the whole point of Dinoland USA and Dino-Rama!!!

Ugh, no. The point of Dino-rama was that it is/was cheap. That's the problem with these rides and "minilands" like Dino-rama. There is no creativity put into them, and that's what this company is supposed to be about. Giving the people what they can't get anywhere else. I'm not saying they aren't fun, but they are unoriginal, and there are too many of them in the parks already.

Give me something new, something novel.

 

[Wilt Dasney]

Not everything has to blow you away. If Dumbo and Teacups have a place in Disney, then I think Dinoland is OK.

Plus (and I think this might fall in line with the original post) I've made the argument before that the theme at Dinoland is pretty well executed: the old, classic, somewhat seedy carnival midway that has disappeared in recent years. It might have represented the height of tackiness in Walt's day, but today it represents nostalgia...which is what Walt was all about.

It's somewhat ironic that some of what Walt was trying to escape has today become tied to his vision, but I think it's also appropriate in a way. As Yogi Berra said, nostalgia ain't what it used to be. :lol:

 

[daliseurat]

The problem I have with Dinoland is that it doesn't work at all. It is clearly not some cheapo side of the road attraction. Check out those HUGE Dinos around it. And it just doesn't offer enough. Hey, the Dinodumbo is fine. Not so cheap. How about a dino teacup to go with it? Primeval Whirl is the main offender. It DOES look cheap. It's ugly, and not the sort of ride that belongs at Disney. It's an eyesore. At least they could have put it inside a building shaped like volcano and made it a trip through something. And I wouldn't mind the carney games if the whole thing felt remotely, roadside fairlike.

I have the same problem at DCA. I like most of the old fashioned rides. But the cheap portable crazy mouse once again uglys up the area again. I don't even ind the Orange Stinger as much as many folks do. It just doesn't fit in with the rest of the look. It should have been stuck over in the Farm area in an orange orchard.

 

[progroupie]

Not every ride can be an E-ticket. Not every ride has to be. That's what makes great rides like Splash Mountain or Haunted Mansion so awesome. I think Disney needs a few less expensive rides like the Dumbo style rides to deflect crowds. I think they're all themed reasonably well and meet their intended purpose.

 

[disneymoc]

Not everything has to blow you away. If Dumbo and Teacups have a place in Disney, then I think Dinoland is OK.

Plus (and I think this might fall in line with the original post) I've made the argument before that the theme at Dinoland is pretty well executed: the old, classic, somewhat seedy carnival midway that has disappeared in recent years. It might have represented the height of tackiness in Walt's day, but today it represents nostalgia...which is what Walt was all about.

It's somewhat ironic that some of what Walt was trying to escape has today become tied to his vision, but I think it's also appropriate in a way. As Yogi Berra said, nostalgia ain't what it used to be. :lol:

I actually agree with Wilt Dasney on something. :lookaroun

While some people aren't big fans of Dinoland, I think it works well. Animal Kingdom needed something small like this for rides. And Disney did a great job making it look like the seedy carnival midway it was supposed to look like - right down to the cracks in the pavement.

I look forward to taking my daughter to AK in the future just so she can enjoy this area. It is one of the things I am looking most forward to.

 

[krankenstein]

I do not believe anyone has ever said that all new rides must be E-Tickets. I do not consider TSMM, JIYI, the Fantasyland dark rides, Philharmagic, ITTBAB, or any of the shows to be E-Tickets. However, they are much more immersive, larger in scope, even, dare I say it, more Disney than Dino-Rama or A Bugs Land at DCA.

Whenever you have three rides that virtually the same in one park and another one less than 10 min from the other 3....something is wrong. How many spinners do we need between all 4 parks? How many cheap looking attractions do you allow in before the parks start looking like a mismash of themeing and quick fixxes?

This is coming from someone that actually understands and sort of enjoys the backstory to Dino-Rama. However, there are plenty of quality attractions on the drawing boards at WDI that we do not have to settle for cheap thrills and money taking midway games. If you enjoy such rides so much, Six Flags is callng your name.

 

[Ilovewishes]

I think Dinoland just needs perhaps a little better theming. It just misses something!

I like the idea of it, and I may be in the minority here but, I actually like Primeval Whirl! We always make a point of riding it at least twice each time we go to DAK!

And those carnival games are alot of fun if there are quite a few of you to take each other on!

I'm just not sure it fits in with Dinosaur...

But I love the idea of it!

 

[rsoxguy]

I personally enjoy Dinoland and Dino-Rama. The wonder of a place like Disney World lies in its diversity of sights, sounds, and entertainment. I believe that DW is established as a place of diverse atmospheres for a purpose and we should enjoy each section for what it provides within its own space. For example, we should not discount a place like Frontierland as a hokey, old west scene simply because Tomorrowland looks so futuristic. Each place possesses its own unique charm. I know that Dinoland is a prominent departure from Disney's traditional format, but I believe that a momentary step away from the norm in a place as vast as DW has its own sense of appeal. The distinct differences found within each section of each park are what add to the collective quality of DW. Everyone is certainly entitled to their own opinion, but I believe that we sell a place like DW short when we complain about issues that basically boil down to personal taste. I think that anyone would be hard pressed to disagree that DW consistently provides a great deal of quality in the product that it provides- a fun day.

 

[ToTBellHop]

I actually think Dino-Rama IS imaginative. It has a clear story that I think is fun. The tackiness amuses me, like the fact that they make it clear this was built on an old parking lot. The rides are nothing amazing, nor are they meant to be. Animal Kingdom has far too many E-Tickets, so it needed rides like this. Granted, I would not mind at all if they opened something similar to Midway Mania there...

 

[dolbyman]

until I heard the whole story around the dinoland area (I think it was in one of marnis videos) .. I though that area was very poorly themed ... but I think it fits

 

[MichWolv]

The cheap rides are an interesting study. Even R&RC is actually on the cheap side, in comparison to most roller coaster. Disney does made it immersive.

And that, I think, is the difference we see. We all like immersive attractions, and that is what we expect Disney to provide. Be they E-ticket or not, they are immersive. And when the rides aren't immersive, it doesn't feel as much like Disney.

What Dino-rama and Paradise Pier at DCA try to do is let the atmosphere around the rides be immersive, rather than make the rides themselves immersive. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but there are several reasons that it is a good idea. One reason for that is that it is chepaer to do it this way. It is also, as others have noted, nostalgic. But another reason to do it this way, which I didn't understand until I started bringing my small son to WDW, is that the completely immersive attactions can, quite frankly, be overwhelming to little ones.

When my son was 3, we had a trip to WDW that started pretty badly. He was old enough to really be aware of all that was going on, and it was too much. Spaceship Earth, Winnie the Pooh, Maelstrom, Ellen's Energy Adventure, the Tiki Room, El Rio de Tiempo, Festival of the Lion King, etc...were all too much for him. Finally, we switched our thinking around and looked for things that were less immersive. The Carousel, TTA, Magic Carpets, Dumbo, Toontown Judge's Tent, CircleVision movies, Living with the Land, Big Thunder, Kilamanjaro Safaris, Lights Motors Action, Tom Sawyer's Island, were all fine and he enjoyed them. Not because they are better attractions, but because the theming wasn't as all-encompassing. And around that time, he actually liked DCA better than Disneyland Park because the theming in the park and the attractions is less overwhelming (plus there's actually enough space to move).

 

[Wilt Dasney]

When my son was 3, we had a trip to WDW that started pretty badly. He was old enough to really be aware of all that was going on, and it was too much. Spaceship Earth, Winnie the Pooh, Maelstrom, Ellen's Energy Adventure, the Tiki Room, El Rio de Tiempo, Festival of the Lion King, etc...were all too much for him. Finally, we switched our thinking around and looked for things that were less immersive. The Carousel, TTA, Magic Carpets, Dumbo, Toontown Judge's Tent, CircleVision movies, Living with the Land, Big Thunder, Kilamanjaro Safaris, Lights Motors Action, Tom Sawyer's Island, were all fine and he enjoyed them. Not because they are better attractions, but because the theming wasn't as all-encompassing. And around that time, he actually liked DCA better than Disneyland Park because the theming in the park and the attractions is less overwhelming (plus there's actually enough space to move).

Nice example, Scott. That's all I'm trying to say...let there be a little bit of everything. As long as they keep building mind-blowing, immersive attractions (not just E-tickets, because as your post notes, plenty of immersive attractions aren't E-tickets), then I'm not bothered at all by some simpler, "tame" offerings for the young folks.

They've always been a part of Disney from the beginning, and I think they have a place as long as those of us who prefer the more immersive experiences have something for us as well.

 

[daliseurat]

I actually agree with Wilt Dasney on something. :lookaroun

While some people aren't big fans of Dinoland, I think it works well. Animal Kingdom needed something small like this for rides. And Disney did a great job making it look like the seedy carnival midway it was supposed to look like - right down to the cracks in the pavement.

I look forward to taking my daughter to AK in the future just so she can enjoy this area. It is one of the things I am looking most forward to.

See that's just it. It DOESN'T look like a seedy carnival midway. It DOESN'T look like something someone set up next to a souvenir stand. You have these HUGE dinosaur statues. And an expensive looking DUMBO ride. And the only thing that looks cheap, because it IS, is PRIMEVAL WHIRL. If the whole thing was a collection of Dino-themed carney rides like the SCRAMBLER, TILT-A-WHIRL, HIMILAYA, FLYING SWINGS and so on, Id say yeah, cool. But it doesn't. It looks like someone spent money on not much. 2 rides and some games. Big deal. Fliks Fun Fair at DCA does it so much more believably.

 

[Wilt Dasney]

See that's just it. It DOESN'T look like a seedy carnival midway. It DOESN'T look like something someone set up next to a souvenir stand. You have these HUGE dinosaur statues. And an expensive looking DUMBO ride. And the only thing that looks cheap, because it IS, is PRIMEVAL WHIRL. If the whole thing was a collection of Dino-themed carney rides like the SCRAMBLER, TILT-A-WHIRL, HIMILAYA, FLYING SWINGS and so on, Id say yeah, cool. But it doesn't. It looks like someone spent money on not much. 2 rides and some games. Big deal. Fliks Fun Fair at DCA does it so much more believably.

At least your complaint peels a few more layers off the onion than "HOW CAN THEY PUT SOMETHING SO CHEAP LOOKING AT DIZNEY WURLD????" :lol:


(No offense to those who just take the more straightforward approach in finding fault. It's all in good fun here.)

 

[TubaGeek]

When you go on Expedition Everest, you're not actually on Mount Everest. When you go on Countdown to Extinction you're not actually in a time machine. HOWEVER, when you're at Dino-Rama, you really are at a cheap little park. This is a theme park. Just because it's THEMED like a cheap little park doesn't mean is has to BE a cheap little park.

 

[daliseurat]

When you go on Expedition Everest, you're not actually on Mount Everest. When you go on Countdown to Extinction you're not actually in a time machine. HOWEVER, when you're at Dino-Rama, you really are at a cheap little park. This is a theme park. Just because it's THEMED like a cheap little park doesn't mean is has to BE a cheap little park.

But it ISN'T themed like a cheap little park. It's themed like a CORNY roadside attraction that someone spent a bunch of money on without putting much to do in it. It doesn't have to look cheap or ugly. But it should have more to do and be clever. Flik's Fun Fair looks like a bunch of rides put together by bugs. The land shrinks you down to the size of a bug. Clever. Dino Rama is just not that clever, and Primeval Whirl is cheap an ugly looking. A bunch of DINO themed smaller rides set in a corny looking dig sit would be a far more clever idea.