Spirited News, Observations & Thoughts Tres

[Ariel484]

Uh, wha? You must not ride a lot of coasters. Out local amusement has at least a half dozen coasters that are superior to Everest in every way but the themed queue. It's an good ride, but I can't imagine making any "best coaster" list anywhere.

I think I've read that you're close to Kings Island, right? Have you been to Cedar Point yet?

I went to Disney for the first time in 1995 after going to Cedar Point every summer, and I remember exiting Space Mountain and saying, "...that was it?" Granted now that I'm older I can definitely appreciate the theming Disney's coasters have, but best coaster? Definitely depends on one's definition of "best."

 

[hiptwinmama]

I could foresee the Sci-Fi Dine in, converted to StarWars themed experience. Still a drive in, but in antigravity ships similar to this. And with StarWars type movies playing and heavy re-themeing.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

The planet Earth doesn't have many good themed coasters, under the premise that anything with a naked track-pylon portion (e.g. Dueling Dragons, Mystery Mine, On Crystal Wings, Manta, etc.) would not qualify as wholly-themed. A fully-themed coaster is a rarity, and to my knowledge, only Disney has achieved it out-of-doors. (Kudos to them for continuing to do it with HK's Grizzly Mountain and the Dwarfs' Mine Train).

It would be great to see Universal complete its first outdoor, fully-themed coaster with this Amber Mine Ride rumor.

Disney fans have a very narrow definition as to what counts as themed. They only deal with the singular art form known as "Realism". There is no room in their minds for the other art form that is often used in theming coasters and that is "Impressionism". Both forms will have their strengths and weaknesses. Realism is great because obviously things look realistic. But it's weakness is that your content is SEVERELY restricted. You end up with a lot of trains buried in Mountains. With the Disney fans strict rules of themeing, you will never get 2 flying dragons fighting, or Hulk rampaging from building to building. Disney did theme 2 of their coasters in the impressionistic style (RnR, and Space Mtn.), But they just use the cover of darkness from being inside. So, it's either Mtn./Train or Dark.
But the old famous Disney Fanboi "dig" about Coaster Track = Six Flags gets really old. It is not Universal's fault Disney fans aren't intelligent enough to "get" impressionism.

 

[wdwmagic]

you will never get 2 flying dragons fighting, or Hulk rampaging from building to building. Disney did theme 2 of their coasters in the impressionistic style (RnR, and Space Mtn.), But they just use the cover of darkness from being inside. So, it's either Mtn./Train or Dark.
But the old famous Disney Fanboi "dig" about Coaster Track = Six Flags gets really old. It is not Universal's fault Disney fans aren't intelligent enough to "get" impressionism.

LOL that is a very creative description of what are basically bare steel coasters at Uni. Good coasters, but largely unthemed, whether you want to be realistic or something else.

It is nothing to do with not getting it, or lack of intelligence. Universal spent a much smaller sum of money to put in a bare steel coaster with minimal theming. Disney spent considerably more to produce highly themed coasters, but with an obvious less emphasis on the thrill.

Each have their fans - and that is fine. But don't try to pretend that Universal have some higher level of design that regular folks can't grasp.

 

[Fractal514]

I would trade theming for thrills any day of the week. I personally find the bare bones look of the coasters at most amusement parks to be thrilling to see from a distance, but ugly as hell up close.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

A lot of guests who go to Disney don't like or want big coasters. Nothing wrong with such rides but they don't generally go with the overall spirit of Disney park's. At least to many guests.

Disney used to be the place to find the world's largest steel coaster (Matterhorn) and delivered BIG thrills on Space Mountain in 1974. Disney Parks being for Little Girls and Grandmas and the folks that had to drive them there is a relatively new thing.

 

[wdwmagic]

Disney used to be the place to find the world's largest steel coaster (Matterhorn) and delivered BIG thrills on Space Mountain in 1974. Disney Parks being for Little Girls and Grandmas and the folks that had to drive them there is a relatively new thing.

Both of those were done in the setting of great theming however. Today the world's largest coasters need to be of sizes that make proper theming extremely difficult, and are typically very low capacity and not suitable for the family - which of course is Disney's area.

 

[DougK]

I find it amusing that the place that gets the most hype these days-- Be Our Guest -- was the only lousy Disney meal in weeks both on the seas and at the World. I'm glad the blogging whores who dine for free love it. I'd sooner burn my money before dining there again. Rude server, absurd policies, loud, crowded dining room and mediocre cuisine. I'd have more to say, but I'm having a discussion with a Disney exec this week about the experience, so I'll just leave you with a warning that you really shouldn't dine there. It sucks.

Spirit, first of all welcome back! And you are 100% dead-on with your feelings about Be Out Guest!

The place is pretty impressive to look at, but the food is horrible and the prices are too high. I had some kind of seafood in puff pastry dish and it had NO FLAVOR at all. And since I ate there in the opening weeks Disney has already managed to raise the prices! I feel Disney really wasted an opportunity here. Why not make it expensive and GREAT!? Instead we get expensive and BAD. Oh but at least you can get a beer with your bad food.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

LOL that is a very creative description of what are basically bare steel coasters at Uni. Good coasters, but largely unthemed, whether you want to be realistic or something else.

It is nothing to do with not getting it, or lack of intelligence. Universal spent a much smaller sum of money to put in a bare steel coaster with minimal theming. Disney spent considerably more to produce highly themed coasters, but with an obvious less emphasis on the thrill.

Each have their fans - and that is fine. But don't try to pretend that Universal have some higher level of design that regular folks can't grasp.

I greatly disagree that Dueling Dragons, in it's original form" was a bare steel coaster. It had great themeing and solid storytelling. How would you theme the flight paths of 2 flying dragons?

A bare steel coaster would be something like "Mind Eraser" at Six Flags Elitch Gardens.

There is a great deal of difference in the artistic content of Dueling Dragons and Mind Eraser.

 

[Soarin' Over Pgh]

Actually - I found the ballroom not impressive at all, just as you say, it does have a cafeteria feel. And looking up did not help at all for me.

I am aware that I am in the minority with this opinion and maybe partly this is due to having been in so many castles with ballrooms or great halls similar to this. So to me it just looked like a fake copy. I did not mind the fact that the ceiling is flat that much, but I have seen far better trompe-l'œil effects, too. The thing that really bothered me though were the little angels on the ceiling. I had read somewhere that they used portraits of the imagineers' children for these and the problem is that this shows as they have modern day haircuts instead of lots of curls as proper angels in a ceiling like this should have. So all that effort they put into the place was rather lost on me.

I also found it way too dark in the restaurant for dinner, to a level that was not attractive anymore. And I could even argue that it's not really authentic. From everything I read people who had castles like this usually were able to afford enough candles and mirrors to light the place up. And the scene from the movie seems to be in brighter light as well.

I also find the practice of letting people wait for their ADR on a bridge rather strange considering the typically wet Florida weather. I do hope that if it rains they let people wait in the entrance hall?

Agreed. In my trip report I'm pretty sure I touched on all that you mentioned aside from the bridge. The day I was there for lunch (I had a FP+ for lunch and bypassed the outdoor line entirely) the line of people stretched from the front door all the way across the bridge and halfway around the right side. People looked positively miserable standing there. No shade, and it was rather hot that day. I felt bad for them. But inside, the main room was too loud and crowded, the west wing was SO DARK i was amazed that people were actually seated there, trying to eat... and the third room was practically empty, which I find borderline appalling considering the massive line outside.

I actually liked my lunch, but the entire process was just a nightmare.

I won't be back to BoG.

 

[tissandtully]

So to me it just looked like a fake copy.

Because it is? It's also from a movie with a prince who turns into a monster. Good grief, the nitpicking. I'm not saying it isn't without flaws, but come on. Yes, the angels are a bit creepy, I wish they were more subtle.

 

[flynnibus]

I greatly disagree that Dueling Dragons, in it's original form" was a bare steel coaster. It had great themeing and solid storytelling. How would you theme the flight paths of 2 flying dragons?

besides being in a wooden alcove.. how would you say the ride itself was themed? Oh.. and painting one track red and one blue.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I thought it was interesting because while she works at AAA, she told my parents that she clearly wasn't a theme park enthusiast or fanboi type, rather she'd been on family trips over the years and has seen the slide at WDW and she specifically pointed out the compare and contrast with Universal and SeaWorld and their cost vs. the Mouse. It shows that more people are getting it and it's not a good sign that those that help dish out travel advice and sell tickets aren't doing the Mouse's bidding anymore. They'll still get bodies filling the MK, but as time passes, if the press stops shilling for them and starts pointing out their shortfalls, the market won't like it, nor will the board.

What a wonderful attitude. I don't like it so you won't either type! And of all things selling vacations trips through AAA, a known sponsor and supporter of Disney Parks. I do hope she has a back-up job someplace else. I don't see a long future for her at AAA.

 

[tissandtully]

besides being in a wooden alcove.. how would you say the ride itself was themed? Oh.. and painting one track red and one blue.

There's a huge wall! As someone who got to ride it without the wall, I can say theming was definitely broken when you could see the parking lot of Dr. Phillips High School.

 

[tissandtully]

What a wonderful attitude. I don't like it so you won't either type! And of all things selling vacations trips through AAA, a known sponsor and supporter of Disney Parks. I do hope she has a back-up job someplace else. I don't see a long future for her at AAA.

Agreed. That just seems unprofessional. It's like me working at a movie theater and making fun of the films in front of a customer.

 

[flynnibus]

What a wonderful attitude. I don't like it so you won't either type! And of all things selling vacations trips through AAA, a known sponsor and supporter of Disney Parks. I do hope she has a back-up job someplace else. I don't see a long future for her at AAA.

Uhh.. isn't the job of your travel agent to give you advise and insight into your travel ideas? I certainly wouldn't want to goto a travel agent that all they did was blow sunshine up your rear about every product out there.

 

[tissandtully]

Uhh.. isn't the job of your travel agent to give you advise and insight into your travel ideas? I certainly wouldn't want to goto a travel agent that all they did was blow sunshine up your rear about every product out there.

Not when WDW is a big partner.

 

[flynnibus]

Not when WDW is a big partner.

Even worse... you're saying they are biased.

 

[marni1971]

What a wonderful attitude. I don't like it so you won't either type! And of all things selling vacations trips through AAA, a known sponsor and supporter of Disney Parks. I do hope she has a back-up job someplace else. I don't see a long future for her at AAA.

The truth can hurt. Partner or not isn't it refreshing to have a realistic opinion?

 

[luv]

1. Many families like coasters.

2. People don't pay AAA to give them the Disney line. Also, Uni and Sea World make it much easier for AAA to give people info on their parks.