Time to Replace PotC at MK

[Goofyernmost]

I do sometimes come out of left field, but only because I sometimes have troubles conveying my meaning. My thought for some reason can't match my vocabulary. I agree with what you are saying that as their property they have the right to what ever they do with it. I also see it as art that shouldn't have to change because the standards have changed. I also believe that rides made under Walt Disney's direction, shouldn't need to be changed. On the other hand, I do like fresh inventiveness, but there are ride classics that I would like to see the same. When rides do change I feel some of the decision is probably influenced by negative feedback Disney gets from the surveys they ask people to do. You are right some would see things as repugnant, but then it was a ride designed to see a glimpse of the golden era of piracy, so changing scenes is like changing history. I guess my opinion doesn't matter, but some days I just wish it would. Thank you for listening to my rant.

It wouldn't surprise me at all if pirates bought chickens (or stole them) and the occasional wench (or stole them). Pirates be pirates, ye bucket a bilge water. I can see that making that change might upset some, hell, it upsets me a little, but, as someone said, it is a theme park cartoonish ride. Whether Jack is in it or they are buying chickens or rum or women, it is of little consequence really and absolutely none to the first timers or future generations. Actually I doubt that a pirate would pay for any of it, so much for history. That is perhaps 5% of the ride. Where was the uproar when they stopped the pirates from chasing the women around and the women started chasing the pirates. The was a change in the history as well. Actually Jack only took the place of a couple of AA's. His placement did two things, first, it bought the ride into an identifiable place with the younger crowd and, second, it put in an extremely good AA to replace the "historic" ones. The ride was still about Pirates and Jack was a pirate. Very little of the message was different with his inclusion. And the only thing that changed about the ride is what we remember seeing from before.

 

[Kitchandro]

I do agree the ride has been gutted by all the changes over the years. Not just by trying to be too PC, but by adding unecessary things from the films like Jack Sparrow and in particular the mermaid singing, which is horrendous. Seriously, why would you add that in when that scene was so atmospheric?

However, I can't bring myself to have it replaced. Most of all because I dread to think what it would be replaced with. Probably something based on a recently released film, doubtless something nobody considers a classic.

POTC has to stay in as many parks as possible simply because it's so iconic and so original. It's one of the triumphs of Walt's original vision and the imagineers of that time.

 

[Berret]

Has anyone's life been demonstrably altered by the recent changes in PotC? I'm just curious, because some people act like Disney murdered a member of their family when they made the changes. I get nostalgia and it being an iconic ride and all, but to say that an entire ride needs to be taken out because of change made by its creators is a bit much.

 

[eliza61nyc]

Has anyone's life been demonstrably altered by the recent changes in PotC? I'm just curious, because some people act like Disney murdered a member of their family when they made the changes. I get nostalgia and it being an iconic ride and all, but to say that an entire ride needs to be taken out because of change made by its creators is a bit much.

Lol dude or dudette it's a bit scary isn't it. Like Disney holds the secret to peoples happiness.

Lol
I think we should start a rumor that they are sticking Eddie Murphy in HM and watch the meltdown

 

[Master Yoda]

Lol dude or dudette it's a bit scary isn't it. Like Disney holds the secret to peoples happiness.

Lol
I think we should start a rumor that they are sticking Eddie Murphy in HM and watch the meltdown

Well...just be thankful the movie was not successful.

 

[Berret]

Well...just be thankful the movie was not successful.

You know, I never saw that movie, thankfully, but I did hear how terrible it was. I have to believe though, if it had become a cash cow like the PotC movies, that we'd be seeing Eddie Murphy popping up inside HM.

 

[Master Yoda]

You know, I never saw that movie, thankfully, but I did hear how terrible it was. I have to believe though, if it had become a cash cow like the PotC movies, that we'd be seeing Eddie Murphy popping up inside HM.

The worst thing about the movie was the casting. Switch out a few actors and it would have been a fair movie.

 

[IMFearless]

I think the issue people have with the change is simply that people have an emotional attachment to films, music, art or in this case theme park rides.

Why are cover versions of songs not considered as good as the original version? Why are film remakes rarely as good as the original movie? Why haven’t they commissioned an up to date artist to add their own touch to the Mona Lisa?

It’s because people want to revisit the familiar version they know and love.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Yes, but, the very words and actions of Walt himself should tell you that there is a good chance that he would have made a lot of those changes and no one would have complained. He never intended the place to be a museum. Pirates, HM, CoP and a few others might have been gone long ago and replaced with what he felt was new and current. We don't know that and these are not sacred shrines, they are mechanical acting and scrips. We got used to them and liked them, but, so many don't even give it any chance that a change might be as good, if not better. Had the auction scene started out selling chickens there would have been a massive uproar if they had changed it to "the redhead". It isn't important to the overall story, it was just what they call a gag in the business. It was funny, but, not necessary and people that had never been to the ride will think nothing is wrong at all.

 

[Kitchandro]

Yes, but, the very words and actions of Walt himself should tell you that there is a good chance that he would have made a lot of those changes and no one would have complained. He never intended the place to be a museum. Pirates, HM, CoP and a few others might have been gone long ago and replaced with what he felt was new and current. We don't know that and these are not sacred shrines, they are mechanical acting and scrips. We got used to them and liked them, but, so many don't even give it any chance that a change might be as good, if not better. Had the auction scene started out selling chickens there would have been a massive uproar if they had changed it to "the redhead". It isn't important to the overall story, it was just what they call a gag in the business. It was funny, but, not necessary and people that had never been to the ride will think nothing is wrong at all.

Yeh but it's a bit of a cheap argument to quote Walt everytime something new is unpopular at Disney (I see it a lot on here). Walt didn't say things should be changed for the sake of it even if it diminishes the experience or makes a ride worse in some way.

As I've said in the other thread, there have been a lot of poorly-excused changes (and reasoning does matter to people when it comes to these things, some are more understandable than others) on POTC and the ride as a whole is of a much lower quality now. Some people may not notice little things, but over a period of time all these things add up to the bigger picture.

This isn't like Space Mountain when it was refurbished and the sound effects changed. I much preferred the older ones but it doesn't ruin the ride. In the case of Pirates it's more noticeable.

A lot of people have been going to the parks for many years and they will obviously be able to tell that it's a different experience now. You can't just look at the parks from the point-of-view of first time visitors. The history and soul of the park is important as that is the reason people come from all over the world to go to them. It's why they are unique. It's why I want to take my own first time visitors one day.

Pirates is still a ride with merits but it's not the classic it used to be either.

 

[larryz]

You know, I never saw that movie, thankfully, but I did hear how terrible it was. I have to believe though, if it had become a cash cow like the PotC movies, that we'd be seeing Eddie Murphy popping up inside HM.

Imagine Eddy Murphy doing his best impression of Madame Leota...

 

[Goofyernmost]

Yeh but it's a bit of a cheap argument to quote Walt everytime something new is unpopular at Disney (I see it a lot on here). Walt didn't say things should be changed for the sake of it even if it diminishes the experience or makes a ride worse in some way.

As I've said in the other thread, there have been a lot of poorly-excused changes (and reasoning does matter to people when it comes to these things, some are more understandable than others) on POTC and the ride as a whole is of a much lower quality now. Some people may not notice little things, but over a period of time all these things add up to the bigger picture.

This isn't like Space Mountain when it was refurbished and the sound effects changed. I much preferred the older ones but it doesn't ruin the ride. In the case of Pirates it's more noticeable.

A lot of people have been going to the parks for many years and they will obviously be able to tell that it's a different experience now. You can't just look at the parks from the point-of-view of first time visitors. The history and soul of the park is important as that is the reason people come from all over the world to go to them. It's why they are unique. It's why I want to take my own first time visitors one day.

Pirates is still a ride with merits but it's not the classic it used to be either.

My comment about Walt was not about the good or the bad about changing something, it is usually used as an argument against changing anything because Walt was part of it. Now there are many things that are still there for two reasons, one, he was involved in its creation and two, they are good attractions. And since Walt is gone that is a good thing, but, that doesn't make everything untouchable just because we, personally, don't want to see it gone. GMR didn't even have a sniff from Walt unless he communicated from the grave. And his words about the philosophy of how they should be run was that. "it would be constantly changing" that is not how Walt's name is used now" and he is spinning in his grave if they change anything. Most of the things that have ever been removed since he passed are things that we personally might have liked, but, where not pulling their weight. We all guess about that because TWDC isn't likely to release the actual numbers or the actual reasons, because frankly it is none of our business. If enough people attended some attraction that Disney felt was worth keeping as a draw, it would still be there, because they don't kill off a cash cow.

I use Walt's name strictly to remind people that change in Walt's parks was a fundamental promise that Walt believed in changing things that had staled or became irrelevant and was mostly taking up space.

 

[eliza61nyc]

I think the issue people have with the change is simply that people have an emotional attachment to films, music, art or in this case theme park rides.

Why are cover versions of songs not considered as good as the original version? Why are film remakes rarely as good as the original movie? Why haven’t they commissioned an up to date artist to add their own touch to the Mona Lisa?

It’s because people want to revisit the familiar version they know and love.

The difference I think being is that unlike music and film, if theme parks don't change they become old and stale. Take the great movie ride, as much as I loved it it was depressingly old and worn out. Most young guest didn't know about the old Tarzan and when I showed it to my teens they fell over laughing at how corney it was.
Disney HAS to stay fresh, when the mouse world first opened it was unique in that there werent many vacation destinations specifically geared for families. Now the options are wide. Disney either keeps up or the die

 

[Gelatoni]

The auction update is stupid to me but I wouldn't ditch the entire ride over one scene.

 

[wombat]

As soon as a pirates group comes forward and claims that the ride is racist and degrading to them and their profession, then it will officially be the end. People are so weak and pathetic today. If our great grandfathers were here to see us today they'd smack us around.

Well said. There seems to be a growing number of people who find offence/disapointment in the smallest of things these days. It is only a ride. I bet our grandfathers and military personnel are glad they only had to fight wars and not go on a theme park ride

 

[NickMaio]

Close this bridge already - - - - stop feeding the Troll

 

[_caleb]

...but why is my Idea of free speech tramped on, due to some one eleses idea of moralities.

I know you’re trying to make a point here, but it seems like you may have overstated a bit.

The reason the story was changed was that society has changed significantly since the ride was created. When it comes to storytelling, the audience is the most important ingredient. A story that connects with one audience will probably need to be retold/reimagined in order to connect with another audience.

Old Westerns used to be “cowboys vs. Indians” affairs. Now, people are much more sensitive to how Native Americans are depicted (and how negative depictions have negatively impacted that community). Now the Old West story is being retold in order to connect with a new audience; heroes and villains are much more complex. Native Americans and White Hats are shown as “good guys” and “bad guys.” This is not trying to change history, it’s telling a better story.

With Pirates, its the same thing. All the changes to the ride make the story make sense to an audience who may not automatically identify with the Plunderers, Interrogator, and Auctioneer (because they themselves have been plundered, interrogated, and auctioned off). When all audiences see themselves in both the heroes and the villains, the story is made better.

 

[_caleb]

POTC stopped being POTC when they added Jack Sparrow. With each update it gets worse and worse. It was never my favorite attraction but it was still a must do. Now... I guess I'd see it if the wait time was low.

Adding in Jack Sparrow seems like it helped imagineers tell a richer story (Jack’s personality, history, and character have been fleshed out over the course of 5 movies now) than they could with characters that have no backstory. I’m not a huge fan of how they added him in, but to me, it seems like a very good opportunity to connect with the audience and tell a richer story that extended beyond the ride.

 

[yensid67]

IMO, I see POTC being transformed into Jack Sparrow Adventures...kind of still with Pirates but more updated to the movies! I don't like the idea because this is an attraction that WAS based on fantasy...when pirates were real. Now, we DO have pirates that board ships and take cargo and hostages! How can you use a 'fantasy' of Swash-Buckling Pirates with eye patches, peg legs and shoulder sitting parrot compared to the real life pirates we have now? How would you change this attraction to incorporate more 'pirate fantasy' or should it transform to real life piracy?

 

[yensid67]

I think that since Jack Sparrow is a MOVIE character, they should move it in some capacity to DHS as The Adventures of Captain Jack Sparrow! Sounds like a good show to me-but at the place for movie franchises-DHS!