I think they lean more towards the "ride" enthusiast. They guys who are more into the schematics, engineering, nuts and bolts
I'd actually consider it the art aspect. Though it is part 'construction' like a set designer or an editor albeit they are still 'artforms' with incredible craft, talent, and experience that goes into them.
I adore great cinematography in movies when they work with the sets and costumes, and we as filmgoers subconsciously are aware of what 'good' is whether we've studied it or not.
It's when you then study film or another art medium like theme park rides, that you can see the little details like the inventiveness, pacing, tightness, writing, symbolism, etc. that make it really special, and you appreciate it even more. Those products then are typically not only appreciated as art but typically translate to better enjoyment of a said product.
In Mermaid's example, the biggest issue that keeps it back from a really good ride is that it lacks a cohesive narrative, has jarring transitions, and the art direction is inconsistent. Movies can be judged on those merits as well. It doesn't always equate to a definite product because there are so many things that go into something. However, there's a reason why some random inexperienced person can't go up there and make an elegant, cohesive, motion picture. In theory, someone may like it, but for all intents and purposes, it's objectively poorly made. You can't objectively say which is the best film or ride, but you can objectively measure the specific artforms and craft of rides. Then we can subjectively through logic understand why some are the best, or what makes something a good product (there are many different ways to end up). Actual enjoyment is personal. If you enjoy it, great! But there's a reason Stitch's Great Escape or the current Figment are panned even as
some people may like it.
Not every good movie or ride or other pieces of art will be enjoyed by everyone, but it allows it to be in demand by enough people and stand as an achievement in its own right. Imagine if Haunted Mansion did not have the incredible writing, set design, and pacing? If Disney didn't attempt these things they would be no different than Six Flags.
As I said, there are different purposes for different things and you can still enjoy something, but Mermaid could have been much better if they put more effort into making it a spectacular ride for its budget and constraints with initial changes. That's part of the point of an analysis like this, but the even bigger reason is to get the best product in the first place. Using logic and info like this, that's how things are crafted through experience. The writer simply knows about the subject very well.
Why settle? I'd say enjoy what we have, but always strive for the best and learn from the past mistakes.
