Yup. Makes me wonder- is OLC kind of losing their mojo?
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The Miscellaneous Thought Thread
- Thread starter mickEblu
- Start date
Yup. Makes me wonder- is OLC kind of losing their mojo?
ThemeParkTraveller
Well-Known Member
I think it's just an issue with current WDI. OLC just holds the purse strings.
True. I just thought OLC cracked the whip where they had to get things right. But I agree, WDI is just not very strong right now.
Forgot to ask, is the Snow monster not there either? The video i saw cut off before the end of the ride.
Consumer
Well-Known Member
Definitely the blame of WDI. They're a company that focuses on technology over storytelling. It's the reason why Navi River Journey has one amazing animatronic and absolutely nothing else. Gone are the days of Marc Davis where one simple sketch told an entire joke.
Centauri Space Station
Well-Known Member
For a C ticket, NRJ is very immersive and relazing. Now the long wait times because the park lacks other rides is another story
Consumer
Well-Known Member
NRJ has a lot of charm, and potential. Unfortunately it's undermined by the fact there's nothing going on for 99% of the ride.
waltography
Well-Known Member
Mentioned this in the Hong Kong forum but as a Disneylander I figured I'd drop it here too: I'm in HKDL! Spent the last 3 days soaking up the park here and I have to say as someone who's accustomed to DLR, HKDL is pretty easy to pick up and feels so much like an older Disneyland with interesting quirks. Wait times are nonexistent (even on Labor Day today!), World of Frozen is genuinely an incredible land, Mystic Manor lived up to my years-long hype and more, and Big Grizzly is a fabulous spiritual successor to Big Thunder. The castle is also gorgeous in person, and is probably the best one to project things on for nighttime shows. Just a wonderful little park that I hope Disney spends more time investing in, it's quite the gem.
PiratesMansion
Well-Known Member
Glad you're having a great time! I love HKDL and the park still gets a lot of hate it doesn't deserve because of what the park was in 2005.
The no waits thing is pretty common; both times I've visited I basically walked on everything I needed, and I haven't really heard of anyone experiencing a busy HKDL. Part of the reason it's so relaxed and pleasant!
Disney Analyst
Well-Known Member
But... why?
SuddenStorm
Well-Known Member
Disney Analyst
Well-Known Member
I mean I am definitely okay with this - I've always thought it should become Country Bear River Run.
Consumer
Well-Known Member
If Disney built Country Bear Jamboree in DCA I would forgive them for ruining Tower of Terror.
For sure. I wonder how much is WDI just not having the same talent and how much is the prioritization and over reliance technology over story telling. I don't mean story telling I the literal sense but as in transporting guests to another time and place. They seem to have forgotten what telling a story means. They're taking it too literally.
Because it’s turning into Grizzly Country Bear Jamboree River Run obviously.
Oh so that’s why Redwood Creek Challenge Trail has been closed for so long.
TP2000
Well-Known Member
Even in 1999 when there were strong online rumors the County Bear Jamboree was soon closing, we all thought "Why can't they just move the Bear show over to DCA and put it inside Grizzly mountain?!?" It would have brought some much needed street cred to the about-to-fail DCA back then.
This area beneath the Grizzly River Run lift hill, themed to a bear cave entrance instead, would have been perfect for the theater entrance.
Suspirian
Well-Known Member
Every so often they always do actually cool things like this in DCA which always confuses me. Whats the point of this if Grizzly Peak will probably be converted into Wilderness Explorers Park in like 4 years or something.
TP2000
Well-Known Member
I think what this proves is that there is clearly not a coherent design strategy for the parks.
They're just sort of throwing crap out there randomly, and it's happening too often. Little corporate fiefdom's spending money without a coherent plan just to prove they are worthy of more spending.
Who is the audience for this Big Al statue at Grizzly River Run? And how do the Country Bears support the WDI designed story of Grizzly Peak Recreation Area being a California State Park circa 1961? It makes no sense. It's incoherent with their alleged "storytelling" skills they often brag about.
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True but that’s a pretty nice little statue. Have you seen some of the signage coming out of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure?
The Empress Lilly
Well-Known Member
Current WDI can't tell a story, doesn't understand architecture, sucks at placemaking, and is unable to identify what does or does not make an attraction fun - for which I blame the omnipresence of computer screen design, being able to experience every aspect of a ride virtually all throughout the design process has resulted in apparantly nobody being able to play a ride in their head anymore as it would be experienced irl. Smugglers is impressive but has no fun, Na'vi is immersive but there's no story, all modern animation rides fail to find an essence of their source material and project the rider into that.
But...OLC signs off on everything. They decide what gets built. And once they were masters at picking the best WDI had to offer.