Fair point on theming, especially the first half of the ride (the pre-launch sequence). But the "coaster" part of Revenge is mostly a dark room until the fake ending -- the entire coaster portion of Guardians is full of dazzling effects, screens or not. It's a completely immersive experience that sorta puts Space Mountain in a different light (and I love Space Mountain).
-
The new WDWMAGIC iOS app is here!
Stay up to date with the latest Disney news, photos, and discussions right from your iPhone. The app is free to download and gives you quick access to news articles, forums, photo galleries, park hours, weather and Lightning Lane pricing. Learn More -
Welcome to the WDWMAGIC.COM Forums!
Please take a look around, and feel free to sign up and join the community.
DAK 'Encanto' and 'Indiana Jones'-themed experiences at Animal Kingdom
- Thread starter wdwmagic
- Start date
- Featured
Fair point on theming, especially the first half of the ride (the pre-launch sequence). But the "coaster" part of Revenge is mostly a dark room until the fake ending -- the entire coaster portion of Guardians is full of dazzling effects, screens or not. It's a completely immersive experience that sorta puts Space Mountain in a different light (and I love Space Mountain).
Brer Panther
Well-Known Member
I'll give you Tron, but if an attraction is fifty percent screens and features at least one segment where the ride vehicles park in front of a giant screen, I think "cheap".
A dark room with many lighted figures losing their soul. It’s not just a blank room.
Disgruntled Walt
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- No
TrainsOfDisney
Well-Known Member
It’s a dark room with lighted set pieces and physical effects (low lying fog).
Vs. a dark warehouse with 1 set piece and lots of screens (anything else?)
Tron feels more immersive than guardians to me.
Guardians is fun - but I don’t understand the hype for it.
Bocabear
Well-Known Member
That is exactly how I feel about Tron.... Yeah, it is something different but makes no sense in it's location, and I was hoping the pre-show would have really explained what you are doing and why... Sure parts of it are pretty...is is like 60 seconds long, and I don't think it is that engaging.....Might have been a better fir for DHS or even EPCOT.... Guardians might have been better at DHS.... but I think the ride is much more fun than the Tron experience....
JTEPCOT
Member
Great photos!Photos from today:
ChewbaccaYourMum
Well-Known Member
Hypothetically, if something was being built in Epcot right now, would this have been the first time in WDW history that big construction was going on in every single park?
Is this the first time big construction has been going on in 3 of the 4 parks even?
Is this the first time big construction has been going on in 3 of the 4 parks even?
mattpeto
Well-Known Member
Besides experiencing a nightime show, I think riding Tron at night is my current favorite experience at WDW. It's something I plan around. It's an electric feeling walking up that ramp at night, with the music, coaster blitzing by you and the canopy effects. In terms of nighttime vibe, I think it's absolutely a home run for Magic Kingdom and say it's the best sensory thing since the Epcot 50th Beacons.
It has some faults: it's short, could do a better job hiding the show building, and daytime experience is a massive drop in vibe. If it's a 10 at night, it's a 3 during the day.
I would compare Guardians to Everest. A very thrilling reverse launch coaster with some punch. I'd say Guardians is actually safer for grandmom as Everest isn't as smooth. Guardians music gives it a a nice replay but the lack of animatronics and nobody cares about the pre and post shows at this point unless it's your first time. Even going by the neutered Yeti is still a thrill EVERY time.
Bocabear
Well-Known Member
I agree the Guardians pre-show and post show moment would have been much better with animatronics...instead of all film... It would be like the change when they finally added the 3 amigos in animatronic form to the Where is Donald ride...a HUGE change... something so small made such a big impact on the overall ride..... That would happen with Guardians too.
yeah, I never subscribed to the view that all screens are necessarily bad or cheap. There's a right place for newer technology -- and Guardians got it right. (So did Shanghai Pirates, albeit with many more practical effects, which you can do with a boat ride, but much less so on a moving coaster.)
UNCgolf
Well-Known Member
I agree that using screens/projections isn't inherently bad -- Na'vi River Journey is a good example of a ride that uses them almost perfectly -- but I don't think Guardians got it right at all.
Using screens/projections does make sense for a roller coaster in a dark warehouse, but the actual execution was poor. People enjoy the ride for the physical motion and the soundtrack; hardly anyone cares about the attempt at story.
Shanghai Pirates is much better, although they failed in a few places there as well.
Disgruntled Walt
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- No
Na'vi River Journey needed some amazing, full-size Pandora creature animatronics. It's boring as heck until you see the dancing lady. Actually, it's still boring even then!
As someone who didn't care for Avatar the film at all, Pandora needed to really draw me in, and the outdoor theming did, but the attractions (ESPECIALLY NA'VI) really disappointed me. Flight of Passage was fun, but I did not prioritize riding it on my last trip (which was my first in 8 years). In fact, I didn't set foot in Pandora at all.
That's why both of these new attractions in Tropical Americas really have a lot riding on them. I'm hopeful that lots of animatronics will make up for the questionable inclusion of these rides in Animal Kingdom. (It can't really make up for it, because neither Encanto nor Indiana Jones could ever really fit, but it will be an easier pill to swallow.)
UNCgolf
Well-Known Member
I couldn't disagree more -- I think Na'vi is one of the better rides Disney has built this century (at least at WDW). I don't think it's boring at all; it's relaxing and beautiful (and I've never seen any of the Avatar films so I have zero knowledge of or connection to the IP).
Of course it would be better if it was longer and of full of amazing creature animatronics, but I think it's then a D at the very least, if not an E. While I do wish we had that version of the ride, the one that actually exists was never intended to be that.
It's an immersive ride down a river in an alien jungle; it doesn't really need to be anything more than that IMO.
HMF
Well-Known Member
I would describe Navi as being a great setup for an attraction of a similar quality to DL's POTC but ends suddenly at the point of DL's Pirates Grotto sequence.
Last edited:
Navi river is the ying to the yang that is flight of passage. It is a needed calm in a land full of insanity. but the real issue is it is being used and treated like an e-ticket despite the fact that it's at most a b or c ticket. And the only reason this is happening is simply because it's in a park with currently only 4 other rides. If AK had tropical americas open, plus lets say rides for UP, Black Panther, Lion King, Junglebook, and a whole new land or two in the back themed around North America or the Middle East then navi river would be thought of as a nice calm break you only waited less then 20 minutes for like the people mover. So when you wait 50+ minutes for the ride and are expecting an action ride the warrants a 50 min wait ofc your disappointed. point being Navi is a great ride but is being forced to meet needs it wasn't designed to meet. However I would argue in 20+ years Navi will be considered a way better ride, and will age better w time. And AK needs more filler rides like Navi hence why I think its great Ak is getting the carousel in TA
Disney Analyst
Well-Known Member
Navi is gorgeous. It really just needed to be longer.
mattpeto
Well-Known Member
I like Navi and the East projects should help the standby.