Toy Story Land expansion announced for Disney's Hollywood Studios

MisterPenguin

President of Animal Kingdom
Premium Member
Let's not forget:
  • The doors to the castle are in the rocks of a mountain and yet open directly in to the castle.
  • The very beautiful canyon river under the bridge generally can't be seen since they made the rails of the bridge giant concrete walls that you have to lean over in which to see that valley.
Lots of fails to go around.


But, what do I know? I'm just a Disney apologist.
 

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
Seriously…by definition forced perspective is creating an illusion for your eyes without your brain kicking in and asking if it’s real?

At least that’s what I believe it to be…

From the first time I walked through on…I never even considered that it was forced perspective in toy story. Not once did they ever not look like really large props.
The illusion isn’t even there.
 

yensidtlaw1969

Well-Known Member
I don't think anyone sees it as it was intended.... Its a very poor use of forced perspective.
Not only do I agree with you, but I think The Beast's Castle somehow achieves an inverse Forced Perspective - A few years ago I came across photos of it being constructed and was shocked to learn that it is actually larger than it looks . . .

Look at the size of these people relative to the Castle - The Beast's Castle looks so small from inside the park that I would have imagined a person standing next to it would be TALLER than they actually are:

1659650897707.png


Screen Shot 2022-08-04 at 6.07.15 PM.png


In actuality the Castle itself is like 20-something feet tall, but somehow they managed to make it look no larger than maybe 12 feet in person.

Pretty stunning miscalculation of Forced Perspective.
 

Animaniac93-98

Well-Known Member
Not only do I agree with you, but I think The Beast's Castle somehow achieves an inverse Forced Perspective - A few years ago I came across photos of it being constructed and was shocked to learn that it is actually larger than it looks . . .

Look at the size of these people relative to the Castle - The Beast's Castle looks so small from inside the park that I would have imagined a person standing next to it would be TALLER than they actually are:

View attachment 658082

View attachment 658083

In actuality the Castle itself is like 20-something feet tall, but somehow they managed to make it look no larger than maybe 12 feet in person.

Pretty stunning miscalculation of Forced Perspective.

The chunky lightning rods don't help either.
 

UNCgolf

Well-Known Member
From the first time I walked through on…I never even considered that it was forced perspective in toy story. Not once did they ever not look like really large props.
The illusion isn’t even there.

I think part of the problem in TSL is how barren it is. If there were more themed structures scattered throughout, it might be easier to achieve forced perspective or at least create a better sense of what exactly it's supposed to be.

It's supposedly Andy's backyard (not sure why they didn't name it that instead of the generic Toy Story Land), but I only discovered that by reading it here. I never once got that impression when I was there in person; I couldn't really tell it was supposed to be anything other than scattered props.
 

yensidtlaw1969

Well-Known Member
I think part of the problem in TSL is how barren it is. If there were more themed structures scattered throughout, it might be easier to achieve forced perspective or at least create a better sense of what exactly it's supposed to be.

It's supposedly Andy's backyard (not sure why they didn't name it that instead of the generic Toy Story Land), but I only discovered that by reading it here. I never once got that impression when I was there in person; I couldn't really tell it was supposed to be anything other than scattered props.
Because in Disney's eyes, the words "Toy Story" are more evocative and meaningful to guests than either "Andy" or "Backyard". Which is really to say, the branding matters more to them than serving the concept.

Similar to how you no longer see them name a park without the word "Disney" in it, despite Magic Kingdom not featuring that word and being the most popular park in the world. Sometimes they make up branding rules that they feel bound to follow, despite evidence that simply making something great is actually more important.
 

UNCgolf

Well-Known Member
Because in Disney's eyes, the words "Toy Story" are more evocative and meaningful to guests than either "Andy" or "Backyard". Which is really to say, the branding matters more to them than serving the concept.

Similar to how you no longer see them name a park without the word "Disney" in it, despite Magic Kingdom not featuring that word and being the most popular park in the world. Sometimes they make up branding rules that they feel bound to follow, despite evidence that simply making something great is actually more important.

My "not sure why" was more rhetorical device than actual question.

With that said, they could have at least named it Toy Story: Andy's Backyard, like Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge next door. Galaxy's Edge isn't the best name, but it's certainly better than if they'd called it Star Wars Land.
 

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
I think part of the problem in TSL is how barren it is. If there were more themed structures scattered throughout, it might be easier to achieve forced perspective or at least create a better sense of what exactly it's supposed to be.

It's supposedly Andy's backyard (not sure why they didn't name it that instead of the generic Toy Story Land), but I only discovered that by reading it here. I never once got that impression when I was there in person; I couldn't really tell it was supposed to be anything other than scattered props.
It looks bad…no matter how what’s left of WDI spins it.

Not anywhere close to quality
 

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
I don't see how it being a hotel makes a difference in this conversation. If the principals of theming that went into the hotel were applied to TSL, the result would be completely different.
What principles? It’s largely applied graphics. They’re much busier graphics but it’s still a lot of the same flatness. If anything it’s worse as it looks more like images applied to a building.
 

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
Not only do I agree with you, but I think The Beast's Castle somehow achieves an inverse Forced Perspective - A few years ago I came across photos of it being constructed and was shocked to learn that it is actually larger than it looks . . .

Look at the size of these people relative to the Castle - The Beast's Castle looks so small from inside the park that I would have imagined a person standing next to it would be TALLER than they actually are:

View attachment 658082

View attachment 658083

In actuality the Castle itself is like 20-something feet tall, but somehow they managed to make it look no larger than maybe 12 feet in person.

Pretty stunning miscalculation of Forced Perspective.
Honestly…I thought it was 8-10 feet.

God…that’s awful
 

Disneyhead'71

Well-Known Member
Just a small point. Beasts Castle isn't supposed to look like a realistic forced perspective castle. It is supposed to look like a watercolor illustration in a children's storybook. That part of New Fantasyland is even called Storybook Forest.
 

UNCgolf

Well-Known Member
It looks bad…no matter how what’s left of WDI spins it.

Not anywhere close to quality

Oh I agree completely; I think TSL looks shockingly cheap for a Disney park (regardless of what it actually cost).

The even bigger problem is how much land they used for very little content, but I've hammered that point enough.
 

MisterPenguin

President of Animal Kingdom
Premium Member
Just a small point. Beasts Castle isn't supposed to look like a realistic forced perspective castle. It is supposed to look like a watercolor illustration in a children's storybook. That part of New Fantasyland is even called Storybook Forest.
OK, but, by that standard, it fails, too. They should've just gone with a watercolored flat, in that case.
 

MagicHappens1971

Well-Known Member
Just a small point. Beasts Castle isn't supposed to look like a realistic forced perspective castle. It is supposed to look like a watercolor illustration in a children's storybook. That part of New Fantasyland is even called Storybook Forest.
That’s why they built Prince Eric’s castle as the facade of Ariel’s Undersea Adventure? Or Belles house? I’m pretty sure it’s also called the Enchanted Forest. Not trying to argue with you but I don’t think that was the concept, it was just Disney being cheap
 

Disneyhead'71

Well-Known Member
OK, but, by that standard, it fails, too. They should've just gone with a watercolored flat, in that case.
I think it works ok if you think about it in the storybook context when you are looking at it, but no one does because Disney has already trained us to expect "realistic" forced perspective. So we see wonky sizes and what appears to be sun faded paint instead of "watercolor". Interesting, but probably not the best artistic choice.
 

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