A Spirited 15 Rounds ...

[Disneyhead'71]

Ok, but what do you think the conversation on here would have been like on here if this was Disney Water Park #3? I find it hard to believe you sincerely believe the dominant line wouldn't have been that Disney should have hidden those supports in rock work or something similar.

Again, though, I think Volcano Bay looks great!

Oh, absolutely. Just like they are now. And, given the actual theme of the park, they'd still be wrong. The theme is the volcano has been there since the beginning of time. The temple ruins are there to show the Waturi people have been there a long time. The modern smart phone wielding, fish taco eating, craft beer drinking Waturi people built a modern state of the art, hi-tech, luxury resort water park in and around the volcano. They didn't find a water park. They built one...between 2015 and 2017. With the help of ProSlide.

An amusing thing though is, the only people who I have found that struggle understanding the theme are the theme park lifestyle community. We should be the folks who need no explanation. The "tourists" aren't, like, "why are the slides blue? They should be tan. Water slides are always tan".

 

[yeti]

Oh, absolutely. Just like they are now. And, given the actual theme of the park, they'd still be wrong. The theme is the volcano has been there since the beginning of time. The temple ruins are there to show the Waturi people have been there a long time. The modern smart phone wielding, fish taco eating, craft beer drinking Waturi people built a modern state of the art, hi-tech, luxury resort water park in and around the volcano. They didn't find a water park. They built one...between 2015 and 2017. With the help of ProSlide.

An amusing thing though is, the only people who I have found that struggle understanding the theme are the theme park lifestyle community. We should be the folks who need no explanation. The "tourists" aren't, like, "why are the slides blue? They should be tan. Water slides are always tan".

All that really does is justify tackiness with "story", the same way Disney did with Dino Rama.

 

[Pixieish]

All that really does is justify tackiness with "story", the same way Disney did with Dino Rama.

DinoRama needs to go away...that area isn't even retro, it's just awful.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

DinoRama needs to go away...that area isn't even retro, it's just awful.

I wouldn't mind the theming so much if Primeval Whirl wasn't just a bad carnival ride. They could have done something clever with it, but instead it was just an excuse for sticking in a few cheap rides.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Oh, absolutely. Just like they are now. And, given the actual theme of the park, they'd still be wrong. The theme is the volcano has been there since the beginning of time. The temple ruins are there to show the Waturi people have been there a long time. The modern smart phone wielding, fish taco eating, craft beer drinking Waturi people built a modern state of the art, hi-tech, luxury resort water park in and around the volcano. They didn't find a water park. They built one...between 2015 and 2017. With the help of ProSlide.

An amusing thing though is, the only people who I have found that struggle understanding the theme are the theme park lifestyle community. We should be the folks who need no explanation. The "tourists" aren't, like, "why are the slides blue? They should be tan. Water slides are always tan".

Herein lies the rub. See, that picture you posted last page of a Cabana room with the volcano in the background is really theming heaven. Because VB is Tiki themed. Tiki is mid-century modern, just like CB. A stroke of genius.

But then the story is the water park was built between 2015 and 2017?

While we're here, what a shame about the elliptical towers. It's Disneyfication - you take something phenomenal, and then let it be a victim of its own success by ruining it with ill-fitting expansions.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

Herein lies the rub. See, that picture you posted last page of a Cabana room with the volcano in the background is really theming heaven. Because VB is Tiki themed. Tiki is mid-century modern, just like CB. A stroke of genius.

Yeah, that hotel looks fantastic! The closest hotel I've stayed in to that was the Valley Ho in Scottsdale, and this looks like a hyperreal version of that hotel which is exactly what Orlando should be going for.

 

[Dinoman96]

I feel like Volcano Bay would be a lot more pleasant to the eye if Universal Orlando Resort in general wasn't so cramped in the middle of a suburban community.

The advantage Disney's always had with WDW is that they have their own entire private land, which makes it easier to get immersed in their theme parks because you don't see a bunch of high ways or buildings from the outside. It's what kinda took me out of the themeing when visting VB.

 

[JoeCamel]

I feel like Volcano Bay would be a lot more pleasant to the eye if Universal Orlando Resort in general wasn't so cramped in the middle of a suburban community.

The advantage Disney's always had with WDW is that they have their own entire private land, which makes it easier to get immersed in their theme parks because you don't see a bunch of high ways or buildings from the outside. It's what kinda took me out of the themeing when visting VB.

You see plenty of highways during the bus trips between locations in all that "private land". I would rather walk and use my mind for the exclusion of what I don't mind or care to see.

I don't need it "forced" on me.

 

[Bob Harlem]

I feel like Volcano Bay would be a lot more pleasant to the eye if Universal Orlando Resort in general wasn't so cramped in the middle of a suburban community.

The advantage Disney's always had with WDW is that they have their own entire private land, which makes it easier to get immersed in their theme parks because you don't see a bunch of high ways or buildings from the outside. It's what kinda took me out of the themeing when visting VB.

Disneyland is very similar in layout to Universal Orlando (but even more cramped), the biggest benefit is how quickly you can get to anything there.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

Herein lies the rub. See, that picture you posted last page of a Cabana room with the volcano in the background is really theming heaven. Because VB is Tiki themed. Tiki is mid-century modern, just like CB. A stroke of genius.

But then the story is the water park was built between 2015 and 2017?

While we're here, what a shame about the elliptical towers. It's Disneyfication - you take something phenomenal, and then let it be a victim of its own success by ruining it with ill-fitting expansions.

Actually, it isn't "Tiki" themed. It's "Oceania" themed. Oceania is the collective of Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melenesia. The "Tiki Gods" everywhere are Moai, also known as Easter Island Heads. Universal actually did pretty extensive research of Oceana when designing the park. And all the theming elements are based on something they saw in their travels.

 

[Lets Respect]

How many Disney fans would be visiting Pandora if it was at Universal? Just move the whole thing, as is, to Universal. But they're all walking around with plastic banshees on their shoulders like they actually like the movie lol

 

[the.dreamfinder]

In case you folks need a switch up from Disney v. UNI round 37473, a series of articles about Harvey Weinstein’s alleged improprieties on the job are coming out soon. Wonder if Disney could be held liable for any sexual misconduct during his tenture at the company?
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ne...-yorker-potentially-explosive-stories-1045724

 

[Andrew C]

How many Disney fans would be visiting Pandora if it was at Universal? Just move the whole thing, as is, to Universal. But they're all walking around with plastic banshees on their shoulders like they actually like the movie lol

Pandora stands on its own very well. Don’t need to like the movie to enjoy the land.

 

[Nj4mwc]

How many Disney fans would be visiting Pandora if it was at Universal? Just move the whole thing, as is, to Universal. But they're all walking around with plastic banshees on their shoulders like they actually like the movie lol

I did not like pandora, flight of passage was great and the AA and some effects on river journey were impressive but the land looked like the rest of animal kingdom with glow in the dark paint splattered every where. I did not feel like I was transported somewhere else or that I was even somewhere else when I was in the middle of pandora, it always felt like AK

 

[GoofGoof]

How many Disney fans would be visiting Pandora if it was at Universal? Just move the whole thing, as is, to Universal. But they're all walking around with plastic banshees on their shoulders like they actually like the movie lol

Probably most of them would. I don’t know very many people who don’t like the Harry Potter stuff at Universal and almost everyone I’ve ever met who has ridden Spider Man loves that ride. This Universal vs Disney debate only exists in the fanboy world. The average Disney park fan also likes Universal. Probably a large portion of WDW visitors don’t even know Universal is owned by a separate company. It was especially confusing when Disney had an MGM studios park attached to WDW. I still hear people talk about Sea World and Universal like they are part of Disney World.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

I did not like pandora, flight of passage was great and the AA and some effects on river journey were impressive but the land looked like the rest of animal kingdom with glow in the dark paint splattered every where. I did not feel like I was transported somewhere else or that I was even somewhere else when I was in the middle of pandora, it always felt like AK

I somewhat shared this sentiment.

But I was, and am, not sure whether that was a good or bad thing.

 

[Mike S]

I somewhat shared this sentiment.

But I was, and am, not sure whether that was a good or bad thing.

Me three.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Actually, it isn't "Tiki" themed. It's "Oceania" themed. Oceania is the collective of Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melenesia. The "Tiki Gods" everywhere are Moai, also known as Easter Island Heads. Universal actually did pretty extensive research of Oceana when designing the park. And all the theming elements are based on something they saw in their travels.

Tiki merchandise, tiki mugs, drinks, tiki fonts, sixties music...

Perhaps a mixture of Tiki, 2010's retro/vintage, Oceania, and convergent theming owing to both Tiki and Oceania style drawing from the same well.

I wonder if the choice for VC's theme is derived from Cabana Bay's. Or if they had been conceived simultaneously. Either way, my walk from VC to the CB was marvellous. Truly terrific theming.

Also, I actually enjoyed neither were historic reconstructions, but clearly had one foot in the 2010's. (Here too a hybrid between mid-century Tiki and contemporary design, which I liked until your back story ruined it for me!). Which sets themed environment apart from the fascimile, the fake, from conceit.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

Tiki merchandise, tiki mugs, drinks, tiki fonts, sixties music...

Perhaps a mixture of Tiki, 2010's retro/vintage, Oceania, and convergent theming owing to both Tiki and Oceania style drawing from the same well.

I wonder if the choice for VC's theme is derived from Cabana Bay's. Or if they had been conceived simultaneously. Either way, my walk from VC to the CB was marvellous. Truly terrific theming.

Also, I actually enjoyed neither were historic reconstructions, but clearly had one foot in the 2010's. (Here too a hybrid between mid-century Tiki and contemporary design, which I liked until your back story ruined it for me!). Which sets themed environment apart from the fascimile, the fake, from conceit.

Cabana Bay covers '50s, '60s, and '70s. The end closest to IOA is '50s. The end closest to the new towers are '60s. And the new towers are '70s.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Cabana Bay cover '50s, '60s, and '70s. The end closest to IOA is '50s. The end closest to the new towers are '60s. And the new towers are '70s.

Ah, is that the idea.

I did notice the place covers a lengthy timeframe rather than a specific point in time. (Specificity, that curse of modern Disney design: 'set on the night of 21st April 1898, in the abandoned warehouse of Mortimer Esuom...'). I didn't notice a regression in time (I walked from VC to CB), I was more a bit bewildered at the mixing of times and styles of well-known periods, or at least to me there is a big difference between the 70s and 50s toy commercial they play. But I enjoyed it the way I enjoy DHS mixing and matching several decades.