A Spirited Dirty Dozen ...

[Witchy Chick]

I couldn't agree more. We've skipped this ride for a few years (we are parents now) and we finally had a adults only trip in March. It was mayhem! And there was a couple behind us that seemed horrified by it all. From what I gathered, they always go to Disneyland. There was trash EVERYWHERE, people pushing and shoving. The ride stopped at least three times and the crowd grew as more and more people were packed into the waiting area. My last ride unless something changes. Very disappointing.

Same thing when we were there last month. Packed liked sardines in the HM boarding area, omnimover slowed/stopped like 3-4 times, and guests kept disgorging from the Stretching Room. I thought my kids were going to get trampled.

Jim's. Fourth and South streets. We had a very good grill guy, the steak was very fresh and he put extra wiz on it.

Awesome place. My hubs and I got a couple "wit wiz" last fall when he ran the Philly marathon. Yummmmmm.

 

[jt04]

As usual, Martin, you've hit the nail on the head.

The responsible and viable way is to fix one park at a time. Negates the need for a 5th gate. For the time being. And has a chance for board approval. And allows for technology to mature as seen in the new Pirates.

Don't look Marion!

All is proceeding at a responsible pace.

 

[Lee]

So you're saying that you lied on the WDW Fan Boys podcast. I know those guys were all crooked.

Lie? Me? Never.
Pass along somewhat questionable Intel? Maybe.

 

[Bocabear]

Without going OT too much, even using the original ride track path (not hard) with a present day ride system would be a 1000% improvement.

With appropriate story and show scenes of course.

Which is one of the more infuriating problems with Epcot. The infrastructure is there. It's in. The buildings are ready. The space is ready. Comparatively minor remodelling, comparatively small budgets (for anyone aside from WDI) and a short timeframe could turn around Futureworld.

Even make it good again. Let alone stunning.

Actually the existing system can start and stop with the show scenes...and is also directional, like the LPS System...Get rid of the Imagination Institute and turn it all into The Dream Port... Add a prologue scene with an animatronic Dreamfinder and Figment...where Figment is going to give a tour through the Dreamport to the guests...But warned by Dreamfinder not to touch anything...and there it begins... A crazy new ride through the Dreamport reliquary...Give the whole thing a brilliant Steampunk look...and use the technology with blended projection mapping, illusions and AAs to make the most amazing version of this ride ever....and they could probably do the whole thing without even changing the track....and reopen the original Image works ith a heavy 19th century steampunk gothic overlay... It would be timeless and amazing... and exactly what everyone would want,.

 

[Monorail_Orange]

All is proceeding at a responsible pace.

Uh, no. As well documented, they still fail at this time to even invest enough to to maintain their current physical plant and assets. Martin's whole point is fixing EPCOT would be both relatively cheap (but for WDI) and quick, and yet they fail to do even that.

 

[disneyflush]

The responsible and viable way is to fix one park at a time. Negates the need for a 5th gate. For the time being. And has a chance for board approval. And allows for technology to mature as seen in the new Pirates.

Don't look Marion!

All is proceeding at a responsible pace.

I don't understand why fixing one park at a time is the responsible thing to do. Not baiting you, would just like to hear why a company that employs so many people and has such tremendous resources might be considered irresponsible if it attempted to fix more than 1 park at a time?

 

[RSoxNo1]

Lie? Me? Never.
Pass along somewhat questionable Intel? Maybe.

"If there's one rule I live by, it's lubricate everything."

 

[wm49rs]

I don't understand why fixing one park at a time is the responsible thing to do. Not baiting you, would just like to hear why a company that employs so many people and has such tremendous resources might be considered irresponsible if it attempted to fix more than 1 park at a time?

Because this:

Does your nurse know your off your meds and out.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

"If there's one rule I live by, it's lubricate everything."

I do my best to keep lubricated

 

[rael ramone]

Building maintenance and cleanliness is interesting in China. You'll have people all day focusing on small things inside while the building envelope goes ages without a cleaning.

Their (China's) CM's aren't dressed to operate a power washer.

They shouldn't have to be doing 'any' of the cleaning. That's why TDO has a custodial staff.

What's good enough for TDO's custodial management isn't good enough for the Pavilions store/restaurant/attraction management.

 

[Mike S]

It is simple, you really have the same two characters, old bearded guy with something mystical, sidekick lets it out of the box, we ride along as it gets contained.
Dunno, Figment lets out all the dreams that Dreamfinder had collected in the Dreamcatcher....

I think I would like a new take on the original story of simply going to the DreamPort and seeing amazing sights more. This ride doesn't have to have something go wrong to be great.

Without going OT too much, even using the original ride track path (not hard) with a present day ride system would be a 1000% improvement.

With appropriate story and show scenes of course.

Which is one of the more infuriating problems with Epcot. The infrastructure is there. It's in. The buildings are ready. The space is ready. Comparatively minor remodelling, comparatively small budgets (for anyone aside from WDI) and a short timeframe could turn around Futureworld.

Even make it good again. Let alone stunning.

Exactly.

 

[marni1971]

Actually the existing system can start and stop with the show scenes...,.

Oh I know. But it's shot. It's trashed.

And too short of course.

 

[AEfx]

The super smart thing to do would have been to keep the Lucasfilm studio that kept putting out great products and consolidate it all there.

Are you talking about LucasArts? Because they were simply a skeleton crew by the time Disney rightfully pulled the plug. They had been mostly a licensing/publishing house for years. They still were attempting internal projects, but they were mired in years of development hell - the only ones that made it out and were successful were done by outside studios contracted in (BioWare, etc).

 

[AEfx]

And allows for technology to mature...

I have to give you credit - that's a new one. Disney sits on their behinds for years on end because they are waiting for technology to mature...ah, that one would be taken from the Lucas playbook.

 

[BlueSkyDriveBy]

It's funny, I almost singled that one out as the best that I have seen, thus far. The "sweeping" motions do help with the immersion a bit - though I think many of the same effects could be had from a track based ride, too.

I'm not against trackless, far from it - but it just seems to ridiculously expensive for whatever reason that I'd rather have a track based ride with the focus on the visuals, not the medium by which you are whisked past them.

Then I would make one important suggestion if you're going to keep the existing Journey track: change the vehicle design to more closely match the trackless 2x2 design to enhance that intimate feeling.

The current vehicle setup of 2x8 is what kills the ability of jumping from scene to scene in smaller rooms, a la Mystic Manor. Ditching the vehicle train would be necessary. However, with a single conveyance route, capacity would fall off the map going to a 2x2 vehicle.

Utilizing the trackless system from HKDL and DLP would free the show designers to really bring this attraction into the 21st century. But... is there a licensing issue for the US with that system? Or is that simply urban legend started by disgruntled Glendale types holding Burbank-rejected budget proposals to justify the lack of said system at DL and WDW?

 

[Monorail_Orange]

I have to give you credit - that's a new one. Disney sits on their behinds for years on end because they are waiting for technology to mature...ah, that one would be taken from the Lucas playbook.

You know there was a founder of a company that still bears his last name that once said, "If we can dream it, we can do it." And they used to actually INNOVATE and INVENT and just plain old CREATE, and not just wait for technology to mature, they used to mature it themselves! I wish I could remember who that was...oh, wait

 

[cdd89]

I can't say how much I agree with comments on the Magic Kingdom. It shocks me from pretty much every point of view, but the main way it surprises me is from a business perspective. DLP learnt the hard way that letting things rot is more expensive than proactive maintenance... And you have the side effect of people not being amazed in the way they should be.

Traditional narrative has been to deride Paris as being the maintenance nightmare, and WDW as the beacon from which standards are maintained. This once true reputation is easy for the general public to find - it's the recurring theme on sites like TripAdvisor.

Yet it's striking to see how in just 3 years, this has conclusively inverted... DLP's 'Small World' is striking - saturated colours, vibrant and immersive - just as WDW's is grey, filthy and broken.

Before I saw the competition, I assumed Small World was just a slightly underwhelming ride. Tokyo, Hong Kong and now Paris prove that is anything but the truth. If anything will drive WDW into an unrecoverable position, it's poor show standards letting people become bored with classics - because once people 'decide' they no longer have interest in the Haunted Mansions and Small Worlds of this world, they're competing on a level playing field with the likes of Universal and Sea World.

As positive reviews on maintenance quality in DLP increase, it will seem more and more strange for UK visitors to cross the pond unless they're going specifically for the resort environment (that's my excuse!). I imagine they are among the more lucrative guests too, simply based on how long they stay.

 

[dupac]

Do they serve it in a smaller portion, say a half Wit size? It would be perfect for me.

ba dum tsss

 

[tirian]

Of course there are some wealthy Guests who love theme parks, because nothing is 100% except death. But based on the people I know and work with, the majority of wealthy people don't consider theme parks ideal vacations. After all, they can afford Europe or exclusive beach and ski resorts.

Precisely.

The best hotels WDW runs are 3.5 star, at best. Their "club level" with "concierge service" is an utter joke - it's some snacks laid out and someone to call the same CRO number to make ressies that anyone else can. WDW simply does not offer the luxury experience that they are trying to price it into.

I know folks around these parts just have a hard time comprehending it, but a "theme park vacation" is actually rather low-brow to the upper crust to begin with - and when you get those types in there at those prices and they see how little luxury is available, it is only a matter of time before heavy discounts begin again once someone realizes that they are going after the wrong crowd.

 

[Mike S]

I can't say how much I agree with comments on the Magic Kingdom. It shocks me from pretty much every point of view, but the main way it surprises me is from a business perspective. DLP learnt the hard way that letting things rot is more expensive than proactive maintenance... And you have the side effect of people not being amazed in the way they should be.

Traditional narrative has been to deride Paris as being the maintenance nightmare, and WDW as the beacon from which standards are maintained. This once true reputation is easy for the general public to find - it's the recurring theme on sites like TripAdvisor.

Yet it's striking to see how in just 3 years, this has conclusively inverted... DLP's 'Small World' is striking - saturated colours, vibrant and immersive - just as WDW's is grey, filthy and broken.

Before I saw the competition, I assumed Small World was just a slightly underwhelming ride. Tokyo, Hong Kong and now Paris prove that is anything but the truth. If anything will drive WDW into an unrecoverable position, it's poor show standards letting people become bored with classics - because once people 'decide' they no longer have interest in the Haunted Mansions and Small Worlds of this world, they're competing on a level playing field with the likes of Universal and Sea World.

As positive reviews on maintenance quality in DLP increase, it will seem more and more strange for UK visitors to cross the pond unless they're going specifically for the resort environment (that's my excuse!). I imagine they are among the more lucrative guests too, simply based on how long they stay.

Disneyland's Small World looked great too when I rode it last year.