A Spirited Perfect Ten

[AndyMagic]

Even on this ride did Disney not make cuts to other show scenes? The oz scene is very cool best part of the ride.

Define cuts? Nearly all major rides go through a period where reality and practicality start trumping ambition and artistry. That said, money and budget cuts aren't really to blame for GMR's failings. I'd argue the basic premise of trying to shove so much classic cinema into just one attraction is the real problem. Riders have no time to appreciate the settings and environments because before you know it, you're onto something else completely unrelated. It's very hard to set a proper tone for a ride when you're being attacked by an Alien one minute and watching Gene Kelly hug a lamp post the next.

 

[Funmeister]

Wizard of Oz was supposed to have another scene after the Munchkins (into Oz I think). It got cut, but I am not sure if it was due to budget or MGM not giving the go ahead.

THe cut scene is currently the Fantasia scene. It originally was a twister with the Wicked Witch flying around a twister going into Munchkinland.

 

[PhotoDave219]

These days, I'd also put GMR as a D-Ticket, and not a headliner since Tower appeared. Horizons would still be considered an E, I think, but it would still be a much lesser draw than TT next door, due to the thrill component. It's the same comparison as SSE would be - SSE is an E, but not the top draw. I would actually consider Track a D, if we're going on theming + headlining.

I think we're splitting hairs here.

At the end of the day, there's nothing in New Fantasyland that would get me to pay park admission to experience. And wasnt it NFL that kicked off this debate again?

 

[Skippy]

THe cut scene is currently the Fantasia scene. It originally was a twister with the Wicked Witch flying around a twister going into Munchkinland.

Thanks! Do you know the reason it got cut?
Also, wasn't there supposed to be a more grand Fantasia scene instead just video projections? Or am I misremembering that too?

 

[Mike S]

@WDW1974 I thought your spirited presence would have been with the lifetstylers blogging from DL's HM today?View attachment 92447

 

[AEfx]

I would categorize it as a D-Ticket but a Headliner attraction as @lentesta's books use to put it. Its something you have to see at DHS but for me, it doesnt reach E-Ticket status.

I dont remember Horizons. Sadly.

A headliner and not an E-ticket? That feels like a contradiction.

 

[Funmeister]

Thanks! Do you know the reason it got cut?
Also, wasn't there supposed to be a more grand Fantasia scene instead just video projections? Or am I misremembering that too?

It was cut because Disney basically used "too much Oz." Fantasia was never in the original plans. IT was a last minute addition because they needed to fill the spot.

 

[WDW1974]

I was younger than 11 during my visits. My tastes have always been very expensive and high end when it comes to food however and definitely nothing has changed there. Believe what you want, but it doesn't surprise me that you're quick to zero in on any potential "weaknesses" in a statement of someone who disses Disney World (you've made yourself a bit of a track record there).

For the record, mom is in her 60's and she feels exactly the same and was intensely upset at how far quality has dropped at Le Chefs. She's even more enamored with France and its food than I am. But believe what you like. It's a VERY common opinion among many people on this forum that food quality has dropped like a rock all across WDW property. Even @articos agreed with this comment the other day in another topic (apparently he works for Disney and is himself a huge WDW fan, but still concedes this point that many have made).

I think certain children absolutely have valuable input on dining. I have friends with kids who have been exposed to fine dining and I'd trust those kids to know true quality cuisine versus some mid-30s dude who enjoys the Golden Coral and thinks he is eating exotic cuisine when he hits the Taco Bell drive thru.

As to Chefs de France (is that the topic here?), I haven't dined here in at least five years. But it once was a regular (i.e multiple times a year) locale for a Spirited meal. The quality went waaaay down from say the early 90s to the early 00s. Then, came the DDP and the infamous year when they removed the $26 filet from the dinner menu and added a $25 hamburger in its place (seriously!) during the 'free' period. After that, I only dined here once for a full meal (on a CM friend's 50% off meal coupon) and a few other times for onion soup, a glass of wine and a great dessert.

Yes, the quality has gone way down and no matter the age, if you have discerning taste, I'd trust that.

 

[articos]

I think we're splitting hairs here.

At the end of the day, there's nothing in New Fantasyland that would get me to pay park admission to experience. And wasnt it NFL that kicked off this debate again?

Hehe...I have no idea what kicked it off, I was just putting my opinion out there. More agreeing with you and answering the commenter who asked prior than anything else.

 

[AEfx]

My apologies. Could you please point me to a ticket book circa 2015 that describes these rides as certified E Tickets instead of opinionated claims that they should be?

No, sorry, I can't, but I also never claimed that I could since such a thing quite obviously does not exist. I already addressed the genesis of the common usage of the term when this discussion began, which has obviously evolved due to the non-existence of the ticket book.

Unlike others who keep saying it's "boring" so it's not an E-ticket (which is based on an opinion), I have listed feature after feature of the ride that are generally accepted as aspects which unquestionably qualify it in the category, from the sheer scope of the attraction space, to the quantity of animatronics, one of which is perhaps the most realistic animatronic on public display in the world, much less in daily use, and a finale that would qualify as an experience on it's own and is the closest thing to the recreation of a classic film scene Disney has, bested only by Potter.

But if you want to pretend we are just debating about what we like more, vanilla or chocolate, who am I to stop you.

 

[AEfx]

I enjoy it too. Never said it was boring. But to think it would be an E ticket today.. (and what would be the others in the park? TSMM, ToT, RnRC, maybe ST?)

If TSMM counts, then assuredly GMR does, LOL, as I can rather convincingly re-create TSMM in my living room with a couple of Wii's and a rolling office chair.

 

[Phil12]

Tropical Serenade was an E-Ticket in 1971.

That's because of its history. It opened in Disneyland in 1963 and it was personally owned by Walt Disney. The face value of an E-ticket in 1963 was $0.60. The cost for Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room was $0.75. It was the most expensive attraction in the entire park and all the profits went to Walt (as he paid no rent or lease fee to the Disneyland Company). Same thing was true for the other attractions that he personally owned.

 

[WDW1974]

I was reading some of the posts here while sitting in a hospital isolation room (not easy to breathe with one of those masks on, let alone post so I didn't).

But I did want to correct a little misstatement that some folks (most Disney fans) seem to believe. That being that what's good for UNI is good for WDW. That if WDW loses a few days to UNI that it doesn't matter.

No, no, no.

Disney doesn't want to lose a Guest for an hour for them to drive from DAK to McD's or Chik-Fil-A on 192 have lunch and return.

If someone is visiting WDW for seven nights and spends 2-3 of those off-property, then it absolutely isn't good for Disney. No matter the spinning. It isn't a win-win situation. It's Disney losing valuable revenue to UNI and also increasing the likelihood that for those visitors future visits may well be 10 nights in Central Florida with two days at WDW parks (let's say MK and EPCOT) and maybe a visit to Disney Springs another night for a meal at a third party location.

This idea that a rising tide raises all ships is generally sound ... but not when one ship has been on cruise control with very little competition for decades.

That is the scenario facing WDW today.

One other little tidbit of fact/reality, but Disney was never approached (or approached) Nintendo about theme park rights for O-town and beyond. The deal has been in the making for quite a while. I was told it was happening sometime last fall.

 

[Cesar R M]

There was this in the Wii U version of Rayman Legends.
View attachment 92435
Also in Tekken.
View attachment 92436
And finally........ Bayonetta.
View attachment 92437
I'm starting to think we can't really be sure if Nintendo wouldn't like the idea of Mickey Mouse dressed as Mario but you never know.

pretty sure some of these are fanmade and not officials.

 

[PhotoDave219]

A headliner and not an E-ticket? That feels like a contradiction.

It does, doesnt it? But thats how I see it. Its a headliner attraction but its not super thrilling. Its a family ride.....

 

[AEfx]

Even on this ride did Disney not make cuts to other show scenes? The oz scene is very cool best part of the ride.

@marni1971 would know better, but I believe the initial plans called for the beginning to be a cyclone scene (where the brief Sorcerer's Apprentice scene is now) as well as the final theater instead being your audience with Oz. Apparently, due to the contract they only had so many seconds they could feature WoOz content in the ride, so the Oz audience was the first to go, then they realized near the end of building that when the Munchkinland scene was finally timed out, there wasn't time enough to do the cyclone scene (so the video was quickly replaced, which accounts for how that section appears now).

There is a final mini-scene with Dorothy, the Tin Man, etc. marching away - I've seen it totally covered up, I've seen it static and non-moving, and I've seen them actually animated. I'm not sure how they are doing these days, hopefully if they aren't in full operation the refurb addresses those.

 

[AEfx]

It does, doesnt it? But thats how I see it. Its a headliner attraction but its not super thrilling. Its a family ride.....

Like Haunted Mansion, Spaceship Earth, or Pirates?

 

[Skippy]

If TSMM counts, then assuredly GMR does, LOL, as I can rather convincingly re-create TSMM in my living room with a couple of Wii's and a rolling office chair.

Ha! Fair enough. I agree with you on quality. My assessment came more from popularity (which I personally think would have a role in ticketing level).

No, sorry, I can't, but I also never claimed that I could since such a thing quite obviously does not exist. I already addressed the genesis of the common usage of the term when this discussion began, which has obviously evolved due to the non-existence of the ticket book.

Did this common usage come from some standardized document on ticketing levels? Or was it your opinion?

Unlike others who keep saying it's "boring" so it's not an E-ticket (which is based on an opinion), I have listed feature after feature of the ride that are generally accepted as aspects which unquestionably qualify it in the category, from the sheer scope of the attraction space, to the quantity of animatronics,

I do not think it's boring. I enjoy the ride. And I love the grandioseness of the ride that many new attractions seem to lack these days.

one of which is perhaps the most realistic animatronic on public display in the world, much less in daily use, and a finale that would qualify as an experience on it's own and is the closest thing to the recreation of a classic film scene Disney has, bested only by Potter.

The witch is a solid animatronic. But you're comparing the short Wizard of Oz scene to Potter in one breath? I'm assuming you don't mean the real finale that is you watching movie clips.

For the record, I loved Horizons and thought it was an E ticket up to when it was closed more often than not. And it held up more in 1999 than MS Does today.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Like Haunted Mansion, Spaceship Earth, or Pirates?

SSE? Yes. Jeremy Irons was fantastic. Dame Judy Dench? They ruined it, ask the Phonecians.

Mansion/Pirates? Nah. Those are true classic, must see attractions or you wasted your money by coming to town.

 

[Cesar R M]

I believe out west they have much less 'controlled' environments for their character appearances (at least some like Alice and the Mad Hatter in Fantasyland). You obviously couldn't have Anna/Elsa walk around.

I think there would be one giant all-allowed fist fight to get to them(Anna and Elsa) if they were allowed to roam around.

Anyone remember those hilarious videos of people that were definitively out of form.. trying to run to get the fist place to the M&G after rope drop in Magic Kingdom and Epcot?

@WDW1974 I thought your spirited presence would have been with the lifetstylers blogging from DL's HM today?View attachment 92447

are you serious???? :|