A Terror-rific Spirited 13th (ToT fans have lots to fear)...

[WDW1974]

Two other notes on Marvel, ToT and WDW:

1.) There is absolutely NO, none, nada, zero, zilch, NO truth to the idea that the rights are up and Disney doesn't want to pay them or CBS is looking for a huge pay raise. It's just Internet/fanboi/CM/Lifestyler myth;
2.) Have heard that Doctor Strange is an IP that Disney can use at WDW, but haven't checked into it ... well, largely because I don't care.

 

[Donaldfan1934]

The remakes just don't stop, do they? Iger's looting of the Disney vault is like a corporate raid or something. It reminds me of when Eisner wanted to remake all of the Disney animated classics in CGI. Thank goodness that didn't happen. I will say that so far the live-action remakes haven't been too bad. Jungle Book, in fact, was very good. But the fact that remakes are happening so quickly smacks of the Disney brass reacting to a fad, like when everything had to be filmed in 3D, whether it enhanced the film experience or not. The announcements have a feverish quality to them, like "here's a way to make money and mine the IPs because they have a built-in audience and it'll mean quick easy cash." To which I say: Ew.

I empathize with your feelings regarding this place. It's really great, there are wonderful people here to talk to and we have the blessing of insider information. If only the news wasn't so awful of late. It's hard not to lose heart.

Thank you. I don't really have a lot of problems with the forums themselves, but rather the news that's coming down the pike. Every new piece of information this year has been more and more disheartening. My personal problems with the remakes is while they may be decent in their own right, they will never compare to the originals. And to think Disney may want to replace the originals with them deeply saddens me. Also, I've never heard about Eisner's proposed CG animated remakes before. Do you have any more information on those?

 

[WDW1974]

I just know you intended to add "...and to think it is up against some pretty stiff competition!", but probably got pressured for time when miss Bayern appeared on your Skype.

We haven't spoken for so long, so let me briefly bring you up to speed. I visited the MK this month. And was heartbroken. The endless onslaught, the decline by degrees, had hit its breaking point. The magic had been beaten out of it.
I now consider your opinion of TWDC's management magnanimous, your writing style restraint tiptoeing around possible sore spots, and your attacks against anybody responsible or defensive of current TDO mere calm and friendly exchanges of pleasantries.

I can't help but laugh when I read this, but not for the reason you might think. Stiff Competition is the name of the first 'adult' film I ever watched. Really!

As to the rest, I'm sorry you have been converted to the dark side. It generally happens to thinking spirits no matter how much they detest my delivery, which seems to come off harsher here than when I say it to their faces in the real world. The power of the written word, I guess.

Curious, did you just visit the MK? I was at the park for parts of two or three (I can't even recall because the park is by far my least favorite castle park in the world) days this month as well.

 

[Donaldfan1934]

2.) Have heard that Doctor Strange is an IP that Disney can use at WDW, but haven't checked into it ... well, largely because I don't care.

You will probably care once they try to rip out the Haunted Mansion for a Doctor Strange attraction.

 

[WDW1974]

Hmm the only assets not theme park related I can see DIS giving up and Universal wanting is certain film rights. I'm really curious to know what was valuable enough to trade.

These are two huge media goliaths. There are plenty of things that each could dangle to the other (yes, I want to make a joke, but restraining myself).

I do just want to repeat for the umpteenth time that UNI is not giving up theme park rights for FL at all in any of this. But, yes, talks have been held and will likely continue.

 

[AEfx]

1.) There is absolutely NO, none, nada, zero, zilch, NO truth to the idea that the rights are up and Disney doesn't want to pay them or CBS is looking for a huge pay raise. It's just Internet/fanboi/CM/Lifestyler myth;

That may be true, but it wouldn't change the established fact that the show is about to get a modern reboot that has nothing to do with Disney and who's content is out of its control. Given that it's likely to be a whole lot edgier than the 60's show, I can easily see why Disney would instead want to break ties with it and use its own film franchise instead.

While I would prefer it stay TZ, it's not a leap to see why to Disney why it would make sense to flip its theme now.

 

[WDW1974]

It won't be the first one to close. STK is vary careful with where they open their restaurants and they are fully committed to make it work long term.

I don't know what will close or won't. I see a thread popped up talking about issues at DS. I skimmed a few pages, but that is it. I am sure that both dining and retail is going to close. Everything can't succeed. That's just common sense. I do wonder when we'll get a real announcement about the future of the DQ site.

 

[WDW1974]

Now that this has had a day to simmer, it's time for a repost to fully realize what this potential travesty means ...

Tower of Terror is one of those special treats rarely found at theme parks. Even before entering Disney Hollywood Studios, you see it lurking in the distance, beckoning you.

At first you can't believe it's an attraction. It's just for show, right? But then you turn the corner onto Sunset Boulevard and, faintly, start to hear screams emanating from its pinnacle. You continue your stroll down the street with so many nearby distractions but, involuntarily, no matter where you are, you find yourself glancing up, always glancing up.

As you approach, your excitement builds. The gate doesn't look like an attraction entrance; it looks real, someplace frozen in time where something has gone horribly wrong. You meander through the queue, approaching the lobby. Even on the sunniest days, it's dark and foreboding. You finally enter the structure, so much to see, so much to absorb, and you know, just know, something special lies ahead.

I remember the first time I experienced Tower Of Terror in the summer of 1994, not too long after it opened. We stood in the line for about an hour, the longest we had ever waited at WDW up till that time. The queue was so rich and set such a mood that we didn't mind.

As soon as we got off, our reaction was "Wow, that was totally awesome!" No one questioned our decision to get back in line and wait another 60 minutes.

Sadly, the last time I felt that way about a WDW attraction was, well, Tower of Terror in 1994. Sorta been downhill ever since.

I agree with almost all of the above. It was an amazing achievement of Imagineering and remains so. A groundbreaking attraction really. And great in ALL of its incarnations, but WDW really did get the best.

I will say I was as wowed by Kilimanjaro Safari at DAK when it opened. Not the same type of attraction (recall when they were attractions, adventures, experiences and shows ... not Space Mountain Ride?), but another masterpiece of WDI transforming a place and transporting you far away.

Nothing opened at WDW in the 21st century has been close to a wow since. Everest would come closest, but even when the Yeti wasn't into disco was only a nice quality ride, not a great one. ToT ... that's a great one.

 

[WDW1974]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't the cuts intentional? I thought Marc Davis wanted to cut down on what he thought was unnecessary, mainly the excess cavern scenes that are really only there in Disneyland for logistical reasons. Plus our show scenes are much larger and more detailed.

I love the DL and WDW versions for different reasons, but I've never felt like WDW's was necessarily inferior. Plus that queue!

It was largely cut for two reasons: 1.) To save $$$ (yes, even in those days Disney watched budgets) and; 2.) They needed to get it open very quickly. This is an attraction, an E-Ticket attraction, that began build in 1972 and opened in 1973.

They can't open a spinner in that time frame anymore.

 

[WDW1974]

For most of my life it was the only version, and I still loved it.

I still do (which is why the "it's OK to rip out DCA's Tower so long as they leave ours alone" drives me nuts). But once I was an adult and went on DL's, followed by Paris's, followed by Tokyo's (to be followed in 2017 by Shanghai's!), I realized that ours was far weaker and that was before they let it go to hell, replaced the boats with new ones prone to sinking, added effects that never worked right (projections of mermaids) and destroyed the post show empty beautiful courtyard by filling its fountains with potted plants and trash and moving a Pirates flea market into the area.

 

[Magenta Panther]

Thank you. I don't really have a lot of problems with the forums themselves, but rather the news that's coming down the pike. Every new piece of information this year has been more and more disheartening. My personal problems with the remakes is while they may be decent in their own right, they will never compare to the originals and to think Disney may want to replace the originals with them deeply saddens me. Also, I've never heard about Eisner's proposed CG animated remakes before. Do you have any more information on those?

I know I read it somewhere some time back, but I've just now googled it and can't find any info on it, sorry. But I did read it and from what I remember reading, Eisner wanted to do it when he decided that Disney didn't need Pixar and was going to make its own CG movies.He made Chicken Little, and while a lot of people badmouth that film, it was a success, and that apparently motivated him to to try to rob the Disney vault, just like Iger's doing now, to remake 2D animated classics in CG. He got let go before he could make it happen, fortunately. That's all I know.

 

[WDW1974]

For now.

Now, I have to ask, are you stating Joe is about to lose his job? Or planning retirement soon?

Because that isn't what I have heard. I recall that being popular rhetoric here a while ago. Someone here posted it and then Tom Corless jumped on it and then it was all over the Twitter and that was, obviously, not true.

BTW, realize I owe you an email ... but wanted to try and catch up here a bit. Will be in touch tomorrow ...

 

[WDW1974]

Hi @WDW1974

Just wanted to repost a few questions I sent you when you first broke this news in case you missed them in a sea of other questions. Thank you, I appreciate you sharing what you can.



I'm pretty sure I am misreading this but are you saying that Star Wars land does NOT count towards Disney's agreement with Anaheim to spend 1.5 billion over xxx years? If so...WOW. I was pretty sure the Tower retheme didn't count but Star Wars land!? So what does count? The new hotel, Frozen attraction/ FL expansion, Marvel land and possible Downtown Disney re-do?

Are you able to share if the FL expansion at DL includes anything substantial other then the Frozen attraction? Is Toontown gone? Also, is there another attraction planned for Marvel land at DCA other than the Cap coaster? Other than GOTG

Sorry, you ve been gone for a while and I have lots of questions.

Super bummed about the TOT news in Florida. Looks like I have to plan my first trip to WDW before 2018.

Sorry, I did somehow miss them the first time. Not on purpose!

I am fairly certain the $1.5 billion was about projects not already approved and funded and the SWE most definitely was happening no matter what. So, no, I don't believe it is included in that figure at all.

There are other projects on the table for Anaheim, but the priorities are Star Wars, Marvel and Frozen. And that will take a good few years. But, yes, the Marvel area at DCA will have other attractions, but I don't believe anything major beyond the Tower and coaster.

As to Toontown, part of it is going. I don't believe the rest of it is long for the world. The real estate is underutilized to use TDA's own internal wording and it is too valuable with the Star Wars project eating up almost all of DL's existing expansion space.

 

[Donaldfan1934]

I know I read it somewhere some time back, but I've just now googled it and can't find any info on it, sorry. But I did read it and from what I remember reading, Eisner wanted to do it when he decided that Disney didn't need Pixar and was going to make its own CG movies.He made Chicken Little, and while a lot of people badmouth that film, it was a success, and that apparently motivated him to to try to rob the Disney vault, just like Iger's doing now, to remake 2D animated classics in CG. He got let go before he could make it happen, fortunately. That's all I know.

Very interesting. One thing I should point out is that while Chicken Little was made under Eisner, it was released at very, very begining of Iger's tenure. Makes you wonder if Iger had anything to do with this idea.

 

[WDW1974]

@WDW1974 @marni1971 @Magic Feather I know this is of less importance than things like ToT, but have any of you guys heard anything regarding the future of Disney Quest? Is it just going to stay the way it is for the time being since NBA pulled out, or is something else planned?

No idea. None. If the NBA deal is truly dead, then who knows ... but the place has been left to rot for a good dozen years now and something will have to be done.

 

[Disney Analyst]

@WDW1974 wrong coast but do you have any insight into the changes happening with Fantasmic at Disneyland? I've seen projectors installed on the stage, so clearly projection mapping will play a role. We're hearing Peter Pan out for Pirates, frozen possibly added... any ideas on the structure of the new show?

 

[WDW1974]

Just want to put this on a plate and serve it.

Iger was supposed to step down this past June. If he did, why not take a look at what was built and added to WDW since he took over. No E-Tickets. Nothing of note beyond the very unimpressive Fantasyland project (something that had been toyed with as far back as 1999 -- and I have the plans to prove it!)

I know he is popular with Wall Street (although can't wait how he 'splains what has gone on at ESPN the last few months) and the Lifestylers ... but he would have left Disney after a decade on top and his biggest claim to fame would be a lousy restaurant, a small-scale D-Ticket kiddie coaster, an embarrassingly bad dark ride and dueling Dumbos hidden in the swamps.

And absolutely nothing of substance at the other parks.

 

[Donaldfan1934]

I still do (which is why the "it's OK to rip out DCA's Tower so long as they leave ours alone" drives me nuts). But once I was an adult and went on DL's, followed by Paris's, followed by Tokyo's (to be followed in 2017 by Shanghai's!), I realized that ours was far weaker and that was before they let it go to hell, replaced the boats with new ones prone to sinking, added effects that never worked right (projections of mermaids) and destroyed the post show empty beautiful courtyard by filling its fountains with potted plants and trash and moving a Pirates flea market into the area.

Is it really fair to lump in Shanghai's PotC with the classic versions? They're completely different rides as far as I'm concerned. Also, while I agree with you that there have been major declines in and around the WDW version for many years, I must say that the ride itself has been looking great again after its refurb last year.

 

[WDW1974]

Back in the United State of Brexit England.

I'm told as of very very very very very recent Guardians is green lit for the Energy building.

Ask for proof of money being allocated. Not that even that means anything these days ... but it would be nice to get to the bottom of this.

I doubt the Imagineers picking pieces of the DCA Tower show that will be used in O-Town was done just for the heck of it.

I sorta wish someone from Disney would say something. No, no one official ever would. But someone like Joe Rohde who isn't afraid to go all political (not shocking, but I agree with almost his views) on the Tweeter could end all the speculation, by saying flat out that either or both of these projects are not happening.

Yet, he doesn't.

Again, he doesn't have to confirm something to deny something else ... yet nothing.

Very telling.

 

[WDW1974]

ToT is an exercise in perfection! It the best version of a great attraction. I hope WDW/TDO comes to their senses. Not only is ToT the landmark of DHS that beckons guests to move down the palm tree laden Sunset Blvd, it is the anchor of the Blvd.

I want to ask Chappie And George K. one question. How does GotG fit in with 30/40 theme of Sunset Blvd?

Why would you ever think Chappie and George K give a damn?