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A Worse Dark Ride Than Mermaid
- Thread starter Rich T
- Start date
bluerhythym
Well-Known Member
I think Ariel's is an okay dark ride, but the elaborate facade just sets up too grand of expectations. When I walk under that rotunda and through the doorway, I half expect to see a symphony or opera inside. Instead we just get rainbow colored clamshells. If the entrance was a little bit quainter and the building was a bit more hidden, I think people would have much better opinions of it.
Maybe with the upcoming changes to the area, this ride can be absorbed by Pacific Wharf and receive an SF style makeover...
Maybe with the upcoming changes to the area, this ride can be absorbed by Pacific Wharf and receive an SF style makeover...
D
Deleted member 107043
The building is a Disneyfied version of grand seaside amusement pier architecture, like Luna Park's Dragon's Gorge at Coney Island:
It's a clever bit of place making that incorporates the Palace of Fine Arts Rotunda from the 1915 Panama Exposition in San Francisco. Personally I hope they keep it. TBH I wouldn't mind if they expanded on this theme down towards Goofy's Sky Skool.
George Lucas on a Bench
Well-Known Member
I want to ride in a coffin.
Phroobar
Well-Known Member
It's super charming.
Professortango1
Well-Known Member
Nope, Pooh is still better than Mermaid. Pooh has charm, Mermaid just feels like a cheap small ride in the shell of a giant building.
Travel Junkie
Well-Known Member
Efteling has Disney level quality dark rides. And they do so at a fraction of the budget.
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Deleted member 107043
Maybe if you're a fan of elaborate Disney Store window displays it works. No kidding that's what came to mind the last time I went through the ride, since the overall production is pretty much on that level of sophistication. Other than the subject matter and the absurdly scaled beehive vehicles it's about as generic as a dark ride can be and still be labeled Disney.
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D
Deleted member 107043
I've seen some of their rides online and I agree that they look very good.
That said I feel that Disney P&R has learned it's lesson about skimping on brand experience under Pressler. The things coming out of P&R/WDI in recent years are outstanding and impressive. I'm feeling optimistic.
bluerhythym
Well-Known Member
That's pretty neat, I've never seen that. To clarify, I think the building itself is beautiful - I just don't think it works for a little Little Mermaid D-ticket.
Although that thought is probably just an extension of not loving the boardwalk theme in the first place!
D
Deleted member 107043
MissPixie
Well-Known Member
I have to say my recent trip in July I was anticipating The Little Mermaid ride and boy was I disappointed with it once the ride was over. I also rode Winnie the Pooh without nearly as much anticipation and I was more pleased with that ride as my my 2 year old son than The Little Mermaid.
George Lucas on a Bench
Well-Known Member
Pooh is a flawed ride, but it has that super charming rainfall effect. I think there's even a window of shiny material meant to represent rain. Wow!
The Little Mermaid is rather excruciating to sit through. The ominimover was so wrong for that type of ride. It reminded me of the Finding Nemo omnimover at Epcot, which is similarly boring and poorly designed. The only memorable scene is Ursula'a lair. It has that mega charming blinking eye effect in the wall which makes it briefly feel like a classic dark ride. The rest is just boring and ugly. If I wanted that, I'd just look in the mirror for 5 minutes.
The Little Mermaid is rather excruciating to sit through. The ominimover was so wrong for that type of ride. It reminded me of the Finding Nemo omnimover at Epcot, which is similarly boring and poorly designed. The only memorable scene is Ursula'a lair. It has that mega charming blinking eye effect in the wall which makes it briefly feel like a classic dark ride. The rest is just boring and ugly. If I wanted that, I'd just look in the mirror for 5 minutes.
NobodyElse
Well-Known Member
It *is* a carny dark ride. But even carny dark rides usually have at least a *couple* of props inside. This is literally an empty box. And, like Phruby said, they couldn't even get the "dark" part right.
On top of that, they threw aside the decades old tradition of airbrush art on the facade.
Curious Constance
Well-Known Member
They literally could have put any theme on the outside and it would have matched the inside.
Figments Friend
Well-Known Member
Oh wow...that 'non-ride' video was hilarious.
Typical rip off carnival ride through....but this is a extreme case.
Hilariously bad..but the suckers are all lined up outside to ride it as you can see!
Why change anything or spend the money to improve it..?
Barnum was right.
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Typical rip off carnival ride through....but this is a extreme case.
Hilariously bad..but the suckers are all lined up outside to ride it as you can see!
Why change anything or spend the money to improve it..?
Barnum was right.
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Curious Constance
Well-Known Member
You don't think Pooh is cheap?
kap91
Well-Known Member
You clearly have not seen the videos of Efeltings Symbolica.
