Animatronic Trends in the Parks

[Disgruntled Walt]

This seems like an appropriate time for a discussion on this, with the replacement of UofE with an animatronic-less screen ride. I had thought we might have turned a corner with Rise of the Resistance (as well as Beauty and the Beast in Tokyo) in getting back to attractions with animatronics, but with GotG by literally "all accounts" not having any, it seems the tide has not yet turned.

The question: Do you think that screen-based attractions are here to stay as the norm and that future animatronics in the parks will be singular (a la Rocket in GotG:MB) if included at all? Or will the tide turn back towards animatronic-heavy attractions?

I personally fear that the first option is the most likely, though I would love to see more attractions like Tokyo's BatB (though it has flaws, the animatronics are NOT one of them IMO).

An interesting data point would be to track the total number of AAs in WDW by year, based on which attractions opened and closed. I imagine between UofE and GMR closing the same year, there was a big dip back in 2017.

 

[Married5Times]

almost $500 million for a 3 minute movie ride????


Disney would be great at securing gvmt contracts.

 

[Smiley/OCD]

Sadly, I think the trend is going to be a combination of projected effects AND/OR 1 single AA like Na’vi River Journey…as long as the featured AA doesn’t turn into the disco yeti…I don’t like the projected AA’s ala Frozen. To ME it just looks like they took the cheap way out…more anime and less lifelike.

 

[JIMINYCR]

Animatronics take constant supervision, upkeep and continuous maintennance which Disney has shown they have a difficult time keeping up with. Screen systems although still have needed attention probably cost less to maintain and refit if needed to swap out when theres a glitch. Disney still needs to keep up a combination of both to satisfy what guests are looking for in park entertainment.

 

[Goofyernmost]

They are here to stay until something newer comes along. It is the current advanced technology like animatronics were in the latter part of the 20th century. It is useless to attempt to stand in the way of advancement, even if we all loved the Model T.

 

[adimond]

When an animatronic fails mid-ride, you're looking at a paralyzed mannequin that's nevertheless costumed appropriately and often surrounded by beautifully designed scenery.

When a screen fails mid-ride, you're just sitting in a room being shaken around noisily while looking at a blank wall, or even more hilariously an error message. Happened to me on Kong, and to say that it ruined the ride would be an understatement. It even ruined it for me the NEXT time I rode back through, because other than the exterior sets and the Kong head AA, suddenly the whole thing just seemed so cheap and lazy. I would rather have been on the old Kongfrontation. This is a major shortcoming of Universal for me: the non-coaster attractions feel monotonously simulator-y. They can start by tearing down Fast & Furious and replacing it with literally anything.

 

[erasure fan1]

Animatronics take constant supervision, upkeep and continuous maintennance which Disney has shown they have a difficult time keeping up with.

That's giving Disney too much credit. They just don't want to keep up with it because of money. Quality of show fell out of Disneys vocabulary a long time ago. Why spend the money to fix something when it won't increase ridership or make the customer buy anything extra.

Screens will be the staple of Disney rides for the foreseeable future. It has been said before, it is all about cost and maintenance. Until some actual damage has been done to their attendance from Uni. They will continue down t road of mediocrity. Hopefully epic universe can knock Disney down a peg.

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

They are here to stay until something newer comes along. It is the current advanced technology like animatronics were in the latter part of the 20th century. It is useless to attempt to stand in the way of advancement, even if we all loved the Model T.

Advancement implies improvement - the very purpose of Animatronics was creating a form of Animation that existed in 3 dimensions, rather than the 2 that Disney was stuck with in film. To do something that was previously not possible.

In this way, using a video screen in place of an animatronic is literally regression. Disney knows this, which is why they tend to knock it out of the park when they do commit to animatronics. They know that a fully animated Na'vi figure is far more thrilling to encounter than any projection of one could be.

 

[marni1971]

I think we’ll continue to see a mixture of both. Screens in particular work well to create scenes that physical sets cannot replicate and we’ll continue to see that. All we need are new attractions developed that use them. What is more important is balance - much like IP vs original theme - swing too much one way and it’s a slippery slope.

The new Rock n Ironman coaster at WDSP has a new, state of the art fully electric figure. They’re still pushing the envelope when they want to, and this technology - though expensive initially - could be cheaper in the long run.

Of course it also takes a desire to include them.

 

[DisneyDean97]

I think we’ll continue to see a mixture of both. Screens in particular work well to create scenes that physical sets cannot replicate and we’ll continue to see that. All we need are new attractions developed that use them. What is more important is balance - much like IP vs original theme - swing too much one way and it’s a slippery slope.

The new Rock n Ironman coaster at WDSP has a new, state of the art fully electric figure. They’re still pushing the envelope when they want to, and this technology - though expensive initially - could be cheaper in the long run.

Of course it also takes a desire to include them.

From all indications, it appears the Avengers land in WDSP will be a lot better than DCA's... and they still get to keep their ToT in tact. Was Paris ever slated to get the "Avengers E-Ticket" that DCA and HKDL was suppose to get? And if so, is that still planned for a (I'm assuming far off) phase 2?

 

[marni1971]

From all indications, it appears the Avengers land in WDSP will be a lot better than DCA's... and they still get to keep their ToT in tact. Was Paris ever slated to get the "Avengers E-Ticket" that DCA and HKDL was suppose to get? And if so, is that still planned for a (I'm assuming far off) phase 2?

So far as I know it’s a distinct possibility if Chapek ever opens his wallet. Got to do something with that “nothing to see” temporary wall at DCA…

 

[Goofyernmost]

Advancement implies improvement - the very purpose of Animatronics was creating a form of Animation that existed in 3 dimensions, rather than the 2 that Disney was stuck with in film. To do something that was previously not possible.

In this way, using a video screen in place of an animatronic is literally regression. Disney knows this, which is why they tend to knock it out of the park when they do commit to animatronics. They know that a fully animated Na'vi figure is far more thrilling to encounter than any projection of one could be.

I'm referring to advancement in screen technology, not in robotics. A fully animated Na'vi is not more thrilling to encounter to me. I find the screens, when done well, in 3D are far more immersive and realistic. To each his own I guess.

 

[ppete1975]

Sad this took so many years and not one animatronic. To me that is what has always set disney apart from its competition

 

[Brer Panther]

We're probably not going to get any more attractions with more animatronics than screens until Cheap Chapek leaves.

 

[mikejs78]

So far as I know it’s a distinct possibility if Chapek ever opens his wallet. Got to do something with that “nothing to see” temporary wall at DCA…

We're probably not going to get any more attractions with more animatronics than screens until Cheap Chapek leaves.

I have a distinct feeling that Chapek won't have a say in any of this a year from now. The only question in my mind is whether he just doesn't get his contract renewed in January or he's forced out before that.

 

[Dayma]

I think screens are here to stay. It does give creative folks a bit more latitude where as an animatronics/practical may limit them. I am fine with a combo of screen and practical effects. I just dont like too much dependence on screen.

 

[marni1971]

Lest we forget Adventure Through Inner Space and If You Had Wings. Both from great eras of Animatronics.

 

[Djsfantasi]

Sad this took so many years and not one animatronic. To me that is what has always set disney apart from its competition

Well, thank you. That made up my mind. Until further notice, my plans will avoid GotG. Screen heavy attractions just are boring. Like Ratatouille. MMMRR is partly good/ partly fail. The tornado is a big fail because the ‘real’ tornado is jarring against the all screen background. (Ratatouille suffers from the same problem). However, some of the scenes with multi-layer projection where the screen/background is re-used for a different scene is precious.

As far as the mashup of real scenery and projections, several attractions suffer from this problem. However, there is one attraction that nails the mashup SNDZ includes AA and that is Navi River Journey.

 

[mikejs78]

I think we’ll continue to see a mixture of both. Screens in particular work well to create scenes that physical sets cannot replicate and we’ll continue to see that. All we need are new attractions developed that use them. What is more important is balance - much like IP vs original theme - swing too much one way and it’s a slippery slope.

Like Horizons. Great use of both animatronics and screens to create an amazing attraction.

 

[Brer Panther]

I hope they stop with the rides where the vehicle just parks in front of a gigantic screen. I hate it when a ride just parks in front of a screen (Ratatouille, Mickey's Runaway Railway, I think even Rise of the Resistance has a scene like that). You might as well just have it be a simulator in that case.