Avatar Flight of Passage reviews, comments and questions

[BrianLo]

Wanna talk about the indoor rapids D ticket that I assure you existed as a "practical plan" before it became a C boat ride?

(Ride designations theirs, not mine)

Or we could talk about the runaway budget - not generous, but runaway - and one that cost people their jobs?

Or I could just shut up. Let others post what may not be correct and then just let you wait for opening day.

That wasn't meant to be an affront. We are of course limited to everything you guys offer, but everything is delivered through your own lens. How could it not be. That's the consideration at play. You also are very open with the fact that you have pretty different opinions on this park than I do.

Things get worked and reworked and reworked. You are privy to more information and as a result we get your opinions of it after the fact. The rapids ride were clearly out of the plans at least a year and a half before ground breaking. I'm not saying it never got beyond some napkin sketches, but it never really got temporally close to the decisions on the final product.

There is no better example than SWL, which you just added. The focus is always on the cut of a third attraction and seemingly ignores the fact the final product was plussed well beyond first, second, third (etc) proposals. Things change, we never get the true "kitchen sink", but that does not imply every project is hacked and slashed to death.

When a project like Star Wars grows to 200% and then is pulled back to 180... it's just funny that we endlessly hear about how badly it's been cut.

 

[marni1971]

That wasn't meant to be an affront. We are of course limited to everything you guys offer, but everything is delivered through your own lens. How could it not be. That's the consideration at play.

Things get worked and reworked and reworked. You are privy to more information and as a result we get your opinions of it after the fact. The rapids ride were clearly out of the plans at least a year and a half of ground breaking. I'm not saying it never got beyond some napkin sketches, but it never really got temporally close to the decisions on the final product.

There is no better example than SWL, which you just added. The focus is always on the cut of a third attraction and seemingly ignores the fact the final product was plussed well beyond first, second, third (etc) proposals. Things change, we never get the true "kitchen sink", but that does not imply every project is hacked and slashed to death.

When a project like Star Wars grows to 200% and then is pulled back to 180... it's just funny that we endlessly hear about how badly it's been cut.

Understood. But I did post an awful lot about the original SWL plans (the Echo Lake version) and I hope I've conveyed my excitement for what's being built and conveyed how much of an improvement it is. I'm not all doom and gloom.

I possibly jumped down your throat a little too much in my original post there, hence the edit.

 

[BrianLo]

Understood. But I did post an awful lot about the original SWL plans (the Echo Lake version) and I hope I've conveyed my excitement for what's being built and conveyed how much of an improvement it is. I'm not all doom and gloom.

I possibly jumped down your throat a little too much in my original post there, hence the edit.

No worries!

I am not a denier. I 100% believe what you have to say and actually understand things change all the time! I'm not trying to re-write history, I just want people to know there is a little more to these stories.

 

[Kman101]

Would I have loved and wanted the original plans to be upheld? Of course! (Personally I'd prefer the boat ride to be longer but I don't think it needed to be a rapids ride, We have one already that could use some plussing. I also personally don't care we didn't get a bike coaster either). But I don't understand not liking something based on that or the other factors Martin listed, like how much was spent when what we have is well done. (That being said I did judge New Fantasyland on what was built and what we got for what they spent). But we all have our own ways we view things, that's what makes the world great.

 

[Casper Gutman]

No worries!

I am not a denier. I 100% believe what you have to say and actually understand things change all the time! I'm not trying to re-write history, I just want people to know there is a little more to these stories.

There often is. For instance, in the case of SWL, they plussed it - and cut an entire third part of the MGM plans and reduced the already embarrassingly underwhelming TSL plans. It's all in how you frame it.

From my understanding, there's two elements at play (correct me if I'm wrong, insiders):

1) Disney is absolutely awful at getting value for money - they spend far too much on almost every project
2) They try (and this is a generalization, but it seems to hold true) to do the least that they feel they need to do in any given situation - witness the 15 years of neglect at WDW

I would still contend that, taken in context, Pandora and MGM are not necessarily signs that the underlying problems at WDW have been resolved. While both Pandora and SWL will be (are) great, they need to be considered as part of the larger whole.

I also wonder - with inside info, we constantly talk about cuts and infighting. Without it, without the behind the scenes knowledge, all we would have seen over the last couple decades are ride closures and stagnation, without even being teased with the possibility of new attractions. Would opinions of the park really be higher?

 

[Kman101]

And what if we didn't know what was cut and what if we didn't know all that we do know? How would things be viewed then? (Though I'd argue New Fantasyland would still be style over substance). What if we never heard about the bike coaster for Pandora or the original idea for the boat ride, etc. Or even if we didn't know how much money is (overspent) on these things? I love hearing all the inside scoops and knowing plans that don't come to fruition, but sometimes it's also disappointing. I think it sometimes clouds our view on certain things.

 

[doctornick]

Would I have loved and wanted the original plans to be upheld? Of course! (Personally I'd prefer the boat ride to be longer but I don't think it needed to be a rapids ride, We have one already that could use some plussing. I also personally don't care we didn't get a bike coaster either)

Totally agree with all this. I'm actually more disappointed that the Africa dark ride that was going to be built near FOTLK didn't happen than the idea of Pandora not getting a third ride.

 

[dreamscometrue]

I saw this on Blog Mickey's twitter account. I'm a rather mellow guy, but if I saw someone doing this, I'd surely intervene and tell CMs. Seeing it after the fact like this probably upset Mike, as it does me. I shouldn't be surprised, but still am, that a segment of the population has so little respect for someone's hard work. I hope Disney gets this repaired quickly, or other dumb**s people will surely follow suit. Brutal!

 

[Goob]

What am I looking at? It just looks like theming to me.

Edit: Ah, nevermind, I see it now.

 

[dreamscometrue]

What am I looking at? It just looks like theming to me.

Edit: Ah, nevermind, I see it now.

Names carved :-(

 

[AKL2003]

View attachment 213618

Names carved :-(

I work with the public and on a DAILY basis, i see behavior that makes me shake my head and think "who thinks it is acceptable to act that way?"...it would never cross my mind to ruin someone's property, never mind someones blood, sweat and tears...its a shame...

 

[Goob]

I have to pick up trash in my yard EVERYTIME before I mow. People assume it's totally cool to throw their garbage out their car window I guess. Nothing infuriates me more than people with no regard for others property.

 

[Incomudro]

View attachment 213618

Names carved :-(

Unbelievable.

 

[dreamscometrue]

Not to derail the thread, but for those of you familiar with park ops and maintenance, does this type of defacing property (scraping, carving, etc.) occur frequently around WDW, and is it just part of maintenance that Disney has dealt with for years?

 

[bclane]

View attachment 213604

I saw this on Blog Mickey's twitter account. I'm a rather mellow guy, but if I saw someone doing this, I'd surely intervene and tell CMs. Seeing it after the fact like this probably upset Mike, as it does me. I shouldn't be surprised, but still am, that a segment of the population has so little respect for someone's hard work. I hope Disney gets this repaired quickly, or other dumb**s people will surely follow suit. Brutal!

Oh man that really upsets me. I wish someone would have filmed them doing it and got them banned for life. So stupid!

 

[Tom Morrow]

Just rode Flight of Passage for the first time. Also saw Pandora at night for the first time.

At first I felt that Pandora was too dim at night, but then I realized that not only does it make it look more realistic, but I love how dark everything is. It truly feels like an alien forest, at night, and not a theme park land. The exterior queue of Flight of Passage at night is beautiful and the first time in quite some time that a theme park attraction has been able to make me actually feel like I'm somewhere new and not 10 minutes from my house.

I love that there is almost no music playing anywhere in the land. It feels real and authentic. My friend pointed out that if Universal had made this, they would be blaring the musical score everywhere, and blaring sirens in the queue going off intermittently, TV screens displaying loud flashy stuff... this ride stands out for not having any objective or anything going wrong.

Flight of Passage is, IMO, easily the best "theater" simulator that exists, and easily in the top non-hybrid simulators in general.

That's all I have to say, for now.

Oh, there was a LOT of graffiti in the queue, sadly. Anyone caught doing it should be kicked out of the park. Of course, Disney probably doesn't do anything because they have a tendency to not punish guests who break the rules.

 

[Daveeeeed]

Just rode Flight of Passage for the first time. Also saw Pandora at night for the first time.

At first I felt that Pandora was too dim at night, but then I realized that not only does it make it look more realistic, but I love how dark everything is. It truly feels like an alien forest, at night, and not a theme park land. The exterior queue of Flight of Passage at night is beautiful and the first time in quite some time that a theme park attraction has been able to make me actually feel like I'm somewhere new and not 10 minutes from my house.

I love that there is almost no music playing anywhere in the land. It feels real and authentic. My friend pointed out that if Universal had made this, they would be blaring the musical score everywhere, and blaring sirens in the queue going off intermittently, TV screens displaying loud flashy stuff... this ride stands out for not having any objective or anything going wrong.

Flight of Passage is, IMO, easily the best "theater" simulator that exists, and easily in the top non-hybrid simulators in general.

That's all I have to say, for now.

Oh, there was a LOT of graffiti in the queue, sadly. Anyone caught doing it should be kicked out of the park. Of course, Disney probably doesn't do anything because they have a tendency to not punish guests who break the rules.

I think that if this becomes a true issue, they'll put up a no graffiti sign that says:
"Warning: Pandora is a natural environment, please keep it that way by not damaging the environment by graffiti or carvings."
Disney should punish anyone who does so. It wouldn't be that intrusive either as it would actually fit within the theme.

 

[Disney Dad 3000]

I think that if this becomes a true issue, they'll put up a no graffiti sign that says:
"Warning: Pandora is a natural environment, please keep it that way by not damaging the environment by graffiti or carvings."
Disney should punish anyone who does so. It wouldn't be that intrusive either as it would actually fit within the theme.

Between that and the coins in the lab, super annoying. Feed them to the banshees!

 

[djkidkaz]

Not to derail the thread, but for those of you familiar with park ops and maintenance, does this type of defacing property (scraping, carving, etc.) occur frequently around WDW, and is it just part of maintenance that Disney has dealt with for years?

Yes it's a constant issue. I think the issue is that the artists who come out and theme the buildings and areas during construction are not the same as Joe Schmoe from maintenance who comes out and slaps on some paint to hide the damage, so it never looks like it does originally.

 

[mergatroid]

Any truth to the claim in the Volcano Bay thread that people are peeing and pooping in the FOP queue rather than losing their place in line?