Avengers Campus: E-Watch! (Waiting on the new ride)

[DrStarlander]

Another Space Mountain with light themeing isn't going to make that roster better, only worse.

I understand the skepticism about an indoor coaster being "another Space Mountain" as many indoor coasters lean too hard on the darkness with thin content/theming (Rockin' Rollercoaster, Crush's Coaster, CanCan Coaster at Europa Park come to mind...though I love CanCan!) But I don't hear that skepticism around the upcoming Monsters, Inc. coaster -- do you? I wonder if people expect more full-fledged theming/content, though can we really expect much from the concept art alone? It is, after all, Disney concept art.

Anyway, I think a suspended, indoor Spider-Man coaster would get a similar reception if announced (that is, general enthusiasm and lack of skepticism). Going back to Europa Park, I think the Arthur ride is actually a great example of a hybrid coaster and dark ride that is fantastic. Though it could use some more coaster-y moments, a Spider-Man attraction with that format would be a huge hit I think. Plenty of opportunity for slowing down and gazing at 3D scenes, animatronics, and story-telling, then have us fly (suspended) down city streets at high speed chasing villains. It could be pretty special and I think analogous to RSR in terms of blending thrills and a Disney-style dark ride.

I'd rather see Goofy Sky School moved/redesigned to Redwood Challenge and themed to the cartoon with Donald and Burro mining.

I find Goofy Sky School to be a terrifying ride! I don't know how much life it has in it, but your re-theme idea sounds fun. The flying/airplane theme always felt weird to me in a park with Soarin'/Grizzly Airfield etc. Too small a park with multiple airplane themes.

 

[mickEblu]

I completely agree and the problem of cheaply themed "non-Disney quality" extends to almost every "E" ticket.

Soarin - exposed ride system in big empty warehouse room with blue screen/terrible queue.
GRR - Pretty landscaping for lacking any moments that set Disney apart from the rest.
Mission BO - Cheaply rethemed attraction with the physical show scene being replaced with screens. (Upgrade from Amusement Park, but downgrade from Disney)

Right now, RSR is the only "Disney-Quality E Ticket" at DCA. Another Space Mountain with light themeing isn't going to make that roster better, only worse. I'd rather see Goofy Sky School moved/redesigned to Redwood Challenge and themed to the cartoon with Donald and Burro mining. Indoor/outdoor coaster, some show scenes, and another people eater in Grizzly Peak while opening up the worst corner of DCA for a complete redo.

Agree on Mission BO and Soarin. When the ride first came out there was nothing like it so that helped mask some of the issues with the attraction. Now that they downgraded from California to World and those flying theaters are more common it’s just not as impressive. The flaws such as the boring queue are highlighted more now. Not to mention the grainy quality of the film now. Why does that happen? It’s like seeing highlights from the Lakers from the early 2000s? Why does the resolution look so poor when I know for a fact it did not look like that in real time? Anyway, I rarely ride Soarin. Maybe once a year. It’s just not worth the wait and that queue drags. Still like the concept and would just like to see the whole thing upgraded. Or my seasonal idea of an animated Disneys famous flights which I’ve mentioned on the past.

I think with GRR the atmosphere is the show and that’s what makes it Disney standard. For a good portion of that ride you can forget you re at a theme park. Could there be more story? Absolutely but I think at this point without the right people working on that it could be high risk and end up being much like the Incredicoaster overlay of GRR. Where you just get annoying audio and some fiberglass figures. Maybe a quality AA or two if you re lucky. Although Country Bear overlay does intrigue me and I think due to the IP they would possibly give it the love and resources required.

I really love RedWood Creek so I would hate to see it house a big outdoor steel coaster. Would completely ruin the atmosphere. For me you either leave Redwood creek alone or when push comes to shove you maybe use it for a dark ride one day when expansion plots have dried up.

 

[Touchdown]

Redwood creek would make a great location for Country Bear Hall, just saying…

 

[Disney Irish]

People can consider it whatever they want. Doesn’t make it a boat. Now if I said water ride…

Also if Grizzly counts that would make it 27 years if Coco opens in 2028.

If this was MK you may have a point calling Splash a boat but not here where it’s definitely a traditional log flume.

If your only definition of a "boat ride" is that the vehicle must be in the shape of a boat, that limits the whole classification of the ride type.

You're talking to someone who worked on an actual flume ride in my youth at an amusement park. And in the industry (at least in the 80s and 90s) anything that floats in water along a predefined track is considered a "boat ride" no matter the shape of the vehicle. And yes that includes rapid rides like Grizzly.

 

[mickEblu]

If your only definition of a "boat ride" is that the vehicle must be in the shape of a boat, that limits the whole classification of the ride type.

You're talking to someone who worked on an actual flume ride in my youth at an amusement park. And in the industry (at least in the 80s and 90s) anything that floats in water along a predefined track is considered a "boat ride" no matter the shape of the vehicle. And yes that includes rapid rides like Grizzly.

Well this is 2025 pal and in this millennium we don’t refer to river rapids rides as boat rides.

Also pretty sure GRR is free floating and not on a track.

 

[Disney Irish]

I understand your point from a literal perspective. But I think when people say "boat ride" what they're referring to is an attraction in which you are in a vehicle floating on water and the emphasis of the experience is on what you can see from that vantage point...scenes, landscaping, etc. The emphasis on Grizzly is the pitch/yaw/rotational physical action, peril of getting wet, and looking at other passengers to see their reaction. Splash/TBA is at least half about the thrill of the drops.

Disneyland happened to be blessed with several boat rides (including Jungle Cruise, Small World, Pirates., Storybook Land Canal Boats, and arguably Mark Twain, even if we ignore Submarines and Phantom/Motor Boat Cruise). So no new additions of that type in DL is not surprising. But the lack of slow-moving, scenic boat rides in DCA is the issue. And a weird one at that, since boat rides can have a very high joy-to-cost ratio. With attractions featuring technological ride systems costing hundreds of millions of dollars, and the park clearly (I would argue) needing a classic boat ride to feel fully-dimensional/complete, why wasn't Little Mermaid built as a boat ride, for example? How much more loved would it be (I think a lot).

Seeing them building two boat rides at once is great but does call attention to the lapse for the park's first quarter century. Again, I think the same is true with themed coasters. With DCA, Disney has this weird ignorance or blind spot as to what the park needs. It's really pretty obvious what's required to get this park to a place where it stands on its own as a legitimate full-day Disney theme park.

I'm talking about the classification of the ride type in the industry, not what a poster here on WDWMagic or in the Parks wants to call it.

The ride vehicle shape has never really defined the ride type, that is determined by the theme. And speed is only partially defined by the ride type but even that can change based on the theme. As an example you have slow moving kiddie coasters, even though they aren't mega or giga coasters they are still coasters and the cars all come in different shapes and sizes based on the theme.

 

[Disney Irish]

Well this is 2025 pal and in this millennium we don’t refer to river rapids rides as boat rides.

Lol, well even Google AI says you're wrong in 2025.

Also pretty sure GRR is free floating and not on a track.

It may not be on a rail but its still goes along a predefined track.

 

[DrStarlander]

I really love RedWood Creek so I would hate to see it house a big outdoor steel coaster. Would completely ruin the atmosphere. For me you either leave Redwood creek alone or when push comes to shove you maybe use it for a dark ride one day when expansion plots have dried up.

I also like RWC, or at least some play area (though an Avenger's play area where kids can be the superheroes may do the Disney company more service). I think Little Mermaid is underwhelming and if RWC has to shutter for ride capacity, I'd love to see an attraction combine RWC and Mermaid for a 65,000 sq. ft. indoor/outdoor boat ride (e.g., the RWC area would be like Storybook Land Canal Boats...quiet and mellow next to the hotel).

I'm talking about the classification of the ride type in the industry, not what a poster here on WDWMagic or in the Parks wants to call it.

The ride vehicle shape has never really defined the ride type, that is determined by the theme. And speed is only partially defined by the ride type but even that can change based on the theme. As an example you have slow moving kiddie coasters, even though they aren't mega or giga coasters they are still coasters and the cars all come in different shapes and sizes based on the theme.

I personally don't care about classification of the ride type in the industry. That sounds like the kind of debate the comic book guy in Simpson's would have and, yikes, if that's the kind of discussion we're having, we are absolute nerds. I'm going outside now.

 

[Disney Irish]

I personally don't care about classification of the ride type in the industry. That sounds like the kind of debate the comic book guy in Simpson's would have and, yikes, if that's the kind of discussion we're having, we are absolute nerds. I'm going outside now.

Lol, I mean this is what we do.

 

[mickEblu]

I also like RWC, or at least some play area (though an Avenger's play area where kids can be the superheroes may do the Disney company more service). I think Little Mermaid is underwhelming and if RWC has to shutter for ride capacity, I'd love to see an attraction combine RWC and Mermaid for a 65,000 sq. ft. indoor/outdoor boat ride (e.g., the RWC area would be like Storybook Land Canal Boats...quiet and mellow next to the hotel).
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I personally don't care about classification of the ride type in the industry. That sounds like the kind of debate the comic book guy in Simpson's would have and, yikes, if that's the kind of discussion we're having, we are absolute nerds. I'm going outside now.

Yeah if they decided to do something like that one day when the expansion pads dry up it would be understandable. Mermaid is such a huge IP for the company though. Why not turn Mermaid into the E ticket boat ride?

 

[Professortango1]

Redwood creek would make a great location for Country Bear Hall, just saying…

Which could be built into the base/foundation of a wild-mouse style coaster with Donald and a Burro mining.

I'd also welcome anything in the awkward corner between Soarin and GRR.