Best refurbishment?

H

hurricanepat

Member
Original Poster
Often times we talk about how Disney has done a bad job at their idea of a refurb. However, often times they have indeed hit the home run. If you had to chose which refurb was the most needed/best done, which would you pick? Past and present what would be your choice?

Myself, I honestly would pick TT. Yes the previous ride was fantastic, however, IMO it has became dated and with the changing times it was needed for a replacement. TT proved a thrill ride could work. Though it did become dated, Disney and their sponsor (mostly the sponsor) saw the need for an update and I am optimistically excited to see the results. I have always thought the change from an omnimover to an alternate idea was an improvement (Horizons withheld). Haven't rode Star Tours 2.0 but I have heard good things and I am hoping to experience the new TT, I am arriving next week on the 28th and am leaving the 3rd.
 
AndyS2992

AndyS2992

Well-Known Member
Spaceship Earth
Pirates of the Carribean
Turning ExtraTERRORestrial into Stitch

Absolutely amazing refurbs :D

Lol

Haunted Mansion and Star Tours are the only ones that spring to mind.
 
PhilharMagician

PhilharMagician

Well-Known Member
The best refurbishment in WDW would have to go to Main Street USA. MSUSA has been completely revitalized and looks absolutely amazing. I hope it stays that way now and does not end up looking like the slums again.

The best ride refurbishment I would also go with HM.
 
bgraham34

bgraham34

Well-Known Member
Star Tours without a doubt.

TT I have yet to ride it so I can't really form an opinion on it. The one thing that does not interest me about the refurb is building your car. I am not interested in designing a car and not actually being about to test some of the designs. I am hoping that I dont have to participate in that part of the ride
 
bethymouse

bethymouse

Well-Known Member
I'm not a fan of any of the refurbs actually.:( Splash Mountain and so many others need a good "rehab"/refurb.:( I'm still waiting on TT. I didn't care for the BTMRR refurb, but it looks like it's going through more changes.;)
 
Animaniac93-98

Animaniac93-98

Well-Known Member
MarkTwain said:
Star Tours
Haunted Mansion
Hall of Presidents
Click to expand...

What this guy said, though I'd pick HoP for #1. Going from the 1993/2001 version to the 2008 version was a huge leap in quality, not only from a technical standpoint but from a show quality and writing standpoint too. Now it's actually about the Presidents!
 
Thrill Seeker

Thrill Seeker

Well-Known Member
GLaDOS said:
No. Overhaul means it was transformed in theme park speak. Refurbishment means it was cleaned up and fixed.
Click to expand...

This. Star Tours and Test Track aren't the same rides they were before. They have the same ride systems and names (well, Test Track does anyway), but other than that they are completely different. Haunted Mansion is the same ride it has always been but they took the weakest parts of that ride and made them the best scenes.

I agree on the HoP refurb. Didn't like it before, now I do, Obama nonwithstanding.
 
George Lucas on a Bench

George Lucas on a Bench

Well-Known Member
Haunted Mansion was good, but not perfect. They still altered original elements when they should have retained more and enhanced what was already there. That classic moment where the eyes follow you is gone and some of the original 11 portraits are dumped around the house and barely visible. What was the thinking there? Replace an original WDW scene with a scene resembling DL's corridor. Adding the staircase was good (though not a big fan of the footprints), but how about putting the spiders somewhere else? What happened to those hands in the last door before the clock? Little touches like that would go a long way, I think, and I really don't get why they were removed at all. Similarly, the attic scene is left up for debate. Some people don't like floating Leota or the newer hitchhiking ghosts and I can sympathize, even though these don't bother me as much.

Overall, though, it was a strong refurb and the audio was finally audible again, the interior looked great and it was relatively un-George Lucased. Not like Pirates, an extremely questionable refurb that should perhaps have done more things that Haunted Mansion did and expanded the experience a bit in the opening cave (not with mermaids!) and kept the animatronics that were removed and now make the prison scene feel less alive. Since that ride had really been cut down from the original DL, the refurb should have been an opportunity to add more, not just the waterfall effect and movie characters. Granted, they don't have a ton of space, but that cave scene could have featured the treasure room and some missing elements from DL if they really tried. I also lament the removal of parrot and skull guy inside.
 
The Empress Lilly

The Empress Lilly

Well-Known Member
Star Tours, if that one counts. Best ride redo ever!

Under New Management into Tiki Room was awesome. Bless the Tiki God of Fire. Although it is still not as good as the Tropical Serenade.

Mansion was a good technical upkeep, but a creative hit-and-miss, maybe more miss than hit.
WoM into Test Track was a criminal act of vandalism.
 

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