Blackbeard Comes Aboard at Disneyland Park and Magic Kingdom Park May 20

[HMF]

I understand a lot of hardcore preservationists hate the Jack Sparrow AAs but I loved them. Maybe it's because I loves the movies so much. And the majority of the ride was not drastically changed..

The problem is not "that" they added the Jack AA's it is "How" they did it. They could have easily inserted Jack into those 3 scenes without altering the attraction to revolve around him.

 

[fngoofy]

While I don't mind the change, I wish when it was done they would just leave it as water.

I think that it would be a cooler effect to think that you are going to go through a real waterfall rather than have that illusion blown by the projection of the pirates.

 

[AEfx]

Not to go all jt04 on AEfx, but "we told you so"

Told me so, about what?

I posted it myself, and I never posted that I doubted it was true. In fact I stated several times that I didn't doubt that it was true.

Hilly is still a complete and total loser - as was repeated several times in that there, the fact that someone at WDI has been leaking selected stuff to him of late doesn't change that and the myriad of reasons I and many other posters generally dislike him.

:shrug:

 

[AEfx]

This is another situation where those people that are detractors of using screens in attractions can now see the benefit. It's a much easier transition for something like this. An element of the ride changes overnight, there is definitely value in that.

Yeah, but it can also cheapen it as well.

That's why I find TSM completely unimpressive. That doesn't mean it's not a fun little ride, but there is no immersion, there is no thought, it's an assembly line-like ride where you go from TV to TV playing brief videogames. A videogame you can even buy for the Wii.

Is there a difference between playing TSM on Wii and going on the attraction? Sure, but not worth two hours of waiting in line for me.

Now Buzz Lightyear, I love - 'cause it's a ride. With real stuff in it. And this is a neat little thing with POTC. But that doesn't change the overall trend toward screen-based attractions being a sad thing.

Not all video screens are bad, but when Disney is basing so much on them (Monsters Inc Laff Floor is a good example) it loses some charm and magic for me.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I am rather "meh" about this whole thing. Mostly because in my experience, the "waterfall" projection is better executed on Monster Mansion at Six Flags Over Georgia than it is at the Magic Kingdom (I cannot compare it to Disneyland).

Yep, pirates in a pirate attraction.

Recipe for disaster!

Here's why Blackbeard is better than Davy Jones: he looks like an actual pirate.

For people who didn't see or don't remember the pirates movies, Davy Jones looks silly, and they're left thinking, "the hell was that squid guy?" Blackbeard doesn't need a back story. He's a freaky pirate with a classic pirate look and doesn't look out of place to anyone, especially those who aren't familiar with Davy Jones.

I also like the Davy Jones voice at the end of the attraction, but I think this change is for the better based on appearances alone.

Him being a pirate does not explain his supernatural appearance.

I'm reserving judgment on this change until I've seen On Stranger Tides. We don't know if Blackbeard as represented in the movie is a supernatural character like Davy Jones. Of course, this scene won't make sense if he's not. But he could be, so, until I've seen the movie, I'll give WDI the benefit of the doubt. It certainly has potential to be interesting. I like that Disney is interested in these temporary enhancements, but I'm glad this one will only be temporary because I like Davy Jones and the grotto as it is now.

Agreed. Right now this is confusing, but it may well make more sense after seeing the film. Though it does make me wonder why they are doing this the same day as the theatrical premier. I would think I might want to give people time to understand the context of this change.

 

[JEANYLASER]

agreed!

 

[NoChesterHester]

agreed!

With what? 15 different opinions posted thus far...

 

[Enchantâmes]

Just wanna remind some of the whiners around here that it is temporary...

So stick a cork in it.:wave:

 

[JEANYLASER]

I think that is awesome Tom did!

 

[RSoxNo1]

Yeah, but it can also cheapen it as well.

That's why I find TSM completely unimpressive. That doesn't mean it's not a fun little ride, but there is no immersion, there is no thought, it's an assembly line-like ride where you go from TV to TV playing brief videogames. A videogame you can even buy for the Wii.

Is there a difference between playing TSM on Wii and going on the attraction? Sure, but not worth two hours of waiting in line for me.

Now Buzz Lightyear, I love - 'cause it's a ride. With real stuff in it. And this is a neat little thing with POTC. But that doesn't change the overall trend toward screen-based attractions being a sad thing.

Not all video screens are bad, but when Disney is basing so much on them (Monsters Inc Laff Floor is a good example) it loses some charm and magic for me.

Monster's Inc Laugh Floor replaced another screen based show, and I don't think it's ridiculous to say that it's far more immersive than Timekeeper ever was.

As one of those "screen detractors" (and it's not all screens, for example the hitchhiking ghost "screens" are terrific), the fact that the screens can be switched from Davy Jones to Blackbeard doesn't really make me feel any better about it. I ask the question that I generally ask whenever something is changed/added to a ride: Why is that there?

Why is that particular projection there? Is it there because for story purposes it makes sense? Or simply because it was cheap to do?

In this instance (as with the Davy Jones original projection), I think the answer is they did it because they could and because it was cheap. I fail to see why, for story purposes, a projection of Blackbeard would just appear randomly on a waterfall. Now, not having seen the movie, maybe that's his "super power" or something, but for now, it just doesn't make sense to me. Is it the end of the world? No, of course not. But when they make changes to classic attractions, I prefer these changes make sense to the story first.

The argument that the waterfall of Davy Jones/Blackbeard doesn't fit into the ride is a matter of opinion. It replaced the skull and cross bones before the waterfall (at least that's how I interpret it). I miss the skull and cross bones, but I don't think this was an issue of cheapening an attraction - if anything I think it was an excuse to use the concept of a projection on a "waterfall".

What wouldn't surprise me is a mandate from above to have this level of flexibiltiy using projectors, and then Imagineers come up with new ways to use projectors (Seas with Nemo and Friends, Pirates, Magic Memories and You).

 

[FigmentJedi]

I'm reserving judgment on this change until I've seen On Stranger Tides. We don't know if Blackbeard as represented in the movie is a supernatural character like Davy Jones. Of course, this scene won't make sense if he's not. But he could be, so, until I've seen the movie, I'll give WDI the benefit of the doubt. It certainly has potential to be interesting. I like that Disney is interested in these temporary enhancements, but I'm glad this one will only be temporary because I like Davy Jones and the grotto as it is now.

Blackbeard runs on voodoo magic in the film. He's managed to keep himself alive a little while longer on it and he's got a crew of zombies and a magic sword.

 

[nemofinder22]

Tonight at the Pirates of the Caribbean- On Stranger Tides World Premiere at Disneyland the effect was in use-

video by MainStreetJake
http://www.twitvid.com/WHIBQ

 

[StageFrenzy]

You are not the first to pass this way?

 

[AEfx]

Monster's Inc Laugh Floor replaced another screen based show, and I don't think it's ridiculous to say that it's far more immersive than Timekeeper ever was.

Regardless of what was there before, that doesn't mean it couldn't have been a whole lot better had it had full AA's instead of video screens. In this case, there is nothing they HAD to do on video, they could have had revolving doors/floor riser AA's and still do the interactivity. But they did the cheap version.

It's just part of the "hey why build it if we can project it" mentality that overtook WDW in the last decade.

Thankfully, FLE seems to be b__________g that trend.

 

[HMF]

Tonight at the Pirates of the Caribbean- On Stranger Tides World Premiere at Disneyland the effect was in use-

video by MainStreetJake
http://www.twitvid.com/WHIBQ

So it's the exact same dialogue just spoken by Blackbeard. Once again Disney PUT HIM BACK ON THE WICKED WENCH!!!!

 

[RSoxNo1]

Tonight at the Pirates of the Caribbean- On Stranger Tides World Premiere at Disneyland the effect was in use-

video by MainStreetJake
http://www.twitvid.com/WHIBQ

Looks good.

Regardless of what was there before, that doesn't mean it couldn't have been a whole lot better had it had full AA's instead of video screens. In this case, there is nothing they HAD to do on video, they could have had revolving doors/floor riser AA's and still do the interactivity. But they did the cheap version.

It's just part of the "hey why build it if we can project it" mentality that overtook WDW in the last decade.

Thankfully, FLE seems to be b__________g that trend.

I like Monster's Inc Laugh Floor as an attraction, It's just in the wrong spot. Our insiders may be able to shed some light on this, but one of the configurations I had heard for the Tron attraction was that it would actually start out where Monster's Inc is now. I guess there would be some re-working of the backstage areas with a launch into the parking lot area behind Main Street.

 

[AEfx]

I like Monster's Inc Laugh Floor as an attraction, It's just in the wrong spot. Our insiders may be able to shed some light on this, but one of the configurations I had heard for the Tron attraction was that it would actually start out where Monster's Inc is now. I guess there would be some re-working of the backstage areas with a launch into the parking lot area behind Main Street.

Oh, I don't dislike it either.

My only point is that it would have been a lot more enjoyable if it wasn't just animation on a screen (which I could get watching it at home) versus real-"live" Animatronics.

That's why I am glad with FLE we are finally getting new Animatronics, it was feeling like Disney had abandoned them for awhile, which was one scary thought.

 

[Buried20KLeague]

I just thought I'd throw in that my wife and I were at the Premiere on Saturday night, and saw the Blackbeard additions to PotC.

He DOES keep virtually the same dialogue as Davy Jones in the waterfall projection.

I'll also add that they replaced the dialogue at the end of the attraction (coming up the waterfall at DL, walking up the speedramp at WDW) that was spoken by Davy Jones with Blackbeard, as well. We hard a couple SLIGHT differences in that dialogue, but for the most part it was kept very similar too.

And... Since I've seen the movie... I'll add that I don't really "get" why he appears and disappears and seems "supernatural", like Davy Jones was. In the movie, he does practice a little voodoo... But I certainly didn't see anything that would lead me to believe that he could appear and disappear at will, or be seen as a ghost would. Also, while he has some crew members that are Zombies, they're not highly CGI like Davy Jones crew was, and really there wasn't much reason for them to be zombies... Outside of, I guess, you can brainwash Zombies to do your bidding, I suppose.

Great movie though... I think everyone will be happy with it. Definitely better than 2 and 3 in my opinion.