Rumor Bye Bye (Tiki) Birdies?

[yensidtlaw1969]

While it is really character driven, Pooh ride does at least play around with environment and experiences a little more in the middle with "Getting to bounce with Tigger", the Heffalumps and Woozles trip-out, and floating during the flood.

It isn't much of a coincidence that those happen to be the best parts of the ride.

I think this is part of the issue with The Little Mermaid as a Dark Ride. The movie has some strong set pieces and locations that the ride largely rejects - the biggest scenic element of the film is of course the distinction of the undersea world from our own, and the attempts to create that within the ride are not done with conviction. Under the Sea doesn't make a strong enough effort towards looking under water. Both Eric's and Triton's castles are only seen in too-simple mural (though the castle on the facade is a nice example of placemaking), the potential of Ursula's Lair and Ariel's Grotto as rich environments are squandered on what are essentially full-size window displays that do not surround and envelop. Kiss the Girl and the entrance to Ursula's strike nicer notes, but they're both too little too late, and then it's more window dressing from there out. The rest is filled in with Rockwork.

Perhaps I drove a little too far off topic here -- all this really is to say that great environmental scenic work and theatricality totally score higher than mere rockwork, and recent Disney projects do seem to have trended too far in that direction.

 

[tirian]

While it is really character driven, Pooh ride does at least play around with environment and experiences a little more in the middle with "Getting to bounce with Tigger", the Heffalumps and Woozles trip-out, and floating during the flood.

Frozen doesn't even manage to do that, it's just "Let It Go's a real popular song, let's hear of it fifty times more"

I think Owl's collapsing tree house is also successful.

 

[Haymarket2008]

So the Tiki Room restaurant rumor has come back. Is that still off the table?

 

[ᗩLᘿᑕ ✨ ᗩζᗩᗰ]

Honestly I'm struggling more and more to believe anything Jim says... And frankly I don't think Adventureland needs another restaurant, quick service or otherwise.

 

[aladdin2007]

Honestly I'm struggling more and more to believe anything Jim says... And frankly I don't think Adventureland needs another restaurant, quick service or otherwise.

I agree I dont see that happening with a brand new dining location just around the corner. I would take that though over another attraction space (not to mention a classic one right before the 50th), being turned into another toddler princess meetngreet (aka moana or otherwise). It would be cruel to do so with the 50th around the corner, but todays execs dont get it and dont care.

 

[Kman101]

It really doesn't need another dining establishment. They could always serve real food at Tortuga Tavern. Lots of opportunities there if they need a restaurant. They could also put a show back in the Diamond Horseshoe and serve real food there again. I don't count sandwiches and Turkey Legs and hot dogs. I mean meals.

 

[Rodan75]

The next TS really needs to be in Tomorrowland.

 

[HMF]

The next TS really needs to be in Tomorrowland.

Where would it go?

 

[Rodan75]

Where would it go?

I don't know...weren't there rumors about building in top of Tomorrowland Terrace or actually convert Tomorrowland Terrace. But they could also convert part of the parking lot.

 

[Jones14]

I think Winnie the Pooh (WDW) is a very cleverly designed ride. It's clearly low-budget, but I think the design itself is top-notch. Owl's house, the pre-Heffalumps effect, and driving into the hot air balloon is just neat in that quirky dark ride way. The use of the hunny pots in different ways adds a lot to an experience that helps it stand out from the others, and of the smaller scale dark rides, I think it's the best on WDW property. It's just downright fun.

It shouldn't have replaced Toad, but it is a far more compelling experience than Mermaid, Nemo, Frozen, Caballeros, etc, and with some tech upgrades (animatronics and some scenic improvements) I'd give it best Fantasyland attraction on the east coast.

 

[ford91exploder]

It isn't much of a coincidence that those happen to be the best parts of the ride.

I think this is part of the issue with The Little Mermaid as a Dark Ride. The movie has some strong set pieces and locations that the ride largely rejects - the biggest scenic element of the film is of course the distinction of the undersea world from our own, and the attempts to create that within the ride are not done with conviction. Under the Sea doesn't make a strong enough effort towards looking under water. Both Eric's and Triton's castles are only seen in too-simple mural (though the castle on the facade is a nice example of placemaking), the potential of Ursula's Lair and Ariel's Grotto as rich environments are squandered on what are essentially full-size window displays that do not surround and envelop. Kiss the Girl and the entrance to Ursula's strike nicer notes, but they're both too little too late, and then it's more window dressing from there out. The rest is filled in with Rockwork.

Perhaps I drove a little too far off topic here -- all this really is to say that great environmental scenic work and theatricality totally score higher than mere rockwork, and recent Disney projects do seem to have trended too far in that direction.

And the FAIL for the Mermaid ride was WDW insisting on the cheap version since it was going to be built on both coasts. There is a video of what WDI actually PITCHED which was an e-ticket for the ages.

 

[ford91exploder]

I don't know...weren't there rumors about building in top of Tomorrowland Terrace or actually convert Tomorrowland Terrace. But they could also convert part of the parking lot.

Or the Noodle Station

 

[ford91exploder]

Thanks asianway! I'm momentarily the highest bidder.

Learn to 'Snipe' that way you get the items you are bidding for without letting other bidders know what you are willing to pay. Also it helps eliminate 'auction fever' where you pay more than you initially wanted to in a bidding war because you submit a bid which will be posted in the last seconds of an auction. Of course if someone has put in a higher proxy bid they STILL win but hey they offered more money than you did so that's fair.

As to those who say sniping is 'unfair' it's no different from holding up your card in a physical auction when the auctioneer says 'going three times' more than once i've 'stolen' an item in a physical auction that way.

 

[ford91exploder]

Everybody wants something better if it's actually an improvement.

"New" doesn't necessarily equal "better" (e.g. Imagination #2 and #3).

"Different" doesn't necessarily mean "worse" (Test Track 1 vs. 2).

"Original" doesn't mean "untouchable" (HM's superb updates).

"Technologically advanced" doesn't mean "better narrative" (SSE '94 vs '08).

I don't know anybody who wants WDW to always be a Model T experience like a museum piece (to borrow a frequently misquoted Walt-ism), but I know plenty of people who want to keep the innovative mindset that produced Model Ts...and jet engines...and spacecraft.

The Mustang and Ford Pinto both came after the Model T.

@marni1971 and @WDW1974 might be able to better weigh in on the Tiki changes.

To follow with @tirian 's analogy Disney in the last 10-15 years has produced a lot more Ford Pinto's than Mustang's in their replacements of the original Model T's

 

[Bocabear]

They should convert the Tomorrowland Terrace into a Table Service Robot Restaurant...like they have in Japan ...Hip, colorful and edgy with lots of eye candy....It would be a unique dining experience, and I am sure if they built it, it's popularity would eclipse Be Our Guest by 1000%

 

[HauntedPirate]

I don't see the need for another food offering in Adventureland.

FWIW, I think the Tomorrowland Terrace is a rather unique restaurant that I would not want changed, from a physical standpoint. Menus can and will change, of course, but I'd hate to lose its physical uniqueness.

 

[Bocabear]

I loved that place as a child... Air conditioned open air restaurant...how cool was that, but the menu always seems off, the majority of the crowds go to Cosmic Ray's. and having the walkway to tomorrowland right through the middle of the restaurant is less than stellar. Perhaps an overall redesign of the space could create a bypass walkway around the perimeter...and as much as I love that building, and I do, I think it wouldbe better to have that location used by something that would really be placemaking...something unique.

 

[Timothy_Q]

I think Winnie the Pooh (WDW) is a very cleverly designed ride. It's clearly low-budget, but I think the design itself is top-notch. Owl's house, the pre-Heffalumps effect, and driving into the hot air balloon is just neat in that quirky dark ride way. The use of the hunny pots in different ways adds a lot to an experience that helps it stand out from the others, and of the smaller scale dark rides, I think it's the best on WDW property. It's just downright fun.

That's totally true.

And WDW's is a much better experience than DL's

 

[Bocabear]

yeah, but neither version even begin to compare with Tokyo's version of the ride, pointing out that they absolutely can do better than what they do for the MK... The Magic Kingdom should be filled with the A+ versions of every ride, not the cliff notes Pirates, the minute and a half long version of Peter Pan, or the downgraded Winnie The Pooh...As the most visited Theme park in the United States, it should have the best!

 

[Haymarket2008]

They should convert the Tomorrowland Terrace into a Table Service Robot Restaurant...like they have in Japan ...Hip, colorful and edgy with lots of eye candy....It would be a unique dining experience, and I am sure if they built it, it's popularity would eclipse Be Our Guest by 1000%

Agreed, that is prime real estate. So many options.