COP Problems on April 1st

[GymLeaderPhil]

This is not an April Fools Day joke unfortunatly.

While its clear to see that the COP has been in a state of disrepair for quite some time, with the skins on some of the AAs showing their age and the scrims that seperate the rotating platforms being stretched out of proportion, something disturbing happened during scene two, the 4th of July scene, last Friday.

Basically the left rotating platform is either not working or something in the Jimmy/Grandpa radio portion of the show is not operating.

The lights would turn on for Uncle Orville, but since I was sitting on the far right hand side of the theater I could not tell if the rotating platform actually moved to switch from Jimmy/Grandpa to Orville. The lights would not turn on for the Jimmy/Grandpa sequence BUT the audio for that portion still remained.

Could someone check to see whether or not this has been fixed?

 

[CaptainMichael]

It is a travesty that Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress is in such sad shape. I'm hoping that it will soon recieve the attention that it deserves.

 

[raven]

...something disturbing happened during scene two, the 4th of July scene, last Friday.

Basically the left rotating platform is either not working or something in the Jimmy/Grandpa radio portion of the show is not operating.

The lights would turn on for Uncle Orville, but since I was sitting on the far right hand side of the theater I could not tell if the rotating platform actually moved to switch from Jimmy/Grandpa to Orville. The lights would not turn on for the Jimmy/Grandpa sequence BUT the audio for that portion still remained.

Could someone check to see whether or not this has been fixed?

The platform probably still revolved. But it sounds to me like a bulb or two had burned out. This happens to me sometimes right in the middle of a performance of a show that I designed lights for. Nothing you can do about until the show was over.

As far as that being "disturbing" lol. It would take a lot more for me to be disturbed by it. Just let someone know. :wave:

 

[Disney_dude]

It is a travesty that Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress is in such sad shape. I'm hoping that it will soon recieve the attention that it deserves.

I agree. I just hope that when/if they do a refurb, that it don't turn into a farewell.

Watch out if you see a sign like this. Your favorite attraction may never return from renovation! ~Walt Dated World

 

[GymLeaderPhil]

The pltform probably still revolved. But it sounds to me like a bulb or two had burned out. This happens to me sometimes right in the middle of a performance of a show that I designed lights for. Nothing you can do about until the show was over.

As far as that being "disturbing" lol. It would take a lot more for me to be disturbed by it. Just let someone know. :wave:

Well I doubt that there are different lights for the revolving platform... the Orville is on the other side and was lit up. The Jimmy/Grandpa scene on the same platform was not.

 

[raven]

Well I doubt that there are different lights for the revolving platform...

Actually there are! Each scene has it's own dedicated lights to illuminate them. They might not spin with the platform but they are separate fixtures than the scene on the other side.

Notice next time how the lights are different for each scene. The subject can be in a different location on the other side or the time of day (color) or even the lighting angle can be different. Although it would make more economical sense to use the same lights, the scenes would look too simalar to each other if they use the same fixtures. It's just another fine detail that the Imagineers look into. :wave:

Just in case you were wondering, I am a prof. lighting and special effects designer for a few theatrical venues. Disney has had a great influence on many of my projects. :wave:

 

[GymLeaderPhil]

Ah I see, thanks for clearing that up. I was just curious since I thought that some of the lights (not all) might be used for each scene on the rotating platform which would create a different pattern. Hopefully it is just a lighting problem! :sohappy:

 

[thimblekisses]

Walt would not be happy. This is HIS attraction, as we all know.
I'm sure you all already heard the sad tale of the motionless Rover in the Christmas scene when we were there last week. He wagged his tail with little commitment only once, but his head, body, mouth, etc, never moved. The sounds kept going but he was completely out of it. No more drugs for Rover.

 

[speck76]

I found this at the site listed below

A Letter from Martin A. Sklar
February 10th, 2000

Dear Mr. Addison:

I have received your letter regarding your "Save the Carousel" campaign, and am also aware that you have written Paul Pressler and others about the same subject.

On the one hand - having written material for every version of the Carousel of Progress and supervised the recordings of Rex Allen for his role as "Father" - I can appreciate your sentimentality. On the other hand, I am also well aware that attendance at the Carousel has been in a constant decline for a number of years. The fact is that today's guests at our Disney Parks prefer other forms of storytelling, and not all of them are "thrill rides."

Although we have looked at other options for use of the Carousel building (as we have at Disneyland), we have no plans at the moment to replace or close the Carousel at the Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom. However, I must underscore the fact that we are following history begun in the earliest days of Disneyland by Walt Disney when we evaluate replacing attractions. Walt started doing that almost immediately, and not all the attractions he replaced were "unpopular," or did not work for one reason or another. In fact, attractions like the Viewliner train and Midget Autopia were very popular, especially with young visitors. (Walt also tore down one of my personal favorites, The Chicken Plantation Restaraunt along the Rivers of America in Frontierland to build New Orleans Square in Disneyland; and later we removed the popular Rainbow Caverns Mine Train to build Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.)

Forms of entertainment change, sometimes dramatically, over time. What appealed and communicated to an audience in the 1960's does not necessarily work in the year 2000. For example, most of us would be bored to tears with the pace of 1960's television shows and would "zap!" 1960's style commercials even faster today than we did 30-some years ago. Our shows and storytelling devices must be as relevant in the 21st century as Walt's were in the 20th century.

I apologize for being so long-winded with this response. No one, except my colleague John Hench, now in his 62nd year at Disney - he designed the Carousel buildings for both Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom - has a longer and more involving connection with the Carousel. I was responsible for "selling" G.E. on moving the show from the New York World's fair to Disneyland, and then to Walt Disney World; and working with ________ and Bob Sherman on the music, Marc Davis and John Hench on the scene vignettes, Claude Coats on the layout and production, and Wathel Rogers on the figure programming was like spending everyday at a Disney Legends convention.

But, Mr. Addison, if the time comes when we have the need, a "better idea," and the funding, I will be the first in line to change out the Carousel. And I will shed many tears at its demise.

Sincerely,

Martin A. Sklar

I thought this was interesting.....and only slightly unrelated to the conversation at hand.

 

[tk421-sw]

Also, my parents rode the ride....on monday last week, and got stuck between the 40's and the 90's! Like the platform stopped rotating/ began too early, and the other people on the other platform looked at them like they had done something wrong! They got stuck, and I think the audio was going for both! IT's crazy, it's NEEEEEDS some rehab! That's a major thing to happen. I think they said it restarted or something.

 

[scottvicki]

I agree that it does need rehabbing, but I think it would be a nice tribute to Walt if they left the cop in DL and WDW. Replacing it would not add to Disney's bottom line.

 

[DisneyFreak529]

Like I said in the other post on this forum about this topic. I love this ride, Walt Disney Loved this ride. He wanted it in the park, commercial or not. I hope they give it some love, instead of working on new rides maybe they should put some TLC in a few of the old ones that really need it. Don't get me wrong I love new rides.

 

[General Grizz]

Like I said in the other post on this forum about this topic. I love this ride, Walt Disney Loved this ride. He wanted it in the park, commercial or not. I hope they give it some love, instead of working on new rides maybe they should put some TLC in a few of the old ones that really need it. Don't get me wrong I love new rides.

That's sad news... but the attraction has gone through twelve years of spinning without a rehab... the longest yet.

The attraction needs to be redone, completely, if it's going to last. But I don't think Disney wants to do this. (Is there any indicication?)

It's truly a pain in the side - as a Walt Disney fan - to think of this attraction - an inspiring "ultimate piece of art," as WDI shows have been dubbed - trashed or left in disrepair - when designed and love dearly by the company's founder and whose signature makes billions of dollars a year - replaced with a "carnie ride" that could just as easily been created by your local fairground...

 

[marni1971]

12 years... sounds like a Pressler idea (perish the thought)

What more worrying is it sounds not disimmilar to 20k - hopefully without the sabotage - I really hope Bob Iger wasn`t taken on it last week (Then it would be like 20k)

 

[speck76]

I really hope Bob Iger wasn`t taken on it last week (Then it would be like 20k)

Really......what leads you to believe this?

 

[marni1971]

Hi Speck...

I was refering to the story that park management and CM`s wanted 20k closed for various reasons, so when higher management visited they put them on the oldest, most run down sub going. They made sure the engine was rough, spewed smoke, and even poured a bucket or two of water on the floor to give it a leaky look. The visitors were of course horrified, and ordered the ride be decommissioned. Urban myth, or partly true, I`ve heard it from several different sources.

Now if CoP hasn`t had a major rehab for 12 years (as Grizz said) and it is showing Pressler style (run the attractions into the ground to save on maintainence) and its starting to show, imagine what Iger would have thought. Two trains of thought - `geez... this ride is shoddy... lets give it a budget to make it what it once was... didn`t Walt have something to do with it...` OR `geez... this ride is past its sell by date... how soon can you put the bumper cars in it?`

I`m not saying or implying there is an ulterior motive for whats happened on the CoP over the past few weeks, but its not outside the realms of posibility. It may even be a bad coincidence, but even so if the CEO elect was at the MK when these problems were happening it is possible he saw them.

 

[speck76]

Here is a question I have thinking about a lot lately (which should give you some type of idea that I do actually have no life)

Is a "forward-looking" scene in COP still needed?

By having a show which explains progress throughout the last 100 years or so, is looking into the future truely needed?

Could the ride instead be positioned in a way that it had 4 rooms looking at innovations throughout the previous 100 years, and the final room (where you depart) be positioned as a "We come a long way, and look what we have not (just don't look here)"

By doing this, the ride would never become dated, much like the final show room has become now, and countless times before. If the final room did not have to be brought to date every 10-15 years, the ride could potentially have much more of a solid future, as maintaining the ride would be just that...maintenance.....not re-imagineering.

 

[maxime29]

What would you all think of a more "interactive" style CoP? As in the same type of effects seen in MuppetVision and Tough to be a Bug where a lot of things happen around the theater. Maybe even give it an update where it goes along the lines of Horizons (the distant future). I think this could still retain the original message of the show and have an actual attraction that FITS the theme of Tomorrowland (unlike the most recent examples).

 

[goofyfan13]

On Sunday, in the 1940's scene, our host's (can't remember name) mouth was not moving, it wasn't extremely noticable because of the head motions, but I could still tell his mouth was stationary.

 

[Epcot82Guy]

These last two posts actually lay the foundation for exactly what I think COP needs. Although the budget required would be huge, I think COP should be closed at MK (causing dismay) at the end of the 2006 celebration. Let Epcot have it's 25th. Then, at the end of that (when attendance will dip), announce a brand new rennovation of one side of Innoventions (gaining both the classic Disney crowd hailing the return and the "new attraction" general response). Build a new, state-of-the-art COP using most of the scenes salvaged from MK's building. Make it be a look to progress through the 20th century (i.e. no future look, but a "modern look" that could be updated mildly as needed). Add elements coming from the celing, walls, etc. Add in-theater effects (like the washer "upstairs" overflowing and spewing bubbles all over or the paint mixer actually throwing paint (water) over audience members near there. The more selectively interactive (i.e. only parts of the theater get it), the more times people have to ride to see/feel it all.

Then have the attraction exit into an interactive area showcasing major achievements in technology (i.e. electric circuitry, computers, car engines, flight, etc.) These, like innoventions, could be individually sponosred (for much less than a full-scale area) and could change out as needed.

Sorry for another Imagineering kick. I just think Disney could capitalize on the prior attractions' enjoyment while getting two new attractions, one of which has the basic framework laid so that development costs should be at least a bit less (assuming budget exists for two new ones from scratch).