News D23 Expo Japan 2018

[No Name]

I'm glad RnRC hasn't been rethemed in DHS because it's one of the most popular rides and it fits the theme well. When there are so many things that don't work, why spend money on changing what does? Leave both ToT and RnRC as they are and spend the money on Launch Bay, Star Tours, BatB, TLM, etc. I bet Chappie's got his arrow pointed in the wrong direction again.

And is there a real vision somewhere for WDSP?

 

[Timothy_Q]

I'm glad RnRC hasn't been rethemed in DHS because it's one of the most popular rides and it fits the theme well.

Well there’s only 4

 

[marni1971]

Well we did receive some New info on Guardians Coaster in Epcot, it'll be the longest enclosed coaster in the world..

One of the longest. In a genre not exactly bursting at the seams.

He wouldn’t exactly say "one of the shortest" would he?

 

[Stripes]

@marni1971 So, looking at current construction timelines, will Disney presumably be starting construction on a yet to be announced attraction/meaningful project before D23 2019?

 

[marni1971]

@marni1971 So, looking at current construction timelines, will Disney presumably be starting construction on a yet to be announced attraction/meaningful project before D23 2019?

Not that I know of.

 

[cosmicgirl]

Ugh enough with the awful rethemes already. It's bad enough that DLP lost de la Terre à la Lune to Mission 2 and now to the even worse Hyperspace Mountain, lost le Vis, and had its PoTC messed up. Leave HNY and RnRC alone, we don't want your stupid Marvel. Granted, RnRC was inferior to DHS's from the start, but this is certainly not an improvement.

 

[Casper Gutman]

This is something we didn't hear about, but it's not that big : https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/b...rs-galaxys-edge/?CMP=SOC-DPFY18Q2wo201180025A

Hahahahaha

So, HP set the standard for a new kind of theme park land, in which the restaurants and stores are as much an attraction as the rides, immersing guests in an IP-based environment. Restaurants feature carefully-themed dishes and stores sell a vast variety of merchandise that might be sold within the fiction - wands, robes, scarfs, stationary, etc., etc.

Disney decides to emulate this new kind of land. Fine.

What's the first piece of merchandise they show us from their blockbuster new land based on one of the three biggest media franchises, the item that's meant to give an indication of just how immersive this new land will be?

Beanie Babies. Beanie Babies with a lame backstory.

Now Disney can pretty much slap this backstory on any generic piece of junk. Oh, that Star Wars-themed Hot Wheels car was actually manufactured on Alderaan - they're hard to come by now. And this "best boss ever" mug was hand-crafted by Ugnauts.

Honestly, I am REALLY excited for SWL. Everything up to now has looked great, and Cars Land shows Disney is more than capable of building this kind of land. But the fact that THIS is the first actual chunk of the land they choose to show - that's surprisingly disheartening.

PS: And why are these local craftsmen making stuffed toys of a lunatic who just killed billions of people? And is Disney really going to have a Toydarian (an alien race, not a character - whoever is writing the official Disney blog posts should probably watch the movies) AA in the store, reopening the controversy that surrounded Watto?

 

[marni1971]

If anything RnRC WDSP was superior to DHS. Especially then the haze system was changed and the lighting went LED.

 

[cosmicgirl]

If anything RnRC WDSP was superior to DHS. Especially then the haze system was changed and the lighting went LED.

Well I guess a matter of personal preference. DHS's storyline makes sense, whereas the WDS one is lacking imo: the limo rushes you to the concert through a bunch of spotlights...?

 

[the.dreamfinder]

Hahahahaha

So, HP set the standard for a new kind of theme park land, in which the restaurants and stores are as much an attraction as the rides, immersing guests in an IP-based environment. Restaurants feature carefully-themed dishes and stores sell a vast variety of merchandise that might be sold within the fiction - wands, robes, scarfs, stationary, etc., etc.

Are the Wizarding Worlds all that revolutionary? Hogsmeade’s timing, the first quality, substantive thing to open in Central Florida after 9/11, has helped build up its reputation as a game changer, but UNI only met a standard Disney set back in the 70s/80s. Meanwhile, their non Potter slate has been mostly of poor quality, save for Nintendo, which hasn’t opened, and Volcano Bay, with its considerable planning and ops mistakes. I’ll feel better about UNI’s outlook once Tom Williams and Mark Woodbury are gone.

What's the first piece of merchandise they show us from their blockbuster new land based on one of the three biggest media franchises, the item that's meant to give an indication of just how immersive this new land will be?

Beanie Babies. Beanie Babies with a lame backstory.

Honestly, I am REALLY excited for SWL. Everything up to now has looked great, and Cars Land shows Disney is more than capable of building this kind of land. But the fact that THIS is the first actual chunk of the land they choose to show - that's surprisingly disheartening.

After seeing that plush, I can’t unthink Star Wars Etsy. Yet that plush is more appealing than most of the Star Wars crap I’ve seen shoved into every store around property.

Also, think about who the D23 Japan audience is given the lines folks stood in to buy merchandise.

 

[marni1971]

Well I guess a matter of personal preference. DHS's storyline makes sense, whereas the WDS one is lacking imo: the limo rushes you to the concert through a bunch of spotlights...?

In WDSP you’re actually at the gig. You’re making the video of the gig. It was an unofficial sequel to the original, though not elaborated on since the 2002 PR fluff.

 

[cosmicgirl]

In WDSP you’re actually at the gig. You’re making the video of the gig. It was an unofficial sequel to the original, though not elaborated on since the 2002 PR fluff.

It still doesn't make sense to me due to a lack of (or a bad) transition from the pre-show to the ride. But as I said before, there's nothing wrong with personal preference.

ETA: I stand corrected on the content of the pre-show, I forgot about the rollercoaster track thing. However, I still feel the storyline isn't nearly as strong as the DHS one, which is probably why I forgot about it in the first place even after having ridden it at least 30-40 times.

 

[marni1971]

It still doesn't make sense to me due to a lack of (or a bad) transition from the pre-show to the ride. But as I said before, there's nothing wrong with personal preference.

ETA: I stand corrected on the content of the pre-show, I forgot about the rollercoaster track thing. However, I still feel the storyline isn't nearly as strong as the DHS one, which is probably why I forgot about it in the first place even after having ridden it at least 30-40 times.

It doesn’t help Paris got into the routine of pushing guests through the preshow room instead of being able to watch it to the end.

 

[cosmicgirl]

It doesn’t help Paris got into the routine of pushing guests through the preshow room instead of being able to watch it to the end.

Very very true.

 

[jrhwdw]

Well, NO SURPRISES from last night! the new PTN float looks nice, I'm guessing it'll debut with the I2 movie, or the opening of Pixar Pier?

What angers me the most is their letting MK's Parade fiasco go on and on! Plus we (think ) don't have the theater any more! Shouldn't Disney confirm the theater's fate since they made a big deal out of it back in July???

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

This very well may be the worst piece of concept art Disney has ever released:
View attachment 263413
Elastigirl is akwardly depicted as a costumed character, while Dash and Violet are literally photoshopped images of the Disney Infinity Figures. I'm not even joking:
View attachment 263417
I don't even know what's going on with Mr. Incredible, Frozone, and Dash.

Hold their beer:

Yes, this was real — thank goodness the finished product was better, once they ironed out the kinks.

 

[FerretAfros]

Hold their beer:
View attachment 263502
Yes, this was real — thank goodness the finished product was better, once they ironed out the kinks.

Just a friendly reminder that concept art for entertainment products nearly always looks like hot garbage. Concept art is only used for marketing purposes prior to the finished product; the actual designers work with more technical drawings. Entertainment has such a short lead time that they're generally able to use images of the real thing for in their advertisements; unless you follow park news, you're not going to ever see the concept art. As a result, we often see schematics or shop drawings that have been colored in, with characters/performers hastily photoshopped on to give a sense of scale

(Don't even ask where that pole is going!)

The only real exception to this rule in recent memory is Rivers of Light. Even big-budget spectaculars use all sorts of images that were not quite fit for public consumption. But once the shows are up and running, they have countless images and films to use for their promotions, which is what 99% of the general public will see anyway

 

[disneygeek90]

Can we please pause on the superheroes being shoved down our throats?

 

[jrhwdw]

Just a friendly reminder that concept art for entertainment products nearly always looks like hot garbage. Concept art is only used for marketing purposes prior to the finished product; the actual designers work with more technical drawings. Entertainment has such a short lead time that they're generally able to use images of the real thing for in their advertisements; unless you follow park news, you're not going to ever see the concept art. As a result, we often see schematics or shop drawings that have been colored in, with characters/performers hastily photoshopped on to give a sense of scale

(Don't even ask where that pole is going!)

The only real exception to this rule in recent memory is Rivers of Light. Even big-budget spectaculars use all sorts of images that were not quite fit for public consumption. But once the shows are up and running, they have countless images and films to use for their promotions, which is what 99% of the general public will see anyway

Speaking of concept art, I wonder if anymore Art on TDR's 35th was released? We only have a good look at 1 float in Dreaming Up!

Also I wonder if anyone got the TDR 35th show on Video? OLC/TDR is the master of doing road shows!

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

Just a friendly reminder that concept art for entertainment products nearly always looks like hot garbage. Concept art is only used for marketing purposes prior to the finished product; the actual designers work with more technical drawings. Entertainment has such a short lead time that they're generally able to use images of the real thing for in their advertisements; unless you follow park news, you're not going to ever see the concept art. As a result, we often see schematics or shop drawings that have been colored in, with characters/performers hastily photoshopped on to give a sense of scale


The only real exception to this rule in recent memory is Rivers of Light. Even big-budget spectaculars use all sorts of images that were not quite fit for public consumption. But once the shows are up and running, they have countless images and films to use for their promotions, which is what 99% of the general public will see anyway

Totally - I just thought that Fantasmic image was hilariously bad, perhaps even legendarily so. Look at that brick! Even as an afterthought it was lazily done. Surely it would have been better to release no art at all, or a simple still from Sleeping Beauty, than put that out to the press.

For my money, those parade float colored-in technical drawings actually serve their purpose well enough. Not as deeply engaging as a John Hench painting, but few things are. At least images like that Neverland Float rendering indicate a well crafted product is on the way.