Dino-Rama vs. Mermaid Lagoon

[steve2wdw]

While watching the Disney Sea show on the Travel Channel, I got to thinking about the whole Mermaid Lagoon area and it's relationship to Dino-Rama. Though the themes are completely diiferent, they are both full of off-the-shelf rides, themed-up by the Disney Imagineers. So far I've read no complaints about ML at TDS. Is it because it's theme is more accepted than the Dino-Rama theme, or has no one given it any thought yet? I loved Dino-Rama. The imagineers when all the way when it came to tacky. So well in fact, that it seems a majority of you out there hate it, or don't feel it's Disney. I'd like to hear what you're all thinking about on this one. Why is Mermaid Lagoon getting off easy as compared to Dino-Rama?

 

[pheneix]

Maybe it is because Mermaid Lagoon takes one of Disney's most beloved movies and creates one helluva land out of it. Maybe it is because it is one giant themed environment tha actually makes you feel like you are under the sea. Maybe it is the little caves and exploration trails throughout the pavilion that let you explore all kinds of little nooks and crannies. Maybe it is because it contains all of the things that are so "Disney."

And then you have Dino-Rama, which was the cheapest way out for Disney to build a "brand new addition!" to the Animal Kingdom. It was built by a bottom-line centric management in the hopes that their customers would not notice that Disney had not only stooped to a new low, but had dug a hole in the ground and crawled in it when it came to providing a unique and inspiring experience.

Maybe that's why Mermaid Lagoon get's away with it...

 

[no2apprentice]

Because we don't speak Japanese?:lol:

But seriously, I caught the special on TDS the first time, and was really blown away by what had been done. Then I caught it a second time, and I was able to concentrate a little more on what they did without the WOW factor in my sometimes working brain.

I really feal that TDS is a hit because the park was so well themed with the Japanese culture in mind. Besides, I would guess that a great deal of visitors to TDS have never been to WDW or DL. They don't have the same expectations that we may have as far as the quality of intensity of the rides. From what I remember seeing, the Japanese do not seem partial to intense surprises.

Also, I think alot of Americans would find some of those rides boring, at least by our standards. For instance, on the Journey Through the Center of the Earth ride, the narrator said a speed is reached of 70 feet per second during the climb to the surface. That is only about 47 miles per hour. Not real fast to a true coaster fan.

Personally, I would love to visit TDS just to experience the theming in the park and to experience the Japanese culture in a Disney park. All I have to do is learn Japanese - lol.

My thoughts - I'm sure there will be others.

 

[pheneix]

>>>That is only about 47 miles per hour.<<<

That's actually very fast for a dark ride.

>>>All I have to do is learn Japanese - lol.<<<

From what I have gather about the Tokyo Disney Resort (I'm planning my own trip there), they are very accomidating to English speaking visitors. All of the signs at TDR are in both English and Japanese, and many rides and shows either have English narration dubbed through headphones or have teleprompters for people to read. Most cast members at TDR can also speak English as well as Japanese, and are eager to help.

The rest of Japan is an entirely different story. While the Japanese are by nature courteous and want to help, they unfortunately are not always able to speak good English (and who can blame them, they live in Japan). While many train stations have English signs, you also have to learn the train routes and the Japanese way of life, which is EXTREMELY difficult for someone who is used to the American way.

 

[no2apprentice]

I feel a thread drift coming on...

Thanks for the info about the narration available in english. I noticed the signs were in english during the special, and wondered if there other considerations for english on the rides.

Do you know if Disneyland Paris is the same way?

Let's see, reminds me of a joke I once read...

What do you call a businessman who speaks three languages? Trilingual.

What do you call a businessman who speaks two languages? Bilingual.

What do you call a businessman who speaks one language? American.

 

[Steamboat_Kevin]

Weeellll, Dino-rama has all of those cute looking dinosaurs but Mermaid Lagoon is probably better. Not sure though...

 

[JLW11Hi]

Plus, Mermaid Lagoon has that Little Mermaid show that looks pretty unique and cool. That would probably enhance the experience of the whole "underwater" feel.

With Dino-Rama, however, this was just a small addition to AK, where many fans had been begging for new, good rides for a while now. Then they come up with Dino-Rama, which although is kinda neat and cute and all, does not live up to the standards we had been hoping for. If they had added a great attractoin along with the addition of Dino-Rama, we would probably have let it by. With DisneySea, ML opened with the park, along with all the other great attractions, so they could get away with the "carnival" attractions. DisneySea could've opened without ML and still have been awesome, but the Imagineers decided to throw in a little extra for the visitors, and from the looks of it, very much surpasses Dino-Rama in beauty and fun.

 

[DisneyFreak721]

It wasn't so much the theming that bothered me about the difference between the two, but the thing that bothered me most about Dino-Rama is the fact of one of the two rides that they chose to build. As JLW11Hi said, we were waiting for Disney to build something great grand and glorious at the Animal Kingdom, but instead, we already got something that we already have 3 of. A Dumbo Style Spinner.

Redundance at it's best.

As for mermaid lagoon, to me, that is the Mickey's Toontown of the park. and the one thing that bugs me about it more than anything, is that the rides there are very reminescent to those in the Bugs Bunny Ville's at Six Flags Parks. But it doesn't matter to me because I'm probably never going to go to Japan....

 

[Katherine]

I agree I think that one of the reasons that the mermaid lagoon is doing so much better than dinorama is that the liitle mermaid was a beloved disney movie. It looked pretty cool in the special but all the rides looked pretty simple, but it all had GREAT theming. I think the show looks really neat too. I also think it's there for the kids, like toon town.

 

[DanStat]

I personally like both.


I think that Mermaid Lagoon looks a little better, but they're both good!

 

[dizpins14]

I think the Mermaid Lagoon had been comapaired to DCA's Paradise Pear. The attractions are very similar in some places but the theming is sooooo much better at TDS. but Dino-Rama is just stupid. Fits no way into the DAK. Disney and Carnival Games do not equal. Just not Disney quality.

 

[ucf disneyfan]

I agree that Dino-Rama is a cheap way out for disney, but why does the land have to be about a disney movie? How many other lands in Disney World are themed after something disney? With the exception of maybe Mickey's Toontown Fair, I can't think of anything.

 

[pheneix]

>>>why does the land have to be about a disney movie?<<<

I usually feel the same way about theme park attractions being based on movies (they pretty much murdered CTX with the Dinosaur overlay), but Imagineering and OLC really did a good job with Mermaid Lagoon.

 

[WDWFREAK53]

Originally posted by pheneix
>>>why does the land have to be about a disney movie?<<<

I usually feel the same way about theme park attractions being based on movies (they pretty much murdered CTX with the Dinosaur overlay), but Imagineering and OLC really did a good job with Mermaid Lagoon.

Whoa...Pheneix...are you feeling ok??? :lol:

did you just compliment Imagineering on something they did recently??? :lol: (just kidding around with ya)

 

[pheneix]

When given the financial backing and support from Oriental Land Company, Imagineering can build some wonderful things...

 

[JLW11Hi]

Originally posted by WDWFREAK53


Whoa...Pheneix...are you feeling ok??? :lol:

did you just compliment Imagineering on something they did recently??? :lol: (just kidding around with ya)

I am pretty sure Its not Imagineering he hates, just the "suits".

 

[Merlin0402]

I think that it would be more fair to compare Dino-Rama! with Flik's Fun Fair, rather than Mermaid Lagoon. ML was made with an admirable budget, while FFF and DR weren't. When placed side by side, you can see the similarities. Low budget, quick add ons, and built to get more kiddie rides into the park. I think that when you take the similarities into account, you can clearly see if we got jipped or not. I think that we did, and that's why so many people have a problem with it. Not because of theme, but because of execution.

 

[pheneix]

Even Fliks Fun Fair is very well themed on it's own right.

 

[bearboysnc]

We're comparing Apples to Caviar.

Two very different areas with different goals and budgets.