Disney Charm. Where have you gone?

[TP2000]

If Little Mermaid is a book report, Beauty and the Beast is a lazy book report.

I'm purposely not watching that video because I'm going back to Japan next year after the Olympics. But was it really that bad?

I don't mind if my expectations are lowered, because Tokyo Disneyland always seems to blow them out of the water no matter how high my expectations are. Going to Tokyo Disneyland with low expectations could be fun.

 

[TP2000]

Charming?

The tacky sign? Or the dork and his traveling companion with the matching hats?

 

[BayouShack]

The BATB ride is shamelessly indulgent and saccharine. I’m a minority, I guess, but I love what it’s trying to do. The ending is a tear jerker for me.

Now, it does seem like there are figures missing from two of those scenes. I got a little bored during the snowy scene, but I don’t think either video filmed it very well. It must look better in person. How much better, I cannot say.

Something wild about the ride: its finale lasts longer than the finale in the movie (synchronize the transformation scenes of the movie with the ride, and the movie will reach its credits while the ride is still going). That’s what I mean by indulgent! And I don’t say this as a criticism. The scenes have so much room to breath and build.

I disagree that it should have been an omnimover. I love how the songs build up and swell. It’s very unique to these sort of rides. There are even key changes! You
never get key changes when the scenes have to loop.

The Renaissance musicals are different from the other animated movies, so it calls for a different ride structure. While in Peter Pan the aspirational moment is flying over London, the aspirational moment of Beauty and the Beast is dancing in the ballroom to the swelling music. The ride delivers that.

 

[Randyland]

An overwhelming amount of comments here have referenced large amounts of monies, and budgets...

Although everything does indeed cost money to build, creating that Disney Magic is NOT about how much money is spent to build it...

It comes from the heart.

The feeling from those who create it, and the feeling of those who will experience it.

You must live the dreams to create the dreams.

Things like this are lifetime dedications; you must live the dreams.

This is what has made me so special in my 40 plus years in the Amusement/Entertainment business, and nothing about it has to do with money.

Here's an example; listen to this interview I did last week... I think you will begin to understand...

 

[Phroobar]

An overwhelming amount of comments here have referenced large amounts of monies, and budgets...

Although everything does indeed cost money to build, creating that Disney Magic is NOT about how much money is spent to build it...

It comes from the heart.

The feeling from those who create it, and the feeling of those who will experience it.

You must live the dreams to create the dreams.

Things like this are lifetime dedications; you must live the dreams.

This is what has made me so special in my 40 plus years in the Amusement/Entertainment business, and nothing about it has to do with money.

Here's an example; listen to this interview I did last week... I think you will begin to understand...

So Disney should spent less money on tech and used the KISS method for new projects. The parks don't need giant self guided bowls to dance around in front of high tech puppet show. They should use the savings to attract employees that will create the charm and magic for the parks. That is why the charm has disappeared. Cast members are now minimum wage transient employees no better than fast food employees and that is wrong.

 

[Randyland]

Seems you are just looking to twist and creat an argument here.

Attractions need not be giant engulfing things... Take the Diamond horseshoe as example...

The experience was fantastic because of the heart that was felt by guests, as it was emitted from the Cast.

It did not require high tech...

It requires heart.

No matter how much heart a cast member has, when you are on a mega ride, you are alone with only the experience of the ride.

The cute and quaint icons that guest most remember fondly, are ones that were more simple in nature, and involved live interactions close hand.

Yes, the world has changed, and both cast members and guests alike are different today, as compared with 30+ years ago...

But people are still people...

Human beings with a heart which can feel.

Creating the Magic is to touch the heart.

It can be the same today.

 

[Phroobar]

Seems you are just looking to twist and creat an argument here.

Attractions need not be giant engulfing things... Take the Diamond horseshoe as example...

The experience was fantastic because of the heart that was felt by guests, as it was emitted from the Cast.

It did not require high tech...

It requires heart.

No matter how much heart a cast member has, when you are on a mega ride, you are alone with only the experience of the ride.

The cute and quaint icons that guest most remember fondly, are ones that were more simple in nature, and involved live interactions close hand.

Yes, the world has changed, and both cast members and guests alike are different today, as compared with 30+ years ago...

But people are still people...

Human beings with a heart which can feel.

Creating the Magic is to touch the heart.

It can be the same today.

I think we are saying the same thing. It's the human interaction that is important not the high tech wizardry that breaks down every day that is important. It's that interaction that we are losing. People look at you weird when you wish them at nice day or smile. The more connected we are with technology, the less connected we are as people physically. Humans create charm not special effects.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

Hmm. I wonder, are they going to add a dancing feature to the logs for Frog Mountain?

 

[Disneyland/DCA]

Hmm. I wonder, are they going to add a dancing feature to the logs for Frog Mountain?

The log flume in Roller Coaster Tycoon had a reverse turntable. I assume they'll install one of those, spin you around a couple times, and call it immersive.

 

[1HAPPYGHOSTHOST]

I'm purposely not watching that video because I'm going back to Japan next year after the Olympics. But was it really that bad?

I don't mind if my expectations are lowered, because Tokyo Disneyland always seems to blow them out of the water no matter how high my expectations are. Going to Tokyo Disneyland with low expectations could be fun.

Bad overall? No. The AA's are jaw droppingly amazing. But the rest of the ride is lazy. They focused too much on making the AA's lifelike they forgot to tell the story of Beauty and the Beast. It has no flow, you go to room to room for a specific song then the ride is over. No Gaston or Belle's father and they messed up the most iconic scene in the movie. Little Mermaid is better despite the AA's. It is worth a ride due to the AA's but I don't see a lot of re-rideability.

 

[Dr.Cheeto]

I generally agree with the criticisms of the BATB ride, aside from the fantastic quality of the AAs and set design. To me it boils down to the overall “cinematic” quality that is lacking- let’s use the Be Our Guest scene as an example. In the film, the song uses theatrical “camera angles” to make the dining room table look like a theater, including down shots of the choreography Busby Berkeley style. This is missing from the ride. The ride vehicles are doing the equivalent of The Matrix Bullet Time camera effect around the table for no motivated purpose. We’re no longer watching the song thru Belle’s point of view at the end of the table, which somehow scales down the experience. It makes all of the characters seem pretty small and underwhelming. It reminds me of what Tony Baxter has said about scaling up the snake in the Indiana Jones Adventure. Indy never encountered a giant unrealistic snake in the films, but passing by a real size snake in your jeep would be pretty underwhelming.
Having said all of that, I think the dancing vehicles work great in the last Ballroom Dance scene, as we are mirroring the characters in their dance. It might have been more impactful to save that revolving movement for the finale, instead of using it throughout. That’s just my opinion though. The ride is still technically amazing.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

Disney used to be a lot better at translating these animated movies into rides. I was never a fan of BATB or Little Mermaid, but I don't remember the movies being as boring as these rides. Shouldn't the rides be more exciting?

 

[Brer Panther]

Disney used to be a lot better at translating these animated movies into rides. I was never a fan of BATB or Little Mermaid, but I don't remember the movies being as boring as these rides. Shouldn't the rides be more exciting?

I think it's because they don't want the dark rides to be too scary for kids.

 

[Ismael Flores]

If Little Mermaid is a book report, Beauty and the Beast is a lazy book report.

It seems like it is similar idea to mickeys runaway railroad. Huge wherehouse building with large open floor.

This one at least has large physical sets but not very well executed.
Those vehicles should have been smaller teacups and they should have taken advantage of the room size by having physics props or even moving prop vehicles interact in some of those rooms.

What a waste of resources

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

I was never sold on these trackless rides and Disney is doing nothing to convince me. Lumbering awkward rides through boring scenes.

 

[1HAPPYGHOSTHOST]

It seems like it is similar idea to mickeys runaway railroad. Huge wherehouse building with large open floor.

This one at least has large physical sets but not very well executed.
Those vehicles should have been smaller teacups and they should have taken advantage of the room size by having physics props or even moving prop vehicles interact in some of those rooms.

What a waste of resources

Perfectly said. I couldn't agree with you more. You nailed it exactly.

 

[mickEblu]

I was never sold on these trackless rides and Disney is doing nothing to convince me. Lumbering awkward rides through Screen heavy boring scenes, huge wide open spaces, equipment in your face and no intimacy or charm to be found anywhere.

Fixed that for you.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

Boring!

 

[EPCOTCenterLover]

I think that charm went to Disneyland Paris and to Tokyo's new Beauty and the Beast area.

 

[spock8113]

"Disney Charm. Where have you gone?"​

It is all now printed on the dollar bill.
DisneySea is definitely unusual and also somewhat unique. I like it alot.
Once big company CEOs got hold of Disney, that finished it off in a gradual over-3 to 4-decades slide. Roy Disney knew it.
Newer CEO's are short term, short-sale on the entire remaining Disney Corporation. There is a prevalent attitude in business today, including Disney, where "I'm the CEO! I know it all!" People who can and know how to do the right thing are struggling in the background to persuade these "Know-it-Alls" that others' good ideas become the CEO's just to make it work. Eventually, these full-time persuaders become exhausted from the continual fights and leave in anguish knowing there was much more they should have done and yet knowing there was little they could have done.
For their Theme Park business model, Disney needs to get back to basics and Disney's "affordable family fun"!!!

Just as a point for WDW, DeSantis is now opening the entire state with NO restrictions. Will more people come. Probably not.