mickEblu
Well-Known Member
IMO Pinocchio is a book report ride with good execution. Little Mermaid is a book report ride with bad execution.
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News Disneyland to give Snow White’s Scary Adventures dark ride a major facelift in 2020
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IMO Pinocchio is a book report ride with good execution. Little Mermaid is a book report ride with bad execution.
George Lucas on a Bench
Well-Known Member
A few years ago, it would have been a unbelievable to imagine people on this forum criticizing the Fantasyland rides. I don't know what is wrong with you lot of nuts.
Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
I agree that it is more of a book report ride than Snow, Pan, and Alice. The ride omits the entire opening and beginning of the movie and starts at the nearly 40-minute mark of the movie, which now that I’m thinking about it, is an interesting choice. You would think they would have put “When You Wish Upon a Star” somewhere in there.
I agree about the execution, too.
mickEblu
Well-Known Member
That’s a good point. Never really thought about how far into the movie the ride starts. But then it’s pretty Book Reporty from there on out.
Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
Agreed.
Sharon&Susan
Well-Known Member
It does play when you enter Pinocchio's village:
Talking about the ending, I really wish it was shorter so there could be an underwater or Monstro's stomach scene. The longer ending compared to the other Fantasyland dark rides makes it feel short compared to the others.
Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
Oh yes, I meant the intro scene with Jiminy Cricket singing the song. I’m surprised that didn’t make it into the attraction.
A proper Monstro segment would be nice. That part is very underwhelming, though I know it’s scary for some children. You’re right, the ending does kind of drag on.
Animaniac93-98
Well-Known Member
The Pinocchio ride falls short compared to the others for several reasons:
- You're a passive observer. Pinocchio shows up in several scenes and you just watch things happen to him
- Unlike Snow White, there's no clear and consistent threat like the Witch. All the villains show up, but they're one and done encounters.
- The scenes strung together make no sense unless you've seen the movie. The whole idea of Pinocchio sacrificing himself to save his father from Monstro is thrown out completely. He just becomes a real boy at the end because...that's what happens in the movie
- The beautiful set at the end with all the clocks happens so fast you can't appreciate the detail
It's a mess and not in the fun, chaotic way that Mr. Toad is (where the danger is the very car you're sitting in). You don't linger on the scenery in the same way Peter Pan or Alice do. There's no novelty to the ride system compared to the others or Roger Rabbit. The individual moments are nicely done, but they don't fit together as well as they could. The ride is ultimately less than the sum of its parts.
- You're a passive observer. Pinocchio shows up in several scenes and you just watch things happen to him
- Unlike Snow White, there's no clear and consistent threat like the Witch. All the villains show up, but they're one and done encounters.
- The scenes strung together make no sense unless you've seen the movie. The whole idea of Pinocchio sacrificing himself to save his father from Monstro is thrown out completely. He just becomes a real boy at the end because...that's what happens in the movie
- The beautiful set at the end with all the clocks happens so fast you can't appreciate the detail
It's a mess and not in the fun, chaotic way that Mr. Toad is (where the danger is the very car you're sitting in). You don't linger on the scenery in the same way Peter Pan or Alice do. There's no novelty to the ride system compared to the others or Roger Rabbit. The individual moments are nicely done, but they don't fit together as well as they could. The ride is ultimately less than the sum of its parts.
George Lucas on a Bench
Well-Known Member
Oh brother!
Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
Pinocchio is the weakest of the five, but it’s no Mermaid and it’s not bad at all.
Animaniac93-98
Well-Known Member
Monsters Inc and Pooh are the only dark rides at DLR I'd rank below Mermaid.
Disney Analyst
Well-Known Member
I’ve always found the ending a bit long for there to be a bunch of nothing after the blue fairy moment. I actually think Pinocchio could benefit from a rework.
Sharon&Susan
Well-Known Member
Pleasure Island is actually my favorite part. There's plenty to see, it's big without feeling empty, and the further the scene gets the seedier Pleasure Island becomes (even before you see Lampwich). It really captures the spirit of Pleasure Island of the film, while still being a great dark ride scene IMO.
I blame whoever was responsible for enforcing the orthodoxy of forum group-think.
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Professortango1
Well-Known Member
I mean, I'd call Pinocchio as much as a Book Report Ride as Snow White or Peter Pan. They portray events happening in basically chronological order, but focus on tone and emotion rather than a narrative throughline. If Pinocchio had a scene with Pinocchio being created, meeting Dishonest John telling him about Stombolli, the Coachman rounding up kids, inside Monstro, and the beach as the ending, I'd be more willing to agree. But it focuses on mood and moments rather than accurately re-telling the story.
Pinocchio and Peter Pan have similar first halves with an introductory moment launching us into our adventure. The nursery takes us out the window which takes into the street, which takes us into the big showcase scene of flying over Neverland. Pinocchio takes us from the theatre to the gloomy backstage to escaping the cage to the big showcase Pleasure Island sequence.
Where they differ is the 2nd half. Peter Pan has an unfortunately rushed and cramped feeling 2nd half whereas Pinocchio is able to play on the concept they established (bright and shiny life of entertainment, horrible scary reality lurking just behind the scenes.) While Snow White plays on the fear of being pursued by an evil witch, Pinocchio plays on the feeling of running away from home only to realize the world isn't as advertised and trying to get back home.
Little Mermaid's failure is that it just wants to use the music, but never focuses on a theme or mood that's dramatic. It adapts the film to a ride and doesn't bother adapting the story to fit the different medium.
Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
I’d put Monsters above Mermaid. Pooh... The actual ride itself...yeah, I’d also put it below Mermaid. The aesthetics around Pooh are great and better than Mermaid’s, but if we’re strictly talking about the ride...
Professortango1
Well-Known Member
That's because the villain in Snow White is The Queen. The villain in Pinocchio is the world. That's why we aren't running from a villain, we are rather trying to escape the world and return home.
waltography
Well-Known Member
I disagree that Monsters Inc. is below Mermaid. It does a remarkably good job adapting to the space as a book report ride, enough that it's honestly surprising it was SL in the first place. Mermaid is (save for Ursula's Lair), positively one-note in tone.
Pooh... well, at least you can tell what kind of ride it is from its exterior.
mickEblu
Well-Known Member
I disagree that Monsters Inc. is below Mermaid. It does a remarkably good job adapting to the space as a book report ride, enough that it's honestly surprising it was SL in the first place. Mermaid is (save for Ursula's Lair), positively one-note in tone.
Pooh... well, at least you can tell what kind of ride it is from its exterior.
If they would just make these Fantasyland style dark rides dark again that would help a lot. Monsters could use a little more pace that better matches the frenetic story but otherwise I think from beginning to end its better than Mermaid.