Early reviews for TLM ride?

[Lee]

I was not involved in the budget or project management of Mermaid but based on my experience I would bet that the budget didn't reach $100 Million. If it came close than it's another example of massive WDI waste and poor allocation of funds. If you gave me $100 Million to do a Mermaid ride I promise it would exceed your expectations and put this ride to shame.

This.
No way this ride should be anywhere near the $100m mark. Unless they are lumping DCA's and MK's together. Either that or Garner Holt is charging an arm and a leg for their AAs these days.
Seriously...if this thing cost more than Forbidden Journey...somebody needs to be fired.

 

[marni1971]

Was that a ride through with the lights on? It was way too bright for a dark ride. Out of all the comments here, only one other person touched on that.

I don't want to see the controls behind the characters, the ceiling as plain as day, how the limbs are connected on the characters, etc.

Turn down those lights, NOW!

Never trust a modern video camera.

 

[aladdin2007]

I wouldnt mind seeing what the queue and load/unload area looked like. The video doesnt really show any of it. There is a large mural on the side right?

 

[The Empress Lilly]

That video looks great!


It looks like an attraction I would leave smiling, silently humming those Mermaid songs in my head.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating, and I'll have to ride it first. But as of yet, I'm very positive. A solid D+. :sohappy:

 

[PeterPanFan5]

It is important to note that lighting quality varies widely from video camera to video camera, and nothing ever looks as impressive on video as it does live. I'm waiting to see how it looks in person before passing judgment -- but I think it's impressive work and will be a nice addition to both parks. Not EVERY new attraction has to be spectacular, and I agree with the concern expressed by at least one poster here about the scare factor for her young child. Good point.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Me, I'm still very dismayed at the dumbing down, and eventual removal, of Snow White's Scary Adventures.

The classic line-up of FL dark rides was scary-humorous-magical. (SW, Toad, Pan). TLM should've add 'musical' to the list for the perfect line-up.
Such a shame they have given up first on the humorous one, Toad, and then on the scary one with Snow White. I used to be scared as a kid too. But I always enjoyed being scared, if only afterwards. It felt like an accomplishment, it is how kids grow up.

I suppose the current line-up will be Magical (Pan), Musical (Mermaid) and Commercial (Poo). Perhaps with 'Snow White's Fun-if-you're-not-above-the-age-of-four Coaster' thrown in too.

 

[BigThunderMatt]

This.
No way this ride should be anywhere near the $100m mark. Unless they are lumping DCA's and MK's together. Either that or Garner Holt is charging an arm and a leg for their AAs these days.
Seriously...if this thing cost more than Forbidden Journey...somebody needs to be fired.

Indeed. Wasn't Everest around $150M? I expect hundred million budgets on big, thrilling attractions like roller coasters or the Test Tracks and Towers of the day. Not a Fantasyland dark ride. I don't care how hyped up it is.

The classic line-up of FL dark rides was scary-humorous-magical. (SW, Toad, Pan). TLM should've add 'musical' to the list for the perfect line-up.
Such a shame they have given up first on the humorous one, Toad, and then on the scary one with Snow White.

I agree on Snow White. I've personally always found it quite charming. Toad, on the other hand, while it has its place at DL with the rabid fan base they have, let's face it: WDW caters to a much broader audience. Many of them have kids who have no idea who Mr. Toad is. Hell, probably half the adults that visit Magic Kingdom don't have a clue who Mr. Toad is. Winnie the Pooh was a much more marketable ride because it can take a better share of the guests on a daily basis, and therefore ease the burden on other attractions throughout the park. Mr. Toad was never capable of this.

 

[the-reason14]

Me, I'm still very dismayed at the dumbing down, and eventual removal, of Snow White's Scary Adventures.

The classic line-up of FL dark rides was scary-humorous-magical. (SW, Toad, Pan). TLM should've add 'musical' to the list for the perfect line-up.
Such a shame they have given up first on the humorous one, Toad, and then on the scary one with Snow White. I used to be scared as a kid too. But I always enjoyed being scared, if only afterwards. It felt like an accomplishment, it is how kids grow up.

I suppose the current line-up will be Magical (Pan), Musical (Mermaid) and Commercial (Poo). Perhaps with 'Snow White's Fun-if-you're-not-above-the-age-of-four Coaster' thrown in too.

I can't see anything wrong with the ride. I guess people were expecting some amazing E ticket attraction, when it's been 'debunked' several times that this one would 'fit in with the rest.' But even with that mindset, it's still better than Snow White, Pooh, and Pan as far as AAs and ride system and stuff goes. Oh well, I guess I forget where I am. People will complain about literally anything. Forget that MK is getting a new dark ride and mini baby coaster, let's just complain about it 'not being good enough,' even after we first see it in person, and continue to spend money on it even though it 'could have been better.'

Anyways, I quoted this post because I too agree with the removal of SWSA. I hate that Toad was evicted too, even if it was years ago. MK and FL are so big, and in my mind they could easily have built another building for pooh and left toad where he was. Sure the attendance was probably suffering and that's why they decided to get rid of it, but a ride is a ride, and people line up to ride them whether they know the characters or not. With DL being as small as it is, and having more things in it's MK than ours, I kinda think it's a shame. Yes, two Snow White based rides may not cut it, but at least switch the theme to a Pinocchio ride or something, since they both use mine cars. I'm at least thankful that it's being "replaced" by another ride, as the original plans for FL was too many meets and eats and not enough rides. I think I'll still prefer DL's.

 

[RandySavage]

Toad, on the other hand, while it has its place at DL with the rabid fan base they have, let's face it: WDW caters to a much broader audience. Many of them have kids who have no idea who Mr. Toad is. Hell, probably half the adults that visit Magic Kingdom don't have a clue who Mr. Toad is. Winnie the Pooh was a much more marketable ride because it can take a better share of the guests on a daily basis, and therefore ease the burden on other attractions throughout the park. Mr. Toad was never capable of this.

While there is no doubt Pooh is marketed heavily by the Walt Disney Company across all its media & consumer platforms and is a very profitable franchise, I heartily disagree that Toad (or other rides) should go away because today's guests don't know the source material (and WDW's Toad was a bigger/better experience than DL's). THe argument has been made many times. If the attraction is quality, the relevancy of the source material is irrelevant: Song of the South (Splash Mtn), Twilight Zone (ToT), Swiss Family (Treehouse), Tom Sawyer (Island).

Maybe a Toad or Tom Sawyer or Swiss Family would stoke an unknowing person's curiosity (it did mine) and move them to pick up the great works of literature like "Huckleberry Finn", "Wind in the Willows" or Wyss's classic book. Rather than catering to the lowest common denominator (e.g., People like Nemo (big box office), so let's put Nemo everywhere, and sell more DVDs while we're at it), I'd prefer to see parks strive to move guests towards some of the timeless stories (Imagine a kid experiencing Tom Sawyer Island and then getting motivated to read the books - that was my experience).

This actually elevates the theme park to something more worthwhile than just a commercial enterprise offering the transient pleasure of a current marketable franchise in 3-D. This is Universal's specialty. People like Shrek, get a Shrek 3-D movie in there. Now they like Despicable Me, change out Shrek. This is okay, but to me is more shallow or hollow than creating a timeless, non-franchise-tie-in like Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder, Tom Sawyer, etc., that can satisfy & delight the first timer of 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010, 2020, ad infinitum.

The good news, to bring this back to topic, is that Mermaid and the FLE's expansion as a whole seem to be among these quality, timeless additions (based on a decades of classic Disney animation). Even if it's not a home-run to some respected forumers, it's still a man on base, and WDW isn't going to have to worry about this being tired & dated in 2025.

 

[aladdin2007]

While there is no doubt Pooh is marketed heavily by the Walt Disney Company across all its media & consumer platforms and is a very profitable franchise, I heartily disagree that Toad (or other rides) should go away because today's guests don't know the source material (and WDW's Toad was a bigger/better experience than DL's). THe argument has been made many times. If the attraction is quality, the relevancy of the source material is irrelevant: Song of the South (Splash Mtn), Twilight Zone (ToT), Swiss Family (Treehouse), Tom Sawyer (Island).

Maybe a Toad or Tom Sawyer or Swiss Family would stoke an unknowing person's curiosity (it did mine) and move them to pick up the great works of literature like "Huckleberry Finn", "Wind in the Willows" or Wyss's classic book. Rather than catering to the lowest common denominator (e.g., People like Nemo (big box office), so let's put Nemo everywhere, and sell more DVDs while we're at it), I'd prefer to see parks strive to move guests towards some of the timeless stories (Imagine a kid experiencing Tom Sawyer Island and then getting motivated to read the books - that was my experience).

This actually elevates the theme park to something more worthwhile than just a commercial enterprise offering the transient pleasure of a current marketable franchise in 3-D. This is Universal's specialty. People like Shrek, get a Shrek 3-D movie in there. Now they like Despicable Me, change out Shrek. This is okay, but to me is more shallow or hollow than creating a timeless, non-franchise-tie-in like Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder, Tom Sawyer, etc., that can satisfy & delight the first timer of 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010, 2020, ad infinitum.

The good news, to bring this back to topic, is that Mermaid and the FLE's expansion as a whole seem to be among these quality, timeless additions (based on a decades of classic Disney animation). Even if it's not a home-run to some respected forumers, it's still a man on base, and WDW isn't going to have to worry about this being tired & dated in 2025.

Good point. Despite some flaws and hopefully along with tweaks and adjustments, this is still a solid concrete timeless addition for what it is, and one long overdue to the MK and wont have to be changed out. A few posters back mentioned something about it would have been nice if they had used scrims or some kind of lighting effect to give more of a water effect and depth, this would have been interesting.

The only thing that bothers me really is we already have this ride, Nemo. This is just on a grander bigger scale of course. Yes its in a different park but still. Watching the video makes me feel like Im riding through Nemo. :shrug:

 

[the-reason14]

Good point. Despite some flaws and hopefully along with tweaks and adjustments, this is still a solid concrete timeless addition for what it is, and one long overdue to the MK and wont have to be changed out. A few posters back mentioned something about it would have been nice if they had used scrims or some kind of lighting effect to give more of a water effect and depth, this would have been interesting.

The only thing that bothers me really is we already have this ride, Nemo. This is just on a grander bigger scale of course. Yes its in a different park but still. Watching the video makes me feel like Im riding through Nemo. :shrug:

The only similarity I can think of with Nemo is the clams and undersea thing. Nemo at Epcot is what I would call the true blue definition of cheap. This is more detailed and has, you know, actual AAs and sets and stuff. And the clams can pivot which is better too!!

 

[Enchantâmes]

Good point. Despite some flaws and hopefully along with tweaks and adjustments, this is still a solid concrete timeless addition for what it is, and one long overdue to the MK and wont have to be changed out. A few posters back mentioned something about it would have been nice if they had used scrims or some kind of lighting effect to give more of a water effect and depth, this would have been interesting.

The only thing that bothers me really is we already have this ride, Nemo. This is just on a grander bigger scale of course. Yes its in a different park but still. Watching the video makes me feel like Im riding through Nemo. :shrug:

Even though the only similiarities are the theme of the ride vehicles and you go "underwater"?

 

[TP2000]

Never trust a modern video camera.

BINGO!

Gang, I went on this ride last night. I didn't just watch on my computer screen the sole amateur video of it taken during the first hour of the first soft opening this week. I actually drove over to Anaheim, walked in to DCA, stood in line during a soft opening, and RODE The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure.

Imagine this view with a 45 minute line in front - that was my Friday night! :lol:

And then, you know what I did? I got a cup of hot chocolate from the cart near Pacific Wharf and got back in line and rode it a second time!

Now I'm not trying to slam those who are watching on a laptop an amateur video of the ride taken by a kid from Fullerton, because I love me some YouTube ride-through videos too. They are a fun way to escape to the parks from your laptop. But, even when we set the video to "full screen", it still doesn't replace real life experiences. :wave:

But judging by the two rides I took last night, Ariel's is a big winner! The artistry and stagecraft of the thing is fabulous. There's about a thousand effects and nuances to the rockwork that you can't make out on YouTube. The submerging under the water thing is very effective. Do you really believe you are going under the water and will soon run out of oxygen? No. But the way the digital projections and lighting and crisp audio roll over you as your vehicle tilts back and descends down the sloping, curving track is a wonderful sensation. You can't pick up on most of that physical sensation from YouTube.

There's a lot of other examples of little eye candy through the whole thing and the way your eye naturally flows from one thing to the next that can't be quantified or even seen on YouTube.

The first Ariel AA is fantastic. The Ariel with the big bouffant hairdo in Under The Sea is less so, but not in any damaging way to the ride. She's just sort of there against a coral backdrop dancing around, and you are so busy moving your eye from one AA to the next in that room with over 120 AA's that you don't obsess over her hairdo. You are too busy having fun by that point to think about bad hair days.

The ending? Ursula is there after Kiss The Girl as a little animated painting in the background. It's nearly impossible to pick up on YouTube, but she is moving and sinking into the sea in the background. I thought the finale' was fantastic and very grand. The only thing I'd change in the Finale' is I would move the Scuttle AA saying goodbye about five feet further down the track to separate him a bit from the big finale' scene, because he sort of blends in to the action there.

The ride operator uniforms are ADORABLE. Very custom looking sailor uniforms, and very finely detailed with coral enamel buttons with brass anchors and embroidered seahorses and pretty trim. Last night there was seemingly dozens of fresh-faced and gorgeous SoCal college girls staffing that ride, and they all looked adorable.

The loading area mural is nicely done, but everyone over the age of 12 in the loading area is too busy looking up and admiring the absolutely massive seaweed chandeliers with hanging seaglass baubles on them. I asked a manager-type at the exit and she said they were everyone's favorite and were custom-built in Italy and shipped over for the ride and are so heavy they are bolted into the steel frame of the building to meet earthquake codes. The loading/unloading area is a stunning display of top quality materials and surfaces. Stay classy DCA!

Overall, I give this ride a 9 out of 10.

A few minor issues with the audio from AA's in a couple scenes (it seemed like the audio was set to match a slower Omnimover speed and you weren't getting the whole story as you went past Ursula and/or Scuttle). There are two projections of Ariel, one just after you descend under the waves that is wonderfully done, and a second one where she gets her legs where her face just looks off and the CGI doesn't match the hand-drawn animation we know as Ariel. And the placement of Scuttle at the rather abrupt ending. Minor and geeky quibbles, really. Otherwise, it's a fantastic family ride and a home-run addition for DCA! :sohappy:

How will it play in the Magic Kingdom when it opens there in 2013? That's another question, as that's a very different park that already has many major family attractions to offer (Small World, Jungle Cr., Pirates, Mansion, Carousel of Progress, Riverboat, Peter Pan, Pooh, Tiki Room, Bear Jamboree). But for DCA, having Mermaid suddenly open is not only a major aesthetic win because the building is so beautiful and impressive looking, but it's an operational win because it's a ride demographic that the park was lacking until now.

Just a friendly reminder not to judge real life too harshly via YouTube. :animwink:

 

[aladdin2007]

Fantastic review TP2, thanks! :wave:

I wonder if we will get a copy of the same chandeliers? Time will tell.

 

[TP2000]

Fantastic review TP2, thanks! :wave:

I wonder if we will get a copy of the same chandeliers? Time will tell.

You are very welcome! I just wanted to free this thread from the tyranny of Living Via YouTube. :lol:

I could easily see the big chandeliers in the Magic Kingdom version, inside the rocky cliff and castle facade. They are rustic looking, strong chandeliers, not something overly delicate and crystalline like you'd expect in Belle's French chateau. They could work well in Eric's more rustic and masculine seaside "castle". They are impressive because of their huge scale and how they fill the big loading area room. If I can find a good picture of them online, I'll post it.

But again, this all looks much more impressive in person. :animwink:

 

[aladdin2007]

You are very welcome! I just wanted to free this thread from the tyranny of Living Via YouTube. :lol:

I could easily see the big chandeliers in the Magic Kingdom version, inside the rocky cliff and castle facade. They are rustic looking, strong chandeliers, not something overly delicate and crystalline like you'd expect in Belle's French chateau. They could work well in Eric's more rustic and masculine seaside "castle". If I can find a good picture of them online, I'll post it.

But again, this all looks much more impressive in person. :animwink:

Makes sense. Im sure eventually there will be a new video showing more of the queue, cant wait to see the mural and chandeliers. And in person all of this will be so much more exciting, we just have to wait a awhile longer.
This is off topic but would be nice if they could reuse the snow white mural somewhere once it closes. Oh and another good point about the more rustic masculine version here, it going to be just the right blend for both boys and girls in the overall design.

 

[whylightbulb]

Of course, this is all subjective, and, interestingly, I have the exact opposite opinion regarding Sinbad's Seventh Voyage vs. Sinbad's Storybook musical ride. I found the former to be a masterpiece of Imagineering, with great score, plenty of dark elements, danger, etc.,. I personally find the Menken-ized, cutsi-fied version to be a major downgrade, with the song repeated ad nauseum at high volume and most of the dark elements changed out (friendly giant, music playing giant?!). From what I've read, the attraction still does not draw crowds, post makeover, but you probably have better information on that.

For some reason both versions have never been that popular with the Japanese. In general Europeans and Americans tend to prefer the Storybook version. I can honestly say I've never heard anyone claim they like the first version until now. That of course doesn't mean it's wrong just unusual. Personally I couldn't stop humming the music for days after riding the first time. Sinbad is a masterpiece of simple visual storytelling in my opinion and the ride would do really well here in the states but unfortunately it would not be maintained as well. Those mini AAs are amazing but difficult to keep up.

It's been stated here by some members that WDI has a few extra layers of management/approval to go through and that's part of the problem of it being such an expensive operation (I remember being surprised at how relatively inexpensive the Wizarding World was compared to similarly-scaled Disney projects).

Yea I worked on Potter and I can tell you there is a world of difference between Creative and WDI. I have plenty of issues with Creative but there does tend to be far fewer layers since most of the work is done by outside vendors.

 

[whylightbulb]

BINGO!

Now I'm not trying to slam those who are watching on a laptop an amateur video of the ride taken by a kid from Fullerton, because I love me some YouTube ride-through videos too. They are a fun way to escape to the parks from your laptop. But, even when we set the video to "full screen", it still doesn't replace real life experiences.

But judging by the two rides I took last night, Ariel's is a big winner! The artistry and stagecraft of the thing is fabulous. There's about a thousand effects and nuances to the rockwork that you can't make out on YouTube. The submerging under the water thing is very effective. Do you really believe you are going under the water and will soon run out of oxygen? No. But the way the digital projections and lighting and crisp audio roll over you as your vehicle tilts back and descends down the sloping, curving track is a wonderful sensation. You can't pick up on most of that physical sensation from YouTube.

I actually rode it in person also. I wish I could share your enthusiasm but I did not leave feeling as you did. The missed opportunities were disheartening, the art direction in most of the scenes were flawed, the lighting design and the store window display figures in Under The Sea were awful and let's not forget the karate turtle figure in the finale. All in all I left feeling a bit empty. As I said before there were a few sequences that were okay like the descent and Ursula but for the most part I long for the old WDI back.

 

[whylightbulb]

This.
No way this ride should be anywhere near the $100m mark. Unless they are lumping DCA's and MK's together. Either that or Garner Holt is charging an arm and a leg for their AAs these days.
Seriously...if this thing cost more than Forbidden Journey...somebody needs to be fired.

Exactly! I believe I remember seeing that Sansei Yusoki charged about $8 Million for the ride system all in including design, manufacture, shipping and third-party installation. I'm not positive on that number but I think it's close. Add about $15 Million for the demo and building. Even if we say each of the advanced AAs cost $1 Million each that's $10 Million. Lighting, Projection, media, scenic, Garner Holt, audio, effects about $20 Million. Design and install should be no more than 30% ($16 Million) bringing the grand total estimate to about $69 Million. Now that is an extremely liberal estimate taking into account all the waste associated with WDI PM. If they went over $70 Million for that ride they need to clean house and start over. In reality it could have been done for about $50 Million if the right people had been overseeing it.

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

On topic- The ride looks quite great! It met my expectations at the very least. Abrupt ending being a flaw, along with the other things people mentioned like lighting and weird looking "ice cream cone" Ariel. I'm not going to dwell on the negatives though, it's mostly amazing. Can't wait to ride it at WDW with the amazing new Fantasyland Expansion! I'd say it's one of the best (if not THE best) Fantasyland rides i've ever witnessed. It would be nice to see lighting tweaked and the ending expanded a bit, but i'm not holding my breath and it doesn't bug me much anyways. Minor issues with an otherwise great addition to the dark rides!