Eddie Sotto's take on the current state of the parks (Part II)

[Eddie Sotto]

Ok. We visited the boarding house where Disney Legend Herb Ryman stayed while in Paris in 1936. 116 Boulevard Raspail. This was before he worked for Walt, and was at MGM. He ate dinner with a French Family every night and very much enjoyed their hospitality. He tried a fancy hotel but it was too expensive so he landed here. When we worked together he gave me a list of places to see in France and passed on his passion. Paris was a favorite city for many an animator and they used to speak fondly of the city. I used to attend a weekly retiree's lunch with Herb called "The Dinosaurs lunch". It was mostly Animators and Disney Art Directors. Paris was a favorite topic of Collin Campbell and Ken Anderson. Campbell retired onto a canal boat in Europe! It was his dream.This information on Ryman's Paris travels came from Herb's good friend John Donaldson.

 

[CBOMB]

Just as much as it is a treat to see you around, oldtimer!

You are missed ... now why don't you send me an email that I'll take a month to answer?!?!

You know what a hectic schedule I keep. Trying to do a video documentary on the Fouke's Monster, while pursuing my goal of collecting the entire set of Swamp People Bobblehead Collectables, keeps me occupied around the clock.

When you get caught up on answering all those fanboi groupies e-mails that you get. Let me know how your trips went.

 

[CBOMB]

they
They certainly appreciated the talk. I focused not only on the "how" of building the park, but "why" we care and why the details are important. Why it takes a personal passion to keep pressing on for what should be, not just what is easy to do. the day to day grind can cause you to lose the bigger picture perspective. I think sometimes you get so close to what you are doing you need fresh eyes to remind you of why things are important and provide some support. They got that. It was less about straight history and more about how those things happened and why it's important that they are there.

Walking you kids around the Park that your design work so heavily influenced had to be very enjoyable. I'm sure they've seen your work many times before, but sharing the experience together in Paris would have to stand out.

Did any of the changes made in the Park, since you have left, jump out at you as something that improved the theme of an area? I'm not saying something that you, and your team in particular worked on. Just the Park, and it's concepts overall.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Walking you kids around the Park that your design work so heavily influenced had to be very enjoyable. I'm sure they've seen your work many times before, but sharing the experience together in Paris would have to stand out.

Did any of the changes made in the Park, since you have left, jump out at you as something that improved the theme of an area? I'm not saying something that you, and your team in particular worked on. Just the Park, and it's concepts overall.

Given the fact that when we were building the park, kids were not yet in the cards for us, so yes, it was quite a pleasure to see your own grown children in the places you worked on some 20 years earlier. Could not have imagined that image then. Wow. They make lots of good design suggestions too (and sometimes pick up on bad details you didn't expect them to). When it comes to scope and richness, DLP is their favorite park (especially BTM and Fantasyland), and the Dragon under the Castle is my son's favorite attraction and wants one under our house. You could not get him out of there. They love all the details in every area and notice just about everything.

You do note that despite the look of the place, there just isn't that much to do. Since Space Mountain is down for 2 weeks it really hurts as BTM and Temple of Peril get swamped. Especially shallow in the D-E ticket range compared to the other parks. No Monorail, Tiki Room, Splash, Roger Rabbit,Toad , Pooh, Matterhorn, Subs,or Jungle Cruise. "Temple of Peril" is a D ticket (good little coaster) in place of the Indiana Jones E ride. Upon opening, EDL had the lowest average cost per guest carried of any park,meaning if you put the overall capacity number of guests carried an hour against what was spent park wide on the shows it was the least. I believe this un balanced mix and lack of shows is the park's weakest link. Building the Studio and adding more shows in there has robbed the original park of the infill of rides it has sorely needed. The upkeep of course is the most glaring problem, but the CM's I met were all super nice. Overall, we all had a great time.

I think the WDI office there did a fine job enhancing the MS Candy Store and the Disney and Company. Some mourn the loss of the Band Organ in that shop, but I think the room works better overall and was cramped before. They opened it up. I love the Nautilus walk-thru and Casey Jr.as well. Those C attractions were part of an ACP or "added capacity program" the next year because of the lack of things to do.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Mysteries of the Nautilus is a real gem. It's one of those little interstitial attractions that makes themed environments seem more real.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Mysteries of the Nautilus is a real gem. It's one of those little interstitial attractions that makes themed environments seem more real.

It's a very nice experience. It's the one remaining attraction that has anything to do with Jules Verne and French Culture in any meaningful way. Visionarium was one of my favorites and it's gone. Space Mountain was closed for two weeks so it was nice to get to see this unique and wonderful attraction. It's not an exact recreation of the movie set, but captures the spirit of it and you really feel like you are underwater. I sensed that some of the effects were turned off (dripping water in the hallway and around the entry to the sub), but that's just me.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Well. Home again. I'm already missing the visual richness of Paris. Charles De Gaulle Airport (Air France Terminal 2E) has the most elegant interiors. Soaring wood ceilings and glass. Wow. So cool. I was pretending I was working for MI6, tracking spies. LAX is a dump by comparison. Back to the real world.

It was a fun trip for sure. You never have enough time to do all things you'd hope to, but we still did a lot. The ever present rain, as romantic as it can be, slowed us down. 2 days of sun out of 16 makes a difference. I think black and white may be the way to go on the pictures!

Today in LA it's supposed to hit 81. Digging out the shorts.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Great Story here about working on the DLP Steam Trains.
http://afterthemouse.com/node/2111

 

[lazyboy97o]

What do you think of the comment that the office at Main Street Station being mistaken for a restroom? Is that something you would fix if it could be done over?

That Hong Kong Disneyland not running live steam is something that greatly disappoints me. I have yet to make it to that Magic Kingdom, but when I cannot image my reaction to the hum of a "steam" engine being much different than when I ride the Wildlife Express at Disney's Animal Kingdom. At least there the idea of an old steam engine being converted does make some sense, but I like live steam. Ever since I was little I have liked steam, a ride on a heritage railroad was always missing something if the adds had a steam engine and the work was being done by a diesel.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

I think it's the truth, as guests associate railway stations with places having core guest services. When I worked at Disneyland, some guests would let their kids urinate in the planters in plain sight and or practically anywhere. My friend told me a story about a mother holding her kid up to use the box of War Canoe Paddles as a toilet! Guests are desperate at those moments. MSUSA in DLP has more restrooms than any other MS BTW. They are in the Arcades.

Live Steam is why you build the trains in the first place. They were done to be as authentic as possible right down to the colors. The type of fuel is less material to me as it's unreasonably unhealthy and dirty to use coal or wood. You could not do that in a theme park. I'd leave that to historic trains that only run twice a day. The chugging, puffing and hissing of real live Steam is part of the bygone era of Main Street at it's best. Steam power humanizes the machine with an uncanny "breath of life" that cannot be duplicated with sound effects and smoke machines. Anything else is "Margarine".

One bit of potential confusion in the story is that Severn Lamb of England built the 4 trains. In fact, they built the Eureka (Number 4) and the MS Streetcars and some of the vehicles. Phillips Engineering in Wales built the first three Trains and Coaches.

 

[krash9924]

Eddie,

Was this the first time that your kids have been to something you designed? I was wondering how it was to experience your designs from a kids prospective?

 

[Eddie Sotto]

No. I worked on Disneyland projects as well so they have seen things. They have been to Encounter and Rivera, the two Restaurants I was responsible for, both very different. Encounter was something they went to when they were very young and I was surprised about much they liked it. Kids have a good sense of emotional appeal and so they are a good meter of warm and positive spaces versus the ominous ones. They will be the first to tell you something is lame or what it needs. They also see things from a lower point of view, so designers need to aware of how and what a kid sees. Especially in signage and menus.

 

[IlikeDW]

Just saw Rivera on Hells kitchen, was a short bit but still cool to see along with the executive chef John Sedlar . Wish they had shown a little mor of the resteraunt. Hoping to make it into LA in Aug when we head out west for our second Disneyland visit.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Just saw Rivera on Hells kitchen, was a short bit but still cool to see along with the executive chef John Sedlar . Wish they had shown a little mor of the resteraunt. Hoping to make it into LA in Aug when we head out west for our second Disneyland visit.

I always miss those promotional things. John is the best. Rivera has been used in lots of TV commercials and series too, like CSI.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

So.. I'm sure you've all been looking at Carsland grand opening imagery, I've not been pout there yet, but what do you all think?

 

[cbconglom]

So.. I'm sure you've all been looking at Carsland grand opening imagery, I've not been pout there yet, but what do you all think?

Looks mind blowingly immersive. We are going oct 14-19

 

[IlikeDW]

So.. I'm sure you've all been looking at Carsland grand opening imagery, I've not been pout there yet, but what do you all think?

I have been trying not to look at too much, I want to save some of that first impression for our trip in August and I don't want to know every detail before hand. But from what I have seen it appears to be awe inspiring visually, I just hope that it feels as good as it looks if that makes any sense.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Immersive is the word for sure. The imagery of the canyon landscape is really powerful.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

I've seen Carsland, but I'm trying to avoid too many spoilers for Radiator Springs Racers. All of that rockwork looks amazing! And actually being able to go for a cruise out in the desert through all that rockwork? Even when you're not technically in a "show scene" in Racers, I'd bet it's amazing being in the middle of that landscape!

Has anyone else seen "Time Travel Mater"? It was on ABC on the 16th. I thought it was the Disney synergy machine at its finest: the movie led to the land, the land led to this latest in a popular series of shorts that is actually a clever commercial for DCA... very cool. After seeing the short and a few pictures from the ride/queue, I love how everything feeds back in on itself and rewards you for following along.

Have you seen any of Buena Vista Street yet, Eddie? I'm sure everyone would love your thoughts. I think it looks like a great place to relax.

 

[Eddie Sotto]

Only through the main entry gates. I stopped at the new UVA Bar for a quick lunch today (Burger was really good) at DTD. Looked very nice from what I could see. Reminded me of the MGM Studio entry sequence.