Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
Yep, it's bound to happen.
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Eddie Sotto's take on the current state of the parks (Part II)
- Thread starter wdwmagic
- Start date
Yep, it's bound to happen.
Pixiedustmaker
Well-Known Member
I'm guessing that the animatronic cars in Radiator Spring racers weigh much less than a car, even today's cars. Mater's body, for example, is no doubt some sort of plastic composite, you could probably lift him up if he was detached from the stuff in the floor. The motor that actually moves Mater is below in the floor (I am guessing), would make it much more serviceable.
The Yeti weighs a whole lot because tons of synthetic fur coats still weights a lot.
Cosmic Commando
Well-Known Member
Who would be crazy enough to do that?
Pixiedustmaker
Well-Known Member
I'm sort of an electronics geek, and so I guess I was speaking from the point of view of how the effect was accomplished:
1. It looks like they have a Kuka-type system for each car, i.e. a precision controlled under the floor system which moves the probably light weight synthetic car bodies in space with even some rotational degrees of freedom as you see the Sherif car use this to bring life to the overall effect. Actually, it might be considered less advanced than Kuka as each car has a fixed set of motions, you've got a rail system to move the figure, plus additional degrees of motion built in if needed.
I have no idea about patents, but the tech used to achieve this effect seems similar to the angler fish on the Nemo ride in Epcot. Let's hope they can keep up this part of the ride.
2. Moving bumper/lips. I guess this is where we disagree, from a programing/materials science standpoint, they could almost use software info from Pixar to animate Mater perfectly, though with much less articulated movements than Mr. Lincoln. I know they touted the silicone mixture used as high-tech, but in my estimation, it is more trial and error in terms of mixing various amounts of silicone/rubber or whatever else, than creating a new material from the ground up. They already did this with Ursula in Mermaid, I doubt they had to radically change the formula.
Similar silicone molds/shapes have been used in animatronics for years, no big deal, IMHO, though obviously a bumper is bigger than Lincoln's face, the idea is still the same.
3. Easily accomplished car eyes. Mater's eyes are screens, as I think all the car's eyes are.
Of course, I think RSR looks great, but given how I sort of have an idea how they did it, and how they didn't radically invent new technology (apart from the silicone stuff which they made a bigger form for Ursula than they have with animatronics in the past), I'm not necessarily wowed on the tech aspect, but very much yes on the artistic evaluation.
Pixiedustmaker
Well-Known Member
The concept art for Mater's Junkyard Jamboree featured a Mater animatronic, under a roof, singing songs. I wish they added this, but having the silicone out in the elements would probably mean it would degrade faster, would have been great, IMHO.
Pixiedustmaker
Well-Known Member
I'd love to see an electric Autopia like in Hong Kong, plus I'm sure imagineers could figure out how to plus such a ride with perhaps some futuristic overlay. I love reading about the Mars rovers NASA keeps sending to the Red Planet, what if they re-did Autopia to look like an alien planet and made the "cars" piloted futuristic mini-land rovers?
Maybe if they took out the rail, and used an LPS system which makes it so the car can't go off the track or backwards, you could even get more of a real experience. RSR is good, but its more passive than Autopia, IMHO.
Not that it matters, a little orange clown fish is officially making a second film at Pixar, the subs are safe for the next fifteen years, and hence Autopia will probably be sticking around for a while.
http://www.blueskydisney.com/2012/07/lost-again.html
Pixiedustmaker
Well-Known Member
I wonder if the surface of Spaceship Earth could be used for a projection show similar to the castle. Should be easier to map out the surface as it is fairly regular, albeit with odd angles. They used to shine a laser image of a map of the world, with projection technology they could turn Spaceship earth into a Death Star, at least at night, then it could blow up the Swan and Dolphin and restore the sight lines for the park.
Eddie Sotto
Premium Member
We did a version of the Autopia for TDL's unbuilt "Sci-Fi City" called "Lunar Rovers". They were little 4 WD vehicles that combed the lunar surface collecting rocks and specimens. You had to direct your car around the road to gather them and there were sound effects, etc.
Eddie Sotto
Premium Member
The angles would be tough and the facets won't do you many favors but I'd imagine with enough budget you could do it pretty well. I had wanted to see the panels pop open and allow a matrix of inflatable airbags to open to form a pyramid of a square cube shape. Would it be wild to see the ball explore into a cube or pyramid?
Pixiedustmaker
Well-Known Member
That's cool, here's a link I found to your project,
http://www.theneverlandfiles.com/tnf/international/scificity.php
and here,
http://jimhillmedia.com/editor_in_chief1/b/jim_hill/archive/2004/09/27/472.aspx
Maybe today's kids don't remember the Moon Landing, but bouncing along a lunar surface on the moon is still a lot of little kid's dream. Grasping at soil samples and stuff would add a layer of interactivity for sure, though it would be hard for the single riders to both drive and grab stuff.
Maybe if they didn't do a lunar rover type craft, they could build little flying saucers which you had to pilot around an alien landscape and which would suddenly spin in a circle while moving down the track, perhaps triggered by a "collision" with a meteor or something else. Thus turning Autopia into a mild thrill ride like the tea cups, but rather tea cups that take you somewhere.
Pixiedustmaker
Well-Known Member
Or maybe add some panels that pop open just on the sides so that gigantic inflatable Mickey ears can inflate, and then as a finale during Illuminations Spaceship Earth becomes a gigantic Mickey Mouse while people are watching the fireworks and they turn the lights on it and you get ooohs and aaahs.
Eddie Sotto
Premium Member
That's right.. fun stuff.
Is everyone on vacation here?
The Empress Lilly
Well-Known Member
Don't ask, create a conversation!Is everyone on vacation here?
Monsieur Sotto, I shall be in Paris in two weeks. (yay!) I've always wondered...are the two arcades in DLP inspired by the many galeries (arcades) in Paris? And, if so, any one(s) in particular? Or is it just a matter of convergent evolution (/convergent intelligent design, take yer pick) - the city and the theme park independently ending up with the same solution to the same problem of how to keep a pedestrian clientèle comfortable in a northwest European climate?
Beneath the castle, does an alarm go off if I enter the pool in the dragon's lair to take some pics?
Where do they store the money at night and are there many guards present? Big and mean ones?
Eddie Sotto
Premium Member
When I was back there recently I asked myself that question too! There are few arcades in the US and so the European ones were an inspiration for sure. The Burlington Arcade in London (there's a copy of it in Pasadena that Roy Disney supposedly invested in) was recommended to me as a reference. Visited it for scale. I like the French ones best and I'd say the Galerie Panoramas and especially Vivienne were the closest to what we finally "Americanized" with detail. I used to go there and study the wireglass details in the iron ceilings and how the floors were done. The use of mosaic in the Liberty Court is inspired by those floors. There are also walls that lowered the ceilings and "bookend" the arcades, serving as bridges for the CM's and merchandise. Vivienne had that as well. Here is a link to some images. Enjoy the similarities.
http://www.galerie-vivienne.com/en/index.php?q=histoire
http://ssa.paris.online.fr/pages/2nd.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burlington_Arcade
Liberty Arcade Image
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lorenjavier/5879618223/
Eddie Sotto
Premium Member
Ask and you shall receive and answer. ;-)Is everyone on vacation here?
The Empress Lilly
Well-Known Member
And you never disappoint!
Thanks for taking the time to answer all our questions. I greatly appreciate it!
I rather like how the arcades 'echo' the city. Despite the late-Victorian aesthetics, and the American feel, DLP's MS feels like the European MS. As a European, I love Disney when it's unashamedly American, but somehow, it also feels fitting that there should be a continuity between the city and the park. In DL, you know you are in LA, you feel it, it's noticeable, you're not in Minneapolis or Boston. In DLP you know you are in Paris, it is noticable, in the park, the CM's, the guests. Perhaps in WDW I feel the least of all parks that is build in a specific place. It might as well have been Texas, or anyplace hot and humid. I suppose that this, in turn, helps with the escapism of it all, the immersion in a different world, which WDW does better than the other parks.
If I give you $500 million, say a sum the size of Cars or Avatar, as a blank check to spend in Paris, what would you do with it? And, after I've paid the bill from Maxim's and the Ritz while you kindly remind me that I said 'spend it in Paris', what would you do with the remainder in DLP? And in Orlando?
jt04
Well-Known Member
Another find you may not have seen.....
http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.projectview&upload_id=20324
http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.projectview&upload_id=20324
Eddie Sotto
Premium Member
It could not happen soon enough. Lax is a dump compared to other facilities. So out of date.
Eddie Sotto
Premium Member
The first 75 would go to rehabbing the park. Star Tours 2.0 needs to be put in there asap. I'd love to see a TRON Legacy themed "Light Cycle" Attraction, possibly an indoor land if you will with a live arena show facing the queue with the Disc Wars, then you exit into the "End of line Club", etc. The ElecTRONica event at DCA was really cool and it gave you a feel for how successful something like that could be. I love the design of that film. Especially the costuming. All indoors so it succeeds despite the weather. Splash Mountain has always been a candidate for some,but the weather is so damp and cold I can't vote for it, as you'd be miserable the rest of the day. TRON did not do as well as it could have (400m), Splash isn't really based on a marketable "franchise" either. It stands on it's own as a show. I think the techno look and the Cycles as a ride system would have huge appeal over there. Europeans love technology. Never happen as they would say you cannot market it. But I'd do it anyhow and just make it irresistible.