Harry Potter IS making a difference!!

cymbaldiva

cymbaldiva

Active Member
AEfx said:
And that makes me terribly happy, because we would have never gotten such an exciting attraction at WDW. It would have been watered down so as not to be "too scary", which is always a problem at Disney. You are fighting the soccer moms who think that every attraction on Disney property should be appropriate for their 4 or 5 year-old. The same ones responsible for the Stitch-ification of Alien Encounter.
Click to expand...

You make wonderful points and you are exactly right.

I just quoted this portion because as I read it the irony of it all really struck me ~ classic Disney movies - "Snow White" and "Pinocchio" for example? - are very scary movies for small children. I don't say that because I've screened them for any children; it's what I remember from seeing them as a child and from friends childhood memories.

It's just sad to me now that Disney won't make any attraction that lives up to the movies from way back when.
 
cheezbat

cheezbat

Well-Known Member
cymbaldiva said:
You make wonderful points and you are exactly right.

I just quoted this portion because as I read it the irony of it all really struck me ~ classic Disney movies - "Snow White" and "Pinocchio" for example? - are very scary movies for small children. I don't say that because I've screened them for any children; it's what I remember from seeing them as a child and from friends childhood memories.

It's just sad to me now that Disney won't make any attraction that lives up to the movies from way back when.
Click to expand...

This is so true! Snow White and Pinocchio are my favorite Fantasyland dark rides...but of course we didn't even get a Pinocchio clone over here. :(
Look at how Stitch came in and ruined one of the most exciting attractions WDW had ever built. Look at how the Magic Kingdom never gets new thrill rides because it has to be the kiddy-friendly park. Just wrong on so many levels. Why can't we see another mountain-coaster type ride? Or a dark ride like Indiana Jones? How come all the MK ever gets is small kid-friendly dark rides and new shows? Splash was the last 'thrill' ride added to the park....almost 19 years ago. Seriously, how does adding a thrill here and there hurt the MK?

I too am glad that both Potter and Spidey have homes at Universal. They know how to do thrilling dark rides right. Disney used to, but I haven't seen much to impress me at WDW lately...now over at Disneyland or Tokyo Disney -that's another story!
 
AEfx

AEfx

Well-Known Member
It's funny you both mention Snow White, because SWSA is my all-time favorite ride. You'd think I'd be crushed over it leaving. However, I'm not, for two reasons:

1) We are getting a new Snow White ride
2) Disneyland's isn't wussified like ours, and it's now my favorite attraction

Disneyland's version is so far superior it isn't even funny. I've met people (including CM's at the ride) that think the opposite, but I was actually able to explain why it was superior and most agreed with me.

First, the queue is much cooler - like you are actually entering the castle. The witch cackles. It's much more moody.

Second, they have slightly updated effects in Disneyland (1983 vs. 1970). That's a plus there - the "bats" in the scene in the woods (really nothing more than dangling from a string) are actually quite effective.

Third, the Witch appears more than a half-dozen times. At the very beginning, instead of going from the throne room straight to the woods, you actually get to see the outside of the castle (which is really creepy and cool) and you see her twice right there. (And, like most things at Disneyland, you are closer to the sets than you are generally at WDW.)

I get that most everything needs to be somewhat family-appropriate, and in most cases Potter is as well. But it has this...edge that Universal injects into it's attractions that just doesn't happen at WDW. They do it in other parks (notably Japan) but in the States it feels as if they are constricted in a way that Universal doesn't seem to be.
 
Thurp

Thurp

Member
Don't forget that Spiderman, a ride that many people said was the best in the industry (even after HP, which I don't agree with) is not a physically demanding ride. Sure, it has a couple fast turns, but so does Cat in the Hat, or the Tea Cups.

Spiderman is a VERY thrilling ride, yet it's slow and completely safe, it's all fully simulated with a lot of extremely effective tricks. But it still manages to take your breath away every single time.
 
Captain Chaos

Captain Chaos

Well-Known Member
David R said:
Don't forget that Spiderman, a ride that many people said was the best in the industry (even after HP, which I don't agree with) is not a physically demanding ride. Sure, it has a couple fast turns, but so does Cat in the Hat, or the Tea Cups.

Spiderman is a VERY thrilling ride, yet it's slow and completely safe, it's all fully simulated with a lot of extremely effective tricks. But it still manages to take your breath away every single time.
Click to expand...

Spiderman is the best ride I have ever been on... And remains, to this day, my favorite ride...
 
fillerup

fillerup

Well-Known Member
Just throwing this in the mix - O'Sentinel:

Potter crowds push Islands of Adventure to capacity

"Universal Orlando is ending a record-setting year on an unprecedented note.

Twice this week — Tuesday and Wednesday — the resort has had to suspend entrance to its Islands of Adventure theme park, as huge holiday crowds flock to the 6-month-old Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

It's the first time in Islands of Adventure's history that Universal has had to halt admission because the park had reached capacity. The theme park opened in 1999."
 
Buried20KLeague

Buried20KLeague

Well-Known Member
fillerup said:
Just throwing this in the mix - O'Sentinel:

Potter crowds push Islands of Adventure to capacity

"Universal Orlando is ending a record-setting year on an unprecedented note.

Twice this week — Tuesday and Wednesday — the resort has had to suspend entrance to its Islands of Adventure theme park, as huge holiday crowds flock to the 6-month-old Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

It's the first time in Islands of Adventure's history that Universal has had to halt admission because the park had reached capacity. The theme park opened in 1999."
Click to expand...

Good for them. :sohappy:
 
Alektronic

Alektronic

Well-Known Member
Also in the Orlando Sentinel today:

SeaWorld Orlando reports record Christmas Day attendance

By Jason Garcia, Orlando Sentinel
12:01 PM EST, December 30, 2010

In another positive signal for holiday tourism traffic, SeaWorld Orlando said Thursday it recorded the highest Christmas Day attendance in park history this year.

SeaWorld said it has also seen "strong turnout overall" for its Christmas Celebration events, which the park has significantly expanded in recent years in a bid to snag a bigger share of the annual holiday-travel rush. The evening events, which began in late November, will continue through Sunday.

SeaWorld joins Universal Orlando in reporting promising attendance signs this winter. Universal said its Islands of Adventure theme park has for the first time in its 11-year history reached capacity this week — twice so far — as holiday crowds descend on its new Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

SeaWorld's parent company, Orlando-based SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, has been banking on strong Christmas traffic in its parks to help salvage what has been otherwise tough year. Analysts expect attendance across the company's 10 U.S. parks will end 2010 down 6 percent from a year ago.
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom