How to improve Disneyland's Pinocchio ride

mharrington

mharrington

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Let's face it: with the Snow White ride being updated to lighten the mood and make it less scary (and we still don't know all the details of that), it's only a matter of time before Pinocchio and Mr. Toad get a similar treatment. They're the only two dark rides left to not get one, so they're due, I just know it.

Frankly, I don't really know how to lighten the mood of Mr. Toad, since it pretty much ends with you getting killed and sent to Hades. But what about Pinocchio?

I'm actually a little concerned about the Pinocchio ride's future, given the petition from Change.org that somehow found its way onto Inside the Magic and beyond that demanded that, given the ride's (and film's) alleged connection to child slavery (bad boys are turned into donkeys and sent off as manual labor), that it follow in Splash Mountain's footsteps and be replaced with something else. I'm not sure what to believe, as so many things start out as rumors and they ultimately end up being real after all (the thread for such is here: https://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/calls-to-retheme-pinnochios-daring-journey.967611/#post-9388552). Here's hoping that the upcoming live-action remake will somehow keep the original movie and, by extension the ride, relevant. I'm no fan of live-action remakes, but if it means keeping the classic movies relevant, I guess that counts for something. But I digress.

Anyway, assuming that Pinocchio does get a similar treatment as the rest of the Fantasyland rides, how could they do it (aside from the obligatory projection screens and the occasional new figure)? I really don't know, outside of maybe removing the boys-turned-donkeys in crates. Perhaps this scene could be replaced by the escape from Pleasure Island? I don't know.

I do know, though, that maybe at the end, Pinocchio could actually become a real boy at the end. And maybe the ride could be renamed as well. Maybe instead of "Pinocchio's Daring Journey", it could be something like "Pinocchio's Fantastic Journey" (which I'm told is the English name for the ride in Paris (where it's known as "Les Voyages de Pinocchio")). Or it could just be "The Adventures of Pinocchio".

Anyway, aside from maybe replacing the donkey crates and altering an element in the closing scene, what could be done to give the Pinocchio ride the Snow White treatment?
 
Miru

Miru

Well-Known Member
There are a LOT of plywood cutouts for scenery remaining, and I’d feel we need more of Foulfellow and Gideon. Mr. Toad’s new ending could look into the original film for inspiration, as well.
 
mharrington

mharrington

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Twilight_Roxas said:
Hmm. I’m not sure unless there’s a way to extend Pleasure Island while keeping the Lampwick turning into a donkey scene.
Click to expand...

Lampwick's transformation would remain, but I was talking about the scene afterwards, with the donkeys in the crates.

Miru said:
There are a LOT of plywood cutouts for scenery remaining, and I’d feel we need more of Foulfellow and Gideon.
Click to expand...

Where are the plywood cutouts? And yes, we could somehow add Foulfellow and Gideon in there somewhere. The only place I can think of, however, is at that sign pointing the way to Pleasure Island. Maybe Foulfellow could sing, "Hi-diddle-dee-doo, it's Pleasure Isle for you."
 
Twilight_Roxas

Twilight_Roxas

Well-Known Member
That’s what I kinda meant extend Pleasure Island scene or extend the Lampwick donkey scene with silhouette animation of donkey Lampwick destroying the billiard building with a silhouette animation of Pinocchio getting donkey ears, and tail till he, and Jiminy escape to the ocean leading to the encounter of Monstro.
 
mharrington

mharrington

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Miru said:
Am I the only one here fine with completely scrapping it for a new attraction? We could use more systems than just conventional dark ride tracks. Maybe trackless?
I feel like it could be left alone for another decade.
Click to expand...

There's not a lot of room for a trackless ride. Rumor had it that it and the Snow White ride would be scrapped for a Beauty and the Beast ride, but that did not happen, especially not with them deciding to tone down the Snow White ride instead. I really don't want the ride to be scrapped. If they changed the mood of the ride, but kept the theme and characters, that would be fine. But I don't want them to get rid of the Pinocchio ride. I'm hoping that the upcoming remake will somehow bring interest back to the original. I'm not sure how, though, as they are sure to be two different things, just as Tim Burton's versions of "Alice" and "Dumbo" are very different from their respective animated versions.

Twilight_Roxas said:
That’s what I kinda meant extend Pleasure Island scene or extend the Lampwick donkey scene with silhouette animation of donkey Lampwick destroying the billiard building with a silhouette animation of Pinocchio getting donkey ears, and tail till he, and Jiminy escape to the ocean leading to the encounter of Monstro.
Click to expand...

I would prefer to keep the pool hall scene. I'm not sure how that can be extended. I'm also thinking that Tobacco Row should be scrapped as it features both tobacco products AND Indians hocking them. I'm not sure how, though.

I would think that after the wreckage of the island is shown (with the defaced Mona Lisa on displayed), we then cut to a rocky environment leading to Monstro.

Again, I'm not really sure how the mood can be lightened in the Pinocchio ride. We still don't even know all the details of the Snow White ride.
 
Twilight_Roxas

Twilight_Roxas

Well-Known Member
No no I meant the Pool Hall scene being extended with Lampwick causing destruction, and Pinocchio getting donkey ears, and tail till Jiminy arrived getting both Pinocchio, and the riders to escape via silhouette animation. Kinda like they did with Brer Fox in Splash Mountain.
 

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

Back
Top Bottom