Kali River Rapids and Primeval Whirl Refurbs (Jan 2011)

[redshoesrock]

Good idea! Get rid of the carnival games! I hardly ever see anybody playing them anyway. I kinda feel sad for the castmembers working at them because they're usually just sitting there waiting for somebody to come play. If they want to keep them, fine, but make them free. Disney is already expensive enough without this kind of "attraction".

An idea I thought of to replace the carnival games with, would be a dinosaur themed ride-thru fun/scary house, kind of like the ones you would see at a typical carnival attraction. Mind you, I think the whole Dino-rama is out of character for Disney, but still, if they're going to keep it, make a big fun house ride-thru using an omnimover type ride where you get to see silly animatronic dinosaurs. Or, better yet, make two of these, one silly/funny so smaller kids could ride and enjoy, then another that was more scary and thrilling. I think this would be a big improvement over the carnival games, and it would add ride capacity to the park.

My idea would be to surgically remove the Chester and Hester part and extend the Dino Institute theming into that area. You can even keep the same overarching story - say that Chester and Hester decided to retire and they sold their land. I'd extend The Boneyard to make it one large dig site and keep Primeval Whirl or put another D ticket coaster there in its place. The story would be that the Dino Institute used to use a large machine to move dino bones from the dig site to the Institute but it was a bit too wild a ride for the bones so the Institute abandoned it. The interns took it over and ride it to blow off steam and have fun. You could call it "Coastersaurus" keeping with the theme of the interns putting up " -saurus" signs on everything.

 

[Disneyfanatic!!]

Why does every thread with the words primeval and whirl turn into the "Primeval Whirl/DinoRama/Dinoland U.S.A. Bashing Thread"?

DinoRama has a great story, which is what I expect from Imagineers. If you want Dino Institute expanded upon, it's been done. It's called Jurassic Park. :wave:

*steps off soapbox*

 

[unkadug]

People that go to DAK for the rides should stay at the other parks, DAK is about MORE than rides.

 

[RunnerEd]

I'm disappointed too, but that's a little disingenuous. You're overlooking Kilimanjaro Safaris and Dinosaur! at the very least.

KS will be closed then, too. If we didn't have AP's it would be a total skip as Dinosaur, while a good attraction, is not enough to draw us to the park and without the kids (kidless at WDW!!!!!!!!:sohappy we can skip the animal trails and spend more time in the other parks.

 

[Tybee]

People that go to DAK for the rides should stay at the other parks, DAK is about MORE than rides.

+1

It's right there in the name. It's all about the fauna (and flora, frankly). DAK has some of the most immersive theming in WDW. And I think that's why Chester and Hester's stands out, and not in a good way. Yes, there's a story and yes that story endeavors to explain why that section looks cheap. But cheap is cheap, and no amount of elaborate backstory is going to cover up the fact that Disney tried to save money on this area, especially when the rest of the park looks SO good and meticulously designed.

KS will be closed then, too. If we didn't have AP's it would be a total skip as Dinosaur, while a good attraction, is not enough to draw us to the park and without the kids (kidless at WDW!!!!!!!!) we can skip the animal trails and spend more time in the other parks.

Has there been official confirmation of this? I've heard rumors, but have seen no official dates. In fact, the last I read, this would be happening Feb., March or April, not Jan.

 

[DugFan1]

Wow...three rides I really like closed down when I return to WDW. Maybe a January trip wasn't such a good idea after all.

 

[scott7302]

Has anyone noticed how they have updated the Website with Primeval Whirl being down, but at the moment it does NOT mention Kali River Rapids yet... They have taken the time to update the website for Primeval Whirl but for some reason not Kali

I wonder why??

What do you guys think...

 

[RSoxNo1]

Why does every thread with the words primeval and whirl turn into the "Primeval Whirl/DinoRama/Dinoland U.S.A. Bashing Thread"?

DinoRama has a great story, which is what I expect from Imagineers. If you want Dino Institute expanded upon, it's been done. It's called Jurassic Park. :wave:

*steps off soapbox*

The story for Dinorama is more detailed than the story for Haunted Mansion. That doesn't make it better. The Imagineers came up with a good backstory for this because they had to in lieu of actual quality of the area. That's not their fault, that's an issue with funding, but don't confuse good backstory with a quality attraction.

 

[Brian Noble]

I wonder why??

SOP for Disney IT.

 

[Fable McCloud]

Primeval Whirl: 01/17/11 - 04/05/11

That's gotta be one hell of an extensive refurbishment...four months of ride closing! I still haven't ridden this yet! Gah!

 

[RSoxNo1]

I wonder if they can add a fully functional Yeti to Primeval Whirl in 4 months.

Per Wikipedia, the Mulholland Madness to Goofy's Sky School changeover is from 10/12/2010 - 4/20/2011. I know this is likely general refurbishment, but is there any chance that we can some actual enhancements to this attraction?

 

[loveofamouse]

*Sigh*

Bear in mind when you read all this - if you like the Chester & Hester stuff, that's fine with me. It's your vacation and you're absolutely free to like and enjoy whatever is there.

I've known the story for Dinoland for a very long time (local people find dino bones, archaeologists show up and set up the Dino Institute who then buy up all the surrounding land except for Chester & Hester who won't sell their gas station; the Dino Institute builds a brand new building and discovers time travel, so they sell time travel tours - the ride Dinosaur - to pay for their research; the Dino Institute interns goof around by putting up crazy signs for example - like the "osaurus" on Restaurantosaurus - among other things; with tourists coming, Chester & Hester change their gas station into a tacky carnival/tourist trap.)

And in that last phrase there in lies the problem; when you go out of your way to theme yourself as a cheap, tacky carnival - you become one. Need I have to remind anyone on these boards why Disneyland was built in the first place? Or why Walt was so upset with what sprung up around Disneyland he decided to buy over 27,000 acres of land in Florida so his guests wouldn't have to experience all that? And then you wonder why I cringe when Disney decides to go out of its way to bring into their parks the emulation of the very thing Walt utterly rejected and caused him to build Disneyland and Walt Disney World in the first place?! It's like hanging "Dogs Playing Poker" in the Louvre, it just doesn't belong.

I have no problem with an off-the-shelf ride if it's themed well, and Rock 'n Roller Coaster is a great example of great theming enhancing a ride. You can go to the Netherlands and ride the exact same off-the-shelf ride (called Xpress), but Disney shows what you can do with a ride like that when you surround it with a great theme and great effects. Trying to pluss an off-the-shelf carnival ride with a tacky, carnival-like theme is like the Redundancy Department of Redundancy - you're just spinning your wheels.

>>ISTC Navigator said: I feel as though the folks who think Primeval Whirl should leave b/c it's not highly themed should also want the "classic" Mad Tea Party to leave for the same reason. Local fairs have teacup rides, too. Not everything can be an e-ticket.<<

If I'm wrong on this, please correct me and cite the source and I'll admit I'm wrong, but I'm fairly confident Disneyland's Mad Tea Party was the first ever "teacups ride", hence why all other similar style rides in other amusement parks are referred to as a "teacups ride". So for its time, it actually was a new experience. The reason why it's been cloned in all other subsequent Disneyland-style parks is (apart from, yes of course it's fun to ride) part nostalgia/part "it's at this Disney park why isn't it in my Disney park?", which is another discussion for another thread (cloning Disneyland all over the world - not a fan). I don't expect every ride to be an E-ticket, nor should all rides be so; there needs to be a healthy mix of different rides and attractions. That's not the point - my issue is not with the ride Primeval Whirl, my issue is its theming and the surrounding Chester & Hester theme.

>>Brian Noble said: But, if you really want to rip out the "carny" experiences, you should probably place the wrecking ball squarely in front of Dumbo, rather than build a second one.<<

Right idea, but wrong ride. Dumbo is popular because it's a Disney rite-of-passage. Parents take their kids on Dumbo because their parents took their kids on Dumbo because their parents, etc. And from what I've seen with what the theming will eventually be surrounding "Double Dumbo", I think it has the potential to be even better. My issue is not that Dumbo is a carny ride...it's that the Magic Kingdom has three of the exact same ride in Fantasyland, Tomorrowland (Astro Orbitor), and Adventureland (Magic Carpets of Aladdin), which is shameful. Astro Orbitor has nostalgic factors with the old Star Jets, and is the "weenie" of Tomorrowland; no problems there. Magic Carpets of Aladdin should be removed. It's completely redundant for the Magic Kingdom, and even worse gives the impression that they simply lifted the idea from its chief competitor (Universal and One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish at Islands of Adventure).

This is well said. I, for one, pass right through the dino/carny area. I didn't come to Disney for carnivals. Yes, dumbo is getting moved to a carny themed area but, hopeuflly, it will be THEMED carnival, not done like a carnival. This area of AK just looks cheap, rundown, and "bleh" like carnivals.

I also agree about the repeating at MK. I don't see the point in Aladdin at all, especially when they could have made so much more out of that carpet ride of Aladdin. It could have been an actual ride. You could get on a carpet "bus" and set off for a tour of Acraba only to intercepted by Jafar and it turns all red and dark but Aladdin and Genie save the day. Hell, it coulda been a Sim like STs. Although Orbiter is similar, it at least has the added fun of being so high up.


The main thing that sets Disney apart is the degree of detail with the Theming. You feel like you really stepped into that world. Carnivals don't have that. Truly, many other theme parks don't have that.

 

[captainkidd]

For a park with such few attractions, gotta say, closing 2 of the rides down at one time is a pretty bad call. Rehabs are great and need to be done, but since Kali is only going down for a couple weeks, they surely could have done that early December or after PW.

 

[loveofamouse]

For a park with such few attractions, gotta say, closing 2 of the rides down at one time is a pretty bad call. Rehabs are great and need to be done, but since Kali is only going down for a couple weeks, they surely could have done that early December or after PW.

I'm sure the thought on KRR was the fact that it's Jan. Typically, not many do water rides in winter:shrug: I'm Floridian. We do nothing with water outside in the winter lol. Hell, you avoid washing your car yourself if you can lol.

I actually haven't ridden Kali yet. I've done IOA's version several times and being soaking wet for most of the day isn't appealing for me

 

[captainkidd]

I'm sure the thought on KRR was the fact that it's Jan. Typically, not many do water rides in winter:shrug: I'm Floridian. We do nothing with water outside in the winter lol. Hell, you avoid washing your car yourself if you can lol.

I actually haven't ridden Kali yet. I've done IOA's version several times and being soaking wet for most of the day isn't appealing for me

No contest - You get MUCH wetter at IOA. There are times I've come off bone dry from Kali. Not possible on Popeye.

 

[Master Yoda]

No contest - You get MUCH wetter at IOA. There are times I've come off bone dry from Kali. Not possible on Popeye.

Sit next to me on Kali and I will personally guarantee that you will get soaked to the bone. There is one pair of seats on Kali where you get wet and I seem to sit in that seat every freaking time I get on that ride.

 

[sshindel]

Sit next to me on Kali and I will personally guarantee that you will get soaked to the bone. There is one pair of seats on Kali where you get wet and I seem to sit in that seat every freaking time I get on that ride.

I've always tended to be that person as well. No matter what, I end up looking like someone just threw me in a pool. It's the reason I've yet to ride KRR. I may give it a try this year, but seeing as our trip is in Dec, it will all depend on the weather. It sucks, I think I'd really enjoy KRR, but walking around the park soaked to the bone isn't that fun for me, even on the hottest of days.

 

[Master Yoda]

I've always tended to be that person as well. No matter what, I end up looking like someone just threw me in a pool. It's the reason I've yet to ride KRR. I may give it a try this year, but seeing as our trip is in Dec, it will all depend on the weather. It sucks, I think I'd really enjoy KRR, but walking around the park soaked to the bone isn't that fun for me, even on the hottest of days.

Stinks being that guy doesn't it? My wife and kids won't even sit next to me anymore and they point and laugh at whichever random guest gets stuck with the honor of riding next to me.

 

[sshindel]

Stinks being that guy doesn't it? My wife and kids won't even sit next to me anymore and they point and laugh at whichever random guest gets stuck with the honor of riding next to me.

Seriously, we may have to make sure we never ride together. We might attract enough water to the raft that we sink the thing!

 

[Master Yoda]

Seriously, we may have to make sure we never ride together. We might attract enough water to the raft that we sink the thing!

Either that or we need to ride on opposite sides. Knowing my luck the darn raft would capsize.:lol: