Kevin Yee's review of 'new' F-land ...

[Lee]

And all of you need to stop asking for E-Tickets as well! It's annoying!

No. Never. Get used to it.

 

[Pixiedustmaker]

And while it may be WDI's best work at WDW, no doubt, I can't compare it to Carsland or Potter or, certainly, all of TDS because they all have a signature family attraction (or MANY attractions) while this project simply has Mermaid.

Some people love Mermaid. I find it plastic and not a huge step up from the F-land dark rides. There are many areas that lack transitions (something I noted in Anaheim) that should have props or projections or effects of some kind. So it has a beautiful show building. That's great, of course. But I want attractions that are the equal or better of their buildings and queues.

Overall, I'm sure I will like the entire project because it is new and it is largely (SC aside) well done and I'm looking forward to dining at BoG on my next visit simply to try something new (no, Tortuga Tavern and its godawful fast food doesn't count). But it still is largely window dressing. What the MK sorely lacks is capacity and attractions and this isn't really a net gain ...but at least MAGIC's review didn't try and compare it to TDS.

I have to say that WDW1974 hit the nail on the head. He/she basically is saying how I feel about FLE. Yes, Belle's rockwork is great, but it seems that while the rockwork/landscaping is nice in Circusland, Belle's area, that the core experience, i.e. having good attractions, is lacking.

Sure, I'll love eating at BoG, looks great, even though it seems to be heavily influenced by Harry Potter. Will love walking around FLE, but there isn't a great attraction yet. Maybe 7DMT will change that, not sure how I'll feel about this ride as it probably will be alot of fun, but kind of sad when I think of the scenes that were in SWSA that will never be again in MK.

After the excitement of FLE winds down, it could mostly be a place where guests walk around, get a bite to eat, and otherwise avoid. Remember, 7DMT entrance will be opposite Pooh, meaning that folks don't need to walk around to Belle's to enjoy this ride. Will Mermaid ever get super popular? If Mermaid had a lot of details, and they spent the $$ to have the transitions and all the details, then folks could ride it again and again and be transported somewhere. It's just the sort of ride you go on a couple times and it doesn't emotionally connect like some classic Fantasyland dark rides do.

 

[J03Y]

i like this review, it's okay. there's some misinformation with the whole President thing, but i like the positivity.

and can we stop with this whole belittling the Expansion when 1) you haven't seen everything, don't knock it til you try it and 2) who the hell cares? seriously. this whole thing is enough to last all guests for decades i'm sure people were saying the same things when Splash Mountain and Thunder Mountain came out and look where they are now, classics. and people who live with the new stuff will end up defending them to death years later because they would've grown up with them so you might as well just stop it cause in the end your negative comments will do nothing. this expansion is clearly not for you, so instead of complaining either deal with it and go to the park and enjoy what you got or just simply don't go, this isn't a service that caters toward only you. Disney has other people to think about and right now the majority would honestly prefer this genuinely.

 

[Pixiedustmaker]

Not sure how anyone can judge Yee's sentiments without having experienced anything beyond the circus.

Yee wrote,

"There is a freshness to this new land, almost an urgency of theme, that will leave its mark on even the most jaded of returning Disney visitors. Frankly, the quality reeks of Tokyo DisneySea."

I'm not super impressed with Mermaid's rockwork, I think Carsland's rockwork is the best, BoG's rockwork a close second, and Mermaid has all of this weird cinammon buns and flourishes . . . plus the rockwork makes the queue feel claustrophobic, and doesn't circulate air well, all because they have to hide a big ole' showbuilding. Why is Mermaid's big showbuilding between Circusland and FLE? B/C they wanted to save money and re-use a wall of 20K showbuilding, which saved money in the construction process.

If they really wanted to make FLE work, IMHO, they would have put Mermaid's showbuilding back in the expansion pad to the north of it, and have a more intimate and charming queue which matches with Belle's stuff.

Such as a port in Belle's village with Eric's ship. Would be okay to have rockwork and the fake sand and everything, but you could look at it all and feel like you are in a special place, and the clumsy rockwork around Mermaid's showbuilding wouldn't need to be so high.

I like the blu-water and sand, and rocks, at my sight line and below it, but the rockwork is just too much, IMHO, as it is so big and sort of an eye sore when you look what was built above guest's heads.

Dumbo's Circusland has nice landscaping . . . dueling Dumbo's and a very cheap ride. They kept the Circus theme because the wanted to keep the County Bounty store as Big Top Gifts (or whatever it is being called), b/c this store was selling a lot of merchandise. I think they are left with three sub-divisions of FLE that don't match each other, I am glad that 7DMT will match Belle's, and give the land more cohesion.

 

[Kuhio]

I have to say that WDW1974 hit the nail on the head. He/she basically is saying how I feel about FLE.

WDW1974 is definitely a guy. I ain't ever seen womenfolk that roguishly handsome.

 

[Br'er Platypus]

WDW does not need to draw even more people to the MK, it needs to adjust the MK to cope with the masses. Such as by building a classic darkride with a high capacity omnimover. This is the true genius of Mermaid - it is not a Haunted Mansion, but a SWSA or Toad with the capacity of a Mansion.

This is actually a very interesting insight on MK crowds and the purpose of the FLE in general. I've never heard it put quite like that before, but it totally makes sense.

 

[Pixiedustmaker]

. . . i'm sure people were saying the same things when Splash Mountain and Thunder Mountain came out and look where they are now, classics. and people who live with the new stuff will end up defending them to death years later because they would've grown up with them so you might as well just stop it cause in the end your negative comments will do nothing.

Everyone's got a right to their opinion, and with all of the photos of FLE, I wouldn't begrudge somebody for posting their impressions.

Seriously, though, Splash looks great years later, BTMRR has great rockwork too, though in DLR it needs some work. I think BoG will stand the test of time, but I don't think Mermaid is pretty in same way as BTMRR. I don't really ride BTMRR much at DLR, but justing walking by the attraction is nice as it is well done. I get that up close Mermaid's queue is interesting . . . but the big picture, IMHO, is that the castle could use some work, and the rockwork is a odd mix of realism and fanciful cinnamon buns and doesn't look visually pleasing such as Splash.

Is this really the level of Disney Seas?!

 

[Mike730]

And all of you need to stop asking for E-Tickets as well! It's annoying! ​

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Asking for too much again, eh? ​

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And just because someone states true facts and doesn't give a negative opinion on something or doesn't agree with you automatically makes those kinds of people apologists?! WRONG!!! It does not! Knock off the bullying and quit being jerks, people! ​

Again, painting such myopic views of upper management is sinful and wrong! QUIT IT! ​

Am I sensing some sort of theme here....?
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[Magenta Panther]

MK is in desperate need of a headliner attraction. One of the most attended parks in the world should have the best ride in the world. Add a huge, top notch ETicket, and modify Main Street with an additional entry/exit route to handle the crowds. They have the plans, and have had them for a long time. Just need to say go.

Ooooh, what plans? Can you go into any detail?

 

[HTF]

http://micechat.com/13957-new-fantasyland-what-to-expect/

He likes it ... not shocking.

He compares it to TDS. Shocking.

How can you compare this to TDS??? Anything we do, THEY DO BETTER.

 

[Magenta Panther]

I'm a bit torn on the expansion. I don't dislike the Mermaid dark ride at DCA (in fact, I was pleasantly surprised given the criticism of it I read before riding), but there it's a small (and still probably the least impressive) part of a large expansion. Given that it's the only attraction in the expansion at this point, I'm a bit disappointed.

On the other hand, I think what MK, and Fantasyland in particular, lacks compared to DAK and Epcot is heavily-themed "ambiance areas" that you can just sit around and enjoy This appears to give Fantasyland exactly that and restore a little park-like beauty to the Magic Kingdom.

What is there looks very nice and a nice environment is GREAT to have in the Magic Kingdom, but I wish there were more substantive experiences. Unless the Mine Train comes out of left field and is an amazing E-Ticket (and all insiders are saying it's NOT), I think the expansion could have been a bit more substance-heavy.

I think you hit it on the head. I'm thrilled with the theming - it looks magical and gorgeous - and considering what a narrow little alleyway FL basically was, FLE is a HUGE improvement. But yeah, there should be more substance to the area. I think the Belle attraction was a missed opportunity...so lovingly detailed, and yet all it is in substance is a glorified "Show and Tell" for kiddies. LM seems like a yummy confection but with a hollow center. BoG looks cool...I'm still excited about that, especially the West Wing, but I'd really hoped it'd have more show elements, perhaps a few AAs included. Really, I don't understand why TDO is so afraid to really up its game. The last great "WOW" attraction it built was the Tower of Terror! And that was BEFORE Universal upped ITS game with Potter! You gotta wonder what it's going to take for TDO to stop taking things for granted and understand that it has to COMPETE for guest dollars in Orlando...especially after Universal builds its own version of a value resort...jeez...

 

[the.dreamfinder]

And all of you need to stop asking for E-Tickets as well! It's annoying!

 

[luv]

Thanks for the link. This very descriptive review along with those cool walk through videos really helped me visualize what is going on in this new area. While I adore a great ride (who doesn't), I also have a deep affection for detailed theming. And from what I can tell, the New Fantasyland definitely has off the charts atmosphere and theming.

I know it probably isn't "cool" to be excited about seeing this in person, but I am. And while I am not trying to be rude or disrespectful to anyone else's opinion, I would hope that we could all agree to atleast save our opinions of the new area until it is experienced first hand. After that, flame away if you still hate it. But until then, maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing to just let others have their favorable opinion.

oh, please. It is totally cool to be excited to see it. Everyone is.

I have a neighbor who LOVES to dump on Disney. Some people in Orlando think they're very cool when they talk about it like it is crap. Some don't really care at all, which is cool, it isn't everyone's thing. But there are some people who like to bad-mouth Disney in a very show-offy way. My neighbor is in that club. She decided to go to Disney with us today, lol.

I said, "I can't believe you're going to step foot on the Disney property." She said I'd be leaving soon and since I was so excited about the LM ride, she wanted to it with me, lol.

Even the people who love to hate Disney want to go see this.

Don't let anyone tell you you aren't cool!

Cool people do what they like to do. And if you like Disney, then you are very cool for wanting to go.

People who would love to do it and bad-mouth it because they *think* that is cool...they are not cool.

I am not always right, but on this cool vs. not cool thing, I am Correctamundo.

 

[alissafalco]

And all of you need to stop asking for E-Tickets as well! It's annoying!

You need to stop writing posts that either insult people or end with an angry red face.

 

[wm49rs]

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Am I sensing some sort of theme here....?​

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"Angry Lad in Mommy's Basement" Syndrome?

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Is this really the level of Disney Seas?!

I'll up Yee and say that the MK's Mermaid area is more appealing, 'better quality', than TDS's Mermaid area. I know Yee compares general quality standards, and not any specific area, but a comparison between the two Mermaid areas is fun and enlightening.

TDS's Mermaid Lagoon has this weird 'Gaudi visits Disney'* look about it, which I find rather unappealing. A slightly upscale version of Universal's Dr. Seuss Landing. It creates a world that is too abstract to be the real world, but not charming enough to work as a cartoony area.

* This thread being infested with fanbois: that is Gaudi, the Catalan architect, not the girl in the pictures.

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Crab off the shelf rides too:​

('crab', 'shelf' - get it?)​

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Surely, the upcoming 7DMT will blow TDS Mermaid Lagoon's 'Flounder's Flying Fish Coaster' out of the water. (another pun! Where do I get them!)​

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[Atomicmickey]

I'll up Yee and say that the MK's Mermaid area is more appealing, 'better quality', than TDS's Mermaid area. I know Yee compares general quality standards, and not any specific area, but a comparison between the two Mermaid areas is fun and enlightening.

TDS's Mermaid Lagoon has this weird 'Gaudi* designed Universal's Dr. Seuss Landing' look about it, which I find rather unappealing. It creates a world that is too abstract to be the real world, but not charming enough to work as a cartoony area.

* This thread being infested with fanbois: that is Gaudi, the Catalan architect, not the girl in the pictures.

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Crap (is that crab?) off the shelf rides too:​

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Surely, the upcoming 7DMT will blow TDS Mermaid Lagoon's 'Flounder's Flying Fish Coaster' out of the water. (another pun! Where do I get them!)​

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Seeing these pictures, from my point of view, I'd say, yup. MK's Mermaid exterior is better than TDS's exterior. I haven't seen either in person, but from the pics, the TDS area looks like Seuss Landing.
I like WDW's better.

 

[Lee]

Yes, comparing MK's Mermaid to the weakest section of TDS....MK's will win.
The rest of TDS, though....nah.

 

[Atomicmickey]

Yes, comparing MK's Mermaid to the weakest section of TDS....MK's will win.
The rest of TDS, though....nah.

Fair enough. Again, not having been to either place, the fact that some people are choosing to elevate this new work to that level is remarkable in and of itself, even if you don't strictly agree. Just the fact that they are somewhat close enough to consider is a good thing, and a great review of the new area.

 

[Lee]

Agreed.