Originally posted by martinthesparta
Ok, I've made the same obvious statement over and over again and I'll do it again. Indy, star wars, twilight zone, muppets: NOT DISNEY!!! Sure, disney now owns the rights to the muppets and can use them freely, but it isn't much different than owning the rights to build the harry potter ride. Both rights where aquired for the same reason, so there is no difference.
People get the "obvious statement", but the fact is it doesn't really work the way you think it does in these days of corporate synergy.
Harry Potter is a WB produced film. WB already has licensing agreements with Six Flags.
These characters/themes are licensed for use in the Disney Parks. In the case of the Muppets, Disney actually owns the characters now - they can do whatever they dang well please (all Henson's family has is the right to put Kermit's face on their company logo).
You don't pick and choose - you can't have Warners produce your film and Disney do the ride - it just doesn't work that way.
You can bet your bottom dollar somewhere in the film contract that JKR had to sign is a rider for themeparks (pun intended), giving Warners exculsive rights to rides developed based on the film, and Warners ain't gonna be developing rides for Disney.
So, people get what you are saying, but in this case you just aren't correct.
And those who are suggesting rides like marry poppins and of all things sword in the stone are just crazy. Snow white is the best example of a classic and sooooooooooo many people say it should be removed, so how are these ideas gonna stand on their own.
Well, no need to be so critical. Are the chances of a MP Dark Ride very good? No, but it doesn't hurt to talk about it. As to Snow White - if it goes, I'll never return to Fantasyland. No joke. Mr. Toad was always the removed step-child in Fantasyland, based on a little-known film (most people who knew Mr. Toad knew him from the ride and nothing else). Messing with Snow White is another matter entirely - with the heat they have been getting lately from Disney purists I don't think they'd dare. But then again, these are also the people that thought it would be a good idea to take Figment out of JTI, hehe.
Granted, you don't need a box office smash to make a good ride, but not anything to base a major expansion on.
Splash mountain works because it is based on song of the south but NOT a song of the south ride.
Splash Mountain works because it's the last truly great ride WDI added to WDW. Sure, ToT is a nice ride - but in the end it's a really, really pretty, well-themed super-deluxe carnival ride. Mission : Space is a great simulator - but it's just that - a video on a screen while you are thrown around. Test Track is fun, and a great break from the rather slow-pace of most other Epcot offerings, but it's not really a "classic".
Splash Mountain works because it's the kind of ride people want - a ride that takes them into a Fantasy. And that's all people that are suggesting things seem to be saying - we don't need another stage-show (no matter how well done), nor do we need some other carnival Dumbo-clone.
I don't think a lot of us care what they theme it around, as long as it's a kick-______ dark-ride - Pooh just didn't cut it.
AEfx
