SSE 12/15 Newsbits, Reviews, and Ideas
Today, SSE was running. I wanted to see if I could get down there and check it out finally for myself. I had grown worried over the videos and reports I had read and seen, and wondering why so many people were divided on the topic all along. I had originally seen the videos and was disappointed, but I finally want to see and experience it in person. In this report, I tried to be as comprehensive and detailed as possible for you guys, and sorry ahead of time if it's a too long of a read!
Here's my short review on it:
I came in there with high expectation, besides seeing how it was in the video. I honestly had no ideas how many people really did miss SSE during the rehab. TONS were in love that it was back. Like many others in front and back, we came in with huge enthusiasm as to was to come. In the end, even those enthusiastic for the interactive finale in line came out underwhelmed. I understand the ride itself is still far from completion, but still. There is a LOT to fix before February. Overall however, only the ending was a disappointment; As a whole, it's amazing. It just lacks a good finale and you DEFINITELY tell a LOT of stuff was still being tweaked. Soo, after all the criticism and civil wars and arguments on here bout the SSE refurb, I would say that I think it's pretty good, just not the ending. I have optimism now that they are still working on it. I guess I would call it a promo and scenic tour of a construction site.
On the other hand though, I did it 4 times, and each time I noticed something completely different.
Sooo, here's my report of the status of SSE and other things I noticed:
Outside:
- 20-40 minute wait all day.
- The outside loop BGM, which, while about only 3 minutes or so, is very well done. I had feared it might become irritating after a while, but it actually gets really motivating and a great piece altogether. I wish I could say that about each piece for the ride...
- Talking bout the new BGM, at times, it did periodically go out for some odd reason.
- I also noticed, surprisingly enough, how the exterior speakers are STILL the old Mushroom ones. SSE STILL hasn't been outfitted with the new speakers that were implemented about a few years back, even with the refurb. Hopefully that changes before Feb.
- The sign wasn't changing colors, BUT, was at it's regular blue outside rim color, however, an effect of what I would call 'white spacing' was going around the outer glass rim.
- Annnnd talking bout lights, the tree lights were on.
- I can say first hand that the mural has NOT been touched. NOT ONE BIT. I noticed a not so fresh piece of gum was still stuck on the outer blue and closer parts to the entrance.
- Only one of the two entrance lanes was in use.
Once inside:
- Lots of managers were going around. Lots of the CM's at times were filling out papers everytime on their clipboards when I was there.
- No Imagineers were spotted.
- I have no clue whether the A/C was working first two times I rode. It got unusually warm at some points during the ride, and until the the other two times, I finally got to feel the coolness you usually feel there.
- The narration was off sync at times with the scenes, and some parts didn't have ANY music on some times that I rode, but was running on some of the other rides on it. Talk about big bugs in the system...
- Camera still up and taking people's pics but is still not operational.
- The mammoth projection effect is PHENOMENAL. I didn't even THINK there was enough space in that area.
- The light bleed in that scene as reported by Merf before was indeed there the first two times I rode; however, on the 3rd and 4th time, it was gone.
- The cavemen scene, and especially the projection of the painting of the mammoth encounter was incredible.
- The Egyptian scene to me almost felt like nothing really changed. Is it me or did the AA's change from being the right side to the left? Just might be my memory going rusty on me...
- Also, of interest of the Egyptians scene: The Pharoah's movement was awesome. However, I just HAVE to mention this, besides the fact it looked funny but also shocking: On the fourth and last time around, I was looking for his staff (somehow that always captures my attention bout that AA), and I was like, where's the cane? Then, I noticed his arm. His entire left arm (right from our point of view) had froze, and HIS HAND WAS MISSING. Two pieces of wire and a hydraulics part was showing. As I was looking back to see what had happened, I saw the severed hand and cane resting in the space between the wheels of the vehicles and the platform of the scene. I thought it was REALLY strange but wayyy too funny to not tell.
- The new Phoenicians scene was cool, but on the other side, it felt like it wasn't finished, cause I thought remembering seeing the projection of a swaying ship and the oceans on the right.
- I too as a theater lover and being involved with the arts, I was saddened to see it go, but I still thought the scene was great.
- The chariot projection in Rome is indeed back.
- I remember seeing projections of flames in the burning of Rome scene. Where did they go?
- The ride stopped for about 3 minutes right in front of the statue before seeing the Roman guard. I was looking down below to see anything, and as I've noticed on my various trips, they added TONS of technical stuff down below. Looks a lot like the same audio trippers used at AK for the Safari, but much less camoflauged and of course not made to resist the elements. I saw all types of that and the readouts throughout the ride itself. Strangely enough though, many of them are during the Ascent, and are not present at the 180top and the Descent. My main issue with that particular part of the scene though, is how there are TONS of visible scratches and dust and paint stains right below the statue is. This is noticeable throughout the ride in certain scenes if you know where to look, as well as in obvious places.
- The monks are great, but only twice on my trips was the Monk audibly snoring.
- The Renaissance scenes were great. Does anyone else think maybe this is actually a theater scene with two guys reading books there and the musicians in the background? The way they're holding the books and reciting it to each other looks as if they're actors...possibly Shakespearean works?
- The Paper Boy is STILL looking at the wall, and it is indeed very awkward to have him there looking at the wall. However, I did notice two things in peculiar: One, on the top of his left hand, there looks like a piece of cardboard that is covering it. I do believe he is still being worked on and his mechanics are still showing. Also, I looked at his set. There is DEFINITELY a tiny light directed to where he usually stands. I have a funny feeling the newspapers as they're stacked are covering where he would stand and wiring and supports he needs.
- The AA in the radio station needs some tuneups, as he stills looks as though he's rusty.
- The new computer room is AMAZING. I didn't even KNOW there was that much room available there. Problem is that there is nothing but narration and the sound of the computers in that scene. No music was there each time I rode.
- The Dodge Charger is awesome as is the Garage scene. It just needs just a bit more illumination though. That, and I think it's just a bit weird in how the Woz doesn't move and is a static character.
- The Matrix scene REALLY did remind me of the movie of the Matrix, haha. It was an alright scene, but you could definitely see the projector up top, and the whole clear projection tunnel. Needs more insulation and the projection only covers the centermost portion of the tunnel and not all of it. That, and on a musical sidenote, while the music in this scene is just plain weird, for some strange reason, you actually DO hear a momentary motif from The Matrix movie score. (For anyone who has seen it or is a fan, it's when the big battles or big FX scenes happen and you hear the brass going WAAA-waaa, WAAAA-waaa. If that makes any sense, haha. I'll try and provide a link to that sound clip if it's around on the Web.
- The 180top is alright. Earth looks smaller to me, and that whole area still feels like one huge unused set to me. Thing is, I saw MORE stuff on there than last time. I remember before the rehab in July more stuff (or something) had been put up there. Now I'm just wondering if they're holding something out til later...
- It IS strange though how they pretty much put the transparent tarp thing all over the top of the sphere. It blocks the view of the triangles from before, which, honestly, I liked seeing them. Made it a bit more mysterious, at least to me.
The Descent:
- The grid effect is really awesome. They do indeed use the Pepper's Ghost effect, however, it's sorta weird how they only use it on the right side instead of the left. That, and besides it being on the screen, I don't see how it fits in the ride or what it means...
- Now is the extra juicy newsbits I have for y'alls. Has anyone noticed that immediately after the grid effect, that ALL THE WALLS ON THE LEFT HAVE BEEN PATCHED IN CONCRETE. Has anyone else noticed this? Is this a new fire code or structural reason to have this done? I thought I remembered sets being there, and also the Model City that sparked the fiberoptics throughout the ending was there as well. I also noticed this with other parts of the decent.
- One thing I wanted to have happen when I went on SSE was maybe and hopefully breakdown...in the Descent. Welllll, thanks to a bit of luck, it happened, and a great place too. It was at a spot where you saw this sorta makeshift workstation, and it was REALLY interesting. It was connected to a another black machine that was humming...a fiberoptics machine! Yes folks, you read right, a fiberoptics machine. I saw HUGE bundles that were all spun together of it connected to that one machine to the makeshift laptop/projector looking machine. Interesting part of it however, was how the VERY beginning of that huge bundle of fiberoptic wire was lit up and doing it's sparkley routine. However, it broke off halfway to the projector/laptop thing, and hence, that effect wasn't on. Also, right below it, was this weird cloud/tree branch thing. In it's shape and design, it almost reminds me of how the 'New Global Neighborhood' abstract tree stood in the middle. If you remember those types of branches, you'll know how this looks like. It starts from where the machine is, and appears periodically on the sides or on the ceiling.
- In an interesting note, I SAW A MINOR SET PIECE!! It was very tiny, the lights on it weren't on, and I was tempted to take a picture, but then I remembered that my batteries died.
It looks EXACTLY like the old Model City. Thing is though, very strangely, next to it, it has the same lightning effect that was seen before in the Ascent. Then, after that, is that moderately LARGE portion of curtained off parts of the Descent. At the end of the curtained part on the right, there was a work light that was visible there.
- Also, some equipment/boxes/frames were visible at one point on the right before you saw the two parts on the ride with black curtains.
- Does anyone else think the VERY end, with that cheap starfield curtain effect temporary? I don't know, it feels very temporary to me...especially how you can tell what type of fabric it is, cause it almost looks like it came from a haunted house or something...
- Lastly, set wise, the Unload has a few lights that weren't on.
Now, last bits on technical aspect:
- Some headrests were covered.
- Cm's let some empty vehicles pass before putting some folks on.
- Like me, all the times I went on, immediately afterwards, everyone complained on the volume of the narration in the headrests. It felt like it like it was on full blast and it did hurt your ears a bit.
- However, I could say otherwise bout the music. At some points the music you couldn't even hear. Then again, like I said, the music was either off or not in sync like the narration.
- The Descent had NO music whatsoever.
- As for the narration, I think it's alright. Judi Dench does have the right voice and intonation for it, but the script just feels like it didn't know what it wanted to be. It just felt like a complete hodepodge or copy and pasted from other scripts to make how it is now. It just wasn't coherrent and not connected to the new main theme of the ride.
- Some of the videoscreens didn't work during the beginning of the Ascent and load (aka starscreen grid), and then worked fine when going down the Descent. (Go figure)
- The motors on the vehicles are LOUD. Apparently they put new motors on the vehicles, cause I don't remember them being THAT loud during the whole ride, and is especially noticeable during the Descent and computer room and when the ride slows and comes back up.
- There's a part, as many have seen on the videoscreens, that at the end of your questions, you touch where you live. On each of my trips, that feature wasn't there.
- One thing I didn't like so far that glared out at me, was the fact TONS of walls were visible, especially as you go under Michelangelo into the Industrial Revolution scenes. Maybe it's cause they left some work lights on in some areas, but that definitely needs to be fixed.
Postshow:
- As noted before, Power City is indeed up and running and is proving to be a hit. Only one small yet BIG detail that I didn't like at all: Only a few days running, and the pads on the floor are already showing TONS of streaks. If they knew most people wore tennis shoes, why do the pad like that?? Hopefully the CM's clean it everyday.
- That, and on the back of globe, it mentions of Siemens' Generation 21, their charities, organizations, etc.
- Anyone know when the last bit, Innervision, will start to have construction?
-- On an opinion note: Does anyone else have the fishy feeling that this is, 1), A giant test for the new CM's to deal with holiday traffic and the new systems, 2) For capacity issues (a la UoE 96), 3) To have guests fully testing out the videoscreens to get the bugs out in time and their reactions, and 4) A giant stress test (like what you do at the hospital) for the ride itself? It just seems me that way.
Annnnd....on a very random sidenote and exciting news...
I met someone in the hierarchy of the theme parks last week. I won't mention who just yet, but let's just say they're high up. BIG TIME high up. We talked about a little bit of everything, including bits bout Disney and SSE came up. They said themselves they went on it and were extremely impressed. I myself, as a favor to you guys, mentioned directly to how you guys have been reacting to that state of SSE. They definitely said there is a LOT more to come and that they are indeed still working everything out.
PHEW! Took an hour and a half to write this all, but I hope you guys enjoyed this!! :wave:
PS - Pics from 12/7 I'll try and have them up in a bit. Unfortunately though, pics from today are stuck in the camera and the batteries are dead, so give me about 2 days or so and they'll be up. Thanks and enjoy!
