Maelstrom's crappy new exit

[JimboJones123]

As I mentioned earlier, though, if you read the website or the guide book, it does clearly state that there is a movie after the boat ride. The movie IS part of the attraction. It's not just some post-show walk-through like Test Track.
I'm not sure where this supposed "attraction layout etiquette" comes from. Why is it wrong to have a film after a boat ride? How is it wrong to have guests wait a few minutes for it after the boat ride, especially when it's all a part of the same attraction. I guess I'm just the strange one.

Guests didn't care to watch it. Disney changed it. They realize that it is not optimum for viewing the film. Disney doesn't care. Pleasing guests that don't want to watch is more important to Disney.

That is the final word. They don't care if it displeases a very little number to please a much larger majority.

This wasn't a "let's try this" decision. It has been months. This is the setup that works best for Disney under the budget restrictions of not wanting to redesign the entire exit.

The benefit of this setup outweighs the costs. Period.

 

[AEfx]

The movie is dated and useless, and the seats are terribly uncomfortable. I just walk out. It's time to just be rid of it.

 

[Mansion Butler]

That is the final word. They don't care if it displeases a very little number to please a much larger majority.

I would say they do care, but they care more about pleasing the greatest number of guests possible for the money they're willing to spend. In this case, it's simply which scenario upsets more guests: making people stand around or allowing people to walk through the show.

I think the answer in this case is probably easy to guess.

I would bet, in a perfect world, they would care about pleasing both, but their are budgets, and I don't even know how easy it would be to set up an alternate exit.

 

[CDavid]

The movie is dated and useless

Yes, the Norway movie is indeed timeless and classic.

Disney doesn't care.

Well, that pretty much sums up Disney's approach to maintaining its own established standards in 2011. It's not a characteristic unique to The Spirit of Norway. Bad show didn't used to be an acceptable solution to a guest satisfaction issue.

 

[captainkidd]

Guests didn't care to watch it. Disney changed it. They realize that it is not optimum for viewing the film. Disney doesn't care. Pleasing guests that don't want to watch is more important to Disney.

That is the final word. They don't care if it displeases a very little number to please a much larger majority.

This wasn't a "let's try this" decision. It has been months. This is the setup that works best for Disney under the budget restrictions of not wanting to redesign the entire exit.

The benefit of this setup outweighs the costs. Period.

I think that's where you're wrong.

The overall amount of people on these boards that find issue with being "held prisoner" is miniscule to the amount of people that experience the attraction. I would be shocked if this is the same set up when I experience the attraction in July. If it is, then Disney has truly lost it's integrity when it comes to "good show".

 

[AEfx]

Yes, the Norway movie is indeed timeless and classic.

/giggle

Uh, yeah...so which family member of yours worked on it?

The overall amount of people on these boards that find issue with being "held prisoner" is miniscule to the amount of people that experience the attraction. I would be shocked if this is the same set up when I experience the attraction in July. If it is, then Disney has truly lost it's integrity when it comes to "good show".

Normally I'd be the first to say, "we are not typical guests", but I have yet to meet anyone who was impressed with this film-let. I see people walking out the doors every time I am there (because I enjoy the ride it's quite a bit when I am at WDW). Having it after the attraction is the problem - people are done riding and want to move on, not sit and watch a five-minute commercial that gives you about as much depth about Norway as a commercial of Baywatch gives you about the United States.

 

[Mansion Butler]

Yeah, I'll bet you all I have that Disney die hards like here are more likely to be interested in the film than the more casual guest. Let alone more likely to say they should be couped up and not allowed to leave after a ride for said film.

 

[AEfx]

Yeah, I'll bet you all I have that Disney die hards like here are more likely to be interested in the film than the more casual guest. Let alone more likely to say they should be couped up and not allowed to leave after a ride for said film.

Yeah, I'm all for sitting in a dark place and taking a load off in the A/C. Unfortunately, the seats there are not comfortable at all so I don't bother. Norway has had this issue for 20 years...it just didn't make a ton of sense to put at the end of the ride. It would be more appropriate to show on video screens during the queue at this point.

 

[JimboJones123]

I would say they do care, but they care more about pleasing the greatest number of guests possible for the money they're willing to spend. In this case, it's simply which scenario upsets more guests: making people stand around or allowing people to walk through the show.

I think the answer in this case is probably easy to guess.

I would bet, in a perfect world, they would care about pleasing both, but their are budgets, and I don't even know how easy it would be to set up an alternate exit.

We said the same thing. You just more long winded.

 

[JimboJones123]

Nevermind.

I think this change is overwhelmingly positive for the pavilion. That is all.

 

[fngoofy]

Do we have an American game. I am assuming that you are an American because I am too.:animwink:

Yes, it involves funnel cakes, cheese, and Crestor (powdered sugar optional.)

 

[kingdaniel97]

China's film was updated in 2003 and is still pretty accurate IMO.

Besides the France and Norway films, there's nothing else that I see as very outdated :shrug:

I was not aware that it was actually, I'll have to go take a look at it when I go down this week.

 

[MarkTwain]

Floorplans for your consideration: http://www.flickr.com/photos/63631877@N00/4496971541/sizes/l/in/photostream/

Looks like the current setup is a tight squeeze, so constructing a new hallway to circumvent the theater entirely sounds like a difficult prospect. Someone earlier mentioned the prospect of walling off and removing the back few rows of the theater to allow the people to walk around it, and I think that would be the best solution.

I also don't like the idea of removing the film entirely. I think the sponsors felt that while a look at the vikings and trolls and mythology of Norway were fun for the ride, that a look at the modern and "real" Norway was also needed, and I think that they still deserve that much. Disney has brought part of this on themselves by allowing the film to age to the point where it's now older than most of the CMs working there (!!!), and that many guests find it dated to the point of worthlessness. A simple Canada-style refurb and a new digital projector should go a long way IMO. It really shouldn't even be that difficult to sufficiently update a 5-minute movie, any college student film major would probably be more than up to the task for $1000 and a flight to Oslo...

 

[Sir_Cliff]

The precise same reason that guests wait around to experience a ride for the country.

I talking about this from Disney's perspective. Disney doesn't build pavillions out of the goodness of its heart to help people learn about other cultures, it does so because it finds sponsors who are willing to pay for them. The Norwegian government paid initially to construct and maintain the pavillion, but withdrew sponsorship at the first opportunity and - I believe - currently doesn't contribute to the upkeep of the pavillion in any significant way. So if Disney has any reason from guest satisfaction to improving traffic flow for axing what is really a pretty bland promo video sponsored by the Norwegian government many years ago, they have little reason not to go right ahead and do it... which I suspect will happen soon enough if no new sponsor steps up to shoot a new one.

I think people are talking as though this post-show movie is something far more profound than it really is.

 

[Rob562]

I talking about this from Disney's perspective. Disney doesn't build pavillions out of the goodness of its heart to help people learn about other cultures, it does so because it finds sponsors who are willing to pay for them. The Norwegian government paid initially to construct and maintain the pavillion, but withdrew sponsorship at the first opportunity and - I believe - currently doesn't contribute to the upkeep of the pavillion in any significant way. So if Disney has any reason from guest satisfaction to improving traffic flow for axing what is really a pretty bland promo video sponsored by the Norwegian government many years ago, they have little reason not to go right ahead and do it... which I suspect will happen soon enough if no new sponsor steps up to shoot a new one.

I think people are talking as though this post-show movie is something far more profound than it really is.

FYI, the Norwegian government did not pay any money to build the pavilion, nor did the countries for most other World Showcase pavilions. The only one that did was the Kingdom of Morocco. The Norway pavilion was sponsored by a Norwegian company. (Norwegian Cruise Lines or some other Norwegian travel company, I believe)

What would peoples' thoughts be if they removed the theater and extended the boat ride into the space currently occupied by the village and theater? The unload could be placed where the far side of the theater is now. (Though I'm not quite sure what the content of an extra scene or two would be)

-Rob

 

[aladdin2007]

FYI, the Norwegian government did not pay any money to build the pavilion, nor did the countries for most other World Showcase pavilions. The only one that did was the Kingdom of Morocco. The Norway pavilion was sponsored by a Norwegian company. (Norwegian Cruise Lines or some other Norwegian travel company, I believe)

What would peoples' thoughts be if they removed the theater and extended the boat ride into the space currently occupied by the village and theater? The unload could be placed where the far side of the theater is now, more or less in-line with the current load platform. (Though I'm not quite sure what the content of an extra scene or two would be)

-Rob

A group of several Norwegian companies were the main sponsors, the Norwegian government however did officially give towards the pavilion as part of it. Sadly though they dropped all support/funding around 2002-2003.

 

[MaryJaneP]

Maybe time to try a new country in what could become "the former Norway" space. It would undoubtedly be alot of work and expense to re-theme the building, but all the other threads about a "new" country could be accomplished without having to construct a new building. The ride/movie exit issue could also be entirely resolved.

 

[aladdin2007]

Maybe time to try a new country in what could become "the former Norway" space. It would undoubtedly be alot of work and expense to re-theme the building, but all the other threads about a "new" country could be accomplished without having to construct a new building. The ride/movie exit issue could also be entirely resolved.

um, no. That would be tragic to replace Norway with a whole new country. It has a very popular/strong presence and history at Epcot even though it came later. All of the pavilions do in their own way really, it would be a bad move to do this to any of them when they have several expansion pads available for new ones. Of course with TDO, retrofitting somewhere wouldnt suprise me.

 

[Mansion Butler]

Maybe time to try a new country in what could become "the former Norway" space. It would undoubtedly be alot of work and expense to re-theme the building, but all the other threads about a "new" country could be accomplished without having to construct a new building. The ride/movie exit issue could also be entirely resolved.

Get a whole new country that uses the same buildings as Norway as a solution to a dated video?

 

[Magenta Panther]

Maybe time to try a new country in what could become "the former Norway" space. It would undoubtedly be alot of work and expense to re-theme the building, but all the other threads about a "new" country could be accomplished without having to construct a new building. The ride/movie exit issue could also be entirely resolved.

Oh, I'd hate to see Norway go! It's tied with Great Britain as my favorite World Showcase attraction! The stave church, the Maelstrom, the Akershus Royal Banqueting Hall, and the architecture...I love it...it's eerie but beautiful. Nothing could ever successfully replace all that, IMO.