Marvel coming to WDW?!?!

[DisDan]

Maybe this is Disney sneaky, dirty, underhanded way of increasing DHS park attendance in the short term. I mean think about all the people that will flood the parks to get their LAST ride on the TZ-TOT before they chop it up..... Disney doesn't care if it es people off, they know people will come back when Star Wars opens.

 

[spacemt354]

You know it's bad when this makes Frozen in Norway look like a semi-decent idea.

What does a franchise based in a far away galaxy have to do with an abandoned Hollywood Hotel in California? But why go any further...

 

[Goingdown13]

This whole decision is purely a financial one, which is even more annoying. I mean, as others have said, putting GOTG into RnRC makes sense, welcomed even (IMO). But since they are spending money to retheme TOT in DCA to GOTG it doesn't make "financial" sense to add GOTG to RnRC since that would be a whole separate set of design costs. No, instead let's do the "Cheap" thing and just destroy a WDW icon so we can have this all make more financial sense. Idiots.

But structurally theyre completely different. The components that make up Florida's tower, as well as the ride system are all different to cali's. Even down to the motors and the controls. Same idea but still very different. The only thing they share is the name and story.

 

[DisDan]

But structurally theyre completely different. The components that make up Florida's tower, as well as the ride system are all different to cali's. Even down to the motors and the controls. Same idea but still very different. The only thing they share is the name and story.

Yea, but I am sure the way Disney see's it, the overall design of the theme and show elements will have some commonalities that they can then save money on by only having to design once.

 

[Cesar R M]

Imagine if you combined the first half Eisner and the acquisition side of Iger...

No idea about you guys, but I still wonder why the hell every thread has to devolve into Eisner vs Iger.
That horse has been more beaten than the Frozenstorm and many other unpopular talks x_X

 

[Phil12]

Which is why each development area is surveyed before work begins. WDW has enough sinkholes - they're quite common on property - that appropriate surveying is routine, not abnormal.

You came across as saying it was a problem. Maybe I misunderstood you.

The point of mentioning this concerns the rush that was on to build Disney-MGM Studios. Some people on these forums want Disney to act in haste to get new attractions built. Complaints are common that Disney doesn't build new rides quickly enough.

Cutting corners or speeding up construction (especially concerning safety issues) can cause catastrophic problems. As you point out, sinkholes are not uncommon on WDW property and as a result special care has to be taken in constructing foundations for such attractions as ToT in order to work with the challenging geology of the region.

 

[wdwperry]

For me this is very reminiscent of the Alien Encounter to SGE makeover. Getting a great ride that is themed very well, getting a popular IP at the time and trying to throw a story together with that IP. I have a feeling that if this happens to ToT, the theming will be weak and not have a very convincing story. I really don't want to hear over the next 10 years "BRING BACK THE TOWER OF TERROR"

 

[spacemt354]

I really don't want to hear over the next 10 years "BRING BACK THE TOWER OF TERROR"

It's sad that I never thought we'd never have to say that

 

[Launchpad McQuack]

For me this is very reminiscent of the Alien Encounter to SGE makeover. Getting a great ride that is themed very well, getting a popular IP at the time and trying to throw a story together with that IP. I have a feeling that if this happens to ToT, the theming will be weak and not have a very convincing story. I really don't want to hear over the next 10 years "BRING BACK THE TOWER OF TERROR"

Even though I loved Alien Encounter (and don't even bother with Stitch anymore), I'd say this is far more extreme. Alien Encounter was a great attraction in both theme and experience, but it was divisive (people who think their precious kiddies shouldn't be exposed to such horrors) and not as popular/iconic as Tower of Terror. This would be by far the worst and most insulting attraction change (and this is coming from a huge Marvel fan).

 

[marni1971]

Cutting corners or speeding up construction (especially concerning safety issues) can cause catastrophic problems..

Indeed. But dragging feet, or refusing to invest in new facilities when the ground conditions are fully known, is not the issue here. It's shear short sightedness and cost cutting.

 

[imperius]

I love Guardians and would love a ride based on them in the park, but it still makes 0 sense as a TOT overlay. Especially of what I am reading is true and they will keep the hotel as the base. How does that even make a little sense?

 

[RSoxNo1]

It will be the biggest mistake in the entirety of Disney history.

On the plus side Frozen Ever After's reign as the biggest mistake in Disney history won't last long.

 

[NearTheEars]

I'm probably going to get flamed out over this one but....

If ToT is such a great attraction why does it matter so much if it is themed to TZ or GotG? TZ is not a Disney original.

I understand the concern about Old Hollywood theming, but we are talking about a park that is nothing but a graveyard of long forgotten themes. I think DHS is a mess and have no desire to go back to the exact same park in 5 years.

Although I would be sad to lose some great theming from Old Hollywood, I would be much more excited about a complete re-theme of that area of the park that incorporated ToT and RnRC into a single cohesive experience.

I'm not concerned about Disney parks changing, I'm concerned about Disney parks changing cheaply.

I think people love ToT for its overall theme and story much more than its drop sequences.

Edit: I see others have already chimed in with the same sentiment.

 

[RSoxNo1]

I'm probably going to get flamed out over this one but....

If ToT is such a great attraction why does it matter so much if it is themed to TZ or GotG? TZ is not a Disney original.

I understand the concern about Old Hollywood theming, but we are talking about a park that is nothing but a graveyard of long forgotten themes. I think DHS is a mess and have no desire to go back to the exact same park in 5 years.

Although I would be sad to lose some great theming from Old Hollywood, I would be much more excited about a complete re-theme of that area of the park that incorporated ToT and RnRC into a single cohesive experience.

I'm not concerned about Disney parks changing, I'm concerned about Disney parks changing cheaply.

Clearly you don't understand why it's a great attraction. Yes it's a cool ride system but the greatness of Tower of Terror is how well themed it is. The detail represents the pinnacle in non-linear story telling and the entirety of Hollywood Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard lead up to that attraction all contributing to that storytelling.

Unless you are changing the entire front half of the park to Nowhere (which they're not doing) this makes absolutely no sense. If they were doing that it still wouldn't make sense but it would at least be thematically appropriate.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

On the plus side Frozen Ever After's reign as the biggest mistake in Disney history won't last long.

It's not even close. Maelstrom was a mediocre ride in a park not built on rides in the first place. From a strictly creative achievement perspective, Tower of Terror is arguably THE single greatest ride at Walt Disney World. Maelstrom wasn't even top 50.

 

[matt9112]

With Six Flags promoting virtual reality on their roller coasters why not use this tech for a temporary overlay on Tower or RNRC?

OR just don't?

 

[Cesar R M]

I'm probably going to get flamed out over this one but....

If ToT is such a great attraction why does it matter so much if it is themed to TZ or GotG? TZ is not a Disney original.

I understand the concern about Old Hollywood theming, but we are talking about a park that is nothing but a graveyard of long forgotten themes. I think DHS is a mess and have no desire to go back to the exact same park in 5 years.

Although I would be sad to lose some great theming from Old Hollywood, I would be much more excited about a complete re-theme of that area of the park that incorporated ToT and RnRC into a single cohesive experience.

I'm not concerned about Disney parks changing, I'm concerned about Disney parks changing cheaply.

technically neither GOTG is.

and I simply cant fathom how they can retheme a "ghost tower" into a cheap overlay of GOTG.

 

[Launchpad McQuack]

It's not even close. Maelstrom was a mediocre ride in a park not built on rides in the first place. From a strictly creative achievement perspective, Tower of Terror is arguably THE single greatest ride at Walt Disney World. Maelstrom wasn't even top 50.

I like the way you think.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I understand the concern about Old Hollywood theming, but we are talking about a park that is nothing but a graveyard of long forgotten themes. I think DHS is a mess and have no desire to go back to the exact same park in 5 years.

Go sit on the bench outside of Villains in Vogue after dark when the music is playing and the neon is on. For a park that's so broken from a cohesion standpoint, that spot at that time of day is absolute perfection.

 

[Phil12]

Indeed. But dragging feet, or refusing to invest in new facilities when the ground conditions are fully known, is not the issue here. It's shear short sightedness and cost cutting.

My context was an historical perspective concerning the creation and construction of Disney-MGM Studios.

However, as to the present, I see no reason why ToT can't be re-themed to GotG.