Mickey v Mario

[Brer Oswald]

I don't think it's new. It's been around for awhile. I have no idea how Micechat works on its threads. I used to post there some years ago, but I don't remember creating any threads there. It was always kind of unusual over there, as I remember.

As for Mickey Vs. Mario, that's a great idea!

I need to get up to speed on the Mario ride. Is it being touted as a big budget E Ticket headliner? Or is it downplayed a bit into a family D Ticket type thing?

I keep hearing that Mickey at Disneyland will be better than the DHS version, and is a true family E Ticket. Is Mario being marketed as the same type of experience?

It would need to be a completely different ride for me to believe this. The Florida ride, while cute enough, feels like I’m being immersed in a 4K TV warehouse rather than a cartoon.

 

[truecoat]

Although I've watched the ride-through of MMRR already, I'm not one that could rank it since I haven't really ridden it yet.

 

[mickEblu]

I just happened upon a story about Universal Studio's Mario expansion a couple days ago. With all that's been going on, it had slipped under my radar. It looked very fun and cute! I don't quite get the cultural significance, but if someone says "It's a video game the kids like" then that's good enough for me.

Mario is the Italian video game fellow in the overalls. That's about where my knowledge ends. (He chases stuff, or stuff chases him? But not like that gorilla who chased barrels in Donkey Kong.) And then they made a land and a ride based off of him. Bravo, Mario!



It's such a weird thing now to label things with Ticket designations, but somehow it still makes sense. Getting to that E Ticket designation is difficult, because right about the same time they got rid of the tickets is when all the big new rides had to be thrill rides with height requirements. So to have a lavish new ride without a height requirement almost seems as though it's impossible to label it an E Ticket.

But honestly, if they opened the Haunted Mansion today would we consider it an E Ticket? Or Jungle Cruise? Or Small World? There's no physical thrills and babies can be carried along for the ride. The only reason they were E's were because they cost a lot of money to operate and to maintain and Richard Nunis really knew what he was doing with ticket books and park operations and guest demand circa 1962-1992.

Sidetrack: I could only imagine if the Parks had a senior leader like Richard Nunis come along again. That man knew his business inside and out, from stroller parking areas in Tomorrowland to designing high capacity loading areas effectively to proper dress codes for entry level managers (If you're going to wear Dockers, they better be pressed! I wanna see that crease in your leg from the Hub!), and he led the Disney theme parks to operational greatness that helped burnish their image with the paying public for decades. The last few decades of Parks leaders have either been faded copies of Nunis or clueless empty suits a million miles from Nunis abilities. More often they were clueless empty suits. Josh D'Amaro seemed to show promise, but where's he been lately? And if he's allegedly so good, why haven't the Parks had a renaissance under him? Did he get too much credit because he was merely slim and attractive and not instantly unlikeable Bob Chapek?

Back OT: I do love that they spent the resources and space and energy that they did for this Mickey's Runaway Railway thing though. It's one of those rare things that makes you think maybe Disney's US theme parks will survive this current age and live to tell about it. Maybe.

I’d argue that Mario/ Nintendo has had bigger impact on the last 2 generations than Mickey and Friends have. Nintendo/ Mario appeals to wider age demographic and has consistently been there pumping out beloved video games for the last 35+ years. An era where Mickey was kind of non existent (until recently) if you weren’t going to the parks. You also spend a lot of man hours in those worlds playing those video games. To see Mickey during most of the 90s and 2000’s you’d have to put in a VHS of some very old Mickey shorts or perhaps watch some show on the Disney Channel geared towards Pre Schoolers.

That’s a great assessment on the whole E ticket convo. No IASW wouldn’t be an E ticket but then again they wouldn’t build it today. So it’s impossible to use the old system to classify rides in the modern era. With that said, I still think scope/scale is probably the most objective way to classify a ride and if that’s the case then MMRR is an E ticket. I think these days Disney only makes 3 kind of rides. E tickets, D tickets and flat rides. I’m not even convinced that the D tickets aren’t meant to be E tickets that just fell short.

 

[Rich T]

I feel like it’s hard to be objective with things like this. Like objectively are Pan, Toad and Alice better than MMRR or is that the nostalgia talking? Haha. If I had to guess, MMRR has components that are more impressive than anything in the three rides mentioned above but may not measure up when it comes to being an experience as a whole.

I’d rate all the current DL dark rides as better than MMRR except for Pooh and Snow White’s Nonadventure, but that’s because I love the classic black-light/show doors/things popping up and making loud sounds zanyness of those classic rides.

MMRR is a fun, pleasant ride, but it’s not thrilling or spooky or adventurous in any way—And it’s not meant to be. It’s a gentle, colorful good time and a perfect fit for Toontown. I’m just finding I’m not a huge fan of trackless ride systems; I think they take away more from a ride experience than they add. They can, however, pull off a couple of nifty tricks, and MMRR has a couple of great moments where it all comes together brilliantly.

Spoiler

Daisy’s Dance Studio is NOT one of those moments.

 

[mickEblu]

I think the reason the gameplay component of the Mario Kart ride feels weak to me is because the entirety of it is taking place on a tiny visor in front of your face. And you’re spinning around from room to room with a lot of stuff taking your attention away from whatever is taking place on that little visor.

 

[Rich T]

I just happened upon a story about Universal Studio's Mario expansion a couple days ago. With all that's been going on, it had slipped under my radar. It looked very fun and cute! I don't quite get the cultural significance, but if someone says "It's a video game the kids like" then that's good enough for me.

Mario is the Italian video game fellow in the overalls. That's about where my knowledge ends. (He chases stuff, or stuff chases him? But not like that gorilla who chased barrels in Donkey Kong.) And then they made a land and a ride based off of him. Bravo, Mario! …

Just to give my input on how big a deal Mario can be:

Mario Kart 8 (Deluxe!) on the Nintendo Switch has been around for several years and is a consistent top seller in the game industry.

And I’ll just say this. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the only video game I’ve ever played that I would say is as great, as fun, and as “magical” as a Disney E Ticket ride. Possibly better, because when you start a race in MK, you don’t know what’s going to happen. You know the track layout (out of dozens and dozens of available themed courses) you have a game plan in mind, but there are so many random, chaotic elements at work in every session that every race is unique and full of surprises. All set to wonderful music that rearranges its mix on the fly according to what’s happening at any given second.

I’ve been playing this thing since it originally launched in 2014 at least once a week by myself, with family, and against people from all over the world online… and it still has me on the edge of my seat every time. It’s so good that many fans seriously wonder how Nintendo can possibly top it. It’s an entertainment masterpiece.

And it doesn’t take itself seriously for a second. It’s designed as pure, zany, absurd fun.

That’s just my two gold coins on the subject.

 

[mickEblu]

I’d rate all the current DL dark rides as better than MMRR except for Pooh and Snow White’s Nonadventure, but that’s because I love the classic black-light/show doors/things popping up and making loud sounds zanyness of those classic rides.

MMRR is a fun, pleasant ride, but it’s not thrilling or spooky or adventurous in any way—And it’s not meant to be. It’s a gentle, colorful good time and a perfect fit for Toontown. I’m just finding I’m not a huge fan of trackless ride systems; I think they take away more from a ride experience than they add. They can, however, pull off a couple of nifty tricks, and MMRR has a couple of great moments where it all comes together brilliantly.

Spoiler

Daisy’s Dance Studio is NOT one of those moments.

I have a feeling I’ll end up agreeing with your take but I have to wonder are we talking an apple to Apple comparison? For example, if Toad and MMRR were a walk on, would you choose to ride Toad instead of MMRR. Sometimes I think we bake in the entire experience when evaluating an attraction. Meaning the fact that Toad is a 10 minute wait really bumps up the experience as a whole and factors into how we feel about the ride.

 

[mickEblu]

I’m sure this was implied in my review of the Mario Kart ride but you just never really feel like you’re racing except at the start and finish line. Again, there is a lot going on. Perhaps after a few more rides everything can be taken in. You’re just so consumed with shooting stuff and going so slow that it’s easy to forget that you’re “racing.”

 

[BuzzedPotatoHead89]

I have a feeling I’ll end up agreeing with your take but I have to wonder are we talking an apple to Apple comparison? For example, if Toad and MMRR were a walk on, would you choose to ride Toad instead of MMRR.

I think initially I’d choose MMRR out of sheer interest alone. Even over my top 3 out of sheer interest/curiosity.

But once I’ve ridden it once or twice and gotten it out of my system I think the question for me is if DL were too close forever tomorrow or the world were to end which ride(s) would I chose to ride knowing the were my last.

 

[mickEblu]

I think initially I’d choose MMRR out of sheer interest alone. Even over my top 3 out of sheer interest/curiosity.

But once I’ve ridden it once or twice and gotten it out of my system I think the question for me is if DL were too close forever tomorrow or the world were to end which ride(s) would I chose to ride knowing the were my last.

Oh yea that’s another conversation that I purposely left out my last post to keep it more simple. Lol. But yes the fact that MMRR is new (and you could skip a long line) means most everyone would pick MMRR.

I also play that game but I tend to frame it as if an asteroid was headed towards Disneyland and I could only save one of the two or the other ridiculous comparison “if Toad or MMRR were both hanging off a Cliff” and I could only save one…” Which also isn’t fair in this case as most people would pick the ride with the history/ nostalgia.

 

[Rich T]

I have a feeling I’ll end up agreeing with your take but I have to wonder are we talking an apple to Apple comparison? For example, if Toad and MMRR were a walk on, would you choose to ride Toad instead of MMRR. Sometimes I think we bake in the entire experience when evaluating an attraction. Meaning the fact that Toad is a 10 minute wait really bumps up the experience as a whole and factors into how we feel about the ride.

If both were a walk-on, personally I’d pick Toad, just because it’s one of my favorite rides anywhere. I’d pick Toad over a LOT of rides, because I love the aesthetics and the fun memories I associate with it.

MMRR almost doesn’t feel like a ride to me. It’s more of a multi-media experience with content that could be swapped out with a new theme in the future. It almost feels like an attraction from classic Epcot, with guests being conveyed from chapter to chapter of a presentation through a series of large rooms.

Also, I’m not a fan of that design style of Mickey & crew (though it works well for the ride), or the self-parody humor that goes with it, so that’s a minus for me. But it’s still a fun experience, and I’m sure many people will rate it higher than I do.

(All my opinions are based on the WDW version).

 

[Brer Oswald]

I have a feeling I’ll end up agreeing with your take but I have to wonder are we talking an apple to Apple comparison? For example, if Toad and MMRR were a walk on, would you choose to ride Toad instead of MMRR. Sometimes I think we bake in the entire experience when evaluating an attraction. Meaning the fact that Toad is a 10 minute wait really bumps up the experience as a whole and factors into how we feel about the ride.

Personally, I’d rather ride Toad.

 

[No Name]

Just to give my input on how big a deal Mario can be:

Mario Kart 8 (Deluxe!) on the Nintendo Switch has been around for several years and is a consistent top seller in the game industry.

And I’ll just say this. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the only video game I’ve ever played that I would say is as great, as fun, and as “magical” as a Disney E Ticket ride. Possibly better, because when you start a race in MK, you don’t know what’s going to happen. You know the track layout (out of dozens and dozens of available themed courses) you have a game plan in mind, but there are so many random, chaotic elements at work in every session that every race is unique and full of surprises. All set to wonderful music that rearranges its mix on the fly according to what’s happening at any given second.

I’ve been playing this thing since it originally launched in 2014 at least once a week by myself, with family, and against people from all over the world online… and it still has me on the edge of my seat every time. It’s so good that many fans seriously wonder how Nintendo can possibly top it. It’s an entertainment masterpiece.

And it doesn’t take itself seriously for a second. It’s designed as pure, zany, absurd fun.

That’s just my two gold coins on the subject.

I love that game and actually love Mario Kart Wii even more.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has made the company well over 2 billion dollars… that’s not even counting the original Wii U version or the booster course pack. It’s huge. I’ve seen a lot of weird opinions elsewhere on this site for something that’s such a proven success.

I haven’t ridden the ride and I bet it’s something that has to be experienced in person, but my god when I saw a video of it my disappointment was immeasurable.

 

[TP2000]

A little Mario history.
Following the failure of Radar Scope in North America, Nintendo's then-president, Hiroshi Yamauchi, requested Miyamoto's aid in converting unsold Radar Scope units into something that would sell well. Miyamoto conceived the concept of a love triangle and decided to make a game based on Popeye. This was abandoned due to technical reasons, so he decided to come up with a new idea using his own characters.[2]

For use in his arcade game Donkey Kong, Miyamoto created a player character originally known during development as Ossan (the Japanese term for "middle-aged man"), then Jumpman and Mr. Video Game or Mr. Video.[3][4] Coincidentally, "Ossan" would be the name given to a Mario look-alike in the game Golf. This character was given red overalls and a blue shirt in order to make the arms more visible as well as a cap and mustache, as hair and a mouth were impossible to animate on the arcade system.[5] The character was originally known as Jumpman, but Nintendo of Japan asked Nintendo of America if it wanted to rename him during the Western localization; president Minoru Arakawa and employee Don James thought it would be funny to call the character Mario after the suspenders-wearing Italian American landlord of storage and company housing, Mario Segale.[6][7][8][dead link][9][10][11][12][13] While Mario was initially described as a carpenter, Mario Bros. subsequently changed his occupation after a colleague thought that he looked more like a plumber.[14]

Miyamoto in a 2009 radio interview stated that he wanted to create a hero resembling an "ordinary odd-job man"; he did not like the idea of a perfect hero, preferring the idea of "ordinary citizens doing something really good for society," and would be "embarrassed" for making a perfect hero. He stated, "I like the idea of a middle-aged ordinary man doing something nice for other people."[15]

The above text is from the Super Mario Wiki and is available under a Creative Commons license. Attribution must be provided through a list of authors or a link back to the original article. Source: https://www.mariowiki.com/Mario

I would like credit for having my old brain wiring somehow dig up Donkey Kong as a reference point, which apparently was made by the same company as this Mario fellow.

See how hip I am?!? I almost used Ms. PacMan eating the circles as my point of reference, but I went with Donkey Kong instead.

 

[socaljoeyb]

Thanks! I think it’s more of the latter. Or I could just be saying that because I’m in the know. I haven’t seen very much marketing for Mario at all. I think that’s a good idea to keep expectations low. If people walk away viewing Mario Kart as just a part of the Super Nintendo World experience it will have better reviews.

I’m hoping they tweaked our MMRR a little bit but it sounds like it was just some minor staging stuff due to the different shaped show building. Most reviews I’ve heard have MMRR at more of a D ticket caliber experience even if it’s an E by most metrics.

I'd say a D+ ticket, not quite an E in modern terms but great for families and enjoyable.

 

[mickEblu]

I'd say a D+ ticket, not quite an E in modern terms but great for families and enjoyable.

Mario Kart or MMRR?

 

[socaljoeyb]

Mario Kart or MMRR?

MMRR, haven't been on Mario Kart yet.

 

[Phroobar]

Mario Kart > MMRR

 

[celluloid]

Mario Kart does have a Height Requirement of 40 inches, which does hurt the family appeal a bit when you compare it to a no height requirement.

As a dark ride design objectively with those who are tall and old enough to ride though, no comparison. Mario all the way.

 

[shambolicdefending]

I put MMRR as a solid D ticket. It's simple, but fun and engaging. Most importantly, my kids absolutely loved it.

I'll reserve judgement on Mario Kart until I get to Universal again, but all the reviews of the Nintendo stuff seem positive, so far.