Ned in Tomorrowland

[WondersOfLife]

Completely unrelated to the other muppet/puppet thread...

...I feel like I just came up with a solution that could potentially solve the awkward space that is Stitch’s Great Escape. It’d be “cheap” but still entertaining.

What if Disney took their “Earth to Ned” show and created the talk show in the circular auditorium, making it live? It’s a cute show on Disney+ with some giggles. Would make for a few impressive puppet animatronics in the preshow and show. It’d be interactive in a Laugh Floor kind of way, but with physical puppets/AAs instead of screens.

Any thoughts? Or is my idea pretty bad. Kind of like a turtle talk with crush experience, with the same comedic elements of a turtle asking about earth, but instead an alien asking about earth. Like the show.

 

[ppete1975]

I think using him is a great idea i was thinking a restaurant ala cosmic rays (dont touch sonny eclipse though cause he feels old disney and the original disney world). But we could always use another quick service where hes just talking to the audience or his friend.

I dont know how you would do the interview format as an attraction, lots of people dont want to play along and you have monsters across from the aisle. He could interview an animatronic of a famous person but that opens up pandoras box.... OR EVEN BETTER ned and his friends are animatronics but for some reason his guest cant be teleported so they are on a huge screen and he interviews them. This way you could keep it fresh, if a new movie is coming out he could interview the star.. or he could interview disney characters or star wars or marvel people..... but you could push new movies shows attractions and since it always changes people would have to do it.

YOU HAD A GREAT IDEA ,as a plus i dont think hes popular enough to feel like "another IP being pushed on us" and it could feel new and help the disney + show, he could become the figment of tomorrowland... which begs the question why dont they publicize sonny eclipse more.

 

[WondersOfLife]

I think using him is a great idea i was thinking a restaurant ala cosmic rays (dont touch sonny eclipse though cause he feels old disney and the original disney world). But we could always use another quick service where hes just talking to the audience or his friend.

I dont know how you would do the interview format as an attraction, lots of people dont want to play along and you have monsters across from the aisle. He could interview an animatronic of a famous person but that opens up pandoras box.... OR EVEN BETTER ned and his friends are animatronics but for some reason his guest cant be teleported so they are on a huge screen and he interviews them. This way you could keep it fresh, if a new movie is coming out he could interview the star.. or he could interview disney characters or star wars or marvel people..... but you could push new movies shows attractions and since it always changes people would have to do it.

YOU HAD A GREAT IDEA ,as a plus i dont think hes popular enough to feel like "another IP being pushed on us" and it could feel new and help the disney + show, he could become the figment of tomorrowland... which begs the question why dont they publicize sonny eclipse more.

That last bit is what I was thinking as well. He doesn't feel so much like a forced IP. Him and his sidekicks seem like they're straight out of Tomorrowland or Captain EO. Even if the show were to cancel, I feel like Ned's presence in Tomorrowland would be fine. (-:

As for the interview thing, it'd definitely have to be more of a stand up comedy routine like Monsters inc., where the guest interaction is minimal but still inclusive, you're right. I was thinking less of what the show would actually be, and more of how it would fit so well in that circular theatre. Have Ned in the center behind a circular desk, use the screens on the wall for interactions/camera close ups of guests... Use the pre-show area similarly to how it was used before... Perhaps have a "tech booth" in the main attraction for that other alien dude. Ect.

The restaurant idea is good, too. But I do think Sonny Eclipse fills that up just fine, as you sort of said. Or perhaps Ned could take over the Comedy Club as he tries to understands earth's sense of humor... it'd be more fitting than Monsters Inc.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Yes! I would be for this. Would be a good use of the old captain eo theatre in California’s Tomorrowland as well.

 

[brifraz]

I think this would be an excellent change/addition and is a very cool idea @WondersOfLife I wouldn't want it to be 'comedy club' themed as that is quite similar to Laugh Floor. More along the lines of Ned trying to figure out more about Earth and people on Earth. He could ask general random questions and they could have a CM who brings a mic to kids in the audience for answers. Kind of a 'Ned hosting Kids Say the Darndest Things' vibe. I'm not sure it would fit with Tomorrowland aesthetic, but since Tomorrowland seems a bit rudderless anyway it wouldn't hurt it. Granted, I would not expect there to be any chance of it happening.... but, I really like the idea.

 

[JIMINYCR]

IMHO it would be a hard sell, just because I dont think the type of show it is would have enough to entice guests in. Monsters Inc. works because it draws from the jokes, audience participation and fan connection to very popular characters. I just dont see the same thing going for Earth to Ned. I dont think it would be attractive enough to get the numbers, which drives Disneys decision to spend the money to open something up.

 

[Fox&Hound]

Tomorrowland needs so much love and I think this could be a great idea!

 

[WondersOfLife]

IMHO it would be a hard sell, just because I dont think the type of show it is would have enough to entice guests in. Monsters Inc. works because it draws from the jokes, audience participation and fan connection to very popular characters. I just dont see the same thing going for Earth to Ned. I dont think it would be attractive enough to get the numbers, which drives Disneys decision to spend the money to open something up.

Yea if the numbers weren't such a big deal, I'd say it'd be on par with the amount of people Belle's storytelling attraction takes up in Fantasyland.

Hence why I was trying to come up with an extremely cost efficient way to utilize the existing building. Their main investment would just have to be the Animatronics and a bit of facility updates.

 

[JIMINYCR]

Yea if the numbers weren't such a big deal, I'd say it'd be on par with the amount of people Belle's storytelling attraction takes up in Fantasyland.

Hence why I was trying to come up with an extremely cost efficient way to utilize the existing building. Their main investment would just have to be the Animatronics and a bit of facility updates.

I dont think theres any cost efficient way of turning an attraction building around. Too much has to go into refitting and retheming. There would have to be more than just a bit done to redo the site for anything that would be quality. Done shoddily and on the cheap wouldnt pass muster with Disney fans who are sooo critical of anything done in the parks. And I do think Disney has way too many buildings that are empty, wasting away that should be filled. The Stitch building has been abandoned for too long.

 

[Solaris Knight]

I feel like Earth To Ned works a lot better as a Laugh Floor replacement than Laugh Floor, basically. I love the show, my only concern is Paul Rugg is one of a kind.

 

[WondersOfLife]

Realistic and Interactive Robot Gaze - Disney Research

This paper describes the development of a system for lifelike gaze in human-robot interactions using a humanoid animatronic bust. We present a general architecture that seeks not only to create gaze interactions from a technological standpoint, but also through the lens of character animation...

la.disneyresearch.com

Imagine them using this kind of technology for a small show like this.