News Paradise Pier Becoming Pixar Pier

[Curious Constance]

Just from the rumblings I've heard, I have high hopes for Battle Escape. But I'm with you, WDI has really been dropping the ball over the last 10 years. I've always blamed it on management being cheap and whatnot, but I look at something like the Nemo simulator at Tokyo Disney Sea and I realize just how creatively bankrupt WDI has become. Yes, we do have a few nice attractions like Mystic Manor, but even that feels so empty compared to the classic Haunted Mansion.

The ridiculous framework they are asked to create around lately likely has something to do with it. Not all, probably, but it's gotta contribute. Pixar Pier, GOTG. How can you do much with that?

 

[TROR]

The ridiculous framework they are asked to create around lately likely has something to do with it. Not all, probably, but it's gotta contribute. Pixar Pier, GOTG. How can you do much with that?

Yeah I don't want to pretend like management isn't to blame at all, but even with Pixar Pier they still decided a midcentury house on the boardwalk was a good idea.

 

[dweezil78]

I've always blamed it on management being cheap and whatnot, but I look at something like the Nemo simulator at Tokyo Disney Sea and I realize just how creatively bankrupt WDI has become.

I agree to an extent -- but aside from Universal's work with Potter (and even that is often debated to some degree), who else would you say is really doing it better? I feel like people act as if there's some company out there who's totally killing it and shaming Disney on a daily basis. If there is, please point me in their direction and I will gladly give them my $$$!

 

[TROR]

I agree to an extent -- but aside from Universal's work with Potter (and even that is often debated to some degree), who else would you say is really doing it better? I feel like people act as if there's some company out there who's totally killing it and shaming Disney on a daily basis. If there is, please point me in their direction and I will gladly give them my $$$!

There is. It's called the Walt Disney Company from 1955 to 1995.

 

[dweezil78]

There is. It's called the Walt Disney Company from 1955 to 1995.

Yeah exactly... And while I think the work done during those years was incredible, I do also think we look at a lot of it through rose colored glasses. Some of it has held up incredibly well, some of it not so much but we love it for nostalgic reasons.

The WDC of 55-95 would have never given us this...

 

[TROR]

Yeah exactly... And while I think the work done during those years was incredible, I do also think we look at a lot of it through rose colored glasses. Some of it has held up incredibly well, some of it not so much but we love it for nostalgic reasons.

I'd agree if Disney was able to top Pirates of the Caribbean, Indiana Jones Adventure, Splash Mountain, or any of the other classics built then. To be clear, when I say top them, I don't mean in scale (there's no denying something like Pandora tops PotC in scale), I'm referring to the wit some of these attractions have, to their flawless stories, the way they use the medium to tell these stories, etc. Modern Disney has not proven to me they're capable of doing what the Imagineers of the past have done despite claiming they can.

 

[dweezil78]

I'd agree if Disney was able to top Pirates of the Caribbean, Indiana Jones Adventure, Splash Mountain, or any of the other classics built then. To be clear, when I say top them, I don't mean in scale (there's no denying something like Pandora tops PotC in scale), I'm referring to the wit some of these attractions have, to their flawless stories, the way they use the medium to tell these stories, etc. Modern Disney has not proven to me they're capable of doing what the Imagineers of the past have done despite claiming they can.

Pirates aside (which I think is perfection), I think you ignore the flaws of Indy and Splash because you've grown up them. Indy is full of weird dead space and has a mish mash of stylistic choices. Splash is a collection of used AAs, a confusing story (I challenge you to ask anyone in the park what the actual story is and see if anyone can answer), but is held together by a fun on-ride experience and a thrilling drop at the end. None of these attractions are without flaws or things to pick at.

 

[TROR]

Pirates aside (which I think is perfection), I think you ignore the flaws of Indy and Splash because you've grown up them. Indy is full of weird dead space and has a mish mash of stylistic choices. Splash is a collection of used AAs, a confusing story (I challenge you to ask anyone in the park what the actual story is and see if anyone can answer), but is held together by a fun on-ride experience and a thrilling drop at the end. None of these attractions are without flaws or things to pick at.

Splash Mountain still does make sense, though. Br'er Rabbit is leaving home to go to the Laughing Place, Br'er Fox captures him because he wants to eat him, then a drop, and now Zip-a-dee-doo-dah. Perhaps it's not easy to figure out by just riding it once (since the ride moves so fast), but there is an easy enough story to follow by just seeing what's on the ride itself. Attractions like Mystic Manor, Mission Breakout, and the new Star Tours have to spell everything out for the guests with preshows and videos instead of letting the guests put the pieces together themselves. Since SOMEBODY's going to reference Tower of Terror as being guilty of a video preshow that spells everything out, if you take that away the ride still makes sense and you can follow what's going on. Take out the preshow for the new Star Tours and you're left wondering why Threepio is the pilot.

 

[dweezil78]

Splash Mountain still does make sense, though. Br'er Rabbit is leaving home to go to the Laughing Place, Br'er Fox captures him because he wants to eat him, then a drop, and now Zip-a-dee-doo-dah. Perhaps it's not easy to figure out by just riding it once (since the ride moves so fast), but there is an easy enough story to follow by just seeing what's on the ride itself. Attractions like Mystic Manor, Mission Breakout, and the new Star Tours have to spell everything out for the guests with preshows and videos instead of letting the guests put the pieces together themselves. Since SOMEBODY's going to reference Tower of Terror as being guilty of a video preshow that spells everything out, if you take that away the ride still makes sense and you can follow what's going on. Take out the preshow for the new Star Tours and you're left wondering why Threepio is the pilot.

Did you write that Splash synopsis without cringing? Because I couldn't read it without cringing. Today's attractions are simply more complex in story, what can I say. Used to be simpler times when a coaster in space was a coaster in space (or a mountain, or another mountain). I still couldn't tell you what the hell is happening on Forbidden Journey, yet I enjoy it all the same.

If you have issue w/ Mystic Manor, then Journey Into Imagination, a beloved favorite, was guilty of the same storytelling mechanism you cite btw. Other attractions (Adventure thru Inner Space) had detailed narration to explain to guests what was happening. It's not as new as you think.

 

[smile]

Today's attractions are simply more complex in story

have you yet to ride either na'vi river journey and/or flight of passage?

 

[dweezil78]

have you yet to ride either na'vi river journey and/or flight of passage?

I have... I wasn't trying to make a blanket statement. Those are both great for different reasons, really enjoyed them both. Neither are overly complex story-wise, but TROR would critique Flight of Passage I'm guessing with it's long in the tooth preshow (that thing was pretty ridiculous, even I admit).

 

[TROR]

I have... I wasn't trying to make a blanket statement. Those are both great for different reasons, really enjoyed them both. Neither are overly complex story-wise, but TROR would critique Flight of Passage I'm guessing with it's long in the tooth preshow (that thing was pretty ridiculous, even I admit).

Because it totally is ridiculous. We as guests can't directly ride on banshees, we need to be hooked up to an avatar to be riding an avatar banshee? What? WHAT? That's so needlessly overcomplicated. The entire Pandora storyline is overcomplicated. I like the interweaving of everything for something like Star Wars land, but I don't care about Pandora one bit and the lengths they went to for that land to make it a fully immersive experience is so stupid. I have no desire to be fully immersed in Avatar like I do with Star Wars.

 

[smile]

I have... I wasn't trying to make a blanket statement. Those are both great for different reasons, really enjoyed them both. Neither are overly complex story-wise, but TROR would critique Flight of Passage I'm guessing with it's long in the tooth preshow (that thing was pretty ridiculous, even I admit).

lol talk about cringe

Spoiler

 

[dweezil78]

Because it totally is ridiculous. We as guests can't directly ride on banshees, we need to be hooked up to an avatar to be riding an avatar banshee? What? WHAT? That's so needlessly overcomplicated. The entire Pandora storyline is overcomplicated. I like the interweaving of everything for something like Star Wars land, but I don't care about Pandora one bit and the lengths they went to for that land to make it a fully immersive experience is so stupid. I have no desire to be fully immersed in Avatar like I do with Star Wars.

Yes... because it's an attraction based on Avatar. Also, you seem to forget that the reason these preshows exist in the first place is less about story and more about trying to distract and entertain guests while they wait in long lines.

 

[dweezil78]

lol talk about cringe

Spoiler

So bad... For as good as they got 98% of the attraction, that is a realllllllllllly awful 2% right there.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

There really aren't and haven't been a ton of attractions that use illusions like Haunted Mansion do -- I think they are just something that lend itself well to a haunted style attraction.

Yeah, you don't see automatic door knockers, wobbling tombstones or an obvious speaker playing the sound of ghoulish laughter in other attractions. It's a house of...illusions, or, what are we calling it now??

 

[EPCOTCenterLover]

JII used Dreamfinder creating Figment right in front of us then explains the story. No need for a video- Perfection!

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

Video preshows were a Universal shtick to brief you on whatever was happening in what you were standing in line for. Their videos were charming as all heck, like Kong's news broadcasts, E.T., BTTF and Ghostbusters. Then Disney started doing it more often and usually their preshows were just tiresome.

 

[dweezil78]

Video preshows were a Universal shtick to brief you on whatever was happening in what you were standing in line for. Their videos were charming as all heck, like Kong's news broadcasts, E.T., BTTF and Ghostbusters. Then Disney started doing it more often and usually their preshows were just tiresome.

My beef w/ video pre-shows is that they don't spend what amounts to almost nothing to update those things when they start looking crazy out of date. Especially the pre-widescreen HD video stuff. Looking at you Phylicia...

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

I love that attraction.

We were just talking about seatbelts. Plug them in. Use them. It can get pretty choppy out there, so keep your hands and arms inside the vehicle at all times.