Perspective: are we too hard on new attractions?

[marni1971]

In brief the queue trumps the ride.

Deactivated instead of alternate misting. Yeti. Pitch black empty ride space interspersed with light leaks and visible structural beams. It's a nice ride. Not top notch.

Again in brief. I have a date with six new lasers.

 

[Disneysea05]

I will admit that I am a little overly critical on new attractions in California and Florida. Only because I see what's done at the overseas parks and wonder when we will see stuff like that closer to home.

New Fantasyland, for example, impressed me by it's highly detailed architecture which is first class Disney. But the attractions didn't do the same. The little mermaid queue is worthy of having an E ticket at its end, not what was built there.

The future additions in WDW look very promising. I will be very surprised if I'm not impressed by these.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

Not when one cost less than half the other. Even inflation adjusted. But in that case, Mermaid to Horizons.

How about BTM and Everest ? Little Mermaid to Haunted Mansion?

Medicority is too easily accepted nowerdays.

Whenever the Disney hype machine talks up how great Mansion and Pirates are, part of me thinks of how little Disney has reached that level again... almost 50 years later. In the domestic parks (I don't know the foreign ones well enough), I'd say the DHS Tower, DL's Indy, the Safari, and Radiator Springs Racers are the only rides that deserve to be in the same conversation. The Safari has never been perfect, but is still an incredible achievement, and I sadly do not remember Horizons, but that's my list.

 

[DABIGCHEEZ]

Another thing to consider... is that back in the 70's, Disney was so far ahead of the competition technology wise... I mean they created the Audio Animatronic. We were being WOWed by what Disney was doing and the entertainment they were providing us. The competition(or lack there of) was not giving us anything like Disney was. They were at the top and the competition was no where close. I would say this was true until like the mid-80's. IMO Over the last 35 years or so, while Disney was improving, the competition was too and closing the gap and using similar technologies and entertainments. While often not themed as well as Disney does things in many cases, the same type attractions were popping up at other theme parks and entertainment venues. While the number of guests that visit each year still greatly outnumber the competitions locations, the technology and type of attraction are becoming more familiar to people. Remember... most folks do not visit Disney each year, but may visit numerous closer to home attractions(between their trips to Disney) and while not themed as well, many of these theme parks now have some equivalent type attractions. Basically the gap between Disney and some competition is now not as great as it was in the old days...so for Disney to "WOW!!" takes much more than it used to.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Whenever the Disney hype machine talks up how great Mansion and Pirates are, part of me thinks of how little Disney has reached that level again... almost 50 years later. In the domestic parks (I don't know the foreign ones well enough), I'd say the DHS Tower, DL's Indy, the Safari, and Radiator Springs Racers are the only rides that deserve to be in the same conversation. The Safari has never been perfect, but is still an incredible achievement, and I sadly do not remember Horizons, but that's my list.

The thing is, after I look at that spectacular pic of Harrison Ford, I can't focus on anything you are typing.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

I will admit that I am a little overly critical on new attractions in California and Florida. Only because I see what's done at the overseas parks and wonder when we will see stuff like that closer to home.

New Fantasyland, for example, impressed me by it's highly detailed architecture which is first class Disney. But the attractions didn't do the same. The little mermaid queue is worthy of having an E ticket at its end, not what was built there.

The future additions in WDW look very promising. I will be very surprised if I'm not impressed by these.

Did they think they didn't have to innovate, just duplicate? Double Dumbo, mermaid is basically double Nemo, etc. Was it all about dispersing foot traffic? Keeping people occupied? " if they were impressed with that little snow white ride, XYZ is good enough?"

 

[Tony the Tigger]

In brief the queue trumps the ride.

Deactivated instead of alternate misting. Yeti. Pitch black empty ride space interspersed with light leaks and visible structural beams. It's a nice ride. Not top notch.

Again in brief. I have a date with six new lasers.

So it may be a brokedown eTicket ride, but it's really hard to argue that it isn't an eTicket ride.

 

[WDWdream97]

Are we too hard on DLR when it comes to getting new things vs. WDW getting new things?

 

[copcarguyp71]

I'm really only hard on them when they are brand new (figuring less than 2 years old) and have broken effects that are not attended to. Disney likes to turn a blind eye to small details when they stop working and that is less than acceptable. Some people do not go as often as many of us on here and may in fact have had to save for years to afford a Disney vacation and they (as well as the rest of us) deserve the best that Disney can offer. Very small minutiae at times I know but that should make it all that much easier to fix. VOTLM comes to mind. When we rode it two years ago Scuttle was intermittently working, several eyes were out on Ursulas eels and a couple of spinners in the "main room" were not moving. This was consistent over three different rides over a weeks time....these are times I do not feel like DIsney is putting their best foot forward with regard to "the show" especially on a new ride.

 

[Brer Panther]

I just realized that Scuttle isn't in Voyage of the Little Mermaid.

Was that off-topic?

 

[networkpro]

I just realized that Scuttle isn't in Voyage of the Little Mermaid.

Was that off-topic?

He's in the interactive queue where you help him decide to add or remove treasure types to different piles.

 

[SyracuseDisneyFan]

Thanks for that bit of info.

 

[BigHero4]

I know I'm late to the conversation, but in short - yes, we are too hard on new attractions. What ever happened to just being Thankful for the moments that we can enjoy with our families, and the fact that we are Blessed with the means to even make it to Disney World?

 

[Phineas]

I'm really only hard on them when they are brand new (figuring less than 2 years old) and have broken effects that are not attended to...When we rode it two years ago Scuttle was intermittently working, several eyes were out on Ursulas eels and a couple of spinners in the "main room" were not moving. This was consistent over three different rides over a weeks time....these are times I do not feel like DIsney is putting their best foot forward with regard to "the show" especially on a new ride.

My family and I rode it when it was brand spanking new. Like-maybe it had been open for 2 weeks or so. And Flotsam and Jetsam weren't moving at all, and I remember thinking "How lazy of them, how hard could it be to add minor animation to them?" I had no idea that they were in fact animated, but had broken down less than a month into operation. A Youtube ride on video made me realize this.

I remember hearing from a fellow park guest years ago (early 2000s, I believe) outside HM something to the effect of "Disney won't allow you on a ride if 2 or more main effects are broken down. They'll shut the ride down until they're fixed, so the magic isn't spoiled." Now, I have no idea of the validity of this, but if it's even remotely true, they clearly don't have these standards any more.

 

[KLinder7]

Very hard topic. Some people get too spoiled, but also it's Disney we hold them to the highest standards and they should hold themselves to it as well. Let's see how amazing SW Land will be. I have faith!

 

[danyoung56]

I just realized that Scuttle isn't in Voyage of the Little Mermaid.

Are we talking the ride or the show? Cuz he's most definitely there on the ride.

 

[lazyboy97o]

You are comparing new offerings to some of the most outstanding attractions Disney ever created. That is hardly fair... not every new attraction will be "one of the best". None of the ORIGINAL DL attractions would stand up well in a comparison to Horizons, BTM and Haunted Mansion. Occasionally Disney does hit it out of the park with a new attraction like they did with Tower of Terror. Can we really expect more than that?

How is that not fair when the newer attractions had far, far more resources dedicated to their development? Disney had decades of topping themselves. Why did that have to suddenly stop in the mid-1990s?

 

[Evolution]

No. The new attractions at Disney have just been underwhelming lately.

 

[RoadTrip]

How is that not fair when the newer attractions had far, far more resources dedicated to their development? Disney had decades of topping themselves. Why did that have to suddenly stop in the mid-1990s?

Do those increases account not only for inflation, but significantly greater state and federal health and safety guidelines, greater scrutiny by the legal department today, plus a top-heavy infrastructure at Imagineering that undoubtedly is less efficient than it was 50 years ago? I doubt it. You simply can't compare the development environment of 50 years ago to the development environment of today.

 

[Brer Panther]

For those wondering, I meant the ride.