Paris was. The storytelling in Florida is fine. To mirror what you said, it could just use a heaping helping of pixie dust ( and money) to improve the wow factor. Most of the older Florida attractions need it. Great Movie Ride, in particular, could have become something really special again. But that ship has sailed.
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Peter Pan Refurbishment in January 2019?
- Thread starter Horizons '83
- Start date
yensidtlaw1969
Well-Known Member
Indeed - I don't know that there's really a single attraction at WDW that was built pre 1994 or so that needs more than some sprucing up - the way they designed things back in those days was A+. If show quality was brought back to high standards across the board, there would be a lot less to complain about. Great Movie Ride and Peter Pan's Flight are both great examples of that -- there's no reason that those rides couldn't be spectacular with some simple show quality upgrades. Such a tragedy to lose GMR instead of refreshing it . . . but I really think that's all Pan needs. It certainly doesn't show any signs of waning popularity, but for pride's sake it should get some TLC. But please spare us a redesign that it doesn't need - things like that are where I lose some faith in WDI these days. I don't know that they'd capture the spirit of what's already there in making something new.
Their attempts to update Pan so far have been pretty inconsistent - Like I said, I feel like Disneyland's update was a lateral move or a step back, TDL feels totally botched to me, but then DLP actually ended up improving on what was already one of the best versions of the ride. I'm not convinced that Shanghai's version is really all that, though their animatronics are clearly nice. That version of the ride seems like it was designed by a team that didn't get what made the originals special to begin with.
Send the DLP team over to Orlando to play with Pan and I'm in. But that's not really how these things work.
Ghost of Disney Past
Member
I've got to say, as an "old soul" who really loves and appreciates the simpler attractions in WDW, I was a bit disheartened to see all the negativity surrounding one of my favorite Disney attractions. However, after seeing the videos of DLP and Shanghai, I have to say that these versions still capture the essence and magic that the current version in WDW holds for me. The updates are rather simple, yet bring current technology and visual polish without losing the nostalgia that this ride has created for me and my family.
WEDwaydatamover
Well-Known Member
Peter Pan has needed a clean up for a solid 20 years if not more. The foil volcano, the constant squeaking on the boats and that banging impact upon return to the unload.
The attraction holds up but it needs a serious clean up and some additional technology wouldn't hurt.
This along with the Jungle Cruise never seem to get the maintenance love they deserve.
The attraction holds up but it needs a serious clean up and some additional technology wouldn't hurt.
This along with the Jungle Cruise never seem to get the maintenance love they deserve.
MidwestStitch
Active Member
Any updates to what they're doing to this ride during this short time period?
ToTBellHop
Well-Known Member
There was an aluminum foil sale at Costco. You can’t pass up a sale like that. Same thing happened in Innoventions Plaza when Home Depot had a paint sale.
CinematicFusion
Well-Known Member
They should blue sky the idea of making Peter Pan’s flight the main e-ticket headline of fantasyland that would appeal to ages 3-70 and completely rebuild the ride from the ground up in another location to give the ride experience more depth using the latest tech. Create an outside shell as nice as seven dwarfs mine train.
In the original pan area, add another dark ride like The Princess and The Frog. It would be a really cool dark ride for that space that would add some diversity to Fantastland.
It won’t ever happen, but it would work. Obviously the original Pans flight would be at Disneyland for the purists.
(I have no idea if Fantastland even has room for an idea like that...but it would be awesome!)
In the original pan area, add another dark ride like The Princess and The Frog. It would be a really cool dark ride for that space that would add some diversity to Fantastland.
It won’t ever happen, but it would work. Obviously the original Pans flight would be at Disneyland for the purists.
(I have no idea if Fantastland even has room for an idea like that...but it would be awesome!)
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yensidtlaw1969
Well-Known Member
The problem these days with replacing an old Fantasyland Dark Ride with a new one is that accessibility regulations have changed in recent years, making it nearly impossible to fit as much ride in such a small space as they used to be able to. Not to mention that Pan is exceptionally unusual in the way it uses it's building's space - you would basically have to build another Fly-thru attraction there if you wanted to have any space left over in the building for showscenes, and now you'd also have to make it much easier to evac guests since the attraction would no longer be grandfathered in if you started over.
Things like the above are part of why I cringe every time I hear talk of Mr. Toad being replaced at Disneyland - that ride building is SOOO tiiiiny you'd never be able to do anything now that makes better use of the space than the attraction already living there.
I may also be in the minority who thinks that Shanghai missed the mark with their Peter Pan's Flight -- some of the animatronics look nice, but it feels like it was designed by people who didn't get what was so great about Peter Pan's Flight to begin with. I bet you could get a great E-Ticket out of the Peter Pan's Flight concept, but if that day ever comes whoever was involved with the new designs for Shanghai and Tokyo should be kept away.
HauntedMansionFLA
Well-Known Member
Might as well put it over in Epcot and the UK
AndyS2992
Well-Known Member
I'd prefer an Alice dark ride but wouldn't say no if meant something better in the PPF building.
GhostHost1000
Premium Member
maybe it'll reopen and Peter Pan's Scary Adventures?
I mean every time I turn a corner in that ride I gasp now so it's not that far off
I mean every time I turn a corner in that ride I gasp now so it's not that far off
PorterRedkey
Well-Known Member
I was surprised how much better the Paris Pan was compared to WDWs.
Can you say if a Pan refresh is still in the cards for WDWs 50th?
Magenta Panther
Well-Known Member
It'd be so awesome if we got Shanghai's version. It's amazing, magical and still has a charming old-school dark ride feel. Anyway, a refurbed/upgraded Pan ride seems like a no-brainer. One of the most popular rides ever in any Disney park, and yet it's relatively neglected. I don't understand that at all.
yensidtlaw1969
Well-Known Member
It seems like one of those things where they think "Why would we bother spending tons to money to amp up this ride when people are willing to wait hours in line for it as it is?"
I would personally argue that anything that popular should be treated like a crown jewel and polished accordingly. Disneyland seemed to take this attitude in plussing the ride for the 60th (though I personally don't love everything they did there).
However, I understand why numerically it looks like a low priority. What's spending a ton of money gonna do, make the line even MORE unruly than it already is? That's why they spent money a few years ago redoing the queue, to try to address what they saw as the problem with the ride - the place can't keep up with demand.
I think they'd be more likely to help it out if ridership dropped - right now it continues to be a hit with guests, whether the ride sparkles or not.
WondersOfLife
Blink, blink. Breathe, breathe. Day in, day out.
And then use the old location as a second meet and greet location. Just for the princes. Prince Charming's Royal Gathering. Boom. Done.
Bocabear
Well-Known Member
Build a new double tracked version based on the Shanghai Peter Pan over by the meet and greet circus tents and gift shop...Re-theme the splash area to a neverland theme, add a fairy meet and greet, retheme the Goofini coaster to the Lost Boys and voila! a whole new mini land more appropriate to the overall Fantasyland area... Use the old Peter Pan location for a Tangled attraction to fit in with the Tangled Toilets... a plus plus plus!
twilight mitsuk
Well-Known Member
And we don’t need to move Iasw to epcot
SteamboatJoe
Well-Known Member
I had always attributed it's popularity to the fact it was kid-friendly. I was somewhat surprised that it is equally popular at DL despite the plethora of child friendly rides they have in Fantasyland out there. It's a 30 - 40 minute wait at rope drop. Meanwhile, people are walking onto every other equally kid-friendly ride. I guess the Tinkerbell series and Jake cartoons have kept the IP fresh.
WondersOfLife
Blink, blink. Breathe, breathe. Day in, day out.
It shocks me how relevant Peter Pan still is today with all the controversial messages in the original movie.