Photo update - Mad Tea Party roof refurbishment

[Animaniac93-98]

What you have to remember is that many people wanted the DLP roof regardless of the facts.

As some point in this refurbishment, the internet decided that anything less than the DLP roof would be unacceptable, even though there was never any indication that's what was coming.

So even though it was never promised, designed, or alluded to now people are disappointed and calling TDO cheap.

The original rendering released to the public of the expansion project included showing Mad Tea Party with the DLP style roof. Whether or not it was ever part of the plan, it was suggested in that picture from Disney.

Of course the same picture shows the Tremaine home which is now apparently not coming and concept art is never 100% reliable (as Disney has shown in the past) but the idea came from that rendering.

The mildew build-up is a good counter argument, not only referencing Imagination, but the old Tomorrowland waterfalls had them too.

As for the new colours, I'll wait until it's 100% done before making a decision.

 

[Magenta Panther]

wow. I can't believe they're spending hundreds of millions of dollars on the Fantasyland Expansion and can't spend just a little more money to get this classic ride a better roof than that. That thing is U-G-L-Y. It may actually be uglier than one that it's replacing. It looks like the paint scheme is from 1985.

Yeah, I gotta agree with you. It's pretty disappointing. It looks like something you'd see over a Six Flags attraction. Or a basic seedy roadside carnival attraction. Hopefully there's more to it than what we're seeing. Maybe it'll look cool when it's lit up at night...?

 

[Ignohippo]

Good lord. Just because we want a DLP style roof doesn't mean it has to be glass. The DLP roof is absolutely georgeous in design and style. The detail is amazing. The same thing could be accomplished with any material. Heck, they could even paint it to look like stained glass.

Like Magenta says, the MK roof looks like a carnival attraction by comparison. I guess that's fine for those of you who are excited about half of Fantasyland becoming Circusland. Personally, I was hoping for something with more class and grandiure.

 

[jakeman]

Good lord. Just because we want a DLP style roof doesn't mean it has to be glass. The DLP roof is absolutely georgeous in design and style. The detail is amazing. The same thing could be accomplished with any material. Heck, they could even paint it to look like stained glass.

Like Magenta says, the MK roof looks like a carnival attraction by comparison. I guess that's fine for those of you who are excited about half of Fantasyland becoming Circusland. Personally, I was hoping for something with more class and grandiure.

So far this is what I see:

1. They aren't finished.
2. People are complaining about something that was never promised.

For comparision, here is the concept art:

And here is the DLP version:

I don't think there is a better case for people looking to be disappointed.

And let's be honest, if they did do the design like DLP, then people would be complaining that it is not glass.

 

[Rob562]

The paint scheme looks very "Wonders of Life"... :lookaroun

-Rob

 

[puntagordabob]

As a Floridian, Glass would LOOK wonderful!!

BUT it would be like putting a magnifying glass over top of you on a HOT sunny day.... NO THANK YOU! Florida Sun? Summer Sauna Heat? It would be unpleasent to say the least.

 

[WDWmazprty]

As a Floridian, Glass would LOOK wonderful!!

BUT it would be like putting a magnifying glass over top of you on a HOT sunny day.... NO THANK YOU! Florida Sun? Summer Sauna Heat? It would be unpleasent to say the least.

At least they could make the ride as realistic as possible and actually have hot tea inside the cups. :lookaroun

 

[Hoop Raeb]

Definitely better than the pink we had seen....

Oh the pink is still there on the steel inside.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

The paint scheme looks very "Wonders of Life"... :lookaroun

-Rob

Tea Cup Wars?

Tea Cup Command?

Goofy About Tea Parties?

 

[MAF]

No way they would rebuild this one just to tear it down.

Exactly. Disney pinches every penny so dream on if you think they are redoing it in a year or so.

 

[Ignohippo]

So far this is what I see:

1. They aren't finished.
2. People are complaining about something that was never promised.

For comparision, here is the concept art:

And here is the DLP version:

I don't think there is a better case for people looking to be disappointed.

And let's be honest, if they did do the design like DLP, then people would be complaining that it is not glass.

You're right. This tacky new roof they've put on is clearly just as nice as the DLP roof and the roof shown in the concept art. What was I thinking? :brick:

And how dare us have the hope that they replace the roof with something better. Once again, what could I have possibly been thinking?

Actually, at his point, the new roof now seems more likely to be just an emergency stopgap. I'm wondering if the old roof was so corroded they had no choice but to replace it now. Seeing how much care they're putting in to Pooh queue, the fact that Tea Cups was a surprise refurb (and while Small World was down at the same time to make matters worse), and how quickly they threw the new roof on, I'll bet we still see something close to the DLP roof by the time the FLE is done. I imagine the plans just weren't finalized in time to do it now. It may be two years from now, but I'll bet we see a better roof and queue by the time it's all said and done.

 

[BrerFrog]

That DLP roof never ceases to amaze me.

 

[fosse76]

What you have to remember is that many people wanted the DLP roof regardless of the facts.

As some point in this refurbishment, the internet decided that anything less than the DLP roof would be unacceptable, even though there was never any indication that's what was coming.

So even though it was never promised, designed, or alluded to now people are disappointed and calling TDO cheap.

I still prefer Disneyland's teacups...no roof. It looks so much nicer.

 

[sshindel]

Actually, at his point, the new roof now seems more likely to be just an emergency stopgap. I'm wondering if the old roof was so corroded they had no choice but to replace it now. Seeing how much care they're putting in to Pooh queue, the fact that Tea Cups was a surprise refurb (and while Small World was down at the same time to make matters worse), and how quickly they threw the new roof on, I'll bet we still see something close to the DLP roof by the time the FLE is done. I imagine the plans just weren't finalized in time to do it now. It may be two years from now, but I'll bet we see a better roof and queue by the time it's all said and done.

This is the way I seem to feel about it. Maybe I'm being naive, which wouldn't be the first time, but it seems like they pulled the trigger on this one really quickly without much warning. (It looks like they announced on Aug 18th that it was closing Sept 26th, looking back here on wdwmagic).
Potentially the found an issue that needed to be addressed sooner rather than later for safety reasons or something. If the plans for the new roof were not completed, maybe they had to just pull plans for the previous version in order to get it completed. Now they have a little time to see if they can still update for the new design and put it on top of the structure that exists, that is now a solid foundation. I just can't think it would be that hard to design some sort of highly themed "cap" to place on the sound structure they just built. But, again, I have no construction experience at all, so take that with the worlds largest grain of salt as armchair engineering.

 

[Ignohippo]

This is the way I seem to feel about it. Maybe I'm being naive, which wouldn't be the first time, but it seems like they pulled the trigger on this one really quickly without much warning. (It looks like they announced on Aug 18th that it was closing Sept 26th, looking back here on wdwmagic).
Potentially the found an issue that needed to be addressed sooner rather than later for safety reasons or something. If the plans for the new roof were not completed, maybe they had to just pull plans for the previous version in order to get it completed. Now they have a little time to see if they can still update for the new design and put it on top of the structure that exists, that is now a solid foundation. I just can't think it would be that hard to design some sort of highly themed "cap" to place on the sound structure they just built. But, again, I have no construction experience at all, so take that with the worlds largest grain of salt as armchair engineering.

I would imagine the new roof would have major upgrades on queue, etc. which is another reason I think we'll eventually get a new one. You can see it with Pooh and Dumbo that a major priority is now on a visitor's experience while waiting in line. The Tea Cups queue is nothing to write home about and often spills out of the current show building. i'll bet it's eventually addressed. The only way to do that would be a larger show building (roof).

The roof they've put on this month had to be a pretty insignificant investment, in terms of the money they're investing in the FE. If it was in the plans to redo the size of the show building at some point, I don't think the cost of this new roof would prohibit them from doing it – it just may mean they have a lot more time before they have to address it.