Quick Review of Parks After 10 Days from an Annual Passholder

[MuteSuperstar]

I always kind of resented the first Test Track because I loved World of Motion, but wow it was a total delight compared to Test Track 2.0.

The "design" stuff is pointless and the scenery is so, so dull compared to the first one, which, imagine that, actually felt like you were in a testing environment instead of some quasi-Tron snoozefest. The ambition for attraction design has clearly taken a nosedive, and you don't have to be a "doom and gloomer" to see it.

And I would say 7DMT needed at least 2-3 more elaborate, well-designed show scenes to bring it up to an E-ticket level. Heck I would have been fine with repurposing the stuff from Scary Adventures as long as there was more to look at than there is now.

 

[Chef Mickey]

I always kind of resented the first Test Track because I loved World of Motion, but wow it was a total delight compared to Test Track 2.0.

The "design" stuff is pointless and the scenery is so, so dull compared to the first one, which, imagine that, actually felt like you were in a testing environment instead of some quasi-Tron snoozefest.

The new Test Track is an absolute failure, particularly because they don ensure the most important tech works. If your design doesn’t translate to the ride, what’s the point?

 

[MuteSuperstar]

I long for the days when things were built on the scale they used for for Splash Mountain and the Haunted Mansion, scene after scene of marvelous stuff.

Now we get things like Navi River journey with 1 anamatronic.

1 anamatronic... ***!
~NM

So true, it's utterly absurd. But we've reached a point where "good enough" is good enough for both audience AND management, which is a deadly concoction for those who still care.

 

[erasure fan1]

And I would say 7DMT needed at least 2-3 more elaborate, well-designed show scenes to bring it up to an E-ticket level. Heck I would have been fine with repurposing the stuff from Scary Adventures as long as there was more to look at than there is now.

The problem with 7DMT is it is a victim of itself. What is there is exceptional. The mine cars, the theme, the animatronics, the smooth ride, all great. But that is the problem. Each time I get off the ride I can't help but see what could have been. Like you said, another show scene with added length, it could have been an exceptional ride. Unfortunately that is what happens when you are reactive instead of being proactive.

 

[Chef Mickey]

The problem with 7DMT is it is a victim of itself. What is there is exceptional. The mine cars, the theme, the animatronics, the smooth ride, all great. But that is the problem. Each time I get off the ride I can't help but see what could have been. Like you said, another show scene with added length, it could have been an exceptional ride. Unfortunately that is what happens when you are reactive instead of being proactive.

True and the brake zone feels like a total afterthought.

 

[Ninja Mom]

If you are familiar with Rolly Crump and his work and philosophy concerning Disney Attractions you can see why he is disgusted with Disney and specifically WDW. I think today he would be apoplectic if he cared about WDW, which he doesn't.

Reading this article (Link below) you get the sense of why imagineering was able to be so cutting edge and creative in it's heyday. This heyday went on up until it was essentially eliminated as a creative force by the "Stock Price before show" Disney leadership we are currently plagued by. I miss the days when the imagineers were the driving force and not the bookkeepers.

Now you can see the results of the financial office making all the (low budget) creative decisions. I am LMAO over the prospect of the paint already peeling in TSL. Cheap and poorly thought out never served any theme park well and it's so sad to see Disney stoop to this level. Especially when they are SO PROFITABLE.

Now we are left with the cheapest consideration when park decisions are made. Don't even get me started on the crappy job they are doing with the resorts. The remodels have all the ambiance of a hospital room and the absent/atrocious housekeeping is intolerable.

These are the dark ages of Disney Parks management. I really wonder whether things will ever be turned around. I doubt it. I'm thinking that management is just going to suck all the profits out of the parks while running all that is Disney into the ground.

We need a Roy Disney Jr. to call them out and make a stand. Of course in this era there is no vanguard of the Disney legacy. There are only the hedge fund managers who supervise the investment of huge blocks of Disney Stock for their companies.

That's really going to help, right?

~NM
PS. The Disney apologists, the "Why don't you go someplace else" and the "It doesn't bother me so it shouldn't bother you" mind sets can all go where the sun doesn't shine. With the way things are going it's only a matter of time until you hit your tipping point and your sacred cow is sacrificed. Try to keep that in mind and keep on scrolling past this post because we don't want to listen to you either.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-rolly-crump-20180907-story.html
Disney Legend and retired Imagineer Rolly Crump, Enchanted Tiki Room, It’s a Small World and the Haunted Mansion, talks to the Los Angeles Times about his years with the company as an animation artist turned Imagineer, a favorite of Walt’s, who worked with fellow titans like Mary Blair, John Hench, Marc and Alice Davis, Claude Coates, and Yale Gracey.

The piece is filled with lovely stories, and some quotes from the recently retired Tom Morris, but Rolly doesn’t hold back on what he thinks has happened to the parks.
“No one is trying to keep charm in the park, and I've had enough of it”

Full Text:

 

[erasure fan1]

True and the brake zone feels like a total afterthought.

Well the ride was kind of an afterthought so it makes sense.