SteamboatJoe
Well-Known Member
That's what I get for trying to read and post while at work.
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Rank the Classic-Style DL Dark Rides
- Thread starter Rich T
- Start date
Professortango1
Well-Known Member
- Roger Rabbit's Cartoon Spin - Phenomenal darkride with fun ride system and amazing queue.
- Alice in Wonderland - I love how this isn't a flat ride and the ride vehicle is constantly changing levels. The updated effects are amazing.
- Mr Toad's Wild Ride - A beloved classic for a reason. The sets are fairly simply, but the ride experience is a lot of fun.
- Pinocchio's Daring Journey - Not as iconic, but a wonderful spooky dark ride which embraces the creepy carnival atmosphere of the film and puts us front and center into the story.
- Snow White's Scary Adventures - A wonderful scare ride with an ending which is slightly too abrupt.
- Peter Pan's Flight - A wonderful first half with an incredibly rushed and bland back half. Love flying over London, but its all downhill once we descend into Neverland.
- Pooh - Its not as bad as people make it out to be, just kind of barren and bare minimum storytelling. The Hephelumps and Woozles scene is so open and empty.
George Lucas on a Bench
Well-Known Member
I like the slapped-together quality of many of these rides. The abrupt turns into the exit at the end of Snow White and Peter Pan makes it feel like they ran out of room. The effects are mostly very crude, such as the oncoming train that is a light on the wall. These rides and the atmosphere of Fantasyland midway area generate the most classic Disney Land feelings for me.
mickEblu
Well-Known Member
Speaking of Roger Rabbits Cartoon Spin they should have included a Judge Doom AA. Speaking of Judge Doom, I just bought this Funko POP on eBay. Say what you want about Funko POPs but where else can I get a figure of Judge Doom holding the poor shoe that he dips? He’s even in crazy eye toon mode.
THE 1HAPPY HAUNT
Well-Known Member
I know I am going to get flack for bumping the thread but I just had to give my list.
1. MR. TOAD ( having the guts to end it with your main character dying and going to hell is awesome)
2. SNOW WHITE (Even though it just ends- the ride is really fun and immersive)
3. ROGER RABBIT (I love the queue and the ride is just zany fun)
4. PETER PAN ( it is very overrated. it is only popular because you are in a ship and the track is above.
not a bad ride at all but very overrated)
5. PINOCCHIO (good ride just not better than the ones I listed above it. solid ride. the end is cool)
6. ALICE ( I am not a big fan of it and I am surprised by how many who enjoy it. I find it soo lame. I think it is a very slooow ride and I don't like going outside at all. keep me in the show building. it is like the ride has an intermission then more ride.)
7. Pooh ( such a boring ride)
1. MR. TOAD ( having the guts to end it with your main character dying and going to hell is awesome)
2. SNOW WHITE (Even though it just ends- the ride is really fun and immersive)
3. ROGER RABBIT (I love the queue and the ride is just zany fun)
4. PETER PAN ( it is very overrated. it is only popular because you are in a ship and the track is above.
not a bad ride at all but very overrated)
5. PINOCCHIO (good ride just not better than the ones I listed above it. solid ride. the end is cool)
6. ALICE ( I am not a big fan of it and I am surprised by how many who enjoy it. I find it soo lame. I think it is a very slooow ride and I don't like going outside at all. keep me in the show building. it is like the ride has an intermission then more ride.)
7. Pooh ( such a boring ride)
Phroobar
Well-Known Member
Dark rides in Florida.
1. Many Adventures of Winnie to Pooh
2. Journey of the Little Mermaid
3. Peter Pan's Flight
4. Frozen Ever After
Seriously, Alice in Wonderland is one of my favorite rides. Not just at DL...ANYWHERE. I love the film (even though it's one of Disney's weakest story-wise) and the ride captures the zany atmosphere and character designs perfectly. It's a book-report ride done right, switching the order of things around to make it all flow well. I love the caterpillar cars. I love Tulgey Wood. I love the playing card executioner and the exploding cake. I even love the outdoor section because.... GIANT AWESOME MARY BLAIR LEAVES. I've always loved the look of Disney's take on Wonderland and the ride is a big celebration of all that. Great music too, indoors and out.
Okay, I'm done.
mickEblu
Well-Known Member
Seriously, Alice in Wonderland is one of favorite rides. Not just at DL: ANYWHERE. I love the film (even though it's one of Disney's weakest story-wise) and the ride captures the zany atmosphere and character designs perfectly. It's a book-report ride done right, switching the order of things around to make it all flow well. I love the caterpillar cars. I love Tulgey Wood. I love the playing card executioner and the exploding cake. I even love the outdoor section because.... GIANT AWESOME MARY BLAIR LEAVES. I've always loved the look of Disney's take on Wonderland and the ride is a big celebration of all that. Great music too, indoors and out.
Okay, I'm done.
It’s amazing what just switching the scenes around will do. On another note I remember Tony Baxter correctly calling Mermaid a book report ride yet I recently rode Pinocchio which he was the lead on and that is also a book report ride. Granted I think a much better ride because it’s done in the Classic Fantasyland dark ride style.
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Phroobar
Well-Known Member
Aren't all Fantasyland dark rides book report rides except maybe Toad?
I really like the Pinocchio ride, but you know what bugs me about it? It's a book report, yet Pinocchio's still a freakin' puppet at the end. They should alter the dialogue in that scene:
Geppetto: Pinocchio! You're still made of wood!
Pinocchio: Thanks for nothing, Jiminy!
Jiminy: I got my gold badge anyway! So long, suckers!
mickEblu
Well-Known Member
Yeah pretty much except Toad and Snow White.
mickEblu
Well-Known Member
If I could change anything on Pinocchio I’d say give me less Pleasure island and take us inside Monstro instead.
Post-1983, yes. In their original forms, they were all much more impressionistic. Snow White was about fear. Peter Pan was about flight. Alice was about complete disorientation. There was no attempt to tell a cohesive story, but they still worked as great rides. Toad has more story than before, but it still focuses on events that happened completely off-screen in the film. And of course, adds its own ending.
THE 1HAPPY HAUNT
Well-Known Member
That's cool. to me it just doesn't do anything.Seriously, Alice in Wonderland is one of my favorite rides. Not just at DL...ANYWHERE. I love the film (even though it's one of Disney's weakest story-wise) and the ride captures the zany atmosphere and character designs perfectly. It's a book-report ride done right, switching the order of things around to make it all flow well. I love the caterpillar cars. I love Tulgey Wood. I love the playing card executioner and the exploding cake. I even love the outdoor section because.... GIANT AWESOME MARY BLAIR LEAVES. I've always loved the look of Disney's take on Wonderland and the ride is a big celebration of all that. Great music too, indoors and out.
Okay, I'm done.
QuasiNoFroyo
Well-Known Member
From best to worst:
- Alice in Wonderland - Just beautifully done and successfully captures the essence of Wonderland.
- Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin - Interactive (you get to spin your own car), zany, and just a lot of fun all around.
- Mr. Toad's Wild Ride - Not as fun and zany as Roger Rabbit (or even as much as the long-extinct Florida version) but a thoroughly fun time regardless, especially the TNT warehouse scene and the fiery finale.
- Peter Pan's Flight - Arguably the weakest of the Peter Pan rides around the world (thanks to its incredibly brief duration), but still packs plenty of beautiful visuals and pleasant music.
- Snow White's Scary Adventures - Charmingly creepy for young ones but just not as good as the even more charmingly creepy Tokyo version (in my honest opinion).
- Pinocchio's Daring Journey - Plenty of appealing sets and visuals from beginning to end but doesn't translate to ride form exactly as well as it hopes to.
- Winnie the Pooh - Easily the weakest of all the different incarnations of the Pooh ride around the world. Hardly any focus or continuity throughout, and the Tigger scene is a complete letdown. Legitimately the only dark ride in all of Disneyland that I genuinely dislike. Only worth it for the Country Bears' talking heads cameo.
mandelbrot
Well-Known Member
I really kind of hated the Country Bear show at the end but I have to admit I LOVE the idea of a Country Bear dark ride. It would be weird and musical and appropriate for its land. I'm in!
Phroobar
Well-Known Member
I've always wondered by Winnie the Pooh has these giant vehicles that do absolutely nothing but rock. There is no audio track and the seating is cramped. They don't do anything that any of the FL dark rides don't do. Why are they so big and heavy looking? Talk about overly engineered.
Gad, these vehicles are so half-baked. I'm sure sure they looked better on paper, but....eeeesh. Those giant bumpers for the worthless rocking motion make them look clumsy and patched; these are not vehicles meant to be seen in bright daylight. The little heffalump bees clinging on are a cute touch, though--as is the honey on the edge of the curb--but these things look like something from an un-produced "Pooh's Demolition Derby" film...I've always wondered by Winnie the Pooh has these giant vehicles that do absolutely nothing but rock. There is no audio track and the seating is cramped. They don't do anything that any of the FL dark rides don't do. Why are they so big and heavy looking? Talk about overly engineered.
(EDIT) ...or a video game car in a really bad Pooh Mario-Kart rip-off.