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Rivers of America (plus Railroad & Dioramas) Re-Imagineered 2017
- Thread starter TP2000
- Start date
mickEblu
Well-Known Member
Just posted this on the SWL thread. Figured it could go here as well....
Has anyone seen this image from the latest D23 issue. Gives a little bit different perspective than some of the other concept art, especially the big waterfall closest to Frontierland. Also, is it just me or does it look like they shortened the ROA by about 20% in this pic?
I don't think I ever realized that the train would be going under those rock arches.
Has anyone seen this image from the latest D23 issue. Gives a little bit different perspective than some of the other concept art, especially the big waterfall closest to Frontierland. Also, is it just me or does it look like they shortened the ROA by about 20% in this pic?
I don't think I ever realized that the train would be going under those rock arches.
BrianLo
Well-Known Member
Oh good call, I forgot google maps updated!
The old was approximately 713.8 meters, the new route approximately 596.8 meters.
16.4% shorter. So there you go. I previously thought 13.5% based on a lot of the rough maps we were getting from MiceChat et al.
Anyways, I think we can safely put that one to bed finally.
mickEblu
Well-Known Member
Kiwiduck
Well-Known Member
In this image below it looks like the train goes through a tunnel or high cliffs rather than the series of arches in the map you posted. I cant remember seeing what it looks like in reality?
NobodyElse
Well-Known Member
D
Deleted member 107043
It keeps getting better. I'm kind of excited waiting for the falls to be activated.
Curious Constance
Well-Known Member
Disneygeek admitted he was wrong about this being a waterfall lol
George Lucas on a Bench
Well-Known Member
Where are they taking these photos from? I could get better ones.
Yeah. I knew this whole Rivers of America Re-Imagineering was going to be a big improvement right from the start.
Lots of people were screaming back in 2016 "Star Wars Is Ruining Walt's River!!!".
But I just kept thinking "That river is just a boring wall of overgrown trees with hokey fiberglass moose and some jiggling Indians"
This is a dramatic aesthetic improvement, and it also looks like it's going to tell a more compelling and interesting story, too. A huge plus and big win for Disneyland USA. Walt would love it.
George Lucas on a Bench
Well-Known Member
I've always found it to be one of the weirdest walkways at any Disney park. I mean, it'd be perfectly at home in a WDW park or something, as those are loaded with huge open areas of concrete and areas of nothingness. But not Disneyland. You go from areas of activity to tranquil nothingness out of nowhere. At night, it was so dark it was creepy. Almost like even Disney forgot it existed and didn't replace the light bulbs.
Figments Friend
Well-Known Member
Big Thunder Trail was a nice spot to escape the crowds.
It was also a nice little relaxing 'nature walk', exspecially with the piped in woodland sounds and 'eagle cries'.
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It was also a nice little relaxing 'nature walk', exspecially with the piped in woodland sounds and 'eagle cries'.
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Disney Irish
Premium Member
Big Thunder Trail was a nice spot to escape the crowds.
It was also a nice little relaxing 'nature walk', exspecially with the piped in woodland sounds and 'eagle cries'.
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Well don't worry soon it will be busy with crowds coming from and going to Star Wars.
Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
I enjoyed that boring wall of overgrown trees, the hokey fiberglass moose, and the jiggling Indians.
George Lucas on a Bench
Well-Known Member
I like how they had remnants of the old attraction in there. It was definitely cooler that way, but the way that they changed it (which involved destroying most, if not all, of that stuff) doesn't appear to be as bad as I feared it might turn out. I'm just really, really hoping you don't eventually see wacky Star Wars space stuff from classic areas of the park. That was my biggest fear from day one. The concept art with these huge alien towers didn't help. It appears that the northern stretch of new DLRR with rocks, waterfalls and trees may block the future view.
NobodyElse
Well-Known Member
Yet, you don't.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed them too. But in the 21st century it was all looking very dated and tired. And overgrown.
So much of the original Walt-era plotline and story arc for that entire northern half of the river got removed and butchered and cheaped out and turned off. The Unfriendly Indian Village that looked down on the Burning Cabin, with the Settler dead on the ground with an arrow in his chest. Talk about DRAMA!
But that was followed by the Friendly Indian Chief and his Friendly Indian Village, which meant it all turned out okay. (Except for that dead guy we just passed.)
From the 1960's into the 80's there were far more animatronics along there, including a balancing mountain goats, a walking bear, charging elk, etc.
The Scratching Bear stopped working sometime during the Cynthia Harriss era and was never replaced, shortly after they ripped out Cascade Peak and Twin Sister Falls in 1998. They replaced it with a mound of dirt.
But over the last 25 years all of that stuff was allowed to be removed and demolished and turned off and overgrown. It was cheaper than maintaining it and rebuilding it.
I just think this revamped and rerouted section of the Rivers of America circa 2017 will be far more engaging and... I guess the word I'm looking for is Imagineered.
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