RNRC Re-Theming Rumors...... again

[Bocabear]

Yeah, this. The sad truth is that WDI are no longer creative visionaries (save for a few), much of it is made up by whichever college program kids smooched up to the right people, literally and figuratively.

I am pretty sure that the creativity in most aspects is still there, but they are being throttled more than ever by the financial departments and by executives that don't really understand creative design or what made the Disney Parks what they are. Some of the recent stuff like the hotel work , DVC and interior remodels all looks to be jobbed out to a hospitality design company...not known for creative but utilitarian work...Which is a shame. In the early WDI years, it seemed like everyone got involved in all guest areas... not just the theme parks themselves.

 

[Bairstow]

There may be a photo like this with Steven Tyler hanging somewhere in ToT. View attachment 326638

I maintain that the closing credits of that movie are among the greatest creative influences on the Tower of Terror.

 

[AdventureHasAName]

Pandora. SWL. Dozens of international and local projects. Cars Land.

If anyone looks at the past decade of work from WDI and says it's "not creative" is looking with a neat pair of glass eyeballs.

SWL aside (I'm not going to give them credit, or denigrate them, for something that's not even built yet), WDI's track record over the last 20 years is terrible. Absolutely terrible. Future World has completely fallen apart, World Showcase has been used as an excuse to cram IP anywhere they can, DCA was a disaster, Animal Kingdom is a 1/4 day park, Pandora was dated on the day it opened, MGM Studios is a shell of its former self (GMR gone, Backlot Tour gone, functional studio concept abandoned), water features removed pretty much all over the WDW resort, Alien Encounter replaced by Stitch, screwed up the Tiki Room for a decade with Stitch (finally fixed, thankfully), removal of Country Bears and Mr. Toad to cram Pooh into the parks, interactive queues that everyone with a brain knows would break down and never be repaired, DL Peoplemover debacle, DL Tomorrowland redo debacle (including moving the Astro Jets to the hub), Pleasure Island removal, turning Pirates into the Jack Sparrow version of Where's Waldo, Yeti broken immediately and never fixed ...

WDI's track record is not good, going on two decades now.

EDIT: Put another way, what's the last thing WDI was responsible for domestically, that on the day it opened, everyone said, "Wow, that's so much better than I expected!" Cars Land? Maybe, but they had to remove Luigi's Flying Tires two years later. World of Color? Maybe. Remember Dreams Come True Fireworks? Definitely (I don't even know ... is WDI responsible for developing the fireworks shows?). Fantasmic? That was 1998. Temple of the Forbidden Eye? 1995. Soarin is probably the answer but that was 17-18 years ago.

 

[Goofyernmost]

SWL aside (I'm not going to give them credit, or denigrate them, for something that's not even built yet), WDI's track record over the last 20 years is terrible. Absolutely terrible. Future World has completely fallen apart, World Showcase has been used as an excuse to cram IP anywhere they can, DCA was a disaster, Animal Kingdom is a 1/4 day park, Pandora was dated on the day it opened, MGM Studios is a shell of its former self (GMR gone, Backlot Tour gone, functional studio concept abandoned), water features removed pretty much all over the WDW resort, Alien Encounter replaced by Stitch, screwed up the Tiki Room for a decade with Stitch (finally fixed, thankfully), removal of Country Bears and Mr. Toad to cram Pooh into the parks, interactive queues that everyone with a brain knows would break down and never be repaired, DL Peoplemover debacle, DL Tomorrowland redo debacle (including moving the Astro Jets to the hub), Pleasure Island removal, turning Pirates into the Jack Sparrow version of Where's Waldo, Yeti broken immediately and never fixed ...

WDI's track record is not good, going on two decades now.

EDIT: Put another way, what's the last thing WDI was responsible for domestically, that on the day it opened, everyone said, "Wow, that's so much better than I expected!" Cars Land? Maybe, but they had to remove Luigi's Flying Tires two years later. World of Color? Maybe. Remember Dreams Come True Fireworks? Definitely (I don't even know ... is WDI responsible for developing the fireworks shows?). Fantasmic? That was 1998. Temple of the Forbidden Eye? 1995. Soarin is probably the answer but that was 17-18 years ago.

So how much are they paying over at Universal these days. That post should get you a hefty raise.

 

[peter11435]

SWL aside (I'm not going to give them credit, or denigrate them, for something that's not even built yet), WDI's track record over the last 20 years is terrible. Absolutely terrible. Future World has completely fallen apart, World Showcase has been used as an excuse to cram IP anywhere they can, DCA was a disaster, Animal Kingdom is a 1/4 day park, Pandora was dated on the day it opened, MGM Studios is a shell of its former self (GMR gone, Backlot Tour gone, functional studio concept abandoned), water features removed pretty much all over the WDW resort, Alien Encounter replaced by Stitch, screwed up the Tiki Room for a decade with Stitch (finally fixed, thankfully), removal of Country Bears and Mr. Toad to cram Pooh into the parks, interactive queues that everyone with a brain knows would break down and never be repaired, DL Peoplemover debacle, DL Tomorrowland redo debacle (including moving the Astro Jets to the hub), Pleasure Island removal, turning Pirates into the Jack Sparrow version of Where's Waldo, Yeti broken immediately and never fixed ...

WDI's track record is not good, going on two decades now.

EDIT: Put another way, what's the last thing WDI was responsible for domestically, that on the day it opened, everyone said, "Wow, that's so much better than I expected!" Cars Land? Maybe, but they had to remove Luigi's Flying Tires two years later. World of Color? Maybe. Remember Dreams Come True Fireworks? Definitely (I don't even know ... is WDI responsible for developing the fireworks shows?). Fantasmic? That was 1998. Temple of the Forbidden Eye? 1995. Soarin is probably the answer but that was 17-18 years ago.

So much wrong in this post

 

[GlacierGlacier]

So how much are they paying over at Universal these days. That post should get you a hefty raise.

Technical Internships start at $17.50 at Uni and $25 at Disney.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Technical Internships start at $17.50 at Uni and $25 at Disney.

I was just being sarcastic and implying that with a post like that they were obviously Uni employees. Nothing, but, constantly dissing Disney usually means a different agenda. And it wasn't even accurate. Apparently I missed the mark... sorry!

 

[GlacierGlacier]

I was just being sarcastic and implying that with a post like that they were obviously Uni employees. Nothing, but, constantly dissing Disney usually means a different agenda. Apparently I missed the mark... sorry!

I know, I just wanted to share

 

[aliceismad]

SWL aside (I'm not going to give them credit, or denigrate them, for something that's not even built yet), WDI's track record over the last 20 years is terrible. Absolutely terrible. Future World has completely fallen apart, World Showcase has been used as an excuse to cram IP anywhere they can, DCA was a disaster, Animal Kingdom is a 1/4 day park, Pandora was dated on the day it opened, MGM Studios is a shell of its former self (GMR gone, Backlot Tour gone, functional studio concept abandoned), water features removed pretty much all over the WDW resort, Alien Encounter replaced by Stitch, screwed up the Tiki Room for a decade with Stitch (finally fixed, thankfully), removal of Country Bears and Mr. Toad to cram Pooh into the parks, interactive queues that everyone with a brain knows would break down and never be repaired, DL Peoplemover debacle, DL Tomorrowland redo debacle (including moving the Astro Jets to the hub), Pleasure Island removal, turning Pirates into the Jack Sparrow version of Where's Waldo, Yeti broken immediately and never fixed ...

WDI's track record is not good, going on two decades now.

EDIT: Put another way, what's the last thing WDI was responsible for domestically, that on the day it opened, everyone said, "Wow, that's so much better than I expected!" Cars Land? Maybe, but they had to remove Luigi's Flying Tires two years later. World of Color? Maybe. Remember Dreams Come True Fireworks? Definitely (I don't even know ... is WDI responsible for developing the fireworks shows?). Fantasmic? That was 1998. Temple of the Forbidden Eye? 1995. Soarin is probably the answer but that was 17-18 years ago.

1. What IP have they stuffed into epcot? Only Frozen. Everything else is still in planning stages. So how can you say you’re not going to judge SWL but you’ll rip on Epcot additions/changes.

2. AK has never been a 1/4 day park for anyone except people only interested in rides. The theming and level of detail are amazing. The shows are good.

I don’t see how you can have both of the opinions above unless you’re just y about everything Disney does. Because people who love the depth and edutainment of WS should love AK.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

1. What IP have they stuffed into epcot? Only Frozen. Everything else is still in planning stages. So how can you say you’re not going to judge SWL but you’ll rip on Epcot additions/changes..

Finding Nemo was there well before Frozen..

 

[aliceismad]

Finding Nemo was there well before Frozen..

But not in WS. And the post was upset about the IP-ification of WS.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

But not in WS. And the post was upset about the IP-ification of WS.

Ah, I thought they meant as a whole..

 

[Tom Morrow]

Nope.

Pandora. SWL. Dozens of international and local projects. Cars Land.

If anyone looks at the past decade of work from WDI and says it's "not creative" is looking with a neat pair of glass eyeballs.

Sure. Not every project is an E-Ticket expansion. But it's always been that way. New hires are put on smaller builds, then moved their way up the chain as they gain experience. How many old additions for DL have been built over and forgotten by time? For WDW?

And yes. You do have to know people to get a job. But that's with every company in this industry. And it's relatively easy to do so to. Organizations like the TEA are an amazing resource to connect new employees with companies - I'm heavily participating right now to help find my first internship.

And that implication that folks slept their way into where they are now is downright disrespectful.

Alright, perhaps most of imagineering is not made up of these young people, but they certainly end up influencing the financial decisions and what gets greenlit. As for your last comment, sorry, but witnessed it happen too many times - at WDW - for me to not consider it a factor.

 

[celluloid]

I maintain that the closing credits of that movie are among the greatest creative influences on the Tower of Terror.

It's no secret there are a few shining inspiration and cues. You may already know about the sounds that ay/used to a
play to the queue as drop shafts open.

 

[aliceismad]

I don’t think Imagineering is any less creative. It’s the bean counters’ lack of commitment and the overall organization’s indifference that’s the issue.

 

[phillip9698]

Alright, perhaps most of imagineering is not made up of these young people, but they certainly end up influencing the financial decisions and what gets greenlit. As for your last comment, sorry, but witnessed it happen too many times - at WDW - for me to not consider it a factor.

Maybe things work differently at Disney and if so it would be damn near the only company where this isnt true but engineering never gets the say on what gets greenlit. We usually pitch our solutions or ideas to management and then things start getting cut, you find out what your true operating budget is (because it's never the first number they give you), and then you start looking at what you need to cut or change to meet that number.

I highly doubt imagimeering is purposely creating attractions where budget cuts are obvious and working with little imagination.

 

[AdventureHasAName]

1. What IP have they stuffed into epcot? Only Frozen. Everything else is still in planning stages. So how can you say you’re not going to judge SWL but you’ll rip on Epcot additions/changes.

They replaced El Rio del Tiepo with the Three Caballeros (a film that takes place 90% in South America). And Kim Possible. And Princess meet and greets. And Akershus became Princess dining.

2. AK has never been a 1/4 day park for anyone except people only interested in rides. The theming and level of detail are amazing. The shows are good.

The Polynesian Resort is well-themed with an amazing level of detail ... that doesn't make it a full-day amusement park. If the Magic Kingdom and EPCOT Center (circa 1994) are full-day amusement parks, then Animal Kingdom is a 1/4 day amusement park.

I don’t see how you can have both of the opinions above unless you’re just ****y about everything Disney does. Because people who love the depth and edutainment of WS should love AK.

I judge Disney (and WDI) by the standards they set for themselves. It's not my fault they don't create the same quality of experience they used to (not to mention their lower quality experiences now take much longer to build and are much more expensive).

 

[AdventureHasAName]

But not in WS. And the post was upset about the IP-ification of WS.

I don't like the IP-ification of Future World either ... Ellen Degeneres, Finding Nemo, Honey I Shrunk the Kids. That park has been in steep decline ever since Frank Wells died.

 

[aliceismad]

They replaced El Rio del Tiepo with the Three Caballeros (a film that takes place 90% in South America). And Kim Possible. And Princess meet and greets. And Akershus became Princess dining.

These are true. I concede that.

I think calling AK a 1/4 day park leaves out all of the animal trails, Rafiki’s, the shows, Rivers of Light, the live entertainment, and the wealth of decent dining options. It’s a beautiful park (mostly). Of course you’re entitled to your opinion though.

If you think AK is a 1/4 day park, what do you think HS is?

 

[Marc Davis Fan]

Thank you. You're so spot on. And I excuse [RnRC] too. It's fun and slightly fitting. A stretch, but not the worst stretch.

I’d call it a super-stretch.

Sorry.

Anyway, the plywood flats (and obviously-not-a-limo vehicle, obviously-coaster-track “roadway,” etc.) make it not very immersive. So, anything that can turn it into a more immersive experience (e.g., you don’t have to suspend your disbelief as much regarding the visuals) would be an improvement, as long as it doesn’t ruin the aesthetics or sightlines Sunset Boulevard / the Tower of Terror area. But it would be REALLY unfortunate if the retheme involved messing up that area, as it’s one of WDW’s best immersive environments (IMO).