Slash and Burn ...

[Wilt Dasney]

I don't think Joe Rhode plays by the same rules... That's one of the reasons AK is such a unique park.

But then, I was never good at detecting the subtle underpinnings of sarcasm either... :lookaroun

:lol:

Hey Ben! :wave:

Hi Douglas.

No, I wasn't being sarcastic. I think you need a more explicit and less suggestive approach when you're trying to appeal to a general audience.

But I also know how tough it can be to get those live yetis to cooperate, just like all the other critters at Animal Kingdom. :shrug:

 

[Monty]

Part of the intent of my response was also to point out that if someone finds an attraction somewhat lacking (or even an all out disappointment, as a lot of people do with EE) then pointing out how much money was spent to build it isn't going to suddenly change their mind.

A lot of people have expressed all-out disappointment? I'm sorry, but I don't buy that. I've never heard anyone give any indication of disappointment getting off the ride. Do you have survey data or some form of empirical evidence [besides posters to this thread] to substantiate that?

-Get rid of the plastic bird on a stick. Hey, come to think of it, that would actually SAVE money!

Actually, much as I disliked the bird, it was my understanding that it served a purpose in scaring off real birds [that tend to leave unwanted deposits when they visit], rather than as an integral part of the storyline.:shrug:

 

[EpcotServo]

I don't think the average guest really cares how a Disney attraction looks on the balance sheet...they care about how the actual real life experience is. I would say that, for what we ended up with, that $120 million was not well spent.

I'm neither a Disney Imagineer nor a Disney accountant, so I'm afraid I can't provide a line-by-line accounting of how I think the money should actually have been spent. But let me ask you this: Have you ever seen the price tag for an expensive movie, then seen the actual movie and come away thinking that the movie could have been a lot better...especially for what they spent on it?

Ok, so you say that the money could've spent better, but how much it cost dosen't matter.

That's good, because now what you say the money could've been spent on dosen't matter as well, since money dosen't seem to be the issue here.
:shrug:

*takes a drink*

Epcotservo mentioned the $120 "MILLION" (the all caps presumably to emphasize just how much money that is).

Nah, I do that so people in their own worlds can hear me clearer.

*tales a drink*

Part of the intent of my response was also to point out that if someone finds an attraction somewhat lacking (or even an all out disappointment, as a lot of people do with EE) then pointing out how much money was spent to build it isn't going to suddenly change their mind.

But just up there aways you said that the average guest dosen't care about the cost?

Well, anyhoo, the ride is the most popular in the park, and in the top five attractions on properity for attendence and guest sastifaction, so looks like the "average guest" decided that they love the ride long ago, so you're in the minority out there...

*takes a drink*

Having said that, here are a few suggestions I would make on how the attraction could have been different (and I assume this would not have made a huge difference in how the $120 mil was spent, but again, I don't claim to have intimate knowledge on that matter...I'm just a paying guest who knows what entertains me versus what I consider kind of lame):

- For starters, I would not have placed the yeti where it currently is. It's supposed to be the "most sophisticated AA ever built" right? If that's true, why not give us a better look at it? Why essentially hide it by putting it in a spot where we only get to see it for like 2 seconds? Doesn't add up if you ask me. If it really is such an impressive and sophisticated AA, and such and awesome sight to behold, then I think a better place for it would have been in one of the spots where they do the track switch. Would doing so have changed the price tag for the ride? I can't imagine how it would have.

- Get rid of the cheesy projection of the yeti shadow. It screams "cheap". Alternatives for what they could have done instead (and spent about the same amount of money on) are too numerous to list.

- Maybe a little less "elaborate queue" and a little more ambience on the actual attraction itself. The queue just adds to the over-buildup of expectations. Seems to me they could have taken what they spent on props for the queue and spent that on props for the ride instead.

-Get rid of the plastic bird on a stick. Hey, come to think of it, that would actually SAVE money!

I thought moeny wasn't the issue....hmmm.

ANYAWAYS, to use the -hic-. Excuse me.

To use the "MOVIE" metaphor, Company dumped alot of money into a "Artsy" director's lap to make a big movie. Money spent, Movie comes out, Critcs love it because it's artsy, regular people love if because it'a big glitzy action number. Along comes you, you think it's overrated, could've done more. Got it. Fair enough. So isn't THIS the point where I say "Fuhgeddaboutit, you keep on keepin' on" and you say "Fair's Fair, you think what you want no problem." we shake hands and go on our merry way and try and remember we have better things to be doing then arguing about a Roller Coaster a few days before a New Year?

*takes a drink*



*passes out drunk*

 

[agent86]

A lot of people have expressed all-out disappointment? I'm sorry, but I don't buy that. I've never heard anyone give any indication of disappointment getting off the ride.

How much time do you spend hanging out at the exit of the ride listening to people's reactions to it? I'd rather spend my day enjoying the park, personally.

Do you have survey data or some form of empirical evidence [besides posters to this thread] to substantiate that?

You don't put any stock in the opinions of posters to a Disney fan site?? I think if devoted Disney fans are expressing disappointment, that says quite a lot. Especially since so many are so often accused (some justifiably so) as looking at Disney through rose colored glasses and believing Disney can do no wrong.

Actually, much as I disliked the bird, it was my understanding that it served a purpose in scaring off real birds [that tend to leave unwanted deposits when they visit], rather than as an integral part of the storyline.:shrug:

I think a big hairy super-sophisticated animatronic yeti would scare the birds away a lot more effectively! :wave:

 

[jt04]

I'm not bashing Everest but I have observed that the actual shell does not match the artist concept. It looks more like Ayers Rock than Everest at the base of the structure. Now I am sure a lot of $ were saved in steel and concrete costs and I have always conjectured that the Imagineers refused to scale back the queue (a wise choice IMO) so the mountain was downsized.

The optimist in me hopes they scaled it back to decrease the mountains "footprint" so they could eventually expand the village or add a new attraction. Only Martin knows for sure.

It is a great attraction but I really hope the days of paring back Imagineering concepts in significant ways has ended. If it's worth doing it is worth doing right, or not at all. Just my 2 pence.

 

[agent86]

Ok, so you say that the money could've spent better, but how much it cost dosen't matter.

That's good, because now what you say the money could've been spent on dosen't matter as well, since money dosen't seem to be the issue here.
:shrug:

*takes a drink*




Nah, I do that so people in their own worlds can hear me clearer.

*tales a drink*



But just up there aways you said that the average guest dosen't care about the cost?

Well, anyhoo, the ride is the most popular in the park, and in the top five attractions on properity for attendence and guest sastifaction, so looks like the "average guest" decided that they love the ride long ago, so you're in the minority out there...

*takes a drink*



I thought moeny wasn't the issue....hmmm.

ANYAWAYS, to use the -hic-. Excuse me.

To use the "MOVIE" metaphor, Company dumped alot of money into a "Artsy" director's lap to make a big movie. Money spent, Movie comes out, Critcs love it because it's artsy, regular people love if because it'a big glitzy action number. Along comes you, you think it's overrated, could've done more. Got it. Fair enough. So isn't THIS the point where I say "Fuhgeddaboutit, you keep on keepin' on" and you say "Fair's Fair, you think what you want no problem." we shake hands and go on our merry way and try and remember we have better things to be doing then arguing about a Roller Coaster a few days before a New Year?

*takes a drink*



*passes out drunk*

I think all that drinking caused you to misunderstand my post. :lol: Re-read it when you're sober and it will all make sense.

 

[Monty]

I think a big hairy super-sophisticated animatronic yeti would scare the birds away a lot more effectively! :wave:

:ROFLOL: That, I'll grant you! :sohappy:

 

[EpcotServo]

I think all that drinking caused you to misunderstand my post. :lol: Re-read it when you're sober and it will all make sense.

I tried. Why did you think I was drinking?
:lol:

When it comes down to Disney attractions, I've always said they either die a hero, or live long enough to see themselves become the villains.

 

[EpcotServo]

You don't put any stock in the opinions of posters to a Disney fan site?? I think if devoted Disney fans are expressing disappointment, that says quite a lot. Especially since so many are so often accused (some justifiably so) as looking at Disney through rose colored glasses and believing Disney can do no wrong.

If you do, take a look here. It totals a 9.4 from reviews from the same posters of this site...

http://www.wdwmagic.com/Attractions/Expedition-Everest/Reviews.htm

:shrug:

 

[ToTBellHop]

I tried. Why did you think I was drinking?
:lol:

When it comes down to Disney attractions, I've always said they either die a hero, or live long enough to see themselves become the villains.

and I would certainly argue Everest is one Harvey Dent of a ride...incredible queue with incredible special effects and an impressive ride structure that unfortunately falls short now due to a less-than-incredible maintenance budget. It truly would be stellar if they could get all of the effects working (at least most of the time...). There's no real question that the ride COULD have been better, but every ride COULD be better. Money isn't infinite, though. I would imagine most of us are creative enough to even come up with improvements for attractions like the Tower of Terror or Indiana Jones Adventure, but they are still fantastic rides that don't NEED any changes.

What we ended up with on Everest is still fantastic--though I do wish they would fix the effects, as that really should be unacceptable and grounds for a refurbishment.

 

[agent86]

and I would certainly argue Everest is one Harvey Dent of a ride

Following the Batman theme, I'd liken Everest to more along the lines of "Batman & Robin"...It showed a lot of promise but ended up being an extreme disappointment.

...incredible queue with incredible special effects and an impressive ride structure

I'm curious what specifically about Everest's "special effects" that you find "incredible". Just wondering, because people here use words like "incredible" and "amazing" but they're never specific about what they're actually referring to. I've never found anything about Everest's effects to be all that impressive. Surely you're not referring to the waterfall "effect" (I mean, how the heck did they do that?? :lol or the cutesy cartoon projection that we're supposed to believe is a shadow of what we're going to see a few moments later for 2 seconds.

I would imagine most of us are creative enough to even come up with improvements for attractions like the Tower of Terror or Indiana Jones Adventure, but they are still fantastic rides that don't NEED any changes.

That's the key though. Those attractions are already awesome. Everest falls short.

 

[imagineer boy]

Here's some random ideas for a an Everest 2.0 that I think would make the ride perfect:

The ride is basically the same (except for a better shadow animation) until after the big helix where the train then enters a tunnel and starts going up a lift in the dark. Suddenly at the top of the lift, the yeti appears (its dimly lit and has strobe lights so you see it, but not in full detail) and then "grabs" the track and the train (with the help of hydraulics under the track) starts to shake and buck sideways to simulate as if the yeti was ripping apart with the train on it. Then the train starts falling backwards and then goes through another thrilling stretch of track through many tunnels. Then it stops, and then a simiulated avalanche starts crashing around the cave around the train. The train starts moving forward again into more dark tunnels, then it has the last encounter with the yeti (but much slower so you see the AA better) and then pulls out of the mountain and pulls into the station.

 

[agent86]

the last encounter with the yeti (but much slower so you see the AA better) and then pulls out of the mountain and pulls into the station.

That's actually something else that's kind of silly about the "storyline" of this ride... Basically we went to all the trouble of climbing high up into the mountain peaks, and the yeti was actually right there a few hundred feet away in the tunnel right by our train station. At least on the Matterhorn, you get the sense that you were encountering the abominable snowman high up in the mountain as opposed to just seconds before you pull back into the station. :hammer:

 

[RSoxNo1]

Here's the thing. I completely buy into the reasons behind why we only see the Yeti for a quick glimpse. The Yeti is oft described as "The Elusive Yeti" in mythology. It should be just that, elusive. If you look at the way the ride is set up we sense the Yeti is around us, much like at the beginning of Haunted Mansion we sense the spirits, but we only catch glimpses of them.

One of the things speculated during Everest's development was that we would be on a track that was ripped up (presumably where the Yeti Projection is right now). Something like that would have put this ride over the top, but as it is, it's a top 10 ride at WDW - it just isn't #1.

The story that we read about the ride was that we were supposed to have encounters with the Yeti, but never see him until the very end. I always think that was the intent. Perhaps we might have caught bits and pieces of him throughout the ride (a foot running away as someone had suggested), but I believe that from the beginning we were only supposed to catch a fleeting glimpse of the Yeti at the end of the ride.

That builds the hype of the ride, as does the piped in sound effects at the bathroom near the Yak and Yeti restaurant (I'm pretty sure that's Rohde's voice in one of the dialogue tracks).

 

[agent86]

much like at the beginning of Haunted Mansion we sense the spirits, but we only catch glimpses of them.

We "only catch glimpses"?? Ummm...what Haunted Mansion have YOU been on??

 

[jt04]

We "only catch glimpses"?? Ummm...what Haunted Mansion have YOU been on??

:veryconfu

 

[Lee]

It showed a lot of promise but ended up being an extreme disappointment.

Be sure to add the words "in my opinion" to statements like that.

I, for one, am not at all disappointed in Everest. Not in the least.:shrug:
I am a bit let down about the upkeep, but that's another issue entirely.

 

[agent86]

Be sure to add the words "in my opinion" to statements like that.

I think it would make reading threads a bit unwieldy if everyone had to add the words "in my opinion" to every post expressing their opinion.

 

[EpcotServo]

We "only catch glimpses"?? Ummm...what Haunted Mansion have YOU been on??

MANSION 101 - (Beginner's Discourse- Section 2a.1)

In the "Haunted Mansion" you see NO ghosts at all until Madame Leota performs the incantation to make them visable-Up until that scene, changing portraits, moving objects, and haunting sounds are the only things used to create an errie effect.

Be sure to add the words "in my opinion" to statements like that.

I, for one, am not at all disappointed in Everest. Not in the least.:shrug:
I am a bit let down about the upkeep, but that's another issue entirely.

HIGHLIGHTED for TRUTH.
:sohappy:

 

[jt04]

I think it would make reading threads a bit unwieldy if everyone had to add the words "in my opinion" to every post expressing their opinion.

Well thats your opinion....in my opinion