Slash and Burn ...

[Lee]

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.

Nah...not at all.
Like this:
"In my opinion (ride x) was a huge disappointment."
or
"It was a huge disappointment, in my opinion."

Makes more sense...in my....well, you know...

 

[jt04]

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.

OK, here is my idea:

Remove the Yeti AA from the mountain and create a new attraction at the base of the mountain. Put the Yeti in a cage as if it has been captured then people can see the Yeti in a special theater in the tradition of King Kong. Of course eventually the lights will go out and mayhem will ensue. And I would call the attraction:
YETI ENCOUNTER

 

[Disneyfanman]

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:

Here's an unscientific survey of my own. I have been to the world every year for 12 years, and have brought new people with me on quite a few trips. EE is among the top favorite attractions in the entire property with just about everyone in our parties, including myself. My wife, who hates roller coasters in general, calls it her favorite attraction ever. It's a great, mildly thrilling ride with wonderful sights and (when working) a great AA.

Is it perfect? Nope. The only perfect attraction is Splash. But that is another discussion for another day. :ROFLOL:

 

[agent86]

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.



Keeping in line with "Ghost Stories" you never just walk into a Mansion and see a hundred ghosts dancing around as soon as you step through the door.

Almost like how you can't stop and take a picture of a Yeti, if you see one.





HIGHLIGHTED for TRUTH.
:sohappy:

That's not exactly what I would call "only catching glimpses" of ghosts at the beginning of the ride. So using that as a comparison to the yeti on Everest is weak.

That's also another basic difference between HM and EE. On EE, it's nothing but the "brief glimpses". You never get the satisfaction. On HM, there's the buildup, but you also get the satisfaction of actually getting to see the ghosts. Using the logic that's being applied to Joe Rhode's explanation, if he had designed HM, you'd go through the entire attraction seeing nothing but hints of ghosts. I doubt it would be the classic attraction it is today if that had been the case.

 

[jt04]

Here's an unscientific survey of my own. I have been to the world every year for 12 years, and have brought new people with me on quite a few trips. EE is among the top favorite attractions in the entire property with just about everyone in our parties, including myself. My wife, who hates roller coasters in general, calls it her favorite attraction ever. It's a great, mildly thrilling ride with wonderful sights and (when working) a great AA.

Is it perfect? Nope. The only perfect attraction is Splash. But that is another discussion for another day. :ROFLOL:

That is the problem, what if it can't be fixed? :shrug:

 

[agent86]

Here's an unscientific survey of my own. I have been to the world every year for 12 years, and have brought new people with me on quite a few trips. EE is among the top favorite attractions in the entire property with just about everyone in our parties, including myself. My wife, who hates roller coasters in general, calls it her favorite attraction ever. It's a great, mildly thrilling ride with wonderful sights and (when working) a great AA.

Is it perfect? Nope. The only perfect attraction is Splash. But that is another discussion for another day. :ROFLOL:

Your friends were probably being polite because you brought them on your vacation with you. If somebody brought ME on a trip to WDW, and they kept telling me how great this one ride was, I too might feel a little obligated to play along and say, "Yeah it was great!" I think that's just courtesy. And you are correct that it's a very unscientific survey.

 

[hardcard]

omg... this entire thread smells of horse crap..


If you believe 50% of the crap that the OP posted, you need a reality check.

Chicken Little is here.. so nice to see you! :wave::wave:

 

[agent86]

omg... this entire thread smells of horse crap..


If you believe 50% of the crap that the OP posted, you need a reality check.

Chicken Little is here.. so nice to see you! :wave::wave:

You read through this entire thread? Wow, you must be quite the speed reader! That's 44 pages! Of course it would be a lot more pages if everyone put the words "in my opinion" after everything they said. :lol:

Actually, I forgot what the original topic was even about so I had to go back and read it. :lol:

 

[EpcotServo]

That's not exactly what I would call "only catching glimpses" of ghosts at the beginning of the ride. So using that as a comparison to the yeti on Everest is weak.

That's exactly what I would call "only catching glimpses of ghosts at the beginning of the ride. So using that as a comparison to Everest is strong.




Hey, if you can do it.
:shrug:

Your friends were probably being polite because you brought them on your vacation with you.

Of course.
:lol:


Me thinks the dead horse has been beaten.

 

[agent86]

Me thinks the dead horse has been beaten.

Ah, the universal "I'm losing this debate and don't have any intelligent responses to your points" phrase! That's right up there with the ever popular, "Well you have a right to your opinion." I always get a kick out of how people always want to remind you of your constitutional rights whenever they are losing an argument. :hammer:

 

[Lee]

What's the argument and who's losing it? :shrug:

 

[agent86]

What's the argument and who's losing it? :shrug:

I think that would seem clear to anyone skilled in the art of debating. Come to think of it, it should actually be clear to anyone, skilled or not. :animwink:

 

[RSoxNo1]

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

Let me clarify. The level at which we can see the ghosts changes the further we get into the mansion. We start outside where we see the headstones, and then we see a dead person hanging in the stretch room. We start out sensing ghosts around us, but not seeing any, then we start to see glimpses of ghosts in the ballroom scene, but they are fleeting. The ride is slow moving so we see them a few times, but the purpose is the same. It isn't until we leave the attic that we can see the ghosts clearly in the graveyard.

Compare that to Expedition Everest where we read about the myth of the Yeti in the queue. This is on par with the headstones and the hanging body. We then sense the Yeti's presence at the top of the mountain with claw marks and the ripped track. This is on par with the busts that follow you, and the other instances where you "sense" the spirits but don't see them. Then we see the projection of the yeti which is on par with the ball room. We have visible confirmation of the Yeti, but we haven't completely seen him. It's not until the end when we see the Yeti full on that it's comparable to the graveyard scene.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

you could use IMHO, if you choose, but no doubt that would cramp your style.

Lose definition of term of course.

 

[agent86]

you could use IMHO, if you choose, but no doubt that would cramp your style.

Lose definition of term of course.

Still seems like a waste of typing, for a point that should be obvious to most people.

 

[agent86]

Let me clarify. The level at which we can see the ghosts changes the further we get into the mansion. We start outside where we see the headstones, and then we see a dead person hanging in the stretch room. We start out sensing ghosts around us, but not seeing any, then we start to see glimpses of ghosts in the ballroom scene, but they are fleeting. The ride is slow moving so we see them a few times, but the purpose is the same. It isn't until we leave the attic that we can see the ghosts clearly in the graveyard.

Compare that to Expedition Everest where we read about the myth of the Yeti in the queue. This is on par with the headstones and the hanging body. We then sense the Yeti's presence at the top of the mountain with claw marks and the ripped track. This is on par with the busts that follow you, and the other instances where you "sense" the spirits but don't see them. Then we see the projection of the yeti which is on par with the ball room. We have visible confirmation of the Yeti, but we haven't completely seen him. It's not until the end when we see the Yeti full on that it's comparable to the graveyard scene.

I see what you're trying to say, but my point is that where HM conveys that story very well, EE really misses the mark. The cool thing about a Disney attraction is that it's supposed to let you experience things that are mysterious and fantastic. They're not supposed to leave you feeling like, "What was that? Did I see what I thought I might have seen?". That's not what happens in the HM, at least not by the time you've completed the ride. And again, I don't think your average guest really "gets" that storyline. When you have to be a hardcore Disney fan in order to understand what they were trying to convey, I think the Imagineers have failed.

 

[WDW1974]

Originally Posted by EpcotServo
I'll ALWAYS think that (has much as it pains me too) Alien Encounter closing was a very smart decision.

I disagree.
WDW spent in excess of $15 million to remake AE into Stitch. The result: lower attendance and worse guest satisfaction.
That, in my opinion was a HUGE waste of time and funds.

I concur, Lee.

And the figure I have heard was higher than $15 million ... and that of course leaves out all the new marketing costs (Disney put millions into letting people know that 'Stitch is loose in the MK' ...

It was a dumb, stupid, short-sighted decision.

It killed a wonderfully executed attraction that still had loads of fans. And, like most replacements at WDW the past decade, in came something much less quality than the original.

If you want to see kewl AAs followed by nasty smells, simply follow around a typical WDW exec and then set foot in a MK restroom!



Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian Noble
You aren't seriously proposing that park planning rely on guests not checking their brains at the gate, are you?

Seriously?

I mean, you've seen these people in the park, right?

I do propose something of the sort. A little common sense goes a long way.
Just because some people are so determined to get their kid on every attraction (AE and coasters for example) and end up scaring them to death is no excuse for dumbing down the park.

The idea that people are inately stupid so the parks and their offerings need to be dumbed down accordingly is insulting to all the guests (still most of them) with brains and common sense as well as the whole Disney legacy of never talking down to your audience and not going for base, quick thrills or laughs.

I was scared as a child the first time I went on Snow White of all things (it has been effectively castrated to remove any fears), but I lived ... it all comes down to knowing your kids and what is or isn't appropriate for them. Yeah, parenthood requires responsibility. Too bad a manual doesn't pop out with the baby!

The stupidity of some ... or even many is a lousy cop-out excuse to WalMart the magic for all!

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

Still seems like a waste of typing, for a point that should be obvious to most people.

Really? Well perhaps to someone like your good self, however I have noticed that some posters do tend to express opinion as a matter of fact, and given the nature of the interweb and its propensity for spreading falsehoods, it does help at times to add a smidgen of clarity, avoiding confusion and accusations of fabrication. IMHO of course.

As an aside, Ive always looked to theme parks for entertainment, for mystery and intrigue I have the current Mrs Saks cooking.

 

[WDW1974]

I guarantee a lot of parents who dragged their kids into that show weren't dumb, or negligent, or illiterate. They were conditioned by Disney itself to believe that there were certain lines the company wouldn't cross, and downplayed the warnings because of the image Disney has spent almost a century trying to project. AE just didn't fit with what Disney wants people to believe they represent, and I don't think any level of brilliance in its design could ever change that.

I think many parents were. And I also believe the idea that scarring kids was a big issue with AE is something that gained way too much traction due to places like this one ... I know that I have had far more screaming hysterical kids on everything from Star Tours to Pirates to Peter Pan. I also knew people who worked MK Guest Relations during the first 5-6 years AE was open and they sure never saw huge complaints about it.

As to Disney crossing some imaginary line with AE ... well, I didn't see it. Most of it was very obvious done in tongue in cheek style ... my biggest issues were the 15-year-old girls who liked to scream like they were in a slasher flick largely for attention. But I wind up with them on Splash Mountain too.

The point I find very interesting is when you talk about conditioning guests ... because frankly that's what I say when people tell me I am too critical of WDW or its management because I was conditioned to expect far better than I've been getting. ... Nice to see someone else using it, even if I still disagree with your point. FWIW, I do understand what you are saying, I just think issues with AE were much exaggerated.

 

[EpcotServo]

Ah, the universal "I'm losing this debate and don't have any intelligent responses to your points" phrase! That's right up there with the ever popular, "Well you have a right to your opinion." I always get a kick out of how people always want to remind you of your constitutional rights whenever they are losing an argument. :hammer:

I could've mentioned that you didn't say a thing when you called the people of this site's opinions on the ride "smart" yet the reviews average 9.4.

OK, You don't like the whole "Well you have a right to your opinion" thing, fine. Let's bring it on down a notch by being real. Your opinion isn't worth a horse's rear. Mine isn't too.

But at least I tried to point out you're spending your free time arguing with a schmuck like me about a Roller Coaster.

What exactly do you want?

Want me to say your Opinion is right?

Already did, you rejected it. (smooth)

Want me to agree with you?

Well that sure would counter your patriotic constitution speech.

Want me to say you win the argument?

Fine, you win. People still love Everest no matter what you say, so the fight for Disney's soul is already over. What's an argument worth?

Want Disney to do something about it?

I'M not the one to talk too then.

Want your statement heard?

Already did that. Statement Heard.

Want to engage in the fine art of Debate?

Not with that attitude.

I don't know what you want, but I've said my peace and have too much respect for my friends who run and moderate the site to further divulge this thread further into my dark and twisted carnival, of the soul.

What's the argument and who's losing it? :shrug:

The Argument is "Frustration" and the loser is "My Sanity"
:lol:

Oh well, whatever happens, happens.