I haven't heard much about this after Chapek left but I assume this is down the toilet with him right? I would surely hope so! It's literally the worst idea I ever heard.
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Soo Black box is cancelled right?
- Thread starter TomboyJanet
- Start date
Kamikaze
Well-Known Member
Its essentially MMRR.
A ride that can be swapped out or changed easily because there are very few 'permanent' fixtures.
Not exactly sure why its such a bad idea in your opinion. Disney should change & update rides from time to time.
UNCgolf
Well-Known Member
MMRR is a bit more complicated than that because of the moving parts, especially in the scene that completely changes. It would also require either reprogramming the trackless vehicles or replacing every scene in the ride with something that used the exact same movement as previously existed in MMRR. It would be a quicker swap than something like Splash Mountain, but it's not really a black box attraction.
I think a black box attraction would be almost inherently boring for a theme park -- it would be hard to build something easily swappable that wouldn't provide essentially the same experience just watching a video at home. As much as I dislike Smugglers Run, it at least has the Millennium Falcon cockpit. A black box attraction almost by default couldn't even offer that; it would probably feel like something they could do in a mall.
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Robbiem
Well-Known Member
I think the black box was an interesting idea which wouldn’t work in practice
having an easily updatable ride for different seasons or promotions is a good idea but we know disney wouldn’t keep it up. Look at how often Toy Story mania or smugglers run are updated. We would end up with a basic ride which stays the same for 25 years until it becomes embarrassing
having an easily updatable ride for different seasons or promotions is a good idea but we know disney wouldn’t keep it up. Look at how often Toy Story mania or smugglers run are updated. We would end up with a basic ride which stays the same for 25 years until it becomes embarrassing
It was proposed during the Iger years.
Kamikaze
Well-Known Member
There aren't any fixtures that would need to be removed. Changing the programming is much simpler than tearing up the building.
Vinnie Mac
Well-Known Member
I hate this concept. It reminds me of that Illuminarium projection room experience. It's really dumb and it loses its wow factor within like 2-3 minutes
Because its the same as sitting home and watching tv. Why should I pay for theme park admission to watch television? I find the screens flat and uninspiring. The lack of depth makes me very aware that I am not immersed. Whenever they do implament these screens they are always seemingly poor quality and have distorted colorations as well. I feel like screens should be used ONLY on simulators or for background animations and no further. MMRR was kinda disappointing to me, at least in the middle part, but It did have Daisey Duck's dance studio, The engine, Some landscapes, The tunnels. Mickey's Car, and was done with enough humor to make it enjoyable. It's not the best ride and far inferior to GMR since so much was removed to put up a simple wall, but at least it had 3-D figures. This black box concept is essentially Ninjago at legoland without the star throwing. It's not Disney level to me. It's like Six Flags Level, and of lower quality than the Spelunkers at SFOT and Justice League at Magic Mountain and Great Adventure etc. I think that you lose a lot when you cheapen a ride to the same level as like a McDonalds toy promotion. Limited time only! This seems more suited for Downtown Disney or a mall. I could find you nine non disney Dark rides that are superior to this idea right now including Ghost Hunt at Lake Compounce, Timber Mountain and Calico at Knotts, The Old Mill at Rye Playland (a boardwalk!), and Yosemite Sam's Gold Rush River that was at Six Flags Over Texas.
Also I disagree that some rides need to be changed. Like Imagination could have just stayed in its original form with minimal updates, maybe enhanced effects, one room different, but not a complete overhaul. Growing up with some of these rides and then not getting to see them for years only to hear they are being removed one year after I return has not rubbed me the right way. The loss of Nostalgia detracted from my experience. They should have a good balance of old and new. Like for instance they shouldn't remove the Haunted Mansion and replace it with just tv screens showing ghosts in each section
Ahh geez.... Really? I seriously think this and Moana Grandma Spaceship Earth are the worst ideas I've heard. It's a kid using magic markers on a masterpiece
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UNCgolf
Well-Known Member
That's what I said. MMRR would be easier than something like Splash Mountain, but it's not quite the same as a simple black box attraction that could be flipped potentially overnight. MMRR also does have fixtures that would need removal/changing unless you designed the new attraction to use the exact same fixtures. Again, though, they are generally much simpler than what would be required on other attractions.
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Why is ease so important? What happened to immersion and depth? I feel like Spongebob looking at the patties in Krabby o Mondays going "where's the love???"
yensidtlaw1969
Well-Known Member
I don't think the poster you're replying to is insisting that it is important - only that it's essentially the premise of the Black Box ride and that MMRR is very nearly a similar concept in its execution.
It seems pretty clear that the Black Box attraction was proposed so that they could try to cash in on hot properties without having to commit to full, new-build attractions and the construction time and expenses that come with them. Which, as has been said, is interesting in theory, but in practice would almost certainly be an exercise in shorting the guests on real immersive attractions that deserve to stand in the parks as permanent installations.
That's kinda how I feel. It will take up space where a much better thing could go, like *cough a new Great Movie Ride cough* (I wish!)
There are too many low quality things replacing high quality things and before long they'll realize they are just a poor imitation of Universal's transformers and Fast And Furious style rides
danlb_2000
Premium Member
Not sure what you mean by "fixtures" but there are physical sets in the ride, although they are pretty simple and would be easy to remove.
With Mermaid apparently gone due to the black mold (and probably that part of the complex with it), they have a strong insentative to redo the Courtyard. The Disney Junior show is out of date (referencing properties that have changed shows in the years since it opened), and Launch Bay is nothing more than M&G space at this point. All of it could be replaced with the black box as planned - but does Disney have the money to do so? I doubt it.
Vinnie Mac
Well-Known Member
It's not even about if they have the money. Its just... why...?
Build REAL attractions instead of glorified home theaters
yensidtlaw1969
Well-Known Member
They would much rather cut a check for updating something like this than for building actual new attractions, which take many millions of dollars and years to construct.
Timothy_Q
Well-Known Member
I'm sure they would. Just as easy as the TSM holiday overlays!
Mouse3268
Well-Known Member
It really would depend on how much money was put into it and how they portrayed it. I love the idea of an ever changing C-Ticket ride in the vein of a Fantasyland dark at the Hollywood studios. If it was going to be pushed as a mega E-Ticket, that would have been dumb.
Bender123
Well-Known Member
For as much as people hate (rightly) on Chapek for nickle and diming and park reservations, its not like he came in with the best hand dealt to him...Starcruiser, Epcot remake, Genie, pushing Disney into politics, falling castmember standards, broken rides/effects, price increases, Galaxies Edge cutbacks and more were all on Igers watch. Outside the parks, Iger oversaw the development of almost every movie released under Chapeks term, as they were in production long before Chapek took over. Im sure I am missing more...they must have known Universal was doing far more than just Harry Potter and there is still no plan in place for that competition.
For my life I dont understand why the Disney community is so happy that Iger is back, when he was, quite literally, responsible for almost everything people claim he will fix.