Space Mountain Heading to the Scrap Heap :)

Lee

Adventurer
Vehicle vs. Vehicle.
SM Rocket vs. Rockit train
And the winner is....
 

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hack2112

Active Member
HRR looks amazing, and I can't wait to go down and ride it. Manta (Which is soooo amazing) + HRR will be total epic win.

Also, the HHN website has updated. I really hope A&D has some original material for this year.
 

marsrunner

New Member
Hmm...design-wise I like the Space Mountain rockets better. Call it nostalgia or whatever, but I like them better. Now, they look terrible in their current state, but that's less to design and more to use!
Still like the current DL SM rockets better than HRR.
 

Monorail_Orange

Well-Known Member
RRR has theming.Music, palm trees, the trains.That's all theming.Everything that surrounds the ride is theming.I've walked around uni,It has the hollywood feeling. In fact, It's a real set.All of the buildings behind some of the rides are sets.Trust me, I know how entertainment works.Unless you have never been to hollywood, you don't know what the theming is like.

EDIT: Just because it's a suspended roller coaster doesn't mean it's not themed.It doesnt have to be inside of a mountain or indoors in the dark to have theming.That's why they surrounded the coaster with palm trees, made the cars light up(because hollywood is a blinding city) and added music for the hollywood theming.The coaster doesnt have to go through a doughnut hole just for the perfect theme!

Music, palm trees, and the trains themselves are all part of a theme, yes. But tell me, what exactly is the story the theme is trying to present on HRRR? This is my one MAJOR problem with uni - and I know I'm going to get blasted on here for this, but - uni often fails to present a story on some of their signature attractions. To me, IOA is NOT a theme park - it's a amusement park.

For example: Hulk - story starts good, you're in Banner's lab, go through all the switchbacks. Then you get on the train, go up the lift hill tunnel (which you plainly see the sky at the end of - couldn't they have extended the tunnel a little further to add a cool "gamma ray" green laser light?), and then you're out on the track - and there's no more story. Theme elements? Um, sure i guess the track being green is a theme element - but the story's over, now you're just on a coaster. Replace a few words/colors to my statment and you get Dueling Dragons.

HRRR seems to be the same kind of thing - some story getting on the ride, then you get to pick your own A/V experience while you ride a roller coaster.

In RnR there is a cohesive story from start to finish. You're entering a recording studio, where Aerosmith is "laying down some tracks." You get to go back stage to meet the band, where they are hustled off to their next concert, but not without insisting you get brought along. So the manager calls for your "super stretch" to pick you up out in the alley. And then...you're off to the concert thru the streets of LA! And then, you actually arrive backstage at "the concert."

Even SM has the story of blasting off and travelling thru space. There, the darkness is part of the theming, and enhances the story. Granted, in our charming WDW SM, we don't have the audio (yet). But at least compared to DL's original, our track layout is WAAAAAY better - very Matterhorn-esqe. (I cannot compare to the relaunched DL SM as i have not been back since 2004.)

As far as needing to be inside - compare Big Thunder or EE to what I've mentioned above - again, a complete story - and even though all the rocks are a facade - at least the coaster's support structure isn't the main scenery as with Hulk, DD, or from all appearances, HRRR.

Ok, I'm off my soapbox now, let the blasting begin.

P.S. this is not meant to touch off a WDW/Uni comparison battle - merely my observations that the grass is not always greener. Personally, the immersive environment of Disney's attractions has always captured my attention - Uni does this themselves on some things - Back to the Future, Jaws, JP, Spidey, to name a few.

TDO should look to invest in new, immersive and complete story experiences, like we have buy-n-large in WDW now- lol Wall-E :D
 

Walter Yensid

Active Member
Vehicle vs. Vehicle.
SM Rocket vs. Rockit train
And the winner is....

Lee, I definitely get your point and agree that the Rockit vehicles are amazing.

But, to be fair, we have no idea what the new vehicles will look like for SM after refurb and the pic of SM was not some professional shot. Will they look exactly the same? Well, I would imagine they would at least receive a coat of paint, change of upholstery, etc worst case. Best case, we get something a little better. Again, not saying we will end up with anything better or anything close to Rockit, but I have a feeling they will look a little better than that photo even if they are the same vehicles. If not, do you think the SSE complaint battle was bad? :)

Just trying to keep it a little fair.
 

disneysroyal411

New Member
The theme is that it's your concert and you are getting adored by the fans. The only thing is that there are no lighting features and no pyrotechnics or anything. I also like the Space Mountain cars better for theme.
 

Lee

Adventurer
Again, not saying we will end up with anything better or anything close to Rockit, but I have a feeling they will look a little better than that photo even if they are the same vehicles. If not, do you think the SSE complaint battle was bad? :)
Oh, I'm sure they will look a little better, no doubt.
However, there is only so much they can do with the existing rockets. Not enough to bring them into Rockit's league.
Anyhow, if they look the same as they do now, I am sure some people will complain. But others....others will say "Thank goodness they kept the classic trains!":rolleyes:
There is a difference between "classic" and just plain old.
 

Jasonflz

Well-Known Member
Oh, I'm sure they will look a little better, no doubt.
However, there is only so much they can do with the existing rockets. Not enough to bring them into Rockit's league.
Anyhow, if they look the same as they do now, I am sure some people will complain. But others....others will say "Thank goodness they kept the classic trains!":rolleyes:
There is a difference between "classic" and just plain old.

:lol::D I will be guilty of that. Hopefully they at least still glow in the dark.:lookaroun
 

Jasonflz

Well-Known Member
I will be doing the opposite, giving them a swift kick and cursing them, "stupid old-a$$, low-tech, no audio trains."
:D

:lol::lol::lol:

I'm sure the Cm's working that shift will greatly appreciate that. Besides, who ever heard of music in space?
 

Walter Yensid

Active Member
Oh, I'm sure they will look a little better, no doubt.
However, there is only so much they can do with the existing rockets. Not enough to bring them into Rockit's league.
Anyhow, if they look the same as they do now, I am sure some people will complain. But others....others will say "Thank goodness they kept the classic trains!":rolleyes:
There is a difference between "classic" and just plain old.

I agree with you about old and classic, but at the same time, I do not believe the vehicles determine alone how good a ride it is. The Rockit vehicles look modern and snazzy, but obviously that fits their particular ride/theme. As an example, Big Thunder would and should never have ultra-snazzy vehicles...does not go with the theme. Same thing with a newer ride like EE. Just would not fit the theme. Obviously, that does not allow you to have 'ratty', old-looking vehicles just because it is an older-period ride, but it needs to fit in with theme.

So, if SM opens with the same vehicles, I will not be mad as I actually enjoy that single rider look...for whatever reason, it just feels a little more dangerous and out of control when you are on it...especially in that first seat. I would obviously be extremely disappointed if they did not spruce them up and make them a little less 70s. But again, I think it all comes down to theme and I do not think the vehicle used will determine SM's refurb success.
 

hack2112

Active Member
Music, palm trees, and the trains themselves are all part of a theme, yes. But tell me, what exactly is the story the theme is trying to present on HRRR? This is my one MAJOR problem with uni - and I know I'm going to get blasted on here for this, but - uni often fails to present a story on some of their signature attractions. To me, IOA is NOT a theme park - it's a amusement park.
Let's see, a place with 6 individually themed lands (and a 7th on the way) is an amusement park.

For example: Hulk - story starts good, you're in Banner's lab, go through all the switchbacks. Then you get on the train, go up the lift hill tunnel (which you plainly see the sky at the end of - couldn't they have extended the tunnel a little further to add a cool "gamma ray" green laser light?), and then you're out on the track - and there's no more story. Theme elements? Um, sure i guess the track being green is a theme element - but the story's over, now you're just on a coaster. Replace a few words/colors to my statment and you get Dueling Dragons.
Hulk does have a story line. The coaster itself fits very much into it. Think of it as an interpretive dance. Do the moves make sense to the lyrics of the song? Not always, but upon closer inspection you see that they do. The Hulk places you in the experience of the Hulk himself, and essentially shows the anger and intensity of his actions and emotions through coaster track. Or am I going too far into this?
As for DD, because you can't actually ride on dragons, or have a trackless coaster, it's themeing works great. And the cars are actually themed to look like their respective dragon. And the story is very easily figured out, even if you magically transported on to the coaster train itself.

HRRR seems to be the same kind of thing - some story getting on the ride, then you get to pick your own A/V experience while you ride a roller coaster.
HRRR helped create a more cohesive Hollywood section of the park with the addition of the new performing space and theme. It's also testing some new technology being used for TWWoHP.

In RnR there is a cohesive story from start to finish. You're entering a recording studio, where Aerosmith is "laying down some tracks." You get to go back stage to meet the band, where they are hustled off to their next concert, but not without insisting you get brought along. So the manager calls for your "super stretch" to pick you up out in the alley. And then...you're off to the concert thru the streets of LA! And then, you actually arrive backstage at "the concert."

Even SM has the story of blasting off and travelling thru space. There, the darkness is part of the theming, and enhances the story. Granted, in our charming WDW SM, we don't have the audio (yet). But at least compared to DL's original, our track layout is WAAAAAY better - very Matterhorn-esqe. (I cannot compare to the relaunched DL SM as i have not been back since 2004.)

As far as needing to be inside - compare Big Thunder or EE to what I've mentioned above - again, a complete story - and even though all the rocks are a facade - at least the coaster's support structure isn't the main scenery as with Hulk, DD, or from all appearances, HRRR.
Hulk's track is used as the weenie of MSHI, more or less, but the building itself is massive, and rather well themed, and the load platform is no joke either. And are you kidding me about Dueling Dragons? The castle is one of the best themed structures I have ever seen.

Ok, I'm off my soapbox now, let the blasting begin.

P.S. this is not meant to touch off a WDW/Uni comparison battle - merely my observations that the grass is not always greener. Personally, the immersive environment of Disney's attractions has always captured my attention - Uni does this themselves on some things - Back to the Future, Jaws, JP, Spidey, to name a few.
The only ride to really have a loose theme in UO is HRRR, but at least they placed the entrance in the Hollywood section of the park.

TDO should look to invest in new, immersive and complete story experiences, like we have buy-n-large in WDW now- lol Wall-E :D
Also, if you would like to see amazing themeing and story at it's finest, see Halloween Horror Nights. Plus, it's interactive!
 

Monorail_Orange

Well-Known Member
^ Each Six Flags park also has themed lands - granted not 6 or 7 generally. And, I'm not talking the lands themselves - I'm talking the rides. And yes the castle in DD - awesome theme, very well done! But then you get on the coaster - and its literally just two intertwined coasters - again, impressive in and of themselves, but it's not an immersive story. My point is that i am far more impressed when the entire structure becomes part of the theme - as in EE, or at least is unobtrusive to the theme - like with SM. :shrug:
 

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