Spirited News and Observations and Opinions ...

[WDW1974]

Well, like it or not, AA's are out and Holograms are in. It's the future, today! The times they are a changin!

Yep, the AA's are all looking very old, dated and as if they belong in a museum. Faster they are replaced, the better.

They look that way because Disney doesn't spend the money on them. In TDR, the AAs are silent, life-like and look like they were just installed.

I agree that WDW's look old and dated largely ... that's what purposeful neglect will do.

As to the future, I have no problems with projections/holograms, but not as an entire attraction. It's like most movie-based attractions, they get old very quickly.

 

[WDW1974]

Yeah, I'm new. What are this guys sources? Why should I believe him?

Because it will raise your IQ, clear up your bad complexion and improve your love life.

Trust me, this guy knows what he is talking about ... hell, he knows even more, which is the REAL scary stuff!

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Why all the ho-hum about Mermaid? It isn't the greatest attraction, and they certainly could have done better on it in some areas, but as far as Fantasyland attractions go...isn't it kind of the best one? I mean, the characters on Peter Pan's Flight don't even move.

If it's the best, it's because the others are so poor. Compared with DL's dark rides, Mermaid is not my favourite at all.

 

[JLW11Hi]

They look that way because Disney doesn't spend the money on them. In TDR, the AAs are silent, life-like and look like they were just installed.

I agree that WDW's look old and dated largely ... that's what purposeful neglect will do.

As to the future, I have no problems with projections/holograms, but not as an entire attraction. It's like most movie-based attractions, they get old very quickly.

Completely agree. Holograms sound cool, but the lack of quality updates to AA technology is no reason to cast them off completely.

 

[JLW11Hi]

If it's the best, it's because the others are so poor. Compared with DL's dark rides, Mermaid is not my favourite at all.

I agreed with you until you compared it to DL's. Disneyland has a lot of great, classic, charming dark rides, but none of them are really any more advanced than MK's, in my opinion. They do have a lot more, though.

From what I've seen in video (and someone who's been there could verify this), the Winnie the Pooh ride in Tokyo looks like it beats out all of the dark rides in America, if for no other reason than there is no track!

 

[WDW1974]

Why all the ho-hum about Mermaid? It isn't the greatest attraction, and they certainly could have done better on it in some areas, but as far as Fantasyland attractions go...isn't it kind of the best one? I mean, the characters on Peter Pan's Flight don't even move.

Peter Pan has that something special ... that MAGICal 'it' thing from flying out the window and over a moonlit London to Never Land.

Mermaid doesn't. It feels so plasticy. So cheap (when it wasn't).

 

[Clever Name]

AA's were what made Disney Parks, Disney Parks! Without them the charm and uniqueness of the parks will be hurt.

The old AA's (such as Tiki Room, CBJ and CoP) have fallen into disrepair and haven't worked properly for years. It's embarassing. New guests don't look at CoP (for example) and think to themselves that those AA's look like real people. Guests look at those AA's today and think they resemble Halloween figures sold at Wal-Mart. They do recognize that the Captain Jack AA's and the Stitch AA are a whole new product.

That said, I do think that Walt, himself, would have followed that path, because he was always into the next big thing and that is certainly one of the "next big things" or current big things considering they are there now.

I agree. Walt would not have allowed these old AA's to go unimproved for so many decades.

 

[WDW1974]

I'm assuming you were making a joke.

I wonder how many people will read your post and make that connection. We will be having to correct them for years because of their misinformation.

For those who have already made that connection: The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights has no connection whatsoever to Ozzie Osborne.

Yes, Dug, I was joking. I don't like not having my old stable of smileys. ... And, besides, isn't it fun thinking that Ozzy and Sharon brought this display to Disney from 90201?

Besides. did you know Disney is building a fifth gate and it will be made up of Marvel and Star Wars? A bus driver said so ... really ...

 

[ChrisFL]

I think the problem with Mermaid is that it seems to have set itself out to do something more than the other FL attractions, by bringing more of a narrative of an actual storyline. You're narrated through the attraction more vs. something like Peter Pan where its more of a vignette and you "make up" the story from what you remember or think about.

WDI led us down this path of a proper narrative and storyline, only to cut it short at the end and give us no explanation about what happened. Its almost as if they designed the ride in order of scenes and then the budget ran out at the end. So they just threw in an ending where everyone lives happily ever after and we sorta see Ursula being electrocuted in the background, once again for no reason.

 

[WDW1974]

I'm talking Ms Flynn to DLR for the first week of Jan. Not only do we get midnight closures, all the christmas entertainment is still running.. and.. none of the candlelight processional BS. Win, Win, Win.

I'm tempted to say how shocked I am that you have a Mrs. but instead I'll just wish you both a MAGICal time in Anaheim.

I am too lazy to check, but I am almost 100% sure that all WDW hours, except for MK, go back to relatively normal on 1/1. That just blows my mind with the holidays being late.

 

[WDW1974]

I've seen port of entry and it is cool. It's not fantastic like walking into Cars Land from the Wharf at DCA, but it is neat. Does it compare to New Fantasyland? i'll let you know in about 5 years or so when I go back to WDW after something AMAZING is added to Epcot!

Five years?!

You're really being optimistic!

 

[TalkingHead]

I agreed with you until you compared it to DL's. Disneyland has a lot of great, classic, charming dark rides, but none of them are really any more advanced than MK's, in my opinion. They do have a lot more, though.

Actually, the DL dark rides have regularly been plussed and cleaned -- their Pan has a great fiberoptic star effect, which they've had for years (maybe since the 80s) that MK has never received. Their Snow White ride had a nice upgrade in effects a couple years ago and the MK version...doesn't exist anymore, but it never got the upgrade in effects, either.

 

[yoyoflamingo]

Yes, Dug, I was joking. I don't like not having my old stable of smileys. ... And, besides, isn't it fun thinking that Ozzy and Sharon brought this display to Disney from 90201?

Besides. did you know Disney is building a fifth gate and it will be made up of Marvel and Star Wars? A bus driver said so ... really ...

Monorail expansion too?

 

[yoyoflamingo]

Actually, the DL dark rides have regularly been plussed and cleaned -- their Pan has a great fiberoptic star effect, which they've had for years (maybe since the 80s) that MK has never received. Their Snow White ride had a nice upgrade in effects a couple years ago and the MK version...doesn't exist anymore, but it never got the upgrade in effects, either.

And most importantly, they have Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.

 

[WDW1974]

Sounds cool. I haven't seen the holograms in this show, so hopefully they really do impress.

They do. ... To a point.

When Captain Jack first makes his appearance, it's almost like he's in the room with you. But it gets tired quickly. I still think I enjoyed it more because of Depp than Mermaid.

What I enjoyed more was the weirdness of having the guy who plays Geoff Peterson (Craig Ferguson's gay skeleton robot sidekick on CBS's Late Late Show) do the voice of the talking skull ... it was very, very bizarre for someone who loves watching the show.

 

[JLW11Hi]

Actually, the DL dark rides have regularly been plussed and cleaned -- their Pan has a great fiberoptic star effect, which they've had for years (maybe since the 80s) that MK has never received. Their Snow White ride had a nice upgrade in effects a couple years ago and the MK version...doesn't exist anymore, but it never got the upgrade in effects, either.

That is great that they are adding those updates, but I don't know if it compares to simply making a brand new attraction with AAs that are more advanced.

I don't think Disney (or any park for that matter) has properly updated the classic dark ride to coincide with the advancements in technology they've developed for their more advanced E-Tickets.

 

[TalkingHead]

And most importantly, they have Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.

And Alice and one land over Roger Rabbit...

 

[ChrisFL]

I enjoy the new Captain Jack experience thing, partially because it was much more elaborate than I expected, with some nice effects. The problem is that it seems like a great build-up to something, then you exit and its over. No other props from the movies to look at, no interactive display setups, or, I dunno, that pirates game from DisneyQuest which could be fun....

 

[TP2000]

There are two types of people, early birds and night owls. I am a Spirit of the night. The idea of going to bed at 10 p.m. while on vacation to get up at 5:30 and run down to grab coffee is as unnatural to me as lowering prices is to Disney. A perfect theme park day for me might begin at 6 p.m. It may begin at noon. But unless I'm in Tokyo it won't be starting before 10 or 11 a.m. at the earliest.

I am EXACTLY the same way. When in Tokyo Disneyland, I can manage to be up and out of the room down to the Starbucks in the lobby of the Tokyo Bay Hilton by about 8:30AM. But that's only in Tokyo. On a good day.

If NextGen or Fastpass+ or whatever it is can be tailored to create a busy afternoon to late night itinerary in the parks, avoiding the morning hours entirely, I'd be okay with it.

 

[yoyoflamingo]

And Alice and one land over Roger Rabbit...

Agreed, but Toad is still my favorite.