Spirited News, Observations & Thoughts IV

[lazyboy97o]

The BIG Star Wars News is:
ABC and Lucasfilm in early talks about live-action 'Star Wars' TV series

I'll believe it when I see it. The live action Star Wars television show has been discussed on and off since Episode III hit theaters.

 

[RSoxNo1]

I would just like to see Disney build Transformers: The Ride with only using physical sets and robotics.

The ride doesn't work with just animatronics. It's an attraction that benefits from screens synced with vehicle motion.

 

[luv]

I would argue that Star Tours is the exception.

I can't comment on Star Tours. Loved the queue, but don't like the ride much. I'm not a Star Wars fan, though, so I can't really judge the ride.

Of course, I'm not a Simpsons or Spider-Man fan and do like those a lot. But, still, I don't think I'm totally qualified to judge the use of screens on Star Tours, KWIM?

 

[RSoxNo1]

There's a yeti in Everest? Since when?

I saw a moving yeti today... In Anaheim

 

[RSoxNo1]

A broken yeti is still more realistic and more lifelike. He is in the room with you not on a screen.He can disco too if you use your IMAGINATION.

A musion Yeti would be a substantial upgrade over what is there currently

 

[BryceM]

All I'm saying is that now that Universal has stepped up to big-boy-theme-park-table, they're open to criticisms as well.

Universal has always been at the "big boy theme park table". They just haven't been this ambitious since the opening of Islands of Adventure...

And they are certainly open to criticisms! No theme park is perfect (even looking at you DisneySea). I even recognize that my two favorite theme parks, Islands of Adventure and Epcot, have flaws of their own. Epcot certainly deserves far more criticism than Islands of Adventure, though.

 

[Voice of Disney sanity]

Disney theme park:

Personally, I'm with the 'no bare coaster track' crowd. In fact, everybody has been, until five minutes ago when it became hip and trendy to worship anything UNI.

Ten years ago, the Disneyverse was ablaze that the emperor was wearing no clothes. No matter how much cheapskate, classless Disney tried to sell baretrack coasters as 'fitting' and 'themed' because 'convulated backstory/pier theme/dinovisitorplayarea', we wouldn't have any of it. In Anaheim, this forced TWDC to rethink the aesthetic sensibilities of DCA, at great expense. The fans didn't want DCA to look just like the competition. They wanted it to have the unique Disney look. By contrast, at WDW, sadly, the fans seem to want nothing more than for WDW to copy the competition. I very much fear WDW may do as much too.

We really just want them to copy the competition and build something...anything

 

[Voice of Disney sanity]

I can agree with you here. I think everyone took my initial post WAYYYY too far, so I just ran with it. I don't really think the coaster is ugly, just could have been better. I think everyone here is over-hyping the beauty of it though.

Anyways....Does anyone know major details on the Jurassic park expansion???

Maybe what you were trying to say is as awesome as it is, imagine how amazing the exact same coaster in a dark building themed as detailed as rockin roller coaster. That might be the greatest ride in history. But instead it's just a great ride

 

[Black Pearl]

If any part of Universal seems like it needs a makeover, it would have to be Lost Continent. Though themed well, it became such a small portion of what it was and seems begging for something fresh. We pretty much always walk straight through it now without a second thought of watching the two shows there. Even Mythos just doesn't beckon us, though we occasionally catch a few seconds of the fountain talking. I'm intrigued at the idea of Willy Wonka and his chocolate factory. Could be a great backdrop with some rich characters.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Since were throwing opinions around, I think it''s absolutely gorgeous.

I also wish Manta was at Animal Kingdom.

The Hulk, Dueling Dragons, Rip, Ride, Rockit and Manta are all very fun coasters. Having said that, I don't think they belong in the parks that they're in.

 

[luv]

The Hulk, Dueling Dragons, Rip, Ride, Rockit and Manta are all very fun coasters. Having said that, I don't think they belong in the parks that they're in.

Manta is great at Sea World. They did a fantastic job positioning that thing. Seeing it is an attraction in itself.

IMO.

But it is very obvious that we all have different opinions about whether coasters belong in the parks. I'm not sure what it is about them that upsets people. I mean, I understand what people say! I just don't "get" it. Very often, I see both sides of something, but this is something I don't really "get", if that makes sense.

I do respect everyone's right to an opinion, though.

 

[RSoxNo1]

I've ridden a LOT of roller coasters in my life, both Busch Gardens, USO, IOA, Dorney Park, Kings Dominion & Disney.

The Hulk, Alpengeist, Thunderhawk (The old wooden coaster at Dorney), Grizzly (The old woody at Kings Dominion), Apollos Chariot come before RNRC then Space Mountain.

Thats where my list starts.

Apollo's Chariot is an awesome ride. X2 is going to be a tough coaster to beat for me though, but as for standard coasters, Bizzaro at Six Flags New England is a very solid coaster.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Apollo's Chariot is an awesome ride. X2 is going to be a tough coaster to beat for me though, but as for standard coasters, Bizzaro at Six Flags New England is a very solid coaster.

I've yet to see any coaster look as insane as X2, including the new one Magic Mountain just debuted.

 

[RSoxNo1]

If Universal acquired the theme park rights to LOTR, there is no way they could ever build all of Middle Earth without devoting an entire park to it, so I think that point is moot. I think Toon Lagoon would be plenty of room for a Hobbiton, Rivendale, Minas Tirith, or Edoras.

However, I honestly think there is no place in Middle Earth to placemake that stands out above others in the series. If any theme park ever decides to devote a land/attraction to the series, it will be interesting to see how they tackle it.

Who wants to be the one that tells JK Rowling that they're building a Lord of the Rings park, but not a Harry Potter park?

 

[RSoxNo1]

I love how exposed coaster tracks is always immediately associated with Six Flags. Six Flags is so much more than exposed roller coaster tracks...

You've got rides built on parking lots, ads for cell phone companies plastered everywhere, vomit inducing chili dogs, the latest rap hits, walls covered in gum, carnival rides, rude employees... Sounds like fun!

Honestly, there are tons of gorgeous roller coasters in the world, WITH exposed tracks. You don't have to theme every inch of track to make it a great experience. It's the way the coaster interacts with it's surroundings, the way the coaster symbolizes something greater (Hulk, Dragons, Loch Ness Monster). Hulk is certainly a very iconic and photogenic roller coaster. It's the way that it fits in with it's surroundings... The way that you can hear the roar throughout the park, the massive inversions over the lagoon, the gamma ray accelerator, etc.

YOU are a part of the Hulk. The coaster symbolizes the Hulk. Loud, dominating, scary. And don't try to argue with me about how Big Thunder or Mummy or Everest are better themed, because I know that they are. It isn't the point I'm trying to make...

And at Six Flags YOU are Superman. You are Batman. The Hulk is not a themed coaster, it is a green coaster, and green is not a theme.

 

[RSoxNo1]

If any part of Universal seems like it needs a makeover, it would have to be Lost Continent. Though themed well, it became such a small portion of what it was and seems begging for something fresh. We pretty much always walk straight through it now without a second thought of watching the two shows there. Even Mythos just doesn't beckon us, though we occasionally catch a few seconds of the fountain talking. I'm intrigued at the idea of Willy Wonka and his chocolate factory. Could be a great backdrop with some rich characters.

I would argue that Port of Entry, Lost Continent and Super Hero Island were all done at original DCA level of theming. Corners were cut in areas that could be truly spectacular.

 

[ctxak98]

I love how exposed coaster tracks is always immediately associated with Six Flags. Six Flags is so much more than exposed roller coaster tracks...

You've got rides built on parking lots, ads for cell phone companies plastered everywhere, vomit inducing chili dogs, the latest rap hits, walls covered in gum, carnival rides, rude employees... Sounds like fun!

Honestly, there are tons of gorgeous roller coasters in the world, WITH exposed tracks. You don't have to theme every inch of track to make it a great experience. It's the way the coaster interacts with it's surroundings, the way the coaster symbolizes something greater (Hulk, Dragons, Loch Ness Monster). Hulk is certainly a very iconic and photogenic roller coaster. It's the way that it fits in with it's surroundings... The way that you can hear the roar throughout the park, the massive inversions over the lagoon, the gamma ray accelerator, etc.

YOU are a part of the Hulk. The coaster symbolizes the Hulk. Loud, dominating, scary. And don't try to argue with me about how Big Thunder or Mummy or Everest are better themed, because I know that they are. It isn't the point I'm trying to make...

I get the point you're trying to make....as long as you get the point I am trying to make. Because they both work, It just depends on what you specifically look for in a ride or attraction. We will just have to agree to disagree!

 

[stevehousse]

This coaster track debate is pointless. Would you like every roller coaster to be in a giant box of a show building cuz that's what I get when I read all these posts! Who cares is exposed track is seen! It's a roller coaster! You can only do so much theming with a coaster to begin with! I don't think it ruins anything! Where is 74 when you need him! Lets get back on topic already!

 

[Joe]

Can someone please conjure up the Spirit!

 

[Captain Neo]

Everest had two, the yeti and the bird!!!

um that bird isn't considered an animatronic. It's a figure on a moving stick. It's sad that thanks to Disney nobody knows what the difference is anymore.