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Spirited News, Observations & Thoughts IV
- Thread starter WDW1974
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Darth Sidious
Authentically Disney Distinctly Chinese
So how about the Star Wars Episode 7 writing changes?
RSoxNo1
Well-Known Member
Yes, and Six Flags occasionally does a good job with the signage as well. But I will never sign off on Islands of Adventure being the best "Themed" park as long as those coasters remain unthemed. I love IoA, but I hate seeing exposed steel coasters in parks like this. I think the best execution of "Exposed" steel is California Screamin' but that's by no means perfect.No one says you have to like it, but it is clear that the visuals of the coasters were intentional.
Big blue coaster over big blue dragon statue. Big red coaster over big red dragon statue. I am pretty sure Universal Creative had no intentions of hiding the coasters. And they not only wanted you to see The Hulk, but hear it too. They intentionally didn't fill the box spine of the track with sand (B&M's standard procedure) so that it would ROAR! And they certainly didn't try and hide it.
The lift hill for Dragon Challenge should have been enclosed, and effects should have been added to the attraction. Right now it's the equivalent of two "Mind Erasers" from Six Flags New England intertwined. They're perfectly good coasters, but I think Six Flags has them beat on a Coaster standpoint and The Mummy, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster and Expedition Everest have them beat from a ride standpoint.
maxairmike
Well-Known Member
Wait wait wait...you just said a Vekoma hang n bang (and one of the worst maintained ones I've ridden) beats out two great B&Ms!? I have no words...
Zweiland
Well-Known Member
California Screamin' is "themed" (if you can call it that) after a roller coaster with no theming. Exactly what Walt wanted to get away from. I do like that ride and that section of DCA, but even saying it beats out some Six Flags coasters when it comes to theme would be a stretch.
Disneyhead'71
Well-Known Member
Dragon Challenge is by no means perfect. But to compare it to Mind Erasure is flat out silly.
The queue alone, even after it was neutered for Potter is leagues beyond Mind Erasure. And before you say, "So?", I will throw out Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid. Great Queue, lot of room for improvement in the ride itself. Sure, $200 million in rock work would improve Dragon Challenge. But considering the the entire WWOHP cost $265 million, that would have been cost prohibitive. They did an over the top job for the budget they had. And there rewards are paying for the $500+ million expansion.
I don't "have" to think any way. If you choose to, that's fine (for you).
PorterRedkey
Well-Known Member
Right. Intellectually I understand this, but visually my brain thinks Kings Island or Cedar Point. Just my opinion.
I do think coasters can be beautiful just being painted twisted metal in the sky. Like the Banshee headed for King's Island next year. I just prefer coaster in THEME parks to be, well, themed. All of WDW major coasters with exposed track are beautifully themed and the SDMT seem to continue this tradition. I just prefer the Disney approach.
Now if Disney could just start making E-tickets more than once every 10 years and maintain the ones that they have, we would be in business.
flynnibus
Premium Member
Walt wasn't against carnivals - he was against the stigma and the stereotypes that came along with the carnivals. There were several carnival-style events in DL while walt was alive. CA Screaming is very much themed... it's made to look like a woodie to help set the stage of all of PPier.
Blufusion
Member
Unfortunately Next year will be my last year to ride any coasters and it may cost me my life. I rode Mission Space which I know is no coaster but I ended up in Celebration for 4 days in ICU. The heart does well now compared to then. Meds helped. But next year is the last time for coasters. I will be doing Sea World for the 1st and last time ever in all the 30 plus years of going to Orlando. Maybe doing Hollywood studios for a day and Universal for a day. Then thats it. I won't do Rip Ride. I have seen to many stories about it getting stuck.
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JenniferS
When you're the leader, you don't have to follow.
51 and you're giving up on coasters? Now you've made me sad. I am only 5 years behind you.
I can't spin. But then, I never could.
Hoping to ride coasters for at least another 20 years though.
jt04
Well-Known Member
Here's some news. This is happening today
Hogwarts Express trains are being hoisted up on the track. (from thrillgeek)
I can't believe they faced it in the wrong direction.
articos
Well-Known Member
I'm around, but not able read daily. Lots of projects going. What's going on?
CDavid
Well-Known Member
jt04
Well-Known Member
It's British. They drive on the wrong side of the tracks.
Of course! Never mind.
MerlinTheGoat
Well-Known Member
I'll always take impressive theming over thrills any day (provided the ride itself is actually good, such as Splash Mountain or even less thrilling ones like Imagination). A mixture of both thrills and incredible theming is great though, but i'm not a fan of mostly unthemed exposed coaster track like Hulk and Dragon Challenge (some aren't too bad, but given the choice I would always prefer the level of theming in rides like Forbidden Journey or Big Thunder and even Everest). I'm glad Universal is beginning to see the merits in building rides heavy on impressive theming such as Forbidden Journey and Gringotts (along with the rumored King Kong ride and whatever else awesomeness they decide to do).
That's not to say I'm dissing people who like coasters (I totally get that and enjoy them to extent myself). But If given the choice between two amazing rides- one with incredible thrills but sparse theming and the other something like a great old fashioned dark ride with little to no thrills but amazing theming, i'll choose the latter. When visiting a theme park, I value theming (it's part of the name after all). Coasters can stay around, but I think many of them would be improved a lot by thematic improvements.
I just can't agree with anyone that would make a claim that a ride like Dragon Challenge wouldn't be infinitely more amazing had they taken the initiative to pull off something similar to this instead of keeping it naked-
That's not to say I'm dissing people who like coasters (I totally get that and enjoy them to extent myself). But If given the choice between two amazing rides- one with incredible thrills but sparse theming and the other something like a great old fashioned dark ride with little to no thrills but amazing theming, i'll choose the latter. When visiting a theme park, I value theming (it's part of the name after all). Coasters can stay around, but I think many of them would be improved a lot by thematic improvements.
I just can't agree with anyone that would make a claim that a ride like Dragon Challenge wouldn't be infinitely more amazing had they taken the initiative to pull off something similar to this instead of keeping it naked-
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Blufusion
Member
I was hoping I could do that as well. I love them. Especially after doing Cedar Point In Ohio. I did all of those coasters in 2004 Especially Top Thrill Dragster. The one that shoots you off at 120mph in less that 6 sec and a 400 foot tower at the end you corkscrew over. Did them in 2 days. It may not be Disney World. But I had fun those 2 days. That was a year after the heart attack I had on Mission Space at Epcot. Disney took very good care of us. It was our next to last day at WDW and our hotel. The day I went into Celebration for the heart attack from MS, We drove down to WDW and stayed at the Buena Vista Palace and they didn't care that I was in the hospital at all at the end of the stay we were going to have to leave . Their point was basically it's not our problem. They would not even work out a way for us to stay and repay them when we got back home to DC. I had a high paying job and I would have had the money to sent them for the room nights. But they didn't care. Celebration Hospital treated me with the best care EVER! In those 4 days I stayed in the hospital and Disney found out about the situation at the BVP. They immediately found my partner a room for all the time I was in the hospital .They put him up in POFQ resort. Fed him 3 times a day and made sure he didn't have to drive back and fourth to see me. They never charged us for any of it hospital stay or the room part. I didn't blame Disney for it. It happened. I'm glad i didn't die but I am glad it happened cause it took another 4 years to get the right doctors and 2 surgeries to get it fixed. I only have to take 3 meds a day.. I have a great doctor Now. After I came back to work in DC . I worked for XM Satellite radio and had great Insurance thru the company. 2 months back to work I never received a bill from my insurance or the doctors or from Celebration Hospital or from Disney. I went to my HR Dept. head and we were close friends . I asked whats up. She looked me in the eye. You know that look and her quote to me was" You don't need to worry about this at all. I began to ask I haven't receive a bill from my insurance. She then told me again. "Don't worry about this THIS has been taken care of and it was not by your insurance.
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The_Mesh_Hatter
Well-Known Member
I'll always take impressive theming over thrills any day (provided the ride itself is actually good, such as Splash Mountain or even less thrilling ones like Imagination). A mixture of both thrills and incredible theming is great though, but i'm not a fan of mostly unthemed exposed coaster track like Hulk and Dragon Challenge (some aren't too bad, but given the choice I would always prefer the level of theming in rides like Forbidden Journey or Big Thunder and even Everest). I'm glad Universal is beginning to see the merits in building rides heavy on impressive theming such as Forbidden Journey and Gringotts (along with the rumored King Kong ride and whatever else awesomeness they decide to do).
That's not to say I'm dissing people who like coasters (I totally get that and enjoy them to extent myself). But If given the choice between two amazing rides- one with incredible thrills but sparse theming and the other something like a great old fashioned dark ride with little to no thrills but amazing theming, i'll choose the latter. When visiting a theme park, I value theming (it's part of the name after all). Coasters can stay around, but I think many of them would be improved a lot by thematic improvements.
I just can't agree with anyone that would make a claim that a ride like Dragon Challenge wouldn't be infinitely more amazing had they taken the initiative to pull off something similar to this instead of keeping it naked-
A 200 ft mountain would overshadow Hogwarts and be wayy out of scale. Anyways, it still wouldn't make thematic sense. Just plopping in a mountain is thoughtless and a HUGE waste of money. Just think about that mountain and how little sense it makes.
GiveMeTheMusic
Well-Known Member
Didn't we already have the back and forth about steel track earlier in this thread? I can't remember anymore.
MerlinTheGoat
Well-Known Member
Having an almost completely unthemed naked steel roller coaster is a far worse crime against the otherwise beautiful Harry Potter land than logically building a rockwork mountain range. In the movies there are also plenty of mountains around Hogwarts Castle, check out some images if you didn't already know what it looked like in the film. It makes perfect thematic sense...
Just take a look at the scene in the movies where Harry flies on Buckbeak, mountains EVERYWHERE-
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