SSE's Big Contradiction

[EPCOT Explorer]

If you think that there's anything clever about a flash cartoon with robotic butlers and electronic bracelets from which I can order food, I hate you.

Now was that really necessary?

Eh,SSE...it could be worse.Imagine of it was stich-ified or Nemo-fied.It would be alot worse.

 

[cooleo]

I would be happy if they would just put an "off" button on the screen. :lookaroun It was fun the first time, but the second time (yawn).

My thoughts exactly. I used to LOVE SSE, now it's just Ho Hum.

 

[The MaD Hatter]

If you think that there's anything clever about a flash cartoon with robotic butlers and electronic bracelets from which I can order food, I hate you.

Wow, that was totally uncalled for. I may disagree with KeeKee and go so far as to say I hate the new descent in SSE, but IMO this comment was completely out of line.

 

[jt04]

At its core, SSE is an entertainment attraction, and the jetson-y cartoon approach is consistent with that. It needs to be family friendly, and entertaining.

It's a clever and innovative approach -- and the artwork is carried over into the display area after you disembark.

The approval ratings, by the way, are out of this world (no pun intended) in their post-ride surveys -- so really, its mostly just people online here who are complaining about the changes -- most riders love the changes and the touchscreen video on descent.

Reallllly?? Care to give us some numbers to back up your claim? Didn't think so.

 

[The MaD Hatter]

Reallllly?? Care to give us some numbers to back up your claim? Didn't think so.

He might be right, but you must ask yourself where these ratings are coming from -- the general public. Most of these people have probably never ridden SSE before, therefore they cannot compare the new version to the old one, nor are they aware that the descent was ever themed differently. If they were able to ride both versions and then say which on they liked better, I wonder what most people would chose.

 

[jt04]

He might be right, but you must ask yourself where these ratings are coming from -- the general public. Most of these people have probably never ridden SSE before, therefore they cannot compare the new version to the old one, nor are they aware that the descent was ever themed differently. If they were able to ride both versions and then say which on they liked better, I wonder what most people would chose.

What ratings? Everyone keeps talking about that without any specifics. I have ridden several times since it opened and have yet to see anyone taking "ratings".

 

[goofyfan13]

If you think that there's anything clever about a flash cartoon with robotic butlers and electronic bracelets from which I can order food, I hate you.

Over react much?

 

[PeoplemoverTTA]

Reallllly?? Care to give us some numbers to back up your claim? Didn't think so.

As a professional with five years of experience in market research, I can tell you there are several reasons I feel that WDW's research is quite flawed. I go into detail about this in the final post in this thread (it's quite long and I don't want to re-type it all). If there are any other people here who work in market research and have a different opinion, I am very interested in hearing it (really!).

This is just my professional opinion, but please take any statements about surveys at WDW with a grain of salt .

 

[sbkline]

In describing Magic Kingdom's TommorowLand, Birnbaums says this:

The original TommorowLand attemped a serious look at the future. But as Disney planners discovered, it isn't easy to portray a future that persists in becoming the present. So the old TommorowLand has given way to a friendlier, space age town whose neighborhood atmosphere is more in keeping with the other lands in the Magic Kingdom. This is the future that never was, the fantasy world imagined by the science fiction writers and moviemakers of the 1920s and 1930s.

The above paragraph could easily apply to Epcot's FutureWorld as well, and could be the reason why Spaceship Earth would be more in line with the "fantasy" future of the Jetsons as opposed to the more realistic future that the OP is speaking of.

 

[jt04]

In describing Magic Kingdom's TommorowLand, Birnbaums says this:

The original TommorowLand attemped a serious look at the future. But as Disney planners discovered, it isn't easy to portray a future that persists in becoming the present. So the old TommorowLand has given way to a friendlier, space age town whose neighborhood atmosphere is more in keeping with the other lands in the Magic Kingdom. This is the future that never was, the fantasy world imagined by the science fiction writers and moviemakers of the 1920s and 1930s.

The above paragraph could easily apply to Epcot's FutureWorld as well, and could be the reason why Spaceship Earth would be more in line with the "fantasy" future of the Jetsons as opposed to the more realistic future that the OP is speaking of.

If this is the strategy for Futureworld too then I really wish they would just go ahead and change the name to Discoveryville (or whatever marketing name works best). By your logic WDW will have two Tomorrowlands in the future (pun intended) Not being confrontational but I liked the original concept of EPCOT but if they can't afford to keep it modern that is the way it is I guess.

 

[Captain Chaos]

I also wouldn't be so sure about the guests reaction being that positive, as that is overwhelmingly not the case.

BT

And you know this how?? Reading posts on this site or have you personally taken a survey from EVERY person who exited Spaceship Earth??? I know a few people who work at SSE and they say the crowd LOVES the ride, including the descent.... I find people here and on other websites doing all the complaining...

 

[jt04]

And you know this how?? Reading posts on this site or have you personally taken a survey from EVERY person who exited Spaceship Earth??? I know a few people who work at SSE and they say the crowd LOVES the ride, including the descent.... I find people here and on other websites doing all the complaining...

Nobody is taking surveys. :lookaroun And do you really think a CM is going to talk bad about an attraction? Not likely.

 

[JLW11Hi]

But my biggest complaint is that the content of the descent video is not realistic. With a powerhouse innovator like Siemens on board, why did they go with a fantasy "Jetsons" future instead of a more scholarly look at the technologies that await us? Flying cars are just too far-fetched.

As I wrote in an earlier post, perhaps the realistic vision of the future is not entertaining enough for a theme park environment. Hovercrafts and self-packing suitcases are much more fun to dream about than environmentally-friendly energy sources.

But I think the "entertainment" of the Spaceship Earth descent video comes from seeing your face plastered on the animation. Why not put my face inside a self-driving automobile, or lying on surgeon's table with my doctor using a computer, or of me loading my garbage cans into a fuel generator?

I think if they kept everything in Spaceship Earth the same--including the retro-cartoony animation--- and simply changed the content of the video to something that is much more realistic in the future, many would not feel as though the descent does not "fit in" with the rest of the attraction.

That's a good point. The entertainment is already coming from seeing your face on the screen, so why keep the cartoony stuff?

As for the "tomorrow that never was" reasoning, that may be fine for the new Tomorrowland at MK, but at Epcot it makes more sence to be realistic.

If there is one HUGE advantage to having these screens installed permanently in the ride vehicles, its that the video can very easily be updated at any time. There is absolutely no reason Disney shouldn't continually update the movie to keep it fresh. No downtime, doesn't cost a lot, utilizes the technology to its fullest potential, and keeps the attraction updated.

If they keep that same cartoon in there for over a couple years, I'd be surprised, and quite dissapointed that they would have spent all that money on something that they didn't even take advantage of.

 

[Dragonrider1227]

Maybe it's 'cause the real future changes far too much and is completely unpredictable. Or as good ol' Yogi Beara but it, "The future ain't what it used to be"

 

[Sleepy01]

Yeah! Another SSE post rehashing the same issue for the 10,000,000 time.

Is this news or a rumor? :veryconfu

 

[Skippy]

If this is the strategy for Futureworld too then I really wish they would just go ahead and change the name to Discoveryville (or whatever marketing name works best).

It was "Discoveryland" that was working its way as a rumor with project gemini. It's undoubtedly difficult to keep up with technology, especially when corporate sponsors aren't as present as they used to be.

Tomorrowland almost had that "future from the past" theme that I'm okay with, but now they're losing it again.

Not being confrontational but I liked the original concept of EPCOT but if they can't afford to keep it modern that is the way it is I guess.

The original concept of EPCOT is far from the "EPCOT Center" that was built. If you haven't yet, watch Walt's EPCOT film where he describes his planned city. It's quite interesting.

 

[Hammer1310]

I waited to form and opinion on the refurb until I saw if for myself as everyone keeps suggesting. We just got back last Friday and now I can officially say "I hate it."
Everything that was done right in HM was butchered in SE. Siemens was clearly given far too much input in the direction of the ride and I'm sad to say it has lost it's place in my heart as a favorite ride. The garage scene is OK but the computer room that precedes it is a cavernous waste. It's just a lifeless, unrealistic monotone mess. The woman's outfit and hairdo might have flown at a concert or club in that era but not somewhere like NASA or IBM where a room like this would have existed.
Also, I love Judy Dench almost as much as Joel McHale does but the narration is terrible. She does a fine job with what she's given but why oh why did it have to be dumbed down so much? She sounds like she's talking to a class of kinder-gardeners (remember your A-B-Cs)....uugghh.
The descent actually made my girlfriend and I laugh a few times. That being said it belongs in the post-show, not in the last half of the park's flagship ride. It's cheap and fairly pointless after the first 15 seconds. Then you start to look around and think of all you're missing.
bummer
That's just my opinion.....

 

[Skippy_]

The ending to SSE has more to do with with the "future that never" was than Tomorrowland, but I think the Imagineers got them mixed up as thats not the theme of SSE.

Isn't the new ending supposed to show your future, not the future that never will be, and balloon head characters for laughs?

Video talk is still not massively used and is more realistic than the Tomorrowland ending for now (well, alteast not as used as touch screens are by children).

Just ones opinion.

Skippy

 

[Pseybert]

Over react much?

I don't overreact. I really liked the 94 version of the ride, and I really dislike anyone who thinks the new version comes anywhere close to comparison. :brick:

 

[WRE4ever]

If you think that there's anything clever about a flash cartoon with robotic butlers and electronic bracelets from which I can order food, I hate you.

hey horizons had a robotic butler! and it was great!!!