A Noble Fish
Well-Known Member
Comparing trackless rides exclusively to each other has always been (and will always be) a futile effort. I'll make this go full circle, I promise
Mr. Toad's Wild Ride is a 10/10 for what its style, scale (ticket rating), and storytelling are trying to accomplish. Alongside Alice in Wonderland, Shanghai's Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain, Tot, Mystic Manor, the list continues...
I've ridden all of them as well and couldn't agree more. Shanghai's Pirates IS the bar for comparison to Rise of the Resistance. The other trackless rides are attempting to accomplish something different, and they mostly execute very well for their goals and scale. Like Mr. Toad and Alice being perfect for what they are going for in different styles as a C-ticket scale, many (of varying scale) E-tickets do so as well.
Mystic Manor is definitely the best 'trackless' ride if we go there, and hear me out. It does so many things so well: a majestic score, long ride-length, writing, pacing, and what separates it is its ridiculously well-crafted attention to detail. MM does not try to have an epic scale like RSR or Pirates, and it benefits from that. It is artsy, which is why I could see some people preferring other more digestible rides to it like Ratatouille, and that's okay, but it is still better made. It's not the 'best' ride if we are going on scale alone, but it's again, ridiculously well-crafted and surely in the top 10 worldwide. All the best rides--be it Indy, Shanghai's Pirates, Pooh, Splash, MM, FoP, Tot, JTTCOTE, RSR--have a cinematic quality to them, and they all accomplish what they are trying to do. The score, 'direction of the vehicles and lighting in place of cinematography,' pacing, and writing are all great for these attractions. 10/10 (for what it is trying to accomplish).
Pooh's Hunny Hunt, on the other hand, uses its trackless tech the best and is very well used in every scene. It's hyper frenetic and uses its IP to the max, but is perhaps a tad bit short; it's however not really noticeable like Journey or TRON. There's this relatively 'insignificant' moment where you are going backward and Tigger is in a tree, and on the ride, you're just like "Wow, that's really clever!" The ride's scenes are well-paced tonally crafted and feel true to what they are trying to accomplish. The vehicles of this ride are unique due to how they partake in the ride itself. It's almost like they get too close to each other and are part of the 'over the top' aspects of the ride; a 'storybook come alive' is a good way to describe it. One moment even sees Heffulumps in a vehicle partaking in your ride taking advantage of the trackless tech and unpredictability. Like La La Land not really being literal, but instead, the dreamy and over the top; it's perfect for a storybook-style stylistic ride like Hunny Hunt. It's symbolic and not literal (compared to say Rise), and it's perfect for what it is going for. Sure, some sets are cheaper, and it's a tad bit anticlimactic, but it doesn't hurt it at all simply because it's perfectly executed and fits the feel and goal of the ride. It fits. Like Mr. Toad compared to Alice, Pooh is practically perfect for its style. 10/10 (for what it is trying to accomplish).
Ratatouille: L'Aventure Totalement Toquée de Rémy as a ride is great precisely because of its film. The music, art direction, and the characters carry it, which is not to say it's not a good ride. It. Is. Great. All the new rides coming to Orlando over the next 18 months will be some of the best in the world.
There is, however, something to say about using sets in place of screens for a dark ride. Shanghai's Pirates' use of screens actually improves the attraction in a way I never thought possible, and Ratatouille could have used another scene with sets to balance it out. However, it is acceptable for the IP and executes most scenes very well. I could see how some might prefer Ratatouille over the other trackless dark rides, but objectively it's the worst of the three for what it is trying to accomplish. One more scene on Ratatouille with a 'rat vehicle' animatronic would have been a great way to bring it into headliner territory; however, it doesn't have to be a super headliner. It's sort of like Escape From Gringotts, a really good and fun ride, but not perfectly executed compared to a Shanghai Pirates or Flight of Passage, or in this case, Pooh's Hunny Hunt and Mystic Manor for what they are aiming for. It is a relatively 'long' ride, so frankly it's just slightly inferior in execution to the other trackless rides. Great, however. 9/10 (for what it is trying to accomplish).
I imagine Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway will be most similar to Pooh except with screens. It should be fantastic, and I'm sure it will usher a new style of ride. Attractions such as Rise of the Resistance, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and Indy have complete and total immersion. They feel literal and real.
Shanghai's Pirates ride is bar none the best ride in existence. For the scale and its accomplishment of doing everything right. A ride like TSM or Mr. Toad can be just as fun because they accomplish what they are going for as well, but one--due to its scale--is clearly superior. A ride like Mermaid is weak (6/10?) for what it is trying to accomplish.
The bottom line is, there's a lot more that goes into rides than most people here realize. Movies also share this issue too because they're both complex arts, and even if it's not your personal favorite you should still admire the craft and technical aspect behind them. They're art! Your taste is subjective, but the technical side really isn't. Not only that, but it's okay to have opinions on rides change over time.
No need to s#@%post on the ride yet. Just enjoy, have fun, and critique when appropriate. Nothing is perfect, but I'm getting more and more optimistic about everything coming. From Ratatouille to TRON, the parks are becoming part of the 21st century. A big thanks to @realBobChapek for making these forums feel lively and fun!
So when Rise of the Resistance opens, let's not compare it exclusively to other trackless rides. It will be a great ride, we know that, but does it accomplish what it is going for? And with that, get the pacing, writing, effects, style (realness in this case), and what makes a ride a ride, right?
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