The Miscellaneous Thought Thread

[The Empress Lilly]

I'm still convinced the problem is more with the source material than with the rides themselves. Frozen is not conducive to a storytelling ride, in my opinion. A setting-based attraction, like a bobsled run through Arendelle or something like that would be better. The story is flawed.

Elsa should have been the villain, plunging her realm into cold darkness out of spite then being redeemed by her sister's love. That story is right there, but they seemed to back down from it, instead introducing Anna's lover as the villain five minutes before the end, ruining both her love story, her rescue story, Elsa's character arc, and the movie's grand theme of redemption. All for the least charismatic villain of all time.

And yes, a bobsled run would be awesome. Frozen's story is convoluted, flawed and uninteresting. Whereas the Frozen setting, characters and aesthetics are superb. Many a great attraction is there for the taking.

The soundtrack is great too. More than a book report this is the true main focus of the Frozen shows and rides, WDI apparently not being unaware of the weak plot either. But songs have the problem of time: you need two/three minutes, several times. You have that time in shows, but not in rides, so you end up with FEA, a series of m&g's with fifteen second snippets of Elsa and Olaf singing their signature songs that satisfies neither the IP fans nor engrosses the casual rider.

 

[LittleBuford]

That story is right there, but they seemed to back down from it, instead introducing Anna's lover as the villain five minutes before the end, ruining both her love story, her rescue story, Elsa's character arc, and the movie's grand theme of redemption.

You seem to have missed the fact that Anna had already formed a far more genuine connection with Kristoff by the time Hans is revealed to be the villain. Her true love story is with her sister and Kristoff, not with Hans at all.

 

[waltography]

I'm still convinced the problem is more with the source material than with the rides themselves. Frozen is not conducive to a storytelling ride, in my opinion. A setting-based attraction, like a bobsled run through Arendelle or something like that would be better. The story is flawed.

Wandering Oaken’s Sliding Sleighs is so close and yet so far to the perfect Frozen ride. If it were the length of Big Thunder and had as many scenes it’d be great.

 

[Rich T]

For a C ticket, NRJ is very immersive and relazing. Now the long wait times because the park lacks other rides is another story

NRJ feels like the bayou portion of DL’s pirates… a serene, atmospheric prelude to an exciting adventure… but instead of the adventure, you get nothing.

It’s kinda pretty, but it makes Grand Fiesta Tour look like a masterpiece of storytelling and Living With the Land the most epic ride on Earth.

One, done, never again. There are about a hundred beautiful spots for relaxation in Animal Kingdom with no wait at all.

 

[CaptinEO]

If Disney built Country Bear Jamboree in DCA I would forgive them for ruining Tower of Terror.

I guarantee you DCA will one day sell a tower of terror bucket and people will line up to buy it even though its from the same company that closed the ride to sell comic books.

I can't explain the behavior, Disney wants
to close a ride but then later on makes merch or pays tribute to it.

Heck they sell tons of figment merchandise and fans buy it despite the good version of the ride being closed for 25 years now.

 

[truecoat]

Wandering Oaken’s Sliding Sleighs is so close and yet so far to the perfect Frozen ride. If it were the length of Big Thunder and had as many scenes it’d be great.

A 50-second ride is a waste.

 

[waltography]

A 50-second ride is a waste.

Agreed. I will say though I'm glad it at least exists in the same way the Subs do - Oaken's provides some great kinetic energy to the fjord area, even if the ride itself leaves much to be desired. Better off the ride than on it.

 

[mickEblu]

Well, never thought I’d be spending money to go see a re release of Phantom Menace but here we are. I guess 25 years for nostalgia to set in, getting to relive it with your son and no other family movie options will do that. The R2D2 popcorn bucket isn’t too shabby either.

 

[D.Silentu]

I'd very much appreciate a report on your screening of Episode One. As a point of curiosity I'm wondering which version of the film they show. I hadn't seen the movie in years until Disney+ made it convenient. It seems that Lucas had reedited it, most glaringly in the race scene. The tell is that the reedited version has Anakin having two mishaps during the race instead of one.

 

[mickEblu]

I'd very much appreciate a report on your screening of Episode One. As a point of curiosity I'm wondering which version of the film they show. I hadn't seen the movie in years until Disney+ made it convenient. It seems that Lucas had reedited it, most glaringly in the race scene. The tell is that the reedited version has Anakin having two mishaps during the race instead of one.

I’m not sure I’d notice much as I haven’t seen the movie very many times but now I’ll keep an eye out for the above mentioned change in the race scene.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

A setting-based attraction, like a bobsled run through Arendelle or something like that would be better.

Marc Davis' plans for the Encanted Snow Palace were sitting right there in the archives.

Kind of surprised nobody thought to just build that, but with the Frozen characters and music.

 

[Supreme Leader]

I'd very much appreciate a report on your screening of Episode One. As a point of curiosity I'm wondering which version of the film they show. I hadn't seen the movie in years until Disney+ made it convenient. It seems that Lucas had reedited it, most glaringly in the race scene. The tell is that the reedited version has Anakin having two mishaps during the race instead of one.

It's the current one that's on Disney+
The one with the CGI Yoda that replaced the original puppet Yoda.

 

[mickEblu]

It's the current one that's on Disney+
The one with the CGI Yoda that replaced the original puppet Yoda.

Wasn’t Yoda always CGI in Phantom Menace?

 

[D.Silentu]

It's the current one that's on Disney+

I appreciate the clarification.

Wasn’t Yoda always CGI in Phantom Menace?

In the theatrical and first home media release he was a puppet, though if memory serves a CGI version was used in a shot or two. I suppose memory is all we have of that version now.

EDIT: The internet provides!

 

[mickEblu]

I appreciate the clarification.

In the theatrical and first home media release he was a puppet, though if memory serves a CGI version was used in a shot or two. I suppose memory is all we have to go on of that version now.

EDIT: The internet provides!
View attachment 782936

Wow would have lost that bet. I guess that means I probably only saw the puppet version once when I saw it at the theatre in 99. What year did they first change him to CGI? Between all the back flips he does at the end of the movie and I guess seeing it in later years on TV or Disney + thought for sure he was CGI (for the whole movie).

EDIT: Yoda back flips weren’t even in Phantom Menace were they?

 

[TP2000]

In another thread, we'd been talking about how Pixar Fest doesn't seem to have any "hype" attached to it. And the return of Fantasmic! later this month is also slipping under the radar thus far.

This news tonight from the OC Register would seem to explain that Pixar Fest and/or Fantasmic! isn't enough to drive business this summer. TDA's labor costs have shot through the roof in the past year, and the consistent inflation has obviously cost them in increased business and supply costs. So they're... discounting tickets in summer?

Discount Disneyland tickets for as little as $50 a day available all summer

The 2024 Disneyland summer ticket offer is good for three-day, one-park tickets for visits between June 10 through Sept. 26.

www.ocregister.com

Also, for all my friends here and for Walt up above, there's this little gem...

 

[D.Silentu]

What year did they first change him to CGI?

I really have no idea, though that picture seems to imply it was changed for the Blu-Ray release. It sure caught me off guard when I watched the movie on Disney+. The race sequence sticks in my mind more prominently because it really seemed to change the pacing of the film.

 

[Consumer]

After the mini Cinderella Castle and Haunted Mansion, I was really looking forward to this LEGO set but I can't get over the proportions of it. It feels too tall to be Sleeping Beauty Castle. It also feels less detailed than the other two.

Mini Disney Sleeping Beauty Castle 40720 | Disney™ | Buy online at the Official LEGO® Shop US

Awaken creativity with a buildable princess playset

www.lego.com

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

Well, never thought I’d be spending money to go see a re release of Phantom Menace but here we are. I guess 25 years for nostalgia to set in, getting to relive it with your son and no other family movie options will do that. The R2D2 popcorn bucket isn’t too shabby either.

I'm going to see it tonight with my brothers. When I was a kid I LOVED it! I thought Jar Jar was hilarious and everything was awesome. While my overall opinion of it is nowhere near as high as it was, I know that it's still better than Last Jedi.

 

[CaptinEO]

In another thread, we'd been talking about how Pixar Fest doesn't seem to have any "hype" attached to it. And the return of Fantasmic! later this month is also slipping under the radar thus far.

This news tonight from the OC Register would seem to explain that Pixar Fest and/or Fantasmic! isn't enough to drive business this summer. TDA's labor costs have shot through the roof in the past year, and the consistent inflation has obviously cost them in increased business and supply costs. So they're... discounting tickets in summer?

Discount Disneyland tickets for as little as $50 a day available all summer

The 2024 Disneyland summer ticket offer is good for three-day, one-park tickets for visits between June 10 through Sept. 26.

www.ocregister.com

Also, for all my friends here and for Walt up above, there's this little gem...

The past two summers seems the demand clearly isnt there for the "demand based pricing" sky high amounts charged for summer. If only they actually were smart enough to dynamically adjust pricing when tickets aren't selling.

Seems they forget they can lower prices and instead of adjusting with demand, Disney throws out these discount offers when things go wrong. The summer should not be a discount season, this is a failure to price accordingly.

When your busy season prices end up giving you less people than off season, you know there is a problem.

They should also let some Magic Keys in that are blocked out. I will be blocked from June 4 until August 1 personally. I know in recent years (maybe 2018) they also had a soft summer and unblocked some magic keys for two weeks.

Is that patriotic sweater a new item?