The Miscellaneous Thought Thread

[SuddenStorm]

Oh same here. All of these crazy back stories and what they announced at D23 didn’t help either. Retheming Splash Mountain is one of the worst things they could do for myself personally. I would have preferred they retheme any ride not named POTC or HM. Any of the other mountains would essentially be the same core experience with (insert) retheme.

Dude just what a time to be a Disneyland fan. My boss just got back from a couple days at the park... she goes a few times a year... and was fuming about how miserable it is now. Like for 10 minutes I got to listen to how absurd Lightning lane, the maintenance, the quality of cast member service, how they got sick from the food at Cafe Orleans and were disregarded by Disney when they reported it, etc.

Oh, and she said one CM had multiple face and neck tattoos... so I guess the Disney Look really is completely gone.

It's crazy seeing every operational decision made be something that's detrimental to how a day at the park is.

 

[mickEblu]

I think you’re right about Raising Canes! Their bread mixed with whatever that sauce is is to die for. I didn’t know the first Taco Bell was in Downey. Wow. I wonder if there was something going on out there that drew in fast food business folks? Can’t be a coincidence.

That sauce is great! And that Texas Toast!

Yeah it can’t be a coincidence. Now I’m wondering too, just how did Downey become the fast food Mecca of Southern California? I’m going to have to look into it.

 

[CaptinEO]

To be fair, if we're talking attractions only they also changed Pirates of the Caribbean and redid Big Thunder Mountain railroad during that time. And Nemo. Indy got some upgrades as well (not that you'd know riding it today). And there were some aesthetic changes, entertainment overhauls, etc.

But by and large, after the Pressler era 2005-2015 was a GREAT decade for Disneyland park, with alterations usually for the better (if we ignore Pirates, getting rid of Country Bears, and Nemo).

Something changed in 2015 (isn't that about when Paycheck came in)- and not for the better.

Those totally slipped my mind. You're right. I really enjoyed the years between the 50th and the 60th (well besides that Pirates retheme).

 

[Rich T]

….Any of the other mountains would essentially be the same core experience with (insert) retheme.

No. They wouldn’t. Without their themes, they’re just mediocre roller coasters. I do not want to ride Lightyear Mountain, Elsa’s Sleighing Holiday of Emotional Balance, or Stinky Pete Railroad.

 

[mickEblu]

No. They wouldn’t. Without their themes, they’re just mediocre roller coasters. I do not want to ride Lightyear Mountain, Elsa’s Sleighing Holiday of Emotional Balance, or Stinky Pete Railroad.

Well I’m assuming that the Matterhorn would still be a snowy mountain, Space Mountain would still be in the dark and Thunder Mountain would still be themed to the old West. How could they not be much closer to their core experience than something like Splash Mountain that has a story, a plethora of AAs/ characters and a wonderful soundtrack with 4 songs that happens to include a song that’s synonymous with the Disney parks and company. Only second to “When you wish upon a star.”

 

[Rich T]

Well I’m assuming that the Matterhorn would still be a snowy mountain, Space Mountain would still be in the dark and Thunder Mountain would still be themed to the old West. How could they not be much closer to their core experience than something like Splash Mountain that has a story, a plethora of AAs/ characters and a wonderful soundtrack with 4 songs that happens to include a song that’s synonymous with the Disney parks and company. Only second to “When you wish upon a star.”

That’s like saying watching a beautiful documentary about Bryce Canyon is the same experience as watching Toy Story 8. It’s not. You’re physically watching a film with a western setting in both cases, but the end result is quite different, and one is a sincere original creation while the other smells like greed, and it’s a stench that is cheapening the entire company.

Splash was a unique creation; a musical thrill ride with drops occurring at story points. It was designed and created specifically to tell that story. That’s the experience.

I was excited about the retheme at first, because the plot and music of PatF are an uncannily perfect fit for Splash’s flume layout, right down to the placement of the drops, the great villain…the finale song… everything.

Now, however, the more we hear about the new “story” … … I’m just hoping it’s not as Frozen Ever After as it sounds. This is a wait-and-see-and-really-hope-they-know-what-they’re-doing moment.

 

[mickEblu]

That’s like saying watching a beautiful documentary about Bryce Canyon is the same experience as watching Toy Story 8. It’s not. You’re physically watching a film with a western setting in both cases, but the end result is quite different, and one is a sincere original creation while the other smells like greed, and it’s a stench that is cheapening the entire company.

Splash was a unique creation; a musical thrill ride with drops occurring at story points. It was designed and created specifically to tell that story. That’s the experience.

I was excited about the retheme at first, because the plot and music of PatF are an uncannily perfect fit for Splash’s flume layout, right down to the placement of the drops, the great villain…the finale song… everything.

Now, however, the more we hear about the new “story” … … I’m just hoping it’s not as Frozen Ever After as it sounds. This is a wait-and-see-and-really-hope-they-know-what-they’re-doing moment.

oh cmon lol. We have to be realistic. They re not turning BTMRR into a Toy Story ride. If they put a Johnny Depp/ Lone Ranger AA (had the movie been a hit) in Thunder Mountain or replaced the Abominable Snowman with Marshmallow from Frozen (I shudder) or put some Light year projections with a new soundtrack inside Space Mountain (yuck) those three rides would be much closer to their core experience than what what's happening with Splash Mountain for reasons explained in my last post. I really cant even comprehend how its debatable. Just even due to the sheer fact that there is much less they could add or change on the other three mountains due to their layout and more narrow scope. If any changes were to happen to Matterhorn, BTMRR or Space they would be more akin to the Johnny Depp changes to POTC and not a complete re-theme like Splash Mountain which is only even happening because its tied to "problematic" source material. They have no good reason to do anything that extensive to any of the other 3 mountains.

I agree on everything else. Looks like they re really about to fumble this PatF re-theme. I’m not even talking about the dumb back stories. If you tell me it’s not going to have songs or the villain from the movie that’s all I need to hear.

 

[Rich T]

oh cmon lol. We have to be realistic. They re not turning BTMRR into a Toy Story ride. If they put a Johnny Depp/ Lone Ranger AA (had the movie been a hit) in Thunder Mountain or replaced the Abominable Snowman with Marshmallow from Frozen (I shudder) or put some Light year projections with a new soundtrack inside Space Mountain those three rides would be much closer to their core experience than what what's happening with Splash Mountain for reasons explained in my last post. I really cant even comprehend how its debatable. Just even due to the sheer fact that there is much less they could add or change on the other three mountains due to their layout and more narrow scope. If any changes were to happen to Matterhorn, BTMRR or Space they would be more akin to the Johnny Depp changes to POTC and not a complete re-theme like Splash Mountain which is only even happening because its tied to "problematic" source material. They have no good reason to do anything that extensive to any of the other 3 mountains.

I agree on everything else. Looks like they re really about to fumble this PatF re-theme. I’m not even talking about the dumb back stories. If you tell me it’s not going to have songs or the villain from the movie that’s all I need to hear.

I was mainly just trying to point out that people dearly love Big Thunder, Matterhorn and Space Mtn. for the original, wonderful creations they are, and that IPing them would just be one more step toward turning DL into Disney+Land, where you can imagine anything as long as it’s one of their movies.

I wasn’t trying to underplay the size of the change happening to Splash, which is massive.

But Big Thunder in particular is its own complete, original world, much like HM. Cheapening it with a “Cookie, Jack-Jack! Cookie Num-Num!!!”-type overlay would indeed be Mouse Ears on the Mona Lisa—really loud, tacky mouse ears, too.

It just takes one incredibly bad choice to seriously ruin a “show” like BT, Matterhorn or Space. They are rides where atmosphere is *everything.”

 

[mickEblu]

I was mainly just trying to point out that people dearly love Big Thunder, Matterhorn and Space Mtn. for the original, wonderful creations they are, and that IPing them would just be one more step toward turning DL into Disney+Land, where you can imagine anything as long as it’s one of their movies.

I wasn’t trying to underplay the size of the change happening to Splash, which is massive.

But Big Thunder in particular is its own complete, original world, much like HM. Cheapening it with a “Cookie, Jack-Jack! Cookie Num-Num!!!”-type overlay would indeed be Mouse Ears on the Mona Lisa—really loud, tacky mouse ears, too.

It just takes one incredibly bad choice to seriously ruin a “show” like BT, Matterhorn or Space. They are rides where atmosphere is *everything.”

Of course, IPing those rides would be terrible and unnecessary but you still feel like you're riding POTC even with the Captain Sparrows in there right? Splash Mountain is toast.

 

[Rich T]

Of course, IPing those rides would be terrible and unnecessary but you still feel like you're riding POTC even with the Captain Sparrows in there right? Splash Mountain is toast.

It’s a diminished, less magical, less intelligent, less involving version of Pirates. Figuring out your own version of what happened was the appeal of PoC for me— It was like a huge living puzzle asking you to enter and be the detective. Now it’s the Jack Sparrow ride, with a nonsensical narrative shoved in your face, co-starring some classic Marc Davis creations. The reason it’s still a good ride at all is because there was so much quality there to begin with.

But, yes, Splash is toast and possibly generic Pop-Tarts with a weird aftertaste.

Still trying to be optimistic… but it would be nice to see one encouraging piece of concept art or hear a story point that doesn’t sound like the product of a committee comprised of people who are frightened of rides…

 

[CaptinEO]

It’s a diminished, less magical, less intelligent, less involving version of Pirates. Figuring out your own version of what happened was the appeal of PoC for me— It was like a huge living puzzle asking you to enter and be the detective. Now it’s the Jack Sparrow ride, with a nonsensical narrative shoved in your face, co-starring some classic Marc Davis creations. The reason it’s still a good ride at all is because there was so much quality there to begin with.

But, yes, Splash is toast and possibly generic Pop-Tarts with a weird aftertaste.

Still trying to be optimistic… but it would be nice to see one encouraging piece of concept art or hear a story point that doesn’t sound like the product of a committee comprised of people who are frightened of rides…

Modern Disney and their "storytelling". Just having characters yell in your face. JACK JACK!

I never thought a generic roller coaster with rock music would be made worse with a new investment.

 

[MoonRakerSCM]

Today is my friend's last trip to Disneyland for a while. They've been passholders since ~2005, and got a key the moment they could after covid. Over the past ~year seeing how the parks are being ran, price gouging, drop in quality of everything, and treatment of customers... they did not renew when they had the chance. My friends have Disney paintings and paraphenalia on every single wall and shelf space in their home. They've gone at least once a week since 2005. They're calling it quits. I will not be going as much now as my other friends go ~once a month but this is quite an eye opener for me. Breaking points are being reached for some people.

 

[mickEblu]

Today is my friend's last trip to Disneyland for a while. They've been passholders since ~2005, and got a key the moment they could after covid. Over the past ~year seeing how the parks are being ran, price gouging, drop in quality of everything, and treatment of customers... they did not renew when they had the chance. My friends have Disney paintings and paraphenalia on every single wall and shelf space in their home. They've gone at least once a week since 2005. They're calling it quits. I will not be going as much now as my other friends go ~once a month but this is quite an eye opener for me. Breaking points are being reached for some people.

I can definitely see how breaking points are being reached but once a week or more for the last 17 years is a lot of Disneyland. Maybe they just need a little break? I feel like that had to have factored into their decision somehow? In other words if I’ve gone so often and it’s already becoming stale then a string of bad operational changes just makes it easier to walk away for a bit but it’s not necessarily the reason.

 

[MoonRakerSCM]

They currently have two trips to WDW booked for next year (one being with the WDW marathon they're running), and have two Disney cruises booked at the moment (I'm joining them on the one in December). So they're still in for Disney stuff. They took a Disney Alaska cruise and had a spectacular time several months ago. They said the difference in service between the parks and cruise was night and day. That was the catalyst... made them turn on Disneyland almost over night.

 

[mickEblu]

They currently have two trips to WDW booked for next year (one being with the WDW marathon they're running), and have two Disney cruises booked at the moment (I'm joining them on the one in December). So they're still in for Disney stuff. They took a Disney Alaska cruise and had a spectacular time several months ago. They said the difference in service between the parks and cruise was night and day. That was the catalyst... made them turn on Disneyland almost over night.

Well that’s good to hear. I have a Disney cruise booked for April.

 

[PiratesMansion]

They currently have two trips to WDW booked for next year (one being with the WDW marathon they're running), and have two Disney cruises booked at the moment (I'm joining them on the one in December). So they're still in for Disney stuff. They took a Disney Alaska cruise and had a spectacular time several months ago. They said the difference in service between the parks and cruise was night and day. That was the catalyst... made them turn on Disneyland almost over night.

I can understand being over Disneyland, but if they're looking to recapture Disney magic at Disney World....uh....that's probably not going to end well. They'd honestly be better off with the internationals. If they have that many Disney trips booked right now they can almost certainly afford it.

 

[Disney Analyst]

 

[Communicora]

Too soon!

 

[mickEblu]

Too soon!

Old guy from Shawshank redemption - “The world went and got itself in a damn hurry.”

 

[Californian Elitist]

I noticed they had already installed the Christmas lights on small world when I was there last week.