The Miscellaneous Thought Thread

[Phroobar]

What would’ve been great would be if the ride vehicles transformed in the last scene and everyone suddenly finds themselves sitting on a fat butler’s stomach.

The Gaston song would have been a great break from all the saccharin scenes. Looks like during a breakdown you listen to the song over and over.

 

[Rich T]

And I can’t let this go:

On a ride FOCUSED on DANCING, they didn’t include THE MOST ICONIC DANCE SCENE IN DISNEY HISTORY.

I just know some Imagineer along the way said, “The big ballroom dance between Belle and Beast? Nahhh, too obvious. Let’s instead spend five minutes in that snow scene with tbe movie’s weakest song. And let’s have nothin’ happen there. At all. The vehicles can sway. Beast can hold a bird.”

 

[mickEblu]

I think we need to stop expecting them to redefine these Fantasyland style dark rides as E tickets. These are just big, expensive C/D tickets with none of the charm or drama of the Fantasyland style dark rides. I can’t quite figure out why they keep missing the mark so bad.

Other than the pre show or Wardrobe scene I feel that I saw the entire ride years ago with just those photos and concept art they released.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I think we need to stop expecting them redefine these Fantasyland style dark rides as E tickets. These are just big, expensive C/D tickets with none of the charm or drama of the Fantasyland style dark rides. I can’t quite figure out why they keep missing the mark so bad.

Because they let the likes of Eddie Sotto walk away and encouraged early retirement after sidelining the likes of Tom Morris.

 

[Brer Panther]

Meh. The animatronics, scenery, and effects all look great, but I'm kind of disappointed. It's just a minute of spinning around to songs from the movie. Doesn't feel like there's much in the way of plot or atmosphere. Honestly surprised Gaston doesn't show up. I'm gonna have to agree with the comparisons to the Little Mermaid ride. Just feels like wasted potential.

I think these posts from other users here sum up my opinion better...

It looks beautiful but it comes across as the Little Mermaid ride on an E ticket scale. Just a tour through the happy songs in big ballrooms. At least Mermaid has Ursulas lair to break it up. Kind of disappointed Gaston doesn’t make an appearance of any kind, unless I missed it?

No drama and it feels like the scenes are too long.

It almost feels that Disney has decided to completely take out drama from the Disney “fantasyland” style rides. Like they completely save it for Star Wars and Marvel stuff, yet they aren’t even doing it right with those IP.

Can anyone give me an example of a modern E ticket that has a moment as intimate and well done as the corridor of doors in the HM? Why can’t they build up a little more sense of suspense/ mystery as we tour Beasts castle? Instead of them making us feel like we re experiencing a real place they immediately throw you into “Be our Guest.”

So this is what Beast’s Castle would’ve looked like if it’d had huge garage doors everywhere.

Seriously, the sets and AAs are stunning. There are clever effects and great sound. The first Belle and Beast AAs are fantastic and presented effectively.

But the ride is what I figured it would be. If what you want is an AA recreation of the Disney Park B&tB stage shows that leaves out all the thrilling parts that would have made a better *ride*, well here ya go.

The “Something There” room would have been a great quick ride-through scene. As a dance-along setpiece, it’s awkward and overlong. For THIS we gave up a wolf chase????

 

[mickEblu]

Because they let the likes of Eddie Sotto walk away and encouraged early retirement after sidelining the likes of Tom Morris.

So you and I have a better understanding of what makes a great Disney attraction than whoever replaced those guys? That’s a problem. It’s hard to believe though.

 

[Mac Tonight]

I think that once they really saw the full scope of the new AA tech, they thought, let's just highlight these characters in less than exciting scenes... but we'll make the vehicles move too, so the guests won't get too antsy.

 

[Brer Panther]

Wasn't there an additional Belle animatronic seen in a behind the scenes video? One holding a lantern with a nervous expression? I didn't see that anywhere in the ride...

 

[NateD1226]

Wasn't there an additional Belle animatronic seen in a behind the scenes video? One holding a lantern with a nervous expression? I didn't see that anywhere in the ride...

That AA is in the preshow.

 

[Mac Tonight]

Wasn't there an additional Belle animatronic seen in a behind the scenes video? One holding a lantern with a nervous expression? I didn't see that anywhere in the ride...

Yes. That's the one that initially whetted our appetites. It's single-handedly one of the most advanced and amazingly articulated AA's they've ever done... But to what end? A classic case where the sum total is not greater than the parts involved.

 

[chadwpalm]

The Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast just opened in Tokyo and it is absolutely stunning.

Pros:
1. It has the feeling of a stage play, but instead of sitting in an audience, you get to be up on stage and be close to the cast. It's one of the good things a trackless system can do. The lighting highlights the actors like a stage play. I think it's a cool twist to a dark ride.
2. The animatronics are amazing. Very fluid.
3. Can't go wrong with Alan Menken's wonderful soundtrack.

Cons:
1. The ride vehicles are too large. Due to this the space for each scene has to be big and that only allows a handful of set pieces.
2. The set pieces are too sparce. There could have been more figures and background animations to fill things in and make things more busy and increase re-ridability. Feels as if they spent so much on a small number of animatronics they could have toned them down a bit and had more. Especially the Something There scene. Felt like it was just idol for a while before moving on. Weird.
3. As has been stated, it does feel like you are just going from one song to the next with no feeling of plot.

Overall, it's different and that's not a bad thing, but just could have been executed a bit better. Smaller vehicles could have had added hallways and allowed more halls and rooms instead of a few big ones giving at least some parts of the ride a more intimate feel and story, similar to Mystic Manor. I would keep the ending ballroom scene, but add many more characters and background projections to liven it up. Smaller vehicles could have meant more room for the characters to dance around. I like that the vehicles get to dance with them a bit.

B-

 

[chadwpalm]

Yes. That's the one that initially whetted our appetites. It's single-handedly one of the most advanced and amazingly articulated AA's they've ever done... But to what end? A classic case where the sum total is not greater than the parts involved.

I blame that on the camera person. Hopefully we will get more footage to see those AA's in the preshow a bit better.

 

[Mac Tonight]

I blame that on the camera person. Hopefully we will get more footage to see those AA's in the preshow a bit better.

But even with a better pre-show view, it won’t change the rest of the attractions seemingly by-the-book-report, Gaston-free storytelling.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

Anyone else notice how the Reopening Threads tend to bring out a bunch of people no one ever heard of and they tend to stick specifically to those threads, avoiding any non-shutdown-related discussion?

 

[Mac Tonight]

Anyone else notice how the Reopening Threads tend to bring out a bunch of people no one ever heard of and they tend to stick specifically to those threads, avoiding any non-shutdown-related discussion?

Disneyland’s closure has certainly brought out a rare breed of Disneyland “fans”.

I wonder if they’ll stick around once the Parks re-open.

 

[NateD1226]

Anyone else notice how the Reopening Threads tend to bring out a bunch of people no one ever heard of and they tend to stick specifically to those threads, avoiding any non-shutdown-related discussion?

Disneyland’s closure has certainly brought out a rare breed of Disneyland “fans”.

I wonder if they’ll stick around once the Parks re-open.

This is another Al Lutz situation where everyone came for the drama then went back to the WDW side of the forums.

 

[Disney Irish]

Disneyland’s closure has certainly brought out a rare breed of Disneyland “fans”.

I wonder if they’ll stick around once the Parks re-open.

I'm sure it'll get back to the normal group of rabble-rousers soon enough.

 

[Rich T]

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...Also, that Mrs. Potts at the end belongs on the Island of Dr. Moreau.

 

[BasiltheBatLord]

Trying to avoid all BatB stuff so I can experience it blind. Although doesn't help that Tokyo is doing a completely random lottery for entry tickets to the land (which you can't even enter until you've already bought your park ticket and are in the park).

 

[Brer Panther]

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She looks like the Showgirl Pig from America Sings... who is currently on the rowboat in Splash Mountain. I guess she decided to flee to another Disney park when she found out about the retheme.