The Spirited Seventh Heaven ...

[John]

So I read all eleven pages and not one word of the Poly hullabalu. Hey @WDW1974 have any inside info?

 

[PeterAlt]

Did that little coaster ever open at the MK?

(sorry, couldn't resist)

I rode it twice on opening day (see my 3D ride through video in my trip report thread). It's no "little rollercoaster" and is quite enjoyable for people of all ages, great use of AA and much more thrilling than anticipated! Welcome back!

 

[PeterAlt]

Frozen overlay on the Maelstrom?

Stephen A and I are not down with that!

Get over it! Characters from Disney Animation and Pixar are inevitably taking over EC. It began with Nemo, continues with Frozen and Rat. Disney World fans may hate it but kids and families will love it. As of now, EC has no soul. This will at least give some life and personality back to the park, albeit not the one we necessarily want, but it's far better than the soulless status quo!

 

[PeterAlt]

So it's official. Instead of giving Frozen a grand ride like it deserves (in Magic Kingdom) they're shoehorning it into Norway where it doesn't belong Anyone know if they sell Maelstrom shirts in the gift shop? I'll have to buy one on my next trip to remember what once was.

Look, EC needs whatever it can get. So, this is a good start in that regard!

 

[wm49rs]

Get over it! Characters from Disney Animation and Pixar are inevitably taking over EC. It began with Nemo, continues with Frozen and Rat. Disney World fans may hate it but kids and families will love it. As of now, EC has no soul. This will at least give some life and personality back to the park, albeit not the one we necessarily want, but it's far better than the soulless status quo!

 

[PeterAlt]

You know what else could attract families with kids? An amazing new version of Imagination. But who am I kidding, that makes too much sense and fits the theme of Epcot too well

Hey, stop that! Making sense is not allowed here!

 

[PREMiERdrum]

@WDW1974 have you heard anything else about this "Kaleidoscope" project at the old Communicore Plaza? Does it really go beyond the terrible new paint scheme?

 

[PeterAlt]

Seriously, how many rides left are there for Disney to half-assedly cram marketable characters into?

Should I read you the list? It's quite long... Lol

 

[PeterAlt]

So basically the Frozen overlay is supposed to fix everything wrong with Epcot in their minds? So sad.

Thanks for the info as always and welcome back!

I take it as a start, something they can do in the more immediate future, as they develop plans for the rest of the park, for the more distance future.

 

[PeterAlt]

I like Maelstrom as a little low-budget ride with some unique elements. Truly it isn't a "high standards" attraction, but I appreciate what the imagineers did with such a small space and budget.

I don't know how they're going to WEDGE frozen into it, but I knew it was only a matter of time before something took its place.

They need to get rid of the movie part of it!

 

[PeterAlt]

Seriously, is there a shred of good news? Even one?

(Even if one is a fan of Frozen or the idea that it deserves to be jammed into the parks before its historical significance (aside from its box office impact) has been decided, which I'm most certainly not, I can't imagine believing that a cheap, hurried, half-***ed overlay in too cramped and limited quarters is the way to do it justice.)

Bah.

Iger is stepping in 2016... Could be good news or bad news, depending on who is replacing him...

 

[PeterAlt]

The title of the thread has nothing to do with the coaster. I just read a nice review from a good friend who rode yesterday and was somewhat pleasantly surprised calling it a B+ effort on a D-Ticket type ride.

But I just have so little interest in it. I could drive up this weekend, but I'm not. Heck, I don't really want to waste words on it until I finally ride it, which may well not be until the fall.

Ride it. I guarantee it will exceed your expectations! It fills a much needed void in MK's offerings!

 

[PeterAlt]

I guess I'll go glass half-full here...maybe...if it draws enough people into EPCOT they'll finally spend some money to get it back to where it should be...

I'd be willing to sacrifice Maelstrom for that...that's about the only way...

They had better not half-a** it like they did The Seas or Mexico though!

I don't think Seas was done half--rsed. I was quite impressed with it, given the budget they had to work with!

 

[lazyboy97o]

Iger states he doesn't wanna rush the Broadway play because they want quality, yet they can't give the same respect for the ride.

Because to Disney's leadership and many of Disney's fans, themed entertainment is not a legitimate creative medium.

 

[PeterAlt]

Let's not pretend that the reason people dislike the idea of Frozen in Norway is because Maelstrom is a great ride. It isn't. Maelstrom is a C ticket boat ride that hasn't been updated in 25 years. The objection is that there are at least two better parks for a Frozen attraction.

By the way, Mine Train is a much better ride than Maelstrom, in my opinion.

 

[PeterAlt]

Is there any good news you can give on when a "real" E ticket will be built in one of the WDW parks? With rides being cut, rides being overlayed on top of current existing rides, and then rides sitting in disrepair, I am losing a lot of hopes for WDW during the next 7-8 years. I will still go there because there because of the feeling I get from being on property and being there with my family, but I am definitely starting to not feel the "Disney Urge" as much.

Let's see...

Splash Mountain
Tower of Terror
Rock N Roller-Coaster
Great Movie Ride
Count Down to Extinction
Expedition Everest
Killamajaro Safaris
Soaring
Toon Toon (at DLR)
Indiana Jones (at DLR)

...and several other E-tickets approved under Eisner... Miss him yet? Iger has approved some quality D-tickets, though...

Toy Story Mania
Mermaid
Mine Train

...and one E-ticket for DLR...

Radiator Springs Racers

...and maybe an E-ticket for Avatar... Or is that a D-ticket?

 

[PeterAlt]

Not beyond what insiders have been saying. Calling it Soarin' is a bit disingenuous though. It won't be the greatest E-ticket of all time, but it certainly is going to be an E.

I hope so!

 

[PolynesianPrincess]

I know I have expressed my opinion of no characters in World Showcase and I stand by that still. Character attractions do NOT belong in WS. Character meet and greet, yes, because those are off to the side and sometimes hardly noticeble. But rides dedicated to movies or characters belong in Magic Kingdom or better yet, DHS which is lacking in family friendly rides and could use a Frozen ride there. Epcot obviously needs some love too but replacing one ride with another isn't doing anything to ADD to the park.

And didn't they move the Anna and Elsa M&G to MK because Noway was too cramped with them there? So adding a Frozen ride isn't going to make that area congested as well? We see how long the linesare for the M&G and the line for a Frozen attraction won't be any shorter. They are just bringing that congestion back to Norway, IMHO.

 

[PeterAlt]

Blizzard Beach?

There are old plans by Walt himself for a Winter Wonderland for DL. Maybe they could round up the area that includes Blizzard Beach and that miniature golf course and add an ice skate aren and indoor skiing, and possibly do something with Frozen, too, all while claiming revival of Walt's Winter Wonderland concept...

 

[PeterAlt]

Pixar Place begs to differ.

This needs another Burbank override. Build the Monsters Inc Door Coaster, and a DCA clone of it at the same time!