The Spirited Seventh Heaven ...

misterID

Well-Known Member
I'd say that RSR is better than Gringotts. While older, I'd probably also argue that a fully functional Splash Mountain and Tower of Terror are better than it for different reasons. Technically, I don't think Disney has surpassed Spiderman or Forbidden Journey.
Had EFG been just a bit more like TT, a little more coaster-speed elements, especially in that finale, with just one more big physical set, it would surpass anything at WDW easily. It would probably be my favorite ride in Orlando. But... it's just up there with the best in Orlando.
 

Lee

Adventurer
I'd say that RSR is better than Gringotts. While older, I'd probably also argue that a fully functional Splash Mountain and Tower of Terror are better than it for different reasons. Technically, I don't think Disney has surpassed Spiderman or Forbidden Journey.
Exactly why I said since Indy (still my all-time favorite). Tower and Splash (in its prime) are definately in the conversation, too.

I haven't ridden RSR but from what I've seen, I don't think it'll top Gringotts for me personally. Fondness for the subject matter is always a factor, and I have no real care for Cars. Plus, you know...Test Track.

I also think that Disney hasn't matched Forbidden Journey, ever, though there are Disney rides I like more for just because I'm overly fond of them.
 

Bairstow

Well-Known Member
I rode Gringotts for the first time a week ago and was a little underwhelmed.
It's a great attraction, no doubt, but it's in no way the world-beater and game changer like Forbidden Journey is.
The queue has impressively high ceilings but is painfully devoid of detail and things to enjoy, especially if the ride breaks down and you spend about an hour stuck in one particular section, and odds are, you will. It's even more reliant on screens than Forbidden Journey was, and with no good reason, since the story of the attraction places you in a series of underground tunnels, which should have been the easiest thing in the entire world to build in real space. The worst thing about the attraction is that it uses its party piece right away- after its one big trick (which, admittedly, is a very, very good trick) and some spinning it's basically just a less interesting version of Spider-Man.
 

misterID

Well-Known Member
I rode Gringotts for the first time a week ago and was a little underwhelmed.
It's a great attraction, no doubt, but it's in no way the world-beater and game changer like Forbidden Journey is.
The queue has impressively high ceilings but is painfully devoid of detail and things to enjoy, especially if the ride breaks down and you spend about an hour stuck in one particular section, and odds are, you will. It's even more reliant on screens than Forbidden Journey was, and with no good reason, since the story of the attraction places you in a series of underground tunnels, which should have been the easiest thing in the entire world to build in real space. The worst thing about the attraction is that it uses its party piece right away- after its one big trick (which, admittedly, is a very, very good trick) and some spinning it's basically just a less interesting version of Spider-Man.
Yeah, the caverns and tunnels had so much potential and is exactly what I was picturing in my mind when it was being built. DA itself is the main attraction in my mind, though.
 

ParentsOf4

Well-Known Member
Everest. I love it, but...

Fix the yeti, the mist, the blowing snow, the unthemed interior section, the light leaks...

Then we can put it in a conversation with Gringott's . (Which is a coaster...kinda.)
Admittedly, I've been a corporate beast all my professional life but ...

Expedition Everest typifies today's Corporate World. (Not just Corporate America.) Take an innovative idea imagined by creative talents, nurtured by previous management, nicely executed, resulting in a successful product that was well received by both critics and the general public, and then ride that into the ground, squeezing every last cent out of it until it's only a shell of its former greatness. :banghead:

It's a generation of management that views Star Wars 7, Avengers 2, Toy Story Play Land clone 3.0, etc. as 'innovative', leaving the next generation of leadership with nothing to build on, except over 1 billion shares in stock buybacks, which plunge in value once the current management team cashes out, leaving behind a trail of has-beens and never-weres. :banghead:

There are far too many finance types making critical creative decisions at far too many companies, without ever taking the time to understand the company's products and services, or what made those products and services great. :banghead:

I guess I'm tired of a generation of corporate leaders whose primary focus is selling themselves to Wall Street fund managers, rather than selling their products and services to customers. :arghh:

(I'm sorry. That was supposed to be an inner monologue.)
 
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spacemt354

Chili's
speaking of news.. I read that Black Panther and Captain Marvel movies have been announced.
Also Guardians 2 for 2017.

They also announced all of Phase 3:

May 6, 2016 - Captain America: Civil War (with Iron Man and Black Panther)
November 4, 2016 - Dr. Strange
May 5, 2017 - Guardians of the Galaxy 2
July 28, 2017 - Thor: Ragnarok
November 3, 2017 - Black Panther
May 4, 2018 - Avengers: Infinity War Part 1
July 6, 2018 - Captain Marvel
November 2, 2018 - The Inhumans
May 3, 2019 - Avengers: Infinity War Part 2

Good time to be a Marvel fan.:)
 

Next Big Thing

Well-Known Member
They also announced all of Phase 3:

May 6, 2016 - Captain America: Civil War (with Iron Man and Black Panther)
November 4, 2016 - Dr. Strange
May 5, 2017 - Guardians of the Galaxy 2
July 28, 2017 - Thor: Ragnarok
November 3, 2017 - Black Panther
May 4, 2018 - Avengers: Infinity War Part 1
July 6, 2018 - Captain Marvel
November 2, 2018 - The Inhumans
May 3, 2019 - Avengers: Infinity War Part 2

Good time to be a Marvel fan.:)
A very good time, indeed. I assume Infinity War Part 2 will be RDJ's last Marvel film and possibly Hemsworth and Evans too. Eventually you have to phase these guys out so you can do a reboot eventually.

Not to mention RDJ can't do this forever. By 2019, he'll have been playing Iron Man for 11 years!
 
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stevehousse

Well-Known Member
One more thing to add...do we think the guardians of the galaxy will end up crossing paths with the avengers for the infinity wars? I don't know much about the comics...
 

TP2000

Well-Known Member
Also, i'd like to point out that everyone's favorite park that they've never been to, Tokyo Disney Sea, has a section of the park devoted to rides like this (Mermaid Lagoon). Jumpin' Jellyfish (basically what the green army men attraction is), Scuttles Scooters, Blowfish Balloon Race, The Whirlpool (teacups style attraction), and Flounders Flying Fish Coaster are a part of the area. I'll leave it to our world travelers on here who have experienced both to tell the difference in theme.

"everyone's favorite park that they've never been to, Tokyo DisneySea"

I love that description! It's so true!

As someone who has been to Tokyo DisneySea multiple times in the last decade, I can tell you there's no real difference between Mermaid Lagoon in Tokyo and the four dressed up carnie rides in Flik's Fun Fair in Anaheim. Mermaid Lagoon is indoors, because the Tokyo climate can be rainy and generally crummy about seven or eight months out of the year. The Anaheim climate is generally perfect about 9 or 10 months out of the year, so no need to put Flik's Fun Fair indoors.

Pair the four Flik's Fun Fair rides with the newly digital and astoundingly impressive upkeep on the Tough To Be A Bug show next door, and A Bug's Land at DCA is a really solid family-friendly land. Any of the WDW parks would be instantly improved and their desperately low attraction-count would skyrocket if they got a version of A Bug's Land from DCA.

Heimlich's Chew Chew Train - Every ride can't be Space Mountain! :D
heimlichs_chew_chew_train1.jpg


If DHS is getting a Toy Story Land with dressed up carnival rides, that's definitely not a bad thing. So long as it's not the only thing. DHS also needs a solid D Ticket, a kick-butt E Ticket, and a thorough replacement of all the tired old 1990's stage shows in DHS to complete the transformation (plus a parade and a Disneyland-style upgrade to the embarrassing version of Fantasmic! there).

But a handful of family-friendly carnival rides would begin to flesh out the painfully weak attraction lineup at DHS. And begin to elevate it to the level of truly great second-gate parks like DCA and DisneySea. :cool:
 
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WDWFigment

Well-Known Member
A couple of you asked various questions about the Asian parks, so here are some random thoughts that are generally responsive to those questions:

-I had heard HKDL has a more intense Halloween than the US Parks but, holy cow, I was not expecting that. I ended up going through both houses the second time by myself because my wife refused to do Graves Academy a second time. Very, very well done and a great change of pace from the usual Halloween stuff in the US. I only wish HKDL debuted Paint the Night earlier or later so it didn't cause a cut to the rest of the Halloween stuff.

-Haven't seen this mentioned elsewhere, but the stage show at HKDL (new for this year) features some local celebrity who is a member of S.E.A. He seemed a lot like Harrison Hightower, except not quite as dastardly, and he was collecting freaks rather than artifacts. Visually cool show, but entirely in Cantonese, so I probably missed something via dialogue (dialogue is seldom that important to Disney shows, so those who are letting 'not understanding anything' stop you from visiting the int'l parks--don't).

-I am not one of the 'anti-HKDL' people (quite the contrary), but I was underwhelmed by Paint the Night. Perhaps my expectations were too high, but I felt the pacing was terrible (they need to get rid of the show stops and interactive element--both were complete duds on opening night) and it feels a bit imbalanced in favor of contemporary/hip stuff. There are some flashes of brilliance in terms of the floats (and costumes!), but the parade needs more than a little tweaking. It's no Dreamlights, but definitely better than MSEP.

-Skeleton Friends at Tokyo DisneySea (YouTube it) is the best Halloween entertainment at any park, and prove that good 'streetmosphere' can be just as important as good attractions.

-Once Upon a Time is far better than I expected based on the reviews. It's not Disney Dreams quality, but it's a significant improvement over what WDW has--and I like Celebrate the Magic.

-Jungle Cruise enhancements are great, and their skippers are always a hoot. I don't get the controversy over The Lion King music (hasn't the attraction always been self-aware and broken the fourth wall?). All of my TDR friends said the night version was "much better," but I didn't find that to be the case. Was really just a minor tweak of the day version.

-Visited USJ, which is a great park, although it needs to add some serious capacity. Single rider saved me. Their WWoHP is better than USF's in terms of ambiance (Black Lake is a big deal). Space Fantasy is an attraction about which I had never heard, but is incredible. HHN was fun, especially the roaming zombies.

-No hard ticket Halloween events in any 3 of the Japanese parks I visited. Also, admission is ~$60 US for each of these parks and includes the Halloween events. Yes, it's cheaper to visit Tokyo DisneySea for a day than DHS. You could even do a meal at Magellan's and still come out ahead...

I have plenty more thoughts, but I'm not sure whether more than 2-3 of you actually care about the Asian parks, so I'll stop rambling now. If you want to know more, just ask...
 

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