They ruined DL's Small World how much longer before they ruin ours?

[TP2000]

Well I haven't been on the attraction yet but Darkbeer listed several AA's missing or replaced with static figures in newest report on miceage front page so you may want to read that.

All I could find from Darkbeer's column was this brief mention;

"A few well known ones are the geese, which used to have 6 in the attraction (2 sets of 3) and now 2 sets of 2 to the Belly Dancers, which used to be on both sides of the Taj Mahal." -Darkbeer

See my comments above about the geese.

As for the belly dancers, I'm afraid Darkbeer's mind is playing tricks on him. There has never been more than one set of belly dancers at the Taj Mahal, found on the right side of the reflecting pond. The snake charmer boy has always been on the left side of the reflecting pond. Refer to this YouTube video (it is good for something!) from the 1964 World's Fair to see the single set of belly dancers at the 3:00 minute mark. This same 1964/Disneyland setup at the Taj Mahal is found on the WDW version too, except the WDW version does not include the snake charmer boy on the right side of the pond.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKt_o6AflbI&feature=related

But be careful! Mr. Disney had Goofy and the Mad Hatter and the Seven Dwarves appear on national television at his new Small World ride. They can be seen at the beginning of the video helping people get into their boats to begin their trip around the world.

What was Walt thinking! This ride is supposed to be entirely free of his Character based marketing! This is supposed to be a prayer for world peace, not a character ride! :ROFLOL:

You can compare the 1964 World's Fair staging and the 1966 Disneyland staging to the 2009 reopening of the ride at this next video. Find the exact same Arabia scene, with all the exact same AA dolls from the 1960's in the 2009 version. Except now there is an additional flying carpet with two new dolls overhead that look like Alladin and Jasmine. The Arabia scene appears at the 3:35 minute mark in this 2009 video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhPRxf1sp2Q

All the original World's Fair dolls are still there, with new Character additions next to the originals. The Doll Crisis of '09 has been averted, thanks to YouTube!

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Ah-ha! I figured out how to fix those god awful Pixar characters! The problem with them is that they tried to make Pixar creations look like Mary Blair designs. That's not gonna happen. It's the wrong way to go about it. The right way wold have been to go to the source inspiration for these characters and then try and Mary Blair it. Instead of having Woody specifically, just have a Small World doll wearing Wood's (and Jesey's) costume. It's as simple as that. It relates to the design and prupose of the attraction (showing cowboys which are a part of American cuture) and relating to a Dinsey character without beating it in your head. For Nemo and Dory just take a cownfish and a whatever she is and draw that in the Mary Blair style. Kids will automoticaly call any clownfish Nemo (have you been to a pet store?) so putting them there like that is harmless.

Do those things and fix Flounder (who looks like they put no efeort in changing his desgin) and make a Samll World doll version of Pinocchio and I can live happily.

 

[MousDad]

Well I haven't been on the attraction yet but Darkbeer listed several AA's missing or replaced with static figures in newest report on miceage front page so you may want to read that. Also from the youtube vid's you can clearly hear Golden Afternoon and bibbidy bopity boo playing at the same time as IASW.

Here's a quote from the article:

"Alas, Disney seems to like to step away from some technology that they help design decades ago, including the original Mary Blair "small world" dolls that blinked and mouths move. Even before the attraction closed down for refurb, many of the moving dolls disappeared, to be replaced by static dolls, displays or just nothing. A few well known ones are the geese, which used to have 6 in the attraction (2 sets of 3) and now 2 sets of 2 to the Belly Dancers, which used to be on both sides of the Taj Mahal."

Thanks for the clarification TP2000. Sounds like that aspect was mis-reported.

TP2000, what's the situation with the soundtrack? How exactly do the movie themes come into play?

 

[Animaniac93-98]

A Few more thoughts and then I'm done with this:

-Surfer Boy needs to come back but Lilo can stay. just put her in front of the board and Boy behind. As for Stitch, he's got nothing to do with Oceanic culture so his current form must go. A necklace around Lilo with him on it would be more subtle and tasteful.

-To the person that said Math was their friend, I'm guessing logic is not. Of course a pin set won't pay for the rehab you dingbat! What Al meant is that this was merely the first of an inevitable series of marketing opportunities thanks to this redesign. We know that WDI is run by "creaive" folk who are out to make a buck and call the shots (that's why we have the likes of SGE) so saying this refurb had nothing to do with marketing or selling is ridiculous. Really, was adding Disney characters the ONLY creative opttion for "plussing" this ride? That would'nt say much for the Imagineers if that's all they could come up with. However, to give those people credit they have turned a poor idea into a respectable one thanks to their effort in attempting to maintain the rides style and visual look and credit must be given for that in addition to the upgrades in technology. They missed the mark on certain characters but they can be changed in the future.

-No one is asying Disneyland needs t be a museum. If it were the rides would be better taken care of (lol, kidding). But seriously, the technology to tell the story should always be updated to reflect the current opportunities. Lights, speakers, boats, animatorics all can and should be upgrated to make the show look as good as possible. Additons can b edone tastefully and will be praised if done so (see love for Haunted Mansion, Spac Mounatin (DL) redos and thier's little doubt in my mind that HoP will get that kind of priase to when done). What people take offense to is when an adiition is made that has nothing to do with the concept of the attraction and has been backed up poorly by Disney PR folk. This Rehab has been a mix of both and I personally do not feel this is the end of the world but I do feel a bit down knowing that the attraction will forever have a "buy my plush" now subliminal message in it.

 

[Shrike]

First, thanks to TP2000 for bringing a little sanity to the hysterical masses.

Second, I'm wondering what exactly makes one park "ours" and another "theirs?"

 

[SirGoofy]

-Surfer Boy needs to come back but Lilo can stay. just put her in front of the board and Boy behind. As for Stitch, he's got nothing to do with Oceanic culture so his current form must go. A necklace around Lilo with him on it would be more subtle and tasteful.

Stitch looks great, and is probably my favorite new figure, either him or the White Rabbit.

 

[Disneyson 1]

Here's a great video that totally sums up my feelings on this ride. Note that he missed Jiminy Cricket, the Mushu kite, and the "A Whole New World" counterpoint.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeX7SqabLqA&feature=channel_page

 

[comics101]

Well they have added the Disney charcters to Disneyland's It's a Small World. When do you think WDW's will become a celebration of corprate synergy?:fork:

Come on, they didn't ruin anything. In fact, based on the pictures I've seen, this refurb kicks the attraction up a notch. Besides, you can hardly notice the characters, and alot of people who've riden the new version say it was a kind of "I Spy" game, trying to find the characters...
I really hope they do this to WDW.

 

[Enigma]

But be careful! Mr. Disney had Goofy and the Mad Hatter and the Seven Dwarves appear on national television at his new Small World ride. They can be seen at the beginning of the video helping people get into their boats to begin their trip around the world.

What was Walt thinking! This ride is supposed to be entirely free of his Character based marketing! This is supposed to be a prayer for world peace, not a character ride! :ROFLOL:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhPRxf1sp2Q

Thank you for clearing that up about the dolls. I appriciate it. However don't you think you are going a bit overboard justifying the tie-in? Walt had Mad Hatter and Seven Dwarfes putting people on the ride? So what it is Disneyland after all and he was promoting the ride. They also had Mickey Mouse dressed a space suit loading people on Star Tours when that opened. Should they add disney charecter cameos in Star Tours now?

Big difference that he had his charecters in a big promotion to open a ride and permenantly placing them in the ride. Some folks at Disney actually suggested to put charecters in the ride and Walt said no and it makes sense that he said no because you need to keep the cartoons seperate from the individual rides UNLESS the ride is about said charecters which IASW isn't.

It's not the biggest deal in the world to me and it turned out alright for the most part and if they keep the cartoons in fantasyland where they belong thats fine too. I just feel it is a bit much/somewhat excessive and I really doubt Walt, Roy, or the 80s Disney company would have greenlit this project.

They could have spent the money enhancing the ligthing and set pieces and modernizing the dolls to Tokyo Disneysea's sinbad attraction level instead and would have avoided the controversy while at the same time recieving good press.

 

[gembob]

How many times must one explain this?:brick:

Its because when they do change things, the changes tend to SUCK.

And why is it that anytime anyone expresses an opinion about something they get slated? Not in a nice way either but always in a 'patronising, "I'm the only one who knows anything" ' kind of way??

 

[epcotWSC]

How many people actually go to IASM and think about world peace?

I tend to just get the thought of the different cultures around the world, hearing a song that's a little too catchy and some nicely made dolls on a relaxing boat ride. Adding Disney characters that tie into the country isn't a terrible thing.

I think people are overreacting.

 

[gembob]

As a rule of thumb, people don't like change. I do because it keeps things fresh. If it comes to WDW and I don't like it, I just won't go on it again, not complain about it.

 

[Enigma]

As a rule of thumb, people don't like change. I do because it keeps things fresh. If it comes to WDW and I don't like it, I just won't go on it again, not complain about it.

Every Disney fan likes change but it should be change for the better not change to push a marketing/merchandising agenda that creates a tacky/sleezy feal that the Disney Company is supposed to be above.

Now IASW turned out pretty decent and im neutral on the issue. However, loading up virtually every land, every park, every project with cartoon tie-ins regardless of quality (Stitch escape, Monsters inc. in CA and FL, nemo submarines, etc.) is simply out of control and thats the direction the company has been headed in.

 

[imagineer boy]

As a rule of thumb, people don't like change. I do because it keeps things fresh. If it comes to WDW and I don't like it, I just won't go on it again, not complain about it.

Actually, people (including myself), love change but it really depends on what the change is. Hey, let's replace the castle with a huge rollercoaster. So what? Its change right? Change is good!

 

[epcotWSC]

Every Disney fan likes change but it should be change for the better not change to push a marketing/merchandising agenda that creates a tacky/sleezy feal that the Disney Company is supposed to be above.

Now IASW turned out pretty decent and im neutral on the issue. However, loading up virtually every land, every park, every project with cartoon tie-ins regardless of quality (Stitch escape, Monsters inc. in CA and FL, nemo submarines, etc.) is simply out of control and thats the direction the company has been headed in.

No offense, but marketing/merchandising agenda? I think Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Nemo, Little Mermaid, etc. are advertised EVERYWHERE in the parks. Putting them in this ride isn't going to get people to say, WOW, Stich was in It's A Small World, I MUST go buy Lilo and Stich and buy every plush doll that there is.

The fact is, IASW is a ride that even in the peak of summer almost never has much of a wait. It's not that popular and I'm sure that it was the same in DL. They figure that maybe by spicing it up a bit, that more people will go on the ride. I'd rather that then them closing it down due to lack of attendance.

I agree about putting characters everywhere just for the sake of doing it. It's silly. However, in this case, it's not a bad idea and actually doesn't change the ride that much.

 

[Enigma]

No offense, but marketing/merchandising agenda? I think Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Nemo, Little Mermaid, etc. are advertised EVERYWHERE in the parks. Putting them in this ride isn't going to get people to say, WOW, Stich was in It's A Small World, I MUST go buy Lilo and Stich and buy every plush doll that there is.

The fact is, IASW is a ride that even in the peak of summer almost never has much of a wait. It's not that popular and I'm sure that it was the same in DL. They figure that maybe by spicing it up a bit, that more people will go on the ride. I'd rather that then them closing it down due to lack of attendance.

I agree about putting characters everywhere just for the sake of doing it. It's silly. However, in this case, it's not a bad idea and actually doesn't change the ride that much.

Not sure where your getting your statistics from but IASW is very popular e-ticket with families and has always been very popular at all of the magic kingdoms around the globe.

The reason the attraction was closed was simply because the original 1960s ride design couldnt handle an increasingly overweight/obease population that kept sinking the boats in the flume not because it wasn't popular.

 

[epcotWSC]

Not sure where your getting your statistics from but IASW is very popular e-ticket with families and has always been very popular at all of the magic kingdoms around the globe.

The reason the attraction was closed was simply because the original 1960s ride design couldnt handle an increasingly overweight/obease population that kept sinking the boats in the flume not because it wasn't popular.

No stats, just what I see. Everytime I go, there aren't all that many people on line. I always go in the summer. Every attraction is packed and IASMW has a much shorter line.

 

[One Lil Spark]

No stats, just what I see. Everytime I go, there aren't all that many people on line. I always go in the summer. Every attraction is packed and IASMW has a much shorter line.

To be completely fair, IASW has an incredible hourly capacity - Much like PotC. Perhaps it can just turn guests over faster than most everything else in Fantasyland? :shrug:

 

[SirGoofy]

To be completely fair, IASW has an incredible hourly capacity - Much like PotC. Perhaps it can just turn guests over faster than most everything else in Fantasyland? :shrug:

Yup, IASW has a ridiculous OHRC. I may be mistaken, but I think it's actually higher than Pirates.

 

[dxwwf3]

To be completely fair, IASW has an incredible hourly capacity - Much like PotC. Perhaps it can just turn guests over faster than most everything else in Fantasyland? :shrug:

You're exactly right. IASW and POTC never had long lines when I was at Disneyland in the summer of 2007. Another case in point, isn't Spaceship Earth the most visited attraction in WDW? How often do you see a line longer than 5 minutes there? (Not including the first two hours of park operation when everyone and their brother thinks they have to see SSE first thing )