Time Racer Coming

[J.E.Smith]

A new travel program from Disney coming next October. It's got some new perks to it(like giving the guest a special PDA and an interactive plush) , but they're keeping a lid on it until then.

 

[SamatBCV]

Originally posted by FourFourSeven

3) A slow moving animatronic-viewing ride with no real "thrills" doesn't cut it any more, again, for the most recognizable attraction at the park, and one of the first and last things people ride at Epcot, and the ride most likely to help mold overall opinions of the park.

I can't agree with you on this one. First off, none of the other icons of the parks feature a thrill ride: MK: Castle with no ride, AK: Tree of life with a 3D movie, MGM: Hat that sells stuff (or formerly the Earfell Tower: a water tower that never held water). I know you said attractions and not icons, but many of the most recognized rides in WDW are not thrill rides. PotC, all of Fantasyland, Great Movie Ride, etc...

 

[SirNim]

Entropy...





Anyone ever heard of it??




Entropy is the tendency of all objects in our known Universe to slowly spread from organization to deorganization. Entropy is going from organization to chaos.


EPCOT Center was organized. EPCOT Center was least entropic. All pavilions shared several things: theme of science and imagination; circle logos; pavilions used same fonts; rides and attractions centered on education.

Early Epcot still had some of these things.

Mid Epcot was slowly getting rid of these things. Chaos, in a sense, was emerging, relativ to EPCOT Center.


Today... let's look at Epcot. Entrance plaza - completely rethemed.
Epcot font, (or Prototype, as some of you may know it) not found on TEST TRACK, WONDERS OF LIFE, UNIVERSE OF ENERGY, INNOVENTIONS, IMAGINATION, M:S signage.
The old EPCOT CENTER circle logos are all but vanished.
Only SE, TL, and TLS have their "original" signage out front. Which means there must be updates for them in the road ahead.
Education: UoE - Ellen DeGeneras and Jeopardy! ???????
WoL - good, considering the pavilion isn't that new (or old) but has THRILL RIDES, (Body WArs) which detract from education.
M:S - highly doubted it will have SPace education.
TT - unless you want to build cars for a living...
Imagination! - Purely entertainment pavilion, can't learn anything from the ride or movie other than somebody else's (Imagineers) imagination...
TLand - EDUCATION pavilion, with some entertainment (food rocks). As TL actually is educative, we can't expect to see it around much longer in its current state, can we?
TLS - EDUCATION pavilion, primarily. Sure, most people can derive some entertainment from watching fish swim about but as there is no real entertainment aspect of it, I label it educative. It will be rehauled on account of that sometime in the future as well.
Innoventions - need I say more??
SE - SE is supposed to be the grandest pavilion in FW and Epcot because Communication is the key, definitive skill and science that has been able to unlock the sciences of all the other pavilions. W/out communication, we'd be gorillas (or worse, sponges).
As most of the other FW pavilions have strayed from their original messages (energy, transportation, etc.), what good is it for the lame duck SE to be there anymore!?!?! Epcot has redefined itself so fast it forgot to reincarnate some of its basic ideals. THere is no need for a history of communciations when a second later you'll be on a thrill ride watching robots spray you with anti-freeze and listening to voices gibbering about 4-Wheel Drive.

And that is entropy in its purest and simplest form - a process backtracking from complete organization and a common theme,

to

a lame duck pavilion waiting its turn to be reinvented.



Poor SE...

 

[General Grizz]

I have thought about comparing Disney to entropy in the past. And it's true: not everything should be a thrill ride! Not at all! Mission: Space and Test Track are enough: yes, I have yet to experience Mission: Space. But turning everything into thrill rides will take away from the whole PURPOSE of the Disney company: The family!

 

[Figment1986]

hmm, i never thought as epcot as supper educational. (Except back in 93 i did get to go for free with my classmates.) what they need is a balance if education and thrill. Keep SE. it educates on comunication which is essencial for everyday life.

 

[pheneix]

>>>A slow moving animatronic-viewing ride with no real "thrills" doesn't cut it any more, again, for the most recognizable attraction at the park, and one of the first and last things people ride at Epcot, and the ride most likely to help mold overall opinions of the park.<<<

Considering that SE gets higher attendance per day than the average Six Flags park gets in a WEEK I seriously doubt that statement.

 

[General Grizz]

About 95% of all Disney attractions (most before 1995) have a STRONG educational value. You just have to dig under the entertainment!! :animwink:

 

[FLcastmember]

good point about maybe training CM's for UoE due to a rehab of the AT&T logos, but when Disney trains, they spend alot of money and time on it. (40 hours for BTM and 40 more for Splash, in fact its 16 for the CBJ. So im sure UoE is somewhere inbetween, and I dont think that it is worth WDW training CM's for that long, if it is only going to be a brief downtime. Plus when a WDW attraction is down for rehab, they still have 2 or 3 CM's standing out front answering questions. If i had to guess, it takes about 6-8 CM's to operate SE, plus breakers, so you take the ones that have training somewhere else, and relocate them temp, and ones who dont, put them out front.

 

[monorail256]

My one favorite ride... oh geez... Now I know how you all feel about Horizons and WOM. I guess I need to get out the video camera next week.. Ill make sure I get it good too...

I just dont see why they would get rid of one of Epcots most famous rides when Epcot still isnt doing all that great.. boy...

As for going next week I cant wait!! :wave:

 

[ocolectr]

Spaceship Earth, Universe of Energy and Wonders of Life have been combined into their own "business unit." The Operations Cast Members of this new unit will be trained at all of the attractions in the unit.

Universe of Energy and Wonders of Life were previously teamed up with Test Track. Test Track and Mission: SPACE are now one unit.

From what I have been able to find out, Time Racers is still not a done deal. There are a lot of people not happy with this concept for re-doing Spaceship Earth. The information that has gotten out was extremely early. What they are going to do with SE is still pretty much in a "blue sky" stage.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see!

 

[ImaginationHost]

How soon until the SE cast members are going to be trained for UoE and Wonders???

**

Theoretically, will UoE and Wonders start to share costumes..Mission and Test Track? Or does this mean we're going to a universal costume for this side of future world?

Thoughts???

 

[Main Street USA]

Pretty soon, Future World at Epcot will be nothing more than another park on a different part of the property. I think its original personality and content that MADE it EPCOT Center has all but been flushed down the toilet. We all USED to go there because it had a different atmosphere, and we would say "where do we feel like going today?" We'd then either choose MK for the rides and the "classic" atmosphere, OR we'd choose EPCOT Center for it's slower, more relaxed, educational yet entertaining atmosphere.

I don't know about anyone else, but for me those days are long gone. Now it's just "whaddaya feel like riding today?"

 

[General Grizz]

I agree with you, MSU. It makes me so depressed to think of the old, and think of the new, and think of what could have been.

Furthermore, now it's really far-off Walt Disney's plans from his future city. Before, the basis and fundamentals existed.

Hold on to your safety belt. We may be going through a tough project Gemini... *keep hoping*

 

[ocolectr]

Originally posted by ImaginationHost
How soon until the SE cast members are going to be trained for UoE and Wonders???

**

Theoretically, will UoE and Wonders start to share costumes..Mission and Test Track? Or does this mean we're going to a universal costume for this side of future world?

Thoughts???

Cross-training has already started between the buildings.

Each attraction will keep it's own costume. CMs will get the appropriate costume from wardrobe when they are scheduled to work at each attraction.

The whole business unit thing is nothing new. Years ago it was:

*World of Motion, Horizons, and Universe of Energy
*Wonders of Life
*Imagination and The Living Seas
*The Land
*Spaceship Earth
*Innoventions

Now you have:

*SSE, Energy & Wonders
*Test Track & Mission: SPACE
*Imagination, The Land & The Living Seas
*Innoventions

So it's just a re-organization of who is with who.

 

[Just A Big Kid]

<sigh>
Ok, might as well have some fun with all of this. Since Disney is planning on tearing out classics for new whoopy whoopy rides, here's a few more ideas for them....
1) Let's put hydrolics on the monorails so it will attract the teenagers...
2) Let's gut out Cinderella's Castle, gouge huge holes in the sides so we can install a T2 type of roller coaster in it to attract all the Six Flags fans...
3) Install and fully implement disco balls in most of the major attractions just to give them that cheezy effect...
4) Let's have NO dark rides at all.. let's run em with the lights on so they appear as cheezy as the 2 fine additions to AK....
5) Install HUGE SIGNS in front of every park stating to our paying guests (which PAY for everything) ::Thanks for your money, now shut up and don't whine, but most of all... Have a wonderful day here at Walt Eisner World::::

Yes i know most of that sounds retarded.. it's the way i meant for it to sound.. Maybe if Six Flags continues to grow.. maybe here in the next few years we can finally have "Six Flags Over Orlando".. then all the people who care NOTHING about what made us fall in love with Disney World in the first place, can finally get rid of ALL the classics and have their thrill rides...

:brick:

 

[General Grizz]

Originally posted by Just A Big Kid
3) Install and fully implement disco balls in most of the major attractions just to give them that cheezy effect...
:brick:

It's called the Enchanted Tiki Room: Under New Management!!! :lol:

 

[FourFourSeven]

Originally posted by SamatBCV
I can't agree with you on this one. First off, none of the other icons of the parks feature a thrill ride: MK: Castle with no ride, AK: Tree of life with a 3D movie, MGM: Hat that sells stuff (or formerly the Earfell Tower: a water tower that never held water). I know you said attractions and not icons, but many of the most recognized rides in WDW are not thrill rides. PotC, all of Fantasyland, Great Movie Ride, etc...

Originally posted by pheneix
Considering that SE gets higher attendance per day than the average Six Flags park gets in a WEEK I seriously doubt that statement.

Hee hee. I knew I'd get slammed for that comment! It isn't my own opinion, by the way, but how I perceive the general public's thoughts. I do think there is some truth to the idea that SE tends to be the first or last thing many people ride at the park.

What's the first thing (many, not all) people ride at IOA? Hulk,or Spider-Man. Both huge adrenaline rushes. First thing at MK? One of the Mountains, or Fantasyland, with the kids. Again, huge rushes (yes, Fantasyland is a "rush" for its intended audience). First thing at MGM? RnR or ToT. Huge rush.

First thing at Epcot? Well, for those in the know, Mission: Space (when it opens, TT now). But for many of the "peeps", there's a huge ball sticking out there in the front. They HAVE to pass it on your way in. It looks REALLY cool. They ride it first. They'll say "that was kind of neat" or "I enjoyed that," or possibly "Yuck! No G-forces or loops!" But most people won't jump off, go "WOW!" and run back into line to ride it again.

This doesn't mean Spaceship Earth is a bad attraction - it's a very good one, and I enjoy riding it every trip to WDW. But for those who ride it first, it may not set the tone for a thrilling, exciting day.

(By the way, I know that not everyone does the thrill rides first, not everyone wants an adrenaline rush, etc, etc. However, these themes are true for a large portion of the park audience - just look at the number of people who sprint to the Mountains.)

 

[Raidermatt]

I think what has folks assumng Time Racers is a thrill ride is the name. Its hard to imagine an attraction with "Racers" in the title that isn't at least some form of a thrill ride. Also, one of the descriptions I read somewhere had it zipping into or out of the sphere, something like that.

I have no problem with re-doing SE. After all, most attractions should at least be updated every now and then. Its probably not where I'd start with Epcot, given SE's still very high attendance, but I guess that's another story...

As others have said, the Disney way is not supposed to be all thrill rides, and with the exception of the 3D movies, every recent addition has either been a height-restricted ride or a "kiddie" ride. Its almost a Six Flags formula, but with better themeing/decorating.

Epcot will soon already have three height-restricted attractions (BW, TT, M:S), and the rumors mostly evolve around more thrill rides. Soarin' over somewhere, the Yeti Mountain in AK, Time "Racers"...

 

[Raidermatt]

(By the way, I know that not everyone does the thrill rides first, not everyone wants an adrenaline rush, etc, etc. However, these themes are true for a large portion of the park audience - just look at the number of people who sprint to the Mountains.)

A few things...

First and foremost, if we are going to generalize, we have to remember the two audiences we are talking about. Teens and thrill seekers are more likely to sprint period. Folks who are more into SE, Pirates, HM, etc just aren't going to sprint anywhere. So its not really a good idea to use that as a barometer. (I may not have teenagers yet, but I was one once, and no I was not above sprinting to a ride. But there's no way I'm trying to start sprinting around parks now with the wife, son and stroller...)

Next, its ok to have some thrill rides. Its clear that the Mountains are a big draw at MK. But that doesn't mean that's all you build. With Epcot, the last two major additions are height-restricted rides. I could see your point better if the last two additons weren't TT and M:S. But there needs to be a balance, and I think Disney is losing that balance.

Disney got to where it is by "Wowing" their guests without forcing the wee ones or the motion-averse members of the family out of the equation.

 

[Cliff]

I suspect that the opening of Mission Space will be a good time to gut and rape Spaceship Earth.

WDI has a great chance to do something REALLY good to replace this classic dark ride. However, my faith in WDI is not as strong as it used to be.....(sigh).

I hope they announce the last day and give us a chance to ride it one last time.

Luckily, I was able to ride the last 9:00pm omnimover train on the closing night of JII version 1.0. I was at Epcot by accident that day. I tried to grab the very last car but somebody beat me to it, so I sat in the middle of the train with some CM's from the Land.

It was the weirdest thing going thru the ride knowing it was the last time those animatronics would ever move in front of ANYBODYS eyes ever again. That was the saddest night I ever had at WDW.

I can only imagine how my last Spaceship Earth ride is going to feel.

CT