Tokyo Disneyland Resort Expansion

Rockishcoco

Rockishcoco

Well-Known Member
mickEblu said:
Wow the hotel is gorgeous! Only three minutes in but that's where I'm staying if I ever make it to Japan.
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The hotel is so strange to me. From inside the park, it is absolutely stunning. From the monorail, it's not quite a looker. Get sightlines are a thing but if it looked like the park-facing side all around we'd have a real contender for best TDR hotel.
 
R

RandySavage

Well-Known Member
Consumer said:
A small note that would greatly help this attraction is a longer build up to seeing Rapunzel's tower, particularly an "unveiling" scene. Much like how Flynn Rider discovers her tower, guests should pass through an gate of ivy and come out on the other side in her valley with the tower hidden up until that moment.
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It's a big note and a no-brainer... I suppose land-restraints forced it, but seeing and listening to the opening scene (Tower) from the queue for a long time diminishes that aspect of the ride. Other parts met or exceeded (didn't think outdoor figures would be AAs) expectations for the C/D-ticket. As noted, the flash flood from the movie begs for a long Splash Mountain style E-ticket for this IP. Maybe Disneyland Mumbai...

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The Pan ride works better than I expected as a screen-ride and helps justify why Hook's ship/Skull Rock out-front initially struck me as much weaker than Paris' version from 1991 (this one matches the animated version from the ride).

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With Frozen, I can agree with some criticism that E-tickets should never be straight book reports. I don't think B&B next door is superlative, but if the local audience loves it, they will love this.

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I shake my head everytime I see the hotel. I can't reconcile how fans of good theme park design are fawning over it (well the ones that are getting remunerated with Previews, I can), particularly the exterior. Even its "good/themed" portion - <20% of the hotel's total exterior area - is a garish, cheap-looking, plastic fever dream out of the pixiedust-addled brain of a Hasbro Barbie toy palace designer. Put it side by side with MiraCosta and DLP Hotel photos and try to defend this pile. To me, the decorative, west-park portion is a C- and the other parts are an F.

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Overall and hotel aside, the new port looks good, if not as grand as I had imagined (e.g. walking up to & into the Arendelle castle takes something away from its scale; Tangled mountains feel smaller than I had expected). It continues some of my ongoing global criticisms of park design: this generation of WDI's fairytale castle queue interiors could use improvement (with the exception of MK's Mermaid queue), as they tend to look way too modern to me: bright recessed lighting, lack of Old World detail, modern decorative elements, artwork that looks like digital printouts, little aging, glossy paintjobs, etc.. Maybe this is by design as to not scare small children. They're carrying on all my modern theme park signage peeves: using digital wait-time screens, Photoshop pics of food in Old World environments.

Exterior rockwork and waterfeatures look good and extensive, as expected. I wish they could mimic wood as well as they do rockwork: Disney's faux-wood been looking pretty waxy at least since Shanghai DL - I'd say use real wood instead: it once bestowed the great older parks with a charm only the aging patina of natural materials can.

Without the hotel demerit, I'd grade FS an A for ambition, A- for execution.
 
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mickEblu

mickEblu

Well-Known Member
Rockishcoco said:
The hotel is so strange to me. From inside the park, it is absolutely stunning. From the monorail, it's not quite a looker. Get sightlines are a thing but if it looked like the park-facing side all around we'd have a real contender for best TDR hotel.
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I was specifically referring to the interior of the hotel. It's beautiful. I'd rather not see the hotel at all from inside the park but it doesn't look too bad in the video I saw.
 
mickEblu

mickEblu

Well-Known Member
Ok I get it now. This expansion is all about the hotel, grounds and the land. The rides are like the fountain drink that comes with the combo. Love all the trees, rock work and waterfalls. Wish the execution was better on the Frozen and Tangled rides (can't really form an opinion on Pan based on videos) but I'd take one of these as part of DL Forward with some modifications to the attractions. Can certainly do worse. Wouldn’t even necessarily have to be all the same IP. I just like the concept and the aesthetics.
 
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TalkToEthan

Well-Known Member
And while we’re at with demography……

what’s with the decision to load up Tokyo Disney Resort lately with this campaign to attract the young??? Beauty and Beast, Toy Story Hotel, Fantasy Springs, Midway Mania

Japan’s population pyramid might well dramatically affect things in 8 to 15 years
 
tanc

tanc

Premium Member
I guess fantasy springs is going to make TDR worthy of a 5 day trip. previously most people recommended 3 or 4 days.
 
mickEblu

mickEblu

Well-Known Member
Disney Analyst said:
I love how the Tangled attraction looks, but I think it needs more. More characters. More Gothel. More beats.
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Agreed. I like how it starts outdoors. Gets off to a really nice start with the tower there.

I also think Frozen needed more beats like the wolves and Marshmallow. The Magic/ adventure stuff. Less scene by scene book report with small character interactions. It’s a ride. Not a soap opera or Broadway.
 
Animaniac93-98

Animaniac93-98

Well-Known Member
𝕴𝖒𝖆𝖌𝖎𝖓𝖊𝖊𝖗97 said:
I'd settle for ANY Gothel!
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Have Gothel at the end of the ride, heckling people.

"Oh...wasn't that just sweet...Rapunzel and Flynn are so adorable...NOW GET OFF THE RIDE, Mummy has to take care of her little flower next..."

"Did you see that beautiful young maiden over there? Oh, that's just my reflection in the river! lol Yes, keep that boat moving so I can get a second look..."
 
ParkPeeker

ParkPeeker

Well-Known Member
They could’ve easily added a hooded gothel figure in the foreground of the snugly duckling scene looking for rapunzel. But seeing as this isn’t a book report and it ends at the lights, they were probably like, it makes no sense let’s just make it about her best day ever, which ends at the lights in the movie when she fulfills that dream.
 
ParkPeeker

ParkPeeker

Well-Known Member
✋3 Elsas, 👉 3 gothels

1 at snuggly
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1 at incantation hand scene
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1 at a reworked post lights bush area
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WaltWiz1901

WaltWiz1901

Well-Known Member
Consumer said:
This expansion is roughly 26 acres and has 4 attractions. "A bug's land" opened in 2002 at roughly 4 acres and opened 5 new attractions.
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P.S. one of those attractions was only a splash pad, and most of the rides you're stacking these up against were nowhere near the same level (but did help add more capacity where it was sorely needed)...not really a fair comparison
 

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