News Tomorrowland love

Epcot82Guy

Well-Known Member
Private Lee Lemon invites you into the test chamber. Zap Branningan has to leave to get some very sensual paperwork as a highly annoyed bending unit is left at the controls. The test subject, Philip J. Fry, is told not to bring metal into the test tube. Asking if a fork is made of metal, the tube accidentally intercepts Lrr of Omicron Persei 8 who threatens the audience. He and Lee Lemon (now out of disguise) fight in the dark until Dr. Farnsworth is able to fling Lrr back into space with his new and improved Fing-Longer. At the show closes, Bender (made entirely of metal), enters the tube which closes just before he explodes with a "Bite My Shiny Metal..."

Hermes then demands you leave to drive maximum efficiency in show operations - as the true bureaucrat he is.
 

MattFrees71

Well-Known Member
The thing is, the coaster itself is nearing the end of its lifetime and should've been rebuilt back in 2009. I'm all for the retro stylization of it but replace the tracks, supports, and trains. The props should stay (and were supposed to back when it was supposed to happen) and the addition of a in-car soundtrack would've been added instead of the Crappy-o-phonic sound system that works when it feels like it right now.

I find it funny how the one major change to the queue was reverted recently. All of that work to just dump it in the end.

I love the aesthetic of WDW's SM, but it needs love because right now it looks (and rides) bad. Hilariously enough, the version they ran at Halloween without any lighting was more enjoyable because there wasn't any light-bleed anywhere and they just had some random song blaring over the speakers. You couldn't see the flaws with it anymore.

something something track welding fixes on a regular basis too
When I went on it recently, I was thinking to myself at how well they utilized all the space for the track- I don't think it can be configured much better than it is. I'm enjoying it the way it is as much as I can now. I recognize that I may be in the minority of people who like the retro 70's space feel it still has. I hope it doesn't get majorly altered anytime soon (and am happy that as far as I've seen no such indication has been made).
 

Epcot82Guy

Well-Known Member
When I went on it recently, I was thinking to myself at how well they utilized all the space for the track- I don't think it can be configured much better than it is. I'm enjoying it the way it is as much as I can now. I recognize that I may be in the minority of people who like the retro 70's space feel it still has. I hope it doesn't get majorly altered anytime soon (and am happy that as far as I've seen no such indication has been made).

I'm there with you. I can be an admitted coaster snob for roughness, but I really appreciate the WDW Space Mountain. I really like the ambient soundtrack, since it doesn't "give away" the ride. You feel a bit more out of control. I'm all for a rebuild, but I wish it was a rebuild of the current track with a similar feel to its current state vs. changing the ride. Especially with a similar ride going next door with an on-ride sound track.
 

Janir

Well-Known Member
The thing is, the coaster itself is nearing the end of its lifetime and should've been rebuilt back in 2009. I'm all for the retro stylization of it but replace the tracks, supports, and trains. The props should stay (and were supposed to back when it was supposed to happen) and the addition of a in-car soundtrack would've been added instead of the Crappy-o-phonic sound system that works when it feels like it right now.

I find it funny how the one major change to the queue was reverted recently. All of that work to just dump it in the end.

I love the aesthetic of WDW's SM, but it needs love because right now it looks (and rides) bad. Hilariously enough, the version they ran at Halloween without any lighting was more enjoyable because there wasn't any light-bleed anywhere and they just had some random song blaring over the speakers. You couldn't see the flaws with it anymore.

something something track welding fixes on a regular basis too
I wonder if Disney Parkas is pushing off the SM rebuild until AFTER Tron is done. To take its 'place' in attractions for a while?
 

trainplane3

Well-Known Member
When I went on it recently, I was thinking to myself at how well they utilized all the space for the track- I don't think it can be configured much better than it is. I'm enjoying it the way it is as much as I can now. I recognize that I may be in the minority of people who like the retro 70's space feel it still has. I hope it doesn't get majorly altered anytime soon (and am happy that as far as I've seen no such indication has been made).
Again, the plan wasn't to change the layout but to only replace what was there with the same exact layout. It's less of a "change because we can" and more of a "let's avoid another DL Big Thunder Mountain situation". The coaster is trimmed to all hell at this point .

If the original plan happened you would have exactly the same coaster plus on board soundtrack and working effects, the aesthetic would be the same as well (the great 70s scifi/space feel). Everything else would've been exactly the same as you just rode.

Remember, DL's SM closed unexpectedly due to an unexpected failure that morning. WDWs SM is running on bandaids at this point.
 

raymusiccity

Well-Known Member
Again, the plan wasn't to change the layout but to only replace what was there with the same exact layout. It's less of a "change because we can" and more of a "let's avoid another DL Big Thunder Mountain situation". The coaster is trimmed to all hell at this point .

If the original plan happened you would have exactly the same coaster plus on board soundtrack and working effects, the aesthetic would be the same as well (the great 70s scifi/space feel). Everything else would've been exactly the same as you just rode.

Remember, DL's SM closed unexpectedly due to an unexpected failure that morning. WDWs SM is running on bandaids at this point.

With the pile of cash Disney is sitting on, let's go big or go home !! It's time to dust off the original plans and bring Space Mountain up to it's intended glory!
365209
 

Brad Bishop

Well-Known Member
It needs to be rebuilt. Coasters have a shelf life. What they've done is bandaids to prolong it's life. I mean, Hulk just got rebuilt a few years ago and it was almost 20 years old ...

The opportunity they had in 2009 was perfect: it was being shut down anyway for a long refurb and their original plan to replace the track would have fit perfectly. In addition, it would have ready, open, and smooth for the increased crowds that seemed to pick up around 2014.

Instead, they saved money.
 

Kman101

Well-Known Member
The opportunity they had in 2009 was perfect: it was being shut down anyway for a long refurb and their original plan to replace the track would have fit perfectly. In addition, it would have ready, open, and smooth for the increased crowds that seemed to pick up around 2014.

Instead, they saved money.

Yep. It was a cost savings instead of doing what they should have done.

They only care about the short term.

It's so frustrating how they do things. I've tried so hard at times to give them the benefit of the doubt but I'm finding myself falling back into "they just don't get it and everytime I think they do, they fall back into the same patterns of budget cutting and short-term fixes" ... It's disappointing to constantly be let down. But then again, shame on me for trying to remain hopeful they were finally "getting it". I knew better ;) (and now the usual folks will tell me how they are spending money and they can't do everything overnight, etc. etc.)

It's fun watching DisTwitter have a coronary over the current crowds in the park (and not sure why they post pictures of heavy crowds; duh, of course it's busy because it's Easter week). Even the most ardent defenders know the MK and all the other parks are still underbuilt. But underbuilt or not, the crowds are still going to peak this week. It's weird how some bloggers act like this is some new phenomenon. I've always avoided this week like the plague.
 

DreamfinderGuy

Well-Known Member
Private Lee Lemon invites you into the test chamber. Zap Branningan has to leave to get some very sensual paperwork as a highly annoyed bending unit is left at the controls. The test subject, Philip J. Fry, is told not to bring metal into the test tube. Asking if a fork is made of metal, the tube accidentally intercepts Lrr of Omicron Persei 8 who threatens the audience. He and Lee Lemon (now out of disguise) fight in the dark until Dr. Farnsworth is able to fling Lrr back into space with his new and improved Fing-Longer. At the show closes, Bender (made entirely of metal), enters the tube which closes just before he explodes with a "Bite My Shiny Metal..."

Hermes then demands you leave to drive maximum efficiency in show operations - as the true bureaucrat he is.
I’m almost ashamed to say that I love this idea. Almost.
 

Purduevian

Well-Known Member
I know the 2 coaster cross a little bit near the beginning of the ride... but would it be possible to do a TOT like refurbishment to Space mountain using an enormous black curtain? Something like closing the whole ride for 2-3 months to work on the crossover section of Alpha. Then closing Alpha for 8-10 months to rebuild the track. Then closing the whole ride for 2-3 months to work on the crossover section of Omega. Then opening Alpha and closing Omega for 8-10 months to rebuild Omega? Disney World seems to hate taking down E-Ticket attractions as people complain a lot more if they are on their once in a life time trip, and can't ride something as iconic as Space Mountain.
 

Janir

Well-Known Member
The opportunity they had in 2009 was perfect: it was being shut down anyway for a long refurb and their original plan to replace the track would have fit perfectly. In addition, it would have ready, open, and smooth for the increased crowds that seemed to pick up around 2014.

Instead, they saved money.
Remember that the Tomorrowland movie came out in 2011 so as a movie it was in the works by 2009. Some backend thinking probably along the lines of "we should hold off the refurb a of Space Mtn bit and wrap it into the eventual Tomorrow Land redo" that never happened when the movie tanked.
 

Brad Bishop

Well-Known Member
You'd think. But everyone was hopeful Everest would shut down after Avatar Land opened and yet, here we are ...

It really amounts to a business decision:
  • Would fixing Everest/Yeti change the receipts at the gate? No.
  • thus: don't spend money to fix it.

It also makes you think 20 years out for Everest:
  • Would replacing Everest's track change the gate receipts? No.
  • Thus, don't replace Everest's track - just keep spot welding.

I think that this is even more telling for Everest as replacing SM's track would seemingly be easier than replacing Everest's in how it was built. To think that, even if they were to replace Everest's track in the future, that they'd do anything to the Yeti is silly. If the Yeti's been there for 40 years and had strobes on it and didn't affect ticket sales, then why spend more money for an already existing attraction. It's not like they'd increase ticket sales with billboards all over Orlando exclaiming, "WE GOT THE YETI WORKING!"

Billboards, originally, for a new attraction like Everest pull people in. Simply fixing something does not. Trying to correct cost cutting measures doesn't either. For example, they'd never make 7DMT feel complete by making it longer because a billboard exclaiming, "7DMT FEELS LIKE A FULL RIDE NOW!," isn't going to bring in anyone.

It's one of the reasons I hate the cost-cutting measures: They're so short sided. I get that you can't have everything and that costs have to be kept in check but some of their decisions on cost cutting are going to live on for decades/generations. Making Splash Mountain complete still leaves us with a thoroughly enjoyable Splash Mountain today. Even when I ride it 30 years later I still think, "Oh, yeah.. I forgot.. There's more!" 7DMT will always leave you, even decades out, with, "That was it? Oh, yeah. that's right. That's all there is."
 

Janir

Well-Known Member
You'd think. But everyone was hopeful Everest would shut down after Avatar Land opened and yet, here we are ...
The difference is Everest is still safe to run as long as the Yeti doesn't move. Further degradation of the ride structure won't happen. In SM the rails are getting worn so there will come a point ( if we're already not there - another discussion) that says they will have to rebuild sooner or later as long as we want to keep operating SM.
 

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