Toy Story Land Already Disappointing?

[NormC]

You mean like they didn't rush on New Fantasyland and 7DMT and getting a subpar, even worse than planned result?

Actually the planned result was a Princess Meet and Greet facility. The coaster was added late into the process. Yes it was cut down from some of the conceptual drawings but it was completed in 33 months and has been a big hit. Could it have been better? Yes of course it could. Is Disney slow? Yes sometimes they are. Do they need to go faster? No they don't. If they needed to they would. Would I like them to go faster? Yes I would but I am not going to whine in a forum about things that aren't even built yet or complain because the work they have done so far is behind the scenes and unimpressive. There is more to life.

 

[NormC]

Well to be honest that is no excuse for TSL. The land is behind main walkways on land of a ride that's been closed over a year.

And on land that contains several buildings that are used for other things.

 

[Chef Mickey]

Actually the planned result was a Princess Meet and Greet facility. The coaster was added late into the process. Yes it was cut down from some of the conceptual drawings but it was completed in 33 months and has been a big hit. Could it have been better? Yes of course it could. Is Disney slow? Yes sometimes they are. Do they need to go faster? No they don't. If they needed to they would. Would I like them to go faster? Yes I would but I am not going to whine in a forum about things that aren't even built yet or complain because the work they have done so far is behind the scenes and unimpressive. There is more to life.

I am not arguing Toy Story land won't be a hit. It will be.

I just know Disney is capable of a lot more, because I can see it in previous projects that oh by the way, they are riding pretty hard sometimes 20 years later+.

• The American Adventure
• Tower of Terror
• Splash
• Even Test Track and Mission space. Completely new concepts.
• Everest (Yeti working is a big part, but it broke down on Iger's watch and he's ignored it)..

 

[NormC]

Agreed.

 

[FigmentForver96]

And on land that contains several buildings that are used for other things.

That could be moved and would not disrupt the flow of guest within the worlds busiest theme parks. Even some of the cast buildings could have been relocated. I'm not really rushing the project I'm just saying making the excuse it will disrupt a busy theme park is false

 

[Raineman]

I'm so tired of that.

Disney has never had more money and resources than they do today. I know that's the reason, but it's super frustrating.

And yes, I am excited for Toy Story, but I can already tell it has training wheels on it. I hope we end up surprised/amazed, but the Iger administration hasn't impressed when it comes to park additions.

The way Iger and his cronies operate, to me, can be comparable to a sports team. If a team is constantly one of the worst teams in the league, year after year, but still sell out every game, sell tons of merch, etc., what motivation does management have to make the team better? If record crowd numbers continue to be generated at WDW despite no new E-ticket since EE and numerous new attractions that have generated a collective "meh", why pour more money and time into WDW? I definitely don't agree with this philosophy, but it works for Iger and company when it comes to fattening their bank accounts. It would take a sustained period of continuously declining attendance for the suits at Disney to realize that delivering better quality attractions and maintaining current attractions to a high standard is vital to ensure that the cash flow continues, but I honestly can't see attendance declining in the near future, foregoing a major world event or economic shift.

 

[TBrooker11]

I think a lot of construction taking so long has to do with the noise that it can create. Me personally, I do not want to go into Disney and hears bulldozers and all kinds of saws and power tools. I go to Disney to get away from all of that in the real world. Especially since I live in a construction zone haha.

I used to wonder why Universal can throw up a ride or a land in a year or two and it can take Disney 2-5 years or however long it takes, until I realized that Disney doesn't need to speed anything up to get customers in, and Universal does. The one thing I don't understand, and maybe somebody here knows. But why close the Backlot Tour at the end of September in 2014 and not start working on the area for new stuff until now? Or maybe they have been working and are that good at hiding it. Who knows?

Either way, I would rather have Disney take a bit longer with their construction, and make it so I don't hear it, or have to deal with it as I walk through the parks. Also, not sure what people expected with a Toy Story land.... Did some people expect like a coaster with a 100 foot drop that goes 80 mph? I mean when I heard it was happening I expected some pretty family friendly rides. Which is good, because I am a big baby.

 

[Heffalump333]

I feel that the toy story alien attraction will be like this.

and the slinky ride like this

 

[NormC]

No, slinky is not going to be a Wild Maus. Yes the alien ride is most likely going to be a remade Mater.

 

[Kate F]

Sorry for bumping this months-old thread, but it seems pretty relevant at the moment. I don't know about anyone else, but I don't have much hope for TSL after seeing the new concept art. I still wouldn't say that I'm ready to call it a "disappointment" necessarily, because I'm sure the land will be a huge success in the eyes of families with small children and it might even turn out to be much better than a lot of us think it's going to be, but nothing I've seen so far instills much excitement in me, and it's a real shame that it looks like this land may end up receiving huge budget cuts.

 

[Bairstow]

Sorry for bumping this months-old thread, but it seems pretty relevant at the moment. I don't know about anyone else, but I don't have much hope for TSL after seeing the new concept art. I still wouldn't say that I'm ready to call it a "disappointment" necessarily, because I'm sure the land will be a huge success in the eyes of families with small children and it might even turn out to be much better than a lot of us think it's going to be, but nothing I've seen so far instills much excitement in me, and it's a real shame that it looks like this land may end up receiving huge budget cuts.

I still think is silly for anyone to be disappointed by something that hasn't even had a finalized design yet, let alone been built.

On that note, has anyone made a careful analysis of the revised concept art Disney posted on the construction walls this week and noted any changes?

 

[marni1971]

On that note, has anyone made a careful analysis of the revised concept art Disney posted on the construction walls this week and noted any changes?

Oh yes. Plenty. It's in the relevant thread in Studios Expansion.

 

[OG Runner]

Is anyone else surprised at the size of the Slinky Roller Coaster? I understand it is not a thrill ride with a 400 foot drop, but looking at the construction photos, it really looks like it is going to cover a lot of ground.

 

[DfromATX]

Is anyone else surprised at the size of the Slinky Roller Coaster? I understand it is not a thrill ride with a 400 foot drop, but looking at the construction photos, it really looks like it is going to cover a lot of ground.

I'm just assuming that it is going to be a kiddie area. But, with all the changes happening, we're all going to get something we like.

 

[ford91exploder]

Sorry about my thread earlier! I had copied/pasted a thread from another forum and accidentally put it here!

Anyway, I was doing some reading on Toy Story Land and feel like it's already being boiled down to a "Kiddie coaster" and an extension to TSMM.

Although I am slightly disappointed at the current plans, shouldn't we give it a chance before declaring it a failure? I am reading rumblings that it's not enough and Star Wars will have to "make up" for the lack of new E-Tickets in Toy Story.

I am hoping we don't essentially get a Barnstormer and another level in TSMM.

Your thoughts?

This in a nutshell is what I feel is wrong with WDW as a whole Disney leadership has become obsessed with meeting financial targets to the detriment of actually investing in the business.

I'm not saying UNI is a better park only a fool would say that now but they are investing in their business at the same level Disney did in the pre-Iger years and their current financials reflect that investment and the growth is nearly all top line growth meaning both revenue and profits are increasing.

Unlike disney where revenue is flat and financial engineering is creating the profit margin.

So Disney keeps cutting additions back so whats annouced is amazing but the final product is 'Meh at best

 

[Chef Mickey]

So far.... lacklustre. It still has potential to be awesome. Depends if they expand on the plans.

Since someone bumped this thread, I'm wondering if anything has changed since the plans sounded slightly lackluster? I haven't heard anything that indicates more than underwhelming. Perhaps the coaster will be slightly better than I anticipated, but still somewhere between Barnstormer and RNR

 

[BasiltheBatLord]

Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't this essentially a clone of the Toy Story Land at Hong Kong except with a new entrance for TSMM? Because if so it's hard for me to see why anyone would be excited for this considering it's just a kiddie ride land.

 

[Mickey5150]

Since someone bumped this thread, I'm wondering if anything has changed since the plans sounded slightly lackluster? I haven't heard anything that indicates more than underwhelming. Perhaps the coaster will be slightly better than I anticipated, but still somewhere between Barnstormer and RNR

This land is for families with small children, it is gonna be perfect for the target audience. If you want thrills then wait for Star wars. This finally gives kids something to do while the taller folks ride RnR and ToT.

 

[Amidala]

I think my issue with this land has more to do with theming than with the rides themselves. This seems more like a mini "playland" area (reminiscent of the soon to be eliminated Bug's Life area in DCA I'd assume? I've never been, though) and coming at it from that angle, I'm fine with milder rides; with the Tron coaster and Galaxy's Edge coming, there should be plenty of thrills on the horizon anyway. But in 2017, slapping some oversized toys down in an open field and calling it an immersive experience feels disingenuous (just as much so in Hong Kong and in Paris). What sets that apart from Honey I Shrunk the Kids in 90s MGM? It doesn't actually simulate shrinking down to the size of a toy.

A Buzz-themed space area, Woody-themed cowboy area or even a more dedicated "recreation" of a specific Toy Story locale (like Andy's room) could have a more cohesive theme and actually feel like you're stepping into a different world, while still providing attractions for younger children. Not to mention that this is just an expansion of a concept we've already seen in the TSM ride queue. I've watched videos of TSL's other locations, and they just seems kind of...sad–again, not because of the rides, but because of the half-hearted theming.

Like some people have already said, it isn't the worst possible outcome, but it feels like a disservice to a beloved Pixar movie.

 

[Chef Mickey]

This land is for families with small children, it is gonna be perfect for the target audience. If you want thrills then wait for Star wars. This finally gives kids something to do while the taller folks ride RnR and ToT.

I'm all about family attractions, but a spinner and perhaps a tricked up Barnstomer aren't my idea of highly themed attractions purpose built for families.

A spinner is super lazy and a rollercoaster, even if tame, might be too much for younger children or children period.

The expansion of TSMM if it still is on the table would be decent, but just an incremental upgrade to something we've had for a while.