Toy Story Mania in NYTimes

[EpcotServo]

We all thought the same thing about M:S before it opened...

It should be noted that Mission: SPACE suffered from deaths and an intense ride system. So unless sudden deaths and high g-forces are encountered in Toy Story Mania, there's no reason it won't be a big draw...
:lol:

No matter of what your views of the screen element are, you have to admit that TSM is EXACTLY what MGM needs...A big D-Ticket dark ride that the WHOLE family can ride and RE-RIDE. That's what the park has needed since 99'.

 

[jt04]

And M:S is one ride that should be bulldozed immediately. What a waste.

Disagree completely. M:S is a ride system that can be updated as technologies advance (new video, 3D, choice of experiences etc). To me it is the most amazing ride I have ever been on from a technical point of view. It really is incredible. And as many times as I've ridden it I have yet to see someone get sick! Horizons is not coming back. Let it go.

 

[mkt]

We all thought the same thing about M:S before it opened...

yes we did... it was groundbreaking, and at the time we were all jaded by it's novelty, but once it wore off, we realized... it really isn't that good.

 

[grunter]

Disagree completely. M:S is a ride system that can be updated as technologies advance (new video, 3D, choice of experiences etc). To me it is the most amazing ride I have ever been on from a technical point of view. It really is incredible. And as many times as I've ridden it I have yet to see someone get sick! Horizons is not coming back. Let it go.

I don't care about Horizons. I care about boring "entertainment." I have no idea what M:S was like before the widely reported death, but the gutted, punch two buttons and spin ride that I experienced at my last visit to EPCOT was a pathetic, "scraping-the-bottom-of-the-barrel" attempt at a ride.

It reminded me of those cheapie Star Tours-knockoff, Space Shuttle themed, projected image, plus motion simulator "rides" that you see cordoned off at the front of any given Six Flags park. It felt dated, contrived and ultimately pointless - especially when once the "thrill" part is done, you spill out into yet another games area of touchscreen videos and assorted gift shop paraphrenalia.

 

[jt04]

I don't care about Horizons. I care about boring "entertainment." I have no idea what M:S was like before the widely reported death, but the gutted, punch two buttons and spin ride that I experienced at my last visit to EPCOT was a pathetic, "scraping-the-bottom-of-the-barrel" attempt at a ride.

It reminded me of those cheapie Star Tours-knockoff, Space Shuttle themed, projected image, plus motion simulator "rides" that you see cordoned off at the front of any given Six Flags park. It felt dated, contrived and ultimately pointless - especially when once the "thrill" part is done, you spill out into yet another games area of touchscreen videos and assorted gift shop paraphrenalia.

The original ride experience has not changed. You do have a choice as to spin (original experience) or no spin (for the suckers who fell for the lie that you will get motion sickness). Which one did you ride? I agree completely that the pavilion should be expanded with the current M:S being a pre-show that actually takes you to a destination you experience after leaving the pod. That would be really great.

 

[TheBeatles]

Um, how old are you? Just curious. While the quote above sounds rather generic, the overall tone of what was said in the article was that he was talking about the younger generation of park goers, like the under 20 set. And I would considers his remarks about that particular demographic to be accurate.

I sort of agree too. I may not like this fact, but I've experience it plenty of times to understand what Jay is saying.

Based on kids I've known, they sure spend more time playing and interacting with technology than I ever did.

 

[mousermerf]

I sort of agree too. I may not like this fact, but I've experience it plenty of times to understand what Jay is saying.

Based on kids I've known, they sure spend more time playing and interacting with technology than I ever did.

*sigh*

History repeats itself, and those who dont learn from the past are doomed to repeat it. Remember smell-vision? And the films from the 50's where you voted for the next scenes? And 3D movies? And the seats in theaters that shocked you and vibrated? And having to scratch and sniff cards while watching TV?

All been done before. This is nothing new.

 

[tonythetigerasn]

*sigh*

History repeats itself, and those who dont learn from the past are doomed to repeat it. Remember smell-vision? And the films from the 50's where you voted for the next scenes? And 3D movies? And the seats in theaters that shocked you and vibrated? And having to scratch and sniff cards while watching TV?

All been done before. This is nothing new.

This is ABSOLUTELY something new. This is 3D immersive video game experience mixing Animatronics (hopefully more than the potato), screens, and actual sets with an element of interactivity. From what I've read, the 3D technology in setting up these games is a first for any theme park, much less any marketed video game, anywhere. Every attraction will not be Pirates or Haunted Mansion, and almost none will live up to the fame experienced by those two. Honestly, there are few attractions on property that have the "staying" ability that you seem to expect from every attraction at Disney. The fact is, some attractions are classics, and some aren't. Toy Story Mania (with the easy ability to change out games and release of Toy Story 3) will not be a Pirates/Mansion, but will also not be short lived or unpopular. The attraction fulfills two VERY pivotal roles for the park: it adds a family-friendly, rerideable dark ride and pushes ride technology even farther.

 

[mousermerf]

Umm.. no...

This is actually a very low-tech version of Spiderman, thank you very much.

Watch the time-lapse at the New York Times Website and pull up the old posting with the ride layout. They used a flat track and they arranged the "sets" to sparsely picture frame the screens with minimal 3-dimenional structures. It's like floating through cardboard cut-outs with some things glued on them and some screens.

Spiderman has some actual sets, moves in many directions on a motion base and on a track in several directions, thus they needed to develop a technology to alter the image to compensate for distortion that happens when you view 3D as you're moving. TSM actually stops at the screens and moves minimally, just to avoid that.

It's a tech downgrade.

Seriously.

 

[Disneykidder]

Wow, that was a lengthy but well written article. It made me more excited about seeing it. We will be seeing it in DL this summer, not DHS.

 

[mousermerf]

PS: Let me know when you find an animatronic in the ride.

 

[mousermerf]

Let me clarify for those who are not seeing it...

Two vehicles. 4 per vehicle, You sit with a person next to you and a person behind you (back to back). The other vehicle is behind or infront of you, you move sideways, sorta like horizons.

You pull up to a scene, it's a "stall" for a game, it has it's themed surround and the center is a screen, if you're the front car you coasted past an identicle one already and the divider - if you're the back, you can see the divider. Behind you, the exact same scene for the people right behind your back.

The scene starts on all 4 screens at once. Bo-Peep or whoever starts the game, you shoot, hoopla! It ends, you drift sideways, the front sees some darkness and some sets, the back sees the other side of the stalls and the cardboard (look at that pic, see that cardboard cut out masking around the screen depicting a curtain?) and then you arrive at the next scene. It all repeats.

This goes on for about 5 or 6 games.

Get the picture. It's not mind blowing, new, fantastic, great or anything.

 

[mousermerf]

Btw, what other "fun" screen-based ride d-ticket dark ride has the vehicle pulling up to a screen, stopping, playing a scene, moving to next, repeating, etc..?

Oh that's right, the Figment fiasco..

Apparently bad ideas never die at Imagineering either.

 

[DisneyDrum]

Eh..I think it's a bit too early to judge the ride experience. You've got what..a picture of the experimental setup and the under construction track design? We really have no idea how the transitions between games will be. I'm not exactly a fan of much of the things disney has been doing lately, but I think TSM mania has the potintal to be pretty cool.

 

[EpcotServo]

PS: Let me know when you find an animatronic in the ride.

Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmm.........how 'bout that $1 million dollar AA that can take itself apart?

Or does that not count because it's in the themed queue?

:lol:

Seriously, not that I agree that it should be compared with Spiderman (Remember, ONE person said that, not the world Merf!) dosn't mean that you should be slammin' TSM. Please refer to my post above on how you aren't on any solid ground to slam it.

 

[sanctumsolitude]

Get the picture. It's not mind blowing, new, fantastic, great or anything.

The other day I went to a restaurant called Cheeseburgers in Paradise. Excellent place that I would really suggest going to if there is one in your city. Anyway, I ordered the mini-cheeseburgers. There is nothing that mind-blowing about mini-cheeseburgers. I mean, yea, I guess it's actually a downgrade from one of the specialty cheeseburgers (like the Hawaiian Burger, also good) since all you get is some beef, onion, and pickle on a bun. It's not really that new either. Once they were new I guess, but a lot of places have done something similar.

But let me tell you, they were great. Fantastic even. I honestly have never had mini-cheeseburgers that amazing.

The point I am trying to make is while Toy Story Mania is not necessarily the most amazing technology ever conceived nor is it completely new, that does not mean it won't be an amazing ride. Just looking at the cheeseburgers one can't tell how great they are. But if you give them a chance you might just realize that the smaller option is actually not that bad.

It's a D ticket in a park that sorely needs more. I can't wait to ride it.

 

[EpcotServo]

It should also be noted that picture is of the Mockup in Glendale. You can even see how one side is painted different to see which looks better.

 

[mousermerf]

That's just it - take your hawaiian (is that how you spell it?) burger and remove the pineapple, spices and everything that makes it hawaiian and instead have maybe just some pineapple juice squirted on it and it served on a placemat that has a hawaiian print and viola you've got TSM versus Spiderman.

That's why i'm not happy about the comparison.

And about being on "solid ground" - let me tell you! Solid flat and completely unal;tered from the state it was in when it was Millionaire and merely a soundstage before that! That ride has no elevations, no and is the epitome of 1955 bus-bar technology akin to Snow White (heck, it's probably closed for refurb right now so they can borrow parts).

It is no great leap in technology. The kids at MIT are out-pacing the so-called genius of Imagineering every day. They're a sham.

 

[mousermerf]

It should also be noted that picture is of the Mockup in Glendale. You can even see how one side is painted different to see which looks better.

And refer to the time-lapse, they chose one of them. But still, both choice A or B is cheap card board layers and the whole ride premise is putt-putt-putt-stop-scene-putt-putt-stop-scene just like Figment's Fiasco.

 

[DisneyAnole]

It is no great leap in technology. The kids at MIT are out-pacing the so-called genius of Imagineering every day. They're a sham.

Now wait just a second. These are the same guys and gals...well, mostly guys...who designed Gran Fiesta, Turtle Talk, DL's subs, M:S, SSE's descent, Monsters Inc, HISTA, Muppets 3D, It's Tough to be a Bug, Philharmagic, and TSM. Oh, and Disney's American Idol.

They're no sham! They're experts at interactive dimensional entertainment screen technologies, perfect for audiences in the 21st century! Don't be fooled by the bloodless language. These attractions are every bit as good as old-fashioned Imagineering.