News Tron coaster coming to the Magic Kingdom

yensidtlaw1969

Well-Known Member
Disney bought all that land to build hotels. Keeping the world away was a bonus. Walt was upset about the glitter, but he was really upset when he found out tourists spent twice as much outside of Disneyland (for hotel, food etc) then inside.
Sure, I'll give you that was part of it, but think about the lengths Walt had them go to in ensuring that the enormous warehouse showbuildings for Small World, Pirates, and the Haunted Mansion were never visible from within the park. Concealing the unattractive industrial structures in the park in the name of maintaining an illusion was clearly also a priority to some expensive extent, and it was one that the Magic Kingdom also did reasonably well for nearly 50 years. Now they're doing the bare minimum in that regard with TRON.
 

Incomudro

Well-Known Member
Sure, I'll give you that was part of it, but think about the lengths Walt had them go to in ensuring that the enormous warehouse showbuildings for Small World, Pirates, and the Haunted Mansion were never visible from within the park. Concealing the unattractive industrial structures in the park in the name of maintaining an illusion was clearly also a priority to some expensive extent, and it was one that the Magic Kingdom also did reasonably well for nearly 50 years. Now they're doing the bare minimum in that regard with TRON.

Yes, but this is an industrial structure in an industrial ride.
What is wrong with seeing the box that the cycles go into?
 

yensidtlaw1969

Well-Known Member
Yes, but this is an industrial structure in an industrial ride.
What is wrong with seeing the box that the cycles go into?
In what way is TRON an industrial ride?

It takes place in the Game Grid of TRON, which is itself inside computer software. The Grid is a virtual reality. It could fit on a thumbdrive. Shouldn't this be the kind of attraction where the warehouse is extra well hidden to complete the illusion that we've been sucked into a computer instead of a large, hangar-like building? Similarly, it's never really made sense with the world of TRON that the light cycles take a loop outside before heading back into the Grid, but I get that that's part of the fun of this ride and was also important in Shanghai for communicating visually what sort of experience the ride offered.

So if we choose forgive the loop, it still doesn't make design sense for the light cycles to head straight on into a big warehouse that has nothing to do with TRON in a story or conceptual sense - it's merely the place where most of the ride takes place. But in the "story" of the ride we're meant to be inside a computer. The showbuilding doesn't communicate "computer" any more than the backside of my local Walmart does. Even with all that gray paneling.

Never mind that an "industrial structure" sounds like the last thing a "magical kingdom" would need added to its landscape. It doesn't fit the IP, it doesn't fit the story of the ride, it doesn't fit the look of the park, and the fun of the Canopy doesn't do enough to cover these other sins (while we're at it, what "is" the Canopy?

Maybe the MK should have gotten a different version of a TRON ride designed just for that park. Shanghai's version has some oddities that are even more odd when transplanted to this park. Remember the days when Splash Mountain was redesigned between DL and WDW (and then again at TDL!) just because they didn't think Disneyland's version would make enough aesthetic sense in Magic Kingdom's Frontierland?
 

yensidtlaw1969

Well-Known Member
Except from the Skyway...
I mean, Mansion, Pirates, and Small World weren't visible from the skyway . . . but regardless of that, that is why I said it was a priority "to some expensive extent". They went well out of their way to hide or theme showbuildings from every walking guest perspective, but I suppose there's only so much they were able to do at the time when it came to rooftops from the Skyway.

And to be fair, if the Skyway was still gliding through the Magic Kingdom I would probably excuse a rooftop view of TRON from it because, again, there is a line in terms of what can reasonably be expected. But then again, a building like Space Mountain that's designed from every angle never had to worry about the view from the Skyway or from walking guest areas because it's design is an asset no matter where you're looking from.

It's not like it's impossible to theme a coaster building in 360, as Imagineers with far less money and far fewer resources proved next door to TRON 45 years ago.

EDITED To Fix: Accidentally referring to the Skyway as the Skyliner the second time I mentioned it - meanwhile I still say Downtown Disney and MGM regularly!
 
Last edited:

larryz

I'm Just A Tourist!
Premium Member
I mean, Mansion, Pirates, and Small World weren't visible from the skyway . . .
Mansion and Pirates were definitely harder to see, but you were practically right over IaSW. The roof was very easy to see... and it looked like the roof of a big warehouse.
1580133144784.png
 

Incomudro

Well-Known Member
In what way is TRON an industrial ride?

It takes place in the Game Grid of TRON, which is itself inside computer software. The Grid is a virtual reality. It could fit on a thumbdrive. Shouldn't this be the kind of attraction where the warehouse is extra well hidden to complete the illusion that we've been sucked into a computer instead of a large, hangar-like building? Similarly, it's never really made sense with the world of TRON that the light cycles take a loop outside before heading back into the Grid, but I get that that's part of the fun of this ride and was also important in Shanghai for communicating visually what sort of experience the ride offered.

So if we choose forgive the loop, it still doesn't make design sense for the light cycles to head straight on into a big warehouse that has nothing to do with TRON in a story or conceptual sense - it's merely the place where most of the ride takes place. But in the "story" of the ride we're meant to be inside a computer. The showbuilding doesn't communicate "computer" any more than the backside of my local Walmart does. Even with all that gray paneling.

Never mind that an "industrial structure" sounds like the last thing a "magical kingdom" would need added to its landscape. It doesn't fit the IP, it doesn't fit the story of the ride, it doesn't fit the look of the park, and the fun of the Canopy doesn't do enough to cover these other sins (while we're at it, what "is" the Canopy?

Maybe the MK should have gotten a different version of a TRON ride designed just for that park. Shanghai's version has some oddities that are even more odd when transplanted to this park. Remember the days when Splash Mountain was redesigned between DL and WDW (and then again at TDL!) just because they didn't think Disneyland's version would make enough aesthetic sense in Magic Kingdom's Frontierland?

It's not a natural structure like Splash, Big Thunder, Flights of Passage etc., where a box needs to be hidden by natural elements.
It's not located in Fantasyland where the box needs to be hidden by storybook elements.
It's premise is a manmade theme - a computer as sterile as sterile gets - and it is located in Tomorrowland where it is amongst other manmade looking structures.
I don't find some views of a square structure to be out of place at all.
Not only does it fit Tomorrowland - it greatly enhances it.
 

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
It's not a natural structure like Splash, Big Thunder, Flights of Passage etc., where a box needs to be hidden by natural elements.
It's not located in Fantasyland where the box needs to be hidden by storybook elements.
It's premise is a manmade theme - a computer as sterile as sterile gets - and it is located in Tomorrowland where it is amongst other manmade looking structures.
I don't find some views of a square structure to be out of place at all.
Not only does it fit Tomorrowland - it greatly enhances it.
Have you actually watched TRON: Legacy? The premise takes place inside an old brick building. Where are the other warehouses in Tomorrowland? The buildings of Fantasyland are also man-made. The most famous, beautiful works of architecture are man-made. A standard warehouse is hardly considered to be strong design.
 

Movielover

Well-Known Member
It's not a natural structure like Splash, Big Thunder, Flights of Passage etc., where a box needs to be hidden by natural elements.
It's not located in Fantasyland where the box needs to be hidden by storybook elements.
It's premise is a manmade theme - a computer as sterile as sterile gets - and it is located in Tomorrowland where it is amongst other manmade looking structures.
I don't find some views of a square structure to be out of place at all.
Not only does it fit Tomorrowland - it greatly enhances it.

I 100 percent agree but as of right now it can be seen from the Fantasyland station. I hope there will be elements to help hide it from the station but I think it fits well with Tomorrowland!
 

EPCOTCenterLover

Well-Known Member
It's not a natural structure like Splash, Big Thunder, Flights of Passage etc., where a box needs to be hidden by natural elements.
It's not located in Fantasyland where the box needs to be hidden by storybook elements.
It's premise is a manmade theme - a computer as sterile as sterile gets - and it is located in Tomorrowland where it is amongst other manmade looking structures.
I don't find some views of a square structure to be out of place at all.
Not only does it fit Tomorrowland - it greatly enhances it.
That's an interesting perspective. Not sure I agree but I do wish it were not in plain view or as boxy in design.
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom