Two Spirited Quickees...Imagination closing

[Thrill]

I'm going to come across as sounding argumentative, so I apologize in advance. This is a good conversation that I am enjoying.

Using a children's television show like this as the basis for an EPCOT pavilion is wrong. It isn't wrong for a Fantasyland ride necessarily, but it is wrong for an EPCOT attraction of this magnitude. I am sure we can name many tv shows about characters who use their imagination. It isn't up to the caliber that EPCOT should be, and goes along with my feelings regarding Nemo. Just because a Disney property has some attributes that are similar to an EPCOT pavilion (like Nemo and the ocean, or P&F and using your imagination) doesn't mean that they are a good fit for those pavilions. It is lazy and shows a lack of creativity that shouldn't be tolerated.

Ah what the heck. I'll jump in too.

Phineas and Ferb as a Captain EO replacement? Fine. Even as part of ImageWorks? Okay. But making it the focus of the ride is absolutely ridiculous. I don't think that Phineas and Ferb has the staying power necessary to make a ride that will be relevant for more than a couple of years after it opens (especially considering Disney's construction pace as of late). Not to mention that I don't think it would make for a great ride by any means. An acceptable ride, maybe, and maybe something marginally better than what's currently there, but they can do much better using original characters and ideas made just for the ride.

As Inside Out is an intriguing movie, I'm not sure I want more Pixar in EPCOT, either. The Seas with Nemo isn't that bad (there's more, don't kill me) in concept. The ride is a bit poorly executed (read: is the movie all over again), but I'm not necessarily against the idea of having the Nemo characters involved with the pavilion. Done correctly, a Nemo-themed Seas could have been just as informative and entertaining as the original, but with added appeal for kids. And that's a good thing to look out for; if kids are going to be more entertained with Nemo's presence, then maybe they'll get some more educational value out of the pavilion.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

I think it's quite ironic, since you insinuated initially that it was childish to be talking about children shows. I bet most people would find adults talking about Disney parks to be childish as well.

There are some fourteen year-olds that post on this site.

By the time I was 14, I was done with Disney Channel.

 

[coolbeans14]

* (I know this not from watching them but from an article in EW. Or maybe it was the NYT. I'll cop to having seen maybe a half dozen Zach and Cody episodes, and one with the hot girl who's a nanny--all watched at the request of children in my life.)

I don't like the nanny one because of the racial stereotype they use for the adopted Indian boy, it felt unnecessary.

 

[Matt7187]

I don't like the nanny one because of the racial stereotype they use for the adopted Indian boy, it felt unnecessary.

But she is hot!

 

[71jason]

I don't like the nanny one because of the racial stereotype they use for the adopted Indian boy, it felt unnecessary.

In my defense, I don't remember any adopted Indian boy. Only the hot nanny.

 

[flynnibus]

In my defense, I don't remember any adopted Indian boy. Only the hot nanny.

She doll'd up nicely...

 

[aladdin2007]

Ah what the heck. I'll jump in too.

Phineas and Ferb as a Captain EO replacement? Fine. Even as part of ImageWorks? Okay. But making it the focus of the ride is absolutely ridiculous. I don't think that Phineas and Ferb has the staying power necessary to make a ride that will be relevant for more than a couple of years after it opens (especially considering Disney's construction pace as of late). Not to mention that I don't think it would make for a great ride by any means. An acceptable ride, maybe, and maybe something marginally better than what's currently there, but they can do much better using original characters and ideas made just for the ride.

As Inside Out is an intriguing movie, I'm not sure I want more Pixar in EPCOT, either. The Seas with Nemo isn't that bad (there's more, don't kill me) in concept. The ride is a bit poorly executed (read: is the movie all over again), but I'm not necessarily against the idea of having the Nemo characters involved with the pavilion. Done correctly, a Nemo-themed Seas could have been just as informative and entertaining as the original, but with added appeal for kids. And that's a good thing to look out for; if kids are going to be more entertained with Nemo's presence, then maybe they'll get some more educational value out of the pavilion.

Yes this, I think we would have another american idol issue like dhs has if they went this route. And personally I dont feel that they are.

 

[Admiral01]

Ah what the heck. I'll jump in too.

Phineas and Ferb as a Captain EO replacement? Fine. Even as part of ImageWorks? Okay. But making it the focus of the ride is absolutely ridiculous. I don't think that Phineas and Ferb has the staying power necessary to make a ride that will be relevant for more than a couple of years after it opens (especially considering Disney's construction pace as of late). Not to mention that I don't think it would make for a great ride by any means. An acceptable ride, maybe, and maybe something marginally better than what's currently there, but they can do much better using original characters and ideas made just for the ride.

As Inside Out is an intriguing movie, I'm not sure I want more Pixar in EPCOT, either. The Seas with Nemo isn't that bad (there's more, don't kill me) in concept. The ride is a bit poorly executed (read: is the movie all over again), but I'm not necessarily against the idea of having the Nemo characters involved with the pavilion. Done correctly, a Nemo-themed Seas could have been just as informative and entertaining as the original, but with added appeal for kids. And that's a good thing to look out for; if kids are going to be more entertained with Nemo's presence, then maybe they'll get some more educational value out of the pavilion.

I too have felt that Nemo and Friends could have been added to the original concept without destroying the experience. Those characters COULD have been intelligently added to the world's second largest indoor aquarium...but they weren't. The re-telling of the movie really demonstrates poor creative concepts, and lazy Imagineering (whether they were told to do it or not is beside the point). I'm tired of finding Nemo. I don't need to look for him any more. He is lost on the DVD, he is lost in the 3-D re-release of the film, he is lost at the Living Seas, he is lost at the Submarine Adventure in Disneyland's Tomorrowland. How often does this idiot fish get lost!?! Inject him with a GPS tracker or something for goodness sake and give us high quality theme park ride experiences back.

This was a special place once...and it meant something.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Ah what the heck. I'll jump in too.

Phineas and Ferb as a Captain EO replacement? Fine. Even as part of ImageWorks? Okay. But making it the focus of the ride is absolutely ridiculous. I don't think that Phineas and Ferb has the staying power necessary to make a ride that will be relevant for more than a couple of years after it opens (especially considering Disney's construction pace as of late). Not to mention that I don't think it would make for a great ride by any means. An acceptable ride, maybe, and maybe something marginally better than what's currently there, but they can do much better using original characters and ideas made just for the ride.

I dislike Phineas and Ferb so much that I do not want it in the parks. Ever.

 

[gonnichi]

In my opinion if a new Imagination ride is not equal to or better than Mystic Manor in terms of theme and special effects it will be a failure. This is just how I see it. If they can do an amazing ride like Mystic Manor for one park they can do it for one at WDW also. Anything else is TDO not giving this attraction 100 % of what is available for them to utilize. I'm tired of WDW aiming low. Universal Orlando aims high with their new attractions.

 

[asianway]

I just can't see a P&F pavilion holding up in the year 2042. Therefore, it's probably going to happen

 

[Ignohippo]

That actually is sad. It was the only other decent show left. Certainly the only sitcom left that wasn't written solely for twelve year olds.

Yeah, IMO, it was the best family sitcom in 20 years. There needs to be more like it.

Instead we get pure crap like "Dog With A Blog" and "Lab Rats".

 

[Ignohippo]

My only problem with good luck Charlie is just how BORING that Christmas movie was, if it didn't have such an impact on the show it would have been a totally forgettable experience.


On a side note, has "inside out" been confirmed as the name for "the untitled Pixar movie that visits the human mind"? Because I was sort of hoping they would keep the untitled thing!

Yes. Inside Out is the official title.

 

[Ignohippo]

To be fair, that $700M number is probaly not benchmarked just to Avatar, but to improvements to DAK in general.

$700 mil is an astronomical figure. If they're truly using that on AK, and Avatar is still only getting the rumored $250-300 mil, then AK would be almost a completely different park when they're done. Is there really that much to improve with AK?

I almost wish they'd use two different budgets for the DHS makeover - the park needs a ton of help not including SW. They could spend $700 mil on DHS and have an AMAZING park (SW not included). If done right, DHS could be WDW's second most popular gate.

SW, on the other hand, could eat through a billion and still not be nearly good enough.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I too have felt that Nemo and Friends could have been added to the original concept without destroying the experience. Those characters COULD have been intelligently added to the world's second largest indoor aquarium...but they weren't. The re-telling of the movie really demonstrates poor creative concepts, and lazy Imagineering (whether they were told to do it or not is beside the point). I'm tired of finding Nemo. I don't need to look for him any more. He is lost on the DVD, he is lost in the 3-D re-release of the film, he is lost at the Living Seas, he is lost at the Submarine Adventure in Disneyland's Tomorrowland. How often does this idiot fish get lost!?! Inject him with a GPS tracker or something for goodness sake and give us high quality theme park ride experiences back.

View attachment 29051

This was a special place once...and it meant something.

Or better yet...ground the little snot so he stays home and we don't have to go out and find him. Oh, and BTW...all of EPCOT used to be a special place, but, those days are gone for the most part. The great unwashed want to know why it's so boring at Epcot..it's like watching the discovery channel. They want to be entertained and see some regular Disney stuff. To be completely honest, Living Seas, the initial ride through the middle of the tank was basically boring, boring, boring and incredibly short, even to someone that appreciates the purpose of EPCOT. At least the Nemo connection gave us something reliable to see.

 

[Pixiedustmaker]

How often does this idiot fish get lost!?! Inject him with a GPS tracker or something for goodness sake and give us high quality theme park ride experiences back.

Funny, but given that Nemo is Pixar's #1 film (inflation adjusted box office gross, it beats Toy Story 3), I doubt we'll be seeing any less of Nemo in the parks, especially with Nemo 2 coming out. For what it's worth, I like the Finding Nemo ride in Epcot better than the one in Disneyland, though I still like the Nemo subs.

 

[Admiral01]

Funny, but given that Nemo is Pixar's #1 film (inflation adjusted box office gross, it beats Toy Story 3), I doubt we'll be seeing any less of Nemo in the parks, especially with Nemo 2 coming out. For what it's worth, I like the Finding Nemo ride in Epcot better than the one in Disneyland, though I still like the Nemo subs.

So, he gets lost again? Will Nemo 2 be a rehash of the ride that was a rehash of the original movie?

I have no problem with Finding Nemo. I think it was a cute movie that kids seem to like. Unfortunately, that cute movie now has a foothold in the technology and world culture theme park of WDW, neither of which it represents, and has resulted in an unoriginal and utterly non-creative 5 minute dark ride commercial to sell DVDs and toys.

 

[Pixiedustmaker]

So, he gets lost again? Will Nemo 2 be a rehash of the ride that was a rehash of the original movie?

I have no problem with Finding Nemo. I think it was a cute movie that kids seem to like. Unfortunately, that cute movie now has a foothold in the technology and world culture theme park of WDW, neither of which it represents, and has resulted in an unoriginal and utterly non-creative 5 minute dark ride commercial to sell DVDs and toys.

Nemo 2 is Finding Dory, it is about helping Dory find her family. Dory has memory problems, so she may well have forgotten who her family is. Possibly Dory gets her memory back (short term at least) and wants to go on a pilgrimage to find her family, with Nemo and pals in tow. Dory is a blue tang fish which is found in the Great Barrier Reef, but also in Japan, East Africa, among other places.

 

[Admiral01]

Or better yet...ground the little snot so he stays home and we don't have to go out and find him. Oh, and BTW...all of EPCOT used to be a special place, but, those days are gone for the most part. The great unwashed want to know why it's so boring at Epcot..it's like watching the discovery channel. They want to be entertained and see some regular Disney stuff. To be completely honest, Living Seas, the initial ride through the middle of the tank was basically boring, boring, boring and incredibly short, even to someone that appreciates the purpose of EPCOT. At least the Nemo connection gave us something reliable to see.

I can understand how the ride from the Hydrolators to the Sea Base could be boring. It didn't have the same sort of "action" that you saw in SSE, Horizons, WoM, and the other originals, I will give you that. I personally loved the realness of the ride through the, at the time, world's largest indoor aquarium where I got to see wildlife and aquascapes from a POV that is rare for most people. It was on the same level as The Land, where I got to ride a neat ride that was filled with real things. To me, it felt immersive, though I agree it could have felt more immersive. A refurb should have been to add to the ride, not gut it and cover the aquatubes on the ride with a rehash of a movie. It was poor execution.

I realize we should be talking about Journey into Imagination. The SSE and Test Track 2.0 record from WDW gives me hope for Imagination 4.0. The Living Seas abomination and the desire to shoehorn Disney IP into EPCOT (Ellen, Jeopardy, Nemo, Donald Duck) scares me. Was it reported a few years ago that Tony Baxter was hired to re-develop Imagination a couple years ago? Did we see that reported somewhere? I honestly can't remember if that was real, in my imagination, or reported by a less then reliable source... I realize he is gone now...

On that note, and because I was inspired by this conversation, I have ordered sushi delivery which should be here shortly. Unfortunately, the restaurant doesn't serve clownfish...

 

[Goofyernmost]

I can understand how the ride from the Hydrolators to the Sea Base could be boring. It didn't have the same sort of "action" that you saw in SSE, Horizons, WoM, and the other originals, I will give you that. I personally loved the realness of the ride through the, at the time, world's largest indoor aquarium where I got to see wildlife and aquascapes from a POV that is rare for most people. It was on the same level as The Land, where I got to ride a neat ride that was filled with real things. To me, it felt immersive, though I agree it could have felt more immersive. A refurb should have been to add to the ride, not gut it and cover the aquatubes on the ride with a rehash of a movie. It was poor execution.

I realize we should be talking about Journey into Imagination. The SSE and Tests Track 2.0 record from WDW gives me hope for Imagination 4.0. The Living Seas abomination and the desire to shoehorn Disney IP into EPCOT (Ellen, Jeopardy, Nemo, Donald Duck) scares me. Was it reported a few years ago that Tony Baxter hired was hired to re-develop Imagination a couple years ago? Did we see that reported somewhere? I honestly can't remember if that was real, in my imagination, or reported by a less then reliable source...

On that note, and because I was inspired by this conversation, I have ordered sushi delivery which should be here shortly. Unfortunately, the restaurant doesn't serve clownfish...

Just the opposite for me. I loved the Hydrolators. I knew they weren't really moving but I loved the way they made it seem like they were. The ride through the aquarium seemed to be really great, but like with all animal attractions we were at the mercy of the animals to be around when we were going through. By the time you started to see something...it was over. It's not that it was awful, just less then impressive for me.

And please...Ellen and Jeopardy were a very welcome improvement over the 45 minute infomercial put on by Exxon, the self described saviors of the planet. At least Ellen, Bill Nye and Jeopardy helped to highlight the need for energy and how it fit into our everyday life in an entertaining way. The original only served to tell us just how great and beneficial Exxon was. Also this was during the time of the Valdez in Alaska mess, so credibility was not really a strong point.