Upcoming Attractions - The Excitement of the Unknown

[thepirateking]

I've been thinking about my reactions to all of the new/upcoming rides and what those reactions say about me. One of my main observations is that the excitement of the unknown is a big factor in how excited I am for a new attraction.

Including the recent flurry of D23 announcements, the opening of Pandora, 2016's opening of Frozen Ever After (which I've yet to experience), and updated missions for Mission Space, there are 12 new/updated rides arriving in WDW over the next few years. (Did I miss anything?)

First, I'm not too excited about lightly themed flat rides that can be found at carnivals and regional amusement parks. They can be fun, but what you see is what you get. They add energy to an area, but they will never be the first thing on my list.

I'm excited by the thrill of discovery. When a ride has all of its cards face up (Buzz/Alien Spinner, Slinky Dog), there is little mystery or opportunity for discovery. A nice dark ride has a lot more potential to surprise and delight you (ride system, unique sets, story, etc.). There's nothing like that first trip through a queue and then boarding the ride for the initial time. I try to avoid watching videos so I don't spoil this experience.

Re-rideabililty is important. Any ride can be repeated for fun, but it's more interesting to me when an attraction rewards repeat experiences. True E-tickets like Indy, Splash Mountain, Pirates, Haunted Mansion, and Tower of Terror offer the chance to discover something new every time you ride because they are so full of details. Epcot's long format rides (Space Ship Earth, World of Motion, Horizons) excelled at this too even if they were not thrillers. I want rides to physically transport me to a new place that I want to spend more time in. (Maybe the new themed lands and queues are taking over this aspect?)

I like rides that physically transport riders. Soarin is fun. It might have an e-ticket budget, but I question whether we are watering-down the E-ticket concept by bestowing it on attractions that fill a single room. Same with Flight of Passage. Are we calling that an E-ticket? For both of these, the experience of flying might elicit E-ticket reactions, but is a tilting chair in front of a screen really an E-ticket ride? I understand that FoP has an E-ticket queue. And it is certainly in an E-ticket land. But the ride? I'm not so sure.

I want rides to last more than 2 minutes. You can have a lot of fun for 2 minutes, but I don't think that's enough time for a great ride. 5-10 minutes would be nice (except for roller coasters).

I like novelty. I like details. I like thrills. And I want them to last.

With all this in mind, here is my ranking of the upcoming attractions (from least to most excited):

• Buzz/Alien Spinner (a fun whip spinner. Maybe some cool lights and music)
• Slinky Dog Coaster (a fun coaster with launches... will Slinky Dog talk and laugh?)
• Mission Space (new HD missions should re-invigorate the ride a little)
• Flight of Passage (I'm hoping this exceeds my somewhat low expectations)
• Na'vi River Journey (I will probably enjoy FoP more. Too-short/no-story has me worried)
• Frozen Ever After (I may be underwhelmed. But I like dark rides)
• Tron Coaster (Too short & lack of depth but thrills and cool theme should make it fun)
• Ratatouille (Excited for another new (for the US) dark ride)
  
• Star Wars - Millenium Falcon (Skeptical of "you're in control" rides, but cautiously optimistic)
• Guardians of the Galaxy (I'm hoping for more than a pure coaster)
• Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway (WDI - please do Mickey justice and knock my socks off)
• Star Wars - Battle Escape (Hoping for it all: Novelty, thrill, surprise, place, theme, length)

 

[Bolt]

I've been thinking about my reactions to all of the new/upcoming rides and what those reactions say about me. One of my main observations is that the excitement of the unknown is a big factor in how excited I am for a new attraction.

Including the recent flurry of D23 announcements, the opening of Pandora, 2016's opening of Frozen Ever After (which I've yet to experience), and updated missions for Mission Space, there are 12 new/updated rides arriving in WDW over the next few years. (Did I miss anything?)

First, I'm not too excited about lightly themed flat rides that can be found at carnivals and regional amusement parks. They can be fun, but what you see is what you get. They add energy to an area, but they will never be the first thing on my list.

I'm excited by the thrill of discovery. When a ride has all of its cards face up (Buzz/Alien Spinner, Slinky Dog), there is little mystery or opportunity for discovery. A nice dark ride has a lot more potential to surprise and delight you (ride system, unique sets, story, etc.). There's nothing like that first trip through a queue and then boarding the ride for the initial time. I try to avoid watching videos so I don't spoil this experience.

Re-rideabililty is important. Any ride can be repeated for fun, but it's more interesting to me when an attraction rewards repeat experiences. True E-tickets like Indy, Splash Mountain, Pirates, Haunted Mansion, and Tower of Terror offer the chance to discover something new every time you ride because they are so full of details. Epcot's long format rides (Space Ship Earth, World of Motion, Horizons) excelled at this too even if they were not thrillers. I want rides to physically transport me to a new place that I want to spend more time in. (Maybe the new themed lands and queues are taking over this aspect?)

I like rides that physically transport riders. Soarin is fun. It might have an e-ticket budget, but I question whether we are watering-down the E-ticket concept by bestowing it on attractions that fill a single room. Same with Flight of Passage. Are we calling that an E-ticket? For both of these, the experience of flying might elicit E-ticket reactions, but is a tilting chair in front of a screen really an E-ticket ride? I understand that FoP has an E-ticket queue. And it is certainly in an E-ticket land. But the ride? I'm not so sure.

I want rides to last more than 2 minutes. You can have a lot of fun for 2 minutes, but I don't think that's enough time for a great ride. 5-10 minutes would be nice (except for roller coasters).

I like novelty. I like details. I like thrills. And I want them to last.

With all this in mind, here is my ranking of the upcoming attractions (from least to most excited):

• Buzz/Alien Spinner (a fun whip spinner. Maybe some cool lights and music)
• Slinky Dog Coaster (a fun coaster with launches... will Slinky Dog talk and laugh?)
• Mission Space (new HD missions should re-invigorate the ride a little)
• Flight of Passage (I'm hoping this exceeds my somewhat low expectations)
• Na'vi River Journey (I will probably enjoy FoP more. Too-short/no-story has me worried)
• Frozen Ever After (I may be underwhelmed. But I like dark rides)
• Tron Coaster (Too short & lack of depth but thrills and cool theme should make it fun)
• Ratatouille (Excited for another new (for the US) dark ride)
  
• Star Wars - Millenium Falcon (Skeptical of "you're in control" rides, but cautiously optimistic)
• Guardians of the Galaxy (I'm hoping for more than a pure coaster)
• Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway (WDI - please do Mickey justice and knock my socks off)
• Star Wars - Battle Escape (Hoping for it all: Novelty, thrill, surprise, place, theme, length)

Na'vi before FOP? You're setting yourself up to exceed expectations with a pick like that.

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

I look forward to the Star Wars dark ride (and the land), but it's hard to get excited for much else. Tron and Ratatouille are clones of existing rides so we already know what to expect of those.

Mickey could have potential and quite a few insiders seem to be excited, but it comes at the loss of the classic GMR and I'm concerned that it will be way too heavy on screens instead of physical scenery and figures.

Guardians of the Galaxy I just don't care about at all, and there is little info to go on besides it being some sort of coaster. I won't miss the Ellen parts of Energy, but the dinosaurs will be sorely missed. Toy Story Land looks like a disappointing waste, same as its cousins in France and China.

Na'vi before FOP? You're setting yourself up to exceed expectations with a pick like that.

I liked Navi River a lot more than FoP. I don't have a very high opinion about simulators or anything that doesn't have ample physical scenery. FoP was okay, but did not change this opinion whatsoever. While River is too short and needed a lot more animatronics, it has tons of extremely well designed scenery. It is underrated imo.

 

[Kev1982]

Fligts of Passage is great!
Didnt see the movie and didnt care for pandora or simulators.
Was in a cue for it for two hours and when i came out, i would have cued it again gor two hours if the park wouldnt have been closed by the time i got out.
Truly amazing.

 

[thepirateking]

Na'vi before FOP? You're setting yourself up to exceed expectations with a pick like that.

Low expectations are the key to happiness!

My list is partially based on the potential of what I imagine these rides could be. I expect many of these attractions will fail to live up to that potential. Once I've had a chance to experience everything I'm sure my list will look a lot different in terms of favorites.

 

[thepirateking]

I look forward to the Star Wars dark ride (and the land), but it's hard to get excited for much else. Tron and Ratatouille are clones of existing rides so we already know what to expect of those.

Tron seems like it could be so much more. I have seen some videos of Tron, before I knew it was coming to WDW. I love the aesthetic. But it seems like the whole ride (all 1 min of it) is shooting through corridors with glowing things along the walls. The environment could be more detailed and open. Story seems to be lacking. It's blue glowy fun.

I know Rat uses screens. I'm hopeful it's fun, although I fear it will be too much like Toy Story Mania compared to a classic dark ride. Still hopeful it's a new family pleaser, though.

I liked Navi River a lot more than FoP. I don't have a very high opinion about simulators or anything that doesn't have ample physical scenery. FoP was okay, but did not change this opinion whatsoever. While River is too short and needed a lot more animatronics, it has tons of extremely well designed scenery. It is underrated imo.

I'm glad you liked NVJ. I suspect FoP might "wow" me more, but I'm still hopeful NVR will transport me to another place, if nothing else. My gut feeling is I will enjoy NRJ, but leave wanting more.

Guardians of the Galaxy I just don't care about at all, and there is little info to go on besides it being some sort of coaster. I won't miss the Ellen parts of Energy, but the dinosaurs will be sorely missed.

GotG - I haven't seen the movies yet, although I am interested in them. I don't think the ride belongs in Epcot. It sounds like it will be another RnR with a massive queue. I'm hoping it's more than just a coaster in the dark. Maybe something like the SFX coaster that offers non-traditional direction changes. I want to be proved wrong.

Mickey could have potential and quite a few insiders seem to be excited, but it comes at the loss of the classic GMR and I'm concerned that it will be way too heavy on screens instead of physical scenery and figures.

GMR will be missed. It was aging, but the level of detail was amazing. MMRR does sound like it could be cool. I'm with you on the screen-heavy concern. They effect they previewed (the world transforming) could be done with physical 2D sets. When I watched the D23 stream in low quality, I thought that's what they were showing - 2D props rotating to "transform" the room. When I watched again at a higher resolution I realized it was projection mapping. Projection offers more potential for dynamic imagery, but needs to be combined with physical props. I'm hoping it mixes the two extensively.

Toy Story Land looks like a disappointing waste, same as its cousins in France and China.

I get that TSL will add capacity and family friendly rides, but it does so at enormous costs.

TSL squanders so much park space for so little and potentially for SO LONG. We could be stuck with this land for 25 years. Some people might be happy waiting 20-30 years until this park sees another refresh, but I know that timescale is not friendly to most of us. Every dollar spent on projects like this are taken away from more ambitious attractions.

Rather than getting a broader PIXAR theme, we're locked into Toy Story done on the cheap. I'd rather have 2-4 new dark rides the same quality as the Monsters Inc ride in DCA and/or the Monsters Door Coaster. That would be a fun family friendly land!

Maybe they are taking the cheap route so they can just plow over TSL when they expand SW:GE. We shall see.

 

[thepirateking]

Fligts of Passage is great!
Didnt see the movie and didnt care for pandora or simulators.
Was in a cue for it for two hours and when i came out, i would have cued it again gor two hours if the park wouldnt have been closed by the time i got out.
Truly amazing.

I love that feeling. Can't wait for my first ride!

 

[Fox&Hound]

I know you were just discussing rides, but of the announcements at D23, I am super excited about the new theater coming to MK. Broadway caliber shows that are massive people eaters?!? Yes, please!!!!

 

[correcaminos]

Low expectations are the key to happiness!

My list is partially based on the potential of what I imagine these rides could be. I expect many of these attractions will fail to live up to that potential. Once I've had a chance to experience everything I'm sure my list will look a lot different in terms of favorites.

I actually feel similarly. I had high expectations for Fantasyland (new) and Harry Potter at universal. When we went to Pandora my expectations were severely lowered and glad LOL

I did the same for Frozen and wound up being happy there too. My expectations for Toy Story Land and Star Wars are kind of low too. I am a bit more interested in SW than TS though.

 

[Glasgow]

Although I have many of the same individual criteria for enjoying rides as the OP, I'm trying not to break down every ride in a critical sense but rather look at everything as a whole. Much of the recent decline of WDW (personal opinion) has strictly been due to stagnation and complete lack of new content. In fact, we've stopped going until overall "value" increases (we went every year between 2006 and 2014 but haven't been back since) .. which looks like will be around 2019-2020 for us. As a whole, I think the recent announcements and wave of updates will transform WDW as a whole, regardless of the individual attraction lineup.

Having said that, I'm really looking forward to the DHS re-imagining and the actual ADDITION of so much new content rather than just replacement or plussing. In general, the more detail and immersion a ride has, the better .. regardless of kinetics.

 

[thepirateking]

I know you were just discussing rides, but of the announcements at D23, I am super excited about the new theater coming to MK. Broadway caliber shows that are massive people eaters?!? Yes, please!!!!

I do like me some theater, and it's nice that it will be available for "free" at WDW. But, I mainly go to the parks for rides. I'm glad it will be a people eater though. Anything that pulls people out of the queues is welcome by me!

 

[thepirateking]

Although I have many of the same individual criteria for enjoying rides as the OP, I'm trying not to break down every ride in a critical sense but rather look at everything as a whole. Much of the recent decline of WDW (personal opinion) has strictly been due to stagnation and complete lack of new content. In fact, we've stopped going until overall "value" increases (we went every year between 2006 and 2014 but haven't been back since) .. which looks like will be around 2019-2020 for us. As a whole, I think the recent announcements and wave of updates will transform WDW as a whole, regardless of the individual attraction lineup.

Having said that, I'm really looking forward to the DHS re-imagining and the actual ADDITION of so much new content rather than just replacement or plussing. In general, the more detail and immersion a ride has, the better .. regardless of kinetics.

I agree there's no perfect system for evaluating rides. It was just an exercise. And I agree the parks were left untouched for far too long.

I am excited by the renewed investment in the parks. Having ANYTHING new to do when I go to the park always adds a special sense of excitement. I would include Test Track 2.0 and the new Soarin film as "new things" even though they are updates. New is new.

The PeopleMover (TTA/WedWay/Whatever) is one of my absolute favorite rides. It would come in really low on a list like this, yet it ranks REALLY high on my list of favorite attractions. The line is usually short. It's a long ride. It's refreshing to whip through the fresh air (barring the Speedway exhaust). I love how it integrates with the other Tomorrowland attractions and offers glances into Buzz, Space Mountain and the shops. It's a good time and we always ride it multiple times.

It's a very exciting time. I can't recall so many new attractions ever being added so quickly. Even when new theme parks opened, there were never 10+ new rides coming online. WDW is only going to get better.

 

[DfromATX]

I am so excited about all the changes. We're going in June 2018 and already talking about planning another trip for the 50th anniversary. Obviously Toy Story is going to be a kiddie area that we'll probably only do once, but all the other stuff looks awesome to me! Just be happy and go with it. Too much analyzing here in my opinion.

 

[Keith2426]

Toy Story Land seems like a trememdous waste of good space. Very low repeatability. It's probably the least favorite of the new additions to WDW. The losing of GMR for the new Mickey attraction isn't sitting to well with me either. Tron and the new additions to Epcot have me excited.