jensenrick
Well-Known Member
Don't forget the 30 foot silver pineapple.
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VIDEO - Rainforest Cafe testing spectacular volcano fireball effects
- Thread starter wdwmagic
- Start date
jensenrick
Well-Known Member
Au contraire, mon ami. The Buena Vista Village did have a theme. It is only the constant giving in to the wish of individual outside vendors to outshout their neighbours with loud, abrassive signs for attention that has turned the place into the non-themed mess it is now.
There's a theme in this picture? What is it- Three Really Close Shades of Brown?
The Empress Lilly
Well-Known Member
Why no, my dear young whippersnapper, the theme of Lake Buena Vista Village is 'classic Disney elegance and style'.
No erupting volcanoes or colourful oversized everday objects indeed! Behold, instead, the magic of Disney sophistication:
The discerning audience WDW that once sought to attract could buy taylor-made three piece suits:
...and wear that suit and dress to either the Art Gallery (not Disney art), or aboard one of the Empress's dining rooms, where you were treated to live jazz music.
Gabe1
Ivory Tower Squabble EST 2011. WINDMILL SURVIVOR
Oh boy are we in the same camp. The big box Mickey Store drives me up the wall. I dined many times on the Empress Lilly, ate at the real and Original Chef Mickeys that had class, the Christmas Store was charming, my childrens Christmas Sock came from there.
So really, Disney is re-theming DTD to Springs into a charming area with an exploding fireball? That melts together how? It is cool, don't get me wrong but if they are trying to be cohesive I'm not getting it.
englanddg
One Little Spark...
Why no, my dear young whippersnapper, the theme of Lake Buena Vista Village is 'classic Disney elegance and style'.
No erupting volcanoes or colourful oversized everday objects indeed! Behold, instead, the magic of Disney sophistication:
The discerning audience WDW that once sought to attract could buy taylor-made three piece suits:
...and wear that suit and dress to either the Art Gallery (not Disney art), or aboard one of the Empress's dining rooms, where you were treated to live jazz music.
I felt I should clarify...I agree, the majesty and magic (yes, I used that word) of the Marketplace was even more present before it became a be all end all spot to plop merchandise and use gimmicks to sell it.
I remember walking the place as a kid, and feeling amazed how wonderful it was, and how well behaved I should be!
That being said...that ship has sailed, and if they are going to try and turn it into a mini-Las Vegas strip (which they seem intent on doing)...at least I hope they do it well!
Tigger1988
Well-Known Member
Are you going to answer my question from the last page? I'm curious what Jersey Shore resorts have explosions and fire or anything resembling a volcano. I live here and can't seem to think of a single one...
unkadug
Follower of "Saget"The Cult
Panama City Beach, Florida has a volcano....sadly it does NOT spew fire.
sshindel
The Epcot Manifesto
It's not that this is the first non-cohesive thing in DTD. That thing is a jumbled mess right now. I just was hopeful that with all the money that they are theoretically dropping into this new "Disney Springs" concept, with the models and artwork that they had released, that they were going to try and start moving towards a more overall themed environment as a whole. I do wish they'd drop T-Rex and Rainforest Cafe completly, but if they are going to keep them, there is no reason (in my mind) that the theming of the restaurant needs to extend to the outside in such a drastic manner. Why couldn't the restaurants exist as is, with the highly themed inside, with the exterior facade matching the overall theme of Disney Springs (likely because Disney allows the owning restaurant group to make the decisions here)?
And I am not a stickler on what is sold on the inside of these places as much as I am on the outsides. I don't care if it's a mismatched sock store on the inside, as long as the outside of the store holds to the thematic design as the rest of the area. If they are going to sell a concept of "Disney Springs", then I'd like them to try and hold that theme true to it's design. If they are going to grant exceptions for large flaming volcanoes, I'd rather they just dump all of the theming and make it even more of a generic mall than it is today.
englanddg
One Little Spark...
lunchbox1175
Well-Known Member
I am curious...do you feel the same way about Blizzard Beach?
englanddg
One Little Spark...
It works. They built a whole park off it! Now, it's the #1 theme park in the WORLD! (according to the back story)
The Empress Lilly
Well-Known Member
Why yes, I do indeed!
And I feel the same way about Typhoon as well. In fact, it is right there in 1989 - TL and Pleasure Island - that I would date the shift in thinking, the moment when Disney desingers came to confuse 'intricate theme and placemaking' with 'convulated backstory'.
BB and TL are awesome. I think both could've been even better still with more classic design principles, especially BB.
The Empress Lilly
Well-Known Member
The very conception of the Disney park was for it to be the opposite of the cheap rundown boardwalk amusement park, of which the Jersey Shore was the negative standard.
If one says 'this trailer looks like a pigsty', and does not counter the argument by arguing that there are few piggies with houses on wheels*, but by arguing that the trailer looks clean and organised.
* little piglets only live in houses of straw, stick or stone!
The Empress Lilly
Well-Known Member
The MK? The MK wasn't built on backstory. It was built with classic Disney design principles. Which is why it is still the greatest park ever built.
Backstory is what Disney orders from a marketing agency to sell to the fans why it destroyed Main Street Center Street and the flower market for twenty feet of extra store frontage.
http://imagineerebirth.blogspot.nl/2006/11/myth-of-story.html
englanddg
One Little Spark...
Actually, I was referring (sarcastically) to Animal Kingdom. It's full of backstory.
The Empress Lilly
Well-Known Member
Ah, my bad!
Actually, I think DAK is kinda alright in the backstory department. Except for Dinorama - Chester and Hester may be the most striking example of what you end up with when you mistake backstory for 'awesome and fun theme'.
By contrast, Africa, the Oasis, Discovery Island, these are lovely designed places, with nary a backstory in sight. Despite the Safari's entirely superfluous poaching story.
If there are backstories there, they mostly serve to guide the designers - backstories' primary function and meant to remain mostly hidden from public view, like an iceberg. Or to add an extra layer of interest. Instead of serving to tell the visitor why the rubbish he sees in front of him is really gold.
