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VIDEO - Take a ride through at Under the Sea - Journey of the Little Mermaid
- Thread starter wdwmagic
- Start date
RandySavage
Well-Known Member
I have no inside knowledge and am too lazy to search for the postings, but to my recollection those figures are far too low (although that's what it appears Mermaid should have cost). I believe Al Lutz or someone like him put out a $115m figure for DCA's Mermaid alone (unbelievably, the Mater Spinner ride cost north of $100m according to him) According to Al, RadiatorSpringsRacers cost ~$350m.... And wasn't the budget for the entire FLE in the $400m-600m range?? Maybe Lee or someone in the know can remind us... would be interested in hearing about these budgets.
TP2000
Well-Known Member
Probably because Lisa Girolami and most Imagineers are based in Southern California, live in Southern California, and base their decisions from a Southern California viewpoint.
With the perfect SoCal climate, the Magic Kingdom's Mermaid queue would not be a problem at all. But I agree that with the more brutal and hostile Central Florida climate, this long outdoor queue will be a problem by next April.
This winter it shouldn't be too bad, and it is lovely and very immersive.
TP2000
Well-Known Member
I was remembering this thread here from last January, entitled Orlando's LM to be "slightly longer and a lot better" http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/orlandos-lm-to-be-slightly-longer-and-a-lot-better.830206/
Basically that thread got started because last winter Magic Kingdom management was staffing uniformed spokesmen in front of the construction walls to give little speeches to visitors in Fantasyland.
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And during those speeches the spokesman was telling people that the Orlando version of Little Mermaid would be "slightly longer and a lot better" , and then we had a bunch of posters here who chimed in and claimed they had heard the same thing and that scenes would be added and majorly changed for the Orlando version, and so on.
This blog detailed one of those presentations that the spokesman gave. http://www.everythingwdisneyworld.com/2011/12/latest-fantasyland-expansion-updates.html
Instead, what we got was a ride that is an exact clone of the DCA version (except for the twisting turtle missing in the finale').
The good news is that it's a solid Disney dark ride, and Magic Kingdom's Fantasyland is desperate for dark rides after nearly killing off the genre in the last few years. Fantasyland has basically swapped Snow White's Scary Adventure for Little Mermaid, which is a very good trade. What will be interesting to watch is to see how the crowds react six months from now, and how that massive NextGen Fastpass/Standby queue gets utilized.
At DCA they built 30 minutes worth of switchback queue around a little garden area, and just a few months later it rarely exceeded a 10 minute wait. 16 months after the Mermaid ride opened at DCA, and after a big rehab this past May that installed new animatronics and lighting and projections, the ride is never more than a 2 minute wait on even busy days. You just wander through the rotunda entry and shuffle onto the loading belt and into a clamshell. The line at DCA is only as long as how fast you can walk through the entry doors.
aladdin2007
Well-Known Member
from above Fantasyland has basically swapped Snow White's Scary Adventure for Little Mermaid, which is a very good trade.
Actually Mermaid is replacing 20,000 leagues, and the dwarfs mine train is replacing the snow white ride, so the MK isnt exactly gaining capacity in terms of ride additions except as replacements, and or the second dumbo spinner. If one looks at it that way,
Actually Mermaid is replacing 20,000 leagues, and the dwarfs mine train is replacing the snow white ride, so the MK isnt exactly gaining capacity in terms of ride additions except as replacements, and or the second dumbo spinner. If one looks at it that way,
danlb_2000
Premium Member
But Barnstormer and Aladdin's Magic Carpet both opened after 20K closed, and neither of those replaced an existing ride, so why don't you count either of those as "replacing" 20K.
aladdin2007
Well-Known Member
I mean the location/area itself. But its just one of the ways to look at it.
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
I thought it was discovered that this Cast Member was not authorized to be giving these speeches and had no formal connection to the project except that he works in Fantasyland. A fan wildly speculating who was given undue credence by far too many simply because he had a Disney name tag.
flynnibus
Premium Member
20k is long long gone (coming up on 20 years) - how far back are you gonna go to make such 'comparisons'?
TalkingHead
Well-Known Member
And MK hasn't added an E-ticket since 20K closed, right?
flynnibus
Premium Member
Irrelevant to the discussion.. but yes.
aladdin2007
Well-Known Member
whats wrong with making the comparison? its on the same piece of land.
George Lucas on a Bench
Well-Known Member
It looks like the queue is awesome and the ride just kinda stinks. It's a huge buildup for what seems to be a mediocre Disney ride. It reminds me of the Nemo ride at EPCOT, not because it's a nautical themed ride in a clam omnimover, but because it feels just as thrown together, boring and soulless.
ChrisFL
Premium Member
Gah, I hadn't even thought about that...rain, thunder, lighting, and brutal heat. I forsee unthemed fans being installed next summer
Pixiedustmaker
Well-Known Member
I thought that shade was a good part of the cave parts of Mermaid's queue, I guess you mean the switch backs on the outside? Since they went with the desserted island/palm tree look, looks like there isn't a lot of shade at all on the outside.
Interesting the comment about the "closed-in" feeling, I had the same impression as the queue was being built. I know the need to hide the showbuilding, but the queue looks like very low tide, guests are ambling around in caves and the castle is way too high up to be enjoyed.
Neverland
Active Member
I was remembering this thread here from last January, entitled Orlando's LM to be "slightly longer and a lot better" http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/orlandos-lm-to-be-slightly-longer-and-a-lot-better.830206/
Basically that thread got started because last winter Magic Kingdom management was staffing uniformed spokesmen in front of the construction walls to give little speeches to visitors in Fantasyland.
And during those speeches the spokesman was telling people that the Orlando version of Little Mermaid would be "slightly longer and a lot better" , and then we had a bunch of posters here who chimed in and claimed they had heard the same thing and that scenes would be added and majorly changed for the Orlando version, and so on.
This blog detailed one of those presentations that the spokesman gave. http://www.everythingwdisneyworld.com/2011/12/latest-fantasyland-expansion-updates.html
Instead, what we got was a ride that is an exact clone of the DCA version (except for the twisting turtle missing in the finale').
LOL that's no spokesman, that's an attractions coordinator for the rides in Fantasyland. He was probably just standing by the sign and people started asking questions. I used to just walk by that sign and end up giving a 'presentation' too because people stopped me and wanted to know all about New Fantasyland.
Pixiedustmaker
Well-Known Member
Carsland was brutal this summer, and recently it got close to triple digits in Anaheim, it not above that, so I think shade issues can happen both at DLR and WDW, though Orlando can be especially brutal with the humidity.
flynnibus
Premium Member
Because there is no continuity nor direct logic link between the two. They didn't close 20k so FLE could be built. They closed it and terminated it on its own merits.
They share something in common - but there is no decision link between them.