Good thread. Interesting discussion. Enjoyable read. I'm in.
Dole Whips: I sampled a bite when my cousin & his wife bought one to share in '06. One bite was all I needed. Very "meh" for me. I've never been in any way tempted to stop at the Aloha Isle for anything before or after that. I love to eat fresh cut pineapple but I have zero desire to mix that love with any flavor of ice cream. Plus, vanilla ice cream is like naked ice cream. It's ice cream in need of flavor but not pineapple. LOL!
Mr. Toad's Wild Ride: I do remember this ride well. My sibs and I didn't mind it but it wasn't something we'd feel like we couldn't miss. I don't recall being scared by any part of it. I can see where some identify with the nostalgia factor. I definitely do. But then, be totally objective and ask yourself this, "If I walked up to 50 people how many could tell me what story that attraction is/was based upon?" I *understand* the nostalgia but don't identify. It was time to put something more relevant there.
Ditto the above for Horizons. It was cool and I liked it enough back in the early glory days but it was going to outlive it's relevance.
Zebra Domes. The first time I had them I was far more wow'd. The second & subsequent times I had them...meh. I'd rather have my fond memories.
School bread. Must try. That little bakery is so small and is always so crowded whenever I look in the door. One look and I always say the same thing: I'll pass - next time.
Carousel of Progress. I do have a serious love here. As an imaginative daydreamer of a kid I used to gaze into all the earlier scenes and wish I could go play "house" in the sets. The final scene, however, not so much. That's sorta embarrassing to watch and only gets worse as each year goes by. Maybe instead of trying to mix all sorts of outdated elements they should just pick a decade (70's, 80's, 90's???) and let the family be there with the elements that were vs. the generational gumbo they've thrown up there. I don't see that being detrimental to the overall story and journey. You still see the family's conveniences progress and I, personally, would still walk away thinking about what's to come for us.
Magic Carpets. Never been on them. They are kinda in your face in that location but I don't really care either way. I walk past and my day moves forward.
Tiki room. Okay, I saw the original WDW version pre-new management when I was a kid a handful of times. No, I didn't go watch the tikis when my sibs and I were dashing about the MK doing our own thing sans parental units. We went in there when we **had** to because we were there with my grandparents who loved it. I was mildly entertained but got bored long before the show concluded. The new management version doesn't improve or detract too much for me although I could totally do without Gilbert Gottfried's nerve-grating voice.
Journey Into Imagination...the hype on this one is TOTALLY appropriate. If you experienced the original ride and Imageworks there's just no question. We were locals back then and seasonal passholders. We ONLY were ever in the parks during the slowest of times. Even on the slowest of days there would be a LINE just to get in the door. That says something. If you've only ever read about it and never experienced the original glory I am not surprised you don't buy the hype. It's hard to imagine... <---good pun...totally true!
Laugh Floor...I don't buy that backlash. I've enjoyed it immensely from pre-show to end every time I've been in. Love it! As for what was previously in that location, I don't recall ever even being inside there before the Laugh Floor went in. Um, for me that says something. If it was noteworthy we saw it and I remember it.
SGE. I'm not a fan of this attraction but that's not so much about Stitch. My pre-SGE experience in this spot was Mission to Mars. My memories of Mission to Mars are "lame...keep moving". It's basically the same thing for me. We all sit in a circle but now it's dark. Stuff goes on around you. Underwhelm me some more. Plus, I don't recall in the 3 or 4 times I got rope-a-doped into going inside this attraction having all the effects work so that the show made good sense to me in terms of the story moving along. I think all the squeals, screams, and children crying make it less enjoyable for me. I dunno.
Pecos Bills. I tried this place for the first time this past November. We liked it. I won't say it's like freakin' great. I mean, come on, you're not likely to get a gourmet, truly wow-inspiring counter service anything in a Disney park. Yes, for me this also includes......
**gasp**
Sunshine Seasons! Relative to it's alternatives in the MK, it's nice to have the toppings bar for options to dress up an otherwise bland, tasteless item on my plate.
Here's my question: Why all the hype for Cosmic Rays? That place is always jam-packed. The competition to get a table at lunch or dinner is so fierce particularly in the mega-popular Sonny Eclipse room. Are you kidding me? That's a semi-cute animontronic extra terrestrial that sounds an awful lot like Bruce Willis from his Moonlighting days. The food isn't great. The entertainment isn't that noteworthy. So why all the hype? I was far more impressed when they had the live shows with the cool Barbie & the Rocker-ish pop group that rose up out of the floor dancing and actually performing. My sister and I would take our independant park time to go sit on the floor in front of the stage just to watch and sing along. We were FANS!!!!
The game room in the Contemporary where The Wave is now located is undeniable. If you went there back in the 80s...think about what was cutting edge then...that was the shiz-nit. Hands down.
Okay. I've rambled enough. I like this stuff. Good memories. Lots to think about....
:wave:
