WDW turning into Six Flags??

[mlayton14]

I am 31 yo and have been to Disney about 8 times or so since I was a small little kid. It seems more and more with Disney that their future plans are focus more on "thrill rides" than "magic" that draws me there time after time. Does anyone else agree with this?

Maybe I am in the minority, but the best part of the Disney to me are the rides like the departed Horizons/20k leagues, Splash Mt, Great Movie Ride, Pirates, Spaceship Earth, etc. I hope I am wrong that Disney is going to buy more into the cheap thrills of just throwing people around in the air, and build magic into these rides to make you feel like youre in a fantasy.

Thanks,

 

[bamboo7]

Originally posted by mlayton14
I am 31 yo and have been to Disney about 8 times or so since I was a small little kid. It seems more and more with Disney that their future plans are focus more on "thrill rides" than "magic" that draws me there time after time. Does anyone else agree with this?

Maybe I am in the minority, but the best part of the Disney to me are the rides like the departed Horizons/20k leagues, Splash Mt, Great Movie Ride, Pirates, Spaceship Earth, etc. I hope I am wrong that Disney is going to buy more into the cheap thrills of just throwing people around in the air, and build magic into these rides to make you feel like youre in a fantasy.

Thanks,

Hey. I understand your concern and its a valid point. Disney is moving more towards thrill rides, and i beleive that they will continue to do this, but i don't think that they will abandone the non-thrilling 'magical' rides. For example, they could have made animal kingdom with a lot more thrill rides when it was created but instead they have a lot of non-thrilling, entertaining rides. Also, when disney does make a thrill ride, i wouldn't really classify it as a 'cheap thrill', as you mentioned. instead of it just being a coaster, they make a coaster with a fun plot line and other entertaining elements. and i'm sure that any new thrill rides created will also have great themeing and that element of entertainment. it seems they are trying to reach the junior-high high-school demographic, but i don't think they'll forget about the family attractions as well. just my opinion.

 

[bdhowell]

I agree that Disney is focusing on more thrill rides, but they contain "magic." Some of the Six Flags rides have no storyline or theming and some do! But an overwhelming majority of the Disney thrill rides have a storyline (R&RC, Tower, Mission: Space).

Also, Disney has heavy competition from IOA! This competition benefits us because both parks want top attractions. I do not believe that WDW is turning into a Six Flags and believe that both company's parks are in different theme park categories.

I enjoy all theme parks! But Disney has that special touch!!

 

[CTXRover]

I too have a concern that Disney recently has been going for "cheap thrills" (i.e. Dinorama and DCA), but I think they are far from being a Six Flags. With the problems DCA has been having, Disney got a wake-up call that cheap thrills just won't cut it in a Disney park and with Jay Rasulo at the head of theme parks, things seem to be getting fixed.

Disney has recently begun to add more thrill-like attractions to their parks, mostly because guest feedback is telling them that's what they want. They can see this by the fact that ToT and R'nR coaster have some of the highest guest ratings.

However, with these thrills, I think comes the Disney themeing and uniqueness we expect. TOT is one of the most elaborate- themed attractions on the entire resort. Also, where else can you become a crash test dummy and experience what cars go through to get tested other than at Disney? And soon, other than being an astronaut, where could you experience the blast off into space and weightlessness other than at Disney?

A lot of people say RnR coaster is a "cheap thrill ride". I must disagree. As of NOW, it is the only themed coaster that I know of(during the actual ride) that contains inversions. It also required the invention of installing sound systems into themed ride vehicles, an entire area that looks just like you stepped into an alleyway and mutiple things that fly past you to give you the illusion you speeding through Hollywood (I love going through the Hollywood sign )

To me, this is what makes Disney special: Attractions that are unlike anything you can experience elsewhere. Be it the great slow-moving attractions or the faster ones they have been recently building. Even Dinorama gives you something you can't get anywhere else with the themeing put into it (although maybe not the best themeing). I would love to see a new "classic-type" attraction be built, but first I think they have decided to complement these type of rides they have with some of the thrills.

For me, the magic is still there

 

[ToTBellHop]

Disney has always had thrill rides, and it has the best (in terms of the magic factor) in the industry:
Pirates of the Caribbean
Splash Mountain
Thunder Mountain
Space Mountain
Test Track
Maelstrom
Mission: SPACE
Tower of Terror
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster
DINOSAUR
Kali River Rapids!

I, along with a majority of Disney guests, have no problem with Disney building such thrill rides, because they are also E-Rides, highly themed and filled to the brim with Magic. Meanwhile, Disney has brought other fantastic attractions to us for all to enjoy, like PhilharMagic, It's Tough to Be a Bug, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Jammin' Jungle Parade, Share a Dream Come True Parade, Reflections of Earth, Fantasmic! Dino-Rama may be a low point for Disney (although I still like the area), but Disney is still committed to bringing a great variety of magical rides to its guests...and just wait till Soarin' comes to wdw--it is suitable to most guests over age 4, and, simply put, incredible...I still trust Disney, especially Jay Rasulo.

 

[Natelox]

disney is not turning into six flags. They have added only two cheap thrill rides, RnRC and Primival Whirl. I have no idea what they were thinking when they put those in, esspically primival whirl. RnRC is nothing but cheap roadsigns stuck in the dark. RnRc is an off the shelf vekoma ride, there is an exact copy of the ride somewhere in europe (to lazy to find the park). They had it first, then disney bought it. Primival Whirl looks like crap. DCA does not have cheap thrills, like Screamin. That is there because it represents California, it has nothing to do with cost cutting or anything like that.

I strongly dissagree with the planned/rumored Rainforest rollercoaster, unless they theme that heavliy.


Finally, i would like to point out the following roller coasters: DLP's Space Moutain, BGT's Montu, SWF's Kraken, IOA's Incredible Hulk, IOA's Dueling Dragons. All those coasters invert have have themeing. I admit there aren't many, but don't say RnRc with the little themeing it has is the only themed inverting roller coaster.

 

[imagineer boy]

Originally posted by Natelox
disney is not turning into six flags. They have added only two cheap thrill rides, RnRC and Primival Whirl. I have no idea what they were thinking when they put those in, esspically primival whirl. RnRC is nothing but cheap roadsigns stuck in the dark. RnRc is an off the shelf vekoma ride, there is an exact copy of the ride somewhere in europe (to lazy to find the park). They had it first, then disney bought it. Primival Whirl looks like crap. DCA does not have cheap thrills, like Screamin. That is there because it represents California, it has nothing to do with cost cutting or anything like that.

I strongly dissagree with the planned/rumored Rainforest rollercoaster, unless they theme that heavliy.


Finally, i would like to point out the following roller coasters: DLP's Space Moutain, BGT's Montu, SWF's Kraken, IOA's Incredible Hulk, IOA's Dueling Dragons. All those coasters invert have have themeing. I admit there aren't many, but don't say RnRc with the little themeing it has is the only themed inverting roller coaster.

Excuse me, RnRC, CHEAP THRILLS?! NO WAY! It has a big story line, with you late to an Aerosmith concert and going really fast. The Imagineers once said that it had been the best ride with story. Dino Rama does have a story. It's made to look quite cheesey and I believe that the Imagineers get an A in themeing there. It's just so funny. It has about everything a cheesey carnival would have. Primevil whirl has a story to it that Chester and Hester tried to make. With you going back in time and seeing Dinos every where with a comic look. And Sceamin is not cheap. It's made to look like an old wooden roller coaster, but the thrills are quite recent. Six Flags just makes a roller coaster and give it a name and nothing else. Take for example: The Screaming Eagle is a roller coaster at Six Flags St. Louis. It has nothing to do with screaming or Eagles. 0% themeing. Disney has never done anything like that.

 

[BenS]

Originally posted by DogsRule!
Disney has always had thrill rides, and it has the best (in terms of the magic factor) in the industry:
...
Mission: SPACE

Well, you can't exactly say that. It hasn't opened yet.

 

[Mission: SPACE]

Cheap Thrills?!? RnRC?!? I don't think anything at Disney comes that cheap!!! There's no way that this ride was cheap, IMHO... I wish I could find the actual price tag... As far as theming on this ride goes, well, let's walk inside and enter the preshow... OK... now we have theming set up. Now walk out into the alley... my this looks much more themed than anything at Six Flags... now lets get on the ride... my look at all those signs... might not be the most expensive thing they could have put in there, but what else would fit, maybe some Audio Anamatronics of Aerosmith?!?... now let's step off the ride... my look at the theming here...

I don't think that we can even consider RnRC to have no theme.

Now to take the bus over to Animal Kingdom. Primeval Whirl, although not the most attractive ride, is themed. As previously stated, it is themed to be a 'trip back in time'. Yes, it's cheesy... this fits in with the carnival appearance that WDI intended... take a look around at the gaming booths, etc.

I think that we are getting a bit too nit picky here saying that Disney is looking for 'cheap thrills'. If I came across as offensive to anyone, I apologize, but Disney began the entire theme park experience almost 50 years ago with Disneyland and others have tried to imitate it but can never match it. I know that Disney will not ever sink as low to become equal with their lesser counterparts...

Enough said about that!!!

 

[burbur]

Take for example: The Screaming Eagle is a roller coaster at Six Flags St. Louis. It has nothing to do with screaming or Eagles. 0% themeing. Disney has never done anything like that.

while, screaming eagle at st. louis may not have themeing, it is an amazing thrill. it's so ghetto and old that the car will come off the track in the back. and you just feel pain riding it. i LOVE that ride. and it runs back through the trees, kind of like a bird. so maybe that's the "theme". just cuz they didn't throw in some eable animatornics, doesn't mean it doesn't have a good theme. yeah, there's no story. but it's still a way tight ride. don't knock it.

 

[imagineersrock]

1.) though dino-rama's current state doesnt make it very high on my disney great accoplishments list, (lol no, i dont actually have one) i can agree that i see what the imagineers were trying to do here, and it needs a little help here and there, but if they just find a way to make the "story" more evident then your 'average joe' park goers wouldnt be as disappointed with this area of AK.

2.) RnRc is an incredibly well themed ride, i really don't see how you could theme a rollercoaster any better than this one. and when speaking story-wise, this might just be one of the best attraction 'stories' of WDW. [I say its right up there with other attractions like TOT and Splash Mt.]

 

[CTXRover]

Originally posted by Natelox



Finally, i would like to point out the following roller coasters: DLP's Space Moutain, BGT's Montu, SWF's Kraken, IOA's Incredible Hulk, IOA's Dueling Dragons. All those coasters invert have have themeing. I admit there aren't many, but don't say RnRc with the little themeing it has is the only themed inverting roller coaster.

I agree that IOA has rollercoasters that have a queue that may tell a story, but the second you sit in the ride vehicles: BOOM! no more story (well maybe a little for DD, the coasters look like Dragons).

What I meant was that during the actual RIDE itself, R'nRC is the only one that I KNOW OF that has inversions and is themed. (I don't know what BGT's Montu is, so maybe its themed during the ride and I forgot about SM at DLP and there is a coaster about Indy there too that has inversions, but then again, they are Disney coasters).

In my opinion, RnRC has just as much or more themeing than SM at MK, and I believe very few on here would argue that it isn't classic Disney. When you are flying by at as much as 60mph, it would make little sense to have anything more than props. Maybe some props could move, but I hardly see everything that is there now when I fly through that building Just my opinion.

In short, IMHO, WDW hasn't gone for cheap thrills, even with DinoRama. And with Forbidden Mountain/Mt. Everest coming, the amazing themeing we expect from Disney should continue.

 

[TURKEY]

Originally posted by Natelox

Finally, i would like to point out the following roller coasters: DLP's Space Moutain, BGT's Montu, SWF's Kraken, IOA's Incredible Hulk, IOA's Dueling Dragons. All those coasters invert have have themeing. I admit there aren't many, but don't say RnRc with the little themeing it has is the only themed inverting roller coaster.

Kraken has some signs and stuff in the queue. Nothing compared to anything Disney. Once you hit the ride, it's track and concrete. Nothing else.

Hulk has nothing (that I remember after the queue). Neither does Montu. DD has a themed queue and somewhat themed once you hit the track (intertwining).


None of these rides compare to RnRC's queue and preshow or the ride's theming/scenery.

 

[CoraJack]

Well many people may not like Primeval Whirl, but ask a 12 year old what THEY think! I took two twelve year olds and my mother in law in November and this was (by far) our best time together on a ride. Most of all because you can see everyone enjoying it due to the seating arrangement. We rode this 4 times in a row. It's a coaster for families. And it's a good one. I'm not talking about the way it looks I'm talking about the fun people have while they are on it. Everyone was laughing and screaming. I think it's a good thing.

R&RC is okay, just too short. All of the hype and it's over almost as soon as it starts. I knew I'd only go on it once (I don't like inversions) so I forced myself to keep my eyes open the whole time so I wouldn't miss anything. As soon as I started to enjoy the scenery--it was over.

Give us the Whirl anyday!

 

[rokcandy]

I haven't been on RnRC or PW yet, but I do agree w/ the idea that Disney has become more commercial. They're trying to attract everyone to the World, and by doing so, they've had to take some of the original magic away. For example - take a look @ Downtown Disney. I remember when it was just the Disney Village and PI; now there's a circus and PH, etc. These and other 'cheap thrills are being added to get the teens and young adults in. However, Disney is still adding many creative things there - I'll only be upset if they mess w/ the old attractions too much or the CBR - til then I'm an addict.

 

[MKCustodial]

Originally posted by turkey leg boy Hulk has nothing (that I remember after the queue). Neither does Montu. DD has a themed queue and somewhat themed once you hit the track (intertwining).[/B]

Doesn't Montu has the Egyptian temple with the alligators or something to that effect? It's been a while, but I do remember alligators. Hmmm...

 

[TURKEY]

Originally posted by MKCustodial
Doesn't Montu has the Egyptian temple with the alligators or something to that effect? It's been a while, but I do remember alligators. Hmmm...

It may be, I can't remember, but it's not to the extent of any Disney ride I don't think.

 

[MKCustodial]

Originally posted by turkey leg boy
It may be, I can't remember, but it's not to the extent of any Disney ride I don't think.

You're probably right, it's been too long for me. :lol: I just thought I'd throw that in there and see if anyone has a clearer recollection.

 

[Mr. Toad]

I don't think Disney has gone for cheap thrills. Even Dinoland isn't that bad. I was initially turned off by the look of Primeval Whirl but once I got the joke I started to appreciate it (though it still seems out of place in AK). It may not be Disney at it's best but it is far from Six Flags.

My concern is that they "seem" to be building more and more thrill rides. I don't think this is really the case - the thrill rides just get more attention. How much attention did The Magic Carpets of Aladdin get (not that the ride thrills me)? I can't wait for Mission:Space even if it is a thrill ride but I am also excited about Mickey's Philarmagic - I think it will be great. I have always missed the Mickey Mouse Review and I think this will be a nice "replacement" for it.

As for DTD, I also preferred it without all of the stores on the West Side but some people seem to like them and not everyone has access to these stores where they live. However, between the added restaurants and Cirque du Soliel, I am very glad that the West Side was added on. Cirque du Soliel is one of the best shows at WDW as far as I'm concerned.

 

[all41]

I've been going to Six Flags St. Louis (use to be called SF over Mid-America) since I was a kid and soon after it opened.

The one thing WDW has is "atmosphere and character" all over the place. You don't get that, to use a popular phrase, "Shock and Awe" at Six Flags. Its a fun park to run around and ride some rides but it doesn't have the depth of experience or ambiance that WDW has.

With that said, I see some signs that they might be heading the wrong direction. An example is the CM who stands by Little Red on the Safari Ride at AK. I've read that they've cut that out to save money. Thats the type of small detail that make rides at WDW special. If they start cutting and trimming like that all over, it could be a problem.