What makes a ride repeatable?

[LastoneOn]

As somebody who goes to parks all other the country, I see how different the experience is. I think that the "regional amusement parks" are designed with locals in mind, and I'm not sure if this is intentional, but when it comes to a non-themed outdoor coaster, its just the kind of thing that you can ride a lot and never get sick of it. With Disney and Universal, its usually from the approach that a guest that's riding probably goes there once every few years, lines are long, and there's tons of things to do at the park, so they literally might ride a ride once every few years. So the ride is an experience from start to finish, but the curtain gets pulled back some when you marathon it or ride it too much. What seemed authentic and magical seems like a normal theme park ride when you start to see the projectors, the lights, the catwalks, etc. when you really see finite details. And if its heavy on the story line, you know the twists are coming, so re-rides don't add a lot of value.

Good point. Those proximate to the area probably get tired to the 'story' queue and all of that JUST LET ME GE ON THE RIDE!!!

 

[LovePop]

A ride is repeatable if all following conditions are met:

1. The whole family can get on it (or can enjoy watching it).
2. It doesn't make me sick.
3. It doesn't have impossible long lines: either it has short lines or it has fastpasses.
4. It's a ride, not a show.
5. It has air conditioning.

So, basically, we repeat all rides, doesn't matter what they are as long as we can get on.

 

[graphite1326]

When I get off the ride and think I have to do that again.
Rides I repeat sometimes back to back:
Soarin
EE
FoP
Splash MT
RNR Coaster
ToT
Toy Story Mania

 

[91JLovesDisney]

The soundtrack, variation in music. I think the audio is a bigger factor than we realize - if a ride had one song blasting throughout it without any sort of variation, it would get old quickly. But take Splm for example - not only are there 3 different songs that play, each song has multiple variants and parts to it.

 

[Incomudro]

This is why I refuse to watch YouTube ride videos of any rides, especially the brand new ones that are released. It was a good year after Pandora opened so when we walked in and saw the concept art come to life with the floating islands...blew us away! We never watched the Navi'i river ride-thru and I tried not to listen to the complaints/details so that when we rode, we got to experience it for ourselves. Still kicking ourselves we missed the opening of TSL by 1 week and we still haven't seen it (although I have seen plenty of pictures of the rides and the land by this point). So I can see how going frequently could disrupt one's viewpoint of a ride/experience and details.

Me neither.
Unfortunately, the family hasn't been back to WDW in a couple of years - and damned covid forced us to cancel the May 2020 trip we had booked.
So, there are many rides we haven't ridden from Flights of Passage, to Navi River, Smugglers Run, Rise of the Resistance, Runaway Railway...
I've done my best to avoid and resist watching videos on any of them, with the exception of Navi River.
I like it best when I don't even know what the ride system is ahead of time, but that knowledge has been impossible to avoid since I loined this forum years ago.

 

[Sbk1234]

The soundtrack, variation in music. I think the audio is a bigger factor than we realize - if a ride had one song blasting throughout it without any sort of variation, it would get old quickly. But take Splm for example - not only are there 3 different songs that play, each song has multiple variants and parts to it.

I don’t know if the soundtrack itself is enough to make a ride repeatable for me or not, but I absolutely agree with how important it is to an attraction. In many cases, I find myself really missing the music when an attraction is changed or eliminated.
Of course, for those I’m fortunate enough to have recordings of, listening to the music is like an audio photo album, and really helps me Re experience an attraction.
I’m still lamenting the loss of music from such attractions as Spaceship Earth (Irons version), Universe of Energy, Listen to the Land, El Rio de Tiempo, and Journey into Imagination, to name but a few.

 

[91JLovesDisney]

listening to the music is like an audio photo album, and really helps me Re experience an attraction.

 

[Paper straw fan]

I didn’t really even think much about the music, but that’s a good point. It does add to a potential repeatability factor for sure.

 

[WondersOfLife]

For me, it’s animatronics.

No matter how bad the quality is. I acknowledge Stitch’s Great Escape was terrible. But those animatronics had me coming back at least twice every single trip.

Splash Mountain, American Adventure, Country bears, Spaceship Earth...

Attractions with face projectors don’t do it for me. (Mine train and frozen) also where there’s only one good one to look at (Navi River and 3 Caballeros).

And finally, the only exceptions for me are Jungle Cruise and Tiki Room. Those don’t really do it for me.

 

[91JLovesDisney]

Jungle Cruise

I wouldn't even call those animatronics

 

[LastoneOn]

I wouldn't even call those animatronics

and yet they are!

 

[Paper straw fan]

See I like Tiki Room for the animatronics, and the music. To each their own though. I don’t know if I’ll ever tire of animatronics on rides/shows, even though I know parks will pivot away from them as computer animations become cheaper and easier to do.

 

[Trackmaster]

For me, it’s animatronics.

No matter how bad the quality is. I acknowledge Stitch’s Great Escape was terrible. But those animatronics had me coming back at least twice every single trip.

Splash Mountain, American Adventure, Country bears, Spaceship Earth...

Attractions with face projectors don’t do it for me. (Mine train and frozen) also where there’s only one good one to look at (Navi River and 3 Caballeros).

And finally, the only exceptions for me are Jungle Cruise and Tiki Room. Those don’t really do it for me.

Good point. Animatronics are harder to make than most people assume, and the way that Disney does them, there's a high level of artistry behind them. Anybody can put up a screen and film a short movie, but there's a special quality to watching live action in front of you with specially crafted set pieces. It pretty much makes it like you're experiencing live art.

 

[Paper straw fan]

Well said.

To me that’s what separates Disney from other theme parks, the design and theatrics of the rides. If you just wanted thrills you could go to Busch Gardens or Six Flags or Cedar Point- so while I know that they might pivot away from the traditional animatronics, I do hope they sense the affection people have for them and don’t completely discontinue the practice.

Politics aside, it’s something I’ll really miss when Splash is changed (if they do make a complete overhaul vs a Pirates like haircut) the design in the rooms there was always fantastic, even if some pieces broke down on occasion.

 

[Trackmaster]

Well said.

To me that’s what separates Disney from other theme parks, the design and theatrics of the rides. If you just wanted thrills you could go to Busch Gardens or Six Flags or Cedar Point- so while I know that they might pivot away from the traditional animatronics, I do hope they sense the affection people have for them and don’t completely discontinue the practice.

Politics aside, it’s something I’ll really miss when Splash is changed (if they do make a complete overhaul vs a Pirates like haircut) the design in the rooms there was always fantastic, even if some pieces broke down on occasion.

I mean, I would imagine that the new ride would still have animatronics and not just be all screens. There would probably be total armed insurrection if they were that stupid. Even Universal is backing off of screen rides at this point after the backlash against them.

 

[Ldno]

Expedition Everest does this to me. Just trying to read over the museum like queue makes it great and amazing for me

 

[NelleBelle]

Expedition Everest does this to me. Just trying to read over the museum like queue makes it great and amazing for me

I've yet to look at everything in that queue for as many years and times we've ridden it! One queue I don't mind waiting in!

 

[Ldno]

I've yet to look at everything in that queue for as many years and times we've ridden it! One queue I don't mind waiting in!

LIke wise, it’s when I starting paying attention to queues to be honest, if you ever read how you from the travel agency, to the yeti temple inside the museum and start seeing how the “lost” expedition ties into the railroad and the legend of “yeti” it’s pure immersion and genius. You get a discount “museum“ in the fast pass lane but it’s interesting seeing all those details, which is why I could do Expedition Everest over and over!