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Worst Attraction Refurb

Spring Breeze

New Member
Original Poster
I have to say that by far the worst an most pointless refurb of a ride in WDW has to be Living With the land refurb. it was SO pointless and uneeded to replace to original narration. the first one was relaxing. the new one is like the science geek that keeps telling you things you don't want to hear. now i am fine with the people not being those who present the plants because i am under the impression that maybe they want to cut back on spending and perhaps better crowd flow but the voice..that was stupid. it wasn't outdated like WOM.they sucked the EPCOT out of it. i am not going to yell and SCREAM about this but the refurb angered me. be as it may that is just nitpicking...the worse is....Imagination which was saddening.a ride of so much popularity and somewhat cult status slashed for some random scientist researching imagination. JII was one of the greatest epcot rides. i hope they bring back imagination in so form..the original one

what do you think was the worst
 

marni1971

Park History nut
Premium Member
JII - although Kodak left WDI no choice, you can`t help but think the bean counters won. And lost as it turned out.

2nd worst - UoE to EEA. Such a waste of a pavilion (it needed an update.... but to a movie and nothing more??)

Most pointless - AE to SGE. If you need to ask why, do a thread search (keywords: Ignorant and/or Dumb Guests, Warnings, Guest, Relations, Complaints, )
 

Spring Breeze

New Member
Original Poster
JII - although Kodak left WDI no choice, you can`t help but think the bean counters won. And lost as it turned out.

2nd worst - UoE to EEA. Such a waste of a pavilion (it needed an update.... but to a movie and nothing more??)

Most pointless - AE to SGE. If you need to ask why, do a thread search (keywords: Ignorant and/or Dumb Guests, Warnings, Guest, Relations, Complaints, )
i don't think i can agree with UOE to EEA. I love the show and well since i never seen UOE i don't have a say...i agree with 1 and 3 throuhg 100%
 

marni1971

Park History nut
Premium Member
i don't think i can agree with UOE to EEA. I love the show and well since i never seen UOE i don't have a say...i agree with 1 and 3 throuhg 100%
Sorry - my point being without the Diorama Energy is just 3 films. Good films, but nothing more. You could show them at DTDs AMC theatre. They make no use of the pavilion or it`s original effects (all of which could have been updated and intergrated into the `Future Energy` rehab that never made it)
 

mrtoad

Well-Known Member
JII - although Kodak left WDI no choice, you can`t help but think the bean counters won. And lost as it turned out.

2nd worst - UoE to EEA. Such a waste of a pavilion (it needed an update.... but to a movie and nothing more??)

Most pointless - AE to SGE. If you need to ask why, do a thread search (keywords: Ignorant and/or Dumb Guests, Warnings, Guest, Relations, Complaints, )

Martin,

What was the Kodak leaving no choice thing? I do not know the reason why it was change and do really find the new one boring (really boring).

As for the UoE upgrade, I actually like it. I think the movie is very funny though really like the old one as well.

For me JII & Enchanted Tiki Room are the worst refurbs.
 

marni1971

Park History nut
Premium Member
Kodak were renewing their sponsorship but on the condition the ride was radically changed :wave:

I agree - Ellen is quite funny. It just wastes the pavilion as a whole. If you watched it on TV it`d have the same effect as in the park. There`s no drama, no scale, no vision. It`s just 3 films on (4) screens. Without the Dinorama it would be a direct to DVD release.
 

Expo_Seeker40

Well-Known Member
Journey into Imagination and what became of the entire pavilion I agree was a rehab the want horribly in the wrong direction.

But even though I never personally saw the Universe of Energy's original show...Martin is right though.

The original Universe of Energy, while somewhat boring and scientific, had excellent show effects.

Even the red to orange painting pattern on the sides of the pavilion, to the tiles that went all the way to the back of the pavilion gave the exterior a purpose and theme.

Then you had the radok screens in the preshow....the curtains in theater one...the excellent and amazing diorama before the shadow that it is now...and of course the wall to wall mirrored finale.
 

mrtoad

Well-Known Member
Kodak were renewing their sponsorship but on the condition the ride was radically changed :wave:

I agree - Ellen is quite funny. It just wastes the pavilion as a whole. If you watched it on TV it`d have the same effect as in the park. There`s no drama, no scale, no vision. It`s just 3 films on (4) screens. Without the Dinorama it would be a direct to DVD release.

Got it, I wonder why they wanted it changed so bad?

I understand where you are coming from on the UoE refurb.
 

PlutoInOrlando

Active Member
In the Parks
Yes
#1 - Original Tiki Birds to the "Under New Management" I just don't get it and still don't after seeing it many many many many times. Each time I leave out of there going - what the....

#2 - AE to SGE - ruined a GREAT experience. **sigh/shaking head** Didn't see the need to "dumb it down" to play to people of all ages. And whether they like it or not, it still scares some kids. At least AE had a story and a bit of thrill to it.

#3 - JII - it's not horrible, but it's definitly not what it used to be. I find it a bit bland. I don't think I've seen the wait time for it over like 2 minutes since the rehab... With the orig, there was ALWAYS at least a 15-20 minute wait or more. Go figure... And don't get me started with the closure of the upstairs part of the pavillion :brick:

#4 - I'm actually still missing Walter Cronkite doing the voice for SSE. I love the redue of the ride, but Jermy Irons just doesn't do it for me.

#5 - The backstage Tram tour...oh wait - there isn't one any more! Enough said about that!!!:hurl:

My top 5....:wave:
 

EthylCooper

Active Member
#2 - AE to SGE - ruined a GREAT experience. **sigh/shaking head** Didn't see the need to "dumb it down" to play to people of all ages. And whether they like it or not, it still scares some kids. At least AE had a story and a bit of thrill to it.

Not just story and thrill....Alien Encounter had some of the best original characters and *the* best collection of one-liners on property when it was there. Even knowing I'd be missing S.I.R. & all the others, I still had high hopes for Stitch, but I'm afraid it just really isn't much fun. :( The only fun I really had on it was decoding the alien language.
 

3IAlienKid

Member
Another vote for Enchanted Tiki Room Under New Management.
I've said it before on several other posts that I was definitely disappointed by this new show. It was a good idea with some potential but poorly executed.
 

CThaddeus

New Member
Gotta agree with Under New Management and Journey Into Imagination with Figment. I'm also going to toss Test Track in there because I can do everything in that attraction IN MY OWN CAR.
And I still think one of the best changes was Stitch's Great Escape. Everyone else here may hate it, but it's still extremely high on my list. SIR and Skippy were great, but the rest of Alien Encounter bored me senseless.
 

Epcot82Guy

Well-Known Member
JII has to take my top spot. Tiki is a close second. SGE is a close third. I also think the extinct attraction award goes to Food Rocks (meaning its replacement of Kitchen Kabaret, not Food Rocks to Soarin').
 

jeffb

Well-Known Member
My top 2:

1. To quote Fallen Angel - using the Comic book guy voice from the Simpsons "JII - Worst Rehab Ever!" Completely Agree (including the closing of ImageWorks).

2. Under New Management was a great idea and probably one of the first times I recall that Disney poking fun at how long they keep attractions around but it is so poorly executed. At a minimum they should have atleast kept the full In the Tiki Room song. The new song selection is not very good and GG is completely over the top and annoying.

I am probably in the minority here because while I would agree the characters developed for Alien Encouner were great and enjoyed the pre-show, I was never really impressed by main section of the attraction where you sit in the old Mission to Mars theatre.
 

calismic

Member
I gotta go with Imagination. Last Feb. was the first time I had been to the park in 12 years and I was crushed to see how they destroyed a classic.
 

DisneyMusician2

Well-Known Member
JII has to take the cake...although I remember being really disappointed with the rehab from Toad-to-Pooh, but I understand these things need to happen. And Pooh is well done enough, I suppose. I just hate to lose some of the classics that people forget were Disney's work. I'll throw this one out there, too: The Monster Sound Show to Sounds Dangerous. That was REALLY bad and often forgotten about.
 

CThaddeus

New Member
I am probably in the minority here because while I would agree the characters developed for Alien Encouner were great and enjoyed the pre-show, I was never really impressed by main section of the attraction where you sit in the old Mission to Mars theatre.

So I'm not alone! I agree completely (and with your other choices, too).
 

Damien666

New Member
Since Disney has lovingly made several mistakes, I'm just going to pick the worst from each park except AK from my opinions.

MK-

AE to SGE= I don't think I need to explain what has already been said. Just one example of taking something original and replacing it with a abysmal attraction that fails on so many levels.

Epcot-

This is a flat out no brainer, JII. While I have never experienced the original attraction, I have read the script and seen videos and those things alone show me another great original attraction replaced by something much worse. (Notice a pattern anyone?) Thankfully if the rumors are true this attraction might be given another chance.

MGM-

The Magic of Disney Animation to whatever they call it now.
I really loathe the layoffs of the animators, the best thing that came off from the attraction was spending time in that little room with the animator. I was glad on one of my trips I was able to experience it like it was. I thought it was great watching the animator draw Koda from Brother Bear, it just gave off a great sense of Magic from Disney.
 

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