Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt Judging from the posts on LP Live it appears that the Little Mermaid ride as begun admitting guests at WDW. Anyone here have a firsthand report of the new attraction? I'm especially interested in hearing about the queue.
Originally Posted By DDMAN26 I'm guessing it's similar to the one at DCA. Would it be something to plan my vacation around or make a mad dash to upon arrival at the park? No, but it's a cute ride
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA Here's a YouTube video from Theme Park Review. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnPz0mq2Fw8" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...z0mq2Fw8</a>
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "I'm guessing it's similar to the one at DCA. Would it be something to plan my vacation around or make a mad dash to upon arrival at the park? No, but it's a cute ride." I'm not really interested in the ride itself. It's been stated several times that it is identical to the DCA version, which I enjoyed. I'm more curious about the elaborate facade and the queue. These are very different from the California version. Thanks Jim for posting the video link. I also found this recent aerial shot. The exterior of the attraction is stunning. <a href="http://pix.aerog.com/photos/i-nX2rPVm/0/XL/i-nX2rPVm-XL.jpg" target="_blank">http://pix.aerog.com/photos/i-...m-XL.jpg</a>
Originally Posted By Mickeymouseclub Doobie just posted a live pic of LM but I see a different picture has just appeared with Gideon meeting MM in Silly Sideshow...SO WE KNOW somebody is lucky enough to be there today.
Originally Posted By standor I'm happy that they finally put in an attraction that is not a thrill ride.
Originally Posted By MamaTinkAz I am happy to say that ever since the ride was introduced in DCA I was not able to ride it and since moving to Orlando have been ever waiting patiently for this to open here. Some friends let me know that they were doing dress rehearsals and had to get there. I can say the wait was well worth it. I was delighted by the beautiful queue area and the theming is incredible. Such great touches. Check out the new video on the laughing place youtube channel that I took of our ride through. It was amazing. Actually brought tears to my eye.
Originally Posted By sjhym333 I went to the MK today with some friends. Little Mermaid and Belle's Story was open as was Gaston's Tavern and the gift shop. Six of us rode Little Mermaid and the concensus was it was ok. Sorry, but after spending sometime in the Fanstasyland expansion today I have to say I was not really impressed
Originally Posted By TP2000 The Little Mermaid ride at WDW is the EXACT SAME THING as the one at DCA. Little Mermaid was a great addition for DCA, especially considering that it sits on the spot that used to house the boring 20 minute long Golden Dreams history movie that no one ever bothered to visit. But I have to wonder how this Little Mermaid clone will play in the Magic Kingdom, where it sits a few steps away from It's A Small World as a similar cutesy-kiddy ride, and where it will likely be marketed as an EXCITING NEW ADDITION! to a park that hasn't had anything new for a decade or more. But I have to chuckle at how IDENTICAL this Mermaid ride is to the DCA version from 2011. Someone at WDI found a great 2-for-1 sale on plastic fish.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip ^^^ You seems to forget. Disneyland Park has SIX tracked dark rides... the Magic Kingdom at WDW is down to just two.... Peter Pan and Pooh. I think it will be seen as a very welcome addition!
Originally Posted By leemac <<Someone at WDI found a great 2-for-1 sale on plastic fish.>> Considering Lisa Girolami and Larry Nikolai burnt through $120m on the DCA version it made sense to try and reduce that outlay by building it elsewhere!
Originally Posted By leemac <<Six of us rode Little Mermaid and the concensus was it was ok. Sorry, but after spending sometime in the Fanstasyland expansion today I have to say I was not really impressed>> I'm the chairman, treasurer and every member of the Golden Dreams Fan Club. I loved the building - it was perfect for that mini-SF section. I also enjoyed the show. I know I'm in the minority. I really don't like TLM attraction at DCA. Beside the garish and unnecessarily gaudy architecture (I have no idea how it is supposed to be an "appropriate 20th century aquarium") it is just a condensed book report of the film. The charm of those old-school dark rides is entirely lost by throwing cash at it and pushing it all back - the intimacy is completely lost. You don't feel like a character in the movies which should be the driving force behind the story decisions behind any dark ride.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip Do you forget my joining the club? I also liked Golden Dreams and was sad when it closed.
Originally Posted By leemac ^^ You haven't been responding to the newsletters. I recall Jim was in that small club too. It wasn't perfect but it was a little different from the pace and tone of the rest of the park - dare I say it felt.....Epcot-like. I think I'll whack on the score in a minute to reminisce!
Originally Posted By RoadTrip Yes, I thought Golden Dreams, Seasons of the Vine, and even the Bread and Tortilla Factory tours gave the place something of an Epcot vibe which I liked.
Originally Posted By ni_teach I'm sorry to see that they didn't fix the ending and some of the other problems with the attraction.
Originally Posted By skinnerbox <<Yes, I thought Golden Dreams, Seasons of the Vine, and even the Bread and Tortilla Factory tours gave the place something of an Epcot vibe which I liked.>> Count me as a member. I remember seeing Golden Dreams for the first time during the AP Preview weekend. Tim Delaney was standing off to the side in the outdoor queue, listening and watching folks waiting for the show. He followed in behind our small group, standing in the back of the theater. I didn't get the chance to talk with him afterwards, as some did. But I enjoyed the film immensely. BTW... good to see you posting again, leemac.
Originally Posted By leemac <<I remember seeing Golden Dreams for the first time during the AP Preview weekend. Tim Delaney was standing off to the side in the outdoor queue, listening and watching folks waiting for the show. He followed in behind our small group, standing in the back of the theater. I didn't get the chance to talk with him afterwards, as some did. But I enjoyed the film immensely.>> Tom Fitzgerald deserves a tremendous amount of credit for his producing role on GD. That show bore the brunt of more of the budget cuts than any other attraction. How he was able to deliver anything at all is beyond me - especially as he wrote the piece himself too. The original shows with the full AAs really was an incredible visual experience in pre-production. The final show was just a great little film - mix of education and entertainment. IMHO only WDSP's CineMagique comes close in terms of quality for a cinematic attraction. I miss it. My aging brain is failing me but I think GD fell between the cracks of Paradise Pier and Condor Flats from a creative development POV. Tim oversaw PP as EP and Alec Scribner was the show producer for Condor Flats but I think that SF area was designed by Coulter Winn as lead architect with Tom Fitzgerald as the show producer. My biggest DCA regret was that I didn't get one of the Califia maquettes that were made for the crew.
Originally Posted By leemac <<BTW... good to see you posting again, leemac.>> Thankfully things have calmed down - I've had a manic couple of years. I've not even had much time to read stuff let alone post. I was going to wait until after the elections but thought I might as well jump back in. I'm still staying clear of WE. )
