Originally Posted By AutoPost This topic is for Discussion of <a href="http://www.laughingplace.com/News-ID10031810.asp" target="_blank"><b>Latest: Walt Disney Imagineering Earns Four Thea Awards</b></a> <font size="2"> Walt Disney Imagineering captured four prestigious Thea Awards within the themed entertainment industry, TEA (formerly the Themed Entertainment Association) announced today. Acknowledging the creative and technical innovation and storytelling in Disney Parks, TEA honored Disney in the following categories: The <em>Muppet Mobile Lab</em>, currently at Hong Kong Disneyland, won the Award for Outstanding Achievement - Technical; <em>The Legend of Mythica</em> at Tokyo DisneySea and <em>Finding Nemo – The Musical</em> at Disney’s Animal Kingdom each won an Award for Outstanding Achievement - Live Show. In addition, Epcot, which recently celebrated its 26th anniversary at the Walt Disney World Resort, received the Thea Classic Award. </font>
Originally Posted By DlandDug I am so happy to see that the Muppet Mobile Lab has received this recognition. This is just the sort of thing that Imagineering does so well. The Living Character Initiative is not a big showy attraction, but research and development like this are so important. LP Coverage of the Muppet Mobile Lab: <a href="http://www.laughingplace.com/Lotion-View-376.asp" target="_blank">http://www.laughingplace.com/L...-376.asp</a>
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 The Muppet Mobile Lab was a huge hit in HKDL when I was there. Unfortunately, I couldn't undestand a word being said! I still think the LCI is overblown, though. WDI keeps looking for new gimmicks instead of focusing on telling compelling stories in their attractions. I also find it a bit ironic that EPCOT, which was built as an amazing cutting edge kind of place, won the award as a "CLASSIC." But they're all very deserving and kudos to all involved.
Originally Posted By MPierce >> The Muppet Mobile Lab was a huge hit in HKDL when I was there. Unfortunately, I couldn't undestand a word being said! << Why was it spoken in a different dialect other than Mandarin?
Originally Posted By MPierce MML will probably end up like Lucky. Stuck out in California in some little side show. Why can't great innovations like this be a permanet fixture at all the Disney resorts. Are they just so costly that it's just not feasible. I want a Disney accountant (the true head of the Parks) to answer this one. If not, maybe just someone who knows the answer. Anyway this just proves that Disney can give us real quality if they choose to do so.
Originally Posted By CarolinaDisneyDad I don't think it's ever been a question of can they. It's a question of will they. We can hope.
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< Why was it spoken in a different dialect other than Mandarin? >>> I don't know about MML in particular, but things at HKDL are generally offered in three languages: Cantonese (the language spoken locally in Hong Kong and surrounding areas), Mandarin (the official and most predominant language in China), and English.
Originally Posted By MPierce Thanks for the information SuperDry. I completely forgot about Cantonese. It's hard for me to even remember that Hong Kong was not an intergated part of the Mainland at one time.
Originally Posted By ArchtMig >>>MML will probably end up like Lucky. Stuck out in California in some little side show. Why can't great innovations like this be a permanet fixture at all the Disney resorts.<<< The California parks never get these things on a permanent basis. They usually drag them out to DCA and test them for a few weeks before sending them out to WDW and the foreign parks, and DCA never sees hide nor hair of them ever again. And Disneyland never sees them at all. If they get "stuck out in California" at all, it basically means they get pushed into the corner of a warehouse at WDI and wrapped in tarps, never to see the light of day ever again. Honestly, I don't know why WDI spends so much time and expense on making these things, only to stick 'em out in public for a relatively short while, before they take them back inside and forget about them. But it's all a moot point anyway. The department at WDI that dreams up and builds these things all got laid off, the department was eviscerated, and so we're probably not gonna see any more Luckys, MMLs, or WALL-Es anytime soon. Leave it to Disney to gut the folks that are responsible for winning the Thea awards just as the awards are being given out. Sad.
Originally Posted By Anatole69 The footage I have seen on Youtube of MML at HKDL was spoken in Cantonese. I thought the Legend of Mythica was an older show. Are these awards handed out biennually?
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo >>>The California parks never get these things on a permanent basis. They usually drag them out to DCA and test them for a few weeks before sending them out to WDW and the foreign parks, and DCA never sees hide nor hair of them ever again. <<< Don't bitch too much, we have never had Lucky or the MML visit DLP :-(
Originally Posted By leemac <<I thought the Legend of Mythica was an older show. Are these awards handed out biennually?>> Mythica's debut was July '06. Finding Nemo's debut was Jan '07. Thea awards are issued annually but there are early cut-offs for the nominations. Typically the product nominated has to have been launched during the year.
Originally Posted By leemac <<The department at WDI that dreams up and builds these things all got laid off, the department was eviscerated, and so we're probably not gonna see any more Luckys, MMLs, or WALL-Es anytime soon.>> That isn't true at all. WDI R&D and the specialist AA team are still fully functioning divisions within WDI. All of the complex AA design and manufacturing - think Lucky, Stitch at SGE! and TDL's Tiki Room and the Yeti at Expedition Everest - will continue to be built in-house. WDI has been outsourcing a significant portion of simpler AA construction for years - Garner Hoult's workshop has built the AAs for Legend of Mythica at TDS and Jack for Haunted Mansion Holiday amongst others as he can build them significantly cheaper than WDI - HKDL's it's a small world fabrication was entirely outsourced to mainland manufacturers. Wall-E was a disaster - hugely unreliable which is why he has had no life beyond some simple 1-on-1 sessions for the DVD. WDI are still trying to fathom how best to utilize the free-roaming AAs. There just isn't an answer yet and until the reliability improves to allow almost 24/7 operation the likes of Lucky and Muppet Mobile Lab will continue to be used sparingly. Lucky is the centerpiece of a visit to WDI that is part of the Hollywood/LA Adventures by Disney itinerary.
Originally Posted By dshyates "WDI are still trying to fathom how best to utilize the free-roaming AAs" Soooo, it will be a while then. As these same guys couldn't figure out how to use AA critters in a Nationa Park-type environment.
Originally Posted By Anatole69 Since Mythica debuted in June of 2006, it will be receiving the award in March of 2009, almost three years later. That is an extraordinarily long lead time for an award that is handed out once a year. You would think the 2009 awards would be for achievements from 2008, not 2006! lol.
Originally Posted By MPierce Thanks for the information Lee. You had told me where Lucky was at in California before, but I just couldn,t remember. With as much as he has been utilized I would think they would have all the bugs worked out by now. Same goes for MML. I sure don't have the inside knowledge like you have, but it seems they would at least want to keep these little Gems out in the public eye so they could continue to monitor their progress, and usefulness. I know you can't give a price, but are these projects so budgetary intense that is not feasible to operate them in all the parks. Also what seemed to be the major problem with Wall-E? Why was he so difficult. I thought he would be on the level of a sophisticated push. I want to pick your brain while you are in the neighborhood.
Originally Posted By leemac <<Also what seemed to be the major problem with Wall-E? >> He was hugely unreliable. Wall-E was a very complicated AA and R&D tried to make sure he had the same movements as the movie character. That complexity caused no end of problems. WDI R&D have been trying for a while to act as an engineering subcontractor for other Disney business units and so a lot was resting on Wall-E's success. Sadly they just couldn't get him to function consistently. I doubt we will ever see this version of Wall-E in the parks.
Originally Posted By leemac <<I know you can't give a price, but are these projects so budgetary intense that is not feasible to operate them in all the parks.>> There are three components to every park project. First you have the actual development costs to produce the product. Then you have on-going maintenance costs to fix wear-and-tear. Finally you have operational costs. These LCP Audio-Animatronics are expensive in all three aspects. None of the existing LCP projects have sustainability that would allow them to perform consistently throughout the day. It is a learning curve for WDI as they try to find a way to introduce them into the parks on a permanent basis. Ops have never been keen on Lucky or MML as they are typically small meet 'n' greet experiences - they just can't reach the same audience as other streetmosphere. Plus you have the largest obstacle at the heart of LCP - how to make every guest feel they have been "pixie-dusted" and had a unique experience. Turtle Talk and Stitch Encounter managed to find a solution for medium-sized auditoriums. However expanding the program to larger venue like Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor have been problematic as guests don't feel they have had the same unique experience.
