Originally Posted By oc_dean Hard to believe ... Stitch's Great Fart Escape is now 10 years old in Tomorrowland. I came upon this excellent article on the history of it here (along with a history of the building dating back to the transition from Mission To Mars to Alien Encounter): <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://passport2dreams.blogspot.com">http://passport2dreams.blogspot.com</a> I didn't know WDI retooled so much. No doubt ... we'll never see this copied to any other Disney resort .. ever. Here I've been lamenting the current state of TL in Disneyland. Well ... WDW's ain't look'n so hot, either! From the misplaced Stitch and Monsters Inc attractions .. to the sorry state of Carousel of Progress, and the fact the '94 renovation barely touched the northern section of the land where the Grand Prix Raceway and Tomorrowland Terrace restaurant sit. After reading this ... I'm pondering what the future is going to entail not just DL's Tomorrowland ... but WDW's version as well. They are both ripe for change.
Originally Posted By mrkthompsn Well, they just built a brand new attraction based on a 77 year old movie.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros That's a great article that does a good job of hitting all of the main points of it's history. Although there are a lot of great technical items in the attraction (I still think the Stitch AAs are among the best that Disney's ever done), the whole experience is much less than the sum of its parts. It's impressive that it's lasted this long when it's so overwhelming disliked. I'm surprised it didn't get the Superstar Limo treatment; it's not like MK was really hurting for capacity in the early 00's The overview of Stitch-mania in the early 00's sort of reminded me of how I went into the attraction. I hadn't yet seen the film, yet knew plenty of it from the general consciousness of the era (especially those bizarre and terrible teaser trailers). Years later when I finally saw the film, I thought it was just okay and didn't understand all the hype around it, similar to the Pooh franchise that I was familiar with long before seeing the film itself (both films are in my bottom third of Disney features). And with reusing so much infrastructure from Alien Encounter, they were just inviting comparisons. I understand that AE was probably too intense for MK, but this tried to appeal to the youngest set with a tone that just wasn't appropriate for them, leading to an attraction that is just a mess. I've taken a few first-timers on it, and their confused reaction at the end pretty much summarizes the whole thing. Similar to the current Imagination ride which only makes sense if you know the whole evolution, Stitch can only be enjoyed through gross rationalization and excuses
Originally Posted By RoadTrip WDW TL still works for me because of CoP, the People Mover and Space Mountain. Sure, CoP has been sadly neglected, but a neglected CoP is better than no CoP at all. I'm even OK with the Tomorrowland Speedway because I know the young kids love it. Stitch is terrible, but the prior attractions in that building were not much better. During my very first visit to WDW in 1991, Mission to Mars was the first attraction I rode. Even though everything was new and fresh for me, I thought it was totally lame. Gladly I thought everything else I experienced for the rest of the day was MUCH better. Until Disney decides to spend the money it would take to alter the existing room configuration, I doubt a really good attraction will ever be in that location.
Originally Posted By oc_dean >>Well, they just built a brand new attraction based on a 77 year old movie.<< Took me a minute to figure out what 77 year old movie you are talking about, in reference to Tomorrowland. Then it dawned on me .. you're talking about FANTASYLAND .. and the new "mine" coaster ride. You're talking about the MK park in general. Oh sure ... the co. isn't going to turn around too soon and work on other aspects of the park that need help. Rest assured ... when you look at the unfinished "1994" reno in the areas I mentioned, state of CoP, the inappropriate cartoon placements in the land .... there'll come a time the land as a whole will need to be re-addressed. Though we know the co. will let it lag for a while. As we know ... they're known for letting things lag. It's their nature.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "Here I've been lamenting the current state of TL in Disneyland. Well ... WDW's ain't look'n so hot, either!" How long have I been saying this?
Originally Posted By FerretAfros >>Though we know the co. will let it lag for a while.<< They decided in the early 90's that the land needed a redo, but that they would let the eastern half of it lag behind. 2 decades later and still no indication of any intent to redo that area. The time since the rest of the land was redone is longer than the lifespan of America Sings, Horizons, or Wonders of Life; assuming they don't change it in the next couple years (and they won't) it will have outlasted all of the various Nature's Wonderland attractions at DL The entire land needed a redo ~20 years ago, and for whatever reason they decided to only do it in the front corridor. The remainder is rapidly approaching retro chic because it's so outdated. To say it will lag for "a while" is the understatement of the year!
Originally Posted By Goofyernmost >>>During my very first visit to WDW in 1991, Mission to Mars was the first attraction I rode. Even though everything was new and fresh for me, I thought it was totally lame.<<< Funny that. I felt the same way, but, the mechanics, as primitive as they were, fascinated me. A simple use of screens and collapsing seat bottoms was really interesting to me. The show itself was definitely lame. I never really cared for AE nor did I, unlike others, think it was scary. It was loud. Stitch, in my opinion, certainly isn't the best thing that they ever came up with, but, it was cute and certainly not as scary as AE for kids. It also appealed to the kid in me by the burping and spitting. I was 35, but, not grown up yet and I could see where that would be funny for the kids. It never bothered me, but, I did think of it as funny.
Originally Posted By oc_dean >>How long have I been saying this?<< I think the new color scheme for the PM station further emphasizes ... they got no budget to do anything with the land ... but use up some orange and red paint stored in a warehouse! We know Disney will never do this ... but as far as CoP goes .. as long as the 4 act is stuck in the past - <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://parksandresorts.wdpromedia.com/media/disneyparks/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/chr228924LARGE.jpg">http://parksandresorts.wdprome...ARGE.jpg</a> I'd be perfectly happy if they put the fourth act back to this "past" - <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-40lZ6nhsbng/U8NeqV8_8kI/AAAAAAAABnE/JePhl1kmcss/s720/TL%2520%252845%2529.jpg">http://lh4.googleusercontent.c...2529.jpg</a> 1967 looked more 'future chic' than 1994!
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA I saw Alien Encounter and found it to be a real head scratcher. I hated the smug sarcasm of the pre-show... The big climax was essentially shutting off all the lights, causing everybody to shriek in terror for two minutes and then it was over.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "1967 looked more 'future chic' than 1994!" So true. Crazy, isn't it?
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt Anyone remember when Alien Encounter was planned for DL? <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://s714.photobucket.com/user/kimickey_photos/media/disney%20decade/decade05.jpg.html">http://s714.photobucket.com/us...jpg.html</a>
Originally Posted By oc_dean huh! We came so close. The same thing would happened in DL. The show would have been shuttered. Stitch would be in there .. and we'd have more cartoons to complain about in Tomorrowland. Oh ... and if Timekeeper bit the dust in WDW .... it would have too if it were installed in DL.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros >>1967 looked more 'future chic' than 1994!<< I would also rather have the original Act IV return, or some reasonable facsimile of it. That way it would be clear that it's not supposed to represent the modern day, yet still looks toward the future. As it stands now, nobody's really sure what's going on once Grandma starts playing her virtual reality game and Trish begins talking about her car phone and laser discs... >>Anyone remember when Alien Encounter was planned for DL?<< I thought that was an early version of the concept art for WDW. It certainly seems to match the 30's/Buck Rogers-inspired concept that they got more than the agrifuture that DL ended up with, though I guess it could have been from one of the many previous concepts for DL. I thought that DL was supposed to get Plectu's Intergalactic Revue in the Carousel Theater building
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt I thought that was an early version of the concept art for WDW. It certainly seems to match the 30's/Buck Rogers-inspired concept that they got more than the agrifuture that DL ended up with, though" The concept art was one of the many different concepts for Tomorrowland 2055, part of "The Disney Decade", most of which ended up in the dustbin. It's crazy to think that Hollywood Land was originally planned to be built in DL.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros Was that o e of those concepts that they tried to recycle from Disney's America, or was it originally created for DL?
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt I believe that Hollywood Land was unique to DL and ended up being included in DCA's opening lineup as Hollywood Pictures Backlot. The signature attraction was to be a Dick Tracy (lol!) E ticket. Thank god we got Indy instead. <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/Dick_Tracy%27s_Crime-Stoppers">http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/D...Stoppers</a>
Originally Posted By oc_dean TL:2055 included 1. Alien Encounter 2. Timekeeper 3. Plectu's Fantastic Galactic Revue
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt Dean, do you have any idea what they'd planned to do with the Peoplemover in Tomorrowland 55? It doesn't appear in any of the artwork I've seen, and the track way is noticeably missing from the Alien Encounter (Mission to Mars building) concept rendering.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt Actually, I was wrong. You can see the peoplemover running parallel to the Monorail in this rendering in the lower right corner. <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://a4.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/11/c0781f3996647574e718650dae7ab26e/l.jpg">http://a4.ec-images.myspacecdn...6e/l.jpg</a>
