Originally Posted By Bob Paris I used to be on Micechat but I found my eyesight started waning from all the popping pictures and exploding visuals in the sigs - WAYYYYYYY too busy. For all its drawbacks here, I prefer the simple style which has not changed throughout the years.
Originally Posted By leemac I've added some photos to my Facebook account and we will have some up on LP.com too soon. Hoepfully we will be able to upload photos and video of the Grand Opening ceremony too.
Originally Posted By Malin What I dislike about MiceChat is a few times I've written post, and gone to press send and the sites crashed, resulting with what I've just writen being lost. This site is ok, and easier to navigate, although a Members gallery would be good, as currently there is no where to share park pictures except the live gallery. Lee I'm not a friend of your's on Facebook so hope you get the pictures up on the main site soon!
Originally Posted By The Goddess Mara Was at the parks from Monday the 20th through Saturday the 25th. I'll agree with Lee that the ride through Monster's Inc. Ride and Go Seek is too fast. I'll disagree that it's the best dark ride. It seemed disappointing to both my friends and I--and considering how much extra it must have cost, not a great deal different than the ride in DCA, which is almost as good and tells more of the story! In a way it reminds me of the Yeti in Expedition Everest: you go by it so fast, who cares if it's moving or not! Who can tell the difference? (Note that when you see the lava monster in Journey to the Center of the Earth they give you a long look at it.) Well, ditto for Ride and Go Seek. You are moving so fast that the fancy AAs really don't add much that is missing from the DCA version. The DCA version also has a charm that is lacking in the Tokyo version. The flashlights are a total waste. Leave them in the dash and just watch what's happening. You go through so quick it's hard to see what's going on anyway. All of this is a mystery to me because Oriental Land Company usually hits it out of the ballpark, though they cheaped out on Space Mountain, which can't hold a candle to the newly rebuilt version in Disneyland. It's not nearly as smooth a ride and there's no onboard audio. On the other hand, I don't think the Pooh rides in Orlando or Anaheim (or Hong Kong) are superior to the version in Tokyo. Pooh's Hunny Hunt is still one of WDI's great masterpieces (though it was down several times last week even though it had just reopened from a rehab). Since I usually go in October, this was my first chance to see the original Haunted Mansion (sans Jack Skellington) and original Country Bear Jamboree shows in many years. Even though the Mansion lacks all the new upgrades, the immaculate condition of everything makes up for it (and the portrait of Master Gracey in the foyer now morphs--no more 5 transparencies--how long has that been there?). The Country Bears was in so much better condition than the show in Orlando that it was shocking, and all the figures seem to have a little more movement to them (I noticed this in Pirates as well, where the programming on the auctioneer is far superior than at any other park). We had no rain except for one evening, and there were few lines--except for Monster's Inc.--until the latter part of the week. I noticed the Mickey steamed Bun seems to have disappeared from Boiler Room Bites--have they discontinued it completely? All in all, a great trip to a great place as usual. And I liked Monster's Inc. a bit more after riding it half a dozen times and getting past the initial high (and, I guess, unrealistic) expectations. Also had lunch at Club 33--woo hoo!
Originally Posted By Mr X Good stuff Mara...thanks! ***Also had lunch at Club 33--woo hoo!*** How'd you manage that? If you have the time and/or inclination, it would be great to hear more about that place (even..like...maybe start a topic or something?)! We hear a lot about the Anaheim 33, but next to nothing about the Tokyo version. But anyway, thanks and glad you had a good time! I'm going to enjoy the Monsters ride for what it is, I think...I've seen the video and I think it's pretty cool...I'm almost more looking forward to entering the place since the facade is BEYOND incredible.....it would have to be above and beyond in some sublime and unrecognizable way (on video, anyway) though, for it to overcome my current opinion that Pooh is the best dark ride EVER (sorry, Spidey).
Originally Posted By leemac <<The flashlights are a total waste. Leave them in the dash and just watch what's happening. You go through so quick it's hard to see what's going on anyway.>> As I stressed on the thread - if you want to see a lot of the monsters in the locker room and streetscape then you need to use the flashflights. There is very little to see in the locker room without using the flashlights as the monsters are hiding.
Originally Posted By leemac <<Lee I'm not a friend of your's on Facebook so hope you get the pictures up on the main site soon!>> Feel free to hit me up if you wish - plenty of LPers are friends on FB.
Originally Posted By The Goddess Mara Since everyone else around me was futzing with the flashlights, I saw all the monsters in the lockers anyway (or at least many of them). As far as Club 33, it's very different than Anaheim. It's much more like a high-end French restaurant with wait staff hovering over you at every moment. The Dining room is not that large (or didn't appear so, though one section seemed to be closed off behind sliding wood doors) and has lots of area for just sitting which you pass prior to the modest dining room. I assume this is used when there are waits for the tables. They tried to steer us to set course meals (as they do all Westerners), but we went a la carte. The filet was the most expensive item on the menu at $75 or so, but it was exceptional meat with a lovely red-wine reduction sauce. Lots of souvenirs just like the Club in California, however this was mostly much higher end stuff, with $300 watches and leather items embossed with the Club logo. It's not in the mini New Orleans area as you would expect, but above World Bazaar. The door is between the Magic Shop and the bank. We sat facing the hub directly over the Housewares store (which sells very little in the way of housewares these days).
Originally Posted By Malin *** I'll agree with Lee that the ride through Monster's Inc. Ride and Go Seek is too fast. I'll disagree that it's the best dark ride *** Wow very suprised to read this, after the Resort's recent track record I was expecting a hit on the same scale as Pooh. Feedback appears to be very mix at the moment. Do you feel you would enjoy it more if the ride was slower? It does appear the flash light tag system seems to be a waste of time with the cars zooming by too quickly, still I am very much looking forward to giving my own feedback in just 2 weeks. *** Feel free to hit me up if you wish - plenty of LPers are friends on FB. *** Cool I've sent you a request!
Originally Posted By The Goddess Mara I was surprised at the lackluster nature of Monster's Inc. Ride and Go Seek. There's a real sense of wonder and amazement (and this does not diminish with repeated visits) to Pooh's Hunny Hunt that is entirely absent on Monster's Inc. I'm a Disney theme park afficiando--not a theme park builder or Imagineer, so I can't tell you exactly why the new ride doesn't quite work, but it doesn't produce a great buzz the way perfect rides do.
Originally Posted By leemac <<It does appear the flash light tag system seems to be a waste of time with the cars zooming by too quickly, still I am very much looking forward to giving my own feedback in just 2 weeks.>> The cars are fairly zippy - it is a similar motion base to TSMM. However you do spend stationary time in the locker room and the streetscape scenes don't wizz by. Guests just want longer in each scene which is exactly what OLC wanted - they want you back again.
Originally Posted By leemac <<I was surprised at the lackluster nature of Monster's Inc. Ride and Go Seek. There's a real sense of wonder and amazement (and this does not diminish with repeated visits) to Pooh's Hunny Hunt that is entirely absent on Monster's Inc.>> I'm surprised to hear that Mara. I'm not a huge fan of Pooh - it is entertaining but I don't like the storytelling and find that there are too few showcase scenes. Beyond the first scene and the Heffalumps room I just don't see anything else special. People focus on the LPS technology but that demonstrates to me that they are more excited by a trackless dark ride than the overall experience. The technology should just be the enabler. That said I'm not a Pooh fan, period. I'd rather take Ride & Go Seek! any day but then I love the movie. Every scene is a winner for me from Boo hiding behind the cannisters in the first scene to the wonderful Cecila "accident" in Harryhausen's to the trash compactor. The quality of the AAs is the finest I've ever seen in an attraction of this size. It is the perfect dark ride for me.
Originally Posted By The Goddess Mara Lee, does that mean you feel it's better than Pirates or the Haunted Mansion? They're both dark rides filled with AA figures.
Originally Posted By The Goddess Mara Lee, you must have been on a different ride than me. The street scenes in Monstropolis certainly did seem to whiz by. I was busy looking around as the ride vehicle zipped up one side of the street and down the other. There's an enormous monster in there standing flat up against a building, but I bet most people don't even have the chance to see him. The only time I noticed that we were dead still was in the first scene with Sully and Boo, and in the second scene with Mike when he throws the power switch. I'm pretty sure we were moving, albeit slowly, during the locker scene.
Originally Posted By leemac <<There's an enormous monster in there standing flat up against a building, but I bet most people don't even have the chance to see him.>> Again - that is the point.
Originally Posted By The Goddess Mara Well, it may be the point, but it's frustrating because you don't have time to see anything in a satisfying way. Perhaps that's the issue: you go through so quickly that it's not satisfying. You didn't answer my question about Pirates or the Mansion ... they both stand up very well to repeat visits and neither whisks you through at a pace that purposely prevents you from seeing a good deal of what's going on.
Originally Posted By leemac ^^ I don't include either POTC or HM as a dark ride. I'm a sucker for Monsters, Inc. so I have an immediate connection to the characters. So I'd say I feel more engaged and enjoy MI more than either of those two. But it is newer and more frenetic. That doesn't mean it is a better attraction. It just works for me completely.
Originally Posted By The Goddess Mara Neither Pirates or Mansion are dark rides? As Desi would say to Lucy, "You got some 'splainin' to do."
Originally Posted By Mr X ***People focus on the LPS technology but that demonstrates to me that they are more excited by a trackless dark ride than the overall experience. The technology should just be the enabler.*** We definitely differ on this one, Lee. To me, that particular technology is a big PART of why the ride is so fun. I dare-say it adds to the "story" in ways that perhaps you aren't considering..a good story isn't always just words and pictures, the motion, the special effects, the smells, the scale of things, the music, the lighting...everything adds to "story" imho. It's just so zippy and unusual, and makes even the "boring" corridors and other spaces which, I'll agree here, wouldn't be as interesting if not for the way the ride moves.
Originally Posted By Malin *** People focus on the LPS technology but that demonstrates to me that they are more excited by a trackless dark ride than the overall experience. *** You could make that point on Aquatopia, yet its no where near as well recieved as what Pooh is, so Guest do see more to the attraction than the LPS technology.
