Originally Posted By AutoPost This topic is for Discussion of: <a href="http://www.laughingplace.com/w/blogs/d23/2013/08/09/preview-of-the-d23-expo/" target="_blank"><b>8/9/13 D23: Preview of the D23 Expo</b></a>
Originally Posted By TP2000 Except for the truly nifty Mary Poppins artifacts in the Archives exhibit, all of this just looks so... LAME. The big highlight of the Imagineering exhibit is a model of a refurbished shopping mall in Orlando? And a noticeably unrealistic mock up of the old Hatbox Ghost animatronic? And then the other big highlight of the exhibit show floor is from Consumer Products who have displays of plastic junk made in China that no one actually needs that we'll be able to buy at Target later this year? Seriously, is that all there is to D23 Expo this year? Shopping mall models and upcoming cosmetics lines and a fake 1960's animatronic? Am I being cranky (not unheard of), or is this years D23 Expo show floor a giant waste of space and energy and resources?
Originally Posted By FerretAfros Once you take out the opportunity to look at new stuff coming to the parks, this is basically the exact same thing they had at the last Expo, which is why I came away feeling so underwhelmed by it. I don't know what I was expecting, but after seeing it in person (well not seeing all of it, since there were really long lines for the Archives exhibit and several of the presentations were full), I had very little interest in going back. It seems like this year's Expo is perfectly in line with the 2011 version
Originally Posted By Brad "Seriously, is that all there is to D23 Expo this year? Shopping mall models and upcoming cosmetics lines and a fake 1960's animatronic? Am I being cranky (not unheard of), or is this years D23 Expo show floor a giant waste of space and energy and resources?" You are dead on, as always mate! These events are now being seen by the megacorps in the same way Comicon is seen for film geeks - they know the unwashed masses in their tight-fitting character t-shirts will show up regardless, so just throw whatever swill out there for the porcine purveyors to dip their snouts in and be done with it. Why should the studios/companies put any effort in or spend too much moolah? They know the zombie-like masses with their phones, mashing away at the keys for their self-important blog sites WILL come, so who cares?
Originally Posted By doombuggy Oh good I'm not the only one that thought it looked...well boring. The HBG looked more like the phantom from PM and now we know what happen to Tom Morrow.
Originally Posted By ni_teach It is interesting to see the change in the "fortune teller" between last year and this year. It is a great improvement. I wonder what they will do with the technology. I really hope that they do something with it.
Originally Posted By oc_dean Hello to you all from my Monday morning here in the land down under - I see it's 5pm ... there's a couple hours left, as a DL Hotel seminar is getting ready to happen, and not much else - <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://d23.com/d23-expo/schedule/sunday-august-11-2013/">http://d23.com/d23-expo/schedu...11-2013/</a> Between here on LP and Micechat .. I see absolutely nothing .. not even a "teaser" bit of info on anything for the future of the parks - ZILCH! Some actually thought there would be SOMETHING. But it appears nothing. Am I wrong?
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt They said there'd be no new announcements. Not sure what people were expecting.
Originally Posted By Captain Neo >> Between here on LP and Micechat .. I see absolutely nothing .. not even a "teaser" bit of info on anything for the future of the parks - ZILCH! <<< Did you miss the teasers for Star Wars Land, Avatar attractions, a redo of Journey into Imagination at Epcot, and Monsters Inc? I guess they were a bit too subtle for you
Originally Posted By Captain Neo But seriously if you missed the large crates that said Orange Harvest with various star wars references all over them and the Desk full of Pandora artifacts you just might not have been paying attention.
Originally Posted By oc_dean >>Did you miss the teasers for Star Wars Land, Avatar attractions, a redo of Journey into Imagination at Epcot, and Monsters Inc? << So far, I have seen the crates for the Star Wars stuff. I linked the video elsewhere. As for Journey Into Imagination and Monsters Inc. No. I've seen nothing. But I also expected them to show up on some post either here at at Micechat .. where people put stuff up faster than lightning! So, if the expo gave any hints to those other things, that you know more about, then by all means - please elaborate. >> I guess they were a bit too subtle for you << Well, yeah .. they would be subtle since I didn't go, and live halfway around the world. And unless they are mentioned online - and haven't seen one thing - Yeah .. they will get missed. >> the Desk full of Pandora artifacts you just might not have been paying attention. << Perhaps .. someone will elaborate with pictures, video, whatever they are willing to share.
Originally Posted By Captain Neo Avatar teaser: <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.insidethemagic.net/2013/08/avatar-land-details-teased-at-2013-d23-expo-as-imagineers-visit-pandora-to-prepare-walt-disney-world-attractions/">http://www.insidethemagic.net/...actions/</a> Journey into Imagination teasers: <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLtx7NYAWXE">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...x7NYAWXE</a> Also the exhibit was called "Journey into Imagineering", the song was a major theme throughout the convention, Baxter kept alluding to stuff, and the best Disney insider on the web on another forum has already confirmed imagination is going down for an overhaul. -The Monsters Inc. teasers were more subtle in the intro video to the exhibit they kept showing the doors moving around and opening showcasing different images while a voice wondered what Disney might be working on next. It's the same video that kept hinting that Hatbox ghost was coming back to Haunted Mansion. These projects are all happening baring some unforseen catastrophe it's just a matter of playing the waiting game now.
Originally Posted By Brad Wow - Orange Harvest is VERY obscure! For those that don't know, the cryptic working title of "Return of The Jedi" was "Blue Harvest". They even gave it a tagline; "Horror Beyond Imagination" They used this to deflect attention away from the production, being the second sequel to one of the greatest movie hits of all time. "Orange Harvest"? As in "Orange Groves"? Orange County? SW in Orange County? Hhhhmmmmmmmmmm..............
Originally Posted By dagobert >>>"Orange Harvest"? As in "Orange Groves"? Orange County? SW in Orange County?<<< Aren't Disneyland Anaheim and Disney World located in the Orange Counties of California and Florida?
Originally Posted By FerretAfros >>Did you miss the teasers for Star Wars Land, Avatar attractions, a redo of Journey into Imagination at Epcot, and Monsters Inc? I guess they were a bit too subtle for you<< When was the last time that Disney was actually subtle about anything? Their marketing and branding has been so completely over the top in the last 15+ years that anything that's supposed to be inside knowledge is put out for everybody to see. Just check out any number of officially-sanctioned books that explain all of the in-jokes that they build into the parks. Everything has become so self-referential and tongue-in-cheek that you practically need to have a working knowledge of WDI to enjoy your day at the parks. They don't do anything subtly any more. As for Imagination, apparently Baxter got to pick which characters greeted him for the Legends ceremony, so he naturally chose Dreamfinder and Figment (and Darth Vader?) to represent his work on the original attraction. As long as they already have the character in costume, why not send him over to meet a couple guests? He didn't really appear to be 'in character' very much, at least not the Dreamfinder that we know. As for the WDI pavilion's title? The previous one was called "Carousel of Projects", yet we've seen nothing new for either WDW or DL's Carousel Theaters. Perhaps ironically, the maintenance on WDW's COP is making it look more and more like it belongs in the projects Disney (and WDI especially) isn't very good at dropping subtle hints. I bet if you look hard enough you could find confirmation for any number of absurd rumors at the Expo. But unless it's something that's pretty straightforward, like the Star Wars crates, I wouldn't read too much into it. Even the Hatbox Ghost seems to be getting people to talk, but I would be shocked if anything came from it >>Aren't Disneyland Anaheim and Disney World located in the Orange Counties of California and Florida?<< Yep. And isn't DLP located in some sort of region of Orange in France?
Originally Posted By dagobert >>>Yep. And isn't DLP located in some sort of region of Orange in France?<<< I don't know, but I always thought that DLP is located in the Ile De France region. I guess the Star Wars rides will just be for the US parks. DLP doesn't have the money to invest into new attractions.
Originally Posted By Brad "Aren't Disneyland Anaheim and Disney World located in the Orange Counties of California and Florida?" Yep - I always loved that lttle fact as well. Always thought it was nice symmetry.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "Perhaps ironically, the maintenance on WDW's COP is making it look more and more like it belongs in the projects" LOL.
Originally Posted By oc_dean Thank you Captain Neo for taking the time and effort to provide some links to some of the events at the expo. Now I can have a look at any and all info, no matter how subtle, for future attraction projects. A BIG THANK YOU!
Originally Posted By TP2000 You are dead on, as always mate! Brad>> "These events are now being seen by the megacorps in the same way Comicon is seen for film geeks - they know the unwashed masses in their tight-fitting character t-shirts will show up regardless, so just throw whatever swill out there for the porcine purveyors to dip their snouts in and be done with it.">> Bingo. I went to D23 Expo this weekend, and stayed for just a few minutes under one (1) hour. I spent about 35 minutes in the WDI Pavilion, and then made a quick lap of the rest of the exhibit floor. Except for a few interesting models in the WDI area, it was mostly a waste of space and a giant ode to Rampant Consumerism Made In Chinese Slave Factories To Profit The Beijing Politburo. There was a 30 minute line to get into the Disney Consumer Products display for the chance to buy cheaply made clothing and plastic junk that is available in any Disney Store in the country, as one example. But what was troubling was the appearance of too many of the "fans" in attendance. Many grown adults were terribly morbidly obese (I can stand to lose a few pounds, but my God some of those folks were the size of three men. And those were the ladies!). Many other adults were quite clearly working through some emotional issues regarding Disney characters, or simply had developmental disabilities or intense social handicaps. It wasn't a comfortable environment to be in, and so I left. And vowed to start going to the gym again. One of the highlights of the 2013 D23 Expo was the half dozen gourmet food trucks they had parked out front of the convention center. I got a bottle of Mexican recipe Coca-Cola in a glass bottle and enjoyed that pause that refreshes. And then I went home. Scary what the Disney fan obsession can bring out in people. And I can only imagine what some of the Burbank execs must think of their most passionate customers.
