Originally Posted By Mr Snappy Al's columns are always honest, and sometimes, the Disneyland-is-never-wrong crowd takes offense. I appreciate it and have no doubt that his honesty and frankness has lead to changes at TDA and the parks. If you are honest about the situation, you will see that DisneyLand has made some huge mistakes that are just now, slowly, beginning to be reversed. Also, I agree with his discription of turning New Orleans square into a hideous media-circus...I want nothing to do with that garbage, I am glad our trip wont be ruined by this ugliness.
Originally Posted By trekkeruss <<I appreciate it and have no doubt that his honesty and frankness has lead to changes at TDA and the parks.>> I doubt Disney cares much about the opinions of any one person. As for honesty, I can't take seriously a negatively written piece about RockIt Mountain when no one has seen or ridden it.
Originally Posted By oc_dean I wonder how hard would it have been to have the premiere in the Hyperion Theater .. and have a reception in New Orleans Square later. Less headache for the daytime guess, trying to maneauver their way around. Plus ... in 2003, there wasn't the "50th" promotion driving attendance through the roof, with labor problems. Another nutty day all us AP holders should completely avoid.
Originally Posted By gadzuux >> I doubt Disney cares much about the opinions of any one person. << Al is the most widely read disney columnist, and has been for years. As a result, he's an "opinion shaper" within one of disneyland's most important market - the fans. Because of this, I believe that disney "cares" what he says. >> I can't take seriously a negatively written piece about RockIt Mountain when no one has seen or ridden it. << Here's a perfect example. Al has single-handedly changed the perception of 'rockit mountain' within the fan community. You're skeptical about al's rumors. But whether or not you personally "take it seriously" is a separate matter from the fact that the mindset among the fanbase is now "rockit mountain sucks". Is it true? Who knows, but that's now the perception. And that's the reality that TDA has to deal with. So yes, al has 'power' and has been the source of changes within the parks.
Originally Posted By monorailblue ^^^ oc_dean: that's the best idea I've heard proposed yet. A decked out Hyperion presentation would be perfect--a red carpet through the Hollywood Pictures Backlot would be more stylized AND shorter for the stars to march down . . . . Oh, well. It's too late, I guess.
Originally Posted By englishboy Basically Al provides the information to readers at NO COST TO THEM. I can understand if you think the "rumors" are damaging the direction of DL. Maybe there is a problem with that. But seriously people, if you don't like his "writing style," don't read his page. It's not like it's a book you paid for. If you don't like it, stop opening his collumn. No one's holding a gun to your head and saying type "miceage" or die.
Originally Posted By CrouchingTigger >>I wonder how hard would it have been to have the premiere in the Hyperion Theater .. and have a reception in New Orleans Square later. Less headache for the daytime guess, trying to maneauver their way around. Plus ... in 2003, there wasn't the "50th" promotion driving attendance through the roof, with labor problems. << Makes me think: A bunch of celebs gets to go into DL and watch the movie sitting on the edge of ROA. I think there are also gift packages and food for the attendees, as well? How much are these celebs (many of whom make far more $ than any of us can ever hope to) paying for this privilege? Now a bunch of fans are expected to pay - what, $300+? - to sit in a *regular movie theater* for the film, and then get a dinner *outside of the park*, and then pay *additional* $ for separate admission to get into the park and ride PotC. Talk about misplaced priorities.
Originally Posted By avromark Well then you'd save the environment from all the limo's running between the two venues or something.
Originally Posted By avromark See we as normal people need celebrities, we exist for them, not the other way around.
Originally Posted By avromark If you really like him that much have you considered driving around in a big yellow van and practicing scientology?
Originally Posted By CrouchingTigger I prefer driving around in a big yellow Humvee and practicing crushing Mini Coopers.
Originally Posted By SIR at X-S Tech Here we go another one of my topics going to get moved to Playpen... <<I doubt Disney cares much about the opinions of any one person.>> No, but they do care that thousands of their guests read his column and base many of their opinions on it. Whether they "care" is one thing, whether they consider what he writes, and acknowledge it when planning is quite another.
Originally Posted By Westsider Al Lutz is definitely an "opinion shaper". Heck, he broke the story about RockIt Mountain like three years ago, and I remember everyone falling into two distinct camps; 1. Wow! Lutz said they want to do a rock n' roll version of Space Mountain! 2. I never believe anything Lutz says, he's making it up. Now three years later we've all come around to believing in RockIt Mountain, although it's never been mentioned out loud by anyone at Disney. And the one, obscure reference to it in some Grad Nite collateral that was released a few months ago was explained by Lutz as the marketing department getting their cart in front of the horse and talking about it when they shouldn't have. Classic Disney, I've seen it a thousand times as a CM, the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing. For those of us with good memories, it's hilarious to watch these things play themselves out over a period of months or even years. Opinions are firmly stated by one crowd, then begin to morph into wishy-washy sentiment, then finally do a 180 to the point where everyone finally admits that Lutz was right in the first place. RockIt Mountain is just another example of that. I haven't ridden the thing, of the few Space CM's I know none of them have ridden it, but the info Lutz gave out yesterday rang true with what they'd heard from their management and backstage scuttlebutt. As someone who works a popular E Ticket with Fastpass (Splash), I don't envy Space CM's one bit if the changeover to RockIt Mountain takes anything more than five minutes. It will be a logistical nightmare to try and manage. And if the end result isn't even very good, then why bother? If you read the Lutz article carefully, don't just skim over it like your reading a text message, and digest the thesis he has laid out, it all makes perfect sense.
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Originally Posted By debtee Well one thing that Al did write in that article was that the 50th decorations will be down at Halloween?? Is this correct? I'm sure I read somewhere that they will be up for the Christmas holiday season. Does anybody know??
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt I just don't get the day/night thing for a ride that is already in the dark regardless what time of the day it is. The whole concept just doesn't make any sense. Why not just have all the effects on whenever the ride is open?
Originally Posted By ahecht The story about the asteroid being kept dark because it is for Rockit Mountain isn't quite true. When the ride first reopened, the asteroid was completely dark because the show lighting caused the interior of the mountain to be too bright, and ruined the much darker atmosphere they were aiming for by sealing off the queue windows. After a month or so, a new and very dim lighting package was installed that allows you to somewhat see the asteroid while not leaking too much light elsewhere in the attraction. However, I can imagine that in Rockit mountain, light spill won't be as big an issue, so the asteroid will be brighter.
Originally Posted By gadzuux Why wouldn't "light spill" be as big an issue when the attraction was in 'rockit' mode? My (admittedly limited) understanding was that 'rockit mountain' was every bit the same as 'space mountain', only with a rock soundtrack and some additional effects. I didn't think much of the idea when I first heard it, and what little more we're hearing now makes it seem like not a very significant change - different tunes on the sound system, and perhaps a few limited effects. I can't imagine why they wouldn't install this so that just a few switches need to be thrown. In my view, it would be a big mistake for disney to start hyping 'rockit mountain' as something extra-special or dramatically different from regular ol' space mountain. It would only lead to grumbling that it's the same darn ride it always was with 'changes' that are all but insignificant.
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt The more I think (and hear) about it, the more absurd this whole story is starting to sound.
