Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< just sat here trying to read Al's current drivel on his website...I have no clue if he is right or wrong about anything...But I do know his style of reporting isn't the least bit appealing to me....I think this current article of his is enough to turn me off to him forever.... >>> It's been said before, but I'll repeat it in my own words: I think there's a lot about Al Lutz that really turns peopole off, not so much in what he says but the tone in which he says it. There's also a certain writing style separate from tone that's annoying. HE does seem to often post reliable information, and I would say he's far more than just a baseless rumor machine. I've noticed that people that a) don't like his tone, or b) don't like what he has to say even if it turns out to be right tend to have bad things to say about him, but never seem to be able to discredit him as they'd like to. And I'm not sure why he writes as he does. It seems that he could be just as effective by presenting his information with a different demeanor.
Originally Posted By trekkeruss <<There's also a certain writing style separate from tone that's annoying. HE does seem to often post reliable information>> I don't read Al's stuff, not because he isn't accurate, but I don't enjoy the tabloid style of writing he puts out. <<It seems that he could be just as effective by presenting his information with a different demeanor.>> Exactly.
Originally Posted By DismayingObservation Re. post 32: You go, Tigger! My Mercedes-Benz 6.9 will be returning to service soon, happily slurping $3.25 premium for my mindless amusement. In the meantime, please avoid stomping any Hyundai Accent hatchbacks. I might be in one. ) Getting back on topic, here's my two cents: The infrastructure is in place for a nightly change, including the sign. Lots of dough has been spent on lots of equipment to make the changeover possible. So, given the other changes/improvements/repairs that are necessary in and around Tomorrowland, put Rockit on the back burner and work on improving the idea and engineering a simpler changeover than one that'll take a half hour.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 <Maybe it would be better to randomize the effects throughout the entire day, so no two rides are alike. Why wait til nightime? > I'd lean that way, too.
Originally Posted By gadzuux >> There's also a certain writing style separate from tone that's annoying. << Al's no spring chicken, and he's been doing his updates for a loooong time. At some point, you arrive at a "style" of expressing yourself, and that's what it remains. Imagine if someone asked you to "write differently". It would be similar to being asked to speak differently - I don't think I could do it, at least not consistently over any extended period of time. Same with jim hill. His style is a bit more affected than usual, and he could certainly use a decent editor to correct the typos and syntax errors, but he does what he does, and we're free to take it or leave it as we see fit. We take our disney columnists as they come, flaws and all.
Originally Posted By oc_dean Some columnist like to sugar coat. Not quite tell the true story. Almost like a publicity piece out of Disney themselves. What I appreciate about Al is he tells it like it is. 'Honest' over 'Rose Colored'.
Originally Posted By leemac I'd be interested to hear the substance behind the 30 minute claim. I've heard a lot about Rock-It! Mountain over the past three years or so and no-one has ever mentioned a 30 minute shutdown. WDI would never have designed an attraction that would require that amount of downtime. And it isn't even the downtime itself but how Ops will have to deal with the guests in line. Ultimately the software for the audio would be at the flick of a switch, the lights and new effects at the flick of a switch so I have no idea what else Al is alluding to.
Originally Posted By leemac The evolution of Rock-It! was that TDA loved the extra crowds for Haunted Mansion Holiday and iasw holiday & thought that it would be neat to convert an attraction into two different experiences during the day and night. They saw it as an excellent opportunity to drive people back through Tomorrowland after dark.
Originally Posted By trekkeruss <<Ultimately the software for the audio would be at the flick of a switch, the lights and new effects at the flick of a switch so I have no idea what else Al is alluding to.>> Lee, I brought that up myself way back in post #3. Even in Al's own article it says, "the Space Mountain control tower still has the little toggle switch forlornly labeled with the "Day" and "Night" modes, waiting for a CM to flip the switch and transform the ride once the sun goes down." So they flip the switch, and it takes half-an-hour to boot up? No way! How am I supposed to separate the rumor from the fact? That's what I hate about reading that stuff. It's not about sugar coating, publicity, or honesty... it's "look, I have the inside scoop, let me tell you the dirt." That's what I hate about Al and Jim and all the tabloid journalism.
Originally Posted By kmovies 'Honest' over 'Rose Colored'. Not sure if that would describe Al. If anything, paints a more "desperate" situation than "reality" in most cases. Keeps saying how DCA is getting slower and slower even though attendance figures are rising. And all the doom and gloom predicted from the first Pirates premiere - yet there wasn't much of a deal or fallout afterwards.
Originally Posted By oc_dean Some good points there .. but out of everyone out there .. I'll take Al over ~some~ others, who'll remain nameless.
Originally Posted By monorailblue <<WDI would never have designed an attraction that would require that amount of downtime.>> Think again, my friend. For many years, the Circlevision Theater in Tomorrowland at Disneyland had a daily two-hour down time mid-day to switch films (from "Wonders of China" to "American Journeys"). If you meant, "In this day and age, WDI would never have designed an E-ticket attraction that would require that amount of downtime in the middle of an operations day", you might be right; I've really no idea. But as posted, the statement is not correct at all.
Originally Posted By leemac <<Some good points there .. but out of everyone out there .. I'll take Al over ~some~ others, who'll remain nameless.>> Who else is there apart from Jim Hill?
Originally Posted By leemac trekkeruss, sorry for the duplication! I had forgotten about your early post entirely. Great minds think alike
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt "WDI would never have designed an attraction that would require that amount of downtime." That's what I was thinking. The various parts of this story don't really add up when you examine them for more than two seconds.
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt "Think again, my friend. For many years, the Circlevision Theater in Tomorrowland at Disneyland had a daily two-hour down time mid-day to switch films (from "Wonders of China" to "American Journeys")." But Circle Vision wasn't Space Mountain. I doubt if anyone cared much if the theater was closed for a couple of hours. Space Mountain is one of DLR's top attractions. Closing it in the early evening would be just crazy.
Originally Posted By Butters I've Acually seen the Asteroid thing turned on while going on Space Mountain. It looks very cheap and tacky. It is TOO BRIGHT and the light casts a shadow on the ceiling and allows you to see the track, and other rockets passing by. You can also see the wires, poles,and supports on and around it. It's CHEAP and Disney could do better!
Originally Posted By mrichmondj Honestly, I think DL underestimated the appeal of Space Mountain and thought it would need some extra "gimmicks" to keep people excited after it came out of refurb. The reality is that SM is a timeless classic, as popular as it ever was, and doesn't need the bling bling Rockit Mountain stuff to keep people coming through the turnstiles. It's great to spread rumors about all the backstage doings that go into these sorts of things, but when it gets right down to it, SM doesn't need to have the overlays like IASW and HM to keep people interested.
Originally Posted By ahecht >>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.<< Rockit Mountain is much more like Rock n' Roller coaster, and therefore the experience is going to feature lots of brightly colored lights in a rock-concert atmosphere. In that kind of setting, where the illusion of outer space is no longer trying to be maintained (and cannot be maintained), light spill isn't a problem.
