Originally Posted By TP2000 Doug, fascinating info on the Tow Mater's patents and unique cable-driven ride system! Thank you for sharing.
Originally Posted By PirateFrank I'm still completely shocked that this mess is costing TDA $100 million...holy crap batman! Wasn't the original budget for the original FLE $300 million?? We make such a big deal out of the Meg Croftons of the company not having the love, but merely managing their units like a bean counter....i.e. a pure business focus..... Yet we see decisions like this?!? From a business perspective, this is goingto be an utter failure....100 million on a C-ticket with capacity and staffing issues.....this is like a fire department spending 2 million on a $500,000 fire truck and the commissioners pat the treasurer and purchasing agent on the back and go great job getting us a great deal!!! wtf.....how are people not fired over this?
Originally Posted By DlandDug Enough already! Nobody knows if this $100 million figure has any bearing on reality, and nobody knows exactly what the attraction will be.
Originally Posted By dshyates I have a pretty food handle on what the attraction will be. A 4 turntable version of Ladybug Boogie in a highly themed outdoor environment. Except with ride vehicles with a pivotable front anchor and rear based weight distribution causing the vehicles to swing left and right as itakes it way around the course. In the center will be a giant jukebox that an Mater will come out of to do his square dance bit. I would imagine that Mater will be somewhat like Mr. Potatohead at TSMM. Is that about it?
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>My guess is that's the real reason that it got scrapped from the WDW FL expansion plans. They knew it would be problematic, and having it outdoors, in an uncovered area with the Florida weather is just asking for problems. Having a less-than-spectacular theme just made it that much easier to pull the plug on it and justify the decision to the public, IMO.<<< That, and it was in Pixie Hollow, which also go nixed.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>Nobody knows if this $100 million figure has any bearing on reality, and nobody knows exactly what the attraction will be.<<<< It's been reported by many sources and it's a spinner.
Originally Posted By dshyates Well technically a "spinner" are only rides like Dumbo, aladdin's, Rocket/Astro jets, triceratops spin, one fish two fish. This is a flat ride. Though they are all lumped into the category of cycle rides. Which translates into nightmare capacity issues.
Originally Posted By DlandDug >>...it's a spinner.<< No, it's not a spinner. There have been multiple reports that it's a spinner, but they are wrong. It may be as described in Post #44, or it may be chain driven by a below ground track system (as described in the patent papers). We don't know at this point. Based on the excavation on the site, it looks like it could be either. But not just a spinner...!
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer Still... cheap and off the shelf. It isn't worth this amount of money..
Originally Posted By ChiMike I wouldn't say off the shelf at this point. I think it looks neat, I like flat rides. I currently do not like many of DCA's flat rides. So this is exciting. Just not $100 million neat and exciting. More like $35 million neat and exciting. I bet it is closer to 100
Originally Posted By DlandDug >>Still... cheap and off the shelf. It isn't worth this amount of money..<< Is this just a knee-jerk thing??? This is not an off-the-shelf spinner, or off-the-shelf anything. The chain driven version is uniquely patented by Disney. The other version (with the switching turntables and whipping trailers) doesn't exist anywhere else. I agree it doesn't look like $100 million worth. But I won't just outright dismiss it until I understand what it actually is.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan >>whipping trailers<< They got some of them out in Nevada from what I hear.
Originally Posted By dshyates Yeah, I would say "off the shelf" isn't correct since I believe a custom made, WDI designed ride system. And it looks to be highly detailed in it's themeing. Actually this is EXACTLY what I am looking for in a cute little C Ticket attraction. But the price tag seems ludicrous. When Universal can build Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey for just over that figure.
Originally Posted By brotherdave Sounds like a combination Cuddle-Up (aka Lady Bug Boogie) and an old-fashioned Whip ride. Personally, I like the concept. And I'm betting that the reported $100,000,000 price tag includes much more than the ride itself. I bet most of it is being budgeted on the theming, including the themed building(s) along "Route 66" that will be a part of this project. Personally, I'm surprised at all of the commotion that Disney is willing to spend money on an attraction, especially one that will be heavily themed. Besides, is this definite that they're spending that much money on this ride, or just a rumor? R&D costs may also play a part. My guess is that if successful, we'll see similar rides open at other Disney parks worldwide. I wonder if this ride might fit under some circus tents?....
Originally Posted By Manfried <<Still... cheap and off the shelf. It isn't worth this amount of money>> Only a Sith Lord speaks in such absolutes.
Originally Posted By Bolna <<Sounds like a combination Cuddle-Up (aka Lady Bug Boogie) and an old-fashioned Whip ride. Personally, I like the concept. >> I think it looks like a neat ride as well. I really like the Cars Quatre Roues Rallye at WDS which seems to be more or less the same as the Lady Bugs. I would never wait in a long line for it, but it is actually a fund ride - combine that with the whip ride idea, I think it would be a lot of fun to ride, but also from the concept art, to watch. However, I can understand the capacity concerns which were raised earlier. The Cars ride at WDS takes ages to load, so the line moves very slowly. I think for the whip ride the vehicles must be much more spaced, the concept art therefore doesn't show that many ride vehicles at all. So the thing might use a lot of surface for a very small capacity. Add this with the slow loading procedure of a circle ride as mentioned before and the appeal of the theming to little kids, I could imagine that this would be an attraction with frustrating lines.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>Only a Sith Lord speaks in such absolutes.<<< Look me in the... er... screen, and tell me that a B ticket spinner ride is worth almost as much as Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. That is madness.
Originally Posted By skinnerbox <<Add this with the slow loading procedure of a circle ride as mentioned before and the appeal of the theming to little kids, I could imagine that this would be an attraction with frustrating lines.>> You wanna talk about frustrating lines? Imagine the queue for Luigi's Tires!! All of the fans who didn't grow up with Flying Saucers like I did are going to wait hours for this attraction, because of the hype surrounding the original. And all of those fans who did grow up with Flying Saucers are going to wait for hours as well, just to relive their fondest DL childhood memories. (Yes, it was the coolest attraction in the park at that time.) Do you remember the insane lines for Soarin' in 2001? Luigi's will seem like deja vu.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 ^^Why has nostalgia about Disney's past replaced nostalgia for past times and places, some that never were, others just idealized/Disney-fied versions? I lived through the 70s (the good, bad and ugly). I don't want to relive them at Disney in the form of attractions that aren't really inspired (but inspired by former ones) or worse ... in tee, pin and vinyl form. Why could we get EPCOT Center using 70s technology, but today we should be excited when Disney takes 3-4 years to build an Omnimover dark ride? Oh, forgot, people are dumber today, more accepting today and influenced by Social Media. ~GFC~
