Originally Posted By TDR_Fan I agree with trekkeruss. Journey to the Center of the Earth cost an astounding $300 million from what I've heard. The chances of the Walt Disney Company spending this much money on a single E-ticket attraction are slim to none.
Originally Posted By TMICHAEL >>>I really couldn't care less if there were multiple drops or none.<<< And that is you opinion. I, however, would like things a bit more thrilling. As it stands, JTTCOTE is fun, but could be so much more than an elaborate dark ride with a good climax. >>>Great, but how about a walk-through for those of us who would love to see that, but don't have the stomach to ride it.<<< Well, there could be a walk through "Spelunkers" Tour, giving you a glimps at part of the ride that included one of the Lava Monsters in action. If you've ever been to HANA on MAUI, there is a cool self-guided tour of a large lava tube that I took last year that is giving me this idea. Or, I'm also thinking it sould be set up as a second major attraction inside the volcano. This could be a show attraction using some "audience in perill" aspects of the ARMAGEDON attraction at DLP, ie: 3D surround sound, hi-def digital projection and in house physical effects. And actually, the more I think about this, the more I like it. But, I see this area in DAK, not in Fantasyland. I think it would be too intense for the Magic Kingdom and really shouldn't be a toned/dumbed down attraction like STITCH. I feel DAK can handle a very intense attraction without much negative guest impact.
Originally Posted By TDR_Fan <<And that is you opinion. I, however, would like things a bit more thrilling. As it stands, JTTCOTE is fun, but could be so much more than an elaborate dark ride with a good climax.>> Your ideas are great, but I still think the concept works better as an "elaborate dark ride with a good climax" than a roller coaster type experience. I like having time to appreciate the fine details and theming in the sets instead of rushing through the show scenes and holding on for my life. Journey to the Center of the Earth has remained my favorite attraction due to it combining "an innovative (and refined) ride system with incredibly intricate detailing and a great premise." Journey to the Center of the Earth delivers all the thrills one could want without limiting its appeal to any one age group. I apologize in advance if I sound pretentious, but Journey to the Center of the Earth is my favorite attraction for many valid reasons and I do not like to see it criticized. I love elaborateness, and Journey to the Center of the Earth is nothing short of elaborate.
Originally Posted By kennect I would think if Fantasyland got a major attraction added it would tie in very closely to what Fantasyland is at this moment...All based on Disney material...I doubt seriously they would throw anything in that wasn't based on something that wasn't strictly Disney oriented....I also doubt they would do anything that would kill the perfect veiw of the castle as you enter the park...I know in other parks there that doesn't seem to be a concern but here I think it would be....
Originally Posted By TMICHAEL >>>I apologize in advance if I sound pretentious, but Journey to the Center of the Earth is my favorite<<< No apology necessary. And I don't think you're being pretentious at all. But you do sound passionate about it and that is GREAT!
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<I have just ordered this book and should get it in 40 days (it is not yet released here). Can't wait to read it. I love Jason's other two.>> Mine arrived a few days ago as I was literally heading out the door for a flight to LA ... read the whole thing by the time I landed. Great book. Much better IMHO than his PoC effort, which was generally a rehash of a lot of old interviews and artwork. This is one a real Disney fan can't put down.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<I agree with trekkeruss. Journey to the Center of the Earth cost an astounding $300 million from what I've heard. The chances of the Walt Disney Company spending this much money on a single E-ticket attraction are slim to none.>> True. Although I think the $300 million tag may be high ... on second thought it's probably low. After seeing how much money WDI burned through on recent efforts like Mission Space and the Finding Nemo Sub Voyage, it is very easy to see why a house-cleaning was/is in order.
Originally Posted By DLer <<I agree with trekkeruss. Journey to the Center of the Earth cost an astounding $300 million from what I've heard. The chances of the Walt Disney Company spending this much money on a single E-ticket attraction are slim to none.>> Ah, but that is the beauty and practicality of borrowing from a particular ride technology that has been used elsewhere - you can pick and choose those elements and features that make for a good ride but don't have the same costs. Sure, it was $300M for a massive faux mountain that it there as the centerpiece and icon for that park - you could build much of that same attraction in a backstage area without the need for a fancy exterior and perhaps without the expensive AA (have some kind of lava flow effect instead). Look at the DL Indy ride - it's basically a rectangular show building hidden away from view. Isn't that why the call the Disney people Imagineers, as in "imagining" possible things to "engineer"?
Originally Posted By TDR_Fan <<Sure, it was $300M for a massive faux mountain>> I'm not sure $300 million alone would cover Mount Prometheus. I was given the figure based on the area surrounding the attraction, the queue (which required a lot of authentic rockwork and intricate detailing) + terravators, and the ride itself. Building a complete Mount Prometheus would definitely run a figure past $500 million. You do know it's made out of real rock, right? No plaster of Paris or concrete.
Originally Posted By DLer TDR: I thought it was built using the same technology employed over here in the states - concrete formed to look like rock. It's different from that?
Originally Posted By trekkeruss <<you could build much of that same attraction in a backstage area without the need for a fancy exterior and perhaps without the expensive AA (have some kind of lava flow effect instead>> And that's the kind of cost cutting that would make it lame, IMO. Part of the thrill of the ride at TDS is seeing and getting blown out of the top/side of Mt. Prometheus.
Originally Posted By TDR_Fan <<TDR: I thought it was built using the same technology employed over here in the states - concrete formed to look like rock. It's different from that?>> Yep. The entire structure is made up of piled up rubble; 750,000 square feet of real rock/stone to be exact.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros Really?! When I was there it looked like it was made with concrete, similar to the way that Disney did their rocks in other parks. It appeared that there were some real stones mised in (similar to Splash in DL), but the vast majority of it appeared to be concrete. If they were to rebuild it, they could easily get the exact same effect with wire mesh and concete (and skilled construction crews).
Originally Posted By TDR_Fan <<Really?! When I was there it looked like it was made with concrete, similar to the way that Disney did their rocks in other parks. It appeared that there were some real stones mised in (similar to Splash in DL), but the vast majority of it appeared to be concrete. If they were to rebuild it, they could easily get the exact same effect with wire mesh and concete (and skilled construction crews).>> No chicken wire or plaster of Paris here. Complete stonework all the way.
Originally Posted By DLer At least at DisneySea they did the volcano on all sides (I guess they had to because of the central location). At DAK's Everest Expedition you can glimpse the flat backside of the "Mt Everest" show building from the roads and far reaches of the DAK parking lot - kind of ruins the magic a bit. But from within the park and on the attraction, you see only the themed portions. While it must certainly make the attraction more realistic and compelling, I'm not sure any version of the attraction elsewhere would be done with the expense of real rockwork. And again, for those numbers of guests for whom a trip to Japan is a trip that they will not be making in their lifetime, JTTCOTE would be a completely new and interesting attraction in whatever form it turned up in WDW
Originally Posted By a1stav JTTCOTE could work without the Test Track ride system. I think a ride system similar to USF Revenge of the Mummy could work very well without having to sacrifice show quality thus saving on cost and maintenance considerably.
Originally Posted By DLer a1: Exactly - they have the great queue area and the terrific concept of a journey in some kind of fantistic vehicles underground - most certainly Disney imagineers could come up with something interesting and thrilling without the need for a $300M show building.
Originally Posted By a1stav I say put the money into the show scenes rather than an expensive ride system like Test Track. I have not ridden the ride in Tokyo but I do feel that the TT system may have not been the best choice for the ride. A "powered coaster/darkride" ride system like ROTM might work even better than the TT system.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 Considering how expensive and prone to failure the TT/JTTCOTE ride system is, I'm a bit shocked that WDI is going that route again with the Carland ride for DCA.
Originally Posted By TDR_Fan I think the Test Track system works fine as there is no exposed coaster track showing and it allows for some unique vehicle designs.
