Originally Posted By DlandDug I have not yet seen the unveiled Sun/Fun Wheel. For what it's worth, I did post a Live photo of the new entrance (behind walls) last Saturday: <a href="http://www.laughingplace.com/showpic.asp?filename=http://laughingplace.com/files/live/big/0007689-364019.jpg&caption=Mickey%27s+Fun+Wheel+opening+soon%21" target="_blank">http://www.laughingplace.com/s...+soon%21</a> Please note that just visible above the upper left of this new entrance arch is a sign reading "Non-swinging gondola." So they have addressed the swinging/non-swinging issue, having everyone go in through the same entrance. The archway itself is quite charming, with lighted letters that "spell out" the name. I agree that a complete makeover of the queue would have been more desirable. But I am well satisfied (if not to say WOWed) by what has been done to the Wheel itself. The new color scheme, and the giant, smilin' Mickey, just make me happy when I come around the corner down the rather drab "Entertainment Corridor." (If you didn't know already, that's the ACTUAL NAME of the parade route, folks. Just another example of the kind of thought and care that went into DCA. They named the parade route the Entertainment Corridor. Let's give that man a BONUS!) I spoke to John Lasseter on Saturday just before an event he and his wife were participating in at the Food and Wine Festival. He had spent part of the morning behind the walls in the lagoon, and was very enthusiastic about World of Color. I mentioned how happy the sight of vintage Mickey made me, and he kind of lit up. He then described the intention behind changing the color and theming of the Wheel and the Stinger. The intention, he said, was to evoke the brightly colored tin toys of an earlier era-- the era when Mickey Mouse was just bursting on the scene. It's also a good tie into the new, more ornamental theming of the Pier. True, there won't be substantive changes to the footprint or offerings, but what is being added (by the truckload) is atmosphere. And that is what has been missing (by the truckload) since 2001. I have gone on record before in stating that I actually like the Pier, and even more like the idea of the Pier. I feel that if Walt Disney were creating a theme park in the 21st century, he would likely include one, inasmuch as it has now entered the realm of the quaint and nostalgic. But a Walt designed Pier would be (like Main Street USA) a bright, shiny, idealized evocation. It would be the Pier that never really existed, but should have. And I am hoping that this is what we are finally getting with this extreme makeover.
Originally Posted By DlandDug Oh, and those who feel that building an entirely new queue structure would have been relatively inexpensive or quick may not really understand how much construction costs, or how construction schedules work. Again, I would have prefered a more elaborate queue. But I also understand that it would have tied up a pretty good chunk of time and resources.
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt Great posts, thank you. I especially like this observation and totally agree: "True, there won't be substantive changes to the footprint or offerings, but what is being added (by the truckload) is atmosphere. And that is what has been missing (by the truckload) since 2001."
Originally Posted By ArchtMig >>>Oh, and those who feel that building an entirely new queue structure would have been relatively inexpensive or quick may not really understand how much construction costs, or how construction schedules work.<<< I understand construction costs and schedules. And I know that competitive overall costs found elsewhere seem to always get multiplied by 2 or 3 times for anything Disney does. I don't know why... Corporate bureaucracy and inefficiencies, I guess. I'm coming around to agreeing that maybe a full on roofed building over the queue would be overkill. But I still think that something more could be done to "dress up" the entrance in a Victorian manner, and especially, beautify the ugly concrete walls, hide the orange painted metal cabinets of the electrical switchgear, and take away the Bravermanesque pole and fabric shade panels that scream PP ver. 1.0 and replace them with something period looking that is more in keeping with PP ver. 2.0. >>>...what is being added (by the truckload) is atmosphere. And that is what has been missing (by the truckload) since 2001.<<< That's why making original Bravermanesque features like minimally themed entrances and queues disappear, to be replaced by bonafide Disneyesque versions of those same things is so important. For the sake of "atmosphere".
Originally Posted By Dabob2 <Oh, and those who feel that building an entirely new queue structure would have been relatively inexpensive or quick may not really understand how much construction costs, or how construction schedules work. Again, I would have prefered a more elaborate queue.> I also think an ELABORATE queue for this ride would not have been the best use of resources. But keeping the existing structure and simply putting some laminate over the exposed concrete? (Or painting the concrete to look like wood, which Disney has done countless times)? And hiding the electrical equipment? Knowing the wheel would be down for 5 months or whatever it was, couldn't simple measures like that have been taken both relatively inexpensively, and fitting well within schedule?
Originally Posted By dshyates Or how about cover the concrete in fake stonework and replace the tubular pipes in the queue with filigree wrote iron fencing.
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt "But I still think that something more could be done to "dress up" the entrance in a Victorian manner, and especially, beautify the ugly concrete walls, hide the orange painted metal cabinets of the electrical switchgear..." Yes, I think that is something that should have been done. Disney parks are always in a constant state of change, so I am sure at some point in the future the queue for will be dressed up.
Originally Posted By ArchtMig >>>Disney parks are always in a constant state of change, so I am sure at some point in the future the queue for will be dressed up.<<< I doubt anytime before the decade of the "teens" has elapsed. I just don't see them coming back to Paradise Pier again after the current improvements are complete, and the whole Phase One upgrade is done once Cars Land is complete. So get used to the look of undressed entrances and queues for things like Fun Wheel and Screamin', and the continued influence of Maliboomer on the viewscape. That's what the image of Paradise Pier is going to look like for years and years to come, I fear.
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt Yeah, I agree, but none of that really bothers me much. And with WOC and other cosmetic changes coming it'll be fine for the time being. Frankly, there are more pressing things to address at DLR than the queue at Mickey's Funwheel.
Originally Posted By crazycroc Has anyone ridden this, yet? Is there audio inside your car or anything neat? Like Mickey saying, "Hold on, we broke the Fun Wheel, stay seated and don't try to jump out of the gondolas?" I never rode the original wheel of death, and I'm not planning on this one either, unless there is something new and neat-o going on inside, something interactive, and just for me, because I'm special.
Originally Posted By Disneydanny i rode this on Tuesday, not a bad job. if i'm not mistaken isn't that Corey Burton on the English safety speil?
Originally Posted By FerretAfros I'm not sure who it is, but it sounded like there were a couple variations on it, which was nice, since you hear it over and over in the queue. Once you enter the gondolas, the ride is exactly the same (other than the color of the paint you see), and there really aren't any major changes to speak of. Other than the new paint job, the entrance was moved a little to make the swinging and non-swinging choice a little clearer (though the non-swinging side still has it's issues), and they got new safety speils in the loading area. The lights and stuff seemed to be going during the day (you could see them changing colors up close but not far away), but I had to leave before it got dark, so I don't know what it looks like at night.
Originally Posted By DlandDug Gustav Tinkerschmidt is the proprieter, according to the window over Games of the Boardwalk. And just who is he...?
Originally Posted By ArchtMig ***** DEVELOPING ***** Well, at least it looks like the Fun Wheel light show will live up to expectations. Go over to Mouseinfo.com and scroll down to see a YouTube video they posted showing testing going on. Looks like the video was taken from Mickey and Friends parking garage, so it's pretty far away, but it gives a good idea of how things will look when the programming is complete. Right now, one of the "spokes" (at about the 10:00 position) seems to be misfiring, and other little "glitches" like that, but what's there looks very promising. Does anyone have any links to other video sources? I'd love to see this thing from a closer and more straight-on vantage point, Looking at some of Darkbeer's recent daytime close-up shots of the wheel on his smugmug site, you can see a bunch of theatrical lights mounted behind the giant mickey face. Those appear that they'll be put to good use to illuminate the fixed "sun rays" that do not in and of themselves have LEDs mounted onto their surfaces. I was worried about that. Looks like the designers provided a solution. As an aside, it appears from looking at some of Darkbeer's pictures, that there is a suspended gantry type of thing that may also be a permanent part of the Fun Wheel. It's the kind of platform hung from cables that window washer guys use to drop down the face of sky scrapers and squeegee the windows. I'm speculating that this too might also rise up to hide behind the giant Mickey face when it is not in use. If so, I'm guessing that it's role is to provide a way for workers to ride up on the platform to change out lights, or even do some re-painting, without having to re-build all of that scaffolding. Smart.
Originally Posted By trekkeruss Here's a direct link to the light test video: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M18b_UrJro8" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...b_UrJro8</a>
