Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<why replace COP when there is so much empty land to take advantage of? >> Because that isn't how things go down at Disney. One attraction must close for another to open. That decree came down 15 years ago ... and unless someone like Bob Iger say otherwise, it will continue. <<Also, there is that dumb indy speedway that could be bulldozed to make way for something new. >> It may be 'dumb' to you, but it isn't to all the kids who love it. I haven't ridden the thing in well over a decade and then, only because I had children with me. But it is loved and isn't going anywhere. And despite the amount of space it takes up, there is tremendous space (both in and outside the berm) to build many new things.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<I really hope this is just another 'bad rumor' about the Wall*E interctive screen attracion replacing Carousel of Progress. But, unfortunately, a certain 'spirit' seems more accurate than not. Is there any time frame as to when COP might close?>> I'm only as good as my vast network of underground spirits. And this isn't a rumor ... you'll see the same attraction take the place of DL's Carousel Building (Innoventions) as well. Time frame for actually closing would likely be at the end of the next fiscal year.
Originally Posted By Simba12 I admit that just interacting with an animated character can be lame. But, as they've shown with Lucky and the muppet characters, the imagineers can create realistic robotic puppetry to interact with guests. If it is going to be themed to WALL-E, I can see where they would be tempted to bring the robot characters "to life" in Tomorrowland. As for COP, I've heard that the animatronic characters will find a new home in a new show at Innoventions at EPCOT.
Originally Posted By mousermerf I think most sane and rational people will accept that Carousel has to close at some point. You simply can't keep it up to date and not a mockery of itself without essentially completely redoing it. It's become a museum piece - but not one that is well maintained. I think anyone who respects it is willing to see Old Yeller put down.
Originally Posted By figment1986 Disney could give it to the Smithsonian... They might take it and shelve it away for years till they find a good location for it.
Originally Posted By Skellington88 I don't really care if COP leaves or not. My issue is replacing it with a yet ANOTHER cartoon based VIDEO SCREEN based attraction. WHY??? Why do they keep doing the same thing over and over its like Mcdonaldizing or walmarting the parks. Look: Nemo submarines/nemo living seas/crush coater - all use pretty much the same video projections and based on a cartoon monsters inc laugh floor - stare at video screens another cartoon tie-in toy story mania - cruise through a building staring at screens cartoon tie-in Spaceship earth - once again there trying to shove video screens down our throat and theres even a cheap flash cartoon at the end Horizons was also replaced with a video screen attraction. I just cant take it anymore I will not go to Disney theme parks to watch movies or talk to/touch video screens I can do that stuff at home.
Originally Posted By leobloom Really the "screen conversation" genre of attractions has run its course unless WDI can come up with some way to plus it or make it unique again. When Turtle Talk opened it was neat because it was a novelty, a small theatre--a low-key attraction that surpassed expectations. Monsters Inc. lost the intimacy of the small audience and basically cloned the Turtle Talk idea without offering anything groundbreaking. At this point, it sounds like Disney is ready to clone this technology without advancing it. It's unfortunate, but sadder to say, it's unsurprising.
Originally Posted By gurgitoy2 Well, I think that even if Walt really had a soft spot for COP, I don't think he'd hesitate to remove or refresh it. He often was quoted as saying "film A", or "ride B" was his favorite to suite whatever he was promoting. So, can anyone really say for sure that he actually loved it? Even so, I have a feeling that if he had lived longer, to see WDW open, I doubt highly that he would have even moved the attraction from California to Florida. Personally, I think he might be apalled that it's stayed around this long without major overhauls. Now, as for the interactive video screen thing. Boring! I really like the idea of using Wall-E, but not in that way. Especially at WDW where you have another interactive screen right down the way. How many are they going to create? They've got Crush, Stitch, and Monsters, so why more? I would love an interactive show, but with AA's or something more interesting. I'd love it if they revisited that "Plectu's Galactic Revue" thing they were cooking up for DL's Tomorrowland 2055 thing...only use Wall-E to tie it in...
Originally Posted By jonvn "Believe me, we're derided and dissed by all the people who look at people who expect the best from Disney as living in Fantasyland." Oh yeah. You can see that from the comments by bean on here, who called me ignorant and various other things, told me that I shouldn't tell others how to do their job, and so on. Exactly what you are talking about. Fact is I have been following this stuff for longer than he and his buddies have been alive. The only people who are ignorant here are those who have no clue as to what these parks are about. We're "purists?" Only in the sense that some people would like them to stop putting forth utter crap all based on cartoons or some other lame movie, and go back to producing quality work. That's not being a purist. That's not wanting it to be a museum. But that's all they hear, when their abysmal and stupid ideas are discussed. "Bereft of creativity" is the key phrase, one which I've used often. In the Tony Baxter talks on the new Disneyland disk, he talks about how he's modernized Tom Sawyer Island for current audiences. He did nothing of the kind. Instead, he layered a bunch of out of theme pirate garbage onto something where not only did it not belong, it was not even needed. We were just on the island. The biggest hits there were the caves, the treehouse, the bridges, and so on. The pirate stuff was glanced at and passed by. The simple stuff from the 50s was the popular things, NOT the overdone and pointless pirate junk. They simply don't get it. All they had to do was maintain the stupid island as it was, maybe making small improvements here and there, and not stuffing all this junk onto it that is basically "who cares." They really are a talentless clod of self-indulgent money bloated hacks, and half the people online would do a better job than they would.
Originally Posted By mousermerf *blinks at jonvn* Since when are we on the same team....? How'd that happen?
Originally Posted By jonvn Maybe if you actually paid attention to what I said, instead of getting angry about bread bowls, you'd notice what I was talking about more. But basically, I started getting rather tired of their ineptitude around when Pooh was put in. It's out of theme. Then Monster's Inc in DCA. Another out of theme thing. Then it comes to pass that just about everything they do is either bad or out of theme. I even was willing to go along with TL98, because the colors are ok, and the Rocket Rods were ok, but they just so badly engineered and designed it, regardless of how much was spent, that over time, it just fell apart. They are currently in their parks doing what they were doing with their animated features. "Oh, it's not that we are producing bad films, it's just that the public only wants CGI." So the edict goes out that only CGI films are made. Totally missing the entire point. They are too big, and filled with too many bloodless corporate types who don't know what their product is all about. Then you get the burnouts and no talents that seem to not be able to produce ANYTHING at the parks that isn't basically bad or out of theme, and you get what you get. And when it's pointed out? We're told to mind our own business because they know it all so well. Yeah, so well that TL98 is basically thrown away. There goes $100 million. They know so well that large parts of DCA are being redressed. They know so well that every last thing they touch in Future World has diminished it bit by bit. I said something to Bean. I said: If you can't make it better, LEAVE IT ALONE. This was met with derision. Met with "You just want the place to be a museum." NO, I don't want it to be a museum. I just want it to be made better. If the COP has to go, I want it replaced with something better. This is another concept that Baxter mentioned on the Disneyland DVD, and another concept that has been totally thrown out. Now they replace shows with resonating ideas that spoke to the public with cartoons that speak to no one, or shows which are chiefly about their own products. Sell Sell Sell Sell Sell. They think the public is stupid. They aren't that far behind themselves.
Originally Posted By cmash95 Frankly I would love to get rid of COP but not plan on replacing it with a movie tie in that hasn't been released yet. what happens if the movie doesn't do well. not bomb but just doesn't do well? I have yet to see attractions in florida based on cars eventhough it was rumored that a coaster based on rattatouie was going next to toy story mania. do i like the pixarization of the park? no but when you think of what kids today relate to, it's pixar characters. frankly other than giselle, I don't know of any disney characters that have come out that kids relate to after all disney feature animation has been pretty blah this past decade.
Originally Posted By jonvn My guess about this new Pixar thing? It will be about a cartoon. Yet another Pixar cartoon. That's all they do now. And it will be replacing a show about progress and optimism for the future. That's about enough for me to say it's inappropriate and a poor trade off.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<Now they replace shows with resonating ideas that spoke to the public with cartoons that speak to no one, or shows which are chiefly about their own products. Sell Sell Sell Sell Sell.>> I can't agree with that. You look at everything that has been added to WDW over the past 10 years and relatively little of it has a cartoon or movie tie-in. Animal Kingdom: Everything there when it opened. (Yes, they changed the name of CTE to Dinosaur, but the attraction is not based in any way on the movie). Since opening: Kali River Rapids Maharaja Jungle Trek Primeval Whirl TriceraTop Spin Expedition Everest Magic Kingdom: Mickey's Philharmagic MGM Studios: Rock N Roller Coaster Lights Motors Action Epcot: Test Track Mission Space Soarin' Cartoon Movie Based: Buzz Lightyear Stitch Pooh Magic Carpets MI Laugh Floor The Seas with Nemo Turtle Talk When you look at it there have been substantially more non-tie-in attractions. Even if you don't count all of the original AK attractions, the non-tie-in ones lead 11-7. I must admit... the history in the Magic Kingdom has been pretty dismal. Since many consider the MK to BE Disney World, I suppose that could make things look pretty bad. But if you look at the other parks I think that the development of new attractions has been pretty good. I think the Magic Kingdom falls in last place because it is consistently the busiest park at WDW and the suits don't think it needs another 'E Ticket'. Maybe they don't even WANT an additional 'E Ticket' because of the additional crowding it would cause. All you need to do is look at the crowds at the AK after Expedition Everest opened to see the impact one popular 'E Ticket' can make. I think they’ve been trying to build up the other parks and in the process have shortchanged the MK. I think they have a lot of work to do with MGM Studios, but I hope then they turn their attention to the Magic Kingdom. By then it will really need it.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<Try with 5 years instead of 10. What happens then?>> No difference. Non-tie-in attractions win 7-4. Animal Kingdom: Primeval Whirl Expedition Everest Magic Kingdom: Mickey's Philharmagic MGM Studios: Lights Motors Action Epcot: Test Track Mission Space Soarin' Cartoon Movie Based: Stitch MI Laugh Floor The Seas with Nemo Turtle Talk
Originally Posted By Sport Goofy I wouldn't characterize Philharmagic as a non tie-in attraction. It relates to an entire library of Disney cartoon shorts. That's a bit broader than a film tie-in for a single movie, but a tie-in nonetheless.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<I wouldn't characterize Philharmagic as a non tie-in attraction. It relates to an entire library of Disney cartoon shorts. That's a bit broader than a film tie-in for a single movie, but a tie-in nonetheless.>> It is a tie-in to all the characters on which the park was originally based. I give that one a pass.
