Originally Posted By Dabob2 "OK, fine. But you can't really call it steering as in "I'm going to steer this thing into the Sub lagoon and then back it down Main Street" I didn't. ">> I admit that it's popular with guests in DL's core audience, but that doesn't mean that Disney can't dream up a replacement 21st century attraction that's equally as appealing and fulfills the same goal.<< I agree, and as an adult, I'd rather see something else there. But if they're going to keep the same basic you drive it thing, I'd love to see a Prototype solar roadway.
Originally Posted By tashajilek Riding Autopia during the fireworks is probably my fondest moment on the attraction, but something new would welcomed. Anything else about the Star Wars rumours?
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "... the Autopia gets a lot of foot traffic and is kinda an iconic Disneyland attraction." More iconic than Adventure Thru Inner Space? More iconic that Carousel of Progress? More iconic than Flight to The Moon/Mission to Mars, more iconic than Country Bear Jamboree, Nature's Wonderland, Circle Vision and the Peoplemover? I don't think so. Man, I really miss the days when Disney would constantly refresh the parks and not rely so heavily on nostalgia to keep the turnstiles clicking. "Maybe some fans have forgotten how to be a kid heart." Maybe some fans are too sentimental.
Originally Posted By PeterPan1313 >>More iconic than Adventure Thru Inner Space? More iconic that Carousel of Progress? More iconic than Flight to The Moon/Mission to Mars, more iconic than Country Bear Jamboree, Nature's Wonderland, Circle Vision and the Peoplemover? I don't think so.<< For Disneyland at least, where the attractions you mentioned are long gone, Autopia remains and garners new fans every year, so, yeah it is more iconic if the vast majority of guests don't remember Circle Vision, but millions of people have pictures of themselves on the Autopia with more pictures taken every year. >>Man, I really miss the days when Disney would constantly refresh the parks and not rely so heavily on nostalgia to keep the turnstiles clicking.<< Some people confuse the parks with movie theaters, where new attractions are constantly being opened and old ones closed out. It happens with Disneyland, as Walt wanted, but the time scale is stretched out. If people enjoy the train in 2050, is that nostalgia or just having a good time? >>Maybe some fans are too sentimental.<< I don't think it is primarily "sentimentality" that keeps the Autopia where it is, but the fact that kids get one look at it and love it. Parents love taking them on it just to see their kids have fun. The online fan world is a representative slice of the guest population, you've probably got less than 30 folks online who want the Autopia removed because it's not a thrill ride. Disneyland is primarily for families, IMHO, so of course attractions like Autopia/Nemo make sense. Some people online think that Walt made a covenant with fans that Tomorrowland would always be about the future world of plastics, or something like that, and therefore families can't have fun.
Originally Posted By PeterPan1313 >>Riding Autopia during the fireworks is probably my fondest moment on the attraction, but something new would welcomed. Anything else about the Star Wars rumors?<< Obviously, the Miceage rumor was a complete fabrication because the website isn't reporting that Scott Trowbridge is *in charge* of WDI's efforts at DLR, and has a specially funded group inside of WDI which shares it's stuff only with key people at LucasFilm and higher ups at WDI. There's a lot of secrecy, but it looks to be a big project, and DLR has already received input about a year ago with regards to a "Star Wars themed land" at DLR. Miceage editors basically don't report information that they don't agree with, it would be as if a new channels opposed to a certain president didn't report the election results or discuss him during his time in office. The website is living in an alternate universe, they didn't report that Tom Fitzgerald is headed to Epcot, or the Trowbridge news, yes, you can read Miceage for months and think you're informed about the parks, but not even know who is calling the shots with regards to future Imagineering projects. Older fans may have out-grown the Autopia (whatever that means in a theme park like Disneyland is beyond me), but the percentage of families with young kids probably hasn't changed all that much at DLR, ergo Autopia isn't going anywhere. Yes, motor mania is here to stay.
Originally Posted By CuriousConstance Yes, I have two kids, ecdc. Ten and six. Neither of them were over joyed when we road except when I would accidentally ram into my husband's car. Oops!
Originally Posted By berol "Obviously, the Miceage rumor was a complete fabrication because the website isn't reporting that Scott Trowbridge is *in charge* of WDI's efforts at DLR, and has a specially funded group inside of WDI which shares it's stuff only with key people at LucasFilm and higher ups at WDI." That is illogical at best, a fabrication at worst. If your posts to have any weight around here, phrase things more honestly or sensically. "Miceage editors basically don't report information that they don't agree with" I'll give you this one only because of "basically." It'd be pure fabrication without it. Something isn't iconic just because it will never go away. The castle and Small World are iconic. Autopia is not. Popcorn carts are and churro carts are NOT! That's right, I said it.
Originally Posted By PeterPan1313 >>Popcorn carts are and churro carts are NOT! That's right, I said it.<< I guess this would be a bad time to bring up the fact that popcorn carts are sold as collectible miniatures, as are the themed Disneyland trash cans, all iconic symbols of the park. They also put the churro on a t-shirt and sell that, <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.yourwdwstore.net/assets/images/17000/17500%2017599/400006263612.jpg">http://www.yourwdwstore.net/as...3612.jpg</a> So, you might want to expand your definition of iconic, <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2y8Sx4B2Sk">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...8Sx4B2Sk</a>
Originally Posted By PeterPan1313 They also painted an Autopia car in gold and let people pose in it for the 50th Anniversary. Probably most kids who goes to Disneyland remember the Autopia fondly, it's an iconic. <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.startedbyamouse.com/graphics/50th/GV-Autopia.jpg">http://www.startedbyamouse.com...opia.jpg</a>
Originally Posted By DouglasDubh <As is, the amount of land remaining near Carsland would barely be big enough for a loading area and a maintenance bay, hence this idea probably won't be utilized in DLR.> I am not a wiz with google maps like some folks, but it sure looks like they could put an autopia in the space south of TOT and east of Carsland.
Originally Posted By PeterPan1313 >>I am not a wiz with google maps like some folks, but it sure looks like they could put an autopia in the space south of TOT and east of Carsland.<< Due to demand, the current Autopia has a large load/unload area that allows for the parallel loading and unloading of a large number of cars, in addition to a maintenance area and just the queue . . . realize you have to keep the access road that loops around the back of this parking lot, you'd have room for the queue/load/unload and maintenance, but nothing for the track, so, no you couldn't fit the Autopia here. *Unless* you go bi-level and put the track *above* the queue/load/unload, (or vice versa), but of course this would be many times more expensive than putting in a track at ground level.
Originally Posted By fkurucz >>Something isn't iconic just because it will never go away. The castle and Small World are iconic. Autopia is not.<< Just because we personally don't like an attraction doesn't mean it isn't iconic.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt I think it's pretty much a fact that if you ask any random person on the street what's the first, second, or third thing that pops in their mind when you say Disneyland it is not going to be the Autopia.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 Just as an aside, "iconic" is a much overused - and misused - word in general. And don't get me started on "ultimate."
Originally Posted By berol "Just because we personally don't like an attraction doesn't mean it isn't iconic." Being liked doesn't mean it's iconic, either. I like all 3 and don't see Autopia as coming remotely close to being iconic.
Originally Posted By fkurucz "Being liked doesn't mean it's iconic, either." Agreed, that is only part of the criteria. My point was that just because you don't like X that doesn't mean that other people won't think that is iconic. Just like some people think that DL is nothing more than an overrated amusement park and not the American Icon we here all agree that it is. But getting back to the original title, about how to fix it. Since it always seems to have long lines, it don't see any effort to get it "fixed" happening anytime soon.
Originally Posted By monorailblue Post #32 was pulled off theonion.com, right? What total rubbish. "I think they were mulling" from the LPer most offended by supposedly blatantly made-up rumormongering. The best way to "fix" Autopia would be to return it to its 1967-1999 version, which, in my humble former-CM opinion, was totally perfect in every way.
