Originally Posted By leemac <<If they don't like risks, then how did they end up with Hunny Hunt, which used an entirely new (and expensive) style of attraction, Journey to the Center of the Earth, which used the same technology as the notoriously unreliable Test Track, and Monsters Inc, which used much of the same technology behind Midway Mania? I'm all for them making a new show, but 'playing it safe' just doesn't seem to be what the OLC does a lot of the time.>> Didn't you answer your own question? Hunny Hunt was notoriously unreliable when it opened and they spent a lot of money fixing the IT issues. The attraction opened in 2000. Journey was meant to be an improvement of Test Track's reliability but OLC didn't fact into account the immense wear and tear on the transmission due to the hill climb away from the Lava Monster. I'm not sure of the comparison between TSMM and MIR&GS!. They both use a slight upgrade on the traditional dark ride technology - the timing is all electronically controlled so it isn't a big leap from existing technology. TSMM would have been a big leap for them due to the 3D gaming technology (and the original belief that the gaming wasn't too dissimilar to that available in Japanese homes). OLC has become very risk-adverse over the past few years. They aren't prepared to sink tens of millions of dollars on unproven attraction or show technology. Once bitten, twice shy (read: BraviSEAmo! - a near-$40m disaster in the end after the "upgrades").
Originally Posted By leemac <<More info please Leemac!!! -- >> My lips are sealed. Nothing else to say for now.
Originally Posted By TDR_Fan <<OLC has become very risk-adverse over the past few years. They aren't prepared to sink tens of millions of dollars on unproven attraction or show technology>> This would explain why they are heading down the route of cloning existing attractions. Speaking of which, I guess this means Toy Story Mania will be a direct clone of the ones at DHS and DCA?
Originally Posted By NGrey <<Steve Davison is the creative director on the project and it is entirely new. I mean entirely new. It is going to be spectacular. )>> Interesting. Are they planning on creating a new soundtrack or simply re-using the same one as the old shows (with minor tweaking)? I assume they are going to utilize newer tech in the show similar to World of Color. At the very least, I hope their dragon will be as impressive as the new one at Disneyland.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros "Speaking of which, I guess this means Toy Story Mania will be a direct clone of the ones at DHS and DCA?" It will have thematic changes to the facade and queue, but from everything else I've read, it would imply that it will just be a clone. Who would have thought that the day would come that we would be cloning something originally created for DCA to put into TDS? How the tides have turned. Kind of. "Are they planning on creating a new soundtrack or simply re-using the same one as the old shows (with minor tweaking)?" I would expect that if they do use the same music, it will still be fairly different than the DL and WDW versions. Both existing version have their own unique parts, even though they keep the same general structure and theme music. I can't imagine them using the Fantasmic! name without including the "imagination" song in the show, as it seems to be one of the few unifying elements between the different segments. As for technology, it does look like they will be using at least some new stuff. The mist screens on the barges look to be more like the WOC ones than the original F! ones. I can't imagine that they wouldn't use at least some of the new technology that's available, like the new lighting and projectors that DL has installed over the last few years to update the show. I can't wait to see how that will impact which films they feature, and what sorts of things they will do for them. I really want to know what they will be doing in the Peter Pan/Pocahontas spot, since that seems to be a good place for a big change to fit the location they're using. I would also assume that they would need to do something clever for the dragon, since it would need to either be small enough that it can be hidden with one of the barges, or on a barge that moves really fast to bring it out from backstage. Mabye they will redress the BraviSEAmo! firebird to become the dragon?
Originally Posted By TDR_Fan <<Mabye they will redress the BraviSEAmo! firebird to become the dragon?>> I'm guessing this is very likely considering that space was originally designed to hold the dragon for Fantasmic.
Originally Posted By TokyoSweets I'm really glad they went with Fantasmic! so there will be live performers in the show! The artwork looks great!
Originally Posted By MagicalNezumi <<< My lips are sealed. Nothing else to say for now. >>> You're such a tease! -- MagicalNezumi
Originally Posted By leemac <<Interesting. Are they planning on creating a new soundtrack or simply re-using the same one as the old shows (with minor tweaking)? >> Brand new. It was feature the theme from the original show but the project has a new composer. <<Mabye they will redress the BraviSEAmo! firebird to become the dragon?>> No, no, no. Firebird goes away.
Originally Posted By LindsayC Just to let you know I have updated our blog entry on Fantasmic at TDS with a far higher resolution version of the concept art. <a href="http://artoftellingtales.blogspot.com/2010/02/bye-bye-braviseamo-hello-fantasmic.html" target="_blank">http://artoftellingtales.blogs...mic.html</a>
Originally Posted By Roger55 Thanks for the nicer image. In looking at it, I can now see Mt Prometheus and the Mira Costa in the background. What is puzzling is the viewing angle being represented based on the placement of Mt Prometheus and the hotel. To me, it looks like this angle is from the area by the bridge to the American Waterfront where the "Meet & Smile" takes place. But somehow the sizes and angles of the background do not look right. Any ideas?
Originally Posted By leemac <<To me, it looks like this angle is from the area by the bridge to the American Waterfront where the "Meet & Smile" takes place. >> It is from Lido Isle. This is one of a series of images that was developed to pitch the show and interestingly they were all from the viewpoint of Lido Isle.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros What exactly is Lido Isle? Is it the amphitheather? That was my first reaction to where I thought the concept art was supposed to be.
Originally Posted By LindsayC ^^ It is a small amphitheater that is used for the Lido Isle Meet 'n' Smile show every morning. It is also one of the landing spots for Legend of Mythica.
Originally Posted By NGrey <<Brand new. It was feature the theme from the original show but the project has a new composer.>> Thanks for the answer. Good to know that it will still feature the classic theme. I guess this means the order of the show will be quite different from what we are used to. <<No, no, no. Firebird goes away. >> Thank goodness. That thing was always very unconvincing to me with the jerky movements and exposed steel. I hope they do much better with their dragon (still Maleficient, I hope?). Oh, and lastly, is the volcano going to be used in some way in the show? It would make the dragon/fire scene even more dramatic.
Originally Posted By leemac <<Oh, and lastly, is the volcano going to be used in some way in the show? It would make the dragon/fire scene even more dramatic.>> Sadly that isn't possible. The volcano just can't support any show elements. The limit to its involvement will be some lighting and fireworks from the caldera. Much like DCA's lagoon the infrastructure and structural integrity to support show elements was cut from the construction budget. The focus will remain in the lagoon with the four mist barges and Mickey's centerpiece.
Originally Posted By NGrey <<The focus will remain in the lagoon with the four mist barges and Mickey's centerpiece.>> Thanks for the clarification. Looking at the concept art, I have to wonder how the live performers will be integrated. It seems going on and off-stage might be a little more complicated than with the older Fantasmics.
Originally Posted By aracuanbird I remember reading way back when F! was first being considered for D-MGM (following its success at DL) that the whole theme of the story had been tweaked to include classic Hollywood stories in addition to Disney animated scenes. One of the new scenes considered was a 20K event that would take the place of the Peter Pan/Captain Hook battle. Instead of the Columbia cruising by the audience, the NAUTILUS would rise from the depths and be attacked by a GIANT SQUID. Nemo's crew (along with Ned Land) would fight off the tentacled menace. Man, it would be so awesome if that idea got dusted off...
Originally Posted By FerretAfros No way! One day when I was bored about 4-5 years ago, I started drawing up some pointless additions that could be worked into Fantasmic! One of those ideas was a 20K scene, where the Nautilus started mostly submerged, and then rose up and the crew came out on the deck, followed by a giant squid attack. Great minds think alike, I guess. I wouldn't be too surprised if the effects barges hold some of the characters and equipment for other portions of the show. Characters could appear on the barges, or they could be sent off in smaller barges (like the monkey/princess ones used in the older shows) that are docked inside the larger ones to hide them. No matter what they do, the staging will have to be done very creatively, and I'm excited to see how it ends up. It certainly won't be anything like either version that's out there now.
