Originally Posted By FerretAfros >>What does that mean for DLP's Villages Natures?<< That's a really good question! As far as I know, other than Avatar (which Joe understandibly wants nothing to do with), there isn't anything on the slate for DAK in the immediate future, so Villages Natures is his only other project. I suppose they could hand it over to someone else, but it seemed to be something that Joe would have had a very strong connection it. It would be a shame to give it to someone without the same passion, since the concept is so vague that it really needs a visionary force behind it
Originally Posted By dagobert I hope he stays on the Villages Natures project, because I liked the overall look. I wouldn't mind if Avatar gets cancelled. In my opinion it would fit better into DHS instead of DAK. I didn't know that Joe Rohde was against that project, but I do understand that.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "He always freaked me out. And I agree the ear lobe thing is what did it." From what people who worked with him are saying it sounds like his self expression was just that and nothing more. After all the man designed attractions for Disney Parks. How threatening could he be?
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "I wouldn't mind if Avatar gets cancelled. In my opinion it would fit better into DHS instead of DAK." Oh no Dagobert. That place is already a hodge-podge thematic mess. Adding Avatar-land would only make it less cohesive.
Originally Posted By CuriousConstance People sometimes get terrified and feel threatened anytime someone is different from them in any way. My five year old laughed about his ear and acted like it was funny, but he's five. Someday I hope he'll grow up and feel like just cause someone may be different from him, that doesn't mean they are necessarily freaky or weird. Maybe I'm just being grumpy though.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt To be honest I find his extended earlobe a little strange, frightening even, but he seems like a nice person and I certainly wouldn't judge him for his bizarre fashion choices.
Originally Posted By Princessjenn5795 I don't really find him or his ear all that strange or scary at all. To be fair, I live in Seattle and we have all sorts of interesting characters, including real life superheros, so maybe that colors my reaction to him a bit. I think someone creative enough to come up with some of the things he has done is going to look however he wants to look, and who cares? There are too many people in boring suits in this world anyways
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "To be fair, I live in Seattle and we have all sorts of interesting characters, including real life superheros, so maybe that colors my reaction to him a bit. " I live in SF and I'm pretty sure that I've seen it all. I think some people are surprised because he doesn't look "Disney". The earlobe thing is unexpected for sure.
Originally Posted By leobloom He's apparently a master at creating queues and forgetting that the ride is the main attraction.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<He's apparently a master at creating queues and forgetting that the ride is the main attraction.>> Sometimes the queue is one of the most important parts of an attraction. Indy and Dinosaur are virtually the same ride, but Indy is far better because of a fantastic queue. Same reason DHS's Midway Mania is so much better than DCA's. Identical ride, but the DHS queue is much better. Same reason DL's Small World is so much better than WDW's. Far better queue (and more interesting exterior). I'd rather walk through a Joe Rodhe queues than experience half the attractions opened at WDW in the past 10 years.
Originally Posted By DlandDug I do hope that everyone here is also aware that Joe Rohde's greatest WDI creation (for a lot of guests) is the very much missed Adventurer's Club on Pleasure Island. I saw him a few months after it was closed down, and asked him for his reaction to the closure. He smiled warmly and said that it was a wonderful project, that he was grateful so many had enjoyed it, and that he was pleased that it had had such a long run. It was a very classy response.
Originally Posted By planodisney RoadTrip, I agree with you about queues, but Indy isnt better than Dino because of the queue. The ride itself is MILES ahead of Dino. Also, you realy think Mania is SO MUCH BETTER at DHS because of that queue. The queue is definitely more themed, but it isnt exactly some mind transporting experience. It is just a decent queue in Disney terms. However, I think Mania fits the whole MIDWAY theme better at DCA with the outdoor Mr. Potato Head barker. The perfect fit for the theme of where it is placed in DCA, which it was originally designed for, just makes it a more enjoyable experience for me. Also, I am not one of these purists who obsess about a ride fitting ridiculously perfect within its land, but Mania is the one ride I have been on where I was like, "how the hell does that fit in right here." It is a realy wierd fit, but I dont think most park visitors gave a crap. It is just a fun ride.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip I just found the DCA queue to be the typical Disney switchback using white picket fence (as I remember) rather than the usual poles and chains... nothing much to look at. Yes, the DHS queue is also just a switchback, but the room is highly themed. It probably helps that some of my favorite childhood memories are of Tinker-Toys, Lincoln Logs, View-master, Candy Land, and the many other iconic toys represented. If only they had a "Mighty Matilda" I would have thought I had died and gone to heaven. BEST. BOY. TOY. EVER. <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-je-TO_K1lug/TdGzSr7wc6I/AAAAAAAACK0/LijQDXBbGLw/s1600/MNIGHT%2BMATILDA.jpg" target="_blank">http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-je-T...ILDA.jpg</a>
Originally Posted By dagobert >>>Oh no Dagobert. That place is already a hodge-podge thematic mess. Adding Avatar-land would only make it less cohesive.<<< I know, but first and foremost Avatar is a bad movie and has not really something to do with nature and animals. It is about exploiting another world, while a bunch of people aren't happy about that. The movie does look stunning, especially Pandora, but in my opinion that doesn't justify to put it into DAK. I know DAK is about mythological creatures too, and I guess that's why they are envisioning the land for that park. DHS will always be a mishmash, like nearly all movie parks, and Disney should go the Universal way where people can ride the movies. That'S why I think Avatar would fit there. Are there any news about Joe Rohde? Is he still with WDI?
Originally Posted By disney pete The guy gets hammered from some people never met him but he comes over as a good guy with a lot of knowledge about Disney and WDI yeah he may look a bit odd with the ear thing but never judge a book by its cover eh
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper <<Sometimes the queue is one of the most important parts of an attraction. Indy and Dinosaur are virtually the same ride, but Indy is far better because of a fantastic queue.>> Unfortunately none of Joe's rides come close to being as good as Indy. And Indy is significantly better than Dinosaur. I wouldn't call them close to the same ride.
Originally Posted By sjhym333 Dinosaur is one of the most disappointing attractions at WDW. What should have been a wonderful ride with a fairly decent plot device is hampered by too many miss opportunities from the poor take off into the past to the many many areas that are too dark. Even some of the effects haven't fully worked for a while. Would love to see someone come in and fix/plus the attraction to make it really great.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "DHS will always be a mishmash" There are rumors that DHS may get a DCA makeover. I personally would rather see that than Avatar go there. My feeling is that Animal Kingdom could use a does of fantasy, maybe not Avatar, but I'd welcome something mythical/fantastical there.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<Would love to see someone come in and fix/plus the attraction to make it really great.>> Which you would think could be fairly easily done. The track layout itself is identical to Indy's. I hate to say it, but this is an example where working with the story of an existing franchise worked out far better than coming up with something from scratch.
