Originally Posted By trekkeruss By that measure, Splash and Space Mountain should be failures at DL too.
Originally Posted By Elderp It ok plus I have notice the space mountains differ in the different parks.
Originally Posted By Roger55 <<Why is ToT so popular at WDW, but never seemed to make an impact at DCA, even from day one?>> For the past few years, ToT at MGM/Disney Studios has alomost always been a "walk-on" for me, so it's reported imense popularity is just an overstament of the truth IMO.
Originally Posted By deadmentellnotales <I didn't get that it (management) is embarrassed. I understood the PR strategy to mean that an attempt is being made to avoid giving the local media to make an unnecessary fuss about the park's troubled start.> I''m not sure about that, who cares about a few remarks or write ups when you have a full year of marketing locked in? The damaging press would last but a few days but the anniversary celebration would be for a full year, plus if they had taken the opportunity to plan several new attractions they could have used the 5th year as a coming out party. Drawing much needed attention to the park. Instead it wimpers off like the black cauldron...
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt trekkeruss, I admit that the overall experience of DCA's ToT was less than what I recall at WDW, however, it still remains a mystery as to why the biggest attraction at DLR since Indiana Jones hasn't garned a bigger response from guests. I think it raises some serious questions questions about theme park demand in the area.
Originally Posted By trekkeruss I was very surprised by my first ride on ToT at DCA. I went in assuming it was the same exact attraction as Florida's. I didn't realize that all the seats had seatbelts instead of the lap bars like at WDW, and I was even more surprised when there was no transition from a lift shaft to a drop shaft like at WDW. In that regard I felt it was a bit of a let down.
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt garned = garnered “I''m not sure about that, who cares about a few remarks or write ups when you have a full year of marketing locked in?†And who cares about DCA’s 5th anniversary? Good PR for DCA would be far more valuable than marketing as far as I’m concerned. Public opinion and attitude toward the place seems to be lacking, and what it appears management is trying to do is to avoid rekindling the flames of bad press. Disney is wise to focus on the opening of Monsters and skip DCA’s anniversary in my opinion. And again, why waste valuable marketing dollars on a 5th anniversary event with the DL 50th going on right now?
Originally Posted By deadmentellnotales Personally I love ToT, and while at first the lines weren't to bad I've noticed more and more that ride attendance has been 50 - 90 minutes the last few times I've been there. I think that it just suffered from a rather bad spot set back amonst other buildings. But as more and more people ride it they come off excited and enthusiastic. I do find that the queue area is somewhat lacking, but once inside the structure itself the details abound.
Originally Posted By planodisney ToT at MGM, at least in my visits, has not been popular for years now. It is basically a 5 minute wait, while Rockin will be a 60 minute wait at the same time. for some reason, ToT got old for me very quickly. particularly the MGM version. The first time I was on it, i thought it was the most incredible attraction i had ever been on. Upon my next visit, there was no surprise with the moving elevator effect, so I realy looked around at how cheesy the 5th dimension room was. If they could some how add another stop at DCA, this would be 1 incredible attraction. I love the first scene with the mirror effect.
Originally Posted By arstogas Why doesn't DCA's Tower have the same impact? In my opinion it has a lot (but not all) to do with its setting... it just sits there... suddenly the attraction is "there". No build up... no creepy, unkempt gardens that swallow you up, prepping you for an entrance to an unkempt hotel. You can just waltz in, with no mental prep. See, for me, that first fifty yards, before you enter the building, is so much more a part of the whole show in Florida... and what's sad is, this could have been accomplished with ease at DCA. It's just part of the overall failure of follow-through that's so native to this park. It's not the only thing - I think the ride is inferior in general to Florida's version - but definitely the leadup and exterior queuing elements are not contributing to the overall show (and overall memory created for returns) at all.
Originally Posted By trekkeruss ^^Which goes back to an assertation that I made in another thread, that DCA drags down attractions. The lack of funding brings about a lack of submersive theming, which in turn doesn't allow attractions to be enjoyed as much.
Originally Posted By seanyoda I definitely agree on the exterior queue. In WDW, you walk up the hill through the garden before entering the lobby, while in DCA you're just there. Next, when you enter the elevator in WDW's TOT, you *enter* the elevator in the boiler room. In DCA's version, you cross a hallway before entering the elevator. That damages the illusion. Finally, when you exit the elevator at WDW's TOT, you end up someplace else other than where you entered and are always greeted by a different cast member than the one you saw when you entered the elevator. In DCA's version, you clearly are in the same place where you entered and are often greeted by the same cast member who loaded you into the elevator. This only further weakens the story. (As for the 5th dimension room, I don't miss it. It bothers me that you can see the track when you travel through it.) DCA's TOT only has two things that are better than the WDW version: the boiler room and the mirror effect. One last note ... russ, WDW's TOT doesn't have lap bars any more. They switched to seat belts a couple of years ago.
Originally Posted By Roger55 Another thing the DCA ToT has over the WDW ToT is the drop sequences. For me, the DCA version gives you way more "hang time". This might have to do with the steel grated floor of the elevators. It allows the air to flow through the car...and I think that allows the car to be pulled down faster than WDW's version.
Originally Posted By ChurroMonster I rode WDW's TOT about six years ago. It was the middle of summer and I never waited more than ten minutes to ride. I loved the ride and went on it multiple times. I think DCA's has a little more of a thrill factor to it as the drops seem a little more intense. I really would have liked to see the next generation Fith Dimension room, however. In that respect, we got shafted. (pun intended) I am looking forward to the new drop sequence next summer.
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt I think the question isn't so much about the length of the lines, but the impact ToT has had on altering the public perception of DCA. The attraction seems to have not had much affect on attendance either.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 I never quite understood the wild popularity of TOT when it opened at WDW, and why people would call it their favorite in all of WDW. I liked it, but never considered it on par with Pirates or HM or the best of the EPCOT attractions. Well, maybe with WDW's Pirates. What's ironic now is that, although the exterior gardens are indeed nice, my more recent experiences with TOT at WDW is that the queue did not extend that far. It has been a relatively short wait (while, as plano said, the wait for RnRR on the same day would be considerable). I haven't ridden DCA's yet (look forward to doing so soon). I definitely won't miss the 5-D room, though. Always very clunky to me after the first time through.
