Originally Posted By Yookeroo "I guess this raises the question about whether or not Disney should be introducing new C or B or even A ticket caliber attractions to the parks or not. To me Pooh, like most of the Fantasyland rides, is filler. I get that technologically speaking Pooh isn't equal to Mission: Space, but at the same time DL has a history of creating a wide variety of ride experiences. Even with its shortcomings and incongruous location Pooh continues that tradition." Right. The difference between the best of these rides (Peter Pan? Alice?) and the worst (Pinocchio? Snow White? Pooh?) is tiny. I find the extreme love and hate for some of these attractions bizarre.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "Unsurprisingly dismissive, as usual." Look who's talking. "The correct phrase would be, they boast one of the greatest theme park attractions on the planet, namely the Winnie the Pooh ride." Noted.
Originally Posted By SpokkerJones "I like MI...but I don't LOVE it. It was shoehorned in and they did a great job of filling the space. Having said that, they could have done much better if it was created from scratch." This is my feeling about Monsters Inc. as well.
Originally Posted By SpokkerJones "Why is it that every time there's a discussion about Winnie the Pooh at DL we have to get a string of posts from a TDL fan about how marvelous Pooh in Tokyo is along with the obligatory Youtube video links?" Because it is.
Originally Posted By SpokkerJones "Yep. Much of the Roger Rabbit attraction uses painted flats and that attraction is one of my favorites." Like Toad, Roger Rabbit gets a pass for flats because it is a fast ride. But even when they use flats, the effects are very creative. The portable hole bit at the end is the capstone.
Originally Posted By SpokkerJones The problem with Pooh is that it is part of a corporate culture where relatively cheap attractions like Pooh is all they were willing to do at Disneyland. Pooh in itself isn't some freak of nature that should be shunned at all costs, but at the same time they were letting other parts of the park decay while fixing stuff that wasn't necessarily broken. There are concepts for what to do with the general area that makes up the back of the Rivers of America, Big Thunder BBQ and the Festival of Fools Arena. But they have not figured out a way to tie it into a movie or character yet. So Small World gets a makeover instead. The Motorboat Lagoon, which is now basically a breeding ground for mosquitoes, has long been an eyesore, yet it was the Disney Gallery that needed to be shuffled around to make room for a hotel suite. The People Mover track is practically rusting over, but Pirates needed Johnny Depp more.
Originally Posted By CuriousConstance "Pooh is a great attraction to take toddlers on while parents use baby switch on Splash Mountain. Lol. Shame." That's usually what we do too, but excitingly enough, my little shorty will probably be tall enough to ride Splash Mountain next time we go! And he's a little dare devil, so I think he'll like it! Whooo Whooo!
Originally Posted By CuriousConstance I think people have more of a problem with Pooh and his lack of Disney history and what he REPLACED than the actual ride. People seem to have serious resentment issues that Pooh took over those other bears. Pooh was a favorite when I was a kid, so I like the ride and my kids like it too, plus my husband, and it's hard to get him to like anything so I'll take it.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "People seem to have serious resentment issues that Pooh took over those other bears." Yep. If the Bears had stayed and Pooh could have been wedged into Fantasyland somehow I bet there wouldn't be nearly as much persistent whining from fans.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt No? You can still see the show at WDW and I think Tokyo Disneyland still has a version of it. It was a cute show, kinda corny, and very Disney (in the vintage sense). When it first opened it was very cool technologically speaking, and I think that's why as a kid I thought it was marvelous. In my teen years I suddenly realized that that I absolutely hated country western music and my interest in the show went downhill from there. I truly don't miss it at all.
Originally Posted By CuriousConstance I never saw it either. I've seen various songs preformed by them on various Disney sing a long DVDs, and I have to say it looks and sounds absolutely horrific.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo >>>"People seem to have serious resentment issues that Pooh took over those other bears." Yep. If the Bears had stayed and Pooh could have been wedged into Fantasyland somehow I bet there wouldn't be nearly as much persistent whining from fans.<<< Agreed, I always loved the Country Bears and I always have hated Pooh - boring, stupid, greedy bear.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Country Bears and America Sings (even better) I think were in trouble as soon as Chuckie Cheese and Show Biz rolled out across the country. Neither were as good as CBJ (I like country music), but it took the wow factor off of it (kind of like how almost every park in Europe has a Space Mountain rip off making DL's SM pointless to us - though Paris helps that too).
Originally Posted By SpokkerJones Unfortunately, even though every theater shows 3D movies, that doesn't stop them from throwing the technology around while pretending polarized glasses haven't been around since the 50s.
Originally Posted By Bob Paris 1 "I never saw it either. I've seen various songs preformed by them on various Disney sing a long DVDs, and I have to say it looks and sounds absolutely horrific." LMAO!!!! Tell us what you REALLY think Constance! ; )
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan >>I guess this raises the question about whether or not Disney should be introducing new C or B or even A ticket caliber attractions to the parks or not.<< I think they should. In fact, I'd be in favor of them changing out the ones in Fantasyland from time to time for fresh material, so long as they do a good job with them. I think part of the problem with Disneyland's Pooh is that it was the first new attraction at Disneyland in awhile. That put it more in the spotlight than perhaps any C ticket deserves, setting expectations unrealistically high. And i agree with what Dabob said about how sometimes painted flats work just fine. I think it has to do with scale and speed. If you're breezing by them, or if they're sort of in the background, no problem, those can be very effective. In Pooh however, you practically have enough time to see the brushstrokes (when you're not wondering why the pinecone you're sitting in is wobbling.) -- yes, I know it is a bee hive, Disney purists. Chill. Like I said, I think the flats could have appeared in a much more clever way, if we were rolling past pages of a Winnie the Pooh book throughout, with some of the elements "coming to life" off the oversized pages, which would be very much in keeping with the style of the original Disney films. Winnie the Pooh is a charming, comforting, gentle character. The ride can't be some crazy race or hyperactive experience, so that part of it feels right. I just wish a little more design time had been explored so as to make it a true C ticket classic.
