Originally Posted By leemac <<I guess they figure they've wasted money designing the dragon so they might as well waste some more to promote it?>> I can't even fathom why they would want to go to all this effort. Spend hundreds of millions of dollars on FLE and then try to make the main marketing message about a gadget? You'd have to ask WDW PR what they are smoking. <<Right. I think it could be something spectacular. Which why the current push for it seems so odd.>> Maybe everyone else has higher hopes for it than I do! I just don't think it is a good enough show.
Originally Posted By leemac <<Maybe from a business perspective, yes, but the average boob from Missouri or wherever just wants to do the "mine train" ride and hit the pool before going over to the "the animal park" to ride Everest. Fans are the only guests who really care or think about this kind of storytelling trivia.>> Sorry Hans - from an operational POV too. Guests will be in these interactive queues for a long time if NGE has its way. Therefore if guests don't understand what is going on or feel engaged in the gaming then they won't be happy.
Originally Posted By leemac <<I guess they figure they've wasted money designing the dragon so they might as well waste some more to promote it?>> I meant to say that I last saw the dragon back in June. I've no idea if he has evolved since then and whether there are any long term plans for the toy. My understanding was that he is more like a Lucky than a character that can be used extensively in the parks and I've not seen anything else to change that POV but I'm removed for the team that work on it.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper ^^^You aren't the first person to compare it to Lucky, Muppet Mobile Labs, etc to me, leemac. I was told it'll be around at least for the grand opening and maybe a little after that. Don't expect it to stick around for long.
Originally Posted By leemac <<I was told it'll be around at least for the grand opening and maybe a little after that. Don't expect it to stick around for long.>> My biggest problem when I saw it was trying to understand how it fits into a show (and it definitely haven't been developed for Avatar as he was in pre-production way before that deal). Just having it buzz overhead of FLE is a pointless exercise. I'm no creative director but I could only see it working in a show like F! or a firework spectacle. There just aren't that many dragons (of that size) in the Disney canon. It really is a head scratcher to me. I must be missing something.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper <<I'm no creative director but I could only see it working in a show like F! or a firework spectacle. There just aren't that many dragons (of that size) in the Disney canon.>> That was my guess as well. But then you have to take into account so many variable with a fireworks show like wind and stuff like that. Plus, where does it fly over the MK? Right over main street? Seems like a no go with Disney new "nothing over guest's heads" crusade.
Originally Posted By plpeters70 <<and it definitely haven't been developed for Avatar as he was in pre-production way before that deal>> That's odd - you'd think it would be a no-brainer to theme this to one of those flying creatures from the Avatar films. I mean, they're like main characters in those movies - why not have this flying over Avatar-land - or whatever they're calling it? Would make way more sense that "random-dragon" over Fantasyland.
Originally Posted By leemac <<But then you have to take into account so many variable with a fireworks show like wind and stuff like that. Plus, where does it fly over the MK? Right over main street? Seems like a no go with Disney new "nothing over guest's heads" crusade.>> And that would be my concern if I was Steven Davison. It is a risky and dangerous variable to put into any show and as a creative director it needs to be all fully controllable. The dragon is solely under the control of the ultralight pilot.
Originally Posted By leemac <<That's odd - you'd think it would be a no-brainer to theme this to one of those flying creatures from the Avatar films. I mean, they're like main characters in those movies - why not have this flying over Avatar-land - or whatever they're calling it?>> I was talking past tense. No comment on potential future application for it. ))
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt Can someone please explain to the rest of us pleebs what this dragon is all about? Thanks.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros Assuming the dragon actually gets used for a while, does that mean that the STOLport will be back in use again? I thought that option was essentially eliminated when they built the Epcot monorail line just past the end of the runway. I suppose they could operate a very small aircraft using end of the runway that faces away from the beam, but it still seems a little suspect. Is the pavement even in good enough shape after all these years? They certainly wouldn't operate it out of MCO, would they? Are there any other small airports (for agriculture use perhaps) nearby?
Originally Posted By leemac <<Can someone please explain to the rest of us pleebs what this dragon is all about? Thanks.>> If you Google something like Bakersfield Minter Field Disney Dragon you should pull up the local newspaper article from the summer. Basically it is an ultralight that is wrapped in a dragon suit. The fan and pilot sit on his back. It was a WDI R&D test project to try and create an AA-type figure that wasn't tethered to the ground. The dragon can flap its wings and breathe fire too. From a distance the dragon works. The problem is when it banks or is low enough then the fan and the pilot can clearly be seen. I wasn't very impressed when I saw it last summer (I think it was June).
Originally Posted By leemac <<"STOLport">> Aeronautics talk - Short Takeoff and Landing. A short runway.
Originally Posted By leemac <<Assuming the dragon actually gets used for a while, does that mean that the STOLport will be back in use again? I thought that option was essentially eliminated when they built the Epcot monorail line just past the end of the runway. I suppose they could operate a very small aircraft using end of the runway that faces away from the beam, but it still seems a little suspect. Is the pavement even in good enough shape after all these years?>> I've no idea what strip an ultralight requires. My understanding is that the STOLport would still be operational if it was required. I've no idea if it has been used since the late '80s. Hans - it is basically a big parking lot for buses now but it was an operational STOL runway when WDW was in its infancy. As you past through the MK toll plaza and head towards the Wilderness Lodge it is off to the immediate right.
Originally Posted By leemac <<They certainly wouldn't operate it out of MCO, would they? Are there any other small airports (for agriculture use perhaps) nearby?>> I'm no pilot but I recall being told that you don't need a pilot's license for an ultralight and that registration isn't necessary so presumably if you have a stretch of useable tarmac then you can just go ahead and use it. I think ultralights are classified as light sport aircraft by the FAA and are effectively out of scope for their regulations.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros Wasn't there a daytime show at Epcot that used airplanes, called "Surprise in the Skies" or something similar? I guess that would rule out the monorail beam being "in the way", since they would have been operating the planes from the airstrip well after the monorail's expansion. I guess it's probably just a question of whether or not it's been maintained well enough for use (and what their other options are nearby)
Originally Posted By leemac ^^ Surprise in the Skies did use ultralights if I remember rightly - '91 was a long time ago.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "The dragon can flap its wings and breathe fire too." That sounds like an awesome idea. Too bad it ended up looking hokey. Still, I'd like to see it for myself. "Hans - it is basically a big parking lot for buses now but it was an operational STOL runway when WDW was in its infancy." OK. Thanks.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom The Disney airport would need to be repaved for it to be used again as a landing strip. However, you want to keep in mind there is a lot of pavement at WDW. You could easily utilize the Richard Petty driving experience area or Wide World of Sports. No need to create a new runway. Perhaps just shut down a road behind the MK briefly?
