Originally Posted By trekkeruss AA = Audio Animatronics, i.e. Lincoln, the Pirates in PotC, the robots in Star Tours, etc.
Originally Posted By mousermerf <<<Since when are AA attractions the only benchmark for "big production"?>>> They're elaborate, require good planning, only work if well executed, and can be just an engrossing as any film or novel. Thrills rides as the action films of theme parks - lots of fluff and flash but little substance. Dark rides are like the childen's films, pleasant but nothing deep. The heart is in the good dramas and comedies - the AA spectaculars.
Originally Posted By mousermerf And this, btw, is why we think Disney is resting on its laurels and being lazy.. <a href="http://www.orlandounited.com/forums/showthread.php?9-The-Wizarding-World-Of-Harry-Potter/page308" target="_blank">http://www.orlandounited.com/f.../page308</a>
Originally Posted By oc_dean Oh my god ... that showbuilding for the big Harry Potter ride is HUGE!! Surely it dwarfs the showbuildings for PotC and Indy!
Originally Posted By mousermerf Those high lifts are fully extended and they're not even 1/3 of the way up it - it's like the Land and SSE had a love child that came out medieval themed.
Originally Posted By mousermerf Side note: That plot was originally reserved for the Jurassic Park jeep-tour ride, like in the first movie, with epic T-rex scene and all. I lament the loss of that attraction, but welcome HP. It explains why the ride is nearly inside the Jurassic Park area of the park though.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt <<<Since when are AA attractions the only benchmark for "big production"?>>> "Thrills rides as the action films of theme parks - lots of fluff and flash but little substance." You dodged the question. So then would you say that Indiana Jones doesn't cut the mustard? From my recollection there are only two AA figures in that ride and the attraction is a big a spectacle as anything that Disney has ever created. Remember that you question was "When was the last time they made a big production like SSE?".
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "And this, btw, is why we think Disney is resting on its laurels and being lazy.." That looks very cool, however that hideous blue metal coaster diminishes all the careful effort put into dressing up Harry Potter Land. Talk about lazy. Is that attraction part of the expansion, or was it already there?
Originally Posted By Dabob2 I believe that's the Dueling Dragons coaster that was already there, but being "re-themed" as Potter dragons.
Originally Posted By trekkeruss <<That looks very cool, however that hideous blue metal coaster diminishes all the careful effort put into dressing up Harry Potter Land. Talk about lazy.>> Yup, I agree.
Originally Posted By mousermerf I like how you've never been here, have no idea how the coaster is viewed, but you're making assumptions because you can see it from aerial shots. There's two suspended coasters, they're elaborately intertwined and are themed to a story of "dueling dragons." Fire and Ice. They don't stick out and they go through a good bit of scenery. If you knew anything about the park or design you'd see that they are making a distinct effort to make the facades of Potter into good visuals of the coaster when ti approaches it but also blocking the coaster from being seen in most parts of the new land. The level of "I know nothing but I'm going to spout off like I do just to be contrary" crap is getting out of hand.
Originally Posted By trekkeruss <<There's two suspended coasters, they're elaborately intertwined and are themed to a story of "dueling dragons." Fire and Ice. They don't stick out and they go through a good bit of scenery.>> That's your opinion. I've heard others that differ from yours.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt First off mousemerf, why such a nasty tone? Surely you can get your points across without reprimanding me about not knowing about USF. After all, it was you who introduced the new Harry Potter attraction to a DISNEY thread. "There's two suspended coasters, they're elaborately intertwined and are themed to a story of "dueling dragons." Fire and Ice. They don't stick out and they go through a good bit of scenery." So are you telling us that the coaster will not be visible from all angles at the ground level within the Harry Potter Land? If so, then that's great and I stand corrected. If not, then I stand by my comment.
Originally Posted By trekkeruss <<So are you telling us that the coaster will not be visible from all angles at the ground level within the Harry Potter Land? If so, then that's great and I stand corrected.>> There is still the issue of being on the coaster itself though. No matter what the intended theming of it is, it still looks like nothing other than a coaster.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt Well yeah. It's sort of like why is it even there in the first place.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 I've ridden that coaster. The queue is marvelously themed, but once you get on the coaster, the themeing disappears for all practical purposes.
Originally Posted By dshyates Btw, it was me (Disneyhead) and Brian Glenn (owner of orlandounited.com) that took those aerials of TWWOHP. And yes you can see the coaster from some vantage points in the park. BUT it is a less realism based and a more impressionistic artistic approach to theme park design than Disney takes. But it is still a fantastically themed park. I think the point is pretty much a Disney-fan arguement as most people are OK with still being able to tell it is a coaster. Seriously how many folks REALLY think that Big Thunder is anything other a coaster. And regarding the 2 coasters at IOA, they haven't been rethemed yet. They have remained open throughout the construction process. They go down on Feb. 26th for the final retheme into "Dragon Challenge". Supposedly they will be painting the blue track black and the red track a burnt orange color to go with the 2 of the dragons (Chinese Firebolt and Hungarian Horntail) from Goblet of Fire.
Originally Posted By dshyates Oh, the newest HP rumor is soft openings starting March 20th and the Grand Opening in Mid-May.
