Originally Posted By Mr X >>>I'm sure the Tokyo version of Pooh is wonderful, however I doubt if Americans would have the same response to it as the Japanese.<<< You've said this so many times Hans, and once again I just have to tell you that I think you're totally wrong. Every American I know that's been on Pooh (probably over a hundred people at least) has said it is flat out amazing. You're assumption that this wouldn't "go over" with American audiences is just lacking. Why is Peter Pan so popular, anyway? My Dad (a cynical guy who could care less about Disney parks) loved Peter Pan and said it was amazing. For that matter, why is Disney so popular in the first place? It isn't ONLY the Japanese that love whimsical, family-oriented fun entertainment that doesn't have to contain 7 loops and a launch. Tokyo Disneyland's Pooh attraction is absolutely the best in Disney theme park entertainment, and would be recognised as such anywhere. >>>I'm not talking about holidays and special events, Darkbeer. Guests do this at TDL on regular operating days.<<< Wrong, again. Japanese guests only dress up during the Halloween events. Even then, I suspect we'd see a lot more creativity in the costumes if Disney themselves didn't ban any costume that wasn't "Disney related". Given that rule, what ELSE are they gonna dress up as for Halloween but Snow White? Just like with Pooh, you are making assumptions about a place you've never been to, and making statements of "fact" that are just plain wrong.
Originally Posted By jonvn I can't imagine a NORMAL adult doing that. Kids, yes. Small ones. If I were Disneyland, I'd stop people from doing that, too. They're obviously a bit mental.
Originally Posted By jonvn I find the trackless system argument a bit difficult to believe, actually. Just because you're on a track does not mean that you can't have an accident anyway. That just doesn't make a lot of sense. As for the Pooh ride in tokyo being amazing...it might be. The subject matter is just a bit grating.
Originally Posted By Mr X Like I said, Jon, I don't care on bit about Pooh...which makes the ride that much cooler imo (because I would tend towards NOT caring for it, if anything, like I do in Florida and Cali).
Originally Posted By trekkeruss If Disney really wanted the Tokyo Pooh ride here, I am certain they could modify the ride system to have a "track" to meet any code.
Originally Posted By Mr X Well, Russ, yeah but I think the trackless part IS one of the coolest features of the ride. It wouldn't be quite the same if you weren't zipping this way and that with the other honey pots going in different directions all around you...at least I think so.
Originally Posted By trekkeruss What I am suggesting is that the trackless system be kept, but a faux track be installed to satisfy any code. The track wouldn't guide the vehicle in any way, but it would prevent the vehicle from going where it wasn't supposed to if they trackless system somehow failed.
Originally Posted By Mr X Oh, I see. Well, that might work. But anyway I don't see any evidence of Disney being willing to spend so much on an attraction in Anaheim these days anyway. Maybe Florida...
Originally Posted By trekkeruss Well, DL already has a Pooh ride, and using the trackless technology in another way isn't going to help DCA any; that park's problems are far larger than one attraction.
Originally Posted By disneywatcher >> But anyway I don't see any evidence of Disney being willing to spend so much on an attraction in Anaheim these days anyway. << That's why I wonder how much money the DisCo is putting into the new attraction in Paradise Pier. It's also why I really would like to know the specific profit-and-loss statistics for DCA, because that then would give everyone a better understanding of how much or how little of a mistake the park has been. If DCA is doing worse or better than assumed or estimated, guessing which direction the DisCo will move on it wouldn't be as difficult. For example, if the park is doing quite poorly, executives may feel they have no choice but to pursue a more aggressive improvement effort. However, I guess a seriously underperforming park also could mean that executives therefore would be far more hesitant about spending a lot of money on fixing it up. Now that I think of it, I guess making DCA a truly Disneyesque place will be a major dilemma regardless of how much or how little it's adding to the DisCo's bottom line.
Originally Posted By trekkeruss <<making DCA a truly Disneyesque place will be a major dilemma>> If it were easy, they would have done it by now. I know you like to say that money wasn't the real problem, and that TPTB just had no sense of showmanship, and I agree with you somewhat, but money *is* what it is going to be what it takes to fix the DCA problem. Also, by most accounts I've read, HKDL isn't lacking in showmanship, but a lack of budget has created a park with too few attractions, and that park is also not doing so well. So... money is a factor.
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt "Every American I know that's been on Pooh (probably over a hundred people at least) has said it is flat out amazing." Of course they do. But it's the subject matter that concerns me. Japanese people seem to be fanatical about cutsey things like Pooh, while, from my observation, Americans seem to be far less enthusiastic.
Originally Posted By Mr X Why the long lines for Pooh in Florida then, Hans? For that matter, I have to say honestly that I think the subject matter takes a back seat to how cool the ride itself is... For example, Back to the Future. Who nowadays even REMEMBERS that series, and yet the lines are still long for the attraction.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 <Well, DL already has a Pooh ride, and using the trackless technology in another way isn't going to help DCA any;> I'm not so sure of that. If the trackless system is so amazing, and could be applied to an attraction with a theme other than Pooh, it could (potentially) give DCA a "you've GOTTA see this thing" attraction, which could be quite helpful.
Originally Posted By trekkeruss The trackless sytem is used on TDS's Aquatopia. While it's fascinating to stand at water's edge and watch the "experimental watercraft," the ride itself is pretty dull (IMO).
Originally Posted By Mr X I agree Russ. While I like Aquatopia for what it is (a nice, cute, filler ride), it's nothing that would ever bring in crowds or anything. However, that trackless tech thing COULD be used for something much more elaborate along the lines of spidey or something (I'm thinking in particular of the "bouncing" room...where the actual floor can be an effect. I don't think you can do anything like that with a track...something like that could potentially be used in a "thrill" ride sort of way, or at least an exciting ride that's all new. Something to really spark interest in the park like Tower of Terror DIDN'T (maybe cause most interested parties had already been on it in the 20 years since the first one came out? lol).
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt "Why the long lines for Pooh in Florida then, Hans?" My theory is because it's in Fantasyland where it belongs. Pooh makes absolutely no sense in Critter Country.
Originally Posted By whistler I think Hans and Jonvn are right on. An identical pooh in fantasyland as opposed to bear county would have most likely been very, very popular.
Originally Posted By Mr X >>>My theory is because it's in Fantasyland where it belongs. Pooh makes absolutely no sense in Critter Country.<<< Exactly. And, if an incredible version of that attraction were available, I think it would go over very well with American crowds, as even the crappy Florida version is popular.
