Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 ... or subtitle the old one-eyed monster ain't what he used to be (Get your minds out of the gutters, kiddies) I am talking about Mike Wazowski. Even though the story was buried in the Orlando Sentinel during the holiday week, I would hope the very, very, very (did I say very?) lukewarm at best opinions on Monsters Laugh Floor and the now (minimum) four-month delay (could be longer according to an insider)just might speed up the house-cleaning at Parks and Resorts and WDI. Reliance on a gimmicky technology like the whole Living Character program is a huge mistake. I hope smart guys like Bob Iger and John Lassester see this. It's an expensive folly to make some Imagineers feel more important. Technology off the moment is never a good answer for long-term quality theme park attractions. If so, Body Wars wouldn't have been so badly outdated a decade ago. The problem is when WDI is able to sell Burbank on a new, cheaper and (potentially) 'always different' attraction, while ignoring the kind of attractions that people have queued up for at Disney parks for many decades now. LONG, IMMERSIVE, STORY-DRIVEN! That's despite what all those 'scientific surveys' (the ones the Spirit never gets asked for some reason) say to the contrary ... you know the company spin ... I mean line ... people go to WDW to MEET and SPEND EVERY WAKING MOMENT (EVEN IN THE TOILET!) WITH MICKEY AND PALS! But the Spirit just received some potentially very good holiday news ... and apparently these costly screw-ups, the misreading of what guests really want to justify decisions that Glendale and Burbank have already made based upon good old boyz politics may well be at an end. Apparently, this is the last big black ... I mean green ... eye that WDI will be allowed to hoist on WDW. And that's my friends is a reason to celebrate. Do you hear what I haer? Do you hear what I hear? Desks being cleaned out?
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA The 'Living Character' technology is/was used nicely on 'Turtle Talk with Crush' -- We saw it at DCA, and found it to be very cute. But I see 'Turtle Talk' as a nice little temporary exhibit until something permanent comes along. It's certainly nothing I would go back to see a second time. And not a show I would expect to see at DCA 5 years from now. Wasn't this same technology done in Innoventions in a show called 'Meet Stitch'?? Now, the exact same technology is being used for this new 'Comedy Club' show -- and gee, the reactions have been lukewarm. Duh! Audiences - even theme park guests - aren't stupid -- they've seen this technology before, and it's just more of the same. It's like we're not supposed to know that the vehicles and track layout are exactly the same in the 'Indiana Jones' ride at Disneyland and 'Dinosaur' at Animal Kingdom. I can hear some of the Imagineers saying 'They're just tourists at a theme park, they'll never know.'
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<It's like we're not supposed to know that the vehicles and track layout are exactly the same in the 'Indiana Jones' ride at Disneyland and 'Dinosaur' at Animal Kingdom.>> If I hadn't read that at fan sites I would have never known. The two attractions seem so different with Indy being great and Dino being horrible that I never noticed the track layout.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA <If I hadn't read that at fan sites I would have never known> I had no expectations about 'Countdown to Extinction' when I rode it the first time -- and did no reading about it online -- I still knew immediately that it was the exact same track layout. I must be really, really, really, really smart, huh?
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<I had no expectations about 'Countdown to Extinction' when I rode it the first time -- and did no reading about it online -- I still knew immediately that it was the exact same track layout. I must be really, really, really, really smart, huh?>> Could be. Or it could be that you had ridden Indy dozens of times before riding Dino so you were very familiar with the layout. I've been on Dino 3-4 times (I don't often ride it because I don't think it is very good). I've ridden Indy just once. I maybe didn't notice that the layout was the same as Dino's, but I was able to immediately tell that is was a far better attraction. Among other things, on Indy there was something to look at other than the darkness.
Originally Posted By Darkbeer Here is the news article http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/showthread.php?t=64074
Originally Posted By Doobie Here's a direct link: <a href="http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/custom/tourism/orl-monsters2806dec28,0,4836215.story" target="_blank">http://www.orlandosentinel.com /business/custom/tourism/orl-monsters2806dec28,0,4836215.story</a>
Originally Posted By Darkbeer ^Oops Doobie, sorry about that, I meant to place the direct link to the Orlando Sentinel, go ahead and delete post #9.
Originally Posted By MPierce >>Audiences - even theme park guests - aren't stupid -- they've seen this technology before, and it's just more of the same. It's like we're not supposed to know that the vehicles and track layout are exactly the same in the 'Indiana Jones' ride at Disneyland and 'Dinosaur' at Animal Kingdom<< I would bet that 90% of the people at WDW do not know that. I would also bet 98% of the people could care less. It has nothing to do with their mental capacity, just their priorities. I would suggest that studying cloned rides at all the Disney parks would be very low on that list. >>But I see 'Turtle Talk' as a nice little temporary exhibit until something permanent comes along. It's certainly nothing I would go back to see a second time. And not a show I would expect to see at DCA 5 years from now.<< I don't know when it will close, but it still packs them in at WDW with a new larger theater to open soon.
Originally Posted By pheneix >>>But the Spirit just received some potentially very good holiday news ... and apparently these costly screw-ups, the misreading of what guests really want to justify decisions that Glendale and Burbank have already made based upon good old boyz politics may well be at an end.<<< Oh damn, and I was just getting to know Aunt Meg... Here's hoping that they don't see Bob Gault's name pop up in the classifieds.
Originally Posted By Witches of Morva ORDDU: Thank you for your information, Spirit of 74, duckling! It's always appreciated here in Morva. ORGOCH: Sure is! Yer info's 'nuff ta make the local town crier shut the @#$% up! ORWEN: Maybe this means we'll eventually get some REAL attractions at the parks in the future!!
Originally Posted By barboy CTX/Dino and Indy have the same track layout? This doean't seem right to me and I'll be checking on it shortly- but I could be wrong. The tracks appear different in length, ascension/descension and turns.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA Maybe I'm just smart and handsome and observant. What do you guys think?
Originally Posted By barboy I have no idea if you are handsome but if you were quick to notice that Dinosaur and IJ have identical layouts then you are definitely observant and maybe smart too.
Originally Posted By irishfan It's pretty much well documented that Indy and Dinosaur have identical track layouts. Not so well documented is if Jim in Merced is smart, handsome and observant.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA I just started this new website: <a href="http://www.Jim_in_Merced_is_smart_handsome_and_observant.com" target="_blank">http://www.Jim_in_Merced_is_sm art_handsome_and_observant.com</a>
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<So who's on the way out?>> The Spirit senses a cool breeze sweeping thru both Glendale and Burbank and we all know those crazy SoCal winds are capable of moving very large, apparently intractable, objects quite easily ;-) <<and why?>> Reread the original post.
