Originally Posted By barboy2 Let's see here: on one hand we have a dated, unconvincing, old school 'C' ticket style(complete with the center bus bar) which travels on a most boring, I mean horizontal path housed in a box with a poorly themed front and on the other we have a 'D' mine train style attraction with an all new ride system and presumed much better effects which will smoothly move in and out of a fully themed 3 dimensional mountain with a real queue and change levels many times over HMMMMM????? Now that's a tuff call but I think I'll take the mine train.
Originally Posted By Manfried I agree with barboy2 and skinnerbox on this one. Out with the old. In with the new. Meet and greet too.
Originally Posted By oc_dean You must be one of the few people on Earth Manfried who thinks a Meet & Greet is better than another dark ride experience.
Originally Posted By Manfried Because I have some nieces that love them when they are here, oc_dean. And I see the joy in their eyes and it shows in the pictures taken with them and their parents, my brothers and sisters. So yes, I don't mind the meet and greets at all and like them. Are they the be all to end all? No. But they certainly need them in Florida. So please cut the really childish ridicule.
Originally Posted By oc_dean I think the title of this thread should be: - Save the dark ride facility for another dark ride experience Cheapening it to something akin to a retail experience is not something TDO should be considering!
Originally Posted By Manfried "Cheapening it to something akin to a retail experience is not something TDO should be considering!" A Disney meet and greet is not something akin to a retail experience when its in the character's home out of the film. I am thinking of forwarding all these comments to my brothers and sisters and let them come onto this board to refute this clearly blinders on oriented comment.
Originally Posted By oc_dean I have two nieces too bro. Both with the same affection and affinity to the same sort of things. But they are going to get the same smiles and giggles and warm fuzzy memories no matter where they are placed in the park. And it is up to those people called adults .. to make the right decisions to where they are placed. Gutting a key dark ride - One of only 3 in Fantasyland .... Not good creative decision making at all. But if we're talking the same TDO that I've been learning about in the last several years .... then I can almost COUNT on them to obliterate the valuable ride facility, and turn it into a decorated "warehouse" with 100% certainty .. in the name of costs! There's no shortage of space in WDW. What about those circus tents that are now staying? Skyway terminal? And a little something that got me to thinking. Pinnochio's Village Haus. Since the beast restaurant is going up ... and Gaston Tavern .. don't we have a bit of a glut of 3 restaurants side by side by side? Seems the village haus is a good place. In fact, better. If we're talking princesses ... they would work better in a quaint cottage designed building, like this - <a href="http://land.allears.net/blogs/jackspence/Skyway%20008.jpg" target="_blank">http://land.allears.net/blogs/...0008.jpg</a> Than a "mall front" like this - <a href="http://media.myfoxorlando.com/photogalleries/011811-disney-fantasyland/1/imgLg/fantasyland-rendering3.jpg" target="_blank">http://media.myfoxorlando.com/...ing3.jpg</a>
Originally Posted By Manfried Good grief oc_dean can you please let go of this and see the other side just once? Huh? Please?
Originally Posted By oc_dean And if anyone buys into the "temporary" rumor..... I think two of my favorite quotes (from Micechat) are: * "Temporary" in Disney World means 15 years or more! * 20+ in terms of Birthdayland/Starland/Toontown Fair. Disney are notorious with turning "temporary" into "permanent".
Originally Posted By DlandDug >>It truly baffles me why anyone would want meet and greets over a ride...<< Don't know that anyone says they prefer m&gs over rides-- just some here are willing to admit that m&gs are not a bad thing. On my first visit to the MK (many, many years ago) I was struck by the almost berserk reaction east-coasters had toward characters. There was this incredible jam of people in front of the castle, all just to meet Mickey and friends. In subsequent years, WDW has been pretty good about making the characters available. (Camp MinnieMickey, anyone?) So, yeah, I think the m&gs are fine. (I would prefer an attraction AND a meet 'n greet, though.)
Originally Posted By Mr X I don't get why they need to have special areas and queue lines all over the place. Even in crazy TDL, the only characters you need to line up for are Mickey, Minnie and Pooh. ALL the rest (Princesses too) walk around. Why is that so bad or difficult? I certainly agree with Dean in that I would NEVER want an attraction, even a bad one, to be replaced with some other "meet station". Blech.
Originally Posted By DlandDug >>I don't get why they need to have special areas and queue lines all over the place.<< (((Me neither. I think it's all those pushy New Yorkers.)))
Originally Posted By Mr X Or the cast of Jersey Shore, maybe. Interesting how there are such differences though. There are no princess "meet and greets" except for Ariel (obvious reasons) in Tokyo, they don't really care much about the face characters at all, really. Oh sure, they're happy to meet and get a picture with Cinderella. But they'll knock her right to the ground if she's in the way when Mickey Mouse happens by. And having SOME lineups for the most popular characters does make a lot of sense. For some child who's biggest dream was to meet Mickey Mouse at DisneyWorld (and who everyone kept promising would be there for her to meet), being unable to do so because of pushy crowds could be a major bummer. But still, for like ALL of them? And all over the place? And using up valuable real estate for it? Blech.
Originally Posted By Manfried I am glad to see there are some on here who are open enough in their thinking to see other views.
Originally Posted By oc_dean >>Good grief oc_dean can you please let go of this and see the other side just once? Huh? Please?<< Let go of what? That's a laugh. I'm suppose to see "the other side" .. and say there's something creative about Meet & Greets .. is that right? I think they are fine when they accompany a larger Attraction .. like the Ariel Meet & Greet outside her new Attraction. But on their own ???? No. That's just TDO up to cheap antics. Other side - Funny. In Star Wars terms - More like the Dark side.
Originally Posted By oc_dean BTW - I found this. A Bit interesting look at what the interior of what the ride will be like: <a href="http://micechat.com/forums/attachments/walt-disney-world-resort/9766d1295466805-disney-world-fantasyland-project-tracker-snowwhitewall-jpg" target="_blank">http://micechat.com/forums/att...wall-jpg</a>
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>As TDO apparently has the worst reputation for budgeting their projects ... I would not doubt that they cannibalize the dark ride, for parts to the Mine Train ride.<<< TDO does not have much say at this point... They have been ordered to do this by Glendale.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>A friend who has seen the plans and worked on portions of the FLE has told me it will mostly be inside.<<< He'd be right about that.... but he certainly shouldn't discount the outer portions too. Looking at those now, and there are a good number of them.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>I don't get why they need to have special areas and queue lines all over the place.<<< Becuase people are conditioned to have to have a interaction with them. It's not a experience any more.... It's a "must do". Foolish.
