Originally Posted By leobloom Went to the parks today. I'll post my thoughts on MK later. Here's what I noticed for MGM. -Curious thing about parking at MGM this morning. We were using the Buena Vista Drive entrance, and waiting in a long line of cars. When we got a few cars from the toll booth, the CM just starts waving EVERYONE in. So dozens of cars are driving into the parking lot without paying! I'd never seen/heard of anything like this. Strike anyone else as incredibly unusual? -Didn't realize Star Wars Weekends were still on-going. Couldn't miss it or the thousands of fans that were at the park at opening. -FP'ed Star Tours. I've got mixed feelings about the ride. Overall, the ride didn't particularly impress me. It just felt like Star Tours, not really Star Tours 2.0. The queue seemed almost identical to how it was before. I noticed a few changes, but nothing to make me think the queue had been necessarily improved. I didn't find the 3D effect to be especially effective, either. I know a lot of people said it added depth to the screen, but I didn't really see it. Looked to me like the same effect could've been accomplished with a high-definition screen, but I’m not a technical guru so I might have this wrong. We got Darth-Wookie Planet-Leia-Death Star. The Wookie Planet was probably the best part of our ride. Too much of the ride just seemed to be straight-ahead flight dodging trees or obstacles. I dunno, I guess the ride has always been that way – well, the old attack on the Death Star had the dive down into the trench fight -- but this one just didn't wow me. My wife, FWIW, had never seen the old Star Tours, and she thought it was a cool ride. But we weren’t racing back to ride it again, and we certainly didn't wait in the 60-min stand-by line for a second go at it. One last thing: I didn't like how C3PO "accidentally" becomes your pilot. Too much of the old WDI chestnut "...and then something goes terribly wrong." Was hoping he would just be the captain, not the captain-by-accident. A little derivative of Star Tours 1. Sure it'll be a hit with most Star Wars fans, and I have no doubt casual guests will like the ride. But this isn't the upgrade I was hoping for. To me, it doesn't add much value to MGM that wasn't there before. -By 10:00, Toy Story was 150 min, Star Tours was 60 min, Coaster was 90 min, and Tower was 30. Kinda...okay, a lot crowded. -Had a new CM earning his ears on the Great Movie Ride, and he did a good job. Also saw the Wild West shootout on the ride, which I think is a lot more exciting than the gangster shootout. -Always nice to get on a ride like Tower of Terror with a bunch of screaming teenagers or 20-somethings. Even better when the doors close to start the ride and one of them shouts, "Oh #@$%!" Classy guests. I know, shouldn't be surprising.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<-Curious thing about parking at MGM this morning. We were using the Buena Vista Drive entrance, and waiting in a long line of cars. When we got a few cars from the toll booth, the CM just starts waving EVERYONE in. So dozens of cars are driving into the parking lot without paying! I'd never seen/heard of anything like this. Strike anyone else as incredibly unusual?>> Not as much as you'd think. I'm not a morning Spirit, but on rare ocassions when I'm up and out before noon, I have experienced what you did. I've been told they do that when traffic gets heavy on Buena Vista and buses start blocking (or threatening to) the intersection ... just easier to let 25-100 cars get some free parking (and many of them are resort guests or APers anyway, so they wouldn't be paying). But it also is one reason why they plan on reworking the exit/entry for the park. As to Star Tours ... I am not surprised. I think I will enjoy it, but not be blown away or anything close. But I am a mild fan of the films. I think the redo will appeal to geeks a whole lot more. Not in a hurry to ride ...
Originally Posted By leobloom I should've added that the ride will be a lot more popular with people who get excited at seeing specific characters. I wasn't crazy about the character parade that you now get. The "message" that you get from Leia (or whomever else they have on hand) stops the action completely, and I didn't really see what the point was except to trot out another character for the fans. I like the original films just fine, but I have to say I didn't get a thrill going up my leg from seeing Leia stop the action for a few moments to say something about Rebels, spies, Empire, and whatever else.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Thanks for your review Leo, very interesting. Now I would rather queue for Star Tours than nearly three hours to play a video game, but I am not the average visitor to the swamps. Especially when a 3D Tv, Playstation 3 (that supports 3D games) and a subscription to Sky 3D costs a lot less than a WDW vacation, but I digress. >>>As to Star Tours ... I am not surprised. I think I will enjoy it, but not be blown away or anything close. But I am a mild fan of the films. I think the redo will appeal to geeks a whole lot more. Not in a hurry to ride ...<<< I am a huge Star Wars geek, the only thing I loved more than Disneyland as a kid was Star Wars. It is the only addition in the Disney empire added this year that I would like to ride. >>> should've added that the ride will be a lot more popular with people who get excited at seeing specific characters. I wasn't crazy about the character parade that you now get. The "message" that you get from Leia (or whomever else they have on hand) stops the action completely, and I didn't really see what the point was except to trot out another character for the fans. I like the original films just fine, but I have to say I didn't get a thrill going up my leg from seeing Leia stop the action for a few moments to say something about Rebels, spies, Empire, and whatever else.<<< However, this is another problem I have with this. It is another example of Disney shoving characters, but in this celeb obsessed world of sheeple, is anyone surprised? What really disturbs me however is in the Darth Vader scene. We can hear him speaking outside of the ship, an insulated ship that can travel at warp speed. And yet I cannot hear my wife if she shouts something when i am in my car and she is outside without opening windows. Minor geeky point.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer Interesting report... sounds like I'm making the right choice to wait for ST in December.
Originally Posted By DlandDug >>The "message" that you get from Leia (or whomever else they have on hand) stops the action completely, and I didn't really see what the point was...<< In defense of ST:TAC, I would point out that the short message delivered via "hologram" midway through the experience reinforces the slender new storyline. Specifically, the "interactive" element of having one of the guests in the car actually be an integral part of the "plot." This is introduced in the opening moments, when their "wanted photo" is displayed by character #1, reinforced by character #2 in the message that references them, and finally they are the raison for the final jump and visit to another planet. This is WAY over thinking what is, for most, "just an amusement park ride." But I appreciate the fact that the show designers were able to wedge all this into a fast paced attraction, and without belaboring it. (And I suppose the case could be made that the time spent for the message gives guests a breather from all the non-stop, thrilling action that precedes and follows it...!)
Originally Posted By Bolna <<-By 10:00, Toy Story was 150 min, Star Tours was 60 min, Coaster was 90 min, and Tower was 30. Kinda...okay, a lot crowded.>> Interesting that even on a Star Wars Weekend two attractions still get longer lines than the newly opened Star Tours II. Thanks for the report! Unfortunately I had to skip a large part since I try to stay away from spoilers for Star Tours (not sure whether it will work, but one can try).
Originally Posted By TDLFAN <<-Curious thing about parking at MGM this morning. We were using the Buena Vista Drive entrance, and waiting in a long line of cars. When we got a few cars from the toll booth, the CM just starts waving EVERYONE in. So dozens of cars are driving into the parking lot without paying! I'd never seen/heard of anything like this. Strike anyone else as incredibly unusual?>> Not Unusual. Many of those cars bypassing the toll booth are Cast members who must access their (front of the lot) CM parking lot. At times when certain CM shifts start, you will see a high number of CM's personal vehicles going into the lot alongside parking paying guests. CMs have a CM ID sticker on the cars so the CM working the toll booth can recognize them and wave them through. Annual Passholders are still required to STOP at the booth and show their AP to enter for free.
Originally Posted By leobloom Interesting that you mention the CM parking at MGM. Why did WDI put the CM lot next to the guest lots? Was that attempt to extend the behind-the-scenes feel to the parking lot? I realize there might not be many guests who realize the CMs park where they do, but nevertheless strikes me as a strange design move. >> CMs have a CM ID sticker on the cars so the CM working the toll booth can recognize them and wave them through. Annual Passholders are still required to STOP at the booth and show their AP to enter for free. << Just to clarify, the toll booth CM wasn't checking for parking stickers or APs. S/he just waved everyone in, I suppose because of the traffic extending back to Buena Vista.
Originally Posted By TDLFAN The CM parking lot used to be where the Fantasmic! theater now sits. The CMs' parking lot lot moved to the front lot when construction for the Fantasmic! theater started.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper <<CMs have a CM ID sticker on the cars so the CM working the toll booth can recognize them and wave them through.>> Huh!? I never got a damn sticker! <<Interesting that you mention the CM parking at MGM. Why did WDI put the CM lot next to the guest lots? Was that attempt to extend the behind-the-scenes feel to the parking lot? I realize there might not be many guests who realize the CMs park where they do, but nevertheless strikes me as a strange design move.>> DAK's CM parking is out front as well.
Originally Posted By TDLFAN Well, maybe the CMs don't get a sticker anymore?? But that was the case when I was a CM at WDW...over 27 years ago? Before you were born, maybe? When WDW was about quality and not about DVCs, profits and girly makeover boutiques?
Originally Posted By ChiMike It was about profit, but they did not have a hard time achieving profit because they weren't so busy blowing millions on wasteful projects and wasteful people.
Originally Posted By leobloom I never had a CM ID sticker for my car, either, and I worked there about 6 years ago. Just had the temp ID card at first (probably a measure for all the new-hires who don't last past a couple of weeks) and a permanent ID card later. Didn't know that about the CM parking and Fantasmic. Thanks, TDLFAN.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA <-- had parking stickers on his car when he worked at WDW. But that was 1986-90.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA <-- had parking stickers on his car when he worked at WDW. But that was 1986-90.
