Originally Posted By TDLFAN Today, I had the chance to preview the newest attraction at the MK, Tomorrowland's Monsters Inc Laugh Floor Comedy Club. All I can say is... what were they thinking??? ****SPOILERS FROM THIS POINT ON!! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!!**** Ok.. step by step here... The show plot revolves around the monsters finding out that laughter, NOT screams, energizes Monstropolis. Therefore they had the bright idea to open a comedy club. That's it. The queue still looks very much like it did before... some columns and not much. This time, the imagineers have added painted banners as decor. Very cheap. They have also added a switchback rail, so now the guests go back and forth as opposed to having ample space to move while they wait in that first indoor room. At the end of this queue is a set of doors that lead to Monstropolis, but in reality, it means another queue and holding area. Here in the 2nd queue, we have TV monitors above that ask guests to text message their jokes for concideration and use in the show. Nice interactive feature. My joke of course was NOT used. May as well... After about 7 mins, we enter the main theater, aka the "comedy club". The stage is simple with some set dressing. A huge screen and two small ones. In one of them we see the character of Ross keeping an eye on things. Lots of "eye" jokes on this show, so brace yourselves. The main screen is something similar to Talk with Crush's format. The other small screen looks like a door way where we see that single-eye monster most of the time. What's his name again??? The big Bluish one... Surly? is nowhere to be found here. Thumbs down on that. The audience sits in row of seats that even have lamps, to make it feel as if we were in a real comedy theater with tables.. All that is missing here are the cocktail waitresses coming around every so often. One CM does act as a liason between the characters on the screen and guests, bringing the mike to guests' so they can interact with the characters. The only funny joke comes early... Ross telling the audience "if you don't laugh, we may not have enough power to be able to open the exit doors at the end of the show.." Talk about incentive to laugh!!! From this point on, the show goes downhill.. There are some mildly funny moments, so not all is a waste of time. Those watching this preview with me seemed genuine about laughing here and there, but then again, I sat there... thinking to myself... "I really want this to be good enough to make me smile, but GOD! They are trying so hard and bombing so badly!!" Of course, the tourists around me will laugh at this... not big HAHA laughs but moderate ones... hehehehe! These out of towners will laugh at anything. Maybe they should catch "Monorail Inferno" while it's playing in Downtown Orlando's Parliament House... for a real good belly laugh! As a matter of fact, the only moment that exceeded my expectations came when the little table lamps throughout the theater flickered as a reaction to one of the jokes. That technical aspect was cute. As for the show's format... frankly, Crush still does it better with it's minimal set over at the Living Seas. Here, the Monsters do point out (and use) several members of the audience as point of reference for their jokes. That is probably the most effective tool on this show, since some of these guests do look like people you may have seen them on "America's Most Wanted". So, you can say that the joke is really on us the guests!! (drum crash!) Now you get the idea of this show since I illustrated it so well for you. Like Crush, the Monsters here do engage guests into audience participation and conversation... It's a risk... as it's up to the guests to make it or break it. However, the people in the sound booth providing the voices here do have to recover and they do so nicely, while being mildly funny at times. BTW... this being a test preview, there were a few Imagineers sitting in the very back of the theater keeping an eye of things... and curiously enough, I didn't see any of them laugh. Not once. Also, in the course of this 12 mins show, 4 guests got up and left the theater mid show. NOT one single Monster made a comment or joke directed and them as they left. All in all... The show is not a total waste of time, as it does have a few moments where it can be funny, but not funny enough to make you want to stay or wish this was a longer experience. Also, there may be times when the show may be great or times when it may be mediocre... due to the "live" aspect of it. Much depends on how the actors on the mike are able to engage the crowd watching. Apart from that, I feel this "Comedy Club" format does not belong at the MK. While the idea may sound fun, the execution is simply so-so, and the fact that we are in Tomorrowland, may have something to do with it. Still... I am not sure how succesful this show will be with foreign guests who can not understand a word of English. The concept seem "too grown up" to fit with the MK's themes. Further complicating the show is one nagging objection of mine... the animated characters look bad. The animation looks flat and cheap. There is no 3D feeling to these characters, and frankly... I felt I was watching a huge TV in a passably decorated theater, rather than being in a "Comedy Club" per se. The whole thing fell flat for me (no pun intended). The TV screen here is not even widescreen for pete's sake! So... my final rating? D+ But like I said... some people may have a better experience over others... so just go try it and make up your own mind. BTW... I did make it to EPCOT and checked out the new theater location for "Talk with Crush". The new theater is somewhat bigger but not HUGE! I did like the overhead neon lights simulating waves. Other than that, not much improvement there, but at least this show is still better than the Comedy Club at the MK. I took a few pics with my cellphone for your enjoyment. <a href="http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=4334673&a=32484049&f" target="_blank">http://albums.photo.epson.com/ j/AlbumIndex?u=4334673&a=32484049&f</a>
Originally Posted By Labuda Thanks for the report, TDLFAN. Fair and balanced as usual, and has me thinking I need to come up with some good G-rated jokes I can text in on the occasion I try this out.
Originally Posted By sun-n-fun Thanks TDLFAN. We were hoping they'd have preview during Pres day week. Still would like to check it out in August, but apparently we havn't missed much
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 I have yet to hear one person (from regular guests to Disney geeks to CMs to Imagineers to insiders) say this show is even good. Yeah, some people would give it a mediocre grade ... or as TDLFAN points out, it isn't all completely awful ... but again, is this the best Disney can come up with for its No. 1 park in the world (cough ... attendance wise ... cough ... cough ... choke ...)? When did we decide that 'Well, it's not the worst thing ever created' is acceptable for Disney parks? As for the cheap animation ... well, what do you expect? This project was greenlit before Pixar was acquired. They likely outsourced the animation (remember when they used to make GREAT animated featured at the Disney-MGM Studios?) much like the Saturday morning TV quality stuff seen in the waiting area of Stitch's Great Disaster. BTW ... remember that MK E-Ticket that was supposed to be announced this year? You don't? That's just what Disney's hoping.
Originally Posted By oc_dean according to how well you said everything is set up TDLFAN .... that gives me hope that they held back the overall quality .. since it will only remain something temporary for a couple years. Unless the monsters are in our future .... I hardly see how this is going to remain in TOMORROWland for the long haul. I hope since Eisner has left .. and new people have come in ... some serious evaluating is going on ... and hopefully Lassetter is more astute on how to create DISNEY theme parks .. and limit the use of the CGI worlds of "PIXAR".
Originally Posted By dshyates And this gem is right across from Stinks Great Escape. Next they should close the peoplemover for 10 years only to reopen it in its current form (new paint only) with much hoopla and confetti. Hey I could work for Disney.
Originally Posted By Dlmusic <<BTW ... remember that MK E-Ticket that was supposed to be announced this year?>> Who said that? Just wondering.
Originally Posted By beamerdog Thanks for the report and pictures, TDLFAN. It makes me sad to think that we'll probably skip this whole area of the MK. Whatever happened to the technology that I love? :-(
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Who said that? Just wondering.>> Myself, amongst others ... including this site's WDI 'insider' Leemac. Whenever I ask the folks I know, I'm getting a lot of laughs ... as in 'wait another 15 years ... maybe then.'
Originally Posted By irishfan About six months ago the rumours were flying around many Disney boards about a new e ticket attraction. The incredibles in Tomorrowland seemed to be the strongest contender.
Originally Posted By TDLFAN >>So TDLFAN do you find this a waste or what?<< Yes, but luckily, it only wastes 12 mins of your entire life and you dont ever have to repeat this turkey again.
Originally Posted By TDLFAN Oh BTW.... A big HELLO to all the suits in Burbank and team Disney east/west out there keeping tabs on my threads.
Originally Posted By kennect TDL, Don't let that head inflate...That pic on the screen was something someone did locally....Hopefully all of the suits are reading all threads just not yours!
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 ^^The 'suits' definitely pay closer attention to what certain spirits have to say than others. If you think someone with TDLFAN's incredible wealth of knowledge of Disney resorts world-wide doesn't draw special attention, you'd be very mistaken.
Originally Posted By TDLFAN Forgive him 74, as he is from Atlanta and likes Grace Jones. Enough said.
Originally Posted By TDLFAN BTW... just got back from universal Japan... and ride their little new coaster... And guess what? The "Dream Year" thingy is NOT exclusive to Disney. More on that on my next report from Universal Japan in a couple of days... maybe the suits should visit "Other Theme parks" section here on LP in a couple of days...
Originally Posted By pixiedust1 For all that TDLFAN says about WDW they should be in bankruptcy by now.. But park attendance continues to rise as does the stock... and profits also.. I don't take what TDLFAN says with a grain of salt... it's just one persons opinion... and I think it stinks... but thats just MY opinion...
Originally Posted By DramaMama07 TDLFAN gets his opinions from spending countless hours and hours in the parks. He doesn't thumb his nose at Disney, he wants them to return to a previous standard that he has watched slip over the years. I personally didn't care for him at first either...but he grows on you. Look, you can't ever just take whatever ANYONE says and just accept it without adding your own experience, BUT I have found that TDL is trustworthy. Honestly, I never thought I would ever write that...
