Originally Posted By FerretAfros I'm sure the look of TDS's TOT is explained in the details somewhere. My understanding was that Hightower toured the world, he saw all these different styles that he really liked. So when he got home with all of his treasures and trinkets, he decided to build a place to store them that was as exotic as the items themselves. Since he had been around the world and seen so many things, it was only fitting that he made his building look like it was from all those places as well. Even though it looks like a strange amalgamation of styles, it really fits his personality, IMO. As for DCA's being a clone of WDSP's TOT, that is not really news. That has been around for a while, and I really don't think that it will make that big of a difference. Since we all know that neither park is a destination that would pull people from far away, there will probably be very little cross over, other than hardcore Disney fans. Sure, it sucks that it's the worst version of the ride out there, but this is all relative. I would definately put it against many of the "classic" attractions. The single drop shaft gives the ride program a lot more flexibility for the future, as it can drop between scenes and really mix things up. I know that it has its weaknesses, but it also has a lot of potential for future reprogramming that could help keep the ride popular, like what they've done with the MGM TOT.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 I'm in the camp that likes DCA's tower better than WDW's, as quite a few people have said. The grounds aren't as nice, but I prefer the ride experience. I've always found WDW's 5-D room clunky and the momentum just dies as you wait to be clicked into position and checked and re-checked and re-checked (necessary for safety, but it kills the flow). DCA's single shaft is a much giddier experience, though shorter. If they could add another scene, they'd nail it. I always wondered after they built the first tower, why the subsequent ones just didn't fill in the empty space below both ends of the "T" on top. It looks particularly strange in Tokyo's ornate model to have those gaps, which they easily could have filled in with simple exterior walls with just space behind them, and looks strange enough (though less so) in the other models.
Originally Posted By ArchtMig >>>The single drop shaft gives the ride program a lot more flexibility for the future, as it can drop between scenes and really mix things up.<<< "More" flexibility?? Oh, so you just get more ups and downs then? Or different ones... sometimes more ups, sometimes more downs? How many ups and downs are enough? How many are too much? What else can be done with the "flexibility" of this shaft? And why is this "flexibility" any better then the original? Maybe the 5th Dimension room is boring, but at least it is there, so there is always the possibility of filling it with new and great effects. None of that exists in the DCA version. All we can have is... more drops. And then at the bottom, we see the same dude that loaded us on at the beginning, and he says... "Did you like all the drops? We added more drops! Isn't that great? And did you like how we dropped you 3 or 4 times, and then we stopped you at the magic mirror scene again so you could wave goodbye to yourselves again, and then experience... more drops!"
Originally Posted By ArchtMig In Michael Eisner's world, if a little of a good thing is good, then much, much more of a good thing must be... great... right? That's obviously the thinking behind Eisner's request that the overall ride time on the upcoming DCA TOT be somehow lengthened, when he first realized, after it was already done, but before it was opened to the public, that the ride time was ridiculously short. He said... "Hey guys... isn't the ride time a little short? What can we do to lengthen the experience?" "Umm.. gee sir... you and Mr. Braverman made us cut out the 5th Dimension room, so we really don't have any real options here... I guess we could throw in a few more drops. That'll add a few seconds." "Great!", said Eisner. "More drops! That's what the people like. They don't care about transitions or special effects, right, just the drops. Drops are good! Even more drops are better! Add the drops!" Too bad he didn't remember the lesson of taking the successful once a week "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" (a little bit of a good thing) and plastering the schedule with showings of it night after night after night. (If a little bit is good, then lots and lots must be great.)
Originally Posted By ChurroMonster I agree that the original version is a lot more upgradable than the DCA version. Despite the clunky 5-D room, I still think it's a better ride experience because of the better queue, preshow, longer ride, and separate load and unload areas. I really enjoy the DCA version but its upgradablity (if that's indeed a word) is limited. The Tokyo version is, I'm sorry, hideously ugly. The detailing is nice and the story intesting, but the building itself is a beautifully detailed freak of architecture. It frightens me and not in a good way.
Originally Posted By Ryuki Sometimes I feel like the only one here who actually likes the DCA ToT. I love the atmosphere in the queue too. But then again, I'm probably the only one here who hasn't been on any other versions.
Originally Posted By Zwitek <<< Sometimes I feel like the only one here who actually likes the DCA ToT. I love the atmosphere in the queue too. But then again, I'm probably the only one here who hasn't been on any other versions. >>> I love the attraction as well. The theming is wonderful, unfortunately I seldom get to "wait" in the lobby cue and enjoy the music (with that amazing, ghostly echo) and ambience. I really wish that park was open later, I'd love to just hang out in front of ToT and enjoy the sounds at night when it looks really spooky.
Originally Posted By cheesybaby DCA as a whole has wonderful ambience at night and is very beautiful at night. It is a real shame that it doesn't have the night-time offerings that can hold its audience late into the night to justify keeping it open later. I am really looking forward to the rumored PP lagoon show not just for the show itself but because the park will be open later on a regular basis.
Originally Posted By ChurroMonster If there was ever a park that was meant to be better after dark then it's DCA.
Originally Posted By SuperDry ^^^ Maybe that's why they have the Cove Bar: things look much better if you have your beer goggles on and they don't turn up the lights.
Originally Posted By Ryuki What's the Cove Bar? Is it an actual bar? lol I'm only 19 so I don't know these things. But I LOVE DCA at night. Especially Tower of Terror and the Screamin' area.
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt What's the menu like at the Cove Bar these days? When the place first opened they had great bar offerings, including sushi.
Originally Posted By EighthDwarf Cove Bar is a full bar and offers a variety of appetizers as well as some specialty drinks. They make a killer mai tai. God knows me and ChurroMonster have had our share of mai tais there! Nothing better than riding Screamin' with a buzz.
Originally Posted By Zwitek If you think Screamin' with a buzz is fun, you should try Soarin'. You'll believe you could fly!
Originally Posted By ni_teach > If you think Screamin' with a buzz is fun, you should try Soarin'. You'll believe you could fly! Just make sure that your seatbelt is on very tight ;-)
