Does anyone else wish Disney would stop building thrill rides?

[kathyg]

I don't know about the rest of you, but I miss the "old" Disney. It seems that every time Disney builds a new attraction it's all about the thrills...higher, faster, scarier, etc. With this new death from Mission Space it makes me wonder why we would have to ask ourselves if each new ride will make us dizzy, nauseous, claustrphobic, acrophobic, whatever. We shouldn't have to ask ourselves if the ride is safe to go on.

I wish Disney would bring back some of what it used to be...rides like Horizons (now closed), Spaceship Earth, The Great Movie Ride. These rides were/are entertaining without being scary. I, for one, don't need thrills in order to have fun on a ride. I'm sure the Disney imagineers could come up with something that the entire family could enjoy without having to worry about ride restrictions. I want to have fun, be entertained and maybe even be educated. I don't want to worry about getting sick from a ride.

I do understand that Disney has to be competitive and progressive, but Disney is not a thrill park, it's a theme park. Higher, faster and scarier is not always better.

Just wondering if anyone else felt the same?

 

[Mr. X]

I was there last week, when was this "new death" on MS? I chose not to ride it since I saw 3 people hurling outside the ride. I loved Expedition Everest, TOT, and RNR Coaster.

 

[DisneyMim]

Yes Kathyg I feel the same, but I'm afraid we are in the minority. I fully understand that Disney has to keep up with Universal, etc and need to build thrill rides, but I find myself missing the old rides like Horizons. The new death on MS really worries me. My family has never been on it and now never will. I wish they could keep some of the old rides and build the new ones that they seem to think they need, but I understand that it's just not possible. I too agree that Disney is not a thrill park, it's a theme park and for me I would like it kept that way. In the end it's (always) about the bottom line though, money.

 

[jswalker1981]

If you actually think about it, there are how many "thrill rides"? The 3 mtns, ToT, RNR, EE, M:S and that's about it. I don't count test track, just going fast at the end doesn't make a thrill, I do that in my own car! And you almost can't count Splash, but I do because of the drop. So, really, there isn't that many thrill rides when you think about it. Those 7 are spread over four parks. There are about 13 other rides in MK, and I'm not counting sit down attractions, i.e., philarmagic, stitch, cop, etc. So, it really isn't that bad when you think about it. I know it seems as though that is all they are building, but at some point, they have to be able to have something to attract people to visit. The needed to diversify their rides. Hopefully they will make some more dark rides, etc, as I love those too.

 

[buckylarue]

It seems that every time Disney builds a new attraction it's all about the thrills...higher, faster, scarier, etc.

Winnie the Pooh, Mickey's PhilharMagic, Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters, Walt Disney - One Man's Dream, Turtle Talk with Crush, the upcoming Finding Nemo - The Musical and The Seas with Nemo and Friends...not exactly "all about the thrills". People tend to focus on the things that bother them, and forget about the things that they actually do enjoy. There will always be some attractions that some people like and some that they don't. I think the balance is still pretty good, and WAY better than any other amusement parks I've been to!

 

[allegracristina]

I'm not sure which death the OP is referring to, but if it is the death of the 4 year old boy last year, he had a pre-existing heart condition. Disney has very few "thrill" rides in my opinion. ToT and RnR are the only two that I consider "thrill" rides-MAYBE Splash Mountain because of the drop. Other than that, they are all very tame. I certainly wouldn't have to consider whether or not they were "safe" for a healthy adult to ride (no heart conditions, back problems, etc.). I think Disney stays true to their roots in every ride they create, bringing in loads of back story, authentic props, and tons of detail.

 

[scoolover]

I certainly understand where you are comming from. Attractions with a good story and scenery should be the Disney staples. It seems like they are trying to compete with Universal and Busch Gardens when they should be taking the lead in innovation. That being said, They should build a fifth park with the adventure rides to attract the teenage audience. I would love it. Take care
Scott

 

[jswalker1981]

I'm not sure which death the OP is referring to, but if it is the death of the 4 year old boy last year, he had a pre-existing heart condition. Disney has very few "thrill" rides in my opinion. ToT and RnR are the only two that I consider "thrill" rides-MAYBE Splash Mountain because of the drop. Other than that, they are all very tame. I certainly wouldn't have to consider whether or not they were "safe" for a healthy adult to ride (no heart conditions, back problems, etc.). I think Disney stays true to their roots in every ride they create, bringing in loads of back story, authentic props, and tons of detail.

I totally agree with you. We all just saw a show on EE that was dedicated to just the research and traveling that was done to make the THEME of EE as realistic as possible. It may be a thrill ride, but the ride has depth, it has a storyline, it isn't just some metal and concrete thrown together.

 

[rejobako]

My guess is that no one really predicted the success of Universal Studios as an alternative to the Disney parks. The main draw of Universal over Disney has been the thrill rides, and Disney has chosen to try to compete to entice those who might not ever make the trip over to Universal if they can stay at Disney and lose their lunch just as easily.

Don't worry -- Disney will always be the most magical place for the young and young at heart, and I'm sure they will continue to maintain and develop attractions to appeal to everyone.

 

[weirdpaintballr]

I can absolutely tell you that there is nothing dangerous about Mission:Space. The main problem is that older people are going on it thinking "it won't be too bad...I only get motion sickness on Star Tours"....If you get motion sickness...don't ride it. Anyone who has had health problems, have had the things that the sign warns about. I've been on it atleast 5 times...doesn't bother me at all.... and for the question Why are som many people getting sick on it now? I have now idea...you should have ridden it when it first opened...about 5 times more intense...I've ridden it with a CM before ad she says its getting weaker each times she rides because too many people ar trying to ride it who shouldn't.

Disney will not stop building thrill rides until thrill rides go out of style. Disney is still building and has recently built a lot of family rides, as someone as already posted. I really only consider there to be 3 thrill rides:RockinRollerCoaster, Tower of Terror, and possibly Expedition Everest (have been on it yet) The other mountains just aren't that intense... Ans Test Track is just fast...so there really aren't that many thrill rides at WDW...

 

[Mcmouse]

You can check out other posts on this same forum or even on the wdwifno home page
http://www.wdwinfo.com/news2.php?news_id=358&start=0&category_id=&parent_id=&arcyear=&arcmonth=

 

[dbm20th]

Check out other threads all over DIS that are reporting the death of a 49yr old woman who rode M:S this week.

The fact is that WDW has built many non-thrill attractions and always will. The impression that they have stopped doing so is just wrong. The parks are certainly more thrill-oriented then they were 30 years ago, but I don't consider that a bad thing. As Tom Edison says, "Discontent is the first necessity of progress."

 

[cdpa4d]

The thrill rides at Disney are tame in my opinion. I wouldn't consider an 80ft drop on EE or Splash to be intense. BTMRR is very tame. TOT drops are not that long. Just enough to give you a little thrill. I would consider RNR more thrilling than most because of the inversions and speed.

Have you seen some of the thrill rides today at other parks or cities:
Cedar Point: Top Thrill Dragster 425ft drop. Speed of 115MPH. Almost 90 degrees.
Have you seen some of the rides on top of the Stratosphere in Las Vegas. Yikes!

 

[Maps05]

Maybe on THEMED thrill rides, like Splash Mountain (yeah, I know not strictly thrill but I can't take big drops) they could make two rides in one, one with the drop, one without so everyone can enjoy it.

 

[mdoc]

I personally like a mix of attractions. My family enjoys the thrill rides ("thrill ride" being relative - the thrill rides at Disney do not compare with the thrill rides at Six Flags or Cedar Point) but we also enjoy the not-so-thrilling just as much and in some cases even more. My favorite ride (and that of our 3 kids) is EE, but DH's favorite is POTC. I think the thrill rides keep the older children interested. While I might be happy with a day filled with Small World, Jungle Cruise, POTC and Haunted Mansion, my kids would be bored without Space, Splash and Thunder thrown into the mix. And they love Mission Space (not me!), Test Track, RnR, TofT and Everest. I like the fact that the thrill rides at Disney are still themed - it's not JUST the thrill.

 

[eliza61]

Yes Kathyg I feel the same, but I'm afraid we are in the minority. I fully understand that Disney has to keep up with Universal, etc and need to build thrill rides, but I find myself missing the old rides like Horizons. The new death on MS really worries me. My family has never been on it and now never will. I wish they could keep some of the old rides and build the new ones that they seem to think they need, but I understand that it's just not possible. I too agree that Disney is not a thrill park, it's a theme park and for me I would like it kept that way. In the end it's (always) about the bottom line though, money.

The problem is that "thrill" is subjective. I think MS and EE are pretty tame (but then again, I bungee jump so go figure). One reason I really love Disney over Universal is that all the rides have alot of designing and research put into them. To me the que on EE is almost as much fun as the ride. MS is alot tamer than when it first open.
I think the reason Disney is so much more successfull than Universal is because of the great mix or attractions available.

I would like them to seriously do a thorough investigation on MS, really take it apart and try to figure out if there is some underlying problem. Let's all hope this is the last incident.

 

[NCHeel23]

Winnie the Pooh, Mickey's PhilharMagic, Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters, Walt Disney - One Man's Dream, Turtle Talk with Crush, the upcoming Finding Nemo - The Musical and The Seas with Nemo and Friends...not exactly "all about the thrills". People tend to focus on the things that bother them, and forget about the things that they actually do enjoy. There will always be some attractions that some people like and some that they don't. I think the balance is still pretty good, and WAY better than any other amusement parks I've been to!

I couldn't agree with you more. IF there is a ride you don't like don't judge the whole park by it. Disney is trying to cater to all people and that includes thrill rides. Disney is about change!

 

[wdwguide]

Absolutely not. I do enjoy dark rides tremendously and am disappointed that their numbers are dwindling, but that shouldn't preclude Disney from building attractions like Splash Mountain, the Tower of Terror and Expedition Everest that probably 80%+ of all park guests can experience safely if they wanted to and are among the most immersive and well-themed rides ever built.

 

[FigNewton]

I like the mix. I love Pirates but quite frankly if every ride was like Pirates, of SSE, or the old Horizons... I'd never spend a whole week at Disney as I do now. There really aren't that many real "thrill" rides anyway. Personally I don't even consider M:S to be a real thrill ride. It's neat the way it works and I enjoy it, but I've been on rides at the state fair that were more "thrilling."

 

[jann1033]

no

i like both types of rides and think both are "disney" .

haven't gone on ee yet but imo the "thrill" rides at disney are very "family friendly" as in most close to tween and up kids could ride them and helps get away from the "Disney is for kids " stereotype.