Disney no longer coming up with original ideas for rides

[Astridia]

The changes to the queues are not about theme but about distraction. With the stand by times increasing its about keeping people from focusing on how long they are waiting and less on the show. It's their way of saying "Sorry you couldn't get a FP+ for 7dmt but the line is really cool".

I agree with the intent, but IMO the interactive queues are a fail for many reasons:
1. Only a few people can participate at one time, so everyone else stands around watching.
2. The game participants usually hold up the SB line while they're playing.
3. the screens for these interactive games are all crammed into one spot, so the rest of the ride is an entertainment wasteland.

It may be different on other rides, but I am talking about: Soarin', HM, Pooh, and 7DMT. These are the ones I've seen.

 

[rteetz]

I agree with the intent, but IMO the interactive queues are a fail for many reasons:
1. Only a few people can participate at one time, so everyone else stands around watching.
2. The game participants usually hold up the SB line while they're playing.
3. the screens for these interactive games are all crammed into one spot, so the rest of the ride is an entertainment wasteland.

It may be different on other rides, but I am talking about: Soarin', HM, Pooh, and 7DMT. These are the ones I've seen.

In my opinion I think the Soarin queue is the worst of them. With pooh and HM at least the line seems to move, with Soarin it felt I was in those interactive queues for an hour.

 

[dinolounger]

I have no idea what you mean by "Everest doesn't work" please explain

http://thesocialmouse.com/2013/08/11/joe-rohde-i-will-fix-the-yeti-someday-i-swear/

 

[rteetz]

http://thesocialmouse.com/2013/08/11/joe-rohde-i-will-fix-the-yeti-someday-i-swear/

It's been said that, that possibly the day the yeti will be fixed is soon approaching once they open avatar. That will bring focus to that area so they can close Everest for the period of time it takes to fix the yeti.

 

[I M Fearless]

I realise it (DLP) was not owned entirely by WDC, but I'm amazed they would allow that level of decay to happen; despite ownership it is still their brand.

For me that is the route of the problem: they are so used to having such a strong brand they have forgotten the disadvantage of not having one. It comes back to, you don't know what you've got till it's gone.

Disney are so far ahead of the competition it is as if they are letting the money roll in without doing much to maintain their advantage.

 

[tlmadden73]

With Star Wars, Pixar AND Marvel (and now Avatarland0.. Disney has a ton of IPs to work with. Too many to make an attraction for each one ..
There just isn't room for "original" work.

Heck .. even without Marvel and Star Wars .. when Disney and Pixar push out two movies a year .. .. that is a lot of stuff to work with. Why make an "original" ride when you have movies you can tie into?

Think of all the movies they haven't made a ride/attraction for .. (yet people would LOVE it if they did) ...

 

[rteetz]

I realise it (DLP) was not owned entirely by WDC, but I'm amazed they would allow that level of decay to happen; despite ownership it is still their brand.

For me that is the route of the problem: they are so used to having such a strong brand they have forgotten the disadvantage of not having one. It comes back to, you don't know what you've got till it's gone.

Disney are so far ahead of the competition it is as if they are letting the money roll in without doing much to maintain their advantage.

That's the type of management they had. Euro Disney didn't care thankfully TWDC stepped in.

I agree with you. Disney feels that they are too far ahead and that new innovation isn't needed. They are on cruise control letting the money just roll in.

 

[tlmadden73]

Plus with the success that Universal has had with Harry Potter (a non-original IP) .. Disney has the pressure to keep up.

Honestly though, with the speed that Universal is putting up new big attractions (and not just attractions, but totally new themed areas like BOTH Harry Potter sections and the newly announced Skull Island), Disney has their work cut out for them as they take years to make the smallest improvements.

 

[rteetz]

With Star Wars, Pixar AND Marvel (and now Avatarland0.. Disney has a ton of IPs to work with. Too many to make an attraction for each one ..
There just isn't room for "original" work.

Heck .. even without Marvel and Star Wars .. when Disney and Pixar push out two movies a year .. .. that is a lot of stuff to work with. Why make an "original" ride when you have movies you can tie into?

Think of all the movies they haven't made a ride/attraction for .. (yet people would LOVE it if they did) ...

But some of the most popular rides, HM, BTMRR, SM,Pirates , JC, are all originals

 

[Pigletpal40]

I loved the Expedition Everest movie. That Yeti cracks me up. But my all time favorite is Journey to Kali River Rapids.

 

[tlmadden73]

But some of the most popular rides, HM, BTMRR, SM,Pirates , JC, are all originals

Yes, but all those are 30+ years old I think the OPs point is .. has there been anything original in recent memory?

You do have a point though .. those classics are pretty timeless (based on the popularity of the ones you mentioned) and I think original attractions will have more lasting appeal than an IP based one where people go "who is that?" ..

 

[rteetz]

Plus with the success that Universal has had with Harry Potter (a non-original IP) .. Disney has the pressure to keep up.

Honestly though, with the speed that Universal is putting up new big attractions (and not just attractions, but totally new themed areas like BOTH Harry Potter sections and the newly announced Skull Island), Disney has their work cut out for them as they take years to make the smallest improvements.

If they had pressure to keep up we would've seen a Star Wars attraction already. Disney doesn't feel all that pressured by universal.

 

[rteetz]

Yes, but all those are 30+ years old I think the OPs point is .. has there been anything original in recent memory?

You do have a point though .. those classics are pretty timeless (based on the popularity of the ones you mentioned) and I think original attractions will have more lasting appeal than an IP based one where people go "who is that?" ..

Not stateside. Mystic manor is an original that was done in HKDL that is a hit and uses new technology.

 

[ahoyle]

I think its a non-issue as long as you are selective of your IPs. Most Disney cartoons are pretty timeless. I'm not worried about a little girl 20 years from now not knowing what Frozen is. Thats why Peter Pan, Dumbo, etc are all non issues. Stuff like Avatar is where thats a bigger concern. What will Avatar be remembered as 20 years from now? That should be important to Disney, because at their current rate of construction, it will still be one of the 5 newest rides at Disney World at that time.

If you look at Universal, they are only using IPs as has been said, but I think they have done a great job with choosing their IPs to work with. Transformers, Harry Potter, King Kong, are all pretty timeless. If you build a great ride, it really doesn't matter. Tower of Terror is technically Twilight Zone...no one cares. Its a great ride, great story. Same could be said of the millions of kids that ride RnR Coaster and have no idea who Aerosmith is, but again, great ride, great story. Same could be said of Mummy at Universal...that ride is timeless due to the story of the ride, not the movie.

Also, Universal just went further with that. If you don't think Universal's next big announcement after Kong (besides the water park and new hotel currently being built) isn't going to be a huge Nintendo Land area...I don't know what to tell you.

 

[Josh Hendy]

Does it really surprise anyone that they won't fix the Yeti when the solution to the broken paperboy in Spaceship Earth was to spin him around so he's selling to a dark alley?

Probably the most jarring and cynical non-fix in all of WDW. Millions of people look at that paperboy every year and say ... "Whaaa ??" Whereas it's relatively easy to overlook the defects of the Disco Yeti because of the speed and excitement of the Everest ride.

This shows that the people who have the power over budgets and maintenance priorities never visit the parks. Not the way that their customers visit.

 

[RustManFan]

SSE has long been one of our favorites (smell Rome burning) and it isn't based on a movie either. Just wish when it was redone a number of years ago that they hadn't taken out sections where you simply see black drapes. Still that way? Will have to see on next trip

 

[3DisneyFanz]

Probably the most jarring and cynical non-fix in all of WDW. Millions of people look at that paperboy every year and say ... "Whaaa ??" Whereas it's relatively easy to overlook the defects of the Disco Yeti because of the speed and excitement of the Everest ride.

This shows that the people who have the power over budgets and maintenance priorities never visit the parks. Not the way that their customers visit.

I have to say that I agree the Yeti not moving is disappointing but I don't really focus on it the way I do other things. I've ridden it when he moved and I can't really say it significantly changed the experience for me. The disappointment in things like the paperboy, non jumping fish at SM, chipped up cars at Buzz, non bouncing Tigger, etc. bother me a lot more. Of course for those once in a lifetime people that don't know any better I'm not sure they'd notice most of these things because they never saw them work.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Plus with the success that Universal has had with Harry Potter (a non-original IP) .. Disney has the pressure to keep up.

I love your posts on this topic and mostly agree...

But this statement has not manifested...

If anything - since Harry potter - Disney had gone the opposite and decided their investment would have almost nothing to do with the competition.

If you recall - when they announced "sorta new fantasyland"...people thought that was a shot back...

But if anything...they went the other way...princessizing and toddle time In a park that was already rich in it.

Avatar is off the map... They didnt get a mainstream thing like potter - they got an almost forgotten movie that people said "oh yeah... The blue people" and has even had political stances attached to it. Even with sequels...that's not a chalk type of pick.

And now they're sitting on a 9 year old boys fantasy...

Literally sitting on it...like a fat goose on the eggs. "All in due time"

That certainly almost shows a vast disregard for the competition.

The whole picture is "don't care"

And the reason is pretty simple... They have 70% market share and nothing the competition does is viewed as much of a threat. Infact...it is an advantage...as few people go to Orlando and go just to universal...while many to and just go to Disney.

UOR...and they know it...are generating business for wdw. The good thing now is the Roberts at Comcast DON'T like it...and they have out alot of effort into trying to embarass them At their own game.

But we're not anywhere close yet.

 

[Astridia]

Not stateside. Mystic manor is an original that was done in HKDL that is a hit and uses new technology.

Yes, but funding for the ride came from Honk Kong not from Disney.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Yes, but funding for the ride came from Honk Kong not from Disney.

Hence...it got built