Does Disney need to re-think its ride attractions?

[mobocracy]

After our most recent visit (3 as a family, 6 for me personally) I'm wondering if Disney needs to seriously re-think its ride attractions to both amp up the "wow" factor as well as better manage queues and capacity.

I'm not sure if its the hold of nostalgia or corporate cost containment, but too many of the ride attractions seem to feel really dated. The themes and sets are great, but the dependence on fairly static electromechanical props seems fairly low tech anymore. I'd like to see much more use of digital technology, especially 4k (or higher) video projection which would allow more frequent updates to content as well as variability in ride experience.

It'd also be interesting to see fewer, but longer rides that told a more coherent story. In theory, longer rides utilizing Haunted Mansion-style continuous boarding could handle large crowds and cut queuing. If you are forced to make choices via Fastpasses anyway, having fewer, longer rides seems like a decent tradeoff especially if continuous boarding would cut queue times or at least keep them moving.

Thrill rides may be hard to adapt to this, since physics and scale may be problematic combinations but perhaps a longer ride could have "thrill" segments or add slow/dark ride components to thrill rides to extend their ride times.

Maybe I've just been too often and the magic has worn off. Some of it also seems like the vision of the future which used to seem to dominate Tomorrowland and Epcot has been replaced by a cartoon future or replaced completely by just a thrill-ride centric mindset.

 

[ArwenMarie]

I think a lot of the rides look very worn out. Buzz is the one that comes to mind for me.

I don't think it's a function of going often though...I hear from people who go for their first time that everything looked old. I think when you go often, you get a soft spot for the oldies.

I agree about length of ride. Mine Train is a great ride but it's too short. The new Frozen ride will also be too short. Maelstrom was short too, obviously, but that was fine in context.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I was actually impressed with the length of numerous WDW rides compared to say Six Flags which is pretty much ALL short rides. But yes, a few more of these could help.

 

[Luv2Run]

While I love that Haunted Mansion has continuous boarding, I find the loading area to be a complete mess. Sure, the outer queue with the interactive stuff is great, but once you're done in the stretching room, it's complete chaos. The worst bickering and shoving I saw during our last trip occurred in the pre-boarding area of Haunted Mansion, because it goes from one large space to a bottleneck that is maybe two people wide, if that. There needs to be better direction there. And there are only CMs on the moving track area, not in this area that I'm talking about.

In terms of technology, while I think some of the queues look a bit dated, I do appreciate the interactive technology like in the queue for Space Mountain, Winnie the Pooh, and Soarin'. At least we have that now.

 

[Mikie]

Well, there's a reason I'm not an imagineer. . . I don't know what needs to be done, but I agree with your point. I cringe at the initial suggestion of more digital technology - I have no desire to stand in line and get strapped into a harness to watch a variety of glorified 3D movies. Some people criticize the popularity of Toy Story Midway Mania as just a larger video game and, while I like the ride and queue theming, a proliferation of this type of ride with other theming slapped on would get old fast.

 

[EPCOTgrl1]

Some of the older rides I think are the better ones. I love the Jungle Cruise and Hunted Mansion. I think the last time the re-did a ride, Test Track, they made it worse then the original.

 

[sweetnjmom]

I think if you want multiple thrill rides, go to a Six Flags (aren't they everywhere) or I guess Universal has them (haven't been in ages, not going this trip). I don't think Disney needs to re-think it's ride attractions at all and like how they are geared for people of all ages and all levels of excitement.

I like Disney for the magic and the ambiance and think the rides reflect that. They are fun and enjoyable and family friendly.

Though, OP, I can understand the desire for something different.

 

[jimim]

i really don't want to have digital movies plastered in front of me for a ride. i think the use of tech for the faces like they did in the mine train was awesome. more of that would be amazing. the use of it and in combination with animatronics is very cool. the new cues they are doing are really great i feel. i do like the continuous load rides.

just using 4k doesn't mean they can update rides whenever they want. just an example, but if the projector isn't hdmi2.0 and hdcp 2.2 then when ultra blyrays come out and they get film in ultra shot in 4k won't work. so you are back to using old tech anyweay cause the projector you are using can't handle the new material you want ot play for the ride. and then what about when hdmi 2.0a material is released that 2.0 projector can't play that. and finally lets take hdr material cause that's the new thing best buy will be throwing at consumers who don't know any better, it can't be played on the 4k projector cause it can't handle hrd content. and these new requirements for hdcp and hdmi compliance are not upgradeable via firmware. it's hardware related. . . .so using the newest 4k tech isn't a way to keep rides from becoming outdated.

i guess all i'm saying is even though u use the newest tech doens't mean you can always refresh a ride easily whenever you want.

 

[jimim]

Some of the older rides I think are the better ones. I love the Jungle Cruise and Hunted Mansion. I think the last time the re-did a ride, Test Track, they made it worse then the original.

i agree. nothing like a nice relaxing few minutes at carousel of progress! wife and kids sleep and i sit back and enjoy! lol

 

[AngiTN]

I think if you want multiple thrill rides, go to a Six Flags (aren't they everywhere) or I guess Universal has them (haven't been in ages, not going this trip). I don't think Disney needs to re-think it's ride attractions at all and like how they are geared for people of all ages and all levels of excitement.

I like Disney for the magic and the ambiance and think the rides reflect that. They are fun and enjoyable and family friendly.

Though, OP, I can understand the desire for something different.

This is how I feel exactly. I want Disney's rides to be just like they are. I drive past a Six Flags to get to Disney because I want what Disney offers, not what Six Flags offers. So I hope Disney doesn't change.

I think a lot of the rides look very worn out. Buzz is the one that comes to mind for me.

I don't think it's a function of going often though...I hear from people who go for their first time that everything looked old. I think when you go often, you get a soft spot for the oldies.

I agree about length of ride. Mine Train is a great ride but it's too short. The new Frozen ride will also be too short. Maelstrom was short too, obviously, but that was fine in context.

Maybe the bold is why I don't want it to change. I like the oldies because they are just that, oldies. I like, and go for, the nostalgia Disney brings to the table. Some call it old and tired. Some call is perfect. Thankfully, there are all types of theme parks out there to suit those wanting differing things.

 

[rwdavis2]

I think Universal has much better high-end attractions than Disney: Spiderman, Transformers, Terminator, MiB, Simpsons. But they are targeted at a different audience. On the other hand nothing else is like the Magic Kingdom for atmosphere and theming.

But I do think WDW needs to step up their attractions when the expand DHS and add Avatar to AK. Another snoozer like the latest Ariel ride won't cut it. It's nice for kids but I won't ride it again.

 

[TT77]

I'm not sure I understand what the OP wanta to see exactly, they don't seem to like the animatronic figures or thrill rides and, personally don't have any interest in a really long omni-mover ride were you look at video screens the whole time even if it has some thrill somewhere along the way

When Epcot first opened, most of the Future World pavilions were 15 minute long, continuous load attractions that tried to tell longer stories, but only Spaceship Earth remains today because people apparently thought these rides were boring, and that's why the thrill rides were added instead

And the majority of the Magic Kingdom attractions consist of animatronic figures, usually signing ones, but that's kind of what the Magic Kingdom is known for. It's also the park for families with younger children, a little kids seem to love those rides, and when those little kids grow up they bring their own kids back to see those rides, so I can't see them changing that

They are about to update Peter Pan's Flight in Disneyland with some new special effects, which I guess will come to Disney World at some point but Disney World seems to be the last place to get updates to the classic/original attractions. Space Mountain in Paris, The Jungle Cruise in Tokyo, and Big Thunder Mountain in Anaheim all have gotten digital projection additions recently, maybe this is what the OP is looking for?

Big Thunder Mountain in Disneyland Anaheim

Jungle Cruise in Tokyo Disneyland

Space Mountain in Disneyland Paris

 

[jec6613]

The digital bits is exactly what MM+ is all about. It lets them move to fully digital attractions, projection, and interactivity, on a level nobody else has. But the infrastructure buildout is just step one, each ride now needs to be refurbished to take advantage of the new technology.

 

[HCinKC]

I don't think of Disney as a typical theme park. I expect an entirely different experience...the experience that they provide. I have to agree with PPs who are saying NO to such changes. If you are looking for thrills, take a trip to...pretty much any other theme park. I can understand that things need to be in good shape. I can understand updating or adding to keep in step with more recent movies (even though I like the old stuff!). If we are talking Magic Kingdom, IMO, they should be the classic, more simple rides. The animatronics are great for kids. Who is going to MK for a thrill? It is for families of all ages, though IMO especially younger. Sure, add some better tech and more thrills at HS. It even makes more sense in a place like AvatarLand. Tech certainly makes sense in Future World at Epcot. IMO, other than keeping things fresh and in good working order, there is no need to add 4K and screens and whatever else to rides in MK. We have enough (sometimes unwanted) screen time in my life. I try to get away from that on vacation. I don't want more for myself or my kids.

 

[tlmadden73]

I think it will be hard for theme parks to "wow" us with all the technology and information at our fingertips.

Disney has its work cut out for it to keep up with Universal. The new rides Universal has added (in a VERY short time frame) are very "Disney-like" ...

I am looking forward to what they will do with AvatarLand .. it seems like that will be the "wow" you are looking for.

They definitely need to keep the "physical" aspect of rides and not overdo the digital effects. While Star Tours is neat (because its Star Wars) .. it's not a very unique ride in any way. You could put any action movie on that screen and it would be pretty much the same ride.

I personally like that Disney doesn't really have many "thrill" rides. You can go there and know your toddler can go on a majority of the rides. I wouldn't even consider taking my children to Universal until they are much much older.

I personally prefer heavy theming .. interesting queues and just seeing very imaginative dioramas over a 60 second coaster that does everything in its power to black you out from the forces.

 

[BrianL]

To me, the "wow factor" comes from the imagination and artistry that went into all those classic attractions. Working within technological limitations sometimes spurs the most creativity, and high-tech does not equal better. I'll take the Haunted Mansion any day over something with a lot of 3D video screens. I will agree that they do need to keep up with maintenance and keeping everything looking pristine, but I feel they do a decent job of that for the most part anyway.

 

[sweetnjmom]

I personally like that Disney doesn't really have many "thrill" rides. You can go there and know your toddler can go on a majority of the rides. I wouldn't even consider taking my children to Universal until they are much much older.

That's basically why we didn't add Universal to this trip, even staying off site and having a rental car. My 5-1/2 year old son is a bit timid with rides (not even sure he'll go on 7DMT or Splash Mountain). So even though he LOVES Minions, we didn't want to waste money on a park ticket to just see them.

 

[Candleshoe]

I think a lot of the rides look very worn out. Buzz is the one that comes to mind for me.

I don't think it's a function of going often though...I hear from people who go for their first time that everything looked old. I think when you go often, you get a soft spot for the oldies.

I agree about length of ride. Mine Train is a great ride but it's too short. The new Frozen ride will also be too short. Maelstrom was short too, obviously, but that was fine in context.

I'm be down for a buzz refurb where the guns all work and work well. I don't know enough about the kind of technology to make that happen, though. I'd be happy with the whole ride just like it is as long as there was a real challenge to it. But knowing you're probably aimed right and nothing is registering makes it a blow-off game. If they fixed the shooting technology *everything else* could stay the same about the ride. IMO.
It's why I like TSMM, I feel like it's challenging and that I have a real chance at playing the game.


I once got 999,999 on buzz and don't even know how. It was a fluke.

 

[Halloweenqueen]

I love what Disney is doing in Disneyland. Big Thunder and Alice, in particular have some great new areas, while keeping the classic look of animatronics. I can't wait to see Peter Pan and Matterhorn this summer!

 

[ArwenMarie]

I'm be down for a buzz refurb where the guns all work and work well. I don't know enough about the kind of technology to make that happen, though. I'd be happy with the whole ride just like it is as long as there was a real challenge to it. But knowing you're probably aimed right and nothing is registering makes it a blow-off game. If they fixed the shooting technology *everything else* could stay the same about the ride. IMO.
It's why I like TSMM, I feel like it's challenging and that I have a real chance at playing the game.


I once got 999,999 on buzz and don't even know how. It was a fluke.

I agree, Buzz needs major help, from the run-down queue to the ride mechanics. I like the ride itself too and I wouldn't want to see it switch to screens (although I like TSMM)