New attractions = PIXAR - anyone else notice???

[jiminyfan]

I have been wondering if WDW will soon become Pixar World. It seem as if any new attraction of late has to do with Nemo, Monsters and now rumors of Toy Story at Studios.

I hated ot see Tarzan close and now it is being replaced by nemo. I guess having Living Seas re-done completely as a Nemo attraction was not enough. Why not pick a Disney movie that fits the AK theme better? Tiemkeeper closes and Monsters take over the location, guess Buzz needed a Pixar friend close by.

Rumors of Pixar themed Block Party Splash and Midway Mania coming to WDW are running wild.

I understand the new partnership, but come on there are many Disney movies to choose from or at least lets try to limit how many of one movie can be used in the parks.

The attraction that could most use an update and could be Pixar related is the Speedway. Let's get rid of the boring current cars and make them over to look like vehicles from the movie? Hmmmmm...interesting idea, why not???

I am interested in seeing how many more old attractions will be replaced by Pixar themed attractions.

Do not get me wrong I love the Pixar movies as much as anyone, but Iam just tired of seeing all the new attractions and updates being themed with them.

Yes, I know I'll hear what about Soarin, Lights Motors Action, Expedition Everest. Yes, these are orginals, but not themed towards a movie.

Just my observation and two cents.

Hopefully, John L will remember it was Disney who bought out Pixar and not the other way around and add some Disney movie themes back to the Parks. Of course, lets start with bringin back good old fashion animated movies as well.

Ok, I'll now get off my soapbox and return to the happy place.

 

[bicker]

On the contrary: Pixar is Disney, now, and so it would be great if the favorite Disney characters be the most featured, even if the current favorites happen to be Pixar characters.

 

[eeyoreiscool]

Right now it seems that the most popular characters are either the Playhouse Disney characters or the Pixar characters. It seems to make sense that they would pick the characters that might bring in the most people.

 

[ChrisFL]

Pixar is the only popular recent movies for Disney anyway, so unless you go back to before the Pixar era to find movies to make attractions from...and which don't already have an attraction, it wouldn't be easy.

Also, Soarin', M:S, and Expedition Everest have nothing to do with Pixar

 

[scoolover]

It seems like all of Disney's good films are pixar films. It would be nice if they would get back to some good old "Disney" type films. I will say that I am a big pixar film fan and love all the movies with the exception of Cars. I guess it is tough to theme a ride after a non pixar film when there have not been very good ones in the last 10 years.

 

[LegoMom3]

I was just discussing this with DH the other day - how all the recent movies are computer-animated (that's the Pixar part) and how great the old stuff is! I've been renting a bunch of the gool ol' Disney movies in anticipation of our trip, and in watching Peter Pan the other day I was really enjoying the "regular" animation! And I'm sorry but nothing beats the multiplane camera shots in Bambi for me!!

Anyway, I guess computer graphics are just "it" right now, so as long as there is ANY partnership between Disney and Pixar, I expect we'll see more of that. Just remember, though, that Nemo and Buzz and the Cars characters ARE Disney characters! I think it's just as fun to see them out and about as any of the others. I think of all that as Disney movies that Pixar just happened to animate.

 

[sticker231]

In the end, it is about getting people to the parks and buying the merchandise. Most of the new films were made by Pixar, now part of the Disney family. Why not capitalize on their success and popularity. It does seem like a little overload having more than one attraction based on one movie or theme. We will have to wait and see. The new Toy Story idea seems pretty cool to me. My kids love these movies and these new attractions will surely keep them excited. Generating excitement and repeat business is what theme park success is all about.

 

[BankBunny]

I was just reading an article in the local newspaper from Sunday about Disney acquiring Pixar and making Ed Catmull (president of Pixar) the new Prsident of Disney Feature Animation. He does not want to make Disney another Pixar and he wants to give the animators the creative freedom they used to have and bring Disney animated features back to the success they had in the 30's and the 90's. Here is a link to the story. I hope the link works-I've never tried to add one before.

http://www.mcall.com/business/local/all-pixarjun18,0,5071686.story

 

[mattsdragon]

I don't want to beat a dead horse, since there are two threads on the same subject, so I'll continue this thread's trend of taking the topic in a slightly different direction.

If you watch the special features on the Chicken Little DVD, they talk about how traditional animation has gone the way of Mr Toad's Wild Ride. It's been replaced at Disney. It was done when there was a chance of them losing Pixar rights, and they figured on going with that style for good. It may change now that Pixar and Disney are one, but it may not.

Time shall show.

 

[LadyDulcinea1]

I agree, I think its just because they're trying to capitalize on the new popular movies and characters, and these just happen to be Pixar. They did create a new ride with a non-Pixar character (Stitch's Great Escape....regardless of whether or not you like the attraction).

Also, like people said, Soarin', Stunt Show, and EE are not Pixar related.....

I think with the new merger we just might be overly aware of the prominance of Pixar

 

[georgia4now]

I think one thing many Disney enthusiasts forget (especially people like me who post on the DIS board during work hours…hmmm.) is that not everyone is nostalgic. Attractions that have been updated or replaced really bum me out because I think of all the fun I had in years gone by, and how much I would like to share that exact same experience with my children some day.

On the other hand, there are millions of people who travel to Disney because it’s “fun” for a day, and nothing else. If Disney replaced POTC with a hotdog stand, they wouldn’t notice, and wouldn’t care.

Evidentially this type of people outnumber Disney enthusiasts. Disney must keep everything fresh and updated to attract people who are always looking for the “next best thing”. Although I must admit that the Disney legacy is to “plus it”, so new rides and attractions based on the latest hit makes sense.

It certainly makes financial sense!

It certainly appears for now that traditional animation is dead, but as long as Disney balances the traditional with the new as far as attractions and hotels, I’ll be a happy camper.

Just my $0.02

 

[mill4023]

Hopefully, John L will remember it was Disney who bought out Pixar and not the other way around and add some Disney movie themes back to the Parks. Of course, lets start with bringin back good old fashion animated movies as well.

Disney may have bought Pixar, but you also have to remember that in the past 10 years, Pixar movies are what kept Disney successful. I'd also like to point out that what made Pixar movies so good is the same thing that made classic Disney movies so good. Story and characters. Sure, when the first Pixar movie came out, everyone was amazed by the CG animation, but that's not the reason for their success.

 

[wdwcoltsfan]

I am thrilled that disney bought Pixar! I LOVE the nostalgia of disney, but I also enjoy the new films. There was a great article on John Lasseter in either Forbes or Fortune last month. If any of you can find it, you should read it. His ties with disney go back farther than I realized. His first job was on the jungle cruise. He said that where he learned about timing in comedy. It also had a quote from Bob Iger who was at the opening of a new park and during the parade as he saw the characters and floats come by, he realized that disney hadn't created a memorable character in almost a decade. That's when he decided to buy Pixar. We all want new attractions and we want them tied with disney characters. Well, children today know the pixar characters. I bet if we asked a toddler who "made" Toy Story, they would say disney, not pixar. If an attraction is popular with people, I don't think they are going to rip it out just to make a new Pixar attraction. The ones that struggle with attendance may get replaced. I don't remember the last time I saw Timekeeper open. I'm not surprised it's being replaced. MGM could use some new rides and I think a pixar tie in there would be appropriate.


Rachel

 

[oxfordcircus]

I'd also like to point out that what made Pixar movies so good is the same thing that made classic Disney movies so good. Story and characters. Sure, when the first Pixar movie came out, everyone was amazed by the CG animation, but that's not the reason for their success.

You have hit the nail on the head here, my friend. That's certainly John Lasseter's philosophy and one I happen to agree with. Computer Generated animation has been popular simply because it is the chosen media of the talented story tellers that Disney has been running off for the last decade or two. I also appreciate Pixar's more traditional and courteous characters as opposed to Lilo/Stitch, Shrek, Ice Age and other non-Pixar burp and booger factories.

With that said, I have to take issue with the original poster's premise. By the poster's own admission, many of the new attraction are not related to Pixar. Pirates of the Carribean being another attraction "enhanced" by the addition of the Sparrow character - which is not Pixar related. It's all about cross marketing: Rides to sell movies, movies to sell rides (Haunted Mansion, POTC), everything to sell dvds, t-shirts, food, boxes of cereal, flash lights, candy, pop tarts, hotel rooms, cable network advertising, cruises, internet advertising, etc., etc., etc. It's all fine with me. I happily give them my money because I perceive my purchases to be a good value.

 

[NC State]

in watching Peter Pan the other day I was really enjoying the "regular" animation! And I'm sorry but nothing beats the multiplane camera shots in Bambi for me!!

I agree with you on that one.

 

[UnderTheMistletoe]

I think you're kind of missing the boat here.

Pixar has been the one producing the big-ticket movies for Disney for quite awhile. Disney animation has had little new by way of story line, characters, or plot for quite awhile. I can't tell you how disappointed I am every time I flip a Disney movie on to se all the "New Feature-Length" animated movie previews. They're all sequelsa or prequels to the major hitters. I think the last big thing Disney animation had was Lilo and Stitch. That wasn't that recent.

The Pixar characters ARE Disney characters. I think they are just as lovable and lasting as the Disney animated classics are. It's a new generation of technology and innovation. I think Disney has something special with Pixar (right now, it seems like they're the ones paying the bills). They've developed lovable, timeless characters, plots, and have returned the the traditional movie "value" (ie, you take some little bit of wisdom away from them).

What did Disney pay for Pixar? $7 billion of thereabouts? Obviously, it's an incredibly important business and entertainment partnership.

 

[oxfordcircus]

One other thing, while Walt Disney had some original ideas and, many of the Disney Company's greatest draws are not characters or stories originally created by WED or those employed by Disney. Obviously Cinderella predates Disney, yet there's her castle in middle of MK. Ariel isn't a Disney creation, nor is Peter Pan, Pinnochio, Pocahontas, Aladdin or Belle and the Beast. I don't see any difference between Disneyfying these characters and the Disney company funding the development and distributing the Pixar characters. They all have a certain Disney feel to me, unlike characters such as Stitch or Kim Possible or *HEAVEN HELP US* the DoodleBops!

Oh, and what, pray tell, do Indiana Jones and Star Wars have to do with Disney??? Other than a commercial partnership between the Disney Company and MGM Studios to cross market their products at that particular theme park?

 

[BeckWhy]

I think that there is a little too much Finding Nemo going around. But with WDW incorporating all the Pixar stuff is no surprise. A movie comes out and they make an attraction out of it. It just so happens that all the movies that have come out have been Pixars.

I don't see anything wrong with Disney doing this, especially since they just merged with Pixar. Think of it like this (I know WDW and Universal Studios Florida are not the same) but USF in IOA has multiple parks that have to do with different things like Suess land, and Marvel land.

 

[JRawkSteady]

I think it's one thing to have a few new PIXAR attractions, but when every single attraction being thought up for 2007-2008 is a PIXAR attraction, that's where I draw the line. EE was an original idea, as were a few others that opened recently, however, if you're going to be basing an attraction on a film or characters, why not use some of the ones we haven't used yet. Whether you go back to Cinderella, Aristocats, Lady and the Tramp...or move to the 90s, where a lot of the movies got cheated out of rides, it would be nice to see something else for once! For instance, I've already seen Buzz Lightyears Space Ranger Spin...why do we need a second one in a different park? PIXAR is going to be taking over this park...and I for one do not like it. These movies are great. The stories are amazing...however, it's not very "magical." Snow White, Cinderella, Fantasia, Dumbo, Pinocchio, and even Beauty and the Beast, Little Mermaid, Lion King.. these are all very magical films. It's just a matter of time til we have no "magic" left in the Magic Kingdom... ... EPCOT has already ditched most of the educational aspect of it..... Bye bye Magic Kingdom, Hello Six Flags...

 

[bicker]

Pixar is Disney Animation, now. And that's a great thing. The best animation in recent years has come from that direction, and it's good for Disney and for Disney fans that Pixar and Disney are now one. As someone pointed out earlier, some of Pixar's films are now "classic" Disney, and rightfully so, since they capture the essence of what it takes to be "classic" Disney: Capturing the hearts of children and Disney fans.