News Round Up 2018

[The Pho]

I really don't get this. Disney is using screens for everything but only Universal gets hate. Flight of Passage is hailed as the greatest ride ever, but it's just the old quarter horse ride in front of Walmart, except you're facing a screen. Navi River Journey has screens throughout the ride. Ratatouille is a spiderman rip-off with loads of screens, but people can't contain their hype. Shanghai Pirates of the Caribbean and is hailed as the best PotC, but it's loaded with screens. Toy Story Midway Mania is literally only screens. Runaway Railroad is using screens. The 2 Star Wars rides are both using screens.


Screens aren't a bad thing, and Universal isn't the only park using them.

The complaint stems from lack of variety. Sure Disney is also using screens, sometimes they are the best option for a ride. Other times they need to be used sparingly. Disney has tons of non screen based rides with more variety. Universal has a couple coasters then screens everywhere else. Universal tends to also get criticized for repeats of those screen rides just with different video. (Such as Spider-Man to Transformers).

 

[etherealcaitiff]

The complaint stems from lack of variety. Sure Disney is also using screens, sometimes they are the best option for a ride. Other times they need to be used sparingly. Disney has tons of non screen based rides with more variety. Universal has a couple coasters then screens everywhere else. Universal tends to also get criticized for repeats of those screen rides just with different video. (Such as Spider-Man to Transformers).

Ok, but Disney does that too, and I'd argue more. The last innovative thing Disney did was Soarin back in 2001. Everything since then has been a variation on a theme or a re-skin. I like Disney and Universal, I just don't get the need to bash one to make the other look better, when really, neither have been too creative lately.

 

[Disneymom1126]

I really don't get this. Disney is using screens for everything but only Universal gets hate. Flight of Passage is hailed as the greatest ride ever, but it's just the old quarter horse ride in front of Walmart, except you're facing a screen. Navi River Journey has screens throughout the ride. Ratatouille is a spiderman rip-off with loads of screens, but people can't contain their hype. Shanghai Pirates of the Caribbean and is hailed as the best PotC, but it's loaded with screens. Toy Story Midway Mania is literally only screens. Runaway Railroad is using screens. The 2 Star Wars rides are both using screens.


Screens aren't a bad thing, and Universal isn't the only park using them.

The complaint stems from lack of variety. Sure Disney is also using screens, sometimes they are the best option for a ride. Other times they need to be used sparingly. Disney has tons of non screen based rides with more variety. Universal has a couple coasters then screens everywhere else. Universal tends to also get criticized for repeats of those screen rides just with different video. (Such as Spider-Man to Transformers).

It is this 100%. It's not just that there are a bunch of screen rides...it's that the majority of the rides are screen rides and with few exceptions, it's screen rides to simulate the same type of thing. I don't mind having a few of them, or when they are used in different ways (e.g. Toy Story Midway Mania is a lot of fun because you are actually interacting with the screens to earn a score). When we went to Universal last year, outside of a few coasters, my experience was that most everything else was a lot like Star Tours...sit in a vehicle and make it seem like you are actually moving somewhere while using the screens to show you where you are supposedly going. Sure Disney does use screens too, but in a variety of different ways and mixed in with a lot of other types of rides, shows, and experiences. I think the other thing is that Universal's IP (outside of Harry Potter) is less interesting than Disney's...so it's both redundant and not as nostalgic. To each their own.

 

[skier_pete]

I really don't get this. Disney is using screens for everything but only Universal gets hate. Flight of Passage is hailed as the greatest ride ever, but it's just the old quarter horse ride in front of Walmart, except you're facing a screen. Navi River Journey has screens throughout the ride. Ratatouille is a spiderman rip-off with loads of screens, but people can't contain their hype. Shanghai Pirates of the Caribbean and is hailed as the best PotC, but it's loaded with screens. Toy Story Midway Mania is literally only screens. Runaway Railroad is using screens. The 2 Star Wars rides are both using screens.

Screens aren't a bad thing, and Universal isn't the only park using them.

Screens can make a good ride, when used in unique ways and limited somewhat.

Disney is starting to use more screens - but there are maybe 4 rides at Disney that use them as main form of visual. For instance ROL uses a screen, but Navi doesnt. Slinky Dog doesn't, Aliens doesn't. Can you please tell me the last time Unviersal installed a ride that wasn't predominantly screens? F&F, Jimmy Fallon, Kong, Transformers, Minions, Gringotts, even Hogwart's Express are ALL predominantly screen rides. (Gringott's I might give a pass to - because it has a coaster element to it, but riding it feels an awful lot like a screen ride.) And I'm sorry, we went to Universal in February of 2017 and 2018 (with an AP) and i was BORED by the rides after a while. In fact to the point that a ride I USED to love (Spiderman) felt like just another "point me at a screen and shake me" ride.

The too many screens is a real issue. Going forward there's a lot of screens coming (Rat, Runaway Railroad, the Star Wars rides) but you also have Guardians and Tron as well. The screen complaint may make it's due at Disney - but as of right now - Universal deserves the grief they get for too many screens. If I don't count Kang and Kodos in 2013, the last new ride that I wouldn't consider predominantly a screen ride is Forbidden Journey in 2010, and the last one without screens is Rip Ride Rockit from 2009.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I really don't get this. Disney is using screens for everything but only Universal gets hate. Flight of Passage is hailed as the greatest ride ever, but it's just the old quarter horse ride in front of Walmart, except you're facing a screen. Navi River Journey has screens throughout the ride. Ratatouille is a spiderman rip-off with loads of screens, but people can't contain their hype. Shanghai Pirates of the Caribbean and is hailed as the best PotC, but it's loaded with screens. Toy Story Midway Mania is literally only screens. Runaway Railroad is using screens. The 2 Star Wars rides are both using screens.


Screens aren't a bad thing, and Universal isn't the only park using them.

Ok, but Disney does that too, and I'd argue more. The last innovative thing Disney did was Soarin back in 2001. Everything since then has been a variation on a theme or a re-skin. I like Disney and Universal, I just don't get the need to bash one to make the other look better, when really, neither have been too creative lately.

To understand this you'd probably have to look at the past. Universal used to employ more variety of rides, shows, etc. However, overtime when they would remove a ride or add a ride it would be screen-based/simulator.

Disney has only started adding screens into a bulk of their stuff.

If Disney only added new attractions with screens and be simulators my complaint would be just the same as it presently is for Universal and believe me I'm concerned about this especially because I have motion sickness.

Universal gets the complaint because that's mainly all Universal has been doing for a while now---whether it's cool/immersive/amazing---adding so many that are reliant on screens gets old fast.

HP is amazing really but when you consider that Kong is also screen based, Fast and Furious is screen based, Jimmy Fallon is screen based, etc you'd start to get over the screen based part because it encompasses too many attractions.

 

[Firebird060]

also you have to take into the fact that in alot of the Disney screen rides they try and take it to a new level or use a new ride vehicle. The ride vehicle in FOP for example "breaths" the boats for the new Pirates in Shanghai they spin and move. Where disney uses screens they also tend to either have a moving ride track or a new vehicle. Honestly I know I will get hate for this a little bit, but if Disney was to add a small screen section to the Haunted Mansion in WDW I would be ok because at least they could change it from time to time for Different Seasons. One of the benefits of screen technology is that you can make changes overnight without having to take a whole ride down. I mean one of the main reasons why WDW will never get a nightmare before Christmas makeover is because it takes the ride down to long. If there was a second say the hallway section with the doors and eyes that was all screen, they could easily do changes on the spot. Now I do not expect Haunted Mansion to change but If it did ad a screen or 2 at least we could have that chance.

 

[fatmanatee]

I kinda get the complaint about Universal but at the same time they're really good at it.

EDIT: To add to this, the new HP ride should be really good, and I like what I'm hearing about the Nintendo area so far. The MK ride SHOULD be different from the norm.

 

[rteetz]

News

Chefs Table dining experience this fall at the Contemporary

https://wdwnt.com/2018/08/book-your...t-available-for-tables-in-wonderland-members/

 

[rteetz]

News

The set for Jungle Cruise is huge!

http://www.wdwinfo.com/news-stories...k-at-the-huge-set-for-the-jungle-cruise-film/

 

[TheMaxRebo]

@TheMaxRebo - More important to you and me personally - you should notice the article states:



The last I checked - like a week ago - the daily EMH were ending on August 25th where the park opened at 8 AM with EMH from 7 to 8 AM. They now have EMH from 8 AM to 9 AM, with park opening at 9AM, all the way through September 2nd - like the article states.

Good 'ole Disney pulling the rug out from under us. Worse for @TheMaxRebo because he's staying off site.

Ugh, thanks for pointing this out - definitely not good news. Our plan was to sign up for Jedi Training first anyway and avoid the initial rush to TSL and get there a bit later so guess we will stick with that - hope this doesn’t really mess with our ability to sign up for Jedi Training though

 

[rteetz]

News

Pineapple Dole Whip Eclair at Amorettes

https://wdwnt.news/18080913

 

[rteetz]

News

Halloween merchandise has arrived at the parks

https://t.co/QdHJhH9eB9?amp=1

 

[skier_pete]

Ugh, thanks for pointing this out - definitely not good news. Our plan was to sign up for Jedi Training first anyway and avoid the initial rush to TSL and get there a bit later so guess we will stick with that - hope this doesn’t really mess with our ability to sign up for Jedi Training though

I would think they wouldn't start the sign up for Jedi training until Park opening - but I don't know that for sure - something to ask on the regular boards I would think...our daughter was always afraid to go up against Darth Vader so it was never an issue.

 

[soniam]

News

New merchandise at the UK pavilion

https://wdwnt.com/2018/08/photos-pr...merchandise-lands-in-united-kingdom-at-epcot/

I love the new Mary Poppins merchandise, except that it's pink

 

[Dentam]

News

Halloween merchandise has arrived at the parks

https://t.co/QdHJhH9eB9?amp=1

Love all the Nightmare Before Christmas stuff! I might have to grab the coffee tumbler and Zero ornament when I'm there in a few weeks!

 

[rteetz]

News

ESPN programming beginning Sept. 11th

https://www.laughingplace.com/w/news/2018/08/09/espn-afternoon-programing/

 

[rteetz]

News

New Baby Mandrill born at AK

http://www.wdwinfo.com/news-stories/new-baby-mandrill-born-at-disneys-animal-kingdom/

 

[Fantasia79]

Very excited to see Disney’s Halloween merchandise in person! Looks like they did a nice job with some unique stuff.

 

[Tiki Birdland]

The set for Jungle Cruise is huge

The set was impressive. I read an article that all the sets on Kauai have been removed and the park restored to "better than original condition". Would love to see some before/after photos of the area. Would have been cool to see more photos of the sets. Looks like it's going to be a visual feast!

 

[SteveDude]

That Jungle Cruise set looks nothing short of exemplary. Johnson typically delivers a very charismatic film, if nothing else, but I'm wary of the direction. The director chosen is very action-focused, but has also directed The Shallows which is somewhat character-driven, still. If anything we will get some great set pieces of action for Jungle Cruise.