Project: GEMINI

[carene]

PatriciaH -- your ideas are really impressing me!!!

Cool idea about a Mary Poppins attraction for the UK pavillion.
My sister would just love that (especially if they had the Feed the Birds music playing) as she just loves that movie.

I agree that World Showcase is very nice as it is, but there should be more ride-type attractions.
I think that thought of ideas of rides for Norway and Mexico pavillions, plus the America show, and than either gave up or ran out of ideas for the rest.

As for a new pavillion, 'Africa' seems like it would be a very big topic to me (especially as its a large continent as opposed to individual country). Although, the Lion King definately springs to mind here, and they would probably base the attraction on that.

I wonder why Epcot Imagineers decided to do that.
Have some continents (US), but have some European countries (Germany, UK, France, etc) ??

Maybe this is a good idea for a new thread, tied in with what new 'countries / continents' DISers think there should be at WS!!!

Carene

 

[pouncingpluto]

I wouldn't mind SSE having an overhaul, maybe an update and something to make the ride less bumpy. Maybe it's just people about my height, but the hard plastic headrest ends in a really bad spot, and the track is so bumpy it hurts.

That said, I have always loved the educational theme of Epcot, and as much as I love roller coasters, I don't think Epcot should have any. I'm all for exciting rides, but I think things like Mission Space or Test Track are a good combination of excitement and interesting theme.

 

[btuftee]

Just something to add here... people have been talking as if they might rennovate SSE and turn it into a rollercoaster. Problem is, SSE isn't that big. You couldn't put any type of a 'real' rollercoaster inside of it. It's a 160' diameter sphere, a shape and size which does not lend itself well to a moving thrill ride. A simulator type ride (like what's in Mission:Space) couldn't be built inside SSE without tearing it apart and starting over.

SSE is the crown jewel of Epcot, so you can bet they'd never tear it down and replace it. What is much more likely is a remodelling update of the interior... new AA figures, new special effects, comfortable ride vehicles, etc. Epcot is in bad need of some new rides however. Mission:Space will help bring the crowds in, but I imagine Project Gemini will add at least one more thrill ride. The Soarin' ride from DCA is existing technology, and Disney knows that people like it, so it'd be a logical bet to form the basis for a new ride. Soarin' is a relatively cheap ride, takes up little space, but still offers a decent experience. Perhaps they'd make it specific to one country (or perhaps region) and set it in World Showcase.

I for one hope World Showcase gets some new rides. They don't need to be 'thrill' rides... just interesting. How about a ride based on ancient Rome in the Italy pavilion? A slightly scary Tower of London ride for the UK? The once-rumored Mt. Fuji rollercoaster in the Japan Pavilion? Ok, that last one is a thrill ride. But you get my drift. There's a lot of potential in World Showcase that isn't being tapped right now.

 

[kevind65]

ok folks, just what in the world is wrong with a little thrill here and there? Disney does a wonderful job with the theming of their so-called thrill rides and I love that part of disney. But, geez, it's seems the people on this board are always so anti-thrill anything at disney. I love the family atmosphere as much as the next; in fact we ride all the rides as a family(thrill and non-thrill). It's something we do. disney does not need any more "river" rides! They have enough of them already! talk about over using something. I would like to see something creative and fun for all the other people who visit disney as well. I'm not trying to be confrontational here; I'm just pointing out that for every one of you that don't like the thrill rides, there's one of us that do. It's safe to say that there are far many more attractions/shows that aren't in the "thrill" category than there are in it. just my .02 sorry for the soapbox.

 

[WDWCrazzyCunninghams]

I like thrill rides....that is for sure! RNRCoaster is my FAVE! however, for me and Steve to ride, we have to kid swap. Our baby is not tall enough to ride. That takes extra time, and we have actually waited until we got them to the Neverland Club to have an adult night at the parks to do those rides. That said, I think that one of the things I LOVE about Disney is that I CAN take my boys on MOST of the rides! If we go to a full fledge amusement park....IOA/USF even Cedar Point, OH, we have to take someone with us to watch them, or leave them at home. That is not an idea of a FAMILY DAY. If WDW keeps putting in more thrill rides, they are going to loose some of that family feel, IMO. We have not done IOA/USF because they can't ride most of the rides. To us, it's a waste of money.
This is just my humble opinion.....
I like the idea of keeping SSE the way it is...just a freshening up will do.

 

[PatriciaH]

I love thrill rides but there should be a good balance. Older people and children need to be entertained as well as teens and young adults! Of course there are always the 3yr olds and 90yr olds that love Tower of Terror I think Disney does a great job of keeping all happy.

 

[safetymom]

I think that SSE should be the cornerstone of Epcot. I don't think it should be a roller coaster. Soaring over CA was awesome and it would be great to have one at WDW but I don't know that SSE is the place to put it.

 

[#1MMFan]

I would be very disappointed if they changed SSE for something like a roller coaster. It seems to me to be the cornerstone of the educational and unique feeling that is Epcot. Disney imagineers should concentrate on other attractions which are more unusual. I agree a Soarin' over attraction would be well placed in Epcot. I loved Soarin over California.

Just a quick note... a poster mentioned continents and countries, but all the WS exhibits are countries. The US does not count as a continent.

I'm trying to imagine what attractions they could do for these countries, but I'm having difficulty. For example, the UK is too much of a hotch-potch of different styles of buildings to realistically have a car ride over the roofs. And if it was an insided attraction then it would probably be too similar to Peter Pan. Is there enough room to add things to these pavillions?

#1MMFan

 

[SharonS]

I think that many things at WDW could be updated. However, lately it seems that update or new means 'thrill' ride. Walt Disney build Disneyland as a place that families could go and enjoy together. He was tired of sitting and watching as his children rode. My elderly mother and I travel to WDW all the time. We do this because we used to be able to do everything together. She has always had a bad back, so the real thrill rides were out. When we started going to WDW, she was able to do everything. As years have gone by and WDW has added more and more 'thrill' rides, she does more and more waiting while I enjoy myself. If I want thrill rides, I live 15 minutes from Hershey, with plenty of coasters to satisfy me. This isn't what I go to Disney for. I don't have a problem with having a few, but I don't think every new attraction should be geared this way.

Disney also keeps removing shows and attractions that everyone could enjoy, such as the Hunchback show, with no definite replacement.

 

[carene]

I am a little confused as to what this Soarin' ride that people are talking about, actually is?

Can anyone enlighten me??

 

[epcotfan]

I voted no. Spaceship Earth will always need updating looking toward the future BUT it definitely does not need a roller coaster. What Disney really needs to do is to put the "Future" back in "Future World" Horizons and World of Motion both has optimistic outlooks on the future. I miss that element of Epcot. Both of those attractions had great theming without being thrill rides.

 

[nativetxn]

I'm emotionally attached to SSE, I will miss it when they change it

 

[freediverdude]

Carene, in the Disney's California Adventure theme park in Disneyland, they have this big rollercoaster called "Soarin' over California", and some people were talking about the possibility of putting one called "Soarin' over Florida" or something similar here at Disney World. That's all that refers to.

 

[PatriciaH]

Originally posted by freediverdude
Carene, in the Disney's California Adventure theme park in Disneyland, they have this big rollercoaster called "Soarin' over California", and some people were talking about the possibility of putting one called "Soarin' over Florida" or something similar here at Disney World. That's all that refers to.

Actually the roller coster is called California Screaming. Soarin Over California is a "simulated hang glider."

http://disneyland.disney.go.com/dlr/detail/attraction?id=SoarinOverCaliforniaAttractionPage

 

[freediverdude]

Ok sorry then. Everybody kept talking about the soarin' thing like it was the roller coaster. So I guess everyone was talking about putting a hang gliding thing inside of spaceship earth then? That doesn't sound really feasible either.

 

[PatriciaH]

Yes it does not seem like Soarin over anything could go in SE It would be really cool in one of the countries though!

 

[Horizons16]

to clearify.... the coaster may go to SSE

soarin to the countries...

~Steve

 

[KristaTX]

Just thought I'd put in my 2 cents in case Michael Eisner is reading. I'm just not sure why the Spaceship Earth attraction is next on the list for replacing.

We tried Body Wars several years ago and it made us queasy. At that time, I thought the Wonders of Life Pavilion felt like an old mall. It needs updating more than anything else I've seen at WDW. My mom and I gave Cranium Command a try this time. Don't get me wrong - I love Walt Disney World as much as anyone and hesitate to criticize anything. But the film in this attraction looks yellowed and is full of late '80s pop culture personalities. And the audioanimatronic boy in it doesn't even compare to those in SSE or Carousel of Progress. Living Seas and Living with the Land definitely need updating, but I kind of like their retro feel. I grew up in the '80s, but Wonders of Life isn't lucky enough to have a sort of hip retro feel. It desperately needs updating, or better yet, replacing. The only thing good I can say about it is that it is clean and not run down.