The End of Spaceship Earth

[raidermatt]

Teens seeking thrills are also part of the family...

Physical thrills are not the only way to entertain a teen. What physical thrills can do, however, is completely exclude members of many families.

I have absolutely ZERO problem with a SE update/change, provided it is done for the right reasons, and is properly executed.

Making it some kind of thrill ride (which has been reported as an option) because Disney views that as the only way to get to "untapped demographics" is not the right reason.

Also, SE is still a popular attraction. No, it doesn't maintain long lines all day, but it has a very large load capacity, which is one of the reasons it rarely has much of a line after Noon. According to the park schedules I saw, Disney does keep it open until 9pm (along with Test Track and HISTA), so that is an indication it is still popular.

Ideally, updates/changes would be made to weaker areas of the park, like The Living Seas and Innoventions.


(No, I am not against all thrill rides... they have their place, and if done properly and in conjunction with other updates/additions, that includes being in Disney parks.)

 

[Planogirl]

Originally posted by Banzai
Teens seeking thrills are also part of the family...

They are definitely a part of the family and also very important to the amusement park industry but the togetherness issue is a big concern to many travelers. Will Time Racers be fun for the family as a whole?

As walt's assistant pointed out, the new attraction won't necessarily be a thrill ride. Some rumors have said that it will have at least a thrilling element to it but no one knows for sure just yet.

 

[mitros]

Personally, neither my wife nor myself have the ability to do thrill rides. We are sick of all these "thrill" ride additions at WDW. Crimminy, if you want a thrill ride, go to universal! There are a lot of people who are not "thrilled" with "thrill" rides. A lot of us like Horizon and tomorrowland transit authority type rides,because due to accidents, disabilities and plain old sensitive stomachs, thrill rides are out of the question. Fine, re-do or update old stuff, but don't turn everything into a "thrill". Leave that to universal and 6 flags.

 

[NomadFamily]

I am a thrill ride enthusiast, but for some reason, don't have a desire for thrill rides when at WDW. Like OP said, I can go to Universal or Busch Gardens or Six Flags for the screams. When at WDW, I'll enjoy a couple of thrills but would prefer rides where I can relax and be entertained. I go to WDW for a break from reality, a sense of happiness, a serenty about the world that I cannot get on a daily basis with a busy career and life as a busy mom. I want to relax, smile, and enjoy. For me, WDW is about the fantasy.....whereas thrill rides are more like my everyday life...crazy, scary and chilling. And, if a teen isn't having a good time in WDW as it exists today (sans lots of thrills) then I would be concerned about that teen. I am taking my 16 yr old son and his friend with me (as well as my 5 y/o daughter) this week and the boys are excited about going. I have heard of other parents with teens who think WDW is too boring and didn't want to go with their family.....and as much as I hate to say it...these were always the problem teens (school problems, sex, drugs, discipline issues). I hope Disney doesn't give into too much of the financial pressure and add too many brainless thrills.....sometimes teens need a break from the madness just like the rest of us (even if they don't realize it).

 

[deusEx]

Mission Space, Expidition Everest and Primevil whirl are thrill rides,
but we also have two spinners and Philharmagic that are not.

We don't know what Time Racers is going to be, IF it comes to fruition.

I think it's only good marketing that Disney make a few thrills to compete with Universal - maybe not compete directly with them, ride for ride, but to have a few rides that will attract that market only makes sense to me.

I'm sure there are still lots of family rides coming. Afterall, it's not teenage thrill seekers that can afford to stay at a deluxe resort for a week or more and Disney must realize this. Not saying that adults don't like intense thrills...I love them myself, but I also love the non-thrill rides too.

 

[grinningghost]

What is wrong with these people? Can't they see that the Living Seas is so far from "living" it's almost a crime to call it that anymore? They need to scrap the SSE rehab and go spend some time and money on TLS. SSE still has alot of educational and entertainment value - TLS does nothing but make most people sad.

 

[mitros]

Outstanding. I couldn't have said it better. Thanks!

 

[KNWVIKING]

"They need to scrap the SSE rehab and go spend some time and money on TLS. "

I absolutely agree that LS needs serious help. But I also wonder about the mechanical condition of SSE. Last few times we've been on it, the ride stalled for several minutes. I know sometimes the ride stops to load and off load handicapped, but a couple of these stops were very long. I didn't care though,it was 98f outside,cool 70f inside.

Maybe SSE needs to be shutdown for repairs and that would just be the ideal time to update/change it. just a thought.

 

[Eeyore2U]

Is it possible that DIsney already has a sponsor in line for the new SSE ride? The name in the rumor mill is Microsoft. I agree that TLS need a ton of help but if there is no potential sponsor I can understand why it won't be done first.

 

[FriendsOfEeyore]

We love the classics, but we also love it when Disney tries something different. Tries to improve a current attraction or completely overhaul it. That said, SSE is one our favorites. If it is replaced, let the attraction be a viable one, thrill or no-thrill. That part does not matter. Just make sure that it makes the impact on mental level that SSE did the first time we all rode it.

 

[raidermatt]

There's nothing wrong with securing sponsors for rides/attractions/pavilions (and the Microsoft rumor has persisted for quite awhile now)... but when whether you obtain one dictates whether you update your park, you've got a problem. After all, if guests stop coming, the sponsor will simply not renew their contract and advertise somewhere else.... the park still has to find a way to get guests in the parks, sponsor or no sponsor.

Put another way, if potential sponsors determine that paying to have their name on a Disney attraction is not the best use of their funds, that does not mean investing in a new (or updated) attraction is not the best use of DISNEY'S funds. Disney directly benefits from having paying guests in their parks, restaurants and hotels. It is their core business. For potential sponsors, a Disney attraction is simply another advertising/promotional option, and the relative worth of such sponsorship is debateable.

(Just hypothetical of course, since even according to insiders the Epcot plans are up in the air...maybe the potential sponsorhips have nothing to do with it.)

 

[Distriv]

Originally posted by Banzai
Teens seeking thrills are also part of the family...

I agree, I am one, but I still love ride non-thrill rides. Peter Pan is one of my favorite rides at WDW along with HM. Why I would not like SSE earth removed is because it is a classic. It is just one of those attractions I associate WDW with. I can still here the music that plays near the end of the ride. There are just some rides in WDW that should stay the same. There is an interesting book about updating old rides (its fiction) called "Down And Out In The Magic Kingdom". I would definity recomend it.

 

[wtg2000]

I think at Future World we will only see replacing now and not adding. Why? Costs. Attractions have labour and maintenance costs, and Disney wants to maintain costs in comparision to admissions. Say FW has 10 attractions. Add one and you're adding 10 per cent to operating costs. I think they get to a point where they match yearly operating costs to optimal admissions and that's it.

Also, if a spanking new attraction is going to draw people, why spend operating money on the old attraction if it's basically sitting idle as people race by it for the new one?

 

[NomadFamily]

Just Surious: what attractions, other than thrill rides, are people racing to get to and, thus, bypassing other attractions?

 

[d-r]

The last time y'all were talking about this, about 2 weeks ago, Epcot Ranger said:

I am unaware of the fact if AT&T is still sponsering, but I will find out today for you.

So, does anybody know if there is any truth at all to the rumor that around the end of April, Disney and ATT made a last minute deal to secure the ATT sponsership, and that, as such, the rumored attraction updates (Time Racers) are on hold?

DR

 

[meowthew2]

Originally posted by grinningghost
They need to scrap the SSE rehab and go spend some time and money on TLS.

Well, if Michael Eisner is to believed, one of the next possible improvements to Future World is an overhaul of TLS to include a new Nemo theme.

 

[NomadFamily]

AT&T employees received a mass mailing advising them that all sponsorship had been discontinued and that the "partnership" offers were no longer available (30% discounted tickets). Not sure what this means for the Universal Studios sponsorship (specifically, E.T.)...but I'm guessing that this is more related to reciprocity than the value of the exposure from the sponsorship.

 

[wtg2000]

what attractions, other than thrill rides, are people racing to get to and, thus, bypassing other attractions?

At EPCOT, the last two major attractions (TT, MS) have been thrill rides so that's all people are racing to.

 

[KNWVIKING]

"At EPCOT, the last two major attractions (TT, MS) have been thrill rides so that's all people are racing to."


Do you think first timers are rushing past SSE ? I know we didn't. Coming thru the turnstile all we saw was that big, cool, golf ball and we just had to get in line. The Castle & the Ball, they meant Disney to us.

Of course now we know to rush by it and come back to it hours after the park opens when the lines are non-existant.But we also didn't have the internet with all this great info & stratigic planning availible to us back then like the newbies do now.

 

[crusader]

I agree there are certain icons at Disney which should remain for all audiences to enjoy. SSE is that and more. Think of how many children once believed Epcot was contained in the "giant ball" only to find out that there was a whole park to enjoy PLUS an attraction in the giant sphere you could actually ride!

The downside is that it is boring especially to the younger crowd. It would greatly benefit from a rehab but should remain accessible to every visitor.

This is one area a thrill wouldn't be needed - (did I say that?)