Tron Lightcycle Run coming to MK

[SouthFayetteFan]

Heck, Kennywood had the turnpike that sucked when I was a kid (just like the real pa turnpike)

Lockedout...are you a Pittsburgher??

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Lockedout...are you a Pittsburgher??

I was before I was resurrected by the lord of light to fight the white walkers...

 

[jkh36619]

It's beyond sad, and I do wonder if they are costing themselves long-term, but don't see the damage being done. From a business perspective, people are still coming, so everything is great. Now they are getting more money per person, so everything is great. But, if the number of people going continues to decrease in the coming years, it is possible that the true damage will start to show, that people don't see a Disney vacation as a must experience, one that needs to be repeated, and one that is a good value. And I think that is already happening. Perhaps all of this construction will start to bring back the value aspect, but I don't know, since at least two of the parks feel like they are getting gutted to add just a few attractions that cater to mostly thrill seekers. It's like they are only focused on the Universal Studios type customer, and not the family customer any longer. But, maybe that's where the money is now.

Just so sad......

I really don't see where Disney is catering to the thrill seeker. I wouldn't consider FoP a thrill ride. So in my opinion the last land build and the next land to be build will have no thrill rides.

And I do think disney just waits till rides fall apart before they replace which is sad. Universal Studios is much more proactive I believe. I see where they are closing Dragon Challenge Sept 4 for a new ride. DC (formally Dueling Dragons) has only been operational for 18 years. The speedway is pushing 50..

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I really don't see where Disney is catering to the thrill seeker. I wouldn't consider FoP a thrill ride. So in my opinion the last land build and the next land to be build will have no thrill rides.

And I do think disney just waits till rides fall apart before they replace which is sad. Universal Studios is much more proactive I believe. I see where they are closing Dragon Challenge Sept 4 for a new ride. DC (formally Dueling Dragons) has only been operational for 18 years. The speedway is pushing 50..

Disney has nothing "intense" or "thrill seeker"...not a thing.

The most ojda inducing ride there is still tower of terror...they have little G-force otherwise.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

I was before I was resurrected by the lord of light to fight the white walkers...

I like you more and more each day my friend.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I really don't see where Disney is catering to the thrill seeker. I wouldn't consider FoP a thrill ride. So in my opinion the last land build and the next land to be build will have no thrill rides.

And I do think disney just waits till rides fall apart before they replace which is sad. Universal Studios is much more proactive I believe. I see where they are closing Dragon Challenge Sept 4 for a new ride. DC (formally Dueling Dragons) has only been operational for 18 years. The speedway is pushing 50..

Yeah but Universal Studio Florida itself is just over 27 years. And Islands of Adventure is only just over 18 years old (which is where Dragon Challenge was).

To me it doesn't make as much sense to compare age of the two theme parks because in this case that would mean all rides, every single one of them, should then go once they reach X age-though yes it would be better if we as guests saw and felt continual upkeep on rides (I know there is upkeep done that is just not as noticable though).

I'm honestly not certain how Universal would handle rides and replacing them if they had been able to buy land more like Disney's where there is decent enough room at the time of purchase of land to know you've got years and years worth of expansions. Much of the conversation regarding Universal is because they only have so much space to deal with which is why at least right now they take out old rides. Would they have that same out with the old in with the new if they had more open land from the beginning?

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I like you more and more each day my friend.

Yinz goin up Dahntahn?
...cuse the grass needs cut

 

[maverik85]

I suspect you are no longer the target audience for this attraction. I know I'm not.

However, there are a ton of 3-9 year olds that visit WDW who are the target audience. Have you seen the lines?

I woulnd't go by the line length persay. AS others have stated it can often have shorter lines anymore unless it is a busy period. Also it has one of the lowest capacities in Magic Kingdom (if not the lowest). So it is more liekly to get a line than most of the others. For example Space Mountain next door has a potential hourly capacity of 2000 whereas the Speedway is only 500. So if both attractions had the same wait time then that would mean that 4 times as many people were going to SM but jsut looking at the line/wait time itself it would appear as though both rides were equally as popular.

Yeah but Universal Studio Florida itself is just over 27 years. And Islands of Adventure is only just over 18 years old (which is where Dragon Challenge was).

To me it doesn't make as much sense to compare age of the two theme parks because in this case that would mean all rides, every single one of them, should then go once they reach X age-though yes it would be better if we as guests saw and felt continual upkeep on rides (I know there is upkeep done that is just not as noticable though).

I'm honestly not certain how Universal would handle rides and replacing them if they had been able to buy land more like Disney's where there is decent enough room at the time of purchase of land to know you've got years and years worth of expansions. Much of the conversation regarding Universal is because they only have so much space to deal with which is why at least right now they take out old rides. Would they have that same out with the old in with the new if they had more open land from the beginning?

I agree. Universal was more in a situation where it has to replace rides for new stuff as they don't have as much room for expansion. There is some but nothing compared to the room Disney has. Also many o Disney's attractions are considered classics whereas Universal didn't have much that were. The only ride I've really sen people get disappointed about getting removed was Jaws and there was still a lot fo anticipation for a new alrge HP themed area at the same time. However if Disney closed many o their old rides, primarily in MK, there woudl probably be a big uproar. They do replace some stuff that doesn't seem to attract people but there is also not as much need to replace things when they ahve the room to jsut add stuff on. There are some exceptions to this liek the big redo at Hollywood Studios, but overall they tend to expand than replace since they have the room.

 

[dodolitsky]

I'm honestly not certain how Universal would handle rides and replacing them if they had been able to buy land more like Disney's where there is decent enough room at the time of purchase of land to know you've got years and years worth of expansions. Much of the conversation regarding Universal is because they only have so much space to deal with which is why at least right now they take out old rides. Would they have that same out with the old in with the new if they had more open land from the beginning?

But both Universal parks have considerably more rides than each of Epcot, AK, or DHS. So US doesn't really NEED to be adding rides, whereas WDW surely does. A theme park should be packed with attractions and Disney has a lot to do to get there with their secondary parks.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

But both Universal parks have considerably more rides than each of Epcot, AK, or DHS. So US doesn't really NEED to be adding rides, whereas WDW surely does. A theme park should be packed with attractions and Disney has a lot to do to get there with their secondary parks.

I'm not going to fact check you on that but that wasn't my point at all. I don't care about the number of attractions USO has in relation to WDW. The conversation was centered on age of the attraction and taking out an attraction directly related to its age.

 

[maverik85]

And the number of attractions isn't really that different between the Universal parks and the secondary Disney parks. All of those parks each number in the upper teens for attractions overall. So, even if one has more than another it's by a very small amount.

 

[PuppyJonathan]

Heck, Kennywood had the turnpike that sucked when I was a kid (just like the real pa turnpike)...so the thrill is gone for most.

It's a small world after all...

Seeing it pop up on this thread, I'm going to rant for a second: I'm livid they're removing dueling dragons. Yes it was a shell of its former self once with the queue being gone and of course the dueling aspect but what bothers me is what is most likely going to happen is they're removing one of the few "physical" rides they have for probably another cookie cutter screen based ride. Rumors are saying it's going to be the Arthur ride in Europa park/the dragon gliders at motiongate dubai, which is pretty much going to be the same thing as gringotts but inverted. Gringotts was nice and all but removing an extremely iconic coaster this just seems wrong

 

[maverik85]

I'm really mixed on it. Thought they were great coasters and still a lot of fun, despite the change to the queue and lack of dueling. However it had no real theming or immersion and was jsut a basic coaster. I can go to any number of regional amusement parks and get my fill of thrilling coasters. When I go to Disney or Universal I want to be immersed into a new world and have fun rides that are greatly themed and detailed that I can't ride elsewhere. So it kind of sucks that w are losing a coupel of great coasters, and some of teh only major large thrills in the park, but the new ride will probably great and fit in much better with the surrounding land. And given the size might even get a couple of attractions there in the long term or more shops and things.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Even Soarin' is nothing more than the 1960's rounded Chevy show in front of a ferris wheel. I digress.

The Speedway needs complete overhaul ....

but to still thrill the few kids who didn't get a Barbie/Army jeep ...

at least bring me some Jetson cars with sound effects (and no smell).

That is pretty much what Hong Kong Disneyland had - complete with very Jetsonish sound effects

 

[TheMaxRebo]

It's a bit surprising to me that Disney took so long to leverage TRON in the parks ... although ElecTRONica did have a short run in Disneyland. Whether folks like the movies or even saw them, the conceptual and and art designs from TRON are instantly recognized and have been a major influence on pop culture. Similar to what Disney did with Pandora, you can do a ton of wold-building with the IP in the parks even if the the crowds aren't familiar with the source material. How many people on Splash Mountain are familiar with Song of the South?

And with 80's retro-craze still building ... think 'Goldbergs', 'Stranger Things', 'Ready Player One' etc ... excitement of the TRON IP may build just on its' nostalgia

Ooh, maybe they could re-theme Star Tours to Ready Player One

 

[atricks]

And the number of attractions isn't really that different between the Universal parks and the secondary Disney parks. All of those parks each number in the upper teens for attractions overall. So, even if one has more than another it's by a very small amount.

Huh? DHS will only have 4 rides (only 1 without a height requirement) after August 13th until some of the newer things come online. Universal has 14 and IOA 18 (17 after dragons closes) Even including shows really doesn't help much on the counts either.

 

[George4]

I don't know... It feels to me like it takes quite a dose of pessimism and/or cynicism to look at ALL OF THE ANNOUNCEMENTS coming out of D23 -- with the promise of more to come, btw -- and still be "sad".

• Additions like the 1) Remy ride, 2) Mickey ride and the 3) theatre in MK are for everyone -- as is 4-5) Toy Story Land, no? As is 6) the new space restaurant.
• I count 4 for "thrill seekers": 1-2) SW rides, 3) Guardians, 4) Tron. Seems like a good balance to me.

I might be a bit pessimistic, to be fair. That is a total of 10 additions, most of which I agree are quite cool. However, we are giving up a lot of family options for this. We are simply trading one thing for another. Here is what we've lost to get those additions:
1) Backlot tour (two different types of family safe experiences)
2) Lights, Motor, Action (whole family)
3) Great Movie Ride (whole family)
4) Universe of Energy (given that it was way past time)
5) Star Tours (rumored, to be fair)
6) They still have to put something in the theatre in MK
7) Innoventions East
8) Innoventions West
9) Animation Courtyard
10) Honey I shrunk the Kids play area
11) Backlot Tour Express Restaurant
12) Osbourne Holiday Lights
13) Sounds Dangerous/Who Wants to be a Millionaire

We are trading one attraction for another instead of actually building up the family aspect of the non-MK parks. If you really want to spread the crowds around, you have to be able to absorb them in the parks and have reasons to want to go there. It also can't take four years to build Ratatouille. You have two ride pavilions built in EPCOT that are being used for storage, there are several country sites as well as a fully functional huge building in EPCOT that aren't used most of the year, one ride was cut from the construction of Avatar, there is a pad site in SWL, a ride was cut from TSL prior to construction, Animal Kingdom has at least four expansion pad sites, and DHS could have thought ahead in their new parking lot entrance and expansion to create more space for 2-3 more attractions (in a park the desperately needs capacity) and none of these were address. All of these would increase capacities in these parks and help spread the crowds around. Instead, we are simply replacing one thing with another (and some of that needed to happen years to decades ago), and capacity is not addressed at all. WE have the same capacity now that we did 20 years ago (arguably less in some of the parks) but almost 25% more people coming into MK (4-5 million people) and the same number attending all of the other parks. They have not enticed any significant number of new people into any of their other parks. Some of the new things will help, but they don't have the capacity to absorb these people on the new rides or in the rest of the park (see Pandora in AK, cool addition but can't absorb the people).

 

[George4]

I really don't see where Disney is catering to the thrill seeker. I wouldn't consider FoP a thrill ride. So in my opinion the last land build and the next land to be build will have no thrill rides.

And I do think disney just waits till rides fall apart before they replace which is sad. Universal Studios is much more proactive I believe. I see where they are closing Dragon Challenge Sept 4 for a new ride. DC (formally Dueling Dragons) has only been operational for 18 years. The speedway is pushing 50..

You're crazy if FoP isn't considered a thrill ride. It may not be a gravity ride, but it sure has the ability to make people nauseous, it is incredibly thrilling and it has a height limit. You likely wouldn't take your 3-yr old on it or your pregnant wife. Two star wars rides are intended as D/E ticket, Tron is E-ticket. TSL you might have a point, but that land almost looks like a cheap carnival area at this point. We'll have to wait and see what it really looks like when finished. I could be wrong there. So, seven new attractions starting this year and more than half are geared towards thrill seekers. Have you seen the wait for Peter Pan? How about we create some fun attractions for younger visitors with the characters and stories they love and enjoy?

 

[George4]

Unless they were going to equip each car with some type of crash avoidance technology, I seriously doubt they would ever allow the cars to go faster than they do right now. They wouldn't want to risk whiplash lawsuits from teenagers plowing into people with their faster "bigger kids" cars.

I didn't mean crazy faster, but give your bigger kids (8-12 yrs) the ability to go 2 mph faster, but keep it slower for the younger ones. You could also put a height/age max for the ride unless accompanying a smaller child that is driving. There are other rides with a height max like this, so it could work. I really think that Disney is losing interest from the young family demographic because it isn't a pleasant experience for them. I know several families that have sworn to never go back because of their negative experiences with lines and opportunities for younger kids.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

It's a small world after all...

Seeing it pop up on this thread, I'm going to rant for a second: I'm livid they're removing dueling dragons. Yes it was a shell of its former self once with the queue being gone and of course the dueling aspect but what bothers me is what is most likely going to happen is they're removing one of the few "physical" rides they have for probably another cookie cutter screen based ride. Rumors are saying it's going to be the Arthur ride in Europa park/the dragon gliders at motiongate dubai, which is pretty much going to be the same thing as gringotts but inverted. Gringotts was nice and all but removing an extremely iconic coaster this just seems wrong

Ehhh...dragons was kinda a clunky design and not exceptionally smooth for a B&M...I'm ok with it leaving. They need some more potter stuff and that space is too valuable for a kinda big 3 inversion layout.

I thought the rumor was a coaster concept was gonna replace? No?