WDW's Coaster Phobia

[ifjf414]

California Screamin' is one of my favorite coasters but it fits the theme and adds a nice backdrop to WoC. I wouldn't mind more intense coasters as long as it has a solid soundtrack and they at least attempt to theme them a little.

Now that they own Stars Wars and Marvel it should be much easier to find an appropriate theme.

 

[NorthernBuckeye]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfQGd0o723M

Flying Ace at Kings Island is the best children's coaster I've seen.
Height requirement is 44".

 

[jade1]

Kinda tongue in cheek to counter the HP train, but I mentioned before building a coaster from the new Star Wars land in DHS to either EPCOT or AK. It's either 1 mile to EPCOT or 1.3 to AK-maybe another Star Wars land on that end.

Some coasters are already longer than that-although it would need to be round trip.

This way it requires a hopper and get's 2 gate entries for a one way and 3 for a round trip.

Stars Wars 7 could create a "climb" 1/2 way:

Some others either screens in tunnels along the way or actual scenes built along the route:

 

[DOOM1001]

That wouldn't work with AK,it's like 5 miles away from DHS.

 

[TooExcitedCantSleep]

You obviously haven't been to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg. They have great looking, themed coasters. Would EE tell less of a story if its highest drop were 3 times higher? How about California Screamin'? Why is that a Disney-approved coaster, yet they won't put something like that in Florida. Is WDW unworthy of a coaster the likes of CS?

Well, yes- I think CS is a charming old fashioned style coaster...it's a good fit for Disney!! But- you said a true, modern, thrilling coaster....so CS doesn't fall under that category.

I looked at a few rides from Busch Gardens-

Griffin $15,600,000

Alpengenist $20,000,000

Apollo's Chariot $20,000,000

Loch Ness Monster $????

Here is the The Disney Difference

Expedition Everest $100,000,000

Space Mountain $????

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad $????

7DMT $????

Tower of Terror $????

Rock n Roller Coaster $????

Test Track $100,000,000

Because it over-shoots their demographic. Mission:Space is a good data point on this. Most of the adrenaline junkies I know really like M:S. But, it's a $100M dud in terms of guest demand. It has *never* drawn well in Epcot, to the point that they had to neuter half of the ride just to get its numbers high enough to justify its existence. Yes, some people get sick on the ride, but I went through a phase of motion sickness a few years back and even during that time I could ride Orange with no hassles.

Another example: Tower. It's a tier 2 attraction for a reason.

You could argue that building more thrill rides would give them critical mass to attract enough people to justify them, but they get better ROI by serving their demographic. 7DMT has wait times consistently double anything else in the park, despite the fact that some call it "disappointing." TDO is laughing all the way to the bank.

Yup- completely agree with this!!

Amongst hardcore coaster fans, Screamin' is a solid, but somewhat middle-of-the-road coaster.
http://www.ushsho.com/detailedsteelrollercoasterpollresults2013.htm

It's ranking (#113) is right around Everest (#110) but well behind both the "real" coasters at Sea World, Manta and Kraken, as well as the Dragons and Hulk at IOA.

I like to think of Screamin' as the steel coaster sampler pack. It has a little bit of everything: a launch, a "traditional" lift (done magnetically, but at chain-lift speeds), a simple inversion, a run of airtime hills, and a twister section to finish. None of the elements are outstanding, but I can't think of another coaster that brings all of them together.

Completely agree.

I still believe Disney needs to add some more coasters and thrill rides though....it just has to be right!!

 

[TooExcitedCantSleep]

A well maintained coaster is a beautiful thing. They don't need a bunch of fake rock built around them to be great looking.

I disagree- the big coasters are thrilling but they are not beautiful....unless you are somewhat partial to a lot of steel and airbrushed paint!! I prefer the fake rocks!!

 

[Surfinpiratee]

Several threads have been started bemoaning the fact that the 7DMT did not meet expectations, and people are quick (and accurate) in pointing out that any expectations of a thrilling coaster were misplaced. Let's address a different question. Why won't Disney add a true, modern, thrilling coaster to any of its parks? Perhaps the "it doesn't fit with the overall theming" works for the MK. But with four parks and expansion going on at a couple of them, isn't there room for one, single, solitary world class coaster? RnR isn't bad. And it draws huge crowds. So it is a tough sell to suggest that Disney's demographic doesn't want or need such rides. As has been pointed out in the "Disney is the attendance king" thread, there is far more attendance crossover with Universal than there is uniqueness in client base. The people who go to IOA on Tuesday don't all of a sudden despise coasters when they enter a Disney park on Wednesday. Imagine what a true kick-butt coaster could do for the image of the future. They aren't that expensive compared to some of Disney's higher cost attractions. Add some external theming and wham! You have a buzz-worthy new attraction. Isn't there room for one honest to goodness thrill coaster that is equal to what its neighbors offer? When Sea World has coasters that put Disney to shame, isn't there room for one new thrill ride? Somewhere?

I would be disappointed if Disney started making a bunch of big roller coasters.. I don't ride coasters like that..I mean they have Rockin Roller Coaster. I was kinda turned off by Universal because of all of their big rides.

 

[JimmyV]

CS is a modern thrilling coaster. If it "fits" Disney in CA, there has to be some way that a more thrilling coaster can fit in FL. And look at your $$$ numbers. $100M for EE and $20M for mega coasters at other parks. You don't think that Disney can't beautify a $20M coaster with $50M in window dressing to fit a needed theme? And there is no way that a thrill coaster overshoots the demographic. The people who go to WDW are not a separate group of people than the people who go to Sea World. Or Universal. The crossover is huge. How many people ride Kraken who do not also step foot into WDW? Kraken riders are Disney guests. 99% of the people who ride Dueling Dragons also visit WDW. They aren't going to ride Hulk one day and distain a Disney coaster the next. WDW doesn't have to be coaster-centric. We're talking about one....just one! world class coaster. And return on investment is not the measure. There is no ROI in the Under the Sea ride or with Tangled Toilets.

 

[JimmyV]

I would be disappointed if Disney started making a bunch of big roller coasters.. I don't ride coasters like that..I mean they have Rockin Roller Coaster. I was kinda turned off by Universal because of all of their big rides.

Go back and re-read the post you quoted. What part of "one new thrill ride" equates to "a bunch of big roller coasters"? California Adventure has one. WDW has four gates. It can't have one similar coaster?

 

[Disney Khaleesi]

Disney doesn't need big coasters to attract a big crowd. The great thing about Disney is there are so many rides for people who don't like rollercoasters. It really is a "family park" rather than the local teenage hangout. Families do travel to Universal but when I visited both parks in 2013 I saw many more groups of roaming teenagers at Universal than I did at Disney. I'm not a huge rollercoaster fan. The biggest I'll go on is Expedition Everest, and even that I haven't had the courage to go on yet (granted, I have been on California Scremin'.) I almost prefer they don't start adding these huge thrill coasters. Disney knows what they're doing.

 

[Drinehart811]

I honestly don't understand why everyone keeps bringing up CS. I am a so cal resident, have DLR APs, and have riden CS from time to time. Honestly it is not a "must do" for me when I visit DCA. I actually don't think I've been on it in over a year. The ride also rarely has a line longer than 15 minutes regardless of what the posted wait it (at least every time I've gone over the last 2-3 years). As a matter of fact when RSR first opened they were GIVING away "bonus FPs" for CS just to get people to that side of the park, since everyone congregates around carsland (and they still do). IMO RnRC is a much more intense coaster, and a better example of a big modern coaster. You just can't tell because it's indoors. The themed rides in Carsland are a much bigger draw and are the reason why people go to Disney. Rides like 7DMT are what families are looking for at Disney...yeah, I might spend a day at IOA or 6 flags ever few years, but I'll spend a week at WDW. It's a no brainier for them, people visit Disney to be entertained not for thrill rides.

 

[mummabear]

I have a little fantasy where DHS is built a little similar to Busch. A few high intensity roller coasters with a villians theme and a villians character meal and then expand Pixar place for a real kids area.

 

[RealBlast3]

I honestly don't understand anyone that seriously thought that a Snow White themed ride in Fantasyland in Magic Kingdom was somehow going to be some super intense thrill-ride to top them all. I always knew that this would be a mid-tier ride somewhere between a Splash Mountain and a Big Thunder Mountain. How could that not be obvious to everyone? I don't get the disappointment at all.

People just have super unreasonable expectations for Disney, I think. Also, there are alot of people who can't handle the sort of coasters at Universal and Six Flaggs and would hate if Disney became a copy of them because we wouldn't go on anything. I can handle almost all the "coasters" that Disney offers except Expedition Everest and Mission Space, both of which made me sick. Anything above those rides I and plenty of others would never even attempt.

Disney is supposed to be for families and people of all ages. Places like Six Flaggs tend to be overrun with rude teens mostly, as that is who craves those sorts of rides the most. If Disney became coaster central, it would would ruin everything about what it's trying to be. There is more than adequate intensity at the thrill rides that Disney does offer - you can go somewhere else if you need your brains scrambled.

 

[Jennasis]

If Disney can throw in the multitude of kiddie attraction like Playhouse Disney (which is a precious waste of space AFAIC), HISTA playground, bazillion M&G's and FOUR spinners (Dumbo, Astro Orbiter, Triceratops Spin, an Magic Carpets of Aladdin) among others, they can toss the grown ups and daredevils a bone.

 

[Hummingbird]

I too wish Disney would add at least one nice coaster. Not asking for a complete overhaul of one of the gates to make it like Busch or Six Flags, but come on can we have ONE megacoaster? And if Disney had maybe 2 great coasters for my tween/teens then I'm sure they could get ALL of our vacation dollars. Then and then only would Disney truly be an all-inclusive trip for MY family (and I know there are others out there like mine)


As an aside, what I'm seeing a lot of is people saying Disney shouldn't build a nice coaster because they wouldn't want to ride it. How selfish of you. There are parks FULL of things you do love to ride and you grudge the others of us who want ONE attraction added? I've seen alot of you tell people "If you don't like it don't ride it" or "Go somewhere else" over some other attraction of another. Why cant the same be done by you? If Disney were to build a nice coaster for the coaster fanatics then you know what you can do? Stay off of it and go get in line for something you DO love.

Like a lot of you tell other people "You do know you don't HAVE to ride it right? Plenty else to do".

 

[Brian Noble]

I honestly don't understand why everyone keeps bringing up CS.

I don't either. If you relocated it to Central Florida, it would rank 12th behind Montu, Kumba, Manta, SheiKra, both Dragons, Kraken, Hulk, Cheetah Hunt, Everest, and Mummy. The only non-WDW coasters it would be ahead of are: RockIt, Atlantis (dubiously included on the list), and the various kiddie coasters (Woody, Hippogriff, etc.)

 

[AmyB2006]

I always knew that this would be a mid-tier ride somewhere between a Splash Mountain and a Big Thunder Mountain. How could that not be obvious to everyone? I don't get the disappointment at all.

People just have super unreasonable expectations for Disney, I think.

I agree, looking at it, you could tell it's not a "thrill" ride.

Also, I don't know if it's unreasonable expectations or just simply expectations that Disney never intends to fill because it doesn't want to.

Someone said it earlier, Disney has their niche and they don't want to get into the super thrill ride roller coaster niche. Plenty of other parks do that, and I don't think Disney sees that as their target market, and they're happy (for now) to let those other parks have that market.

 

[JoshuaShaw]

Go back and re-read the post you quoted. What part of "one new thrill ride" equates to "a bunch of big roller coasters"? California Adventure has one. WDW has four gates. It can't have one similar coaster?

Rock 'n' Roller Coaster doesn't count?

 

[morethananyonex]

I think there's an incorrect assumption being made here that the reason people are disappointed in 7DMT is because it's not an intense coaster. I'm sure some are, but most people I've seen (including myself) are disappointed in the length of the ride, specifically the dark ride portion. So many people ask what you expect in Fantasyland. Well I expect something more than what amounts to basically one dark ride scene and one kind of dark ride scene (the very short cottage scene). That's not to say I thought that's what was being built and was disappointed when it opened, no I realized what it was going to be, but that doesn't mean I'm not disappointed they didn't do more.

I would describe 7DMT as Jack of all trades, master of none. It's not a mind blowing dark ride and it's not an exciting coaster. I would have much preferred to see the majority of the attraction indoors inside the mine so the dark ride aspect could be better.

As for Mission Space, I can only speak for myself but it was a one and done for me not because of its intensity but because the ride itself was pretty boring and I don't feel it's worth my time. It's just not that exciting.

That said, I don't think Disney needs any world class roller coasters. I think what they do best is milder rides with heavy themes that the majority of the family can do. That's what I would like to see more of. If they can replicate the quality of something like HM or POTC, in a new and completely original (aka no movie tie ins) attraction I would be happy. I would also be happy with something like RSR, the story isn't original to the imagineers, but it's just very well done.

 

[csmith041177]

I would love to see more Disney coasters. I am a huge Disney fan, and I am confident that any coaster additions would have excellent theming and a good backstory, just like EE.