What does new Indy mean for us?

[Indyfan4ever]

There is a video... (here) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XftZTTmljsA

Indiana Jones V seems to be coming soon...Will, or does Disney have any plans to update the Stunt Spectacular, like the update of Star Tours....

Let this thread be a place to voice your thoughts and wishes....I would love for them to make a Steets of Shanghi at DHS....and have a Club Obi-Wan resturaunt!!!

Or maybe have a Mystic Land over at Animal Kingdom, and have elements of Beastly Kingdom, plus the ancient pyramid of the Lost City of Akator, from Crystal Skull...and have a ride inside the temple!!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XftZTTmljsA

 

[doconeill]

Until at least pre-production actually starts on the movie, I won't hold my breath. Hopefully it will somehow remove all memory of the ending of the 4th movie, and the just plain sillyness of some of the action sequences...

They didn't change a thing there after the 4th movie...wouldn't expect them to change it after a fifth...

 

[Indyfan4ever]

Yes...but let's remember....Star Wars Ep. III came out in 2005...and they are NOW updating Star Tours...who's to say the won't update Indy in the near future...

 

[Wall-E1]

Perhaps they can upgrade the attraction by only hiring Indy actors that are in their seventies. It would make some of the action sequences more exciting.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

Perhaps they can upgrade the attraction by only hiring Indy actors that are in their seventies. It would make some of the action sequences more exciting.

You mean, how to take a punch and falling without breaking a hip sequence.

Joking, I actually liked the quirkiness of the fourth film, its just as "out there" as the religous sequences in the first and third movies (although the third movie was well done). It will be interesting to see how Shia pulls off future movies, he's an average actor who could become very, very good if he was given the right roles and fine tuned his style.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

However, it is much easier and extremely less expensive to swirch out Star Tours that it would be to switch out the Inidan Jone sEpic Stunt Spectacular.

Yes, for ST they would have to do a new movie (and it will be 3D) and change the motion of the simulators.

However, the movie only has to be done one. And for the simulators they can do the motion programming off site. ST (at DHS) has six simulators. Once everything is checked and ready to go, at a slow time they can close down three of the simulators and upgrade them by replacing the projectors and then putting in the new audio and video and the new software for the motion. Then all they would have to do is open these and upgrade the other three. (I'm not sure how many simulators they have at DL.)

As far as Indy, it would be much more complicated. They would have to get rid of all of the current scenery and props and replace them. They would of course have to replace the sound and reprogram all of the effects used in the show. And then the cast would have to get a new script to memorize and new stunts to learn.

So replacing SW would be almost no down-time at all (unless they also want to make changes in the queue) while for Indy they wold have to shut down the show, probably for a couple of months.

(And I worked at Indy for about six months this past winter.)

 

[skier_pete]

Here's the question - Is the Indy show playing to empty audiences or near-full audiences? The last few times we went -at less than peak times - the crowds were pretty big. If that's the case, then what motivation does Disney have to change it? (Perhaps Chesire Figment can comment on the crowds there over those 6 months.)

Star Tours USED to be a big-ticket item when it first came out and through most of the 90s. Now every time we visit, it is a walk-on. Rebooting Star Tours will bring the crowds back. (Disney's ideal is moderate lines at all attractions...attractions that don't attract are the ones that will get hit first.) I do think the upgrade here is going to be more than swapping out the movie, though, but I could be wrong...why would they need to close the ride for 6-9 months (rumored) if they are just changing the projectors?

Skierpete

 

[tjkraz]

CF:

I think you're over-simplifying the Star Tours refurb quite a bit. Based upon what I have read, the reason it's taken so many years to get this project approved is because George Lucas insisted on the entire attraction being state-of-the-art upon completion.

This isn't simply a case of replacing the film and reprogramming the vehicles. My understanding is that the entire ride vehicles are basically being torn out and replaced. Rumors have suggested that the new version will have multiple endings or destinations with perhaps some interactive element in the vehicle to let rides make the choice. There has also been talk of using a projection system similar to The Simpsons at Universal which would add a sort of 180 degree view outside of the cabin (you could look forward, up, left and right to see the "show") rather than just the forward viewscreen.

Also, Disney has officially stated that the ride queues will be updated and re-themed for ST2.

As for Indy, it would be nice to see something new. But if it's still playing to large audiences and Disney hasn't been inclined to update it so far, I don't necessarily think a 5th film would tip the scales.

 

[DC7800]

Star Tours USED to be a big-ticket item when it first came out and through most of the 90s. Now every time we visit, it is a walk-on.

You cannot judge an attractions popularity (defined here as how many people are riding daily) by its queue line length or wait time. Spaceship Earth, for example, has a huge hourly capacity and loads continuously, so its going to remain a walk-on even when it is loading more guests than lower-capacity attractions with a long line. Assuming all seats are filled, a walk-on attraction carries the exact same number of guests as it would with a full queue, two-hour wait.

Star Tours' popularity does appear to have waned somewhat over the years, and I certainly think it is past time for a refurbishment and update, but we can't just decide if something is still "popular" or not based on how long the line is. Nor should attraction popularity be the criteria for what needs updating (realizing that an attraction no longer attracting guests obviously does need attention): By that standard, Space Mountain would never get a refurbishment, though we would certainly get a new Stitch Supersonic Celebration...

 

[skier_pete]

You cannot judge an attractions popularity (defined here as how many people are riding daily) by its queue line length or wait time. Spaceship Earth, for example, has a huge hourly capacity and loads continuously, so its going to remain a walk-on even when it is loading more guests than lower-capacity attractions with a long line. Assuming all seats are filled, a walk-on attraction carries the exact same number of guests as it would with a full queue, two-hour wait.

Star Tours' popularity does appear to have waned somewhat over the years, and I certainly think it is past time for a refurbishment and update, but we can't just decide if something is still "popular" or not based on how long the line is. Nor should attraction popularity be the criteria for what needs updating (realizing that an attraction no longer attracting guests obviously does need attention): By that standard, Space Mountain would never get a refurbishment, though we would certainly get a new Stitch Supersonic Celebration...

They DID close the Stitch Supersonic Celebration.

Yes, you are correct in many of your points. However, there is no doubt that Star Tours is suffering from a lack of interest. But, Star Tours used to have lines out the door - ie the entire internal queue. The last time I went on it, our spaceship wasn't even full....meaning they are not even filling the cars. This wasn't the only ride like this as we went at a slower time, but just making the point that Disney and LucasFilm should want Star Tours to be hugely popular, since they are still marketing Star Wars like crazy, including a planned live action TV show.

The Indy show could actually probably be retooled somewhat cheaper than Star Tours...you could change one of the three scenes to be from a different movie...(It's a point to note all three stunt scenes are from the first (and best) movie), but how different would the show really be...it would still be an Indiana Jones Stunt show...people that don't like it now would complain that they hadn't changed enough. People that like it now (myself included) would still like it. I have seen the show 5 times, and I am not yet tired of it. (I am desparate to be a "volunteer", I will be going for my Birthday in December, think that will rate at getting to "volunteer"?)

SkierPete

 

[alweg]

But I thought in theme park design that they actually DO consider cue line capacity as a measure of attraction popularity. In this business, physical holding and throughput capacity is a vital factor in determining the ROI of an attraction (or an entire park). So if Star Tours is a walk-on, even though the vehicles are full, then it's not meeting it's expected capacity and it's wise to re-evaluate.

If the Indy Show is always full and there's a healthy cue out fron for the next show, then there will be other priorities.

 

[doconeill]

Having a full queue or an near empty one does not increase the overall capacity (load rate) of the ride. So long as the attraction is at maximum load at all times, then it is running an maximum capacity, whether there are 10 or 1000 people waiting.

However, there are two other issues:

1) A long queue for a short wait is a waste, both in terms of space, and in technology. All those things that are there to keep your attention away from how long you've been standing there go to waste since you fly by them. So then there is no need to maintain them, and then they break and everything looks run down

2) An empty queue means the attraction is not a "people eater". If guests aren't in the queue, then they are somewhere else - clogging the park between attractions, or waiting in some other queue, making the wait times longer there. A crowded looking park is going to be avoided. Rather than pay the increased costs associated with large park expansion or (gasp) a 5th gate, making better utilization of existing space to absorb crowds is more economical.

Star Tours was a walk-on during peak Star Wars Weekends times. Something needed to be done to make it popular again.

 

[alweg]

Your second point is exactly my point:

According to Buzz Price, when he talks about capacity analysis, he includes wait times (cue lines) as a guiding factor in how a park should be designed. If an attraction isn't meeting it's designed capacity (and in your words, guests are "somewhere else - clogging the park between attractions, or waiting in some other queue, making the wait times longer there.") then a redesign in necessary.

According to him, load rates and wait times are subsets of overall attraction capacity.

 

[queenie82]

If the modifications to the Tokyo Indiana Jones ride to "link" to the Crystal Skull movie are any indication I pray they don't change the ride.
It is so tacky and awful. They have the same track and the same rolling ball and then Crystal Skulls tossed in for fun.

Leave the Indy ride at Disneyland California ALONE

 

[Cheshire Figment]

The seating capacity at Indy is about 2,000. There is no exact number as it is bench seating. I have seen days where the average count per show was in the vicinity of 2,100 which includes standing in the back.

Normally there are five shows per day: 11:30, 12:45, 2:00, 4:15, 5:30 (No 3:?? because of the Parade) It is not unusual to have a 6:45 added. I have seen days with eight shows, adding 8:00 and 9:15. That is a lot of people.

There are two "hidden" queues inside the entrance but before the photocell (turnstile) area with a capacity of over 1,000 in the queues (total, not each). On a fairly busy day we will open up the queues about 15 minutes after the show starts. Note the actual runnning time of the show itself (from Indy dropping from the roof until the last explosion is 32 miinutes. I have timed it to take 7 minutes to completely clear the theater. Once clearing starts we have to do a quick run through to remove (lots of) trash which people have left instead of putting in trash cans. Then we do theater load and start the preshow (selection of Extras).

I have seen many days when we have reached theater capacity even before the preshow starts and we have had to close the entrance.

And on busy days we will set up an additional queue outside the entrance, going past the well and even around the corner toward the exit.

 

[PirateFrank]

I thought the 4th indy movie was great. Sorry to see so many people feel it didn't measure up...

 

[intemTib73]

Wow... thanks for putting all of that info into one place Ive got to read it a few more times, just to make it all sink in :

When you say that the Imagineers will be taking over the Imagination Pavilion, do you mean that Imagineering will act as the sponsor of the attraction?

 

[scubasam]

I thought the 4th indy movie was great. Sorry to see so many people feel it didn't measure up...

I loved it, as well.