Will we ever see a new unique story in an attraction?

[quikah]

Yup. I enjoy it. I love Stitch as a character. I enjoy watching the animatronics and the story of it all. It's a bit of fun. I went at it with no expectations and just enjoyed it for what it was. The irony here is that the story is almost identical to that of its predecessor, Alien Encounter. You have an encounter with a bad alien, they just changed the definition of bad. Alien Encounter was genuinely terrifying to the point that my mum came out of it crying her eyes out. I've never seen her so distressed and is that really right for the Magic Kingdom? I still get glared at if I even mention it.

Agreed that Alien Encounter did not fit at all in Magic Kingdom, but it worked so well. They should have moved it to DHS instead of converting it to Stitch.

IMO, I think the problem with Stitch is that the only feelings you get from the ride now is annoyance and disgust. Not something that is all that enjoyable. Of course many could say the same for the original version, not everyone enjoys pure terror.

 

[rteetz]

Agreed that Alien Encounter did not fit at all in Magic Kingdom, but it worked so well. They should have moved it to DHS instead of converting it to Stitch. IMO, I think the problem with Stitch is that the only feelings you get from the ride now is annoyance and disgust. Not something that is all that enjoyable. Of course many could say the same for the original version, not everyone enjoys pure terror.

I agree I think they could give stitch a much better attraction it is a great animatronic but other than that there is nothing to that attraction.

 

[Airship Ariadne]

Honestly I just think the Imagineers were catching up with making tie-in rides recently...in terms of planning and execution, it hasn't really been that long since the last fully new themed ride was unveiled, Expedition Everest in 2006...since then sure it's been all (or mostly, maybe I forgot something) rides based on previous properties, but with creating Pixar Place, Carsland and the Fantasyland expasion, I would kind of expect that...and of course, it has taken them years to bring off (but you know the planning started about the time EE was opening if not before)..I bet after Pandora, and the rumored Star Wars lands, we will see something new (who knows, they may already be dreaming up ideas right now)...maybe they just felt they were just a little behind on milking the cash-cows they had on-hand (I mean really, Star Wars land will finally make HS a destination park, and not a "well, while we are here we should check it out" park.)

 

[rteetz]

Honestly I just think the Imagineers were catching up with making tie-in rides recently...in terms of planning and execution, it hasn't really been that long since the last fully new themed ride was unveiled, Expedition Everest in 2006...since then sure it's been all (or mostly, maybe I forgot something) rides based on previous properties, but with creating Pixar Place, Carsland and the Fantasyland expasion, I would kind of expect that...and of course, it has taken them years to bring off (but you know the planning started about the time EE was opening if not before)..I bet after Pandora, and the rumored Star Wars lands, we will see something new (who knows, they may already be dreaming up ideas right now)...maybe they just felt they were just a little behind on milking the cash-cows they had on-hand (I mean really, Star Wars land will finally make HS a destination park, and not a "well, while we are here we should check it out" park.)

There is no catch up its based on what execs want. There are plans that we will never see that will also never come to light. EE was 8 years ago now that is a long time in theme park terms. Pixar place is only TSMM (there should be more). Fantasyland wasn't even originally supposed to have the mine train. They have imagineers that are specifically for drawing up concept art and thinking of such Ideas. These ideas get put into a file and if they get a budget it happens, if execs like it it happens.

 

[Figmentforever24]

I agree I can't see Big thunder or Space mountain being better with movie tie ins I think it would make it worse actually. each attraction is designed for specific reasons and ones with movie tie ins are supposed to have them. HM or the people mover just wouldn't be good with movie tie ins. Like you said also take the dwarfs away from the mine train and it seems boring, same with Peter Pan or Winnie the Pooh.

Test Track, Soarin, maelstrom, Its a small world, Space mountain, BTMR, Jungle Cruise, Tiki room, People Mover, Everest, SSE, Living with the land, etc are all great attractions without movie tie ins and wouldn't be that great with them.

Now here is an interesting point Splash Mountain has a movie tie in but do most people actually know the movie that well, no especially the kids and teens riding it.

SPLASH! Its the movie Splash with Tom Hanks! I win!!

 

[eadavis]

SPLASH! Its the movie Splash with Tom Hanks! I win!!

If only they could make a new film incorporating the animals and the music from Song of the South without using a Civil War era setting...

 

[MarknStitch]

I agree I think they could give stitch a much better attraction it is a great animatronic but other than that there is nothing to that attraction.

Now that I would love to see

 

[disneymac000]

I doubt we will see any more originals in the US for awhile. Mainly due to marketing. Americans like name brands. Everything has to be branded now so it makes it hard for most theme parks to utilize and create original IPs because they now have to figure out how to mass market it to get people to want to come. Disney has gotten lazy in that department.

 

[tjkraz]

Disney has gotten lazy in that department.

Not sure that I would use the word "lazy". As you point out, people expect brands and it's much easier to make the connection. You could market the heck out of a kid-friendly roller coaster that takes you through a mineshaft and down some hills but it will never resonate the way it does as "Seven Dwarfs Mine Train."

Would Universal be experiencing the same success if its new park expansion was merely called "Boy Wizard Land"?

 

[jon18uk]

Mine train doesn't have a gift shop...

It's also not based on a current film that current children would know about unless their parents showed them it.

I have wondered before if Disney is being "complacent" with some of it's ideas. For example if you didn't brief a child first and deliberately show them movies such as Snow White, Cinderella etc and just took them to Disney, would they get the theme of the mine train, or know who the lady in the blue dress in the restaurant at the castle is? I would expect they have seen Frozen this year so would know Anna & Elsa and Toy Story is probably going to have been see, but Snow White is a 90 year old film!
I know the age of the child may need to be different (ie around 12) but if you did the same at Universal how many things would they recognise? I would expect there to be more recognition of things such as minions, Harry Potter, Simpsons, probably the Cat in the Hat & Spiderman. But probably not popeye, Dudley Do-right, E.T. and maybe not Jurassic Park.

Of course with original concepts there is no need to know the movie first as the ride should explain everything but I'm not sure Under the Sea would be any good if you hadn't seen the Little Mermaid, similarly Harry Potter probably doesn't make too much sense if you haven't read books / seen films.

 

[beer dave]

It's difficult to be immersed in a theme that you are not familiar with. That's the whole idea-- bringing the movies/ cartoons to life. If they start with an idea that no one knows, how will they know it the setting is immersive?

Hey we built this new idea-- its a ride stuck in a crappy theme park--- how did we do?

 

[OldsDr]

Mine train doesn't have a gift shop...

Every Gift Shop at WDW is a gift shop for the mine train

Plus mine train was a null move with the removal of snow whites scary adventure

 

[OldsDr]

ToT has some of the best merchandise available!! At least it did, it seems like they are reducing it somewhat, they certainly are in DLP :-(

It does make me sad that people feel that is what Disney have become.

TOT and POC both had awesome merchandise, but TOT is watered down like everywhere else and POC was polluted by the movies

 

[MarknStitch]

It's difficult to be immersed in a theme that you are not familiar with. That's the whole idea-- bringing the movies/ cartoons to life. If they start with an idea that no one knows, how will they know it the setting is immersive?

Hey we built this new idea-- its a ride stuck in a crappy theme park--- how did we do?

Well it would fit into one of the themed lands! Baring in mind that for many years the vast majority of the Magic Kingdom attractions were not IP driven.

 

[tjkraz]

It is no longer about the ride, it is the gift shop at the end of the ride. They will sell a loot more merchandise tied to a popular movie than they will with just good ride. (no matter how good the ride is)

That's a very convenient argument to make with no data to back it up whatsoever.

I see no reason to believe that the gift shops adjacent to Buzz Lightyear, Pooh or Philharmagic sell more merchandise than POTC, Test Track or Space Mountain.

 

[rteetz]

Every Gift Shop at WDW is a gift shop for the mine train

Plus mine train was a null move with the removal of snow whites scary adventure

Scary adventures was leaving no matter what. The mine train was put in the FLE plans at the last minute because Disney saw a lack of attractions in the expansion.

 

[OldsDr]

That's a very convenient argument to make with no data to back it up whatsoever.

I see no reason to believe that the gift shops adjacent to Buzz Lightyear, Pooh or Philharmagic sell more merchandise than POTC, Test Track or Space Mountain.

I have no data and I am not pretending to in a "Do you think Thread"

However,

POTC and Space Mountain have nostalgia on their side. I think they are a good example of where this thread started. They were in fact rides with no movie tie ins. They have been around long enough where they don't need one or can kick of their own movie franchise.

Going forward I cannot see a ride that is not tied to a popular franchise outside the park environment for the simple fact of selling merchandise.

 

[OldsDr]

Scary adventures was leaving no matter what. The mine train was put in the FLE plans at the last minute because Disney saw a lack of attractions in the expansion.

You think they still would see a lack of attractions, I wonder what the tipping point is?

 

[rteetz]

You think they still would see a lack of attractions, I wonder what the tipping point is?

Well if mine train didn't happen it would have been the land of princesses, fairies and dumbo.

 

[Figmentforever24]

Well if mine train didn't happen it would have been the land of princesses, fairies and dumbo.[/QUOTE

That be a good advertisement lol. Anyway people are wanting to be immersed in their favorite movies more. This is why lands like Harry Potter do so well, because people want to be part of that story and in that land. Cars was popular because people were able to be inside the movie they had seen on TV. The trend is obviously movie tie ins and people like it. Give the people what they want.