Is a bigger disney world a better disney world????

[YoHo]

About a month ago, rumour had it that the Britian Pavilion was undergoing some changes. Haven't heard any followup though.

 

[Douglas Dubh]

"About a month ago, rumour had it that the Britian Pavilion was undergoing some changes. Haven't heard any followup though."

I recall it was more about changing shops then building new attractions.

 

[raidermatt]

Captain Crook- Thanks for the kind words (and for not mentioning the gramatical errors! )

I think whether or not Disney builds a more thrill oriented park, or feels compelled to add more thrill rides to its current parks, will be largely determined by how much business they lose to Universal.

Clearly Disney wants to have parks that families can stay together in, but its also apparent that some families, particularly those with teenagers, are skipping a day or two of Disney in favor of Universal. I suppose this issue has always been on Disney's radar screen, and so far Six Flags, Busch, etc have not made Disney change their strategy. However, with the pressure to constantly show growth, this may become a market Disney feels it must tap.

Having a more thrill oriented park would also probably attract a higher percentage of locals, somewhat mitigating WDW's vulnerability to economic downturns and drops in tourism.

 

[DC7800]

Originally posted by thedscoop
You see, to me, what makes Disney Different is that it is different than the typical amusement park formula.

...but I sure hope WDW never becomes "Gut Thrills First". Things like the Land, GMR, Pirates, Haunted Mansion are unique types of thrills--maybe the don't grab your stomach--but, to me at least, they grab all my senses much more than any Vekoma.

So far as I'm concerned, there are more than enough "thrill rides" at WDW right now. The drop in Pirates is about as much as I can take, so you can imagine how I feel about RnR. Many people seem to crave such thrills, though, so I wouldn't mind 2-3 at each park either. Problem is, many of the major additions to the existing parks in recent years have already been thrill rides: notably ToT, RnR, Dinosaur, and Test Track. I'd like a nice, slow, JII or Horizons type dark ride, please! Ideally, Dinosaur and ToT would have some form of "mild" ride option which tones down the movement and brakes the elevator on the way down - so anyone can ride.

I may be way off track with this, but I'm not convinced Disney should even try to address the thrill ride market in it's parks. Many people - having never visited WDW, but familiar through movies, tv, word-of-mouth, etc. - equate the modern theme park with "faster, wetter, wilder" (don't know where I found that quote) thrill rides. And, anyone can build thrill rides and decorate them with "a little theming". Disney is supposed to be a cut above this standard - Imagineering can do so much better. Should WDW ever build a basic (minimal theming) thrill ride (like DCA perhaps; maybe Triceratops) people will start to equate Disney with those other parks.

So, if you go into Epcot or MK looking solely for big thrills, you might even be disappointed (in a Disney park!). There are three big "thrill rides" in the MK. As excellent as those ride experiences are, I am imagining someone coming out of the park at the end of the day exclaiming how SM and BTMRR were nice enough, but Six Flags had so much more to do. To keep up with the thrill parks, you'd have to build a lot more than 2-3 thrill rides per park (and then why would you need to come to WDW for rides you have back home). Disney doesn't have to keep up - and it shouldn't try - it's supposed to be leading the way.

Besides, the demographic which likes these thrill rides the most is - I'm guessing - probably not the same group that spends the most money in the parks or visits the most often.

 

[fklhou]

I would prefer that Disney expand its existing parks before adding a fifth gate. I am curious about the announcements that are suppose to be coming out on Wednesday. I would love to see the Beastly Kingdom added to AK. AK is still one of my favorite parks but a few more rides would help.

I personally agree with DC78000 and Scoop that Disney does not need and should no concentrate on speed rides design to cause you to lose the contents of your stomach. Another nice family ride would be nice.

 

[YoHo]

Just to Voice my agreement on the no thrills E-Ticket. I've said it a million times before and I'll say it a million times again, High Speed thrill rides like Rollercoasters is a high stakes low margin buisness. People become bored with this kind of thing easily. That's why Disney MUST concentrate on there themeing with rides like this, but even when they do, Rides like Splash mountain, TT, ToT lose their luster after a while, they stop attracting people at the same level. You have two options, build a new one every year which would require you to lose profit and reduce cost and thus themeing on the rides you build, or build a ride that people will enjoy for years.

 

[airlarry!]

Dang it, Yoho, I was on a long streak of agreeing with all of your posts (hence Yoho!).

But, I disagree with your take on Splash Mountain. It is the perfect marriage of theming and adventure and thrills. It is not too scary that an 8 or 9 year old won't ride, but it is just thrilling enough that a 33 year old thrill-seeker will ride. It is one of those rides that *almost* every adult can ride with *almost* every young'un.

I realize that the wee folk won't ride. I realize that some people are nervous about the drop (although it really is tamer than it looks). But it comes the closest to giving thrills, with the irrestible story weaved with great music making it the one ride that every time we go has lines backed up forever. Try hitting that sucker in the June with 60 hour waits right after opening!

 

[YoHo]

Actually, I agree with you on Splash Mountain However I believe it has a height restriction and a Thrill aspect and that TYPE of ride is a thrill park staple. If every Thrill ride they made were up to Splash or BTMRR, or ToT. AND were interspersed amoung the parks, it would be all good

 

[airlarry!]

Agreed.

 

[Captain Crook]

Hey...Even I agree!!!

 

[DVC-Landbaron]

Me three!!!!

 

[Captain Crook]

What a consensus!

Landbaron...You must have got a new computer?

Being a good Disney parent, I must go watch Bugs Life with my daughter, tata...

 

[DVC-Landbaron]

Being a good Disney parent, I must go watch Bugs Life with my daughter, tata...

Nah! Stay here and talk to me. I've seen it. Flick saves the day in the end.

 

[All Aboard]

Captain, don't you have the DVD???

YoHo, a 40 inch height limit only locks out kids up to about age 3 and a half. ToT, Splash, BTMRR, TT, Star Tours, Body Wars & Dinosaur all have 40 inch limits. Kali River Rapids can be enjoyed by kids 38 inches tall. Our daughter (3 and 3 quarters) loves all of those attractions. She may be the exception, I don't know. She also really loves Spiderman (40").

These "so called" thrill attractions really are available to just about every guest who comes through the gates. Only the very youngest cannot experience them.

 

[Captain Crook]

Don't have DVD...Don't have DVD player, yet...Daughter laughs hysterically at Bugs Life...I can't resist. It's back on...Must go...

 

[DC7800]

Originally posted by gcurling
a 40 inch height limit only locks out kids up to about age 3 and a half. ToT, Splash, BTMRR, TT, Star Tours, Body Wars & Dinosaur all have 40 inch limits. Kali River Rapids can be enjoyed by kids 38 inches tall. Our daughter (3 and 3 quarters) loves all of those attractions. She may be the exception, I don't know. She also really loves Spiderman (40").

These "so called" thrill attractions really are available to just about every guest who comes through the gates. Only the very youngest cannot experience them.

These attractions are available to just about every guest, but that doesn't mean every guest that technically is "qualified" to ride can handle (or enjoys) such thrills. Splash Mountain is a great attraction, but unless you are willing and able to endure that drop you might as well be 39 inches tall. A lot of people, therefore, still are excluded from Splash, Dinosaur, and ToT who would really enjoy them.

I've been sorely tempted to give Splash a try next month. I'm guessing it's a ride the whole family would really love, except for that awful drop. Granted, it comes close to the right mix of "thrills and adventure"; just a little bit less extreme, and it really would be available to everyone. Well-executed thrill rides have a place in a Disney park - but with rare exception (the 2-3 per park mentioned earlier, perhaps) every ride should be enjoyable (or at least tolerable) by the entire family, from a 3-month old child to a 103 year old grandmother.

 

[Peter Pirate]

message type in dimwitted error & erased. Sorry.

 

[airlarry!]

I've been sorely tempted to give Splash a try next month. I'm guessing it's a ride the whole family would really love, except for that awful drop.

I am a bad person to ask--cause I will freely admit I am utterly biased when it comes to my favorite attraction, Splash Mountain--but if you are posting this as a question, the answer is an unqualified YES! My son, who was only four at the time and who doesn't enjoy height-based rides, will not ride....yet. But my daughter and her cousins have enjoyed this ride from age 5 above, and I know many kids younger who also do. It is not intolerably scary. I will not be a spoiler, other than to say the fifteen minutes before the 'drop' are some of the coolest theming of any state-side attraction. I can only imagine what WDW would look like if the guy who designed this mountain was allowed to design every attraction, from fun-loving, but family friendly A ticket all the way up to thrill-a-minute E ticket rides!

Well-executed thrill rides have a place in a Disney park - but with rare exception (the 2-3 per park mentioned earlier, perhaps) every ride should be enjoyable (or at least tolerable) by the entire family, from a 3-month old child to a 103 year old grandmother.

Well, numbers are subjective, but I for one wouldn't mind seeing 4 mountains in every Magic Kingdom! 2-3 Splash-caliber attractions per park is a mite on the teeny side.

 

[DVC-Landbaron]

I really don't know how to tell you this... but... I think... there's a real good chance... that you... ah... posted to... THE WRONG THREAD!!!

 

[King Triton]

I still say Disney made a huge mistake taking out World of Motion, Horizons and the old Figment ride at Epcot. Epcot hasn't been the same since. Disney needs to add more rides like Horizons to Epcot. How about a Horizons II ride? Come on Imagineers....let's get to work.

King Triton