Do you think the quailty of attraction have gone up, or down?

[Jakk]

Just a general question. Do you think Disney is still making quaility attractions like they used to do or not? For example do you still think Disney is making wonderful and timeless classics like Mr. Toad, or Horizons in are current newer attractions like Soarin, EE, M:S, MIlF (monster Inc. laugh floor), and the new Nemo ride? So say whenever these attractions ever go in theme park heaven (I don't see EE going for a LONGGGGG time) will you miss them like you do for our current classics? Just wonderin :mickey:

[IloveDisney71]

I definitely think Disney is still making quality attractions. They actually traveled to the Mt. Everest region to do research on the area and the local beliefs about the Yeti. They put a great deal of thought, imagination, and planning into making EE authentic. Mission Space, according to astronauts, is the closest thing to an actual space flight that is available to the avearage person. And, have you seen the line for Soarin? I think these rides will hold their appeal for many years to come. I don't know about Monsters Inc. I have not had the chance to do that yet. But that's just my :twocents:. :mickey:

[LibertyTreeGal]

Well, if you look at the rides available on opening day 1955, most of them are long since extinct, and there is a reason for that! So, it's a matter of perspective, the quality of the rides is exponentially better than it was in 1955, and over the years some have been better, some have been worse, and some have been truly great.

The production of new rides will always be hit and miss, you never truly know how good it is until people get on board!

[aprilshowers93]

I think Disney is evolving through the years, just as it needs to. I think the classic rides built years ago like haunted mansion, potc, it's a small world, jungle cruise are great. Even the 3 mountains in MK that we believe to be classics weren't there when it opened. Currently, I think EE, Finding Nemo, and the soon to be opened Toy Story Mania are and will be great attractions. However, I think Stitch, and although I have never seen it, Laugh Floor, are less, much less than classic. Disney is making the good with the bad. I do feel that they haven't made a classic dark ride in awhile now. They could use one.

[snifflesmcg]

Just a general question. Do you think Disney is still making quaility attractions like they used to do or not? For example do you still think Disney is making wonderful and timeless classics like Mr. Toad, or Horizons in are current newer attractions like Soarin, EE, M:S, MIlF (monster Inc. laugh floor), and the new Nemo ride? So say whenever these attractions ever go in theme park heaven (I don't see EE going for a LONGGGGG time) will you miss them like you do for our current classics? Just wonderin :mickey:
I have to disagree about EE. This is not a simple attraction that is housed in a building, this is a gigantic mountain that they built specifically. I've seen shows about how complex this system was to build (3 completely different systems that weren't allowed to touch each other). This one is definately sticking around for YEARS to come.

I'm going to have to say that rides have gotten better but worse. Let me explain.

Technology is SOOOOO much better than it was in 1955 or 1971 when these parks originally opened. Things that are possible, and quite easy, didn't even exist or were extremely difficult then. Just look at COP verses EE. Check out the movement of the animatronics. But in a way they are worse because they don't pack the passion you can find in the earlier classic rides. Rides of "yesterday" had meanings and stories with a touch of folklore while rides of today have tons of great effects and technology. If you ever need an example, think of the Tiki Room of the past verses what it is today.

[Ms.Disney]

I think Disney is taking steps in moving in the right direction. I think E:E is really quite remarkable, the themeing of the attraction is fantastic. Disney gets an A++++++ in my book for that one. Also when I heard that they were turning the Living Seas in to Nemo land I was not exactly thrilled:blush:. But I have to say with the addtion of the Nemo ride it alone has changed my mind.:party: I often ask myself, what do I like more the ride or the queue???:mickey: Now.....on the other hand I dont know what Disney was thinking with Stitch.....:blowup::down::stop:... IMHO it is by far the worst attraction MK has ever seen :blush: and money wasted (long live Skippy). But I'm a loyal Disney nut and am excited to see whats to come with MGM and Epcot there are so many rumors flying around out there and with more new stuff the more reason I have to take another trip :mickey:

[DonaldDuck1117]

I also agree that Disney is heading back in the right direction. It seems like imagineers in today's Disney World have to deal with budgets, and have to fight for the amount of money needed to make the attraction truly Disney. Most of us think the current version of Imagination is bad, but then you hear stories of the very limited budget the guys had to work with. It just seemed like for a period of about 10 years Disney was more concerned with the money behind the attraction than the overall quality of it. However, with the addition of E:E, the refurbs of Pirates, Spaceship Earth, and the Haunted Mansion it seems like Disney has once again turned toward presenting quality attractions.

[pixiesmimi]

I think there are the good and the bad. I miss Mr. Toad's Wild Ride and others but like most of the new ones. I don't like Stitch though and I don't like the current Figment ride. I liked the first one better. I never went in the previous Tike Room but I certainly don't like the current one, :bored: I was a little surprised the last time we went into Peter Pan and how most of it was just a dark ride with nothing visible (not even Tink). I thought they could have put a little more into this ride. But the new ones like Soaring are a great new addition. I just hope they never do away with the Haunted Mansion or the really originals that make it Disney.

[Toad]

I find that many recent attractions tend to be dumb, aesthetically bland, and devoid of mystery and restraint. I think this is most evident in Epcot, where one will find "interactive" attractions such as Test Track, Mission: Space, Journey Into Imagination with Figment, and The Seas with Nemo, which are actually not as engaging as some proclaim, and certainly fail to live up to their predecessors. Perhaps limited funds are the principle reason for the sub par quality of Stitch, Seas with Nemo, and Figment, although I think it is worth noting that in the past, austere budgets inspired such miracles as If You Had Wings and Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (which was possibly the most overlooked attraction in Disney history). Despite some disastrous additions and desecrations that have occurred in the past 10 years, there are some recent attractions that are quite good (Buzz Lightyear, Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster, Mickey’s Philarmagic, Soarin’, and to a lesser extent Expedition Everest) and with the removal of the wand on Spaceship Earth, it is possible that Disney is headed into a new renaissance.

[Imagineer1981]

The parks are ever changing and growning which is the best part about them. Compare Muppet Vision 3D to Tough to be a Bug and see the difference, both are great shows but one clearly is more advanced. Some rides have had mistakes, aka Journey, but Imagineers are dedicated to giving all of us the best bang for our buck. Hey I thought I'd hate Jack Sparrow being added to Pirates, but I love it

[GrmGrninGost]

I think Disney is doing very well with their rides. I just hope they don't lost sight of the fact that Disney parks are FAMILY parks. With all the technology available, it would be easy to get off track and build all thrill rides. This is not what Walt wanted, and, this is what has gotten a lot of parks in trouble over the last several years. You can't make your best profits by only catering to a select age group. Keep up the good work Disney! :mickey:

[Mickey91]

I think they are doing okay, but I believe they could do better with not as many replicas. Like the Triceritop Spin and Alladins Carpets etc. Make different exciting FAMILY rides!:mickey:

[thejens]

Well, gosh after the Narnia, I just can't wait for the next big "attraction!" Sorry, cant help but make fun of that huge waste of time. Hmm, lets add some advertising and call it an attraction! I have not been to WDW in its earlier years and so can't compare, but I do think the current newer rides are mostly great. I seem to be the only one on the planet who doesn't care for Buzz. It just seems like a moving arcade game to me. I also hope that they continue to make creative family rides that tell a story and give a little thrill to kids and parents and even seniors. The triceretop/Dumbo/alladin rides are aweful due to the slow load/long line problem to. The line is not entertaining and no one enjoys it much except the 3 year olds (who was, I must admit, totally enthralled.) But I love EE, and Soarin, and look forward to improvements in MGM.

[Ian]

I'd say it's a fairly mixed bag lately, with some big hits and some HUGE misses.

Everest, obviously, is more than up to Disney standards. The theming is incredible, the attention to detail is all there ... it's definitely on par with if not better than any of the other existing mountains.

Soarin' is a great attraction, too. I'm not 100% sure they went quite far enough ... I would like to have seen a little more detail in the theming (especially for the WDW version ... the DL version is better) and perhaps a little bit better backstory ... but overall I think it's certainly one of their better efforts.

I think Mission: Space had good intentions from the beginning, but I don't know that it was thought out all the way. I think they came up with a really great idea, but didn't necessarily consider all the ramifications of what they were doing there. It's a solid ride, though. Worthy of Disney.

But take a look at some other attractions ...

Stitch is just awful. I mean it's literally one of the worst theme park attractions I've ever seen, anywhere. I'd hate this attraction if it was in Six Flags or a local carnival. It's just pathetically bad.

JIYI is bad, too. Especially when you consider what was there before it. A very weak effort.

The new Monsters show is cute but ... it's also sort of uninspired. I mean if you compare it to a Pirates of the Caribbean or a Haunted Mansion they're not even in the same class.

Philharmagic is a good film, but the ancillary theming is terrible. That theater lobby is sad ... where's the fake concession stand and stuff like that?? Horrible and definitely sub-par for a Disney attraction.

So the way I see it they've had a few hits and more than a few misses. They need to step it up, IMO, but I think they know that and I think they're doing that. I (for whatever reason) trust and have faith in the new leadership team. I think they're going to do the right things.

[magicman]

- When I think back to my original visit to WDW (as well as other amusement parks) about 30 years ago, I can definitively say that the attractions are a much higher quality and much more sophisticated.

- However, I have "expectation inflation".

- I think many times rides are below my expectation for the date in which we live.

- For example, WDW still has tracked vehicles. I would love to see WDW go the way of trackless vehicles in rides as they have done in Tokyo Disney's "Pooh's Hunny Hunt" (if you haven't seen this ride, Google images of it & be amazed).

[4ubie1]

I think that it has been a toss up just like it was " back in the day." We have some extraordinary rides like M:S, E:E, and ToT. And then we have some less than great rides like Stitch and Dinorama (sorry if i upset any there). But at least we, nowadays, have the pleasure of riding the classics too.:thumbsup: So in the end, we have had some great and some not so great.

Side Note: I really wish they would bring back a ride like Horizons or World of Motion. I miss the nice slow pace, the neat story line, and the fantastic sets :cloud9:

[texasteacher]

I think that the rides reflect the Disney films ; the newer ones are more technologically advanced, but do not have the charm of the earlier films. This is why I think MK remains most people's favorite park - it still retains some of the innocence and charm of early Disney.

[Jakk]

JIYI is bad, too. Especially when you consider what was there before it. A very weak effort.

But they did good with only 7.4 million instead of the proposed 40 million. You can only do so much with that amount of money...

[Polynesian Dweller]

But they did good with only 7.4 million instead of the proposed 40 million. You can only do so much with that amount of money...

Quite true. But then, if it can't be funded sufficiently it probably shouldn't be done and JIYI is a good example. Creating a ride is a bit of a hit and miss thing. Its like a movie, you create, think its good, and hope that your audience likes it. Sometimes they don't. But if you put out something bad because you didn't put the money and effort into it (JIYI, Stitch) then you have no excuses IMHO.

In general, though, I doubt that quality has gone down. There have always been a mix of great, mediocre and bad attractions and likely always will be.

[mcjaco]

^ A large budget doesn't necesarily mean a good ride either.

[magicman]

But they did good with only 7.4 million instead of the proposed 40 million. You can only do so much with that amount of money...

It's strange seeing the word "only" next to the number "7.4 million".:spend:

[mttafire]

Todays attractions are head and shoulders better than in the past. Even rides like POTC get better and better with new technology. IMHO, Disney has never been better than "today".:mickey: However, Disney does make goofs...I.E. Stich, Taking out Horizons and a few others. Overall though, Atraction wise i give Disney an A!!

[Jakk]

It's strange seeing the word "only" next to the number "7.4 million"

But 7.4 million is only pocket change for them...

[mcjaco]

^ I don't know if I'd call it pocket change. But for a major attraction yes, that's a smallish amount. If used right, it will pay big dividends.

[magicman]

If Disney paid 7.4 million for the current version of JIYI, they were robbed.

I feel disloyal saying that because I love Figment, but the current version is just so much less than it was.

I had talked the ride up to my little ones four years back on their first trip. (I had such fond memories of the attraction from the 80s.) After I rode it with my kids, they looked at me with their innocent little eyes and said, "Dad...you're an idiot."