Best and Worst Attraction inprovements

[BriarRose]

Since our first visit was not until 2001 I don't have a lot of experience in this, but was wondering in your opinion, what is the best improvement of an attraction or space and what is the worst?

For me, the best I have noticed is The Living Seas Nemo makeover.

The worst is the Alien Encounter Stitch makeover.

[WinnipegDisneyFanatic]

From what I've seen, what I'd consider 'the best' right now is the recent Haunted Mansion update.

The worst...Alien Encounter becoming Stitche's Great Escape. That attraction is a tragedy now!

Chris :hatter:

[sisterdisco]

I was really disappointed with the make over of The Enchanted Tiki Room. I don't dislike the new version, but I just loved the original version.

I think the best makeover I have seen is POTC. I am a huge POTC fan and I just love Captain Jack!!

I also preferred the "now is the time" song at Carousel of Progress vs. "it's a great big beautiful tomorrow".

[devoted93]

At the moment for me, the best is the Haunted Mansion. Just the right amount of new stuff and good old fashioned refurb of the old stuff.

The worst for me is El Rio Del Tiempo, or The Gran Fiesta now. A relaxing boat ride that actually tried to give you a feel for Mexico is just another annoying cartoon.

(note: I still haven't ridden the new Spaceship Earth yet, so once I've seen it in person - only videos online - I might change my worst...)

[Mad About Mickey]

The best improvement has to be replacing If You Had Wings/ Dreamflight/ Take Flight :bored: with Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin.
IMHO replacing the Alien Encounter with Stich was the worst improvement, coming in a close second is Pooh taking up residence in Toad Hall :cry: .

[SpecJoe Magic]

The worst for me is El Rio Del Tiempo, or The Gran Fiesta now. A relaxing boat ride that actually tried to give you a feel for Mexico is just another annoying cartoon.


I still can't figure out the reasoning behind that change. The worst part about it is that they removed the catchy tune and replaced it with the Three Caballeros song. It's not that I dislike the Three Caballeros song, but it just doesn't give me the happy feeling that the original song did.

My favorite update by far is the Haunted Mansion refurbishment. I feel that they removed the only weaknesses that the ride had and replaced them with elements that make it an even better ride than before.

My least favorite is the change from Alien Encounter to Stitch's Great Escape. I'm not even going to get started on how that went wrong.

[beksy]

I agree that the worst is El Rio del Tiempo. I loved that ride before but think that the refurb really hurt it. I don't really know which I would consider the best to be. We enjoyed Spaceship Earth and POTC.

[Dopey's Girl]

I love what they did to Pirates and HM. Those were two really well done refurbs. They stayed true to the original attractions, but added so much!

I really, really don't like El Rio/Grand Fiesta. Sure, the old version needed tweaking, maybe cleaning up the film, adding a few new scenes. But now it just makes no sense...I really, really, really don't like it!

[Mousemates]

best-hm (we love the never ending staircase)

worst- Enchanted Tiki Room...they had a great thing and cheapened it with an annoying movie tie in. Went to DL a year or so back, and thoroughly enjoyed the original version.

[Polynesian Dweller]

The best is either HM or POTC and they are close enough I can't choose between them.

There have been a lot of less than great refurbs and Stitch certainly is near the top but nothing reaches the badness of Journey into your Imagination.:ack: Of all the refurbs over the years it is the one that was the least imaginative of all and in the Imagination pavillion at that.

[jsdt]

What I disliked most about the change to El rio/Grand Fiesta was they took out the market scene where the person trying to sell you something would follow your boat from one video screen to the next and then to the third. i thought that was very funny and it did remind me of a trip to mexico. My wife and I always enjoyed "guessing" which sales person we would get.

[lockedoutlogic]

I would say that pirates is probably the best.....with honorably mention to the Living Seas.....

the worst is no question Imagination.....we all know that....two disasterous and silly updates to a ride that made the pavilion the worst at EPCOT....after being the best for the first 15years.....

Stitch is terrible....but that was done to reuse hardware....which is a mistake i don't think they'll make again.....

[DisneyOtaku]

My favorite has to be the HM and POTC. I think they did a great job keeping the original feel of the rides while updating it for newer audiences--I was originally worried about the movie tie in with POTC, but it works really well since it's not ALL about Jack.

The worst would have to be Imagination. What did they do to my childhood?!?!?! :(

And though I don't DISLIKE it, I'm a bit saddened by the new Living Seas. Don't get me wrong, the ride is pretty cool. But there's something missing without the hydrolators and the film. My sister and I still will pause randomly when it starts raining and go "And then....the rains came." :D

[MatterhornMiss]

I was really disappointed with the make over of The Enchanted Tiki Room.

I totally agree. The first time I visited the tiki room "under new management," I got all excited when Jose and the other birds started in with "In the tiki. . . " only to be cut short by those annoying birds from Aladdin and The Lion King, before the song even had a chance to take off!

I like the refurb for Universe of Energy. I think Ellen is hillarious, and I enjoy Bill Nye the Science Guy. I don't even notice I'm sitting there for 45 minutes.

[MatterhornMiss]

Oh, and I'm actually disappointed in the fact that they added the movie characters to POTC. I liked it much more before Barbosa and Jack showed up. I thought it was pretty funny without any big-name additions.

[SBETigg]

There are things I like and dislike about a lot of the changes on attractions, so it is really hard to choose a favorite and least favorite.

For instance, I really like the new Living Seas ride. It's cute. But it's so short, it feels like they might not have bothered, and I do miss the hydrolators. Also, if anyone remembers the original ride-through at Living Seas, it was so much better. I miss that. So it seems to me that with every change, they gain some, and lose some. The worst thing they could do is to stay static and never risk the changes on attractions showing wear, so I'm all for change in general.

That said, the very worst change of all for me is one that I am surprised no one has mentioned yet: Closing and cementing over the 20,000 Leagues lagoon for Pooh's Playful Spot. What a mistake! I trust it's a temporary fix and there's more to come, but what a loss in the meantime. The lagoon added a whole extra element of magic and fantasy to Fantasyland and I still feel the loss of it.

[JerseyDad]

.....last time in WDW (Nov `08)...the El Rio del Tiempo "revisions" were in place...just waiting for me to take the ride. I passed on the ride, and instead allowed my daughter and her friends (all 11 yrs old at the time) to take the ride while I was awaiting our dinner seating. By the look on my daughter's face upon exiting the ride....and the look alone mind you...I KNEW that I would have been disappointed had I gone for the ride with them!! So...El Rio del Tiempo...gets my vote for "worst improvement". (I did however check out the ride on youtube...and it did confirm that I'd be disappointed)

...my vote for "best improvement" would have to go to The Haunted Mansion.

[bruin1344]

The best is POTC

The worst is stitch

[MickeyandTink]

That said, the very worst change of all for me is one that I am surprised no one has mentioned yet: Closing and cementing over the 20,000 Leagues lagoon for Pooh's Playful Spot. What a mistake! I trust it's a temporary fix and there's more to come, but what a loss in the meantime. The lagoon added a whole extra element of magic and fantasy to Fantasyland and I still feel the loss of it.

:exactly:
20K Leagues was one of my favorites. :sad: Althougth I haven't been there since the refurb to it at DL, I think putting Nemo into 20K was a much better move than the Living Seas (although it's not a bad update).

As for best, I kind of like Test Track at the old World of Motion pavillion.

[DisneyFanatic11]

The Best: Haunted Mansion. I'm so glad they updated the attic portion of the ride into something similiar of the Disneyland HM. And not only did they do that, but they got rid of the tacky spiders and did an incredible makeover on that portion. Good job, Imagineers! :thumbsup:

The Worst: Definately Pooh's Playful Spot. Even though I was too young to go on 20K, I've been on sites dedicated to the ride and I thought it looked amazing! I really wish it was still around so that I could possibly view it myself instead of watching it through YouTube.

[Gator]

I'm going against the flow here, but my favorite improvement was the Tiki Room. It was sooooooo boooooorriiiiinngg. Iago gives it an entertainment factor. If you like the old version, go to Disneyland and remember how boring it truly was. So a :thumbsup: for the new Tiki Room.

The worst is Stich's Escape. Alien Encounter was a truly frightening experience and fit Tomorrowland. Stich's Escape is gross and not scary at all.

[NJ Camper]

best was tough potc and hm tie

worst stitch and taken away 20,000 leages under the seas that was a unique ride i'm sure there is more but those are the 2 big ones i can think of now

[Ian]

For worst it's simply no contest ... Yes, Stitch is bad, but Alien Encounter wasn't that great to begin with. The Tiki Room is bad for sure, but nothing can even come close to the disaster that is now Imagination.

If you're looking purely at the amount an attraction was degraded by a refurb, Imagination went from, arguably, the best attraction in Future World to, inarguably, the worst. That's an epic fall. It astounds me that they actually spent money (however paltry the sum may have been) to completely and totally ruin an attraction. How stupid that was .... it's just mind-boggling.

Best is probably Toy Story Mania. Millionaire was fun, but it was getting old and worn out. TSM is a BLAST and a sure-fire must do for each trip.

[DigitalDaredevil]

Best improved:
Haunted Mansion. I usually do not care for the updates that are done to attractions, but HM was done perfectly.

Worst Improved:
Rio Del Tiempo. Not nearly as enjoyable as it was.
Alien Encounter/Stitch. What a horrible improvement.

Indifferent:
Spaceship Earth. I love the Jeremy Irons narration, but like the new animatronics. The descent could have more to see though.

[Renata]

From what I've seen, what I'd consider 'the best' right now is the recent Haunted Mansion update.

The worst...Alien Encounter becoming Stitche's Great Escape. That attraction is a tragedy now!

Chris :hatter:

I agree with you... Stitche's Great Escape is horrible.. !!!

[Kairi_7378]

Best= Haunted Mansion.

Worst (for me)= Stitch

For DH, worst= Pooh's Playful Spot and Mr. Toad's Wild Ride

[henry.james.s]

HM is the best to me with POTC a very close 2nd.
The worst..The Tiki Room. It was a classic.:mad:

[steamboatwilly]

Worst would have to be Journey. It was great to ride, now intollerable.

[SandmanGStefani24]

i know it's not exactly the same ride, but Soarin's transformation from If You Had Wings/Dreamflight was huge. Or, if we want to get technical, the change from Wings/Dreamflight to Buzz's adventure was great too. I love both rides and they are both must-rides for newbies or veterans. :thumbsup:

Another big thumbs down for the change of El Rio Del Tiempo. I loved it before, but now it's too silly/kiddy for Epoct IMO. I also don't think the ending of Spaceship Earth is better. I love the ride, and love the language settings, but I would have preferred to have seen some more anamatronics or scenes instead of the slapsitcky ending. I'll still ride them, but they were better before.

[wdwfansince75]

:old: Old guy here! Loved what they did with POTC....and looking forward to first ride on new HM this Friday night.

Worst makeover was Imagination. :cry:

Biggest mistake....Destroying Horizons :down:

Also miss the Skyway. Never really missed 2,422 feet Under the Sea (not sure of real distance)....as I explained to my friends in the Submarine Navy (Sewer Pipe Sailors), "What goes up must come down, but the opposite is not always true!

[JabberJaws]

Here are my top 3 best and worst with explanations for each:

BEST

The most recent set of additions to the HM - they only added to the attraction and did not change any of what made it classic. The improvements on the sound (especially in the stretching room) and the MC Esher endless stairs room were the best additions.
Upgrades made to POTC in 2006 - same reasons as the HM upgrades. Managed to update the attraction without changing any of the "classic" elements.
The "Tower 4" upgrade made to ToT in 2002 - the "random" drop sequences and added SFX took my already favorite attraction to another level!


WORST

Mr. Toad's Wild Ride - Although in its own right, Pooh is a decent attraction, MTWR was one of my all-time favs and I will never forgive WDW for replacing it (I did get to ride it back in Dec. at DL though!)
Alien Encounter - Again, one of my all-time favorite WDW attractions (and the most thrilling attraction WDI has ever produced IMHO). SGE doesn't even deserve to be in the same building that AE used to be in!
Journey Into Imagination - no explanation needed...

[Imagineer1981]

I still can't figure out the reasoning behind that change. The worst part about it is that they removed the catchy tune and replaced it with the Three Caballeros song. It's not that I dislike the Three Caballeros song, but it just doesn't give me the happy feeling that the original song did.

My favorite update by far is the Haunted Mansion refurbishment. I feel that they removed the only weaknesses that the ride had and replaced them with elements that make it an even better ride than before.

My least favorite is the change from Alien Encounter to Stitch's Great Escape. I'm not even going to get started on how that went wrong.

I don't have to say a thing, you did it for me:mickey:

[Georgesgirl1]

Best- POTC and what I have seen of the videos of HM (haven't gotten to visit since the changes)

Worst- Imagination- It went from my favorite ride in all of WDW to a ride that I only bother with for that last few seconds when the original ride returns.
Also getting rid of Horizons :-(

[WEDTOPIA]

Gotta agree with many of you , especially Ian's assessment ,on the JII ride. They couldn't have done a poorer job of representing imagination .The original ride would stand up today , intact , as a much better example of Disney's ingenuity.

The best replacement , for my money , is Winnie -the- Pooh. Sorry , all you hard-core Toadies.

Incidentally . I think that there are a number of " break even " attractions . These would be shows that are at least as good as or a little better than their predecessors :
Soarin'
Buzz
Laugh Floor
Mickey's Philharmagic
Test Track ( only because it's not comparable to World of Motion )

Haven't seen Toy Story Mania , but that appears to be a no-brainer.

:mickey:

[frakers]

There are several changes that I like and several I dislike. It's hard to pick one of each....
So I won't.

Best:
1. The Haunted Mansion changes - Much much better
2. Soarin' - Replaced an empty corner. What a great upgrade!
3. Primeval Whirl - I don't love the area but I love this ride.

Worst:
1. Main Street U.S.A. - What a terrible, terrible change. Like they needed another shop.
2. Fast Pass at Peter Pan - Since it went in the line has stretched to places I never knew it could extend
3. Princess Dining - I know, it's not an attraction but they took my favorite restaurant, Akershus, brought in princesses and tacked on a large "surcharge" to eat less food than I got before. I have 2 boys, 6 and 2, one of whom is blind. They could care less about princesses.
4. Special nights, like the Pirate and Princess party - So, I can get a ticket to the park that costs the same as every other day but I can't stay in as long unless I buy another ticket?

Oh, and the most unneccessary update would have to be the "new" POTC. Base a movie on a ride that is based on a movie? I didn't need the change in story line, although I guess I do like the last scene better than it was before.

[DisneyNut2005]

I'm going against the flow here, but my favorite improvement was the Tiki Room. It was sooooooo boooooorriiiiinngg. Iago gives it an entertainment factor. If you like the old version, go to Disneyland and remember how boring it truly was. So a :thumbsup: for the new Tiki Room.

The worst is Stich's Escape. Alien Encounter was a truly frightening experience and fit Tomorrowland. Stich's Escape is gross and not scary at all.

I agree with you on the Tiki Room, but I disagree with you on Stitch.

[tink'72]

I really enjoyed the recent updates to Space Ship Earth. Getting off the ride was very interactive which my 5 year old loved.

[Rhetoric2000]

For best I would have to go with:

1) The Ellen upgrade to UOE. A while ago now but it still stands up today as a great "Edutainment" piece. I loved original future world for the most part but crimeny the original UOE was BORING.
2) The Land (In General). I have always adored Living with the Land and am delighted it remains, but sitting in that pavillion circa 2002 was depressing. What a job they did, not just with Soarin' but the whole feel of the place!
3) Monsters Inc Comedy Club. I know it's not everybody's cup of tea and I loved Timekeeper - but I'd seen it at least 291 (maybe a couple less) times and it was time to move on. This is a good show IMO.

For Worst:

3) Stich. Awful. That's all I have to say really.
2 tied) Mainstreet USA. So sad to see the last area of indivualistic shops in the parks get sucked up into the whole.
2 tied) Akershus. Very personal really this. As a child this was my favourite favourite favourite favourite restaurant in, quite possibly, the World. In my head, I don't have a problem with the changes as they make sense I suppose; but in my heart it will always be a sad thing to walk past and no longer consider.

1) Well this as far as I'm concerned is a no-brainer and has been described far more eloquently than I could by Ian:



If you're looking purely at the amount an attraction was degraded by a refurb, Imagination went to, arguably, the best attraction in Future World to, inarguably, the worst. That's an epic fall. It astounds me that they actually spent money (however paltry the sum may have been) to completely and totally ruin an attraction. How stupid that was .... it's just mind-boggling.

[gresh00]

The new version of Imagination is awful awful, awful. This is hands down the worst replacement.

Though I love Test Track I do miss World of Motion ride

In regards to things like 20,000 leagues, original Tiki Birds, and Mr. Toads, at least these attractions still exist in some form at Disneyland. So, if you want to see them, you still can. Unlike extinct attractions like original Imagination, Horizons, Dreamflight, and Motion, where we have only memories - and YOUTUBE.

The best refurb in my opinion is Pirates. I don't think anything is lost by adding Jack Sparrow, but Disney was able to add a more mainstream movie theme to it as well.

On a side note, when was this refurb of Haunted Mansion? We were just there in Feb, and I don't remember the ride being any different. Did the refurb happen after 2/08? Please forgive my ignorance.

[MaxPower]

Rio Del Tiempo is definitely the worst

[sdewan]

the worst is no question Imagination.....we all know that....two disasterous and silly updates to a ride that made the pavilion the worst at EPCOT....after being the best for the first 15years.....


Ditto!

The best upgrade in my opinion is Test Track, although I do miss World of Motion sometimes...

[SpecJoe Magic]

On a side note, when was this refurb of Haunted Mansion? We were just there in Feb, and I don't remember the ride being any different. Did the refurb happen after 2/08? Please forgive my ignorance.

The refurbishment took place in 2007. It reopened in September 2007, so you definitely rode the new version. I can't imagine how you didn't notice the differences. While it's true that some of the enhancements are subtle, others should have been obvious for anyone who had also ridden it in the last few years prior to the refurbishment.

[Auroring Good Time]

The best for me was POTC. It is much more entertaining to find Jack Sparrow.
Unlike most others, I like Stitch and never liked Alien Encounter. I thought it was boring.
I will agree that I miss Mr. Toad. However, the worst improvement was Main Street. I miss the individual shops. Now I just feel like I am walking through identical stores.

[BelleLovesTheBeast]

Best: HM and POTC. Both look great!

Worst: Journey Into Imagination! Bring back the Dreamfinder. Stitch! I like the alien much better. It used to be a must do for us...not it's a must miss.

[Cookie123]

For My Opinion:

The BEST REfurbishment was Haunted Mansion.

The WORST Refurbishments are:

Spaceship Earth
Honey I shrunk The Audience - *Pre-Show*
(I very much loved the "True Colors" song)
Journey Into Your Imagination - 'nuff said
POTC - because they took out the final scene
with the treasure chest and jewelry

[MaxPower]

What is annoying is when they take out a great attraction such as Legend of the Lion King at MK and replace it with another great attraction (Mickey's Philharmagic). We should replace bad with good. Not good with good. Spread the good around and eliminate all the bad ( I'm talking to you Sounds Dangerous)

[joonyer]

Best Improvement of a park:
Adding Expedition Everest at AK. Sounds like Toy Story Mania has been a great addition to DHS, but I haven't ridden it yet. DHS was already a pretty good park though, and I can't imagine it has made as much of an impact there as EE did at AK.

Best refurb/improvement of an existing attraction:
Haunted Mansion. 2nd best: POTC

Worst refurb/update:
Ruining Journey into Your Imagination. Although Stitch has gotten a lot of votes here, I didn't think much of Alien Encounter to begin with. Sort of like taking a poor attraction and making it worse. I haven't ridden the updated Spaceship earth yet, so I can't comment on that one

Worst decision to remove and replace:
Shutting down 20k under the Sea and then letting it sit abandoned for years and then using that space for a playground, and an ordinary one at that. Talk about a total lack of imagination at what is supposed to be the imagination capital of the world. I know that 20k had some technical problems (leaky subs)and was slow loading, and probably needed to be replaced, but letting it sit for years and then just replacing it with a playground? Boooo!

Worst decision not made to refurb/replace:
Tomorrowland Speedway. This attraction is out-dated and is now outdone by just about every two-bit tacky road-side amusement park in America. I can't believe something this lame is still in a theme park known as the MAGIC Kingdom. There's nothing remotely magical about it. It's a shame that Imagineering can't come up with something better with this space.
Runner up: Failure to update/refurb Carousel of Progress. I love this attraction, but it is tired, tired, tired. It desperately needs some TLC.

[TinkerbellFan16]

i have 4 bests....im so indesicive
1.Pirates of the Carribean
2.Haunted Mansion(needed SOOOO bad)
3.Spaceship Earth( the interactive part is rele cool, much bttr than riding bacxkwards at the end seeing lights, i think the quiz and video is rele funny
4.Phillharmagic-i love this show!!!

[rkwctw]

:mickey:POC, HM and Spaceship Earth are some of our favorite improvements. He dislike Stitch also.

[dking2002]

For me the worst redo is the Journey into Imagination ride with Figment. The only good part now is the end where they kept the spirit of the original.
I love how they added Cap'n Jack Sparrow to POTC!

[MickeysEars]

apparently I am alone here, I like the Rio ride update. I felt it was outdated and looked as though the films were shot 30 years ago, which they were. And yes it was part of the charm, but it is not really that bad of an update. I don't think it would have been hated as much if it was just added and did not replace Rio. Isn't there a complaint theat there is not enough at EPCOT for children, I don't agree, but i do know my children really like the ride for the first time on our last trip. Do I think it is the best update, no. I am having a hard time thinking of one.
I have not been on the new POTC or HM to enough to honestly say what I think. I miss the pirate at the end with the treasure and the footprints...the jury is still out.

[KT1234]

Best: For me, it's a toss up between HM and the addition of Soarin' to epcotand EE to animal kingdom. The more incredible rides they add to wdw, the more people they can attract to wdw and keep coming back. I know hardcore disney fans like us will always rate disney #1 but there are casual fans that could be lured away by bigger and more intense rides. good thinking on disney's part.

as for worst: I'm in agreement with those who listed Journey into Imagination. I also still miss Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. I love Pooh but couldn't they have made room for it someplace else? I don't care for Stitch either way. Frankly Alien Encounter wasn't enjoyable at all for me and Stitch is pretty much the same. Still gross smells and feeling claustrophobic.

Count me in as someone who would love a little update to COP! Not a complete change because I think the biggest draw is the tradition/nostalgia factor for a lot of long time disney-goers but a little something is definately in order!




3.Spaceship Earth( the interactive part is rele cool, much bttr than riding bacxkwards at the end seeing lights, i think the quiz and video is rele funny


^^^Not to sound completely ignorant but, when was the Spaceship Earth refurb and what exactly did they do to it? Unfortunately, I haven't been to WDW in a few years and for some reason, I didn't know they did anything to Spaceship Earth. I really hope not too much has changed because it's one of my favorite rides (nostalgia wise). Can anyone update me on what happened?

["DoYouHaveYourParkPass?"]

:thumbsup:Love the updated pirates and HM.
:( Disliked the new Mexico ride a lot. And poor Figment - since the original it has been nothing but poor.
_______________________________
26 visits and more to come

[badkitty]

The best is either HM or POTC and they are close enough I can't choose between them.

There have been a lot of less than great refurbs and Stitch certainly is near the top but nothing reaches the badness of Journey into your Imagination.:ack: Of all the refurbs over the years it is the one that was the least imaginative of all and in the Imagination pavillion at that.

I so agree! When I saw the Imagination refurb I wanted to cry. What did they do to my Figment! My mother so loved the orginal (she even named the dog Figment!). I went back to it in her honor and was heart-broken!

My favorite refurb is HM. I love the attic!

[Daisy'sMom]

Best refurb - HM
Worst refurb - Imagination

Biggest mistake - - Epcot replacing Horizons with Mission Space while Wonders of Life gathers dust!

[kathymk616]

Let's not forget that the current Imagination (version 3) is actually something over the previous "refurbishment", version 2. The one that didn't even include the song. Do you all remember how awful that was? The current version is pretty stinko, too, but it only fills me with sadness, not sadness AND rage, like the previous one did...

[broadway_chick72]

I haven't been back in a few years...so I haven't got to see HM yet. But I'd say POTC is the best... I LOVED seeing Jack in the ride.

I didn't even see the original Tiki Room... but this new version just gave me a headache. I liked the "Tiki Room" song... but the rest of it was just obnoxious.

[badkitty]

Let's not forget that the current Imagination (version 3) is actually something over the previous "refurbishment", version 2. The one that didn't even include the song. Do you all remember how awful that was? The current version is pretty stinko, too, but it only fills me with sadness, not sadness AND rage, like the previous one did...

Luckily I missed verison 2. No song? Yikes.

[broadway_chick72]

Question--as for the Figment ride...I still don't get why they chose to spray the "skunk smell" at you at that one part. I don't get that at all...

[kemps@wdw]

Haven't been since 06, so I've yet to see some of the newer refurbs. However, I do like the new characters @ the POTC, but don't much care for the "new management" @ the Tkik Room. Stich's Great Escape...well I only hope the Imagineers come up w/something new and fast! Looking forward to seeing the new HM (hear it rocks), and SE (a few new changes).

[Mrs Bus Driver]

Oh, and the most uneccessary update would have to be the "new" POTC. Base a movie on a ride that is based on a movie? I didn't need the change in story line, although I guess I do like the last scene better than it was before.
What? POTC isn't based on a movie. The imagineers made up a story for it just like HM. The movie came later.

[WDWFREAK101]

WORST:
1. I would have to say changing Alien Encounter to Stitch had to have been the WORST move that Disney could have done. AE was supposed to be scary and thrilling while Stitch is annoying and nauseating to say the least. :sick:

2. Toy Story Mania. No I don't think it is a bad ride I just think it was put in a bad PLACE. I LOVED Who Wants To Be A Millionare and it was a great STUDIO type attraction. Why couldn't they have put TSM somwhere else? I LOVE TSM but I don't like how it took out WWTBAM

BEST: The Haunted Mansion. I can't really describe how well they did this. A COMPLETELY new room and with some newer special effects that are great!

[AdventurerKim]

Best attraction improvements have been the additions to HM and Buzz Lightyear to replace If You Had Wings, etc.

[DigitalDaredevil]

HM was a great upgrade. POTC was not bad as they kept it mostly intact.
Alien Encounter/Stitch was a horrible upgrade (downgrade?). Alien Encounter was pretty cool, actually a little scary my first time, and I can see where a child would not feel comfortable in the attraction.

[tiggerbuddy]

Old "Imagination" ride....Great !!!!
"New" Horrible....

Replacing 20K leagues with a Pooh playground...Bad mistake

[Spaceship Tigger]

I'll go with Test Track as the best improvement.

Imagination, though... I try very hard whenever WDW tries to rehab something to like it. But I don't see how any Imagineer couldn't have seen that the rehabs done on this one totally ruined it. I mean, they basically removed Figment from the first rehab, for goodness sake.

[DryCreek]

Best changes I noticed during our trip to "The World" last week:

Adding Capt. Jack Sparrow to POTC was OK, it didn't alter the "flow" or radically change the theme.

The refurb of HM is spectacular!

They totally ruined El Rio Del Tiempo - that mish-mash of Donald Duck being chased by two of his compadres' is disjointed and pointless. At least the old ride paid tribute to the rich and varied history of Mexico. What they have done to this ride is an affront to one of our largest trading partners!

I really liked "If You Had Wings", and I love the fact that they kept some of it for the Buzz Lightyear ride.

[WDW_Obsessed]

For me, I think the best update is a tie between POTC and the Living with the Seas with Nemo :thumbsup:

I think the worst updates is a tie between Stich replacing Alien Encounter and MS replacing Horizons. :ack:

[SubNET3]

Best is HM and PotC.

Worse -
1. Spaceship Earth, Though updated family watching the moon landing on tv, computer lab, and guy in the garage on the net is great addition, the narration is horrible. Judi Dench's voice annoys me. Cutting out the future city and all that fun stuff with a cartoon starring YOU! is a good idea but kinda just a way of killing time while you skip what was the last 1/4 of the attraction. But I am glad they updated the exit if the attraction, and that it is sponsored again.

2.Alien Encounter - I don't even need to speak for this one.

3.Horizons - MS is good and all but I think Horizons offered so much more than a spinning motion simulator with switches that don't do anything (though I still pretend like they do :) )

4.El Rio Del Tiempo - as said above, ruined it with cartoons. should be just about Mexico.

[tiggerbuddy]

Best:haunted Mansion
Worst:Trading 20K leagues for Pooh's playful spot !!!:thedolls:

[beksy]

I'm torn...I loved Mr. Toad and I love Pooh now, so I can't say Pooh is bad, maybe it is just in a bad location. Maybe it could have been put where the playground is (I know that that would have meant more money and probably a lot of other problems, too, but now that area is just wasted space. We can go to the playground at home).

I'm one of the few who never saw Figment :( so I can't say that I miss it. I'm going to try the new version in May though.

The worst two are Stitch which makes me sick (literally, something about the smell and being closed in) and Mexico's Rio del Tiempo. I agree it could have used an update but they ruined it! I'd take the old pictures back anyday.

[PETE FROM NYC]

Due to family duties it was 8 long years between my last 2 trips.1999-2007
I hated what was done to Imagination,never saw version 2.
I did not like Stitch,but I was not as fan of the earlier attractions in that building,either.
Mexico was being redone at the time.
I don't like what they did to Living Seas,turned a learning experience into a joke.
Like many others,I miss World of Motion,Horizons and Wonders of Life.
I hate that they no longer do breakfast at Tony's.A CS breakfast is now near impossible to find in the parks.
Tiki Birds,prefer the first version.
I could go on if I really want to rack my brain ,but for now,nuff said.

[Greenlawler]

apparently I am alone here, I like the Rio ride update. I felt it was outdated and looked as though the films were shot 30 years ago, which they were. And yes it was part of the charm, but it is not really that bad of an update. I don't think it would have been hated as much if it was just added and did not replace Rio. Isn't there a complaint theat there is not enough at EPCOT for children, I don't agree, but i do know my children really like the ride for the first time on our last trip. Do I think it is the best update, no. I am having a hard time thinking of one.
I have not been on the new POTC or HM to enough to honestly say what I think. I miss the pirate at the end with the treasure and the footprints...the jury is still out.

Agree 100% on Rio,but I am a sucker for the 3 Caballeros. I for one think Disney got this one right. They took a ride my kids and I never liked and made it into a must see several times every trip. But to each his own.

I will add to the kudos for the HM.

I dislike the Tiki Room UNM a great deal compared to the original.

[crazygoalie39]

Best: Haunted Mansion, Pirates

Worst: 20,000 LEAGUES!!!, Horizons, Imagination, Alien Encounter to Stitch

[big blue and hairy]

I really like Mickey's Philamagic, along with the update of the haunted mansion.

What I hate, is the destruction of the Magic Of Disney Animation! This use to be an amazing attraction. With the exception of the Animation Academy, a fantastic experience has been totally gutted in favor of some dumb games that could have been added to the original without destroying it.

If you never got the chance to see the Walter Cronkite and Robin Williams preshow, and the animators with the pencil drawings of Robin's lost boy and Captain Hook, you missed a true Disney Classic.

:sulley:

[alilprincessmom99]

The best for me would be PoTC, they left well enough alone and just made minor changes that affected the whole ride but not the classic aspects of the ride.

The worst would be, hands down, STITCH, what a disaster that turned out to be. I personally didn't care for Alien Encounter, but seriously, STITCH is TEN times worse!

[Giggy]

I'm not enough of a regular to be able to tell you when I prefer an update or not, I think I saw the 3 versions of Figment, only once each though and 10, 7 and 4 years ago respectively; so couldn't give a blow by blow comparison.

I went on Stitch just before it was officially opened; they let us on for a preview as it was the last thing we had time for before going the the airport last time (thank you cast member :mickey: ). The only problem I had was that I hadn't been sitting up straight in the seat so the shoulder rests came down too low. Saw Alien Encounter on our first visit and if i remember right was a little scared by it.....in my defence I was only 8. If I were to see it now I would probably enjoy it, so we'll have to call it a tie.

Yet to see the updates for Haunted Mansion, Spaceship Earth or Pirates of the Caribbean.

The point of this post was to give credit where credit is due. Imagineers do a tough job as whatever change they make some people will love it and others will hate it as different rides mean different things to different people. If they made no changes and let things get stale then people would say they were being unimaginative and so a traitor to the name imagineer, so they have to be brave and make some tough decisions. Then hopefully they get the balance right with enough alterations to keep things new without crossing certain lines.

To put it into 5 words: keep up the good work!

[King Triton]

A couple of each:
Best - POTC, Haunted Mansion, Soarin replacing Food Rocks
Worst - Leave a Legacy at Epcot, Stitch at MK, the first refurb of Journey into Imagination

[disneyworld55925592]

I like POTC and The living Seas

Imagination is garbage now
along with stitch, also garbage

[Ian]

They totally ruined El Rio Del Tiempo - that mish-mash of Donald Duck being chased by two of his compadres' is disjointed and pointless. At least the old ride paid tribute to the rich and varied history of Mexico. What they have done to this ride is an affront to one of our largest trading partners!:ditto:

I couldn't agree more.

[leighe]

I am bummed we won't be able to see the new HM. My girls are only 3 and 18 months and I think the beginning - the room before you get to the loading point with the hanging man - would totally freak them out.

My first visit as an adult was in 2003 after many, many visits as a child. I was completely disappointed with Main Street and the fact that basically every store on property (with the exception of World Showcase) was exactly the same. I'm a doll collector and I remembered the sweetest shop on Main Street with all kinds of dolls - not just Disney.

[tiggerbuddy]

Do the Imagineers say " I have a great way to improve this ride..." Or Are they just told by the Brass..." We dont like this ride, Fix it":confused:

[Ian]

Do the Imagineers say " I have a great way to improve this ride..." Or Are they just told by the Brass..." We dont like this ride, Fix it":confused:I think it's a mixture ... when it comes to refurbs of existing rides, I suspect the initiative comes from Operations looking for a relatively inexpensive way to get an attendance boost.

So I would guess they contact WDI, ask for some ideas, choose a couple, talk budgets, etc. Where I think the process breaks down is when the suits start trimming things from the original budget and trying to pare down expenses to the bare minimum.

Although in fairness, WDI's track record in bringing projects in on time and on budget is pretty poor, so they're probably looking to avoid the inevitable cost overruns and bring the project in for something approximating what the original budgeted amount was.

The other thing that happens sometimes is the attraction sponsor requests an upgrade. That's what happened with Journey Into Imagination. In that case, I guess the sponsor's budget was pretty limited. :sick:

[tiggerbuddy]

Thanks Ian !!!

[disneynarula]

I have to agree with the people that said JII was the worst. There are lots of changes that I don't like (Loved Horizons, Hate Mission Space) but I can see the appeal. I can not for the life of me understand why they got rid of Figment and made a super boring ride.

The best change I think is Winnie The Pooh. My kids love it and Pooh has been a long standing classic. I loved Mr. Toad but how many kids under the age of 18 even know who Mr. Toad is unless their parents are huge Disney fans. I think Pooh was a great choice. He has stood the test of time!

[AXOAlum]

I am going with the majority and saying that the worst was JII 2.0 - the current edition isn't great, but it isn't as horrible as the 2nd one by a long shot! I will also include the changes to El Rio del Tiempo - what a sweet one that used to be before we had to have characters forced down our throats on yet another attraction (...okay, I'll go on and throw the Enchanted Tiki Room Under New Garbage under the bus while I'm at it).

As for the best upgrade, I'm going to hold my cards for now and wager a future bet on... WHATEVER TAKES THE PLACE OF SOUNDS DANGEROUS :cool:

[Ryan Towle]

Best - HM
Worst - POTC

[goofy78]

I just found a recording of the new narration on spaceship earth on the internet. WOW! It sounds horrible. I loved this ride growing up and enjoyed both Walter Cronkite and Jeremy Irons. But this recent change to the attraction may cause me to dislike it. I will ride it on my next trip to give it a fair judgement but for right now it sounds absolutely ridiculous and horribly annoying.

[MistressGracey999]

I just want to say that WDI needs to always remember Walt's saying: "Put your best show forth, and the crowds will follow"..I hate it when WDW cheaps out on a new attraction because you inevitably end up with something like Stitch. A quick, cheap way to say "Hey, we have a new attraction!"

That being said, I was on pins and needles to see what they were doing to my beloved Mansion during the rehab. I needn't have worried. The Imagineers "plussed" it, so to speak, and the changes are subtle, but great.

On PotC, I'm torn. I liked the movies (well, 1 and 2, anyway) and Captain Jack and all...and I like the Davy Jones in the mist effect, but wonder if the additions will make the attraction seem outdated in a couple of years. It was a "classic"; it never seemed dated, now it has to change to keep up. Disney's true CLASSIC attractions like Peter Pan, seem timeless to me. They need no updating and never get old. BUT, when Disney updates an attraction to make it "tie-in" to a current movie, somehow it gets stale when the movie is no longer "hot"...does that make any sense?

I thought the "Nemo" addition to the Living Seas was lackluster. Granted, it was better than what was there before, but not all it was hyped up to be. Turtle Talk with Crush is a great addition to the pavilion, though.

Can anyone tell me what the original JII was like?? I hear everyone lamenting its loss, but I never got to experience the old one:(. I agree that the new one is nothing special, though..

[azcavalier]

Many strong opinions on here.

Since we first started going in this decade, I don't remember a lot of the rides/attractions that many of you say have been replaced or refurbished.

My DD's LOVE the Journey Into Imagination Ride. They love Figment, and we usually do the ride over and over again just for them. Personally, I find it annoying, but i'd rather do that ride than sit through The Country Bears. But that's me.

I love Stitch. Never saw Alien Encounter. SGE is OK, not great, but I don't know why everyone thinks it's so horrible. I find it technically fascinating.

The HM refurb is excellent. So is the POTC one.

I couldn't stand the Enchanted Tiki Room before, and I still can't.

Spaceship Earth is a wash. I like much of the new ride, and my kids think that the interactive video screen ending is a lot of fun. I think that they really cut it short with the last "scene" of the ride being just the invention of the PC from the late '70s. I mean, a lot has happened since then in the way of communication. Cell phones? Hello? Just seems like there should be a few more scenes to tie it in to the 21st century.

However, my FAVORITE refurb in any of the parks is simply the removal of the "EPCOT" letters and the wand thingy from the outside of Spaceship Earth. The big, classic sphere is perfect.

And I wish they'd do something better with the Tomorrowland Speedway area. That's just awful.

[MistressGracey999]

Many strong opinions on here.

Since we first started going in this decade, I don't remember a lot of the rides/attractions that many of you say have been replaced or refurbished.

My DD's LOVE the Journey Into Imagination Ride. They love Figment, and we usually do the ride over and over again just for them. Personally, I find it annoying, but i'd rather do that ride than sit through The Country Bears. But that's me.

I love Stitch. Never saw Alien Encounter. SGE is OK, not great, but I don't know why everyone thinks it's so horrible. I find it technically fascinating.

The HM refurb is excellent. So is the POTC one.

I couldn't stand the Enchanted Tiki Room before, and I still can't.

Spaceship Earth is a wash. I like much of the new ride, and my kids think that the interactive video screen ending is a lot of fun. I think that they really cut it short with the last "scene" of the ride being just the invention of the PC from the late '70s. I mean, a lot has happened since then in the way of communication. Cell phones? Hello? Just seems like there should be a few more scenes to tie it in to the 21st century.

However, my FAVORITE refurb in any of the parks is simply the removal of the "EPCOT" letters and the wand thingy from the outside of Spaceship Earth. The big, classic sphere is perfect.

And I wish they'd do something better with the Tomorrowland Speedway area. That's just awful.


You know what? I totally agree with this. I know that Dumbo, Aladdin's Carpets, and the Teacups are just basic cycle rides that you could find at a county fair aside from the theming, but the Speedway is just noisy, smelly, and seems TOTALLY out of place at WDW. At least the above mentioned cycle rides "fit in". That's a nice piece of Disney real estate there, too, that something great could be done with. I always forget about this attraction because a)it's such a slow-loader that even when the line is short, it's long, and b)we've never ridden it. I normally don't pan an attraction until I've tried it at least once, but I'm pretty sure I have the measure of this one. Seems like another waste of valuable space in Fantasyland.

[Mickey91]

Worst is a tie between JIYI and SSE.

Best is Haunted Mansion.

[texasteacher]

The worst for me is Journey into the Imagination with Figment! Oh my gosh, what were they thinking? Bring back Dreamfinder, please!
The best for me would be adding Nemo ride to The Living Seas.

[PixieMagic]

Worst = Imagination.....ARGH!!!! I'll have to think of the best....