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View Full Version : Future of Dark Rides at WDW



SandmanGStefani24
04-29-2009, 12:56 AM
I got to thinking about some of the rides that have been retired after reading the lost sounds post. No dark rides have been built recently except for Dinosaur, and I'm concerned that WDW may be going away from them. Think about it, if Pirates opened today, would it be as big a deal as it is, or would it be considered a kiddie ride? Can WDW open a ride without having a thrill factor or anything more than the animatronics we love so much?

SE, Pirates and HM are my faves, and I'd hate to think they were part of the past...what do you guys think?

Melanie
04-29-2009, 02:36 AM
The 'future' dark rides are alive and well in Tokyo with such rides as Pooh's Hunny Hunt and the brand new Monsters, Inc. Ride & Go Seek. It's a shame this new generation of dark rides can't get the green light stateside. Pooh in particular is amazing!

dmosher
04-29-2009, 06:07 AM
I think the biggest problem with dark ride in that states are that in order to create that kind of ride you need space. If you look at the size off pirates it is HUGE. Dinosaur is the same. THere have been many debates as to which rides should GO to make way for another dark ride. Sadly this is a very real possibility, so personally I would rather keep what we have. Sure there is lots more space to build in WDW, but keeping the addition and the cohesion to the current layout of each park is what would present the real challenge there.
:pipes:
D

RBrooksC
04-29-2009, 08:30 AM
Yes, what people forget is what the visitor sees is a Facade. You don't think the whole Haunted Mansion ride is in that house, right? Or Pirates is in the building you see? The space needed for the cars to ride and the scenes to be shown is rather large.

Right now, there is a rumor the Little Mermaid Dark Ride is being made in pairs, that is each part of the ride is being made twice for California Adventure and for MK.

Dark Rides will always have a place and depending on how they are made will determine if they are "kiddie rides" or not.

Mousemates
04-29-2009, 11:23 AM
Right now, there is a rumor the Little Mermaid Dark Ride is being made in pairs, that is each part of the ride is being made twice for California Adventure and for MK. Dark Rides will always have a place.

Sounds like your saying the future of dark rides is bright. ;)

NewDVCowner
04-29-2009, 11:55 AM
My understanding is that they're building a Little Mermaid dark ride at California Adventure now that's slated to open in 2010.

Scott C
04-29-2009, 12:33 PM
From my signature one can tell that I have been to WDW quite a few times. Out of all of these trips I have been on BTMRR, Spl Mt, and M:S one time each. I have never been on EE or Space Mt RnRC or TofT. Admittedly they are all very well done attractions -- but I don't care for them and have no desire for the internal feeling that I get from them. Dark rides are what have made WDW special to me and made it a large part of my life. As the general population ages it is my hope that WDW can keep this in mind. Numerous attractions have been on the drawing board over the years and some of them have sounded fantastic -- I hope that they can build more for me and my kind.

Thanks
Scott C

Giggy
04-29-2009, 01:47 PM
I'm more of an adrenaline junkie so the big rides I think of first are the likes of the mountains, Tower of Terror, etc. However I agree that the dark rides are a crucial part of any WDW visit and it wouldn't be the same without them. When I think about it one big thing which has always set Disney apart has been the quality of its dark rides. The magic to rides such as Pirates of the Carribean and Haunted Mansion in unrivalled, making them a vital part of any vacation to WDW.

In terms of space they are admittedly bigger to fit everything it - though it wasn't until very recently it occured to me that haunted mansion didn't all take place in the building you see! Therefore they have to think carefully about where to put them in. However it is good to hear that they aren't just going out of fashion. :mickey:

SBETigg
04-29-2009, 02:03 PM
What about the new Toy Story Mania? That's an incredible addition to DHS and I think it shows that not everything has to be a thrill ride to draw crowds and be effective. I know it's not a classic "dark ride" but more of a shooting dark ride, but I think it shows that plans are probably not against the creation of more dark rides.

Ian
04-29-2009, 02:39 PM
I've actually seen more interest in new dark rides lately than Disney has shown in quite awhile.

As Mel mentioned, there are new Monsters rides in both DCA and Tokyo that qualify as classic dark rides.

There is the Little Mermaid dark ride currently under construction for DCA (and rumored to be coming to WDW's Fantasyland), along with the rumored new Beauty and the Beast ride.

I sort of see it looking like they're heading back in the dark ride direction a little.

BluewaterBrad
04-29-2009, 03:26 PM
I would trade all of the new rides for Mr Toads again!!:mickey:

MaxPower
04-29-2009, 06:30 PM
Now that we are almost a decade into the 2000's, a successful dark ride must offer more than simply riding by a colorful display that has one or two animated pictures that swing back and forth or move up and down. ( Think Snow White, Pooh, or Peter Pan--all kiddie rides)

I love Pirates, but after you have ridden it once, there is not a ""We have to do that again" feeling for most people. ( Even with a slightly moving Johnny Depp). It's popularity has as much to do with nostalgia as the ride itself.

My opinion is that any future successful dark ride will have to have some thrill element--like Dinosaur, Splash or Expedition Everest.

If they want to make a non-thrill dark ride that people will love, then it must be long in duration. Most Disney dark rides don't last a full two minutes---very disappointing after waiting an hour in line.

joelkfla
05-01-2009, 12:21 PM
No dark rides have been built recently except for Dinosaur, and I'm concerned that WDW may be going away from them.
And Winnie the Pooh.

It sounds like what you're really complaining about is the lack of new audio-animatronic rides. While all we Disney-philes love the classics, I'm afraid robots just don't have the WOW factor for today's generation that they had for us oldsters.

If Western River Expedition were to be built today, it would probably generate a hearty ho-hum from today's younger market.

denygold
05-01-2009, 02:53 PM
Finding Nemo is a pretty good addition as well.

dmosher
05-02-2009, 11:35 PM
I'm afraid robots just don't have the WOW factor for today's generation that they had for us oldsters.

I agree, it seems the whole "innocent time" actually DOES apply to Theme Parks.
:pipes:
D

Stu29573
05-03-2009, 09:17 AM
I don't agree that a dark ride needs a "thrill element" to be good these days, at least not a traditional thrill element. A good dark ride is like a good movie. The lasting experience comes not from gimmicks and thrills, but from solid story telling. It DOES need to be able to suspend a rider's disbelief, but only so much as to make the story effective. Contrast this to the more common computer generated super special effects extravaganzas that leave theater goers cold in the long run. That's my impression with some dark ride/ thrill ride combinations. The effects are thrilling, but the story is flat. To me, it's a cop out. Just my :twocents:

SandmanGStefani24
05-03-2009, 01:24 PM
And Winnie the Pooh.

It sounds like what you're really complaining about is the lack of new audio-animatronic rides.

umm..I wasn't complaining.

Just merely a thought I had and wondered if anyone else felt the same way...and as for
the comment about "us oldies"...I'm in my 20's..
:-olol

garthbarth1
05-03-2009, 03:08 PM
The whole reason I go to WDW IS for the dark rides! If I want to ride a coaster style ride, I can drive to Kings Island or Cedar Point. The themeing of the ride is what intrigues me...if WDW were just a bunch of coaster type rides, I would not be a yearly visitor!. We ride the mountains a few times while we are there....we ride the dark rides multiple times!! Its just the type of ride you cannot experience anywhere but WDW!:mickey:

Ian
05-04-2009, 10:23 AM
I love Pirates, but after you have ridden it once, there is not a ""We have to do that again" feeling for most people. ( Even with a slightly moving Johnny Depp). It's popularity has as much to do with nostalgia as the ride itself.

My opinion is that any future successful dark ride will have to have some thrill element--like Dinosaur, Splash or Expedition Everest.Wow. I just couldn't disagree with this more.

Disney's thrill rides are, by and large, very very lame by thrill ride standards. What keeps people coming back year after year are the unique attractions like Pirates, like Haunted Mansion, like Small World. The stuff you can't get anyplace else.

I definitely do not think most people come home from Disney World and tell their family about Dinosaur, of all things. In fact, most people I know who are just casual Disney theme park fans don't even know about Dinosaur.

I think you're really way, way off base with this.

JabberJaws
05-05-2009, 10:44 AM
Actually rides like TSM, Monsters Inc at DL, the new Little Mermaid attraction rumored to be going in at DCA, etc. are all dark rides by definition.

I think what you are seeing (and will continue to see) is an evolution in the dark ride, rather than them going away completely. Buzz LYSRS was actually the first major dark ride to incorporate interactivity. As kids these days are MUCH more tech savy, video-game oriented and, lets just face it, ADD :D ride designers have to keep up with the times. The old dark rides (SW, PP, etc) are still loved by all (as evident by the HUGE lines they gather), but parks are upping the anty with rides like Buzz, MIB, TSM, Monsters Inc, Spiderman (yes it is considered a dark ride hybrid), etc.

I for one am excited about the future of the dark ride. I think you will continue to see them be more "hybrid" type rides, incorporating various elements (3-D, interactivity, 4-D effects, etc.) rather than just the old spook-house style DRs, but they aren't going away any time soon!

**Let me reiterate that I LOVE the old Disney dark rides, as do millions of kids and adults alike. (PP is one of my all time favorites). Those rides are timeless and ageless and will not be made "obsolete." I think that a strong theme/story (as seen in PP, POTC, etc) are enough at somewhere like WDW or DL to draw in the crowds. I don't think these old style dark rides will go away by any means, I just think that you will see some hybrid type evolution in the dark ride genre, not necessarily just thrill induction, but just upping the technological anty.**