Attraction Changes

[MaxPower]

I am always surprised when attractions undergo changes that I consider to be negative.

For example:

1) On Test Track, just before your vehicle turns its final corner to speed you out of the building, ORIGINALLY you stopped briefly to watch a test vehicle with crash dummies in it hit a wall at full speed to demonstrate a crash test. Then your vehicle would turn to face an identical wall, and the joke was that you were going to do the same thing- of course your wall would open up and you'd be outside instead of crashing. I was saddened when they stopped showing the test crash.

2) At The Beauty and the Beast show, during the finale, doves used to be released from the stage and fly over the heads of the audience members which was a great effect. Those doves are long gone.

3) Live cast members used to be part of the Big Red/Little Red Poacher storyline on Kilimanjaro Safaris and it would always get a chuckle when the cast member with the rifle would talk to the ride vehicle. ALso there used to be a fake jeep that would race alongside your safari vehicle. Those elements have been removed.

Does anyone else have any attraction changes they consider to be a "change for the worse"?

[Lakin]

The change from Mr. Toad's Wild Ride to Winnie the Pooh was very disappointing.

Do you know how much it stinks to be 13? I've missed all of the classics! Not to mention Horizons.

[DreamFinder2]

1) On Test Track, just before your vehicle turns its final corner to speed you out of the building, ORIGINALLY you stopped briefly to watch a test vehicle with crash dummies in it hit a wall at full speed to demonstrate a crash test. Then your vehicle would turn to face an identical wall, and the joke was that you were going to do the same thing- of course your wall would open up and you'd be outside instead of crashing. I was saddened when they stopped showing the test crash.

When did this happen? We were there March '08, and I'm pretty sure the "demo crash" was still happening...

[joelkfla]

When did this happen? We were there March '08, and I'm pretty sure the "demo crash" was still happening...

In the current scene, you hear the sound of the crash, and the rear of the dummy car jumps up a bit as if it had just crashed. In the original scene, the car actually moved towards the wall and stopped abruptly.

My other favorite effects that have been scrapped due to maintenance are on Dinosaur. The pteranadon used to swoop towards the car as you passed under it; now it's just done with strobe lights. I think the small dinos that jump over the car no longer jump, either. (Not sure, as I haven't ridden it in over a year.)

And, of course, there's the Yeti ...

[AmandaChan]

Yeah I remember seeing on one of the Disney DVD's that there were doves at the end of BandtheB. I can't imagine though that they could have kept up the dove gig forever with they have so many shows to do everyday.

[joelkfla]

Yeah I remember seeing on one of the Disney DVD's that there were doves at the end of BandtheB. I can't imagine though that they could have kept up the dove gig forever with they have so many shows to do everyday.

The official justification for eliminating dove releases at BATB and other shows was that too many were being harvested by the local raptors before they could make it back to the coop.

[LovinWDW]

I liked Living with the Land much better when they had an actual person giving the tour on the boat. I don't enjoy the recorded tour as much.

[DisneyNut2005]

I liked Living with the Land much better when they had an actual person giving the tour on the boat. I don't enjoy the recorded tour as much.

That change, like any other, was done for several reasons.

In the case of LwtL, by cutting out the live guides, they're now able to...

1) Staff attractions/facilities that are in even greater need of staffing

2) Increase capicity by being able to cycle more boats through the ride at a time, since the number of boats being used would change depending on how many Cast Members they had on any given day

3) Shorten wait times in the queue line for the guests

4) Not all of the guides were engaging and enthusiastic


Personally, I don't mind the recorded spiels at all. They're just as informative as the live guides were and do update the spiels from time to time.

[mrsgaribaldi]

I liked Living with the Land much better when they had an actual person giving the tour on the boat. I don't enjoy the recorded tour as much.

Same here. I find that people didn't talk as much when it was live. Now they just talk throughout and I have a hard time hearing it.

[candleshoe]

I miss the crashing car in test track too. It was the best "bit" of the entire ride!! I assumed it was a maintenace issue and they just got lazy about it. Disney cutting corners is always a disappointment...

[Cheloconnell]

I miss the old Tiki room - not too much of a fan of the "new management". It is starting to grow on me, but the old one was much better. I also miss the talking skeleton flag that was above you right before you would go down the falls at Pirates of the Carribean

[Ian]

The Test Track one is a bigger disappointment to me, because it was an element that was used to advance the storyline.

The ride sort of always felt a little disjointed to begin with, but now it's so haphazard you're sort of like, "Wait ... what just happened?"

It's awkward that they removed a key story element like that.

[dmosher]

I miss the old Tiki room - not too much of a fan of the "new management".

I agree, this one actually NEEDS to go back to it's original state! Ugh it kills me to hear the music around MK and not be able to see the real show!

D

[dmosher]

At The Beauty and the Beast show, during the finale, doves used to be released from the stage and fly over the heads of the audience members which was a great effect. Those doves are long gone.

I am guessing this was a dove--> poo --> guests head related issue heheh

3) Live cast members used to be part of the Big Red/Little Red Poacher storyline on Kilimanjaro Safaris and it would always get a chuckle when the cast member with the rifle would talk to the ride vehicle. ALso there used to be a fake jeep that would race alongside your safari vehicle. Those elements have been removed.

I have no memory of wither of these events. Hmm that is weird! Why can I not recall any of this happening??

D7

[JabberJaws]

Unfortunately this happens with almost every ride at a major park that involves a lot of technology or man-hours to accomplish an effect. One of the most note-worthy non-disney related incidents being the best effect at Poseidon's Fury at IOA, the swirling vortex of water, being turned off to save water (a.k.a. to save money). Other disney effects to note:

• Ptereydons (sp?) at DS,
• jumping dinos in DS,
• On RnR there used to be an actual person that would come out to pick up the black guitar during the preshow when asked to by one of the Aerosmith band members,
• TT crash effect (though they sort of do it now)
• Projection of brer rabbit (I think) hopping on the wall at SM,
• The angler fish chasing nemo at seas (is still there I think but wasn't working the past few times I have been there),
• CMs from safaris,
• I know there are others but I can't think of them off the top of my head.

Lots of high-tech rides start off with these great features, problem is the higher-tech an effect, the more likely it is to break down, the more it breaks down, the more cost is involved in maintaining it. Eventually effects like that are deemed to costly to maintain.

Disney does bring back effects like that from time to time when they do major upgrades though, though I hate it when they get rid of the little touches like the live CMs and little red stuff on KS. Those details are what makes Disney, Disney!

[BluewaterBrad]

When did this happen? We were there March '08, and I'm pretty sure the "demo crash" was still happening...

Yeah it was working in Feb when we went also.

[WDW_Obsessed]

I liked Living with the Land much better when they had an actual person giving the tour on the boat. I don't enjoy the recorded tour as much.

I also agree. I have definitley had less than enigmatic cast members giving the tour, but I still felt it was more enjoyable to have that personal aspect to it.

[Ryan Towle]

When did Brer Rabbit stop hopping on the wall? Has it been completely taken out?

Also, my vote for the worst attraction change - POTC.

[Grizz16]

The re-do of Spaceship Earth, the desending part with the touchscreen computer thing.

I'm not going to avoid riding it, but no longer am I going to make a point of riding it.

[TikiLounger]

3) Live cast members used to be part of the Big Red/Little Red Poacher storyline on Kilimanjaro Safaris and it would always get a chuckle when the cast member with the rifle would talk to the ride vehicle. ALso there used to be a fake jeep that would race alongside your safari vehicle. Those elements have been removed.

Does anyone else have any attraction changes they consider to be a "change for the worse"?

I, too, miss this original element from Kilimanjaro Safaris. Also, the driver of the safari vehicle used to stop for a moment on the creeky bridge and it would tilt to make it seem as if it were letting go. Now? It's just a quick drive over and the noise. Everytime we ride, my son mentions that he hopes the bridge breaks and that the jeep races along with us. Kind of disappointing.