Best and Worst Attraction inprovements

[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.

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

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

[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 !!!

[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.

[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 ). 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!

I couldn't agree more.