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[johnd331]

Really? I don't think it's wise to be hoping for things like that to happen, no matter how much you dislike TSPL.

If nobody get's hurt, isn't that the best way to get rid of it? Maybe some cans of gas and a match will do, all this plastic will surely melt away quickly.  

Look at those hideous speakers. I don't blame DLP for not having the huge billion dollar project of DCA, but I do blame it for not taking the same smart approach of trickling updates and improvements, the kind of general plussing (however small) that just came to a full stop at WDS several years ago.

I couldn't agree more, they could have whiped this uglyness off the planet piece by piece, without investing millions. I sometimes have the feeling no Imagineer visited this place in ages, there are so many small things that could be fixed on a shoestring budget that would make a world of a difference. But I suppose, that since you're not capable of marketing those kinds of investments, they just don't care about it.

I hoped Disney would return to it's former self, after they ousted Eisner back in 2006. For a short period, it even seemed to go into the right direction. But now, all we get is cheap Six Flags quality rides (the same point we were back in 2002), themed to the latest franchise. Their idea must be: if it doesn't sell the extra tickets we hoped, it can still deliver on advertizing value.

Disney theme parks aren't supposed to be that magical place anymore, where you get lost in time and space, they are rapidly becoming marketing outlets for Disney franchise. Just look at what they did to the "Blockbuster Cafe", that's the current state of affairs and the quality you can expect from any current projects I'm affraid.

The thing that scares me the most is that this same low quality is creeping into the Disneyland Park as well with every small addition. Look at what they did to the castle for example (yeah, I know it is reversible and temporary), nobody seems to care anymore as the company seems to be run by marketing execs trying to cut every corner for some cheap new marketing campaign.

We've all heard the rumours (by some Disney exec himself) that this new project costs about 70 million euros. If that's true, Walt Disney Corp., Euro Disney SCA and all other shareholders should really investigate what's going on here. For that same amount, you should be able to deliver a highly customized E-ticket attraction, not a bunch of carnival rides with some theming tacked on. I for sure know that they aren't paying Intamin anything close to those 70 million euros for the off-the-shelf rides they're getting.

It's a pity that "small" local parks like the Efteling in the Netherlands now seemingly deliver better themed and more immersive experiences than Disney does. One of their latest attractions (De Vliegende Hollander), although it definitly has some issues, has better theming and storytelling than most recent Disney projects (with the sole exception of ToT, but the concept behind that wasn't new and as we all know, we got the ToT Light version)... Only they deliver those kinds of attractions for about 20 million euros and not 120 million.

Something definitely has to change over at Paris, or I expect visitor numbers to slowly decline again. I always keep telling people that a Disney theme park is something more than your local funfair or amusement park. That it actually has some depth, an unprecedented level of detail and perfection and that everything has its own story.
For WDS, nothing of this is true. The sole exception being ToT, which is really the Twilight Zone in the whole park, as it really came there right out of the 4th dimension and doesn't really belong in there.

Yeah, I'm overdramatizing a bit, there are some things in WDS I actually do like a lot, but I think I made my point clear .

I'm actually genuinely surprised at the amount of positivity... I think that if Euro Disney can produce something like this and still get this much positive feedback, they should look at George Lucas and consider themselves very lucky.

They already hired George to bring Jar Jar Binks and his colourful friends to Star Tours in 3D I'm affraid.

Meesah soo happy to seeing yousa. Yousa wanna podride on Tatooine? Pleesa put on yousa protection glasses!

Aw... I sense a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of Disney fans suddenly cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced.

[dagobert]

I couldn't agree more with you John331. Disneyland is really becoming an outlet center for all the Disney franchises. So everything is based on Princesses and Pixar. There are no new original ideas anymore.

There are so many new attractions based on Pixar:
TSPL in DLRP and in HKDL
Toy Story Mania in TDS, in DHS and in DCA
Carsland in DCA

[JelleP]

There are so many new attractions based on Pixar:
TSPL in DLRP and in HKDL
Toy Story Mania in TDS, in DHS and in DCA
Carsland in DCA

I don't think that the Pixar-based attractions are that bad. I mean, the characters are great and so are the stories. But I definitely agree with you when you say that attractions with their own characters and stories (like Phantom Manor and Pirates of the Caribbean) won't often be designed by Imagineers these days.

But besides that, Imagineers at HDL are creating two new theme-areas who aren't based on any movie or anything: the Grizzly Trail and the Mystic Point. So it's still possible...  :roll:

[dagobert]

I don't think that the Pixar-based attractions are that bad. I mean, the characters are great and so are the stories. But I definitely agree with you when you say that attractions with their own characters and stories (like Phantom Manor and Pirates of the Caribbean) won't often be designed by Imagineers these days.

But besides that, Imagineers at HDL are creating two new theme-areas who aren't based on any movie or anything: the Grizzly Trail and the Mystic Point. So it's still possible...  :roll:

I also think that the Pixar attractions like Carsland or Toy Story Mania are good attractions from what I've seen. I'm also a big fan of Pixar movies, because they have great stories and characters, but it would be great to see new original attractions like PM or PotC. Nevertheless I'm excited about the Ratatouille ride, despite it is also based on a Pixar movie.

And you are right, it is still possible that WDI is imagineering original attractions like the new ones at HKDL, although they are based on existing attractions.

I've just looked through my WDW pictures and I took a look on Toontown in the MK. Besides Fantasyland it is the worst part of WDW's MK. I didn't like this land at all. So maybe this is even worse than TSPL, but at least the only ride there, the Barnstormer rollercoaster, which is also barely themed and just a "naked" steelcoaster, is not seen from everywhere.

[Anthony]

New construction update: http://www.dlrptoday.com/2010/03/04/pla ... opes-drop/





Three of the parachute cables have now appeared at Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop.

Also a photo in there of the view from Big Thunder.

[MagicKenny]

I wonder at what wind speed the parachutes are forbidden to go up...

[Hathaway Browne]

^Not much I'd say. I think they're pretty strict on Jumpin' Jellyfish in DCA.

[CafeFantasia]

According to Tim Delaney, the exact cost of Space Mountain back in 1995 was 89,700,000 dollars, which is 65,990,000 Euros.

So Toy Story Playland 15 years later is costing MORE than Space Mountain? WHAT?

[Disneydavid]

Well , well , there is coming some shot in the area.... Its gonna look ugly but the rides look nice!

[dagobert]

If TSPL really costs 70 Mio dollars or euros I don't understand how this could be approved by the shareholders when Euro Disney SCA could have get a great D or E ticket for nearly the same amount of money.

I still can't imagine that TSPL costs 70 Mio dollars.

[Disneydavid]

Just for a excample:in Belgium they build a indoor themepark with 20 RIDES which has costs 20 million , so 3 parcs with 60 rides costs 60 million. - Plopa Indoor Hasselt

WE GET 3 RIDES FOR 70 MILLION!

[Willow]

I'm seriously doubting the news article which said the cost is 70 million.

I think they have vastly hyped-up the cost and the 70 million could take into account marketing, or even the cost of New Generation Festival as a whole.

[Disneydavid]

I'm seriously doubting the news article which said the cost is 70 million.

I think they have vastly hyped-up the cost and the 70 million could take into account marketing, or even the cost of New Generation Festival as a whole.

Or the commercials 'fake' rcracer.

[dagobert]

I'm seriously doubting the news article which said the cost is 70 million.

I think they have vastly hyped-up the cost and the 70 million could take into account marketing, or even the cost of New Generation Festival as a whole.

I think that you are right. I can imagine that the 70mio euros are for the whole festival including TSPL. It would have been better not to build TSPL and instead they should have used the money for stage shows like Tarzan or Lion King.

[davewasbaloo]

I'm seriously doubting the news article which said the cost is 70 million.

I think they have vastly hyped-up the cost and the 70 million could take into account marketing, or even the cost of New Generation Festival as a whole.

I think that you are right. I can imagine that the 70mio euros are for the whole festival including TSPL. It would have been better not to build TSPL and instead they should have used the money for stage shows like Tarzan or Lion King.

Absolutely, or if they must spend the money on "New marketing experiences", how about an awesome Princess and the Frog quality show in a theatre, or Midway Mania. This is just tacky rubbish, designed to appeal to the people that visit parks and think that these sort of rides should be there (I cannot believe how many newbies I know that miss PotC, Phantom Manor, the Fantasyland Dark Rides and Star Tours because they did not realise they were attractions, they thought they were shops or restaurants  :roll: