Spoiler video of Tiana’s:
Reading through the comments on YouTube, it appears that this ride is unsatisfying for both park fans and for Disney IP people. In a vacuum it’s not bad, but it doesn’t live up to the attraction design that preceded it (problematic material aside)
I’m surprised at how positive reception has been to D23 because it really just looks like a lot of throwing “whatever” at the wall as Iger is on his way out. None of this appears to be creatively inspired, but is just more “mining” of franchises for more half-baked rides/lands.
The new Country Bears show is so disappointing. You can see where effort was put into it (like the smoking fiddle, which is neat) but it’s just ruined because it’s almost all “Disney” song brand synergy. It feels gross, inauthentic and distasteful.
The other day, I was in Trader Joe’s and they had parody posters of Magic Kingdom attractions up. Now all I want is a Splash Mountain retheme using the old animatronics from Kitchen Kabaret.
As a theme park fan, I dread every D23/Destination D because Disney always has the weirdest, most out of touch ideas that could only be dreamed up by corporate executives and not actual creatives.
It’s always “let’s see how much damage they do” and not “wow, this is exciting”
Disneyland Space Mountain operations are insane. I’ve never seen a team dispatch vehicles so quickly (as in both loading and unloading a single vehicle) so I timed them and they averaged around 15 seconds a dispatch.
Tiana's has small issues in the details, but overall, this is one of the stronger rides to come out of Disney in a while. The strength of Splash was the critter vibes and this has got the critter vibes.
Right, so I’m legitimately surprised to see the news with Disney. This is pretty unprecedented. With that being said though, don’t expect things to change. I still anticipate that the company will continue on a downward trajectory as Iger was very much part of the problem.
Runaway Railway in Disneyland is a far better version of what’s in Hollywood Studios. The differences are minimal and subtle, but they really help a lot with the pacing of the ride. The scenes are also smaller and more intimidate and less like an open warehouse.
I retract this by the way, Disney just posted an awful POV with a GoPro. Tiana’s isn’t perfect, but if you liked Splash from a design perspective, this really does live up to it.
Spoiler video of Tiana’s:
Reading through the comments on YouTube, it appears that this ride is unsatisfying for both park fans and for Disney IP people. In a vacuum it’s not bad, but it doesn’t live up to the attraction design that preceded it (problematic material aside)
I cannot understand these new Universal park logos. Why do they look as if they’re made on Microsoft PowerPoint with 3D bubble letters? Who thought the already iconic logos should look like they were made for a video game in 2005?
I think that Disney has really subverted a lot of skeptical expectations for this ride. The more I see and hear (whether from Disney or from leaks), the more excited I get about something that I otherwise thought was likely to be cheaply thrown together
NEW: Disney shared new photos of the innovative Audio-Animatronics figures coming to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure this summer at Walt Disney World, and later this year at Disneyland Resort.
Researching Poseidon’s Fury, I keep seeing the “fun fact” brought up that the water tunnel is powerful enough to take your hand off if you touch it. However I just watched a video from either 1999 or 2000 and this guy just casually runs his hand through it.
Just went on this an hour ago. I understand that it’s in tech rehearsals, but I don’t think it’s good or fun at all. Possibly worse than W.E.B. Slingers. I like the other themed Minions stuff but the gameplay here is just outright broken and fundamentally boring.
BREAKING NEWS: Looks like Disney is going to RMC Tom Sawyer Island. Disney will continue their tradition of world-class storytelling with some serious airtime and inversions!
I’m doubtful that Disney will be touching Dinoland any time soon. The plan they proposed today was noncommittal just as it was a year ago. Do we really think that Dinosaur is really going to be reskinned to an almost 30 year old ride that they don’t even bother to maintain?
@JohnTheMon2
That’s a perfect summary of the ride and exactly what I saw people saying in the video comments. Someone compared it to the parks in Dubai lol. The animatronics are there, but the soul isn’t
Why does Disney insist on making the wrong decision, all the time, every time? At this point it must be on purpose, right? Can anyone tell me why the themes for Ellen’s Energy Adventure and Spaceship Earth play in the Disneyland Esplanade?
Later this year at
@WaltDisneyWorld
, one of our most iconic specters will set up residence in the Haunted Mansion of Liberty Square in Magic Kingdom Park. The Hatbox Ghost will appear to guests as they pass the Endless Hallway. 🕯🕸
Penguin Trek is a great family coaster with awful operations. The exit leads to a queue where you have to wait 10 or so minutes to leave through the penguin exhibit, and there’s no other option to leave as emergency exit doors were barricaded off. Seems like a fire hazard, right?
I went into Poseidon’s Fury earlier today and I can see why it’s closing. Large portions of the queue are just leaking water and creating pretty significant puddles on the floor.
To the man who dunked his hand into the “It’s a Small World” water and washed his face with it, I’m extremely curious what your next week of health will look like.
The land looks fantastic, but I’m surprised that the coaster isn’t straddle style seating. It seems like a missed opportunity to make you feel like you’re really training to ride a dragon. It could have made for interesting comparisons with Tron
If there’s any Disney film that lends itself to a live-action remake, it’s definitely the Black Cauldron. It would be an opportunity to fix mistakes with the original film and since it’s based off of a 5 book series, I could see it even becoming a popular fantasy franchise.
Since when are people concerned with sightlines at USH? The park is studio themed because it literally is a studio. The contrasting, boxy sound stages and buildings is a huge part of its atmosphere. Seeing other buildings from SNW isn’t “immersive” but it isn’t out of place.
I’m really disappointed. I was hoping that they would have named it to “Disney+ Brand Synergy Park” to better reflect the theme. How will people know what the park is about?
The final performance of “Doctor Strange: Mysteries of the Mystic Arts” in Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure Park is said to be on June 30, Disneyland officials told
@bmacdonald
and
@ocregister
.
Story:
@BrightSunFilms
That’s what’s so frustrating about this company. How can people be okay with shelling out so much money for such a ridiculously low value? Until consumers hold the company accountable, we will have no change and continue to endure this nonsense.
I continue seeing passive-aggressive phrases parroted around like: “The barges were ugly, but you can’t deny that Harmonious was a great show”.
Nah, it was conceptually rotten from the start. It was nothing more than a soulless clip show. Not at all up to the Disney standard.
D23 parks panel has evolved throughout the years. It first started as a place to share exciting announcements and has somehow turned into an event where Disney vaguely threatens you with what they might ruin.
An issue with SNW in Hollywood is that it has some small areas of dead space. But they’re actually fixing this and adding more interactive value? That’s awesome
SUPER NINTENDO WORLD is debuting a new interactive experience located within Frosted Glacier. As the interactive is currently in soft open, the experience may be periodically unavailable or may experience temporary delays.
Went to Super Nintendo World in Hollywood for the first time. It’s definitely a highlight to walk in and see an unattended child zoom past me in a Sonic the Hedgehog costume.
I don’t take sponsorship deals for my videos, but one of the strangest I’ve been offered was Morgan and Morgan (a central Florida mega law firm). Utterly bizarre.
I’m at a popular chain restaurant and witnessed a 4 year old child go up to a table and with two hands, picked up another table’s margarita glass and finish it off.
With the closing of the Star Cruiser, I’m curious what will happen next. Will Disney put in the infrastructure to let park guests visit it (or even work as a paid dining experience), or will it become the next Discovery Island/River Country?
.
@WaltDisneyWorld
just shared new concept images of Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows opening in December 2024.
Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows will feature a variety of room types that will sleep from two to nine guests, such as duo
I just watched a 4 minute ad on YouTube that was a live-action Grinch hanging out with Max but shot in a mockumentary style like The Office. Yet the ad ended and didn’t even advertise anything? And a Google search reveals nothing? I’m incredibly intrigued.
I'm liking this particular phrase: "Whether you enjoy Galaxy’s Edge or not, it undeniably lacks the cultural and thematic depth of Liberty Square"
How Disney Destroyed Education and Culture via
@YouTube
The Adventureland Treehouse is legitimately one of the coolest things Disney has done in a while. It’s full of neat practical effects and funny gags. It feels a lot like old Disney design
I’m looking at photos of the MMRR queue and I don’t understand Imagineering’s obsession with the sterile, hospital aesthetic. Also, why was the ToonTown fountain replaced with a patch of grass that looks like it was meant for service dogs? What was the point of removing it?
I’m kinda “meh” on Tron opening, but I really like the direction that Disney marketing is taking with this one. They’re having fun with it, which is far better than the “holier than thou” self-congratulatory patting on the back that they’ve been doing the last few years.
I had heard a lot of stories about how terribly rough the Big Apple Coaster was. It's new Premier trains were cramped for leg room as you would expect, but the experience is smoother than Rip Ride Rockit for comparison. Definitely an interesting experience a few days ago.
In Downtown Disney, this is the bathroom immediately right next to the LEGO store. The stalls desperately need a repaint and there are crude, sexual obscenities carved into it. When I complain about a lack of maintenance at Disney, this is a good example.
It seems like things are going badly for Disney right now. Coincidentally, I happen to be working on a video about how Disney is quickly burning through consumer trust. If they think things are bad now, just wait until their income streams dry up.
I was browsing Reddit and came across a photo of these figures from the former Monster's Café sitting next to coaster track at the Epic Universe. I won't link to or share the photo because I'm pretty sure it's unauthorized, but it's interesting to see them back in some capacity.
HHN 33 personal house rankings:
10. Triplets of Terror
9. Monsters: Bloodlines
8. Insidious
7. Museum: Deadly Exhibit
6. Goblin’s Feast
5. Major Sweets
4. A Quiet Place
3. Monstruos
2. Ghostbusters
1. Slaughter Cinema 2
There are no bad houses like Chucky last year though
The new Universal park in Texas looks fine for something regional, but I can’t say I’m too interested in the idea. If it turns out to be great, then I’ll definitely be interested.
I didn’t think that Chapek would be ousted so quickly, but I guess I told you so? I’m just waiting to hear all the juicy corporate drama that will be coming out over the next few days.
I've talked about the decline of Disney before, but now the warning signs are becoming more clear. Here's new perspective on why burning consumer trust will end badly for Chapek:
Disney Is Quickly Burning Through Consumer Trust, What's Next? via
@YouTube
Just watched a vehicle pull into the station at Goofy’s Sky School and hit the car in front of it. Nobody seemed concerned and just kept on loading vehicles?
@DSNYNewscast
The corporate drama is getting juicy. I hope that people compile a story together that eventually gets revealed in the same way that Eisner’s tumultuous tenure was.
I really want to like Icon Park but now with two major safety incidents within a year? I hope that the Wheel was an unpredictable accident and not a failure of maintenance.
I haven’t been watching the parks panel, but I’ve been following announcements and wow, this is bad. Moana and Zootopia replacing Dinoland? Absolutely seething. People should be excited about panels like these, not dreading them.
I keep seeing people commenting on this but from the trailer, it looks like “Disney-trope, the Movie”. It was a mistake to merge the identities of Pixar and Disney animation. What made Pixar interesting was both its edginess and more profound messages and themes.
Pixar’s ‘ELEMENTAL’ is tracking to earn $28M-$38M at its domestic box office opening weekend.
In comparison, those numbers are worse than ‘LIGHTYEAR’ ($51M) and one of the lowest openings ever for a Pixar movie.
(Via: )
I’m somewhat disappointed that I won’t see it before it closes but it’s just not worth the price. I think that with more rooms and cut back entertainment, immersive hotels like this could work. I would really like to see an immersive Haunted Mansion type of experience like this.
HHN house rankings from last night
1. Oddfellows
2. Dueling Dragons
3. Exorcist (a weird surprise)
4. Monsters Unmasked
5. Darkest Deal
6. Yeti
7. Blood Moon
8. Chucky
9. Stranger Things 4 (Vecna costumes terrible, house feels disjointed)
10. Last of Us (repetitive and boring)
At EPCOT, Test Track will be reimagined!
Imagineers along with teams from Chevrolet are reaching back into history for inspiration—from the original World of Motion—and bringing that spirit of optimism to the next iteration of the Test Track attraction!
#DestinationD23
It's cool to be really close to have a video reach 1 million views, but it's weird that this is the one to hit it
Universal's Jurassic Park Problem via
@YouTube
I'm doing something a little bit different, going unscripted and giving my thoughts on the recent Chapek ousting.
Bob Iger's Surprise Return - Unscripted Thoughts via
@YouTube
✨We have FAB-ulous news!✨ Over the next few months, Imagineers are sprinkling a touch of timeless pixie dust to refresh the Disney Fab 50 Character Collection across all 4
@WaltDisneyWorld
theme parks so you can continue to discover and interact with all 50 characters!
I'm conceptualizing a script about themed entertainment in the 90s (really late 80s through early 2000s). Disney & Universal obviously, but other stuff like the rise of family entertainment in Vegas and Times Square. I need suggestions for themed restaurants, entertainment, etc.
I’ve started a script for a new video. Obviously, the topic is related to theme parks, yet I accidentally wrote an entire page summarizing the history of the Bolshevik Revolution that is somehow completely relevant to the thesis.
Bob Iger didn’t spend hours personally photoshopping cigarettes out of Walt Disney’s hand just for Epcot to restore the cigar smoke effect for Mark Twain in the refurb. Get some respect, Epcot management.
Does anyone remember those promotional Disney parks shows on the Discovery Channel from the mid 2000s? Does anyone know what they were called, or know the name of the episode that featured the NASCAR driving experience?
@LMGVids
It seems like a lot of the scenes are set to trigger when a log floats by, but what happens when there’s inevitable log jams and characters keep referencing riders over and over again? Did no one really think this through? Had they ever been on the ride before?
On a positive note, I made an effort to see as many of the storytellers around World Showcase today as I possibly could. I’ve never made an effort to do so before, but they’re awesome and add a lot to Epcot. They’re entertaining and educational, as Epcot should be.
New For Your Amusement! This week we slap on a cowboy hat and a wet tshirt with our pal
@PoseidonEntmt
(and not
@glenpowell
this time around) to discuss Twister… RIDE IT OUT!
WATCH:
LISTEN:
Also, was Encanto not just proposed for the Magic Kingdom a year ago? They’ll keep throwing around IP in blue sky concept art to excite shareholders, but I doubt anything big is really coming in the future.
I know that we're all busy celebrating the departure of Bob Chapek, some come check out this irrelevant video about the cool dark rides of Knott's Berry Farm.
The Underrated Classic Rides of Knott's Berry Farm | The Attractions Tha... via
@YouTube
A Christmas overlay for Revenge of the Mummy
“Not even the Christmas Spirit can save you now”
“There is no escape”
“Your cookies shall be my beginning”
“Behold your fate!”
“Your Christmas presents are mine!”
*Screaming intensifies*
The viewership on this video is a lot stronger than I anticipated. Everyone really likes Jurassic Park, huh?
Universal's Jurassic Park Problem via
@YouTube
@Gambolington
I think the issue is that they filmed with a GoPro and that GoPro just does very poorly in low light. They cut what were essentially scenes too dark for the camera to pick up on
The issue is that people are judging this park against Disney sight line standards that haven’t existed even at Disney for decades now. Universal has always done it’s own thing and has had different styles contrasting with each other. It’s not bad, just different.
@matthewfdz
The answer to this is easy. If you want to pay for shorter lines, it’s designed to price most people out and keep the standby lines moving. In contrast, Disney has more accessible pricing, leading to more purchases and grinding standby lines to a halt. Express is far better.
Secret Life of Pets is a great attraction with a really interesting queue. Definitely a 10/10 other than the hordes of people acting dumb and causing a ride stop every two minutes.