Toy Story Playland (General discussion)

[pussinboots]

Goodness me, is this place depressing. It looks alright in pictures, but in real life all you see are these huge carnival rides. The illusion doesn't work at all. I hope it's just the lack of foliage at the moment...

[davewasbaloo]

Yep, I still stand by my assertion that is was a poor management decision to waste their money on this section (hmmm, fenced in or subtracted decore, floor being redone on parachutes, attractions closed due to bad weather, kids being disappointed they cannot ride RC Racer). Hmmmm, all my profecies of a couple of years ago came true. see, you do not have to wait and see, and if you do it is too late. That is what concept art is all about. Lessons learned?

[dagobert]

Hmmmm, all my profecies of a couple of years ago came true. see, you do not have to wait and see, and if you do it is too late. That is what concept art is all about. Lessons learned?

I wouldn't count on that. Now there are many years of bad management and it doesn't seem that this will stop soon. Toons are still added all over the resort.

[davewasbaloo]

No, I don't mean from Disney. But hopefully the fan community. Then rather than getting all excited by such rubbish, we can make our voices heard before they strike ground.

A great example of this working was when the Fantasyland expansion was announced for WDW, all those meet and greets planned were booed and hissed about, people wrote letters etc. They went back to the drawing board and changed the plan and now they are building the new Snow White Mine Car Coaster instead. There was concept art launched, people could see what it meant, channeled their concerns, Disney changed the plans, a lot more (though not everyone) is happier.

If we had all done the same, instead of me getting threatened by people for voicing my opinion 2 years before opening, then maybe TSPL would not have been built or had been altered. This is why I hope a lesson has been learned, though I doubt it. In fact I am sure people will either ignore this post or come back with some defence of the mouse on this one.

[dagobert]

I think even if fans would have complained to Disney, I still think that TSPL would have been built. I also think that it helped a lot to change the FL plans, since there was a management change at WD Parks & Resorts. If Tom Staggs would have been appointed earlier, maybe there would have been a chance to alter TSPL. And since John Lasseter was also involved heavily in TSPL, I doubt that it would have been changed.

If I'm not mistaken when WDI announced the plans for FL at the D23 EXPO, people weren't very happy and complained already during the presentation. The Imagineers must have felt shameful. Such events would help a lot to address your concers about the projects.

[davewasbaloo]

But sadly, I discussion I had this week with a senior friend at Disney shows I need a new hobby. $1 billion was spent last quarter on DCL, DCA, HKDL and Aulani. There is no announcement yet on the budget for Shanghai, but it will be large. There is already a $5 billion debt for DLP and HKDL. So I am not expecting much to come our way. And if it does, most of the ideas are toon based or thrill based because that is "what guests want".

Shows I am simply a dinosaur.

Anyone ever been to Puy du Fou?

[dagobert]

That's very sad that now everything is based on toons. How will Disney eliminate the debts for all the parks? I mean DLRP is nearly 20 years old and still has nearly $3 billions of debt. Can TWDC actually do something, like repay ED SCA's debts? I can't see how ED SCA can do it own their own.

I read on another Disney forum (Micechat) that Shanghai DL will maybe feature many Pixar and MArvel rides. That's not what I expect from a Disney park. I still think Marvel shouldn't be in a Magic Kingdom style park. On the other hand it was mentioned that SH DL will have a uniue castle, a great new POTC ride and many other new attractions that no ther park has. So maybe there is a litle hope that not every new ride is based on toons.

[andrewuk]

ideas are toon based or thrill based because that is "what guests want".

I don't think anyone really would prefer a toon-attraction to POTC. (I don't have a problem with thrills so long as the theming is immersive.)

Is it just what they think they want? Or what they say they want? The actual proof might come when Mystic Point and TSPL open in HK

[DopeyDad]

No, I don't mean from Disney. But hopefully the fan community. Then rather than getting all excited by such rubbish, we can make our voices heard before they strike ground.

If we had all done the same, instead of me getting threatened by people for voicing my opinion 2 years before opening, then maybe TSPL would not have been built or had been altered. This is why I hope a lesson has been learned, though I doubt it. In fact I am sure people will either ignore this post or come back with some defence of the mouse on this one.

Ok, I'll bite

I and my family really enjoyed this area, I'm not going to repeat why (after 138 pages on this round about topic I think most things have already been said). But I'd hope people can say they like it if they want to without being made to feel less of a fan.

I very sorry to hear you were threatened Davewasbaloo...who by? Did you report them to the moderators?

[Martyn]

Yep, I still stand by my assertion that is was a poor management decision to waste their money on this section (hmmm, fenced in or subtracted decore, floor being redone on parachutes, attractions closed due to bad weather, kids being disappointed they cannot ride RC Racer). Hmmmm, all my profecies of a couple of years ago came true. see, you do not have to wait and see, and if you do it is too late. That is what concept art is all about. Lessons learned?

Just because you dont like, doesn't make it a failure....

[pussinboots]

I don't even mind the Pixar/toon thing that much, at least not in moderation and not at the Studios. And I think there are many design elements within this land that are clever and well-done. However, you don't "sense" any of this when you're there. It just feels barren, you see incongruity everywhere around you and the two badly-disguised thrill rides overpower all else. And the back of Art of Disney Animation, which we've long complained about, is now a central feature of the park and seems more ridiculous than ever.

What a depressing experience.

[Scissorsboi]

So I am not expecting much to come our way. And if it does, most of the ideas are toon based or thrill based because that is "what guests want".

I think there's space for both at a Disney park, after all no other parks can (legally) claim the properties in their parks, it adds a link from TV/Movies to the park which I'm sure many people base their visit on. Like Universal Studios, people visit to encounter movies in real life.

However, there is always space for originality, and following Walt's original vision, which seems to be lost on the new management. Whilst I'm sure Imagineering are aware of this, it seems to very much be a 'push characters' mentality. Lasseter is very competent at what he does at Pixar, but he needs to look outside of the box, go back to what Walt wanted, and stop trying to desperately shoe horn his work into the parks. It's not his park, and what he is doing is replacing the Walt feeling with the John imagery.

Movie studios is such a vast theme, and I agree, the rides are a bad choice due to their limitations, but they could have been installed and themed to a more movies theme easily. A stunt themed area for example, Toy Soldiers could be a stunt falling attraction, Slinky a 'caught in a twister' effect and RC Racer escaping from an explosion etc. Simple and a weak example, but it shows how easily it could have been linked back to the park's storyline.

The area is passable, it's one of the nicest areas of the park, and if it was surrounded by theming to the detail that it has inside it'd fade away and go un-noticed, maybe when the park is spruced up then it'll go away a bit more. I'll ride RC Racer on my next visit, but I won't go purely for TSPL.

Anyone ever been to Puy du Fou?

I have, and it's a beautiful park. The shows there put every other park I've been to to shame, sadly I missed the big show they have in their arena, but the ones in the main park are fantastic. The theming is fully immersive and if it was easier to get to then I'd visit much more! I really enjoyed my visit, the Colosseum had just opened and I was in shock and awe of just how big and detailed it was. Absolutely incredible park which is overlooked by most people.

[kiki_304]

I myself was a little disappointed by the area. And I was one of those who kept an open mind about it all and thought it may be better in the flesh.

I thought it colourful which was great for my young sons, but awful for ride times. My boys didn't get to go on a ride there because it was soooo busy, long queues and TBH (no offence to adults here) but I saw 90% adults queuing for the rides than kids because IMO parents just couldn't wait around long with young ones for these rides!!! So, I went and took pics with the kids and that was that. My kids didn't complain about not having a go because they saw the queues and just wasn't that thrilled to go on them as much as I thought.

Never mind, maybe next time.

[Anthony]

If anyone's interested I've uploaded the full 48-minute Grand Opening Broadcast to YouTube as a single video (no switching required), so it's there for posterity:


YouTube link

[Festival Disney]

This was pretty interesting, even if it is Blue Peter!

YouTube link

[Scissorsboi]

Interesting video, made better by the fact that even Blue Peter can notice that 'there's no water here'!

[Anthony]

Great video, thanks! I've stuck it on DLRP Today.

It's a little confusing the way they explain how RC Racer was chosen -- they had the halfpipe ride system in mind first and then thought "huh, what would work well with this?". Really?! Surely, hopefully not.

[CafeFantasia]

Great video.

So according to the Imagineers' own rules, the three top tips you want to think of when you're designing a new ride are:

1. Story. What's the story you want to tell?
2. Characters. What characters do you want to use to bring to life that story?
3. Feeling. What do you want the audience to feel?

Ok, so using the Studio Tram Tour as an example...

1. Story. You're going behind the scenes at a pretend movie studio
2. Characters. Jeremy Irons is used to bring the story to life
3. Feeling. You feel confused during the ride, and cheated when you get off

[Columbiad]

I'm finding myself pausing the video every other second to try and identify what the diagrams are in the background at the end of the video..... Any idea what they are?

I want to be an Imagineer... Honorary or otherwise...

[CafeFantasia]

I actually was an Honorary Imagineer for a few hours back in 1996, when I had a little private tour of Walt Disney Imagineering in Glendale. Unforgettable experience