I visited DLP this weekend and can offer a few opinions...
Big Thunder Mountain:
We managed to be amongst the first groups of people to ride the newly reopened Big Thunder. I can say that I looks fantastic walking into Frontierland. The colours on the mountain are vibrant and the sound effects of the trains can be heard from afar and are also brilliant! The new finale is good although I have to say that it is much better at night when the lighting effects are clearer, just in my opinion. Still a great improvement to this classic family attraction. The ride was closed for almost all of Saturday and i'm not sure if there have been issues with it since the update but one of the trains was stuck on the second lift hill for hours. Hopefully it's running ok now!
Space Mountain: Mission 2 -
Since I hadn't rode this attraction for almost 8 years I was eager to get back on! As ever, it's a very fun ride and simulates being in space the best out of all Space Mountain attractions. A few things to note: The canon steam/smoke effects didn't work all weekend. Neither did the turning cogs on the cannon. I'm unsure if this has been the case for a while but hope not as these are cool effects. The audio on the trains is very patchy now and can really only be heard towards the end of the ride. Hopefully the next big update will fix this. A few minor effects were turned off inside the mountain also, notably the meteorite that we pass through (no lights or smoke)
Phantom Manor:
I love all of the Haunted Mansion rides and this one is probably my favourite. However, on this trip it was clear that an update is necessary! Many effects are broken or turned off. Several animatronics weren't moving at all and the doom buggies are very shaky! I visited this time with a friend who has never been to a Disney park so wanted her to share in my enthusiasm for the great storylines and history of these rides, especially this one. I was let down as I think due to so many effects being off and the patchy audio, it made the ride quite confusing.
Studio Tram Tour:
This ride was once quite cool but it has to be said that now it isn't of Disney standard. Not many things to see on the tour and special effects are outdated as is the narration from Jeremy Irons. Guests all looked fairly disappointed. I hope that Disney use this backlot area for new attractions soon!
Pirates: My friend and I both enjoyed a ride on this as it is one of my favourites in any Disney park. This Pirates is unique and fun. Even though it is outdated now the refurb planned sounds like it could breathe great new life into this attraction.
We had a great trip and here I have only taken the time to give opinions on some much needed updates from Disney. Many attractions are looking great and fresh! The update to Peter Pan has left the ride in great shape with bright colours and some subtle new lighting effects. Ratatouille, in my opinion, is a fantastic new family ride at the Studios which is exciting enough to thrill adults and children alike. Many have commented on it being just "another 3D attraction" but DLP doesn't have too many of these types of rides so it really is a great addition!
My final comment is that the planned updates for Disney Village are necessary. Although it holds a certain nostalgic charm, most buildings are run down, in disrepair and stuck in the 90's! A few new restaurant will be great when they come along and breathe new life here too!
I hope that anybody visiting soon experiences the planned updates and has a great visit!
Below are a few images from my visit this weekend. Note the "Discovery Mountain" logos STILL on Space Mountain signs!
