PeoplemoverMatt

One of the many reasons I hope FP+ comes to DLR and quickly is so people will no longer have to get there at the effing crack of dawn and form that enormous queue in order to get a FP for Racers. But I guess all the naysayers and alarmists that would have a royal cow should there even be hints of FP+ coming west would prefer to keep doing that.

The rumored timetable for construction is longer than the average theme overlay. Test Track took less than a year, right? No, this looks like it will use much of the existing building structure, but with a new ride system built inside. I wouldn't be surprised if the show building was extended backstage some while they're at it. I hope that window that Maelstrom didn't use too well since the riders' backs were always to it ends up being used better. There's potential for a wow moment there for both riders and onlookers, much like when Tower of Terror opens the doors at the top of the drop shaft.

The idea of expecting a foreign nation, to the extent where they'd be blamed if they didn't, to spend their nation's tax dollars on Walt Disney World's Epcot World Showcase is really out there when you think about it. Can you imagine the scandal that would erupt in this country if news broke that our federal government was spending tax dollars to build/improve a WDW themed area or attraction? Not in the form of tax breaks for this or that depreciation expense but directly to fund a themed area such as American Adventure. Just think about that. And these people expect a foreign nation thousands of miles away across an ocean to do exactly that, or be blamed for not doing it?? Wow. That's just... amazing. I don't really know how else to describe that. EDIT: I am aware that many of World Showcase's pavilions have content that is paid for or at least approved by the nations represented. That isn't my point. The point is that it's sort of crazy to expect a foreign nation to put forth that funding, or else they've made some terrible mistake.

A Backlot Tour is not a requirement for a park to call itself a "studios" park. Just look at Universal Studios down the road. What actual studios are there? None. But there is a heavy emphasis on immersive movie-based themes and small look-in's at the movie making process. I'd say DHS still fits that very well with its shows and attractions outside the Backlot Tour. Adding Cars Land, Marvel, Star Wars or whatever other IP they choose would still fit the "Studios" park idea very well.

IMO the Witch's Keep overlay this year is the best that it has been since they started the whole green witch theme a couple of years ago. The audio spiels at least tell something of a story. The glory hole is wonderfully creepy. The finale with the shadow green witch effect is a decent startle. It's nothing that will give you nightmares for weeks but works pretty well I thought.

Until stupid CA rules the airtime is "unsafe" and requires some modification to the ride, the restraints, or both that basically ruins it. If you want actual real good airtime, CA is just not the state for you.

After that, who knows...

We need more of those shirts! They are awesome! Maelstrom #LetItGo is absolutely perfect!

In my experience, the rides are shut down literally moments before the heavy rain hits. Even though I'm only at the FL parks annually, it's happened to me multiple times now where I'll be in the station waiting to board, the ride gets shut down, and I can't make it out of the station before the downpour hits. Can't really cut it closer than that! That's also one of the most fun parts of visiting the FL parks - they don't have completely asinine weather policies like CA parks do. CA parks will freak out and totally shut down at the hint of drizzle, and the surrounding traffic acts worse. Disneyland does ok with it, but even they will sometimes make some head scratch-worthy calls. FL parks just roll with it. They hunker down when the rain hits, then open back up basically like nothing ever happened about as soon as it's done. It makes for a much less stressful way to consider a park day when the weather forecast isn't so great.

Have to go to this someday...MUST go to this someday...

This one's easy. When they don't clean & maintain the look of the area and it ends up looking abused and trashy, they can just claim that the trashy appearance is part of the area's theme. Just one time I want a park to be honest and build "We're Not Motivated Enough to Properly Clean This Area" Land.

The entire Manhattan Express video. Still funny after all these years.

Do the majority of riders on Riddler's still have no idea that it's a stand-up coaster, and attempt to sit down on those bicycle seats?

Wait, first people are complaining that Frozen has no place in World Showcase or Epcot in general. Now people are complaining that Norway Pavilion isn't large enough to handle Frozen, or do the IP justice, and they should devote a space the size of Cars Land or Potterville? I can't make sense of all the complaining. It's as if the attraction needs to be everything it was not announced to be or no one's going to be happy. Did people just totally miss how Frozen's setting was heavily based on Norway, despite not claiming to actually be in Norway? There's every reason to believe Norway Pavilion will feel just as Norway as it does today when the Frozen ride opens. The better question might be just how 'Norway' does the current Norway Pavilion feel? Because Maelstrom, that epic 5 minute video, those perfume gift shops, and Akershus are all completely authentic recreations of present day Norway and totally give you the experience of being in Norway, right?

Frozen's connection to Norway, as told by Wikipedia:

What about the announcement has indicated to people that the anything & everything Norway will be completely removed from this just because Maelstrom is turning Frozen? Did I miss something? This seems like people flying off the deep end waaaaay too soon. For one, the two are not at odds with each other. There's a reason this ride isn't being built next door in the China pavilion. Frozen fits into Norway as seamlessly as can be possible in World Showcase. For another, I've always felt there was more 'Norway' in those gift shops and facades in/around the Norway pavilion than in Maelstrom itself. The announcement didn't really indicate any massive change is coming to them. I'm sure they'll change slightly, but they'll probably still resemble their familiar Norwegian selves. There isn't much to go on from the announcement alone as to what everything will end up looking like, but I'm willing to bet that no matter how much Frozen comes in, the pavilion as a whole will still look and feel "Norway" and won't be terrible.

I went back to the first page of this thread from 2005 only to find some people decrying the addition of Soarin' because it didn't fit in with The Land pavilion's theme. 9 years later it has shown a consistent ability to be one of Epcot's most popular attractions, and has had the ability to draw people into the Land pavilion that would never have gone in there before. Many more families have ridden Living with the Land and eaten at Seasons and Garden Grill too. In fact, I'd theorize that the refurbs to both Seasons and Garden Grill would not have happened as fast or as great as they were had Soarin' have never been built. Just goes to show you that some people will denounce basically any new attraction, no matter how amazing it is or how much it makes complete sense for it to be built in its location, because they resist a change to that location. Fact is that times change. The parks must change with the passing of time or they will die. These additions might bend theme consistency slightly, but that's no reason at all whatsoever to not do them and lose the huge gains they bring. Same thing goes for this announcement of Frozen coming to Norway. Turning Malestrom into Frozen will ensure a HUGE amount of traffic will always be in Norway Pavilion, Akershaus will be permanently booked up, and a LOT of families will now take the time in World Showcase that they never would before because they feared their kids would be dreadfully bored. That's a GOOD thing for everybody! The purists should understand this and be happy too, but I'm not going to hold my breath on that one.

The one and only thing I will miss from Maelstrom is that amazing mural in the loading area. Apart from that, this is a great announcement! People have been whining & complaining for 30 years that there isn't enough for kids to do or look forward to in World Showcase. Well, here's your answer. Hopefully the increased traffic this brings sparks additional interest in World Showcase's other offerings such as Reflections of China and American Adventure - stuff that is kid-friendly but not really kid-enticing. I wonder what the complainers who would decry this in favor of a laughably out of date Maelstrom ride/Norway video would say about that eventuality... For those wondering what will become of the movie theatre, the announcement did mention an included meet n' greet with Anna & Elsa. What more perfect place could there be than that huge room? (Assuming no load bearing walls are going to be moved in the re-do.)

I heard he's a real goob.

Which one of these sounds more realistic to you?

Local news is over-sensationalizing this by claiming the fire department has warned the entire lift hill structure might collapse, and total park evacuation is possible.

That whole part of the lift hill was going to need to be replaced anyway to make the lift hill taller and the drop steeper as planned. The question will be how much of an impact this will be found to have on the integrity of the lift hill structure as a whole, and how well it can now support the new layout.

I've never been over to Fort Wilderness to see it, but Hoop-Dee-Doo has from photos looked to me like a dressed up Golden Horseshoe Revue with food. How close would that description be?

The point is that myself and others here who perhaps aren't, shall we say, at the height of optimism when it comes to considering how TC will be operated, might know a little bit about what we are talking about. But I'll say it again because it's worth saying again - it doesn't matter that likely only 2 trains will be run! TC will still be an AMAZING ride that will be much better than what was there before! That's ultimately what matters, right? If people are having a great time, who gives a flying $@ if the two trains are not going up the lift hill together or flying over each other in perfect sync?

How long does it take before it stops being pessimism and starts being reality? I have 26 years of hands-on experience with SFMM. No matter what it used to be, or what we hope it will become one day, SFMM will be what it is and it will do what it does. TC won't be any different just because it's TC. It's not pessimism to expect Twisted Colossus to not look like it does in that CG concept art video. This is from the same park that showed YOLO with one train in the loop and another train sailing over at the same time. These videos are meant to sell Gold Passes. They are not meant to display with 100% perfect accuracy what the ride will do, look like, or how it will be operated. It isn't pessimism to disbelieve the concept art video and instead envision a reality where the trains don't go up together, high-five together, soar around each other, as normal operations. Sure it'll happen some of the time, just like Colossus used to race some of the time, but that won't be how it will normally run. The larger point I was trying to make was that even though this is true, it really doesn't matter because it won't make Twisted Colossus any less fun to ride. TC will still be an amazing fun ride.