Concept Art For Midway Mania

[Isaac]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v686/zapppop/ToyStoryMidwayManiaArt1.jpg

[Gemini Cricket]

Oh great. The cars fire darts?!
:D

[Not Afraid]

Are they doing an overlay on Buzz?

[Gemini Cricket]

Are they doing an overlay on Buzz?
It's the new attraction under construction under the Screamin' loop at DCA...

[innerSpaceman]

And it looks perfect for DCA.

OMG, if the concept art portrays merely 2-D flats as the interiors, what depths can the actual attraction fall to by the time it hits reality? I shudder to think of how awful that attraction art predicts the artistic fate of the final attraction ... but, as I said, perfect for DCA.

[Babette]

Looks like duel cars a'la Cartoon Spin meshed with interactive game of Astroblasters. What are the cars - milkbottle cases?

[Gemini Cricket]

I already have a complaint about it.
If the cars are for two pairs of people back to back, there are going to be fights as far as who controls what and which way the car spins.
I predict anarchy and chaos.
:D

[Motorboat Cruiser]

So, if people are facing opposite directions in the same car, who controls the spin? That should cause some irate reactions.

ETA: I guess we are thinking alike today, GC.

Hmm, Anarchy and chaos. I can think of one particular swankster that ought to appreciate that aspect of this attraction. ;)

[innerSpaceman]

My guess is that the cars will not be self-spining, but will be program-spun.

[€uroMeinke]

Wow the innovation of 3-D animation used to render 2-D cut-outs. One can only hope that lawn darts will be resurrected and approved.

I do like the anarchy and chaos part though.
;)

[JWBear]

Spinning ride vehicles that shoot darts... Hmmm... Disney's new solution to park overcrowding (not that DCA has ever needed one)?

[RStar]

My guess is that the cars will not be self-spining, but will be program-spun.

That's my thought exactly. Just like the omnimover in Haunted Mansion moves you to look in a certain direction.

[eighteenth street]

I really don't want to judge it based on one photo but that looks really lame. Hopefully there will be more actual 3D elements and it's not just riding around in front of screens that show pictures of Woody and friends.

[CoasterMatt]

Have any of you ridden Spiderman at Islands of Adventure?

Imagine that ride without the motion base, and add in guns.

Spiderman really works because of the amount of detail (and money) that went into eliminating the line between screens and physical sets.

They went so far as to print all the wall treatments with the same rendering software that they used for the films, with everything color matched.

[lashbear]

I will venture to say that seeing as they are all weating 3-D Glasses - the darts and other missiles will be 3-D projections as well. The only thing the cars will shoot is light beams.

I think the cars look like the cases you see video games in at the carnival

No, there will not be spin-control. Disney doesn't want little helga, scheherazade, andronicus & bob arguing over control.

In 3-D NOTHING looks flat, not even sets - get what I'm saying ?

[Alex]

Have any of you ridden Spiderman at Islands of Adventure?

Imagine that ride without the motion base, and add in guns.


That doesn't bode well. I didn't like that ride.

But I do enjoy Buzz.

[Kevy Baby]

In 3-D NOTHING looks flat, not even sets - get what I'm saying ?So if I put on 3D glasses, my wife will have huge gazongas?

[lashbear]

So if I put on 3D glasses, my wife will have huge gazongas?

Yes, but only if you paint one blue, and the other red.

[BarTopDancer]

I wanna shoot darts at things!!!!!!!

[NirvanaMan]

Spiderman was the best ride I've ever been on in any park anywhere. Utterly awesome. Sad that Disney hasn't come up with anything close to it.

They are behind Universal on ride innovation.

[innerSpaceman]

I'm not gonna make it there any time soon. So will someone please tell me what's so great about it?

I've got to say that movie projections, no matter how well integrated, do not strike me as anything wonderful.

[NirvanaMan]

What's so great about haunted mansion? Reflections, no matter how well done, don't impress me. :)

It really is hard to explain. It is an extremely immersive experience. Imagine Indiana Jones on crack combined with a 3D experience and live action. You can't? Yeah, neither can I. You really just need to ride it.

[Isaac]

A few days ago Disney released more concept art.

Looks like these are from the queue:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v686/zapppop/tsmm3.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v686/zapppop/tsmm4.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v686/zapppop/tsmm5.jpg


It looks like there'll be an AA of Mr. Potato Head:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v686/zapppop/tsmm2.jpg

[RStar]

Is it just me, or is it looking a little....


how should I put this???


Preschoolish?

:rolleyes:

[CoasterMatt]

Great... Mr. Potato Head instead of Laughing Sal - really brings to mind a California beach side park.

[Ghoulish Delight]

I was thinking Mr. Potato Head instead of Buzz Lightyear. That queue concept looks like a duplicate of the Buzz queue with some character replacements. Whoopdedoo.

[CoasterMatt]

Mr. Potato Head is gonna be facing the Midway, acting as a sort of Laughing Sal/Barker Bird... as long as they staff it CMs as cool as the ones who voice Donkey at USH.

[Prudence]

Donkey is my hero.

[innerSpaceman]

Wow ... I haven't been this bleh about an upcoming attraction since The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.



Congratulations, Disney!

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Can we start hating Lasseter now? He was supposed to save this one.

[Isaac]

Can we start hating Lasseter now? He was supposed to save this one.
Well, here's what Al said on Tuesday in his latest article:

For the first time, major Disneyland projects were announced at a press party in Florida instead of Anaheim last week. The new big-budget dark ride for DCA we've been filling you in on for the last year was finally fessed up to at last weeks Florida press announcement, and the title appears to have finally ended up as "Toy Story Mania."

This concept was initially created and designed for the dark ride expansion slot in Paradise Pier behind California Screamin'. The same basic ride system, with much of the same special effect technology, is going in to Tokyo Disneyland as their new Monsters Inc. attraction in a reworked transition space that will bridge that parks World Bazaar and Tomorrowland.

But after the mock-ups and concept design turned out so strongly, Jay Rasulo felt the DCA version of the attraction had the potential to be the next "franchise" attraction, much like the sleeper hit Buzz Lightyear ride originally retrofitted onto a frumpy, old Omnimover ride at Walt Disney World. Eventually, the executives in Florida agreed to add a slightly slimmed down version of the Mania attraction to the Disney-MGM Studios park out in Orlando.

While the original title of the attraction was Toy Story Midway Mania to play up the Paradise Pier location, the addition of a version for Florida has changed the title to Toy Story Mania for now. There is still some debate on whether or not to give the rides slightly different names on each coast, but many people in WDI want to avoid the Buzz Lightyear scenario where that same basic dark ride has a different name in each of the five locations it has been installed. The thought here for Mania is to create an attraction "franchise" like Pirates of the Caribbean or Space Mountain that retains the same title from one side of the globe to the other.

The boardwalk location of the DCA version of the Mania ride had always been earmarked for a dark ride at some future date. But what was assumed five years ago to be a simple C Ticket dark ride is actually going to be a much larger D+ Ticket dark ride, and that means the construction of this facility has taken over that end of the pier (as seen above and below). Add in to this big project the sudden hands-on involvement of John Lasseter, and this ride promises to be the next Submarine Voyage when it comes to heavy involvement and expanded budgets simply demanded by Lasseter.

While the project managers from WDI have tried their best to work around the operation of the E Ticket roller coaster than runs directly above this busy construction project, it's becoming harder and harder to keep the coaster running seven days a week. In the last few weeks there have been several unplanned instances when California Screamin' had to remain closed for the entire day, or for a good part of the day, without warning. During the cold winter months when very few people want to be drenched on Grizzly River Run, that leaves DCA with just two other E Tickets for customers when Screamin' is closed.

Even with the light crowds and nonexistent lines this time of year, a closed California Screamin' ticks off a lot of customers with DCA's razor thin margin for error as a park. And looking ahead to the rest of 2007, there is now the possibility that Screamin' may have to remain closed until early afternoon for several months at a time later in the year.What's interesting about this latest article is that Al mentions 2 other future additions coming to DCA :

Carland:

http://miceage.skyfirehosting.com/al013007pics/al013007i.jpg
sig alertedand a water show called "Walt Disney's Wonderful World Of Color":

http://miceage.skyfirehosting.com/al013007pics/al013007c.jpg
Oh my, did we stumble into Cher's closet? He also mentions that Ed Grier wants the Paradise Pier portion of the placemarketing to be completed by summer 2008.

I guess Disney is still interesting in flushing more money down the toilet that is DCA.

[scaeagles]

I guess Disney is still interesting in flushing more money down the toilet that is DCA.

I'm no expert, but what other practical choice is there? Please note the word "practical". While not enough funds have been invested, it is still a billion dollar investment, and it isn't going away. While the concept art looks hideous, if the main complaints are that DCA is ugly (and most of it is) and that there aren't enough attractions to make it a stand alone park (agreed), then why isn't beautification and adding more attractions a good idea? Granted, they need to be good attractions and tasteful changes to make it more pleasing to the eye.

[innerSpaceman]

It's not that Disney has a choice about whether to do something about DCA ... rather it's the choice between half-measures and a complete overhaul costing billions.

The "more of the same" half measures like "placemaking" and a slew of new Pixar attractions over the span of, what?, a decade - - strike me as the same misguided logic of a certain president in a certain war. I think in fact, it's the definition of insanity to expect different results from the exact same efforts.

[BarTopDancer]

But where did the pointy darts go?

[Alex]

The concept art for Buzz looked lame (in general I think concept art undersells the eventual attraction) to me and I enjoy that so I'll reserve judgment until I see it. But even if it isn't great it will be better then a never open burrito counter.

[RStar]

The concept art for Buzz looked lame (in general I think concept art undersells the eventual attraction) to me and I enjoy that so I'll reserve judgment until I see it. But even if it isn't great it will be better then a never open burrito counter.

Yes, but I did like the burritos. And the chicken strips when they were real chicken, not the processed stuff they sell now.

[Alex]

I don't think I ever saw Mailburritos open. And whatever the chicken strips ended up being made out of, you can still get them at Farmer's Market.

[keith - SuPeR K!]

ism: spiderman is still on the top of my list as the most amazing and awesome attraction in existence! i know it may sound lame having 3d movie footage integrated with real life sets, but the way it all plays out it seems as if you are flying between buildings through the city on webs with spiderman... it is simply amazing. i couldn't even tell what was 3d and what was real... i had to look over my glasses a few times to answer the "WTF how did they do that?" that was echoing in my mind... you just have to see it for yourself...

[Alex]

ism: they're wrong. it is lame. well, not so much lame, just ... semi-lame. but you should see for yourself - i was wholly unimpressed by ioa so you probably don't want to be in my "stick-in-the-mud" camp. lolz

[Isaac]

I'm no expert, but what other practical choice is there? Please note the word "practical". While not enough funds have been invested, it is still a billion dollar investment, and it isn't going away. While the concept art looks hideous, if the main complaints are that DCA is ugly (and most of it is) and that there aren't enough attractions to make it a stand alone park (agreed), then why isn't beautification and adding more attractions a good idea? Granted, they need to be good attractions and tasteful changes to make it more pleasing to the eye.

As iSm said, the problem is not the improvements but rather the slow pace of their construction. When people complained about the lack of rides Disney built a small play area for young children with 4 small attractions which took about a year & a half to build. After the MSEP failed to raise DCA's attendance the TOT's construction began. The construction began in the late summer/early fall of 2001 but the ride didn't open til spring 2004. During it's construction a show based on WWTBAM opened & closed. Soap Opera Bistro closed & was replaced by a show for toddlers. Since then Monsters Inc was added almost 5 years after SuperStar Limo shut down (no gain or loss there), along with adding a Hollywood Studios sign & fountain and that's pretty much it.


Who Wants To Be A Millionaire Play It! (now closed) - 2001
Flik's Fun Fair - 2002
Soap Opera Bistro converted into Playhouse Disney - 2003
Tower Of Terror (originally supposed to be there opening day) - 2004
Monsters Inc replaces SuperStar Limo - 2005


For a theme park that gets complaints about it's lack of rides this is not a very strong effort from Disney to improve the park. Notice how each attraction is a year apart & none of the additions have raised DCA's attendance. It's looks as though Disney just wants to give the minimum effort to fix the park by adding a single new attraction & see what the effect will be. More proof of this type of thinking is what they have lined up:


Toy Story (Midway) Mania - 2008
Walt Disney's Wonderful World Of Color - 2009
Carland - 2010
Change the name from Disney's California Adventure to Disney's Grand Adventure - 2011


At this rate DCA (err... DGA) will be 'fixed' in about 20 to 25 years. I doubt the public will give a damn about that park by then. It's already got a bad reputation now.

iSm: When we return from the Grand Canyon I think we should call Wendy & see if we can use her timeshare. I think a (cheap) trip to Florida this fall might be in our future. Keep in mind, though it may be a mere shell of it's former glory, this year is the 25th anniversary of Epcot Center.

[NirvanaMan]

iSm: When we return from the Grand Canyon I think we should call Wendy & see if we can use her timeshare. I think a (cheap) trip to Florida this fall might be in our future. Keep in mind, though it may be a mere shell of it's former glory, this year is the 25th anniversary of Epcot Center.

For their anniversary, will they blow up the f*cking arm?

[Motorboat Cruiser]

Can we start hating Lasseter now? He was supposed to save this one.

I'm having a bit of a problem hating someone who does something like this (http://www.frankandollie.com/OlliesTrain.html).

[Cadaverous Pallor]

ism: they're wrong. it is lame. well, not so much lame, just ... semi-lame. but you should see for yourself - i was wholly unimpressed by ioa so you probably don't want to be in my "stick-in-the-mud" camp. lolzVisible Alex Mojo! It must've been hard for you to type like that. Heh.

Seriously Alex, stick in the mud aside - everyone else in the world thinks that ride is among the top 3 on the planet. Why should we believe you? Having never ridden it, it totally intrigues me that you sould way it was semi-lame. I think you're around just to be the 5th dentist that doesn't recommend Crest. There always has to be some dissent.

[Alex]

Could be, and I'll admit that it might just be a product of me not generally enjoying my day at Islands of Adventure. Maybe on a different day in a different mood I would have sploojed all over the ride vehicle at my amazement.

You shouldn't believe me, that's why I told iSm he should definitely see it for himself.

Movie based motion simulator rides (and this is just a complex one), just don't appeal to me. They don't appeal to me at the mall, they don't appeal to me in Tomorrowland, one didn't appeal to me at Islands of Adventure.

It is already hard enough for a ride to "thrill" me with things that are really there. Shaking the car while a projected image of Spider-Man lands on the hood just doesn't do anything for me. It is part of the reason roller coasters don't excite me, I never feel like I'm at real risk and without that, falling is boring. Going fast, but in an entirely controlled environment, is boring.

Other people, obviously, have a easier time getting into the excitement of such things


lolz

[NirvanaMan]

He also doesn't like the design of the new mustang which has been heralded as a huge success and has generated a dramatic increase in sales volumes. Poor Alex and his bad taste.

:evil:

[NirvanaMan]

I for one would like to see Alex and iSM have a Curmudgeon-off.

Sunday Sunday Sunday...one night only. You'll pay for the whole seat....but you'll only need the eeeeeedge.

Also featuring Truck-o-saurus.

[Alex]

Actually, I just threw the Mustang into that list for poking effect. I'm indifferent to the new Mustangs. They make me think of Camaros.

[innerSpaceman]

Oh pulease, I bow to the master of curmudgeonality, in whose wake I am but a grumpy pepple of disipledom. I doubt I will ever obtain Alex's stature, no matter how many times I say the magic word, "Bah."

I'm having a bit of a problem hating someone who does something like this (http://www.frankandollie.com/OlliesTrain.html).
Yes, very very class act. I am impressed, and moved.

(But he still needs to get his head out of his ass about DCA.)



And, hmmm, I was gonna download a ride-thru video of Spider-Man, but if there's a cheap trip to Florida in my future ... I guess I'll just wait and see which camp I'm in.

(I'm generally a fan of theme park rides, so I've a feeling I'll like it. Whether I will be blown-away impressed is yet to be seen. But I won't be curmudgeonly just for the sake of it.)

[BarTopDancer]

Well it can't be much worse than "I'm so sad! That ride SUCKED!"

[CoasterMatt]

Just look for the 400 ft. tall green penis, it's like a Hidden Mickey, only phallic.

[Isaac]

Wouldn't that make it a 'Hidden Dicky' ? ;)

[lashbear]

And, hmmm, I was gonna download a ride-thru video of Spider-Man, but if there's a cheap trip to Florida in my future ... I guess I'll just wait and see which camp I'm in.

To be honest, a ridethrough is not going to give you the full in-your-face ride you get with the 3D. It really is a jaw-dropping ride.

[NirvanaMan]

(I'm generally a fan of theme park rides, so I've a feeling I'll like it. Whether I will be blown-away impressed is yet to be seen. But I won't be curmudgeonly just for the sake of it.)


It will be interesting to see if it can survive the build up. Fortunately, I was not on message boards about disney and such things at the time, so I knew nothing about it. Spiderman was actually an afterthought at the end of a long fun day at IoA. We were on the way out of the park, and saw the ride which was almost tucked away. The line didn't look too long, so we decided...why not.

Man, was I blown away...and so thankful that I hadn't just walked out of the park, as originally planned.

[Isaac]

The New York Times posted these photos a few days ago:


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v686/zapppop/TSMM2-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v686/zapppop/TSMM2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v686/zapppop/TSMM1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v686/zapppop/TSMM3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v686/zapppop/TSMM3-1.jpg

and the following article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/10/business/media/10ride.html?_r=1&ref=business&pagewanted=all&oref=slogin

[innerSpaceman]

I almost wish I hadn't read that article. :(

Apparently it's going to be very 3-D animation based. Another hybrid-movie based attraction. Yawn.




you might need :coffee: after riding

[Gemini Cricket]

At least there's a cool AA to look at.
:)

[innerSpaceman]

In the queue. :rolleyes:





This is gonna be Finding Nemo's Astro Blasters. Bah. :mad:

[CoasterMatt]

At least there's a cool AA to look at.
:)
Another line impediment ala Buzz- you spend more time waiting for some family to take a picture in front of Leota Lightyear than the actual ride.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

In the queue. :rolleyes:





This is gonna be Finding Nemo's Astro Blasters. Bah. :mad:Yeah, that's what they said it was from the beginning.

[Gemini Cricket]

I want to fire darts at the other cars.

[CoasterMatt]

I want to fire darts at Paul Pressler, Cynthia Harriss, and Michael Eisner AAs- they wouldn't have to move much...

[Isaac]

Though Disney has been refering to the ride as "Toy Story Mania":
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v686/zapppop/DL0323o8/21.jpg

The new sign was installed recently and it reads "Toy Story Midway Mania" :
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v686/zapppop/DL0323o8/22.jpg

Al was right, again.

[RStar]

Midway Mania makes more since due to the theme, though the name is so long it begs to be shortened. DPTSMM, if you call it Disney Pixar Toy Story Midway Mania. Drop the corp. crap and it's at least TSMM.

[lashbear]

Midway Mania makes more since due to the theme, though the name is so long it begs to be shortened. DPTSMM, if you call it Disney Pixar Toy Story Midway Mania. Drop the corp. crap and it's at least TSMM.
Um, the ride sign itself DID just say TSMM.

[innerSpaceman]

And the shorthand will be Midway Mania, because that's what rolls off the tongue far more splendidly than Toy Story Mania.


Me predicts.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Midway Madaness Mania Mayhem Ladysmith Black Mambazo

The last time we were at DCA we checked out the facade. It was looking pretty good, at least it was looking way better than the crappy midway facade it replaced. But that sign looks pretty crappy, imo.

[Alex]

Yeah, but just think about how many light bulbs there are in it to be counted!


Disclaimer: I am no longer involved in the preparation of MouseAdventure and know of no specific plans for light bulb counting.

[Bornieo: Fully Loaded]

I thought I read it was "Toy Story Midway Mania" at DCA and "Toy Story Mania" at DHS because they don't have a Midway.

Hmmmm