POTC Johnny Refurb

[CoasterMatt]

I'd wait and see as far as how much of this rehab stays in it's current state before forming too solid an opinion.

That's all I'll say about that

[BarTopDancer]

OK, my review.

I avoided all spoilers, I had no idea what was to come.

We went to the park yesterday to camp for the pretty fire in the sky goes BOOM and found ourselves in a near empty park.I had no intentions of going on anything (July 4th in DL? Are you crazy?!) and figured that everyone in the park was in line for Pirates. But it had a posted wait of 45 minutes at the info booth, and it was maybe 15 minutes when we got in line.

Love the Johnny on the wall. Yum. Loved the ride. I swear you heard words to the music after the drops, but it may have been our boat singing. Lightning was awesome, the new shiny was amazing. I loved the chess scene. Nothing like drunk pirates playing chess. The waterfall was AMAZING until you got right close to it. I kind-of miss the foggy caves but the fog always gave me breathing issues so it's not a huge loss for me. I also swear the original voices were in the caves. It took me a minute to realize it was Barbossa on the pirate ship, and I don't think it ruined it. Loved the score but I love the score in general. It made me feel like the townspeople were defending their island against attack. Johnny was amazing. I loved all of them, including the one at the end where he got the treasure.

I am very happy with the changes. I was bored with the old Pirates and while I think it was silly to re-do a ride that a movie was based on to fit the sequel of the movie I don't think the changes were bad. Kinda random maybe, but not bad. They seem easy enough to remove if they choose to. And who knows, maybe they'll re-do it for the 3rd movie.

[BarTopDancer]

EH - It is pretty much a Johnny in two/three scenes (depending on how you classify a scene). There is a some music re-do but the original base of the ride remains unchanged. I was staring at the pirate captain trying to see if it was Barbossa or not, and someone had to tell me it was.

I really liked it, but I get the feeling I'm in the minority. I'll live.

[Gn2Dlnd]

Originally Posted by BarTopDancer

I really liked it, but I get the feeling I'm in the minority. I'll live.

I've gotten more than a few huffy comments (not here) that my opinion is in the minority.

Originally Posted by BarTopDancer

I don't think I've ever thought of Pirates as an adventure instead of a ride-through.

Cuz you're a girl.

[BarTopDancer]

Originally Posted by Gn2Dlnd

Cuz you're a girl.

Have you not noticed my avatar, status, and sig line?

[innerSpaceman]

Having been on two more times in the last two days, I have a few more observations about the music.

Whether it was ever there way back when or not ... they have now started the "Scare Me" theme the minute you pass the storm vignette ... whereas it used to start only upon approaching the treasure room. Now the harpsichord is not the sole source of music ... it's score (albeit authentic PoC score) all the way through.

In fact, from the first drop until the well-dunking scene - - the entire experience is musically scored .... radically changing said experience, imo.

Some of the music I like, and some I don't. But there's just too frelling much of it. Just as it's inartful when a movie is wall-to-wall score, so is this ride in its new incarnation, says me. Movie score is most effective in the transition from non-score to score. It's the starting points that pop out most. If you never stop having music, there's no opportunity to start it up again.

I think the start of the music AT the treasure room was a great sound effection. Lost.


On the plus side, I sorta see where they were trying to go ... and some of it works in an observorish kinda way. The ethereal music in the big waterfall cavern, for example, is not completely unpleasant or without psychenautic effect in that most trippy environment. But the non-stop musical score makes the whole thing seem like more of a diorama presentation, and less like a pretend adventure.

Bah, says I, to that!

[BarTopDancer]

I don't think I've ever thought of Pirates as an adventure instead of a ride-through. Maybe that's why I grew tired of it, same ride over and over and I bet that is why the changes don't bother me.

I'm sure I'll be on it again on the 9th and again on the 17th.

[CoasterMatt]

Most of the guests we rode with seemed to think that "they didn't really change much at all"

[RStar]

The average guest who only rides once every couple of years may not notice much of the changes. There is so much to look at that they may even miss some of the Jacks in there.

[Gn2Dlnd]

If "average guests" were allowed to design attractions, everything would be go-kart races. The "average guest" takes what is given, few questions asked. The de-imagineered Tiki Room in Florida is an example of the "average guest" accepting sheer crap as quality entertainment. I went to a performance of Les Miserables here in L.A. a few years ago. The show was dreadful. Most of the actors had gone on auto-pilot years ago. At curtain-call, the audience dutifully rose to its feet in a standing ovation. WTF? All I could figure out is that most of these people don't see much theatre, they paid 80 bucks to see this, therefore it must be brilliant!

If Light-Magic hadn't premiered at an AP exclusive event, we'd probably still be enduring it.