Rockin' Space Mountain

Gemini Cricket · 01-03-2007, 09:32 PM

Despite “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” being the highest grossing movie of last year and despite the fact that Disneyland’s numbers are up, Disney still insists on "cheaping out" on Disneyland and its attractions. And riding Disneyland’s Rockit Space Mountain will prove it to you.

Promoted as a “cool for teens type of experience”, the ride proves itself to be nothing more than an ill-conceived overlay brought to you by a bunch of Disney businessmen who have long forgotten how to be cool much less how to identify what younger generations might find appealing.

After a tedious 70-120 minute wait for the attraction, the queue and the loading area do not hint at all of the horrors that await guests. The sign out front, near another poorly thought out “attraction” Cosmic Waves, touts the ride as “Rockit Space Mountain”. But that is the first and last time you will see any sort of visual billing for the ride. This makes one feel that the concept was tacked on shoddily without much thought involved.

As you start your journey, you will notice that the soundtrack for the attraction has changed. Gone is the hip retro sounding score. What replaces it is a DJ’s voice who welcomes you to Rockit Space Mountain. It’s far too cheesy and out of place for this ride. The DJ seems to be doing a commercial for himself and the Red Hot Chili Peppers as well. The announcement can be compared to the news broadcast that interrupts the awful Starship song, “We Built this City”… and what is to come for the riders is equally as horrid.

The launch tunnel is now laden with special effects that one can easily find on their iTunes set up on their home computer. (Just click on View and then on Visualizer.) After you pass through Visualizer tunnel, all hell breaks loose. While the speakers are blaring an over modulated Flea and friends in your ears, you realize that you are riding Space Mountain with the lights on.

The fun of riding the January 2, 2007 Space Mountain is that there is an illusion that you are floating and flying through space. The track and the warehouse that houses the attraction are hidden from view. This ride was in the dark for 30 years because it should be. The ride with the lights on is hideous. You find yourself in the dusty, gray “Rhythm Nation” warehouse that Janet Jackson danced around in clad in a military uniform. The building is cold, industrial and blah. Unlike that video, one doesn’t get to look at good dancing. What a rider gets are projections of shadow people that look like renegades from an iPod commercial.

Add a few strobe lights, a couple of spotlights and a number of chaser lights that illuminate where the pedestrian handrails are for the ride and you have Rockit Space Mountain. There are long portions of this ride that has nothing for you to look at while you zoom by.

The best part about Rockit Space Mountain is that it eventually ends. The only thing a die hard Disneyland fan will enjoy is riding Space Mountain with the lights on. But gone are the surprise turns and that nice unexpected dip somewhere near the midway point of the ride. And speaking of surprises and dips, gone are the days when Disneyland could truly surprise with attraction offerings but clearly present are the corporate dips that continue to do Disneyland on the cheap who then become stunned to find out that no one likes their tripe.

I guarantee that somewhere in Burbank sits an Imagineer’s concept drawings for Rockit Space Mountain that could have made this overlay fantastic. You know, something pristine and magical… that is, before the suits, accountants and lawyers shredded it apart. Who knows, maybe we’ll see it ten years from now hanging in a frame at the Disney Gallery or at the Disneyland Hotel. We’ll look at that and say, “Wow! That would have been way better. I wonder why they didn’t spend the money and do it that way?”

It’s time for the leadership at Disneyland to start listening to their guests and give them rides and attractions that aren’t shoddy, half-assed and cheap. Many of us have had enough of these lightly magical ideas that make us as disappointed as a Disney’s California Adventure guest.

Rockit Space Mountain will get the curious into the park to improve the numbers during the usually slow months between New Years and summer, but it’s as unappealing and unrepeatable as the miserable and similar sounding Tomorrowland attraction: Rocket Rods. Let’s hope it rockets away just as fast.

http://www.micechat.com/forums/showp...8&postcount=95

MouseWife · 01-03-2007, 09:37 PM

Why would they turn the lights on???

I saw a video on YouTube {probably on your link} and it looked like a warehouse, as you said.

I told my son it would make me feel like a can of tuna in a box flying down the conveyor belt.

But I still dig the Peppers.

Sorry it wasn't good for you.

Oh, and I won't ride it. I watched the video and got a headache.

BarTopDancer · 01-03-2007, 09:42 PM

[quote=GC]you realize that you are riding Space Mountain with the lights on.

SNIP

Quote:

The only thing a die hard Disneyland fan will enjoy is riding Space Mountain with the lights on.

Sweet.

I was looking forward to seeing something different. After TMAOWTP I have leared no expectations = no disappoitments. Lights on = happy BTD.

MouseWife · 01-03-2007, 09:46 PM

[quote=BarTopDancer;112475]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GC

you realize that you are riding Space Mountain with the lights on.

SNIP

Sweet.

I was looking forward to seeing something different. After TMAOWTP I have leared no expectations = no disappoitments. Lights on = happy BTD.

Well, cool, I am glad you will be happy!! I think a lot of people will be.

But, I thought that they would do some sort of light show...I can see it in my head now....

That or my brain is about to explode....either way...

Ghoulish Delight · 01-04-2007, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gemini Cricket

Despite “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” being the highest grossing movie of last year and despite the fact that Disneyland’s numbers are up, Disney still insists on "cheaping out" on Disneyland and its attractions. And riding Disneyland’s Rockit Space Mountain will prove it to you.

To be fair, that wasn't the original plan, and the reason for it being super-cheap is a good one. When Ouimet took over before the 50th, he decided that it was absolutely imperative that Space Mountain be reopened by the summer 50th kick off. By that time, it was too late to completely axe the Rockit Mountain idea, so he did the next best thing: slashed it down to the bare minimum to save time and money to accelerate the completion of the ride. And by golly, he did it.

The stupid decision was, even after slashing it to nothing, to open it to the public like this. They were stuck for Grad Nights because they had already advertised it. But they were under no obligation to do anything beyond that. I guess they are doing it as an attempt to justify even the scaled-back expense, as well as a cheap way to create advertising buzz without spending further money.

Gemini Cricket · 01-04-2007, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

To be fair, that wasn't the original plan...

I don't know. You don't bring an undercooked turkey to the table at Thanksgiving. If it is inedible, you finish cooking it or don't serve it at all.

After riding that ride, I would have rather not seen it at all...

Ghoulish Delight · 01-04-2007, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gemini Cricket

I don't know. You don't bring an undercooked turkey to the table at Thanksgiving. If it is inedible, you finish cooking it or don't serve it at all.

After riding that ride, I would have rather not seen it at all...

Agreed, like I said, the mistake was to open it to the public beyond the already advertised Grad Nights. Matt made the right choice in my opinion by sacrificing Rockit to get Space open in time (accepting the fact that completely pulling the plug wasn't an option). So I don't think you can add this to the "they cheaped out" mistake list with Pooh and Pirates. Doesn't mean it's not a mistake, just a different kind of mistake.

01-03-2007, 09:32 PM	#1
Gemini Cricket ... Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 13,244	Despite “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” being the highest grossing movie of last year and despite the fact that Disneyland’s numbers are up, Disney still insists on "cheaping out" on Disneyland and its attractions. And riding Disneyland’s Rockit Space Mountain will prove it to you. Promoted as a “cool for teens type of experience”, the ride proves itself to be nothing more than an ill-conceived overlay brought to you by a bunch of Disney businessmen who have long forgotten how to be cool much less how to identify what younger generations might find appealing. After a tedious 70-120 minute wait for the attraction, the queue and the loading area do not hint at all of the horrors that await guests. The sign out front, near another poorly thought out “attraction” Cosmic Waves, touts the ride as “Rockit Space Mountain”. But that is the first and last time you will see any sort of visual billing for the ride. This makes one feel that the concept was tacked on shoddily without much thought involved. As you start your journey, you will notice that the soundtrack for the attraction has changed. Gone is the hip retro sounding score. What replaces it is a DJ’s voice who welcomes you to Rockit Space Mountain. It’s far too cheesy and out of place for this ride. The DJ seems to be doing a commercial for himself and the Red Hot Chili Peppers as well. The announcement can be compared to the news broadcast that interrupts the awful Starship song, “We Built this City”… and what is to come for the riders is equally as horrid. The launch tunnel is now laden with special effects that one can easily find on their iTunes set up on their home computer. (Just click on View and then on Visualizer.) After you pass through Visualizer tunnel, all hell breaks loose. While the speakers are blaring an over modulated Flea and friends in your ears, you realize that you are riding Space Mountain with the lights on. The fun of riding the January 2, 2007 Space Mountain is that there is an illusion that you are floating and flying through space. The track and the warehouse that houses the attraction are hidden from view. This ride was in the dark for 30 years because it should be. The ride with the lights on is hideous. You find yourself in the dusty, gray “Rhythm Nation” warehouse that Janet Jackson danced around in clad in a military uniform. The building is cold, industrial and blah. Unlike that video, one doesn’t get to look at good dancing. What a rider gets are projections of shadow people that look like renegades from an iPod commercial. Add a few strobe lights, a couple of spotlights and a number of chaser lights that illuminate where the pedestrian handrails are for the ride and you have Rockit Space Mountain. There are long portions of this ride that has nothing for you to look at while you zoom by. The best part about Rockit Space Mountain is that it eventually ends. The only thing a die hard Disneyland fan will enjoy is riding Space Mountain with the lights on. But gone are the surprise turns and that nice unexpected dip somewhere near the midway point of the ride. And speaking of surprises and dips, gone are the days when Disneyland could truly surprise with attraction offerings but clearly present are the corporate dips that continue to do Disneyland on the cheap who then become stunned to find out that no one likes their tripe. I guarantee that somewhere in Burbank sits an Imagineer’s concept drawings for Rockit Space Mountain that could have made this overlay fantastic. You know, something pristine and magical… that is, before the suits, accountants and lawyers shredded it apart. Who knows, maybe we’ll see it ten years from now hanging in a frame at the Disney Gallery or at the Disneyland Hotel. We’ll look at that and say, “Wow! That would have been way better. I wonder why they didn’t spend the money and do it that way?” It’s time for the leadership at Disneyland to start listening to their guests and give them rides and attractions that aren’t shoddy, half-assed and cheap. Many of us have had enough of these lightly magical ideas that make us as disappointed as a Disney’s California Adventure guest. Rockit Space Mountain will get the curious into the park to improve the numbers during the usually slow months between New Years and summer, but it’s as unappealing and unrepeatable as the miserable and similar sounding Tomorrowland attraction: Rocket Rods. Let’s hope it rockets away just as fast. http://www.micechat.com/forums/showp...8&postcount=95
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01-03-2007, 09:37 PM	#2
MouseWife Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Da' Beach Posts: 2,957	Why would they turn the lights on??? I saw a video on YouTube {probably on your link} and it looked like a warehouse, as you said. I told my son it would make me feel like a can of tuna in a box flying down the conveyor belt. But I still dig the Peppers. Sorry it wasn't good for you. Oh, and I won't ride it. I watched the video and got a headache. __________________ Summa' time....when the livins' easy.........
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