2008 amusement & theme park preview

[Loomis]

While Disney theme parks around the world draw more than 100 million visitors annually, Mickey Mouse isn’t the only player on the international amusement park stage.

An overview of new rides and attractions debuting worldwide in 2008:

WDW - Toy Story Mania dark ride and Block Party Bash parade at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (formerly Disney-MGM Studios) AND Spaceship Earth dark ride renovation at Epcot

Disney’s California Adventure - Toy Story Mania dark ride and Pixar Play Parade

Hong Kong Disneyland — It’s a Small World boat ride builds on the classic Anaheim attraction by adding four new languages to the existing six: Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean and Tagalog (Philippines). Also new: Several Asian landmarks (Great Wall, Temple of Heaven, Hong Kong skyline) plus 30 Disney characters (including Mulan, Peter Pan and Aladdin). The Hong Kong park will also add a few attractions familiar to Disney’s California Adventure fans: Turtle Talk interactive chat and “High School Musical 2″ parade.

Disney Studios Paris — The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror free-fall drop ride, which soft-opened in December 2007, hews closely to its Anaheim and Orlando cousins. The French park will also add the sci-fi-themed Stitch Encounter, which is similar to California Adventure’s Turtle Talk With Crush.

Tokyo Disney — An original and permanent 2,000-seat Cirque du Soleil show will be the first for the avant-garde circus outside North America.

Ocean Park (Hong Kong) — The hybrid zoo-aquarium-theme park begins a $700-million (U.S.) expansion that doubles the number of attractions to 70, including a soaker coaster mounted with water cannons, according to Screamscape.

Everland (South Korea) — A massive mile-long wooden coaster with a figure-8 layout and a killer 77-degree first drop.

Six Flags Mexico – The Glow in the Dark nighttime parade features drummers, puppeteers, singers, dancers and stilt walkers.

Canada’s Wonderland — The $21-million (U.S.) Behemoth coaster is billed as the country’s longest (5,300 feet), fastest (77 mph) and tallest (230 feet).

and more...

http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog/?p=1119

[AwallaceUNC]

Cool thread, Loomis.

WDW - Toy Story Mania dark ride and Block Party Bash parade at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (formerly Disney-MGM Studios) AND Spaceship Earth dark ride renovation at Epcot

I'm afraid I'm not very excited for Toy Story Mania. Hopefully the finished product will change my mind. I'm even less excited for the Block Party Bash parade. I saw it at Disneyland and wasn't at all impressed. Even if it's old news, I'd rather see the Stars & Motorcars Parade stick around at MGM rather than downgrade to the BPB. Nevertheless, it <i>will</i> be nice to have more to do at <strike>MGM</strike> Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Spaceship Earth is a different story. I was lucky enough to get a sneak preview of the renovated Spaceship Earth two weeks ago and am thoroughly pleased with the changes, which are substantial. While there are a few things I would change -- two minor, one major -- I very much welcome the changes overall. I can't wait for everyone to get to ride it.

<b>Disney’s California Adventure</b> - Toy Story Mania dark ride and Pixar Play Parade

See my comments above re: Toy Story Mania. Same thing here, though-- it will be very nice to have more to do at DCA, which needs new life far more than MGM does.

As for the Pixar Play Parade, I haven't heard much about it. I assume it's replacing Block Party Bash? It doesn't sound different in name but I hope it's at least an improvement.

<b>Hong Kong Disneyland</b> — It’s a Small World boat ride builds on the classic Anaheim attraction by adding four new languages to the existing six: Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean and Tagalog (Philippines). Also new: Several Asian landmarks (Great Wall, Temple of Heaven, Hong Kong skyline) plus 30 Disney characters (including Mulan, Peter Pan and Aladdin). The Hong Kong park will also add a few attractions familiar to Disney’s California Adventure fans: Turtle Talk interactive chat and “High School Musical 2″ parade.

Are the new languages merely additions to the song? I'm curious how the addition of new languages works in an attraction that is already built around X number of different languages.

The landmarks sound cool -- what area of the park will they be in? I assume they'll resemble the Streets of America at MGM? And 30 characters? Woah! How many do they have now? I can't believe Peter Pan and Aladdin haven't already been there.

Cool that Hong Kong will get Turtle Talk and the High School Musical 2 Pep Rally!

<b>Disney Studios Paris</b> — The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror free-fall drop ride, which soft-opened in December 2007, hews closely to its Anaheim and Orlando cousins. The French park will also add the sci-fi-themed Stitch Encounter, which is similar to California Adventure’s Turtle Talk With Crush.

Stitch Encounter is a video dialogue-type attraction? I would have thought it would be re-creation of Stitch's Great Escape at WDW. Very interesting.

Nothing on the horizon for the primary DLP park this year?

<b>Tokyo Disney</b> — An original and permanent 2,000-seat Cirque du Soleil show will be the first for the avant-garde circus outside North America.

Will the theater be inside a park? WDW has a Cirque du Soleil show at Downtown Disney but if this is going inside the park, I believe that will be a significant Disney first.

Ocean Park (Hong Kong) — The hybrid zoo-aquarium-theme park begins a $700-million (U.S.) expansion that doubles the number of attractions to 70, including a soaker coaster mounted with water cannons, according to Screamscape.

How close is Ocean Park to HKDL? Is it considered a major competitor? If so, have you been there and how does it compare?

and more...

http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog/?p=1119

I find these interesting:

Universal Hollywood - "The Simpsons" simulator ride
Universal Orlando - "The Simpsons" simulator ride

And, of course, there's the Yak & Yeti restaurant to look forward to at Animal Kingdom. It's unofficially serving counter service food now and I got to sample it. I got a kid's meal and the samples were rather small but the egg roll was pretty good. It's not my cuisine of choice but some people might enjoy it more.

-Aaron

[dizfan]

I am far from Block Party Bash!'s number 1 fan, but anything would be an upgrade over the amatureish Motor Cars parade. At least Block Party has some energy to it - that's a problem I have with Florida's parades in general: very little and/or simple choreography.

And no, Tokyo's Cirque theatre will not be in one of the parks but in a former parking lot in front of Disney Ambassador Hotel. I had a "nice" view of the construction the last time I stayed there.

[Siren]

I know its not opening 2008, but yesterday I was at Islands of Adventure (Florida), and I going through Lost Continent, which will eventually be transformed into The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. There was a very large wooden gate at one part. I couldn't get close to the gate, but through a missing plank, I saw something there. It was big and orange. Odd color, I know. It was the size of a small boat and shiny. No idea what it could be, or if its even related to HP. Then I rode the Flying Unicorn, because I could see that at the very top, it would let me look over the fence to the construction area
So glad the Unicorn stalls for a moment at the top so I got a good look. Mostly flattened earth and bulldozers, however, I saw the makings of something there. It had a wooden roof, like thin tree trunks strapped together. And it was off in an area that wasn't ever part of Lost Continent, so I am guessing its newly built. I was thinking perhaps that was part of Hogesmeade. Not much of an update at all, I know. But I plan to be going to Universal often over this year, so if I see anything else of interest, I'll post. I want to see a Womping Willow, that is worth a picture . Or the castle.

[slave2moonlight]

WDW - Toy Story Mania dark ride and Block Party Bash parade at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (formerly Disney-MGM Studios) AND Spaceship Earth dark ride renovation at Epcot

Okay, I'm a little concerned at the mention of Spaceship Earth...

[Maerj]

Everyone is saying that they love the first half of it but they took everything out of the end of the ride and put in touch screens where they put your face on an e-surance style cartoon. Hopefully they fix that part of it.

[AwallaceUNC]

Everyone is saying that they love the first half of it but they took everything out of the end of the ride and put in touch screens where they put your face on an e-surance style cartoon. Hopefully they fix that part of it.

That's pretty much my take on it. I don't even mind the touch screens; they're kind of fun. The problem is that too much of the ride time is devoted to the touch screen exercises at the end of the ride. As a result, you don't have that swelling of inspiration that used to mark your descent and exit from the ride vehicle.

-Aaron

[Maerj]

I enjoyed the previous version of the ride so much that I actually have the entire ride audio and just the music on CD. They are even saying that the narration and music on this new version isn't up to old version. Maybe I'll have to get an iPod to take in there so I can listen to the old version and close my eyes halfway through.

[Fidget1234]

That's pretty much my take on it. I don't even mind the touch screens; they're kind of fun. The problem is that too much of the ride time is devoted to the touch screen exercises at the end of the ride. As a result, you don't have that swelling of inspiration that used to mark your descent and exit from the ride vehicle.

-Aaron[/quote]


At the descent there isnt anything to see anymore anyways, all that's been cut out. Seeing us on the touch screen was kinda cute. How bout the garage scene now? Me likey!
But no more Snow White or Wonderful Wold of Disney in the attraction! And no more Jeremy Irons narration

Also good upgrades on El Rio De Tiempo featuring the 3 Caballeros (very cute now, however they take out all the information on the country- it's just Panchito & Jose chasing after Donald through the attraction)
& Haunted Mansion has a nice new upgrade for those who haven't experienced it yet!