The cloning of Orlando has got to stop (i.e. Tower of Terror, Mummy ... etc.) if the parks want a higher attendance. I've been to CA a few times, the sights do not change, but amusement attractions can add a world of difference.
BTW - Robert, your story was very insightful and has lent a hand in my decision for next season's adventures.
What gets me about this new version is the complete disregard for the rules of sequel. I have no problem at all with them building a new version of this concept for the west coast. Money making hits get follow ups on an almost daily basis. The problem here is that with a sequel everything is supposed to be bigger, better, more exciting. Instead they have given us what sounds like the readers digest version.
This is yet another example of clueless management reigning supreme. If you want a blockbuster, park saving ride experience, you have to invest the proper effort into it. I don't they they pulled it off, but I guess we'll have to wait and see the response from the general public who may not be as well informed as those of us who follow this news everyday.
So this is a shortened version of the ride. Big deal, MK did the same thing with POTC. And I admire the old-fashioned charm on THAT ride.
Glad the whole story of ToT was brought up, because that is the one thing that always bothered me about it. Part of Spider-Man's ascension to Best Ride in the World status has a lot to do with it actually telling a complete story. ToT is all first act. In fact, it's the first act TWICE. We see a video about those tourists, then we head up and see those people AGAIN. Then we drop. Huh? People scoff at how many rides have Until Something Goes Wrong moments, but they are effective.
Maybe if we didn't get all the setup and this was treated just like a regular elevator ride. Like we are headed up to the penthouse for a wild party (which could be seen atop the hotel) and then Rod Serling stops you on the way up and gives you some spiel about how your elevator has somehow entered the fifth dimension and good luck getting out. Then maybe the elevator could do a few drops and stop on another floor, which would look normal but could dissolve into the fifth dimension (the dissolving scene). Then a few more drops. Then up to the penthouse finally, where the host or hostess takes one look at the carload and suggests everyone look a little more presentable if they expect to participate. Then the elevator could return slowly to the strains of the TZ theme.
Not the greatest, but at least it is complete. I'm really tired of how muddled the scripts are for so many Disney rides lately.
As for TOT, the mentioned above info would make a perfect storyline, but it would probably lengthen the duration of the ride as well as the wait time. :D
I think the biggest problem Disney has with its preshows is that people don't view them as part of the ride. If the library video was part of the ride itself, instead of before yet another line, people wouldn't think the ride is so short. Disney seriously needs to rethink the way they are using preshows.
The door opens and the party is going strong. But, ... there's something not quite right 'bout the guests in attendence. The host (or, hostess) pokes his/her moldy, rotting, worm filled head at the elevator: "Oh, you're not ready for *this* party. All my guests are DEAD!! Bwa-ha-ha-ha-haaaaaaaaa ...."
... as the elevator p l u m m e t s !!!!!
Yesterday (The first Saturday after the grand opening May 8th, 2004) we had a very long line that ended up being about two and a half hours at park closing. Now I know this is not THAT long of a wait time, but the summer season has yet to hit the resort and I'm certain that time will be doubled.
Our Fastpasses have been selling out every single day we have been in operation (and distributing fastpass) sometimes within two hours, on slow days within six hours.
If you were to take a birds eye view of the park during the day you would notice that most everywhere else in the park it is deserted compared to the Hollywood District... mainly all traffic from TOT. For instance, the other day I was listening to a cast member who had been playing in the park tell everyone that all of the other large attractions in the park had between a five and fifteen minute wait time, while TOT was keeping a steady hour or so wait time.
From all of this, I can safely conclude that TOT is doing what everyone way way above me hoped it would do. There's no telling what kind of a drop in attendence there will be once the summer season is over, but for the time being it has been THE thing to go on while visiting the resort.
Now, for my opinion of the ride (or attraction, whatever): I did not start getting used to it until about ride thirty or so. The first two times riding it my arms were sore from being clenched in my lap. I was so anxious to ride it and to be apart of it being that I worked in the Animation building, directly outside of the TOT's gates. Seeing it being built from the foundation up and then being part of the opening crew has been a real treat and it is my number one attraction that I prefer to work and ride.
But then again, this is all my biased opinion since I work it =P
Longer lines aren't going to make things better. They'll only make things worse. If people have to wait 4 hours to get on one of two decent rides in the park, then they aren't going to be very happy, are they? And seeing other parts of the park be deserted all day isn't good for the park either. Those sections have to be manned, and if no one is visiting those attractions, then Disney is wasting money. That definitely won't be making Disney execs happy.
Disney needs to start weeding out the APs. And I say this being an AP myself. I would immediately stop selling the SoCal APs and increase the prices of the Deluxe APs to about 200 bucks. With, we'll say 720,000 APs just to make the math easy, 60K APs would come due in June. Same with July and August. Getting rid of the SoCal and raising the price could get rid of at least 100K APs over the summer. This would mean somewhat shorter lines at ToT, meaning actual tourists - the only ones Disney makes money from - might not get pissed off and might return in the future. That's far more important than APs. And if too many APs don't return, they could always restructure the program. But until ToT stops being such a focus - which might not happen until the park opens another really good E-Ticket - the SoCal Passes need to disappear.
One of the reason I hate reviewing attractions during press events is that you don't get the "normal" cast member interaction that a guest would get. (As a journalist, you typically get a *worse* experience, as cast members stop "performing" and start simply conversing. It is informative, and the CMs are almost always professional and courteous. But it is just not the same experience as visiting as a guest.)
I've been on ToT in Orlando with some outstanding cast members who have made the experience of visiting that attraction far, far more entertaining that it would be with a CM going through the motions to do a bare-minimum job.
So, please CMs, ignore what we say about the design and concept of your attractions and bring your best performance every single time. Yeah, I know the pay is lousy and you don't always get the respect you deserve from your managers and your company. (And that's true for all theme parks and all theme park companies, by the way.) But your performance will help delight the people who visit your attraction. And they'll love you for it. Even if too few of them ever make their way to City Hall to commend you.
Developing the habit of bringing your best every day will serve you well throughout your career, even as it takes you away from theme parks. And helping or entertaining people always comes back to your benefit -- somehow, someday.
