Disneyland Fans: More Anticipated Mermaid or Tours?
Disneyland: What's got your attention more, Mermaid or New Tours?
With two huge Disneyland attraction debuts in the coming days what has your attention more? Is it the new omnimover Little Mermaid or Star Tours Adventure Continues? If you could only do one what would it be and why?
Being a Star Wars kid right from the start in 1977, I have to go with Tours 2.0. The only caveat I have will be if Jar Jar shows up he's going to find his head in a jar jar.
I love the idea of a Mermaid ride but being that its a movie now over 20 years old it seems a little late in the game to strike at that particular property. To give you an idea, when Disneyland opened in 1955, Snow White which had its own dark ride on opening day was a movie only 18 years old and more relevant time frame wise than Little Mermaid is today.
In short at this point I'm kind of over mermaid. This is not taking anything away from the film, it still is good, just a tad dated at this point.
Yes, yes I understand that Star Wars is an even older franchise, but there has been a number of new movies over the years and tons of video games, books and mass media.
Your thoughts?
Star Wars is a bigger deal, but I think Little Mermaid is a nice touch.
I have never been to Disneyland but its an ambition of mine to get there.
But...I do see the attraction of both of these new/improved attractions. But dont dismiss the Mermaid...the movie is an absolute Disney classic, it has memorable songs, a great villain, the show still runs in DHS in Florida (sure it may need a rehab but every show I have been in has been at least 80% full) and the ride will be opening there next year too.
I do appreciate that Star Wars has seen a continued production of collectibles/movies etc over the years, but the Mermaid is part of Disney history and you would probably find a lot of people who aren't feeling over it.
Dont forget Snow White will be getting a completely new attraction in WDW next year too - over 70 years later...
And - theyre both so different its hard to compare and contrast.
However...I will definitely be going on........ both! :-)
Oh and I completely agree about Jar Jar - is it wrong to want to pull the emergency exit if I see him??
From Don Neal
Posted May 12, 2011 at 7:19 AM
Star Wars for sure but I would love to take my girls on the Mermaid ride. I assume the new Mermaid ride at WDW that will open in a few years is very similar if not the same.
I was on the opening crew for EuroDisneyland back in early 1992 and 1993 and I remember speaking to a number of Imagineers at the time who were very open about their plans to expand Fantasyland, which at the time had a lot of space to grow (still does for that matter) and they told me about plans for a Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast attractions. Neither have yet to be built 19 years later. However, the Mermaid concept they described is VERY similar to what is now to open at California Adventure and later at Magic Kingdom. The Beauty and the Beast attraction has yet to see the light of day. It was a fun concept that I'm not really sure if I should spill the beans on, I'll have to think about it.
The Beauty and Beast attraction has morphed into Beasts castle...a restaurant. I feel thats such a wasted opportunity.
Oh go on - spill :-))
Well Kelly, now that you're twisting my arm about it, I'll give you the basic concept. It was a twist on the Tiki Room set in the castle of the Beast with a live actress playing Belle and the entire room comes to life. The candlestick turns into Lumiere, the clock turns into Cogsworth, you get the idea. A few musical numbers are performed, urging you to "Be Our Guest" and to " Beware the Beast", when an audio animatronic Beast comes out and growls at the unwanted people in his castle. Long story short, Belle calms the Beast down and he turns into the Prince (live actor). "Beauty and Beast" is performed and everyone exits.
Anyway, that's what one of the concepts was at the time. It fit in my opinion because it was a French fairy tale in a French park that had no sit down audio animatronic theater spectaculars.
From James Rao
Posted May 12, 2011 at 8:37 PM
I love the Star Wars franchise, but anytime Disney unveils a new dark ride it will get my vote. Go Mermaid!
I am conflicted. I am an insane Star Wars fan, so much so that I often dream of morphing into a modern-day Lando Calrissian, mostly on account of the mustache possibilities.
That being said, I dread being disappointed. The fact that nowhere in the world does an epic Star Wars ride exist doesn't sit well with me or hundreds of othere fellow Star Wars nerds. I can't believe there's not a ride... a whole land... or even a park.
Disney does Disney best, so I'm thinking the Little Mermaid will be a more complete experience.
I look forward to both I suppose.
As for Jar Jar... sigh, somehow he'll be represented I'm sure.
Joseph, that concept sounds amazing!! I would have loved that!!
That would have had such a magic for DP that was really missing at the beginning too.
What a shame that didnt get created!
Wouldnt that have been wonderful in Beast's castle in WDW rather than grabbing a burger?? Sigh...
Kurt, sigh...don't you miss the days when Star Wars fans claimed the ewoks were horrible? Compared with Jar Jar, the ewoks seem like the Mona Lisa of the Star Wars universe.
I'm waiting for the Star Wars video game where, Call of Duty style, you hunt down the last of the Gungans and are awarded at the end with an award for "public service".
Never got the whole "Hating-on-Jar-Jar" thing. Threepio was every bit as annoying and no one ever whines about him ... um her ... maybe, "it?"
You want annoying in Star Wars?
"But I was going into Tosche Station to pick up some power converters."
There ya go.
TH Creative- IMO I really think it has a lot to do with him being a main part of the worst Star Wars movie, thus enhancing his level of annoyance.
Like Joseph said, Star wars fans generally dislike the Ewoks... but we can deal with them because Jedi as a whole is still an extremely enjoyable movie.
Had they been in Phantom Menace, I think the anger towards them would be higher.
The CGI also adds to the anger, as the overuse of CGI in the whole film is a bit irritating. It feels stale. Jar Jar is all CGI. It just amplifies our anger. Of course there's more... but...
Robert- I am sending you some power converters asap.
As 20-something male who likes Star Wars, I should be looking forward to Star Tours more, but DCA really needs a high capacity family ride and the Little Mermaid looks like it delivers. The building looks great and really transforms that formerly uninspiring section of the park. I like a good dark ride on an omnimover-type ride system (technically it isn't an actual omnimover) so Little Mermaid gets my vote.
Aww, I really don't see the problem with Jar-Jar...I'm probably going to regret admitting this be I actually kinda like 'im! (DONT SHOOT!) :L
Also, I always loved the Ewoks too!...
Ah well, each to their own :P
Speaking of, just found out I won some sort of annual passholder raffle to preview the ride before it publicly opens to everyone. Even if it's only a few days before, I am...
Super-psyched! I've been missing me some Star Trader...
^Wow, congradulations! Be sure to give us some sort of review at least of what you thought of it when you get back!
I got into the Star Tours AP preview on Monday, too. I'll post to TPI's front page blog with my review Monday evening (assuming I do get on.)
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