jim, jim, jim,
all those details about the ramifications of this one ride.
yet you leave out the most important thing of all..... TELL ME ABOUT THE RIDE!!!!! WHAT IS IT? WHATS GOING TO HAPPEN ON IT? WELL???
LOL
sorry, i thought i'd be the first one to ask...
thanks! glad i got that off my chest.....
paUL
P.S. Like my new avatar??? i just LOVE that willie!

Saving the Paradise Pier area?    woo hoo    let me stop off at the nearest gift shop and buy some enthusiasm.

How about just joining up Disneyland and California adventure and ending this whole charade? The notion of a second theme park at Disneyland, which mainly looks like it was designed to put Knott's Berry Farm out of business, has the Eisner "make money at any cost" fingerprints all over it. Walt wanted a new Tivoli Gardens, not a tacky Long Beach Pike imitation. My vote is to replace the tacky amusement park rides with real Disney theme rides one by one until this abomination has been erased.

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I am intrigued about what the ride is going to be.  Finally a dark ride where it should be, on the midway!  That was definitely what that area was missing but I think it's going to take more than a dark ride to really improve the midway even more...

Anyone else think the name "Midway Madness" conjures up images of cheap neon-painted cardboard flats?

Some details about the actual attraction would be really nice. Glad to hear they're finally building something else at MGM, but it disappoints me that we're loosing an attraction (two, if you count Mermaid), so it's not really a gain. This sparks even more questions, though:
1) When are they going to close Millionaire at MGM? I'm guessing it will be before November, which is when we're going again. I was really looking forward to taking another crack at it. I made the top audience score once and would have gone to the hot seat, but they didn't have enough time for another contestant.
2) What's going to replace Little Mermaid? Are they going to put another show there? Maybe use one of the other Princesses?
3) What are they doing with the TimeKeeper spot in Tomorrowland? I've heard they're already gutting it. Are they building something else there, too?

Well,
The first time I read about the new entrance for DCA, I thhought that they were moving in the right direction. I thought that Walt's California Adventure was a better Theme for the park. Now I agree fully that spending money on an attraction is a better bang for the buck. I still think the new layout is a great idea and should not be lost, can you imagine main street with out main street? Now if they could tie in an attraction with the new entrance, maybe a new version of the Great Movie Ride with Disney charaters would be a great start

I suppose this is all we can expect in this age of greatly diminished expectations.  I'd like to point out that (at least for WDW, I can't comment on California Adventure) this is a net loss of theming.  By permanently converting two of the erstwhile soundstages, the whole idea/rationale/raison d'être takes a hit, as it becomes that much less of a "working" studio.  I know very well that it never was very much of a working studio, but at least it had the trappings and theme of one.  The studio connection in the form of an attraction based on film characters is a little tenuous.  It also has none of the implicit backstory that makes the attractions at, say, the Magic Kingdom seem like much more of a cohesive whole.  It would make more sense to have a wholesale makeover of the Studios, and make them something much more "fantasticated," like something out of the Roger Rabbit universe.

One used to be able to expect the immersive theming and amazing attractions at a Disney park, and not get insulted as a "dweeb" for doing so.  Times change, half a loaf and all.  It's sad that now we get half a loaf, when one used to get a tasty sandwich.

Just tear down most of DCA and construct "Fantasyland II" with rides based on the more recent Disney classics, like Aladdin, Mermaid, Hercules, or The Lion King. Not everything has to be a thrill ride, bring back the dark rides. However, if you want a new thrill ride, how's this for an idea: VR:Virtual Rocketeer?

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The "unnamed WDI Insider"'s comments skate dangerously on the grounds of being misinterpreted (namely by short-attention'ed "Aw c'mon, howzabout another E-ride?" fanboys):
His "Who needs theming?" comment was directed more specifically at DCA, and yes, that one DID seem to have been envisioned first by "theme" set designers and by integrated ride designers second--Namely, a lot of area window dressing for *one* attraction each, and not a sense of "why" we're walking through a Dream-California, as a united "show" experience.

It'd be easy to generalize his comments, but fact is, we do need theming, just so long as there's some actual cake under all that icing--
DCA should've been a lot more than just an excuse to import Tower of Terror for Anaheim residents, and needs a few original licks of its own that no other park can duplicate....That's how you keep guests in the door.
(And which they did have, before "Soarin'" went over to Epcot.)

Give us some specifics about the ride.

I am definitely not in favor of this in MGM. Although I think more attractions would be nice, I have some major problems with it....
1) Why get rid of WWtbaMPI? The show still pulls in crowds. And why there when there is plenty of unused space (like the Backlot Theater & ABC Theater).
2) How about we start making attractions not based on Pixar characters? I am sick of Pixar tie-ins to every new attraction. There is such as thing as originality.
3) This sounds too much like Space Ranger Spin 2. Again, how about some originality?

Which, unfortunately, was one of the questions raised earlier:
We've got two John Lasseters putting in ideas for the parks, and unfortunately, they're both the same person--One is the "Disney Dweeb" Lasseter, who wants to undo all the Pressler Evils of the past fifteen years and make old-style neo-Walt-era attractions (and, being a Fanboy, wants every single one of them to be dark E-rides)...And then there's the "We won, we won!" triumphantly-vindicated Pixar-president Lasseter, who wants every single one of them to be about Pixar movies.

...Hopefully, one will eventually be able to shut the other one up (and we *know* which ones), but first "they've" got to get over "themselves" and get with the larger Imagineering program--just like "Walt would've wanted"--before Gollum and Smeagol can argue it out.

Disney hasnt forgotton how to do theming right. Take a look at Tokyo Disneysea. While I have never been there, doing a simple good search to find some pictures will show you Disney KNOWS how to do themeing right. That park is just beautuful everywhere. (yes yes, they had additional funding..)

I agree with AngusMcGonnigle. I am insulted to be called a Disney Dweeb.

Just because I am an AP holder. Am not a family of four. and have no children doesnt mean that I, and thousands like me, dont POUR money into the Disney company. Take a look at my pin collection... Ask me about the Disney Tours Ive been on. Ask me what restuarant is my favorite at WDW, Ive eaten at all of them.  Consistantly playing to the 'simpleton tourist' will keep producing more 'Stitch type' rides. Why not take a look at us Disney Dweebs. Because its ME who keeps dragging my non-disney friends there. ME who insists to families I speak to, to stay here, eat here, see this, do that.

I'll be in the parks tomorrow. And next weekend. And the weekend after. You cant tell me that Disney is losing *that* much money off of us AP holders.

"By permanently converting two of the erstwhile soundstages, the whole idea/rationale/raison d'être takes a hit, as it becomes that much less of a "working" studio."

That's my biggest disappointment of this new attraction, aside from replacing Millionaire, which is something I enjoy, and losing an attraction to gain one. This move pretty much puts the nail in the coffin of MGM becoming a working studio again. I never understood why Disney hasn't produced any of their Disney Channel shows there -- talk about synergy waiting to happen. If North Carolina can be the number three state for filming (Dawson's Creek and One Tree Hill, and many films), I think Disney could have done a much better job with MGM if they had really tried.

It makes no sense to me that "Tarzan Rocks" and "Voyage of the Little Mermaid" closed/are closing because of the Broadway shows; the "Beauty and the Beast" show has been open for years.
Does John Lasseter think that his Pixar characters should get special treatment over the Disney characters?  "Millionaire" is still very popular (they even film some episodes of the TV show there sometimes), and the Mermaid show is always fun.  B&TB and TLM are two of my favorite things at MGM, since they are live shows; they fit in, along with "Indiana Jones", with the whole Hollywood theme.  The "Toy Story" ride would fit in any park.  Granted, I do think that MGM needs another ride, or two or three, I'm not sure if closing some beloved attractions is the best idea.

I agree with askmike on the over-Pixaring of the theme parks. Look, I know the Pixar films are doing great business (especially compared to the last few offerings from WDFA), but does everything have to be a Pixar tie-in? Why can't WDI be allowed to do more projects that don't have a movie tie-in?

And as far as being called a "Disney dweeb": Personally, I see it as a badge of honor, kinda like calling a big-time Packers fan a "cheesehead" or a die-hard Jimmy Buffett fan a "parrothead".  

That having been said, how 'bout working a little harder to please the dweebs, Disney? Sure, we're the hardest folks to please, but if you can please us, you know you're going to please the average guests - trust me, it'll work better than aiming for a little better than average.  Also, we probably spend a lot more per capita than the average visitor, even with the dscounts and the lower cost of an AP purchase compared to buying a bunch of single and multi-day passports figured in, so if you make us happy, we'll probably buy more goodies anyway, and the last time I checked, our money is as good as the average visitor's...

i have recently spoken to some higher ups at disney and dca is being demolished for a parking lot, like it used to be. (And disney will be giving free sodaat its theme parks, all the while charging to get in and out of bathroom stalls in an effort to become even more unpopular than it currently is). there, does that MAKE YOU PURISTS HAPPY? Give this pixar ride theming a break. What you need to realize is that disneyland on opening day was chalk full of movie and tv tie-ins. Davy Crocket, Peter Pan, Mickey Mouse Club, Snow White, Mr Toad. The list goes on, yet were you people upset with Walt, no so give present day disney a break.

i have recently spoken to some higher ups at disney and dca is being demolished for a parking lot, like it used to be. (And disney will be giving free sodaat its theme parks, all the while charging to get in and out of bathroom stalls in an effort to become even more unpopular than it currently is). there, does that MAKE YOU PURISTS HAPPY? Give this pixar ride theming a break. What you need to realize is that disneyland on opening day was chalk full of movie and tv tie-ins. Davy Crocket, Peter Pan, Mickey Mouse Club, Snow White, Mr Toad. The list goes on, yet were you people upset with Walt, no so give present day disney a break.

I like the idea of putting the Midway Madness ride on Paradise Pier.
The old seaside parks had dark rides so the placement is perfect.
I do happen to like DCA mainly because of the King Tritons Carousel.
Particularly the tribute to the old parks on the carousel shields.
You see, my cousins owned San Francisco's Playland at the Beach and to to see
a tribute to "my" long since demolished park brought tears to my eyes.

wec