DCA, Future Expansion
Topic: I Rode DCA's Midway Mania! SPOILERS

#	Author	Message
111	Kar2oonMan Mon 5/19/2008 11:04a	>>For me, the "magic mirror" is bogus and boring, and in no way makes up for the loss of the 5th Dimension hallway, which I think is a marvel from a technological standpoint, if nothing else.<< I think that the Florida version was the first, and is actually better in people's memories than in reality. Florida's ToT was the first, and it is more similar than different to DCA's. Honest. It is essentially the same ride, except for the Fifth Dimension room. Having heard so much about this, I was majorly underwhelmed by it actually seeing it in person a couple of months ago for the first time. Like Jim said, seeing the track, the too-bright pathway, there wasn't any big surprise where we were heading. It's an impressive technology, yes, but not used to maximum effect as a story element. For me, all incarnations of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror are missing one major, key element essential to all episodes of the program. There's no "twist" at the end. No surprise ending, no moralty tale. It's a ride that goes 99% of the way with a theme and then doesn't truly have a big finish, a final stick-with-you "ah HA!" moment that the best Twilight Zone episodes have. If we emerged from the elevated transported do a different time, a different place, some altered state of some kind in a final walk through scene, that would have been a more memorable and haunting and "complete" Twilight Zone tale. That's the glaring ommission both versions have that I can't overlook, and for me keeps the ride from being a solid "10." And hardly anyone ever mentions that at all -- in fact, more people notice the abbreviated ending of "Snow Whites Scary Adventures" than the fact that there's no Twilight Zone patented haunting ending in ToT. (Also, when I hear Fifth Dimension Room, I imagine a swanky cocktail lounge where a tribute band is crooning "Up, Up, and Away in My Beatiful Balloon", but maybe that's just me.)
112	Dabob2 Mon 5/19/2008 11:32a	<..the 5th Dimension hallway, which I think is a marvel from a technological standpoint, if nothing else.> It is, but Armageddon (the movie) is a marvel from a technological standpoint. And a lousy movie. It's how technology is employed that matters. Pepper's Ghost is an old theatrical trick from the 19th freaking century. But the HM uses it brilliantly. <And by the way - if you like how the ride in Florida ends at a totally, disorientingly different place than where it starts, then you have the 5th Dimension hallway sequence to thank for that.> Well, of course, but it's a really minor thing to me. Nice, but not worth the tradeoff of the slotting/safety check/clunk clunk/safety check/safety check on the ride itself. <And that is sad, and it still to this day makes me angry.> This I don't get. Disappointed, sure. Angry? <And yes, it's the same arguments we have all been debating ever since the inferior DCA version debuted.> You mean the superior DCA version, don't you? :p (is that the one with the tongue out?) By the way I think 2oony's point of no twist ending is pretty good.
113	mawnck Mon 5/19/2008 12:57p	>>If we emerged from the elevated transported do a different time, a different place, some altered state of some kind in a final walk through scene, that would have been a more memorable and haunting and "complete" Twilight Zone tale.<< You mean, like ...... A GIFT SHOP!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
114	Dabob2 Mon 5/19/2008 1:14p	These days, if they didn't dump you in a gift shop after a major ride, THAT would be a twist ending.
115	bean Mon 5/19/2008 8:16p	To add to spirits post. The original layout for the DHS tower had the elavator going horiontal down up and backwards much more than it does now. it was like he said going to be more like huanted mansion. when the design was completed with only the forward movement, the room was in total darkness and was suppose to be completely layered in mirros to give the effect that the elevator was floating thru a star field. The twilight props showing up occasinally in this starfield. Due to the many mirros was thought to be used in the ttraction the sensors that guided the elavator kept loosing track of its movement. The sensors had problems dealing with the reflecting problem of the mirrors. Eventually the rooms lighting had to be heightened and the effect destroyed. This made the effect clunky and not as envisioned. like i had mentioned beforeand spirit elaborated on TOT was always due to come to DCA as the first major attraction to DCA along with armageddon (at the location then used by millionare). One of the first proposed locations for Tower was right behind the Wharf. Due to the large ciriticism that the park lacked attractions the second phase project was pushed from a 2006 construction schedule to an earlier one. armageddon was replaced with millionare and Tower was pushed into construction. The same pretty much happened at TDS. TDs had the same problem with guests and the cry for more attractions. Due to this TOT and raging spirit was rushed nto construction. TOT there would have probably opened sooner if it was not for the extra test and study needed to make sure that the land could withstand the excessive weight of the building. The tiwlight zone theme was also removed due to the fact that the Japanes culture did not have the same connection to the theme.
116	ArchtMig Mon 5/19/2008 10:05p	>>>I don't quite get the over-the-top negativity (giving the mirror the bird?!?!<<< An attempt at hyperbole (which I am always successful at) and shock value humor (which I'm a success at much less frequently.) Truth is, I'm not really inclined to flip the bird in public under any circumstances. But I don't shy away from throwing verbal bombs like that in forums such as this if I think it will have an effect, even if the bomb more likely fizzles. >>>...saying you like it but riding only once in 10 visits etc ...)<<< That actually is the truth. I don't like the DCA version enough to just ignore the parts of it that really turn me off. And DCA is not a place I ever spend a lot of time in anyway. So if for me it's not a must do, I typically don't bother. Every visit I make to DCA is pretty much targeted to see the one thing I really want to see (like the zoetrope and the Snow White animation artwork display the last time I was there), and maybe ride Soarin', and Grizzly if it's a hot day. Then I pretty much can't wait to exit the place and just head on over to Disneyland and spend the rest of the day there. Nothing else at DCA is a must do for me. I can't wait until things like TSMM and Cars Land and a beautified main entrance area alter that opinion in me. >>>For me, all incarnations of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror are missing one major, key element essential to all episodes of the program. There's no "twist" at the end. No surprise ending, no moralty tale. It's a ride that goes 99% of the way with a theme and then doesn't truly have a big finish, a final stick-with-you "ah HA!" moment that the best Twilight Zone episodes have.<<< That indeed is an excellent point that I never thought of before. But for me, the way that the cab is moved around and ends up in a completely different part of the building than where it started in the Florida version is enough of a surprise ending. It's very disorienting, and if you are like me, you want to figure out how the mechanics of every Disney ride system works. There is nothing about the DCA version to figure out, it is very straight forward. For me, it's no more satisfying than the Maliboomer from a technology standpoint, because, as intended, it is nothing more complicated than an overblown cycle ride. You board it, you ride it, and you come back and get off at the same place where you first got on, with the same ride operator looking at you and saying, "welcome back, wasn't that fun?" That is the definition of a cycle ride. The Florida TOT ride system is much more technologically and thematically intriguing to me. I can never get over those fundamental differences and then just give the DCA version a pass. It just doesn't compare. >>> <And that is sad, and it still to this day makes me angry.> This I don't get. Disappointed, sure. Angry?<<< Yes, anger. Really. Anger that comes from it being just another example of the initial and (at that time, at least) long long loooooong list of ongoing blunders and disappointments that characterized DCA. Anger that is colored by the overwhelming sense of very deep disappointment (there, happy now?) that DCA could have been much better executed but was not, because of the perfect storm of arrogance, greed, incompetence, miscalculation, and corporate internal politics and brown nosing. Things that were done as an obviously rushed reaction to the initial flop that was DCA, such as a Bugs Land filled with rides geared only to toddlers as opposed to everyone in the whole family, and the disappointing TOT, and even bringing back the broken down old Electrical Parade as a complete desperation move only fueled that anger. As a lifelong Disney themepark fan (fanatic?), I just couldn't ignore these things and just keep shelling out my AP money and not be angry. And unfortunately, as a lifelong Disney themepark fan, I just can't NOT keep renewing my AP and visit DCA at least once in awhile. And that may very well be a failing on my part. Because no other product by no other manufacturer anywhere continues to get my patronage when it clearly loses its way and becomes a schlocky shadow of its former greatness. If Sony stops making great products, I stop buying Sony products. If Disney makes a less than stellar product, as is the case with DCA... well... ...my next planned visit through the turnstiles and under that cockeyed GG bridge and into the very disappointing Sun Plaza on my way to the not as good as Florida's TOT is scheduled for tomorrow.
117	dlkozy Tue 5/20/2008 6:45a	Back on topic, thank you for the info regarding TSM. I enjoyed your view and details right up to this statement of yours: >>>" And some of the woodwork and paneling in the queue will probably take a beating from huge people in rented ECV's who don't know how to drive the things because they only use them when they go to theme parks."<<< And your a CM-sad. Chances are when the queue does start to look like it has taken some abuse, it will be from children/teens who have not been taught any differently on how to behave in public. Behavior such as having to write one's name all over things that do not belong to them , the placing of germ ridden gum, cups, etc in places other than a garbage can. It will certainly be nice to have a new attraction to visit. Hopefully it will stay looking "new" for a long time to come.
118	Dabob2 Tue 5/20/2008 9:02a	>>This I don't get. Disappointed, sure. Angry?<<< <Yes, anger. Really.> Okay, fine. Enjoy your anger. BTW, we agreed on the DCA boiler room being lit in too cartoony a fashion; however when I was there in December it seemed toned down and better. See if you think so.
119	Westsider Tue 5/20/2008 10:20p	Sorry dlkozy, but if you want happy-shiny DreamCloud conversation, it would probably be best to stick with Jay Rasulo press conferences. ;-) My statement about huge people in rented ECV's that they don't know how to drive may have been tainted by two recent incidents where girls I work with had their feet run over or were pinned up against a wall on the Pirates Unload dock with bruising to the legs and thighs by people driving rented ECV's that they don't know how to drive. (And they don't know how to drive them because they don't actually own their own ECV, thus the need to rent one to prevent them from actually walking around Disneyland and expending all of those extra calories.) Put a 350 pound person in a rented ECV and then have that person crash into a 110 pound Attractions hostess, and the pure physics of the situation isn't going to be good news for the hostess. The other girl who had her foot run over was barked at by a huge man to get out of the way because "This thing is hard to steer!" You think my comments were bad because I dared mention the fact that very big people rent ECV's at Disneyland and then crash into stuff regularly? You should hear the Imagineers talk about the Guests and what they now have to do in Anaheim to safegaurd facilities against rental ECV's, versus what they DON'T have to in Tokyo and Hong Kong. It's not Politically Correct and I realize I didn't use the approved code words, but it's the bare naked ugly truth. Back OT, let's just hope the detailing in the Mania queue isn't actually as fragile looking as it looks at present.
120	Jim in Merced CA Tue 5/20/2008 11:01p	Oh well, that's show business, kids!

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