[Question] Rides in French, English, or both?

[indianajack]

How does DLR handle the language issue? Is Peter Pan all in French? Does the Phantom Manor elevator room spiel alternate in French and English? Is it handled differently on every ride? Thanks.

[Hathaway Browne]

Re: Rides in French, English, or both?

The Ghost Host is now exclusivley in French I'm affraid.

The theatre shows (such as Animation, Cinemagique) have headphones with various languages on offer.

Some others have one line in French with another character replying in English. i.e StarTours. Its odd at first but kind of part of the experience.

I don't think its a huge problem really. You can usually get the gist even if you can't understand whats said.

[davewasbaloo]

Re: Rides in French, English, or both?

DLP uses music and visual as much to tell the stories if possible. OR Franglish. It works like this:

Phantom Manor - Ghost host was in English (Vincent Price) but there were huge complaints. Within a week, the ghosthost became French. However it is just in the portrait gallery. An orchestral score is used throughout the attraction. Madame Leota speaks French and English

The shows in the Chapperelle theatre - half English and half French

PotC - there are 5 languages used in the attraction - French, English, German, Spanish and Italian

Fantasyland - the original idea was for the attractions to use the language from their place of origin e.g. Peter Pan - English, Pinocchio - Italian, Snow White - German etc. What opened however was all in French (however the Sleeping Beauty Castle walk through has signs in English and French)

IASW - multiple languages ;-)

Buzz - speaks English and French (originally this was Le Visionarium where Jules Verne, Timerkeeper and Nine Eye spoke French and H.G. Wells spoke English (they had headphones to select the language).

Star Tours is mainly in French. The announcements are both languages, Rex speaks French, Squadron Leaders English

Videopolis - shows have sometimes been bilingual. The Lion King had set show times for a chosen language (French or English)

HISTA can play in English or French, with headphones available if it is not presented in your required language. It used to be they would look at bookings and do it accordingly (e.g. English during non French holiday times in the week and French weekend), then they tried one language in the am and the other in the PM, now it is almost always in French with headphones available for everyone who does not speak french.

Restaurants have menu boards in French and English. In table service, there are menus in French, English, German, Dutch, Spanish and Italian.

[davewasbaloo]

Re: Rides in French, English, or both?

Now onto the Studios:

The Tram Tour is 50/50 French and English (used to offer 6 languages dependent on which car you were in, but since 60% of visitors are French and a large number speak English it changed a few years ago).

Art of Animation is mainly French with headphones for other languages in the parts that require it. Though one section has multiple languages and is heart melting in all of them.

Animagique is mainly music, but Mickey speaks French and Donald English

Flying Carpets - one rotation, the Genie speaks English, the next French.

Cars - Mater French, Lightening English

Crush - a mix of languages, but the gulls still say "Mine"

Cinemagique does not use headphones. Martin Short speaks English and most of the others French, but everyone understands

Playhouse Disney is in either French, Spanish or English, dependent on what time showing you go to.

Stitch Live is either French or English dependent on the timing

Tower of Terror can be either. In the library the subtitles for the other language are used. The choice is made by the cast members. In my dozen or so trips to the 5th dimension, it has been 50/50 French or English. I've even had it mixed with one language in the library and a different language in the elevator.

Armageddon can be in either language during the preshow dependent on the cast member. And the monitor piece with Micheal Duncan Clarke (sp?) is at the choice of the cast member. In the space station, it is English and Russian.

RNRC preshow is in English

Moteurs Action is totally bilingual with an English Speaker and a French speaker working together (have even had other languages added in the past).

Some find the use of language frustrating. But for me as someone interested in international culture and as a linguist, I think it adds a wonderful unique charm to DLP.

Hope this helps.

[fiyero]

Re: Rides in French, English, or both?

Tower of Terror can be either. In the library the subtitles for the other language are used. The choice is made by the cast members. In my dozen or so trips to the 5th dimension, it has been 50/50 French or English. I've even had it mixed with one language in the library and a different language in the elevator.

I have only had the library in English a couple of times and the lift in English just once. It being mixed with one language in the library and another in the lift doesn't surprise me as I don't think there is any real link between the two. Whenever I have been The library has lead to another queue.

I think there should be more reason to what language shows and attractions are presented in. I agree fully with French dominating but it would be nice to have Phantom Manor in English occasionally or with HISTA to know what language will be playing before going in. It seems quite random.

[davewasbaloo]

Re: Rides in French, English, or both?

How could I forget the most awesome attraction at DLP - Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show.

This excellent show is mainly in English with some French and Lakota Sioux.

[davewasbaloo]

Re: Rides in French, English, or both?

I think there should be more reason to what language shows and attractions are presented in. I agree fully with French dominating but it would be nice to have Phantom Manor in English occasionally or with HISTA to know what language will be playing before going in. It seems quite random.

Agreed. Or with the omnimover rides they could have push buttons to choose the language like Madame Tussauds does with their dark ride in London.

[fiyero]

Re: Rides in French, English, or both?

Agreed. Or with the omnimover rides they could have push buttons to choose the language like Madame Tussauds does with their dark ride in London.

Although I think that looks a little tacky it is a really good solution to the problem for some attractions. With Phantom Manor though the only talking is before you get to the Omnimover.

With improvements in technology it should be easier for more language to be catered for. Again not an Ideal solution but Futuroscope lend out translation headsets that you carry with you for translation in different attractions. This wouldn't affect French visitors at all, everything could be in French but with alternate audio in other languages available too. I think this works best for attractions where you don't move (such as films) but could be adapted.

[luke7059]

Re: Rides in French, English, or both?

Some find the use of language frustrating. But for me as someone interested in international culture and as a linguist, I think it adds a wonderful unique charm to DLP.

Couldn't agree with you more! :thumbup:

[Hathaway Browne]

Re: Rides in French, English, or both?

^Ditto.

Sometimes there are oddities though. Like the Animation pre-show with Roy E. Disney. He recorded in English, they dub him in French and put English subtitles on screen.

[davewasbaloo]

Re: Rides in French, English, or both?

^Ditto.

Sometimes there are oddities though. Like the Animation pre-show with Roy E. Disney. He recorded in English, they dub him in French and put English subtitles on screen.

That one has always annoyed me.

[indianajack]

Re: Rides in French, English, or both?

Thanks for all the info, very interesting.
So Vincent Price's spiel is never used? Does the Ghost Host say the same thing in French as he does in English at the US parks?

[davewasbaloo]

Re: Rides in French, English, or both?

Thanks for all the info, very interesting.
So Vincent Price's spiel is never used? Does the Ghost Host say the same thing in French as he does in English at the US parks?

It is very similar, but not quite the same as we have a full story told throughout Frontierland's Thunder Mesa which spills into Phantom Manor (even our portraits are different).

Here are some excellent pages with photos and audio clips (including the original Vincent Price Phantom spiel in the stretch room).

DoomBuggies > Explore the history and marvel at the mystery of Disney's Haunted Mansion attractions!

[Hathaway Browne]

Re: Rides in French, English, or both?

I still don't understand why they can't just alternate between English and French like they do in other attractions. It'd then be pot luck what you get.

[fiyero]

Re: Rides in French, English, or both?

I still don't understand why they can't just alternate between English and French like they do in other attractions. It'd then be pot luck what you get.

I don't like the alternation idea as it means you might miss your language every time.
I think for attractions where the language is pretty much fixed, Phantom Manor included, they should have different languages at fixed times and list them in the park guide. I am not sure about Tower of Terror as the language can be changed easily by the cast members but it has always seemed pretty random to me.

No system will be perfect, I know one day I decided it would be nice to do the guided tour of Disneyland and that day only French and Spanish were available. I had never seen that before. I do really like the Futuroscope system I mentioned earlier.

[wedmad]

Re: Rides in French, English, or both?

Hi Guys

finally got round to registering and posting, been lerking for far to long!

just got back from DLP, (will post a trip report soon) and with this thread in mind we tried to work out how the languages worked on Tower of terror. after about 6 rides we could not work a pattern out, so we asked a cast member working the ride. He told us the libary runs french then english and so on. the lift is set by the loading cast member who when loading works out which language is best for the riders.

hope this helps

Paul

[Hathaway Browne]

Re: Rides in French, English, or both?

^Welcome to the club!

Interesting that they work out the language on the hop - shame they can't do the same for the Ghost Host.