[Chat] Attractions updated

[disneyismylife87]

So the news of the new Indy AA made me think....what other attractions have received some updates from how they originally appeared when they first opened?

I realize that this list is going to be HUGE, but I just think it might be cool to see just how much things have changed.

I want to know everything...no matter how small. In fact, small is even better! I don't know how many times I've gone on a ride and SWORE that something was different but couldn't quite figure out what it was. Also, since I was not alive when Disneyland first opened, I have no idea what my favorite rides were like before the 80s.

I apologize if this has been posted before, but I couldn't find the threads if they do in fact exist.

[disneyismylife87]

Re: Attractions updated

ok...i'll start us off with a few i know of:

1. Small World boats - they got smaller and more...plastic. not entirely sure why. also not sure if there were older boats before the one that came before the current ones.

2. Small World characters - addition of disney characters in their respective countries as well as the addition of the American section...don't really know about the addition of anything else (there's so many dolls in there...who can keep track???)

3. Splash Mountain logs - no more lap sitting (thank god). also i feel like you get wetter now....not entirely sure why. i also vaguely recall that the ride has been remodeled...can someone confirm this and say exactly what was changed?

4. Pirates of the Caribbean - two words: Johnny. Depp.





OK i got it started...YOUR TURN!

[DizMagic]

Re: Attractions updated

Space mountain had a different queue... I remember seeing the ride zip by back in the day. The FedEx commercials were kinda funny. They also changed things in the ride -- they took out the big meteor and I could be wrong -- but I could have sworn there were more projections of planets and astroids flying by during the ride.

Matterhorn got some track work done but no huge change. I know the crystal section isn't original.

[The International]

Re: Attractions updated

Small World's boats were updated because American are fat and the original ride vehicles were not able to accomodate.

See: various threads about Micechatters causing the boats to stick

[Mr. Bungle]

Re: Attractions updated

3. Splash Mountain logs - no more lap sitting (thank god). also i feel like you get wetter now....not entirely sure why. i also vaguely recall that the ride has been remodeled...can someone confirm this and say exactly what was changed?

I got SOAKED when I rode SM during D23 Expo. I thought it was partly because my ride was full of adults, but also the water level seemed high and it just dumped into the boat at turns. Thank goodness my backpack's waterproof! My socks and shorts took all night to dry, though.

However, I did notice the last Brer Rabbit could use some touch-up: only one of his eyes was moving!

[Bob Weaver]

Re: Attractions updated

When the Matterhorn was opened in 1959, the trains were one car each, only 4 people per ride. In 1978 a major overhaul added more theming in the form of ice caves and the three Yetis (abomniable snowmen). Also the trains were changed to 2 cars of four people, so 8 people could ride at once, to increase ride capacity. In 1994 when the Skyway was discontinued, the big holes on the side of the Matterhorn that the Skyway went through were filled up. Originally the Matterhorn was painted with a cool gray color, and although I don't know what year, at some point it was repainted with a warmer gray, if you compare old photos with new you can see the difference. Also it has more "snow" painted on it now than it originally had and the snow is more patchy, and supposedly now more accurate to the snow patterns on the real Matterhorn in Switzerland.

[SolCross]

Re: Attractions updated

Autopia received some new highway-esque railings and some wider tracks, recently. Probably the only other update this version will ever get until they revamp it again.

Space mountain had a different queue... I remember seeing the ride zip by back in the day. The FedEx commercials were kinda funny. They also changed things in the ride -- they took out the big meteor and I could be wrong -- but I could have sworn there were more projections of planets and astroids flying by during the ride.

The giant meteor is still there. It's just sitting there in the dark for some reason. You can vaguely see it right now during Ghost Galaxy if you look out for it at the top.

[Timekeeper]

Re: Attractions updated

Star Tours had a semi-remodel in 2005, the queue was touched up a bit and the film was cleaned up a bit too.

Timekeeper.

[kristibaer]

Re: Attractions updated

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't there a long period of time that Snow White's character was not a part of the ride? I seem to recall she was added years after it opened.

Also, Fantasyland in general receivevd a huge remodel in the 80's like a german village style. All of the entrances were redone. I also recall that the Tea party was repainted and also the birthday scene at the very end of Alice was an after the fact addtion.

Storybook Canal added Aladdin and Aerial's areas.

[Bob Weaver]

Re: Attractions updated

Not only was the Mad Tea Party painted but it was also moved from its original location to its current location near Alice in Wonderland. There's a thread about Fantasyland memories with more details here, including us getting stuck on Alice in Wonderland and aerial photos of Fantasyland before and after:

http://micechat.com/forums/disneyland-resort/125696-anyone-have-much-memories-snow-white-peter-pan-alice-mr-toad-pre-1983-a.html

The 1983 remodel of Fantasyland moved several things around (King Arthur's Carrousel, Dumbo and Mad Tea Party all moved locations, if only a little), eliminated the Captain Hook's Pirate Ship and the Skull Rock (one of my favorite places to play) and of course remodeled the exteriors of the buildings.

Alice in Wonderland had some changes. There was a room you went through with large teacups blocking the path of the vehicle, but just before you would run into them, they rotated out of the way. Sadly that was eliminated in the remodel. I can't remember what's in that room now but it's not as good as the teacups.

The projected effect of a croquet ball flying from left to right was added - that wasn't the original version of the ride. There was a room that was dark and when you entered it there were explosion sounds and strobe lights illuminated the word "BANG" and cartoon dust clouds on the walls, then the final series of doors you go through before going outside was painted with doors that got smaller each one you went through. Now, those are painted with the playing card characters.

In the original version of Alice, you went outside and down the curves on the giant leaves, then that was it, you just went around a bend and got out of the vehicle. There was a storage room for the vehicles but you did not go into it. In the 1983 remodel, they changed it to use that storage room as part of the ride show. So now instead of you just getting off the ride, the vehicle goes back inside for the birthday party and explosion, then the ride is over.

[Rocker]

Re: Attractions updated

-At Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, when the train is going up for the final lift, I noticed that projectors show the shadows of rocks falling, and if you look even closer at the projectors, you will notice that they added a fiber-optic water effect that wasn't there.

-A couple of years ago, the Jungle Cruise was shut down for a revamping (and refurbishment), and they added Pirahnnas towards the end of the ride.

-kristibear mentioned the revamp of Fantasyland. Peter Pan's Flight originally did not have the Peter Pan autio-animatronic in it when it first opened. They added him back in 1983 during the re-opening of Fantasyland.

-The Haunted Mansion updated many of thier effects over the last 6 years. The Madam Leota ball use to just sit there, and then they made it float, and now it just sits there again.

-Timekeeper mentioned that Star Tours got a remodel back in 2005. One of the things I remember (and they still have it up) was that they added the planets from all six of the movies up in the queue area, where there were just Endor.

That is all I know.

[Bob Weaver]

Re: Attractions updated

I still don't understand the reasoning behind the 1983 remodeling of Fantasyland. Yes, they made the buildings look more like an old English village than a medieval castle, but so what? They lost Captain Hook's Pirate Ship, Skull Rock and the Fantasyland Theater, and they gained the Pinocchio ride. Also so what? And it seems more crowded and packed-together than it did originally, but with a net loss of attractions. And yet still no permanent attractions based on Fantasia, Mary Poppins or The Jungle Book. The 1983 remodel was basically just cosmetic.

[disneyismylife87]

Re: Attractions updated

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't there a long period of time that Snow White's character was not a part of the ride? I seem to recall she was added years after it opened.

didn't they also change some of the hags to a hologram or something? My uncle told me it was because people kept stealing the apple. )

[dfan07]

Re: Attractions updated

Alice has received some more recent updates as well. A few years ago, the moon turning into the Cheshire Cat and the croquet ball effects were changed from spotlight effects to digital projections. This kind of thing happens often as technological advances are made.

[sunrider]

Re: Attractions updated

When the Matterhorn was opened in 1959, the trains were one car each, only 4 people per ride. In 1978 a major overhaul added more theming in the form of ice caves and the three Yetis (abomniable snowmen). Also the trains were changed to 2 cars of four people, so 8 people could ride at once, to increase ride capacity. In 1994 when the Skyway was discontinued, the big holes on the side of the Matterhorn that the Skyway went through were filled up. Originally the Matterhorn was painted with a cool gray color, and although I don't know what year, at some point it was repainted with a warmer gray, if you compare old photos with new you can see the difference. Also it has more "snow" painted on it now than it originally had and the snow is more patchy, and supposedly now more accurate to the snow patterns on the real Matterhorn in Switzerland.

and lets not forget the moniters with the snow falling..inside as you start the ride....(be alot more convinceing if they shot the ac up in there cold enouogh to hang meat)

[Fantasmanatic]

Re: Attractions updated

For Fantasmic! it has received several changes and updates.
-New HD projectors and the whole film for the show converted to HD.
-New Dragon
-New lighting towers in 2007 to new clay paky models, new spotlights, several other lights updated to LED's.
-Ursula barge taken out of commission
-Floatsam and Jetsam
-Alternate ending with less "smokey" pyrotechnics and more use of the lighting.

Thats all I can think of. I can give more specific details on lighting changes if someone wants. :geek:

[Timekeeper]

Re: Attractions updated

Not only was the Mad Tea Party painted but it was also moved from its original location to its current location near Alice in Wonderland. There's a thread about Fantasyland memories with more details here, including us getting stuck on Alice in Wonderland and aerial photos of Fantasyland before and after:

http://micechat.com/forums/disneyland-resort/125696-anyone-have-much-memories-snow-white-peter-pan-alice-mr-toad-pre-1983-a.html

The 1983 remodel of Fantasyland moved several things around (King Arthur's Carrousel, Dumbo and Mad Tea Party all moved locations, if only a little), eliminated the Captain Hook's Pirate Ship and the Skull Rock (one of my favorite places to play) and of course remodeled the exteriors of the buildings.

Alice in Wonderland had some changes. There was a room you went through with large teacups blocking the path of the vehicle, but just before you would run into them, they rotated out of the way. Sadly that was eliminated in the remodel. I can't remember what's in that room now but it's not as good as the teacups.

The projected effect of a croquet ball flying from left to right was added - that wasn't the original version of the ride. There was a room that was dark and when you entered it there were explosion sounds and strobe lights illuminated the word "BANG" and cartoon dust clouds on the walls, then the final series of doors you go through before going outside was painted with doors that got smaller each one you went through. Now, those are painted with the playing card characters.

In the original version of Alice, you went outside and down the curves on the giant leaves, then that was it, you just went around a bend and got out of the vehicle. There was a storage room for the vehicles but you did not go into it. In the 1983 remodel, they changed it to use that storage room as part of the ride show. So now instead of you just getting off the ride, the vehicle goes back inside for the birthday party and explosion, then the ride is over.

With a late re-opening to Alice(like what they did to when they opened it late in 1958.) one of the addtions was a "Golden Afternoon" scene(this is where the scene of moving tea cups were, from what you desicribed of Alice and I think it was not based not the film, it had a room growing bigger and a upside-down room,I think.)

Timekeeper

[kristibaer]

Re: Attractions updated

didn't they also change some of the hags to a hologram or something? My uncle told me it was because people kept stealing the apple. )

The apple had been a sought after prize for years, however it is now a hologram.

[kristibaer]

Re: Attractions updated

-At Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, when the train is going up for the final lift, I noticed that projectors show the shadows of rocks falling, and if you look even closer at the projectors, you will notice that they added a fiber-optic water effect that wasn't there.

-A couple of years ago, the Jungle Cruise was shut down for a revamping (and refurbishment), and they added Pirahnnas towards the end of the ride.

-kristibear mentioned the revamp of Fantasyland. Peter Pan's Flight originally did not have the Peter Pan autio-animatronic in it when it first opened. They added him back in 1983 during the re-opening of Fantasyland.

-The Haunted Mansion updated many of thier effects over the last 6 years. The Madam Leota ball use to just sit there, and then they made it float, and now it just sits there again.

-Timekeeper mentioned that Star Tours got a remodel back in 2005. One of the things I remember (and they still have it up) was that they added the planets from all six of the movies up in the queue area, where there were just Endor.

That is all I know.

A few more Jungle Cruise changes were the queue (adding upstairs line area to keep lines from spilling into Adventureland), the monkeys in the camp have been changed around a bit, the gorilla taunting the gator in the water is now reaching for bananas instead).

Tarzan's Treehouse was Swiss Family Robinson.

Aladdin's Oasis was a restaurant.

Where the current Fantasyland smoking area is used to be the motor boat crusie with your own boat on a track that operated like and Autopia car (push to go, don't push to stop).

[Auroraflame]

Re: Attractions updated

Preeeeeetttyyy vast topic we've got going on here. :sweat:

One change that occured to the revamped Sleeping Beauty walkthrough was the last book. At first Aurora's dress was just painted blue, then last March it was all of a sudden white. Now, it has lights behind it that change her dress from pink to blue whenever Flora or Merryweather speak (respectively)