[Idea] Retractable seating for Fantasmic!

[lobeobann]

If you've been to a high school gym recently, you've probably seen those collapsable bleacher-type seats. They nest one level inside the other and they can be pulled out and pushed back in. Why doesn't Disneyland use something like this for Fantasmic!? It would definately be an eyesore, but with as many great minds as they have at WDI, surely someone could build a lift or something so they could keep them underground during the day? Then, as F! time approches, block off the edge of the RoA, up come the seats from the ground, pull them out, and there you have instant seating.
Aside from eliminating the viewing problems, I think it would also free up traffic a bit. I mean, things are so congested because people are looking over thinking, "Hmm... I wonder what that is? Whoa! Is that a dragon?", am I right? With the bleachers there, you wouldn't be able to see the show, and so people would just keep walking.
I don't know, I've had this idea for a while now, and I'm sure there has to be SOMETHING wrong with it, or Disney would have thought of it by now.

[dmtnt55]

Re: Retractable seating for Fantasmic!

It sounds like a good idea, but where would the seats fold up to? It would have to be seats right by the River, and there isn't a good spot for the seats to fold into without standing out considerably.

[lobeobann]

Re: Retractable seating for Fantasmic!

Telescoping! That's the word I was looking for. They telescope, so when they're all pushed together, they're only as deep as one level, and as tall as the tallest one. Then, I don't know how they would do it, but they could maybe put them on a lift or something so they can go down into the ground during the day, and come up only at night.

[F!an]

Re: Retractable seating for Fantasmic!

I like the idea but IMO it's too many moving parts and therefore too many things that can go wrong...I agree something similar to the way the light towers come out and retract could work but it would take forever to tear apart the current seating area to install anything. Plus during the day we'd be walking on top of the metal covers (like the light tower covers) since concrete would be too heavy move mechanically. If I had my way and could change the seating area, I'd make the cobblestones go away because sitting on cobblestones for 3 hours doesn't feel all that great.

[Fantasmanatic]

Re: Retractable seating for Fantasmic!

Thats a luxury to have that at F! So disney would not spend that amount of money on such a project. Plus They would kill the viewing area behind those bleachers. Good idea but I don't see that ever happening. Plus it would change the acoustics and viewing sight lines for the guests so there would be a lot of tweaks and changes that would need to be need on the show.

[F!an]

Re: Retractable seating for Fantasmic!

I went searching on youtube and I found something I think could work and could be easily themed into the planters. This gets my vote if it was going to happen but my all in all I'm fine with the way things are minus the cobblestones lol.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkXWFPPwoc4]YouTube - Apack Retractable Seating[/ame]

[skimouse]

Re: Retractable seating for Fantasmic!

That's a pretty darn good idea actually. I'd rather see them move the whole show to a dedicated ampitheatre, but this would be a decent stopgap alternative.

[skimouse]

Re: Retractable seating for Fantasmic!

Oh, and I almost forgot...getting rid of the cobblestones would really annoy me. The Fantasmic tail already wags the NOS dog enough.

[penguinsoda]

Re: Retractable seating for Fantasmic!

I went searching on youtube and I found something I think could work and could be easily themed into the planters. This gets my vote if it was going to happen but my all in all I'm fine with the way things are minus the cobblestones lol.

YouTube - Apack Retractable Seating

A most interesting idea. One of the reasons I never bother to watch F! is because I refuse to sit on the ground for hours holding a spot that I can see from. I'm surprized Disney hasn't done something like this somewhere, but at the same time as good of an idea as it is, I can't see them putting something like this there. When would they deploy it? How early would they set it up and when would they allow people to start holding places on it? It might logistically be more trouble than just letting people sit on the ground for hours on end.

[Queentitania19]

Re: Retractable seating for Fantasmic!

No, no no nononononononono!!!!! Please, dear God, NO!


OK, now that I have that out of my system let me explain my vehemence. There are several reasons that I wouldn't like this that have nothing to do with technical feasibility. This is totally a workable idea BUT:

1. Having bleachers would not help with siphoning out the traffic and it would probably increase accidents due to people tripping, pushing, running and falling to get to the good seats. Not to mention the problem of creating railings that wouldn't block sight lines that children couldn't climb and/or fall off of that were also retractable.

2. This would be a further encroachment on NOS and those cobblestones (which are admittedly uncomfortable to sit on) are part of the beautiful detail that distinguishes Disneyland from any other Disney park. It would also be extremely difficult and expensive to make those bleachers look at all appropriate in NOS.

3. The idea that having bleacher seating is better than ground level is part of the problem with Disneyworld's Fantasmic that I have no desire to import to DL. I don't know how many of you have seen Fantasmic at DW but after seeing it many times and wondering what it was that made the show so much lamer than the one in DL I came to the conclusion that a big part of the problem was the seating. At DL the show comes from no where, it's magical. The show rises out of nothing and overwhelms your senses. You feel child size, like you're a little kid staring up a fairy tale come true, one that is larger than life. In Disneyworld they have amphitheater seating. You actually look down on the show from the high bowl of the stadium seats. It ruins it. That shift in perspective is utterly devastating to the effectiveness of the illusion. Having a More comfortable bum is not worth damaging the ability to suspend disbelief and the immersive feel of the show. Bring a blanket if you're rear end needs it... heck, bring two. Just don't mess with the show.

[WDITrent]

Re: Retractable seating for Fantasmic!

This is an excellent idea. Another solution (that I believe queentitania19 would like a bit more) is to have the terraces rise from the ground. That way, the cobblestones can stay. New post-construction cobblestones, of course, but still cobblestones. The terrace idea will not only improve viewing, but it will also allow for people to not be squished up at the river's edge. It can also allow for easier crowd control.

[Nautilus]

Re: Retractable seating for Fantasmic!

It would be an engineering headache at first, but it might work. If they hid it in a high planter, and hid the edges with stone work, really slick and perfect, then it could work cosmetically. I think it'll just be a nightmare when everyone tries to leave at the same time. A major potential trip, fall, etc. I've been to enough assemblies in high school where I know the ones where everyone stands in the quad is much faster and safer to file in and file out than in the gym with bleachers (retractable ones, btw).

Besides, if they had bleachers, they'd have to add them to the entire NOS area; otherwise, if you only have the front section along the river bank with bleachers, the crowd behind them aren't going to get a good view at all, which kind of defeats the purpose of the bleachers.

[The Forbidden Eye]

Re: Retractable seating for Fantasmic!

Bleachers huh? It could work. I might be heading back to DL on Saturday now that I'm back from Asia. I'll look around the riverfront and look further into that idea before my verdict is final. LOL

[Ice101]

Re: Retractable seating for Fantasmic!

I still think the easiest solution to Fantasmic!'s problems is to get rid of it all together.

[rajbonham]

Re: Retractable seating for Fantasmic!

I still think the easiest solution to Fantasmic!'s problems is to get rid of it all together.

Say what?

[ryanvalle]

Re: Retractable seating for Fantasmic!

Imagineers are very smart people. I am sure that they considered or even thought of this, for a short while. Though it's a great idea at first, there are many drawbacks which make it very unsuitable to create in the area, with all the reasonings I could think of having already been mentioned here.

The biggest issue is the traffic congestion at the end. I was there for the Pirates 3 premiere when they set up bleachers in the area and when up, caused massive traffic issues. Having such problems every night and increasing the chances of accidents would just be a nightmare.

[Goover]

Re: Retractable seating for Fantasmic!

One problem: What the heck is going to happen when the show is over.

Crowd control is already bad enough. Do we want to make it worse with bleachers?

[F!an]

Re: Retractable seating for Fantasmic!

One problem: What the heck is going to happen when the show is over.

Crowd control is already bad enough. Do we want to make it worse with bleachers?

"Ladies and Gentlemen. Boys and girls. Thank you for enjoying our nighttime spectacular, Fantasmic!...Get out now! Thank you! Dames y caballeros. Ninos y ninas...."

:lol: (I make myself crack up sometimes lol)

[dmtnt55]

Re: Retractable seating for Fantasmic!

Telescoping! That's the word I was looking for. They telescope, so when they're all pushed together, they're only as deep as one level, and as tall as the tallest one. Then, I don't know how they would do it, but they could maybe put them on a lift or something so they can go down into the ground during the day, and come up only at night.

It sounds like it could be done possibly.

[Ice101]

Re: Retractable seating for Fantasmic!

Say what?

Yeah, I said it. Way to much hassle.