Raising the Bar in Themed Design: A Case Study

[Imagineer Scott]

Re: Raising the Bar in Themed Design: A Case Study

I'm now going to comment from stuff a few pages ago:

I personally don't like the theming of Popeye's Bilgerat Barges. Sure, it may be well themed, but it's themed to look hideously ugly. IMO Kali River Rapids and GRR are much more pleasing to the eyes than Popeye.

Also, I'd say DL's and WDW's Tomorrowland's are bad in different ways. DL lacks a consistent theme and color scheme, plus has the montrosity that is Innoventions. WDW's has terrible attractions like Stitch's Great Escape and MILF (Which looks like a cheese grater on the outside.)

Have you rode Popeye?

Because it isn't meant to look ugly, it's meant to look like you're in a Popeye cartoon.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9UEXlIIlYc]YouTube - Bluto's Bilge Rat Barges[/ame]

and the queue is nothing less than amazing and has a lot of quirky fun

[Casey Jr]

Re: Raising the Bar in Themed Design: A Case Study

I agree. It is thee best of all the three, and I have been on all three!

[JungleCruiseFan]

Re: Raising the Bar in Themed Design: A Case Study

Have you rode Popeye?

Because it isn't meant to look ugly, it's meant to look like you're in a Popeye cartoon.

YouTube - Bluto's Bilge Rat Barges

and the queue is nothing less than amazing and has a lot of quirky fun

I didn't mean that it's literally themed to look ugly. But anyway, I get what they were trying to do, and yes, they succeeded in making it look like a Popeye cartoon. But I just don't think it's very attractive.

[tloolgb]

Re: Raising the Bar in Themed Design: A Case Study

I didn't mean that it's literally themed to look ugly. But anyway, I get what they were trying to do, and yes, they succeeded in making it look like a Popeye cartoon. But I just don't think it's very attractive.

I'll agree with you on that one. There is no place for me to be transported to...
Toon Lagoon is not a good example of themeing. Jurassic Park perhaps...

[ChrisFL]

Re: Raising the Bar in Themed Design: A Case Study

The exterior of the Tower of Terror in Tokyo is aesthetically pleasing, but thematically, it is all wrong. It looks new and in great shape, whereas the Tower is supposed to be an old, abandoned hotel that was once struck by lightning. You don't get a sense of that at all from the Tokyo exterior. Again, Randy, I think themetic cohesiveness should be one of your criteria. On that basis, the WDW Tower is the most successful by far, and no it doesn't look like "a comet hit it". If a comet had hit it, it would be a big pile of dust/ashes on the ground.

The reason the hotel isn't "old and abandoned" is because you're in the turn of the century New York, so the hotel is still pretty new, it's not like you're visiting it from present day.

Have you actually seen it in person?

I also have to disagree about the Grand Floridian being of a higher standard than the other hotels mentioned, I think they're all about the same with the MiraCosta being the highest standard.

[ChrisFL]

Re: Raising the Bar in Themed Design: A Case Study

: Magic Castle at Lotte World Korea (b. 1989).

I haven't seen it in person yet, but this castle doesn't quite look sub-standard to me.

[Imagineer Scott]

Re: Raising the Bar in Themed Design: A Case Study

I'll agree with you on that one. There is no place for me to be transported to...
Toon Lagoon is not a good example of themeing. Jurassic Park perhaps...

Well there actually is... you're transported into a comic strip. You guys have been here right?

[Coheteboy]

Re: Raising the Bar in Themed Design: A Case Study

Well there actually is... you're transported into a comic strip. You guys have been here right?

Yes, but I don't think that's the point. I think many of us know what their intent was. The problem with the area (and Marvel Superhero Island) is that it's not real. It's just a bunch of flats and cutouts all over the place. That doesn't exactly make me feel like I'm in this other world. It makes me feel like I'm in some strange place where each comci-strip is competing with the other for the presence to be known.

I love IoA though. Great park.

[disneyfann121]

Re: Raising the Bar in Themed Design: A Case Study

I guess this thread assumes most people are already connoisseurs of the backstory of each attraction (even in other countries), which may be the cause of some of your confusion. The Tokyo "castle" shown is not the Fantasyland Castle, but rather Mount Prometheus at Tokyo Disney Sea, which is like the correlate to the Disney castle for this park. Tokyo Disneyland's Cinderella Castle looks like this.

Also, the Tower of Terror in Tokyo has a totally different story that doesn't involve lightning, hence why the theme is different.

I totally agree with you about the Winnie the Pooh ride...I find it unconscionable that the one in Anaheim was actually built AFTER Tokyo's highly successful version. They already had the R&D done for that fine attraction, but they still did Anaheim's on the cheap! (& they kicked out the Country Bear Jamboree--totally not cool!) :rant:

OK, I wasn't aware that Tokyo's TOT has a different storyline. I still prefer the look of the WDW TOT, because it looks dramatic, whereas the Tokyo one just looks like a fancy hotel (and kinda looks like a church). However, I was incorrect to say that it is thematically all wrong.

As for the castles, I do think that Randy should have been comparing Fantasyland castles only. Throwing one in from DisneySea is a bit of an "apples and oranges" contrast. In the category of Fantasyland castles, the MK's Cinderella Castle is one of the best in the world.

[DLFreak71]

Re: Raising the Bar in Themed Design: A Case Study

I haven't seen it in person yet, but this castle doesn't quite look sub-standard to me.

If you've ever been to Castle and Coasters
or Golfland in AZ
this castle reminds me of it.
I like DL castle.

[BoogaFrito]

Re: Raising the Bar in Themed Design: A Case Study

I haven't seen it in person yet, but this castle doesn't quite look sub-standard to me.

Yeah, I think a better example of substandard would have been the Excalibur in Vegas...

[Tomorrowland_1967]

Re: Raising the Bar in Themed Design: A Case Study

Just pushing this topic back to the top.

[Imagineer Scott]

Re: Raising the Bar in Themed Design: A Case Study

I love this thread.

Simulators:

Substandard:




Disney Standard:




Higher Standard:

[RocknGuitar]

Re: Raising the Bar in Themed Design: A Case Study

^I would hardly call Spiderman a simulator. More like a hyper-dark ride.

It should go
Arctic (SeaWorld)
Star Tours (DL & DHS)
Stormrider (TDS)

[Imagineer Scott]

Re: Raising the Bar in Themed Design: A Case Study

Well- technically Spiderman combines a lot of ride elements. Most of the action in the ride is due to the siluator aspect- (the massive drop)

And I have heard mixed reviews about Storm Rider- and when I went on it, it was 'okay'. Nothing too remarkable, but enjoyable imho.

[TDR_Fan]

Re: Raising the Bar in Themed Design: A Case Study

Italian themed fountains

Substandard (Universal's Portofino Bay):



Disney-standard (Epcot's Italy Pavillion)



Above Disney standard (Tokyo DisneySea Hotel MiraCosta):

[TDR_Fan]

Re: Raising the Bar in Themed Design: A Case Study

Well- technically Spiderman combines a lot of ride elements. Most of the action in the ride is due to the siluator aspect- (the massive drop)

And I have heard mixed reviews about Storm Rider- and when I went on it, it was 'okay'. Nothing too remarkable, but enjoyable imho.

Spiderman is an amazing attraction, but I wouldn't classify it as a true motion simulator. It seems closer to Indiana Jones Adventure than anything else. Since this thread is about theme/detail more than ride experience, I don't really feel simulator attractions are good comparisons- being mostly blank screens inside a theatre type room. Unless you were to compare their exterior theming and queue/preshow design, in which case I would still rank Stormrider on top.

[Tomorrowland_1967]

Re: Raising the Bar in Themed Design: A Case Study

A great topic worth pushing back up to the top.
(and not get lost into the depths of the deep "Micechat" ocean.)