Nixing "The Little Mermaid" Dark Ride

[cellarhound]

Having seen the dark ride on the Little Mermaid DVD, do you think this could still be installed and work?

Because I sure as heck do... Thanks Disney for the ride that never was and should have been...


Admin note:
The dark ride special feature is available on the 2 Disk Special Edition

Little Mermaid DVD 2 Disk Set

[barfownz]

Re: Nixing "The Little Mermaid" Dark Ride

There was going to be a dark ride for this?!

[Disney Wrassler]

Re: Nixing "The Little Mermaid" Dark Ride

Wait, there is a bonus feature on the DVD that lets us virtually ride the ride?

[Speedway]

Re: Nixing "The Little Mermaid" Dark Ride

I didn't think this ride even applied to the Disneyland Resort.

It was designed for the Disneyland Resort Paris, no?

[cellarhound]

Re: Nixing "The Little Mermaid" Dark Ride

Wait, there is a bonus feature on the DVD that lets us virtually ride the ride?

Oh, yeah....

:yea:

[cellarhound]

Re: Nixing "The Little Mermaid" Dark Ride

I didn't think this ride even applied to the Disneyland Resort.

It was designed for the Disneyland Resort Paris, no?

Maybe, doesn't say...

Theres still time to include it in future DCA plans, you know...

[lazyboy97O]

Re: Nixing "The Little Mermaid" Dark Ride

There was going to be a dark ride for this?!

Yes. I believe it was apart of Phase II for Euro Disneyland.

Wait, there is a bonus feature on the DVD that lets us virtually ride the ride?

Yes. Along with a ride through with comentary by Tony Baxter and a behind the making featurette.

I didn't think this ride even applied to the Disneyland Resort.

It was designed for the Disneyland Resort Paris, no?

Correct.


I think it could still work for many of the parks. I was very disappointed that I heard no mention of Mermaid Lagoon at Tokyo DisneySea.

[Doofy]

Re: Nixing "The Little Mermaid" Dark Ride

I haven't seen anything about this ride through yet but I love adding more to the park. I would really like to see a ride themed to the Little Mermaid. It would really be awesome to see them expand the motorboat lagoon and do the ride on the water. Could be indoors/outdoors like the submarines. Don't know if it would work. It would just be nice to see something there.

[mycroft16]

Re: Nixing "The Little Mermaid" Dark Ride

There was also initial talk of putting it in the Submarine Lagoon at DL... but it got pushed back and held up and eventually it just took to long and it died away.

[disneytim]

Re: Nixing "The Little Mermaid" Dark Ride

The Little Mermaid DVD is almost worth the investment for the virtual ride-through alone. The attraction design called for passengers to ride in giant pink clamshells suspended from an overhead track a'la Peter Pan. This allows the vehicles to "dive" under the sea and return to the surface to experience Ariel's various adventures.

All the major scenes are there: Ariel on her rock pining for Prince Eric on his ship, Sebastian and his ocean friends serenading us with "Under the Sea," the "poor unfortunate souls" trapped in Ursula's lair, Ariel and Eric drifting in the rowboat to the tune of "Kiss the Girl," Ursula's final demise, etc.

In a perfect world, the buzz the virtual ride is creating could prompt Disney to green light the ride again. After seeing it on the DVD, it would be a solid C-ticket, possibly a D. How cool would it be to see fully rendered AA's and state-of-the-art ocean effects? I am definitely keeping my fingers crossed on this one.

[LuvsLilo]

Re: Nixing "The Little Mermaid" Dark Ride

I had a hard time explaining to my 3 year old that the ride wasn't at DL.

I would love to see TLM ride at DL.

[AudioKarateKid]

Re: Nixing "The Little Mermaid" Dark Ride

Okay, here's what I don't get. This entire thread is oozing with love for the thought of a Little Mermaid dark ride (which I'd love to see), yet on these exact same boards, there have been countless threads bashing Disney for creating rides based on Pixar properties and basically, making rides and attractions based on flms in general. There are many threads criticizing the lack of original attractions, yet not one person has yet made this complaint in regards to The Little Mermaid. Seems kind of selective if you ask me.

[SaraNoH]

Re: Nixing "The Little Mermaid" Dark Ride

Back in the early 90's there was special on the Disney channel about what rides will eventually appear at Disneyland, CA. It included The Little Mermaid, Indiana Jones, and a few I can't remember. Each year i kept thinking how awesome itwould be to have The Little Mermaid ride at DL, and each year it never showed up. I practically forgot about it until I joined Mice Chat. Now the DVD confirms that it was meant to be. I wish I could find that special from the Disney Channel. It was around the same time as Ernest did that show about the opening of Splash Mountain.

[cellarhound]

Re: Nixing "The Little Mermaid" Dark Ride

Okay, here's what I don't get. This entire thread is oozing with love for the thought of a Little Mermaid dark ride (which I'd love to see), yet on these exact same boards, there have been countless threads bashing Disney for creating rides based on Pixar properties and basically, making rides and attractions based on flms in general. There are many threads criticizing the lack of original attractions, yet not one person has yet made this complaint in regards to The Little Mermaid. Seems kind of selective if you ask me.

:ot:

Interesting that you see a trend... I personally am not anti-Pixar... Why? Last time I checked, Pixar was wholey owned and integrated with Disney... Pixar is Disney... That is a difinative... People who complain about Pixar, need to get caught up with their business news

[disneytim]

Re: Nixing "The Little Mermaid" Dark Ride

Okay, here's what I don't get. This entire thread is oozing with love for the thought of a Little Mermaid dark ride (which I'd love to see), yet on these exact same boards, there have been countless threads bashing Disney for creating rides based on Pixar properties and basically, making rides and attractions based on flms in general. There are many threads criticizing the lack of original attractions, yet not one person has yet made this complaint in regards to The Little Mermaid. Seems kind of selective if you ask me.

I think the people on this thread so far are ok with movie based attractions (especially TLM). If others aren't, we'll hear from them in due time.

There are many differing opinions on MC. Some are just more vocal than others.

[AudioKarateKid]

Re: Nixing "The Little Mermaid" Dark Ride

This is not necessarily off topic. The topic was the Little Mermaid ride. I said I would love to see it, but also made the observation that it would be another movie based ride, which many vocal members of the board tend to frown upon in other circumstances.

[Loomis]

Re: Nixing "The Little Mermaid" Dark Ride

Okay, here's what I don't get. This entire thread is oozing with love for the thought of a Little Mermaid dark ride (which I'd love to see), yet on these exact same boards, there have been countless threads bashing Disney for creating rides based on Pixar properties and basically, making rides and attractions based on flms in general. There are many threads criticizing the lack of original attractions, yet not one person has yet made this complaint in regards to The Little Mermaid. Seems kind of selective if you ask me.

I find that less confusing than people who slam the inclusion of more 'popular' live action attractions such as the POTC movie. I guess the difference there is that it started as a Disneyland attraction. You make an interesting point, however, as there seems to be a fine line between what "fans" will accept as an appropriate attraction in the park, and what is considered 'cashing in' on Disney's own properties. Lest we forget every ride based on a film - and that is a fair chunk of them, and certainly the case with many of the 'E Tickets' - is Disney cashing in on the popularity of a property.

As for the TLM proposed ride, I did like then way it mirrored the Peter Pan ride. I've always wanted to see far more of TLM in the parks, and that isn't just because I have a strange thing for redheads.

I think the difference we need to draw upon is this: A TLM ride could still be a valid and classic ride within the parks. The character has been largely kept alive by the Disney Princess line, and it is also a significant part of the Disney canon in and of itself. So-called 'Pixar' properties (so-called because we are all one big happy family now) are yet to be tested in this way. TLM is almost 18 years old and still has a massive fan-base, and I wonder if Cars will have the same appeal 18 years on. Toy Story will stand the test of time, methinks, and Nemo does seem like an appropriate them for a Submarine Voyage.

I suppose, in the end, it is still all subjective.

[robotpirates]

Re: Nixing "The Little Mermaid" Dark Ride

Thank God for the DVD for allowing me to come back to MiceChat. It's been a while, my friends!

Anyway, despite its "movie inclusions" I really think the TLM is a great ride. Judging from the DVD, it's got some innovations in it that would make it a popular and worthy choice for a dark ride. The going from 'above water' to 'underwater' and the effects like Ursula seem awesome!

Also: TLM is a pretty popular movie that was produced soley by Disney, by Disney animators, etc. It ushered in the "golden age" of Disney animation. I think it's perfect for DISNEY themeparks.

[figment1986]

Re: Nixing "The Little Mermaid" Dark Ride

Ah yes, I remember watching my copy of the Euro Disney grand opening.. and seeing short bits of Concept art for the Little murmaid attraction, as well as a beauty and the best attraction, and Disney-MGM-Studios Europe...

At least we can imagine...

Make this real! (leave pixar for a second.. come on!)

[Lore]

Re: Nixing "The Little Mermaid" Dark Ride

Okay, here's what I don't get. This entire thread is oozing with love for the thought of a Little Mermaid dark ride (which I'd love to see), yet on these exact same boards, there have been countless threads bashing Disney for creating rides based on Pixar properties and basically, making rides and attractions based on flms in general. There are many threads criticizing the lack of original attractions, yet not one person has yet made this complaint in regards to The Little Mermaid. Seems kind of selective if you ask me.

Let me see... The Little Mermaid is a European fairy tale which has stood the test of time, just like all the Fantasyland rides. It's one of the fairy tales that early Americans brought to America and fits nicely with the existing themes in Fantasyland. Yes, it's a cartoon, but it's about humans (or mostly humans) and could have been done live action. This would allow it to fit more easily into a realistic environment.

Toy Story was a film about old toys. The implentation involves human sized toys, which is already breaking from the spirit of the movie, and destroys the otherwise realistic environments.

I'm not saying that a pixar ride wouldn't be amazing, nor that a little Mermaid ride wouldn't suck, just that a little Mermaid ride is much easier to imagine working, and it's also easier to imagine it fitting in somewhere. It's also a lot easier to imagine it having a lasting appeal, since the basic story has already lasted so long.