Pixar in the Parks

Croaker · Post by **Croaker** » May Tue 20, 2008 9:47 am

Lets get this bad air out!

whats the problem with Pixar in Magic Kingdom? or Epcot? i hear alot of people say they don't mind Pixar in DHS. Why? I watched a thing on Disney on the History Channel and they stated Walt wanted to have the themes coinside with his films whenever possible. we have sleeping beauties castle. Snow White ride, Peter Pan ride, why not Pixar?

so lets lay it out ....YUCK Pixar sucks? Yea! Pixar Rocks? or it works but the theming needs to be consistant? help me out here and get the frustration out too!

bbowen13 · Post by **bbowen13** » May Tue 20, 2008 10:21 am

I don't have a problem with PIXAR in any of the parks but I think it does fit best in DS. Plus DS just needs more in the park.
You talked about Walt wanting to have the themes coinside with his films, and I have no problem with that. But I think even Walt would have a problem with the placement of the PIXAR rides. As stated many, many times before on this forum it is more the location of the rides than it is the ride itself. Monster's Inc. has nothing to do with Tomorrowland. Buzz Lightyear at least has to do with space.

And the thing I don't understand is they could have just as easily refurbed Timekeeper as completely replaced it. Haunted Mansion and PoC were both updated and they are great. CoP just needs an update on the last show, it doesn't need to be replaced with some Increditables ride. Disney has plenty of space to add rides rather than replacing others with the flavor of the year.

That's just my two cents.

boilerbabe · Post by **boilerbabe** » May Tue 20, 2008 10:22 am

First off, I love these polls Croaker, I think they're fun!

I do love Pixar and I enjoy the attractions however, it seems like it's popping up all over the place now! I think it fits in better at the Studios, it's not really fitting into the theme of Tomorrowland. I don't think Walt would have wanted it this way. I just hope they don't continue this trend and keep turning the parks into Pixar land! I think they should start to refurb some of the older attractions for a while.

Nicely said bbowen13!

Post by **subsonic** » May Tue 20, 2008 11:17 am

I added an option to the poll. "Pixar is great but the theming sucks".

This is mostly the way I feel. My other beef is the intensity they are adding Pixar attractions. It seems 4 out of 5 attractions lately have been Pixar. (I -would- like to actually see what attractions (including upgrades) and parades have been added to the parks in the last 4-5 years and actually see the Pixar to non-Pixar ratio but don't want to spend the time) As someone else mentioned in another thread, it's like it's the "flavor of the month". They are cramming them knowing it'll bring Guests for th short term but Disney has been far too near sited lately.

Back to the theming part... It doesn't take much reading to see my, rdeacon's, Captain Schnemo's, and a few others' views that Disney's "Theme Park" is now becoming a "Mish-mash park" This is especially true for Tomorrowland (WDW and DLR) and Epcot Center. As I said before, I don't see real cartoons being in our future. I certainly don't see what is futuristic about Monsters telling jokes. As far as Epcot goes, There now is little to nothing informative about Nemo at the Living seas, especially the ride part.

I don't think Walt would have broken his "Theme Park" just to tie into a movie.

Calypso · Post by **Calypso** » May Tue 20, 2008 11:46 am

I added an option to the poll. "Pixar is great but the theming sucks".

Thanks, sub, for adding this option because I wasn't going to post with the other options. I love Pixar movies and I think most of the Pixar attractions are great, but they just don't belong where they landed. Buzz was tolerable in Tomorrowland, but Monsters is just plain wrong. And, I don't know if this issue was addressed on another thread, but I found Nemo in the Living Seas to be not only a mediocre attraction, but it adds nothing to the LS pavillion.

I guess I would prefer to see the Pixar stuff in MGM/DHS/Whatever.

Cheshire Cat · Post by **Cheshire Cat** » May Tue 20, 2008 2:18 pm

It's not just PIXAR for me. It's any cartoons in general.

The Disney cartoons should be confined to fantasyland. The PIXAR cartoons should be confined to the new Pixar Studios area of DHS. It doesn't matter how good or bad the ride is, the point is that they're just being placed everywhere.

To the point - if it's not in Fantasyland or Pixar Studios, an attraction should feature original characters.

Croaker · Post by **Croaker** » May Tue 20, 2008 2:52 pm

Sub. Good points. Calypso, good point about Monsters. I asked in another thread where would you put Monsters Laugh floor? my question wasn't meant to be read so much as where in the Magic Kingdom..but where in the parks. I think the Theming is out of place for Tomorrowland. Soarin would have fit better than Monsters. it could have been sold off as a new hangglider or new way of watching TV. they could update the Movie every so often.

now for Pixar overall, I enjoy the movies, How do you say it....they are good and have a disney flare but not a disney feel. make sense? Lion King is definate Disney....Incredibles...not so much. Theme wise. I'd like to see it put where it fits. My first Glance at Nemo and the Living Seas....what a great idea! what a great fit...the longer i look i wonder...how is this the Experimental Prototype City Of Tomorrow? Nemo is our future...wow thats deep. Oceanic Deep. we are all just looking for our place among the enenimies.

Stitch: fits but not a good attraction

Buzz: fits and works well

Monsters: Out of place lets move it or lose it. perhaps Mickey's Toon Town?

Nemo Living Seas: would work if it were just a small portion of the area not the main attraction. move it or lose it.

Toy Story Mania: Perfect Location. Would also fit in Mickey's toon town

figment34786 · Post by **figment34786** » May Tue 20, 2008 4:07 pm

Croaker wrote:Stitch: fits but not a good attraction

Buzz: fits and works well

Monsters: Out of place lets move it or lose it. perhaps Mickey's Toon Town?

Nemo Living Seas: would work if it were just a small portion of the area not the main attraction. move it or lose it.

Toy Story Mania: Perfect Location. Would also fit in Mickey's toon town

I agree on everything except Nemo. I think that works out fine.

Calypso · Post by **Calypso** » May Tue 20, 2008 4:08 pm

where would you put Monsters Laugh floor?

At this rate, we might as well have an alien section somewhere. Just kidding... probably the Studios. But, I'm not keen on throwing everything Pixar into the Studios because, before long, it will lose its glamorous Hollywood feel. But Monsters isn't all that much different than Millionaire or, say, Muppets. It has that kind of feel to it. How about you? Where would you put it?

As far as Nemo at LS, I agree if it were a smaller part of it, rather than the center of it. I found LS lost a lot of its appeal when it became the Nemo & Friends Show. It just doesn't feel the same --- its lost some of its excitement and mystery.

Captain Schnemo · Post by **Captain Schnemo** » May Tue 20, 2008 5:46 pm

I've gone on at length about this before, so I'll try not to repeat myself too much...

My first thought is that the Pixar attractions shouldn't be confined to the Studios, but the more I think about it, the more I'm leaning towards that conclusion.

The Pixar section of the Studios is obviously a fine place to put these things.

They (and all other characters) do not belong in any way shape or form in Epcot. I know this battle has been lost already, but the fact is that Epcot is supposed to be outside-character-free.

I don't have any burning objection to putting them in the Animal Kingdom, but it's really unnecessary and doesn't add anything to the AK theming. The Bug show is poorly deployed in the centerpiece of the park, which really calls for some kind of sweeping epic celebration of the entire animal kingdom...something to match the majesty of the icon itself.

The Nemo show doesn't really make any sense (not that fish aren't animals, but it doesn't fit the theme of the rest of the park). Come to think of it, Everest doesn't have anything to do with the animal theme either...at least not as part of Asia. If they made the mythical creatures section, it would fit in nicely there, but it is a bit shady that the AK thrill rides are not actually animal-themed.

So, anyway, after some thought, they don't really fit into the AK.

The MK seems like a natural match on the surface...but they clearly don't fit into any land other than Fantasyland, and somehow the Pixar theme doesn't mesh well with the fairy tale style of Fantasyland. 20K should have probably gone into Adventureland (along with the similarly live action movie-based Treehouse). Buzz doesn't make any more sense in Tomorrowland than Woody does in Frontierland.

So, going through it all, I guess I have to conclude that the Studios really are the best place for all the Pixar stuff. It's the weakest park, so it could certainly use a lively section, and it would actually match the Studios theme (unlike much of the other stuff there).

It'd be a Mecca for Pixar fans and at the same time spare the other parks a world of poor-theming hurt. And if Pixar ever spins off and becomes distinct from Disney again, it doesn't blow any theming.

Disney is probably worried that the Pixar stuff is where most of the imagination is these days and would rather rely on a third party crutch than come up with some magic on its own.

I think MILF would be much better received in the middle of a Pixar land, as opposed to being crammed into a space where it clearly doesn't belong, replacing an attraction that clearly did.

Hmm, and now my vote is inappropriate. I chose sub's new option, but I've talked myself into a YES. Oops.

kcarts · Post by **kcarts** » May Tue 20, 2008 8:17 pm

I like Pixar. I'm sure that it does belong somewhere in the parks. My only issue is that at times I feel like I'm walking through shameless plugs for all things Pixar. So I guess I don't like the theming(?)

MintJulepRoo · Post by **MintJulepRoo** » May Wed 21, 2008 12:10 am

While most Pixar films are great, they have a separate quality about them. They just don't feel classic Disney. What is a recent film that is an example of classic Disney? Brother Bear for example was great and it totally felt Classic Disney. Im not saying we should stay stuck in the past, but straying too much will lose the magic! But Pixar is strong enough to be in a league of its own. That being said, theming Pixar in one park only instead of many will capitalize on its strong qualities such as amazing CGI teamed with original story lines. Having them spread throughout multiple parks just makes some of the rides seem out of place. Again I think it's because they don't feel right being mixed with attractions that again are classic. It was a shame that they got rid of the original submarine voyage. An original learning experience is now replaced by scenes from a movie you could watch on your own anytime. But all seems futile now that they have already placed Pixar attractions in various locations throughout the parks.

nancynohorse · Post by **nancynohorse** » May Wed 21, 2008 8:27 am

The last Pixar thing I saw in the parks was the Buzz Lightyear ride in Tomorrowland. It's been awhile since we have been able to go to WDW.

I liked Toy Story as a movie. But I was disappointed in the Buzz ride.

It just seemed too "cheap" compared to other attractions.

QuickGold · Post by **QuickGold** » May Wed 21, 2008 11:32 am

I don't see an issue with the Pixar attractions so much. Think about it, this decade has seen Pixar films doing the best in terms of box office sales and a lot of duds from Disney during the same time period, so it makes sense for the latest attractions to have a Pixar theme.

I think the Imagineers do a good job of making the theme work overall between all of the attractions.

Captain Schnemo · Post by **Captain Schnemo** » May Wed 21, 2008 1:58 pm

QuickGold wrote:...it makes sense for the latest attractions to have a Pixar theme.

Many (if not most) of the best attractions don't have an outside theme at all.

The only reason to jam two Pixar attractions into Tomorrowland, Bugs into the Tree of Life, Nemo into the Living Seas, etc. is a lack of imagination. Or you could be more "generous" and say it's for exploitative reasons, which at least would give them credit for making these decisions on purpose. The one thing that's clear is that they aren't creating these attractions to carry on the tradition of the parks or to improve the theming of their so-called "theme parks".

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Pixar in the Parks

Pixar needs to be in one park only

Pixar in the Parks