Pooh Ride Impressions Here

[Doodle Duck]

I haven't gone yet..but the photos on MP remind me of the Display figures in The Disney Stores. Do they move at all? Or just swing on a base?
Who has been on it?

[mad4mky]

PurpleDove33 has been on it...in another thread she talks a little about it. Maybe she'll see this thread and respond...

[Toady The Eighth]

I haven't actually been on the ride yet, but to me it looks an awful lot like Alice in Wonderland, or one of the dark rides in Fantasyland. Maybe Roger Rabbit without the spin.[I]

[Disneyphile]

I already posted this in another thread, but here it is again:

Here's my summary recap:

1) Thank goodness I only had to wait for 10 minutes. (But, after riding, I felt it was 10 minutes too many.)

2) *VERY* flourescent. Very.

3) The "most impressive" effect: the "blustery" wind machine (Sadly, I can duplicate this at home by sitting in front of a fan while watching "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" on video.)

4) Who wrote the script? Wait, *what* script? At least Super Star Limo had somewhat of a storyline.

5) Now I know why a lot of people didn't look overly thrilled upon exiting the ride.

6) My IQ has now been reduced by 10 points.

7) If I ever ride again, I'm going to have a few margaritas from DCA first.

8) Thank the heavens that Pressler is gone.

9) I want my Country Bears back!

[Tref]

I clipped this from another site. I found it interesting and detailed enough that I thought it may be of interest to most of you here. The writer does reveal parts of the ride, so those of you who want to be surprised, stop here.

Or here.

Here would be good, too, but anything beyond the next line and its too late.

Its from "Kayoss."

... how was the ride? As bad are people are saying it is? Well…..after two hours of waiting and the highest level of excitement imaginable, I can say yes and no. Instantly the look of the interior reminds you of Superstar Limo. That was my very first reaction. Thin, brightly colored flats with cheap water projection flashed everywhere. The vehicle does rock through the entire ride, which is actually nicer then people have been saying, and was actually one of the nicer parts of the ride. However, the figures are god awful, and quite a few steps down from the mostly non-moving figures in the Roger Rabbit ride. There was simply no effort put into this. Plastic figures (especially the tigger) pop in and out with movement of a Disney Store figure (actually, often a lot less, or even not at all!)

This is really, really a plywood paradise. We’re talking almost NO three dimensional sets whatsoever. If there was, it wasn’t very noticeable. Nothing even remotely remarkable as the fountain in Mr. Toad, or the wooden pipe organ in Snow White. This is actually several notches lower then Roger Rabbit folks. Several."

In the end the writer says that overall they enjoyed the ride.

I remain,

[TP2000]

My hunch that if I cut out from work early yesterday and stopped by the Resort would likely get me in on a Pooh preview paid off. I rode the ride twice yesterday evening. Here's my thoughts, in no particular order:

-This ride looks better online than it does in person. The sets are very cheap looking, and there seems to be painted plywood EVERYWHERE. Maybe there really isn't more plywood in Pooh than there is in Roger Rabbitt or Superstar Limo, but if that's the case then the art direction on Pooh is simply bad. The Pooh ride looks cheap, cheap, cheap. The metaphor about The Disney Store display is very appropriate (back 10 years when The Disney Store used to have little moving displays in the window).

-The rocking motion isn't too annoying, but it isn't that great either. It just sort of exists, for no particular reason. Why is the beehive rocking again? I forgot.

-The figures have no arm or hand or face movement whatsoever. The only exception to this is the figure of Pooh eating all the honey at the end. That Pooh figure wiggles his arms up and down and his head tilts side to side. But everything else, everything, is just static dolls that sometimes sway and sometimes just sit there motionless. I think the word "Audio-Animatronic" is no longer in the WDI Dictionary.

-The music is great! The score is bouncy and fun and very sharply broadcast throughout the ride. At times it gets very loud in there, but the stuff being played is so great I don't mind. Bravo to who ever composed the score for this attraction!

-The CM's looked dorky in their new costumes. Maybe it was because they were fresh out of the packaging and they hadn't been dry-cleaned and worn in a bit yet? But the costumes don't really have anything to do with Pooh, or Critter Country, that I could tell. These are some of Disneyland's nerdiest looking costumes in my opinion.

-I missed the lack of effects from Florida. I rode Florida's version 4 years ago, but I still remember the bouncing with Tigger and the smoke ring and all of the video projections. All of those are missing from Disneyland's version. Why? There are no video projections at all in Disneyland's version, just flat painted panels behind the painted plywood flats, or big swaths of black duvatine fabric strung behind the sets. Disneyland's "environment" along the ride track was boring compared to Florida's.

-Overall, on a scale of all other Disney dark rides, I give the new Disneyland Pooh ride a 6 out of 10. It ranks slightly above the Snow White dark ride in Florida and the Pinnochio dark ride in Disneyland. But our Pooh falls dead even with Superstar Limo and Mr. Toad in my opinion, which isn't a very good sign. Our Pooh comes in just a notch below our Snow White, and several big notches below Peter Pan, Roger Rabbitt and Florida's Pooh. I think I would rather wait 30 minutes for Casey Jr. Circus Train or StorybookLand than wait that long for our Pooh ride again. I would maybe wait 15 minutes tops to go on our Pooh ride, otherwise I'm pasing it up.

-The ride experience is best summed up by the Canadian family I waited in the line with, and then rode in the same beehive with. As we came out of the exit tunnel with all of those plywood doors flapping open, the grade school aged daughter turned around and said to her parents "That was dumb." The parents chuckled and the Dad said "Well, this was just a preview, they are probably going to add more things to it before it really opens." I didn't have the heart to tell them that there would likely not be anything added to the ride.

And that's my .02 on the issue! ;-)

[Morrigoon]

I can't believe you rank it above Pinocchio!

[Toady The Eighth]

For THIS they remove the beloved Country Bears? I'm apalled.

[merlinjones]

>>The ride experience is best summed up by the Canadian family I waited in the line with, and then rode in the same beehive with. As we came out of the exit tunnel with all of those plywood doors flapping open, the grade school aged daughter turned around and said to her parents "That was dumb." The parents chuckled and the Dad said "Well, this was just a preview, they are probably going to add more things to it before it really opens." I didn't have the heart to tell them that there would likely not be anything added to the ride. <<

Priceless! And those marketing and PR hacks are banking on kids not noticing the difference... What planet were these execs raised on?

[MetalliKitty]

Tomorrow I will be at DL with my mom, I hope we get a chance to ride...I am curious to see how bad this can be. Or if I will be surprised pleasantly...everyone is different.
Makes me wonder though, if an elementary-school-aged child thought the ride "dumb".
Quite possible this ride could have been designed with the younger set in mind - on the level of the Canal Boats & Casey Jr.? I know Pooh is a big hit with toddlers and preschoolers, many of my friends have kids that age.
if that is the case, then the CBJ heads were put in for the nostalgia value??? A conversation piece for the adults/teens...

???



>^-^<
&nbsp;&nbsp; ' - '

[merlinjones]

>>Quite possible this ride could have been designed with the younger set in mind - on the level of the
Canal Boats & Casey Jr.? I know Pooh is a big hit with toddlers and preschoolers, many of my friends
have kids that age. <<

Disneyland was conceived to entertain Kids of All Ages... together, just like the Canal Boats and Casey Jr.

[MetalliKitty]

But of course

What I meant is that below a certain age, all the kids want to see is their favorite characters and they are likely NOT paying attention to any lack of detail or cheaply assembled storylines in a ride. For every kid over six who thought the ride was dumb, I bet there have been many 2-4 year olds that loved every minute.

[PurpleDove33]

Well lets say, if there is more than a 15 min wait, I don't think I would wait for it. When I was by there on wednesday night, I was suprised to see the que maybe had about 10 people in it. So thats why I thought about hey this was my chance to see it without a long wait. And now I can say I have seen it. There were a few parts were kind of cute, but I thought they would have put some AA's in them. So its a fantasyland ride in a different part of the park. I did find out they have a car that I can stay in my wheelchair, so if I do it again, I may try that instead of transfering out of my chair. That may make more fun. I know I love riding on the boat in my wheelchair in IASW. And what is with the three from CBJ? If people don't know they are there, what is the point of the there in the first place? I do know I really miss CBJ. But at least I still have my Big Al teddy bear that my sister bought me a few yrs back. He was hard to get when my sister got him for me. He was my mom's favorite character and I know I will never part with him.
One more thing I want to say is why does WDW seem to get the versions of the same ride with better effects. I don't understand why here at Walt's first park, we have to be second best to WDW. I think they should bring back somewhere CBJ. I miss them sooooooooo much.

[merlinjones]

>>What I meant is that below a certain age, all the kids want to see is their favorite characters and they are likely NOT paying attention to any lack of detail or cheaply assembled storylines in a ride. For every kid over six who thought the ride was dumb, I bet there have been many 2-4 year olds that loved every minute.<<

"You can't live on things made for children - or for critics. I've never made films for either of them. Disneyland is not just for children. I don't play down." - - Walt Disney

"Adults are interested if you don't play down to the little 2 or 3 year olds or talk down. I don't believe in talking down to children. I don't believe in talking down to any certain segment. I like to kind of just talk in a general way to the audience. Children are always reaching." - - Walt Disney

"You're dead if you aim only for kids. Adults are only kids gown up, anyway." - - Walt Disney

[HowardBeale]

GREAT quotes from Walt Disney. Had forgotten about those.

"You're dead if you aim only for kids." So true!

[Toady The Eighth]

>>Quite possible this ride could have been designed with the younger set in mind - on the level of the
Canal Boats & Casey Jr.? I know Pooh is a big hit with toddlers and preschoolers, many of my friends
have kids that age. <<

I think it's quite possible that the ride was designed with cheapness in mind and likely, Disney didn't care whether adults would enjoy it or not. This seems to be the trend with everything lately. Market a new ride, so that people will come and see it, and who cares if they want to come back and see it again.

Afterall, they can always rip out the Tiki Room and replace it with "Lilo and Stitch Cardboard and plywood cut-outs, right?

[HowardBeale]

The thing with Storybookland Canal boats is that it works for a majority of audiences.

To me, young kids find it easy going and fun. They get to see little miniatures of where their favorite characters live. Adults can enjoy the care and detail of the miniature houses and plantings. 'How did they get the trees to grow like that?' etc..

The only age group that it might not be appealing to would be teens and their sullen, 'whatever' attitude.

My issue in more recent years is that the ride operators seem to have to make a joke out of the ride. 'Monstro sneezed and blew his tail off' etc... ha-ha-Not. It has become the Fantasyland version of The Jungle Cruise.

If they just played it 'straight' guests could just take in the ride and enjoy it.

Not everything has to be cute, and smug and funny.

[Christiii]

'Monstro sneezed and blew his tail off' ...ummm thats what really happened in the story...isnt it?? I love the Storybooks and havnet noticed them becoming too smug or jungle cruise ish...

[Tref]

Merlin quoted Walt as saying, "You can't live on things made for children - or for critics. I've never made films for either of them. Disneyland is not just for children. I don't play down."

And then Walt said, "Adults are interested if you don't play down to the little 2 or 3 year olds or talk down. I don't believe in talking down to children. I don't believe in talking down to any certain segment. I like to kind of just talk in a general way to the audience. Children are always reaching."

Walt added, "You're dead if you aim only for kids. Adults are only kids gown up, anyway."

Merlin! Where were these quotes when I needed 'em? Brilliant stuff.
Walt was so far ahead of his time, that the post WD, Disney Organisation has yet to catch up with him. Or, maybe its not so much 'catch up with him' as it is, they haven't figured him out, yet. I don't believe they have a clue as to the WHY of the things that Walt did. All the D.O. can see are the lights and the colours and they say, "we can duplicate this!" But they can't or at least, they refuse to look any deeper. And Walt was not a simple man. So many folks here get up in arms when somebody dares to say, 'What Walt would have done.' Yet these Merlin supplied quotes say volumes as to what Walt would DO -- if he ever reappeared and saw some of the things built in his name. He would not be a happy man. Eisner's head would be brought to him, John the Baptist style, on a platter. It would not be pretty.

Those child's words, "That was dumb," would be all the motivation Walt would need to shut the ride down and fix it. And you can bet the farm that he would have been standing there close enough to hear those words.

They should cut their loses right now with that Pooh ride before Disneyland starts to suffer the same reputation as DCA.

Side note: A friend of mine from the Phillipines just took a trip to Disneyland. It was her first time in America and she only had a week to spend; of course, she wanted to spend a good portion of her week at the Disneyland Resort. I asked her later if she also went to DCA and she laughed and shook her head, no. In fact, she told me, nobody from her tour group went into DCA. Not one! DCA's bad reputation apparently has traveled far beyond our borders. Who is to say after a few more cheap additions like Pooh ride, Disneyland itself starts to get the same rep! This premise may not be as far fetched you might imagine. Disney has been coasting for too long. The signs are encouraging, but the new guy has a lot of cleaning up to do -- he may want to start with the Pooh ride.

I.r.

[Toady The Eighth]

Originally posted by Tref
Those child's words, "That was dumb," would be all the motivation Walt would need to shut the ride down and fix it. And you can bet the farm that he would have been standing there close enough to hear those words.

Not only that, but Walt wouldn't make a cheap ride like that..

[wdtv]

The difference between the dark rides in Fantasyland & this one is that those attractions have a unique, special and magical
old-time quality to them that just cannot be duplicated. Keep in mind that I'm judging from the photos here; I haven't experienced the new ride. But, judging from what I've read here & on laughingplace.com, it is pretty obvious that no matter how hard Disney tries, they will never be able to re-create the classic dark ride. I realize that sounds kind of corny, but it's true: attractions like Snow White, Pinnochio, Peter Pan, Mr. Toad, and Alice in Wonderland all have a uniquely distinctive magical charm to them.

[Doodle Duck]

You want to see what skilled Disney artists CAN do with 'flats'? Ride Toad and pay attention to the incredible detail and gorgeous black light painting techniques that are extremely difficult and almost arcane in execution. Fabulous stuff. A true Masterpiece.

Compare to the molded plastic 'store' display figures in the Pooh and other more recent rides.


Not even close.

[MonorailMan]

Originally posted by HowardBeale
The only age group that it might not be appealing to would be teens and their sullen, 'whatever' attitude.

You forgot to add "stereotypical". I personally love StoryBook land, and Casey Jr. both provide a scenic view of some of the best garden work, and little work I have seen, but what do I know, I'm only 16.

[Morrigoon]

The problem is that Eisner sees himself as above his audience. That's why we get all the remarks about the guests being "Wal-Mart shoppers" etc. (yeah, so what if I shop there? I like a night at the symphony too!)

Walt, on the other hand, saw himself as a member of his audience. Rather than guess at what would entertain the crowds, he directed the design of attractions toward what entertained HIM. And he was only wrong once (the circus).

The problem is that Eisner is not "of" the Disney audience (perhaps he fancies himself too hip and edgy or too sophisticated to appreciate unapologetic corniness and sentimentality). As such, he is unable to effectively lead the company. He looks at something and says "yeah, that's probably good enough for them" without realizing that if he hates it, the audience might too. But perhaps I'm not giving him enough credit. Maybe he realizes how out-of-touch he is, and that's why he relies on guesswork.

The long and the short of it is: he's not the right man for the job. The Disney Company needs an executive who enjoys the company's product, and is therefore a good judge of what future product should be. Eisner, who prior to taking the CEO job once bragged that he had not seen the films or gone to the parks, is unqualified to judge the material which passes his desk. Imagine having a ballerina run NASA!

This is why I like Cynthia Harriss. When she took over the job, she started appearing in the park, participating in the canoe races, and in general exhibiting an appreciation of the park and its attractions. That makes her more qualified than her predecessor, Pressler, who understood only the merchandise end. Cynthia had the merch background Paul did, but that, combined with her appreciation of the park makes her a better merchandiser (context!) and a better park president.

Now if only Mikey would fall into the GAP...

[wdtv]

God, I love this post! You said everything I currently feel about Eisner, and I commend you for it.

As for Cynthia, she is 100x better than Pressler. She has some major flaws, though; and, as much as she improved DL, I feel she might be losing her touch: Tommorowland & staff cuts resulting in longer rehabs are two major issues. Somebody on the wdwmagic.com forum actually brought this up; something that I, to be honest, had never given much thought to. I am not even near the point that I want her to leave; it is still obvious that she cares about the park on a much deeper level than Pressler ever seemed to. Plus, that story a while back of her getting emotional after seeing a group of disabled people on Main Street still makes me smile.

Yet, I cannot ignore the negative. But still, at the same time, I'd choose her any day. She has yet to do anytbhing too bad to make me think otherwise.