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View Full Version : 10/1 - 10/3 HalloweenTime Trip Report (and one MAJOR complaint)



Monte Cristo
10-03-2006, 08:44 PM
I generally don't like breaking down my trip reports detail by detail, so please forgive me. Instead, I'm gonna go through the stuff that was great, the stuff that was good, and the stuff that wasn't either. By and large the trip was great and as usual we had a wonderful time. Makes for a great appetizer to our big holiday trip later this year. ;) So first we'll do the "great" and "good" stuff, and then my complaint.

Great:

HalloweenTime decorations. DL did a fantastic job and the park looks magnificent! I'll be shocked if this doesn't become a staple for a long time to come. Keep in mind this is more about ambiance than actual mood, and Disney being Disney it's not about "scary" - it's about capturing a specific season. It's nice to visit the park in October and see an actual attempt to seperate the seasons rather than diving headlong into Christmas directly after summer.

Blue Bayou. Yes, the prices are crazy. But the food is fantastic, and the service was top notch. My wife and I had chilled shrimp in a remoulade sauce to start, and shared a Monte Cristo. Quick note on that - if you specifically ask them to split the plate, you'll incur the $4 charge. If you simply request a second plate, no extra charge. You still cannot beat the atmosphere.

Rice Crispie Treats. Need I say more?

Good:

The weather. It was mostly mid-70's and comfortable.

HMH. In years past I would have put this in the "great" column, but I think the layover is starting to show it's age. It could use a little freshening up. Still a wonderful attraction, though. And yes - I'm aware that IASWH hasn't changed an iota but really - does anyone get on that attraction anymore out of anything other than a sense of "It's the holidays, I must do this once".

Now here's the MAJOR complaint:

Finally got to ride the new Pirates, and forgive me if I'm re-igniting a debate but as someone who was very much looking forward to the changes the refurb brought, I wanted to get my two cents in.

I like the ride's upgrades. The sound system is phenomenal. The Davy Jones mist screen is top notch.

Let me preface the rest of my remarks by saying I'm a newbie to DL - only been going since '03. So I'm not exactly what you'd call a traditionalist. Having said that...

It doesn't work.

Centering the story around Sparrow and the movies pretty much destroy most of the ride's charm. I was hoping they'd simply incorporate the movies into the ride, not incorporate the ride into the movies. The ride's entire "feel" seems off now. Instead of being transported into a pirate world, you're taking a trip through a more elaborate version of Monsters, Inc. See if you can spot Jack!!! Oh that Jack! Look - More characters talking about Jack!

Whereas before you were taking the ride in as a whole sequence, it now feels as though the parts not dealing with Sparrow or the movies are extraneous. The Wench scene comes to mind. This was one of my favorite scenes on the ride, but after two seperate sequences where characters are demanding to know where "SPARROW!" is, it feels out of place. That's wrong. If the rumors are true, I shudder to think what the ride will look like after Orlando Bloom and Kiera Knightly's characters are. Will she become the "redhead" that everyone wants?

Again, I think the ride's technical upgrades are fantastic. I think there was room for "plussing" the ride. There was even room for Jack Sparrow. But to turn it from what it was into Jack Sparrow's Pirate Adventures was the wrong move. I won't be laying flowers at the ride's entrance or anything like that, but it was with some sadness that I realized something really unique and great no longer is.

So there it is. Another great trip all in all. I would add more, but I'm exhausted. I know you guys can understand why. :)

DisneyDustin22
10-03-2006, 08:56 PM
I agree with you that the feel is off a bit. It will be for a while until we all get used to it. Having had the original in place for so long, the slightest of change will do that to you. But, this is what happens when you have the 3rd biggest box office hit of all time. It pretty much has priority over all.