mrv3000 | (no subject)

Current Mood: amused

Entry tags:

disneyland

(no subject)

There is drama in the Disneyland fandom DRAMA, I SAY. If you haven't heard (and why not? this is important news!) they've slightly modified the Small World ride to now include characters. Blasphemy! Woody, Nemo, Mulan, Alice, Aladdin... GADS.

I'll have to admit when I first heard about it, it sounded sort of jarring. But pictures are out from the opening and... The characters have been done in Small World doll style. They sorta look like they belong there already.

As much as some absolutely loathe the fact that this classic ride has undergone change, I predict the wee ones of today will love the updated ride. Seeing Cinderella in the ride will become a fond childhood memory.

Head here where someone's posted a bunch of pictures in a forum.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

OMG I can't get past the there's a Disneyland fandom part.

Oh yeah. One that has very strong opinions sometimes. And really really cares how many times a railing gets painted. :D

♥ THE DISNEY FANDOM.

How can there not be? It makes my world go round.

And round and round and round and round and round when I'm on the tea cups.

.... sorry. your icon. i couldn't help myself.

It seems strange to me, because I thought Small World was supposed to be a celebration of, well, the world. Having fantasy characters in there doesn't seem to fit. But they are prettily done!

I think it's more a celebration of the children of the world and...Timon and Pumba are children, right? ;D

Yeah, when I first heard about the changes I wasn't too pleased because I thought they'd be stylized in the same way that they are in the movies they come from and what makes "it's a small world" so unique is Mary Blair's style and designs. So I'm really happy that they characters are in Blair's style. They really do fit in with the existing ride. Thus, I'm now ok with the changes.

That's pretty much the only reason I'm not more freaked by it than I am.

They really could have squelched the controversy surrounding it if they'd just said up front that the characters would be redesigned to fit.

....

I'm not quite sure how I feel about this. I'm assuming WDW will be done by the time we go back in 2011.

The kids just gave their stamp of approval though, so I suppose you're right. I've adjusted to the Tiki Room changes, I guess I'll get used to this.

I skipped the Tiki Room last time I was at WDW because I had heard so much griping about the new version from other people. I was having such a magical time, I decided to avoid possible unpleasantness. :D Yes. I am this lame.

I am glad to see pictures though, because otherwise I would feel a little more freaked. I don't like when people move my cheese.

I've no idea if they'll do it at WDW too. Maybe they'll wait for reaction? They never did change the Tiki Room here. It's still the original - maybe because of mixed reactions?

I have yet to see the one at WDW (though will this summer for sure) but I love the original here. And even though I just got finished saying those who say nothing should ever change are missing things, I really hope they never do touch this Tiki Room because it holds memories of Disneyland naptimes and those birds were the very first Audio-Animatronics and you rarely ever hit perfection the first time on, so please don't touch my Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Room!

See, this (among many other reasons) is why you're my friend! You get that I want to hear the Disney drama! And I get that you love it too! (I can tell you thinks about the World, like why the Haunted Mansion and It's a Small World will never get the holiday makeover.)

I love, love, love hearing about this stuff! Especially since it will be a very long time, if ever, that I end up at Disneyland.

And I think the Alice is one of the most adorable things.

I have to admit, Disneyland fannish stuff has ALWAYS been a guilty pleasure. :D

Ok, I just have to say, SOMEHOW I missed this critical update. And I always get kinda worried whenever they do something like this. I was really really worried about PotC when they threw in the whole Jack Sparrow thing, but I love the way that came out and by the look of this I love it already.

Those who think that everything should stay exactly as it was the day Disneyland open are forgetting the very crucial point that Walt made, so lovely placed on your icon. Disneyland will never be finished. Walt was all about innovation, "keep moving forward," and pushing things farther than anyone imagined possible.

It looks fantastic from the pictures and I can't wait to be there in one month to see it for myself. And it's a small world has been my little sister's favorite ride for her whole life, and I'm sure she'll love it too. Have you seen it yet yourself? lol you haven't been in the last 4 days have you. Sad. But I know you shall soon!

Ok, I just have to say, SOMEHOW I missed this critical update.

You're falling down!

And I always get kinda worried whenever they do something like this. I was really really worried about PotC when they threw in the whole Jack Sparrow thing, but I love the way that came out and by the look of this I love it already.

I have to admit they are a bit hit and miss on ride updates in my book. I love the PotC update, but don't really care for the Space Mountain update. Really like the new Haunted Mansion stuff, but am only meh on the Treehouse.

Those who think that everything should stay exactly as it was the day Disneyland open are forgetting the very crucial point that Walt made, so lovely placed on your icon. Disneyland will never be finished. Walt was all about innovation, "keep moving forward," and pushing things farther than anyone imagined possible.

Yup. Otherwise they'd still be selling bras on Main Street.

It looks fantastic from the pictures and I can't wait to be there in one month to see it for myself. And it's a small world has been my little sister's favorite ride for her whole life, and I'm sure she'll love it too. Have you seen it yet yourself? lol you haven't been in the last 4 days have you. Sad. But I know you shall soon!

I haven't, but it'll be a while until I can. My pass expires in a few days and I've got to give it up for now.

You're falling down!

I am ashamed! It's all this freaking school! I can't keep up! *is a failure, and cries*

I have to admit they are a bit hit and miss on ride updates in my book. I love the PotC update, but don't really care for the Space Mountain update. Really like the new Haunted Mansion stuff, but am only meh on the Treehouse.

I somewhat agree. The Space Mountain thing, the only thing I remember being different was the music, which rocked, because, until like last year or year before I hadn't been in years and years so I didn't remember it well. And on the Treehouse... well I really love Tarzan, but it was a shame to get rid of the Swiss Family Robinson thing. I still call it that. But the thing is, kids today don't know who or what Swiss Family Robinson is. So it was a sacrifice I feel that was justified.

Yup. Otherwise they'd still be selling bras on Main Street.

And they'd have little Mickey head designs and Jessica Rabbit brassieres.

And I would never go anywhere else when it came to girly necessities.

And my boyfriend would never stop facepalming.

I haven't, but it'll be a while until I can. My pass expires in a few days and I've got to give it up for now.

That is such a tragedy! I know how you feel when ours expired in August, I cried. *shakes fist at country* Damn you American populace and your economic crisis!

I somewhat agree. The Space Mountain thing, the only thing I remember being different was the music, which rocked, because, until like last year or year before I hadn't been in years and years so I didn't remember it well.

It's also now a little too dark. There used to be a giant glowing ball in the middle which gave a small amount of light. Now you may as well be blindfolded.

And on the Treehouse... well I really love Tarzan, but it was a shame to get rid of the Swiss Family Robinson thing. I still call it that. But the thing is, kids today don't know who or what Swiss Family Robinson is. So it was a sacrifice I feel that was justified.

Yeah, I agree kids really had no idea about the context before.

And I would never go anywhere else when it came to girly necessities.

And my boyfriend would never stop facepalming.

Bwah!

That is such a tragedy! I know how you feel when ours expired in August, I cried. *shakes fist at country* Damn you American populace and your economic crisis!

*sighs*

It's also now a little too dark. There used to be a giant glowing ball in the middle which gave a small amount of light. Now you may as well be blindfolded.

Agreed. I'm sometimes afraid to put my arms up because I feel like the track is so tightly wound that I'm going to end up hitting my arms on the track above and I can't see so I'm like "... do I really want to lose a hand in Space Mountain?"

Yeah, I agree kids really had no idea about the context before.

It really is a shame. But I do have to say I love the sneaky hidden Mrs. Potts and Chip in the Tarzan revision.

Um. Can you believe I've never ever ever been to Disneyland?

For someone who was raised with bread and Disney, that's kind of a shame.

The closest I got was when I was in Paris for three weeks a year ago, but no one wanted to go with me and in the end I didn't bother going alone...

Awww, that's a shame. Hopefully you'll get to sometime.

I never have managed to get to Disneyland or Disneyworld. I took the Disney art history class last year, though. Now I'm desperately hoping that that song will not get into my head for the evening. I had one of those 45 records with a story book about this ride/song when I was tiny. I always liked those drawings... Hmm, 45s. Good times. Now I feel old.

Ooooh! I'm pretty sure I had that same record! :D

This one!

http://flickr.com/photos/80651237@N00/303047498

Edited 2009-02-11 17:39 (UTC)

Eeee! We had a ton of these! My favorites were the Robin Hood and Peter Pan ones!

OOOOH! I think I had Peter Pan too!

You know, I wouldn't have recognized some of those if they hadn't been pointed out. Of course, I am *not* a Small World fan anyway.

We need to go before our passes expire. We're not renewing this year. The past couple of years, we just haven't gone enough to justify the $$.

Well, it's probably a good year to let it go anyway. There doesn't seem to be a whole lot happening. No new ride openings or anything.

LOL, my mind came to a screeching halt at your first line. There's a Disneyland fandom??? I find this disturbing and hilarious, in equal measure.

Oh, fandom, you can suck us into anything your evil heart desires! Bwa ha ha!

*snickers* And the fandom has been around for ages! I remember posting in a forum in the early 90s.

Thanks for including that link! I just spent ten minutes slowly, *very* VERY slowly scrolling through the pictures while whistling "It's a Small World" to myself. *sniff* It was like being home for a moment there. Also, I could have sworn Aladdin and Jasmine were already part of the ride when I last went on the ride. And that was around five years ago.

Isn't that fun to look at? And if I wasn't told that was Aladdin and Jasmine, I'd think they'd already been there too.

Seeing the Nemo characters was a bit jarring -- as definitely was seeing Stitch -- but you're right: they did a good job easing in the other Disney characters. It looks much better than I'd imagined in my head. (Although the Toy Story characters were a bit off, too. Heh. Maybe they should've just stuck with the classic characters.)

I'm not quite sure what's going on with the Toy Story characters. Of everything, those do seem off.

Didn't you know there's a part of the world called The Wild West? ;)

Yeee ha!

I went to Disneyland on Thursday, and after reading your post I was looking forward to seeing this myself. I thought there was nothing wrong with them, and because they were made in the style, they look like they fit right in. And some of them are adorable!

The only thing I don't like about it is that it seems very commercial to me to bring in characters to a ride that had nothing to do with actual Disney characters in the first place.

Good to know they look good in person! After seeing the pictures I pretty much figured it would be much ado about nothing.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only