The Seas With Nemo and Friends–Hit and Miss

Epcot’s The Seas With Nemo and Friends is a split decision. There’s so much about it to like, yet it lacks completeness, that we have to give it a Hit and a Miss.

On the hit side of things, WDI has done an amazing (no–really–an AMAZING) job in the queue area. Entering the building (after being greeted by the noisy gulls from Finding Nemo!) you find yourself in a cool, tranquil beach setting. Before you know it, you’re underwater. The ripples of waves play on the ceiling above you, and the rails that keep guests in line look and feel like they were just pulled out of a shipwreck (with a little cleaning up before installation).

It is at this point, however, that the show begins to go downhill a bit. If you think back to the original EPCOT Center that opened in 1982, everything in Future World seemed to inspire wonder and curiosity. The Living Seas (which opened a few years later) fit that mold. Guests learned about the unexplored world in our oceans. Even today, in 2010, we know more about outer space than we do about our own oceans. As visitors, we were able to tour Seabase Alpha. After a quick hydrolator ride down to the visitors level, we were able to marvel at the life contained in the huge aquarium. We saw research with dolphins and manatees. We watched divers in the tank feed its inhabitants and then tell us about the experience.

Today, we have a Fantasyland dark ride. (Don’t get me wrong–the Fantasyland dark rides like Peter Pan’s Flight and Snow White’s Scary Adventure are great attractions. But they belong in the world of fantasy.) Rather than learning about the seas, we are treated to the retelling of the Finding Nemo story. There is no question that the story-telling technique and technology are top notch. The problem is, we’re not learning anything along the way. Epcot’s pavilions should entertain and teach, not simply entertain.

After riding in our clam shell vehicle, we end up in the remnants of Seabase Alpha. The place looks tired, and it feels incomplete, like parts are unused. Fortunately, we do have Turtle Talk With Crush to entertain–and to teach. Overall, however, the perceptive guest is left with the impression that the show isn’t quite ready for an audience yet.

The Haunted Mansion–Hit

The Haunted Mansion is the first attraction featured in our series on WDI’s hits and misses. What makes the attraction a hit? There are so many things, it is hard to know where to begin.

Unlike the haunted houses that spring up like mushrooms each year in October, The Haunted Mansion is not designed to simply scare the heck out of you. No strobe lights, no blood scenes, no amateur hour here. The Haunted Mansion is designed to entertain you, using the ghostly world in a slightly sinister, slightly humorous way. The entire “999 happy haunts, but there’s room for one more” theme subtly tells you that you are merely a visitor, and that no harm will come to you. You can relax and enjoy the show.

And what a show it is! The tone is set in the queue where you see tombstones with humorous, pun-ny epitaphs. The stretching rooms are usually the first time we can hear our Ghost Host clearly (his opening lines in the foyer are usually drowned out by talking guests). The voice of Paul Frees, a legendary voice actor, is perfect for the role. The humor continues as the portraits stretch to reveal the way that some of the guests met their fate.

From there, you board your Doombuggy and head out on the tour. Ghost stories fill the library alongside terrific busts that follow you as you go through. Things try to escape: coffins, doors, all accompanied by creepy wallpaper.

One of the best visual illusions ever is featured: a head in a crystal ball. Yes, Madame Leota conducts her seance, followed by a view into the ballroom with dancing ghosts. A trip to the attic followed by a visit to the graveyard leads to a close encounter with a ghost who will “follow you home.”

Ghosts and the supernatural have been themes in literature and storytelling for centuries. People like to be scared a bit. Macbeth dealt with the ghost of his murdered father (or was it?). Edgar Allen Poe masterfully told tales of terror. Even Mickey Mouse had to take on ghosts in one of his shorts. All of those experiences, however, are two-dimensional. Even when viewing Macbeth on stage, there is typically a “wall” between the audience and the players.

The Haunted Mansion breaks through that wall and takes us into the world of ghosts, and you can’t help but chuckle along the way. What’s not to like?

Disney’s Hollywood Studios–a detailed analysis

Disney’s Hollywood Studios is showing some signs of age. Disney’s Folly has an in-depth look at what works and doesn’t work in the park these days.

Spaceship Earth–Miss

Epcot’s Spaceship Earth is the first attraction to earn a Miss in our series. Is this possible? Have we lost our minds?

Actually, Spaceship Earth in its current form, after the 2007-2008 revision, is what earns a Miss. Heck, it earns a Dud. I hate to say it, but WDI took a solid Hit and wrecked it.

In its original form, and even after the 1986 and 1994 revisions, Spaceship Earth told the story of human communications throughout our history on this planet. It avoided cringe-worthy lines in the script, such as referring to the roads that went out from Rome as the “first world wide web.” The earlier versions ended with a suggestion that human communications would improve, bring us closer together as a species, remind us that we all share a common home: Spaceship Earth.

The current iteration of the ride ends not with inspiration and hope, but in a campy Jetsons-like look at possible future living arrangements and life styles. What the heck does this have to do with communication? Adding in the faces of guests (which are frequently out of frame) does nothing to personalize the experience. Rather, it reinforces the feeling that WDI was trying to produce a video game rather than tell a story. Where is the reminder that we share a common (and single) planet? Where is the hope for a better tomorrow?

Regrettably, this attraction is a mere shadow of what it once was. Not too many years ago, when a revision to another Epcot attraction brought universally bad reviews, Disney made an effort to fix it. Hopefully, they will do the same for Spaceship Earth.

The Imagineers talk about Imagineering

Disney fans usually get to see only the end result of the Imagineering process. Today is different.

First up, Imagineer Jack Blitch spoke at a NASA summit meeting where he talked about how WDI designs attractions and some future plans. (h/t to Stitch Kingdom)

Second, an interview between one Imagineer and another reveals the approach WDI uses when designing. (h/t to Shiny Shiny)

Imagineering hits and misses

One of the features we will run from time to time here is a series of articles on WDI’s “hits and misses.” Some attractions are hits, and some are, well, misses. The popularity of an attraction doesn’t play into the determination. Some shows are clearly hits: The Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean fall into this category. Other shows are misses–American Idol Experience, for example.

Part of what will make this series fun is that the articles will undoubtedly spark debate. “What do you mean Tomorrowland Transit Authority is a miss?” “The Seas With Nemo and Friends is a hit, are you kiddin’ me?” With any luck, though, the articles will help us dissect and analyze the work of the Imagineers and promote a deeper understanding of their art.

Stay tuned!

It’s all about the story

Ask any Imagineer what makes WDI different from other theme park designers, and you’ll probably hear one word: story. Anyone can design a roller coaster, but it takes WDI to take a roller coaster and tell the story about being late to an Aerosmith concert. Think about some of the stories that populate the Disney theme parks.

The Haunted Mansion. Just about every community puts together a “haunted house” at Halloween, but they lack a cohesive story. They may be good at scaring you around every corner, but they do not inspire the kind of love and loyalty as Disney’s Haunted Mansion. The story of being on a tour of the haunted place, with 999 ghosts–and room for one more–is what sets this show apart.

Space Mountain. Think there is no story to Space Mountain? Think again! You are a space explorer, you get in your craft, go for launch, zoom through space, and experience re-entry.

Pleasure Island. A bunch of nightclubs and restaurants? There’s more to it. Almost every building featured a plaque that told part of the story of Merriweather Pleasure, a wealthy business operator who operated warehouses and even a sail manufacturing operation. Mr. Pleasure’s businesses were destroyed in a powerful storm that also caused his disappearance. The empty buildings became the home to the various clubs and restaurants.

The number of different stories found in the Disney theme parks is probably as numerous as the many Hidden Mickeys that populate the parks. We will look at these as we explore the works of Walt Disney Imagineering in coming articles.

What is Imagineering?

Just what is Imagineering, anyway?

Ask any Imagineer, and you will probably hear that it is the combination of creativity with technical know-how. Imagination+engineering. Simple, right?

Or maybe not so simple. Many people can imagine things, and some engineers can be creative in ways you would not expect. When it comes to Imagineering, especially Walt Disney Imagineering, there is much more to it.

Around WDI there is an old joke: How many Imagineers does it take to change a light bulb? The answer is, Does it have to be a lightbulb? Imagineers take the notion of thinking outside the box way beyond the limits.

The best way to understand Imagineering is to take a look at what the Imagineers at WDI do. And that is just what you will find here in the coming days and weeks.

Everybody neat and pretty? Then on with the show!

Welcome!

Originally launched in October of 1997, The Unofficial Walt Disney Imagineering Site is back. Right now, you will find two of the most popular resources on this site: Frequently Asked Questions and How to become an Imagineer. In the coming weeks, you will find more information, including in-depth features on Disney attractions, art work, podcasts and more. You can also follow the site on Twitter: @imagineeringorg. Please visit often!