Mouse Extra

TouringPlans.com reported yesterday on changes coming to the Imagination pavilion at Epcot’s Future World.  Rumors seem to be constantly swirling around Figment’s house.

Disney has filed a permit to refurbish the post-show Kodak Imageworks area of the Imagination pavilion. Rumors suggest that perhaps the upstairs portion of the building may reopen, though the permit only specifies new carpet and such. The upstairs are is rumored to be currently use as staging area for the Waste Management exhibit coming to Innoventions East in February.

Recently, Imagineering has accomplished some great things with refurbishments to older attractions.  But that was certainly not always the case.  There was a period when Imagineering garnered more criticism then praise and nothing is more a poster child for that time then this pavilion.  People fell in love with its trippy and whimsical playfulness when it first opened, only to be repeatedly disappointed when less then interesting updates ruined much of the appeal.

Since then rumors seem to be constantly circling this building, perhaps caused by the wishes fans have to see a return to its former glory.  And this rumor seems to be no exception.  Even though the permit seems fairly specific about what the work will include, we can only hope that it is just masking more intense changes.  But I doubt anything of real inertest and fun will be added here.  Sooner or later the time will come for Disney to either turn Imagination back into an attraction that actually attracts attention, or turn the page to something else that will.

When a new Travel Channel show debuts, I usually have mixed expectations as I sit down if front of my television.  I love to see footage of Walt Disney World, but these shows often have canned and sometimes dated footage.  But last night’s “Disney Holiday Magic” with Samantha Brown really went beyond my expectations.

This is a remake of a similar show that Brown did and has been airing for years.  It was one of those shows which cause me to be a bit cynical when viewing these kinds of programs.  But after the first few minutes of this new one, I started to get excited.  After a behind the scenes look at Mickey Jingle Jungle Parade, we were treated to a tour of Expedition Everest with Imagineer Joe Rhode, the man who led the development of the coaster.  It was fascinating to hear him speak about the inspiration and story behind everything from the ride vehicle to the artifacts that fill the Yeti Museum.  When you expect to see nothing but holiday related subjects, to get this was a real treat.

Holiday decorations are obviously a big theme in the show and for guests that travel during the season.  Brown highlighted some of the resorts as well as the usual theme park offerings.  I was especially delighted to see the show focus some time on the holiday decorations that guests at the Fort Wilderness Campground set up on their campsites.  This is a longstanding and fun tradition at Walt Disney World and one that is largely overlooked. 

There was a great focus on Imagineers that really made this show special.  Besides the aforementioned Rhode segment, we got to see interviews with others as well.  An Imagineer walked us through the famous Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights, and then two more talked about the terrific new lights on Cinderella’s Castle.  If you can’t get there to see this for yourself, the show really does a good job at visualizing how impressive it really is.

As you would probably imagine, a good amount of time was spent at the World Showcase.  Many of the decorations and traditions from around the world were highlighted and even the Epcot tree lighting ceremony was there.  But I must say, I got very jealous and even a bit nostalgic when Brown walked into my beloved Rose and Crown pub for a pint.  I can wathc that segment over and over again…

All the parks were covered, as well as Downtown Disney and even a little bit of Disneyland.  Sometimes Samantha Brown can be over the top with silliness, but not in this show.  This show is one of the best I have seen on Walt Disney World and Disney can learn a lot from it.  Everything they produce, from the travel DVD’s, to the parade coverage on television, to the in-room shows, are nothing compared to this.  It is on again this Friday at 8pm and then again on Sunday at noon.  Take a look and enjoy a little holiday cheer Disney style.

Kevin Yee’s lasting column on MiceAge.com is a seriously in depth review of the new Spaceship Earth.  As I am sure you know by now, the big golf ball opened for previews a few days ago after a long period of refurbishment.  Needless to say, the new version has been getting mixed reviews.  Now before you start complaining the Mr. Yee is always negative keep in mind that he has been positive about many of the newer attractions and remakes.

The column is a terrific way to really get a feel for the scope of this project.  He compares pictures of the old version with new version all along the ride and you really get a feel for what to expect.  Throughout the first portion of the ride, the review is very positive, praising the new robotics and fresh appearance achieved.  But the descent is the place that has come under the most fire.

It’s almost as if two different designers worked on the ride. The first half is a textbook example of how to freshen up an old ride, add new effects, and make it relevant again. The second half is a complete miscalculation of what would be interesting, from start to finish, and the worst part is that I don’t see how they can fix this and still keep the viewscreen concept around.

I hope they do something. They still have some time until the official grand re-opening, and of course they can continue to tweak as time goes on, too. But something drastic is needed for that descent tunnel. It’s not working at all right now.

Many people are making a big deal out of this sequence, and I assume this feedback will get back to WDI.  But like Mr. Yee says, I don’t see how they can fix it in the timeframe they have.  Will this part ruin the ride for people like it did for Mr. Yee?  To be completely honest, the descent portion of this ride was never what excited me about going on anyway.  In fact, I normally nodded off at this point, so if it is still boring …so be it.

The big buzz this morning is that Spaceship Earth had a soft opening last night and reports of exactly what has been changed and to what extent are now starting to appear on the internet.  Our good friends at WDW News Today have linked us to such a report.  Keep in mind that this report is nothing but spoilers, so if you are waiting to be surprised…don’t read it.

It appears as though much of the original historical scenes have been kept intact with only a few exceptions.  But thankfully, the lighting and animatronics have all been given significant updating and attention.  Some of the scenes have been altered, and of course some updating was needed to make the last 25 years be seen as history and not the future.  Hopefully this removes the “antiquated” feel these scenes had…at least for a couple of years. 

The second half, the futuristic descent sequence, is totally changed with apparently nothing left behind.  This is where the interactive part comes in.  I won’t spoil it too much, but it sounds much more elaborate that Horizons, as many suggested.

This morning’s Orlando Sentinel has a terrific report on the soon to be opened and remade Spaceship Earth.  They also have a nice two minute video of some behind-the-scenes- construction, but don’t get too excited.  The video is very careful not to show anything new.

The report, however, does offer just a bit more details of the upcoming changes and some of the new things that have been added…

Fresh content is most apparent as riders near the top of the sphere. New sets representing the invention of the computer mainframe and the garage where the personal computer was developed lead to the darkened, downward second half of the experience.

As the cars coast down the rail, passengers answer seven questions about their future on a touch screen. (Do you prefer the journey or the destination? While away, do you worry more about your home or your pet?)

Answers are melded into a customized piece of retro-yet-futuristic cartoon for each row.

Other changes blend old and new. The revised living room steers attention to the 1969 moon landing on television — featuring reports from Walter Cronkite, a former narrator of Spaceship Earth.

Some of the recent refurbishment projects, such as the Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Carribean, were mostly upgrades and only a very few additions.  But this seems to be more along the lines of the Gran Fiesta Tour, without the name change.  At first I thought this was going to be a new corporate message at the end and perhaps some interactive features on the ride vehicles.  But this information certainly leads us to believe it will be much, much more involved than that.  Especially since the entire decent sequence is now different.  That is a good chunk of the ride.

The Orlando Sentinel is reporting this morning that Epcot’s iconic attraction Spaceship Earth will be reopening for previews in mid-December, only a couple of weeks away.  There was speculation earlier this fall that work on this project was moving slowly and that previews would not happen until well in 2008.  But now we find this apparently huge project will soon be completed and guests will be allowed back into the big golf ball.

We also now have confirmation that Judi Dench, the actress who plays M in the most recent James Bond films, will in fact be the new narrator.  But the report is predictably short on details, as Imagineering tends to speak in generalities when it comes to such things…

The ride was closed earlier this year as the entire system also has been updated with new show scenes, lighting, costumes, set decorations, interactive features for riders and a new narrator, Academy Award-winning actress Judi Dench.

There is also a new score coming, that Imagineering has apparently put a lot of effort in to…

“To have that score transition smoothly as vehicles travel from one time period to the next is extremely difficult,” said Walt Disney Imagineering show producer Bob Zalk. “The first time we rode through the attraction accompanied by that music, we were amazed.”

Reworking older attractions seems to be the popular project at Walt Disney World these days.  Sweeping changes to older rides, such as Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion, have been mostly met with critical praise.  This project, however, appears to be the most expansive of these projects.  It seems they have put an amazing amount of time and resources into revolutionizing Spaceship Earth.  Being one of my favorite attractions on property, I am both excited and nervous about the outcome.