My time at Disney! - Pirates of the Caribbean Online Fansite & Forums

Mr. Awesome · #1 06-14-2011, 08:34 PM

AHOY!!

As many of you know, for the past three days I was not able to access my computer, why you ask? Because I was at the most magical place on earth! And as some of you might know, it is kind of a tradition here that when one of us goes to Disney, we have to show a little bit of guild pride. So when I was planning my trip I made this...

and then I did this with it...

Yes, that is me at Disney, in the middle of the day, in the middle of summer, on a busy server, holding my sign over my head proudly.

Anyway here are some of my thoughts on some of the stuff they have added since my last visit

WARNING SPOILERS

Pirates of the Caribbean: Blackbeard.
As some of you might know they have "temporarily" added Blackbeard to our favorite ride to promote the new movie... And I hope they keep him

While projecting the head of Davy Jones onto a waterfall was a cool effect, it just didn't "fit in" with the rest of the ride. And when you were exiting the ride they had his voice in the background taunting you. In the waterfall part of the ride he didn't fit in with the more realistic tone of the ride, and when you were exiting his voice was way to intrusive. But with Blackbeard he really seems to fit in alot better, and as much as I love Bill Nighy as an actor, his voice was way to overpowering, especially as you were exiting the ride. Ian McShane on the other hand has a much quieter (and evil sounding) voice, and it really does sound like something truly evil...

My verdict: Great improvement.

Haunted Mansion: New Queue.
As some of you might not know, they have added an almost completely new queue to my 2ed favorite ride, the Haunted Mansion. And while it seems like Haunted Mansion may be one of the few rides that really didn't need a new queue, I tried to go into it with an unbiased and open mind and... It's actually pretty good... When it's good, but when it's bad, it's BAD. I'll go through it crypt by crypt.

New Busts: While the new inscriptions are nice and morbid, I can't help but feel the busts themselves are just to "cartoony" so these busts are just... Meh.

Crypt one: In this crypt, as you walk past the right side there are carvings of musical instruments, and when you put you're hand on them they play Grim Grinning Ghosts. And as you walk around the crypt you came across a giant carving of an organ, and when you press the keys they make noise. And as you finally make it to the left side of the crypt you see "demented" versions of the more traditional instruments on the other side, and when you press them they make sounds that sound as weird as the carvings look. And I actually really like this crypt

the sounds the instruments aren't too loud, I love the idea, and the organ is just... Awesome.

Crypt two: Here you see the grave of a sea captain, who, while very brave in real life, died a very ironic and undignified death. And I really like this crypt

while I have heard alot of people whine that it contradicts with a certain famous painting inside the ride, in my opinion it not only pays to tribute to that portrait, but it really fits in with the Mansion. Much of the humor from the Mansion comes from the ironic fact that you could be the richest, most powerful, bravest man in the world and still die a sudden and undignified death, so in my opinion this crypt is awesome.

Crypt three: This is me banging my head against the crypt hoping to demolish it
------->

after two home runs they managed to make a crypt thats TERRIBLE!!!!!!!! why is it terrible you ask? Well the crypt is the grave of a poetess and now "after dying from writers block she needs you're help to finish her poems". This might not have bothered me so much if she didn't sound like Mrs. Potts! Now I have to give them some credit because I think that they actually did rerecord her lines since her voice was not as bad as the videos and some of her lines were different but her voice is so intrusive and SO obnoxious I think they really should completely remove her voice. Also on the side of her crypt you get to play Haunted Mansion Whac-A-Mole.

New Tombstones: The new tombstones on the other hand are awesome! I think a big reason way they are so good is because they pay tribute to people who worked on the Mansion who didn't get honored the first time around, so it's nice to see people like Thurl Ravenscroft and Paul Frees get their long overdue tribute. And I am REALLY really glad that they didn't remove any of the old tombstones like the one honoring Xavier Atencio.

My verdict: Good improvement.

Haunted Mansion: New Hitchhiking Ghosts.
As some of you might not know, the Hitchhiking Ghost scene has been remade. It is now interactive with the ghosts playing "pranks" on the guests, such as switching the heads of two guests, pulling the guests faces off, or decapitating them and turning their heads into balloons. (Sounds horrifying doesn't it?) And...
I actually really like it! Now I can't judge the whole scene since I only rode twice, and both times I got the same Hitchhiker (Gus). You can't complain that the new ghosts are too cartoony since the originals were just as cartoony, and I'm just glad that they are decapitating guests >

And the effect works really well, no matter where you are sitting in the doombuggy you get the same effect, and if you move around the ghosts move with you.

My verdict: Great improvement.

Star Tours 2 3-D
One of my favorite attractions in Disney was the original Star Tours, it was both funny and fun, so how does this one hold up?... Pretty well actually. One thing that really helps is that it has the exact same tone of the original without recycling any (well almost any) of the same jokes. The 3-D is above average, but not as good as, say Avatar, and the new "choose it's own adventure" ride system is both a blessing and a curse because on one ride you could be fighting AT-AT walkers, and on the next ride you could be doing something as lame as flying over Naboo. So over all it is a very good ride, and putting nostalgia aside it IS as fun and funny as the original, but it's not "better" it's about the same, which is NOT a bad thing.

My verdict: About the same. (Which is not a bad thing)

And be sure to visit Alderaan, which has been recently voted safest planet in the galaxy!

Tiberius Fireskull · #2 06-14-2011, 08:50 PM

<3's for you mate. Y'know, Billy and I did this when we went... never got around to posting pictures.... I'll dig them up some time...

Glad you enjoyed Disneyland mate! You rode Space Mountain, yes? And California Screamin' in CA Adventures, yes? And Grizzly River Rafting, AKA GRR? Was Splash Mountain back up, cuz it was down when I went, much to my dismay...

Catherine Ironcutter · #3 06-14-2011, 10:00 PM

Awesome! I should dig up some of my photos and stuff. I didn't make a big sign, but I made a Pixie Pyrates lanyard with pins on it and wore it most of the time at Disneyland. Splash Mountain was down when I went as well, which was super sad, because I wanted to ride it on my birthday. Same with Star Tours. Though we did go on GRR a couple times xD I didn't really get wet though. They added all of that after I went too, so just in the past month or two have they added all of that.

***The Skirata Clan*** · #4 06-14-2011, 10:35 PM

For once I must admit that this post of yours is Rad! I need to go back there soon! But, you should have added a ban somewhere.

Captain Sharktooth · #5 06-15-2011, 12:32 AM

Wow, I never knew about all this! I'll have to wait until I go next year to see all this! AWESOME post.

Wait... I'm going to Disneyland instead, can't see the additions then.

Mr. Awesome · #6 06-15-2011, 04:58 PM

Well the two Haunted Mansion updates are Walt Disney World exclusives

So sorry to rain on the parade of Disneyland visitors...

And Blackbeard is supposed to be temporary, but there is a chance they might keep him...

But at least Star Tours 2 3-D is identical at both Disneyland and Walt Disney Walt, and it's here to stay!

SEAKING23 · #7 06-15-2011, 10:01 PM

Wow, I'm jealous.

haha, kidding. Glad you had fun! Rum's on TSC...

Dragon Firestorm · #8 06-15-2011, 10:12 PM

Cool. We are going in August to Disney World Florida. I hope I get to go on all the rides with the kids that we want to go and definitely want to see these new additions.

***The Skirata Clan*** · #9 06-15-2011, 10:17 PM

Pirates is better at Disneyland than at WDW. And sure Rum's on me this time!

Mr. Awesome · #10 06-16-2011, 12:05 AM

Well Pirates, the ride is better at Disneyland than at Walt Disney World, but the Pirates queue at Walt Disney World is way, way better then the one at Disneyland, so I'm happy with the Walt Disney Worlds Pirates

. But Disneyland does have the Matterhorn...

Anyways, thanks for the rum TSC!

***The Skirata Clan*** · #11 06-16-2011, 01:16 AM

And it has Mr. Toad's Wild Ride... which they made more kid friendly.

soccer526 · #12 07-08-2011, 02:16 PM

I miss Disney World, I havent been there for a while. The last time I went they were still building everest in the Animal Kingdom -.-

Twilight the Pixie Pirate · #13 08-28-2011, 12:23 AM

Those are two of my favorite rides in WDW.

POTC is a true classic. Love that they added people from the
movies in it. Captian Jack Sparrow looks awesome in it.

The Haunted Mansion is by far my favorite ride. They added a few new things inside the ride the last time we went. And I can not wait to go back to see
these new additions. The hitchhiking ghost scene sounds like it will
be awsome.
I am waiting to go back when they finish the Fantasyland update. So maybe in a year or two depending on how it takes them to finish.

Glad you had a great time on your trip and how could you not going to the most magical and happiest place on earth WDW.

~Twi