So earlier this week, I started this series of Top 5 Countdowns on various theme park related topics on my Facebook page, so I'd like to share these with our new audience here at The Park Hoppers. Let's start things off with an Top 5 based on the worst updates made to an attraction. Please note that all of these are mostly the same or are the same as their previous version, just not as good as they use to be.
5. Lights! Motors! Action! (DHS, 2011)
LMA use to be a quite popular and exciting stunt show, but the crowds have not been kind over the years. One such reason is what changed in 2011. To promote Cars 2, they removed a sequence featuring Disney icon Herbie the Love Bug and replaced it with a half baked sequence featuring Lightning McQueen and Mater. The result was not nearly as good as the original and ruins the show for many fans.
4. Beatlejuice Graveyard Mash-Up (Universal Studios, 2014)
Universal's Beatlejuice show was a bit of a cult classic. It featured Universal's classic monsters dancing and performing classic rock numbers. It was a good time, especially for older audiences. The 2014 version replaced two characters, which is fine, but replacing much of the humor and all the music with half baked modern pop songs ruins the show. The new version isn't the worst thing ever, but it's tough to watch for fans of the original.
3. Studio Backlot Tour (DHS, 2005)
Poor Backlot Tour... It started off at the primary reason to visit Disney MGM Studios when the park opened. Now? It's begging to get removed. The nails in the coffin occurred when LMA opened in 2005 removing the Backlot of the Backlot Tour. Giving it an awful automatic spiel just poured salt on the wound...
2. Stitch's Great Escape (MK, 2006)
This one is technically a replacement, but since it's virtually the same thing as what it replaced, it fits here. Stitch took what was good about Alien Encounter and turned it into a bad sitcom featuring everyone's favorite overused little blue alien, Stitch. The result? The current worst attraction on Disney property.
1. Journey Into Your Imagination (Epcot, 1999)
Journey Into Imagination was one of the best dark rides Disney ever built. It was wonderful in virtually every way. The scientific updated version in 1999 was so bad then CEO Michael Eisner hated it on his first ride on opening day. It was that bad. Cutting the track in half, replacing the fun imaginative scenes with dull scientific ones mostly in total darkness was a bad choice and, of course, the removal of Figment outraged fans. Journey Into Imagination with Figment (the current version) is better, but still pales in comparison to the original.
That's all for the first countdown! I have more to post from earlier this week and I hope to post them all on here eventually... Please feel free to discuss in the comments below!
Written by Chris Coburn on 6/22/2014
5. Lights! Motors! Action! (DHS, 2011)
LMA use to be a quite popular and exciting stunt show, but the crowds have not been kind over the years. One such reason is what changed in 2011. To promote Cars 2, they removed a sequence featuring Disney icon Herbie the Love Bug and replaced it with a half baked sequence featuring Lightning McQueen and Mater. The result was not nearly as good as the original and ruins the show for many fans.
4. Beatlejuice Graveyard Mash-Up (Universal Studios, 2014)
Universal's Beatlejuice show was a bit of a cult classic. It featured Universal's classic monsters dancing and performing classic rock numbers. It was a good time, especially for older audiences. The 2014 version replaced two characters, which is fine, but replacing much of the humor and all the music with half baked modern pop songs ruins the show. The new version isn't the worst thing ever, but it's tough to watch for fans of the original.
3. Studio Backlot Tour (DHS, 2005)
Poor Backlot Tour... It started off at the primary reason to visit Disney MGM Studios when the park opened. Now? It's begging to get removed. The nails in the coffin occurred when LMA opened in 2005 removing the Backlot of the Backlot Tour. Giving it an awful automatic spiel just poured salt on the wound...
2. Stitch's Great Escape (MK, 2006)
This one is technically a replacement, but since it's virtually the same thing as what it replaced, it fits here. Stitch took what was good about Alien Encounter and turned it into a bad sitcom featuring everyone's favorite overused little blue alien, Stitch. The result? The current worst attraction on Disney property.
1. Journey Into Your Imagination (Epcot, 1999)
Journey Into Imagination was one of the best dark rides Disney ever built. It was wonderful in virtually every way. The scientific updated version in 1999 was so bad then CEO Michael Eisner hated it on his first ride on opening day. It was that bad. Cutting the track in half, replacing the fun imaginative scenes with dull scientific ones mostly in total darkness was a bad choice and, of course, the removal of Figment outraged fans. Journey Into Imagination with Figment (the current version) is better, but still pales in comparison to the original.
That's all for the first countdown! I have more to post from earlier this week and I hope to post them all on here eventually... Please feel free to discuss in the comments below!
Written by Chris Coburn on 6/22/2014