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Tokyo Disneyland Resort

I'd need to ride this to see if I liked it or not...but my god the tech of the ride is amazing and would take it at Disneyland in CA in about 5 seconds.

Its like a show you ride....so I think if you like shows like Philharmagic or Tiki Room you should like this.
It's basically a modern day carousel of progress. You stop in a scene watch it, then have a really awkward transition to another scene where you stop and watch etc.
 
It's basically a modern day carousel of progress. You stop in a scene watch it, then have a really awkward transition to another scene where you stop and watch etc.
Basically.

I'm not against this as someone who likes to sit down and enjoy a show. But its not everyone's cup of tea ;)
 
The general impression I'm getting (at least from people not on the ground in Japan) is mixed, but at the very least I am glad that Disney has chosen to break out of pre-existing dark ride formulas for this attraction (Rise definitely felt very indebted towards Spider-Man and Transformers). It bodes well for the Fantasy Springs rides.
 
Mid-queue restrooms need to be the new standard for themed queue lines.
Yes but what if someone needs to go to the restroom before the middle of queue? Then you need to add a mid-mid-queue restroom. And then a mid-mid-mid queue restroom. And so on as rides get more popular and lines get infinitely longer in a theme park version of Zeno's Paradox...
 
Spinning around in a giant room only works a couple times before you are like...is this what the entire ride is? The be our guest scene is impressive, as is the transformation scene, but several of the scenes drag on just a little too long. Especially the snow scene. There isn’t enough interaction between The two AAs , and why are they so far apart?

sure it will be big with the little kids and elderly that crave zero thrill.

the ride seems to think we haven’t heard these songs like 1000 times already.
 
Being a big fan of BatB, I'll admit at first glance I'm rather torn.

Outside looks fantastic, the AA's look wonderful and there's some really nice effects and tricks.

I also don't mind them having each scene be more of a show, since on one side you have Be Our Guest where the scene gradually changes in that section. But then you get the very next scene of Something There, where it feels like Something's Missing and the cup's are aimlessly spinning around to pad for time while not much is going on.

Then you have another issue which has plagued both old and new Fantasyland darkrides, the pacing and trying to fit a condensed story into the ride. While the Little Mermaid can kinda' skate by from First Kiss/Love scene to Happy Ending, BatB does need a bit of conflict in order to get to the transformation/Happy Ending, and it felt super jarring when the attack suddenly came and went just the same.

Also, with the pre-show stained glass window...why was it separated into sections? Could've easily just done one big piece like their ToT.

As I said, I'm torn. A BatB darkride can be a full on grand slam of a ride, but it feels like it slipped up in spots it could've really shined.
 
As I've thought about it and watched the video a few more times, what I really think we're looking at here is -- as some others have kind of hinted at -- something that changes what we conventionally think of as the traditional dark ride "form." It's integrating the guest into musical scenes that play out in full, more akin to a participatory show than a ride that progressively takes us continuously through the narrative.

I'm not ready to say if I think this formal swerve is something I like or not (especially without feeling how the ride vehicle is "dancing," as that's apparently quite a big aspect). But I do know that, as the ride's sat with me, I find some of the big, open spaces that are relatively empty to be kind of off-putting to me. It definitely works for the finale, but the first two scenes of the ride I'm less sure of.

So after all the hype, this seems to be rather mediocre? More MMRR than RotR it seems?

I think it's trying to achieve something very different than either of those (with the caveat that any knowledge I have of Runaway Railway is purely secondhand, as I've not ridden it, nor have I watched any ride videos). ROTR is very much an "action" attraction, while Runaway Railway is all about projection mapping and zany adventure.

The defining features of BATB that I've taken away so far are the gorgeous (physical) sets. In that sense, it's much more a successor to the classic Fantasyland dark ride than Runaway Railway is.
 
As I've thought about it and watched the video a few more times, what I really think we're looking at here is -- as some others have kind of hinted at -- something that changes what we conventionally think of as the traditional dark ride "form." It's integrating the guest into musical scenes that play out in full, more akin to a participatory show than a ride that progressively takes us continuously through the narrative.

I'm not ready to say if I think this formal swerve is something I like or not (especially without feeling how the ride vehicle is "dancing," as that's apparently quite a big aspect). But I do know that, as the ride's sat with me, I find some of the big, open spaces that are relatively empty to be kind of off-putting to me. It definitely works for the finale, but the first two scenes of the ride I'm less sure of.



I think it's trying to achieve something very different than either of those (with the caveat that any knowledge I have of Runaway Railway is purely secondhand, as I've not ridden it, nor have I watched any ride videos). ROTR is very much an "action" attraction, while Runaway Railway is all about projection mapping and zany adventure.

The defining features of BATB that I've taken away so far are the gorgeous (physical) sets. In that sense, it's much more a successor to the classic Fantasyland dark ride than Runaway Railway is.
So like an evolution of Pooh’s Hunny Hunt sort of?

(I don’t watch ride POVs just because I’d rather the in-person experience. Just trying to get a feel for what this ride is)
 
So like an evolution of Pooh’s Hunny Hunt sort of?

(I don’t watch ride POVs just because I’d rather the in-person experience. Just trying to get a feel for what this ride is)
Not really a evolution not as much to look at it really any of the scenes
 
So like an evolution of Pooh’s Hunny Hunt sort of?

(I don’t watch ride POVs just because I’d rather the in-person experience. Just trying to get a feel for what this ride is)

In tone and "feel," it's closer to that, yes, but with more "big" scenes that the vehicles linger in for quite a while (too long in some cases). It feels like Disney got really infatuated with the ability of the trackless vehicles to "dance" around each other, as that's the dominating element of BATB.

It's structurally unusual from a pacing perspective, but I still think it looks like high quality work.
 
Yeah, just watched and not my cup of Tea...

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To those who have watched the POV, do you think Epcot did the right thing doing Ratatouille or would you have rather seen this instead? The consensus I seem to get is that Rat is screen-heavy, yet more frantic and thrilling while BatB is visually gorgeous but an also underwhelming use of the ride technology.
 
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To those who have watched the POV, do you think Epcot did the right thing doing Ratatouille or would you have rather seen this instead? The consensus I seem to get is that Rat is screen-heavy, yet more frantic and thrilling while BatB is visually gorgeous but an also underwhelming use of the ride technology.
Oh Beauty and the Beast seems much better. I'd say the ride's most successful in the first and last scene, but you can only justify staying in a scene for an extended period of time if either A. there's enough stuff in the scene to look at or B. the scene changes significantly over time. The ballroom and Be Our Guest fulfill those criteria respectively whereas Something There doesn't. The ride also kind of gives up in the middle and becomes a more traditional dark ride, which makes me think that the show building needed to be bigger to accommodate more dancing scenes, which is kind of scary given how big the show building already is.
 
To those who have watched the POV, do you think Epcot did the right thing doing Ratatouille or would you have rather seen this instead? The consensus I seem to get is that Rat is screen-heavy, yet more frantic and thrilling while BatB is visually gorgeous but an also underwhelming use of the ride technology.

Purely comparing the two rides, there's no question for me: BATB looks like the ride I'd enjoy much, much more.

However, I think Ratatouille is a better overall fit for the France pavilion at Epcot. BATB, if it were to go anywhere, should go in Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom.
 
I’ve shamelessly been having “virtual” theme park
Days as they’re so many great walkthroughs of parks and attractions. I guess today is my Tokyo Disneyland day. Covid cases are up where I am so, great day to stay in and check out some park stuff!
 
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To those who have watched the POV, do you think Epcot did the right thing doing Ratatouille or would you have rather seen this instead? The consensus I seem to get is that Rat is screen-heavy, yet more frantic and thrilling while BatB is visually gorgeous but an also underwhelming use of the ride technology.
I'm shocked to say it, but I'd much rather have Ratatouille
 
I'm shocked to say it, but I'd much rather have Ratatouille
BatB would've been too out of place in Epcot anyway. Now of course they have since put the stupid BatB sing-a-long in the area, but the new area where the ride is looks great and I just think if we are ever to get the BatB ride, it belongs in Fantasyland, not Epcot.
 
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