New SSE again

[t***@aol.com]

So when is Shane getting his ass over to Epcot?

I hear that they have added some functionality of the touch screen on
the ascent as well as totally replacing the cartoony crap on the
decent... plus added some new lighting effects on the descent.

I wonder if this was the plan all along or a reaction to the horrible
reception the cartoon stuff got during the soft opening. Either way,
for good or bad, this again should remind us that soft openings are
exactly that... things change.

[9Lanterns]

I have not yet experienced the "official" SSE. I was actually at
Epcot yesterday over lunch, but the holiday crowds boosted SSE to 35
minutes. I'm not waiting that long. However, I do not think the
cartoony crap is gone. I think they have only replaced the trivia
questions that show up while waiting for the animation to render.
There have been reports of some "triangle panels" added to the descent
tunnel, so maybe that part has slightly improved.

Incidentally, last time I rode I did see what you were referring to
with the blue grid of lights. That was NOT installed when I first
rode when soft openings began. I liked the blue grid, for what it's
worth, but still feel like the descent tunnel was ruined by the
ridiculous flash animation. I'm hoping they at least restored that
miniature spaceship earth.

-Shane

[t***@aol.com]

I actually really liked the grid of lights and these additional
lighting effects certainly will not hurt. In the end the flash
animation is so horribly out of place that it does harm the overall
experience for sure. With all that said I think it is still an
improvement over the previous version. The front half is MUCH better
than before and the decent always either sucked or semi sucked.
Again, from 982 to about 1986 there was literally nothing but
Christmas tree lights in front of mirrors to create an "endless star
field" of sorts. Sounds cool but it was the same effect they sold at
Spencer gifts on cheap mirrors with Budwieser graphics screened on.
My point is that the decent has always sucked...

[9Lanterns]

"My point is that the decent has always sucked... "

I have to agree, but I feel in this case, this descent is worse than
the previous. I mean, there is simply NOTHING but the flash
animation, once you pass the blue grid.

My memory is fuzzy on the original descent, but as I recall,
Tomorrow's Child played all the way down, which was stirring and
uplifting, even if the scenery was not so hot.

The ascent has definitely taken great steps forward, except that the
more I hear it, the more I dislike the Judy Dench narration. This
rehab probably comes out as a wash for me. Great leaps forward in
some areas, great leaps back in others.

-Shane

[t***@aol.com]

I am 90% sure that Tomorrow's Child did not play AT ALL on the
original version (though to be honest it is hard to recall).

The thing is that the improvements in this case took an aging
attraction in need of some attention and returned it to former glory
(or probably past it actually). The negatives simply took a poor
section of the attraction and kept it poor. Sure, it was a missed
opportunity but I just think that the good out weigh the bad.

All over these DIsney geek sites I see dweebs saying things like "The
SSE tragedy" and so on. They act as if the ending was some revered
special Disney magic lost forever.
I mean what are we really talking about here? Some doll house scale
sets, some early 90's lighting effects and a cool little model of
SSE. In fact I always hated that net of lights that swept over the
cars simply because the infrastructure of the net was more visible
than the lights themselves... it just was always place holder crap.
Now they traded old crap for new crap... Plus, if they ever wisen up
(doubtful) the idea of a monitor is good... they just need to play
something appropriate, inspirational and impressive on it instead of
something that looks exactly like an insurance commercial.

[Brian C.]

Post by t***@aol.com
I am 90% sure that Tomorrow's Child did not play AT ALL on the
original version (though to be honest it is hard to recall).

According to Wikipedia (which is certainly not a definitive source),

"In May of 1986, the attraction was given a slight remodel. This second
version of the attraction started off with the lightened tunnel enhanced by
twinkling lights, meant to depict stars, with the fog machine removed.
Famous news journalist Walter Cronkite was the new narrator, reading from an
updated script. A theme song called Tomorrow's Child was composed for the
ending of the attraction, which was redesigned with projected images of
children on screens to help fit with the theme of "Tomorrow's Child"."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaceship_Earth_(Disney)#The_attraction_throughout_the_years

-- BC

[t***@aol.com]

Thanks Brian, that is what I thought.

The true original had neither Cronkite or Tomorrow's Child and the
decent tunnel was literally nothing but some twinkle lights.
Now that poorness of the original does not forgive the poorness of the
current version, but my point again is that this was never
Disney's high point so the outrage that some people have seems
misplaced to me. Of course I am not talking about people
here but rather on other boards.

I am Disney's harshest critic but in this case I truly think the
overall re-hab is an improvement, even with a missed
opportunity at the end.