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Author Topic: The presentations in Walt Disney World - slipping a bit? Mark J. Marshall Film God Posts: 3188 From: New Castle, DE, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 04-10-2011 01:56 AM                    I had the opportunity to hit some attractions at WDW this past week, and I have to say that I was disappointed in some of the "film" presentations there - for the very first time. "Film" is in quotes because I imagine these are probably all digital. Muppet Vision was my first disappointment. The bass seemed to be really cranked DOWN in this attraction for some reason. I remember there being a few instances of some real booms in that show like when Beaker was trying to start the machine or when the place explodes at the end. Those booms weren't there. Also it sounded like the left channel was a bit off in the EQ dept. Statler & Waldorf's voices were not as loud as they should have been either, which took away from some of their jokes. Also some of the panels on the walls which normally show as being destroyed at the end were not doing so. Some were, but not all of them. Very strange. I don't remember there ever being ANY presentation problems with that show, and this one had a ton. At Mickey's Philharmagic, the center projectors were WAY out of focus. Undeniably out of focus. So out of focus that you couldn't see the facial expressions on the characters. What the hell is up with that? Does no one watch these movies when they run? I was there at about 10 PM. I mean - it ran like that all day, and no one noticed? What the hell? Otherwise that show was amazing. I have never seen it before, but other than being blurry as hell, it was really impressive. The movie at the end of The Great Movie Ride - How can that be film? With so many new movies in it, I thought for sure it would have been digital. But I could have swore I saw some shutter ghosting on the copyright tag at the end of the clips. Maybe I was seeing things there. I don't know. Soarin! Holy crap that was GREAT! Is that true 15/70 on a dome? I could see the moving glass in front of the projector that is typical of IMAX projectors. That's another great ride!  |  IP: Logged Jake Spell Master Film Handler Posts: 294 From: Johns Island SC Registered: May 2009 posted 04-10-2011 02:57 AM                     Sorin is possibly my favorite ride there, simply amazing!! Also, the universe of energy does have film based projection or it did when I was there last time about 2 years ago. Its pretty cool since its running across multiple screens, like Cinerama but with a scope picture on 3 screens  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 04-10-2011 03:08 AM                        Did you perhaps mention any of this to park officials (rangers)? Where would you even complain about the likes of this?  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 04-10-2011 10:45 AM                     All of the attractions you listed are FILM attractions. The end montage of the so-so Movie Ride, I believe, is video. Sorin is not only 15/70 IMAX but it is 48fps too (IMAX HD). -Steve  |  IP: Logged Mark J. Marshall Film God Posts: 3188 From: New Castle, DE, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 04-10-2011 11:13 AM                    Joe, yes I did mention it to some cast members on my way out of Mickey's Philharmagic. They thanked me and said they would take care of it. I still find it strange that no one was in the theater to watch the presentation all day. I didn't say anything at Muppet Vision but I probably should have. I wasn't sure if Muppet Vision had been converted to digital. The presentation of the picture seemed fine, it was mostly sound and other interactive stuff in the theater that suffered. Steve, I looked up some tech specs on Soarin' last night after I posted and saw that it is indeed not only 15/70, and shot with the OMNIMAX lens (so the perspectives all look right on the dome) but also 48 fps. Wow! Very impressive show!  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 04-10-2011 04:04 PM                     Muppetvision is dual 70mm 5-perf and I believe at 30fps. Note, all of the Disney sound is interlocked digital...not composite on the print. Exceptions are going to be things like pre-shows in the So-So Movie Ride. -Steve  |  IP: Logged Mark J. Marshall Film God Posts: 3188 From: New Castle, DE, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 04-10-2011 04:40 PM                    Cool. I knew that was what it was, but thought I heard about plans to change it to digital a few years ago.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 04-10-2011 05:58 PM                     There is less of a digital conversion that you would think...remember too Kodak is a major sponsor of the film based attractions. New attractions are going to be digital and even I can make a good argument for using digital in theme park attractions where the same images are going to be shown over and over. However, 70mm does set the bar VERY high and they don't suffer the horrible printing processes that release prints have to go through. However, film's forte is not blemish free for 1000s of runs (not that it can't be done...just that digital can do it much easier). -Steve  |  IP: Logged Jake Spell Master Film Handler Posts: 294 From: Johns Island SC Registered: May 2009 posted 04-11-2011 12:25 AM                     I wonder how hard it would be to get a tour of their projection rooms...  |  IP: Logged Andres Briano Expert Film Handler Posts: 162 From: Buenos Aires, Argentina Registered: Jan 2008 posted 04-11-2011 10:42 AM                        Funny you should say that...! I have returned to WDW last month after 20 years, and I agree that some presentations were dissapointing. In particular, Universe of Energy had some very bad bulb flicker on one of the three screens.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 04-11-2011 11:00 AM                        Mark, did you see The Hall of Presidents? That one is vastly improved. (The biggest problem there is all the morons taking flash pictures from 75 feet away. As usual, people ruin shows.) P.S. Shouldn't this thread be in Film Yak?  |  IP: Logged Mark J. Marshall Film God Posts: 3188 From: New Castle, DE, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 04-11-2011 11:44 AM                    I did not do the hall of presidents this time. I haven't been to WDW in 10 years so if it has been upgraded since then, I missed it this time. I'm heading back in September though, and that is my wife's favorite attraction so I'm sure we'll do it then.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 04-11-2011 12:37 PM                        Well it's actually been changed twice in the past 10 years -- first to add George W Bush, and most recently to add Obama. But the most recent upgrade they changed from film to digital and dramatically improved the sound, too, but they kept the style of the attraction (i.e. the presentation is still done with paintings, not movies). I remember the old presentation was always sorta dim and blurry, the images on the adjacent screens didn't always line up properly, there would be film damage etc. Not surprising since it runs about 30 times a day by remote control.  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 04-11-2011 02:16 PM                     The Hall of Presidents never made sense to me as a movie attraction...it is a big slide show, with narration. As Mike said, it is now digital now...they also no longer open up to the full 5-panels of the previous show...which was only done for the Civil War sequences. -Steve  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 04-11-2011 05:36 PM                        Thanks Steve....I was wondering if I had gone crazy. I thought sure they'd used 5 panels before but they are only using the 3 now. Agreed that it's a slideshow, but the images are zoomed and panned and such, so it makes sense not to have it just be slides. I also agree with posters above that Soarin' is amazing. It's my favorite attraction in Epcot.  |  IP: Logged

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