Tokyo Disney Resort Discussion Thread

ok just a few notes. saw the videos and i will admit that the effects are awesome specially the giant screen. however I feel its a little to dull and bland. Fantasmic in california is the best fantastic. I think its because its kept kinda simple. good vs evil. The one in florida tries to improve on that but where it gets ugly is 1st from what i hear its the seating, its kinda of a small place. this is what i read and hear i have not personally been there, second, and i think this is whats killing a lot of the new shows, is the music. It seem like its just a montage of music and videos clips, like world of color. I really enjoyed world of color, but the music didn't do it for me. This new fantastic music also didn't do it for me. It felt like they were trying to cramp as much as possible into the show and it all sound to me like a big mush of music. The fantastic in california has such amazing music and it all flows together, one after the other in perfect harmony. The music of world of color, fantastic in florida, and fantastic in tokyo doesn't. its really sad. well i had more to write about but its late and i forgot it so imam go to sleep, good night theme park reviewers.

I just watched it again and for some reason I was missing something the first time I saw it yesterday, cause this time I was totally 100% amazed. Unfortunately I am(like Robb said) a Disneyland fanboy despite not even being in a disney group, so I like that one just a bit more. That does not necessarily mean I like every DL ride/attraction/show better than it's counterparts, but in this case I still enjoy DLs the most.

Wooow!! That was awesome!! I love Japanese Mickey. His voice is sooo funny.

Can't wait to go to one day go to Japan. Amazing.

I vote this version for best appearance of Murphy! (Or at least Murphy's Japanese cousin!)

I can't say I like that hat prop when it's used to project Disney clips, though. It just doesn't look right to me. And nothing can ever live up to the Disneyland steamboat finale!

Love Fantasmic! The finale is my favourite Disney music ever! So great to see in Tokyo.

All the Imaginations reminded me a bit of South Park

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOxt3cMTDZE

I just watched it again and for some reason I was missing something the first time I saw it yesterday, cause this time I was totally 100% amazed. Unfortunately I am(like Robb said) a Disneyland fanboy despite not even being in a disney group, so I like that one just a bit more. That does not necessarily mean I like every DL ride/attraction/show better than it's counterparts, but in this case I still enjoy DLs the most.

Looks like I'm in the same boat as you pal, which is good! I need someone to help me row!

california is the best fantastic. The fantastic in california has such amazing music, fantastic in florida, and fantastic in tokyo doesn't.

And I think you're dumb because you don't know what the name of the show actually is!

Wow, I am very impressed with this incarnation of Fantasmic!. I loved how they kept the feel and emotion of the Disneyland original, however, with Tokyo Disney fashion, done on a much grander scope. I was blown away by the size of those barges, something that could never work at Disneyland, which is not a bad thing. Where Disneyland succeeds on a smaller, more intimate scale, this Fantasmic! succeeds in bringing the intimacy of Disneyland's into a larger scale. I found the dragon to be very effective, coming out of the mirror the way it did. And the tweaking of the original soundtrack didn't really bother me, considering I've never been a huge fan of Fantasmic!'s music. However, I wasn't too big a fan of the animation clips on the cone, but then again I was watching a video of it. Hope to see this version live in the near future.

^^ I kept re-reading that guys post(I was the post after his) and could not make out what he was trying to say at all, lol. Glad to see I'm not the only one!

That show looks amazing! It looks better the one at Disneyland and Walt Disney World, in my opinion.

http://d23.disney.go.com/articles/071811_NF_BN_JasminesFlyingCarpets.html

Beginning today, Tokyo DisneySea invites you to visit a whole new world with the grand opening of Jasmine's Flying Carpets. Chuck Ballew, the principle concept designer for Jasmine's Flying Carpets, has been with the project from inception—he came up with the attraction's theming, designed almost every artistic detail, and coordinated with various vendors in California and Japan to make sure each feature is as visually striking as possible. "I did the first concept sketch for the attraction in 2008," Chuck says. "I actually drew three or four different thematic concepts for Joe Lanzisero, who was the creative vice president for Tokyo projects at the time. All the concepts were based on trying to capture the look and feel of a particular location in the movie Aladdin."

 

Aboard Jasmine's Flying Carpets, street urchins and royalty alike soar above Jasmine's garden while sitting upon "flying carpets." The attraction vehicles can be maneuvered up and down, forward and backward, all while rotating around a central fountain. Jasmine's Flying Carpets joins The Magic Lamp Theater, Caravan Carousel and Sinbad's Storybook Voyage in the Arabian Coast. "The most perfect thing about this attraction is its location," Chuck says. "It faces the river, so guests from two bridges and along the entire opposite shore will have a perfect view of the ride. It is our hope that the motion and kinetics of the ride will draw guests into this corner of the park."

 

Though the attraction today is fit for a princess, it wasn't always smooth sailing—or flying—for the attraction's designers. "The primary challenge to this attraction came early," Chuck explains. "The concept for the ride is that the carpets are flying around the large ornamental fountain in Jasmine's garden, which is a scene in the movie. The fountain has a peacock with a fan of water where its tail would be. From the very beginning we wanted to make this a real fountain, but try as we might, we couldn't figure out any way to keep the water from blowing onto guests. We realized that we absolutely had to come up with a special effect for that fan of water that would not actually have any water in it. After lots of thought, I came up with the idea we finally built, which is a two-sided, seven-foot diameter disk of clear, water-like plastic which spins around, resulting in an effect that looks eerily realistic, but also more perfect and beautiful than real water would have been."

 

For those who frequent other Disney parks, Jasmine's Flying Carpets closely resembles The Magic Carpets of Aladdin in Magic Kingdom and Flying Carpets Over Agrabah at Walt Disney Studios Park in Disneyland Paris. "The ride vehicle, which looks like flying carpets, is directly taken from the earlier attractions," Chuck reveals. "That carpet was designed by Imagineer Jim Shull. Our version of the carpet is in different colors, however. I also changed the pattern on the bottom of the carpets by introducing a wiggly edge to it so that it appears more 'woven.' The basic operation of the ride is quite similar, but the thematic concept is entirely different. Our ride takes place in Jasmine's garden; therefore, we chose to play up the character of Jasmine instead of Aladdin. This is helpful because this ride is gentle, rather than thrilling. Jasmine's Flying Carpets is a much more lyrical, romantic experience."

 

If you're planning on "soaring, tumbling, freewheeling through an endless diamond sky" aboard Jasmine's Flying Carpets, Chuck suggests checking out the attraction at night. "After nightfall the attraction comes to life with 15 different color sequences," Chuck says. "They are intense colors and animate with the ride magically as the carpets orbit the fountain. Jasmine's Flying Carpets is the perfect destination for a romantic date—especially at night!"

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/07/first-look-jasmines-flying-carpets-makes-royal-debut-at-tokyo-disneysea/

We’re thrilled to report that our newest attraction at Tokyo DisneySea, Jasmine’s Flying Carpets, has made its official debut and today we’re sharing a first look with Disney Parks Blog readers.

 

Themed to the Disney film “Aladdin,” Jasmine’s Flying Carpets is a ride attraction where guests soar over Jasmine’s garden on a flying carpet. You can maneuver your vehicle up and down and tilt the vehicle forward and backward, as if flying your own magical carpet.

 

Walt Disney Imagineering Creative Director Chuck Ballew says you’ll want to look for what he calls “the most beautiful part of the attraction” – a peacock fan effect on the top of the fountain. The attraction also looks amazing at night, where it comes to life with 15 different color sequences that animate as the carpets travel around the fountain.

Check the blog in upcoming months for more images from our friends in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Paris.

Jasmine's Flying Carpets joins The Magic Lamp Theater, Caravan Carousel and Sinbad's Storybook Voyage in the Arabian Coast at Tokyo DisneySea.

"The concept for the ride is that the carpets are flying around the large ornamental fountain in Jasmine's garden, which is a scene in the movie," Chuck Ballew, principle concept designer, says.

Jasmine's Flying Carpets closely resembles The Magic Carpets of Aladdin in Magic Kingdom and Flying Carpets Over Agrabah at Walt Disney Studios Park in Disneyland Paris.

Why is it "Jasmine's" ride? Did she get Aladin's carpet in the divorce settlement?

Well, Sinbad got the boat ride there, so I guess there's not much left for Aladdin, lol.

Except maybe the (ahem) 4-D movie show with The Blue Genie.

I watched a few videos on youtube.

The fake water is really cool and weird looking. The ride totally has a different look to it (Which is amazing because its just a flat ride)

(Only a single Engineer seemed to be observing with the clipboard and all)

I updated the post to include new photos from the Disney Parks Blog.

A result of the earthquake has led to a casualty affecting the Tokyo Disney Resort.

The Oriental Land Company will be closing Cirque du Soleil's Zed at the end of the year.

http://www.olc.co.jp/wpmu/wp-content/blogs.dir/7/files/2011/07/20110725_01e.pdf

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Cirque du Soleil Theatre Tokyo “ZED” to Close

 

July 25, 2011 Oriental Land Co., Ltd.

 

URAYASU, CHIBA—Oriental Land Co., Ltd. and Cirque du Soleil have reached an agreement to indefinitely close the Cirque du Soleil Theatre Tokyo, located in Tokyo Disney Resort®. PerformancesofZEDwillendonDecember31,2011.

 

“ZED” premiered on October 1, 2008 at Cirque du Soleil’s first permanent theater in Japan and was set for an indefinite long run at this venue. It proved to be very popular and reached the one-millionth guest milestone faster than any other show in Japan. Through the over 1,000 performances of “ZED,” many people were provided with an additional new way to enjoy Tokyo Disney Resort.

 

It is with regret, however, that due to the effects of the Great East Japan Earthquake, the business environment for this theatre greatly changed. Based on a review of the expected results and the long-term viability of the show, it was mutually agreed that the business environment would remain extremely difficult; therefore, it was decided to close the show. Accordingly, the current business partnership with Cirque du Soleil for “ZED” will be dissolved.

 

A study on future use of the theatre facility will be conducted at a later date. Cirque du Soleil will proceed to the redeployment of its staff and artists

Hmmm...I'd love to know the WHOLE story here. Judging from the crowds we saw at the resort not sure if the Earthquake is really to blame for this one.

^I'm sure there's more to the story but I do know for a fact that attendance took a severe hit after the earthquake.

^ ZED was underperforming long BEFORE the earthquake.... So buy into the natural disaster scapegoat if you "know that for a fact" Whatever. But I also know "for a fact" that the show has been in trouble for a while....

12-14-2010

 

...And poor, poor underperforming ZED. I've heard about its hemorrhaging losses pretty much since its inception. It's certainly not because it's not a good show - it is mind-blowingly FANTASTIC! But it was expensive to produce and must cost a lot to keep going, too. Cirque du Soleil doesn't have enough clout in Japan to be a regular sell-out crowd-bringer based on brand cache alone; I meet Japanese people all the time who - still now - don't recognize the name when they hear it. And truly understanding the majesty of ZED is difficult until you actually go to see it, especially without a strong background of understanding what Cirque du Soleil is all about in the first place.

 

http://www.examiner.com/worldwide-disney-theme-parks-in-national/cirque-du-soleil-zed-at-tokyo-disney-resort-to-see-lower-ticket-prices-2011

January 17, 2011

 

In response to what many believe to be a continued slump in attendance at Tokyo Disney's Cirque du Soleil "ZED" show, the Oriental Land Company (OLC) has announced a reduction in ticket prices. Effective April 1 through September 30, 2011, guests can take advantage of the cheaper prices, helping make "ZED" more affordable to everyone.

 

Continue reading on Examiner.com Cirque du Soleil "ZED" at Tokyo Disney Resort to lower ticket prices in 2011 - National Worldwide Disney Theme Parks | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/worldwide-disney-theme-parks-in-national/cirque-du-soleil-zed-at-tokyo-disney-resort-to-see-lower-ticket-prices-2011#ixzz1T5GxlkeC

Sat 24 Jul 2010 7:29am

 

There was a huge drop in attendance due to bad advertising from Oriental Land - I saw it when I saw the show in December and there was about 400 people in the theatre. I also heard that when Corteo visited, there was a large buzz for the Cirque du Soleil brand, but even then lots of people in Japan (or Tokyo) didn't even know that Zed existed.

 

07-30-2009

 

I am curious how Zed has been received.

 

Unfortunately maybe not that good. It's a great show but attendance has been low. To give you an idea it is summer vacation and seat availability is wide open and they will probably be giving tickets to friends and family again to fill seats. I hope they can find a way to drive attendance but I have no clue how they will do this.

 

I attended the show back in May and while I rate it highly, truth must be said it was only 50% full.

I'd dig up more...but I don't need to.... Blame the "earthquake" all you want. The show hasn't been doing well for years.

^I'm not placing blame on the earthquake.

All I did was post what the official press release from OLC and that I saw the official attendance figures for the show after the quake hit and noticed a severe drop off.

^ Sorry, just came off like you were making it out that it was due to the earthquake this show was having problems, but the problems started long before.

The earthquake is just a convenient "final nail in the coffin." The earthquake probably did have a negative affect on attendance for the show (as it is logical to expect people to have far less discretionary income if they were affected by the earthquake), but as Robb pointed out...it's pretty clear the was struggling prior to the earthquake as well.

The thing I found was the show was playing at wierd times when I was there in 2009, would have loved to have seen it. The prices where over the top for the show so Disney won out!

Before the current thing happened with Cirque, ZED had originally been directed as a two act production with an intermission.

After a few months of running the show, management was finding that a lot of the (local) audience was leaving the theatre at intermission, because they thought it was over! Really!

So the production was timed down to a one-act-only timing of 90 minutes.

Which is the version I got to see back in June.

Now I am so glad I did see it! It was an awesome show, even at the currrent shorter running time.

But that's what I heard a year or so ago, about Cirque and ZED - so this is just more 'stuff and reason' (unfortunately) for them to shut production down.