Norway Ride & Rivers Of Light (Disappointing Progress Updates)

[PuppyJonathan]

This was posted on Twitter yesterday showing one of the boats coming back.
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Hopefully that isn't the "tribute" to Maelstrom in the ride and that there is something else commemorating it's previous tenant

 

[TheRustyScupper]

How long do the test periods normally last before the soft opening? Assuming there are not big "issues".

1) Exactly that.
2) Until big issues are resolved.

 

[Prissyms]

I'm not going back until mid-September, fingers crossed at least Soarin and ROL will be open by then (not that interested in Norway).

I agree! Don't care much about Frozen but would hope that Soarin and ROL will be working during our vacation. We're going in July so your chances maybe better then ours!!!

 

[newdeal]

they need to hire some real engineers in the imagineering department. Say what you want but these technical difficulties would be avoided if they hired smarter engineers

 

[rteetz]

they need to hire some real engineers in the imagineering department. Say what you want but these technical difficulties would be avoided if they hired smarter engineers

I really don't think that's the problem. Disney imagineers are some of the best in the business they just need to stick to a budget and take shorter trips. This very well could be an issue no one saw coming even the best imagineers can't prevent everything when using new technology.

 

[Planogirl]

I really don't think that's the problem. Disney imagineers are some of the best in the business they just need to stick to a budget and take shorter trips. This very well could be an issue no one saw coming even the best imagineers can't prevent everything when using new technology.

It's funny how many excuses we make for Disney imagineers when these things happen. Imagine doing that in almost any other industry. Not being critical, I've done it too.

 

[PuppyJonathan]

I really don't think that's the problem. Disney imagineers are some of the best in the business they just need to stick to a budget and take shorter trips. This very well could be an issue no one saw coming even the best imagineers can't prevent everything when using new technology.

They definitely do need to stick to a budget! It's amazing seeing some of their budgets **cough cough Shanghai**cough cough Tokyo's Midway Mania**cough cough Radiator Springs Racers**. I just sit there amazed going "how the heck did it cost THAT much!"

 

[goofy4prez]

It's funny how many excuses we make for Disney imagineers when these things happen. Imagine doing that in almost any other industry. Not being critical, I've done it too.

Careful there, on another thread I was blasted and accused of name calling for using the term "Disney Apologist's" for describing just what you said. But with that I agree. I have seen some, even on these here DIS boards continually believe that everything is perfect in the "World" but are so quick to point their fingers (or keyboard accusations) against other companies that are not Disney. And for what it's worth, like you, I've also done it too.

 

[newdeal]

you don't see real engineers making a bridge that then falls down and people saying "whoops, oh well they were trying to make a bridge unlike something anyone had made before". The first indication that Disney's engineers were not good was the pressure issue in tower of terror that I had heard about (although I can't confirm it happened), the second issue was cracking in the foundation of the Yeti. Those are things that a good engineer would not have had issues with

 

[Madteaparty001]

 

[rteetz]

It's funny how many excuses we make for Disney imagineers when these things happen. Imagine doing that in almost any other industry. Not being critical, I've done it too.

That is true. I think we aren't critical of them because we love what they give us. If they gave us bad attractions all of the time of course we would be more critical.

 

[rteetz]

you don't see real engineers making a bridge that then falls down and people saying "whoops, oh well they were trying to make a bridge unlike something anyone had made before". The first indication that Disney's engineers were not good was the pressure issue in tower of terror that I had heard about (although I can't confirm it happened), the second issue was cracking in the foundation of the Yeti. Those are things that a good engineer would not have had issues with

The foundation is a myth as far as I know. Many people familiar with the situation say the yeti can be removed without shutting down the ride but of course Disney doesn't want to have a yeti-less Everest. You have to also look at it this way. This is a theme park not bridges or roads that everyone in the world is using. A lot of these new attractions are also using brand new technology. Tower of terror was state of the art when it opened.

 

[LSLS]

It's funny how many excuses we make for Disney imagineers when these things happen. Imagine doing that in almost any other industry. Not being critical, I've done it too.

Completely depends. I work with a lot of engineers and there are times where we hit delays or something doesn't work as it was planned (especially when coming up with a custom design). You can do all of the modeling and number crunching you want, but you will never account for every scenario you may see. That said, if you ever develop a pattern of this constantly happening, you won't stay in business, so your point is well taken.

 

[John Byers]

I will be there June 26-July 2nd and am hoping that Norway, Soarin' AND ROL are open by then. Something new would be great in Epcot, it needs it

 

[LeeAndRobin]

I really don't think that's the problem. Disney imagineers are some of the best in the business they just need to stick to a budget and take shorter trips. This very well could be an issue no one saw coming even the best imagineers can't prevent everything when using new technology.

With all due respect, you should leave the judgement of whether or not Disney has competent engineers to actual engineers. I happen to be an engineer. Based on what I have seen and read, I'd say Disney has very few if any "great" engineers. Most seem to be middle of the road, BUT, they are the type of engineer that tends to have an artistic bent, which I assume is what Disney is looking for in an engineer. However, as we used to say in school, in engineering there are right answers and wrong answers. You don't get partial credit for designing and/or building something (anything) that fails, especially when the failure can cost lives. In my experience, people with an artistic bent tend to believe too much in partial credit...

 

[LeeAndRobin]

You have to also look at it this way. This is a theme park not bridges or roads that everyone in the world is using. A lot of these new attractions are also using brand new technology.

No, wrong, Wrong, WRONG. This is an excellent example of why non-engineers should not be making engineering decisions or judgements. There are many, many places at Disney where if the engineering is wrong, people will eventually DIE. Not just have a ride closed because it breaks down. They will DIE. In many cases at Disney, the engineering is more complicated, because roads (and to a lesser extent bridges) are by now fairly simple and well understood (barring "innovative" designs), while some rides have many failure modes.

 

[rteetz]

With all due respect, you should leave the judgement of whether or not Disney has competent engineers to actual engineers. I happen to be an engineer. Based on what I have seen and read, I'd say Disney has very few if any "great" engineers. Most seem to be middle of the road, BUT, they are the type of engineer that tends to have an artistic bent, which I assume is what Disney is looking for in an engineer. However, as we used to say in school, in engineering there are right answers and wrong answers. You don't get partial credit for designing and/or building something (anything) that fails, especially when the failure can cost lives. In my experience, people with an artistic bent tend to believe too much in partial credit...

That is true. I will be entering college in the fall to become an engineer. Disney has always gone for the artistic kind. Look at the original imagineers they were animators not actual engineers. That's why in my opinion you can't compare imagineers to engineers in the real world they do different things.

 

[rteetz]

No, wrong, Wrong, WRONG. This is an excellent example of why non-engineers should not be making engineering decisions or judgements. There are many, many places at Disney where if the engineering is wrong, people will eventually DIE. Not just have a ride closed because it breaks down. They will DIE. In many cases at Disney, the engineering is more complicated, because roads (and to a lesser extent bridges) are by now fairly simple and well understood (barring "innovative" designs), while some rides have many failure modes.

I don't disagree but in the case of rivers of light if something goes wrong with the projectors or the floats I don't think anyone is dying but that's just my opinion.

 

[Shmily1]

I work with some engineers that come from great schools and some of their ideas are just crazy. They implement them then go back to what we had originally while wasting many hours of the workers' time doing the implementation.

 

[LeeAndRobin]

That's why in my opinion you can't compare imagineers to engineers in the real world they do different things.

Which doesn't mean you get to ignore the need for engineers just because you have "imagineers". The physics is the same in WDW as it is in the "real" world.

I don't disagree but in the case of rivers of light if something goes wrong with the projectors or the floats I don't think anyone is dying but that's just my opinion.

I agree, but your statement wasn't limited to ROL or the Norway ride. Unless I read it wrong, it was a sweeping generalization about not needing "real" engineers at Disney, presumably because "the whole world" doesn't use it.