New AA show for Condor Flats (with LOTS of "concept art"!)

[AGD]

The concept, however, seems a bit complicated. I understand what is trying to be accomplished but I feel like it's too many separate parts. I say, celebrate the California spirit in WWII, celebrate old Disney shorts, celebrate classic music and music legends... but just simpler.

I'm confused--how could you do all that celebrating any simpler? As for focus, it should be pretty clear that it's a concert, and the focus is on the performers. The cartoons & announcements are intermission entertainment between sets, and Charlie ties it all together.

I really have no idea how a rotating dinner theater (even if it's just the stage rotating) can continue to load and unload guests out. It just can't be done. You can't rush a group's meal if they aren't done, the show is over, and the CM is trying to clear your table as the next load of people are preparing to enter. I continue to review your plans and they don't seem to address this dilemma.

Well, the main thing is that the two most time-consuming steps, the ordering and the cooking, have already taken place before the show starts, so 45 minutes is quite a bit of time to eat the food that's been placed in front of you. Plates would be cleared as you finish them--this is both practical, and adds a realistic "bustle" and "you're-really-there" feeling to the show. Also, the CM should look around well before the end of the show to see if anyone's not done. So, basically when the Andrews Sisters start singing, the CM would be offering doggy bags.

What I would do is just have one HUGE ballroom, fine dining and use this same concept. Each guest couldn't see the entire show in order from beginning to end (if it's a restaurant) but at least it would work. They could have a performance, pause and let people eat as a cartoon played for 10 minutes, then another performance.

Actually, I think that would be MORE of a problem. That was what sunk the concept of the Tiki Room as a restaurant in 1965--they realized that if everyone was in the same place indefinitely for a show, they would stay there to see the whole thing and slow down the restaurant.

[AGD]

I only say leave it because it is such a long show, I think that if you scaled it back then it would be more entertaining, I don't think I could sit through a 45 AA show, if it were 15-20 mins I could probably handle it. I also think that maybe the restaurant should be getting a different show.

Um, if the restaurant got a different show then you're talking about two completely different attractions. 15-20 minutes isn't really enough time to eat anything more than a churro, and the restaurant is a significant focus of this attraction, in terms of theming, attracting viewers, and profitability.

Overall, great concept, I just think it might be too long for kids to be entertained by it. Aladdin is different IMHO because kids already know the story, and its live actors as opposed to AAs.

Well, frankly, I wouldn't take a bunch of six year olds to eat $30 leg of lamb anyway! So, in that sense it's a slightly more grown-up attraction. But, I think the upbeat music will keep their attention for a good while (more so than the Hall of Presidents/GMWML, anyway!), and they certainly know who Mickey is (and they probably know Judy Garland from the Wizard of Oz...).

Jw, How does 45 mins get divided into each segment? that might make it better

There are five show segments, that are 8 or 9 minutes each (including rotating the stage), which would result in a 40 or 45 minute show, respectively. This is basically enough time for two songs and a film clip during each segment.

Also, I think it would actually work better to have the outside rotate because then its easy to que up, instead of wondering where to go

It wouldn't make any thematic sense at all for the theater to rotate--you can have a "Carousel of Progress" in Tomorrowland, but there would be no thematic justification whatsoever for a rotating USO lounge. Not to mention, you'd tear the dumbwaiters in half!!

With the entrance in the central lobby, it's pretty easy to see where you go, and the cast member directs you. It's no more difficult than being told which simulator to go to in Star Tours.

[Peoplemover Priit]

My head hurts, that was a lot of reading for a Sunday Morning. Anyway, good work. But as always, I would like to see something more original and new. But I guess this would be an exception because it looks pretty cool.

[Ortizmo2000]

I would eat this up. I love that type of music and the nostalgic feel captures the classic Disney spirit to a T.

Sometimes I think there's more imagination here in MC than there is in all of WDI. Superb job!!!

[pianoman13]

That era is full of great theming opportunities, and the idea of a USO base with an AA big band is great. I'm just not sold on the rotating theater or the placement of it. I could see it being more like the Tiki room's original concept as an AA show with food served. And that would certianly be a great replacement for the test pilots grill. It's just that I think that the placement of a circular theater there would be cramped a little awkward.

Either way, impressive work!

[AGD]

Sometimes I think there's more imagination here in MC than there is in all of WDI. Superb job!!!

They have TONS of imagination...the thing they don't always have is money!!

We MCers can put together some really lush concepts, because we don't really have to worry about a budget .

[AGD]

That era is full of great theming opportunities, and the idea of a USO base with an AA big band is great. I'm just not sold on the rotating theater or the placement of it. I could see it being more like the Tiki room's original concept as an AA show with food served. And that would certianly be a great replacement for the test pilots grill. It's just that I think that the placement of a circular theater there would be cramped a little awkward.

Either way, impressive work!

The problem there is that if it's just an AA show with food served, you have no way to enforce the throughput, whereas here you do.

Again, the theater could be smaller, just by taking out a row of spectator seats in the back--I diagrammed it with the maximum possible capacity, but it can be scaled down easily.

Also, the facade doesn't *have* to be circular (because the rotation only happens in a small part near the center). With the insertion of a gift shop here & there, it could be filled out into a more traditional building structure, depending on the desired aesthetic and the overall goals for the land.

[pianoman13]

The problem there is that if it's just an AA show with food served, you have no way to enforce the throughput, whereas here you do.

Again, the theater could be smaller, just by taking out a row of spectator seats in the back--I diagrammed it with the maximum possible capacity, but it can be scaled down easily.

Also, the facade doesn't *have* to be circular (because the rotation only happens in a small part near the center). With the insertion of a gift shop here & there, it could be filled out into a more traditional building structure, depending on the desired aesthetic and the overall goals for the land.

That's all true, personally, I'd just prefer a simple presentation of this sort of concept.

[DisneyDiana]

I think this is a wonderful idea! I love everything about it!

[Ice101]

I can't say that I agree with all of your ideas, however, I give you 100% respect for putting so much effort and artistry into your concepts. Brilliant work. Bravo.

[AGD]

That's all true, personally, I'd just prefer a simple presentation of this sort of concept.

Perhaps I'm not quite understanding you...what would you like to see that would make it simpler? What should be cut or rearranged?

Because, as I see it, the storyline is fairly straightforward: You're at a concert, with performances by a series of the best singers of the day. The bits of entertainment at intermission just flesh it out and provide depth, but not distraction.

The rotating theater concept wouldn't be played up like it is in Carousel of Progress or America Swings. In fact, the mechanism will be hidden as much as possible (although it wouldn't really be any big secret!). To the casual viewer, you're just enjoying a concert with top-notch talent. But, you do get the immense advantages of this ride system--you can have a relatively long show without having to worry about a scheduled starting time, you have an intimate theater size while still maintaining a high capacity, and five shows playing concurrently.

It also makes the restaurant operation much more feasible, by staggering the groups of people...if you only had one theater, the restaurant would need to have 270 meals being served in one 9-minute period, and then 45 minutes of down-time while the show was going on. Here, the restaurant can handle 36 meals every 9 minutes (or 8 minutes--the exact time frame isn't finalized).

[DisneyManiac]

I think this would be great! I think that we should replace the current Soarin' with one that looks like it's from the 1940s. We would have to cut the Dland scene because it didn't exist then.

[MainStreetJake]

I think this would be great! I think that we should replace the current Soarin' with one that looks like it's from the 1940s. We would have to cut the Dland scene because it didn't exist then.

Yea, and the recently shot downtown L.A scene, San Deigo, and San Franciso, because Disney's so detail oriented these days, all the cars and little details wouldn't match up to the 1940's theme.

[MistaDee]

After sitting on this for a while i must say I really would like to see it. But I mentioned it to some of my mainstream friends (22, 14,15) and I was met with a resounding no. They had only heard of Louis Armstrong and one who is majoring in music (the 22 year old) said that he really felt that the music did not warrant a 45 minute show.

I'm going to have to agree with them. For people who really enjoy this music it makes much more sense to just go to a jazz club and see it live and for real. This would be too much money for something that I really don't believe would be successful. They are classic figures but so is Jane Austen and she isn't going to be appearing in any AA shows soon! (plus the licensing would be huge to use these people's likenesses)

[Lore]

While it would no doubt immerse one in the period, and would no doubt be entertaining, and would no doubt result in my frequent visits, Disney doesn't own the exclusive license to all that material so I would expect the performers to be swapped for Hanna Montana and the Jonas Brothers and the title to be swapped for Disney's Totally Rad Concert! Of course budget cuts would have the AAs replaced with plywood cutouts.