The Phantom of the Opera Ride

[DisneyManiac]

Epcot does not have very many rides in World Showcase. I have an idea about a ride that could go in France. Disney should obtain rights to make a Phantom of the Opera dark ride. It would make sense in France and would make a great E-Ticket for World Showcase. I don't know if there's enough space though. So what do you guys think?

[Mike_Wazowski]

I think a 'Phantom of the Opera' ride could work really well, but I think it could be used well as the E-ticket in a Broadway themed area in the Studios.

What is your plan for it? I could personally see the 'Pooh's Hunny Hunt' technology being implemented well in it...

[aimster]

I *hated* Phantom of the Opera, so I would be passing that ride faster than a cheetah chasing dinner.

[DisneyManiac]

It would begin by you entering the auction at the beginning right as he starts to unveil the chandelier from that night. He does his line "Now for a little illumination!" and a bright flash goes off (It would actually be taking a picture) and you would go underground while the car after you does that scene. When you come back up into the same theater it's the famous "Think of Me" sequence. I would move where the chandelier comes down and where Christine disappears to the exact same moment. You would see the chandelier start to come down and hear screams. It goes dark for a moment. You hear a crash next to you and the lights come back on. Christine is no longer there and the chandelier is next to you. Next, you would go to the underground lake where the phantom and Christine are singing the title song. After they're done, they would do a variation of "Music of the Night" as a duet. But then, Raoul comes and takes Christine. As she leaves, the Phantom sings "The Point of No Return." Then, everyone comes underground looking for Christine. The Phantom hides in his chair like in the musical. When they lift up the cloth all that's there is his mask. Much like the upcoming little mermaid ride, this ride would rely heavily on the musical's songs.

[santadog]

Although it's a public domain story, I think that the general public at large probably associates "Phantom Of The Opera" with the 3 versions that Universal Studios made. So I really don't see Disney pursuing the license so strongly associated with their direct competition.

(although, I agree, it would be cool)

[animagusurreal]

I had an idea for a Phantom ride a while back. Nice to know someone else was thinking along the same lines, and I'm not totally crazy .

A lot of it was based on the Warner Bros. movie adaptation of the musical, as I haven't seen the Broadway show. I didn't think the movie musical quite pulled it off, but there were some interesting scenes for a ride.

The queue would take place in the hallways backstage of the opera house, where you faintly hear the Phantom's voice echoing through the walls singing "Angel of Music", and maybe the sound of the music box. At one point, it would wind through the wrecked old theater, which would magically rejuvinate every so often (rather like the Beast's Library at California Adventure). Eventually, you enter the secret passage to the sewers, where you board omnimover-type vehicles that take you into the "Phantom of the Opera"/"Music of the Night" scene in the phantom's lair, with the candles rising out of the water and all that.

The vehicles then ascend to the snowy "roof", passing Christine and Raoul singing "All I Ask of You", and swinging around to see the jealous Phantom watching by a gargoyle.

We then descend into the "Masquerade", where the vehicle "dances" (spins back and forth) across the floor, amongst a chorus of waltzing animatronic masqueraders. The Phantom makes his appearance, leading us to the stage, where we ascend a lift to "The Point of No Return"

Everything goes dark, and when the lights come up, we find that we're on the chandelier, with the Phantom about to cut it loose. It goes dark as it falls, ending the ride with a drop (how this would work in an omnimover system, I don't know, but I also wanted the omnimovers to sit on a boat for the first part of the ride, so I did make one concession ).

The ride would end with some sort of scene explaining the end of the story, so people wouldn't complain as they do with DL's Snow White dark ride .

I think Wicked could make a good ride, (maybe after the movie comes out), and I also made up a Sweeney Todd ride (Mr. Todd's Wild Ride). And, if you want to go really obscure, there's my concept for a backwards roller coaster based on Stephen Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along .

[bocabear]

Honestly the ideas are interesting and very visual, but why would Disney create a dark ride for Epcot based on a franchise they do not own? The film version only had one person in the cast with a french accent (Miranda Richardson). I do not think people even really associate it with France, but with Broadway and Andrew Lloyd Webber.
It would make more sense to create a dark ride based on the Disney's Hunchback characters and film...At least the locations are recognizably French...Or more likely a Ratatouille ride. ...

[DisneyIPresume]

Although it's a public domain story, I think that the general public at large probably associates "Phantom Of The Opera" with the 3 versions that Universal Studios made. So I really don't see Disney pursuing the license so strongly associated with their direct competition.

(although, I agree, it would be cool)

This.

I associate Phantom of the Opera with Universal. It wouldn't make sense for Disney to buy the rights to it.

[CJRourke]

moderately successful? might need to check your self there buddy.

[BassBone]

I *hated* Phantom of the Opera, so I would be passing that ride faster than a cheetah chasing dinner.

The film musical or the stage musical? The film blows. The stage musical when done properly is fantastic.

[Coheteboy]

Nope dot com.

[DisneyManiac]

stage musical

[woodwanderer]

I like the idea but it would need to be done so that someone who has a minimal knowledge of the movie/play/book/whatever can still enjoy it (but not totally water it down and just have some random guy with a mask and that's it). The story just needs to be clear.


I like animagusurreal's ride flow... hearing light music through the queue would be great and it'd get the rider's "prepared" for the story.

[santadog]

If they were inclined to do a dark ride based on a Broadway show: I'd much rather they Pursue Les Miserables. It's a better play, IMHO and much of the story is based on historical events.

[SBS]

If they were inclined to do a dark ride based on a Broadway show: I'd much rather they Pursue Les Miserables. It's a better play, IMHO and much of the story is based on historical events.

There is only one mega problem with Les Miserables the content is waaaaaaay to heavy to be part of a disney attraction with "ladies of the night" and such haha but still it would be exciting. If anything i rekon a Joseph and the amazing technicolor dream coat ride would be awesooooome.