Hello to all. I accidentally missed last week because I bricked my laptop by knocking a glass of water on it. I’m really sorry. Let’s hope today’s rumors make up for it a little. A big hi to reader David Hall for helping me with some major magic this week. Among other things, I now have a lil droid named Rosie. Thanks! Now on to learn about the ride system trouble going on in the theme park world:
So, What About the Steel?
When Universal Studios announced their newest park, Universal Epic Universe (named by the Department of Redundancy Department), they were not entirely sure what would go in – not as sure as they had been a few months earlier. The reason? Tariffs. Cheap Chinese steel is building America right now – or at least was until a few months ago. With Tariffs, the recipients of foreign products – not the foreign producers – have to pay extra on the goods they buy from foreign companies, and right now, that’s not boding well for the building industry, whether for homes, shops or … you guessed it: theme parks.
For whom might this be a boon? Lovers of live entertainment. If this trend continues, you’re going to see more performers and less construction workers in American theme parks – at least, the ones that are planning build-outs anytime soon. This has put a kink in the plans for Universal’s new park as well as the upcoming Epcot project (according to the rumors) and we may just see cheaper-than-American-steel singers, dancers and even puppeteers in its place.
Disney and US Steel
Disney has had a long and happy relationship with US Steel, most notably during the construction of Walt Disney World in the late 1960s. In fact, when US Steel built the Contemporary Resort Hotel, they constructed the A-frame of the building, then manufactured the rooms nearby and slid them, completed (but not furnished!) into the slots waiting in the main building.
What else is going on?
Ride designers have recently come up with new, state-of-the-art ride systems that defied imagination back in the days of Walt. Now, we’ve gone from linear tracking in Universe of Energy to the to-be-revealed system for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. We’ve heard about it, a little. But not as much as another upcoming attraction.
Rise of the Resistance was supposed to open shortly after Galaxy’s Edge made its debut on the West Coast. Now it’s making its debut after the East Coast version, in the new year. But why? A little steelpecker tells me that even though Disney had a tried-and-true trackless system that’s worked well for years, some of the Sharp Pencil People got involved, with their usual results: they opted for cheap Chinese trackless systems and were oh-so-surprised when they didn’t work as well on their E-Ticket Huge Feature Attraction as the more expensive but notably reliable systems they were alreadly using…to the tune of having to rip parts of the attraction down to the steel.
Why the switcheroo?
Rumor has it that WDW hadn’t yet begun to install the faulty ride system, so will be installing the Old Reliable while over at Disneyland they have to tear everything out and start over – which means opening later than the East Coast version. Galaxy’s Edge is getting a much warmer reception in Florida than it did here in Cranky California, but that’s not the reason why they’re holding off opening Rise of the Resistance. It is, however, why California’s future projects will be seeing some big cuts pretty soon…or so a little droid tells me.
I don’t make rumors up; I just report them.
And . . . don’t forget your travel deals
Halloween Ticket and Travel offer to Disneyland, and Kids Free in San Diego!
Here are some links that you can use to save on our current Halloween Time specials and Kids Free Month for San Diego:
Thank you for reading! Please share from the share buttons on this page!
We address rumors here. We’ll make sure to always point out what IS a rumor, why it’s a rumor and encourage you to always take it with the grain of salt that makes rumors so delicious in the first place. Use it as a starting-off point for speculation and imagination, because, to be honest, rumors are fun.
Please help support MiceChat by clicking here! I’m on Patreon (now featuring some cool gifts including PinkMonorail buttons and tours!), Paypal and support Ryman Arts.
