As a former theatrical props artist, it's never been the case that you create everything from scratch - part of the skill of a props artist is being able to dig through estate sales and antiques shops to find something to fit the project. There's urban legends about the skulls in Pirates being real skulls! So it's always been done, in theater and at Disney. I think the frustrations we're hearing at the moment is that it feels lazy. AI art is lazy when you have a team of artists on staff. Buying a prefab building is lazy. And this is a premium experience - Disney parks are premium, and they're cheaping out on the details, which kinda stinks.
To me, that's the difference. Buying unique vintage pieces that work in the environment is one thing- mass produced busts on Amazon and AI art is another
Disneyland Cast used to shop the antique stores in old town Orange for years for antiques. Shop owners would talk about it and say how glad they were to see the Disney van drive up. Now that old town Orange is turning into restaurant row from antique row, and other antique shops around the county disappearing, I’m guessing their choices for shopping is pivoting.
@@Just_Scooby_and_Me pivoting would be going to eBay or Facebook Marketplace or antique websites. Finding real pieces with character and history. It's more than possible but it does take some time which Disney doesn't want to pay for. I wouldn't shop at RedBubble or Home Goods for art for my own home, why would I pay hundreds to go to a park like that??
I agree with that, but I think the rule of cool could be more important. If the technology/ experience is as cool as speculated, some theming inconsistencies can be forgiven imo
How about you meet Tink when you are still full-sized and afterwards she shrinks you down. Or she could be at the end of the journey after you grow back to full size. I don’t know if the physical restraints of the area would allow for either, I’ve never gone inside of Pixie Hollow, but those are two story telling possibilities that would help to make a tiny Tink more realistic.
The use of commercially available AI art in the parks is lazy and egregious. It’s an insult to the artists at Disney and to the paying guests who visit the parks.
I mean it’s still art.. as an artist I don’t feel offended a single bit. Idk it’s my opinion but I don’t think using ai is bad it’s more of an innovative way of saving money.
@@khelerp The issue is less about the people who use the art (still a part nonetheless) and more about the people who are profiting off of it. Much of image generating AI is trained through processing the work of other artists who have not given permission for their art to be used. It's artistic theft. And it's even more disappointing to see that Disney is opting to cut corners like this when they pride themselves on having the best artists in the world.
@CamHennings it’s actually not theft literally at all. It’s like sampling music for a song it’s not theft it’s using what has been provided to make something more. Either way it’s a small painting in a big shop not a center piece so there shouldn’t be any anger. Also ai won’t ever take people’s jobs. It’s people who know how to use it that will.
@@khelerp You're right, people who use AI will take the jobs because artistry is being increasingly undervalued in the corporate system and people will cut whatever corners they can to pay as little as possible. AI does have its utilities, I'm not refuting that. But it's not a replacement for actual artistry, nor is someone who can write a prompt considered an artist. But it's a fact that entertainment companies like Disney are actively seeking to use AI to replace creatives in all positions in order to save money that they are more than capable of spending. It's why we had the writers and actors strikes last year and the voice actor video game strike happening right now. It's all about saving more money for the execs to line their pockets, and if Disney isn't willing to shell out $100 to commission an actual artist in their own studio to draw a picture, then the issue runs deeper than just a photo in a gift shop.
@CamHunnings I don’t think you really understand. You are looking at one price when hundreds of more are around the park and there are even others in the shop itself so it’s not really doing anything. The world is changing whether you like it or not and ai is a part of that. Ai won’t take everything but it’s a part of humanity now and you can’t change that. It doesn’t devalue anything and really the way you should look at it is if less art is around it makes the “actual” art more valuable. I seriously don’t understand what you mean because out of 3-4 painting in that shop you are picking on one. There are others that actually were made and you didn’t even turn your head to it so really why does it matter if it’s overlooked anyway. Think about Tiana bayou adventure many painting where put in for those and does anyone admire it, no. So why spend extra money. Nobody cares about one ai painting in a huge theme park and the only people who care are those who examine the whole park. Also it’s not even confirmed if it’s ai or not so don’t make assumptions z
As a self employed music producer and musician, this stuff is pretty heartbreaking. First royalty free music at the entrance of Epcot, now this. They don't go to their artists because they don't want to pay creatives a living wage!!!!! Its just sad.
It really surprises me that Disney didn't have one of their artist do the bride for the wall. And then offer prints of it for like 50.00 to make more money lol
The bride image is 100% AI art. It is incredibly easy to spot when art is not human created. We are moving even further into the era where Disney is unfortunately going cheaper and cheaper. I love Disney, and I am a former CM at Disneyland. The biggest thing I have noticed is just how much the company has changed toward money first, magic last.
Why don’t they display all Haunted Mansion art work that the artists created before the finished product? They had it in the vault a couple of years ago and it was fascinating
Marc Davis was a genius. I have a book about him with a lot of that art in it. As well as a couple shorter books about the making of pirates and the haunted mansion. That sort of creativity and talent is hard enough to replicate with even human artists. AI is just an insult. It just makes generic and derivative images. It’s everything Walt would have hated. Miyazaki is maybe the closest modern equivalent to Walt in terms of a creative visionary, and he’s made his opinion very clear on the matter.
There was a time when Disney DID handcraft all of their own art. That's one of the things that set them apart from everyone else. Its the little things and attention to detail that made Disney what it is. Now that they are buying art instead of creating it is another thing Disney is doing to get away from who they once were. What's worse is people not having an issue with it. Another middle finger to the imagineers. Creativity has fallen by the waist side. I wonder how much art was bought online in Epic Universe?
Lol… Disney: “we’re a company of creatives, except we don’t like paying creatives, because that would eat into our bonuses…so here’s some ai art instead”
6:05 the foggy morning on the railroad is gorgeous. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it like that at Disneyland, it feels almost like a dream where you can’t remember the entire park, so your subconscious fogs the horizon. Simply beautiful
AI is an insult to all artist and humanity itself, the soul of the creations in Disneyland is what makes it so special. The imagineers should have handled this shop. They should remove it and replace it with something made by the imagineers.
To the people defending Disney... is it objectively wrong for others to expect a high quality experience--especially given the cost of going to the park? I get it. We all like to save on costs. No. There's nothing wrong with using everyday items anyone can buy. But we're talking about Disneyland, here, not your guest room. This is the crown jewel of amusement parks. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but to those defending Disney, ask yourself, why are you so willing to tow the line for a mega-corp fleecing the public at every opportunity?
Is it a big deal? Yes. And it's even more damning coming from a company that boasts about it's artistic creativity and talent. Speaks volumes about what the company thinks of artists in general.
Do you think they will ever get Big Thunder Mountain's water jets working that makes it look like the train hits water where that dinosaur skeleton is?
I didn't mind Disney using antique store finds and old people but buying new mass produced things from Pier 1 that you can find in a mall is just wrong
The inside the HM gift shop is great !!! Still say a couple of large, aged, gothic/southern, 'cemetery' statues placed along some outside walls would 'add' some needed 'spookiness' to the exterior ..also some flickering red 'lanterns' at night.
Remember when DIsney traveled around getting props for Big Thunder? They used to do this for a ton of attractions not only did these items get used in the rides but many times the imagineers came back with additions idea's from these trips? But sure lets buy crap off amazon and use AI, not like the parks are packed right now and Disney didn't make the most at the box office of any other studio.
I don't understand why the ceiling of the gift shop is so weathered and aged and the walls are cleanly painted bright purple?? Terrible choice for wall color.
I just don't understand how the design process works for this, because it seems like there's no Imagineers, no architects, no interior designers, no artists.... so who's designing this?
Any idea what’s going on with the other Haunted Mansion store near the Pieces of Eight store? Is that going to stay HM merch or what are they doing with that space? No one has talked about it (that I can find) so I’m curious.
Of course it's a big deal. AI steals directly from artists... the people that made the company. It's honestly disgusting for Disney to turn around and exploit that. Greedy CEOs trying to hit profits with no respect for the artistry or attention to detail that Walt founded the company on. On top of all that... it's just ugly. Never mind the exterior, the inside of this building looks like the Party City version of the Haunted Mansion. I have no doubts that they AI'd the concept art as well. It also bothers me that it doesn't bother you that they just source cheap products to decorate with. And I feel the same way about the queue extension. You can tell they just went down to the Home Depot for some of the "art". Nobody should defend this, and that's not just opinion, it's about a respect for the artistry and the history and the memory of Walt. And no disrespect... but I think Disney influencers defending this slop contributes directly to the problem. Why wouldn't you expect artisans to make this stuff Dave???
We went to the park Dec 26-27, 2019. Bag check was 15 minutes in the 26th, but over an hour on the 27th. Some of the busiest days of the year are between Christmas and New Year’s. LOL I’m going today!
Years ago, the Indy ride broke down halfway through while we were on it. Lights came on and we got to see the plastic skeletons hanging here and there. They looked like something from the Halloween store. I was at one of the opening events, the Mark and Brian KLOS 95.5 Indy opening on Feb 23, 1995 (I still have the souvenir poster on my wall) and I'm pretty sure those were the same skeletons. They've been using stuff like that for a while, just maybe better disguised previously. When you're barreling through that ride in the dark it's hard to even see them of course. Cheers! btw, at first glance that "AI" pic of the bride looks very inappropriate if ya know what I mean.
It seems to me that a fortune teller would have her own intimate parlor rather than set up shop in a horse barn. The decor is ok, but it’s like putting lipstick on a pig. 😕
Can you take a look into the Main Street magic Shop? Vanishing Inc (the new owners of the shop) wrote in their annual letter, that they did renovate the magic shop (I guess overnight?). Greetings from Germany!
As someone with a graphic design degree, I’ll tell you that it is a very tough job market right now. How much of that is because of AI? I’m not sure. I’m all for using AI here and there as a tool, but not as the main event. Especially not as decor at Disney when they have access to 100s of talented artists. I can’t speak for all artists and designers, nor do I know the full story here, but I certainly agree with David.
As someone who grew up going to Disney world yearly since as young as I can remember, it is a new low to see Disney stoop to but I’m not surprised any more
The problem with them just buying stuff online is that Disney has almost always made their props and decor themselves, and I can forgive the ai if they take it down and replace it with actual art and don’t do it again
And Kim Irvine plays Madam Leota (inside crystal ball) during HMH version. And I like the bust in the gift shop even if it is from Amazon. The bride framed art is not cool though. Needs replacement.
as someone who was there on that day, I got in line for bag check on harbour at 7:45am. My group didn't get through until about 9:10am. Before security even opened, there was a line all the way put to harbor blvd.
Even most of the bespoke props used in queues/stores/attractions are not made by WDI. They're made by a third party company. They're given very basic designs or even just vague concepts from Disney. Such talented people. It's a shame that they aren't allowed to include any of that work in their professional portfolio.
Here's what I don't get, why use ai art at Disneyland? I mean, they have an in park artist for crying out loud, so it's not even like they need to go far, where they can just get the artist to create some unique works for this shop.
I was at Disney Friday and Monday after Christmas. I did not use any Lightning Lane pass and my family did everything. Everything. We waiting no longer than 30 min in a line. How? FreshBaked tactics, watch times on app, and visually checking the queue and adding up the FreshBaked queue science. On three rides, we noticed that the posted wait time was 20-30 min longer than the actual queue. We also used single rider, which cut those lines in half for us. Bless you FreshBaked!
I forgot that Anaheim's former Rainforest Cafe, which is booming at Disney Springs in Orlando, had closed because of what originally was going to be a new hotel. The Disney Co didn't get some tax breaks from Anaheim, so it shuttered a good portion of the western side of DT Disney. At least the former AMC theater was torn down, but the other buildings north of it should have been dealt with way before 2024. Bad show, Disney
@@LowTide941Okay, fair enough. However, the theme-park industry in general in Orlando does better than its counterparts in LA/SoCa do. Their businesses draw more visitors per years than counterparts parks in LA do. Or Calif Disney vs Florida Disney, LA Universal vs Orlando Universal, Calif Sea World vs Florida Sea World. Rainforest a few yrs ago did approach Disney to reopen their site in Anaheim, but Disney apparently wasn't interested.
@@LowTide941I used to go to DT Disney Rainforest Cafe at each visit since 1985 til it closed. Food was always mediocre- was the animatronics and atmosphere that was the draw for our kids. Don’t miss it myself. Miss ESPN more -food was better.
FreshBaked. David, I'm sure I'm not the only one to say this. The Imagineer's have artists and set designers on staff who could produce all manner of additional artwork and props in house for the gift shop, if called upon. What they have done on the interior is very nice but they don't need to be buying A.I. artwork on line. If as you suspect "Tinker Bell" in a lantern is to be the meet and great at Pixie Hallow. Sofia has brought her ticket and is already first in line to get some Pixie Dust. Cheers, Chris Perry.
I see various tarot card decks in frames on the wall. From what I can see in your video, there are 24 cards in each frame. A deck of tarot consist of 78 cards total (22 Major Arcana, 56 Minor Arcana) . It would be interesting to see which cards they chose and if there is any reason behind choosing 24 cards per frame
The track within the diorama was already replaced during the last closure. The track from just outside the diorama on the Main Street side to Hungry Bear will be replaced during the upcoming closure. The track between New Orleans to Hungry Bear was not replaced during the Galaxy Edge construction, just the section rerouted after Hungry Bear was replaced then.
Went to Disneyland Paris for the first time on Christmas Eve and day and they need to implement the security process they have there. At no point did I ever have to wait in a line more than a few people deep to get through security. The reason why? They use x-ray scanners, so no need for you to open a bag and then open all the inner pockets, etc. drop it on the machine and walk through the metal detector. They make that change and ridiculous lines for bag check are a thing of the past. Also, the buckets for Swiss Family were also not functional in Paris. So it may be a design problem, or they purposefully do not turn them on at certain times or in certain conditions. Lastly, the longest wait time between either park was 80 minutes for Crush's Coaster. Even the most popular of attractions rarely saw over an hour wait. I chalk that up to only having the Premiere Access, which we're going for €190 each those days (that's about $200). Pricing it super high like that limited the number of users and had virtually no impact on standby times.
With the one railroad station having construction walls up for so long it would have been nice if they could have done a matching color scheme on those walls to the station. It would have fit in a bit better....just saying.
I get it, but they obviously buying the fabrics, the ancillary furniture, the candlesticks, the instruments, the lights… I think we may be getting too critical of the decor sourcing.
Disney using any Ai art at their parks is a slap in the face to the artisans that built their entire franchise. The park sits on the shoulders of artists with actual creative vision. It’s clear evidence of just how out of touch and uncaring the Disney corporation is. The person that allowed this should be fired immediately.
I guess it's better they buy some things from online retail versus the Gensler architectural firm. A part of the Grand Floridian was recently remodeled to include exactly that. So what's supposed to be themed to Florida late 1800s looks like office garden park 2024. Same with some of the new cabins in Fort Wilderness. As for the new store next to the Haunted Mansion, errors like that take away the charm & creative flair of what should be a top-tier theme park. Meanwhile, DCA next door is DCA. Oh, well.
I don’t think they’ll add the mini tinkerbell The reason why everything is large is because you’ve been “shrunk” to be the same size as a pixie Why would everything like grass be large if you’re meeting a tiny pixie?
The original train station depot at New Orleans Square would have been a better design for Madame Liota's carriage house. The exterior just looks like a prefab. There isn't any historic detailing. The interior is ok . That said it does little to make sense that this is where the carriages and horses would be stored and lived. What is the backstory for Madame Liota taking over the Haunted Mansion's carriage house property?
Agreed. I think it would make more sense for Madame Leota's to be located in the current New Orleans Square Haunted Mansion gift shop, and for the carriage house to be better themed as a collection of artifacts from the mansion.
You think they didn’t do this back in the day? You think they hand made every single prop? Should they write and publish all the books that they put in the shop ceiling too?
@@jasonbaylor9865No, they went and bought them from antique shops and estate sales or Hollywood prop houses. Real objects or props copied from real objects. Not mass-produced shlock that anyone can buy.
1:35 I personally like child-size Tink vs fairy-sized. The line space is also shrinking you down with the tall grass. The question still stands on what are they doing? 11:46 interesting point of Walt interior vs exterior. I was going to say "why isn't the exterior aged" but maybe that's why to relate it back to the Mansion 13:12 that's really cool. I love the story of the mother and daughter Imaginer. I believe the daughter also did face and voice as well, possibly for Holiday. My favorite story is the daughter rides Mansion and can hear her mom 🥲 but also will tell her kids "say hi to grandma" 😂 That's so cool that Kim lead the project ❤ 17:19 though disheartening to hear and see that maybe artists aren't being used. Why can't they handcraft like they used to? Why not get something authentic like the firefighter plaques? Why go for something...cheap? 😅 Is Disney really penny pinching? 22:11 so sad that the island is in such a sorry state. I hope they get it cleaned up and fixed.
I was in that line, I was there December 25 through December 28th, that line took us 35 mins, if it took that long he got in the wrong line that had very bad people in it.
My prediction about pixie Hollow is that they are going to at some point change it into a permanent meet and greet with Moana and have the water area. Be like a miniature way of water while you wait in line.
Disney decor decisions: Is it a big deal? Yes. AI images are an insult to artists whose artwork has been scraped to generate the image. Additionally instead of using their money to hire an artist or even an art piece from an artist, Disney uses their money to buy something from an art scraper.
Gotta agree with @hidingfromsomeone . . . its not new or odd that they go out and buy things - that's how set dressing and props work. The difference is that average consumers can also find things more broadly than they used to thanks to the internet. I've been designing and painting scenery for over 35 years - no one has the time and resources NOT to shop pieces and blend them with pieces that must be fabricated from scratch (not even Disney). With this shop it's the few places (okay one of them large and green) where they have clearly cut corners. The exterior paint job looks better, but still essentially (on camera) looks like pretty new structure. Not a fan of the strip-back wood-n-white paint job on the inside, but that's just me.
I'm not a big fan of AI image creation for a number of reasons - the issues are how the AI is taught and the integrity of the learning sources. Not impressed. However, I do have to ask ... if you didn't know that framed bride image was purchased, where it was purchased from and that it was created by AI (supposedly) does the framed image look correct and appropriate for the use and space? IMHO, as a set designer, no it doesn't. The frame it too modern for HM era framing and the mat is all wrong. On camera at least, the image looks like a print and lacks the patina of an vintage oil painting.
In the park today (1-7-2025) and tried to find the AI art in the Haunted Mansion gift shop and could not. .....YES. Can confirm that the AI art has been replaced with a Tarot Card Shadow Box. Much improved.
David , Is your thumbnail "asking" us is it "wrong" for Disney to have interactive Ai experience in the haunted Mansion gift shop;; instead open actual physical piece of artwork for sale (?) 🤷🤷
Need to take a step back and assess why people go to Disney… they go to Disney for magical experiences that you can’t find elsewhere, they go for the spare no expense ideology that hads made the parks the behemoth, they go for the little details that takes you more than one visit to spot. All of these installations and additions are the antithesis of that completely, so yes IT IS a big deal.
As a former theatrical props artist, it's never been the case that you create everything from scratch - part of the skill of a props artist is being able to dig through estate sales and antiques shops to find something to fit the project. There's urban legends about the skulls in Pirates being real skulls! So it's always been done, in theater and at Disney. I think the frustrations we're hearing at the moment is that it feels lazy. AI art is lazy when you have a team of artists on staff. Buying a prefab building is lazy. And this is a premium experience - Disney parks are premium, and they're cheaping out on the details, which kinda stinks.
To me, that's the difference. Buying unique vintage pieces that work in the environment is one thing- mass produced busts on Amazon and AI art is another
Disneyland Cast used to shop the antique stores in old town Orange for years for antiques. Shop owners would talk about it and say how glad they were to see the Disney van drive up. Now that old town Orange is turning into restaurant row from antique row, and other antique shops around the county disappearing, I’m guessing their choices for shopping is pivoting.
@@Just_Scooby_and_Me pivoting would be going to eBay or Facebook Marketplace or antique websites. Finding real pieces with character and history. It's more than possible but it does take some time which Disney doesn't want to pay for. I wouldn't shop at RedBubble or Home Goods for art for my own home, why would I pay hundreds to go to a park like that??
Well said.
@@Just_Scooby_and_MeCalifornia is huge I doubt it’s a real struggle. Even if the OC is running out…the IE is dripping in antique stores.
The idea behind Pixie Hollow is that you shrink down to the size of a pixie... so a small tinkerbell wouldn't match the aesthetic.
I agree with that, but I think the rule of cool could be more important. If the technology/ experience is as cool as speculated, some theming inconsistencies can be forgiven imo
How about you meet Tink when you are still full-sized and afterwards she shrinks you down. Or she could be at the end of the journey after you grow back to full size. I don’t know if the physical restraints of the area would allow for either, I’ve never gone inside of Pixie Hollow, but those are two story telling possibilities that would help to make a tiny Tink more realistic.
Maybe they could have the lantern in the front and you then see her full sized
The use of commercially available AI art in the parks is lazy and egregious. It’s an insult to the artists at Disney and to the paying guests who visit the parks.
I mean it’s still art.. as an artist I don’t feel offended a single bit. Idk it’s my opinion but I don’t think using ai is bad it’s more of an innovative way of saving money.
@@khelerp The issue is less about the people who use the art (still a part nonetheless) and more about the people who are profiting off of it. Much of image generating AI is trained through processing the work of other artists who have not given permission for their art to be used. It's artistic theft. And it's even more disappointing to see that Disney is opting to cut corners like this when they pride themselves on having the best artists in the world.
@CamHennings it’s actually not theft literally at all. It’s like sampling music for a song it’s not theft it’s using what has been provided to make something more. Either way it’s a small painting in a big shop not a center piece so there shouldn’t be any anger. Also ai won’t ever take people’s jobs. It’s people who know how to use it that will.
@@khelerp You're right, people who use AI will take the jobs because artistry is being increasingly undervalued in the corporate system and people will cut whatever corners they can to pay as little as possible. AI does have its utilities, I'm not refuting that. But it's not a replacement for actual artistry, nor is someone who can write a prompt considered an artist. But it's a fact that entertainment companies like Disney are actively seeking to use AI to replace creatives in all positions in order to save money that they are more than capable of spending. It's why we had the writers and actors strikes last year and the voice actor video game strike happening right now. It's all about saving more money for the execs to line their pockets, and if Disney isn't willing to shell out $100 to commission an actual artist in their own studio to draw a picture, then the issue runs deeper than just a photo in a gift shop.
@CamHunnings
I don’t think you really understand. You are looking at one price when hundreds of more are around the park and there are even others in the shop itself so it’s not really doing anything. The world is changing whether you like it or not and ai is a part of that. Ai won’t take everything but it’s a part of humanity now and you can’t change that. It doesn’t devalue anything and really the way you should look at it is if less art is around it makes the “actual” art more valuable. I seriously don’t understand what you mean because out of 3-4 painting in that shop you are picking on one. There are others that actually were made and you didn’t even turn your head to it so really why does it matter if it’s overlooked anyway. Think about Tiana bayou adventure many painting where put in for those and does anyone admire it, no. So why spend extra money. Nobody cares about one ai painting in a huge theme park and the only people who care are those who examine the whole park. Also it’s not even confirmed if it’s ai or not so don’t make assumptions z
As a self employed music producer and musician, this stuff is pretty heartbreaking. First royalty free music at the entrance of Epcot, now this. They don't go to their artists because they don't want to pay creatives a living wage!!!!! Its just sad.
What bothers me is that they have people on staff to create this stuff and they choose not to utilize them.
They should have had a contest .. CM get a magic key for a year created all the art work in house it is what they literally do for a living
It really surprises me that Disney didn't have one of their artist do the bride for the wall. And then offer prints of it for like 50.00 to make more money lol
The bride image is 100% AI art. It is incredibly easy to spot when art is not human created. We are moving even further into the era where Disney is unfortunately going cheaper and cheaper. I love Disney, and I am a former CM at Disneyland. The biggest thing I have noticed is just how much the company has changed toward money first, magic last.
It’s the ghost of Paul Pressler.
disney you gotta be kidding me no wonder sonic 3 beated yeah
23:00 AWESOME SHOT!!! Magical is RIGHT
Why don’t they display all Haunted Mansion art work that the artists created before the finished product? They had it in the vault a couple of years ago and it was fascinating
Marc Davis was a genius. I have a book about him with a lot of that art in it. As well as a couple shorter books about the making of pirates and the haunted mansion. That sort of creativity and talent is hard enough to replicate with even human artists. AI is just an insult. It just makes generic and derivative images. It’s everything Walt would have hated. Miyazaki is maybe the closest modern equivalent to Walt in terms of a creative visionary, and he’s made his opinion very clear on the matter.
Of course there were many other great artists like Rolly Crump and Harper Goff but Marc is my favorite :)
There was a time when Disney DID handcraft all of their own art. That's one of the things that set them apart from everyone else. Its the little things and attention to detail that made Disney what it is. Now that they are buying art instead of creating it is another thing Disney is doing to get away from who they once were. What's worse is people not having an issue with it. Another middle finger to the imagineers. Creativity has fallen by the waist side. I wonder how much art was bought online in Epic Universe?
Lol…
Disney: “we’re a company of creatives, except we don’t like paying creatives, because that would eat into our bonuses…so here’s some ai art instead”
6:05 the foggy morning on the railroad is gorgeous. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it like that at Disneyland, it feels almost like a dream where you can’t remember the entire park, so your subconscious fogs the horizon. Simply beautiful
AI is an insult to all artist and humanity itself, the soul of the creations in Disneyland is what makes it so special. The imagineers should have handled this shop. They should remove it and replace it with something made by the imagineers.
To the people defending Disney... is it objectively wrong for others to expect a high quality experience--especially given the cost of going to the park?
I get it. We all like to save on costs. No. There's nothing wrong with using everyday items anyone can buy.
But we're talking about Disneyland, here, not your guest room. This is the crown jewel of amusement parks.
Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but to those defending Disney, ask yourself, why are you so willing to tow the line for a mega-corp fleecing the public at every opportunity?
Shilling for a corporation is against the law and those who defend Disney belong behind bars.
I may not like everything they do but I’m paying for an experience, and the parks provide that. As long as that’s the case I’ll go
@@MagicalMainstreetMediaAs long as Disney is cheaping out on their theming, you're not getting a good experience.
Thanks for this update. 👍🏻😊
We appreciate all the hard work you do.
Hope you and your family had a great holiday. 😊
Is it a big deal? Yes. And it's even more damning coming from a company that boasts about it's artistic creativity and talent. Speaks volumes about what the company thinks of artists in general.
FYI 12:26 that's a harp, a harpsichord is more like a piano in appearance
Shhh 🤫 Don’t tell him… 🤐
Quit harping on the facts! 😂
Do you think they will ever get Big Thunder Mountain's water jets working that makes it look like the train hits water where that dinosaur skeleton is?
I didn't mind Disney using antique store finds and old people but buying new mass produced things from Pier 1 that you can find in a mall is just wrong
The Water Fountain outside HM is mass produced too from Kenneth Lynch FOR $4,966.00
The inside the HM gift shop is great !!!
Still say a couple of large, aged, gothic/southern, 'cemetery' statues placed along some outside walls would 'add' some needed 'spookiness' to the exterior ..also some flickering red 'lanterns' at night.
I don’t get why they just can’t commission one of the many artists in the company to make some art for the gift shop. It’s very odd.
Remember when DIsney traveled around getting props for Big Thunder? They used to do this for a ton of attractions not only did these items get used in the rides but many times the imagineers came back with additions idea's from these trips? But sure lets buy crap off amazon and use AI, not like the parks are packed right now and Disney didn't make the most at the box office of any other studio.
I don't understand why the ceiling of the gift shop is so weathered and aged and the walls are cleanly painted bright purple?? Terrible choice for wall color.
I just don't understand how the design process works for this, because it seems like there's no Imagineers, no architects, no interior designers, no artists.... so who's designing this?
@@sweet_lowdownit was a prefab building you can buy online
Design-wise, this entire project is absolute nonsense.
Thanks for the updates, Fresh Baked!
The HM line remodel is filled with off the shelf garden ornaments that look like they got them at Home Depot!! Very sad!
Any idea what’s going on with the other Haunted Mansion store near the Pieces of Eight store? Is that going to stay HM merch or what are they doing with that space? No one has talked about it (that I can find) so I’m curious.
Of course it's a big deal. AI steals directly from artists... the people that made the company. It's honestly disgusting for Disney to turn around and exploit that. Greedy CEOs trying to hit profits with no respect for the artistry or attention to detail that Walt founded the company on.
On top of all that... it's just ugly. Never mind the exterior, the inside of this building looks like the Party City version of the Haunted Mansion. I have no doubts that they AI'd the concept art as well. It also bothers me that it doesn't bother you that they just source cheap products to decorate with. And I feel the same way about the queue extension. You can tell they just went down to the Home Depot for some of the "art".
Nobody should defend this, and that's not just opinion, it's about a respect for the artistry and the history and the memory of Walt. And no disrespect... but I think Disney influencers defending this slop contributes directly to the problem. Why wouldn't you expect artisans to make this stuff Dave???
08:13 The fire was December 29 2022, so it was 2 years ago already.
Did they ever say what caused the fire? My wild guess is either a coffee pot or space heater was left on by closing shift. 🤔
We went to the park Dec 26-27, 2019. Bag check was 15 minutes in the 26th, but over an hour on the 27th. Some of the busiest days of the year are between Christmas and New Year’s. LOL I’m going today!
Hoped you would discuss this. Thank you!
Christmas day, walking from Harbor, it took me 67 minutes to get through security. On the 27th, they had reorganized and it only took 25 minutes.
is there a different pace that isbetter to bag check?
@@michelleMYHELL5244 My kids walked around to the other end of Downtown Disney (by the Disneyland Hotel) and the line was shorter there.
I was there today and I did not see that AI pic in the shop…I think they took it down?
“I don’t expect Disney to handcraft every single decor element” .. ARE YOU SERIOUS BROTHER
it’s a valid statement 🤷♂️
Years ago, the Indy ride broke down halfway through while we were on it. Lights came on and we got to see the plastic skeletons hanging here and there. They looked like something from the Halloween store. I was at one of the opening events, the Mark and Brian KLOS 95.5 Indy opening on Feb 23, 1995 (I still have the souvenir poster on my wall) and I'm pretty sure those were the same skeletons. They've been using stuff like that for a while, just maybe better disguised previously. When you're barreling through that ride in the dark it's hard to even see them of course. Cheers!
btw, at first glance that "AI" pic of the bride looks very inappropriate if ya know what I mean.
It seems to me that a fortune teller would have her own intimate parlor rather than set up shop in a horse barn. The decor is ok, but it’s like putting lipstick on a pig. 😕
It's not good enough for a horse barn🫤
Can you take a look into the Main Street magic Shop? Vanishing Inc (the new owners of the shop) wrote in their annual letter, that they did renovate the magic shop (I guess overnight?). Greetings from Germany!
The last time I entered via Harbor was back in the 90’d when my Mom dropped me off. I can’t believe how many ppl actually still come in through there
As someone with a graphic design degree, I’ll tell you that it is a very tough job market right now. How much of that is because of AI? I’m not sure. I’m all for using AI here and there as a tool, but not as the main event. Especially not as decor at Disney when they have access to 100s of talented artists. I can’t speak for all artists and designers, nor do I know the full story here, but I certainly agree with David.
The Leota gift shop still looks too big for that location. Full disclosure, I have not seen it in person yet.
As someone who grew up going to Disney world yearly since as young as I can remember, it is a new low to see Disney stoop to but I’m not surprised any more
They probably have CMs running rides that could do art better
I loved the video of the 3 rides in Frontierland. Great job David!!! Magical
The problem with them just buying stuff online is that Disney has almost always made their props and decor themselves, and I can forgive the ai if they take it down and replace it with actual art and don’t do it again
And Kim Irvine plays Madam Leota (inside crystal ball) during HMH version. And I like the bust in the gift shop even if it is from Amazon. The bride framed art is not cool though. Needs replacement.
as someone who was there on that day, I got in line for bag check on harbour at 7:45am. My group didn't get through until about 9:10am. Before security even opened, there was a line all the way put to harbor blvd.
Happy New Year to the Erickson family.
Good stuff, updates are needed, thanks
Even most of the bespoke props used in queues/stores/attractions are not made by WDI. They're made by a third party company. They're given very basic designs or even just vague concepts from Disney. Such talented people. It's a shame that they aren't allowed to include any of that work in their professional portfolio.
Here's what I don't get, why use ai art at Disneyland? I mean, they have an in park artist for crying out loud, so it's not even like they need to go far, where they can just get the artist to create some unique works for this shop.
Because they don’t want to pay an actual artist
I was at Disney Friday and Monday after Christmas. I did not use any Lightning Lane pass and my family did everything. Everything. We waiting no longer than 30 min in a line. How? FreshBaked tactics, watch times on app, and visually checking the queue and adding up the FreshBaked queue science. On three rides, we noticed that the posted wait time was 20-30 min longer than the actual queue. We also used single rider, which cut those lines in half for us. Bless you FreshBaked!
I forgot that Anaheim's former Rainforest Cafe, which is booming at Disney Springs in Orlando, had closed because of what originally was going to be a new hotel. The Disney Co didn't get some tax breaks from Anaheim, so it shuttered a good portion of the western side of DT Disney. At least the former AMC theater was torn down, but the other buildings north of it should have been dealt with way before 2024. Bad show, Disney
Rainforest in Orlando is not booming. They are struggling to keep people and the food has gone down in quality.
@@LowTide941Okay, fair enough. However, the theme-park industry in general in Orlando does better than its counterparts in LA/SoCa do. Their businesses draw more visitors per years than counterparts parks in LA do. Or Calif Disney vs Florida Disney, LA Universal vs Orlando Universal, Calif Sea World vs Florida Sea World. Rainforest a few yrs ago did approach Disney to reopen their site in Anaheim, but Disney apparently wasn't interested.
@@LowTide941I used to go to DT Disney Rainforest Cafe at each visit since 1985 til it closed. Food was always mediocre- was the animatronics and atmosphere that was the draw for our kids. Don’t miss it myself. Miss ESPN more -food was better.
FreshBaked. David, I'm sure I'm not the only one to say this. The Imagineer's have artists and set designers on staff who could produce all manner of additional artwork and props in house for the gift shop, if called upon. What they have done on the interior is very nice but they don't need to be buying A.I. artwork on line. If as you suspect "Tinker Bell" in a lantern is to be the meet and great at Pixie Hallow. Sofia has brought her ticket and is already first in line to get some Pixie Dust. Cheers, Chris Perry.
I believe the correct terminology is "blades of grass".
lol well Disney herd y’all loud and clear… 😂 they have removed the Ai photo ..
Yes
Camhanaich is Gaelic for "first light" or dawn/dusk. Thats the other book title you saw @freshbaked 😊
Hopefully Disneyland is looking to use/take items from wdw's TS Island to 'plus-up' this island...
Love the fog.
I see various tarot card decks in frames on the wall. From what I can see in your video, there are 24 cards in each frame. A deck of tarot consist of 78 cards total (22 Major Arcana, 56 Minor Arcana) . It would be interesting to see which cards they chose and if there is any reason behind choosing 24 cards per frame
Hey Fresh Baked!!
Amy idea if the pixie hollow delay could also be due to needing to cast for the fairies?
The track within the diorama was already replaced during the last closure. The track from just outside the diorama on the Main Street side to Hungry Bear will be replaced during the upcoming closure. The track between New Orleans to Hungry Bear was not replaced during the Galaxy Edge construction, just the section rerouted after Hungry Bear was replaced then.
There is literally running water visible in the video flowing through the upper sluice on Big Thunder, as well as water dripping its entire length.
Went to Disneyland Paris for the first time on Christmas Eve and day and they need to implement the security process they have there. At no point did I ever have to wait in a line more than a few people deep to get through security. The reason why? They use x-ray scanners, so no need for you to open a bag and then open all the inner pockets, etc. drop it on the machine and walk through the metal detector. They make that change and ridiculous lines for bag check are a thing of the past.
Also, the buckets for Swiss Family were also not functional in Paris. So it may be a design problem, or they purposefully do not turn them on at certain times or in certain conditions.
Lastly, the longest wait time between either park was 80 minutes for Crush's Coaster. Even the most popular of attractions rarely saw over an hour wait. I chalk that up to only having the Premiere Access, which we're going for €190 each those days (that's about $200). Pricing it super high like that limited the number of users and had virtually no impact on standby times.
The bilge pump wasn't working in July 2021 but the treasure lift was working.
With the one railroad station having construction walls up for so long it would have been nice if they could have done a matching color scheme on those walls to the station. It would have fit in a bit better....just saying.
I get it, but they obviously buying the fabrics, the ancillary furniture, the candlesticks, the instruments, the lights… I think we may be getting too critical of the decor sourcing.
Disney using any Ai art at their parks is a slap in the face to the artisans that built their entire franchise. The park sits on the shoulders of artists with actual creative vision.
It’s clear evidence of just how out of touch and uncaring the Disney corporation is.
The person that allowed this should be fired immediately.
lol
I guess it's better they buy some things from online retail versus the Gensler architectural firm. A part of the Grand Floridian was recently remodeled to include exactly that. So what's supposed to be themed to Florida late 1800s looks like office garden park 2024. Same with some of the new cabins in Fort Wilderness. As for the new store next to the Haunted Mansion, errors like that take away the charm & creative flair of what should be a top-tier theme park. Meanwhile, DCA next door is DCA. Oh, well.
hey at least the pixy hollow water doesn't look like blue out house water anymore
I’ll be at Disneyland for there 70th anniversary celebration next year
Yes, but will you be at Disneyland for their 70th celebration next year?
Next holiday season
Was that a doombuggy they showed real quick in the shop? Also I've heard that hammich somewhere before. 🤔
Isn't Leota's meant to be like a carriage house? That's what it looks like to me.
Yes
Scott gustin said they’re doing the third section of the track will be back before May was my understanding
David, most likely, got his information from Scott, as well.
I don’t think they’ll add the mini tinkerbell
The reason why everything is large is because you’ve been “shrunk” to be the same size as a pixie
Why would everything like grass be large if you’re meeting a tiny pixie?
I’m glad that SOMEONE is paying attention. Well stated.
The original train station depot at New Orleans Square would have been a better design for Madame Liota's carriage house. The exterior just looks like a prefab. There isn't any historic detailing. The interior is ok . That said it does little to make sense that this is where the carriages and horses would be stored and lived. What is the backstory for Madame Liota taking over the Haunted Mansion's carriage house property?
Agreed. I think it would make more sense for Madame Leota's to be located in the current New Orleans Square Haunted Mansion gift shop, and for the carriage house to be better themed as a collection of artifacts from the mansion.
Good morning, fresh bake happy taco Tuesday
What is the Parkside market?
The long evolution: Monsanto house, king triton area, now pixies have descended. 70 years under the bridge.
Disney has sunk so low purchasing mass produced items. Doesn't surprise me that you don't see much of a problem.
You think they didn’t do this back in the day? You think they hand made every single prop? Should they write and publish all the books that they put in the shop ceiling too?
@@jasonbaylor9865 its a matter of effort. Back in the day I believe Disney would go to antique shops and get authentic hand crafted items.
It's set dressing. It's no different than dressing sets for movies.
@@jasonbaylor9865No, they went and bought them from antique shops and estate sales or Hollywood prop houses. Real objects or props copied from real objects. Not mass-produced shlock that anyone can buy.
1:35 I personally like child-size Tink vs fairy-sized. The line space is also shrinking you down with the tall grass. The question still stands on what are they doing?
11:46 interesting point of Walt interior vs exterior. I was going to say "why isn't the exterior aged" but maybe that's why to relate it back to the Mansion 13:12 that's really cool. I love the story of the mother and daughter Imaginer. I believe the daughter also did face and voice as well, possibly for Holiday. My favorite story is the daughter rides Mansion and can hear her mom 🥲 but also will tell her kids "say hi to grandma" 😂 That's so cool that Kim lead the project ❤ 17:19 though disheartening to hear and see that maybe artists aren't being used. Why can't they handcraft like they used to? Why not get something authentic like the firefighter plaques? Why go for something...cheap? 😅 Is Disney really penny pinching?
22:11 so sad that the island is in such a sorry state. I hope they get it cleaned up and fixed.
I was in that line, I was there December 25 through December 28th, that line took us 35 mins, if it took that long he got in the wrong line that had very bad people in it.
My prediction about pixie Hollow is that they are going to at some point change it into a permanent meet and greet with Moana and have the water area. Be like a miniature way of water while you wait in line.
So sorry if I missed it, but Will Haunted Mansion be closing on Jan 6th as well to take down overlay? I don’t see it on the calendar. Thanks so much.
Every time I see Parkside Marketplace I’m reminded of LuLu in Palm Springs. So they have achieved what they set out to do at that end of DD.
What a bummer, they should take more care in the craft
Disney decor decisions: Is it a big deal?
Yes. AI images are an insult to artists whose artwork has been scraped to generate the image. Additionally instead of using their money to hire an artist or even an art piece from an artist, Disney uses their money to buy something from an art scraper.
You're a little late on the train news. Disney announced on Dec 16th the train would close Jan 13th and reopen May 16th.
What's worse than the AI image itself is the Michaels $2.00 cheap matting.
Is the single rider line for Tiana’s open?
It’s because you can buy on Amazon or some other store doesn’t mean that’s where Disney bought it
23:00 SO damn EPIC Haha! And Magus book cover on wiki is hyper-hail satan lmao
Gotta agree with @hidingfromsomeone . . . its not new or odd that they go out and buy things - that's how set dressing and props work. The difference is that average consumers can also find things more broadly than they used to thanks to the internet. I've been designing and painting scenery for over 35 years - no one has the time and resources NOT to shop pieces and blend them with pieces that must be fabricated from scratch (not even Disney). With this shop it's the few places (okay one of them large and green) where they have clearly cut corners. The exterior paint job looks better, but still essentially (on camera) looks like pretty new structure. Not a fan of the strip-back wood-n-white paint job on the inside, but that's just me.
I'm not a big fan of AI image creation for a number of reasons - the issues are how the AI is taught and the integrity of the learning sources. Not impressed. However, I do have to ask ... if you didn't know that framed bride image was purchased, where it was purchased from and that it was created by AI (supposedly) does the framed image look correct and appropriate for the use and space? IMHO, as a set designer, no it doesn't. The frame it too modern for HM era framing and the mat is all wrong. On camera at least, the image looks like a print and lacks the patina of an vintage oil painting.
In the park today (1-7-2025) and tried to find the AI art in the Haunted Mansion gift shop and could not. .....YES. Can confirm that the AI art has been replaced with a Tarot Card Shadow Box. Much improved.
I bet the park is so busy!
love the videos why dose disneyland rides always break down? i pray that this year 2025 that no rides will break down this year
David ,
Is your thumbnail "asking" us is it "wrong" for Disney to have interactive Ai experience in the haunted Mansion gift shop;; instead open actual physical piece of artwork for sale (?) 🤷🤷
Good to hear you use the correct pronunciation of ouija board!
Need to take a step back and assess why people go to Disney… they go to Disney for magical experiences that you can’t find elsewhere, they go for the spare no expense ideology that hads made the parks the behemoth, they go for the little details that takes you more than one visit to spot. All of these installations and additions are the antithesis of that completely, so yes IT IS a big deal.