My daughter has been obsessed with dragons since she was 2. Her favorite movie series is How To Train Your Dragon. She has always lamented that dragons aren't real and she can't have one and ride it to school etc. When she got to ride Flight of Passage as a 13 year old she was euphoric- she got to experience riding a dragon. Its as close as she can get in this life to having her dream. We went on and on about the breathing effect for hours after riding it and how brilliant it is. She went on the ride a second time that day and if you bring it up she bounces on her heels in joy and will talk about it endlessly. Best ride experience ever imo.
Sorry for this comment being five months late, but if you and your daughter don't know yet, there's an entire How To Train Your Dragon land coming to Universal's newest theme park in Orlando called Epic Universe. The park is opening next year.
Thank you, I really appreciate it. Honestly I'm very grateful to have any attention at all, it's nice to know when I upload now I'm not just shouting about theme parks into the void
The shick is hilarious, topics fascinating, and his writing and delivery are fantastic. I have no doubt we are only the first people to show up to the party.
Can I add a note? It's hard to explain. There's another thing at play here - that given a configuration of an environment, there's a limited number of instinctual navigational decisions to make. A tree is ahead of us? Most of us will "want" to rise up to get over the tree... not fly into the trunk or smash through the branches. There's a space between two rocks? Again, most of us will "choose" to fly between the rocks, not into the rocks. The end result is that the illusion of controlling the mount is rather robust. The path that the ride takes is not always the path any individual would choose, but often enough, that some sense of control and agreement with the beast is generated. There's a canon reason the flight goes left if an individual wanted to go right... and that's because the "animal partner made the choice" in this specific case. This is 100% different from a ride framed by "driving a car" or "a boat" or whatever - where the rider is intended to believe they make ALL the choices or they are a 100% passive passenger. Only a rider on an animal story can sustain this illusion of partnership and shared decision making.
I don’t have much care for Avatar, but the Flight of Passage did something to me. I also only rode it twice and both times left me in tears. I still can remember the breathing as such a big part of the ride, how it transformed the mechanical contraption I was sitting on into a living fantasy creature. This break down is fantastic. Also brilliant lighting and I will never get tired of your theme of being at a party.
I feel so seen 😂😭 I walked out of that ride and burst into tears despite actually disliking avatar, spent the rest of the day confused af at my behaviour
I love avatar. It’s part of my personality, I learned na’vi in college, I ugly cried after avatar 2. The first time I rode this, I forgot how to breathe. I literally couldn’t not catch my breath. It took the ride splashing water on me to finally gulp in a breath and I had to remind myself to breathe throughout the entire ride. I rode it two other times that trip and didn’t have anymore breathing issues but it never failed to amaze me
I was there about a month ago, with no real love for the movies, and the only way I've described it to other people is that's it's like a religious experience. It was so fun and beautiful.
Not only is the pause/slowdown taken in the second part a bold choice, I believe that this moment-- along with the change in the music in the third part--is what elevates this from a technically impressive and enjoyable ride to a immersive emotional experience. There are rhythms and flows to life and having theme park experiences mimic that rhythm makes them much more accessible and impactful.
I find it funny cause, my dad is a fan of Avatar. But the he isn't really a big fan of rides and such. But this is now his favorite ride he has rode in his life. He didn't necessarily cry, but did have teary eye after getting off so ig that kind of counts lol. Surprised he didn't complain about the way you're suppose to sit in the bike-shaped ride thingy.
I am so excited I was recommended your channel early on. Your setups are humorous, your analysis is interesting, and your clips are all relevant and good quality. I sincerely hope you continue these videos. It’s been a real treat discovering you and I’m looking forward to this newest video.
That's interesting! I think Droomvlucht in particular stirs up weird emotions. I'm trying to write a video on it but still can't quite articulate what it's doing so well
I remember my first and only time riding Flight of Passage. I was in tears and overly emotional by the end. I don't know why, but the moment you're alone and in the dark with your Ikran; just feeling the realistic breathing effect you feel. It was very incredible and unforgettable. I wish I could ride it again. 🥺💙
I rode it twice, and I’m a huge huge fan of the movies, it made me so happy and joyful. And the world that the ride and movies immerse you in is simply amazing and beautiful!
I personally LOVE the avatar movies. I was emotionally invested for both of them, and i cant wait to see the third. I have no interest in theme park rides, but this video made me actually want to go on this ride. It truly sounds like an experience, and i feel like my love of avatar would just heighten it even further. maybe ill actually go to disney some day.
Hey Mike! Just finished watching your guest spot on For Your Amusement, which led me to your channel. You specifically mentioned this video on the podcast, and whoo boy, am I glad this was my first video of yours that I watched. I, too, got extremely emotional after Flight of Passage. As other commenters have noted, that feeling does not go away after repeat rides. I've ridden it no less than 5 times, and every time I come off with tears welling up and/or running down my face. I could never articulate why it made me feel this way. So thank you for making this excellent video breaking down all the nuances of this ride. Two points you made were I think what affected me the most. The first brief thing you mentioned was the sense of individual connection this ride gives you. Part of it is certainly the incredible visuals, but also I think the ride vehicle's position itself lends to that one-on-one connection. Unless you turn your head left or right, it's easy to forget that there are hundreds of other people on this ride. Star Wars is my all-time favorite franchise, but Rise of Resistance never brings me to tears. I think a lot of that comes from being in a big, plastic box with other riders. On Flight of Passage, it's just me, my Ikran, and the wonders of Pandora. The second point you made was about grief. I honestly let out an audible gasp when you mentioned it. You are absolutely 100% on the nose with that one. Flight of Passage gives you this big, emotional swell of music and a gorgeous sunset view, and then rips it all away from you in an instant. There is a sense of loss, a desire to want to go back to all those emotions and feelings. No other ride I've ever been on pulls the rug from you so effectively. Some give you a nice thank you and a wave (looking at you, Universal), and others allow you a moment to come down off that rush (the exit hall bounce). FoP does none of that. There's a beautiful crescendo, you blink, and it's over. All of this is achieved thanks in no small part to the duo of James Cameron and Joe Rohde. Both are incredible storytellers (dare I say, geniuses?) in their respective mediums. I don't know if we'll ever get another ride like this simply because both of those men were at their peak when this ride was built. Again, I look at Rise of Resistance, which should make me feel all the feels of being a small boy and playing with my Star Wars action figures. But Flight of Passage is one of the only rides that evokes such a strong emotional response out of me every time. Wow. That went on way longer that I originally intended. Whoops! Thanks again, Mike, for such an incredible video. I've subscribed and will now go on a binge of all your other videos!
Thanks for sharing this!! I rode Rise of the Resistance for the first time last month and similarly as incredible as it was it didn't move in the way Flight of Passage, and my other all-time favourite rides, do. Hope you enjoy the other videos too :)
Beautifully laid out video essay!! I came off Flight of Passage feeling breathless and awestruck the one time I got to ride it, and I attributed the powerful weightiness I felt in my chest in the moments after to sheer awe - but I think you're right, there's also a complex, wistful emotion that I didn't even realize was also at play. I don't know that I'd call it grief - perhaps "longing"? Looking back, I think it felt almost exactly like hugging a family member goodbye knowing it will be months before I see them again, or having a nice meal in the final hour of a best-in-my-lifetime vacation knowing it's about to end and the next stop is the airport security line. Or maybe I'm just ignorant and longing is merely an element of grief? Somehow it felt like whatever sadness I was feeling was tinged in more than a little bit of happy contentment - a journey well traveled, even if it's ending. Found your channel through your appearance on Watcher Podcasts' Carousel of Progress episode, and I'm so glad I did!
@@MikeFromTheParty Thanks for your kind words! It was only because of your video that, five years after I rode it, I thought harder into what I was feeling than "obviously breathtaking because it's awesome".
I loved this ride! I loved everyone across from us bonding together during the ride! We were all shouting the avatar and doing war cries as we flew together! It just felt so magical and I still think about this ride. It’s not just you riding a ride but it’s you experiencing something new with so many others! You’re not learning to ride alone, but learning together with everyone else on the ride. That and it’s just breathtaking in general with the visuals and music. Also the sequel in imax was BEAUTIFUL! The water effects where when you’re under water you almost forget you’re not actually under water and can breath is just SO COOL 😭
It holds up on repeat rides. I worked at DIsney World the year that it oppened and the first time I rode it was the first day that I had a day off after the ride had opened, just 4 days after, and I rode that ride 4 times on that day and it hit just as well all 4 times and then rode it an insane ammount of times during the next 2 months plus the next 3 the year after when I returned to the same program. It genuenly still hits just as hard every single time that you ride it.
It was well worth the wait. Like others have said, this is quickly becoming one of my favourite themepark channels. I think I know why now. Most channels are focused hard on the engineering or history of development. I swear you might be the only one who considers if a ride can have cultural influence just by themselves. Critique as an every day rider and like a film critic at the same time. That's completely new.
@Mike From The Party It really does and hope you get a big fanbase. It's the intersect between edu-doc vids and themepark enthusiasts. I think that venn diagram of people into that is a lot closer than a lorra people realise. Looking forward to the next one 😊
excited to catch this right away. :) i don't watch the avatar movies -- as an indigenous person they piss me off, but i'm looking forward to hearing about the ride anyways!
The first time I rode this, it was the first ride of a 3 generation Disney World Trip. I had watched quite a few on ride videos. They did not fully prepare me for the experience, feeling the breathing is incredible. It makes for a full sensory experience, sight, sounds, smells (and by extension taste), and touch. It was/is our favorite ride across the 4 parks, even better than Rise of the Resistance. When we rode it again last year, we paid the additional fee to skip the line, and it still holds up. Great video Mike!
It's so transportive isn't it! I've not had the chance to ride Rise of the Resistance yet, but the bar has been set incredibly high by Flight of Passage
yeah man thanks... uhhhh sorry about the loss of your beautiful but ultimately artificial bond with an imaginary creature and world. great party by the way!
went to animal kingdom in january and obviously loved flight of passage, rode river journey and the animatronic was in B Mode they just had a screen running 😭
yay! i absolutely love this video format it makes me want to try writing a script again but for a video essay not a film interested to see the similarities and differences
As someone who's tried writing scripts over the years the thing I prefer about video essays is that them coming to fruition is 100% in my control. I find it easy to motivate myself to finish it when I know there's going to be a finished product on the other end if I just push through!
Your channel needs to blow up cause this is just solid content. I enjoy these videos so much and hope you get the recognition you deserve and keep going!
i won't lie, if a ride has the ability to make me cry (as several of the new disney rides have) then i'm just gonna accept my fate and cry. i need that release anyways lmao
Loved this discussion of the ride and the complex way it triggers such a strong emotional response. It's so hard to put into words but when you ride this ride you really can feel something different about it. The first time I rode it it felt like my entire perspective on what a theme park experience can be had changed
WHY WAS I NOT NOTIFIED OF THIS VIDEO!?!?!? GDI IVE SEEN EVERY VIDEO AND HOW DARE UA-cam STOP ME NOW! In all seriousness, i hope youre well dear! And may i just say, i feel like your editing has become even more amazing as it was when i found you like... 2 months ago? Its crazy! And im so happy to be here and see your progress! Cheers !
@@MikeFromTheParty omfg mike 😭😭 dude i would if i were you! It took me seeing the pic of you with the pint and bag of taytos to know you were even still alive! Also, if i may ask real quick- whats your favorite beer/ and liquor lol. I wanna know what to stock for the next party! 😂
As someone who's SI is theme parks, this is honestly quickly becoming one of my favorite TP related channels.vI absolutely love the format of these videos; it's like it mixes the video styles of other UA-camrs I enjoy watching (those of whom I can't think off the top of my head right now, but mostly popular commentary channels) along with that fine interest of theme park knowledge that I could sit and watch for hours. Amazing job bro, keep up the amazing work and I hope your channel absolutely blows up.
Thank you I'm so glad you like the channel! I watch quite a bit of UA-cam so definitely feel like I've consciously and unconsciously taken a little bit of a lot of different UA-camrs and combined it in a way that hopefully (?) feels fresh
I think you and I are on a similar wavelength this week. This ride is giving me serious A Trip To The Moon vibes, probably the first dark ride to use immersive elements way back in 1901. Although I don't think anybody cried when they were offered green cheese by little people in Selenite costumes. I'm fascinated by this idea of complex emotions in a ride... Honestly, I never even thought of it as something desirable before. Using the rhythm of breath to accomplish a "bond" with what is essentially your chair is absolutely brilliant. I guess I'll have to check out First Flight next time I'm at Disney World, which should be sometime... let me just check my bank account... er-- Never.
I feel once Epic Universe opens in Florida with a How to Train your Dragon area, they will most likely have a similar ride to flight. However compared to Disney, Universal is known for their immersive experiences, Harry Potter, Halloween Horror nights, and now with Super Mario. Sometimes Disney can't keep up. Now don't get me Wrong I love Flight of Passage but don't care for avatar. But DreamWorks dragons is gonna have that nostalgia feel that guest love when visiting parks (like what happen back when Harry Potter land opened). Universal is gonna pay top dollar to beat flight. And I can't wait to see what happens.
The cave scene in the ride really reminded me of the third How To Train Your Dragon. Hopefully they have something similar. I haven't tracked Epic Universe closely recently but I think the original rumour was a show and coaster being the main rides in that land
This was my favorite ride one of the times I went to disney world. The thing is, it's not my favorite simulator ride ever. I've always thought the Fly Over rides at various locations are much more emotional. They're longer, have the best ride music ever, and perfect shots.
Wow, this video is incredible! What a great take on this amazing experience. I agree wholeheartedly with every point you made all the way to the end of the ride when you have that sense of disappointment you get after waking up from an incredible dream you didn't want to end. I have now ridden Flight of Passage more times than I can count and to this day, still get choked up. If I manage to keep it together, the music score at the end seals the deal. Now I love watching other people's reaction to their first flight and remembering back to that feeling I had walking out for the first time when I said, "what just happened"!
I also am not a big fan of simulators, had never seen Avatar or really wanted to...but this ride also made me cry, HARD, when I first rode it. It was awesome. Absolutely adore your videos, btw.
When I last went to Disney World and RoP's wait time was 3+ hours on a 99°F (37°C) day, and suddenly I'm not sure that skipping it was actually the correct choice. .... it definitely was, with the power of old fast passes, legit fast passes, park hoppers, and good timing in regards to parades we were able to ride Space Mountain four times in the same amount of time and that ride and it's entire queue are all dark and air conditioned. Still like...I hope to someday get to go back and get to experience this one. Also, can I just say that I love that your channel is about theme parks and is also a theme park? like you nailed the logic aesthetic frameing thing, especially because like, I've listened to "that guy" rant at me at parties, and when a good rant happens I often remember it in my own drunken stupor to be more complex and meaningful than it surely was. which, is hypothetically exactly what a well researched and presented essay such of this art is what both the ranter and rantee hoped and thought it to be in retrospect. anyway, I love it. keep up the great work, thank you for sharing it with us.
I really like that idea of this is how we drunkenly remember these conversations at parties to be like when in reality they're more shallow and rambling. Hopefully if/when you go back you get to experience it!
I love learning about these rides and things surrounding them from you!!! Really appreciate the effort you put into these videos and the quality you produce!
My 5 year old also cried but she was scared she thought it was so real at first lol also love i found this channel after the Twilight video, what a great find
Only time I've been to Disney world was back in like 2015 so i didn't see any of the Pandora stuff, I was definitely interested when I first heard about the plans for it so it was cool to see your thoughts on the ride and the area 👍
I am a huge fan of Avatar (always have been even when it was cool to hate on it) but I unfortunately can't afford to go to Disneyworld so I've never experienced the ride and now I feel like I'm missing a key part of the series. Still can't afford to drop that kindof money though
I was very lucky that my brother was working over there that summer so I got in for free. I hope this video gave a flavour of what the experience is like
It’s insane that you don’t have more subs Also you are so right about Carly she’s underrated as fuck and more people should listen to emotion it’s great
Mike I miss you ): my bday is this weekend and I plan to subject all my friends who come (prob like 2 people besides my partner) to ALL of your videos. It's my birthday... Who's gonna deny me my choice of video topics? Lmfao I'm getting rum and coke to celebrate;p
I've never gotten to ride this (the last time I was at WDW Animal Kingdom wasn't even finished yet), but it's been clear enough to me that there's just no way to capture an accurate ride through. Sadly! I feel like a lot of people are in the camp of 'don't care about Avatar, love Pandora' though. The world building is so rich, but the plot and characterization is thin as paper. It succeeds far more just as an experience, than any kind of story. And that's really okay.
I personally feel there's nothing wrong with a movie series mainly focusing on just being an immersive experience. But as a theme park fan it makes sense that those kind of films appeal to me!
When I rode this ride I honestly found it kind of mid. I wish I enjoyed it more and had the same spiritual experience that others did, but I just couldn't get over the simulation aspect. The visuals were lovely, but I was acutely aware that I was watching a screen the entire time. I think it's interesting how much variety there is in people's experiences with this ride.
It's really interesting, I've definitely noticed among my friends and looking online there seems to be two distinct camps of those who really love it and those who don't really understand the hype. I think you hit the nail on the head in terms of what divides these groups - basically do you buy into the illusion or not? Before riding I was expecting to fall into that latter camp and was very glad I didn't!
I watched the whole video but I've got to say I just don't really get it. At the end of the day, no matter how well constructed - a ride is just so clearly artificial. You're in a room with dozens of other people supposedly having this deeply personal experience? You're supposed to feel pride for having sat there and passively experienced something without actually doing any work or achieving anything? You're supposed to be so immersed and awestruck whilst wearing 3D glasses and looking at a screen? You're supposed to feel genuine grief at the end of a 2-3 minute experience connected to a story you yourself claimed that you don't really care about? You're supposed to feel compassion and love for an animal because you are sitting on a plastic "bike" that blows air at you? I just don't really buy any of that. You want to experience all those things for real? We're living in a real world with real nature and real things to go and see and do. Why pay your hard-earned cash to a multi-billion dollar corporation and spend 90 minutes of your life waiting in a queue for something that you can go out and get for free? And, you know...for real. I just can't escape the feeling that this whole video is just another ad for something which has already been extremely overhyped and over-marketed, and it just kind of makes me mad. There's just such a sick irony in a giant hypercapitalistic mega-enterprise trying to cash in on anti-consumerism and spirituality themselves that I can't believe that so many people apparently take it this seriously. Like...how can you not see this for what it is? It's a fucking joke. They're laughing at you while you queue up to hand over your money to them.
Firstly I appreciate you taking the time to fully watch and engage with this. I think art such as films, literature, and video games despite being fictional, artificial constructs are able to stir up genuine emotions. I personally like to spend some time living vicariously through the experiences these art forms create. I also do lots of other things, but I like to think the time I do spend engaging with art I enjoy enriches me. I think if someone made a video talking about the themes of loss or legacy manifest in the new Black Panther, despite it being owned by the same corporation, there wouldn't be much eye-rolling. The premise of this channel is: let's analyse theme park rides as the pieces of art they are. But that premise is hinged on the fact you think it's possible for this medium to have value. I think it's fair enough if you disagree with this, we saw similar arguments about video games in the mid 00s.
@@MikeFromTheParty thank you for a reasonable reply. I definitely don't think it's a bad thing that we all get different experiences from art - that's part of the richness of life. It's always a good thing to be open minded and to entertain someone else's perspective. Thank you for sharing yours.
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My daughter has been obsessed with dragons since she was 2. Her favorite movie series is How To Train Your Dragon. She has always lamented that dragons aren't real and she can't have one and ride it to school etc. When she got to ride Flight of Passage as a 13 year old she was euphoric- she got to experience riding a dragon. Its as close as she can get in this life to having her dream. We went on and on about the breathing effect for hours after riding it and how brilliant it is. She went on the ride a second time that day and if you bring it up she bounces on her heels in joy and will talk about it endlessly. Best ride experience ever imo.
That's so special she got to experience the closest thing possible to riding a dragon!
Sorry for this comment being five months late, but if you and your daughter don't know yet, there's an entire How To Train Your Dragon land coming to Universal's newest theme park in Orlando called Epic Universe. The park is opening next year.
This is quickly becoming one of my favorite theme park related channels. You deserve way more attention.
Thank you, I really appreciate it. Honestly I'm very grateful to have any attention at all, it's nice to know when I upload now I'm not just shouting about theme parks into the void
The shick is hilarious, topics fascinating, and his writing and delivery are fantastic. I have no doubt we are only the first people to show up to the party.
Can I add a note? It's hard to explain. There's another thing at play here - that given a configuration of an environment, there's a limited number of instinctual navigational decisions to make. A tree is ahead of us? Most of us will "want" to rise up to get over the tree... not fly into the trunk or smash through the branches. There's a space between two rocks? Again, most of us will "choose" to fly between the rocks, not into the rocks. The end result is that the illusion of controlling the mount is rather robust. The path that the ride takes is not always the path any individual would choose, but often enough, that some sense of control and agreement with the beast is generated. There's a canon reason the flight goes left if an individual wanted to go right... and that's because the "animal partner made the choice" in this specific case.
This is 100% different from a ride framed by "driving a car" or "a boat" or whatever - where the rider is intended to believe they make ALL the choices or they are a 100% passive passenger. Only a rider on an animal story can sustain this illusion of partnership and shared decision making.
I don’t have much care for Avatar, but the Flight of Passage did something to me. I also only rode it twice and both times left me in tears. I still can remember the breathing as such a big part of the ride, how it transformed the mechanical contraption I was sitting on into a living fantasy creature. This break down is fantastic.
Also brilliant lighting and I will never get tired of your theme of being at a party.
I'm glad I'm not the only person who felt this way! Thanks for watching 😊
These are kind of conversations I'd love to have at a party.
I feel so seen 😂😭 I walked out of that ride and burst into tears despite actually disliking avatar, spent the rest of the day confused af at my behaviour
I'm glad I'm not the only one... we should form a club!
I love avatar. It’s part of my personality, I learned na’vi in college, I ugly cried after avatar 2. The first time I rode this, I forgot how to breathe. I literally couldn’t not catch my breath. It took the ride splashing water on me to finally gulp in a breath and I had to remind myself to breathe throughout the entire ride. I rode it two other times that trip and didn’t have anymore breathing issues but it never failed to amaze me
I really want to learn na'vi. The way you phrased it sounded like you studied it at college 😂, did you just lean it while there? And if so, how?
I was there about a month ago, with no real love for the movies, and the only way I've described it to other people is that's it's like a religious experience. It was so fun and beautiful.
That's such an interesting way of describing it!
Not only is the pause/slowdown taken in the second part a bold choice, I believe that this moment-- along with the change in the music in the third part--is what elevates this from a technically impressive and enjoyable ride to a immersive emotional experience. There are rhythms and flows to life and having theme park experiences mimic that rhythm makes them much more accessible and impactful.
Great point!
I find it funny cause, my dad is a fan of Avatar. But the he isn't really a big fan of rides and such. But this is now his favorite ride he has rode in his life. He didn't necessarily cry, but did have teary eye after getting off so ig that kind of counts lol. Surprised he didn't complain about the way you're suppose to sit in the bike-shaped ride thingy.
Your Dad has great taste! Tears in the eyes count in my book
I am so excited I was recommended your channel early on. Your setups are humorous, your analysis is interesting, and your clips are all relevant and good quality. I sincerely hope you continue these videos. It’s been a real treat discovering you and I’m looking forward to this newest video.
Thank you, I'm really glad you like them!
I cry watching ride POVs, especially Efteling rides. It's really cathartic IDK why.
That's interesting! I think Droomvlucht in particular stirs up weird emotions. I'm trying to write a video on it but still can't quite articulate what it's doing so well
I like to imagine that when supplementary images and footage is on screen, he is some how telepathically conveying these things to us.
this is canon
I remember my first and only time riding Flight of Passage. I was in tears and overly emotional by the end. I don't know why, but the moment you're alone and in the dark with your Ikran; just feeling the realistic breathing effect you feel. It was very incredible and unforgettable. I wish I could ride it again. 🥺💙
It's so special isn't it? I want to ride it again so badly!
I rode it twice, and I’m a huge huge fan of the movies, it made me so happy and joyful. And the world that the ride and movies immerse you in is simply amazing and beautiful!
Oh boy new Mike from the party video!
🥳
I personally LOVE the avatar movies. I was emotionally invested for both of them, and i cant wait to see the third. I have no interest in theme park rides, but this video made me actually want to go on this ride. It truly sounds like an experience, and i feel like my love of avatar would just heighten it even further. maybe ill actually go to disney some day.
Obviously Disney is expensive to get to but I bet you'd love this ride if you ever went. Or maybe I've overhyped it. Thanks for watching!
As a Avatar fan it does not disappoint. It is the only reason I go to animal kingdom.
Why did this *video* make me emotional???
Hey Mike! Just finished watching your guest spot on For Your Amusement, which led me to your channel. You specifically mentioned this video on the podcast, and whoo boy, am I glad this was my first video of yours that I watched.
I, too, got extremely emotional after Flight of Passage. As other commenters have noted, that feeling does not go away after repeat rides. I've ridden it no less than 5 times, and every time I come off with tears welling up and/or running down my face. I could never articulate why it made me feel this way. So thank you for making this excellent video breaking down all the nuances of this ride.
Two points you made were I think what affected me the most. The first brief thing you mentioned was the sense of individual connection this ride gives you. Part of it is certainly the incredible visuals, but also I think the ride vehicle's position itself lends to that one-on-one connection. Unless you turn your head left or right, it's easy to forget that there are hundreds of other people on this ride. Star Wars is my all-time favorite franchise, but Rise of Resistance never brings me to tears. I think a lot of that comes from being in a big, plastic box with other riders. On Flight of Passage, it's just me, my Ikran, and the wonders of Pandora.
The second point you made was about grief. I honestly let out an audible gasp when you mentioned it. You are absolutely 100% on the nose with that one. Flight of Passage gives you this big, emotional swell of music and a gorgeous sunset view, and then rips it all away from you in an instant. There is a sense of loss, a desire to want to go back to all those emotions and feelings. No other ride I've ever been on pulls the rug from you so effectively. Some give you a nice thank you and a wave (looking at you, Universal), and others allow you a moment to come down off that rush (the exit hall bounce). FoP does none of that. There's a beautiful crescendo, you blink, and it's over.
All of this is achieved thanks in no small part to the duo of James Cameron and Joe Rohde. Both are incredible storytellers (dare I say, geniuses?) in their respective mediums. I don't know if we'll ever get another ride like this simply because both of those men were at their peak when this ride was built. Again, I look at Rise of Resistance, which should make me feel all the feels of being a small boy and playing with my Star Wars action figures. But Flight of Passage is one of the only rides that evokes such a strong emotional response out of me every time.
Wow. That went on way longer that I originally intended. Whoops! Thanks again, Mike, for such an incredible video. I've subscribed and will now go on a binge of all your other videos!
Thanks for sharing this!! I rode Rise of the Resistance for the first time last month and similarly as incredible as it was it didn't move in the way Flight of Passage, and my other all-time favourite rides, do.
Hope you enjoy the other videos too :)
Beautifully laid out video essay!! I came off Flight of Passage feeling breathless and awestruck the one time I got to ride it, and I attributed the powerful weightiness I felt in my chest in the moments after to sheer awe - but I think you're right, there's also a complex, wistful emotion that I didn't even realize was also at play. I don't know that I'd call it grief - perhaps "longing"? Looking back, I think it felt almost exactly like hugging a family member goodbye knowing it will be months before I see them again, or having a nice meal in the final hour of a best-in-my-lifetime vacation knowing it's about to end and the next stop is the airport security line.
Or maybe I'm just ignorant and longing is merely an element of grief? Somehow it felt like whatever sadness I was feeling was tinged in more than a little bit of happy contentment - a journey well traveled, even if it's ending.
Found your channel through your appearance on Watcher Podcasts' Carousel of Progress episode, and I'm so glad I did!
This is such a lovely comment, thank you for sharing!
@@MikeFromTheParty Thanks for your kind words! It was only because of your video that, five years after I rode it, I thought harder into what I was feeling than "obviously breathtaking because it's awesome".
I loved this ride! I loved everyone across from us bonding together during the ride! We were all shouting the avatar and doing war cries as we flew together! It just felt so magical and I still think about this ride. It’s not just you riding a ride but it’s you experiencing something new with so many others! You’re not learning to ride alone, but learning together with everyone else on the ride. That and it’s just breathtaking in general with the visuals and music.
Also the sequel in imax was BEAUTIFUL! The water effects where when you’re under water you almost forget you’re not actually under water and can breath is just SO COOL 😭
It holds up on repeat rides. I worked at DIsney World the year that it oppened and the first time I rode it was the first day that I had a day off after the ride had opened, just 4 days after, and I rode that ride 4 times on that day and it hit just as well all 4 times and then rode it an insane ammount of times during the next 2 months plus the next 3 the year after when I returned to the same program. It genuenly still hits just as hard every single time that you ride it.
It was well worth the wait. Like others have said, this is quickly becoming one of my favourite themepark channels. I think I know why now.
Most channels are focused hard on the engineering or history of development.
I swear you might be the only one who considers if a ride can have cultural influence just by themselves. Critique as an every day rider and like a film critic at the same time. That's completely new.
You've hit the nail on the head on what I'm trying to achieve with these videos, glad it's coming across well!
@Mike From The Party It really does and hope you get a big fanbase. It's the intersect between edu-doc vids and themepark enthusiasts. I think that venn diagram of people into that is a lot closer than a lorra people realise.
Looking forward to the next one 😊
well now I gotta go ride this ride
excited to catch this right away. :) i don't watch the avatar movies -- as an indigenous person they piss me off, but i'm looking forward to hearing about the ride anyways!
Totally fair, hope you still enjoyed the video!
The first time I rode this, it was the first ride of a 3 generation Disney World Trip. I had watched quite a few on ride videos. They did not fully prepare me for the experience, feeling the breathing is incredible. It makes for a full sensory experience, sight, sounds, smells (and by extension taste), and touch. It was/is our favorite ride across the 4 parks, even better than Rise of the Resistance. When we rode it again last year, we paid the additional fee to skip the line, and it still holds up. Great video Mike!
It's so transportive isn't it! I've not had the chance to ride Rise of the Resistance yet, but the bar has been set incredibly high by Flight of Passage
yeah man thanks... uhhhh sorry about the loss of your beautiful but ultimately artificial bond with an imaginary creature and world. great party by the way!
Thanks for coming to the party 🥳
The framing set up for these essays is still my favorite.
went to animal kingdom in january and obviously loved flight of passage, rode river journey and the animatronic was in B Mode they just had a screen running 😭
Considering that animatronic is 40% of the appeal I'd be MAD
What a great video! Thanks for taking the time to make this. I cant wait for more!
Thank you for watching!
yay! i absolutely love this video format it makes me want to try writing a script again but for a video essay not a film interested to see the similarities and differences
As someone who's tried writing scripts over the years the thing I prefer about video essays is that them coming to fruition is 100% in my control. I find it easy to motivate myself to finish it when I know there's going to be a finished product on the other end if I just push through!
Your channel needs to blow up cause this is just solid content. I enjoy these videos so much and hope you get the recognition you deserve and keep going!
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoy them
Well, this didn't happen. Maybe try not being a mess.
i won't lie, if a ride has the ability to make me cry (as several of the new disney rides have) then i'm just gonna accept my fate and cry. i need that release anyways lmao
Loved this discussion of the ride and the complex way it triggers such a strong emotional response. It's so hard to put into words but when you ride this ride you really can feel something different about it. The first time I rode it it felt like my entire perspective on what a theme park experience can be had changed
It's such a special experience!
Pls do a video on some dark lore around themeparks
WHY WAS I NOT NOTIFIED OF THIS VIDEO!?!?!? GDI IVE SEEN EVERY VIDEO AND HOW DARE UA-cam STOP ME NOW!
In all seriousness, i hope youre well dear! And may i just say, i feel like your editing has become even more amazing as it was when i found you like... 2 months ago? Its crazy! And im so happy to be here and see your progress! Cheers !
Thank you, I'm glad to still be improving! This is the point I'm meant to say "hit that bell icon to not miss a single video" or something?
@@MikeFromTheParty omfg mike 😭😭 dude i would if i were you! It took me seeing the pic of you with the pint and bag of taytos to know you were even still alive! Also, if i may ask real quick- whats your favorite beer/ and liquor lol. I wanna know what to stock for the next party! 😂
I'll drink most things but I'd say my go to beer would be an ipa, but maybe have a rum and coke at a party?
As someone who's SI is theme parks, this is honestly quickly becoming one of my favorite TP related channels.vI absolutely love the format of these videos; it's like it mixes the video styles of other UA-camrs I enjoy watching (those of whom I can't think off the top of my head right now, but mostly popular commentary channels) along with that fine interest of theme park knowledge that I could sit and watch for hours. Amazing job bro, keep up the amazing work and I hope your channel absolutely blows up.
Thank you I'm so glad you like the channel! I watch quite a bit of UA-cam so definitely feel like I've consciously and unconsciously taken a little bit of a lot of different UA-camrs and combined it in a way that hopefully (?) feels fresh
I think you and I are on a similar wavelength this week. This ride is giving me serious A Trip To The Moon vibes, probably the first dark ride to use immersive elements way back in 1901. Although I don't think anybody cried when they were offered green cheese by little people in Selenite costumes.
I'm fascinated by this idea of complex emotions in a ride... Honestly, I never even thought of it as something desirable before. Using the rhythm of breath to accomplish a "bond" with what is essentially your chair is absolutely brilliant. I guess I'll have to check out First Flight next time I'm at Disney World, which should be sometime... let me just check my bank account... er-- Never.
I'd cry if I got offered green cheese on the moon... but I doubt anyone else would
I feel once Epic Universe opens in Florida with a How to Train your Dragon area, they will most likely have a similar ride to flight. However compared to Disney, Universal is known for their immersive experiences, Harry Potter, Halloween Horror nights, and now with Super Mario. Sometimes Disney can't keep up. Now don't get me Wrong I love Flight of Passage but don't care for avatar. But DreamWorks dragons is gonna have that nostalgia feel that guest love when visiting parks (like what happen back when Harry Potter land opened). Universal is gonna pay top dollar to beat flight. And I can't wait to see what happens.
The cave scene in the ride really reminded me of the third How To Train Your Dragon. Hopefully they have something similar. I haven't tracked Epic Universe closely recently but I think the original rumour was a show and coaster being the main rides in that land
I already get excited when I see you have a new video.
Hope it lived up to your expectations!
@@MikeFromTheParty It sure did.
It feels impossible to articulate what makes Flight of Passage as remarkable as it is, but I think you've managed to do it masterfully!
Thank you! It was definitely harder than I expected it to be
I’m convinced that I don’t actually have the ability to fully buy into fictional experiences.
This was my favorite ride one of the times I went to disney world. The thing is, it's not my favorite simulator ride ever. I've always thought the Fly Over rides at various locations are much more emotional. They're longer, have the best ride music ever, and perfect shots.
I need to check one of these out!
Wow, this video is incredible! What a great take on this amazing experience. I agree wholeheartedly with every point you made all the way to the end of the ride when you have that sense of disappointment you get after waking up from an incredible dream you didn't want to end. I have now ridden Flight of Passage more times than I can count and to this day, still get choked up. If I manage to keep it together, the music score at the end seals the deal. Now I love watching other people's reaction to their first flight and remembering back to that feeling I had walking out for the first time when I said, "what just happened"!
I'm glad you enjoyed it! So cool to hear the ride still has that impact even after so many repeat rides
I need to ride this ride but I live on the other side of the country 😭
I saw Iger recently announced an Avatar experience coming to Disneyland... wonder if they'd build this ride in Tomorrowland?
Omg it made me cry too. I love this video!
It's mad isn't it? Thanks for watching!
Joe Rohde is an absolute legend
A King 👑
I also am not a big fan of simulators, had never seen Avatar or really wanted to...but this ride also made me cry, HARD, when I first rode it. It was awesome.
Absolutely adore your videos, btw.
I find is so fascinating how common this is! Glad you like the vids 🥳
When I last went to Disney World and RoP's wait time was 3+ hours on a 99°F (37°C) day, and suddenly I'm not sure that skipping it was actually the correct choice.
.... it definitely was, with the power of old fast passes, legit fast passes, park hoppers, and good timing in regards to parades we were able to ride Space Mountain four times in the same amount of time and that ride and it's entire queue are all dark and air conditioned. Still like...I hope to someday get to go back and get to experience this one.
Also, can I just say that I love that your channel is about theme parks and is also a theme park? like you nailed the logic aesthetic frameing thing, especially because like, I've listened to "that guy" rant at me at parties, and when a good rant happens I often remember it in my own drunken stupor to be more complex and meaningful than it surely was. which, is hypothetically exactly what a well researched and presented essay such of this art is what both the ranter and rantee hoped and thought it to be in retrospect.
anyway, I love it. keep up the great work, thank you for sharing it with us.
I really like that idea of this is how we drunkenly remember these conversations at parties to be like when in reality they're more shallow and rambling.
Hopefully if/when you go back you get to experience it!
I CRIED TOO!!! Someone understands
Join the club!
I love learning about these rides and things surrounding them from you!!! Really appreciate the effort you put into these videos and the quality you produce!
Thank you, I'm glad you appreciate them!!
it was so nice to listen to someone talk intelligently about avatar who is equally as unhingely obsessed with the world
Another brilliant video, thank you! ❤
Thanks pal 💙
Avatar FOP is one of the best Disney rides of the 2010s, it’s either it or Cars
My dream is to go on Radiator Springs Racers one day. I've only been on Cars Road Trip which ... 😬
@@MikeFromTheParty worlds biggest Lugnut
lmaooooo
My 5 year old also cried but she was scared she thought it was so real at first lol also love i found this channel after the Twilight video, what a great find
Aw bless, I hope she was ok! Thanks for coming back 😊
I really need to start going to the same parties as you. Fab as always 🎉
Thank you! Hopefully at some kind of UK Thoosie event this year...
God, you're really doing more to sell me on seeing the 2nd Avatar movie than anything else has so far. Also visiting Disney World...
I should get commission
Only time I've been to Disney world was back in like 2015 so i didn't see any of the Pandora stuff, I was definitely interested when I first heard about the plans for it so it was cool to see your thoughts on the ride and the area 👍
Glad you enjoyed!
Word of warning: CoasterForce has taken down channels in the past who use their ride POVs.
Thanks for the heads up! I think this video is very clearly transformative and falls under fair use, so hopefully they'll also recognise that
I am a huge fan of Avatar (always have been even when it was cool to hate on it) but I unfortunately can't afford to go to Disneyworld so I've never experienced the ride and now I feel like I'm missing a key part of the series. Still can't afford to drop that kindof money though
I was very lucky that my brother was working over there that summer so I got in for free. I hope this video gave a flavour of what the experience is like
It’s insane that you don’t have more subs
Also you are so right about Carly she’s underrated as fuck and more people should listen to emotion it’s great
Imagine not understanding the sheer euphoria of Run Away With Me... couldn't be me
@@MikeFromTheParty it’s so good omg
Yay a new video!
Avatar way of water itself made me cry about 4 times. I can't imagine being actually "in" the world via ride.
I cried at way of water too! (but i was very hungover)
I need your channel to blow up already ❤
I think I need to need to keep making more videos and hopefully it will happen 🙏
i'm sorry i just can't not think about the tayto video
don't blame you, it's my best video (so far...)
Mike I miss you ): my bday is this weekend and I plan to subject all my friends who come (prob like 2 people besides my partner) to ALL of your videos. It's my birthday... Who's gonna deny me my choice of video topics? Lmfao I'm getting rum and coke to celebrate;p
Happy Birthday for the weekend Eri! I'll be back as soon as possible :)
@@MikeFromTheParty so what your saying is... Start celebrating now? XD
It made me cry cause I had an anxiety attack on it.
Hope you were ok!
Good but when are you gonna talk about the Hunger Games Ride(s)?
In the research stage at the moment! Going to get a few videos out before but it's definitely on the way
I've never gotten to ride this (the last time I was at WDW Animal Kingdom wasn't even finished yet), but it's been clear enough to me that there's just no way to capture an accurate ride through. Sadly! I feel like a lot of people are in the camp of 'don't care about Avatar, love Pandora' though. The world building is so rich, but the plot and characterization is thin as paper. It succeeds far more just as an experience, than any kind of story. And that's really okay.
I personally feel there's nothing wrong with a movie series mainly focusing on just being an immersive experience. But as a theme park fan it makes sense that those kind of films appeal to me!
you're giving me ordinary things vibes
Great channel 🙌
I can't believe I have found my people who also cried on flight of passage. I truly thought I was the only one 🤯
It feels so validating so many other people feel the same way!
When I rode this ride I honestly found it kind of mid. I wish I enjoyed it more and had the same spiritual experience that others did, but I just couldn't get over the simulation aspect. The visuals were lovely, but I was acutely aware that I was watching a screen the entire time. I think it's interesting how much variety there is in people's experiences with this ride.
It's really interesting, I've definitely noticed among my friends and looking online there seems to be two distinct camps of those who really love it and those who don't really understand the hype. I think you hit the nail on the head in terms of what divides these groups - basically do you buy into the illusion or not? Before riding I was expecting to fall into that latter camp and was very glad I didn't!
Helllloooo yayyyyyyyyy
Clearly the next party should be with fellow FoP cryers 😂
Would be a great party!
If you're not watching this while pooping you're a fake fan :D
true
I watched the whole video but I've got to say I just don't really get it.
At the end of the day, no matter how well constructed - a ride is just so clearly artificial. You're in a room with dozens of other people supposedly having this deeply personal experience? You're supposed to feel pride for having sat there and passively experienced something without actually doing any work or achieving anything? You're supposed to be so immersed and awestruck whilst wearing 3D glasses and looking at a screen? You're supposed to feel genuine grief at the end of a 2-3 minute experience connected to a story you yourself claimed that you don't really care about? You're supposed to feel compassion and love for an animal because you are sitting on a plastic "bike" that blows air at you?
I just don't really buy any of that.
You want to experience all those things for real? We're living in a real world with real nature and real things to go and see and do. Why pay your hard-earned cash to a multi-billion dollar corporation and spend 90 minutes of your life waiting in a queue for something that you can go out and get for free? And, you know...for real.
I just can't escape the feeling that this whole video is just another ad for something which has already been extremely overhyped and over-marketed, and it just kind of makes me mad.
There's just such a sick irony in a giant hypercapitalistic mega-enterprise trying to cash in on anti-consumerism and spirituality themselves that I can't believe that so many people apparently take it this seriously. Like...how can you not see this for what it is? It's a fucking joke. They're laughing at you while you queue up to hand over your money to them.
Firstly I appreciate you taking the time to fully watch and engage with this.
I think art such as films, literature, and video games despite being fictional, artificial constructs are able to stir up genuine emotions. I personally like to spend some time living vicariously through the experiences these art forms create. I also do lots of other things, but I like to think the time I do spend engaging with art I enjoy enriches me. I think if someone made a video talking about the themes of loss or legacy manifest in the new Black Panther, despite it being owned by the same corporation, there wouldn't be much eye-rolling.
The premise of this channel is: let's analyse theme park rides as the pieces of art they are. But that premise is hinged on the fact you think it's possible for this medium to have value. I think it's fair enough if you disagree with this, we saw similar arguments about video games in the mid 00s.
@@MikeFromTheParty thank you for a reasonable reply. I definitely don't think it's a bad thing that we all get different experiences from art - that's part of the richness of life. It's always a good thing to be open minded and to entertain someone else's perspective. Thank you for sharing yours.
yesss, i love your videos! theme park videos capture my attention so we’ll for some reason 🥲 and the way you set up your videos is great
Thanks for watching, so glad you like it!