Banbury Cross Retheme Coming in 2014

[John]

Yesterday was my first time there since changes. Horrificly hideous. Can look past that but the music was so freaking loud. That I cannot get past.

I can't get past the music selection for a VICTORIAN England hamlet, period. Don't get me wrong, I love that kind of music, I just don't love it there.

Personally, I can look past the Globe Theater facade...it's easy, I look away. Someone earlier stated that they miss being able to chill on the steps...ditto. Humid summer nights waiting for your group/partner to fetch some cotton candy or go to the restroom, with the very "welcome home" feeling music playing in the background...yes those evenings will be missed. Dearly.

Finally, the flags. At first glimpse (attachment below) I didn't mind them, but as you walked down BC they just seemed never ending. And the problem for that with me, is that when you look up you feel kind of enclosed in a way. As if that are isn't crowded enough. *sigh* Maybe one day things will return back to the way we remember.

 

[Party Rocker]

I can't get past the music selection for a VICTORIAN England hamlet, period. Don't get me wrong, I love that kind of music, I just don't love it there.

The thing is the hamlet is not a Victorian-themed English hamlet. It was 're-themed' to be 60's London. This re-theme didn't bring much architectural changes; however, it is re-themed nonetheless.

 

[John]

I can't get past the music selection for a VICTORIAN England hamlet, period. Don't get me wrong, I love that kind of music, I just don't love it there.

The thing is the hamlet is not a Victorian-themed English hamlet. It was 're-themed' to be 60's London. This re-theme didn't bring much architectural changes; however, it is re-themed nonetheless.

Well I guess this could start the debate about whether it's still Victorian or not, do you base it off the surrounding (original) architecture, or the facades that were thrown up around it? For me, it will always be Victorian England....with some bright lights and colorful flags thrown about. Technically speaking, yes, it isn't a Victorian hamlet anymore. But, it's going to take a little more than some tacky plywood facade looking like it was colored out of a crayola coloring book, and dozens of British flags strewn about from the rooftops for it to me a complete re-theme....again, this is just my personal opinion.

 

[Party Rocker]

You are totally fine. See the thread is called 'Banbury Cross Retheme Coming in 2014' for a reason

But on a more serious note, the theme of a village is displayed through the use of music, architecture, and props. SO when you go to give a village a new theme, those are the three major things that need to change.

Music as it clearly can be heard, plays a major roll in theme. However, you can hear that the music has changed and while it has, you need more than music by itself. The style of architecture didn't change and this was the major downfall for a retheme. Changing how something looks is incredibly important. If they changed the look of the building to say similar to the ones in the pre-show images for London Rocks we would really have endured a retheme and things would really be different at least by looks. I would have been fine with facades, provided they were done very nicely.

So it sounds like a new theme, it looks like a new theme, but now you have to truly immerse the area with props. the flags and the new bus do a great job of helping you feel city life much more. Instead of the quaint village of Banbury Cross, you now have the bustling city of London. They keep the feeling of enclosure so you feel like the area is more busy and crowded.

All that said, it was a very poor attempt at changing a theme, but it was really done half way so its hard to say whats good and whats bad. At this point when you have to opposing themes in the same area, things look out of place and not great which is kind of what we have going on now.

 

[Nicole]

Honestly, I don't think the decorations make BC look like a "bustling city" at all. In my opinion the flags may give it a Royal Jubilee feel. The rest of it? I honestly don't think it looks like anything more than the inside of a tacky tourist shop. All that is missing is a giant snow globe. Upon reflection, we might get one of those at CT, anyway.

 

[Ziva]

I can't get past the music selection for a VICTORIAN England hamlet, period. Don't get me wrong, I love that kind of music, I just don't love it there.

The thing is the hamlet is not a Victorian-themed English hamlet. It was 're-themed' to be 60's London. This re-theme didn't bring much architectural changes; however, it is re-themed nonetheless.

Well I guess this could start the debate about whether it's still Victorian or not, do you base it off the surrounding (original) architecture, or the facades that were thrown up around it? For me, it will always be Victorian England....with some bright lights and colorful flags thrown about. Technically speaking, yes, it isn't a Victorian hamlet anymore. But, it's going to take a little more than some tacky plywood facade looking like it was colored out of a crayola coloring book, and dozens of British flags strewn about from the rooftops for it to me a complete re-theme....again, this is just my personal opinion.

It wasn't Victorian to begin with; it was sort of a mish-mash of Shakespearean and 16th/17th century England. Not saying that the retheme is more historical or better, but the old one wasn't 100% historically accurate. That being said, it did have a much better sense of atmosphere than the new one!

 

[John]

You are totally fine. See the thread is called 'Banbury Cross Retheme Coming in 2014' for a reason

But on a more serious note, the theme of a village is displayed through the use of music, architecture, and props. SO when you go to give a village a new theme, those are the three major things that need to change.

Music as it clearly can be heard, plays a major roll in theme. However, you can hear that the music has changed and while it has, you need more than music by itself. The style of architecture didn't change and this was the major downfall for a retheme. Changing how something looks is incredibly important. If they changed the look of the building to say similar to the ones in the pre-show images for London Rocks we would really have endured a retheme and things would really be different at least by looks. I would have been fine with facades, provided they were done very nicely.

So it sounds like a new theme, it looks like a new theme, but now you have to truly immerse the area with props. the flags and the new bus do a great job of helping you feel city life much more. Instead of the quaint village of Banbury Cross, you now have the bustling city of London. They keep the feeling of enclosure so you feel like the area is more busy and crowded.

All that said, it was a very poor attempt at changing a theme, but it was really done half way so its hard to say whats good and whats bad. At this point when you have to opposing themes in the same area, things look out of place and not great which is kind of what we have going on now.

Well, I also didn't factor in how much a full architectural overhaul would cost, so as you put it, immersing the area with props is all they could really do. Plus a full overhaul that included new buildings/designs would have taken a decent amount of time. I mean the entire overhaul of Oktoberfest took 2 years. (Then again that included 2 new attractions and one relocation.) You know what I'm trying to say though.

 

[Mad Ludwig]

Be careful what you wish for.

 

[MAZ]

I feel like the whole BC re-theme has been arranged in an 'easily removed' fashion. Almost like they knew it would suck, or be unacceptable.

 

[Jrbgwfan06]

No, 'easily removable' because it doesn't match the special event's themes in the area, this crap will be back up next season, because the people who really complained about changes like this have now left the park, because they're sick of it.

 

[Hoopla]

Finally made it to the park since these changes. Like the flags, don't like the music, don't like the front of the globe. Short sweet and to the point

 

[Applesauce]

I also finally got to the park to see the changes.

My previous statement stands. I don't like it. The flags are too much for me. the music is loud and annoying. I was there early today, walking through Banbury and it was silent. The music wasn't on, I made it half way through, then suddenly loud music.

The sign on London Rocks possibly looks worse in person than it does in the pictures. The colors are too bright. At night I don't enjoy the colorful lights either.

(But I did like Union Snacks. Even if the name is really, really stupid.)

 

[Ziva]

I feel like the whole BC re-theme has been arranged in an 'easily removed' fashion. Almost like they knew it would suck, or be unacceptable.

That's because it's cheap.

 

[GeoUSA]

I feel like the whole BC re-theme has been arranged in an 'easily removed' fashion. Almost like they knew it would suck, or be unacceptable.

I think you are right that it should be easy to return things to normal.  I hope so, Mazakman.

Maybe this will make some of you feel a little better about the Globe Theater and that it is not just BGW where this happens.  I found an old postcard from 1996.  Look what happened to Cinderella's Castle to celebrate Magic Kingdom's 25th anniversary.  The castle was returned to normal 12 months later.

​

 

[Nicole]

Oh my goodness...

 

[Mad Ludwig]

If BGW had the money, we would see changes on that scale. *shudder*

 

[Jrbgwfan06]

^^^ Thank god they're broke.

 

[Hoopla]

FOR ONCE BEING BROKE IS GOOD!!

 

[Party Rocker]

Am I the only one who thought that was a pretty interesting idea? Turning the castle into a giant cake. I don't hate it, but it probably should never happen again

 

[GeoUSA]

Am I the only one who thought that was a pretty interesting idea? Turning the castle into a giant cake. I don't hate it, but it probably should never happen again

I'm a fairly liberal guy and I agree it was an interesting idea, but I really disliked the cake castle.  It was iconic and beautiful and then just really ugly.

Update: On the other hand, PR I am okay with the BC retheme and I would not call it ugly. I see it for what I think it is, a temporary re-theme to build interest and try something new and different.