Buena Vista Street (2012)

[sponono88]

In early September, initial work will be begin on DCA's brand new main entrance - Buena Vista Street (opening 2012). Set in 1920s Los Angeles, Buena Vista Street will feature new shops and restaurants, trolleys, the Carthay Circle Theatre, lush landscaping and new entertainment; all of this will bring to life the California that Walt saw when he first arrived here.

To make way for BVS, Sunshine Plaza (DCA's current entrance) will be dismantled in several stages. In September, the Sun Icon and fountain will be removed; On October 1st, the main entrance mural and palm trees will be removed. Keep an eye on this thread to see current construction and project updates.

 

[sponono88]

To help get things started, here's a compilation of concept art and design models for Buena Vista Street:

A look around the main entrance hub, with the Carthay Circle Theatre in the background

The centerpiece of BVS and DCA's new icon, the Carthay Circle Theatre

A small picture of the model, shows the new, redesigned hub (carthay circle theater is on the right side of the picture)

Concept art of a new Partners statue, featuring a young Walt when he arrived in CA

 

[Victoria]

Wow...this is going to be quite the transformation when it is all complete. I have to say that I was completely underwhelmed with the entrance to the park when I saw it for the first time this past July. It felt more like the entrance to a Six Flags park rather than a Disney park. Also was more of just a way to get to the rest of the park rather than a place to stop and soak up any atmosphere. I can't wait to go back and see DCA when all the various renovations in the park are complete.

 

[sponono88]

Here is a short video presentation of Buena Vista Street, from the recently reopened Blue Sky Cellar exhibit. Skip to 4:02 to see the segment:

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And finally, another look at concept art and sketches from the Blue Sky Cellar:

A Red Car Trolley stop in Buena Vista Street

A diagram shows the path the Red Car Trolley will take (from Buena Vista Street to Hollywood Land)

A Trolley car model

 

[SeaBase86]

As much as I'm going to love this, I will miss the old entrance. The theme of stepping through a postcard was sooooo cool. I'm going to miss those big old letters an those murals. I thought the idea was unique and creative. But that's just me.

I notice that the entrance has some Disney's Hollywood Studios blood in it . That's cool.


Questions:
When's the planned opening?
Where will the new entrance be while this one is being re done.

 

[sponono88]

^ I will miss the old entrance as well. The concept of stepping through a giant postcard was pretty creative, and the murals are actually quite nice and very detailed. I'll also miss the Golden Gate bridge (iconic to CA) and listening to California-themed songs as you walk in (very fun BGM loop). I know many people will miss the giant letters, they're very popular photo locations. Honestly the only thing I didn't like about Sunshine Plaza was the fact that it didn't have any real attractions or things to do besides a few stores and coffee/ice cream shops. Although I did like the California Zephyr train facade for the stores - which btw used to be a real operational train. WDI found it and fixed it up to use as an entrance for the shops.

The planned opening is 2012, they haven't released an exact date yet (i'm thinking it will probably be in the Summer). As for the temporary entrance, again nothing has been officially announced yet but there have been several rumors floating around. One rumor said they would set up a temporary entrance at the gate in Condor Flats (next to Soarin'), or in Hollywood Pictures Backlot. Al Lutz also said they might do one side of the project first, and then complete the other half at a later date. This would allow them to keep the entrance open during construction.

 

[sponono88]

More themed construction walls will be appearing soon at DCA! The future site of the Carthay Circle Theatre will be under construction starting this week, the first major project of Buena Vista Street

MousePlanet: Disney says themed walls will go up by Thursday around the Cars Land and Carthay Circle Theater construction sites at DCA.

 

[spock]

As much as I'm going to love this, I will miss the old entrance. The theme of stepping through a postcard was sooooo cool. I'm going to miss those big old letters an those murals. I thought the idea was unique and creative. But that's just me.

Nope, not just you. I thought it was an innovative and creative idea as well. My only complaint is I don't think it was executed well because I think the concept was probably lost on most people. I'm not sure exactly how to articulate this, but I always thought they should have some sort of artwork or something that you would see prior to getting to the entrance that would basically look like the postcard you'd be stepping into a few moments later. I think that might have helped people "get" it. I don't know. Just a thought.

 

[TP2000]

Nope, not just you. I thought it was an innovative and creative idea as well. My only complaint is I don't think it was executed well because I think the concept was probably lost on most people. I'm not sure exactly how to articulate this, but I always thought they should have some sort of artwork or something that you would see prior to getting to the entrance that would basically look like the postcard you'd be stepping into a few moments later. I think that might have helped people "get" it. I don't know. Just a thought.

Good thought there on the pre-show to the DCA entrance.

I also don't think anyone "got it" naturally. Heck, us Disney fans only got it because it was explained to us by Imagineers who designed it.

I tried to tell my Mom once that the DCA entrance was stepping into a postcard, and she just stared at me blankly. Once I spent 60 seconds explaining it, she understood. But she didn't "get it" without a geeky explanation.

I think the Buena Vista Street entrance is going to be the sleeper hit of the DCA Makeover when its revealed in 2012. The new rides and new eye candy in the park will help bring people in, but if the Buena Vista Street makeover turns out as neat as the concept art and models make it look, then I think this new entrance will do just as much to change the perception of the park in peoples minds as the new rides and World of Color is going to.

Completely scrapping a main entrance complex for a Disney theme park is certainly unprecedented. Never has Disney had to go in and do this type of major reconstructive surgery on something so basic as a main entrance. It speaks volumes that they are doing this. VOLUMES!

 

[sponono88]

Nope, not just you. I thought it was an innovative and creative idea as well. My only complaint is I don't think it was executed well because I think the concept was probably lost on most people. I'm not sure exactly how to articulate this, but I always thought they should have some sort of artwork or something that you would see prior to getting to the entrance that would basically look like the postcard you'd be stepping into a few moments later. I think that might have helped people "get" it. I don't know. Just a thought.

Good idea about the postcard artwork. Maybe even sell the postcards or have a picture of what it's supposed to represent. I think the budget cuts by upper management had a lot to do with the end result. WDI had to take that concept and adjust it to work within the budget that was given to them.

There was a podcast interview with Imagineer Tim Delay, and he talks about the ideas he had for Sunshine Plaza (he was one of the lead imagineers for DCA). He says he would constantly get calls where he was told to knock off another 1 million dollars from the project. Then he would go back to the drawing board and decide what he would have to get rid of. Pretty disappointing to hear - you can just imagine what it would have looked like with WDI's original concept, how many unique ideas went to waste.

Buena Vista Street promises to be amazing with what they have shown so far. Really looking forward to it but as I said, there are lots of us who have created memories with what is there now so it will be kind of bittersweet

 

[sponono88]

So it begins.. First walls are now up in Sunshine Plaza!

The Sun and fountains will be the first to go. These walls will probably be themed/decorated pretty soon

 

[disneyland075]

1. am a lil cosfued on how thir going to keeep the park open when the start the bluiding the main entreace to the park
2. and other thing am curis about were the red car trolly are going around the park or are going to the Buena Vista Street (2012 tha have :ROFLOL:

 

[trr1]

In early September, initial work will be begin on DCA's brand new main entrance - Buena Vista Street (opening 2012). Set in 1920s Los Angeles, Buena Vista Street will feature new shops and restaurants, trolleys, the Carthay Circle Theatre, lush landscaping and new entertainment; all of this will bring to life the California that Walt saw when he first arrived here.

To make way for BVS, Sunshine Plaza (DCA's current entrance) will be dismantled in several stages. In September, the Sun Icon and fountain will be removed; On October 1st, the main entrance mural and palm trees will be removed. Keep an eye on this thread to see current construction and project updates.

will they get a Big Hat at the end of their street ?

 

[JerrodDRagon]

^nope, we get something much better

 

[disneyland075]

^nope, we get something much better

You got that right we get the snow wight theater

 

[sponono88]

This week they will begin the process of taking down the Sun Icon/Fountain and Entrance murals. Of course, this signals the beginning of a brand new entrance for the park.. but it's also very bittersweet to see original icons of DCA going to YesterLand. The large entrance murals in particular, are quite beautiful and I know I will miss them.

Jim Hill has a new article today - in it he tells the story of DCA's original entrance complex and its design/concept. A very interesting read, including a description of the labor-intensive process it took to create the massive mural (which btw, are the "largest hand-crafted tile murals in the world.") See the full article here: http://jimhillmedia.com/editor_in_c...rance-complex-gets-ready-to-make-its-exit.asp

and an excerpt about the murals:

...
And to turn his design (which drew its inspiration from the artwork that you used to see on those citrus labels that California's fruit packing plants used to slap on packing crates back in the early 20th century) into ceramic tiles, Delaney turned to Theodora Kurkchiev and Dimitri Lazaroff of TND Studio, Inc. Which is this San Pedro-based art studio that specializes in the design and production of ceramic works of art.

In a February 2001 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Theodora recalled what it was like when Tim initially came to TND Studio, asking if they'd be able to pull off the mural component of the DCA entrance project: "Dimitri told (Tim that) it would take at least 19 months to do this, but Disney wanted it in half that time. We started work in February of 2000 ... I worked seven days a week, 12 to 16 hours a day, hand-painting each and every tile (for this project). I couldn't take even one day off in the last six months because I was afraid we would not make it."

"And why was that?," you ask. Because translating Delaney's design into individual pieces of ceramic tile was a fairly labor-intensive process. It involved taking Tim's design (which had broken up in a series of 8-foot-long paintings) and then blowing those images up into 16-foot-tall posters. Which then had to be enlarged into 105% images (because clay shrinks 5% when it's being fired).​

Then each piece of clay was baked, it was then hand-painted and glazed (sometimes with 14-carat gold paint). Afterwards, all 14,500 ceramic tiles were alphanumerically encoded so the Imagineers would then know just where to put each piece of ceramic once it arrived on site.​

​

 

[tampabrad]

It is going to look great and add so much to the park. I did like the Golden Gate Bridge though. I have kind of been following the project, so I could be wrong, but it seems that they are following spot on with the original plans of the major rehab. Kind of suprising and a little annoying as those of us on the east coast get to see our "grand plans" for expansion or new attractions and then they usually get halfed. IE: Beastly Kingdom, Excavator Coaster, Germany...

Cant wait to come out to Cali to see the new additions. Good Idea for a 40th (oh no) birthday trip.

 

[TP2000]

I have kind of been following the project, so I could be wrong, but it seems that they are following spot on with the original plans of the major rehab. Kind of suprising and a little annoying as those of us on the east coast get to see our "grand plans" for expansion or new attractions and then they usually get halfed. IE: Beastly Kingdom, Excavator Coaster, Germany...

That's a great observation tampabrad!

And thinking about it, not only has the DCA plans followed 'spot on' with the original announcements, but if anything they have gone above and beyond what was announced and the results have been even grander and more lavish than the original artwork and concepts displayed.

Take, for example, the remake of the Orange Stinger into Silly Symphony Swings. This was the original artwork released in the '08 media event;

and re-released in similar forms in '09 in the Blue Sky Cellar exhibits;

And yet the finished product in '10 was even more attractive and finely detailed and fleshed out than the artwork suggested. It felt even more lavish and fancy than the WDI concepts, which rarely happens;

So, after that, we're all sort of wondering what all of the other remake projects around Paradise Pier will look like when they are done next spring??? Goofy's Sky School, Paradise Garden Grill, Souvenir 66, etc. Not to mention the massive Little Mermaid building nearby being built from scratch!

 

[sponono88]

^ I was really impressed with the work they did with SSS. And TSMM for that matter.. the building and architecture really changed the look and feel of the boardwalk.

This week, Dateline Disneyland has pictures of the murals that will soon be removed

The walls around the sun have been decorated

 

[TP2000]

This week, Dateline Disneyland has pictures of the murals that will soon be removed

These murals are attractive on their own, and the artists that WDI contracted to do them clearly did fabulous quality work.

However, this picture above in particular reminds me that the murals and overall furnishings of the DCA entrance would make for a rather fancy... outlet mall in Palm Springs. :lol:

Seriously, the DCA entry complex in and around the murals would have been so awesome for a swanky outdoor outlet mall out in the desert; Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, etc.