The hotel is in theme. So if you were in Yosemite and walked by the Ahwahnee lodge you would feel like you’re not in Yosemite anymore? I’m confused.
The monorail takes you out of it? The one you can really only see on the Grizzly Peak airfield side. Ok let’s agree to disagree. I’m not interested in doing one of these ticky tack debates right now. So by these standards, minus GE, what land in DLR is immersive? The outdoor flo’s section of Cars Land and the butt crack of NOS? No matter how you slice it, Grizzly Peak is not only one of the most transportive and immersive lands at DCA it’s one of the most transportive/ immersive in all of DLR. You have a very interesting way of priotizing and analyzing things. I’ve known that since the time you said you’d rather have a cohesive studio park full of beige buildings than a park like DCA that might be less cohesive but actually has aesthetically beautiful and transportive lands like Cars Land and Grizzly Peak. But you want to bring up the monorail. As if that now puts the land on par with a regional park. So there’s really no point in going back and forth.
If I was to build a land meant to replicate the Colorado mountains and national parks, I wouldn't build a giant faux Stanley Hotel taking up most of the land with a small wooded path around the corner of the foundation. The hotel would be fine if most of Grizzly Peak was where the Winery/Parade Corridor are as it would border the back corner of the land rather than being the berm for most of the land-proper, making the land feel like a narrow little path between the hotel and Grizzly Peak.
The hotel throws off the scale and makes it feel like we are not in the middle of nature, but in the shadow of an expensive luxury hotel. Its not like it looks like some quaint little mountain lodge, its massive and dominates most of the land. The GCH is, in my opinion, the biggest design mistake Disney made with DCA. I understand it for money reasons, but the handling of it and Grizzly Peak in general, are terrible.
And you can't claim 360 immersion when there is an ugly monorail track plopped there. You can say it doesn't bother you, but that's not immersive.
As for immersive lands, I'd say Adventureland is immersive. Frontierland is immersive. Fantasyland's courtyard is immersive. The bathrooms in the parade corridor between Alice and Matterhorn with the monorail overhead...not what I'd call immersive or magical. I don't hate it, but I wouldn't say that's a level Disney is aspiring to. Toontown is immersive. Pixar Pier, as ugly as it is, is immersive unless your're riding Incredicoaster.
Grizzly Peak is beautifully landscaped, but very thin on things to do and discover. Compare it with Adventureland, another land with a tiny hallway-like footprint for guests. Not only do you get Jungle Cruise, Tiki Room, Indiana Jones Adventure, and Adventureland Treehouse; 3 uniqueley Disney attractions which are great year-round and a fun throw back walkthrough that improves the land without a huge footprint. Now add the interactive shrunken head, the lamp, the Bazar shop as a whole, Tropical Hideaway as a relaxation spot, and Bengal BBQ as a popular place to grab a bite. GP has Smokejumpers on the edge of the land, but not any other place to sit and eat and vibe. You feel the cost-cutting with the two attractions in place and one doesn't have much appeal in the colder months due to the lack of other elements. There is a great path through GP, but nothing to really discover there beyond placemaking. If that was the main route through the land, I'd argue that the land is far more immersive.
GP is basically like my Bayou Country with it being a cozy little area, but kind of a dead end or place to pass through rather than sit and enjoy. Also, Bayou Country has Pooh and TBA, which both have issues, but are better at being Disney attractions than Soarin and GRR. I can't ride a log flume in real life. I can't board a mine train that speeds through an exploding mine in real life. I've rafted through nature without seeing wildlife in real life, what escapism does GRR offer? Am I riding through another time and place. Not really. It has a mild vintage influence, but not too far beyond what I see in National Parks current day. Do I see a bear? Does a rock almost crush us? Does lightning strike a tree? Is there a fun Disney-song that adds the magical element like Yo-Ho or Grim Grinning Ghosts? No? Not even a glimpse at wildlife or anything beyond landscaping?
While I haven't gone Hang gliding, I have been to many science museums and "explored the deep" or other IMAX movie simulator experiences which are pretty comparable. Funnily enough, the barebones ugliness of Soarin' does look like my experience when skydiving in Perris. But not something I looked at went..."wow, if Disney could recreate concrete and pre-fabricated metal structures, I could hang out in a place like this as much as I want!"
Its TL 98 with trees. And a giant hotel replacing Buzz, TT, and Subs.
Let me enjoy this win. They got rid of my favorite rides at both DL and DCA. Not to mention my favorite place to hang out at DL- Magnolia Park. Going off my track record - Next up is the Paradise Gardens seating area by the stage for sure.