News Coco Boat Ride Coming to Disney California Adventure

[DrStarlander]

75k sqft seems a bit big, especially considering you need space for parade access and other backstage facilities. Also, 110k sqft would make it as big as Pirates of the Caribbean. Which is the largest show building on property. I don't see that happening.

In the 75k scenario there is only the parade building remaining (no other backstage functions remain in this corner) and a parade route to the park gate would need to be preserved adjacent to the outdoor queue area. I am NOT saying whether they can or cannot remove these backstage functions, this is totally speculative:

In the 110k scenario, all three backstage buildings must go away (same caveat as above). And below I show Frozen at DisneySea as an example at a similar size.

Or they could remove just the parade building and fit a 50k show building in.

But to me this seems the least likely as if any building is kept there, the parade building seems the most site-dependent whereas other functions maybe could move elsewhere. And that's a small show building to be tossing around PotC and HM comparisons.. But who knows.

None of this is meant to be Imaginering and I'm not saying what Disney should or should not do. There seem to be a limited number of options to put a show building back there and just looking at what they might be.

 

[Parteecia]

And as far as the GC TSR options, in my mind they can count toward DCA since again they are literally steps away.

I would disagree because you have to go through bag check.

 

[Disney Irish]

I would disagree because you have to go through bag check.

To go from DCA into a GC TSR? Since when? Bag check is only for entering the Park not for going from the Park into the restaurants in GC.

 

[coffeefan]

In the 75k scenario there is only the parade building remaining (no other backstage functions remain in this corner) and a parade route to the park gate would need to be preserved adjacent to the outdoor queue area. I am NOT saying whether they can or cannot remove these backstage functions, this is totally speculative:
View attachment 901046

In the 110k scenario, all three backstage buildings must go away (same caveat as above). And below I show Frozen at DisneySea as an example at a similar size.
View attachment 901047View attachment 901049

Or they could remove just the parade building and fit a 50k show building in.
View attachment 901052
But to me this seems the least likely as if any building is kept there, the parade building seems the most site-dependent whereas other functions maybe could move elsewhere. And that's a small show building to be tossing around PotC and HM comparisons.. But who knows.

None of this is meant to be Imaginering and I'm not saying what Disney should or should not do. There seem to be a limited number of options to put a show building back there and just looking at what they might be.

Is it possible for parades to start at Simba and cross the bridge into DCA? Has Disney ever changed a parade route after an expansion?
I am also not saying Disney should do it or not, just speculating if they could do it.

 

[Parteecia]

To go from DCA into a GC TSR? Since when? Bag check is only for entering the Park not for going from the Park into the restaurants in GC.

To go back into the park after eating, unlike stopping at an in-park eatery.

 

[Disney Irish]

To go back into the park after eating, unlike stopping at an in-park eatery.

True but that is a small inconvenience, as the majority of the time the line is not very long compared to other bag check. So yes while not technically "in-park", to me its still can be considered part of DCAs TSR offerings since its so close and GC is practically part of DCA.

 

[Disney Irish]

Is it possible for parades to start at Simba and cross the bridge into DCA? Has Disney ever changed a parade route after an expansion?
I am also not saying Disney should do it or not, just speculating if they could do it.

Didn't they originally move the parade route in DCA to the current building it has when they built out Cars Land?

And I don't see any reason why they couldn't come from Simba, other than it'd be a few years before they move into there. So that would be 5+ years without a parade.

 

[Parteecia]

True but that is a small inconvenience, as the majority of the time the line is not very long compared to other bag check. So yes while not technically "in-park", to me its still can be considered part of DCAs TSR offerings since its so close and GC is practically part of DCA.

I will agree to disagree on this, especially since we take backpacks that get widely varying levels of searched. We've run into enough annoyances to discourage us from doing this anymore vs in-park or DtD restaurants. "Not very long compared to" can still be too much.

 

[Professortango1]

I will agree to disagree on this, especially since we take backpacks that get widely varying levels of searched. We've run into enough annoyances to discourage us from doing this anymore vs in-park or DtD restaurants. "Not very long compared to" can still be too much.

Yeah, if you have to asterisk a fact to make it factual, then that should speak for itself. DCA has 3 publicly available TS restaurants to offer. Carthay, Lamplight, Wine Country.

There are also a variety of additional locations nearby in Downtown Disney, the nearby hotels, and Disneyland. DL & DCA have an additional VIP restaurant exclusively available to the general public for an upsell. But that doesn't change the fact that DCA has 3 current TS restaurants that the general public may enjoy within the park.

 

[Disney Irish]

Yeah, if you have to asterisk a fact to make it factual, then that should speak for itself. DCA has 3 publicly available TS restaurants to offer. Carthay, Lamplight, Wine Country.

There are also a variety of additional locations nearby in Downtown Disney, the nearby hotels, and Disneyland. DL & DCA have an additional VIP restaurant exclusively available to the general public for an upsell. But that doesn't change the fact that DCA has 3 current TS restaurants that the general public may enjoy within the park.

Well as a MK I have access to 4 TSR in DCA, so no matter how YOU want to count them I and the other MKs still have access to 4 in-park. So if you want to say that MKs and what they can access don't count because you can't access the same, well that is up to you. But it doesn't make it any less factual that there are still 4 TSR in DCA, one of which requires a MK.

Now all of this was about DCA needing more TSR, specifically related to the Coco project. And while I don't disagree that DCA could use more, I'm still not convinced that it needs to be part of Coco whether it makes sense from an IP perspective or not.

 

[DrStarlander]

Now all of this was about DCA needing more TSR, specifically related to the Coco project.

Just to be clear, my argument hasn't been that DCA needs more TSR.

I believe DCA needs more magic and fantasy and dream-like spaces. Guests should be asking "is this real??" multiple times per day, especially kids (something that was lost with A Bug's Land by the way, total fantasy). An always-night restaurant is a great way to provide that -- and by the way, not just in theme parks, there are tiki bars and places all over the world...like the Tonga Room and Hurricane Bar in San Francisco...

Or Casa Bonita in Colorado...

These places are cool.

But DCA can have three, five or seven TSRs at DCA. I don't care. I'm interested in how cool they are.

 

[Disney Irish]

Just to be clear, my argument hasn't been that DCA needs more TSR.

I believe DCA needs more magic and fantasy and dream-like spaces. Guests should be asking "is this real??" multiple times per day, especially kids (something that was lost with A Bug's Land by the way, total fantasy). An always-night restaurant is a great way to provide that -- and by the way, not just in theme parks, there are tiki bars and places all over the world...like the Tonga Room and Hurricane Bar in San Francisco...
View attachment 901377

Or Casa Bonita in Colorado...
View attachment 901378
These places are cool.

But DCA can have three, five or seven TSRs at DCA. I don't care. I'm interested in how cool they are.

So couldn’t the Coco attraction itself bring that “magic and fantasy and dream-like space” without the need for an “always night” TSR?

Also I’ve been to Tonga, it wasn’t as special as you’re making it sound. And Casa Bonita only became what it was because it was featured on South Park, in fact Matt and Trey had to buy it so it could be saved in 2021 because it fell out of favor, much like many themed restaurants over the years.

 

[DrStarlander]

So couldn’t the Coco attraction itself bring that “magic and fantasy and dream-like space” without the need for an “always night” TSR?

Yes, attractions are a key part of that. Not so much yet at DCA, but they could be.

But other spaces and experiences are important too. Places you can sit and imagine being somewhere far away and a different time, like having a beignet and mint julep and watching the Mark Twain go by in New Orleans Square, or being alone at the Snow White Grotto, or listening to an old fashioned phone on Main Street, or walking through Sleeping Beauty Castle looking at the fascinating animated dioramas. I don't think a theme park, at its best, is just about the several-minute attractions. It's about lingering, imagining, pretending, relaxing too.

Also I’ve been to Tonga, it wasn’t as special as you’re making it sound. And Casa Bonita only became what it was because it was featured on South Park, in fact Matt and Trey had to buy it so it could be saved in 2021 because it fell out of favor, much like many themed restaurants over the years.

"Holy Crap...This is completely, completely awesome...This is the greatest place in the history of the world." -- Anthony Bourdain visiting the Tonga Room. (I had a great time there myself in the '90s). But your take is valid too, everybody has different taste. Many have enjoyed it since 1945, which is why we're talking about it.

As for Casa Bonita, a 52,000 sq. ft. restaurant with 1,000 seats in suburban Colorado. Yeah, that's a tough businesses to sustain for over 50 years. Didn't help when the owner sold it to a British company that, predictably, neglected the business and allowed it to decline. Then Covid was the death knell. There was no revenue. That doesn't take away from how cool it was and the core appeal of outdoors-done-indoors and perpetual night.

Are you arguing you'd rather have more of this at DCA...

Instead of this...?

 

[Disney Irish]

Yes, attractions are a key part of that. Not so much yet at DCA, but they could be.

But other spaces and experiences are important too. Places you can sit and imagine being somewhere far away and a different time, like having a beignet and mint julep and watching the Mark Twain go by in New Orleans Square, or being alone at the Snow White Grotto, or listening to an old fashioned phone on Main Street, or walking through Sleeping Beauty Castle looking at the fascinating animated dioramas. I don't think a theme park, at its best, is just about the several-minute attractions. It's about lingering, imagining, pretending, relaxing too.

Yes, DCA could use that stuff too. But we're talking about the Coco project here, not the larger needs of DCA.

So sticking with just the topic of the Coco project, I think the attraction itself can give that “magic and fantasy and dream-like space” you're craving without the need for an “always night” TSR. Would it be cool to have, yes I won't say it wouldn't, but as pretty much everyone here agrees including you its not likely happening. So instead of just going around and around on this again, lets just say that DCA needs more of that stuff and if you'd like to discuss it further we can create a separate thread for an open discussion on it.

"Holy Crap...This is completely, completely awesome...This is the greatest place in the history of the world." -- Anthony Bourdain visiting the Tonga Room. (I had a great time there myself in the '90s). But your take is valid too, everybody has different taste. Many have enjoyed it since 1945, which is why we're talking about it.

And I'm happy that Anthony had that experience, may he rest in peace, as you said everyone has different tastes. And we're only talking about it because you brought it up, not because its been there since 1945. Many restaurants have been in San Francisco for longer and provide just as good if not better experience, but we're not talking about those.

As for Casa Bonita, a 52,000 sq. ft. restaurant with 1,000 seats in suburban Colorado. Yeah, that's a tough businesses to sustain for over 50 years. Didn't help when the owner sold it to a British company that, predictably, neglected the business and allowed it to decline. Then Covid was the death knell. There was no revenue. That doesn't take away from how cool it was and the core appeal of outdoors-done-indoors and perpetual night.

They had multiple locations at one point, all of which failed and closed except the Colorado location. And it had issues long before the pandemic, so that would have just been the final nail if Matt and Trey hadn't stepped in. In fact they are having issues now, this time with labor strikes over pay disputes, so who knows what will happen.

Are you arguing you'd rather have more of this at DCA...
View attachment 901438

Instead of this...?
View attachment 901440

We're talking about Coco here, or at least we're suppose to be, not specifically about the larger needs of DCA.

 

[DrStarlander]

And we're only talking about it because you brought it up, not because its been there since 1945.

Yes, I brought it up and you knew what I was talking about because it's famous.

They had multiple locations at one point, all of which failed and closed except the Colorado location. And it had issues long before the pandemic, so that would have just been the final nail if Matt and Trey hadn't stepped in. In fact they are having issues now, this time with labor strikes over pay disputes, so who knows what will happen.

Yeah, the restaurant business is a killer. Their costs must have been brutal. And novelty wears off with locals in places like Oklahoma City and Denver. I agree, let's get back to talking about a theme park that charges $250 to enter.

We're talking about Coco here, or at least we're suppose to be, not specifically about the larger needs of DCA.

I'm happy to talk about Coco. If someone sees any new tags on trees or paint markings on sidewalks I'm here for it.

 

[Disney Irish]

Yes, I brought it up and you knew what I was talking about because it's famous.

I knew what you were talking about because I'd been there, not because its "famous". Plenty of other "famous" restaurants in SF, its an area that has an abundance of them and for which I'm very familiar with being from the area.

I'm happy to talk about Coco. If someone sees any new tags on trees or paint markings on sidewalks I'm here for it.

Well they have started to remove trees and shrubs this last week. So its moved beyond just tagging and into the actual "action" phase. They've also pushed the construction fences into back stage, so we're now moving into the Park.

 

[britain]

Like the in-famous El Guapo

 

[DrStarlander]

I knew what you were talking about because I'd been there, not because its "famous". Plenty of other "famous" restaurants in SF, its an area that has an abundance of them and for which I'm very familiar with being from the area.

And we're only talking about it because you brought it up, not because its been there since 1945. Many restaurants have been in San Francisco for longer and provide just as good if not better experience, but we're not talking about those.

Yes, there are many famous restaurants in SF. In fact, there's no limit on how many famous restaurants there can be. If there's something about another famous restaurant in SF that's related to themed entertainment and especially speculating about what could be included in the Coco project, I would love to hear about it.

 

[Disney Irish]

Yes, there are many famous restaurants in SF. In fact, there's no limit on how many famous restaurants there can be. If there's something about another famous restaurant in SF that's related to themed entertainment and especially speculating about what could be included in the Coco project, I would love to hear about it.

No thanks, because themed restaurants in SF, famous or otherwise, have nothing to do with the Coco attraction in Anaheim.

 

[DrStarlander]

No thanks, because themed restaurants in SF, famous or otherwise, have nothing to do with the Coco attraction in Anaheim.

Well, if later you come across something about a themed restaurant in SF that surprises you and does relate to the Coco project, I would love to hear it. I'm always interested in thoughtful observations and connections within the world of themed entertainment.