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Avengers Campus - Reactions / Reviews
- Thread starter BrianLo
- Start date
EPCOTCenterLover
Well-Known Member
Pixar pier is a wreck, however. Better before the redo.
mickEblu
Well-Known Member
Hahah so POTC is not objectively better than Chip n Dales Treehouse?
Disneylover152
Well-Known Member
Pixar Pier is a thematic mess and has a lot of cheap elements, however sections of it (entrance area, Pixar promenade, views from Paradise Park) are gorgeous.
MarvelCharacterNerd
Well-Known Member
I can't say. I've never visited Chip n Dale's Treehouse.
Joking aside, and even my fond experiences of the area aside - Hollywood Land hosts the best, most charming indoor show in DCA (Philharmagic) and the best, most charming dark ride in DCA (Monsters Inc.). I'm assuming here you're particularly looking down on primarily the backlot area and not including Hyperion Theatre (home to the former best theatrical show I ever saw in a Disney park - Aladdin) or one of the most popular attractions in the park: GOTG: MB, which for the moment is still in Hollywood Land.
Then there's the always fun Awesome Dance-Off show. Not to mention the single most classically Disney thing in the entire park: Animation Academy and the beautiful lobby show that runs at its entrance. Oh and Turtle Talk with Crush which the kids like. And the best store in the park - Off the Page. And the second best fries in the entire Disneyland Resort - filmstrip fries at Award Wieners (second only to the Pommes Frittes in NOS). Hollywood Land has plenty to offer - now whether you like what they offer, that's subjective. 
1HAPPYGHOSTHOST
Well-Known Member
No one is gonna buy that OVER PRICED piece of junk.
mickEblu
Well-Known Member
I can't say. I've never visited Chip n Dale's Treehouse.
Joking aside, and even my fond experiences of the area aside - Hollywood Land hosts the best, most charming indoor show in DCA (Philharmagic) and the best, most charming dark ride in DCA (Monsters Inc.). I'm assuming here you're particularly looking down on primarily the backlot area and not including Hyperion Theatre (home to the former best theatrical show I ever saw in a Disney park - Aladdin) or one of the most popular attractions in the park: GOTG: MB, which for the moment is still in Hollywood Land.
I think that’s the important distinction. Whether one likes a given attraction is subjective as opposed to the quality of the attraction (or land in this case) being subjective.
It sounds like you re basing your view of the land mostly on its contents and entertainment. While those two things are important, when I’m comparing lands I’m primarily comparing them as themed spaces and the atmosphere they provide (which of course entertainment is a part of). The backlot speaks for itself and is the worst part of DCA. Hollywood Boulevard is Ok but the problem is you just walked by BVS which is much better. Then you have the Hyperion with no lobby. It doesn’t come across to me as a theatre so much as a giant box. I can see how someone like yourself who prioritizes shows and entertainment ranks it much higher.
I do love the Animation lobby as it’s probably the only place in the park (other than Soarin over California when it’s playing) where I feel real emotion depending on which songs are playing. Off the Page is my favorite store in the park.
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Californian Elitist
Well-Known Member
Hollywood Land is just sad. Lots of potential with little execution and effort.
George Lucas on a Bench
Well-Known Member
It's a terrible overlay. There's already Pixar all over the park, why theme it specifically to those cartoons? The biggest thing there has a giant Mickey Mouse head on it, and I don't think he's a John Lasseter creation. Classic Disney characters would have been a better fit if anything.
wityblack
Well-Known Member
Ironically, many of the elements in the entrance are repainted carbon copies from Tokyo DisneySea's Trolley Park.
MarvelCharacterNerd
Well-Known Member
And if you're judging a land by theming, then I can agree that Hollywood Land has *many* weak points. However that's just as subjective and personal a priority to emphasize as my prioritizing entertainment and characters - which was the point I was trying to make.
Hollywood Land has an immensely popular E-Ticket, a solid and charming dark ride, along with a LOT of quality Disney entertainment offerings from Hyperion to Philharmagic and the Animation building experiences. And if you're the parent of a toddler then even the Disney Jr show is a must do. (And all that is aside from the myriad of Marvel meets and shows it has hosted for the past several years.) Does it hold a candle in terms of quality of theming to Cars Land (the high bar mark of modern immersive theming IMO) or the warmth of the historic embrace of BVS or Grizzly Peak? Of course not. But the land is hellaciously underrated for its multitude of offerings due to the theming mishmosh its currently stuck with.
The Hyperion is the perfect example of judging the land by its look - the 'lobby' is an outside queue and a facade. But inside that theater is marvelous! If the land got a theming upgrade - and coherence - without changing *any* of the offerings, the land would be much better regarded, yet its contents would not have changed. Just the appearance. Which MATTERS, but does not negate the substance that is already there.
But I'm with you on finding the Animation lobby a very emotionally satisfying experience - it's another underrated gem due to its perhaps foreboding outside facade (though I love the Hollywood-ness of the Max Factor facade) that prevents the audience who should be finding it and appreciating it.
BVS as noted, has much better and far more appealing theming than Hollywood Land. Yet at its essence, it's a mall (or an 'extension of DTD' lol). How is a mall *objectively* better than a land with solid attractions and tons of entertainment? I don't think it is. However, it may certainly subjectively be a far more pleasing area to spend time sitting in and absorbing the atmosphere. Like a nice mall should.
But if you have a choice between a nice mall and experiencing multiple attractions in a theme park, which would you choose? If they opened Hollywood Land right now, would anyone be lined up to be on BVS or would they all be wanting to get into Hollywood Land? Objectively speaking?To take this back to the thread's topic, however, if the contents and offerings are appealing enough, I'm willing to forgive on the theming. So while I'd've adored walking into Wakanda or Asgard (I LOVED when Thor had his throne room meet in Tomorrowland) or would have 1000% preferred ToT becoming Doctor Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum to what it is - I will forgive walking through a path of warehouses if there's an attraction that's fun and a restaurant that's decent and a stunt show and stuntronic Spidey and a Doctor Strange show and all of my favorite characters to visit with. Would I rather have all that AND great exotic theming? Hellz yes! But will I take a small land of warehouses with lots of fun stuff to do vs. a big billion dollar land with nothing that personally interests me in it (but should have) or that I can't afford to pay extra to do? Hellz yes again!
P.S. Quite enjoying having a solid civil debate about theme park stuff. Feels so pre-2020.
*I tip my hat in respect, sir, even though we may never agree!*
mickEblu
Well-Known Member
And if you're judging a land by theming, then I can agree that Hollywood Land has *many* weak points. However that's just as subjective and personal a priority to emphasize as my prioritizing entertainment and characters - which was the point I was trying to make.
Hollywood Land has an immensely popular E-Ticket, a solid and charming dark ride, along with a LOT of quality Disney entertainment offerings from Hyperion to Philharmagic and the Animation building experiences. And if you're the parent of a toddler then even the Disney Jr show is a must do. (And all that is aside from the myriad of Marvel meets and shows it has hosted for the past several years.) Does it hold a candle in terms of quality of theming to Cars Land (the high bar mark of modern immersive theming IMO) or the warmth of the historic embrace of BVS or Grizzly Peak? Of course not. But the land is hellaciously underrated for its multitude of offerings due to the theming mishmosh its currently stuck with.
The Hyperion is the perfect example of judging the land by its look - the 'lobby' is an outside queue and a facade. But inside that theater is marvelous! If the land got a theming upgrade - and coherence - without changing *any* of the offerings, the land would be much better regarded, yet its contents would not have changed. Just the appearance. Which MATTERS, but does not negate the substance that is already there.
But I'm with you on finding the Animation lobby a very emotionally satisfying experience - it's another underrated gem due to its perhaps foreboding outside facade (though I love the Hollywood-ness of the Max Factor facade) that prevents the audience who should be finding it and appreciating it.
BVS as noted, has much better and far more appealing theming than Hollywood Land. Yet at its essence, it's a mall (or an 'extension of DTD' lol). How is a mall *objectively* better than a land with solid attractions and tons of entertainment? I don't think it is. However, it may certainly subjectively be a far more pleasing area to spend time sitting in and absorbing the atmosphere. Like a nice mall should.
To take this back to the thread's topic, however, if the contents and offerings are appealing enough, I'm willing to forgive on the theming. So while I'd've adored walking into Wakanda or Asgard (I LOVED when Thor had his throne room meet in Tomorrowland) or would have 1000% preferred ToT becoming Doctor Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum to what it is - I will forgive walking through a path of warehouses if there's an attraction that's fun and a restaurant that's decent and a stunt show and stuntronic Spidey and a Doctor Strange show and all of my favorite characters to visit with. Would I rather have all that AND great exotic theming? Hellz yes! But will I take a small land of warehouses with lots of fun stuff to do vs. a big billion dollar land with nothing that personally interests me in it (but should have) or that I can't afford to pay extra to do? Hellz yes again!
P.S. Quite enjoying having a solid civil debate about theme park stuff. Feels so pre-2020.
I agree. I can’t take any more depressing Corona virus discussions.
I think when ranking the quality of themed lands at a theme park, the design and atmosphere of those lands need to be the main two factors considered. I think that’s really just an objective way to compare two theme park lands. I would agree with you if you said Hollywoodland has some of the best entertainment in the park. But to say it’s the best THEME park land (at DCA) because of its entertainment I think is inaccurate.
To answer your question I would definitely rather go to Hollywoodland and ride rides than go to BVS. I think the question is a little flawed though considering how bored to death we all are. It doesn’t make Hollywoodland a better THEME park land than BVS. It just means it has more stuff to do. I think it’s more important for a Disney theme park to have well themed lands and less lands consisting of cheap facades and big warehouses even if the entertainment and rides may be better in the latter. But we re starting to split hairs and really Disney should always strive and can do both. See almost every land in DL.
If we were talking amusement parks, then I think it would be much more acceptable to compare lands based primarily on rides or entertainment. I think ranking the quality of a themed land is a lot more objective than your making it out to be. Now of course one may like one theme better than another but that’s a different story.
MarvelCharacterNerd
Well-Known Member
Ah, but I never claimed that Hollywood Land is the best land by any definition. I merely argued that it cannot *objectively* be considered the worst. As I point out, it is clearly superior as a land in total to BVS for example. It's also better than Paradise Gardens or whatever you want to consider the carnival ride area.
Now if you want to say *subjectively* that it's the worst - or that you expect Avengers Campus to be subjectively the worst - I take no issue whatsoever, because by definition, subjective is personal preference.
Objectively, I would say Cars Land is the best land at DCA - it has a terrific E-ticket (that I can't go on) and two lesser but still decent C-tickets (that I also can't go on - a spin and a whip). Yet it not only brings a movie literally to life with its top notch execution and (CARS) character presence, but it has those quality attractions, solid themed food offerings for both quick service and snacks, and unique merchandise specific to the land. Whether you're a CARS fan or not, I think that's an objective view. That land is a home run and pure Disney Imagineering artistry at its absolute best. And I'd subjectively argue that the lighting of the land at dusk is not only the most magical experience in DCA, but one of the most magical at any Disney park. But again, that part would be subjective.
That said, for myself, I'm going to go where the greatest content offering is in any given park - and come 2021 (hopefully!), I expect that to be Avengers Campus in DCA.
But that's just me.Like everyone, I still hope that someday the sibling parks (DCA, Hollywood Studios at WDW and Studios in Paris) will someday turn from Cinderella in rags to Cinderella in her ballgown (Disneyland Park, Magic Kingdom, Tokyo DL & DS, etc.). But it still doesn't mean I don't love the dear girl for exactly who she is on the inside and still find the magic every time I visit.
NobodyElse
Well-Known Member
Price and quality notwithstanding, I'll bet you $100 you're wrong.
mickEblu
Well-Known Member
Ah, but I never claimed that Hollywood Land is the best land by any definition. I merely argued that it cannot *objectively* be considered the worst. As I point out, it is clearly superior as a land in total to BVS for example. It's also better than Paradise Gardens or whatever you want to consider the carnival ride area.
Now if you want to say *subjectively* that it's the worst - or that you expect Avengers Campus to be subjectively the worst - I take no issue whatsoever, because by definition, subjective is personal preference.
Objectively, I would say Cars Land is the best land at DCA - it has a terrific E-ticket (that I can't go on) and two lesser but still decent C-tickets (that I also can't go on - a spin and a whip). Yet it not only brings a movie literally to life with its top notch execution and (CARS) character presence, but it has those quality attractions, solid themed food offerings for both quick service and snacks, and unique merchandise specific to the land. Whether you're a CARS fan or not, I think that's an objective view. That land is a home run and pure Disney Imagineering artistry at its absolute best. And I'd subjectively argue that the lighting of the land at dusk is not only the most magical experience in DCA, but one of the most magical at any Disney park. But again, that part would be subjective.
That said, for myself, I'm going to go where the greatest content offering is in any given park - and come 2021 (hopefully!), I expect that to be Avengers Campus in DCA.
Like everyone, I still hope that someday the sibling parks (DCA, Hollywood Studios at WDW and Studios in Paris) will someday turn from Cinderella in rags to Cinderella in her ballgown (Disneyland Park, Magic Kingdom, Tokyo DL & DS, etc.). But it still doesn't mean I don't love the dear girl for exactly who she is on the inside and still find the magic every time I visit.
Hahah at the Cinderella metaphor. Side note: For a while I considered it the greatest Disney animated feature film but I think Pinocchio has taken the top spot for now.
So why can their be an objective best land but not an objective worst?
Animaniac93-98
Well-Known Member
Out of all the things in the MCU and Marvel comics history, I'd be curious to know why the spider-bots were singled out as the potential big merchandise thing.
MarvelCharacterNerd
Well-Known Member
There absolutely can be an objective worst. I was countering your claim about my thinking Hollywood Land was objective best, which I don't believe even if I have loved spending time there. But I dispute Hollywood Land as being the objective worst.
I'd accept an argument for either BVS as a mall but no attractions (though my dear Five & Dime show is a major draw for me!), Pacific Wharf which is just a collection of restaurants (though I love eating there), or whatever the carnival ride area is as objective worst - is that Paradise Gardens?
Objectively, GOTG: MB (Marvel), Monsters Inc. (Pixar), Philharmagic (Disney), Hyperion (Disney), Animation Academy (Disney), Turtle Talk with Crush (Pixar) as a combination is a superior Disney theme park land to a mall (no matter how pretty), a restaurant row (no matter how tasty), or Goofy's Sky School (Disney), Little Mermaid (Disney), and jumping swinging zephyrs (whatever).
If you want to include WofC to Paradise Gardens' offerings, I'd still say objectively an hour-long pseudo-Broadway show like Frozen or Aladdin is qualitatively better than a 15-minute Vegas fountain show with extra water screens and taller spouts. I can see water spouts in the fountain in DTD, too. And in Vegas the water show was free when it was first shown decades ago. lolAs always, your subjective preference may differ. I love BVS for its entertainment, shopping and lovely theming. I love eating at the Pacific Wharf restaurants (some of the best in the entire resort). I like to... walk right on through Paradise Gardens when I'm walking off a meal from the wharf. lol Though I've spent time seeing bands play in the little gazebo there. But just because it was a particular band I liked, not for the area itself. But I can and have spent entire days in Hollywood Land alone. That's subjective preference.
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mickEblu
Well-Known Member
There absolutely can be an objective worst. I was countering your claim about my thinking Hollywood Land was objective best, which I don't believe even if I have loved spending time there. But I dispute Hollywood Land as being the objective worst.
I'd accept an argument for either BVS as a mall but no attractions (though my dear Five & Dime show is a major draw for me!), Pacific Wharf which is just a collection of restaurants (though I love eating there), or whatever the carnival ride area is as objective worst - is that Paradise Gardens?
Objectively, GOTG: MB (Marvel), Monsters Inc. (Pixar), Philharmagic (Disney), Hyperion (Disney), Animation Academy (Disney), Turtle Talk with Crush (Pixar) as a combination is a superior Disney theme park land to a mall (no matter how pretty), a restaurant row (no matter how tasty), or Goofy's Sky School (Disney), Little Mermaid (Disney), and jumping swinging zephyrs (whatever).
As always, your subjective preference may differ. I love BVS for its entertainment, shopping and lovely theming. I love eating at the Pacific Wharf restaurants (some of the best in the entire resort). I like to... walk right on through Paradise Gardens when I'm walking off a meal from the wharf. lol Though I've spent time seeing bands play in the little gazebo there. But just because it was a particular band I liked, not for the area itself. But I can and have spent entire days in Hollywood Land alone. That's subjective preference.
As a themed area in and of themselves, Pacific Wharf and BVS are much better than Hollywoodland. Again we re talking about THEME park lands. Shouldn’t they primarily be judged on how well they are themed/ designed and the atmosphere they provide as opposed to primarily being judged by the contents within their boundaries? Best rides and best entertainment should be other categories/ comparisons altogether. For example if you compare the rides of Hollywoodland with the rides of Grizzly Peak, it’s not really telling you anything about the lands themselves other than where these rides are located and maybe how their facades or outdoor portions of those attractions add to the context of the land.