How the Bob Iger era changed Disneyland forever – Orange County Register (ocregister.com)
>>Across the esplanade, Iger wasn’t as kind as he took a sledgehammer to the ill-conceived, on-the-cheap and much-maligned Disney California Adventure. Iger never minced words about the failure of DCA that he charitably called “mediocre.” Many of the offending off-the-shelf rides and much of the pun-filled pop culture veneer was mercifully removed or re-themed during Iger’s tenure.
A wholesale reimagining of DCA that turned the park into a construction site for several years was rewarded with a leap in attendance — nearly doubling from 5.8 million visitors in 2005 to 9.9 million in 2019.
Iger’s first move at DCA in 2006 was a symbolic shot across the bow. The Monsters Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue dark ride replaced what many consider to be the worst Disney attraction ever created — Superstar Limo.
A year later, Iger lowered the boom. He announced Disney California Adventure would undergo a $1.1 billion redesign and expansion — nearly double the $600 million Disney spent to build the park.
Toy Story Midway Mania (2008) was followed by World of Color (2010) and Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure (2011). Then in 2012, Cars Land opened along with a new entry promenade dubbed Buena Vista Street.
To boost excitement and attendance during the Iger era, DCA hosted a series of nightly dance parties that proved wildly successful — including Glow Fest (2009), Electronica (2010) and Mad T Party (2012).
After little more than a decade in existence, the reborn DCA was almost unrecognizable from its 2001 opening day misadventure. But that was only act one for Iger.
DCA’s transformation continued with the addition of “Frozen — Live at the Hyperion” (2016), Soarin’ Around the World (2016), Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission: Breakout (2017) and the transformation of Pixar Pier (2018).
The final act in DCA’s metamorphosis — at least under Iger — is yet to come. The new Marvel-themed Avengers Campus is scheduled to debut in 2021.
The 15-year rebirth of Disney California Adventure under Iger’s watch is a redemptive cautionary tale about what happens when Disney violates its own theme park design principles by cutting corners and the amount of work it takes to repair those missteps and mistakes.<<
How the Bob Iger era changed Disneyland forever
The Disney executive chairman and former CEO treated Disneyland with kid gloves — with one major exception — but took a sledgehammer to the ill-conceived, on-the-cheap and much-maligned Disney California Adventure.
>>Across the esplanade, Iger wasn’t as kind as he took a sledgehammer to the ill-conceived, on-the-cheap and much-maligned Disney California Adventure. Iger never minced words about the failure of DCA that he charitably called “mediocre.” Many of the offending off-the-shelf rides and much of the pun-filled pop culture veneer was mercifully removed or re-themed during Iger’s tenure.
A wholesale reimagining of DCA that turned the park into a construction site for several years was rewarded with a leap in attendance — nearly doubling from 5.8 million visitors in 2005 to 9.9 million in 2019.
Iger’s first move at DCA in 2006 was a symbolic shot across the bow. The Monsters Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue dark ride replaced what many consider to be the worst Disney attraction ever created — Superstar Limo.
A year later, Iger lowered the boom. He announced Disney California Adventure would undergo a $1.1 billion redesign and expansion — nearly double the $600 million Disney spent to build the park.
Toy Story Midway Mania (2008) was followed by World of Color (2010) and Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure (2011). Then in 2012, Cars Land opened along with a new entry promenade dubbed Buena Vista Street.
To boost excitement and attendance during the Iger era, DCA hosted a series of nightly dance parties that proved wildly successful — including Glow Fest (2009), Electronica (2010) and Mad T Party (2012).
After little more than a decade in existence, the reborn DCA was almost unrecognizable from its 2001 opening day misadventure. But that was only act one for Iger.
DCA’s transformation continued with the addition of “Frozen — Live at the Hyperion” (2016), Soarin’ Around the World (2016), Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission: Breakout (2017) and the transformation of Pixar Pier (2018).
The final act in DCA’s metamorphosis — at least under Iger — is yet to come. The new Marvel-themed Avengers Campus is scheduled to debut in 2021.
The 15-year rebirth of Disney California Adventure under Iger’s watch is a redemptive cautionary tale about what happens when Disney violates its own theme park design principles by cutting corners and the amount of work it takes to repair those missteps and mistakes.<<
