Casey Jr. Being "Reassessed"

[rioriz]

The fact that people are complaining about a water feature meant to please those who can hardly complete a complete sentence is laughable...truly...the world does not revolve around those on this board...the quicker we accept that the lower the post count will be on threads such as these

And not to waste this thread count let's please point out the new standard on this board, IOA, has two soaking rides and two water themed kid play areas...and again, in the end...this is an actual upgrade imho of the attraction there before

 

[Snow White 610]

I have a neat picture of me next to the ghost drawn hearse in front of the Haunted Mansion. This was before they put a fence around it. Everytime I see that fence all I want to do is jump over it...yes I know it's wrong and that fences are there for a reason. Any kid who loves a train is going to see that fence and want to jump over it too! (yes I will tell my kids not to)

 

[bubbles1812]

The fact that people are complaining about a water feature meant to please those who can hardly complete a complete sentence is laughable...truly...the world does not revolve around those on this board...the quicker we accept that the lower the post count will be on threads such as these

And not to waste this thread count let's please point out the new standard on this board, IOA, has two soaking rides and two water themed kid play areas...and again, in the end...this is an actual upgrade imho of the attraction there before

Um...people aren't complaining per se in the sense that they are complaining just to complain, because they don't like something... there is a legit problem with Casey's that is going to have to be rectified and literally everyone (including even the designers saw coming). And it only took about 24 hours past opening for it to be a problem. I find it fairly pathetic.

 

[Lucille]

I haven't been here forever and everything looks different. I'm not sure how to multi-quote anymore.

So here are my comments...

I agree with someone who said things like this are gernally a bad idea in non-water parks. Although the splash area in California Adventure doesn't seem too terrible.

Someone said it truly would be Disney's fault if someone got hurt because the space between the bars is huge and there are no CMs to tell the kids not to climb. Um....it's not really the CMs jobs to tell the kids to get down. It should be the PARENTS telling their kids to knock it off.

I agree with the person who said they aren't sure what to think about the swimsuits. To me..it's a bit strange. And I think it makes the place seem low class.

I also agree with someone who said they would be ed to sit on an attraction right after these kids. I hadn't even thought of that. Yuck! Has anyone had experiences with this yet? Is it a problem? How awful. I'm not sure how quickly these kids would dry off. Even though it's hot...it's also VERY humid. Making drying take a long time.

TP2000...your comments are DEAD ON. I thought the exact same thing when I saw this tacky sprinkler "attraction." Casey Jr. is one of my favorite rides at Disneyland and I always miss it while I'm in WDW.

Empress Lilly...Thank you, I literally laughed out loud at this - "No trailer park 'get 'em wet' playground area."

I don't think I would have enjoyed this area as a kid. I used to run through the sprinkler in my yard. I don't need to do it at WDW. There are far better things to do.

 

[Beetlebaileybug]

I've been there myself and I'd just like to add that its a little too much water coming out of there. The kids are coming out DRENCHED and yes you could get pretty wet at Donald's boat, but you had to try a lot harder than here. I mean it was a windy thursday and we were getting wet just standing off to the side! I really don't mind if its a little play area for the kids, its actually pretty cute in person getting past the fact that it is cheesy.(the cars with the animals in them have the number 71, 82, 89, 98, if you guys can figure that out ) but SBC is a little cheesy to begin with.. But its a TON of water coming out, like water park amount. Too much for me if I had kids, even when its hot, it would take a lot longer for them to dry off. I can say that for a fact because I work at Busch Gardens - Tampa Bay and we got some of the wettest rides around and some of those kids at Casey Jr got more wet than some of the guests at BG.

 

[Tom]

I'm late here, but I thought I'd chime regarding the reason for the fence. Asianway is right, but not entirely for the right reason. Not only is the standard ADA law going through changes but waterparks, pools and aquatic features have come under recent scrutiny...and the jury is still out. I only know this because I just built a new lazy river, and we had to make last minute changes because of a law that MIGHT get passed.

What probably happened here was that it was all designed and mostly built, then the threat of the new ADA changes came out (proposing that ALL water features and amenities must be accessible to all guests), and they frantically came up with the fence in order to comply....in case the law passed.

So, having just been I their shoes, I can't blame this one on Disney. However, their fence design is poor. Spaces between verticals should be 4" or smaller, and the fence should be taller. In reality, the government needs to focus on more important things and the fence go away.

 

[Buzz Lightbeer]

You are not an old fogey, you just have good taste and common sense about what is appropriate regarding public decorum.

Those pictures of the screaming half-naked children slipping around the Sprinkler Train look horrifying to me. People pay good money to drag the family to Florida so the kids can play in a sprinkler?

Would it have killed TDO to install a real working Casey Jr. Circus Train in New Fantasyland?

Just a fun little train that traveled around canals and themed outdoor dioramas and tunnels and had a big hill to chug up while onboard audio played "I think I can! I think I can!" Oh, I don't know, something like this perhaps...

Instead they turn the Casey Jr. story into a tacky Sprinkler Train for 21st century kids whose Helicopter Moms aren't very good at Helicoptering. Color me unimpressed.

I very rarely post but i just had to say..I think you should build your own park it would be awesome to see all your ideas or should i say all your 60 year old ideas.
I have a feeling that 21st century kids would find a sprinkler feature a lot more exciting than a bit part character train ride from a low budget disney movie that most have probably never seen because it doesnt have a princess and it isnt made by pixar. Now im not saying you or I would fit in that statement because i love Dumbo and will no be taking my shirt off to run around in a sprinkler system but its just how things work with kids today.

 

[TP2000]

I very rarely post but i just had to say..I think you should build your own park it would be awesome to see all your ideas or should i say all your 60 year old ideas.
I have a feeling that 21st century kids would find a sprinkler feature a lot more exciting than a bit part character train ride from a low budget disney movie that most have probably never seen because it doesnt have a princess and it isnt made by pixar.

Those aren't my ideas. They are the ideas of a man named Walt Disney. You know, the guy who built Disneyland?

That said, in any photo of Casey Jr. Circus Train from Disneyland, all the seats are filled and both trains run very full with families and children. And if you've ever been to Disneyland, you'd know firsthand the rush of kids when the loading gates open to sit in the "Monkey Cage" or "Wild Animal Cage" when the train pulls in.

I'm not really a big fan of the movie Dumbo. Last time I watched it years ago, I found it rather slow and plodding and a tad depressing. But the Casey Jr. Circus Train ride in at least Disneyland USA still pulls in lines of 20 minutes or more, and they run both trains most of the time with cars full of little kids having fun. If it was a snoozer of a ride, they would have pulled it years ago. It's in a corner of Fantasyland and it would be easy to shutter if it was no longer popular. But the ride is still popular.

The similar ride at Disneyland Paris (more of a family coaster with no actual train conductor) may be a lost cause that no one likes anymore due to European cultural differences. I won't pretend to be an expert on Disneyland Paris attractions. But at Disneyland USA, Casey Jr. Circus Train is still a popular little ride in a Fantasyland brimming with over 15 different attractions. What kid wouldn't like a zippy little train ride and a chance to ride in the "Monkey Cage"???

Okay, maybe the guy on the right isn't thrilled to ride in the Monkey Cage. But everyone else seems to be having fun!

 

[Buzz Lightbeer]

Those aren't my ideas. They are the ideas of a man named Walt Disney. You know, the guy who built Disneyland?

That said, in any photo of Casey Jr. Circus Train from Disneyland, all the seats are filled and both trains run very full with families and children. And if you've ever been to Disneyland, you'd know firsthand the rush of kids when the loading gates open to sit in the "Monkey Cage" or "Wild Animal Cage" when the train pulls in.

I'm not really a big fan of the movie Dumbo. Last time I watched it years ago, I found it rather slow and plodding and a tad depressing. But the Casey Jr. Circus Train ride in at least Disneyland USA still pulls in lines of 20 minutes or more, and they run both trains most of the time with cars full of little kids having fun. If it was a snoozer of a ride, they would have pulled it years ago. It's in a corner of Fantasyland and it would be easy to shutter if it was no longer popular. But the ride is still popular.

The similar ride at Disneyland Paris (more of a family coaster with no actual train conductor) may be a lost cause that no one likes anymore due to European cultural differences. I won't pretend to be an expert on Disneyland Paris attractions. But at Disneyland USA, Casey Jr. Circus Train is still a popular little ride in a Fantasyland brimming with over 15 different attractions. What kid wouldn't like a zippy little train ride and a chance to ride in the "Monkey Cage"???

Okay, maybe the guy on the right isn't thrilled to ride in the Monkey Cage. But everyone else seems to be having fun!

I didnt mean to have a pop at you dude, but Walt built Disneyland but he's not building Story book circus no one knows what choices would off been made by him, Just in general i dont understand why people want things to be the same, new attractions are built on new 'maybe fresh current' ideas, I havnt been to Disneyland so I've never been on it but if i do go to Disneyland the last thing i want to see is rides ive already experienced at WDW.
The dude in the cage does not look amused!

 

[TP2000]

I didnt mean to have a pop at you dude, but Walt built Disneyland but he's not building Story book circus no one knows what choices would off been made by him, Just in general i dont understand why people want things to be the same.

That's cool. And if the new Casey Jr. Sprinkler Train With Unsafe Safety Fence meets your requirements for a fun theme park diversion for $88 per day, then go for it.

But I personally think Walt Disney had the better idea when he built a Casey Jr. Circus Train attraction that was actually, you know, a train ride instead of a sprinkler. Why that basic concept would be any different in 2012 is lost on me. Casey Jr. Circus Train at Disneyland is a popular little ride, and kids love it. How could they not???

 

[Bolna]

The similar ride at Disneyland Paris (more of a family coaster with no actual train conductor) may be a lost cause that no one likes anymore due to European cultural differences.

In my experience the Casey Jr Train at DLP has the second longest lines of all attractions in Fantasyland on a regular basis after Peter Pan. As it does not have FP (Peter Pan has) I have not been on it for years. I won't wait 45 minutes for a kiddie coaster - however cute it might be.

 

[captainkidd]

They should open something similar to this at Pleasure Island, but instead of water, they could use beer. You'd just need a 21+ bracelet to be allowed to play in it.

 

[sshindel]

I'll just say that one of my fondest memories is when we took my oldest daughter for her first Disney trip and she got to play in Ariel's Grotto splash pad. You know what that was? Some rocks that sprayed water. Sometimes a kid needs to just have an area where they can let loose and have fun. Yes, the rides and shows are fun, but for a younger child (the target audience here), the walking between rides, waiting in lines... That is not as fun.
This Casey Jr. area is not a sprinkler. It's a very highly themed area for kids to run around, let off energy, play, imagine, yes scream (in an appropriate setting), all while being able to get wet and cool off on a very hot Florida day. Is this alone worth $88 a day? No, but it is very nice that my kids will get to enjoy as a part of the whole package.

 

[n2hifi]

What probably happened here was that it was all designed and mostly built, then the threat of the new ADA changes came out (proposing that ALL water features and amenities must be accessible to all guests), and they frantically came up with the fence in order to comply....in case the law passed.

So, having just been I their shoes, I can't blame this one on Disney. However, their fence design is poor. Spaces between verticals should be 4" or smaller, and the fence should be taller. In reality, the government needs to focus on more important things and the fence go away.

I have to say I have been here too. The code official or lawyer or whoever forces a change late in the project when it's too late to redesign and this is what happens. Unfortunately there is no real solution to the problem. As a designer I can't think of everything, and am often a little behind the code in spite of having a 1400 page code book on my desk. Oh wait it's from 2008, better update that. I actually just realized it was that far out of date (only one version behind). That's just the National Electrical Code, not the building code or the ADA guidelines which I so seldom have to deal with that I don't have at my desk.

Of course then there is this scenario: "You want what? That won't work!! O.K. I'll show you!! I'll build it and prove it won't work and you'll have to redo it next year for twice the cost." I have the luxury of walking away from a project I don't think will work, but some cannot.

 

[rioriz]

Um...people aren't complaining per se in the sense that they are complaining just to complain, because they don't like something... there is a legit problem with Casey's that is going to have to be rectified and literally everyone (including even the designers saw coming). And it only took about 24 hours past opening for it to be a problem. I find it fairly pathetic.

Let me clarify, I am talking to those complaining of the issue of the water in the parks, not the fence...that I agree on...

 

[orky8]

One of my fondest memories of Epcot was probably when I was around 7 years old and playing in the jumping water outside Journey into Imagination. That was 20+ years ago, back in Epcot's heyday. I was soaked, as were many kids. And that was actually more akin to a sprinkler, but it was awesome.

 

[asianway]

One of my fondest memories of Epcot was probably when I was around 7 years old and playing in the jumping water outside Journey into Imagination. That was 20+ years ago, back in Epcot's heyday. I was soaked, as were many kids. And that was actually more akin to a sprinkler, but it was awesome.

Well let's see, you also had the Figment topiary and the Dreamfinder plying the area for atmosphere. I'd vote for that sprinkler too.

 

[ExtinctJenn]

So I just have to comment on the feedback that the kids are getting soaked (more soaked than they would at the other previous water features like at Pooh's Spot and Donald's Boat) and just say that the name of the play area is "Casey Jr.'s Splash n' Soak." LOL!

While I'm not surprised at all at the parents like the mom in the picture who are not only encouraging the kids do this but are helping them to get beyond the fence, as a mom I just look at it and shake my head. It is nearly impossible to help my child to understand right and wrong when so many other parents out there choose "fun" over "right." It is unbelievably frustrating because it is so hard to tell your child "no" when they are staring at so many other children who are allowed to break the rules. This isn't limited to Disney of course. As a parent I deal with this constantly. The irony is those parents then wonder why their children grow up not listening to them or following the rules.

 

[Tom]

I have to say I have been here too. The code official or lawyer or whoever forces a change late in the project when it's too late to redesign and this is what happens. Unfortunately there is no real solution to the problem. As a designer I can't think of everything, and am often a little behind the code in spite of having a 1400 page code book on my desk. Oh wait it's from 2008, better update that. I actually just realized it was that far out of date (only one version behind). That's just the National Electrical Code, not the building code or the ADA guidelines which I so seldom have to deal with that I don't have at my desk.

Of course then there is this scenario: "You want what? That won't work!! O.K. I'll show you!! I'll build it and prove it won't work and you'll have to redo it next year for twice the cost." I have the luxury of walking away from a project I don't think will work, but some cannot.

I try my best to stay up on the common code items in the IBC, NEC and Life Safety (we do healthcare work) so that we can catch possible violations before building them wrong. I'm glad I don't sit on your side of the desk, with my stamp on things.

Usually, as long as you file your project with the municipalities while one code is in effect, your project is instantly grandfathered, even if the code changes during construction. However, this aquatic version of the ADA changes has been very controversial and ever-changing. I don't THINK any legislation has actually passed (it's been tabled/postponed several times), but that leaves designers and builders (like us) hanging and wondering which way to go.

We didn't have to put up any fences like Disney did, but we had to add auto door openers to the restrooms at the new pool restroom building, and had to order an additional handicap lift (because the new code will require 2 ways out of the pool for every person). That was a $10,000 "what if" order the client paid for.

I'm positive that's what happened with Casey. It's obvious the train cab was initially designed so that kids could climb INSIDE it...and the fence is more than obviously out of place. This fence was tossed in as a last minute CYA (cover your rear) tactic in case the new law went into affect.

 

[wdw71fan]

brought my kids out to see Casey last night... and none of them tried to climb the fence... So you guys are 100% right... all bad parenting.... Saw plenty examples of that last night at MK, as usual.