Concepts for DCA coming to WDW?

[Dr.Seeker]

Why would they remove the Golden Gate Bridge from the entrance to "CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE?" Instead, they clone Disney's Hollywood Studios. The Sun Wheel gets Mickey's Head instead of a sun. Is the Orange Stinger gone in place of an ordinary Swing ride (Silly Symphonies)? The Maliboomer will now look like one of those fake tree Nextel towers with yet another Parachute ride (rumored to be the Green Army Men). (Isn't Jumpin' Jellyfish the same thing?)

Mulholland Madness will just get a retheme to Goofy.

Why is NOBODY screaming about a Character Invasion here?!?!?!?!?!??!?

The new entrance didn't grind with me especially although I see your point about being really close to DHS. However I agree with you about the mickey head, the goofy ride and the 'silly symphonies' Layovers. I'm sure they'll be good, but I preferred the old theming of a larger than life love letter to California. The sun motif went from Sunshine plaza at the entrance all the way to the sun wheel. And "Fun Wheel"- it sounds a little too state fair to me.
I'll definitely miss the giant orange.

 

[WDWFREAK53]

The new entrance didn't grind with me especially although I see your point about being really close to DHS. However I agree with you about the mickey head, the goofy ride and the 'silly symphonies' Layovers. I'm sure they'll be good, but I preferred the old theming of a larger than life love letter to California. The sun motif went from Sunshine plaza at the entrance all the way to the sun wheel. And "Fun Wheel"- it sounds a little too state fair to me.
I'll definitely miss the giant orange.

Disneyland Studios in Paris is doing horrible (attendance-wise). DHS is in trouble too (Has DAK passed it yet?). My thing is...why take a park that is already struggling with attendance...and mimic their other parks that are doing the same?

(I am strictly comparing them amongst the Disney theme parks...not ALL theme parks).

While I never was a fan of a "California" park in California...it has a LOT of potential.

I like the Carsland idea (but only because of the Rt.66 tie-in). Grizzly River Run is done beautifully. The Paradise Pier was perfect IMO. (BTW, did anybody else notice that the Mickey head in California Screamin' is now gone...in those models?). Also, I like the idea of showcasing Hollywood (which is why the entrance looks the way it does) but to add a little "vague" touch about Hollywood at the expense of one of the most iconic things in California just seems wrong. Can't we have an Alcatraz attraction? Where are those fields of Windmills?

Someone please tell me how Monsters Inc. and The Little Mermaid fit in California.

 

[marni1971]

Disneyland Studios in Paris is doing horrible (attendance-wise).

Wanna bet? On a rainy day in April Crush was at an hour, Tower was over 70 with no FP left and inbetween showers it was like a stampede.

This summer was even crazier. God help them - and me - next year. The expansion can`t come soon enough.

 

[EpcotServo]

Thats your OPINION that they are good attractions its going to be up to the general public to decide if they are great but I can tell you this...no non-fan will be booking a trip to WDW to check out TSMM.

:lookaroun



Ummmm....you do know they already decided?



The ride never goes under 50 minutes (often it never goes over 85-90 Mins.) on uncrowded days and never once have I seen Fastpasses last until after 1:00. Guest Feedback from surveys have had nothing but great things to say about it, and by this time in operation, EVEREST was seeing less lines, not so with Midway Mania.

And you'd be darn surprised at all the THOUSANDS of "non-fans" that've come down to Studios JUST to see this ride.


It's too late, it's already a hit: and if you don't believe me A: Denial isn't just a river, and B: Get ready for a LONG wait for that "Guest Reaction" that's already come and gone.
:hammer:

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

:lookaroun



Ummmm....you do know they already decided?



The ride never goes under 50 minutes (often it never goes over 85-90 Mins.) on uncrowded days and never once have I seen Fastpasses last until after 1:00. Guest Feedback from surveys have had nothing but great things to say about it, and by this time in operation, EVEREST was seeing less lines, not so with Midway Mania.

And you'd be darn surprised at all the THOUSANDS of "non-fans" that've come down to Studios JUST to see this ride.


It's too late, it's already a hit: and if you don't believe me A: Denial isn't just a river, and B: Get ready for a LONG wait for that "Guest Reaction" that's already come and gone.
:hammer:

*applauds*:animwink:

 

[Pongo]

Disneyland Studios in Paris is doing horrible (attendance-wise). DHS is in trouble too (Has DAK passed it yet?). My thing is...why take a park that is already struggling with attendance...and mimic their other parks that are doing the same?

(I am strictly comparing them amongst the Disney theme parks...not ALL theme parks).

While I never was a fan of a "California" park in California...it has a LOT of potential.

I like the Carsland idea (but only because of the Rt.66 tie-in). Grizzly River Run is done beautifully. The Paradise Pier was perfect IMO. (BTW, did anybody else notice that the Mickey head in California Screamin' is now gone...in those models?). Also, I like the idea of showcasing Hollywood (which is why the entrance looks the way it does) but to add a little "vague" touch about Hollywood at the expense of one of the most iconic things in California just seems wrong. Can't we have an Alcatraz attraction? Where are those fields of Windmills?

Someone please tell me how Monsters Inc. and The Little Mermaid fit in California.

Almost every point you've said, I agree with. I really loved the old entrance to DCA. My favorite thing about it was that when you looked at it straight on, it looked like the sun statue in the Sunshine Plaza was rising (I guess setting would be more proper...) over the Golden Gate. It was extremely picturesque and the giant CALIFORNIA letters were classic. When I saw the artwork for the new entrance kiosks, I did a double take because it IS DHS. They just changed the name on top. I don't like that.

I also agree with the Paradise Pier statement you made. I think PP was really good as it was. In fact, it was my favorite part of DCA when I visited for the first time this past summer.

I didn't think DCA was all that bad of a park, and if a park of its caliber were built in Orlando rather than Anaheim, it wouldn't be undergoing such drastic changes. I think the fact that locals just don't visit the park that often combined with with WDW's vacation destination status really make DCA's numbers jump out of the page.

I'm glad I got to see it before they redo everything.

 

[imagineer boy]

Disneyland Studios in Paris is doing horrible (attendance-wise). DHS is in trouble too (Has DAK passed it yet?). My thing is...why take a park that is already struggling with attendance...and mimic their other parks that are doing the same?

(I am strictly comparing them amongst the Disney theme parks...not ALL theme parks).

While I never was a fan of a "California" park in California...it has a LOT of potential.

I like the Carsland idea (but only because of the Rt.66 tie-in). Grizzly River Run is done beautifully. The Paradise Pier was perfect IMO. (BTW, did anybody else notice that the Mickey head in California Screamin' is now gone...in those models?). Also, I like the idea of showcasing Hollywood (which is why the entrance looks the way it does) but to add a little "vague" touch about Hollywood at the expense of one of the most iconic things in California just seems wrong. Can't we have an Alcatraz attraction? Where are those fields of Windmills?

Someone please tell me how Monsters Inc. and The Little Mermaid fit in California.

I agree. I really do have a hard time beleiving that this all costs a billion dollars. You'd think tearing down the entire park and rebuilding it would cost that much.

If you ask me, most of these refurb is only taking away from the California theme. The Little Mermaid is a Eurpoean fairy tail. And Toy Story and Monsters Inc have virtually nothing to do with California.

Al Lutz had an idea a while back that the whole park could be rethemed to the "Disney's America" concept. The Hollywood section could celebrate America's entertainment industry, Grizzly Peak could be changed to Eagle peak with the bear shape changed to the shape of a bald eagle, various areas could be rethemed to colonial towns, etc. Just lots of potential.

 

[Pongo]

If you ask me, most of these refurb is only taking away from the California theme. The Little Mermaid is a Eurpoean fairy tail. And Toy Story and Monsters Inc have virtually nothing to do with California.

Any ride based on any movie can be placed in the Hollywood Backlot and be "themed" to the Hollywood Backlot just in the sense that it is a movie. I think Monsters Inc. fits in well in that area.

The main theme of TSMM is the midway aspect, not the Toy Story characters. They're just there to carry that theme. They could have chosen any movie to do it. I think TSMM is one of the best-placed rides in the whole park. The concept is really spot-on with the area.

 

[marni1971]

1.2 billion nowerdays won`t buy you an EPCOT Center. Estimated cost for Mermaid: say $100m. Estimated cost for RSR: $150m. That`s 20% of your budget before you factor in other attractions, a nighttime show, civil engineering, labour, advertising and marketing, guest control, decomissioning old attractions, new entrance, trolley ride.....

It soon adds up!

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

1.2 billion nowerdays won`t buy you an EPCOT Center. Estimated cost for Mermaid: say $100m. Estimated cost for RSR: $150m. That`s 20% of your budget before you factor in other attractions, a nighttime show, civil engineering, labour, advertising and marketing, guest control, decomissioning old attractions, new entrance, trolley ride.....

It soon adds up!

:ROFLOL::ROFLOL::ROFLOL::ROFLOL:


I would put it in my backyard.

 

[I-Miss-Horizons]

Does anyone know when they are going to start making changes? I go to Disneyland for the first time in January and I want to catch the old DCA before they change it.

 

[unkadug]

Either I'm not getting the joke, which is probably likely in my sleep deprived state, or you're hinting at us getting the American Waterfront from TDS, which makes absolutely no sense to me. :ROFLOL:

Like building a theme park entitled California Adventure in California made a lot of sense?

:snore:

Yawn.... Wake me when they install these bad boys. Best 'ride' in Fort Benning(But they only let me ride once, grrrr!!)!!

Been by there many times. I always thought that it should be an attraction at a theme park.

 

[dxwwf3]

It looks like they are just retheming Jumpin' Jellyfish (look at the metal structure--it's identical) and buying a 3rd tower. Net effect--lose one ride. I don't know, the Paradise Pier retheme seems to be simply cosmetic to me. I'm more excited for changes outside of Paradise Pier. I don't really care if the ferris wheel has a sun on it or Mickey's head...

I'm with you completely. I do not understand getting rid of the Maliboomer for a ride that will more than likely be even less popular. Why not re-theme the 'Boomer and keep the thrill attraction with a wonderful view.

Carsland, TLM, and the water show. Awesome.

The rest...umm...WHAT?

Why would they remove the Golden Gate Bridge from the entrance to "CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE?" Instead, they clone Disney's Hollywood Studios. The Sun Wheel gets Mickey's Head instead of a sun. Is the Orange Stinger gone in place of an ordinary Swing ride (Silly Symphonies)? The Maliboomer will now look like one of those fake tree Nextel towers with yet another Parachute ride (rumored to be the Green Army Men). (Isn't Jumpin' Jellyfish the same thing?)

Mulholland Madness will just get a retheme to Goofy.

Why is NOBODY screaming about a Character Invasion here?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!

I guess it's ok to have a character invasion (basically overnight) in DLR but don't EVER think about it at WDW.

Basically Paradise Pier is now "DISNEY PIER" and the entrance will not look "unique" anymore.

Why are people so excited about this? I'm personally disappointed that a billion dollars is being spent and this is "ALL" we're getting. Couldn't a billion dollars build an entire park? I love TLM, Carsland, and the nighttime show...but the rest seems like it is being done on the cheap. (Just like DCA vs. TDS was.)

I also agree here completely. I think people are excited about the DCA makeover because it appears quality attractions are coming to a park that needs them badly. But the downside is the over characterization. It seems Disney can't do anything original anymore. EE, Soarin' and Mission Space are two major exceptions over the past 5 years or so. I am NOT happy about the character invasion here one bit, but I guess that is pretty much all that Disney does now. I guess my expectations and hopes have lowered over the years. I personally enjoyed the entrance area and Paradise Pier the most of any other areas of DCA and those are the two places seeing the most changes. And having a direct rip off of the DHS entrance seems very lazy.

 

[Hathaway Browne]

Does anyone know when they are going to start making changes? I go to Disneyland for the first time in January and I want to catch the old DCA before they change it.

Far as I know the only thing that will be undergoing changes in January will be the Sun Wheel's conversion to the Fun Wheel.
:animwink:

 

[I-Miss-Horizons]

Far as I know the only thing that will be undergoing changes in January will be the Sun Wheel's conversion to the Fun Wheel.
:animwink:

Awesome! :sohappy: I can deal with that.

 

[imagineer boy]

Any ride based on any movie can be placed in the Hollywood Backlot and be "themed" to the Hollywood Backlot just in the sense that it is a movie. I think Monsters Inc. fits in well in that area.

The main theme of TSMM is the midway aspect, not the Toy Story characters. They're just there to carry that theme. They could have chosen any movie to do it. I think TSMM is one of the best-placed rides in the whole park. The concept is really spot-on with the area.

That's true. Actually, I think TSMM could've done perfectly well without the Toy Story characters. Heck, give it original characters like a Dreamfinder-like character who'll be the barker out front.

 

[Pongo]

I'm with you completely. I do not understand getting rid of the Maliboomer for a ride that will more than likely be even less popular. Why not re-theme the 'Boomer and keep the thrill attraction with a wonderful view.

I kind of agree. I really enjoyed the Maliboomer. I probably went on it the most out of any ride in all of DCA. There was never a wait, and it was always a fun way to spend a couple of minutes when you didn't know what else to do.

And I really like the guy who spoke over the loudspeaker... "HEY THUUURRREEEE! WELCOME TO THE Mali-BOOMER!"

:lol:

I also agree here completely. I think people are excited about the DCA makeover because it appears quality attractions are coming to a park that needs them badly. But the downside is the over characterization. It seems Disney can't do anything original anymore. EE, Soarin' and Mission Space are two major exceptions over the past 5 years or so. I am NOT happy about the character invasion here one bit, but I guess that is pretty much all that Disney does now. I guess my expectations and hopes have lowered over the years. I personally enjoyed the entrance area and Paradise Pier the most of any other areas of DCA and those are the two places seeing the most changes. And having a direct rip off of the DHS entrance seems very lazy.

I'm confused.

It seems like people (or maybe WDI?) can't really find a happy medium. When Pixar are characters are added into a park, people scream out "WE WANT MORE OF THE CLASSIC CHARACTERS? WHERE IS MICKEY MOUSE?!" But now that they're changing over Paradise Pier into a completely (well, mostly) Big Five area, everyones screaming, "WHY ALL THE CLASSIC CHARACTERS?!"

IMO, adding the characters into Paradise pier isn't necessarily a bad thing. When I heard they were taking the sun off of the Sun Wheel and adding Mickey's face, I was a little taken aback, but seeing the concept art, I really like how they did it. It's the classic Mickey face, like the (S)Fun wheel is a giant classic Mickey short. And Mulholland Madness was kind of sparsely themed, so I think the addition of Goofy will help.

The current form of PP is great in my opinion, and as I think about it more and more, I'm growing fond of the character-ization (not characterization) of PP. Instead of just a generic carnival Pier that's straight out of Santa Monica, they're adding the Disney touches that were a little nonexistent before. I think it makes sense.

 

[TP2000]

Why are people so excited about this? I'm personally disappointed that a billion dollars is being spent and this is "ALL" we're getting. Couldn't a billion dollars build an entire park? I love TLM, Carsland, and the nighttime show...but the rest seems like it is being done on the cheap. (Just like DCA vs. TDS was.)

Unless you've seen what DCA was built like in 2001 versus what is replacing it circa 2010, it's hard to understand that this billon dollar project is actually going in and strategically removing and replacing all of the stuff that was actually done on the cheap. The replacement stuff is hyper themed, lushly presented, and filled with details.

Paradsie Pier, let's just take one example, the Games of the Boardwalk. They are currently in their 2001 form with modern stucco walls, flat vinyl signage hanging in simple metal frames, and basic Home Depot bathroom lighting around the edges. There's not much to them and they look and feel like a 21st century strip mall in the suburbs.

After the remake of that part of Paradise Pier that just started last week, the boardwalk games will be reclad in 1910's seaside architecture; clapboard siding, Victorian detailing and cornices and ornamentation, with period lighting and signage. The whole thing will look much more themed and vintage and period, instead of a bland mish-mash of economical 21st century building materials. The new Midway Mania facility already debuted this summer with the architecture and building materials that will continue down the Pier through the midway games.

John Lasseter and his team at WDI are strategically going through DCA and removing the cheapest looking stuff from opening day and replacing it with hyper-themed and hyper-detailed facilities worthy of a top notch Disney park. Much of it is cosmetic, but it's cosmetics that are much needed.

Some of the actual new attractions for DCA could and should find their way out to WDW. The Little Mermaid E Ticket and the Radiator Springs Racers E Ticket would be on the top of my list to get cloned and sent to Florida.

 

[TP2000]

Does anyone know when they are going to start making changes? I go to Disneyland for the first time in January and I want to catch the old DCA before they change it.

The Sun Wheel will be closed and the Boardwalk Games will be closed. Also, the Paradise Pier lagoon will be drained and construction will be going on in the bottom for World of Color installation. It will be the first time anyone has seen that lagoon drained since 2000 before DCA opened.

But you can check out the DCA Preview Center to see what is coming!

 

[sponono88]

I kind of agree. I really enjoyed the Maliboomer. I probably went on it the most out of any ride in all of DCA. There was never a wait, and it was always a fun way to spend a couple of minutes when you didn't know what else to do.

And I really like the guy who spoke over the loudspeaker... "HEY THUUURRREEEE! WELCOME TO THE Mali-BOOMER!"

:lol:



I'm confused.

It seems like people (or maybe WDI?) can't really find a happy medium. When Pixar are characters are added into a park, people scream out "WE WANT MORE OF THE CLASSIC CHARACTERS? WHERE IS MICKEY MOUSE?!" But now that they're changing over Paradise Pier into a completely (well, mostly) Big Five area, everyones screaming, "WHY ALL THE CLASSIC CHARACTERS?!"

IMO, adding the characters into Paradise pier isn't necessarily a bad thing. When I heard they were taking the sun off of the Sun Wheel and adding Mickey's face, I was a little taken aback, but seeing the concept art, I really like how they did it. It's the classic Mickey face, like the (S)Fun wheel is a giant classic Mickey short. And Mulholland Madness was kind of sparsely themed, so I think the addition of Goofy will help.

The current form of PP is great in my opinion, and as I think about it more and more, I'm growing fond of the character-ization (not characterization) of PP. Instead of just a generic carnival Pier that's straight out of Santa Monica, they're adding the Disney touches that were a little nonexistent before. I think it makes sense.

Exactly, Disney can't please everyone. People initially complained about the lack of characters in the park. That is precisely the reason why Eureka failed to meet guests expectations (it was a great parade btw ).

I'm not sure I understand why the changes for paradise pier are seen as negative.. It's getting a nighttime lagoon show, a new dark ride, and an overall enhanced look to strengthen the theme. It's not like they're completely getting rid of it. I'm not going to complain about any of the changes because Disney could've easily just ignored DCA and done absolutely nothing on this type of scale.