DCA Best Disney Park?

Nicole220

Nicole220

Well-Known Member
Having just been in a room filled mostly with Imagineers, what I gathered from talking with them is that DCA after the remodel will be just as good if not better than Disneyland.

I know DCA will be impressive after the remodel, but I don't think anything can beat the magic found in DL.
 
DTM93

DTM93

Member
After coming back from our first visit to the Disneyland Resort me and my parents have decided that we're probably going to go there for the next holiday, and probably the next holiday. We had been to Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney World previously but I thought that Disneyland was magical and the nostalgia in the park with it being the original and (thus leading into the thread) we all decided that one of the main reasons to return there is for all of the upcoming attractions/lands for DCA. And because of Disneyland Park being the original and it being incredible and with DCA having all the redevelopment it will be an amazing holiday and an amazing park to visit! I don't think that it will beat Disneyland Park but it will come very close to it in terms of attractions, entertainment and theming etc.
 
SeaCastle

SeaCastle

Well-Known Member
Here's my take...

I personally cannot rate theme parks like that. There are too many factors to take into account.

It's widely accepted that Disneyland runs their parks better...they keep adding to guest experience, maintenance is outstanding, and it appears to keep getting better.

But I just don't feel the excitement that I feel at WDW. Aesthetically, I like the Magic Kingdom better. Is maintenance outstanding? Nope. Do they constantly cheap out on the guest expereince? Of course. But there's an intangible that I just can't put my finger on. Maybe it was because it was the first park I visited, or maybe not. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that Disneyland is surrounded by an urban area, and WDW is surrounded by forest and wetlands, truly making it an escape.

I guess the parks just mean different things to different people. When some people look at Disneyland, they see the best Disney park ever created. The first. The one that started it all. The park they grew up visiting every spare weekend, where they spent their summers. It's "home". And I think people are automagically biased at anything that's not Disneyland. Like I said, there are a lot of things Disney does better, but of course it's easier to point out the flaws in a park that's not "yours".

I won't deny WDW isn't in a great shape. But I feel strongly that it is "my" park. My first Disney theme park where I was in awestruck wonder of how they built this entire resort out of swampland. The open bodies of water just take it in for me. You can't take water taxis anywhere at Disneyland. You can't go to EPCOT in California, and you can't go on Expedition Everest either.

And in some ways, the parks are symbols. Disneyland is a symbol of modesty, from the unimposing train station to the quaint castle down the way. It's not meant to "wow" you. From the second you hop on the monorail at WDW, the anticipation is building as you catch glimpses of the castle. The train station is ornate, if not intimidating. By the time you round that curve and look down Main Street with the castle at the end, you're humbled, not the park. Disneyland is more like a playground. It invites you to "look at what you can do!". I believe the Magic Kingdom, on the other hand, is more of a showcase for "look at what we did!". Every aspect of it was intricately designed, the sightlines are carefully planned. With nods to Disneyland, the Magic Kingdom is out there to refine the imperfections of Disneyland, and while the imperfections made it inviting and almost "cozy", the Magic Kingdom sought to say "But we can do that bigger, and better". And in a way, they did. Imagine what the Magic Kingdom would look like with Disneyland's maintenance and leadership. I dare say it would be widely considered Disney's flagship park. If only.

But that's just my interpretation of it.
 
DTM93

DTM93

Member
^
I agree with a lot of the things you've said.
One thing that I thought only slightly lost the magic was the way that it was right near an urban area and I didn't like the way that from my hotel (the Sheraton Park) you could see a lot of the Disneyland Resort as I think it took some of the magic away as I agree with what you said as I liked Walt Disney World because it did feel like an escape and does have that element of escapism.
But at the same time to bring up your point about people being biased to anything that's not Disneyland, well I've noticed a lot of people (I'm only 17 and I've only been on the forums for two and a half years) are either biased toward Walt Disney World or towards Disneyland Resort like you may be with Walt Disney World.
Like you said aswell I agree that (with Disneyland and visiting WDW before DLR) I also noticed that any problems they have at Disneyland, they have fixed at Walt Disney World and we did notice the difference with that.
I have the same feeling as you have, I've now been to Disneyland Park in Paris, Magic Kingdom and Disneyland Park in California and everyone connects to a certain park in their own way and I really connected with Disneyland Park so I think it's all of a matter of opinion.
Like you said with Magic Kingdom being the flagship park, I've noticed that especially in the North West of the UK, it is considered as the flagship park unfortunately (I only say unfortunately because it would be nice for more people to branch out to TDR and DLR to see what they're like) because that's where a lot of British people visit.
And essentially the castle was suppose to wow you, but with the lack of funds I don't think they could build the huge one that was planned so they moved it to Walt Disney World.
:slurp:
I still however prefer Disneyland Resort.
 
TP2000

TP2000

Well-Known Member
SeaCastle said:
Imagine what the Magic Kingdom would look like with Disneyland's maintenance and leadership. I dare say it would be widely considered Disney's flagship park. If only.
Click to expand...

WDW's Magic Kingdom will never be the flagship park because it simply doesn't have enough rides. It's a theme park so short of rides and attractions, it's rather embarassing.

Just think of all the major wow E Tickets it's missing;

Matterhorn Bobsleds
Submarine Voyage
Star Tours
Indiana Jones Adventure

Now think of all the smaller yet very solid D and C Tickets that Magic Kingdom is missing;

Alice In Wonderland
Mr. Toad's Wild Ride
Casey Jr. Circus Train
Storybookland Canal Boats
Pinocchio's Daring Journey
Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin
Captain EO
Sailing Ship Columbia
Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes

And finally, think of the minor A Tickets and exhibits that add depth and charm to Disneyland, where at Magic Kingdom there is just wide walkways or generic shops in place of;

Big Thunder Ranch petting zoo
Sleeping Beauty Castle walk-through
Grand Canyon Diorama and Primeval World
Main Street Cinema
Main Street Penny Arcade
Main Street Fire House
Donald's Boat
Goofy's Bounce House
Disney Gallery & Opera House lobby exhibits

All of those things are missing at Magic Kingdom. They just aren't there. Not to mention the evening entertainment is thin without twice or thrice nightly Fantasmic! on the Rivers of America, plus dancing to live bands at Tomorrowland Terrace and Plaza Gardens.

Magic Kingdom defenders will remind us that it still has the Carousel of Progress, the PeopleMover and the Country Bear Jamboree, which don't exist in Disneyland. But those three attractions, as wonderful as they are, don't make up for the 15+ attractions plus major entertainment that Disneyland boasts instead.

Magic Kingdom has been in desperate need of more rides for a couple decades now, particularly the big E Tickets and unique D Tickets that Disneyland has. Until it adds a dozen solid E, D and C Ticket attractions to its current roster, without taking anything away and while still plussing up and improving what it already has in order to get to the higher Disneyland standard of 21st century showmanship, the Magic Kingdom will never be a flagship for anything.

.
 
SeaBase86

SeaBase86

Member
I agree with you 100% ^^^^.

However Magic Kingdom out shines Disneyland in attendance by almost 2 MILLION guest. So we won't see any additions like those. But you also have to consider the fact there are 4 theme parks at WDW so those attractions can't all be in 1 park. They need to be spread out. Disneyland cane keep it all for itself but MK has to share with its siblings.
 

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