DCA : How would you fix the park ?

[RollerCoaster]

Hey man to each their own, if you don't mind throwing your money at the ever-increasing park ticket prices while Disney "EnHaNcEs" attractions and features for purposes of IP implementation / advertisement / merchandising,.. then by all means.

Us overly-critical peeps want something better, especially with the money we're spending.

I'm not convinced that you all with your high standards would've liked Disneyland had you visited the park in the opening year. It takes years to refine a theme park and I think California Adventure, while always underrated, is turning into a pretty fantastic park as it matures.

 

[Model3 McQueen]

I'm not convinced that you all with your high standards would've liked Disneyland had you visited the park in the opening year. It takes years to refine a theme park and I think California Adventure, while always underrated, is turning into a pretty fantastic park as it matures.

lol high standards. As if shoehorned PP and M:BO are things to look up to?

 

[TROR]

I'm not convinced that you all with your high standards would've liked Disneyland had you visited the park in the opening year. It takes years to refine a theme park and I think California Adventure, while always underrated, is turning into a pretty fantastic park as it matures.

My standard is that I want attractions built with heart. Imagineers used to pour their souls into the park. I don’t care how fancy something looks. Whether it’s Galaxy Edge’s beautiful rock work or Timber Mountain’s paper mache, it’s the heart that makes something special.

 

[October82]

I'm not convinced that you all with your high standards would've liked Disneyland had you visited the park in the opening year.

You probably shouldn't appreciate a park designed with a 1950s era knowledge of themed design. Disney (and the rest of the industry) has learned quite a bit in 60 years.

It has nothing to do with the age of the park. DisneySea and Animal Kingdom were excellent parks on day one and remain so.

It takes years to refine a theme park and I think California Adventure, while always underrated, is turning into a pretty fantastic park as it matures.

California Adventure was turning into a pretty great park around 2012. Changes since then have been sideways at best, often a step or two back.

 

[THE 1HAPPY HAUNT]

Why can't you look at it right now as an "expansion of Disneyland"? What makes you think that making it an expansion of Disneyland is going to please you or the ridiculous fanbase that is overly critical of California Adventure?

Because as of now it is NOT an expansion of Disneyland. It is a completely different park. My plan is to make it a real expansion of the same original park.

 

[Inspired Figment]

Bulldoze the park and build WestCOT with the original attractions planned to be there, just implemented with the high-tech technology upgrades and execution we’d expect in this day and age.

 

[Happyrebster]

Jeez. So much negativity. I really like DCA. I liked the original iteration and I like the current iteration.

Me too! I love Soarin'. It's far superior to the version at EPCOT. Carsland is universally loved. I like that they themed a section to Pixar because I love spending time with those characters. The roller coaster is really excellent and I ride it every time I'm there. I think that Emotional Whirlwind looks beautiful and will be a nice treat for the toddler set. I really enjoy the Food & Wine Festival that they host and the natural connection to the Grand Californian. The Redwood Trail was always a favorite for our kids. Lots of room to run and play and burn off steam - but with a wider variety of places to explore compared to Tom Sawyer Island. I enjoy Grizzly River Rapids on a hot day and I've always thought that the mountain silhoutte of the bear is lovely. Ditto to the waterfall and the evergreens that give the park that Sierra Nevada feel. I'm totally onboard with both the Lamplighter Lounge and the first floor lounge at Carthay Circle - we visit both regularly. And the wine country section is so relaxing - plus a delightful, shady spot to chill.

Heck - I don't mind just grabbing a margarita and chilling on the wharf as the ducks waddle by. And don't get me started on how much I love both the sourdough bakery and the Ghiradelli shop.

So no - it's not Disneyland. But I'd put it up against many other parks for a fun, relaxed park day.

 

[Happyrebster]

DCA is a great park and I love it. What I don’t love is the harm they’ve done to in the last few years. It deserves to be criticized.

I'm really curious to hear which parts you oppose.
I think that the addition of Carsland was a good call.
I think that the removal of Bug's Land was a good call.
I think that replacing the Ariel-themed restaurant with Lamplighter Lounge was and EXCELLENT call.
I don't think that adding a Pixar overlay to the pier has caused it any harm. If anything, I feel it has made the area a bit less generic.

I'm opposed to some of the original choices - such as the Boardwalk games and some of the boardwalk-themed rides. I'm not even that found of the ferris wheel, but it does look cool.

Just - to be clear - I'm being very sincere. Which changes didn't you like?

 

[Miru]

Enclose GSS, retheme to Stitch as “Stitch’s California Tour”, with an exhibit themed to Japanese immigrants. Bring back some of the cheesy old restaurants. Albeit with a bit more of a 1910s veneer. Pal-A-Round is renamed “The Color Wheel”.

Add a ride to Pacific Wharf.

Add another E-Ticket to Pixar Pier.

Fully enclose Incredicoaster, add Voyd. Hide the Mickey head and sun as tributes to CS.

Bring back Bountiful Valley Farm. More educational exhibits are good.

Finally realize the Muppet movie ride. Maybe also add a restaurant or immersive shop based around them. Make the Hollywood area less cheap. We could set the Muppet movie Ride in a rebuilt Hollywood Tower Hotel, in order to resurrect the story detail behind Walt’s journey and the Hollywood tower hotel.

As for WestCot... could we set up a third gate? Or at least bring something from there over to one of the two we have?

 

[EPCOTCenterLover]

Original DCA? Yuck. DCA 2.0 (2012 time frame)- on its way to a great park. DCA 3.0 with Guardians and Pixar Pier- losing steam.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

The "middle" of DCA (Grizzly Peak, BV Street, the Wharf, Cars) is actually quite nice. The park is unfortunately book-ended by two areas that are not only ugly, but offer not much of interest to do IMO.

 

[DisneyAndUniversalFan]

The park has its nice spots and weak spots. Cars, Pacific Wharf, Grizzly Peak, and Buena Vista Street are all beautiful and I think some of the best lands in any Disney park. It’s the areas like Hollywood Land and Pixar Pier, that take away from its cohesive and gorgeous flow. The rides also in those two areas also are either all random and don’t go with the theme (Hollywood Land), or look cheap/tacky. (Pixar Pier) I think the park is quite underrated, actually. It’s just very enjoyable to be in, and I love the ride collection!

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

I think Pixar has gotten rather annoying in the park outside of Car land, in all honesty. I was happy to see the Bug World turned into a dirt pile, but there is more work to be done.

Let's face it, the area around Hollywood gate needs things. It can't just stay a Monster Incorporated ride in a forgotten corner, a Frozen show and all that kiddie stuff on the other side of the street. Adding Marvel is a step in the right direction.

Pixar Pier is pretty much impossible to fix at this point. Like the disastrous new Madonna album, we just have to live with it, but we don't have to revisit it. Historically, I have very rarely gone into that area of the park anyway.

I think whoever was in charge of the Condor Flats redo should tackle anything else they can in the park.

 

[Miru]

I think Pixar has gotten rather annoying in the park outside of Car land, in all honesty. I was happy to see the Bug World turned into a dirt pile, but there is more work to be done.

Let's face it, the area around Hollywood gate needs things. It can't just stay a Monster Incorporated ride in a forgotten corner, a Frozen show and all that kiddie stuff on the other side of the street. Adding Marvel is a step in the right direction.

Pixar Pier is pretty much impossible to fix at this point. Like the disastrous new Madonna album, we just have to live with it, but we don't have to revisit it. Historically, I have very rarely gone into that area of the park anyway.

I think whoever was in charge of the Condor Flats redo should tackle anything else they can in the park.

In the daily prompts, we came up with some immersive shops for Pixar Pier. Bing-Bong’s Build-A-Candy, Build-A-Toy, etc.

 

[planodisney]

Except Pixar Pier has 2 of the most fun rides in all of the resort. Mania and Incredicoaster.

 

[mlayton144]

I'm not even that found of the ferris wheel, but it does look cool.

You can’t be serious when you say the Ferris wheel looks cool , it is perhaps the tackiest and most unimaginative structure in any Disney park in the world , the antithesis of the creativity that Disney is supposed to stands for . I would say dinoland in AK is worse , but at least you can experience the entire park without ever seeing it

 

[TROR]

I'm really curious to hear which parts you oppose.
I think that the addition of Carsland was a good call.

It was a good step. Not the best step, but a good step.

I think that the removal of Bug's Land was a good call.

Removal is never a good thing unless its replacement is better. So far it seems like Marvel land will be garbage and lazy.

I think that replacing the Ariel-themed restaurant with Lamplighter Lounge was and EXCELLENT call.

Yeah if you're an AP with a drinking problem.

I don't think that adding a Pixar overlay to the pier has caused it any harm. If anything, I feel it has made the area a bit less generic.

It's made the land even more soulless than it was.

I'm opposed to some of the original choices - such as the Boardwalk games and some of the boardwalk-themed rides. I'm not even that found of the ferris wheel, but it does look cool.

Just - to be clear - I'm being very sincere. Which changes didn't you like?

Mission Breakout made me completely sell DCA. Everything up until that point, even Frozen and Soarin Around the World, were tolerable. They're not great and definitely steps down but they're not too offensive. Mission Breakout, on the other hand, is offensive to the senses. It's an insult to the guest's intelligence. Almost everything about it is just awful. Pixar Pier is another insult to the guests with its cheap, cynical overlays that were completely unnecessary. And by all means Marvel land seems to be more of the same trash.

 

[rk03221]

When my wife and I went the DCA for the first time a few years ago we loved it. I don’t think the park is as bad as you all make it out to be, I understand it was a lot worse in the early years. Compare it to Hollywood studios and DCA is much much better

 

[mlayton144]

When my wife and I went the DCA for the first time a few years ago we loved it. I don’t think the park is as bad as you all make it out to be, I understand it was a lot worse in the early years. Compare it to Hollywood studios and DCA is much much better

That’s not saying much , HS is a half day park on it’s best day

 

[TROR]

When my wife and I went the DCA for the first time a few years ago we loved it. I don’t think the park is as bad as you all make it out to be, I understand it was a lot worse in the early years. Compare it to Hollywood studios and DCA is much much better

A few years ago the park was delightful. As soon as scrims went up on Tower of Terror its descent began.