DCA's new Games of the Boardwalk now open

[sponono88]

I think Paradise Pier is the one of the most beautiful areas in any Disney theme park (and one of the most photogenic as well, especially at nighttime). there's nothing else like it, especially since most real-life boardwalks/piers are horribly maintained with cheap rickety rides.

The area music, the glistening lights reflecting on the bay... There is no way you can stand next to Paradise Pier bay at night and say it isn't an amazing sight. Once the re-theming is complete, the TLM ride opens, and WOC premieres in 09, it will be even better.

 

[agent86]

I think Paradise Pier is the one of the most beautiful areas in any Disney theme park (and one of the most photogenic as well, especially at nighttime). there's nothing else like it, especially since most real-life boardwalks/piers are horribly maintained with cheap rickety rides.

Yes, you're right... an unthemed roller coaster, ferris wheel, swing ride and midway games are uniquely Disney in every way. :hammer:

There is no way you can stand next to Paradise Pier bay at night and say it isn't an amazing sight.

I (and countless others) find it quite easy to say that Paradise Pier is not an "amazing sight". What on earth is "amazing" about it? :veryconfu

 

[sponono88]

Yes, you're right... an unthemed roller coaster, ferris wheel, swing ride and midway games are uniquely Disney in every way. :hammer:

Thank you for leaving out the part where I said most of the boardwalks i've been to are dirty and unkempt. Paradise Pier has a Disney feel to it, in my opinion.

"I (and countless others) find it quite easy to say that Paradise Pier is not an "amazing sight". What on earth is "amazing" about it? :veryconfu

I already said - the music, the atmosphere, and the fact that I think it's pretty at night. sorry, but I don't care about the countless others that might disagree with me :shrug:

 

[agent86]

I already said - the music, the atmosphere, and the fact that I think it's pretty at night.

"Pretty" is an assessment I can agree with. But originally you said it was "amazing" which is quite an over-rating of the area (to say the least). Expedition Everest (even though the ride itself is a bit of a disappointment) is an amazing sight. Spaceship Earth is an amazing sight. But a rollercoaster and a ferris wheel with some lights and a big pool in front of it?? Hardly "amazing" by any stretch.

sorry, but I don't care about the countless others that might disagree with me :shrug:

When you make a statement such as, "There is no way you can stand next to Paradise Pier bay at night and say it isn't an amazing sight.", you kind of imply that you think others should feel the same way about it. If you don't care what the multitude of people think about DCA, that's fine. But you didn't exactly say (originally) that it was just your personal opinion. You made it sound like everyone should have that opinion.

 

[sponono88]

Expedition Everest (even though the ride itself is a bit of a disappointment) is an amazing sight.

it depends on what side of the mountain you're facing.

Spaceship Earth is an amazing sight.

not when it had that giant wand hovering above it.

 

[agent86]

it depends on what side of the mountain you're facing.

Gee I didn't realize it was necessary for me to specify, but okay allow me to amend... When viewed from inside the park, Expedition Everest is an amazing sight. Btw, I also find Haunted Mansion to be an impressive looking structure. Just so you're clear, I'm referring to the mansion-looking part that you can see from inside the park, and not the warehouse show building where most of the actual ride takes place. Not sure if that was clear, so I thought I'd better spell it out. :hammer:
Paradise Pier, sadly, is unimpressive no matter which angle you view it from.

not when it had that giant wand hovering above it.

Yeah, that's what I meant by the word "is". See, I prefer to judge things based on how they currently are, not on what they used to be or how they may one day be.

 

[Sassagoula-Rvr]

Much like the vision of Main Street as the nostalgic idea of the place that never was. Paradise Pier is very similair in my opinion after actually visiting it. Paradise Pier represents that idea of the perfect American boardwalk amusement park that never really existed. I mean as many people said, in real life these parks were old rickety rides and worn down stands. Paradise Pier is the way people 'want' to remember those parks. I think after the renovation it will fit this view much better. But it is one of the most photogenic areas in any Disney park especailly at night with the Old wooden roller coaster (California screamin) lit up against the reflecting water of the bay.......of course this is just my opinion.

 

[agent86]

Much like the vision of Main Street as the nostalgic idea of the place that never was. Paradise Pier is very similair in my opinion after actually visiting it. Paradise Pier represents that idea of the perfect American boardwalk amusement park that never really existed. I mean as many people said, in real life these parks were old rickety rides and worn down stands. Paradise Pier is the way people 'want' to remember those parks. I think after the renovation it will fit this view much better. But it is one of the most photogenic areas in any Disney park especailly at night with the Old wooden roller coaster (California screamin) lit up against the reflecting water of the bay.......of course this is just my opinion.

This, to me, is just an excuse to justify Disney being cheap and unimaginative when it came to building DCA. Although you are correct in your description of what Main Street was meant to evoke, Paradise Pier is not the same thing. The whole point of Disney parks (and certainly Walt's vision) was to create a place and a magic that you cannot get elsewhere (at least not easily for most people). People aren't drawn to a Disney park just to ride an outdoor, unthemed coaster, or a ferris wheel or swing ride. And they definitely don't visit Disney parks in order to play a midway. Those are things that are the antithesis of what Disney parks are supposed to be about. No matter how you slice it, and no matter what kind of spin anyone wants to put on it, Paradise Pier is not the product of some visionary Imagineering creation. It was a way of putting up a huge section of the park relatively cheaply and with little time, effort, money and resources having to be spent on design.

 

[Sassagoula-Rvr]

This, to me, is just an excuse to justify Disney being cheap and unimaginative when it came to building DCA. Although you are correct in your description of what Main Street was meant to evoke, Paradise Pier is not the same thing. The whole point of Disney parks (and certainly Walt's vision) was to create a place and a magic that you cannot get elsewhere (at least not easily for most people). People aren't drawn to a Disney park just to ride an outdoor, unthemed coaster, or a ferris wheel or swing ride. And they definitely don't visit Disney parks in order to play a midway. Those are things that are the antithesis of what Disney parks are supposed to be about. No matter how you slice it, and no matter what kind of spin anyone wants to put on it, Paradise Pier is not the product of some visionary Imagineering creation. It was a way of putting up a huge section of the park relatively cheaply and with little time, effort, money and resources having to be spent on design.

I know you are not going to agree with this but I propose that Californian screamin is a highly themed coaster. It would be one thing if they just put up a settel coaster but to build it to the theme I believe is very nice. just my opinion though.

 

[agent86]

I know you are not going to agree with this but I propose that Californian screamin is a highly themed coaster. It would be one thing if they just put up a settel coaster but to build it to the theme I believe is very nice. just my opinion though.

I understand what you're saying, but I don't think the term "themed" (much less "highly themed") is really an accurate way to describe it. California Screamin is a steel coaster that is disguised as a woodie, but that's not really theming per se. There is a coaster at Cedar Point that has been there forever which is basically the same thing. So that's yet another thing in Paradise Pier that is hardly what I would call uniquely Disney.

The basic problem I see with Paradise Pier is that it seems pointless to "theme" an area to be patterned after the very thing that Walt was trying to differentiate his park from when he first created Disneyland. Even if they built a highly sophisticated simulator attraction and disguised it as a ferris wheel. That still wouldn't be creative theming, because you're still ending up with what appears to be a giant ferris wheel dominating the skyline. That's the antithesis of what Disney parks are all about. So it just amazes me how so many so called Disney fans get so excited over a park that has very little of anything that is uniquely Disney about it.

 

[Sassagoula-Rvr]

True, I just guess I didn't think DCA was nearly as bad as everyone claims. I mean I think with some work (what they are doing...) this park could be a very good park. it is not THAT bad in my opinion. The concept is very good I feel. After visiting California, that state is SOOOO diverse..it goes from forests on the inland coast to Mountains, to deserts to beaches...it has everything.

 

[Tigggrl]

I have to say I LOVE the way the new games are themed....and I DO miss skeeball tho! I happily brought home 4 new little animals last week. Unfortunately I did not take my camera, as the Ferris Wheel is all repainted and has a great new Mickey face. I LOVE what they are doing.....

 

[agent86]

I mean I think with some work (what they are doing...) this park could be a very good park.

I hope that DCA does eventually become a great park. I would love nothing more than to have two awesome Disney parks side by side in Anaheim. However that is not what we have now. To me it doesn't make sense to refer to DCA as a great park, but base that assessment on what it might one day become. If it becomes a great park someday, I'll call it that. But I prefer to rate parks on how they currently are. DCA just ain't there yet.

The concept is very good I feel. After visiting California, that state is SOOOO diverse..it goes from forests on the inland coast to Mountains, to deserts to beaches...it has everything.

The concept is not what I take issue with. Not by a longshot. In fact, that's actually what has always bothered me about DCA. They had so much to work with and the concept made for the potential for this to be a very unique park. But instead of truly basing the park on what it was supposed to be (a park about California), they instead just imported a bunch of knock offs from WDW which have nothing to do with California, and made the largest section of the park an amusement park. That was a huge mistake in my opinion.