Disney Parks (all): Same attractions at each, or keep them unique and separate?

[StarWarsGirl]

I've been to both WDW and DL. Each have features that are the same and features that are different. Even the rides that are the same are different in a lot of cases. For example, Space Mountain in Disneyland is nothing like Space Mountain in WDW. And while DCA combines elements from different WDW parks, it's its own park in many ways.

The parks can't and shouldn't be all the same. Disneyland is much smaller than MK and the layout of the two parks is different. There's not enough space to work with to put Animal Kingdom in Disneyland. And West Coasters and East Coasters don't always enjoy the same thing. You have to adapt based on the area.

There are rides that are awesome in DL and I would love to have at WDW, and rides that I've seen at parks around the world that I would love to experience. Then again, there are rides that I love in WDW and would like to keep unique to WDW. Walt wanted Disneyland to be something special. He didn't want every neighborhood to have one. Similarly, all of the parks should be special, even if they do occasionally clone an attraction. Cars Land, for instance, is awesome. It's really well done and the attractions are a lot of fun. But I would rather have something unique, like Star Wars Land (as the username indicates) come to Hollywood Studios.

And when it comes to rides like Space Mountain, I'm not even sure you could consider the DL version a clone of the original WDW ride - aside from them both being roller coasters in the dark, they are two completely different - and fun! - experiences.

@raven24 would know more about the original Space Mountain, but the reason it's so different is because they started having issues with the track and had to rip it all out. Originally I believe it was more similar to the WDW version.

 

[bethymouse]

I have never been to DL. I want to visit some day, but the plane tickets are outrageous! Avatarland should make AK unique, and I hope they do something at DHS. I don't mind "clones" because it brings something different to the Florida parks that some of us may never experience elsewhere.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

I have trouble imagining a WDW with no Magic Kingdom with it's Main Street, Castle, Adventureland with it's Jungle Cruise, Tiki, and Pirates. Frontierland with it's BTMRR and Splash. Fantasyland without IASW, Pan, Dumbo and Tea Cups. Or Tomorrowland without the Peoplemover and Rocket Jets. Or Disneyland without Space Mountain.

Where I think they shouldn't clone is dropping Muppets into DCA. I am not sure that WDW is better because of getting clones of TSMM and Mermaid. I don't think DLR needs Philharmagic.

 

[jdmdisney99]

The interesting part of all of this is that Walt originally wanted no theme parks at Disney World. He wanted to build an airport, a welcome center, an industrial park, and Epcot (the original city), but no theme parks. The Board of Directors at Disney didn't think people would visit just for the futuristic features, so they pressured Walt into adding a theme park complex above Epcot at the northwest corner of the property. Walt never really wanted another Disneyland. But the penny-pushers wanted it, so it was eventually done, without the late founder's consent (and no Epcot).

 

[mharrington]

In the meantime, people that cannot afford to go to Anaheim or Paris or Hong Kong or Japan, etc. never get to experience some of the great stuff that they have created and placed in those location. You can say the ones that were copied early on are considered classics. OK, but whose to say that some of the more popular rides of today will not be the classics of tomorrow.

This is just me, but when I go to WDW (I've been to Disneyland so much more often), I go there not because it's different from Disneyland, but rather in spite of differences. Mind you, I'm probably the only one who does that.

 

[Goofyernmost]

This is just me, but when I go to WDW (I've been to Disneyland so much more often), I go there not because it's different from Disneyland, but rather in spite of differences. Mind you, I'm probably the only one who does that.

No you're not the only one, but sometimes when we only measure things from our own reference point, we tend to forget that people that can go that far out of their own area are not a majority. WDW was built to capture the massive population on the East Coast that were not traveling to California to see Disneyland. That is a fortunate thing because can you imagine what DL would be like if the millions of people that live on the East coast all went to DL? They still don't or cannot travel to California so now because everyone must have a unique park, they miss out on a lot of good stuff. What difference does it make, really, if you find some similar things in WDW and vise versa. If you really loved ToT, for example, how would you feel if you had to travel 3000 miles just to see it? I don't wish for everything to be exact, but the big things can and should be shared. Soarin, is another example of something that was in DL and it's a far bigger draw in WDW then it currently is in DCA.

 

[FettFan]

Keep each one largely unique.

Which is why I'm glad that Carsland at DHS has been scrapped.

 

[Jeff456]

I don't think parks should be clones, unless they wanted to clone WDW in the UK (I can dream!) but I don't think they should hold back replicating headliner attractions, unless of course it means any kind of death of imagination!