Disneyland Esplanade

[wedway71]

I have heard a few rumors that the compass is going away to be replaced by a fountain... Not from anyone in the "know" just on internet... just curious if anyone has heard this as well..

The Compass looks pretty bad and a thought process was why replace it if the entire area is getting redone...

Your thoughts???

 

[Cosmic Commando]

It wouldn't surprise me... the compass is off-center now that the bumped DCA out into the Esplanade. Fountains are just great to have; the one now in DtD by the tram stop is very nice.

 

[Big C 73]

http://micechat.com/35894-disneyland-starbucks/

Here's some pictures of the compass and a full report from Disneyland's 58th from Miceage

 

[tare]

http://micechat.com/35894-disneyland-starbucks/

Here's some pictures of the compass and a full report from Disneyland's 58th from Miceage

Interesting report!!!

 

[wedway71]

http://micechat.com/35894-disneyland-starbucks/

Here's some pictures of the compass and a full report from Disneyland's 58th from Miceage

Funny... This is what I read to warrant my question.... It looks pretty bad and as the author brought up a good question.... Is this getting replaced due to lack of upkeep on it...

 

[Cosmic Commando]

Maybe they'll use the opportunity to discreetly get rid of the Paul Pressler and Cynthia Harriss bricks, as well! IIRC, they are very close to the compass.

Also in the same article, I noticed they got rid of a lot of the more complex offerings at FF&P. It makes me a little mad in principle, but I always thought those things were kind of misfits with the Starbucks stuff. It seemed like the menu for a completely different restaurant/stand glommed onto the Starbucks menu. IMO, the cast members should be focused on getting out drinks at FF&P and they can serve the other items someplace else.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Wow, I guess I didn't notice the compass was in that bad of shape. A fountain would look pretty cool there maybe they could make a compass part of the design.

 

[TP2000]

Images like this one from the late 1990's are what fuel the fountain rumors. This image was used extensively in the latter 90's in publicity folders Disney mailed out to many Orange County voters in 1997, and a larger version of this image was used in the Resort Expansion Preview Center that sat on Ball Road from 1996 to 1998.

http://rotocat.tripod.com/dl/concept_dca.jpg

The Esplanade fountain got cut, along with a lot of cuts made to DCA itself by Eisner and Paul Pressler in the late 1990's. The ironic thing is DCA the park now looks very different than that image and was improved immensely thanks to 1.2 Billion dollars of Extreme Makeover Imagineering from 2008 to 2012. But the plain-jane Esplanade in between DCA and Disneyland has never been touched since the budget was cut 15 years ago.

 

[TP2000]

Wow, I guess I didn't notice the compass was in that bad of shape. A fountain would look pretty cool there maybe they could make a compass part of the design.

To be fair, it's one of those things 99.99% of Disneyland visitors would ever notice. You would need to walk right up to it, stop, look down and inspect the surface to find the patches and damage to this 13 year old feature. Not that it shouldn't be fixed, or even better replaced with a prettier feature of some sort (planters, fountains, water, sculpture).

But it's not something that most people even walk directly over, let alone look down and inspect the patch jobs done over the years.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Right, I don't spend a lot of time looking down at the ground! But I do try to take in the details around me at Disney.

 

[TP2000]

Maybe they'll use the opportunity to discreetly get rid of the Paul Pressler and Cynthia Harriss bricks, as well! IIRC, they are very close to the compass.

My God, are they really still there? I'll have to look for them later this weekend. Terrifying to think about, though.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

My God, are they really still there? I'll have to look for them later this weekend. Terrifying to think about, though.

At least as of last November, yup. I'm honestly surprised they've lasted this long without being defaced/removed by some PAP's on a mission. Honestly.

 

[lego606]

At least as of last November, yup. I'm honestly surprised they've lasted this long without being defaced/removed by some PAP's on a mission. Honestly.

*shudders*

 

[imagineer boy]

Good, i hope they do put an awesome new fountain in it's place. Maybe something that's a combo of the fountain of nations and the cool fountain in front of the entrance to HKDL:

 

[TP2000]

At least as of last November, yup. I'm honestly surprised they've lasted this long without being defaced/removed by some PAP's on a mission. Honestly.

Pressler left California when he was fired from The Gap over six years ago. I doubt he'll ever return to Disneyland property to see "his" paver again.

But Cynthia Harriss, she's another story. According to a quick Google search just now, Cynthia is still living and working in Orange County, California. Although she's in a dramatically downsized role carreer-wise than she was a decade ago when she was still the Disneyland Resort President.

But technically, Cynthia is still a local OC girl who could stop in to Disneyland to see how the place has grown and check on her paver in the Esplanade.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

But technically, Cynthia is still a local OC girl who could stop in to Disneyland to see how the place has grown and check on her paver in the Esplanade.

She didn't stop in the parks when she was in charge of them... why start now?

I got this from her LinkedIn: "Throughout my career, I have helped companies transform during periods of high growth..."
Transform into something other than "high growth"?


Thank you, thank you. Be sure to tip your waitress.

 

[TP2000]

She didn't stop in the parks when she was in charge of them... why start now?

I got this from her LinkedIn: "Throughout my career, I have helped companies transform during periods of high growth..."
Transform into something other than "high growth"?

Now we're wildly off topic, but don't you just love LinkedIn? The junk people put on there to describe their careers and professional strengths is often a hilarious laugh riot. You should see what some of my friends from college claim they can do.

I went back and read Cynthia's LinkedIn more closely, and sure enough it's the typical marketing drivel that wilts into worthless mush if you consider what the words actually mean. Good 'ol Cynthia Harriss, she may no longer be employed by Disney, but she never disappoints when it comes to meaningless words that have no substance behind them.

Regardless of what she puts on her LinkedIn, and words are free, it's quite telling that she has made no appearance at Disneyland since she was fired in '03. Most previous Disneyland executives who leave Disney return for formal occasions and ceremonies; Ron Dominguez and Jack Lindquist are always there for stuff, Matt Ouimet still shows up for VIP seating at Candlelight even though he's now in charge of rival Cedar Fair, etc., etc.

But Paul Pressler and Cynthia Harriss both are persona non grata inside Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom, and that tells the real story behind their tenure.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

But Paul Pressler and Cynthia Harriss both are persona non grata inside Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom, and that tells the real story behind their tenure.

Much like Indiana Jones can kill Nazis in the movies with impunity, I feel that nobody will ever attempt to make excuses for the people in charge during Disneyland's dark days.