For Those Keeping Score At Home: DLR vs. WDW Attraction Tally '17

[FerretAfros]

To take another perspective, let's consider ride duration. Yesterday WDW closed two rides (Universe of Energy and The Great Movie Ride) that were among the longest Disney's ever built (45 and 22 minutes, respectively). Their combined ride time is roughly to the cumulative ride duration found in all of DCA (if you want to argue Ferris wheel loading time, DCA ekes ahead), even though DCA amasses that total through more than 20 rides. Those two rides had a total of 95 AAs, more than double the number of AAs that were ever found in DCA.

Even though it was just 2 rides that closed, they represent a huge loss to their respective parks, both from an operational standpoint and from a legacy perspective. For better or for worse, Disney just doesn't build rides like those any more, but WDW has more long-duration rides and attractions than DLR, which isn't easily reflected in a simple count of who has more.

On the flip side, WDW's Studios park now has only 4 rides (assuming we call Star Tours a "ride"), whose total duration is less than DL's Pirates of the Caribbean. That park has always been focused more on entertainment, but it's roster of decades-old stage shows certainly isn't doing it any favors. The next few years there are going to be rough.


And for what it's worth, I completely agree with @GiveMeTheMusic 's assessment of the Ratatouille ride. Similar to TSMM it's flashy and fun, but it's all sizzle with very little steak. It wants to be an E ticket, but no matter how hard it tries, it just isn't (though it's a wonderful addition to WDSP that helps fill out the park's lineup). It didn't help that I got smudged glasses, so most of the 3D scenes were blurry. I'm hoping to ride it again in a couple weeks, but I doubt my opinion will change much

 

[Californian Elitist]

I wouldn't lump all WDW fans into a group who brag about the size of their castle... ha. If you've come in contact with those discussions, it's definitely not the majority as I've rarely if ever even heard it mentioned in all my years here. In fact, the quaintness of Sleeping Beauty Castle actually entices me more than Cinderella's Castle, so there's that.

Like I was saying before - it's fun to see the ride count comparison, but there are several variables excluded from the simple ride stats that can paint rational reasons for why the numbers are more similar than one would expect.

I'm definitely not saying every single WDW has tooted the castle, but based on my personal experience, it's pretty common.

I personally don't care about the number of rides, attractions, restaurants, etc. between the two. I agree that those numbers shouldn't be the deciding factor of visiting either. I also agree that the difference isn't astronomical. I've counted the number of rides between the two before and the numbers are close.

 

[Kman101]

It's always fun to compare. It does seem hilarious (and sad at the same time) that four parks have less in them than 2 parks when one resort has the benefit of space. But a decade of stagnation and an inability to add without replacing has us where we are now.

 

[Phroobar]

In most instances it is cheaper to replace than add since you don't need a new foundation, utilities and other expenses. It is also cheaper to leave things alone if attendance levels and merchandise sales are high. Rides are loss leaders. They exist to get people to come to the mall to spend money. If they can do with less rides that means less maintenance costs and less employees to run the ride and less risk of injury. Less expense means more profit until the profit reduces do to lack of interest. This is the reason Disney World has lost market to Universal.

 

[shortstop]

I find DCA's attraction lineup to be infuriating at times. Everything there is either an E ticket or a B ticket (in my eyes) aside from LM and Monsters. If the E tickets all have long lines, I can't find anything to do there.

 

[Figments Friend]

DCA is a quick hop over for a few hours to experience a few things, maybe grab some food, and then hop back over to Disneyland.
Most times, when I'm in town for a week, I only visit DCA once or twice for a couple of hours maximum.
The bulk of the rest of the time I'm over at Uncle Walt's Park.

Regarding the 'Castle bragging' ...yeah, some WDW fans really get hung up about the differences in heights between the two Parks' icon.

I personally love Sleeping Beauty Castle a tad more because it just seems more 'excessable' to Guests and quaintly charming to me.
I also like the way it looks, and how one can traverse the interior and upper levels to enjoy various features and the Walkthrough Attraction.

It's great too that unlike other Disney Theme Parks, it doesn't have a clunky huge stage in front of it.
The approach across that drawbridge ( that actually works! ) is magical.

-

 

[nevol]

I think it is interesting to raise the ride count point just because it runs counter to expectations. It raises questions. And it is true that many of the rides at DCA are spinners, and I have always envied the cohesive approach to the design of the individual second gates at wdw, wishing we would eventually have a decent second gate out west. But now it seems that the DCA approach is infiltrating wdw, so not only are there less rides momentarily as they begin to increase ride count, the competitive advantage of park story/theme are in jeopardy. I don't think Ellen's Energy Adventure is the best way to inject education into entertainment, but I am saddened that these two attractions are going away as it seems that the company really doesn't built those kinds of things anymore. But as long as some of the wdw attractions are and how much the parks there seem to rely on theater attractions, I just don't always buy that. Right now there are rumors about having a muppet show outdoors in "Grand Ave" next to the pub, for the masses of people waiting to enter star wars land. You know what else would keep a crowd of thousands of people entertained? A fully operable theme park.

 

[Curious Constance]

I find DCA's attraction lineup to be infuriating at times. Everything there is either an E ticket or a B ticket (in my eyes) aside from LM and Monsters. If the E tickets all have long lines, I can't find anything to do there.

I really, really like the Animators Academy. Stuff like this is so underrated and fun for families to do together. I'm really hoping it won't be a casualty to Marvel Land.

 

[shortstop]

I really, really like the Animators Academy. Stuff like this is so underrated and fun for families to do together. I'm really hoping it won't be a casualty to Marvel Land.

Also one of my favorites! I just wish they could move the Frozen meet and greet somewhere else...

 

[Curious Constance]

Also one of my favorites! I just wish they could move the Frozen meet and greet somewhere else...

Like the building that is already decorated with a Frozen theme inside?! I think it's Studio C?

 

[shortstop]

Like the building that is already decorated with a Frozen theme inside?! I think it's Studio C?

Yep. They temporarily relocated the M&G there while the Animation building was under renovation, but are too cheap to leave it there despite the Frozen theming.

 

[Curious Constance]

Yep. They temporarily relocated the M&G there while the Animation building was under renovation, but are too cheap to leave it there despite the Frozen theming.

Just the cost of keeping another building open to guests?

 

[shortstop]

Just the cost of keeping another building open to guests?

That's gotta be it.

 

[Curious Constance]

That's gotta be it.

I wonder if we're about to the point where the Frozen sisters can start rotating into the princess meet and greets at DL?

 

[TP2000]

I understand it's tradition for Disneyland fans, particlarly those who've never been to WDW, to point out the ride statistic as a way of elevating their home resort. But it's one of the most absurd and shallow ways of measuring theme parks, and anyone who draws a conclusion from those numbers alone is a certified idiot. Good thing @TP2000 isn't!

It's just me who does this. I have a thing with lists. You should see me a week before I take a vacation, it's scary.

But I do this because we are talking about amusement parks. Or, as Walt Disney called Disneyland at the Disneyland 10th Anniversary dinner at the Disneyland Hotel in July, 1965... "that damn amusement park". And people go to amusement parks because they have rides. Without the rides, no one would go. So I always find it interesting how many rides each park has. It's just me, no one else does this list and counting thing.

 

[shortstop]

I wonder if we're about to the point where the Frozen sisters can start rotating into the princess meet and greets at DL?

I think we might be, at least until Frozen 2 comes out. I don't think the meet and greet gets that long of a wait these days.

 

[Phroobar]

I think we might be, at least until Frozen 2 comes out. I don't think the meet and greet gets that long of a wait these days.

What they need is a slave girl Leia meet and greet. You know something for the dads. I'd even go for a Padme m&g if she was in that cut white outfit from Genosis or fireside evening gown.

 

[dweezil78]

I understand it's tradition for Disneyland fans, particlarly those who've never been to WDW, to point out the ride statistic as a way of elevating their home resort. But it's one of the most absurd and shallow ways of measuring theme parks, and anyone who draws a conclusion from those numbers alone is a certified idiot. Good thing @TP2000 isn't!

Agreed! Ride counts are fun, but they don't factor at all into the feeling you get when you walk underneath Spaceship Earth for the first time during a trip (or ever), travel to the MK by boat via Bay Lake/Seven Seas Lagoon, look up at Mary Blair's Grand Canyon Concourse mural at the Contemporary, etc. I love Disneyland like everyone else here and the vast amount of attractions we have in a relatively small space, but when it comes to attraction count at WDW, it is definitely more than the sum of its parts!

 

[Ismael Flores]

When it comes to this, Midway Mania over at WDW is most definitely considered an E-Ticket IMO, compared to it being a D-Ticket at DCA. This is due to the lack of actual rides at the park, so anything relatively exciting has to be considered an E-Ticket. To be honest, I'd say that all four rides currently operating at DHS are E-Tickets. And then three quarters of those come with a height restriction while the last remaining one (Toy Story) is pretty much unplayable for kids who are too short. Mega operational fail.

How is Midway Mania an "e" ticket in DHS but a "D" in DCA? They are identical rides. Yes the queue is different each made to fit its surroundings but the actual rides are clones of eachother

 

[Ismael Flores]

Also one of my favorites! I just wish they could move the Frozen meet and greet somewhere else...

I'm really hoping that once turtle talk with crush moves to Pixar Pier that they consider moving frozen meet and greet I to that theater space.

When the park first opened that theater was much larger. When they turned it Into turtle talk it seem to get quite small. My guess is that their is a large part of the actual original al theater hidden behind the small screen for tech.
Why not turn that into dressing rooms and move th frozen girls there.

It's a shame that they destroyed the sorcerers workshop just to turn it into a dressing room for frozen girls when they have other large unused spaces in the park