Guardians of the Galaxy Mission Breakout announced for Disney California Adventure

[BrianLo]

If they can't fix what they do have what makes you think they can handle a third gate?

No one said they can't fix things. DCA definitely supports their ability to fix things.

DCA is not completely fixed.

Yes and WDI had plans to fix that.

Yes, we know what happened when DCA opened. That's why they spent 1.2 billion dollars to fix it into a coherent theme.

I appreciate the passion! You just need to synthesize it down a little bit and not use so much hyperbole in order to state your point - you aren't a fan of Marvel, Marvel's cohesion doesn't fit with your ideal vision of Disney, and you really really aren't a fan of this GoTG overlay.

Nothing wrong with that. Leave it at that.

But thanks for agreeing with me in the end.

 

[HMF]

I appreciate the passion! You just need to synthesize it down a little bit and not use so much hyperbole in order to state your point - you aren't a fan of Marvel, Marvel's cohesion doesn't fit with your ideal vision of Disney, and you really really aren't a fan of this GoTG overlay.

Nothing wrong with that. Leave it at that.

But thanks for agreeing with me in the end.

Yes, I am sorry if I come off a bit harsh. I have been dealing with my strong feelings about this issue, Strong feelings about where the government is headed and some personal problems so my cynicism has been pretty intense recently.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Yes, I am sorry if I come off a bit harsh. I have been dealing with my strong feelings about this issue, Strong feelings about where the government is headed and some personal problems so my cynicism has been pretty intense recently.

You're not coming off harsh at all, and I don't believe you need to "synthesize" anything. You aren't being rude and you aren't trying to force your opinion on others, so I don't see an issue.

We are free to express your views all we want, ALL OF US, as long as we're respectful about it, something you've been doing all along. If someone doesn't like it, they can use the ignore feature. I remember a user telling me I was overexaggerating when it came to how I felt about SWL and I kindly told them to use the ignore option because my rhetoric wasn't changing.

Have you seen my anti-SWL thread? I respectfully express my opinion in a strong manner, moreso than you in this thread in my opinion, and it's pages and pages long.

If you should "synthesize" your rhetoric, then some of us should also, since we've been speaking in the same way. Too bad I won't actually be doing that, and neither should you. Please continue to express your opinion so we can therefore continue discussion, and don't change anything.

 

[DDLand]

Completely agree. DCA 1.0 was a lot more true to its name. Barely any attractions based on IPs and multiple factual California references. It was just executed horribly, unfortunately. I remember people complaining about how it wasn't "Disney" enough. Now we've got something completely different, but with lost references and cartoons/IPs everywhere. It's kind of sad, really.

Agree about Cars Land, though I wish they had just stuck with the original plan before Lasseter opened his mouth.

This is actually an interesting point worth exploring.

Did lack of IPs sink DCA originally? Perhaps, but I suspect not. That park was an interesting mix of cheap, but also just remarkably ill conceived ideas. I like to think some of the bad ideas stem from the cheapness, but there do seem to be fundamental flaws in the original planning.

To fix the issues, there could have been a variety of approaches taken. The route they took was IP. Was that the only route possible? No. What if they had done the car culture, or celebrated San Francisco, or recognized Hispanic influences? There's no way to conclude that direction wouldn't have worked, but because they chose IP that's influenced their view forever.

A shame.

 

[DDLand]

I appreciate the passion! You just need to synthesize it down a little bit and not use so much hyperbole in order to state your point - you aren't a fan of Marvel, Marvel's cohesion doesn't fit with your ideal vision of Disney, and you really really aren't a fan of this GoTG overlay.

Nothing wrong with that. Leave it at that.

But thanks for agreeing with me in the end.

I'll disagree here. The obvious thing to do back in 2012 was follow up with thoughtful work that would improve DCA and increase capacity.

Instead they sat around for most of this decade. DCA is still a problem. Luckily by the parks 20th anniversary it should finally be in a solid and sustainable place. The fact it took 20 years should raise eyebrows though.

It was so Staggs to just sit there and waste time.

The one thing I will give credit for is the lovely airfield. They did an excellent job there.

Edit: I'll also further add that I think they're doing these expansions in entirely the wrong order. Note before I begin this, I'm approaching this solely from a roster and logistics perspective. Not artistic. At this point DCA has a lopsided relationship with Disneyland, with Walt's original getting millions more guests. Following Star Wars Experience, Disneyland should blow past the 20 million mark and end up who knows where. I wouldn't be shocked if it ends up being the top visited (by first ticket clicks alone which disadvantage MK) theme park in the world. We'll see if the anti local campaign has an impact, but I'm still betting we hit 20 Million.

It would have been far more wise to build the DCA attractions first, and create a more healthy balance between Disneyland and Disney California Adventure before SWE. That way Disneyland Park proper could handle more new guests while a greater share of the classic guests were drawn to all the cool new stuff at DCA. The two parks will never meet parity, but the gap can be lessened.

Disney California Adventure won't be getting its own major new attractions until 2020s (2021 comes to mind). So I imagine capacity constraints will plague both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. The time to be building was the last 5 years when they did basically nothing and enjoyed the fruits of Cars Land.

This is a strikingly reactionary business.

 

[Phroobar]

Well at least it won't look like an airplane took off from the airfield and crashed into the tower.

 

[Californian Elitist]

This is actually an interesting point worth exploring.

Did lack of IPs sink DCA originally? Perhaps, but I suspect not. That park was an interesting mix of cheap, but also just remarkably ill conceived ideas. I like to think some of the bad ideas stem from the cheapness, but there do seem to be fundamental flaws in the original planning.

To fix the issues, there could have been a variety of approaches taken. The route they took was IP. Was that the only route possible? No. What if they had done the car culture, or celebrated San Francisco, or recognized Hispanic influences? There's no way to conclude that direction wouldn't have worked, but because they chose IP that's influenced their view forever.

A shame.

Preach. I think a lot of it had to do with Disney being cheap. There were indeed flaws in the design, but I think it was ultimately Disney being cheap. I'd like to think Disney would have gone all out had they built WestCOT, based on the concept art and what I've read on the project. That wasn't the case for DCA 1.0.

There's really so, so much Disney could have used as resources and inspiration for DCA. I agree with what you listed, San Francisco, cars, Hispanic culture... I could add to that. The Gold Rush, Los Angeles noir, Hollywood (something actually good and not what we have now), Spanish missions, Asian culture in California, California cuisine, California national and state parks, tech in Silicon Valley etc. There was, and still is, PLENTY of material Disney could use.

Knott's isn't my favorite theme/amusement park, but I do love Ghost Town because it feels real. No IPs, just an authentic-like experience that works great.

 

[Ismael Flores]

IMO there are three scenarios that would of obviously been better for the park long term. I don't really want to spell out why because I already did a few pages ago but here they are...

1. GOTG: MB could have been a temporary overlay until Marvel Land opens

2. Star Tours could have been rethemed to GOTG.

3. GOTG gets a brand new ride in Marvel Land

The reason that not 1 of these 3 things happened is because short term sacrifices were not willing to be made, this project is rushed and just a plain old lack of creativity. Each scenario above would have been better for the resort - long term. Short term gains are the only motivating factor here.

I wish they had gone with a Dr. Strange overlay for TOT with Some cool special effects and lots of props using the scene in the movie where he finds his long cape. The buildings maybe could have stayed the same except for more added detail and depth. People might have warmed up to it more. The character can travel thru different times and space and that part of the land could have stayed to what some people like.

Obviously not knowing what the rest of the land will look like eventually maybe it wouldn't have work then

 

[Ismael Flores]

Yes, we know what happened when DCA opened. That's why they spent 1.2 billion dollars to fix it into a coherent theme . A theme they are ruining again with this idiotic decision.

My point was that we don't know what direction this land will take. Just like we had no idea why they put a hotel in a backlot to begin with originally.

People that have supposedly seen something on the new land say that it will be highly themed. So how do we know that eventually it will all make sense and the land will transition nicely I to what they have already put in place.

Maybe I'm seeing this wrong but DCA seems to be taking the same shape as Disneyland. A main corridor that tells a story. In this case Buena Vista that serves as a portal into different lands. Attractions like Mermaid or goofy sky skool are not California themed but fit the land they are in with their exteriors and seaside theming. the same can be said about the attractions in every other land in this park.

Buena Vista will aso have the same visual intrusions as Main Street.

As guest walk down mainstreet hints of almost every land are present and the same seems to be happening with Buena Vista with views of a car shaped mountain range, a bear shaped mountain, glimpse of a seaside ferries wheel and whatever future holds for Hollywood area.

If this is acceptable in almost every Disney theme park especially magic kingdom style parks then why wouldn't it be ok for DCA?

 

[Stevek]

I wish they had gone with a Dr. Strange overlay for TOT with Some cool special effects and lots of props using the scene in the movie where he finds his long cape. The buildings maybe could have stayed the same except for more added detail and depth. People might have warmed up to it more. The character can travel thru different times and space and that part of the land could have stayed to what some people like.

Obviously not knowing what the rest of the land will look like eventually maybe it wouldn't have work then

Because it wasn't a very good movie...IMO of course But that's a discussion for another thread ; )

GOTG was probably the best franchise to do this with. Tremendous hit and fan favorite AND at least one sequel on the horizon.

 

[Phroobar]

Dr. Strange came out far too late in the planning of the Tower. If it came out a year earlier it would have been considered. They need to see how a movie would do before basing a ride on it. GOTG did amazing box office and Dr. Strange did too but the Tower already started the makeover by then.

 

[Stevek]

The next series of movies did not have to happen.

Yes, because Disney would buy the franchise and never do anything with them on the big screen. Not to mention that they had to fit it in with the TV shows (Clone Wars/Rebels) as well. The movies will make boatloads more than the books will make over the next 30 years. It was a brilliant but controversial move by Disney from a business perspective. I for one am very happy that we are getting these new movies and if getting rid EU was the sacrifice, I can live with that. Like I said, I was a major fan of the EU and invested hundreds if not thousands of dollars on that universe...them getting rid of it doesn't take away my enjoyment of it. I look at the reboot as a fresh start where I can now enjoy a whole new set of stories where I no longer have to figure out how it fits into what had become a bit of a convoluted mess. Time for fanbois to grow up and either accept the change or like we often say to Disney fans here...vote with your wallets and never buy another book, comic, action figure or watch the movies/tv shows. Better yet, boycott Disney for ruining their lives.

 

[Stevek]

I'd prefer to avoid a nitpicking debate about placemaking details and theming, but I will share a few examples of why I think some of you might be putting too much emphasis on the misalignment of MB's exterior with its immediate setting. As these photos show the land is not, and has never been, a faithful and immersive recreation of old Hollywood.

Again, I agree that MB continues to confuse the hodge-podge storytelling, but you aren't going to convince me that Hollywood Land as it exists right now has a visually cohesive and clearly defined theme.

No doubt that the theme has been a mess since day one...Monster's actually made it even worse. That being said, none of these have the visual intrusion that GOTG will have...I know, you already get that. TOT never bothered me, it was considered part of "Hollywood" and thematically it worked (for me at least) with the concept of Hollywood Land.

 

[Stevek]

DCA is not completely fixed. In fact I would argue they are breaking it again with GOTG: MB DL's Tomorrowlad has been a joke since 1998. Granted, it's less of a joke than it was then but still a joke.

DCA will never be fixed as long as there is a lack of imagination in this world -Walt Disney

 

[SSG]

I wish they had gone with a Dr. Strange overlay for TOT with Some cool special effects and lots of props using the scene in the movie where he finds his long cape. The buildings maybe could have stayed the same except for more added detail and depth. People might have warmed up to it more. The character can travel thru different times and space and that part of the land could have stayed to what some people like.

Obviously not knowing what the rest of the land will look like eventually maybe it wouldn't have work then

Yeah, When I saw Doctor Strange I thought--if Disney is dead set on re-theming the Tower with Marvel--Strange would be the least disruptive change. The Sanctum Sanctorum is a multi story townhouse in somewhat rundown shape (picture below). That would be a simple exterior re-theme and wouldn't be much out of place in Hollywood while the rest of Marvel Land is built. Re-theming the interior with mystical trimmings wouldn't be too tough.Heck, the Wiki page for the Sanctum describes the basement as containing storage, a furnace, and the laundry, so the ride loading area wouldn't need much work either.

.

 

[EPCOTCenterLover]

What is this original plan you speak of?

The land was supposed to be "Car Land," and it was going to pay homage to the car culture in California. The way it was described made it seem like there was going to be a 50's/60's vibe. I remember reading there were plans for a drive-in and a ride in which Goofy was going on a road trip through California (can't quite remember), but of course the trip was reckless and Goofy was going to get himself into messes. The land was supposed to be generic with no IP attached to it. Just a celebration of cars in California. I was really impressed with the plans. I forgot where I read all of this and where I saw the concept art, but I think I may have read it in a D23 issue. I'll look through my old issues and see if I'm correct.[/QUOTE]
I have a whole slew of this proposed Car Land somewhere on my blog- but I'll be darned if I could find it!
(See new thread. I never did add them to the blog. New project..)

 

[Phroobar]

I think the drive in restaurant will still show up. They have the expansion pad for it. It is suppose to be a Cars themed version of the Sci-Fi Dine in at DHS.

 

[mickEblu]

I wish they had gone with a Dr. Strange overlay for TOT with Some cool special effects and lots of props using the scene in the movie where he finds his long cape. The buildings maybe could have stayed the same except for more added detail and depth. People might have warmed up to it more. The character can travel thru different times and space and that part of the land could have stayed to what some people like.

Obviously not knowing what the rest of the land will look like eventually maybe it wouldn't have work then

I think it definitely would have worked better than what we have now even though it would of never happened since they had no idea how the movie would be received and GOTG was already a proven hit with a sequel on the way.

Since this is happening whether I like it or not, I hope the building starts looking more like the concept art. Less orange, more Gold and not so boxy. Right now it looks like a cheap boxy suit.

 

[mickEblu]

I think the drive in restaurant will still show up. They have the expansion pad for it. It is suppose to be a Cars themed version of the Sci-Fi Dine in at DHS.

Really? That would be awesome. Where is the expansion pad, behind Luigis?

 

[thomas998]

I think it definitely would have worked better than what we have now even though it would of never happened since they had no idea how the movie would be received and GOTG was already a proven hit with a sequel on the way.

Since this is happening whether I like it or not, I hope the building starts looking more like the concept art. Less orange, more Gold and not so boxy. Right now it looks like a cheap boxy suit.

Of course there is still a possibility that the sequel to GOTG will be a dud... Not likely but sometimes sequels fail... While I'm hopeful the movie will be decent, it would be funny if the franchise fizzled after they've gone to the trouble of reworking ToT.