How would YOU fix DCA?

[PiratesMansion]

I honestly have no idea how you reached those conclusions after reading my post. It's a glaringly huge misreading, though I did make some edits, but not that drastic, so it might be worth rereading.

This is what I'm referring to when I say that you could sometimes be read as condescending towards others. In terms of me misreading your post, that may well be a "me" issue, but then you and SplashZander seem to have very similar ways of reading what I post in a way that, so far as I know, doesn't match the way others read what I post, or the way I intend them to be read. I'm not going to pretend I've never been condescending myself or am some saint/person who's always right/etc, but am simply calling it as I'm seeing it.

"Didn't go in 2015? Sorry! All of your opinions on the park are invalid!" even though I have gone on the exact clones of rides changed between 2015 and 2017 at other parks, and am well-read on the park's history. Taken together, that is my issue with this forum. It's not like I'm a JT04 type that supposedly hadn't been to the parks in like 30 years... Again, as someone who didn't venture into this side of the forum until recently, it just feels like there's this schoolyard mentality that's toxic and turns people away from participating in discussion.

I understand your frustration, and it is fair. That said, I'm not the person who said that.

And genuinely, thank you for the laugh about that user that I had completely forgotten about! I don't frequent the WDW sides of the boards much, simply because I don't feel like I have much to say about WDW in general, but I definitely remember reading some of that person's posts in disbelief.

I already laid out that I prefer Soarin' Over California and Mission: Breakout, so going during Food & Wine when they're both running is outstanding for me from a rides perspective. I think IncrediCoaster and California Screamin' are the exact same in my mind.

To lay my biases on the table: I never completely loved CS even in its original state. But to me the current ride makes little to no sense and the way that I'm "immersed" in the ride is through a child jabbering into my ear is not my favorite addition. I dislike the harsh shade of red when compared to the more calming blue colors of CS's tunnels. The name "Incredicoaster" irks me in ways I cannot logically explain, even if California Screamin' was also, from an objective perspective, probably not the best name either.

 

[Californian Elitist]

This topic stems from a conversation that was started in the Splash thread about how things have changed over time at both parks. There may have been discussion specifically about the year 2015 because it was the same year as DL’s 60th and it was the last time DCA was in a good spot before all the changes started happening. Those of us who are DLR regulars and DLR forum regulars agreed that things were better overall back then. SplashZander then asked why it was better back then and it was explained thoroughly. Instead of listening to what we had to say, they argued, despite having never been. It seems they had no intention of hearing us out.

Somehow, the conversation has come to this thread. Those of us who agree that DCA was better in 2015 than it is now or was in 2017 were actually there. It’s no coincidence that many of us who were there agree that it was better, and it’s not just because of several rides. It’s because of a slew of other things, too. Those two years made a difference, and things have gotten worse since then. It wasn’t terrible in 2017. None of us have claimed that. However, it was getting into the start of the decline. There was a shift.

If you didn’t visit DCA prior to 2015, then having a really good understanding how the park had improved and seemed to be continuing to improve will be difficult if you have no intentions on actually listening. Same goes for if your first visit was in 2017. You’re never going to completely understand why some of us are saying it was better in 2015, especially if you’re going to debate why we’re wrong.

If you enjoy the park how it is now, fine. But attempting to dismiss our feelings and opinions about the evolution of the park (and even the resort as a whole) and debate when you have just a teeny bit of experience when we’re talking about years of change is pointless and just doesn’t make sense.

 

[DavidDL]

@PiratesMansion ; Animal Kingdom is a much better park than California Adventure for me, too. The level of detail that park has pouring out of practically every inch that isn't named Dinoland, USA is stunning. -and even Dinoland, USA, with it's many, many flaws, is still a celebration of some of the most awe-inspiring animals to ever walk the Earth that boasts at least a singular, respectable attraction in DINOSAUR.

The visually stunning Pandora, despite being an IP-infusion to the park, places a heavy emphasis on the fictional animals of its source material and on the wider subject of conservation as a whole in it's design choices.

Nothing substantial California Adventure has built since its first reimagining (circa 2012) checks any box, for me. It would be one thing if the attractions being built in recent years didn't fit within the context of DCA but were at least a quality build (like tossing Pandora in there) because then I'd at least be able to say something like, "Yeah.. it doesn't quite fit perfectly but at least it's a good ride and I had fun!". But the park doesn't even have that going for it in recent years.

2014 -> Anna and Elsa replace much of the animation building, including the voice acting area, thus removing the context for the Turtle Talk with Crush attraction within. Downgrade.

2016 -> Soarin' Over California is replaced with the inferior, screen-warping, Soarin' Over the World. Downgrade.

2017 -> Guardians of the Galaxy replaces Tower of Terror for no other reason than to "cash in" on the 2017 release of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" that summer, destroying whatever the previous re-imagining of the park had achieved in terms of cohesive theme in one fell swoop. Downgrade.

2018 -> Pixar Pier shatters Guest's hopes for the previously pitched Victorian-era style boardwalk in favor of a giant chicken nugget kids meal. Incredicoaster violates Guests both visually and audibly by removing its awesome soundtrack in favor of characters screaming into your ear to keep an eye out for babies on sticks. Downgrade.

2021 -> Avengers Campus removes all shade from an area of a park in sunny California, 4 kiddie rides and an awesome show featuring many "wow" moments for a reskinned Toy Story Midway Mania/Ninjago adventure. Downgrade.

Even the announced Wakanda attraction, which would have likely finally been the next big, quality-built experience with some serious money poured into it for everyone to look forward to, was scrapped. That last little bit of hope for something at least innovative and fun on the horizon was brushed aside for something that sounds like a cheaper, Star Tours-esque style experience.

Meanwhile, Animal Kingdom is looking to fix up it's one weak area with ideas that, at least on paper, look like they actually give a damn about what they may be putting into the park going forward. What's on the horizon for DCA? Oh yeah, paper lanterns in an area that didn't need them and a Baymax meet n' greet.

Since Disney has made it clear over the past decade that they don't plan to actually do anything of value for DCA, the least they could do is give it a new mission statement or change the name of the park to Hollywood Studios. At least then, despite all the crap on the inside, the park would have some context going for it.

 

[PiratesMansion]

@PiratesMansion ; Animal Kingdom is a much better park than California Adventure for me, too. The level of detail that park has pouring out of practically every inch that isn't named Dinoland, USA is stunning. -and even Dinoland, USA, with it's many, many flaws, is still a celebration of some of the most awe-inspiring animals to ever walk the Earth that boasts at least a singular, respectable attraction in DINOSAUR.

The visually stunning Pandora, despite being an IP-infusion to the park, places a heavy emphasis on the fictional animals of its source material and on the wider subject of conservation as a whole in it's design choices.

Nothing California Adventure has built since it's first reimagining (circa 2012) checks any box, for me. It would be one thing if the attractions being built in recent years didn't fit within the context of DCA but were at least a quality build (like tossing Pandora in there) because then I'd at least be able to say something like, "Yeah.. it doesn't quite fit perfectly but at least it's a good ride and I had fun!". But the park doesn't even have that going for it in recent years.

2014 -> Anna and Elsa replace much of the animation building, including the voice acting area thus removing the context for the Turtle Talk with Crush attraction within. Downgrade.

2017 -> Guardians of the Galaxy replaces Tower of Terror for no other reason than to "cash in" on the 2017 release of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" that summer, destroying whatever effort the previous re-imagining of the park was working towards when it came to a cohesive theme in fell swoop. Downgrade.

2018 -> Pixar Pier shatters Guest's hopes for the previously pitched Victorian-era style boardwalk in favor of a giant chicken kids meal. Incredicoaster violates Guests both visually and audibly by removing it's formerly awesome soundtrack in favor of characters screaming into your ear to keep an eye out for babies on sticks. Downgrade.

2021 -> Avengers Campus removes both all shade from a park in sunny California, 4 kiddie rides and an awesome show featuring many "wow" moments for a reskinned Toy Story Midway Mania/Ninjago adventure. Downgrade.

Even the announced Wakanda attraction, which would have likely finally been the next big quality-built experience with some serious money poured for everyone to look forward to, was scrapped. Even that last little bit of hope for something at least innovative and fun
on the horizon was brushed aside for something that sounds like a cheaper, Star Tours-esque style experience.

Meanwhile, Animal Kingdom is looking to fix up it's one weak area with ideas that, at least on paper, look like they actually give a damn about what they may be putting into the park going forward. What's on the horizon for DCA? Oh yeah, paper lanterns in an area that didn't need them and a Baymax meet n' greet.

Since Disney has made it clear over the past decade that they don't plan to actually do anything of value for DCA, the least they could do is give it a new mission statement or change the name of the park to Hollywood Studios. At least then, despite all the crap on the inside, they'd have some context going for their park.

Excellent post that lays out the case of a declining DCA more eloquently and concisely than I probably ever have. Thank you!

I actually can't believe the animation switcheroo happened in 2014. That's crazy.

I agree with all of your points, although I'm probably the one person more upset about Muppetvision leaving than ITTBAB, haha.

 

[DavidDL]

Excellent post that lays out the case of a declining DCA more eloquently and concisely than I probably ever have. Thank you!

I actually can't believe the animation switcheroo happened in 2014. That's crazy.

I agree with all of your points, although I'm probably the one person more upset about Muppetvision leaving than ITTBAB, haha.

Sorry, I forgot to add 2016's Soarin' over the World in my initial post. Fixed that now.

Oh believe me, I'm upset about the Muppets, too. But I tried to be a little bit more objective with that change, given the context of the attraction and park/land it is in. I would much rather have the Muppets around because I think the show is much better than PhilharMagic, but I can't honestly say that PhilharMagic feels "out of place" in an area like Hollywoodland given famous Hollywood landmarks like the Hollywood Bowl. -and for what it's worth, Disney has demonstrated (at least once) that they are willing to make updates to the show by adding new scenes. It could certainly use a more appropriately themed show building/venue, however. It’s sad that they shoehorned it into the old Muppets building so quickly, without properly retheming the theatre space.

But man.. with Muppets, they are absolutely on my "must do" list when I'm in Orlando. I will be seeing them again, shortly (in May) and honestly cannot wait. Bean Bunny is my spirit animal.

 

[Californian Elitist]

It truly is bizarre how well DCA was doing in 2012 and the short amount of time for it to do an Uno reverse.

 

[Professortango1]

Sorry, I forgot to add 2016's Soarin' over the World in my initial post. Fixed that now.

Oh believe me, I'm upset about the Muppets, too. But I tried to be a little bit more objective with that change, given the context of the attraction and park/land it is in. I would much rather have the Muppets around because I think the show is much better than PhilharMagic, but I can't honestly say that PhilharMagic feels "out of place" in an area like Hollywoodland given famous Hollywood landmarks like the Hollywood Bowl. -and for what it's worth, Disney has demonstrated (at least once) that they are willing to make updates to the show by adding new scenes. It could certainly use a more appropriately themed show building/venue, however. It’s sad that they shoehorned it into the old Muppets building so quickly, without properly retheming the theatre space.

But man.. with Muppets, they are absolutely on my "must do" list when I'm in Orlando. I will be seeing them again, shortly (in May) and honestly cannot wait. Bean Bunny is my spirit animal.

I remember being frustrated by the Tron party taking Muppets out for no reason. I had taken my dad to Disney for the first time in 10-20 years and was showing him all the things that I thought he would enjoy. He loves Muppets, however we got to DCA and Hollywoodland after Tron had started, and so we couldn't see that attraction. I wasn't used to Disney having limited hours for major attractions. Sadly, he never would get to see MuppetVision.

 

[Centauri Space Station]

If DCA is the best to spend a day at, I guess there’s no reason for me to visit the other three WDW parks.

Yikes.

Nah Epcot has tons to do, and 15 min WED masterpieces remain in SSE, LWTL, and American adventure

 

[Centauri Space Station]

Ah yes, a 2015 with an inferior bugs land, inferior ToT, and inferior Pixar Pier theming

Bugsland is far better than Avengers, especially Heimlicks Chew chew which was pure fun. California SCREAMIN was also far superior to a shoehorned coaster with Jack Jack on a stick

 

[Californian Elitist]

Nah Epcot has tons to do, and 15 min WED masterpieces remain in SSE, LWTL, and American adventure

I wasn’t being serious.

 

[Centauri Space Station]

I wasn’t being serious.

My bad

 

[DLR92]

I first went to DCA in 2010, right after the "California" letters and hubcap were removed but before the Sun Plaza was completely dismantled. Since then, I've been to DCA several times, most recently just before Avengers Campus was officially announced. Prior to these visits, I have strong memories from my childhood of the original "California" letters, the MaliBOOMer, the Sun Wheel, and the Mickey ears on California Screamin'.

I've grown up with DCA right there, watching it change over the years. I've seen the good, the bad, and the worse. It's insane that anyone would think today's DCA is the pinnacle of the park.


Imagine thinking the one on the right looks better.
View attachment 709981

Bug's Land was not great, but it was green, shady, and offered more rides for children than Avengers' Campus manages to. I'm not saying Bug's Land was perfect, but it deserve a better replacement, and even more, Marvel deserved a better land in a different theme park (ten years ago).

While there were certain areas of Paradise Pier's remodel that were incomplete (such as the shops on the boardwalk), overall the aesthetic changes to Paradise Pier into Pixar Pier were a detriment, such as the change in color scheme from the gentle blue to the aggressive red. And for every Pixar Promenade, there is a Poultry Palace. Pixar Pier was by no means an upgrade.
View attachment 709982

Yes, Soarin' over California was better than Soarin' Around the World. This is pretty generally accepted. Real world locations are better than CGI recreations.

Probably your only correct point. But is Luigi's Roadsters so good that it overrides the removal of Tower of Terror and Paradise Pier? By no means. I would give up Luigi's Roadsters to bring back Tower of Terror and Paradise Pier anyday.

Unlike some, my opinions are not parroted remarks from those around me.

Thank you for this post.
I set foot into DCA during 2009. God awful. I saw what people said that DCA look like a Six Flags park. I saw the park transformed during the renovation phases through the years until Carsland open. Everything was good back then. Burns Vista Street charmed the park. The Victorian overlay of the Pier, Mickey Fun Wheel, the new improved amphitheater for WOC, and the addition to Little Mermaid helped the the park beautifully. When I saw online changes made, wow I lost my desire to visit DCA. I look like a step in time back to 2009 and prior years of early DCA. But with new IP infestation.

 

[DavidDL]

I'd happily trade World of Color for the Paradise Pier wave machine back.

Too bad the presence of the show makes it an impossibility, now.