Miceage Update: New Soarin film by 2015, DHS refurb on the way.

[The Empress Lilly]

I really like DHS. It might be my favorite park, but that doesn't mean I'm opposed to additions improvements. I think I like DHS because I'm not a kid and enjoy the thrill rides they have there. I also like the Muppets, the easter eggs on TSM, and some of the Golden Age Hollywood architecture.

I'm a huge Star Wars fan & I really think they should add a Star Wars land or expand the presence in at least one of the parks. I think DHS makes the most sense for that. I've never been to Disneyland but have heard good things about Carsland.

Star Wars Land?

If I had a billion, I'd spend it all on Star Wars Land.

Well, and $149.99 on a chainsaw, which I'll use to take it all out as I personally bring down that hat.

 

[lego606]

Seriously, though. Disneyland's Fantasmic gets an advanced new dragon, and we get benches for our Fantasmic 'expansion'.

And lighting package, and new floats, and...

 

[ctxak98]

To me there is a problem with parts of DHS as of right now. However I find it weird that excuses like " its a 20 year old attraction, thatz why its bad" is ridiculous. I mean some of my favorite shows and attractions are old. Some things are nostalgic and dont need changing. Now yes, some things like the backlot tour can be changed but why so much hate? Its still a great park people!

 

[Pixiedustmaker]

I would add the following amendment:
People who think DHS is fine the way it is, and every bit as much those people who complain about DHS but part with their money nevertheless, are the reason why TDO is not willing to spend money on the parks.

Disney didn't do DCA 2.0 because the top brass didn't like looking at crummy off-the-shelf theme park rides, heck, they probably didn't even visit DLR very much.

The issue was low attendance, DCA was losing money, and the negative press.

While we'd all like to see something new come to DHS (hard in this small park which has buses, whereas Epcot and MK benefit from having a monorail, and MK even has boat transportation) . . . DHS isn't being slammed like DCA was in the popular press, and DHS racks in about 10 million guests a year. DCA might not be able to hit that number even though Carsland opened.

The average guest is clueless about perceptions of DHS in the diehard fan community.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I don't really care about Cars Land. Disney can keep it's IP-franchises, toons and Pixar. One big bore.
No, what tickles my envy button is BVS's sense of placemaking, style, even old fashioned sophistication. Which has all been absent from WDW for so long. The above is so much more *Disney* than the cartoon make-over of Fantasyland, which only ended up making FL look worse now than it did twenty years ago.

Buena Vista Street is just as much a franchise land as Cars Land, built around The Walt Disney Company's shallow commercialization of Walt's name. Names are tossed about with care only for slightly meta puns. Pigs eat a lot, so they name the eatery. Clarabelle is a cow, cows make milk and milk is in ice cream. We're even told that it was always at Mickey and Walt started it all together, despite the presence of an infringing ga station at the front of the land that many probably think pays homage to Disney's first set of cartoons made after his arrival.

 

[PeterAlt]

How about dropping the sidewalk and incorporating the people mover? Probably doesn't help your budget.

An elevated walkway is peanuts. Several million. A drop in the bucket. But, if its cost gets out of control and starts to threaten other items, I wouldn't hestitate to kill it.

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

Buena Vista Street is just as much a franchise land as Cars Land, built around The Walt Disney Company's shallow commercialization of Walt's name. Names are tossed about with care only for slightly meta puns. Pigs eat a lot, so they name the eatery. Clarabelle is a cow, cows make milk and milk is in ice cream. We're even told that it was always at Mickey and Walt started it all together, despite the presence of an infringing ga station at the front of the land that many probably think pays homage to Disney's first set of cartoons made after his arrival.

Oh geez. Have you actually been to BVS?

VotLM is perfect, the best Disney show ever! BatB is good too. Not Broadway, but nevertheless a true classic. I wish both would stay forever.

I can't tell if you're joking or not.

 

[stevehousse]

My wish list for D23 for DHS is expansion of Pixar place with at least 3 rides, a revised Lucas area turned into Star Wars land with 2 or 3 rides, And new shows/rides in place of VOTLM and BATB! If it were up to me, Tangled musical would replace BATB, and VOTLM would be replaced with a Mickey mouse dark ride attraction! Wishful thinking I know...

 

[lazyboy97o]

Oh geez. Have you actually been to BVS?

Yes, it is a great idea weighed down by Waltie nonsense.

 

[NoChesterHester]

My wish list for D23 for DHS is expansion of Pixar place with at least 3 rides, a revised Lucas area turned into Star Wars land with 2 or 3 rides, And new shows/rides in place of VOTLM and BATB! If it were up to me, Tangled musical would replace BATB, and VOTLM would be replaced with a Mickey mouse dark ride attraction! Wishful thinking I know...

Six rides and two shows? Those drugs must be good.

 

[Hobnail Boot]

I think it's the general consensus that DHS needs more rides, but personally I think it also needs quality restaurants in whatever expansion comes along. Sci-Fi Dine In and 50's Prime Time are good, and what counter service is there I like (honestly I haven't eaten counter at DHS in a good while, but it was decent when I had it), but I really think the park needs more options.

 

[doctornick]

I think it's the general consensus that DHS needs more rides, but personally I think it also needs quality restaurants in whatever expansion comes along. Sci-Fi Dine In and 50's Prime Time are good, and what counter service is there I like (honestly I haven't eaten counter at DHS in a good while, but it was decent when I had it), but I really think the park needs more options.

Well, if a Star Wars expansion happens, we'd be very likely to see Backlot Express become Mos Eisley cantina (whether that would be a quality restaurant, I don't know). Also, a Cars Expansion could include Flo's Cafe (which is excellent in DCA).

 

[NoChesterHester]

Well, if a Star Wars expansion happens, we'd be very likely to see Backlot Express become Mos Eisley cantina (whether that would be a quality restaurant, I don't know). Also, a Cars Expansion could include Flo's Cafe (which is excellent in DCA).

They could re theme the ABC Commissary and the boulevard behind the old Sounds Dangerous to Tatooine. Mos Eisley Cantina could be where the putrid Commissary currently is and the transition would work great terminating right into the current Tatooine Traders.

 

[stevehousse]

I think if they r gonna add any star wars rides, they should use that new "planes ride tech" and do either a pod racer or xwing dark ride...

 

[Travel Junkie]

I would add the following amendment:
People who think DHS is fine the way it is, and every bit as much those people who complain about DHS but part with their money nevertheless, are the reason why TDO is not willing to spend money on the parks.

This! One difference between the DLR audience and the WDW one is that those voting for change at WDW complain on a message board while those wanting change at DLR vote with their wallet. Disney was forced to re-invent DCA, they are not forced to re-invent any of WDW parks because people still go.

To give a sports analogy, the Chicago Cubs have not won a World Series in over 100 years, yet continue to sell out. Where is the incentive to put a winning product on the field?

 

[Californian Elitist]

This! One difference between the DLR audience and the WDW one is that those voting for change at WDW complain on a message board while those wanting change at DLR vote with their wallet. Disney was forced to re-invent DCA, they are not forced to re-invent any of WDW parks because people still go.

To give a sports analogy, the Chicago Cubs have not won a World Series in over 100 years, yet continue to sell out. Where is the incentive to put a winning product on the field?

Correction: DL fans vote with their wallet. And stop going. And they also complain on message boards. And write letters. And create petitions. And form groups on Facebook.

There we go.

 

[BryceM]

Correction: DL fans vote with their wallet. And stop going. And they also complain on message boards. And write letters. And create petitions. And form groups on Facebook.

There we go.

Was all of this done for the old Disney California Adventure?

 

[Californian Elitist]

Was all of this done for the old Disney California Adventure?

The constant complaining, not going and the letters, yes. Poor DCA. It took A LOT of flack from people, but it deserved it. But it was bad for DL even before DCA launched. The nineties were terrible for DL, and a lot of it was published in the LA Times, which was embarrassing for Disney. I remember during the 50th anniversary celebration, DL fans booed Eisner when he went up to speak.

DCA wasn't the only one to get talked about, though. There was this new parade called Light Magic that was supposed to debut years ago. Well, annual passholders were invited to see the parade before its debut and they HATED it and talked so much about it... So much that it was cancelled three or four months later. The same thing kinda happened with Mermaid. Before it opened in MK, DL/DCA guests complained of Ariel's hair and said it resembled a soft serve ice cream cone. They were also livid at the fact that the screens that showed Ariel and Flounder and the other showing Ariel turning human looked like CGI work. It didn't take long for Disney to change Ariel's hair and switch the computer animation to more of a hand-drawn animated look. When they took the swing dancing away from Carnation Plaza Gardens to create Princess Fantasy Faire, again, fans complained and created petitions. It's coming back this summer. I remember, when we got our new president from DAK, all the fans were nervous about him and what he was going to do to the parks. I guess someone told him about how ed off DL fans can get and he was seen serving popcorn in Disneyland, riding Alice in Wonderland and showed up at a MiceChat event and showered everyone there with a free gift (Golden Horseshoe Revue soundtrack).

I wouldn't say DL fans have power over TDA decisions and whatnot. But I will say they have some sort if influence that, unfortunately, WDW fans just don't seem to have. It's obvious, too. Just look at the DLR AP privileges and then look at the WDW AP privileges. Like night and day. Just recently, DL invited APs to a brainstorming session, with the promise of food and two hundred dollars. Sadly, I never got my invite lol. A lot of why happens at Disneyland ends up getting written about and published in the LA Times, so that contributes as well.

Even saying all of this, though, I still have no doubt things are going to turn around eventually for WDW. Things are just different there.

 

[doctornick]

They could re theme the ABC Commissary and the boulevard behind the old Sounds Dangerous to Tatooine. Mos Eisley Cantina could be where the putrid Commissary currently is and the transition would work great terminating right into the current Tatooine Traders.

Well, they could, but Sci-Fi is in between, which means to maintain the theme, they needed to re-do that as well. And I would hope they wouldn't since Sci-Fi is one of the cooler eating experiences IMHO.

Certainly wouldn't care is ABC Commissary is renovated into a different establishment. Honestly, I don't think I've ever eaten there or had an interest to do so.

 

[NoChesterHester]

Well, they could, but Sci-Fi is in between, which means to maintain the theme, they needed to re-do that as well. And I would hope they wouldn't since Sci-Fi is one of the cooler eating experiences IMHO.

Certainly wouldn't care is ABC Commissary is renovated into a different establishment. Honestly, I don't think I've ever eaten there or had an interest to do so.

It's the worst counter service food in a park of bad counter service.