News Paradise Pier Becoming Pixar Pier

[shortstop]

There's never been an explanation for why The Collector has a fortress in 1930s Hollywood, and I expect the same deliberate lack of awareness from WDI when Pixar Pier opens next year.

Hey WDI, how did the Incredibles find themselves on a seaside pier?

WDI: “....KABLAM!”

 

[Rich T]

Wouldn't surprise me. You catch up to whatever you and the Incredibles are chasing.

I swear, if this turns out to be a race to catch Jack-Jack I'm going to spew.

 

[dweezil78]

If one were to be nit-picky it could be argued that King Triton and his sea creatures make more sense on a seaside pier than Toy Story does, and I think that sums up why some people are struggling wrapping their heads around the decision to add Pixar to the pier. Other than trying to promote Pixar it doesn't make sense. I completely get your general point though.

Sure, I'll give you that! Though I do think any semblance of any kind of seaside/nautical theme was done away with when they did the big renovations that saw the removal of the Maliboomer, Pizza Oom Mow Mow, etc. There really hasn't been much of a unifying theme other than 'pier' and the cheap late 90s quality of the remaining opening day stuff like Ariel's Grotto, the carousel, and CS station are pretty jarring compared to everything else that's been spruced up.

I see a lot of similarities between this project and MB. Neither is a particularly terrible concept on its own, but neither jibes with the base subject matter in their respective locations. There's never been an explanation for why The Collector has a fortress in 1930s Hollywood, and I expect the same deliberate lack of awareness from WDI when Pixar Pier opens next year.

While I can't really defend either project and think other choices could have been made, I think people do seem to have unrealistic expectations though of some kind of elaborate reasoning for why attractions exist on a pier though. None of these attractions really provide opportunity for much immersion. So in the end you're either left with the generic (i.e California Screamin) or something the company can tie back to something people have a fondness for. Whether it's Mickey, Triton, Incredibles, or Woody, the limitations of adding any kind of character/story will be the same for all those attractions.

No one had this type of criticism when the Orange Stringer became Mickey's Silly Symphonies or Mickey & Friends were added to the Fun Wheel or all of a sudden Goofy had a Sky School (even when there was already an aviation themed area already in the park no less). I honestly think that forum dwellers have some kind of resentment towards Pixar for any number of reasons... it was an acquisition, it's been too prominently featured in the parks, etc. Us older grumps write off the fact that there are now generations of kids who have grown up with Pixar as their Disney and have more of an affinity towards those characters than Mickey & Friends.

 

[Antaundra]

Sure, I'll give you that! Though I do think any semblance of any kind of seaside/nautical theme was done away with when they did the big renovations that saw the removal of the Maliboomer, Pizza Oom Mow Mow, etc. There really hasn't been much of a unifying theme other than 'pier' and the cheap late 90s quality of the remaining opening day stuff like Ariel's Grotto, the carousel, and CS station are pretty jarring compared to everything else that's been spruced up.



While I can't really defend either project and think other choices could have been made, I think people do seem to have unrealistic expectations though of some kind of elaborate reasoning for why attractions exist on a pier though. None of these attractions really provide opportunity for much immersion. So in the end you're either left with the generic (i.e California Screamin) or something the company can tie back to something people have a fondness for. Whether it's Mickey, Triton, Incredibles, or Woody, the limitations of adding any kind of character/story will be the same for all those attractions.

No one had this type of criticism when the Orange Stringer became Mickey's Silly Symphonies or Mickey & Friends were added to the Fun Wheel or all of a sudden Goofy had a Sky School (even when there was already an aviation themed area already in the park no less). I honestly think that forum dwellers have some kind of resentment towards Pixar for any number of reasons... it was an acquisition, it's been too prominently featured in the parks, etc. Us older grumps write off the fact that there are now generations of kids who have grown up with Pixar as their Disney and have more of an affinity towards those characters than Mickey & Friends.

You either have a short memory or are new to the internet. People had these exact same complaints about changing orange stinger to silly symphony, Mickey to the Fun Wheel, and Goofy to the coaster.

 

[dweezil78]

You either have a short memory or are new to the internet. People had these exact same complaints about changing orange stinger to silly symphony, Mickey to the Fun Wheel, and Goofy to the coaster.

Obviously any change at the resort is going to be met with some level of criticism -- on a whole though, those changes were met with far less outrage (and much more support) than any of this Pixar stuff. Primarily because what was in place prior was so lame to begin with.

People seemed overwhelmingly pumped about the swings here FWIW:
https://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/silly-symphony-swings.537508/

 

[Deleted member 107043]

Sure, I'll give you that! Though I do think any semblance of any kind of seaside/nautical theme was done away with when they did the big renovations that saw the removal of the Maliboomer, Pizza Oom Mow Mow, etc. There really hasn't been much of a unifying theme other than 'pier' and the cheap late 90s quality of the remaining opening day stuff like Ariel's Grotto, the carousel, and CS station are pretty jarring compared to everything else that's been spruced up.



While I can't really defend either project and think other choices could have been made, I think people do seem to have unrealistic expectations though of some kind of elaborate reasoning for why attractions exist on a pier though. None of these attractions really provide opportunity for much immersion. So in the end you're either left with the generic (i.e California Screamin) or something the company can tie back to something people have a fondness for. Whether it's Mickey, Triton, Incredibles, or Woody, the limitations of adding any kind of character/story will be the same for all those attractions.

No one had this type of criticism when the Orange Stringer became Mickey's Silly Symphonies or Mickey & Friends were added to the Fun Wheel or all of a sudden Goofy had a Sky School (even when there was already an aviation themed area already in the park no less). I honestly think that forum dwellers have some kind of resentment towards Pixar for any number of reasons... it was an acquisition, it's been too prominently featured in the parks, etc. Us older grumps write off the fact that there are now generations of kids who have grown up with Pixar as their Disney and have more of an affinity towards those characters than Mickey & Friends.

Sadly I think we've officially reached the point where apparently nothing can get green-lit at WDI unless it has a character tie-in no matter how misaligned it is with the theme. The last series of upgrades and additions helped reinforce the vintage seaside amusement pier theme but the Pixar overlay appears to do away with all that, which is unfortunate. At the rate we're going it'll be just a few years before they start incorporating Pixar into World of Avatar and Star Wars Galaxy's Edge and vice-versa.

In my experience I've found Paradise Pier as a whole to be just as immersive as Cars Land or New Orleans Square, especially after the overhaul it received a few years ago. I love the view as you walk down the boardwalk past the Cove Bar towards Screamin'. Something about that area in particular that really does capture the spirit of being at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and similar places. I don't think that will change much after the overlays are added, but it will be a bit jarring to have unrelated characters added for no particular reason.

 

[mickEblu]

Sadly I think we've officially reached the point where apparently nothing can get green-lit at WDI unless it has a character tie-in no matter how misaligned it is with the theme. The last series of upgrades and additions helped reinforce the vintage seaside amusement pier theme and the Pixar overlay appears to do away with all that, which is unfortunate. At the rate we're going it'll be just a few years before they start incorporating Pixar into World of Avatar and Star Wars Galaxy's Edge and vice-versa.

In my experience I've found Paradise Pier as a whole to be just as immersive as Cars Land or New Orleans Square, especially after the overhaul it received a few years ago. I love the view as you walk down the boardwalk past the Cove Bar towards Screamin'. Something about that area in particular that really does capture the spirit of being at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and similar places. I don't think that will change much after the overlays are added, but it will be a bit jarring to have unrelated characters added for no particular reason.

Yup and on top of that they re being really lazy and short sighted with what they re doing with the IP after it’s greenlit. I get that there is a whole lot of content they want to leverage and limited room to work with at DLR but if this is the approach they are going to take they have to get the third park going ASAP.

 

[dweezil78]

In my experience I've found Paradise Pier as a whole to be just as immersive as Cars Land or New Orleans Square, especially after the overhaul it received a few years ago. I love the view as you walk down the boardwalk past the Cove Bar towards Screamin'. Something about that area in particular that really does capture the spirit of being at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and similar places. I don't think that will change much after the overlays are added, but it will be a bit jarring to have unrelated characters added for no particular reason.

Yeah, I guess that's really the point I'm trying to make. Not a huge fan of the character stuff, but ultimately the aspects I like about Paradise Pier aren't really going to change one bit with this stuff. Riding CS at night in the front row is going to be the same great experience it is now. The fact it will have some new features, Pixar or otherwise, is a plus in my book unless they find a way to majorly botch them.

And based on whatever restaurant they put in Ariel's, they may actually get me to walk through those doors for the first time since DCA opened!

 

[mickEblu]

Yeah, I guess that's really the point I'm trying to make. Not a huge fan of the character stuff, but ultimately the aspects I like about Paradise Pier aren't really going to change one bit with this stuff. Riding CS at night in the front row is going to be the same great experience it is now. The fact it will have some new features, Pixar or otherwise, is a plus in my book unless they find a way to majorly botch them.

And based on whatever restaurant they put in Ariel's, they may actually get me to walk through those doors for the first time since DCA opened!

I agree with you main point here as well. Nothing about this will change my experience at Paradise Pier. I’ve stated before that I’m less bothered by the results of this specific change and more concerned with the direction the parks are going as a whole.

 

[Rich T]

Just an observation:
Like a lot of people here, I have a lot of family, friends and co-workers who enjoy the parks every year or two but aren't super-fans who follow the park news. Every single time (about a dozen at this point) one of them asks me what's new at the parks and I tell them that California Screamin' is being re-themed into the Incredicoaster, the reaction has been exactly the same: A baffled "Whaaaaat??? (pause) Whyyyyy?"

 

[Deleted member 107043]

Yup and on top of that they re being really lazy and short sighted with what they re doing with the IP after it’s greenlit. I get that there is a whole lot of content they want to leverage and limited room to work with at DLR but if this is the approach they are going to take they have to get the third park going ASAP.

Psssst... *whispering* there will never be a 3rd Disney park in Anaheim.

 

[TROR]

Psssst... *whispering* there will never be a 3rd Disney park in Anaheim.

Literally no reason there wouldn't be.

 

[Deleted member 107043]

Literally no reason there wouldn't be.

There's plenty of reasons. First thing that comes to mind is what would be the business incentive? Disney is practically printing money at Disneyland with relatively little investment compared to what it is spending in Asia and Florida. Second, imagine the years of negotiations Disney would have to go through with State and local governments to get another park approved before construction started. Disney couldn't get a parking garage and pedestrian bridge approved for the Eastern Gateway! And even if Disney were able to successfully navigate those complex obstacles do you really think the final watered-down design would meet fan expectations?

Hopefully I'm wrong, but my guess is that we'll see continued investment in Asia before we see a 3rd park in Anaheim.

 

[mickEblu]

Psssst... *whispering* there will never be a 3rd Disney park in Anaheim.

Hahah you re probably right. Which is why they keep cramming all this IP into the two existing parks. What are the roadblocks for a third park? From what I understand they have the land. And they definitely have the resources. They would also have the cities support so long as they aren’t inadvertently (or advertently) screwing any local businesses.

 

[dweezil78]

There's plenty of reasons. First thing that comes to mind is what would be the business incentive? Disney is practically printing money at Disneyland with relatively little investment compared to what it is spending in Asia and Florida. Second, imagine the years of negotiations Disney would have to go through with State and local governments to get another park built. They couldn't get a parking garage and pedestrian bridge approved for the Eastern Gateway! And even if Disney were able to successfully navigate those complex obstacles do you really think the final watered-down design would meet fan expectations?

Hopefully I'm wrong, but my guess is that we'll see continued investment in Asia before we see a 3rd park in Anaheim.

If there was any incentive to greenlight a third gate, Star Wars and Marvel would have been it. The fact that these two properties are seeing expansions within both parks pretty much killed any hope I had for a third gate while I am young enough to enjoy it (and I'm not that old!).

 

[mickEblu]

If there was any incentive to greenlight a third gate, Star Wars and Marvel would have been it. The fact that these two properties are seeing expansions within both parks pretty much killed any hope I had for a third gate while I am young enough to enjoy it (and I'm not that old!).

That’s not a bad point but what if Disney didn’t want to wait another decade to leverage Star Wars and Marvel? I think you re giving their long term planning skills too much credit. In their defense, I think they are just growing too fast to have a long term plan for the theme parks. Remember, theme parks are low on the totem pole.

 

[SSG]

Whenever the 3rd Gate discussion comes up, someone chimes in with 'The Toy Story lot is zoned to be a park.' I don't know if that's true, but it's often repeated.

 

[dweezil78]

That’s not a bad point but what if Disney didn’t want to wait another decade to leverage Star Wars and Marvel? I think you re giving their long term planning skills too much credit. In their defense, I think they are just growing too fast to have a long term plan for the theme parks. Remember, theme parks are low on the totem pole.

I agree... Unfortunately the company is operating at a pace that far exceeds the long drawn out timeline of developing an entirely new theme park. Plus, they can't even get a parking garage built across the street!

 

[mickEblu]

Whenever the 3rd Gate discussion comes up, someone chimes in with 'The Toy Story lot is zoned to be a park.' I don't know if that's true, but it's often repeated.

How many acres is it?

 

[SSG]

How many acres is it?

Not sure exactly, but the Google Earth shots seem to suggest a bit smaller than DCA.