News Paradise Pier Becoming Pixar Pier

[Disneylover152]

I just realized that each individual neighborhood represents a different location/time period.

The entrance neighborhood represents modern day boardwalks, with grand buildings and entrance points and modern designs inside Knick's Knacks and Lamplight Lounge.

Ex.

The Incredibles neighborhood represents the middle of the century boardwalks with The Incredicoaster.

The Toy Story neighborhood represents the 70s style boardwalks with grand architecture and giant structures (Jessie).
Ex.

The Pixar Neighborhood represents the 1920s Victorian Boardwalks we all love.

And the Inside Out Neighborhood represents the funky, bright colored boardwalks of the early-21st century.

Ex.

So if you think about it in a way, Pixar Pier is a journey through the boardwalks of the past into the present day. It still takes you back to places in periods of time. The only thing I can't get over is the Toy Story Critter Carousel. That just seems like "oh keep the steel structure, nobody will notice with the Giant Jessie distracting them".

 

[Deleted member 107043]

This goes back to why, in its inception, California Adventure failed and why six years later the billion dollar investment wasn't as thoughtfully genuine. I think a lot of people thought portions of DCA would try to capture what Main Street initially did.

I get your point, and somewhat agree, but let's be honest, Main Street isn't really any more authentic at representing a small Midwestern town than Pixar Pier is at representing an early 20th century California seaside pier. For me Main Street has always felt exactly like what it is: a very nice welcome/exit to Disneyland with adequately themed turn-of-the-century shops and restaurants.

To me the most egregious aspect of PP is the unnecessary Pixar storytelling. If they had toned down the IP a bit some of the incongruous new theming might be forgivable. Considering this, I think what many people are reacting to is the fact that they're transforming Paradise Pier into something that looks like a thinly veiled experiential advertisement for Pixar Studios.

 

[TROR]

I just realized that each individual neighborhood represents a different location/time period.

The entrance neighborhood represents modern day boardwalks, with grand buildings and entrance points and modern designs inside Knick's Knacks and Lamplight Lounge.

Ex. View attachment 278085

The Incredibles neighborhood represents the middle of the century boardwalks with The Incredicoaster.

The Toy Story neighborhood represents the 70s style boardwalks with grand architecture and giant structures (Jessie).
Ex.

The Pixar Neighborhood represents the 1920s Victorian Boardwalks we all love.

View attachment 278086

And the Inside Out Neighborhood represents the funky, bright colored boardwalks of the early-21st century.

Ex. View attachment 278088

So if you think about it in a way, Pixar Pier is a journey through the boardwalks of the past into the present day. It still takes you back to places in periods of time. The only thing I can't get over is the Toy Story Critter Carousel. That just seems like "oh keep the steel structure, nobody will notice with the Giant Jessie distracting them".

I think this is a bit of a stretch, particularly since Luna Park was built in 1912.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

1912?

 

[__r.jr]

I get your point, and somewhat agree, but let's be honest, Main Street isn't really any more authentic at representing a small Midwestern town than Pixar Pier is at representing an early 20th century California seaside pier. For me Main Street has always felt exactly like what it is: a very nice welcome/exit to Disneyland with adequately themed turn-of-the-century shops and restaurants.

Main Street was never intended to be an exact, antithetic recreation however. Realism is great, but Disneyland isn't about being a portrayal of the most realistic of everything. Main Street looks nothing like the typical dusty, telephone-wire-festooned roads of "real" Main Streets (including Marceline). It's about fantasy-but all great fantasy relies on a veneer of reality, which helps to "heighten" the fantasy. That's why today, Main Street "feels" less real. It used to have just enough reality that the mind could be fooled; could be lulled away to thinking that "this must be what a real Main Street 'felt' like."

Main Street has seen changes (often ones I disagree with) but when I think about it, overall, not much has changed on a holistic level. It's still supposed to represent a typical late 19th century business thoroughfare, with civic institutions and commerce, where the guest could feel one was actually taking part. It still does that pretty well, although I would argue that the removal of many of the immersive details has weakened the effect.

The point is, you're not going to get perfect theming even in a "living museum" like Colonial Williamsburg, where the "wenches" will still serve modern Sam Adams beer, and ring up your debit card. "Theme" may be imperfect, but the "Story" is easily understood. Where Main Street succeeds Pixar Pier fails, still.

 

[Disneylover152]

I think this is a bit of a stretch, particularly since Luna Park was built in 1912.

the famous giant characters of Luna Park, and the bright colors we know today, were all built in 1970s. Other boardwalks around the country got giant characters in the 1970s as well.

It's not a stretch, its pretty accurate.

 

[Deleted member 107043]

"Theme" may be imperfect, but the "Story" is easily understood.

Pixar Pier looks like it'll be a mess story-wise primarily because it uses Pixar films as an excuse for its content instead of just being a romanticized seaside pier. Strip the Pixar elements from it and it would be roughly as historically accurate and as evocative as Main Street.

Where Main Street succeeds Pixar Pier fails, still.

I would not be a bit surprised if Disney eventually put some kind of IP overlay on Main Street someday.

 

[Disneylover152]

I would not be a bit surprised if Disney eventually put some kind of IP overlay on Main Street someday.

They already did that with Shanghai...

 

[TROR]

I would not be a bit surprised if Disney eventually put some kind of IP overlay on Main Street someday.

Kill me now

 

[Disneylover152]

Off topic, but relates to the IP nonsense:

TBH whenever people say "Mickey Avenue is there because the Chinese don't want to experience a turn of the century, small-town America." I'm like False. That might be a minor part of it, but then they could have put a different style Main Street, like World Bazar in Tokyo. But they decided to go with a Toontown entrance. It's just them throwing in IPs in that park, whenever they can and using "we are making this a park for the Chinese" as an excuse.

Same thing with Toy Story Land in Shanghai. It has an entire Western Village area, with shops and rides. They could have created a Grizzly Gulch style area for that park, but they had to IP-fie it and add it to Toy Story Land.

 

[Disneylover152]

Do we know if Disney is going to replace the "Paradise Pier" on the Golden Zephyr with "Paradise Park"?

 

[TROR]

Do we know if Disney is going to replace the "Paradise Pier" on the Golden Zephyr with "Paradise Park"?
View attachment 278168

As likely as them retheming Tower of Terror's FP distribution

 

[DanielBB8]

I would not be a bit surprised if Disney eventually put some kind of IP overlay on Main Street someday.

This IP overlay occurs nightly via fireworks and digital mapping. Main Street also has IP window display cases and IP merchandise. Halloween decorations has a distinct Disney feel during the season. This has been done before. Are you more outraged about Pixar than noticing this is nothing new?

 

[TROR]

This IP overlay occurs nightly via fireworks and digital mapping. Main Street also has IP window display cases and IP merchandise. Halloween decorations has a distinct Disney feel during the season. This has been done before. Are you more outraged about Pixar than noticing this is nothing new?

Are you like an alien or something because you so consistently miss the point of what people say

 

[DanielBB8]

Are you like an alien or something because you so consistently miss the point of what people say

This is a contrary viewpoint that you’re not capable of understanding. You see Disney as doing everything wrong when it’s entirely possible they are doing it correctly and consistently all along. Seems like you’re the alienated Disney fan.

 

[TROR]

This is a contrary viewpoint that you’re not capable of understanding. You see Disney as doing everything wrong when it’s entirely possible they are doing it correctly and consistently all along. Seems like you’re the alienated Disney fan.

You're either a complete buffoon or my favorite troll.

 

[DanielBB8]

You're either a complete buffoon or my favorite troll.

You’re a nut.

 

[Deleted member 107043]

This IP overlay occurs nightly via fireworks and digital mapping. Main Street also has IP window display cases and IP merchandise. Halloween decorations has a distinct Disney feel during the season. This has been done before. Are you more outraged about Pixar than noticing this is nothing new?

Actually what I’m arguing is that Main Street and Pixar Pier are roughly similar in that they are inconsistent in the general way they approach authenticity in their storytelling. The biggest difference between the two is that IP is being baked into PP. That said Main Street does host IP based entertainment, parades, and nighttime spectacles daily that are completely incongruous with a turn-of-the-century Midwestern town. So thanks for helping me prove my point.

 

[DanielBB8]

Actually what I’m arguing is that Main Street and Pixar Pier are roughly similar in that they are inconsistent in the general way they approach authenticity in their storytelling. The biggest difference between the two is that IP is being baked into PP. That said Main Street hosts entertainment, parades, and nighttime spectacles daily that are completely incongruous with a turn-of-the-century Midwestern town. So thanks for helping me prove my point.

I’m glad you and I agree. So is it still “egregious” at PP? I think it’s about the same. Neither more egregious with the story line or advertisement than the other.

 

[__r.jr]

Pixar Pier looks like it'll be a mess story-wise primarily because it uses Pixar films as an excuse for its content instead of just being a romanticized seaside pier. Strip the Pixar elements from it and it would be roughly as historically accurate and as evocative as Main Street.

To a degree yes. However Main Street's narrative doesn't contain or rely on pre-established characters in the vain as Pixar Pier. You don't see any characters setting up any permanent businesses or have any set residences within the mid-western town. A better comparison would be Mickey Avenue in Shanghai Disneyland where characters are integral to the design and narrative. But then again Mickey Avenue builds upon it organically. Pixar Pier is shoehorned unrelentingly.

It's fascinating to witness the development. This is going to be the third iteration of the area. It's almost as if they don't know what to do with it. What's disappointing is there was a legitimate story being created for Paradise Pier. Does the name Gustav Tinkerschmidt ring a bell? Disney should have fully pursued that narrative tissue instead of forcing characters, for the second time, that have no relevance to these attractions and settings and call it a theme.