News Paradise Pier Becoming Pixar Pier

Curious Constance

Well-Known Member
From Micechat. I kinda like this secret room at Lamplighter:

A secret room known as “The Office” is located behind a special puzzle door and is available to randomly chosen lucky parties. After solving the puzzle, complete with special effects, you’re welcomed into your own little private speakeasy.

35812541_10216437603630421_4485627044662607872_n.jpg
Door to “The Office”
35731496_10216437627111008_2458135935280218112_n.jpg
“The Office” secret room
35864524_10216437627271012_8650220513903247360_n.jpg
“The Office” secret room
35802214_10216437626270987_7206397902220951552_n.jpg

Small private patio area just outside “The Office”

Oh my god, is John Lasseter waiting back there for the family? :confused:
 

Professortango1

Well-Known Member
I guess I don't really understand, beyond just having issues with them putting an overlay, why anyone would cancel their AP because of this. The rides are basically the same experiences.

Direction of the parks. Rather than getting new Disney quality experiences, we are receiving cheap rethemes of existing attractions. Mission BO, Incredicoaster, the rumored update to the Matterhorn. Plus, the theming of Pixar Pier shows Disney isn't focused on creating an immersive well-designed environment but instead looking to create quick and easy photo ops.
 

dweezil78

Well-Known Member
Direction of the parks. Rather than getting new Disney quality experiences, we are receiving cheap rethemes of existing attractions. Mission BO, Incredicoaster, the rumored update to the Matterhorn. Plus, the theming of Pixar Pier shows Disney isn't focused on creating an immersive well-designed environment but instead looking to create quick and easy photo ops.

You say this as they are literally building the largest, most detail heavy expansion to a DLR park in history — and just 5 years after they did the same at DCA.

I agree that Pixar Pier isn’t great and am not a huge fan of IP-mania, but also think it’s super unrealistic to expect every single park project to exist on the same level.
 

Professortango1

Well-Known Member
You say this as they are literally building the largest, most detail heavy expansion to a DLR park in history — and just 5 years after they did the same at DCA.

I agree that Pixar Pier isn’t great and am not a huge fan of IP-mania, but also think it’s super unrealistic to expect every single park project to exist on the same level.

SWL looks to be great. But even Pandora's Navi River Adventure isn't a hit. It's gorgeous, but boring and short. We don't know how these SWL attractions and details will pan out. Unfortunately, since New Fantasyland, Disney has routinely rolled out cheap and lazy attractions/areas. This month we have Toy Story Land and Pixar Pier opening, both of which are getting a resounding "meh." I understand not renewing an AP because of this trend. It doesn't mean I won't come to the park, but if the park isn't as well executed as I like, I'm only going to go a few times a year at most.
 

dweezil78

Well-Known Member
Between this and "Disneyland? That's thematically inconsistent," I get the feeling the Imagineers are unhappy. Or they're stupid and think insulting their own brand is good for Disney. I prefer the former.

Maybe... but I also think they see DCA as the park where they can maybe play around a bit more, take themselves less seriously, and break the 4th wall a bit. They don’t do this kind of stuff across the esplanade.

They are two parks with different personalities and different playbooks.
 

SuddenStorm

Well-Known Member
Maybe... but I also think they see DCA as the park where they can maybe play around a bit more, take themselves less seriously, and break the 4th wall a bit. They don’t do this kind of stuff across the esplanade.

They are two parks with different personalities and different playbooks.

So basically admitting that what you're doing sucks inside the attraction makes it okay?

Disney should never take themselves less seriously. You can have a ride with comedy without taking yourself less seriously. The two are not one in the same.

Breaking the fourth wall? Spending all that money to convince people they're in a specific environment to break the fourth wall and essentially admit that environment is fake? Also should never be acceptable unless it's one of the Studio backlot parks where the whole point is that the stuff is fake.
 

October82

Well-Known Member
Disney should never take themselves less seriously. You can have a ride with comedy without taking yourself less seriously. The two are not one in the same.

Breaking the fourth wall? Spending all that money to convince people they're in a specific environment to break the fourth wall and essentially admit that environment is fake?

I don't know how big an impact this had on the poor reception that DCA 2001 received - but this was exactly the attitude they took then, and exactly the attitude they moved away from at great expense in 2012.

Also should never be acceptable unless it's one of the Studio backlot parks where the whole point is that the stuff is fake.

It shouldn't be acceptable there either. This really starts happening when MGM becomes DHS.
 

mickEblu

Well-Known Member
I guess I don't really understand, beyond just having issues with them putting an overlay, why anyone would cancel their AP because of this. The rides are basically the same experiences.

It’s not that deep. They keep making the rides less fun for me. They re turning theme parks into brand parks. And they also seem to have lost their way and don’t understand their brand anymore when it comes to the parks. As I said, if I had a DCA only AP, this latest change would be enough for me not to renew. But then I guess I wouldn’t have a DCA AP in the first place. The only reason my AP has any value to me right now is DL and that is even diminishing because of the crowds.

Oh ya, they re not the same experiences after the overlays and this is especially true for Soarin Around the World and GOTG. With Screamin, i can kind of see what you re saying but they still managed to take a coaster that didn’t need anything and slap on a bunch of tacky figures and annoying dialogue to make the experience worse.

So if they replaced all of the POTC AAs with Avengers AAs and changed the soundtrack but kept the same track layout and boats that would be the same experience for you. An odd assessment for someone who spends so much time on theme park boards.

EDIT^^ ok maybe not the best example for Soarin Around the World or Incredicoaster but definitely applies to GOTG: MB.
 
Last edited:

bluerhythym

Well-Known Member
From Micechat. I kinda like this secret room at Lamplighter:

A secret room known as “The Office” is located behind a special puzzle door and is available to randomly chosen lucky parties. After solving the puzzle, complete with special effects, you’re welcomed into your own little private speakeasy.

35812541_10216437603630421_4485627044662607872_n.jpg
Door to “The Office”

Okay, this is actually really cool. DCA has always been lacking in these special little experiences like Disneyland has - the firehouse, the secret back paths (like near the Harbour Galley), the pet cemetery, piloting the Mark Twain, the shooting range, the Lily Belle (maybe only accessible by tour now?), The Court of Angels (RIP). Its the little things that round out the park and make it feel full.
 

SuddenStorm

Well-Known Member
It shouldn't be acceptable there either. This really starts happening when MGM becomes DHS.

Studio parks, like Universal Studios with a Studio Tour showing how they make films, are an admission of fake, and would never be allowed in Disneyland (which is why I dislike the current iteration of the Launch Bay). This is why their rides usually lean toward the backlot, educational approach instead of pure action. Instead of the premise being inside a film, you're on a set of the film for example.

This is an inherently flawed way of making a park though, which is why they rarely remain faithful to limitations that admitting fantasy is fake causes.
 

dweezil78

Well-Known Member
So basically admitting that what you're doing sucks inside the attraction makes it okay?

Disney should never take themselves less seriously. You can have a ride with comedy without taking yourself less seriously. The two are not one in the same.

Breaking the fourth wall? Spending all that money to convince people they're in a specific environment to break the fourth wall and essentially admit that environment is fake? Also should never be acceptable unless it's one of the Studio backlot parks where the whole point is that the stuff is fake.

You're twisting everything I said around and also seem to think rules/guidelines/etc for theme parks and attractions can never change or be broken. I never said they were taking the job less seriously -- my reference was in regards to the humor and writing. I mean taking it less seriously in the same way Jungle Cruise started out as serious attraction and they completely revamped it to be hokey and silly.

Also keep in mind that humor today is far more meta than it used to be. Whether or not you or I appreciate this style of humor is another thing, but the younger modern day, thrill-seeking audience who has embraced DCA certainly does.
 

Hatbox Ghostbuster

Well-Known Member
You're twisting everything I said around and also seem to think rules/guidelines/etc for theme parks and attractions can never change or be broken. I never said they were taking the job less seriously -- my reference was in regards to the humor and writing. I mean taking it less seriously in the same way Jungle Cruise started out as serious attraction and they completely revamped it to be hokey and silly.

Also keep in mind that humor today is far more meta than it used to be. Whether or not you or I appreciate this style of humor is another thing, but the younger modern day, thrill-seeking audience who has embraced DCA certainly does.
Basically, DCA is the theme park for the Snapchat generation.
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom