News Paradise Pier Becoming Pixar Pier

[dweezil78]

I think only Matterhorn/Monorail/Subs in 1959 (plus an expanded Autopia and a new Motorboat Cruise at the same time) comes close to replicating the scope of Star Wars Land. Especially when you consider what the rest of Disneyland was like in 1958 compared to June, 1959 when all that new stuff opened all at once and physically and aesthetically altered the park in a major way.

And this giant Swiss mountain suddenly was looming over everything in Disneyland; Oregon Trail log forts, thatched African huts with elephant tusks, circa 1905 Midwest towns, Medieval fairs, an all-plastic future house, and tropical lagoons with atomic submarines. The Matterhorn's aesthetic and physical impact on Disneyland in '59 was like a giant neon Las Vegas sign compared to the tastefully tailored Star Wars Land backdrop to the Rivers of America.

The opening of New Orleans Square was spread out over three years and a month, and would have fans screaming Chapek's name in disgust if they tried to pull that off today. But when Walt did this, it was fine and no one says a word;

July, 1966 - New Orleans Square opens with a half dozen shops and two restaurants, but no ride. Talk about a money grab!
March, 1967 - Pirates of the Caribbean and Blue Bayou restaurant opens. Eight months late equals Epic Fail!
June, 1967 - Club 33 opens to fat cat sponsors and the 1%. A place for the filthy rich to get drunk and literally look down on us.
August, 1969 - Haunted Mansion opens and New Orleans Square is finally complete. Walt's a cheapskate!

You forgot -
1961 - Disney announces Haunted Mansion coming in 1963 and hands out promo material at DL. No real plans, totally winging it.
1963 - Haunted Mansion exterior completed. Sits vacant for SIX YEARS. WDI directionless, can't agree on what to do with it.

 

[JohnyKaz2078]

Uhh.. yes! Duration is a huge element in coasters

The duration hasn't changed.

Except those arent huge capacity... smooth coasters with great omboard soundtracks.

Screamin wasnt perfect... but in dca it was a great thrill ride. I find this change an effort... but not necessarily a success.

Anyone could easily make the same argument about paddle wheel riverboats, or submarines, or trains, or monorails, and on and on. Any of these rides can be found at other amusement parks. What made the coaster "Disney" was the thematic theater dressing and your imagination. Like the Mark Twain, which is a fake riverboat plying a fake river, California Screamin was a fake wooden roller coaster on fake seaside pier. Adding the Incredibles to the coaster simply plopped frosting on top of the frosting that was already there, something only a 5 year old (or John Lasseter) would deem necessary.

Agreed. It's not perfect but there is no reason to be tooooo dramatic.

 

[Brad Bishop]

But I think the true test is how Star Wars Land holds up over the next 50 years. How it impacts Disneyland fandom, and Star Wars fandoms. That will be the true test to see how large its scope is.

I actually think we're at the tail end of Star Wars popularity. Sure, when it opens the fans will come out and people will be curious and want to see it and it's something new at DL and WDW. At the same time, after that initial burst happens, which could last a few years, I think it'll die down to about the excitement of what Star Tours is today: just something to do.

I think the peak of Star Wars was probably around 1980 or so. Since then, we've been on a slow decline with it being revitalized, partially, before I, II, & III and then dropping a bit more after those movies. You can see this in toy sales. For the last few years after Christmas retailers have had lots of Star Wars merchandise laying around even at $1 on clearance.

I think the recent movies have something to do with it (they're really just shoveling it at the fans, now) but, more importantly, I think there's a "popularity arc" that is associated with these properties and Star Wars is nearing the end of it's arc. I'm thinking these arcs last 40-50 years. You can see something similar with very popular, but forgotten movies like, "Wizard of Oz." WoO was a remarkable movie filled with fantasy and all that. It's a good movie, still enjoyable today, and it had a HUGE following but that following died off sometime in the 1980s. If you were to open a WoO park in the 1970s (and someone did - it may have been the late 1960s - I think it was in NC) then you were on the trailing end of that arc.

I think Universal struck it just about right with opening HP stuff in 2012 but, that too, will be declining as the years pass by but I think that they have several decades ahead of them with regards to HP.

 

[BasiltheBatLord]

Maybe I’m jumping into the lion’s den here, but I’m kind of amazed that people are accusing Incredicoaster of being a Six Flags-esque ride when California Screamin’ was for years the epitome of Six Flags in a Disney Park.

 

[PB Watermelon]

All of Pixar Pier is the new Stink Bomb--A crass, cynical, clueless, badly-designed stench-field of moron decisions. Even Goofy's Sky School is a better-handled remodel than Incredicoaster.

Well, I know who I don't want to be in line with.

 

[Disneysea05]

I walked through it yesterday for the first time, and overall it does seem like an improvement on what was there before, but still far from perfect. Poultry Palace and the Buzz Churros are completely out of place. What’s the point of having an elegant Victorian building for Toy Story Mania when you place this tacky stuff right across the way?

Didn’t experience any attractions yesterday since they are not really new and had long waits. I can wait to ride the coaster when the lines die down.

Also thought the cast member costumes (they’re more like uniforms now) have taken a huge step back. It seems so lazy and boring to have all CMs from attractions, stores and foods wear the same costume. And it’s not even that nice looking to begin with, a very generic looking uniform. The coaster has the lone unique costume, but again it’s a generic uniform now.

 

[britain]

Maybe I’m jumping into the lion’s den here, but I’m kind of amazed that people are accusing Incredicoaster of being a Six Flags-esque ride when California Screamin’ was for years the epitome of Six Flags in a Disney Park.

Yes, it was, but now it's even MORE Six Flags-esque since those parks are full of bare-bones coasters with superhero figures tacked on to them.

 

[Rich T]

Well, I know who I don't want to be in line with.

LOL! Yeah, I wouldn't wish that on anyone. No worries: You won't find me anywhere near DCA for quite a while.

 

[Rich T]

Maybe I’m jumping into the lion’s den here, but I’m kind of amazed that people are accusing Incredicoaster of being a Six Flags-esque ride when California Screamin’ was for years the epitome of Six Flags in a Disney Park.

That's a really good objection, and here's my opinion: California Screamin' represented an idealized version of a Six Flags-type experience. It was a huge, fun, lengthy looping coaster in a safe Disney environment with a friendly crew operating it. In addition, it had an awesome on-board soundtrack and ran up to five trains at once. That can't be emphasized enough: Imagine your favorite Six Flags coaster running five trains. Yeah, the line moved pretty quick!

In other words, Screamin' wasn't a typical Six Flags experience. It was the perfect, ideal, never-happens-in-reality version of that experience.

 

[smile]

What’s the point of having an elegant Victorian building for Toy Story Mania when you place this tacky stuff right across the way?

because pixar

because synergy

because ignorance

 

[dweezil78]

At the same time, after that initial burst happens, which could last a few years, I think it'll die down to about the excitement of what Star Tours is today: just something to do.

If the land is good, it'll be able to stand on its own -- much like Cars Land. I can't see Radiator Springs ever becoming 'just something to do' nor can I imagine two huge next-gen, immersive e-tickets surrounded by an insanely detailed environment going that route either, Star Wars or not.

 

[TROR]

If the land is good, it'll be able to stand on its own -- much like Cars Land. I can't see Radiator Springs ever becoming 'just something to do' nor can I imagine two huge next-gen, immersive e-tickets surrounded by an insanely detailed environment going that route either, Star Wars or not.

Cars Land is definitely just something to do imo. Radiator Springs Racers is the only part of Cars Land that is a must see at DCA (it's really the only must see at DCA).

 

[dweezil78]

Cars Land is definitely just something to do imo. Radiator Springs Racers is the only part of Cars Land that is a must see at DCA (it's really the only must see at DCA).

Well yeah, I'm referring to the actual attraction like he was comparing to Star Tours... But I do disagree about the land itself. I love walking through it, especially at night, and grabbing a snack over at Cozy Cones or sitting on the back deck of Flo's and watching the cars zoom by. It offers way more ways to chill and absorb scenery than most throughout DLR.

Honest question with no snarky answer please -- aside from maybe Main St. and the ROA area at DL, taking attractions out of it, how many other lands would you not consider just 'something to do' then?

 

[Rich T]

Cars Land is definitely just something to do imo. Radiator Springs Racers is the only part of Cars Land that is a must see at DCA (it's really the only must see at DCA).

Flo's and Mater's are also great. The shops are fun. The whole environment and its wonderful soundtrack of car-related music is great. The Cones have excellent snacks. Luigi's isn't doing any harm. Fillmore's place is a hilariously weird photo opp at night. The neon-lighting ceremony is more charming than World of Color. I love Cars Land.

 

[TROR]

Well yeah, I'm referring to the actual attraction like he was comparing to Star Tours... But I do disagree about the land itself. I love walking through it, especially at night, and grabbing a snack over at Cozy Cones or sitting on the back deck of Flo's and watching the cars zoom by. It offers way more ways to chill and absorb scenery than most throughout DLR.

Honest question with no snarky answer please -- aside from maybe Main St. and the ROA area at DL, taking attractions out of it, how many other lands would you not consider just 'something to do' then?

New Orleans Square and Frontierland are both lovely even without attractions. I always try to make an effort to stroll through the alleyways of New Orleans Square.

 

[flynnibus]

I actually think we're at the tail end of Star Wars popularity.

I think you get hung up on the difference in hype over something “mythical” and talked about because what it was... and can’t be duplicated verse what is “in the flesh” and readily available.

Star Wars spend decades in the “what was...” cataegory. The energy and fandom was from a small period of time and there was little way for new blood to come in. This was the mythical stage... everyone reminiscing and living off small bits. In the last decade we’ve had a firehose of material and pickup in fans... of all ages.

It’s diffrent... but even when that firehose slows down.... you will still have floods of millions that you didn’t have from the prior period.

 

[Disneysea05]

because pixar

because synergy

because ignorance

Only the last one applies. The first two could have been accomplished in a way that continues the look that the mania building establishes.

 

[smile]

The first two could have been accomplished in a way that continues the look that the mania building establishes.

the fact they weren't is why i included them

 

[nevol]

We are closer to this than ever before, to be fair. Not a fan of incredicoaster or lamplight lounge, but the new entrance and pixar promenade are nice. perfect, no, but look far better than before. Solid pier placemaking in pixar promenade. The area desperately needs a dark ride though.

 

[Suspirian]

We are closer to this than ever before, to be fair. Not a fan of incredicoaster or lamplight lounge, but the new entrance and pixar promenade are nice. perfect, no, but look far better than before. Solid pier placemaking in pixar promenade. The area desperately needs a dark ride though.

Id love a Coco dark ride. I also want them to shut down the Monsters Inc ride and make a new one on the pier themed to a spookhouse.