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The Miscellaneous Thought Thread
- Thread starter mickEblu
- Start date
DrAlice
Well-Known Member
I don't remember it either. I didn't realize how late this existed in the park. However, if you check out some of the later images of it, you'll see why. The trees had totally overgrown this area and it wasn't quite so obvious of a feature as in the image you've posted.
Practical Pig
Well-Known Member
I have very little memory of seeing it myself, from a young childhood visit, but Cascade peak opened as part of the Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland expansion and that ride was the prime viewing experience, though it was also a feature on the ROA. as your posted photo shows. Here's the Yesterland on it: https://yesterland.com/cascadepeak.html
My young childhood wonder at it all included the impression that the waterfalls weren't very natural-looking.
smooch
Well-Known Member
This is so beautiful, I know the phrase is sort of overused when discussing Disneyland but this has so much charm. So much of what makes Disneyland so special: beautiful scenery, lots of kinetic energy with attractions passing each other, awesome forced perspective that makes the mountain look towering. All things that Disney no longer does, or at least not effectively. This just has such a park feel it doesn't feel like a corporate grab from a theme park trying to shovel merchandise and advertise their latest IP they purchased.
SuddenStorm
Well-Known Member
Tony talks a bit about Cascade Peak's removal in his interview with the Themed Attraction Podcast (I can't remember if it was part one or two) and how he fought to keep it. It's one of those pieces of Disneyland history that doesn't get talked about super often, so it's neat to hear a key player talk about its removal.
Rich T
Well-Known Member
Glad to hear this first-of-its-kind-and-oft-since-imitated book series is still going and hasn’t been completely replaced by fan/travel blogs n’ vlogs. I enjoyed the content very much in the past...with a few exceptions; are they STILL dissing Mr. Toad???Welp, my Unofficial guide to Disneyland 2021 book has been completely cancelled and taken down by Amazon, wow. Can’t blame them there’s nothing to report on. At first it got delayed until March 2021 but just got my cancellation email
Rich T
Well-Known Member
That shot of Cascade peak shows so much done well on a low budget in areas that Galaxy’s Edge fumbles so completely.
PiratesMansion
Well-Known Member
Indeed, they are still dissing Mr. Toad.
As much as they have a wealth of great information in their books, some of their ride opinions and quotes they've chosen to include about them have always been odd. Like that "don't let the childishness of the Haunted Mansion fool you" bit they always include. Just...what?
SuddenStorm
Well-Known Member
It always amazes me how bare and untamed early Frontierland was- but also how much bigger it seems in photographs (though I imagine a lot of that is because of the angles/camera used). It's a darn shame I wasn't around to see it.
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George Lucas on a Bench
Well-Known Member
The old west translates into a theme park far better than SW does, as Walt Disney established. I understand Knott's has a similar area but I've never been there. There's a romanticism to that era, although these days the kids all advocate for the Indians, poor victims of a conquering nation. Trains and boats traversing the wilderness, Cowboys and Indians, cacti and teepees. Star Wars Land is obviously a huge disaster, but Star Wars originally being a western in space, it's baffling they couldn't make it in to something charming, exciting and somehow nostalgic like Frontierland.
PiratesMansion
Well-Known Member
I'm kind of surprised you've never been to Knott's. I think you'd really enjoy the older parts of it.
Ghost Town is definitely >>> than Frontierland.
I haven’t been to Knotts in a while but I’d have to imagine that the ROA alone makes this impossible.
Just wanna chime in with with a long thing no one will read. Knotts is pretty awesome, i went there for the first time yesterday for the holloween food thing. And although no rides are running the park looked great for the most part. Also the food was excellent but more about the park.... I was surprised at how big it felt once you were inside of it, and I really really like the old west/spanish town/indian themed area as they are really well themed and full of huge trees that provide shade. Seriously like 50% of the ground is shaded. The ground is concrete but it crackles with leaves and berries and stuff and I really like that. It gives it a great natural park feel. However, the back side of the park is "boardwalk" themed and I really hate it. Its bare concrete with no shade, and a few palms...its so sterile. And they have just a small little pond lol, doesnt feel like a board walk at all, it feels like six flags. just minimal themed bleh. Disney California has pixar pier, a much better theme park boardwalk area, so I think knotts shoud retheme that to something disney doesnt have. Something with lots of trees as well, maybe just go big on the old west theme, or expand on the mayan/aztek spanish town theme, or maybe something completely diff like a dinosaur themed area....theres no dinos in disney and universal has a very small dino area with 1 ride and a store. I dunno. Now obviously no money is gonna be invested for a long time (thanks covid) but yeah, i think knotts should redo that back side of the park.
Rich T
Well-Known Member
Ghost Town has a lot of accuracy, character and genuine saved/relocated historic buildings that make the town section far superior to DL’s little (but cute) western street. I’d say Timber Mtn. and Calico Mine together equal Big Thunder. DL’s ROA trumps Knott’s wonderful Steam Locomotive doing its thing right in the middle of everything. I declare a tie!
Rich T
Well-Known Member
The problem was that Iger and Co. turned their backs on what everyone loved about Star Wars to create their own vision they could stamp their egos on. It’s like walking into a Wizard of Oz Land where the designers decided to replace everything familiar about classic Oz with their own nobody-cares characters and locales.
Rich T
Well-Known Member
Also, having Nature’s Wonderland behind it all added a buffer both physically and psychologically; there really was a huge physical “wilderness” back there that guests were aware of even when it was hidden from view. As a kid, I just loved knowing there was a desert full of geysers and dinosaur bones and teeteting rocks standing between “civilized” Frontierland and the park’s outer edge.
George Lucas on a Bench
Well-Known Member
"A remote outpost village far beyond the yellow brick road where witches and wizards are outlawed, new characters await at every turn and you can create your own adventures with unique shopping and dining. The most immersive experience ever created. Oz: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road."
PiratesMansion
Well-Known Member
There's merit to the idea that the river adds a lot and could potentially move the needle.
However, if you take the river out of the equation, Ghost Town trumps Frontierland on every level. More authentic, visually interesting, and dare I say...(sigh)...immersive.
And the Mine and Log Rides are genuinely some of the best non-Disney themed rides ever created.
It also helps that over the past several years Knott's has embraced being itself while Disneyland has simultaneously moved further away from what originally made it special.