Triton Installed on Ariel's Undersea Adventure at Disney California Adventure...

[TP2000]

Yes, I consider the area of row houses to be part of what I was referring to as "Cannery Row". I could have used the term "San Francisco" if it'll make you feel better. The Pacific Wharf area is obviously supposed to be Cannery Row and the houses evoke Lumbard Street. To the east of the houses, you have California wine country. I further consider the Golden Dreams area to be a transition area between "San Francisco" and "Santa Monica". I'm sure the original theater copied an actual building somewhere in the state, but it's not a famous enough building that someone like me (who lived in California for several years) would recognize it immediately (or even have it evoke a particular area of the state). And therefore, if someone asked me, I would tell them the Little Mermaid Attraction is being put in an area that used to be a transition area between Pacific Wharf and Paradise Pier.

It's a food court. They had the nerve to call a exhibition on making tortillas an "attraction". That's like calling the popcorn carts in the Disneyland hub an "attraction". It's an uninteresting area. It might be perfectly themed, but it's perfectly themed to look like an uninteresting place to be. They built a "land" with nothing there.

Oh, that explains it! You were/are referring to the San Francisco street as "Cannery Row". Makes much more sense now, but you really had us confused there.

But actually, Cannery Row is a rather famous street up in Monterey where the sardine canning factories are. John Steinbeck used that exact setting in his famous 1950's novels Cannery Row and Sweet Thursday, and the books were the basis for the early 80's Nick Nolte/Debra Winger movie called... wait for it... Cannery Row!

This is the real Cannery Row district in Monterrey...

That inspired the Pacific Wharf district in DCA...

For those keeping score at home, the San Francisco street, that Krack had been identifying as "Cannery Row", serves as a short street leading from the Golden State wilderness area to the mini-hub in the back of the park that leads to Pacific Wharf and the two main walkways that lead around the lagoon to Paradise Pier.

San Francisco Street bathroom complex on the right in '09, with early Little Mermaid construction on the left

This short block of buildings, made to look like San Francisco row houses, is really just a false facade for a facility that only contains a large restroom complex, some pay phones, and an ATM. When DCA opened, it was widely criticized for being the only real mention of San Francisco inside the park, along with the Golden Dreams rotunda and the Golden Gate Bridge monorail overpass. There's really not much to this short street, and it's used as an example of DCA cost-cutting for not housing actual shops or useable park amenities (besides bathrooms).

Directly across is where the Golden Dreams attractions is, and the rotunda was the only thing kept for the Little Mermaid facility. The rotunda is an almost direct copy of the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco's Presidio park. The Palace of Fine Arts is now part of a children's museum complex, but was originally built for the great 1915-16 Pan Pacific World's Exposition to showcase to the world that San Francisco was back and better than ever 10 years after the earthquake and fire of 1906.

Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco - The DCA version is the only part of Golden Dreams they kept for Little Mermaid

The big reason why they kept the rotunda from Golden Dreams for Mermaid is because it's based on that early 1900's World's Fair pavilion fanciful architecture they are going for with this building. Plus it just looks cool. :lol: A shame you didn't explore San Francisco more when you lived here Krack, the Presidio is a gorgeous park with great architecture left over from the World's Fair.

And thus, with our photo tour of coastal Northern California completed, that brings us back on topic, which is the Little Mermaid buildings on both coasts.

I think they are both going to be great. Totally different, as to be expected with the two very different parks they inhabit. But equally stunning. I think folks who have looked at the two (2) rather simple and vague sketches of what the Mermaid exterior will look like in WDW, and have extrapolated that it's somehow vastly superior to the DCA version will soon realize the DCA version can hold its own with the WDW facade. The unique Fantasyland version will be fun too though!

 

[AEfx]

I'm swimming in so much pixie dust I'm farting rainbows.

And you've just insulted a moderator and spammed insults. Hopefully you'll get over it when you go :wave:.

The building does fit, but that isn't what I am referencing here. The ride itself doesn't seem to fit to the area. It's like having Monsters Inc in Tomorrowland... or even worse putting Monsters Inc in Frontierland as long as it is in a Log Cabin.

Welcome to DCA.

Nothing fits in that park. Monsters Inc dark ride is in...Hollywoodland? I guess, 'cause it's a movie? LOL.

DCA has some neat attractions, but it's just not what we have come to expect in terms of cohesiveness. It will be interesting to see how that 1B plan works out - but without picking up rides and moving them, no matter what things are just in funny places. Not to mention the convoluted design - it's very difficult to do a circuit there (at least it was when I visited - I don't know if you are meant to be able to circle back around the boardwalk, when I was there last year it hit a dead end).

I too don't get the Aquarium theme for a dark ride like this...but they worked with what they had, I guess. I'm just so happy the ride got made, even if it has a very loose connection to the land.

 

[Enchantâmes]

And you've just insulted a moderator and spammed insults. Hopefully you'll get over it when you go :wave:.




Welcome to DCA.

Nothing fits in that park. Monsters Inc dark ride is in...Hollywoodland? I guess, 'cause it's a movie? LOL.

DCA has some neat attractions, but it's just not what we have come to expect in terms of cohesiveness. It will be interesting to see how that 1B plan works out - but without picking up rides and moving them, no matter what things are just in funny places. Not to mention the convoluted design - it's very difficult to do a circuit there (at least it was when I visited - I don't know if you are meant to be able to circle back around the boardwalk, when I was there last year it hit a dead end).

I too don't get the Aquarium theme for a dark ride like this...but they worked with what they had, I guess. I'm just so happy the ride got made, even if it has a very loose connection to the land.

 

[WDWGoof07]

I think they are both going to be great. Totally different, as to be expected with the two very different parks they inhabit. But equally stunning. I think folks who have looked at the two (2) rather simple and vague sketches of what the Mermaid exterior will look like in WDW, and have extrapolated that it's somehow vastly superior to the DCA version will soon realize the DCA version can hold its own with the WDW facade. The unique Fantasyland version will be fun too though!

Took the words right out my mouth. Both versions will have excellent facades.

 

[Krack]

But actually, Cannery Row is a rather famous street up in Monterey where the sardine canning factories are. John Steinbeck used that exact setting in his famous 1950's novels Cannery Row and Sweet Thursday, and the books were the basis for the early 80's Nick Nolte/Debra Winger movie called... wait for it... Cannery Row!

This is the real Cannery Row district in Monterrey...

I've been there several times, and the Pacific Wharf looks just like it. But that doesn't mean that either (a) a perfect recreation of Cannery Row makes for an interesting area in a theme park, or (b) that the "San Francisco/Cannery Row/Wine Country" area amounts to anything more than a food court (which is fine, but that makes for the most boring uninspired "land" in Disney).

 

[Captain Neo]

Both the DCA and WDW version will get very nice exteriors but I will say WDW's will probably be a bit more grand simply because they can go hog wild in Fantasyland while in DCA it has to be a more real-world looking building for theme purposes.

 

[Pioneer Hall]

Get over it.

While I personally can't care less that you decided to be somewhat rude to me and another poster, I don't see the reason for it. I posed a question and was seeing if others has insight or opinions on the topic. I don't see where in my posts I complained, whined, or said anything that would require you to come up with the unnecessary attitude that you have. If you don't like the conversation and don't have anything constuctive to add, then just don't post.

 

[sponono88]

The Clam Shells have arrived! Here's a look at the unwrapping and installation process for the shells

[youtube]XV3PsBf8lKw[/youtube]

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/bl...-arrived-at-disney-california-adventure-park/

 

[socalkdg]

It's a food court. They had the nerve to call a exhibition on making tortillas an "attraction". That's like calling the popcorn carts in the Disneyland hub an "attraction". It's an uninteresting area. It might be perfectly themed, but it's perfectly themed to look like an uninteresting place to be. They built a "land" with nothing there.

I've done this "attraction" on every visit to the park, which numbers at least 75. Prefer flour to corn. Pick up some butter packs first before you go in, melted butter on the tortillas is perfect. Then pick up a couple slices of bread. Yum.

Last trip in Feb. this actually convinced me to purchase a Mickey shaped sour dough bread. The power of free samples.

They build a land that serves as a food court with at least three different options to choose from. Works nicely.

 

[TP2000]

I've done this "attraction" on every visit to the park, which numbers at least 75. Prefer flour to corn. Pick up some butter packs first before you go in, melted butter on the tortillas is perfect. Then pick up a couple slices of bread. Yum.

Exactly.

Not every attraction has to be Pirates of the Carribean or Space Mountain. Attractions can be little, fun, minor diversions that take 4 or 5 minutes to experience and enjoy. I actually enjoy the tortilla factory tour, and the neat little holograph vignettes of Hispanic families through the ages making and enjoying tortillas (and I don't like Mexican food normally).

The tortilla and bread factory tours are minor attractions, but they are done well and have stood up nicely over the last 10 years. They exemplify something that Anaheim still does well and still offers their customers; minor, yet nicely presented, small attractions.

The "minor, charming attraction" is actually a category that has nearly vanished from WDW, but still thrives in Anaheim in the form of the Main Street Cinema that is still an actual cinema, the Main Street Penny Arcade that is still a penny arcade, the Sleeping Beauty Castle walk-through that was gorgeously freshened for the 21st century, the Big Thunder Ranch petting zoo that changes seasonally, pretty much all of Mickey's Toontown, the Disney Gallery exhibits, the Blue Sky Cellar exhibits, the tortilla factory, the bread factory, etc.

There are a few exceptions at WDW, mainly in Epcot's World Showcase, but overall the minor, charming walk-through attractions and exhibits have been shut down at WDW and replaced with retail space or blank walls by TDO.

Who doesn't like a free fresh tortilla?