Ok, starting off with a statement may have come of circular, but let me phrase it this way. How can we all agree that Disneyland Park's basic concept is the pinnacle of themed entertainment we feel that bringing disparate things to a homogenized center, the premise that all of the park's areas opperate upon to some extent, is automatically flawed?
No, because you take the next logical fallacy that this model of homogenization is the definition of how theme should be measured because it's what has worked in the past. The idea of success, does not infer exclusive or being the pinnacle. The outcome of the product working... does not in itself make any test = true.
My point about FL was in getting this homogenized experience, we actually LOST some things, that if done differently, could be very desirable (example: radiator springs). The idea that FL has been deemed a model of desire does not make it equal any test.. it just means it works as a whole. So when we say its cohesive.. it can be to ITSELF, while not necessarily bringing the value of each of the pieces it includes. TL;DR - when you take the middle, you can lose the edge details. So taking the middle is not the ONLY formula to consider.
What people often forget about the theme park design is success is not always about making two things fit together, but is often about making sure something doesn't DETRACT from the other. Success there, means people willingly accept disparate things together, because their differences were not enough to derail the intended result. Success there does not make those two thing magically 'cohesive' - it just means the design overcame those potential pitfalls that could lead to confusion or distraction.
Let's be honest.. the thing that holds FL together more than anything is that they are all Disney's period fantasy animated films. The rest is making sure we ebb and flow through those different topics without being confused or derailed (too much) by what we see.
Setting up the Dumbo circus in the castle courtyard would not work... but if we avoid those detracting, jarring elements... we achieve a point where people accept Dumbo in the land even tho it really has no real place setting, time, or story connection with it's neighbors.
You achieve a point where the element doesn't really fit strict definitions of place, time, setting, etc.. but people don't care. The manipulation of the guest experience is not about getting every point to be 100% accurate, but to manipulate to get them into the groove and focus on what you want them to focus on. We can ignore that black tile ceiling because we got them not just looking where we want, but THINKING about what we want and controlling their focus, not just line of sight.
All of this is a long way of saying.. just because FL works, doesn't necessarily mean all of its elements are cohesive.. or some other test.. simply that we achieved a tipping point to people being in favor of the result.
It's why most people don't care about the matterhorn dominating TL's skyline, or the lagoon itself... the sum results where they are happy with it.
