Curious Constance
Well-Known Member
Lol just joking
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Wookies, & Rebels, & Droids... OH WHY?! The Anti-SWL in Disneyland Thread
- Thread starter Californian Elitist
- Start date
Donaldfan1934
Well-Known Member
Amen to that. It's what I've been saying all along. Disney could've had a gold mine with a park like that, but they had to bastardize what's already there in the name of cheapness. In my eyes, skipping out on a third gate with massive geek culture appeal is easily one of the biggest missed opportunities Disney has ever made.
Mike S
Well-Known Member
Especially with geek culture almost being "cool" now.
Curious Constance
Well-Known Member
I don't agree. Sure Star Wars and Marvel have lots of fans, but for every fan, there are at least three people who could care less about them. ONLY having Star Wars and Marvel in a park would be too limiting and wouldn't appeal to a wide enough margin of people.
Donaldfan1934
Well-Known Member
That's exactly my point. It's bigger than its ever been so why shouldn't Disney go all out instead of going the route they're going in to spite their own face? Sure, it would cost a ton of money, but their would be virtually no risk involved considering the inevitable payoff.
Donaldfan1934
Well-Known Member
You can say that for just about anything including Disney itself. Also, just because I say the park would be Star Wars and Marvel based doesn't mean they would be the only lands in the park. They could very well license IP's like they did with Avatar and Lucasfilm 2012 and prior.
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Rich T
Well-Known Member
I'm with Curious Constance on this one. I no longer love SW (guess which movie killed it for me), and superheroes bore me to tears. If I wanted to go to a park that focused on destruction, make-believe wars, shooting, smugness and noise, I'd go to Universal... and I never go to Universal. I do think the public will eventually have its fill of SW and I agree with Spielberg that the Superhero films will go the way of the westerns. And they'll probably be replaced by something even louder.
Classic Disney is about as timeless as pop culture gets. I wouldn't invest billions on a separate park focused so heavily on a theme that could quickly fade unless those lands could be readily converted into something less specific. I still say that if SW ever runs its course, that area in DL would make a great Discovery Bay.
BrianLo
Well-Known Member
Totally agree that applies to GoTG:MB in several respects. But Star Wars wasn't remotely done in the name of cheapness. Nor is it cheap.
I firmly believe WDW expanded too quickly and as a result neglected their parks to keep looking toward the next gate. Disneyland is still not quite ready for a third gate. Primarily DL has some problem areas and DCA still is a candidate for expansion.
Travel Junkie
Well-Known Member
The frustrating part for fans is Disneyland is ready for a 3rd gate IP wise, but not from a infrastructure perspective. Disney can draw on Star Wars, Marvel, Avatar, Frozen, Pixar properties etc etc. I agree with the sentiment it would dangerous to have a park purely Star Wars and Marvel but adding in Frozen, Pixar and gasp original concepts would round out the park nicely.
However, as you said DCA needs to be built out and be in a place to support itself more. It still relies too heavily on being basically an extension of Disneyland. It needs to be enough of a draw that it wouldn't get neglected when a third gate opened. I think if they fixed Tommorrowland DL would be ok.
Also the resort needs to build out its hotels before adding a third gate. If they hadn't spent so much to fix DCA they could have invested in their hotels sooner and they would be in a better place to look closer at the third gate. They have really missed out on not having more hotels in this building boom that is going on in Anaheim. They could have gone after the convention market if they had the inventory to support it. Adding a hotel in the parking lot next to Paradise Pier would be perfect to market as a convention hotel on Disney property as it is within walking distance of both Disney and the convention center.
Yes WDW expanded way too quickly and are still paying for it. They should really be building a 4th gate now instead of 20 years ago. Instead they have 3 parks that are either neglected or way under built. USO is expanding correctly. Building out their existing parks, adding lots of rooms, and other infrastructure like a water park and refreshing retail and dining. They are almost ready for that additional gate. Disneyland should look to them to be the blueprint of what to do. It just sucks when you have great IP that doesn't fit your existing parks so it gets shoved in where it doesn't belong.
D
Deleted member 107043
I agree. I would much rather they focus on rounding out a more complete Disney "resort" experience in Anaheim with more shopping, dining, hotels, and activities outside the gates and new attractions inside the existing parks. There's plenty of work to do to improve what's there now without adding another gate right now.
I'm sure there were space limitations, but just imagine if they had put SWL in DCA. What a great equalizer that would have been. Sigh.
BubbaQuest
Well-Known Member
I disagree. While I agree DCA probably needs another e-ticket and a third gate would probably crash DCA attendance numbers, I think DLR desperately needs a third gate. DL is often near capacity and anybody that's been caught in the esplanade when WoC and Fanstasmic end at the same time know the current esplanade/transportation system can't handle it.
Adding a third gate in the Toy Story lot would have pulled some of this crowd to a new location and would have given DL some much needed breathing room. Putting Star Wars in DCA would not have helped. Where would people go if there is a 2 hour line to get into DCA and DL is already at capacity? At least with Star Wars in DL, DCA returns to it's previous unintended purpose...the AP lounge for DL. Unfortunately in my mind this means DCA is just going to be more crowded with people waiting for SW return times and Disney won't be motivated to continue fixing the park because of the artificially high attendance numbers.
The only positive I see in all this is hopefully there will be finally be an alternate exit from Fantasmic to go directly to the Mickey and Friends parking lot. But that could have been done without Star Wars.
flynnibus
Premium Member
Can you name something "everybody loves"?
Curious Constance
Well-Known Member
I'm almost positive space limitations was the primary reason why they decided against DCA for Star Wars.
Curious Constance
Well-Known Member
I'm sure in Disney's mind, they worry that a third gate would take DCA and make it obsolete.
And if they have to spend all that money to make DCA/Downtown Disney/hotels up to snuff, they don't want to add a third gate to the expenses. I'm happy they are taking the approach to make what's there top notch. It sure beats having a bunch of half a$$ed parks.
And if they have to spend all that money to make DCA/Downtown Disney/hotels up to snuff, they don't want to add a third gate to the expenses. I'm happy they are taking the approach to make what's there top notch. It sure beats having a bunch of half a$$ed parks.
I would have been willing to sacrifice almost anything in that park to keep Disneyland from being overrun when SWL opens. But I guess they didn't ask me.
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spacejockey
Member
It boils down to return on investment. Disney spent billions on the purchase of Star Wars and Marvel. They want to capitalize on the investments the fastest and least expensive way. It's more efficient to use existing infrastructure. Unfortunately, they cannibalized Tower of Terror in the process as well as drastically changed the thematic direction of California Adventure. The placement of Star Wars Land is questionable. After seeing the new Beauty and The Beast. It would have been ideal to have an expansion of Fantasyland in that space. Either way it appears Disneyland/DCA is going to be in construction of decades. I would not hold my breath for a 3rd gate anytime soon.
Mike S
Well-Known Member
They've owned Marvel since 2009...
D.Silentu
Well-Known Member
It really is surprising that Marvel has been sitting quietly. Now, I'm probably not much good for this thread because I think Star Wars seems to be tastefully integrating with Disneyland(so far). Yet, I have to agree with those who argue that Star Wars and Marvel would have lived better in a third park of their own. Of course, there would have to be more to a third gate than that, but it would give the properties room to breathe. Some have said that the strength of these two wouldn't be enough to anchor a park, but I'd bet they would do just fine. We have yet to see a full theme park built with the design philosophy that created World of Harry Potter/Diagon Alley, Cars Land, and Avatar.
This is not to ignore the issues that Disneyland and DCA face. Many are talking about a Fantasyland expansion (Frozen?) that would certainly help ease crowding and likely offend no one. I see no reason why DCA couldn't exist as the "event park," hosting seasonal ('insert festival here'), dance parties, live entertainment, and movie premires, with a few new rides added once in awhile. As it is now I feel DCA is dangerously close to a "Magic Mountain Complex" (i.e. world class coasters in a third world setting) in everyone's mind. Not a direct analogy, I know, but for 16 years California Adventure has needed some bleeding edge pixie dust to be enticing apart from Disneyland, not just a hopper park. In 2012 they gave it a shot, but I can't help thinking that by now the cement of public opinion is nearly dry.
Perhaps it really would have been best to build a third gate, featuring two of the most popular franchises in the world and designed with the lessons learned from Cars and Avatar Land. Something truly must see, that would draw the crowds, not add them to the cacophony.
This is not to ignore the issues that Disneyland and DCA face. Many are talking about a Fantasyland expansion (Frozen?) that would certainly help ease crowding and likely offend no one. I see no reason why DCA couldn't exist as the "event park," hosting seasonal ('insert festival here'), dance parties, live entertainment, and movie premires, with a few new rides added once in awhile. As it is now I feel DCA is dangerously close to a "Magic Mountain Complex" (i.e. world class coasters in a third world setting) in everyone's mind. Not a direct analogy, I know, but for 16 years California Adventure has needed some bleeding edge pixie dust to be enticing apart from Disneyland, not just a hopper park. In 2012 they gave it a shot, but I can't help thinking that by now the cement of public opinion is nearly dry.
Perhaps it really would have been best to build a third gate, featuring two of the most popular franchises in the world and designed with the lessons learned from Cars and Avatar Land. Something truly must see, that would draw the crowds, not add them to the cacophony.
D
Deleted member 107043
Considering the significant hurdles the company would face if it had decided to build another theme park - state and local regulations, parking, roads, pedestrian access, and other external infastruture needs, the need for at least one new hotel, plus public review - how long do you think it would have taken for Disney to concieve and build a third gate in Anaheim had they began planning it when they started planning SW Land? I'm almost certain they wouldn't be opening it in 2019.