Then why do people continue to visit WDW if they've already been on all the attractions many times?? :shrug:
Okay, well for starters, I've already addressed this question from someone else earlier in this thread. Nevertheless, I'll go ahead and answer it once again and maybe just try to articulate it a little differently this time. Please bear with me, as my response truly is sincere...
The OP (Figment's Friend) started another thread in this section in which she was asking advice about the Disneyland Resort in general. I know you have read that thread because I saw that you posted in it. At the beginning of that thread, the OP stated three things that factored in heavily in the advice I chose to give her: 1. She stated that she is a "long time regular visitor to WDW". 2. She stated that she had never visited Disneyland at all. And 3. She stated that she "will only be there for 2 1/2 days".
Now I don't know about you, but if I had never been to Disneyland and only had 2 1/2 days to see it, I'd want to focus on the things I hadn't done before. I would make the things I had done before a last priority because my time would be so limited. Not knowing any better, I'd probably also plan to visit DCA because I'd be thinking, "Hey, a whole new Disney park I haven't seen". Now given the fact that the majority of the major attractions at DCA are ones that exist at WDW, and also the fact that she stated she is a "long time regular visitor to WDW", my assumption would be that she has already experienced those attractions. Therefore, if it were me, I'd put those attractions at the bottom of the priority list in favor of attractions that would be completely new to me. Realistically, I wouldn't expect to even include them in my itinerary, because there is a lot to see at DL that would likely take up the 2 1/2 days. Since the OP also stated she is not big on thrill rides, that eliminates the only worthwhile (in my opinion) things to see at Paradise Pier. In terms of things that I would personally recommend, that doesn't leave much at DCA. However, I did highly recommend Aladdin, and I also suggested she check out Monsters, Inc. Those are two attractions at DCA that have nothing similar at any of the other Disney parks. I neglected to suggest Golden Dreams which, although it is nothing to write home about, is also something that is unique to DCA. Therefore, she might want to check that out too (but I'd make it a very low priority, in favor of getting to spend more time at DL). And although I personally do love flour tortillas, I think the only real attraction to the Mission Tortilla Factory is the fact that the tortilla samples are free. Nevertheless, I'll agree that if she's going to be in the park anyway, and since it only takes a few minutes, then sure why not stop by for the free snack. But to bill it as a "must see" and build these tortillas up as some sort of spectacular taste sensation (as I feel some people have done) is just silly in my opinion. Because of this, I felt compelled to let the OP know they are just tortillas. As far as the Grizzly River Run is concerned, I do realize there are differences between it and Kali Rapids. However, the two attractions are similar enough, that I would advise making this one a low priority as well. Additionally, there are some who would probably classify this as a thrill ride, and the OP stated she doesn't like thrill rides.
In spite of all this, I've not attempted to talk the OP out of visiting DCA altogether. I realize she's curious to see it, and I would be too if I were her. But the last thing I would want to do to a first time DLR visitor, with extremely limited time and a strong familiarity with WDW, would be to suggest attractions like Soarin', Tower of Terror, Muppets, It's Tough to be a Bug, and others as "must sees". That is just not good advice, in my opinion, when you have a spectacular park just across the way, which she has never visited, and which could easily take the whole 2 1/2 days just to see it.
Now, had the OP never been to WDW before, my recommendations would undoubtedly be quite different. Had that been the case, then I would definitely have recommended Soarin' as a "must see", along with Tower of Terror and several others. Likewise, if she had more than 2 1/2 days to see it, but had already been to WDW as many times as she apparently has, then I would still have suggested she make these attractions a low priority, but I might not have been as emphatic about it. And of course if this were not her first time ever to DL, then I might have suggested a little more time at DCA. And if she liked thrill rides, then I would have recommended she ride Screamin'. It's a decent coaster, even though I object to Paradise Pier as a themed area worthy of the Disney name.
So you see, my goal here was not just to "bash" DCA at every opportunity. Overall, I'm not a fan of this park and I make no secret of that. I also think it's an easy park to make fun of, and that comes through in my posts. I make no apologies for that. It's the least popular Disney park for reasons that should be obvious to anyone who's visited. But my goal here was to consider the conditions under which the OP's visit is taking place, and advise her accordingly.
