At least we now know why $1.2 billion won't be enough to fix DCA - first you gotta cough up phone survey fees. Have you ever gotten that call? "We'd just like to ask you a few questions..." Now imagine the type of folks that are still on the phone answering questions - these are the ones that are confused by a Disney - Pixar name. They must wonder why the Jungle Cruise isn't located in Animal Kingdom, or the Carousel of Progress isn't in EPCOT. Like most good surveys, this one was designed to elicit the answer they wanted before even asking the questions. "Here's the name we're thinking about, but don't you find it odd that not all the Pixar rides are in that one park?" "Yes, I do find that odd. In fact, I find it confusing. No wait, now I'm irate." Irate? I've seen tourists at WDW ask about a ride, and when they find out it's in a different park, they handle it without medication or further counseling. From what I've heard, the rides are listed in the various guidebooks. This was just another disgrunted Disney person getting irate at the Pixar name, and searching for statistics to back up their decision to oust Pixar off of the signboard.

Wonder if the phone surveys ever found people were confused over the Year of a Million Dreams promotion, or confused why they pay full price for the Studios park that's still a half-day park, or confused why Pleasure Island was a bad place in Pinocchio but a good place in Orlando (yes, I've heard all the Pleasure Island backstory nonsense - but has the general public?). I'm sure a phone survey would tell you a movie about a gourmet rat won't be popular, or a Mary Poppins song is way too confusing for children, or a Volkswagon can't really drive on its own - it's all so confusing.

Here's what confuses me. Why take arguably the worst Disney park and slap Walt's name on it? It should be Roy Disney's California Adventure. Roy never wanted to spend money - it fits the theme perfectly.

Honestly I never dug the idea to rename D-MGM to Disney-Pixar Studios for precisely what the surveys reflected....I would expect to find a bunch of Pixar attractions in that park.  Disney's Hollywood Studios isnt bad but, really, why does "Disney's" preceeded park names now days?  Will they be renaming the older parks at some point?  Disney's Magic Kingdom...Disney's Epcot....Disney's Downtown Disney.. do we need "Disney's" in front of Animal Kingdom?  Is there a  Sam's Animal Kingdom they don't want to get confused with?

DHS eh? Disney Studios seems a cleaner name....but I guess Hollywood Studios it is...

Walt Disney's California Adventure....wow could we get a longer name for a theme park..people will still call it California Adventure.....how about Walt Disney's California....drop the adventure...

http://www.raymation.net

Yes, I agree that naming an entire park Disney-Pixar Studios when not even all the rides and shops are Pixar-related (and especially since there are already other big Pixar attractions in the other parks) would be too confusing.  

Imagine if they named it Walt Disney Animation Studios, then would everyone be confused because there are tons of other WDAS characters in all the other parks as well? Probably not, but remember that Pixar is a much more defined younger name.  I think WDI is making the best decision to name a section of the park after Pixar to help keep the name well-known as a selling point, but not to the point of confusion (for example, if somebody thinks that since Muppets 3-D is in Disney-Pixar Studios, Kermit must be a Pixar character because of the park's name).

I never liked the Pixar name, so I'm glad about that.

The Walt Disney thing sounds like an interesting idea, but doesn't all that coherent for a theme park..

Regarding DCA, I think the idea of reconstructing the Disney estate is interesting. Funny enough, I posted about this on the Disneyland Yahoo Group I'm on, including the minature train. But as Jim related, it would have severe limitations with how many guests can ride it per hour. However this is one idea that I hope they do follow through on regardless of the trains limitations.

While it all sounds new and interesting. I really don’t think that the park needs so much change in order to turn it around.

All DCA needs is a CARS Themed land with some MAJOR eticket attractions, an updated nighttime spectacular of some sort ... perhaps a new Electrical Parade.

I really think that rather than turn the place into some kind of historical homage to Walt Disney... (Although I would greatly appreciate it) they would be better off making it a full blown PIXAR park. I mean ... rather than face the same problem they are having with the MGM studios rename.... they should go for broke in California and create a place almost entirely dedicated to PIXAR.  

Change the top of the Grizzly Bear Mountain to look like one of the mountain peaks in cars and there you have it. Keep the wine section and make it Ratatouille. Turn California Screamin into a toy story ride and just build giant objects around it to make it feel like you are toy sized.

So what if there are two attractions in Disneyland that are Pixar Related. MOVE Buzz lightyear over ... (how hard can moving a "dark ride" really be).... and just keep the Nemo ride in Disneyland.

I just don’t think that an area dedicated to Walts history will stand the test of time with the average Disney "consumer" which is apparently the people they want to cater to the most.

Wow, renaming and retheming DCA to Walt Disney's California Adventure is ingenious! Not only would it really tie everything together, but what better place to have such a park than next to the original dream itself? Great idea!

WOw... finally an article about the future of DCA that has something interesting to say.

Disney's Hollywood Studios doesn't really roll of the tongue quite right.

The Disney Studios...The Walt Disney Studios...

Oh well, buy up all your Disney MGM trinkets while you still can. Ebay's a waitin'

Yeah, the pier amusement park could be all dirty and seedy and a place where adults can't ride with there kids, which would inspire you to go to Walt's park next door. ;)

There could be an animatronic Walt dressed in an engineer costume working on his little train in his barn inviting you to take a ride on the larger Carolwood around his backyard.

Maybe "Twilight Zone Tower of Terror" could be rethemed as the "Walt Disney Productions Gross Annual Revenues Tower of Terror!"

Roy O Disney (played by Gary Sinese) could appear on the library monitor and briefly summarize the company's ups-and-downs as Walt kept driving profits into the company.   Then Snow White hit and the company made gobs of cabbage.   But then (LIGHTNING CRASH) came the 1940's!

Guests exit into the boiler room, now dressed with giant headlines talking about WWII, Fantasia bombing at the box office, Bambi being delayed, etc.   All bad stuff.

You then get into the elevator--NOW RETHEMED AS AN EXECUTIVE CONFERENCE ROOM!  The doors close.   The board room lurches up.

The Roy O voice over says, "Walt, we've got problems"

Suddenly, the doors open and we see a Pepper's Ghost image of Walt saying something like "Hey, let's build a whole new studio in Burbank!"

(The board room plummets)

Roy O voice over says, "Well, I guess we could take out another loan with Bank of America..."  The board room creeps back up.  The doors open again...Ghost Walt appears....

"Hey, let's put a whole bunch of films into production!"

(The board room plummets)

Roy O voice over screams, "But none of these movies are making any money...except maybe Dumbo...but all these movies are hemorraging dollars!   And the international markets are all closed off with the war..."

Roy O continues "...well, I guess maybe we could issue stock in the company.  And make training films for the military."

The elevator, er, Board Room, door crawls up again, slower than ever.  The doors open.   Ghost Walt appears...

"But I don't like making training films.  I want to build an amusement park!!!"

The Roy O v/o screams in terror.  But, surprisingly, the board room zooms up higher than ever.  

The doors open again...but this time guests see themselves.  Projected images show these guests standing in Disneyland, buying tickets, buying ice cream cones, buying those light up things with the twirly lights that they sell before fireworks shows.

The Roy O v/o says, "Congratulations, Walt.  We're filthy rich!"  Both brothers laugh with a BWAH-HA-HA!

The board room plummets one last time to earth.  Guests exit through a gift shop.

WHAT AN ADVENTURE!

Quick and simple:

Agree with somepirateguy, LOL @ misterjohnson :)

Misterjohnson,

you are of course forgetting "nude sunbathing land" for men only on the top of the animation building, every weekday after lunch.  this promises to be a big winner.

Seriously, I love the DCA concept.  And as for the backyard railroad.... the problem with "the combination of brain-dead tourists, miniature trains and live steam"...take out the element of live steam.  I hate to say ths, as I'd love a live steam version.  But seriously, it's too dangerous with the type of people Disneyland employees.  Use a different type of engine (adapted gas, diesel, or even electric), but let the train appear as though it's live steam, and viola, bye-bye legal problems.  I'd take that compromise any day over the Nature's Wonderland version.

Disney's Hollywood Studios. In Florida. Ooooookaaaaaayyy... What, Walt Disney Studios Florida was too obvious? :)

I like the Walt's California Adventure concept, although I have to wonder if it'll ever get off the drawing board in the form proposed. Maybe they could move One Man's Dream - including Walt's working office, hint hint - from Florida to one of the empty locations at DCA, like the WWBTAM-PI stage or in a new building in Sunshine Plaza.   I'd love to see englishboy's TOT concept! ;)

The Carolwood Pacific concept would be awesome - it's be nice to have an actual working train in DCA. As far as the concerns about CMs not being able to operate a live steam miniature train, they've been running trains at Disney theme parks for 52 years so far without any major problems, I doubt it'd be much of an issue. Heck, you could probably find a group of volunteers willing to run the sucker! (Paging Michael Broggie...)  The Disney lawyers could probably calm their nerves a little by talking to the folks from the LA Live Steamers - they've been running miniature trains for decades without any serious mishaps. If this happens, I hope the Imagineers can come up with train cars comfortable enough to accomodate the... ahem, enlarged American posterior...

Shameless plug for a friend of mine:  If you don't want to wait until next year for a guidebook that points out the little details of the California parks, check out Kendra Trahan's "Disneyland Detective" and her soon-to-be-released "Disney's California Adventure Detective". No cool concept drawings, but very informative books nevertheless...

If anyone wants to build Walts Lilly Belle live steamer just go to www.railroadsupply.com They have it in kit form, though it aint cheap.

"Here's what confuses me. Why take arguably the worst Disney park and slap Walt's name on it? It should be Roy Disney's California Adventure. Roy never wanted to spend money - it fits the theme perfectly."

Curmudgeon, that is probably the best DCA joke I've ever heard.

So Paradise Pier is going to be themed to what Walt hated about amusement parks?

"completely ripping out the Golden Vine Winery restaurant" NOOOO!!!

I have to say all the plans I've heard for DCA so far have me pretty worried. It may not be nearly as well-themed as Disneyland, but I love the California-in-a-city-block feeling of DCA. As a young adult, having dinner and a glass of wine at Golden Vine is such a great celebration of a place where I can be both a "kid-again" and an "adult finally!"

I think it sounds great. I mean, Ive never gotten as far as Cali before, just to Florida. I love Disney World, but I really wanna go to where it all started!!  So, either way.. I just wanna GO there .. SO BAD!!! I dont even care what they do! I just wanna go so I can finally be there, see it, feel it, and LOVE IT!

xoxo

I had the recent privalege of chating with Tony Baxter of WDI.  He didn't tell me much, but what he did say was that he and Lasseter want to do more with trains. After you wrote about recreating Walt Disney's home in place of the winery and putting the train behind it, sounds exactly what Tony and John have in mind.

I love it.  But then again, I'm an animator.  Will others outside of the animation community love it too?

It would be interesting (but admittedly defeatist) to consider some of the names that MIGHT have been used to replace Disney-MGM Studios -- which on its own has ended up being such a memorable name it's going to be difficult for Disney ever to live it down.  After all, how many people still refer to Epcot as EPCOT Center?  Just type in "EPCOT Center" in Google and you'll see what I mean!

I was hoping they'd go for "Disney's Hollywoodland" or "The Walt Disney Studios Florida."

Actually, I was REALLY hoping they'd go for something that broke the irritating mold of using "Disney's" in front of everything.  How many people actually say, "Hey, after Epcot, let's go to Disney's Animal Kingdom?"

It's too bad the Studios, whatever you might want to call them, is dedicating itself to celebrating "today's" Hollywood, since, frankly, "today's" Hollywood is incredibly boring and offers the same thing over and over again.  (Though it would be fun to have the Streetmosphere characters be tattooed, coked-up young "stars" in the mold of Paris, Nicole and Disney's own Lindsay Lohan, all of them walking around swearing at people, throwing up on the street and trashing the place.  THAT might accurately reflect the wonderful entertainment industry of today.)

What was beautiful and romantic and unforgettable about the original concept behind Disney-MGM Studios was the idea of celebrating the GREAT movies in a version of "the Hollywood that always has been and will never be."  It wasn't about Disney being rammed down your throats and getting a commercial for a new Disney or ABC product everywhere you turn.  It was actually ABOUT something.

If only they had stayed true to THAT vision and let it grow and develop and change rather than, once again, assume that anything done by a previous regime must be inherently flawed.  First they ruined EPCOT Center by making it be too Disney, now they're doing the same to Disney-MGM Studios.

Why do they go to the expense of doing these ridiculous phone surveys when they COULD just surf the web and read the unexpurgated comments of people who actually LOVE what Disney does?  (Or, at least, what it used to do ... )

Totally agree with IrvThal!

"Second, effective January 2008, the Disney-MGM Studios will be renamed “Disney’s Hollywood Studios.” This change represents the park’s growth from the golden age of movies to the most exciting entertainment of today’s movies, television, music and theater."

"We’ll also introduce new Disney Channel friends at Playhouse Disney-Live on Stage and add even more “Wildcat Fever” with the opening of Disney High School Musical 2: School’s Out! this fall."

Ah yes, the "most exciting entertainment of today's television, music, and theater"....Playhouse Disney and High School Musical 2....

Hate to say it, but Disney's product often represents the worst of today's film/tv entertainment.  Pirates was OK!  It was an OK movie!  Give it a rest already.

Whoo boy! Someone slipped Jim a Mickey on this one...

Can't imagine Walt wanting a theme park that told his life story. Heck from some of the stuff we read here, Walt just wasn't that kind of guy. What's next? Walt, Lillian, Diane, Sharon and the family dogs all as Animatronic figures smiling and waving or wagging for the public as they walk through the big house?

Holmby Hills house and choo choo? Whose gonna get that one? Now another train roller coaster like Thunder Mountain, that I can imagine.

I'll have what ever Jim's having. Must be some pretty good hooch!

I agree that DCA needs more trains, or some mode of transport to unify this mess the way the Disneyland railroad can take you to the other side of the park in a few minutes without having to fight through the crowds. I swear, DCA is the worst laid out park I'd ever visited. As for Disney's steamers, I think they should be on display somewhere, but I don't think a high traffic amusement park is the best place for it. another Big Thunder style rollar coaster would be great, maybe some kind of runaway mine car ride themed around the Gold Rush of 1849, just to maintain the California history angle.

If they're looking for old ideas to dust off and give a second chance, how about bringing back WDW's "Mickey Mouse Revue" with a few updated figures and some new song sequences from some of the newer films. They could put it next to the remodeled animation section and call it "Silly Symphany Hall" It would also provide the area with another family friendly attraction to go along with Monsters Inc. and the Muppets.

I love the idea of WALT Disney' California Adventure if only for one reason. Walt Disney is a man born not too far from where I live now who made a boat-load of cash from doodling a picture of a mouse. Disney, on the other hand, is an evil megalomanical multi-national corporation that looks only to indoctronate children into buying its products until their dying days (and then, hopefully, being interred at Disney's Graveyard Adventure for a nominal monthly fee). See? There's a difference.

Regarding renaming Disney-MGM Studios - If they want to call it Disney's Hollywood Studios, what I don't understand is why they're trying to keep "Studios" in the name?  It's not like it's a studio anymore!  

The future plans sound like it's going to be even less studio-like as time goes by, not more!

coolbeans326 said:

"WOw... finally an article about the future of DCA that has something interesting to say".

But, you still couldn't say anything nice...yeah, "WOw", is right. Walt would be so proud of the bitter, angry posts this site gets. You guys are really, quite funny...

I'm all for any opportunity to put the "Walt" back into Disney, so I like this concept they're considering for the refurbished park. I've never been to DCA and, from everything I've heard and read about it, I doubt that it ever would have appealed to me in its original form. But as a celebration of Walt himself, I'd be very happy to see that.

One other suggestion I'd have is representing Old California with an area dedicated to Disney's "Zorro". I fondly remember when they still had the original "Zorro" fort on the Studio backlot before Eisner demolished it for more exec offices or whatever. I think a recreation of those film sets, and perhaps featuring some big splashy, swashbuckling "Zorro" show similar to the "Indiana Jones" show at WDW, would make for some great entertainment.

Is it me, or am I the only one that feels that changing the name of DCA is extraneous. I find practically dedicating DCA to Walt Disney is shifting the theme and in turn is overly patriotic. Isn’t it enough to create a nice theme park or add small tributes without declaring ones love to the founder in an overbearing way?

I'm as big a fan of Walt as anyone, but I don't see how dedicating an entire park to his life story is going to solve DCA's problems. Ripping out the only decent place to eat in the park doesn't sound like it will help much either.

I'll say this: if using Walt (the person, or at least the myth-man) gives DCA a point of view, I'll be open to it.

From the outset, DCA has lacked a perspective.  Whereas DL has, as a basic underpinning, this idea that it is a counterpoint--Walt's counterpoint--to the "cheap carny amusements" of its day (both 1955 AND now), DCA has been completely devoid of any metatheme.  If the entry areas embrace the idea that this is the California as Walt first saw it, that is a great springboard for the rest of the park.

Imagine, the tag to this park becomes something like: Discover a Different California.  The entry is dedicated to Walt's discovery of Hollywood.  Throughout the park, attractions are dedicated to rediscovering California.  Hollywood Pictures Backlot is a different take on dreamtown.  Bountiful Valley rededicates itself to revealing the fruits of the land (and, okay, the bugs).  The Pier is a new take on an old classic.

And, just maybe, the park invites you to check out the REAL California...

I'm from Ohio.  California is exotic to my kind.  The joke among my pals here is that DCA is a vapid, listless theme park dressed in a shallow theme.  But if DCA had something new to say about the state, something meaningful, (and if it had great attractions)  it WILL be a winner.

The way Jim Hill hears it, "Star Tours 2.0" could be just the start. Hill shares what he's heard about a possible "Lucas Land" area going into Disney's Hollywood Studios as well as Mickey's efforts to land the broadcast rights to George's new "Star Wars"

I am the biggest Disney fanatic I know (in person), and I would find the idea of a Walt-themed DCA a boring. I do like the idea of some areas (like the Sunshine Plaza) mirroring what LA was like when Walt arrived, but retheming the whole park to a Walt-worship theme? No. It's got big problems beyond incorporating Pixar attractions and other popular elements that don't fit. In two words...who cares? I've done a lot of reading on Walt Disney and I <i>barely</i> care, so how is this going to be exciting for your average tourist?

I have to say, though--I know I'm in the minority here, but I actually like DCA and always have. It's true that one of the reasons I enjoy it so much is that it's a nice escape from the crowds when Disneyland is busy, but it also has some of my favorite rides and I love some of the less-lauded attractions, too. So maybe I'm biased because, while I do think some areas need work, I don't think it's as bad as everybody else seems to.