Last month, theme park fans the world over rejoiced at the news that the Walt Disney Company would be spending more than a billion dollars to redo DCA. With a large chunk of this cash being committed toward the retheming of the entrance portion of this troubled theme park. Which will soon be turned into this nostalgic recreation of the Southern California that the company's founder encountered when he first arrived in Hollywood back in 1923.
This -- of course -- was heralded as great news by Disneyana fans. Who (as you might expect) can't get enough of the Ol' Mousetro. These folks just love it when the Imagineers fold in little nods to Walt & the characters that he created into the rides, shows and attractions that they place in the parks. Which is why the fans gave this portion of the proposed DCA redo (Which will even feature a brand-new version of the "Partners" statue. Where the young Walt Disney stands with a pie-eyed Mickey Mouse, surveying the city they're both about to conquer) a big "Thumbs Up."
Copyright 2007 Disney. All Rights Reserved
Well, would it that the guys at WDI were just as enthusiastic about DCA's proposed entrance area as Disneyana fans seem to be. You see, the Imagineers are concerned about what the 99% of Disneyland Resort guests who are not Disneyphiles will make of the redone entrance area of that theme park. Whether the $100 - $120 million that's about to be invested in reconfiguring this part of the park is going to have any real impact on these people at all.
As one WDI insider that I spoke with recently put it:
"There are at least two generations out there now who grew up without regularly seeing Walt on television. To them, Walt Disney is just like Betty Crocker or Colonel Sanders. He's not a real man. He's just some corporate symbol. Which is why a number of us here are concerned that it may be a mistake to make the front part of this park a celebration of Walt. In essence, we're trying to force people to feel nostalgic about a man they never knew. Copyright 2007 Disney. All Rights Reserved We're wondering if it wouldn't be smarter in the long run for us to take the money that's been budgeted for redoing the front part of that park and just use that amount to build another E-Ticket. Something that would appeal to 18-to-25 year-old males. The people that we're actually hoping will form some sort of emotional attachment to DCA. So that -- sometime in the future -- they'll then return to this same theme park with their own children."
"There are at least two generations out there now who grew up without regularly seeing Walt on television. To them, Walt Disney is just like Betty Crocker or Colonel Sanders. He's not a real man. He's just some corporate symbol.
Which is why a number of us here are concerned that it may be a mistake to make the front part of this park a celebration of Walt. In essence, we're trying to force people to feel nostalgic about a man they never knew.
We're wondering if it wouldn't be smarter in the long run for us to take the money that's been budgeted for redoing the front part of that park and just use that amount to build another E-Ticket. Something that would appeal to 18-to-25 year-old males. The people that we're actually hoping will form some sort of emotional attachment to DCA. So that -- sometime in the future -- they'll then return to this same theme park with their own children."
Believe it or not, folks, this is a very serious concern of WDI's. Making sure that this reconfigured version of California Adventure appeals to more than just us Disneyphiles. That this revamped theme park will have a strong enough mix of new rides, shows and attractions that the general public will also embrace this new version of DCA with great enthusiasm.
This is actually why the Imagineers decided to add Carsland to this California Adventure. This new 12-acre "land" will feature the "Radiator Springs Racers" ride, which WDI insiders have described as being like " ... 'Test Track' meets 'Indiana Jones Adventure' meets Pixar." Translation: That sort of state-of-the-art, cutting-edge attraction that the Imagineers used to build only for the Tokyo Disney Resort. Which (it's hoped) will help make this radically revamped version of DCA a "must see" for tourists the very next time they visit Southern California.
The same could also be said for that immense "Little Mermaid" dark ride that's supposed to replace "Golden Dreams" at this theme park. Given that California Adventure is thought to be lacking in attractions that appeal to young girls, it's hoped that this new "Mermaid" ride will finally address that need. Make DCA seem that much more 5-to-8-year-old girl-friendly.
Which brings us back to DCA's entrance area with all of its references to Walt. As my Imagineering insider continued to explain:
" ... this part of the park was deliberately designed to serve as a sop to those people who have been complaining about DCA since the place first opened in 2001. We're basically giving them another version of Main Street, which is something that these annual passholders are familiar with. More importantly, we're making this new entrance area one big tribute to Walt. Which will hopefully finally silence those Disneyana fans who have continually bitched about how California Adventure doesn't have enough Disney in it. Copyright 2007 Disney. All Rights Reserved Of course, the real irony here is that we're trying to placate people who can never be placated. If you look around the Web, you'll see that Disneyana fans have managed to find fault with everything that WDI has ever built. So it's virtually guaranteed that -- no matter what we do with the front portion of that park -- Disneyana fans are still going to find a way to complain about it. Mind you, we're still going to go ahead with this portion of the redo. DCA managers are particularly excited about the new curved retail corridor that we've designed for their theme park. They believe that this new design will actually slow people down as they enter & exit California Adventure. Which will hopefully make more guests notice the stores that line this street and get them to do a bit more souvenir shopping. So I guess you could say that the redo of this portion of DCA is serving two needs. It's supposed to make Disneyana fans feel like we actually listened to their complaints & responded to their concerns by attempting to give this theme park a stronger tie to the company's heritage by folding in a lot more Walt. While -- at the same time -- we're servicing the resort's retail needs. Slowing down the guests as well as making sure that the shops that line this retail corridor look that much more appealing. Which will hopefully eventually translate into better per-square-foot sales ratios for all of these stores." Copyright 2007 Disney. All Rights Reserved
" ... this part of the park was deliberately designed to serve as a sop to those people who have been complaining about DCA since the place first opened in 2001. We're basically giving them another version of Main Street, which is something that these annual passholders are familiar with. More importantly, we're making this new entrance area one big tribute to Walt. Which will hopefully finally silence those Disneyana fans who have continually bitched about how California Adventure doesn't have enough Disney in it.
Of course, the real irony here is that we're trying to placate people who can never be placated. If you look around the Web, you'll see that Disneyana fans have managed to find fault with everything that WDI has ever built. So it's virtually guaranteed that -- no matter what we do with the front portion of that park -- Disneyana fans are still going to find a way to complain about it.
Mind you, we're still going to go ahead with this portion of the redo. DCA managers are particularly excited about the new curved retail corridor that we've designed for their theme park. They believe that this new design will actually slow people down as they enter & exit California Adventure. Which will hopefully make more guests notice the stores that line this street and get them to do a bit more souvenir shopping.
So I guess you could say that the redo of this portion of DCA is serving two needs. It's supposed to make Disneyana fans feel like we actually listened to their complaints & responded to their concerns by attempting to give this theme park a stronger tie to the company's heritage by folding in a lot more Walt. While -- at the same time -- we're servicing the resort's retail needs. Slowing down the guests as well as making sure that the shops that line this retail corridor look that much more appealing. Which will hopefully eventually translate into better per-square-foot sales ratios for all of these stores."
So there you have it. When you break down the key components of Disney's California Adventure's proposed redo, you can see this retheming for what it really is. Which is not this overall ambitious plan, but -- rather -- a piecemeal approach toward addressing what many see as DCA's key weaknesses. Which -- in this instance, anyway -- deals with this theme park's lack of appeal to young adult males 18-25, young girls 5-8 and Disneyphiles. Not to mentioning enhancing DCA's "Main Street" retail corridor area.
But what do you folks think? Is this Imagineer correct in suggesting that it might be a mistake to spend $100 - $120 million on making the front part of this theme park a veritable shrine to Walt Disney & the Southern California that he encountered back in 1923 ? That -- if the Mouse really wants to bond with Generations X & Y -- this money might be better spent on something other than Walt-centric window dressing?
Forget that you're a Disneyphile for a moment and ponder this question: Is there really such a thing as putting too much Walt into a Disney theme park? Particularly when these new touches are deliberately being designed as a means to an end (i.e. to finally silence DCA's more vocal critics) rather than as true tributes to the man?
Your thoughts?
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I must also ask if this "source" is the same person who informed you that the city of Anaheim was angry that so much of their tax revenue came from Disney, and not any outside sources. That claim made no sense, and neither does this one.
Unfortunately, just 1 hundred or so yards from DCA and inside Disneyland used to be the "Walt Disney Story" ... (Featuring Great Moments With Mr Lincoln). Not anymore .... and the full re-creation of Walts Burbank Office was really cool and may still be there... but last time I was there it was covered up.
And Lincoln ... replacesda video starring Steve Martin and Donald Duck.
If no-one could take the time to stop and see these atraction ... why would anyone believe that a whole entrance to DCA themed in this way would make any difference?
I have to agree with the person who said that it would make more sense to invest the money in additional rides and single atractions rather than retheming shopping and entrance areas.
DCA has a lot to offer... Soaring Over California and Tower Of Terror are two of the best rides in Southern California ... California Screaming is one of the smoothest roller coasters you can find anywhere .. and still one of the longest tracks in the world. And DCA has a full size "broadway" style theater... and although gimicky ... its the only place where I can see the Main Street Electrical Parade ...
As a Disney fan .... DCA is already a "must see". I find that many of the people who claim to be diehard Disney fans are knocking the place without ever having set foot in it.
So what if its not as jam packed and imense in size and scope ... yet. Look at Disney Hong Kong. Its tiny and has all of about 12 rides.
Now ... if Disney wants to get all nostagic on us .... rather than painting mourals on walls and putting up statues .... try setting up an themed area of the park with some true nostagia.... ... i'm thinking something like oh.... COUNTRY BEAR JAMBOREE!. Or how bout Adventure Thru Inner Space ... or maybe an updated AMERICA SINGS. Bring back some the the orignal 1955 rides and atractions.
Ultimately ... the problem is that the average visitor to Disney California just havn't totally accepted the idea of two parks ... two tickets. They feel they are getting ripped off....I fear that is the sad truth. Adjust the prices.
Like Ilsoap stated and I have stated previously; DCA's big problem is that it's built right next to the park that changed amusement park history. (Disneyland)
I like the ideas I've read about "adding more Walt" to the park. It's not gonna hurt the generation X'ers to lear a little Disney history. Just do it in a way that entertaining to them. Maybe the way to do that is to add an E-Ticket attraction to the 20's themed front, along with the shops.
As for adding "more Walt" there's always ways to do that even at Disneyland. Opening the Disney family apartment could be one way. Though the Disney family owns the furniture inside as well as the wax music rolls for the gramaphone that are hidden away in the apartment. Plus it's extremely small so opening the apartment might not be a great idea. (I'm talking about the one above the firehouse)
What about adding Roy Disney Sr. to Disney parks. Most people have no idea that he even existed.
Seeing as how so few people go to DCA, I'm sure most everybody will be happy to hear about improvements. If people, both 'disneyphiles' and 'regular folks', actually liked the park and went... no need for a rehab would be needed.
And let's see.... everybody from the age of about 40 and on down didn't get to 'grow up with Walt' and yet we still enjoy Disneyland. For the average guest, I don't think Disneyland has much Walt in it that they would even be aware of. To add some, heck, any Walt to DCA can only help. It doesn't sound like to me that they are going to plaster him all over the place and go overboard. If we ever hear about getting Walt's head the size of the sorcerer's hat at mgm, I'll be worried it's too much. But one complaint I hear about DCA all the time is how not Disney it is. To think that adding a bit of Walt won't help is stupid.
I also find it ludicrous that they (WDI) come up with the idea, in an effort to placate the 'continual bitching', and then blast us for the choice THEY came up with. I think the complaints were that DCA was not very Disney (meaning quality, or fun, or immersive, or a full day of stuff to do).... I never heard someone say the park needs to be a tribute to Walt. The people who didn't like the park, and that's most people... complained... WDI came up with the solution. If they don't like what they came up with they can only blame themselves.
So... disneyphiles complain about everything? I think I've heard more griping and complaining and finger pointing from Jim's sources then any disneyphile I know of. And those dorks work for Disney.... they have a part in making the things they complain about. But it's never their fault. They do the right thing everytime... we just complain. Riiiiigggghhhht.....
I love how the thing that DCA execs are "particularly excited about" is more shops. LOL If that doesn't show you how stupid they are and how bad DCA needs fixing, I don't know what does. Cuz we all know that nobody goes to DCA because the shops aren't good enough! lol
In my opinion, the best tribute to Walt, is a better park PERIOD. Whether or not it has a statue of Walt is pretty moot.
The whole concept for DCA was flawed. Anything other than 'more of the same' is a marked improvement.
Personally I don't even think Walt would want a park based on himself.
Please Jim, stop talking to these Disney Insiders who hate Disney, hate their jobs, and hate the people who buy their crap!!
I like the parallel aspect of the proposed statue and entrance- making DCA more of a companion park rather than someplace I rush into every couple of park visits for a couple of rides and a free tortilla. I'd like it to have a themed entrance tied into the past that gives the park a nostalgic, idealized CA identity. Six Flags-quality fixtures and shops are not the way to go- especially of things still around today like the Golden Gate bridge.
"If we ever hear about getting Walt's head the size of the sorcerer's hat at mgm, I'll be worried it's too much."
That's hilarious.
I agree with pretty much everyone here. I'm not sure how the place is going to be "catering" solely to Disneyphiles when the front entrance of the park is in exact accordance with the original theme: California. I don't think everyone's going to walk in and automatically think "oh, so they themed this place to Walt's arrival in California in the 1920's, huh?".
On the other hand, I am going to admit that I am wary of the way the park concept is steering. Its really not making any sence. I mean, you got the overal Pixar theme, the original California theme, and now this idea of Walt Disney in the 20's. Of course, if they make it all blend together nicely, I think we'll be fine. The line up of attractions sounds great.
I think this new concept is much better than the original. It has some holes but only the Disneyphiles will find 'em (Let alone be looking for them). The placemaking idea is for the fans - the rides are for the rest of the world. And it takes both of those groups to make it work.
Most of us have read the books about creating, building, and running Disneyland. Some have gotten to go to conventions or presentations that feature the talented people and imagineers that worked to create this new form of entertainment - the theme park. Now, think of those people and then listen to these phrases from this current imagineer:
"Something that would appeal to 18-to-25 year-old males."
"hopefully finally silence those Disneyana fans who have continually bitched"
"we're trying to placate people who can never be placated."
"It's supposed to make Disneyana fans feel like we actually listened to their complaints"
"translate into better per-square-foot sales ratios"
Does that sound like Marc Davis or Bill Evans or Bob Gurr or John Hench to you? Even Ward Kimball at his crankiest couldn't come up with such garbage.
All the talented people that would like to work for Disney Co, and this guy somehow slithered onto Flower Street. If this imagineer is on the DCA team, it sounds like Bob Weis isn't the guy for this redo job after all. To me, he sounds like a leftover middle manager from the dark days of Eisner/Pressler, and is hopefully polishing his resume.
Looking back at those quotes - the obvious answer is Tokyo Disney Seas. Designed by imagineers, not designed to placate or silence, and hardly a Walt shrine. If Disney Co had slapped something of that detail into the parking lot, it would be very difficult to find complaints - from philes, fans, bloggers, or casual visitors. Unfortunately, DCA was poorly themed and built on the cheap. Now they're trying to fix it on the cheap. Even the general public knows - it didn't have to be that way.
As for Jim's question - Is there really such a thing as putting too much Walt into a Disney theme park? It worked pretty well from 1955-1966, and kept right on working till Eisner tried to make the Disney theme parks into shopping malls in the mid 80's.
Interesting comments from your source, and a lot of which I agree with.
No one is going to care about Walt Disney in the 1920s. It's basically too complex an idea in the first place.
Main Street in Disneyland is 1910 Street Scene. That's it. All the other stuff about Marceline and whatever is just a lot of jabber that no one really cares about. They care about walking past this quaint little street to get to the rest of the place.
WDI (or whomever it is in Disney doing this) is over complicating all their things, and missing the big picture. They want to cater to 18-25 year old males? They should. It seems that most everything they do in their parks these days is for young girls or the youngest boys. 12 year old boys really don't get a lot anymore, and have had a lot of their things taken away (like the guns on TSI).
The problem with everything they have announced for DCA is that it is simply all cartoon based. You are not going to attract young guys with cartoons. All of their themes, are totally inward looking. If it's not about a Disney or Pixar cartoon, it's about Walt Disney himself.
It's too much. They USED to look outward for their themes. The themes spoke about the public at large, and the things they liked. Now, all Disney does is make rides about Disney content. While that has its place, if that is all they can do anymore, it completely removes the variety and interest the parks have.
It would be as if the film studios simply made documentaries about the film studio. After a while, this one note type of attraction is going to wear down people's interest. You can't have a theme park based strictly on the concept of Fantasyland, and with the Disneyland Resort, they are not only doing that, but trying to make TWO parks that are simply based on the Fantasyland concept.
Because of this, the additions they have announced are simply not very good. It's all cartoons, it's all about them. They need to go back to making things about us. That's what made the place an emotional touchstone. It's a much more complicated idea, and perhaps harder to understand than "Let's slap mickey's face on the big ferris wheel, that'll show them," but it is what they need to get back to doing.
Stop doing rides about cartoons, stop doing rides about yourselves, Disney. Make things about us again. I'm simply not going to want to spend 3 days visiting Fantasyland. It's tiresome and boring. No matter how much money you spend, if you spend it on a bad idea, then you've spent a lot of money on a bad idea. Money doesn't mean anything if at the base of it you've got something that is weak.
I agree with a lot of the posts above. DCA needs more rides, unique California themed rides. The layout of the park is already problematic, but in the way that Disneyland takes you to different locals , DCA should transport to different eras in California history where you cover everything from the Gold Rush and the Barbary Coast to The Labrea Tar Pits and the begining of Time. Instead of trying to recreate things that exist now, take take them to places they couldn't see anywhere else.
More rides, fewer shops--if people are entertained, they will buy things. If the public starts spending more , you can gradually move new inventory into existing stores. Wipe the dollar signs out of your eyes and start thinking like a guest.
I do think there should be some Walt history in the animation studio area ,and maybe even an attraction dedicated to Mickey Mouse. (I say again, overhaul the old 'Mickey Mouse Revue' from WDW and put it in DCA)
Disneyland is about exoticism and nostalgia. Hence you walk in through an idealized early 1900s small town main street towards mythic versions of Old Europe, Frontier America and the future (which is now themed in a retro Jules Verne style).
None of these places in the park are particularly associated with California. So is having the host state theme a problem? Not neccessarily. It's a matter of execution. So I'm all for this period retheming. The Matterhorn catches your eye because it's halfway across the world. The Golden Gate bridge isn't. Locals are more likely to have seen it already, as well as out-of-towners looking to see more of the state during the trip. It's why Paris has an Old West Haunted Mansion rather than a European-flavored one. It's about showing a world that never was or was long ago. And early Hollywood is one such place- a mix of reality and myth, just like the Wild West. And long gone. From what I've heard in recent years, the school field I played soccer on as a kid was the polo field Walt used to play on.
Ok... everyone is missing a key opportunity here.. Rather than having to choose "more Walt" vs. "Another E-ticket" to draw crowds, just combine the two. In the new front of the park, just create an e-ticket ride all about the life of Walt Disney. Think about it.. combine the story of Walt Disney with the technology of the Indiana Jones ride. It can be Uncle Walt fighting off animation studios, instead of Indiana fighting off the eyes of the Mara. This could be fun. :)
Or even some kind of dark ride to tell the Walt Disney story. I am sure the imagineers could come up with something both entertaining and fun.
Well, here's the viewpoint of a Midwesternite who's a fan of Walt but does not collect Disney pins, toys, look for hidden Mickeys, etc. etc. etc. Just wanted to clarify that before I begin:
I could not care LESS about DCA. One reason for that is that I don't give a damn about California. Not a damn. As far as I'm concerned it's full of flakey politicians and dimwitted celebrities, and what's the appeal in that? The ONLY part of California history I'm interested in is...guess what...Disneyland. So IMO, the more Walt in DCA, the better. At least then that park would have something to DO with Disneyland and that would at least partly justify its existence. Theming a park after California is one of the worst ideas ever, IMO.
As far as kids not knowing who Walt was...really? He's been featured in a lot of the DVDs, most notably the Lady and the Tramp one, and he's certainly celebrated in WDW. There are books about him all over the place. He might not mean as much to them as to those of us who remember (vaguely, in my case) seeing him on TV while he was alive, but he's still not as nondescript to them as per Betty Crocker or Colonel Sanders IMO. For my part, I'm very excited at retheming DCA into Walt Disney's Hollywood. I love the statue idea. If the changes I've read about take place (and that includes throwing the Muppets out - it still sickens me to see worn-out purchased properties like the Muppets and the Power Rangers infesting Walt's kingdom), then I will be able to put aside my dislike for the state of California and actually pay the money to visit Disneyland. Otherwise, WDW suits me just fine.
I wonder if we aren't missing the boat here a bit?
I'm not sure that tying the theme to the era of Disney when he came to Cali and started the whole thing is the same thing as sticking Walt into everything. If every window, door, placard, sign, etc, etc,... said "Walt did (insert whatever here) here" then I think that's too much. I don't think they will have face characters walking around the park that look like Walt.
When I heard about this retheme I was happy because, in my mind at least, it gave it a time and a place and therefore some purpose, some distinction... which the current park totally lacks. Yes, Main Street is based upon Walt's hometown blah, blah, blah... but unless you know that, or take the time to find out... you wouldn't know it. I think that is what this will be the case for DCA. It will look better, more unified, definately more dignified... but unless you stop and read the sign on the upperfloor window, or do some research to find out that this is what Disney's original studio looked like.... it will just look like the 1920's.
I think it's a specific time period setting that will set it apart and improve it. Everything in Disneyland is not 'today' it's yesteryear, it's next century, it's make-believe... all places you can't get in your car and drive to. DCA is entirely places you can drive to in a day or less!