I am coming down next week, so I am quite glad to see this open before we get there. Letting him out of the stroller to run for a while will be a good thing!

Well, no, that's not the only reason you're taking them there, nor should it be the main reason you're taking them there. Does anyone take their kids to Disneyland for just one thing? If anyone plans to spend several hours there with their kid, then yeah, I think that's strange, but then I remember it being strange that adolescents and teenagers and even some adults spent hours in the Starcade. It's also not big enough to hold enough people if *everyone* with a child between 2-5 wanted to bring their kid there.

I think that line gets used too much without taking it in context. His kids weren't 2 years old when he made that statement. A 2 year old is not necessarily going to enjoy the other rides like an older child might, so I don't see the problem with having a space they can just run around.

And if we follow through with the whole "family group experience", then they're going to have to tear down Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder, Indy and any other ride where there's a height requirement.

Heheh, the Starcade analogy is perfect! I never got it why teens would spend hours in there when, at the time, there was an arcade on every street corner.

I can better understand Toddlers wanting a little play area to chill in during their trip to Disneyland. I just bemoan the constant downgrading of the ToonTown play areas. The Chip and Dale ball room, the Miss Daisy slide, and climbing net ... now Goofy's Bounce House replaced with a backyard playset. It's just kinda pathetic.

So now that all the play's been removed from Tom Saywer Island and ToonTown, just where are young kids past toddler age supposed to play?

I'll admit to spending a good chunk of time in the Starcade as a kid...but it really was a special experience for two reasons. Part of it was simply a certain feeling of extravagance. "I'm playing a video game...in Disneyland!!!" But more importantly, it was because I was with my sister. There's a decent age gap between us, so it's not like we spent a whole lot of time together in arcades outside of Disneyland. So heading upstairs (*sniff*) to play air hockey against each other was one of the big things we always looked forward to on each Disneyland trip. Plus, they had the coolest air hockey tables.

For while, the arcade was the only place to find Tron for me. THe ONLY video game I have ever been any good at!

And hey... I spent a great deal of time at videopolis too.

Oh yeah, that was me after work during the summer in the late '80's. ;) A couple of games in the Starcade (Tron was a big draw for me, but it was also a good place for a video game addict like myself to catch some of the new games that were not at the local arcade or bowling alley!), a quick bite to eat just outside of Videopolis. Danced a couple of hours with friends at Videopolis, moved on over to Tomorrowland Terrace, grab a bite, then dance some more there. Ahhh, my wonderful wasted youth!:cool:

I totally understand spending some time in the Starcade during a DL visit pre-AP. We used to do that periodically for the air hockey tables that someone already mentioned. Those weren't that easily available, and I know there were some games that weren't everywhere either. But the one summer I worked at DL, I spent a number of shifts in the change booth at the Starcade, and I would see people in there for *hours*, and they'd come back periodically to get change. It just seemed odd to me to spend money to get into the park and then spend so much time in the arcade.