Let's Do Something about that DCA Problem

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by mousepod

Moonliner has a point - but the counterpoint will always be TDS. It's hardly "Disney", it's not truly a resort, and it's butted up against TDL, which is clearly the more familiar park - yet it's incredibly popular and a marvel to behold. For me, it's all about the execution...

Bingo.

I always like to point out that my 4 top favorite attractions (HM, Space Mountain, PotC, Matterhorn) at Disneyland are NOT movie based attractions (well, Pirates used to not be...). And, it's no coincidence, that those 4 consistently rank among the top in the general population, so I'm not alone.
The only "Disney" element those attractions had was execution, to use Moonliner's terminology. They were the best attractions built in the world when they opened.

DCA simply doesn't have that, and no amount of rethemining, repackaging, repurposing, etc is going to change that. To me, the ONLY thing that will ever turn that place around is a comitment to true innovation. I don't think it needs a full, immediate* bulldoze. I think what it needs to get things rolling is a single, wholly original attraction, executed in true Disney fashion with style and quality. Restore some faith in the company that one can expect the best.





* However, I would expect/hope that if and when they ever get their act together and start taking the creative risks that made Disney what it is, or used to be, that someone does take a critical look at what's there now and start to bulldoze pieces in the name of progress

[Bornieo: Fully Loaded]

I'm with you folks on the idea of theme and exicution both with DCA lack. Even my 84 year old Grandmother dislikes DCA because of that. Its not Disney. It's like buying Plushes and Mouse Ears at the gas staion around the corner.

If anything needs to be 'Dozed is everything in the back end of the park, from It's Tough to be A bug to Paradise Pier to Golden Dreams. Hollywood backlot has much imporved since Monsters Inc. Condor Fatts is fine and GrizzlyPeak is the best themed area in the park. IMHO.

[Alex]

Originally Posted by mousepod

Moonliner has a point - but the counterpoint will always be TDS. It's hardly "Disney", it's not truly a resort, and it's butted up against TDL, which is clearly the more familiar park - yet it's incredibly popular and a marvel to behold. For me, it's all about the execution...

It is booted up against Tokyo Disneyland like MGM Studios is booted up against Epcot.

The relationship in attendance between Disneyland and DCA is about the same as between Magic Kingom and MGM/AK. The lessers hover around 50% of the greater.

Personally, I like DCA. I don't think it is the greatest thing since sliced milk (mmm....cheese) but it, in my opinion, better than any of the other Los Angeles theme parks (I think SeaWorld is better but it is also fundamentally different).

In my view, Tokyo DisneySeas or Epcot could have been build in DCA's spot and it would still have underperformed in my opinion. I think it is almost entirely a product of the different nature of the attendance at Disneyland than at any of the other Disney theme parks.

I don't think the performance problem of DCA will be fixed by any plan because I don't think it can be fixed. Disney will never have a monopoly on the attention of travelers and most locals don't make multiple day visits, they come a few times a year at most and at that pace people will almost always pick the known (definitely and perpetually) superior quantity over the unknown and therefore stick to Disneyland.

If Disneyland didn't already exist, I'm confident it couldn't be built. It would simply be too expensive and time consuming and it would be declared a failure out of the gate.

Personally, I find what is there to be better than the parking lot that was. I use it to the ability that it interests me and ignore the rest (just as I do with Disneyland, only going into Fantasyland and Toontown to work on MouseAdventure).

If I were to make a fundamental change, it would be Baxter's plan. I'd push the entry gates out to security checks put a giant food complex in the esplanade and make the whole thing one big park with DCA simply another new land for Disneyland.

[Disneyphile]

Honestly, I just wish they would have gone ahead with the ol' Westcot plan.

[Snowflake]

Originally Posted by Disneyphile

Honestly, I just wish they would have gone ahead with the ol' Westcot plan.

Which was? (Honest, I don't know)

[Strangler Lewis]

Originally Posted by Alex Stroup

Disney will never have a monopoly on the attention of travelers and most locals don't make multiple day visits, they come a few times a year at most and at that pace people will almost always pick the known (definitely and perpetually) superior quantity over the unknown and therefore stick to Disneyland.

Though we never will, we know a lot of people who spend entire three-day weekends at Disneyland or who do nothing else in the LA/Orange County area before heading down to San Diego for the zoo, etc. We're good for about opening to 2:00, so no California Adventure for us. Woody and Buzz vs. Winnie and Piglet? Not even close.

I'm no expert, but it strikes me that all the expansion, California Adventure included, was implemented to con people into thinking they needed to stay at one of the Disney hotels and for at least several days.

[CoasterMatt]

DCA's construction has done wonders for Universal Studios attendance - many people buy into 3+ day vacation packages at the Disneyland Resort, and get "restless" for lack of a better term - heading north for something different.

[Disneyphile]

Originally Posted by Snowflake

Which was? (Honest, I don't know)

It was EPCOT, redesigned to take up the area where DCA currently resides.

It's best explained in here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WestCOT

It would have been seriously cool, considering some of the concepts were installed at Tokyo DisneySeas.

And Westcot could still work. Soarin' is already there for a part of Future World. The rest of the areas could be re-themed into various continents.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by Disneyphile

And Westcot could still work. Soarin' is already there for a part of Future World. The rest of the areas could be re-themed into various continents.

Which brings up a third concept that was kicked around...Disney Seas in Long Beach. Awesome in theory, but had they attempted it with the Pressler/DCA mindset, it would have been a goat.

[CoasterMatt]

They're just gonna build a giant Mickey arm and wand on the side of CA Screamin' = Instant Disney Magic!