Happy Birthday DCA!

[€uroMeinke]

Yup managed to get there for rope drop - with about a hundred other guests. At opening there was a PA announcement which among other things mostly made mention of Disneyland's 50th anniversary celebration.

The park opened and most of the guestes headed into the Hollywood backlot for Monsters Inc. and Tower. I walked the desolate park taking note of the areas I seldom travel to, like Paradise Pier. I watch a train of 8 people take off on screamin' and two people ride the Maliboomer. The CMs looked bored hunkered down in from of Jumping Jelly fish and the Golden Zephyre.

Still, the Hollywood backlot looked active, like it might even be a fun park adn I had to aknowledge that, that is usually as far as I ever travel in DCA these days.

I didn't check to see if there was any special park merchandise for the occasion, as I had to return to my office.

I did get a call from CP on my way to work, so she might have an afternoon update of the festivities. AS for myself - I got to work as my boss was leaving and got a page that my afternoon Meeting might get cancelled - so who knows maybe I should ahve stayed and indulged in the 5 years of Magic? uh Marketting? uh what exactly does DCA have 5 years of anyway?

I may have some pictures for later.

[DisneyDaniel]

Originally Posted by Alex Stroup

I actually like DCA. Not as much as Disneyland but to not like something as much as Disneyland is not the same thing as hating something.

Very well said. Even though I absolutely adore Disney's California Adventure in its current state, there is always room for growth and improvement. On Disney boards--and with Disney's biggest fans and critics, I sometimes feel like the black-sheep DCA fan, but that's OK. People can hate the place, love the place or fall somewhere in between--it doesn't really matter what most people think. As long as Disney's California Adventure continues to be open, it will add to the Disney magic of the Disneyland Resort.

During the last five years, I think Disney's California Adventure has improved with several additions, including the following highlights:
--Monsters Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Resuce!
--Turtle Talk with Crush
--Animation Academy
--The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
--Block Party Bash
--Disney's Aladdin - A Musical Spectacular
--Electrical Parade
--Flik's Fun Fair
--D.U.H. - Department of Untapped Hilarity (improv comedy show)

As a side note or question, would there have been the magnificent Disney's Grand Californian Hotel with its lobby, Heartstone Lounge, White Water Snacks, Storytellers Cafe, and Napa Rose without California Adventure being built?

[innerSpaceman]

Non-repeatability of attractions would be fine for Disney World, but won't cut it for Disneyland. The Anaheim Park sitting in the midst of one of the world's greatest metropolises gets a guest mix that is heavily tilted toward the local, repeat visitor.

Personal taste aside, immersive environments like Pirates of the Caribbean and The Haunted Mansion still pump along entertainingly after 30 years, while films of any kind get old too fast to even bother featuring them at a theme park. Ditto for thrill rides with no themeing.

DCA might work well for someone visiting twice in its five-year history, but I don't believe that makes for a successful theme park in the L.A. basin.


And while everyone is entitled to their own opinion, I don't have to argue mine when attendance records back up my view that the park is a dismal failure and that nothing they've done to purportedly improve the place has actually done so.

[Alex]

I'm not arguing that the park has failed at what it was supposed to do. Just that I like it.

I wasn't arguing, just pointing out that the basis on which DCA seems to most fail for you (non repeatability of attractions) is, for me, a basis on which Disneyland fails as well.

My preference would be that the Esplanade be gated off at the entry point and that it all be turned into one giant park with DCA as a separate land.

[tracilicious]

Eh. We go a couple times a year and it has a few good things. We love Playhouse Disney Live on Stage. Alladin is ok. ToT is fun. Soarin is still fantastic for me. Screamin is great, but the only thing on the pier that we do, as once was enough for the other rides there. I'm excited to ride MI next time we go.

It does have the best soft serve Ice Cream ever. It's an ok place to spend half a day if I'm already at DL, but I would never make the six hour drive just to go there.

[Prudence]

I actually quite like certain portions of DCA. Where it fails for me personally is the cohesion. For example, BT *loves* the GRR area. I actually think that's a fun ride. And that one small area with the hotel behind and all the trees and the distinctive guitar music is really kind of cool. It's probably our favorite spot in that park. (I think it's his favorite spot in any park. Mine, in case you care, is the Mansion fastpass area.)

But head out one end and it's kind of a big blah with a plane in the corner before reaching another kind of cool area right by Soarin'. Head the other way and it's this weird San Fran-esque area with nothing. On the other side of GRR is the winery area - also pretty cool. And across from the winery? Blah. Corner of Paradise Pier with the Screamin'? Pretty cool. You hear and see the coaster, the water, the screams at take off, etc. Sitting under the coaster by the chicken strip place? Seedy has-been carnival.

And that is the problem for me. There are individual little chunks that I really like and would seek out. But in between are far too many bits of blah.

I do think there's hope. I don't want to petulantly compare DCA to DL's infancy. DCA was thrown together by people who wanted the resort feel of WDW but without the expense and, not surprisingly, the result doesn't live up to its potential. However, because a large part of what *I* think is wrong is "feel," I think there's significant potential for improvement.

[innerSpaceman]

Heheh, yeah a place that can hardly get worse has, by definition, significant potential for improvement. TeeHee.

[Prudence]

Not necessarily. Some places are beyond redemption and thus lack potential.

[Capt Jack]

hmm....5 years huh? guess I should go check it out.

:P

[Cadaverous Pallor]

If people that visit on a yearly basis love it, then why isn't there great word of mouth from them? Why isn't DCA pulling in the attendance? WDW doesn't have a huge local fan base, it relies more on tourism, and its attendance numbers are humongous.

Oh, like € said, I was at the resort today, and I didn't look twice in DCA's direction...