Scratching my head about how anybody could successfully overlay a story on an outdoor roller coaster. Especially an already existing one.
The ride videos of Incredicoaster look terrible. Disney took a good ride with basic theming and made a terrible ride with awful theming.
I feel like Pixar Pier is a bizarre mix of being exactly what I expected, and being incredibly disappointing. I had very low expectations for this project, and it seems like they were all completely accurate. Nothing of any substance has been changed, and the overwhelming majority of the changes were for the worse. They had the chance to make a lot of real meaningful improvements, but just completely missed the opportunity. Even seemingly simple things, like giving the entire coaster a fresh coat of paint during it's half-year refurbishment after nearly two decades of operation, weren't done I honestly feel bad for any of the creative and technical talent that had to work on this project. It seems like their hands were tied by high-level "creative" (using the word loosely) decisions and budget, far beyond the normal project criteria. For all of its flaws, at least DCA 1.0 was a little clever with how it approached most things; this seems like the most blandly obvious corporate answer to everything, done on a shoestring budget
I'll save judgement until I actually get to experience it. However, my last visit to DCA was disappointing. They were having problems with many of the rides breaking down. And, I'm no prude by any means, but serving booze in the park makes it far from magical. Seeing folks suck down margaritas, being loud and obnoxious while waiting in line,was a big turn off. I still have to wonder when they will change the name of the entire park.
What to say about Pixar Pier? I believe that the problems with this overlay is that the parts do not equal the sum of the whole pier. What I mean is that there is a lot of good here. Lamplight Lounge for example is a much better use of the space than Ariel’s Grotto and Cove bar. Knick’s Knacks as a gift shop is also well themed and has great custom Pixar items. The fast food options and locations are also good. The coaster now really does have a theme as the Incredicoaster and the music is great. However, that being said, does the whole area work? It might grow on me but right at the moment it just seems like so much random things tossed together. Also it is unforgivable to have so much not finished on time. To not have Bing-bong’s and Jessie’s Critter Carousel open seems wrong and makes the whole area feel incomplete.
I have plans for Disneyland in Jan. I was not even planning on doing DCA but my grandchildren will be insisting. So, I may have a chance to check it out. I do not have great expectations.
Looks like we will be going the first part of December. I'm not excited about Pixar Pier, but I'm willing to give it a shot. I found the old sign at WDW at Hollywood Studios in May. It made me sad.
