"The DCA Problem" - $650 million to fix it

Originally Posted By Darkbeer

In today's Al Lutz update at MiceAge, he reported this...

<a href="http://www.miceage.com/allutz/al100306b.htm" target="_blank">http://www.miceage.com/allutz/
al100306b.htm</a>

>>This was a classic example of Lasseter taking the blueprints home with him for the weekend, and coming back on Monday with a much bigger and better idea. The end result was that the 30 Million dollars that had been budgeted for the 2006 Sunshine Plaza redo was kept in the bank and the backhoes and painting crews were called off. Over the course of the spring and early summer John sat in on several key planning meetings and was part of the planning group created to tackle what is now called "The DCA Problem."

The end result, after much work and even some bickering amongst the WDI divas, is a broader DCA master plan that dwarfs the phased Placemaking plan. The budget John Lasseter has now shepherded through the WDI design process has swelled north of 650 million, to be spent over the course of just over five years. For those keeping score at home, that figure is almost as much as the entire park cost when it opened to underwhelming results in early '01!<<

And here is some proof of why the execs are referring to it as "The DCA Problem"..

>>It may all sound too good to be true, but all of the current top executives in place in both WDI and Burbank have fully acknowledged that DCA never achieved what it was supposed to when it was being planned in the 1990's. There simply isn't anyone left with much political clout that has was attached to the DCA project back then, and so there are no more egos or bullheaded opinions to get in the way of remaking the park into something that can finally be successful. When a beautiful summer Saturday can only pull in less than 200 people who actually buy a day ticket to DCA, while Disneyland next door has over 30,000 local visitors paying for full fare day tickets to visit Disneyland, then you know something isn't working big time.

This past summer DCA was averaging 14,000 visitors on Saturdays, with full fare day tickets numbering in the low hundreds. Disneyland on the same day would average 53,000 visitors, with full fare day tickets sold numbering in the tens of thousands. DCA's attendance is made up almost entirely of annual passholders and park hoppers, with more casual day visitors only going in to the park when they take advantage of the popular 2Fer ticket promotion Disney does every winter. That's a business model that just can't continue long term and be expected to make it through cyclical downturns in the economy or tourism industry. And it's certainly not the expectation TDA executives had in 2000 when they were going on record with the press as stating they fully expected to have to close the DCA turnstiles on weekends due to overcrowding.

But finally, after five years of excuses and many failed attempts at cheap and quick fixes, the corporate climate is right for the major help DCA is going to need to succeed in the long run. Even if the full 650 Million dollar budget isn't approved this year, it's the fact that this type of proposal could now even make it to Bob Iger and the board of directors that signals that things have changed dramatically in Burbank when it comes to the conventional wisdom on DCA. And that is fantastic news for Anaheim! <<

Lokking forward to the changes

 

Originally Posted By mele

Wow, the new plans must be good to go from a $30 million budget to $650 million!

 

Originally Posted By dr jones

To do this thing right, there needs to be that kind of budget for sure.
Here's hoping!

 

Originally Posted By gadzuux

When you boil it all down to the actual changes, it doesn't sound like all that much.

- Curbs and sidewalks for sunshine plaza, with a re-theming to the `20s. Adding some buses and transportation vehicles.

- Changing the theme within condor flats to something more 'yosemite-ish'.

- Refinishing surfaces and adding gew-gaws to paradise pier, enclosing the screamin' queue, and adding villains along the track.

- Enclosing the queue/"lobby" for the hyperion theater and adding more theming to the exterior surfaces.


On the topic of new attractions, al mentions replacing muppets with 'philharmagic'. I thought we had already determined that the existing showbuilding wasn't nearly big enough. Unless of course they scale down the size of the showscreen, which would make it much less impressive and immediately be considered just another cut-rate clone.

Also mentioned briefly were additions of 'cars' and 'incredibles' - with no details.

Finally, al mentions a "boutique" hotel in timon. I've long suspected that they were wanting to put another hotel over there, but 'boutique' implies small and expensive. This sounds like a bad idea to me. If they're going to put another hotel there, at least make it a large one that's part of an overall expansion of the park itself - integrated into this new development.

The really expensive part of this proposal sounds like it would be the re-routing of the monorail. Normally this is something that I would be in favor of, but if it's only to deliver the comparatively small number of well-heeled guests from this (presumeably expensive) new small-ish hotel, then no - it doesn't sound like a good value.

All in all, the only part of these rumors that I can get enthusiastic about are the two new attractions. Everything else sounds like expensive trimmings.

 

Originally Posted By irishfan

>>The really expensive part of this proposal sounds like it would be the re-routing of the monorail. Normally this is something that I would be in favor of, but if it's only to deliver the comparatively small number of well-heeled guests from this (presumeably expensive) new small-ish hotel, then no - it doesn't sound like a good value. <<

I presume it would also stop at the Paradise Pier Hotel.

 

Originally Posted By gadzuux

Except that al reports they're considering demolishing PPH.

 

Originally Posted By Darkbeer

^It would be what I would do, just have the track go straight down Harbor, instead of turing into the Backlot area and then turn just before Katella, have a stop for the new hotel, then continue next to Katella until it goes over Disneyland Drive, where you have another turn to go north up Disneyland Drive, another stop at the PPH then forward and join up with the current track near the LEGO store (where the track currently curves from the GCH to the current DtD station.

While any track additions would be expensive, the layout is basic, and the installation of most of the support pilings will be in open areas, so you don't need to close attractions, etc... The one area that would require some careful layouts would be the PPH station. This should help keep down costs.

(Removal of most of the old track could be done at their convience, as you only need to remove a small portion at the curves (which are not in major traffic areas) for the construction of the new track. The large segment through DCA and GCH can be done when the area is closed for other reasons. Also, this might allow additional rooms (and therefore revenue) to be built at GCH due to the removal of the track and its supports.

But as mentioned in the article, they are looking into it, and has not been greenlighed.

 

Originally Posted By irishfan

>>Except that al reports they're considering demolishing PPH.<<

I'm sure if that happens, it will be replaced with another hotel.

 

Originally Posted By Darkbeer

It does make sense to think about demolitioning both the PPH and the DLH, the towers are old and having problems, they also are not that efficient in space and in energy and other costs (new techniques and materials).

Building new hotel towers that have less square foot per room will allow more rooms in the same space, plus can command a higher room rate. (As compared to the nearby non-Disney hotels, many of which are newer and nicer.)

This is a trend in Las Vegas for good reason.

 

Originally Posted By Spirit of 74

Interesting column by Al.

There were a few surprises ... the big one being the $650 million figure. If John Lasseter can get that, I want him to take a nice, long trip to WDW -- pronto.

But that is a very realistic STARTING point for what needs to be done. Even the Disney apologists would have to admit DCA can't survive forever living on APers and park-hoppers alone.

The monorail and hotel talk is what gets me excited because they were all part of the Westcot plans. They made sense for the longterm health of 'the resort.' And they were all tossed to the curb and that sure was successful.

Extending the monorail and making it more than just an attraction is the kind of forward-thinking you'd expect from the old Disney and not the Eisner-Pressler-Rasulo regime. Knocking down the old hotels makes perfect sense. You can only throw so much pixie dust on them ... they are what they are, old, ugly, box-like, business towers.

As the Grand Californian has shown, if the Mouse builds top notch, themed resorts, the guests will come and pay very high rates to stay. PP and DLH are $100 a night properties. Sure people pay more, but it doesn't change the fact. And with so many nicer and newer options a few blocks away, perhaps Disney finally realizes that.

The DCA plans sound solid so far, but we'll have to see. The 'DCA problem' simply ain't gonna go away ... I think Bob Iger is smart enough to see that.

Adding DVC out there is smart. Adding an upscale boutique hotel (something I haven't heard about) is also smart.

But, ultimately, making DCA a true Disney-caliber park is smartest of all.

Hopefully, it'll come to pass.

 

Originally Posted By Spirit of 74

Also, the whole transportation idea is promising. One of DCA's largest problems is the lack of kinetics ... California is all about transportation and moving people ... DCA should have that too.

Look at how Tomorrowland died when it stopped being a World on the Move ...

As to the attractions, well, Incredibles and Cars would both be E-Tix ... PhilharMagic will certainly be more popular than the Muppets ... Midway Mania is a high-caliber D-Ticket ... even adding the villians to Screamin sounds like a step in the right direction.

There may be hope yet for the old punching bag.

 

Originally Posted By BlueOhanaTerror

Hoping that any "boutique" hotel sits above reserved attraction space, or a new attraction itself... (why didn't this happen with the GCH?)

 

Originally Posted By Witches of Morva

ORDDU: In regard to the Muppet Theatre building at DCA being too small to house Mickey's Philharmagic, a witch would like to point out that the theatre used for this show at Walt Disney World is even smaller than DCA's Muppet Theatre. So, there's no reason why it couldn't fit into DCA's existing structure.

ORWEN: Plus Mickey's Philharmagic would be a welcome breath of fresh air compared to that poor old tired frog thingie.

ORGOCH: Hey!! What'd ya say about the frog?! Better not be puttin' down no frogs whilst I's 'round!!! Got that, sister?!

ORWEN: Why don't you just go choke on Kermit, Old Biddy--assuming Miss Piggy lets you get anywhere near him! Or maybe you can choke on her, too, while you're at it!

 

Originally Posted By TMICHAEL

^^^Just to add ladies, the Muppets theatre sits adjacent to an unused soundstage. If they want to/need to, the current theatre could be extended to the old Millionaire building. That would be one huge screen. Yet, I still believe Mickey's Phil belongs in Toon Town or on Main Street not DCA.

As for the Monorail rerouting, I really wish they would also remove most of the track inside Fantasyland. There is a huge parcel of land that has very limited use due to the Monorails tracks overhead. Remove this and voila, the old Motorboat Cruise and its surrounding area can become blue-sky area for a new attraction. Little Mermaid dark ride anyone?

 

Originally Posted By woody

I heard they rehabbed the rooms of Paradise Pier hotel. All going to waste.

I can't understand why they want new hotels in the Timon lot. They need more rides. DCA needs to be a full day park. What about an evening show in the lagoon with fireworks?

 

Originally Posted By BrnardM

Gotta say, I like what I'm hearing.

 

Originally Posted By trekkeruss

I am confused how this new stuff jives with the last update:

"the big stuff is planned for the 2008-10 timeframe when pretty much everything from the Orange Stinger to Golden Dreams is torn out and replaced with a new San Francisco concept. At the same time the remnants of Paradise Pier located within the footprint of California Screamin' get the full Pixar treatment with the characters of Toy Story taking over the boardwalk.

<<The focus for all of this is squarely on the family market, with the intense Maliboomer space shot type of ride even being turned into a much tamer parachute drop similar to the one Knott's Berry Farm had for many years, except this one would be themed to the Green Army Men from Toy Story. With the Orange Stinger, Golden Zephyr, Jumpin' Jellyfish and Mulholland Madness all removed, there would be room for Lasseters big-budget family E-Ticket based on the movie Cars and themed to San Francisco, including cars zipping down a remade Lombard Street."

 

Originally Posted By woody

Jive? It's more news on the rest of Paradise Pier.

Don't you notice how San Francisco has Victorian style building?

 

Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt

The "boutique" hotel thing he mentioned in the article sounds suspicious to me.

 

Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA

How so Hans?