Originally Posted By planodisney Looks like the entryway will be getting revamped, and probably fairly soon at that. Two other sites are reporting this, and pictures were posted of survey stakes up in the entryway. This is such great news. Looks like they are determined to turn this into a Truly Disney Park. The placemaking project for HPB turned out better than I thought. it realy looks good. 1 site is reporting that the placemaking will be MUCH more dramatic for the entry than it was for Hollywood Studios.
Originally Posted By Nobody I'm actually as (if not more) curious about this project as I am about Monsters or perhaps the next attraction. There'll be no hiding this from either DCA or Disneyland guests. It seem like a major deal to me.
Originally Posted By mstaft Hopefully, the entrance redo will come off as well as the last project did!
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA 'entryway' -- meaning from the turnstyles all the way to the fountain and sun sculpture?
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt I'm wondering how this area can be made significantly better (meaning: impact) without building a major iconic building like the castle, Spaceship Earth or the Tree of Life.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<I'm wondering how this area can be made significantly better (meaning: impact) without building a major iconic building like the castle, Spaceship Earth or the Tree of Life.>> Think Animal Kingdom. The Oasis gives a wonderful sense of place and lets you know what the park is all about long before you ever see the Tree of Life.
Originally Posted By disneywatcher At this point in time, I don't think DCA even needs a major icon as much as it needs a variety of areas, including the entryway, that are more attractive and charming. The park needs to take baby steps before it can begin to consider running in the marathon, and so doing things like stripping apart the current front area and replacing it with something better is a good start.
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt Right, but I'm skeptical about how much "better" it will really be if all they do is lay new pavement and plant some trees and flowers.
Originally Posted By disneywatcher >> and pictures were posted of survey stakes up in the entryway. << It's impossible to know whether this means we should get our hopes up high or a little, or not at all: <a href="http://westcoaster.net/images/updates/121605/121605-dca008-lrg.jpg" target="_blank">http://westcoaster.net/images/ updates/121605/121605-dca008-lrg.jpg</a>
Originally Posted By RoadTrip My idea is largely based on the fact that I’m a train freak, but I think DCA could do a GREAT entrance patterned after the Los Angeles Union Station. You could give people a real sense that they were about to “go somewhereâ€. You could have the various station platforms directing you to the various areas of the park. After all, Disneyland brings everyone in through a train station, and that seems to have worked out pretty well. Los Angeles Union Station: <a href="http://www.publicartinla.com/UnionStation/station1.jpeg" target="_blank">http://www.publicartinla.com/U nionStation/station1.jpeg</a> <a href="http://www.publicartinla.com/UnionStation/station2.jpeg" target="_blank">http://www.publicartinla.com/U nionStation/station2.jpeg</a>
Originally Posted By disneywatcher Thanks to planodisney I became curious enough about what was being talked about in Disney cyberspace that I visited mouseinfo's message board for the first time in months and found this comment from their DisCo insider: >>>>> Actually, it is next after the entrance area gets completed with its Placemaking work. The entrance area from the turnstiles to the Golden State Bridge is truly the next area to be addressed and that work should begin around the February time frame. The Sunshine Plaza work is slated to begin after summer and it will be pretty major in scope. One item that even Al Lutz mentioned might come true after all. The Imagineers are still restling with the idea, but it appears one side maybe winning in their push to relocate a particular component of DCA to this area. Not sure what the benefits are of this move, but like I said before this Placemaking Project for DCA has created many opposing viewpoints up at WDI and some bitter feelings between designers. <<<< One of their board users posted this photo that I think speaks volumes about what an embarrassment the titanium sun has been. This angle shows its exceptionally flimsy and awkward nature: <a href="http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c70/abe22222222/IMG_1084.jpg" target="_blank">http://i25.photobucket.com/alb ums/c70/abe22222222/IMG_1084.jpg</a> One of the surveyor stakes apparently is located around the landscaped area behind the sun. I hope that signals much of this portion of DCA will be bulldozed. I also hope that the "opposing viewpoints" and "bitter feelings" of people at the DisCo are a sign that the DCA-is-good-enough Imagineers and executives no longer are living in a bubble, free from the idea that schlock is better when ripped down and replaced.
Originally Posted By disneywatcher By the way, the "Al Lutz" rumor that Marcie of mouseinfo is referring to is the idea that Golden Dreams should be relocated to a new building somewhere around what is now Sunshine Plaza. I too don't understand the benefits of that proposal. Personally, I think both the Plaza -- its titanium sun, reflector towers, uninspiring concrete planters and all -- and Golden Dreams should be tossed out the back door.
Originally Posted By trekkeruss I guess the thinking behind placing Golden Dreams towards the entrance is to help convey that the park is supposed to be about California. It's a well done film, IMO, and deserves to be placed much as GMWML was placed in Town Square in DL. My major concern with the placemaking project is how else are they going to make the park more 'California.' Most of the areas are weak when it comes to projecting "this is what California is about," and I can't picture how they're going to do that without razing significant partions of the park.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA Man, if the 'Golden Dreams moves to the Sunshine Plaza' comes true. I'm going to come into this thread and say 'Oooooh! Right in Your FACE!' [I love the idea of 'Golden Dreams' being more front and center -- reminds me of the cool orientation video at The Getty Center]
Originally Posted By BrigmanMT 2 I spent some time wandering this area on monday, and last week after closing I looked around the entrance too to try and see how to block out the hotel in the background and create an intersting siteline. Blocking out the Hilton would be very easy, and I beleive a succesful enclosing of the entrance space would also be a wonderful tool for wlcoming guests (the same concept they used for bending the Calfironia letters towards the park). I hope that hiding the off property structures from the first view of the park is one of the major goals. Also, I want to say that I have always been a fan of the postcard look. I think it could be very successful. It would have been great if they had added more physical features for representation of the different landmarks and regions of the state. This idea would also relate very well to a front and center golden dreams film. One tells the story of the people, while the area shares the many sites that make this state so diverse. As for the Union Station, it already is represented at the DCA entrance. It serves as the main information area, and houses quite a few of the shops, and the Zephyr train. Unfortunately it is done in the classic DCA style. It looks very bland, and there just isn't much to it, other than the shops.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<As for the Union Station, it already is represented at the DCA entrance. It serves as the main information area, and houses quite a few of the shops, and the Zephyr train. Unfortunately it is done in the classic DCA style. It looks very bland, and there just isn't much to it, other than the shops.>> Really? The two don't look at all alike. Now if you had said the Santa Barbara station, I guess I can see the resemblance. <a href="http://railroadpictures.net/Stations/Santa_Barbara/IMG_9151_tn0480.jpg" target="_blank">http://railroadpictures.net/St ations/Santa_Barbara/IMG_9151_tn0480.jpg</a> Whatever station it is, it is vastly underused.
Originally Posted By Kylesmom Home sweet home! I never noticed anything at DCA that reminded me of Santa Barbara.
Originally Posted By BrigmanMT 2 <a href="http://www.etixland.com/DCA/newDCA/train.JPG" target="_blank">http://www.etixland.com/DCA/ne wDCA/train.JPG</a> <a href="http://joel.in.california.online.fr/California-Adventure/SunShine" target="_blank">http://joel.in.california.onli ne.fr/California-Adventure/SunShine</a>%20Plaza/DSC01411.JPG I dont think it looks like Santa Barbara. The tile at the base of the tower is very similar to what can be found in LA. I thought I remember the clock was nearby soewhere. I guess I was wrong.
Originally Posted By Westsider WOW! Marcie at Mouseinfo just admitted that Al Lutz was right and that Golden Dreams may actually be moving to the entrance area. They are currently eating a little crow over at Mouseinfo, after laughing at Lutz for the last two months about his crazy DCA remodeling ideas.
