Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "Duffy." He's nothing more than a retail marketer's dream. I'm thinking an original character or group of original characters that are featured in an attraction (ie: the cast of America Sings and Kitchen Kaberet, or Captain Rex from Star Tours).
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 Duffy ... in his Easter best now on sale at the Disney outlets in SoFla for $17.99 ... vinylmation crap for $5.99 too ... get them before they drop the prices even lower!!!
Originally Posted By DlandDug When Disneyland opened in 1955 critics sniped that Walt was shilling the beloved Disney characters to sell amusement park tickets. There were film based characters all over the place, as pointed out above, but especially in Fantasyland. When DCA opened in 2001 there were Native American storytellers in the Redwood Creek, Calafia in Golden Dreams, and a whole cast of newcomers in Superstar Limo. Over in Route 66 we had Dinosaur Jack and the Corndog King. (Yeah, I'm stretching here!) Later hasty additions included a couple of storytelling railroad employees in Chugga Chugga (by the streamliner train). There are a couple of "hosts" for attractions who are original creations. The eccentric german who announces the safety spiel for Mickey's Fun Wheel even has his own window over Games of the Boardwalk. Other than that, I got nothin'.
Originally Posted By cheesybaby I also wish they would do more original character (or non-character) attractions, but the world has changed. The animated features now cost $150 million and up to make. This is outrageous and a huge risk. Once a feature is paid for and successful, they are going to use that material in every conceivable way possible to amortize (and benefit from) it. They are not going to spend time and money for WDI writers/artists to come up with new ideas and character designs, they are going to use what has already been paid for. Ironically, the ending of the direct-to-video cheapquels has made this WORSE for the parks: because that product line was shut down, there are now fewer "ancillary markets" to pump these paid-for properties into. They are only going to be more aggressive at pumping these "paid-for assets" into the parks.
Originally Posted By oodelally i sent the thought too early but we excluded fantasyland because thats all characters, but all the character around other lands like davy crockett were just in thier respected lands, it wasnt called "the davy crockett mule ride" characters should always be in the parks but im really jonesing for something fresh and new
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt I kind of like the path that HKDL is currently taking. They are building a replica of Toy Story Playland from DLPR while also developing several new highly themed original E tickets elsewhere in the park. TSPL looks lame (Dave feel free to chime in about the version in France), but I think its a fair trade rather than exclusively opening things designed around films and cartoons the way that DLR has been doing.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Lol, please do not get me excited about the monstrosity in France. But yes, Mystic Point and Grizzly Gulch along with Aulani are the most interesting developments for me in a decade as far as Disney is concerned. And I am jonesing more for a trip to Hong Kong post completion than WDW and probably level pegging with DL.
Originally Posted By DlandDug >>...Califia was created 500 years ago.<< I always thought Whoopi was a lot older than she was letting on...
Originally Posted By gadzuux >> Ironically, the ending of the direct-to-video cheapquels has made this WORSE for the parks << Funny thing about that - I recently watched "Kronk's New Groove" and thought it was better BY FAR than the original "Emporer's New Groove" it was based on. For some unfathomable reason, they had Eartha Kitt as the villainess, and never gave her a song in the original. In the sequel, she's got a great one - 'Help Me To Help You To Help Them' - along with a few other original tunes. I also think 'Bambi 2' is quantitatively better than the original, because the original holds very little for viewers older than toddlers. On the other hand, Aladdin 2 & 3 and the Lion King sequels were silly and unwatchable. But 'some' of those direct to video sequels were actually pretty good.
Originally Posted By TP2000 For Indian Storytelling attractions, nothing can beat Spirit Lodge over at Knott's. I loved that show when it was the feature attraction at the General Motors pavilion up at the World's Fair in Vancouver in 1986, and it still holds up very well 25 years later. DCA 1.0 February-October, 2001 was an unmitigated disaster. You can't say they didn't try with little offerings like the original Camp Circle show, but it's quite clear the overall audience wasn't interested. A major product in planning for years and launched by a major company doesn't get made fun of on The Simpsons for no good reason. I'll look forward to seeing video of this new Up overlay and show at Redwood Creek. I doubt I'll have the patience or interest to sit through a show, but I'll watch some YouTube clips when they become available.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA Some of the other entertainment offerings at early DCA... were the three gals who performed in Hollywood Pictures Backlot -- think were supposed to be 'extras' from the movies -- did a short show with a song that was super fun. Also, there was a comedy troupe -- also in the Backlot area -- on the outdoor stage -- called 'DUH' or something, and they did a 'Whose Line is it Anyway' type of comedy show with improvisational games and things. Very fun. Three Bags Full -- those weird walk around characters.... Loved them.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt Weren't there some living vine people and a big rock too? Or was that Animal Kingdom?
Originally Posted By gadzuux >> three gals who performed in Hollywood Pictures Backlot -- think were supposed to be 'extras' from the movies << "Chance To Shine"
Originally Posted By FerretAfros >>Weren't there some living vine people and a big rock too? Or was that Animal Kingdom?<< D'Vine and Wisteria were in DCA's farm area for a while after the park's opening. I believe they were one of the first things cut, since they were just not the type of thing that the guests wanted to see. In recent years, D'Vine has made regular appearances at DAK. (Side note: I find it interesting that the original DCA entertainment that was constantly labled as 'pretentious' and 'overly high-brow' before getting cut from the park, is perfectly acceptable to the 'rubes' that inhabit WDW. Just goes to show how tolerant the pretentious folks in California really are...)
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt Those were the fans here that constantly complained non-stop about DCA. Oddities like D'Vine were just fuel for the fire. I think the average DLR guest would be amused by that sort of thing and had the park itself been more popular those characters would have lasted a lot longer.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA <and had the park itself been more popular those characters would have lasted a lot longer.> True of many parts of DCA 1.0, Hans.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 "You can't say they didn't try with little offerings like the original Camp Circle show, but it's quite clear the overall audience wasn't interested" So the audience was small. The show was good. But some people were too busy trashing the park as a whole to notice. Same with the offerings detailed just above.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA ^^^very true, Dabob2. To use an acting analogy, the supporting players got thrown into lead roles. They just weren't prepared to be that.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt Some people are still, after all these years, trashing the original park with a vengeance.
