Originally Posted By CuriousConstance I would also bet that most people who don't know Walt Disney was a real person is because they could care less.
Originally Posted By CuriousConstance ^^^ And when you're around these type of people you really have to be careful what you say because if you start spouting off Disney things to them they look at you like you just got off the crazy train.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA I'm not suggesting people have to worship Walt Disney, or even know all the specific details of his career. I'm just saying that it's not that much of a stretch to know general information about the world in which we live. Walt Disney died in 1966, not 1066 B.C. for cryin' out loud!
Originally Posted By crapshoot <<But I'm still surprised that people don't know Walt Disney is a real person.>> It's what happens when the name becomes larger than the person itself. And it used to be that people didn't know that Paul Mcartney was in the Beatles during his Wings years. *****and looky here, some of you reading this don't even know who he is and he's still alive. But I do believe that it is wonderful that a memorial, of sorts, is being created for Uncle Walt's memory and accomplishments.
Originally Posted By Sparrow I also heard Michael Jackson and George Lucas are the same person. Not even a person, a robot. And Steven Spielberg is a hologram.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "I would also bet that most people who don't know Walt Disney was a real person is because they could care less." Exactly. To be more specific I don't think it matters at this point in time whether he was real or not for most people.
Originally Posted By crapshoot Doobie's interview with Neil Engle that was posted March 2001: Neil: "I think also that what this park is all about, not just our land (Hollywood) but all of them, is about contemporary, is about now. It’s not a period piece where when you go in like you go under the train station at Disneyland it's like I’m back in time. This is now. This is today. So in that respect we’ll have entertainment that is really up to date. We’ll have new shows that bring it up to date and that’s a challenge of course as well as fun. It’s not like looking in history books and saying what was real hot in 1910. You’re going what’s hip now? I think it really keeps it alive and has a chance to keep it be a real item." LP: "Do you think because the park is set in the "right now" it will be changed even more frequently than other Disney theme parks?" NE: "Ya know, that’s a good question. I think that this park, because of its contemporary nature, is really going to want that. I think - like the parade, have you seen the parade? It’s real contemporary. It’s real now. I think that is a challenge because that means you've got to keep it hip, you've got to keep it going. Everyone that’s been associated with the park from the beginning, and that’s over five years now - well I’ve been with it for five years now, some people have been with it for seven - everyone seems really committed to it. It’s funny because most of us, we finish a job and go on and work on something else. But it’s like all the producers associated with the park are saying what’s going on now? What do they like? What do they think is fun? Should we give them more of that? It’s really unique. It’s not like 1910 is 1910 and there’s nothing I can do about it." <a href="http://www.laughingplace.com/News-ID502320.asp" target="_blank">http://www.laughingplace.com/N...2320.asp</a> I love seeing things put into perspective and be able to understand the core drivers on a project such as DCA.
Originally Posted By DlandDug >>It’s not a period piece where when you go in like you go under the train station at Disneyland it's like I’m back in time. This is now. This is today.<< Ah yes. The oh-so hip 'n edgy DCA, c. 2001. How up-to-date! How cutting edge! How... wait a minute... What's that Zephyr train doing there? The one from the 1940s? And those two big elephants from Intolerance, a silent film? And... and... Never mind.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt Crapshoot, thank you for posting that. My opinion is that the spirit that guided the design of DCA (not the budget) was sound. The problem I had with some of DCA was that that the execution was mostly mediocre to poor, with the caveat that there was lots of potential for future growth and expansion. I assume that the initial budget was the primary constraint, although I would wager that lack of creativity and corporate politicking probably weighed heavily on the final outcome as well. I'm OK with the direction that DCA is headed, but I do think that the original concept was a lot more ambitious in its attempt to push the boundaries of what a Disney theme park is supposed to be. Had it been financed and supported better it might have succeeded. Oh well.
Originally Posted By gadzuux My problem with that is that nothing they've done to the park since has reinforced the 'California' theme. You could argue that the 'Hollywood Tower' was adding to the overall park theme, but we all know it's a cut rate transplant from Florida - not California. But at the same time they were removing many of the attractions and landmarks that supported the overall theme, they were also instituting late night dance parties with pole dancers and glow in the dark cocktails. Doesn't get much more hip and edgy than that, at least for Disney parks. So now they're "theming up" previously humdrum areas, and expanding into an exquisitely detailed new land, but one that doesn't really support the park's overall theme. For that matter, neither does 'Little Mermaid', 'Toy Story', World of Color, or virtually anything they've done. Buena Vista Street and the new turnstiles will make a strong starting point for the California theme, but the motive for the area seems to be about bringing the spectre of Walt into the park as much as it is about supporting the overall theme. What we're getting appears to be a kind of hybrid park - they're moving away from the 'now' in theming, but still offering a more contemporary appeal in attractions and shows. I think DCA is becoming a great park, but it's always going to be a bit of a hodgepodge.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA That piece of the interview about DCA reads like a 15 year old who is unprepared for a book report and just has to wing it. "Yeah, ya know....er...it's going to be now...and like, it's all going to be about now....'cause, I mean....who likes to think about 1910....because people back then were all, driving around in little cars and walking funny because I've seen old movie footage, and it's all, like...weird and stuff..."
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt My problem with that is that nothing they've done to the park since has reinforced the 'California' theme." But we all know why. The first iteration of DCA was met with a lukewarm response from the public and the local Disney fiends clamored for a more traditional Disneyland-like theme park experience. Management tried a series of short term enhancements until a solid plan to revamp the lineup could be concocted, but most of it failed to successfully get the Southern California AP crowd to stick around for more than several hours until WoC and Glow Fest came along.
Originally Posted By Bob Paris 1 "I myself, have trouble believing there are people out there who think he's fake? Was the guy hosting "The Wonderful World of Disney" an anamatronic?" I remember in 1983, when I was in eighth grade, there was a discussion about Disney and a girl named Sandra(I will NOT reveal her surname for fear of lawsuit from the Facebook ridicule she might receive from rabid Disney fans)said out loud, "Was Walt Disney real? I always thought he was a cartoon character." Now remember, this was 1983 - "The Wonderful World of Disney" was STILL on repeats here on Channel 7 EVERY Sunday night and was still being repeated for YEARS. Uncle Walt was ON TV EVERY SUNDAY NIGHT!!! I, being the resident Disney nut almost went apoplectic in my chair. Yeah, I was the same even back THEN!!! So yeah, people CAN BE that ignorant and STUPID. Sandra G******s was!!!
Originally Posted By Bob Paris 1 "Most people just aren't paying attention or don't care. A friend visited DLR a couple of weeks ago and when I talked to him about his trip I asked how Star Tours was and he looked at me perplexed and said, "Star Tours? What's that?" When I explained that it was a Star Wars themed simulator ride he said he didn't even know that DL had such a thing." I can beat you there, too! Just before we went on our first US mega-holiday in 2001, my then-g/f and I had a work colleague over for dinner who had just come back from her own trip to the US. Now bear in mind, she was a bit of a "party girl" and didn't really care about DL in the same way I did - hell, there are people on prescriptions for "Disneyobession" that DO NOT care about DL as much as I DO!!! Anyway, we got some pizza and I pulled out a park map and started asking her what she thought of certain attractions. Indy Didn't do it. Splash Mountain? Didn't do it. HM. Didn't do it. PoTC. What?!?(she started getting a bit confused) JC?!? THERE'S A JUNGLE CRUISE IN DL?!?!?!?! Turns out she had gone straight through the castle and just explored FL and TL! She had not even KNOWN about the West side!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You think the former story made my head spout steam - I think I was starting to look like Linda Blair!!!!!!! I just CANNOT fathom how somebody could miss HALF of DL - and a half that contains some of THE BEST Disney attractions EVER BUILT!!!!!!!! I just felt SO ripped off on her behalf because of her own stupidity and ignorance.
Originally Posted By crapshoot <<I think DCA is becoming a great park, but it's always going to be a bit of a hodgepodge.>> Hodgepodge doesn't really bother me so much. Selling the Arizona Plateau desert country as California Desert is quite a stretch. I always thought that the one element that the original DCA failed to capitalize on was their concept of the 3-Dimensional California Postcard entry wienies for each "District". That was really a charming idea and was one of those iconic elements that could have helped DCA's image from the beginning.
Originally Posted By DlandDug >>But at the same time they were removing many of the attractions and landmarks that supported the overall theme, they were also instituting late night dance parties with pole dancers and glow in the dark cocktails.<< One could argue that ElecTRONica supports the theme, in that it represents the California club scene. (And there are NO POLE DANCERS.)
Originally Posted By DlandDug >>I just CANNOT fathom how somebody could miss HALF of DL...<< Several years ago I was up in the Disney Gallery when I fell into a conversation with a couple of tourists from Germany. When I asked how they had enjoyed their visit to Disneyland, they somewhat apologetically said they were disappointed that there weren't enough things to do. As we talked, I realized they had not gone on the attractions. When I mentioned "Pirates of the Caribbean" they looked perplexed. So I took them downstairs and we rode Pirates, which they found delightful. We then headed over to the Haunted Mansion, and caught the end of Fantasmic! Some people need things handed to them on a platter...
Originally Posted By crapshoot <<Some people need things handed to them on a platter...>> It's one thing to be clueless, but it is quite another for Disney middle and upper management to boast when "the last time" they were in Disneyland was. Like it is some badge of honor to not have to degrade themselves by gracing DL with their presence. I would hunt all of them down and can their butts.
Originally Posted By Yookeroo "I, being the resident Disney nut almost went apoplectic in my chair." "You think the former story made my head spout steam - I think I was starting to look like Linda Blair!!!!!!!" Why would this make you so angry? I don't get this. Is this some sort of affront to you?
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo I will never get the family that complained at DLP. They spent all day in the Village (DTD) and couldn't find any rides. Lol - true story. Then we went with friends a few years ago to DLP on their 4th trip. We introduced them to PotC, Phantom Manor, Star Tours, Captain Eo, and many more. They thought DLP was all about spinners, coasters and autopia, they did not know of any of the dark rides other than It's a Small World. Lol
