Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<Perhaps it is possible to program for a larger number of songs, with each show being "random". One would not grow tired of the presentation so easily, then.>> How could any other performances exceed the sheer genius of "Blood on the Saddle" and "Mamma Don't Whoop Little Buford"? The Country Bears are a MUST DO for me. If nothing else I love watching my wife roll her eyes when I say I want to see the show.
Originally Posted By gadzuux >> "But Lutz is less accurate than Jim Hill?" I think so. << For all I know, jim hill may still be saying that DCAs TOT will be built in 'pacific wharf'.
Originally Posted By jonvn "Perhaps it is possible to program for a larger number of songs, with each show being "random". One would not grow tired of the presentation so easily, then." I've talked about this for a while now. There is no reason that you can't have the show be totally random. Have five or six templates of shows, and each figure in each show be able to sing five or six songs each, then have it be programmed automatically prior to each show, or even during. No reason it can't be done. Except for a lack of imagination on the part of Disney.
Originally Posted By jonvn "For all I know, jim hill may still be saying that DCAs TOT will be built in 'pacific wharf'." And for all I know, Al might still be saying that the AP processing center is being moved to Engineer Toys. So, let's stop acting like AL or any of these other guys are oracles. They are not.
Originally Posted By ArchtMig >>>...and much appreciated. It's the first step towards bringing the park out of its initial limited provinciality.> It's not the theme. It's the execution of the theme. A superior group of designers and artists could make a great themepark using the theme 'cardboard.' If 'California' was chosen as the theme, you have to be more clever to make things work. Not the theme. It's the execution of the theme. Or have I said that 498 times since the opening of DCA?<<< I tend to agree with you. But that's not what we got with DCA, and we'll never get a fully worthwhile execution of the "California" theme. So I'd really rather see them scrap it and go onto something else that doesn't tax their creative energies as much. I was very put off... offended actually... by the super lame attempt to draw more customers through the gates by bringing back the supposedly "glowed away forever" Main Street Electrical Parade - and branding it "A California Classic" to justify forcing it into the "California" theme. Everything they did in those early years had to have some sort of "California" connection, whether it was bonafide or not. At some point, they just threw up their hands and said "screw it", and started adding things to the park that actually appeal to people to try to draw in the customers, and "California" theme be damned. I think it would be healthy to minimize it, or even drop the California thing entirely. Disney's "California" Adventure still suffers from a stigma, and I don't think the joke aspect of DCA can be fully erased unless Eisner's/Pressler's/Braverman's "California" miscalculation of theme is expunged permanently.
Originally Posted By jonvn "So I'd really rather see them scrap it and go onto something else that doesn't tax their creative energies as much." If they scrap it and go with something else, I don't see why they'd be able to do that any better. "At some point, they just threw up their hands and said "screw it", and started adding things to the park that actually appeal to people to try to draw in the customers, and "California" theme be damned." I think it's more a case of ALL their themes be damned. They are doing this in all their parks. Theming down to attraction level has gone out the window for the most part.
Originally Posted By ArchtMig >>>I think it's more a case of ALL their themes be damned. They are doing this in all their parks. Theming down to attraction level has gone out the window for the most part.<<< I think Tokyo Disney Sea is an example showing that they can still do it if they really want to. I think Disney's Animal Kingdom is spectacular in theme. And by what I can see from photos at least, I think that Expedition Everest - not just the ride, but the enhanced theming of the whole area that was built around it to support it - is spectacular as well. They can still do it when they want to. Too bad it just doesn't really happen in Southern California anymore.
Originally Posted By jonvn Maybe it's different teams. I have been to DAK, and it is simply incredible in its theming. I've been to DCA, and it's simply OK in it's theming. I can't tell you how annoyed I am about the Pooh ride in the frontier. Or Monsters in a hollywood studio? what is that? It's wrong. They have to know it's wrong, too. They just dont' care, I guess. Which is why I think that changing the theme is a huge waste of money. The problem is we don't know who is doing these things, and how the decisions come down, and why. Why does TDL get good theming, and parks in the USA do not? Tomorrowland has been utterly destroyed by this problem. The frontier area is next with the pirate overlay of TSI. It's so sad. That's what it is. It really is just so sad. When I see these things, I feel terrible. And when I see people not understanding it who are supposed to be people who are Disney fans, I just feel bad for America. We've fallen down so far.
Originally Posted By ChampDisney >Why does TDL get good theming, and parks in the USA do not?< I agree & I only hope things do get better in the US parks. Look over at WDW you have Monsters Inc. coming to Tomorrowland & they should be going to MGM instead. Calfornia Adventure is falling down deep in the sink & I'm going to have to say that Disney should come up with another name to the park because sure you can make it look like a fair at a beach by putting a coaster & a ferris-wheel right by each other but what if in the future its gone. Well I'm not saying that Screamin' will be gone but the sun wheel & the orange stinger will most likely make there way out. Now seeing a Bugs Land didn't really go well for me in my standards because sure its a little kiddie part of the park but it isn't being true to the theme, so who knows maybe Disney will find something more fit-full for the name of California Adventure.
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< This particular rumor seems pretty far-fetched since there would be no real benefit to adding yet another theater attraction to DCA. Especially one that is about 30 years old. >>> I can't imagine that Country Bears would be very popular beyond the die-hard AP croud, and that's not the market that fixed/additions to DCA need to be targeted. I can't imagine very many additional regular day tickets to DCA would be sold by putting in Country Bears.
Originally Posted By SuperDry This does get me thinking about DCA in a new light: one of the huge problems it has right now is the negative perception in the minds of the public. Consider the hypothetical situation of DCA having opened in 2001 as it is today. Here would be the key differences: - Addition of Tower of Terror - Addition of FFF - Addition of Monsters Inc - Absense of SSL - Addition of Electrical Parade (assuming it comes back this summer) I don't count the closed restaurants one way or the other as I don't think them closing was that much of a negative (obviously, enough guests weren't patronizing them otherwise they'd still be open). I do include the absense of SSL (considering Monsters Inc separately) as a positive, as that's the one attraction that the park is demonstratively better without (and Disney would seem to agree considering the early closure for no operational reason). The park would still have problems, but it would not surprise me if things would be better going forward than they are now just because of the absense of 5 years of negative word of mouth. Not that this means anything since it's just a hypothetical.
Originally Posted By Roger55 Don't forget Turtle Talk and Playhouse Disney. They were not around when the park opened.
Originally Posted By tcsnwhite it's interesting that some say that its only the american parks that have screwed with themeing. Tokyo Disneyland is going to put in a Monster's Inc. attraction in TOMORROWLAND...and I have not heard one thing about having any connection to 'tomorrow' or 'outer space' or whatnot. As for myself, I am not one of those guys or gals that is so extremely strict on themeing issues and placement of attractions or shows. I don't mind being slightly flexible with those things, and I am not of the school of thought that characters truly only belong in Fantasyland (live characters that is). But there is a place where I draw the line and say, "ok, You're throwing out every thing this park was based on...for what? to promote a mediocre movie? to push more merchandise" and so on and so on. There is a point where it is just wrong, like Monstropolis in Hollywood, DEP in DCA, and a few other things.
Originally Posted By tcsnwhite ^yup, thats it. I don't mind it too much in DCA, but sort of feel that that style of parade belongs in the 'magic kindgom' style parks, where as something in the style of TDL's Blazing Rhythms or Countdown parade would fit more with the DCA park feel. Emphasis on 'style', not exact clones of those productions.
Originally Posted By TP2000 >>"DEP? Disney Electrical Parade?"<< No. DEP is a hair gel. In fact, it's often referred to as the first hair gel, and like Disneyland it recently celebrated it's 50th Anniversary as it went on sale in American drug stores in 1956. From the DEP website comes this bold statement... >>"Dep has long been recognized as the original hair gel and has been a leading brand in the category for decades. Today, Dep is the effective, contemporary brand of gel that now provides All Conditions Hold which lets you be in control of your hair under all conditions, regardless of the weather or activity."<< They offer free samples of DEP in DCA, near the tortilla factory tour. Sometimes when Disneyland is really crowded, I just drift over to DCA to relax and get some free DEP.
Originally Posted By jonvn Oh, ok. I don't blame people for being upset for them making a parade about hair gel.
Originally Posted By Elderp I haven't heard anything about the bears since they left for WDW for spare parts. I did see the old moose head in the backlot for awhile. When I saw it it was in a really sad state, I'd be surprised if they got that thing working again. I also heard that Disney doesn't even make their AAs anymore. I forgot the name of the contracting company but it is the same one that makes Chucky Cheese AAs. I have the information around my house somewhere but I am too lazy at the moment to go through my papers to find out the name.
Originally Posted By ChampDisney >I also heard that Disney doesn't even make their AAs anymore.< Doesn't really matter. Remember there is a Jim Henson creature shop where they do the Country Bears for the movie. Maybe if they make the bears look like they were in the movie maybe they can get a good show featuring new AA's.
