Originally Posted By WorldDisney <<You are crushing my dreams of visiting HKDL do you think in 2014 it will be a much better park?>> LOL, sorry! You shouldve been here when I use to REALLY be here though and I use to slamm that place like no ones business. ;D I actually miss some of the hate mail I use to get. But remember, that was first year and they didnt even have IASW or the Autopia even at the time. There were about 7 attractions worth mentioning and they would ALL be considered just ho-hum at DL. But yeah its gotten slightly better with some of the new rides and I think for you that will be a GREAT time to go because all the new lands will be open!! Not counting Toy Storyland, the other two lands look really good and they will have something HKDL has never had: ORIGINAL ATTRACTIONS!! So yeah I definitely think it will be worth doing by then. I dont have any plans to go back anytime soon (but no plans to go anywhere sadly) but yes, I probably will go back when all the new lands open up! And if nothing else the resort itself is beautiful and if you get sick of the park, you still got Hong Kong, my second favorite city in the world, to see and just 30 minutes away by train .
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< And even when I'm with other Disney fans or LPers, those that love or hate the place, its not like we sit around arguing about it or make a big deal like we do here on the internet. >>> I have been with a group of Disney fans where it was one person's first visit to DCA, and another one was *constantly* pointing out the flaws, so much so that it had a big negative impact on the first-time visitor. I understand how that could be the case, and want to make sure that I don't ever do it. Cuz it would be so easy to do
Originally Posted By tashajilek LOL they sure do! Well thanks for your opinion. Yea the whole point for me waiting until 2014 is to see the new lands, ok well mostly Mystic Manor! What do you think about Shanghai Disneyland ? are they planning on making it different from HKDL or pretty much the same?.
Originally Posted By WorldDisney Oh wow, that sucks . But I'm with you on that of course. I dont impose my opinions on others, especially when its there first time. I want them to enjoy it on their own, but if they really want to know what I think, I tell them. But I HATE people who just go to those places and point out mistakes to people who want to make up their own minds. Now if its with people, like you and me, who talk about this stuff normally and been there a few times already, thats a differnt story.
Originally Posted By A Happy Haunt <<Do people still do the Dalmatians thing here? If so, damn!!>> yes we do! we're silly like that, or maybe it's just me
Originally Posted By WorldDisney <<What do you think about Shanghai Disneyland ? are they planning on making it different from HKDL or pretty much the same?.>> Well sadly seems like most of that info has dried up lately. But from what we heard before, it would be different from HKDL in the sense it will be much bigger (but that aint hard ) and it will have more original attractions just for that park. So yes, the anti-HKDL HOPEFULLY, but we dont really know much beyound that. I actually have a buddy who is from Shanghai and works in PR there and Disney is one of his clients for a different division. He actually knows some of the people working on the project and he said they are all tight lipped until there is an official go on it and it sounds like there has been a snag somewhere according to him. So who knows when we will hear something.
Originally Posted By WorldDisney <<yes we do! we're silly like that, or maybe it's just me >> I said damn because after I already posted on 101, I realized I had missed my shot to do it. I havent been able to post one in over a year I think.
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< (my uncle for example LOATHES DCA...he's been twice and havent been back. He honestly thought Disney was going to knock it down in a few years lol). >>> Interestingly, next week I will be in DCA with a friend that I was with in the summer of 2001 on what was the very first visit to DCA for either of us. Back at that time, I wasn't online in the Disney sense, and I hadn't followed the press coverage. All I knew was that there was a brand new Disney park right next to DL. After just recently having been to WDW for the first time and seeing a bunch of new Disney stuff, I was really looking forward to it. In fact, none of us had even the slightest idea that DCA was having attendance problems, had been panned by many, or anything like that. We didn't know the layout of the park or know about any of the attractions. That is, we went in with a completely blank slate, and 100% positive expectations considering how much we all loved DL and had grown up with it. Well, the day didn't go well. Less than three hours into it, she was so angry with the place that she grabbed our tickets and took them to Guest Relations and demanded all of our money back. What we got instead of a refund was tickets to DL for that day, even though we had availed ourselves of the "SoCal residents: get adult DCA tickets for the child price." We weren't tuned into things enough to know beforehand that the only reason they'd make such an offer during the first few months of the park was because they were having attendance problems. And the kicker to the story is the straw that broke the camel's back that day: SuperStar Limo. It all seems really funny to me now, especially with all that I know and is generally known about DCA. But this personal experience absolutely convinces me that the problem with DCA is not message boards, is not bad media coverage, and is not APers. The problem with DCA is DCA. Or at least "was" or is rapidly becoming so. This friend has not been back to DCA since that fateful day 9 years ago. Even living in SoCal, she occasionally would have people from out of town that would want to go to DLR. If they said DCA, she would say "Nope. I'm not going to give them my hard-earned money for that place. I'll go to DL with you, or you can go to DCA by yourself." So now, returning to the present. Once again, I'm going to DCA in a few days, and for her it will be her first visit since that one in summer 2001. I think the bitterness has worn off, so hopefully we'll give it another try and get better results this time. Preferred seating for WoC won't hurt things.
Originally Posted By WorldDisney LOL SD, wow she REALLY did hate it didnt she?? My uncle probably isnt bad as her. First time he went was a few months after it opened and he hated it! I dont know if he hated it to the point he felt jipped, but he didnt go again until 2007 (first time I went with him) and admittedly he said he liked it a little better. Mainly because TOT was there and the more lame stuff like Super Star Limo as you pointed out was already gone. So after 6 years, wow time flies, by the time he went back it was better. But he hasnt been back since then though and dont seem to have much interest in going back. And you make a great point about the internet. Thats kind of the weird drawback, that we arnt really suprised about anything any more, so the thrill is slightly gone when we first see it after being inudated for months on this stuff. I still remember the first time I went to WDW, I actually went to the librabry and CHECKED OUT the WDW Birnam travel guide lol. Internet was around back then, but like you I didnt go to any Disney sites at the time nor knew any even existed. This one certainly didnt. But now thats obviously a different story as we are now getting pics of WOC in practically real time . <<But this personal experience absolutely convinces me that the problem with DCA is not message boards, is not bad media coverage, and is not APers. The problem with DCA is DCA. Or at least "was" or is rapidly becoming so.>> So true! Like you and your friend, my uncle never been to a Disney site in his life. Didnt hear much about it on the news. He just heard there was a new park opening next to the place he was going for 40 years and went. It wasnt the internet that told him to stay away or the bad reviews to color his views. He heard nothing about it. Went in completely green. The experience just wasnt great for him and why he's only been twice in the last nine years. But I think people oversell how much the internet influences these things. I read the other thread asking if WOC was being 'overhyped' but honestly when you get OFF the internet or you havent been to the parks within the last year, chances are you havent heard of it. The internet has no problems rallying the hardcore fans like us, because we are active fans, but its impact is still minimum on the general public. UNLESS you are looking for it, you will hear very little. For them, majority will probably go to the parks barely knowing anything about it. I've personnally seen ONE ad here for the first time 3 days ago. I dont think anyone arounds me know much about it other than what I told them.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 Interesting. My last trip to DLR I met some friends who are very local (OC in fact - southern OC, but still OC) who hadn't been to DCA ever because of the bad rap it had gotten. But they now had kids who were old enough and interested in going to DLR, and they'd taken them to DL... but one of their son's friends really liked DCA, so now of course the son wanted to go to DCA. I didn't say anything about it - as you know, I think it's a mixed bag with some parts I think are really good, some parts okay, and some parts not good at all - and we just enjoyed our day. But they did say more than once that they thought the place got an unfair rep as there was a lot there they really enjoyed (as did their kids). They'd been led to believe the place was just awful, but they left feeling it had (gasp!) good points and bad points, with the good overshadowing the bad. They LOVED Soarin', TOT, the animation building, Bugs, liked Screamin' and TSMM, bypassed GRR because it was kinda chilly and bypassed the PP stuff that didn't interest them. Their daughter was crazy about Muppets and their son loved MM, though he was the only one. All they all were very impressed with Aladdin. And they're not AP's, so they paid full price single-day tickets, since DCA was the park their son was hounding them to go to.
Originally Posted By LOVE-DCA yep WD don't remember talking about the park much that you and SD came. WE did thourghly enjoy the star lounge though!! lol and the tortillas are good!!!
Originally Posted By tashajilek "and the tortillas are good!!!" Well you are a cheap date! Thanks WD about all the info on Shanghai Disneyland, seems like it could be interesting. "But they did say more than once that they thought the place got an unfair rep as there was a lot there they really enjoyed (as did their kids). They'd been led to believe the place was just awful, " See thats the thing when people trust word of mouth or internet reviews instead of judging by their own opinions. Your friends may have enjoyed DCA years ago, but never gave it a chance. Im glad that i tried DCA and everday i do to DL i go to DCA as well. DCA isnt DL but it has it's own good qualities.
Originally Posted By LOVE-DCA ♥ "DCA isnt DL but it has it's own good qualities" oh tash your my new best disney friend... i totaly agree.
Originally Posted By LPFan22 My favorite thing to do in DCA is sit in the Animation building and sing along to the stuff up on the screens.
Originally Posted By LOVE-DCA omg lpfan22..so you're the one i keep hearing bustin out the disney tunes at the animation building! LOL! j/k i never seen you do that!
Originally Posted By yamabuki Besides visiting the Animation Academy, MuppetVision 3D, and catching an Aladdin show - I have two new favorites: SSS, and World of Color (saw it last night and loved it!)
Originally Posted By tashajilek "oh tash your my new best disney friend... i totaly agree." Finally, i made a friend!
