Originally Posted By Sport Goofy << It is a tie-in to all the characters on which the park was originally based. >> I'm not sure the park was originally based on "characters." The basic premise of the MK or DL is a park based on broad themes and ideas moreso than any specific character or story.
Originally Posted By jonvn Let's toss in stuff for DCA, which is all cartoon, and this thing, which is cartoon. It gets a bit more weighted to cartoons now. And, actually, Test Track is older than five years. And then there is Pooh, Tarzan, Buzz Lightyear, Bug area in DCA. These are not in WDW, but they are recent additions that the Disney company has added.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<I'm not sure the park was originally based on "characters." The basic premise of the MK or DL is a park based on broad themes and ideas moreso than any specific character or story.>> <<The concept for Disneyland began one Sunday when Walt Disney was visiting Griffith Park with his daughters Diane and Sharon. His idea was simple: a place that both adults and children could enjoy. His dream would lie dormant for many years.[2] While many people had written letters to Walt Disney about visiting the Disney Studio lot and meeting their favorite Disney character, Walt realized that a functional movie studio had little to offer to the visiting fans. He then began to foster ideas of building a site near his Burbank studios for tourists to visit. His ideas then evolved to a small play park with a boat ride and other themed areas. Walt's initial concept, his "Mickey Mouse Park," started with an eight-acre plot across Riverside Drive.>> Source: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disneyland" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D isneyland</a>
Originally Posted By Sport Goofy << Walt's initial concept, his "Mickey Mouse Park," started with an eight-acre plot across Riverside Drive. >> I think that's the idea Walt sold to his investors and bankers. What he actually built was entirely different.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<And, actually, Test Track is older than five years.>> You are correct -- I made a mistake on that one. As for throwing in DCA after the fact, that is rather unfair. We were talking about WWDW. But if you really want to talk about DCA too, tote up in your head the number of cartoon-based attractions. OK. Now count the number of non-cartoon based attractions. You'll find that DCA comes out even better than WDW. Now, many of those attractions may not be worth much (Mulholland Madness, etc.) but they ARE NOT cartoon based.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA Characters used to be just part of the Disney theme park experience. In fact, when I first visited Disneyland at 7 years old, it wasn't the characters that caught my attention. It was Haunted Mansion, Mine Train thru Nature's Wonderland, Pirates of the Caribbean, PeopleMover, Carousel of Progress -- they were and are certainly 'Disney' to me, but in a different way than the cartoons. Because that's the Disney I grew up with. It wasn't just all about cartoons. And that's what absolutely thrilled me about EPCOT Center when I visited in 1986. It was Disney, but it wasn't all about Mickey, Minnie, Donald and the rest of them. And yes, lately, it feels that the direction of the parks is to add things to the parks that tie directly to cartoon characters. As evidenced in DCA, it's become the 'quick fix' for things. If it doesn't work, theme it to a cartoon. - Superstar Limo becomes Monsters, Inc. - Bountiful Valley Farms becomes bugs land - 'Aladdin' takes up a permanent residence at the Hyperion Theater - 'Brother Bear' is overlayed on the playground - 'Eureka!' is dropped for 'Hyper-active Toy Story' parade - 3 Bags Full, DeVine, and other unique characters are dropped for Mickey, Minnie and Goofy wearing 'California' costumes - Toy Story Mania will be entering the pier I mean, I'm just sayin'...
Originally Posted By RoadTrip I originally said: <<It is a tie-in to all the characters on which the park was originally based. I give that one a pass.>> And that is true. The original inspiration for the park was to use the popularity of his cartoon characters in the creation of an amusement park. Now was the park 'cartoon dominated' when it opened? Fantasyland was; the rest of the park was not. But since Fantasyland is generally considered the heart of Disneyland, I think my original statement is valid.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA ^^^Wow. You sure know how to turn it around so it works in your favor. But, hey...whatever works!
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<^^^Wow. You sure know how to turn it around so it works in your favor.>> Good, aren't I?? ;-)
Originally Posted By jonvn "As for throwing in DCA after the fact, that is rather unfair. We were talking about WWDW." What I was mentioning and talking about in larger terms is that this is all they are now building. Yes, DCA has a large number of things that are not character based, and just about all of them are older than 5. Nothing new is being added that is not character or cartoon based in some way. "The original inspiration for the park was to use the popularity of his cartoon characters in the creation of an amusement park. " I think the original inspiration was to have a place where parents and kids could have fun together. There were no characters at all in the parks for the first four or five years in the 50s, other than in the Fantasyland rides. They were added about 1959 or so. The parades had no characters, they were not walking around in the parks, none of that. The place managed to somehow be successful without them. The idea that you NEED characters is wrong.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan >>I think the original inspiration was to have a place where parents and kids could have fun together.<< Yes. And as his interests were more eclectic, Walt added things more on a whim. It's really getting more and more difficult to describe the very different look and feel the parks had once upon a time to people who didn't grow up 35+ years ago. Increasingly, all is Fantasyland.
Originally Posted By jonvn Yes, it's gone from being about the family to selling toys to children. Whereas it was once about things that everyone can enjoy, it's rapidly becoming stuff that only small children can enjoy. And in that process, selling them stuff. It is far more coarse and crude an attempt than what was originally there, even with all the extra money they have to spend on it.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA Kar2oonMan, is it safe to say that Disneyland of the 70s had more depth? More of a varied experience? To be able to go into Tomorrowland and see such a variety of experiences... - Space Mountain - Adventure Thru Innerspace - PeopleMover - Carousel of Progress - Rocket to the Moon - Rocket Jets - Submarine Voyage - Autopia Plus, live shows and bands, like Pizzazz. And that was just Tomorrowland. Check the list above -- not one of them was character based. It wasn't 'Rocket to the Moon with Jiminy Cricket.' The experience at Disneyland was more --- dare I say -- sophisticated than it is now.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom In Disney's defense, its expensive building and maintaining these rides and attractions. So when Disney can't get a sponcer for a ride or attraction I can't blame them for promoting their own characters when they have to foot the bill.
Originally Posted By leobloom Roadtrip, you also neglected to count the Gran Fiesta Whatever, the Mexico boat ride with Donald and company. That's another animation tie-in.
Originally Posted By howulivin19 My husband was stopped to take a short survey, I made him answer all possitively...they better not take it out.
Originally Posted By bayrr326 Is all these video screen attractions being shoved into WDW the work of Tom Fitzgerald. This guy who has pushed film based attractions for years. I don't understand why he just wasn't shown the door instead of being demoted. This guy has done nothing but crap over the years.
Originally Posted By bobbelee9 <<<Yes, it's gone from being about the family to selling toys to children. Whereas it was once about things that everyone can enjoy, it's rapidly becoming stuff that only small children can enjoy. And in that process, selling them stuff>>> Gotta agree with you somewhat there. When we first went '79, my girls were 14, 11 & 6. They had a great time, but my husband & I had a better time. What he & I saw at MK was OUR childhood.
Originally Posted By mousermerf Going back 5 years put us at M:S, which btw, is based on the movie Mission to Mars with Gary Sinise - that's why the set piece is in the preshow and Gary himself hosts it. Incase you cared..
Originally Posted By mousermerf Oo, and lets not forget Epcot Character Spot. I think original concepts have lost just by factoring in the Epcot changes (M:S, Gran Fiesta, Character Spot). Not to mention making Pirates a movie franchise and then in turn re-doing the ride to be based on the movies.
