Originally Posted By Doobie This topic is for Discussion of: <a href="http://www.LaughingPlace.com/News-ID509560.asp" target="_blank">Greg Maletic: Defending Walt Disney World</a>
Originally Posted By brotherdave Thanks for 'defending' the Magic Kingdom, Greg! You've hit all the good points about the park that I would have to agree with (though, I still wish the WDW Pirates was longer!). Yes, there are the 'cold' areas of the park when compared to the other MK's, especially Disneyland. But, being a lifelong "Eastcoaster", the WDW Magic Kingdom has ALWAYS been OUR Disneyland! Say what you want about it, it's still one of the best park experiences out there. Add Epcot, Disney/MGM, and Animal Kingdom, not to mention the resorts and water parks, and you can see why WDW is one of the greatest tourist destinations in the world! Hopefully, the Magic Kingdom will be allowed to 'grow' once again, and new attractions, both thrilling and nostalgic, grand and quaint, will rise among the East Coast's answer to Walt's park.
Originally Posted By ArchtMig Being a Westcoaster, surely I think Disneyland is better overall to the Magic Kingdom, but that's not to say that I don't think that there are some wonderful aspects to the MK. Something Greg didn't even mention was Liberty Square. I find as much charm in Liberty Square, in its own way, as I do with New Orleans Square at Disneyland. And the Hall of Presidents is just great... maybe not as nostalgic as Disneyland's Lincoln, but somehow, much more stirring. But I totally disagree with Greg's reasons for dismissing Disneyland's castle. I don't think "being able to see the castle from anywhere in the park" is a positive thing. One thing I enjoy about Disneyland is that they do scale things down, so that you can indeed immerse yourself inside any one section of the park, and not have it spoiled by too much visual intrusion from big icons belonging to other parts of the park. One reason DCA doesn't work for me is that so much of those huge, imposing installations, such as The Sun Wheel, Maliboomer, Grizzly Peak, and Tower of Terror, are all simultaneously visible from many parts of the park. This sucks. It makes the park feel that much more puny, and diminishes the individual impact of any particular land that you happen to be standing in at the time. I also don't think Greg's arguments ranking MK's Pirates over Disneyland's hold water, so to speak. Haunted Mansion... maybe... but even here, I like the fact that at Disneyland's, you have to walk through some of the scenes before you encounter the Doom Buggies. That makes it just that much more interesting an experience. At the MK's, you board the Doom Buggies almost immediately... I think that's something that detracts from Florida's vs. Anaheim's. So what did Greg prove with his article, and I did with my response? Nothing. It all boils down to the fact that all of this is purely subjective... pick your favorites for whatever reasons you choose, and enjoy them! That's what's nice about the Disney parks... the subtle and not so subtle differences. The Magic Kingdom definately has it's own warm feel and charms. It doesn't deserve scorn. Maybe parts of it does, but that's true with all of the parks.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip I thought that was a great opinion piece. This portion particularly resonated with me... <<The Orlando Magic Kingdom rests in an exquisite location, on the far side of the picturesque Seven Seas Lagoon, away from everything and accessible primarily by monorail or boat. The difficulty of reaching the park works in its favor: this "kingdom on the hill" aesthetic does wonders for making the place seem even more magical. My last time at the resort, we stayed at the Wilderness Lodge and took the boat launch from the hotel to the park. Arriving by water in front of the Magic Kingdom had to be the most intense, remarkable Disney experience I've had since age ten, and it's something that I'd recommend everyone doing if they get the chance.>> That is so true, and I had almost forgotten that. Our first visit to the MK we took the Ferry from the TTC, but almost every time after that we took a bus from a Disney resort so I had forgotten just how special that was. On my first Ferry trip across from the TTC I think my eyes were tearing the whole way. It was like seeing the 'promised land' coming into view. Last year we took my 75 year-old mother for her first ever visit to the Magic Kingdom. We were staying in a Wilderness Cabin, and took the boat from Fort Wilderness to the Wilderness Lodge and then on to the Magic Kingdom. My mother adored the entire day (she has talked about that day during just about EVERY phone conversation we've had since last January). But she always says that the memory that remains with her the strongest is the boat trip from Fort Wilderness to the MK. She says she can't quite express why it was so special... just that it was. I think I agree.
Originally Posted By Megara Here here. I LOVE Walt Disney World, its my favourite place in the whole wide world.
Originally Posted By imtigger2 Great article. I'm in OKW at WDW right now and have to say that there's no WAY I could stay in Anaheim for 2 weeks, and have a new Disney experience every day (sure, I could stretch it out I suppose). Every day here is a new adventure. With 4 theme parks, the water parks, the mini golf, the resorts, the boats, etc... there's too much to see in the 2 weeks I'm here!! As well, I'm with you all the way on the Castle. Next week, when I return to Anaheim from WDW, I'll have the same reaction I always do... "damn that thing is SMALL!". I love the Castle here. It's beautiful, huge and a perfect centerpiece for the MK. Another thing that I just love about the MK is Tomorrowland. My once-favorite land at Disneyland Park is here, in Florida. Just yesterday I rode the Peoplemover (call it TTA if you'd like), hopped aboard a rocket that was soaring ABOVE the park (the only ride like it in ANY Disney park in the world now, all the others are at ground level) and then just when the heat was killing us, we enjoyed a ride on the Carousel of Progress. Perfect. Oh, I hate to add a sour note, but we finally got to see Stitch's "great"(?) Escape and it was extremely un-exciting. We found our selves in horror... that we even took the time to see it. Wow.. what a waste of an attraction. Thanks for the great article! Dan B imtigger
Originally Posted By FerretAfros "(the only ride like it in ANY Disney park in the world now, all the others are at ground level)" Did they get rid of the one in Tokyo? To my knowledgem it is still there. Sure, there is no PeopleMover loading under it, but it is still up above the rest of the park.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Hmmm, shows how subjective it is. To me, the MK is the weakest MK park in the world (excepting Hong Kong). Yes, I will concede the wonderful choice of ferry or monorail to get to the park. A great train station. A fun tomorrowland. A great version of Splash. And I can visit the Country Bears, Hall of Presidents and Carousel of Progress. But to me it has the weakest Main Street devoid of character. The weakest Jungle Cruise Skippers. An abomination of tiki birds. A cliff notes version of PotC. The Castle takes itself too serious. It's more fortress and less storybook. I like the fact you can only see Sleeping Beauty's Castle from Main Street or Fantasyland. It also is cosy and storybook like. MK has the weakest Fantasyland without a doubt, with fun fair exteriors. And don't get me started on Toontown. I love Epcot and DAK. But for me, I find the MK a disappointing experience. But then again, I grew up at DL and DLP is my local park now. The MK is not without it's merits, but boy, if I had one day and could teleport, I'd spend my day at Disneyland.
Originally Posted By imtigger2 Ferret... you're right! My mistake, I was thinking about Hong Kong and it's copy of the Orbitor at Disneyland, which is a copy of the ground-level Orbitor at DL Paris. Thanks for the correction. 8)
Originally Posted By imtigger2 dave... you might wanna throw Disneyland's fantastic Autopia as well. I don't know WHAT they're trying to do here with the speedway thing ha! I do like Disneyland and all it has to offer for sure, but the MK here just feels right to me. I was there yesterday and was lovin' where Winnie the Pooh was located, loved the new playground, love the vehicles and the ending in Snow White's [sorta] Scary Adventure and LOVED Philharmagic. As well, how can you dismiss the grandeur of Cinderella's Castle!? Even the hub at the MK is so roomy and has the beautiful water and bridge separating the hub from Tomorrowland where at Disneyland, Tomorrowland is practically IN the hub. Oh well.. to each his own. I'm sure Greg expected his article to spark debate like it always does in MK vs. DL discussions. Take care!
Originally Posted By gmaletic Yes, I did expect it to spark debate...but I hope that what everyone learns is to take the debate a little less seriously. I didn't write this article to assert that WDW's Magic Kingdom was the best. Just to say that it's got more great stuff that it's generally given credit for. I wanted to mention ArchtMig's valid observation (comment #3) about "visual intrusion" into other lands: in general, I think you're right. You don't want to be seeing too much of Tomorrowland when you're sitting in Frontierland. For me, Cinderella's Castle at WDW transcends this a least a little bit because of the tiny scale at the top of the castle: it always looks far away. And knowing that a castle is off in the distance--even when I'm sitting in Frontierland--is fine with me. (Elsewhere at WDW, over in Epcot, I'm a little concerned at how the unthemed exterior to Soarin' will intrude on the vista at World Showcase.) I think Disneyland's not immune to this problem. Yes, the castle doesn't intrude into other lands...but the Matterhorn does, which makes even less sense than an intruding castle would, especially over in Tomorrowland where it's an unavoidable sight. And Space Mountain is placed right next to Main Street, where it towers over Town Square. Occasionally, this sort of intrusion works very well. In "A Bug's Land" at DCA when you look up and see the Tower of Terror looming over you, for me it even increases the sense of smallness. (I mean, if I were a bug and I were sitting on the front lawn of the Hollywood Tower Hotel, that's what I'd see, right?)
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo "As well, how can you dismiss the grandeur of Cinderella's Castle!?" Well, I suppose living in Europe with real castles has tainted my view. I love DL's castle as it evokes story book imagery and is not too imposing. I love DLP's castle as it is a work of art inside and out, and the dragon is AWESOME!!!! TDL's castle at least has a walking tour. WDW's - leaves me cold. It is nice until you get halfway up. To me it's boxy and looks like a fortress built for siege warfare. The murals look very 1970's and do not do it for me at all. I much prefer the stained glass work and tapestries of DLP's Chateu de la Belle au Bois Dormant. We are all entitled to our opinions. In the 1970's I though Cinderella's Castle was the bees knees. But with all the parks and real castles I have had the pleasure to visit, I do not think the MK is all that it is cracked up to be. Also, DL has the best live entertainment in the English speaking world, and the food offerings at DL beat MK hands down IMHO. I have to say, I was really disappointed with the MK in 1979, 1985, and 2000. As for Epcot and DAk - these parks are amazing. The hotels and restaurants on offer at WDW are wonderful. And I love the golf, Pleasure Island, Waterpark, Disney Quest and Cirque du Soleil offerings of WDW. Comparing resorts, it's a whole different game - though we often choose to fly 12 hours to DL over the 10 hours to WDW. But it's all relative. This is like comparing Lobster Thermadore to Fillet Mignion - it's all great, but I slightly prefer the steak!
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo gmaletic - I should have also said I enjoyed reading your thoughts. I love these reosrt comparison debates as long as they do not get too serious. And I must say, although I also love the castle and Space Mountain at DLP, they are seen from Frontierland and parts of Adventureland, which can be a little jarring compared to DL. I don't have quite as much problem with the Matterhorn as one can see snowy mountain peaks from the desert and one hopes that if we take good care of our environment, they will exist in the future too!
Originally Posted By imtigger2 Like you say Dave... we're all entitled to our own opinions, and I do respect others. BTW, it's funny you mention the food.. I 'almost' mentioned how much more I like the food at the MK compared to DL.. ha! Goes to show our difference of opinion again! Nothing at the Tomorrowland Terrace (Buzz Lighyears' restaurant?) can compare to the delicious Stacked Sandwich or Chicken Salad at Cosmic Rays (and that topping bar!). On the note of visual distractions; at Disneyland you can still see the tarps that cover the Fantasyland theater peaking over the Castle when standing on Main Street. It's an eye sore. Either those coverings are too tall.. or the castle is too small
Originally Posted By ctdsnark For geographical and financial reasons,I have only visited WDW {in fact,I just did two weeks ago---see WDW Trip Reports "My WDW trip in bits and pieces",assuming it's still there}I've been visiting since my family took me in '75,and time hasn't dimmed any of its magic.I imagine I'll visit more,if I can.Were such a thing possible,I'd visit all the Magic Kingdoms,just to see what it is that makes them unique.
Originally Posted By imtigger2 Ya know.. in the heat of defending our favorite park or attraction, we forget how lucky we truly are to be able to have visted BOTH parks here in the U.S. I live in Carlsbad (CA) so Disneyland is only 45min from me, and we have a DVC membership that gets us out to WDW once a year and I'm just grateful that I'm able to do that, and that these wonderful Disney parks even exist. Regardless of what they do with them in the future, I'll always love visiting. Thanks for the reality check. 8)
Originally Posted By LilSimba I was intrigued by the article and it's responses. I've been lucky enough to visit the parks on both coasts. I was charmed with Liberty Square and the Hall of Presidents as well. When I went, the roll call of the presidents turned into an opinion poll. You'd hear great applause for some, and great consternation for others. It was a surprising experience. I was disturbed by the concept of MK as a Yesterland. The last time I was there, all the "new" attractions struck me as being too-cheap-to-do-real-construction remakes of old ones. The whole park feels like it hasn't seen any real development since the early '90s. Disneyland also has this feel, with the newest attractions seemingly shoehorned into old show buildings. (Pooh, Buzz, Innoventions at Disneyland versus Stitch (especially) and Buzz in MK. While I know they moved Pooh in on Toad, they at least did a good enough job of it that it doesn't have that awkward-fit feeling.) I loved the food all over WDW. I don't know what kind of drugs the people in charge of foods at Disneyland are on, but they're terrible at making you feel like you recieved a Disney-premium meal for your Disney-premium dollar. I'll take Liberty Tree over Blue Bayou any day. I do think the only really charmless thing at MK has to be the siding of the castle. Disneyland has elegant stonework up to the turrets, and MK has that awful "drywall" look, that, while showing in the upper tiers of the castle at Disneyland, isn't so prominent, and appears tastefully in balance with the other elements. Disneyland's Tomorrowland is almost charmless for one reason, and one reason alone: Paul Pressler's decision to ravage it in 1998. Everything from the not-futuristic-at-all brickwork, to the abandoned Rocket Rods/PeopleMover tracks, to the butt-ugly rocks, the seen-it-once-don't-care-to-watch-it-again showing of Honey I Shrunk the Audience... Ugh. This land lacks taste. Tomorrowland at WDW is so much more integrated. Despite the shoehorning of Stitch, and to a lesser extent, Buzz, into the design, it does seem to carry a message. Space Mountain is graceful from the park's exterior, however at Disneyland that "warehouse-like" backside is pointed towards the backstage area. Shame that it can be seen from Town Square, as can Tower of Terror. The sightlines really went out the window there. It's 2:15AM on opening day for Hong Kong Disneyland. I'm tired. Good night.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <Great article. I'm in OKW at WDW right now < Ok -- now I'm going thru Disney depression ( another thread I know) - with imtigger2 sending emails from my home resort --
Originally Posted By basas Well after visiting both DL and MK in the past two months...i really do love them both- both have their great sections, and sections which (IMO) aren't as good as the other. In the end though, even if i'm in the minority, i still do prefer the MK to DL.
