Originally Posted By pwrof3 A moment of silence for the original DCA, please . . . I worked there from its grand opening until the end of 2003. I got to see the park go through its inital growing pains and by the time I left there were actually pretty good crowds. I knew every nook and cranny of that park and the backstage area. Sad to see it all torn up, especially since it is all mostly brand new. What a waste of materials! I went back in 2007 to check out the park, but I have vowed not to return to DCA until everything is finished. It makes me sad to see it all being torn down as I have many wonderfully amazing memories there.
Originally Posted By DlandDug I can well understand the emotions. DCA was the first Disney theme park I ever saw from announcement, through construction and on to Grand Opening. I thought it needed a lot of help-- but certainly didn't expect the scale of change that would be visited upon it...
Originally Posted By WorldDisney <<A moment of silence for the original DCA, please . . . I worked there from its grand opening until the end of 2003. I got to see the park go through its inital growing pains and by the time I left there were actually pretty good crowds. I knew every nook and cranny of that park and the backstage area. Sad to see it all torn up, especially since it is all mostly brand new. What a waste of materials! I went back in 2007 to check out the park, but I have vowed not to return to DCA until everything is finished. It makes me sad to see it all being torn down as I have many wonderfully amazing memories there.>> Hey-hey-hey, perk up there!! We are living in extraordinary times! All the gloom and doom we hear lately, but there is still a sunny side to life. This proves it! They are tearing it all down because in a few short years hopefully we will FINALLY have something great that we can be proud of to call a Disney park and not bow our heads down and mutter it quickly when we do say it to family members! It is amazing to see how much this park is changing and how much of it for a park that wasn't even 8 years old when they started these changes...but it was needed! And I have to say, for someone who thought DCA would NEVER get this type of treatment, certainly while I was still walking without a cane or eating solid foods, it is amazing to see what all has come in the decade its been around. Actually I'm amazed at all the things I've always wanted to see and do in my lifetime just within the last 10 years since DCA opened: -See the first black president of the United States. -Lifelong dream of going to Egypt to see the pyramids. -Live in Japan. -Impregnate Lisa Bonet from the Cosby Show! Okay, so I'm still working on the last one, but I got 4 months before DCA's 10th birthday to make it happen!! If we can elect the first black president of these United States, then its still possible I can impregnant Lisa Bonet from the Cosby Show. All things are possible! Don't let the impossible get in the way of your dreams. (This is kind of my motivational speech for the kids out there...or any of your kids if they read LP!) Lost my train of thought, oh yeah, the DCA changes proves that things are still possible!! (See how I got it back on topic ) So yeah another thing I didnt think I would see in my lifetime but its happening sooner than I thought: DCA maybe worthy of a full price ticket someday...wow who knew? So I'm a happy camper and I'm amazed of the things that has happened in these last 10 years alone and you only got a year and a half to go back!
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "It makes me sad to see it all being torn down as I have many wonderfully amazing memories there." I can imagine. The one thing that really does saddens me is the removal of the California Zephyr. Not only is the train thematically appropriate, the engine and cars are very cleverly designed incorporating food and retail. I've always been a big fan of trains, and I've ridden the real California Zephyr. It's too bad that there isn't another area in DCA where they could put this. Oh well.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt Bountiful Valley Farm has officially passed on to Yesterland: <a href="http://www.yesterland.com/bountiful.html" target="_blank">http://www.yesterland.com/bountiful.html</a>
Originally Posted By tashajilek I dont know why they would remove the golden zephyr either. Thats was my favorite shopping/eating area of the park. Hopefully they can incorporate the train somewhere else, it would be a waste.
Originally Posted By Yookeroo "The one thing that really does saddens me is the removal of the California Zephyr." I'll miss this too. But I'll also miss the mosaic and the giant letters. And i mostly like the Golden Gate bridge. I'm sure the new entrance will look fantastic, but I hope it's worth the cost.
Originally Posted By pwrof3 WorldDisney, don't get me wrong, I am excited for the new DCA. However, it comes at a great cost of destroying nearly brand new structures that most never go to realize their full potential. Plus, while working there, I met the woman who is now my wife, so that adds to the sentimentality. As for the zephyr, I always thought it was a cool idea, but it didn't look like a train on the inside, which threw a lot of guests off. Mosts guests wouldn't even notice they were walking into a train.
