Originally Posted By Sport Goofy << And I don't quite understand the hostility to the tile murals for DCA. >> I don't get this either. I think the murals are fairly original. They may not meet everyone's taste, but they're not offensive either.
Originally Posted By trekkeruss I think the new name is still in the rumor stage, or maybe it was announced, but hasn't been changed yet. I know it was talked about here on the boards.
Originally Posted By Roger55 The DCA murals are inside the gates which I thought was not being compared in this discussion. A comparisson of what you first see once through the gates is different than the entrances. And a comparisson of what you first see once you enter the main park area (ie inside the burm) would also be a much different order.
Originally Posted By Mr X Well, I was thinking mostly about everything you can see BEFORE going through the turnstyles...so for me stuff on the inside DOES count if it's visible before you walk in (otherwise Epcot and DisneySea would be much further down my list I think, especially Epcot).
Originally Posted By irishfan >>I think the new name is still in the rumor stage, or maybe it was announced, but hasn't been changed yet. I know it was talked about here on the boards<< Disney MGM Studios will be known as Disney Hollywood Studios from January 2008.
Originally Posted By gadzuux >> A comparisson of what you first see once through the gates is different than the entrances. << >> Well, I was thinking mostly about everything you can see BEFORE going through the turnstyles...so for me stuff on the inside DOES count if it's visible before you walk in << I'm with 'X' on this one, because you need to include the DLRR station as the marquee item - the "weenie" - for the entrance to DL. Not to mention the mickey mural - that's all part of the entrance. But I also give DL full marks for it's turnstile area. The structure overhead is beautifully trimmed and detailed, and usually decked out for the season. I even like the esplanade area. It's an extravagent use of open space for such a compact resort, and probably wouldn't have been so big if they weren't too cheap to reroute the monorail when designing the resort expansion. The current monorail routing determined an awful lot of placement and spacing for DCA, GCH and DTD. I also firmly believe they should have put a dramatic fountain in the center. Oh well, maybe someday. In the meantime it's an amazing public space with great energy to it.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros But if they put a fountain in the center of the Esplanade, then you couldn't get a picture of the California letters. Iv'e found that just about the only place I can get all the letters in one shot is right in front of the Monorail beam that is centered on the entrances to both parks. If a fountain was in the center of the area, it would most likely block the view of the letters (but if they're getting rid of the letters, then I guess that's no longer an issue).
Originally Posted By irishfan Well if reports are to believed those California letters will soon be a thing of the past. Perhaps we'll get our fountain afterall?
Originally Posted By gadzuux It would certainly add some functionality to all that open space, help to tie the various resort areas together, and allow for guests to use the space more effectively. As it is now, unless you sit down on the bricks, it's just a vast expanse to walk through.
Originally Posted By irishfan The only issue I see is the lines to get into the parks can often stretch will into the Esplanade. You put a fountain the the middle and you will could have crowd control problems.
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt I think DCA's entrance from the Esplanade is slightly better than Disneyland's. While the whole postcard effect isn't as obvious as it should be the whole thing is rather clever. and photographs well. The biggest problem with it is the rediculously scaled and mis-proportioned Golden Gate Bridge.
Originally Posted By DlandDug I have not been to the Asian parks or DSP. But I would rate the other seven parks as follows: 1. DL (Anaheim) 2. MK 3. DHS 4. Epcot 5. DLP 6. DAK 7. DCA A bit odd perhaps, but we are talking personal preferences here, which are colored by many things. Since the construction of the esplanade, the entrance to the orginal Disneyland has been burnished and polished to near perfection. Just enough of everything, and in an intimate scale that has stood the test of time. The MK is edged out only because of the steep hills and acres of red cement. (I know, I know; that was the original finish at Walt's park, too.) Oh. And it's really, really hot and muggy, too. I LOOOOOVE the entrance to DHS. The difference for me is knowing just what it represents. The streamlined moderne Pan Pacific Auditorium facade was a brilliant choice for the entrance structure. And the smallish entry plaza and lagoon are in the intimate scale I prefer. (We are talking personal preferences here.) Epcot. What can I say about Epcot? BEFORE that whole "Leave a Legacy" cluttered up the place, this was the most awe inspiring and dramatic entry in the Disney theme park catalogue. I still vividly recall the first time I entered Epcot Center (1986). It was just about perfect. Why do I place the beautiful entry to DLP so low on my list? Because I don't like walking up to a big pink building when I'm readying myself for a Magic Kingdom. The oddly meandering gardens and disparate elements, while charming, give me no real sense of what to expect. And I HATE the confined ticketing area. I love DAK. And I appreciate the intention of the entrance area. I understand the idea of mystery and exceeding expectations. But it seems a little TOO prefunctory. (And it's really cruel to include a mythical beastie above one of those ticket booths!) DCA. All the charm of a municipal bus station. Oh, and the world's largest glazed tile mural. Very nice.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros I doubt adding a fountain to the Esplanade would cause much trouble for either long lines or brick sales. It would most likely go in the center of the area, where the compass is currently, so it wouldn't need to take any space from bricks (it may actually add more, since the compass is quite large). As for crowds, yes, they do occasionally run back that far, but that is way the heck out from the gates. According to Google Earth, the DL entrance is 165 ft from the closest edge of the circle part of the compass (not counting the points). The DCA entrance is 132 ft away (95 ft to the letters where the entrance it rumoured to move to, both measured from the southern edge of the circle). By the time the lines for the entrance reach back that far, they have bigger issues than whether or not they have a fountain in the way. With the exception of possibly people waiting for the park to open, I doubt the lines get back this far under any normal circumstances, so I don't think there would be an issue for the fountain. (For the record, it is a 30' diameter circle)
Originally Posted By TDR_Fan Out of the Magic Kingdoms, I have to rank them in the following order: 1. Disneyland Paris 2. Magic Kingdom 3. Hong Kong Disneyland 4. Disneyland 5. Tokyo Disneyland It's a very close tie between the Magic Kingdom and Disneyland Paris, but I chose the Disneyland Hotel over the Seven Seas Lagoon.
Originally Posted By TDR_Fan And as far as second gates go, I think Tokyo DisneySea has by far the best entrance. The whole Italian village look created by the MiraCosta's facade is breathtaking and extremely elaborate.
Originally Posted By TDR_Fan And let me just add one more comment regarding the Tokyo Disneyland entrance. Yes, I find it bare and too sterile. However, I think the new Tokyo Disneyland Hotel (once finished) will make the entrance area significantly more pleasant. Kind of like the effect the Disneyland Hotel in Paris has. Without the Disneyland, I would place Disneyland Paris possible even behind Disneyland on my list. So I'll have to wait and see how the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel looks and then re-evaluate the entrance area. Once they take down the counstruction walls, any guest who's walking to the turnstiles for Tokyo Disneyland will see the beautiful and grand structure of the hotel, along with the lovely and paved hotel courtyard. And reading this makes me very excited about what the courtyard will look like! If they are as lushly themed as I imagine, they could have a very positive effect on the whole entrance area of Tokyo Disneyland. "Gardens Mickey & Friends Garden: Guests are invited to this site with a World Bazaar atmosphere featuring Disney character topiary. Sherwood Garden: Featuring gardens with geometric patterns, this site also has a pond and gazebo. Fantasia Court: This garden features Mickey as the Sorceror's Apprentice from the film Fantasia. Alice's Garden: Featuring theming from the film Alice in Wonderland."
Originally Posted By TDR_Fan <<Without the Disneyland, I would place Disneyland Paris possible even behind Disneyland on my list. >> I meant to say, "Without the Disneyland Hotel, I would place Disneyland Paris possibly even behind Disneyland on my list" 8: We need an EDIT function and FAST!
