Originally Posted By ChurroMonster Yes, dude. That's everyone's conclusion. There is are no gray areas when it come to DCA. Sheesh. I guess life must be easier when you see the world in black and white.
Originally Posted By Pirate Mickey Most people agree that DCA is barely Disney at all. Someday it may get there, but no one is holding their breath.
Originally Posted By Mr X Yes. DCA sucks. Maybe not quite so much as the far WORSE parks WDSP and HKDL...but it still sucks. Sucks big time. Super cheap. Not Disney. Nuff said.
Originally Posted By WorldDisney Yeah, I think its just a small minority of Disney park goers who thinks DCA exhibits true Disney quality experience outside of a few areas, but it certainly ain't the entrance, PP, Route 66, the farm area and san francisco area's. For me, GRR, the wharf (which has NOTHING there) and a little of HPB represents what a truly THEMED Disney park is all about. The rest is just MM, KBF crap disguised as a Diseny experience. I'll agree with Mr. X though, DCA is still better than HKDL and WDS certainly! Been to the former and while its a MK park, at least DCA has ORIGNINAL attractions, not much, but a few. HKDL doen't try on any level and God I hate saying this, but there is more to do in DCA than HKDL, a park that SHOULD have tons to do!!!! These parks gets worse and worse. WDSP...no comment!
Originally Posted By ChurroMonster Disney quality? I've been to all the WDW parks several times and DCA is on par with ALL of them. Magic kingdom is prettier but the attractions are pretty sad. DCA pales in comparison to Disneyland but is pretty much in the middle of the pack as far as Disney parks go. (Can't wait to visit TDS and DLP)
Originally Posted By WorldDisney ^^It's all subjective I agree, but the reality is the majority don't look at it on par with many of the better parks and when it's sitting next door to DL, the one that started it all, it pales in comparison by a HUGE degree. Also considering that probably the majority who visits DL has ONLY been to DL so it's judged mainly by that park alone. Is it fair, don't know, but how the idiots who built the park didn't consider that a majority of the guests WILL size it up to the sister park a few hundred feet away when they were paying the exact same price for it was another HUGE bone headed on their part. I mean if you are going to skimp out on the attraction deparment, make the park only two-thirds the size of DL, at LEAST make it as pretty and inviting as possible!!!!! At least with HKDL, they SORT OF got that right at least. With DCA, they should've themed the hell out of it and make people's jaw drop when they enter. TDS didn't have a single ride, I would still happily go (although not as often ), its simply that amazing. DCA just lacks and lacks and LACKS!!!! Like I said, sure DCA has nice area's, but the other area's like the PP (which I think was the original topic ), the ENTRANCE!!!, Route 66 and the farm are sorry excuses and has NO problems fitting into a MM or a KBF, but that's about it. Besides, once again, Disney seem to caught on the majority of its guest feels that way or it wouldn't bother with the placemaking stuff and supposedly the HUGE overall the place is suppose to be getting which could be in the hundreds of millions, but we simply don't know yet. But again, that tells you that the park is infinitely lacking a thematic scope most of the other parks has if they are willing to go through the trouble of doing something like this for a park that is still relativily new. TDS and DLP are AMAZING!!!!!! Go if you can!! No huge overhauls needed for those parks .
Originally Posted By jonvn "Most people agree that DCA is barely Disney at all." And where do we get that from? It's this sort of thing that gets annoying, really. You may think that, you may have others who agree, but you don't know what most people really think. DCA is a disney park like the rest of them. Some are going to be better than others. That's how things are in the world. So, why not just say what is good or not, and leave the overarching "This is not a disney park" comments alone, because they really don't mean much. There is good and bad things in all the parks, and much to like or dislike. And it all boils down to personal opinion and taste. It is perfectly normal for people to disagree on matters such as this, and no one is right or wrong. Trying to prove you are right in this has always caused trouble, and has gotten nowhere and is uninteresting. How about just discussing what we think and not trying to validate ourselves by saying we're part of a pack who thinks the same way? You can be entitled to your very own opinion and it's just as valid as mine or anyone else's and you don't need to prove it.
Originally Posted By Socrates Since DCA opened, I've read exactly 127 discussions that have argueed about what is Disney and what isn't. Since this keeps coming up, I think I've figured out what the problem is: We don't have a baseline. In other words, there is no objective measure of what is Disney quality and what falls short. Thus the debate always gets too subjective and few can agree. Therefore, I propose we develop some objective measure of Disney quality. It could be a theme park (although that's pretty general), an attraction (Pirates?), or maybe something much more objective, like three elements of detail per square foot. If we could simply establish a standard, it would really simplify debate. Socrates "The unexamined life is not worth living."
Originally Posted By jonvn You can't have a standard, because no one knows what it means, and examples can be shown through fifty years of construction of various types of things that can disprove anything. IT's simply meaningless.
Originally Posted By Socrates Pity... Socrates "The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."
Originally Posted By Sweeper How about the experience shouldn't closely resemble something from Knott's, Six Flags, or Universal? That seems to be the biggest complaint about DCA. It was too generic. The "off-the-shelf" problem. It is too subjective I'm sure. I for one find Rockin' Roller Coaster to be non-Disney. Off-the-shelf ride enclosed in a building with black light props. Felt too much like Universal to me.
Originally Posted By bean and How would you get people to agree on any standards. All you will do is open another discussion hat has no solution. How would you categorize IOA. A universal park built mostly by Disney Imagineers using ideas once previously in discussion for a Disney park. So, The Hulk coaster, a lightly themed coaster in a Universal park designed by a group of Disney imagineers would be considered Disney or non Disney? It all really depends on people opinion on what could be classified to them as Disney and what can not. For me DCA and specifically the pier has many Disney touches that normally would not be visible in other parks. The problem for me with that section of the park is that the execution of the theme had a strong foundation but then later fell short. Things that make this area something that would only be found in a Disney park is the detail in picking out the right light fixtures that are actually replicas of fixtures found in one of California's original boardwalks. The addition of wood planks that line the main walkway using the same kind of wood that was used for boardwalks in their heyday. The addition of extra wooden pieces to Screamin to give it a feel and look of a wooden coaster. The addition of the large Sun in front of the Ferris wheel to add a touch of California's warm weather. The nicely detailed shops that lined the midway. Those are things that give the area the Disney touch and most other places would probably would not have considered. Where do they fall short? The bland stucco facades, the lack of ambience and entertainment that would help increase the feeling of actually being in a real pier. The lack of creativity that went into the queue for a coaster that was actually themed. Worst of all the lack of creative positioning of the carousel. I actually feel the carousel is one of the best themed attractions in the area yet the creative team behind it completely missed the mark when it came to presentation. It was given a bland stucco building with a painted facade background. The circular attraction placed against a hard right angle wall with a nicely themed organ just thrown in a corner with no proper presentation. Bare railings for queues wrapped around with lifeless cement water fixtures that add little to the design. I understand the reasoning for the fountains but they sure must have looked better on paper. I would have preferred a rock formation made to look like a break water with water crashing against it making it seem as if the sea creatures were swimming around its crashing waves. Instead the fountains are lifeless and serve little purpose except for the fact that children and adults alike enjoy sitting on them and splashing water over the walkways. The bland look of the concrete does not blend well with the colorful look of the carousel. that to me is what i feel about the pier. Is the pier Disney? yes because it does have several touches that most amusement companies would not bother addressing. Could it have been done better? Yes some areas were badly executed. Are those attractions generic and be found everywhere else? No, because The sunwheel, screamin,Zephyr and carousel were designed and made specifically for Disney with a group of Imagineers guiding the project so that they fit certain specifications that they came up with after studying elements of old seaside piers and coming out with a layout that would work for that corner of the park.
Originally Posted By Pinocchio85 Those are some very nice thoughts about the Pier. I agree completely that the Pier does have a lot of good points. Saying that it's not Disney and has no themeing is simply wrong. Also, I think that Pizza Oom Mow Mow is doe very well. It has a great 60's surf culture vibe that touches on a very important part of California's history. I wish people would get over the idea that the only important time in California's history was in the early 1900's. Also, the restaurant has a beautiful garden area with sand filled planters, palm trees, flowers and surf boards. I wish more of the Pier had a similar feel.
Originally Posted By Darkbeer ^Intresting to note that Pizza Oom Mow Mow completely changed their menu a few months ago (to match up with R2P2 in Tomorrowland) and no longer has surfboard shaped pizza or anything else that matches up with the DCA theme. It has been also been closed on many off-season weekdays, not a good sign of doing well....
Originally Posted By Pinocchio85 I think the surfboard pizza went out more than a few moths ago. They seem to be taking away unique food offerings at places all over the Resort. It seems like they are doing a lot of streamlining in the food department. I've never seen the place closed and I think it's doing just fine. DCA seems to be getting longer food lines since there are so few food options left.
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt "It seems like they are doing a lot of streamlining in the food department." And everywhere else. The sheer amount of Pirate merchandise in every nook and cranny of the Resort is disgusting.
Originally Posted By bean MM i wonder why they are considering removing it and replacing with a ...............
Originally Posted By bean oh and i agree about the pirate stuff, it i too much and merchandising is doing overkill while the foods department is straying from the original thinking a few years ago of offering a variety of quality foods.
Originally Posted By Pinocchio85 "And everywhere else. The sheer amount of Pirate merchandise in every nook and cranny of the Resort is disgusting." I agree. I'm sick of seeing it in every store regardless of theme. They used to care more about where they placed merchandise. I'm hoping that since World's End has been released they will start to remove some of the pirates merchandise.
