Originally Posted By cstephens GhostHost2 wrote: > Knott's Berry Farm is a 15 minute drive from DLR and is 1000 times better than Paradise Pier. Wow, got us there! Can you imagine that an ENTIRE AMUSEMENT park could possibly be better than one portion of another amusement park? Who'd have ever thought that! But Knott's is a poor shell of what it used to be. It used to be a really fun place to go. Now, not as much. /cs
Originally Posted By SuzieQ Once again, I agree with cstephens. Knott's has become very sad over the years. I love Paradise Pier. It's themed to be like a classic boardwalk, and it worked in that respect. People will always like and dislike different things. Doesn't make either one right or wrong. Thank goodness there's lots of variety around so, hopefully, everyone can find something they like.
Originally Posted By GhostHost2 well Ghostrider, Silver Bullet, and Xcellerator are each better than California Screamin'.
Originally Posted By DlandDug Paradise Pier is as much Disney as any lesser themed area of any other Disney park. The idea behind PP was to provide a component of the "Magic of California," specifically the seaside amusement piers that flourished from the 1880s through the 1950s. The problem, as many here have alluded to, is in its execution. Paradise Pier is not well detailed, has a paucity of attractions, and hasn't had much follow through since 2001. According to what we've been told, this is being addressed. Detail: At present the area is mostly bland stucco with signage and a few detailed buildings to put across the theme. Since Piers existed over a long time span, it was legitimate to mix eras. But a definite time period would do wonders for making the area more "magical." Attractions: From Day One the absence of a dark ride has been a glaring ommission at Paradise Pier. This is being addressed as we speak, and it would appear to be in properly spectacular fashion. Follow Through: We shall see. Many have said that Walt Disney did not want to build a traditional amusement park, and hence would disapprove of Paradise Pier. What Walt did do, however, is present warmly conceived evocations of past entertainments. (Lest we forget, he wanted the circus to be a big part of Disneyland.) In the 1950s, traditional California seaside parks were largely dirty, unpleasant places with bad reputations. With the passage of time, and the demolition of all but a scant few of the old style parks, a Disney style evocation is quite fitting in a park devoted to California.
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt "Knott's Berry Farm is a 15 minute drive from DLR and is 1000 times better than Paradise Pier." Well of course. Knott's is an entire park, PP is just a section of one.
Originally Posted By DlandDug >>well Ghostrider, Silver Bullet, and Xcellerator are each better than California Screamin'.<< Statements like this undercut the legitimacy of the rest of the poster's opinion. As far as I'm concerned, Screamin' is among the top coasters around (and I've ridden them all). (I found Ghost Rider to a profound disappointment, but then, that's just my opinion...) Too many here find it necessary to "legitimize" their thesis by criticism or comparison alone. Fantasyland dark rides, Knott's coasters, or other parks are beside the point.
Originally Posted By GhostHost2 "Statements like this undercut the legitimacy of the rest of the poster's opinion. As far as I'm concerned, Screamin' is among the top coasters around (and I've ridden them all). (I found Ghost Rider to a profound disappointment, but then, that's just my opinion...)" California Screamin' may be long, but the design of the track is extremely tame.
Originally Posted By SuzieQ Ghostrider has gotten extremely rough. It's not nearly as fun as it used to be. Xelerator - awesome, but 30 seconds. Not something a lot of kids can ride. Silver Bullet - suspended coaster that once again makes you hold your neck rigid so you don't slam your ears on the harness. I'm a major coaster fan. Thrill doesn't always equal a good coaster. Look at something like Colusus at Magic Mountain. Classic wooden coaster. It's stayed smoother than Ghost Rider and is still an awesome ride!
Originally Posted By cstephens GhostHost2 wrote: > well Ghostrider, Silver Bullet, and Xcellerator are each better than California Screamin'. To some degree, I might give you that Silver Bullet is a better coaster than Screamin'. Bux Xcellerator? Please. Nice loop, but the rest of it lasts about 4 seconds and is less exciting than any part of Gadget's Go Coaster. As for Ghostrider, I might give you that it *used* to be better than Screamin', but the thing is almost unridable now, and it's definitely so for me. It's so rough that it is excrutiatingly painful and is one of the reasons I won't be renewing my Knott's pass this year. /cs
Originally Posted By DlandDug >>California Screamin' may be long, but the design of the track is extremely tame.<< Hah! Tell DlandJB that! She all but kissed the ground when we returned to the station. It's all opinion to a large degree. The point is that criticism based entirely on comparison doesn't really contribute to an ongoing dialogue. (And yes, Ghostrider shakes your bones out of joint!)
Originally Posted By pitapan16 but for the most part, Paradise Pier is a disgrace to everything that makes Disney great" -Mostly agreed. Paradise Pier is very un-Disney without the details on details that come with great themeing, storytelling, and true Disney magic. BUT, all is not lost. Paradise Pier can become a truely themed place and Midway mania "could" be the start of that.
Originally Posted By pitapan16 Those who don't see the very distinctive Disney touches and attention to detail that are in Paradise Pier are seeing it with their eyes firmly closed or with blinders on" -I don't know about that. A giant Mickey head does not say Disney Magic to me like detail upon detail of emersive themeing and awesome envirements. When I go to Curtis Park or the Fabulous 40's neighborhoods in Sacramento I see homes that have detail upon detail in architextural design and landscaping that make me think, "thats darn near Disney quality." When I go to Paradise Pier, the details are so sparse I think, "this is like a clean Six Flags."
Originally Posted By pitapan16 Paradise Pier at Disney's California Adventure, is 'a disgrace' huh? What are you thoughts on the Boardwalk at Walt Disney World?" -I love the Boardwalk Resort at WDW. The place is very anti-Paradise Pier in so many ways. The Boardwalk resort is timeless in it's time-period set. The whole place is so regal and elegant. There are more details at this resort than at Paradise Pier by far. The woods used inside and out are spectacular. The colors are perfect. The clapboard exteriors are amazing. Paradise Pier needs to seriously take some cue's from the Boardwalk as they are not even close to being on par with eachother. Paradise Pier needs to grow into being California's elegant Victorian boardwalk/fun pier. The goal should be to try and make the Boardwalk Resort put to shame when looking at Paradise Pier and all its details, elegant themeing, and Disney quality attractions.
Originally Posted By cstephens pitapan16 wrote: > A giant Mickey head does not say Disney Magic to me like detail upon detail of emersive themeing and awesome envirements. If all you see is the giant Mickey head on Screamin', then I reiterate my point that many people see with their eyes closed or blinders firmly hot-glued over their eyes. /cs
Originally Posted By pitapan16 Ride Dumbo... a barely disguised carny ride that you could find at any 50's amusement park. Ride Teacups... a barely disguised carny ride that you could find at any 50's amusement park. Ride Mr. Toad's Wild Ride... a barely disguised carny ride that you could find at any 50's amusement park. Ride Casey's Circus Train... a barely disguised carny ride that you could fine at any 50's amusement park. Ride Cinderella's Golden Carousel... a barely disguised carny ride that you could find at any 50's amusement park." -Hardly. I have'nt yet seen any similar attractions at any other park outside of Disney that came close to matching the level of detail placed on all of the above attractions.
Originally Posted By pitapan16 I was riding the "Spinning Washtubs" at my local kiddie park about the same time that Disneyland opened with the Teacups. A vomit bucket is a vomit bucket... outside of the shape of the car the ride is the same." -Kinda like a house is just a house right? Roof, bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen, ect. Compton or Laguna Beach, makes no difference.
Originally Posted By pitapan16 pitapan16 wrote: > A giant Mickey head does not say Disney Magic to me like detail upon detail of emersive themeing and awesome envirements. If all you see is the giant Mickey head on Screamin', then I reiterate my point that many people see with their eyes closed or blinders firmly hot-glued over their eyes." - Details such the musical score on California Screamin, the golden suns placed on the main Screamin Hill, and extra steel with white paint to portait a wooden coaster, a lake and some beach boy music might say carnival by the water, I'll give you that. But The current themeing in no way says "Disney Quality" Victorian era ocean front, California Classic, time-period set fun Pier. A few neons and stucco front's on "2001" midway games say Disney themeing on wellfare.
Originally Posted By pitapan16 I just want to add that I see GREAT potential at Paradise Pier and am hopeful and excited about the near future of that land. I think a classic victorian California Pier is a great theme for a California park. It's just time for the execution for a themed land that got beat up with a budget that gave DCA a southwest corner like it has right now.
Originally Posted By cstephens All you keep talking about is Screamin', which is fine if that's all you can find. I third my point. /cs
Originally Posted By Roger55 Feed the troll, tupence a bag, Tuppence, tuppence, tuppence a bag. "Feed the troll," that's what she cries, While overhead, her troll fill the skies.
