Originally Posted By ni_teach The painting is done at the San Fransico area. It really looks great... Check it out: Before: <a href="http://darkbeer.smugmug.com/gallery/214702/13/8280830" target="_blank">http://darkbeer.smugmug.com/ga llery/214702/13/8280830</a> After: <a href="http://darkbeer.smugmug.com/gallery/1216223/6/56911013" target="_blank">http://darkbeer.smugmug.com/ga llery/1216223/6/56911013</a>
Originally Posted By trekkeruss It does look nice. Now if they would actually put some meat on those bones.
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt Interesting. Those buildings look too "clean" to be anywhere in San Francisco, and the colors are all wrong. The whole thing looks very unrealistic and too much like a theme park. I wish they'd re-think the whole Bay Area section at DCA. It's really poorly done.
Originally Posted By SuzieQ Actually, there is a gorgous victorian on the drive into Golden Gate Park with those exact colors! It looks very SF to me.
Originally Posted By ArchtMig I don't fault them for making the buildings look vibrant and pretty. That's what they've done on Main Street, after all. Disney is generally accepted as a "dolled up" version of reality in areas such as this. Lands or districts where settings need to be more realistic, such as Frontierland, or Animal Kingdom, for that matter... the stuff is much more toned down and subdued, and I think that's appropriate. What I don't like on the new paint scheme on the building in Darkbeer's pics are the gold accents. Totally inappropriate and gaudy, and hopefully, it was only applied to tie into the whole Golden Anniversary thing, and doubly hopefully, it will be painted over when the celebration is over with.
Originally Posted By lesmisfan i think the buildings look so much better and i too hope that something goes in them,i would love a choclate store!!!
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA I always thought a store with 'From California' treats would be really cool. See's Candies [which started in Los Angeles], small crates of California oranges, California wine, California dates, walnuts, almonds, merchandise with the 'Happy Cows / California Cheese' campaign <a href="http://www.realcaliforniacheese.com/sub_home.cfm?sub=happyCows&page=0" target="_blank">http://www.realcaliforniachees e.com/sub_home.cfm?sub=happyCows&page=0</a> Or tie it in to a small restaurant or deli with foods that are native to California. Probably too provincial, and nobody really gives a rip, and of course, it wouldn't be nearly as interesting as another merchanside shop filled with Disney character plush, antenna balls, and sweatshirts with the 50th anniversary logo, but hey...
Originally Posted By wolfchild If they really wanted to make it look like San Francisco they would paint 'em pink, dirty white and pale green. Put a bunch of politcal bumper stickers on the windows and then add some scroll work bars over the windows. Also, not nearly enough rainbow flags around there. ;D Jenny *26 year Bay Area resident*
Originally Posted By iDisney72 They should add some "statue" guy painted in all silver who plays around with the audience (like on Pier 39 and what not), the statue at Epcot's Italy is very fun to watch, and I'm sure one at DCA would help attract audiences.
Originally Posted By oc_dean >>> >> It's really poorly done. << That should be the motto of DCA. <<<< DCA done so poorly, you have to see it to beleive it!
Originally Posted By wolfchild <They should add some "statue" guy painted in all silver who plays around with the audience (like on Pier 39 and what not)> And they totally need the bush guy! The one that holds up a bunch of branches to look liek a bush and then jumps up and scares the heck out of passerby
Originally Posted By TP2000 Okay, before we go down the bash DCA road, (which I often don't mind by the way) has anyone really looked at how different these San Fran buildings are after this rehab? They have added a lot of detail and handiwork to these buildings that goes way beyond just a simple "every 5 years" paint job. Look at Darkbeer's BEFORE and AFTER photos of the building on the corner; you can see that they have added all sorts of detailing and filigree woodwork to the existing trim. They have also added on additional wood and trim pieces all over the building. In addition, they went to the trouble of painting existing trim pieces different colors where before it was all painted the same shade. It would be cheaper to just paint the entire entryway the same shade of blue that they did in '01, but this time around they have layered an additional two or three colors onto existing woodwork, and that had to have cost more money in additional labor and supplies. And just look at that gold gilt accent pieces they added all over the building! All of this adds up to a much more visually attractive structure, and it adds a layer of depth that was simply nonexistent with the buildings original 2001 version. These buildings are still rather useless, and certainly too sterile to ever be mistaken for the real San Francisco. But someone went to a heck of a lot of trouble and quite a bit of extra expense to design and apply a very heavy additional layer of detail work to this purposeless building. And that's really the big story here. This may not be a major "Placemaking" event that is rumored to hit DCA soon, but it's obvious that someone new is directing these changes compared to the original designers and accountants that let that building be so bland and lifeless back in 2001. Someone really is looking out for DCA, and this random addition of a layer of detail to a useless DCA facade bodes very well for the future of the Park, as well as gives some insight into the leadership changes that have taken place since DCA opened in 2001. How come no one else noticed that?!? ;-)
Originally Posted By ArchtMig If they do open them up and put something in the inside, I hope they put as much effort into upgrading the interiors as they have to the exteriors. One of my big complaints about DCA is how the insides of almost everything is so stripped down bare. Go into the shops at Main Street or New Orleans Square at Disneyland, and you'll see the great attention to detail that was spent on the interior decor. Look up at the ceilings, you'll see wood bead board, or paneled ceilings, mouldings, period light fixtures, etc. With the exception of the 3D movie theaters (Bugs, Muppets), I can't think of any other building interior in DCA that doesn't look like some light industrial manufacturing facility. Even the ceiling of the Animation building is nothing more than the exposed roof structure when you look past the projections screens. Go into these supposed "historic" San Francisco buildings, and you see open web steel joists and exposed ductwork. Maybe not everyone pays attention to these things, but i guarantee you that this kind of corner cutting affects everyones subconscious opinion. As an architect, I DO scrutinize theming, and it's budget cutting decisions that lead to poor show elements like this that will make me utterly despise the likes of Pressler, Braverman, and everyone else who was in a decision making capacity on DCA FOREVER. I hope there is a special place in you know where for them where they will have to do first grade level finger painting and paper mache for eternity because that's the only thing their feeble creative talents are capable of accomplishing.
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt "One of my big complaints about DCA is how the insides of almost everything is so stripped down bare." An interesting observation considering one of the biggest complaints heard around here when the place opened was that the shops were more elaborately themed and decorated than the attractions.
Originally Posted By TP2000 Well Hans, compared to the cement floors and metal handrailings that made up the majority of Opening Day Attraction "Pre-Show" queue experiences, the modestly themed store interiors looked downright lavish by comparison. The big thematic buildup of the metal handrailing queue for any of the rides in Paradise Pier makes the themeing of your local Claimjumper restaurant look like an E Ticket experience. ;-)
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA TP2000, I looked at the pictures again, and frankly, the upgrades are there, but relatively minor. My issue with the buildings there is simple -- what are they? On Main Street U.S.A., we can walk into the buildings, and then, because of the attention to detail, we also get the sense that people live in the buildings. With this pseudo-San Francisco location, it's all very flat, unused, with clearly nothing inside. In fact, you can't even go in. So, you'll have to pardon me if I don't think adding some gold paint and filligree is a huge upgrade.
Originally Posted By ArchtMig >>>An interesting observation considering one of the biggest complaints heard around here when the place opened was that the shops were more elaborately themed and decorated than the attractions.<<< I was referring specifically to attractions, and yes, the shops got a lot more attention, because that's obviously Pressler's top priority, but even there, the shops pale in comparison to those at Disneyland. Go into any of the stores near DCA's main entrance (Engineer's Toys, Off the Page, etc.) and you'll see what I'm talking about.
Originally Posted By oneyepete I like your post #8 idea Jim. I would visit those types of shops more than the trinket ones.
Originally Posted By disneywatcher >> I looked at the pictures again, and frankly, the upgrades are there, but relatively minor. << I've just done the same thing, hoping that TP2000 was correct, but it appears that the building, in fact, has gotten only a rather elaborate paint job. Given the history of DCA, I guess even something as basic as that is cause for celebration.
