Originally Posted By dshyates I don't care about entrance, but is there some way that they could reroute the exit to lead straight into the Soarin' over California Shop (formerly known as Engine Ears Toys)?
Originally Posted By Acapulco Boy "I don't care about entrance, but is there some way that they could reroute the exit to lead straight into the Soarin' over California Shop (formerly known as Engine Ears Toys)?" I don't think it would be a good idea to drive traffic coming out of Soarin back into the main entrance of the park where more guests are coming in. I would personally like to see that whole area reconfigured. The exterior queue is boring and the exit is worst. I would move the exterior queue forward (to where the exit currently is)completely enclosing it and expanding on the aviation history and theme. They should build an area next to the Soarin building with family activities, exploration and storytelling, where the young ones that couldn't ride Soarin can entertain. Soarin's exit could lead us to this new area where we can learn more about deserts, its plants and animal life, mountains, etc. This place could be inside a huge mine that would probably hide the monorail and/or add view from it. Since I want a massive atraction to replace the trail by Grizzly, I think some of those slides and play areas could easily be rethemed and brought inside this new mine. This could possibly solidify the desert theme making it more interesting, while becoming a better gateway to the Grizzly Recreation Area.
Originally Posted By ChurroMonster I'd like to see them put a roof over the entire area and turn it into an air and space museum focusing on California's influence on the history of aviation.
Originally Posted By disneysnout WDI is really missing alot..with the history of aviation and other California themes.
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt ^^Agreed. It's kind of stupid that they've decided not to explore more of those themes. I've been groaning about the most obvious omission - a San Francisco section - for a while now. Science and technology is another subject that has been sadly overlooked at DCA. It's interesting to imagine how DCA would have been developed had it been conceived in the 70's or 80's.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 I thought the best thing they could do was expand what they called the "Bay Area" from where it is now all the way west to encompass the whole ill-conceived "Route 66" subsection of PP. Move GZ to the other side of the pier. Enclose MM with a SF-style facade and call it "Lombard Lunacy" (a natural for that style coaster - first the hairpins of Lombard Street, then the SF hills). The rest of Route 66 becomes the NOS of DCA with winding streets of Victorians (which shops and eateries, including one proper Chinese eatery) that is just pleasant to hang out in. Where LM will go, have a sub-section called Silicon Valley with the signature E-ticket. My idea was a Tokyo-Pooh style ride where the cars were "bits" of information that broke apart and came together... think an ATIS for the 21st century, themed to computer operation. This would probably be a rectangular building, so on top put a hedge maze (as in DLP) themed to a green circuit board. Two attractions in the space of one, and it would look great from the Fun Wheel. Little Mermaid could have gone elsewhere on the pier - bean seems to think the Helix where Maliboomer is has space for a major attraction.
Originally Posted By ArchtMig >>>Science and technology is another subject that has been sadly overlooked at DCA.<<< Whaddya mean??? What do you think tortilla making and bread baking is??? Science and Technology - that's what!! Or at least, Paul Pressler and Barry Braverman would have you believe that they are...
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt I actually think the bread making and tortilla exhibits are thoughtfully designed and make a lot of sense. The irony is that those little attractions are VERY Californian and explain a bit of the State's food history in a fun way. Something like them that dealt with technology or aerospace would be a welcome addition. I think more things like this interspersed between bigger rides would be great.
Originally Posted By gadzuux All due respect, but I disagree. I think the bread and tortilla tours were a big part of why DCA got such a bad reputation early on. If these were a small part of a larger and more successful park, that would be fine. But they weren't - they were the anchor "attractions" for an entire 'land' of the park. They still are. They're too humble and unambitious for their own good. They come across as lame attempts at being entertaining or informative. You can see a tortilla-making machine in any chevy's restaurant. And watching bread rise is practically a cliche for something that's boring. I understand your point that not everything at the parks needs to be some grandiose ride, and I agree. But the bread and tortilla tours are just a little too small and a little too silly. Adding more of these types of things may hurt more than help in improving the image of DCA. They need to aim higher.
Originally Posted By oc_dean The bread, and tortilla attractions make nice "post" or "pre" shows to a larger attraction. But as 'stand alone' attractions, meant to be 'the big anchoring' shows? NNo.
Originally Posted By ArchtMig Seriously, the bread and tortilla things should never have been given "attraction" status in the first place. I agree that the parks benefit from having things like this here and there, but I also agree that it was pretty sad to build them up and promote them as prominently as they did. They rank up there with Snow White's Wishing Well and The Sword in the Stone. They don't rank at all against any "real" attraction. And yes, it's so sad that so much of what was brought to the DLR by the Paul Pressler regime as "unique" and "innovative" (such as bread and tortilla making and everything in Innoventions) was actually commonplace things found anywhere outside the DLR turnstiles.
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt "All due respect, but I disagree. I think the bread and tortilla tours were a big part of why DCA got such a bad reputation early on." Oh, I agree with you 100%. My argument has always been that DCA didn't have enough things to keep people enthralled, ie: a signature Disney ride or two such as Pirates or Spaceship Earth. The tours are nice little "extras" like the old Disney Gallery or Castle Walkthrough at DL. In my opinion the problem was that when DCA opened it was short on the meatier attractions and shows that people expect when they visit a Disney park.
Originally Posted By dshyates The exhibits are VERY similar to going inside a Krispy Kreme Shop, without the hot Krispy Kreme. Now if they were to give out a hot glazed donut, I may rank it higher.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 I think the tortilla factory "works" as a little exhibit; they have a little corn trivia, some "magic windows" and a sample at the end. Nice enough. The bread tour strives to be more "entertainment" via the series of films and doesn't really work.
Originally Posted By WorldDisney I think I been inside both of those factories once before. It takes litterally a few minutes to see. I havent been back since or even thought of going back in general. As for the topic, I think the entrance should stay where it is. I'm still not sure what the point would be of moving it since it seems fine with where it is. The area will be redone one day with a more appropriate theme. I never understood why they build it as flying an airplane when its clearly hang gliding. But when you look at the queue and pre-show you would never know that, would you? And like someone said, you move it and then you have very dead space there in an area that needs some kind of anchor. I mean look what happen to the tiny San Franciso area. It was DOA because by it being ridiculously tiny, there was nothing there to make people gravatate towards it. Golden Dreams obviously didnt do the trick. This area needs something as well. BV will survive regardless as it is the entrance way and people will congregate there regardless (now that it will be a REAL entrance and not just a hub with bathrooms and a gift shop ), so I dont see the point.
Originally Posted By bean "69 NEW! gadzuux Wed 2/18/2009 6:46p All due respect, but I disagree. I think the bread and tortilla tours were a big part of why DCA got such a bad reputation early on. If these were a small part of a larger and more successful park, that would be fine. But they weren't - they were the anchor "attractions" for an entire 'land' of the park. They still are." Well I don't think those little attractions were the problem. The problem was that the whole concept behind them was not carried out. The tortilla and bread tour were not suppose to be an cnchor for the land, they were part of a bigger vision that was not ready for park opening. The bread and tortilla tour were two of a dozen "a" and "b" attractions that were suppose to be built and opened along the whole golden state area. The farm area had its buildings built but no sponsors signed up in time. The San Francisco buildings were also suppose to be part of more industrial tours with free sample and the whole northern garden area surrounding the amphitheater was also suppose to have several more victorian buildings that were going to house several more tours. All of these minor attractions would have created an interesting area showcasing the many contributions that the state has to offer. It would have been like a small replica of world showcas but all focused on California.
Originally Posted By WorldDisney Wow, if true Hans, that certainly backfired like hell, huh? Sort of like DCA itself . I dont anyone gets that since now you just have these two little isolated quickie food making exhibits, you walk in, see it, walk out and go, 'well, that was okay I guess.' and shrug . Maybe in the future they will just get rid of them and think of something a little more interesting for the area.
Originally Posted By ArchtMig >>>The bread and tortilla tour were two of a dozen "a" and "b" attractions that were suppose to be built and opened along the whole golden state area. The farm area had its buildings built but no sponsors signed up in time. The San Francisco buildings were also suppose to be part of more industrial tours with free sample and the whole northern garden area surrounding the amphitheater was also suppose to have several more victorian buildings that were going to house several more tours.<<< It was a bad idea from the start, forced on the project by Michael Eisner and based on his personal memories of and fondness for REAL factory tours. The difference is a REAL factory is hundreds of thousands of square feet of machines and processes devoted to the manufacture of real goods. Which can be fascinating for those that are interested in that sort of thing. But you can NOT replicate that successfully in the limited confines of a theme park. If the concept for DCA was even fully realized as described by bean, at BEST, the result would have been more like Spillikin Corners than anything approaching a true factory experience. Potential sponsors sensed what a turkey of an idea it was, and saw no real upside in the promotional opportunity, leaving only bread and tortillas... two "manufacturing" processes easily and ubiquitously performed in any supermarket in any town anywhere. There is a "tortilla factory" in the Albertsons 2 blocks from where I live. There used to be a Krispy Kreme doughnut "factory" setup 3 miles from here that was larger than either of the two installations at DCA. There is a fairly large beer microbrewing installation behind glass at the BJ's Restaurant and Brewery here in town where you can see technicians tweaking the chemistry in huge stainless steel tanks while you eat your burger and watch the Lakers game on the big screen TV. None of this is particularly unique to a theme park, and nobody would be inclined to pay a full single day admission to experience those kinds of things. But tortillas and bread were the last gasp remnants of a private pet project idea foisted on the park by one man, Michael Eisner. Actually, the whole park is filled with bad ideas from Eisner, mixed together with a heavy sprinkling of Paul Pressler retail and dining priorities, with only a minimal amount of truly unique attraction efforts --- all amateurishly executed by Barry Braverman. The main Boeing aircraft assembly building in Spokane is the largest single building under one roof, as measured by floor area. All 85 acres of Disneyland can fit inside it with room to spare, and that is a true fact, not hyperbole. Now THAT'S a factory! Not the wimpy little stupidity of DCA's "factory" attractions, or even of anything "factory" oriented that Eisner could have once imagined could have ever been realized in DCA.
Originally Posted By ArchtMig >>>It would have been like a small replica of world showcas but all focused on California.<<< One of the worst blunders of DCA is that, in so many areas, it strives to be a "small replica" of so many things that are done so much much better at other Disney parks because there is the acreage to do it up right. At DCA, the results are derivative, and inadequate. Instead of making DCA it's own truly unique experience, they tried to make DCA the "catch-all" blend of aspects of Epcot and Disney-MGM and Animal Kingdom and even the failed Disney's America. And you just can't cram all of that into 50 measly acres and expect it to be done well.
Originally Posted By jmuboy I still wish Ghiradelli would open a mini replica of their iconic San Fran building and give tours / samples. There is plenty of room for one.
