Originally Posted By Flo Hi, I have also been to the preview of the WDS last weekend. The first time a saw the pictures of the inside of the Studios several weeks ago, I really got excited and could not wait to see it. When I entered the park I really was amazed about the Front Lot, its palm trees and the Mickey fountain. Studio1 is not that big, but has still that Hollywood charm that I had expected from Disney and experienced twice in Disney-MGM. However, I was a bit disappointed when I left Studio1 and saw the rest of the park. Of course, Mickey’s sorcerer’s hat looks great and also the Disney Channel building and the “Rendez-Vous”-restaurant, but the whole area looks yet boring and there is nearly nothing to see. I sometimes really did not feel like in a Disney park. The shows are high Disney standard, especially the Stunt Show, but the Animation Tour in Disney-MGM is much better since the most interesting part – the real animators – are missing and were just replaced by that interactive area. And Aladdin looks nice, but a bit misplaced. The Tram Tour is even more boring than in Orlando and Armageddon is nice but really don’t expect too much. Did you see the entrance of Rock’n Rollercoaster? Of course, the ride itself is great but you have to recognize that we already have a really great Space Mountain in Paris. In my opinion the Studios are a nice little park where you can have some hours of fun ( I had 5 1/2 h.), but still the least developed Disney park I have ever been. I don’t understand why people say that the WDS shall be better than DCA? If I look at the Grizzly Mountain and the lake in front of Paradise Pier there seems to be so much to just sit down and watch it. We don’t have anything like that in our Studios except the Front Lot. What seems to be promising about the WDS is that they already started with Phase II including the HTH and the Mermaid Lagoon, although I would have preferred Toontown instead since we don’t have that one in DLPR and Mickey’s needs a place to celebrate his birthday next year. ;-) Believe in the Magic, Flo.
Originally Posted By Dlmusic I think that DCA was a better park at opening than WDS will be. However, I see WDS as "easily fixable." Meaning you can just add attractions cause what's there looks decent enough, it's just nothing spectacular. By contrast a lot of DCA is flawed and will be hard fixing, not to mention it doesn't seem like attractions are coming on-line that fast. WDS is already adding attractions quickly (within two years it should gain Tower of Terror and Mermaid Lagoon) while DCA won't get Tower of Terror until 2004. If the current pace keeps up than I think WDS will quickly overtake DCA for the better quality park. Hopefully they will do that because the Paris park really deserves a beautiful companion.
Originally Posted By Socrates "On the official WDS site they list 10 Main Attractions." Only ten? No wonder they're including three hours of admission to DLP with the tickets! Thanks. I was curious after all the debate about DCA and how many attractions it had. Socrates "The unexamined life is not worth living."
Originally Posted By TP2000 I wasn't too impressed with the pictures from this article. It seemed kind of predictable and bland. The dreary European weather probably doesn't help though. But still, I am certainly not blown away with this Park. At best, I think my expectations are just barely met. What is interesting though is the plan to allow Park Hopping with every WDS day ticket sold. If WDS follows the DCA model and closes at 6pm or 8pm, while Disneyland stays open until 8pm or 11pm, then this ticket plan will be very popular for the smaller WDS Park. Why don't they do this with DCA? It seems like it would cure DCA's problems easily. I guess it's a tough offer to eventually break though, because then people expect DCA to always offer them Disneyland admission. Still, the French have got something worthwhile with that ticket plan. But WDS Park still leaves me a little flat.
Originally Posted By dennis-in-ct Hey TP2000 - I have the new Paris brochure (ordered over the net weeks ago) and the closing times for both parks are the same. You are allowed entry to Disneyland Paris with a WDS ticket THREE hours prior to park closing according to the brochure (despite what MousePlanet says). I will be there in April and look forward to me visit.
Originally Posted By LostBoys "I think that DCA was a better park at opening than WDS will be. However, I see WDS as "easily fixable." Meaning you can just add attractions cause what's there looks decent enough, it's just nothing spectacular. By contrast a lot of DCA is flawed and will be hard fixing, not to mention it doesn't seem like attractions are coming on-line that fast. WDS is already adding attractions quickly (within two years it should gain Tower of Terror and Mermaid Lagoon) while DCA won't get Tower of Terror until 2004. If the current pace keeps up than I think WDS will quickly overtake DCA for the better quality park. Hopefully they will do that because the Paris park really deserves a beautiful companion." Actually, with WDS only having 10 attractions, it would make sense that new attractions would be on a much more accelerated timeline for that park than DCA. Also, I don't mean to burst anyone's bubble, but Tower will not be added by 2004 for WDS. The project has not even been approved yet and the earliest it would open if and when it does get approved would be 2005 or later. That announcement about Tower for WDS was premature and without any solid truth behind it. Congratulations Disneyland Paris Resort on getting a new second park. It certainly is a tiny infant, but a pretty one that will grow up to be a beautiful mature Disney park. Not better or worst than DCA, just a completely different experience. That is great for both parks and for Disney overall.
Originally Posted By woody If WDS has one redeeming quality, it isn't developed more fully than DCA.... meaning they won't have to waste lots of money undoing the mess they did at DCA. Already at DCA, they've changed out lots of shows, restaurants, and attractions. DCA is definitely a mess, while WDS is just average.
Originally Posted By Britain "Not better or worse, just a different experience..." Ha! Sorry, man, I respect your opinion, but even even though comparing two parks may be like comparing apples and oranges, I can still say this is a bad apple and that is a good orange. And I for one am tired of the broken record complaint about the broken record complaint! (It's like that monty python sketch about people who are sick and tired of people who are sick and tired about being sick and tired. Frankly. I'm sick and tired of it!) I mean, why would my complaints about DCA be valid back when I first voiced them, but no longer valid? Unless a problem I complained about was fixed, why do I need to be told to stop voicing my complaints? I will continue to say Mullholland Madness is cheap and ugly, no matter how long it has sat there. I will continue to say that there are serious layout flaws because there are. I will continue to say that it sucks seeing the powerlines until I can see them no more. When did it become fashionable to mention disappointments once, but... whoa! better not mention them again, or else you'll be accused of....what... integrity? Anyway, I really liked today's report, and I think WDS will be great. Three letter tease. Gee I wonder what that will be?
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Originally Posted By BuzzLightyear84 I have some mixed feelings about the park. There are a lot of parts that look great, but there are a few others that look thrown together and thin on the kind of details that make Disney parks so special. However, I have a feeling that it's too early to judge the park as it is right now. Just like it's cousin in Florida, I'm sure the park will continue to grow and expand from it's modest begining to become a great park. So for now, I'll just say that it looks like a really good start.
Originally Posted By kennect I get the feeling that Disney really has more going on at this moment than they can keep up with for various reasons...Disney is a company and therefore profit is to be ultimate goal...But somewhere along the way it seems they are trying a little too hard...They are producing or helping produce parks that are nothing special...They have taken the legacy of Disney animation and ruined it with all of these poorly done sequels...And the list goes on and on...Like it or hate it I get the impression that the Animal Kingdom will be the last park here in the US that gives us a chance to see what they are capable of when they want to do something...The park may be short on attractions but the detail involved is incredible...I guess the biggest thing though is the fact that new attractions being planned for the US parks are a big zero...I find it pretty hard to think that DL hasn't had a new major attraction since Indy...In fact, I am surprised they put out the money to do the Haunted Mansion holiday overlay...Plus I find it very embarassing that everytime I visit WDW and walk past the former Nautilus attraction I can't help but think, "what are they ever going to do here?" Apparently nothing....Why don't they just bulldoze the whole thing and put in some nice landscaping theme? I would love to see the new park in Paris and I think I would have nice day visiting it...But I am still ticked off by the concept they don't seem to care what it taking place here in the states...Something has to give and it needs to happen soon since it takes them forever to build a new attraction....Not to sound mean but Sept. 11 seems to me to have given Disney another excuse to play dumb as they have now for several years....
Originally Posted By highflyer747b I think DLPR has done quite well for itself. Even if the WDS turns out to be disappointing at opening, it will continue to grow. I think you should also take into consideration that DLP has turned into a full blown resortafterjust ten years! Compare that to DL and TDL, I think it's pretty impressive. Also, DLP and WDS charge about 24 dollars for a one day ticket. As far as I can remember DL charges about $45. I think you get a lot more bang for your buck at the DLRP than at DL. So how about you give DLP a break and look at what it's been able to achieve in such a short space of time and limited budget. Hi, how are you today? Highflyer747b
Originally Posted By Kevin In a special on the BBC about Disneyland Paris’ Space Mountain construction back in 1995, the program was discussing how great Walt’s “Man in Space” TV special was (and how much President Eisenhower was impressed by it and actually ordered an extra copy for the Pentagon…which watched it over and over. Eisenhower told Walt he was showing it to the Pentagon: “Well, I’m going to show it to all those stove-shirt generals who don’t believe we’re going to be up there!”.) It discussed how Walt had an amazing special brand of optimism regarding what was possible in the future. He was dreaming about unlimited possibilities more than the experts were! Unfortunately, Disney then died 3 years before the moon landing. As the special says, “Once men were on the moon and the dream faded, with it went some of the naïve optimism of Disney’s vision of the future.” The Disney Company (with Walt gone), struggled to dream the future and invent the uninvented. Michael Eisner, speaking near the Disneyland Paris Space Mountain opening, said: [I guess after Walt died, it became difficult. I wasn’t in the Company, but I think the creative side became more of: “What would Walt have thought?”, “What would Walt have done?”, and the business side became more conservative and stronger. Things got done – great things got done: Epcot got built, Tokyo Disneyland got built. But experimentation, risk-taking, insanity, neurotic creative behavior, was replaced by a studied business practice. One of the first casualties was the song behind the “Carrousel of Progress”. Instead of “Wait for Tomorrow”, the theme became “Live for Today”.] How does all this great Disney history tie to this tread? Although WDSP is a fun park and a great start to another great Disney theme park, how has this park demonstrated that old Disney optimism? How has it experimented, taken risks, gone insane, shown neurotic creative behavior? I’m happy with what is there but I really want to see Disney push the creative envelope more, take more changes. OLC is willing to do it. Eisner was willing to do it 10 years ago … I’m not so sure he is willing to do it today.
Originally Posted By damon63 I can't help but notice that for some people no matter what Disney does (even if it's somewhat mediorce as this park appears to be) it's still better than DCA. >I really want to see Disney push the creative envelope more, take more changes. OLC is willing to do it. Eisner was willing to do it 10 years ago … I’m not so sure he is willing to do it today.< I'd really like to see them push the creative envelope too, but the reality is that these parks have to make money. DLP pushed the envelope so far when it opened that it lost lots of money. So much money that they will be mired in debt long into the future. Given that fact it is almost a miricle in itself that DSP opened at all.
Originally Posted By Doobie I want to see the stunt show. I looked at every picture put up (obviously) and it was the stunt show pictures that got me wanting to buy a plane ticket. Of course, I'm a show person anyway, but still - that looks awesome! Dooibe.
Originally Posted By dennis-in-ct Hey Dobbie - if you are a fan of shows - then Tokyo is the place for you! I have lots of video of various TDL & TDS shows. The Japanese REALLY know how to do a parade and show. The other Disney parks should take a lesson from the Tokyo Resort.
Originally Posted By TDLFAN Dennis, You make me so prowd!!! (post #78) You may come out of your room now. -------------------------- Leemac, I finally took the time to pour thru your WDS reports #1-4. I want to say that i appreciate your commentary along the way, and the sincere "i liked this/i disliked that" point of view. The pics are fine, however, so far i am not moved to comment on the park, at least not until after i have seen it (hopefully this Sunday 3/17th). I do have to say i just love that Sorcerer Mickey fountain, and the Stunt show looks impressive. althought this kind of vehicle-heavy kind of production makes me a bit nervious and safety concious. Maybe it's seeing a familiar sight in the background that irked my interest in this show.. we'll see. Other than that, i really am not too excited about some of MGM boring tours being redeployed here. The studio tour was a bust at MGM and i don't think that adding more soundstages to the TV tour here will help. One thing i have to comment though.. You mentioned that at MGM, we kind of stumble upon catastrophy canyon without much sense. Well, the many times i have put myself thru this ordeal, the tour narrators have always made it known we are "entering a set during a production brake, when it is safe to visit". Or maybe i misunderstood that. Oh well...looking forward to my visit there.
