Disneyland Resort Update

[MousePlanet AutoPoster]

Disneyland Resort Update by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix

A short Update for the slow news week before Halloween Time

Read it here!

[Disneylandfanguy]

"Admittedly, these are changes that a small minority of park visitors would ever noticeyou know it's a slow news week when we're complaining about store windows."

Exactly. With all due respect, you could have just reported the news about the Big Thunder Ranch Halloween additions and called it a day, but you decided to do the "juicy" thing and stretch the update by writing several paragraphs about store windows that most people will not notice or care about.

For the record, I do recognize that the change is unfortunate, but this reads like someone who is just using their position as a mouseplanet staff writer to rant. You yourself used the word "complaining".

Let's be fair here, this is no different than the windows on Main Street. On one level, it does make sense for them to showcase their merchandise in the windows. On Main Street at Disneyland, the windows showcase real merchandise in addition to having period-inspired props.

I too, was at DCA this weekend, and there are still vintage "prop" toys in the "Big Top Toys" windows. There are still lots of period props and dressings in addition to the "sprinkling" of real merchandise. (And some of the real merchandise has a vintage period flare.)

At the end of the day, this is hardly a big deal. The windows still look great (like the "Trolly Treats" windows) and still fit the theme while showcasing the real (and often period-inspired) merchandise.

Its a known fact that the opinions of people on the Internet are not necessarily an accurate representation of what the general public feels.

[Drince88]

I checked out the link to AB1964, to see if it was now a law (given the Jan 1, 2013 listed effective date) and it says "Enrolled September 05, 2012". Does that mean "Passed by the legislature and awaiting signature/veto", or does that mean the Governor has signed it and it's no longer just a bill?

[stan4d_steph]

Clearly someone in the company thought it was important enough to shoot two video segments for the Disney Parks Blog highlighting all of the detail that went into those windows and shops. To throw a bunch of merchandise on top completely obscuring that detail is a slap in the face of the Imagineers who worked on it. It shows that the operations/stores individuals care way too much about selling more oven mitts.

Perhaps they should focus on producing the items in the windows that people kept asking about rather than hiding them in the hopes that people won't ask anymore.

[DwarfPlanet]

DW and I always take the time to view whats in the windows and it's unfortunate that they decided to make changes to imagineering items that we normally like looking at to sales pitch windows. At least I know I can go to youtube and see what they used to be like but its a bummer not getting to see them in person prior to the change.

[currence]

I checked out the link to AB1964, to see if it was now a law (given the Jan 1, 2013 listed effective date) and it says "Enrolled September 05, 2012". Does that mean "Passed by the legislature and awaiting signature/veto", or does that mean the Governor has signed it and it's no longer just a bill?

"Passed by the legislature and awaiting signature/veto." The governor has about 30 days to decide what to do or it automatically becomes law. In the last few days of the session hundreds of bills get passed, so it may take him a while to get to this one.

[spectromen]

I, for one have no idea where the negative feedback on your window display article is coming from. I very much appreciated the time and effort you put into writing it. It's a shame, and shame on me for not photographing them in the first week. I told myself as soon as DCA relaunches, get as many pictures as possible because things are going to change. Same goes for Luigi's Flying Tires and Carthay Circle. Go and experience these things now; they may not be there forever.

While I personally love long hair on men, seeing it at Disneyland is going to be a rude awakening if this new law takes effect over cast members.

[AVP]

I checked out the link to AB1964, to see if it was now a law (given the Jan 1, 2013 listed effective date) and it says "Enrolled September 05, 2012". Does that mean "Passed by the legislature and awaiting signature/veto", or does that mean the Governor has signed it and it's no longer just a bill?

The LA Times story says that Jerry Brown signed the bill on Saturday. However, a quick read of the bill shows that implementation is contingent upon another bill (AB2836) also passing, and the order in which the two bills are "chaptered." That bill does not appear to have been passed or sent to the Governor yet, so I'm not sure if or how that will impact AB1964.

Adrienne

[AVP]

but you decided to do the "juicy" thing and stretch the update by writing several paragraphs about store windows that most people will not notice or care about.

For the record, I do recognize that the change is unfortunate, but this reads like someone who is just using their position as a mouseplanet staff writer to rant.

Well, I'll disagree with your assement that a discusson about store windows is "juicy" - unless we're discussing Victoria's Secret - but that section of the column is called "News and Views." I absolutely reserve the right to interject some editorial commentary every once in a while - I don't do it often, and when I do it's clearly labeled.

I will agree with your comment that this is something perhaps only a small handful of Disney fans care about, however, I happen to be one of them. I wrote a whole article about the tiny details on Buena Vista Street (see: Disney is in the Details), because this is just one element of the new DCA that was a drastic departure from v1.0. I hate to see that lost in an effort to drive more sales - it seems to me that they're solving the wrong problem. Just open the darn doors. Shoving scrapbook paper into a typewriter - what the heck?

Adrienne

[carolinakid]

AVP,
I always enjoy reading your views. Keep 'em coming!
And yes, it's a shame anout the windows.
As I won't be back to DL until May of 2013, I'll never get to see them in their original splendor.

[Alex S.]

If they can't open the doors could they at least replace them with doors you can see through (the current ones I recall are reflective) to tell there is a functioning store in there?

The solid wall of reflective doors and backed display windows really does result in it feeling like a series of fake storefronts. When we were there over labor day I'd forgotten they were actually stores until you (AVP) asked me if Lani had been in them yet.

[danyoung]

Thanks as always for your hard work on this update. And I do support your right to editorialize when you feel the need. However, I'm not sure I agree with the statement below -

Cluttering them up with merchandise—even the new DCA and Buena Vista Street collections—does a disservice to the designers and the team that worked so hard to build the original displays.

For all we know, the displays could have been designed from the beginning with the thought that sellable merch would be incorporated into them after an introductory period. After all, that's usually what store display windows are for - the selling of merch. You may have preferred the non-cluttered version, but this addition might have all been part of the plan. The fact that Disney did a video story on the windows so recently is to me a strong indication that they wanted to document this look before going ahead and releasing the space to Merch for sales purposes. Of course I don't know any of this, any more than anyone else outside of the company would know what they're thinking.

[letshavefun]

I noticed that it showed a MHP on the 16th under events on the calander is that correct I thought it was on Mon the 15th.

[corona]

The Sunday thing is a complete mess - see other thread - as to whether it's at DLP or DCAP.

Also, Magic Mornings (for ticket holders) will no longer be offered on Sundays after September 23.