Discusssion re the LA Times and its Editoral on DCA - 4/5/08

[Darkbeer]

Well, today's main Editoral Section, which normally has three Editorals from the paper, and then multiple opinions and comments from outsdie sources and readers today focused on the Disneyland Resort (the third was Amusement Parks in General and the need to re-think bottled water "Greener Tourist Spots", and I will place a link at the lounge since it is more about the enviromnetal issue instead of the parks.

But getting to the main topic of this thread, here is a link to the editorial...

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/...0,732586.story

The ttile is "Disney, we are not amused" and has some very strong language in regards to what Disney delivered with DCA.

Here is just one paragraph

When the park opened seven years ago, its deficits were clear even to the children who visited. One fabulous ride -- "Soarin' Over California" -- was buttressed by a small array of standard county-fair attractions, albeit given a Disney gloss: the ubiquitous flume ride, a Wild Mouse coaster, centrifugal-force swings, a giant Ferris wheel. Compared with Disneyland, where delights are tucked into every corner, California Adventure seemed barren, low on rides and big on restaurants and souvenir shops. Mainly, it seemed as if the Imagineers had taken the day off to go to Knott's Berry Farm.

Much more at the link.

[curtsinore]

How many children between the ages of 7-14 did they interview for their survey? Because I can tell you, if it wasn't for DCA, my son would rather go rafting down a flat river for a week then our upcoming visit, and my 45 year old girl friend who first visited last year would never go back again to the Disney parks again if she couldn't DCA. AND, we would visit only three days instead of 7 and travel elsewhere, no, probably go straight to the Grand Canyon and by-pass Disneyland, LA, California. What do my son and GF have in common, neither have a bond with Disneyland. And another thing, it cost us 50.00 each for admission and horrible rides at the Oregon State Fair ( parking is now free). Sure there were problems in the begining, but they are changing, where else can a potatoe patch farm exhibit produce a talking potato years later? ONLY at DCA!!

[floundr]

Editorial

[Darkbeer]

I regards to the last post, first off, DCA was built in Southern California, which has a lot of other choices, including places like Universal Studios Hollywood, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Knott's Berry Farm, LEGOLAND, SeaWorld San Diego and many other choices including Zoos and aquariums, water parks, beaches, etc. Our County Fairs are always among the top in attendance (Los Angeles, San Diego and Orange County being the big three). Heck at the fairs, I can get in for free or for a dollar on certain days (special promos), and an all day ride ticket can be bought for $20 most of the time (except peak weekends).

The paper who wrote the editorial, while still being a "paper of record", being in the top 5 circulation in the nation, just behind the New York Times (USA Today and the Wall Street Journal are the top 2) is based in SO-Cal, and the "editorial board" is use to these choices in the local area.

And that explains the sub-title for the editorial...

California Adventure has fizzled, proving that consumers don't like to be taken for a ride.

Heck with an Annual Pass or a 3 day or longer ParkHopper, it is basically free, but there are a lot of other choices competing with DCA in the "one day" market, and they charge a lot less, and deliver more rides, shows and attractions.

And that is a "numbers" things, I have seen lots of opinions and polls that place non-Disney attractions in SoCal higher than DCA

But the opinion of the LA Times Editorial Board does carry a lot of weight as compared to personal opinion, as the board (multiple people) sit over and discuss the opinion and make additions, deletions and changes to match the opinions of the entire board (well, sometimes the majority of the board).

[Darkbeer]

Editorial

Yes, there are multiple typos in the OP, I failed to Spell check the post, and the MP rules only allow you to edit for a certain period of time (It is either 15 or 30 minutes after the post last time I checked).

Sorry, my bad!

[VickiC]

Isn't this horse dead yet?

[Baloo]

guess not.


The La times is probably one of the worst papers in California whoever takes that paper serious as a real newsworthy paper should really reconsider. that paper is only worth buying on Sundays for its coupons.

[olegc]

guess not.


The La times is probably one of the worst papers in California whoever takes that paper serious as a real newsworthy paper should really reconsider. that paper is only worth buying on Sundays for its coupons.

off topic - but at least the total number of grammatical errors is exponentially less than OC Register - and at least it's college level writing, not high school.

On topic - I am surprised that the LA Times did these editorials. I too thought it was a dead horse - but I guess with Brady McDonald over there blogging everything coming off of MiceChat then someone else took notice. I guess the Small World thing made it more prevalent.

Still - it seemed very out of place, as if only now the LA Times board discovered that the value does not equate with the price.

To comment on some of the above statements - no one in the editorials said take away DCA - only that to charge the same rate as Disneyland and not receive the same value, for the masses of visitors, is bad business.

[curtsinore]

But it wasn't an editorial, they wrote " many people said..." they were using information they obtained rather then stating an observation. I too thought it was a "dead horse" and was rather surprised, that with the changes it would be coming into its own. My family thinks the park is a success now and I am sure it has become that way with sites like Mouseplanet being a fourm with how it needed change. I will admit that I do not visit the other parks. I land, park and stay, the great Disney "tourist". Maybe it is just the Oregonian in me and our lack of theme parks. Sure we have the best beaches and mountain peaks in the Nation, but when it comes to non- nature thrills, the best we have is the Palmer Lift on Mt Hood.

[Darkbeer]

But it WAS an Editorial, it was one of the three main Editorials written by the Editorial Board, in the OC Edition it was the leat side of Page A20. Not "Letters to the Editors", or an Guest Editorial, but one of the Three Main Editorials that the LA Times Editorial Board places in its paper on a daily basis.

Here is more info on the LAT Editorial Policy...

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/...0157.htmlstory

What exactly is an editorial? The simple answer is: an unsigned article expressing the newspaper's opinion on a matter of public interest. It's the one place in the newspaper where The Times tells you what it thinks as an institution.

Speaking on the newspaper's behalf is the editorial board, consisting of nine writers and three editors, with a variety of viewpoints and expertise. We meet three times a week for an hour or so, bat around ideas and arguments, examine them for flaws, push them in new directions, (sometimes) discard them entirely and (ideally) mold them into coherence. We often have visitors from the worlds of politics, governance, academia and business.

[AVP]

Still - it seemed very out of place, as if only now the LA Times board discovered that the value does not equate with the price.

To be completely honest, when the article came across the feed this morning I read the title and sub-title and then double-checked the date to make sure this wasn't something that originally ran in 2001.

AVP

[Darkbeer]

I went ahead and took a photo of the Editorial Section from today, you can find it at this link....

http://darkbeer.smugmug.com/gallery/4661342_NhDvG

[Donald Duck Fan68]

Well, the editorial didn't really shed any new light on anything. It just re-hashed an already formulated opinion and brought up details that were 7 years old. I didn't hear the author comparing DCA with other 1-day theme parks in Southern California, but just to Disneyland, and basically saying that it was unreasonable to charge the same 1-day price for both parks because the value was different. I'm not sure this opinion will ever die, even when TDA is finished with its 1.1 billion overhaul. There will still be a tendency to compare it to DL and complain about the value.

The thing is, with the addition of Downtown Disney, 2 additional Hotels, and DCA, Disneyland transformed into something more than it once was: a Resort. It's not on the same level as Walt Disney World, but it it can offer something the other 1-day parks can't: a lure to stay 3 to 5 to even 7 days. Most out of town visitors to the resort are not making a 1 day visit and choosing between DCA and DL; they're getting the 3+ hopper tickets.

[K & S]

I still don't see DCA as a stand alone attraction. If it wasn't part of my AP I certainly wouldn't pay $66 to go there.

[Darkbeer]

Blue Sky Disney has come up with a clever Graphic to go along with these comments, so be sure and click on the link...

http://blueskydisney.blogspot.com/2008/04/ouch.html

I don't know if you've seen what the editorial page over at the Los Angeles Times had to say about DCA a couple days ago, but it was blunt and brutal... this is the first time the Times has actually come out and said it this way. Perhaps this kind of criticism will keep the pressure on the Mouse?

[mstaft]

The article is blunt and direct- and mostly right. I just wish it gave some info on how bright its future should be!

[oregontraveler]

I still don't see DCA as a stand alone attraction. If it wasn't part of my AP I certainly wouldn't pay $66 to go there.

My thoughts exactly ! Also, since I don't live in SoCal, I like the fact that a newspaper did this editorial. The info isn't new and perhaps nothing will come from it. But at the same time, the Small World controversy is going on
and Disney finally repsonded.

[kennythepirate]

There spending 1 Billion to fix the place, so they must recognize the problems. We ride a few rides there when DL is busy also and that's about it. Love Screamin, ToT and Soarin. Rapids is fun when it's hot. Bug's land is little cheap six flags rides and could be torn down. My children much prefer Fantasyland any day.

[Donald Duck Fan68]

There spending 1 Billion to fix the place, so they must recognize the problems. We ride a few rides there when DL is busy also and that's about it. Love Screamin, ToT and Soarin. Rapids is fun when it's hot. Bug's land is little cheap six flags rides and could be torn down. My children much prefer Fantasyland any day.

Yes, Disney recognized it needed to do a serious upgrade by expanding the park, removing some rides, enhancing the park overall, and those plans were announced in Oct. of 2007. Why come out with this editorial now? And why come out with an editorial that basically says DCA wasn't worth a single day admission ticket equal to DL when it opened to the present? It basically validates the markets reaction to the park as a whole and says it didn't live up to expectations. While most don't disagree with the premise, it's the timing that's curious. If the editorial comes out before Oct. of 2007 and is trying to prompt Disney into action, then I can see the justification. But now? What purpose does it really serve? It seems to me it's just an easy cheap shot to take at Disney and there's likely part of bigger agenda.