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Christiii
01-14-2003, 09:30 AM
Was anyone wondering why dca did not do much of anything for Christmas this year?? They did a rather elaborate water show last year, which was slow starting but really beautiful! I thought they may change the show a bit, but was really surprised when they did NOTHING at all...any one know why??
If they are trying to get more people to DCA, then need to create more thngs like that to BRING them to DCA...i

DisneyGuy03
01-14-2003, 10:32 AM
There was no viewing area for the show at DCA, you ahd to get there rediculously early for an 8 minute show. Also, DCA did do a lot for Christmas, just not the same things, we had:
Ice Skating
Sand Castles (Whcih were amazing)
The Mistletones (I love these acapella groups)
Lots of things were Decorated
We unofficially had Aladdin
The Holiday Pep Band
Meet with Santa

Ok, if that's not a lot for Christmas, what is? Ok, we didn't get a major show, but we got a new acapella group and a band this year instead, much better than the silly little Fantasmic! wannabe.

Ghoulish Delight
01-14-2003, 10:39 AM
And the ammount of smoke produced by Smokinara was absurd. Woe be the wayward tourist who does no know that the prevailing winds in Anaheim blow toward the warf.

Rumor has it that (assuming budgets get approved) they are going to develop a water fountain show similar to (and by the same company) the show in front of the Bellagion in Vegas. Oddly, though I visit Vegas relatively frequently, I have somehow not caught the show. But from all accounts, it is a worthy and entertaining show. I have not heard a bad word about it, so if they put the same quality in to a DCA version, I would welcome it.

Christiii
01-14-2003, 10:42 AM
Aladdin is not Christmas..I guess I missed the ice skating..the sandcastle was cool, but not a show...and the musical group just replaced the ones that drive around in the car..I dont know...Disneyland had the Christmas show at the fantasyland theatre, christmas fireworks, snow..and a christmas parade..I was just surprised that DCA didnt do anything. As far as having to get there early to watch..I think thats true for all the shows/parades. We walked up and watched from the bridge and it was great!!
Also they did a summer concert series in the smae place, so whats the difference??

Ghoulish Delight
01-14-2003, 10:48 AM
Originally posted by Christiii
Also they did a summer concert series in the smae place, so whats the difference?? The difference was that no one showed up for those. Other than one or two acts (the Bangles being one), there were empty seats at those things.

Darkbeer
01-14-2003, 10:49 AM
Ok, if that's not a lot for Christmas, what is?

Well, across the Main Entry Plaza, they had a park that was REALLY decorated, with an awesome tree in Town Square.

Plus attractions that were given a Holiday overlay.

A specially designed holiday show, Minnie's Christmas Party.

A special Holiday Parade.

And an awesome speical fireworks show, that featured the special snow effect at the end!

But we could check out Universal Studios Hollywood, that did a Holiday overlay on their King Kong attraction,

plus had meet Santa with Reindeer

a special Holiday Parade, that also had a snow effect.

Decorated the upper lot quite well, including a nice large Christmas tree

Or we could go to Knott's Merry Farm, with the log ride getting a Holiday overlay, plus a special Holiday Ice skating show (with real professional skaters, truly Ice skating on ice, instead of gliding on a sheet of Teflon). Also, a well decorated park.

DisneyGuy03
01-14-2003, 12:35 PM
Aladdin is not Christmas..I guess I missed the ice skating..the sandcastle was cool, but not a show...and the musical group just replaced the ones that drive around in the car..I dont know...Disneyland had the Christmas show at the fantasyland theatre, christmas fireworks, snow..and a christmas parade..I was just surprised that DCA didnt do anything. As far as having to get there early to watch..I think thats true for all the shows/parades. We walked up and watched from the bridge and it was great!! Ok, the group did not replace the ones in the car, the one that drives around in the car (who are all absolutely horrible) were still around through the Holidays, just not always in the same locations as they were before the holidays, due to some of thier locations being used by the good groups, well, that's my opinion at least.

Ok, the Holiday Parade needed a lot of work this year before I would have called it anywhere near Disney quality and I normally love their Holiday parade, something wasn't right this year, I can't put my finger on it though.

As for the fireworks, you can't do a really good fireworks show in DCA as there is no place to shoot them off from (remember you need a fall out area and there is no where in DCA that is far enough from Downtown Disney to do it)

Aladdin isn't Christmas, but it did unofficially start on Thanksgiving Day, along with a lot of the other holiday festivities.

DCA also had a large Christmas tree at the ice skating rink, that in my opinion was a lot nicer than the one on town square, sorry, I didn't care for the all white thing going on.

As for Universal I didn't get there for Christmas, but why must DCA be compared to Disneyland, they are seperate parks and very few people only get a one park ticket anymore, so basically you get all of the holiday stuff in both parks.

In my opinion DCA was very well decorated, as was Disneyland, again I didn't care for the all white christmass tree look this year, but that's just my opinion.

Christiii
01-14-2003, 12:42 PM
I just think that if DCA had a neat holiday show like Disneyland, that it gives people more options...even do a Holiday Electrical Parade or something...I really enjoyed the show last year, and as far as the smoke..well I know that anaheim residents really complain about the fireworks and all the ash they leave. I know it really came to a head last year when the fireworks went to every nite. so I would imagine that there is always something to complain about. I just think that if they are trying to get more people to DCA, they need to have more reasons to come, and if you are park hoping its nice to see beautiful shows at both places. It was nice to have fireworks and the parade at Disneyland andthe water show at dca, since Fantasmic is down during the winter, it was a nice option..just my humble opinion!!
I really like DCA, but during Christmas we hardly spent any time there, because we did not get the holiday feel we got at Disneyland...some may say its overboard, but I love it...thats why we came during the Holidays!!

Ghoulish Delight
01-14-2003, 12:52 PM
Originally posted by Christiii
and as far as the smoke..well I know that anaheim residents really complain about the fireworks and all the ash they leave. This has nothing to do with that ongoing battle. Because of the confines of the small park and the lagoon over which the show was performed, all of the fireworks were low-level effects. That meant low-level smoke. During every show, a thick cloud of smoke drifted from west to east until anyone standing on the bridge leading from the San Francisco area was blanketed in a thick, sulfurous cloud. It smelled terrible, I'm sure was difficult to breathe, and completely obscured anyones view from that angle. This isn't some petty "NIMBY" argument, or environmental debate. It simply sucked to be attacked by that cloud of acrid smoke.


Originally posted by DisneyGuy03
DCA also had a large Christmas tree at the ice skating rink, that in my opinion was a lot nicer than the one on town square,I was rather unimpressed at the flimsiness of the DCA tree. When we saw it, it was being supported by rather visible plastic orange and white baracades (the kind used for traffic control). :rolleyes:

Christiii
01-14-2003, 12:57 PM
huh, I saw the show (or was nearby it) three or four times and never noticed any problem...wierd..I must not be too opservant tho..since I didnt see the DCA Christmas Tree this year!! Tho, we only made it as far as Hollywood backlot this year...we would come over, do millionaire, eat a chili dog and then head back to the Mouse House....I went with my mom and she does not do too many rides over there...

DisneyGuy03
01-14-2003, 02:44 PM
The show had the problems of smoke filling cvertain areas of Paradise Pier, if you were standing in that little amphitheater area you most likely wouldn't have noticed it, the Christmas tree was in that little Amphitheater area as well, just to let you know where it was.

Limunaria also was too short for the amount of time you had to wait to see it, used pictures from the day before (takes time to scan and all) and had very limited viewing.

Ok, there are things that could be done to overcome many, if not all of these problems:
Install an outdoor ventilation system in the parts of paradise pier that filled with smoke (very doable, although, how often do you need to ventelate the outdoors?)

Make it so that the pictures were scanned right when someone brought them up as finished. (Also, instead of just a movie screen project them onto water screens)

For viewing, set up different things, like temporary bleacher seating, and eliminate the smoking area over there.

All of this would cost a bit of money though and so the question is, would the show be popular enough to justify spending the money?

My answer is no, unless a lot of changes were made to the show it's self.....I loved the music though.

EandCDad
01-15-2003, 03:48 AM
Originally posted by Christiii
I really like DCA, but during Christmas we hardly spent any time there, because we did not get the holiday feel we got at Disneyland...some may say its overboard, but I love it...thats why we came during the Holidays!!

I love going to Disneyland at Christmas time. I love all the decorations, the food, the music, the shows, fireworks, parade, tree, ride overlays, and all the rest. It's fantastic.

But....

I actually preferred the relatively low key aspect of DCA at Christmas. I don't think its necessary for both parks to be decked to the hilt in Christmas cheer. I would guess that most people are not buying one day DCA passes, they are park-hoppers or APs. That way, they can have the Christmas stuff crammed down their throats at Disneyland (I mean that in a good way) and then have a different experience at DCA. Less obvious.