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stevefulton
08-25-2001, 11:52 PM
So my wife and I and our 3-year-old daughter finally "fell for" the DCA So. Cal. Resident Discount and went for the first time today.

First off, the day did not start so badly. The first ride we went on was "Superstar Limo". I'd heard that this was "the worst ride" ever, but with my expectations at near-zero, I didn't think it was all that bad. Cheesy, but fun in its own way. There was only a 5 minute wait, so that might have added to the enjoyment.

Next we went ot "Muppets 3-D" which was very cute, and we all liked the 3-D effects. At a possible "2 for 2" I started thinking that all you guys here, and even Al were "nuts". I began to think that all was right in the world, and DCA was really a great place. "Hollywood Pictures Backlot" was very well-done, and surpasses Universal in every possible way when it comes to detial, charm and theming. We were happy. My little girl was happy. There was even passing talk about DCA Annual Passes". That dream would soon die.

We left for lunch and came back. That was when things went dramtically wrong.

First, we went to the "Animation Exhibit". It was pretty good, but from all the praise I heard, it was a bit disappointing. It looked a bit recycled, and its penchant for focusing on bit characterss from unsuccessful movies (Mushu for God's sake!!??!!). Still, it was ok, and it seemed the day would work out great. However, the lines were huge for the interactive section, so we had to skip it.

After that, the "Hyperion Theatre" fell right on us. I should state for the record, that since I live in the South Bay, the name "Hyperion" means something different to me than it might to others. Just to the North of us, in El Segundo, sits the "Hyperion Sewage Treatment Plant". (it is real, check your maps). What an appropriate name for the theatre. That is all I could think of as I we endured the unholy travesty that is "Steps In Time". The show is just a complete joke. It disconnects with the audience after the first second, and never returns. Ever. My wife and I could not stop laughing. The show was side-splittingly, yet unintentionally funny in every way. It is like a Simpsons parody, or something from the "Chris Elliot Show" or "The Ben Stiller Show". Also, how could they possibly build a theatre with NO BATHROOMS. Especially when they put on a show that is "pee-in-the-pants" laughable?

Now, I know people will say that "the performers worked so hard, and it is unfair to say it sucks because of al lthat work. Yeah, well I work hard too, and when I'm involved in a project that is ill-conceived (take a look at this travesty that I completed to every detail in the design document even though I knew it was one of the worst game idea ever conceived: http://www.barbie.com/activities/barbiebeat/nsync/ntrouble/game.asp) I have the ability to disassociate myself from the material and just "do my job". I pray that is what those performers have done. All Disney had to do was stick in one cut-down performance from the "Lion King" stage show and surround it with numbers from a few other Disney classics, and they would have had a huge hit.

The rest of the day was a completely downhill from there. The lines for "Soarin'" were far too long to stand-in with a 3-year old, and she was 2 inches too short for "Grizzly" and nearly everything else. In fact, with a 40 inch child that is still a bit skitterish about heights, there are really only TWO rides in the entire park they can ride: "Superstar" and the Carousel. The Carousel was really nice, so that worked out, but then it was very very tough to watch my daughter's face when I told her that yet another ride "was too big for her". We also wondered why there was such a huge "sea" with nothing in it. Whata waste of space!! Hey, why not a moor some boats in there, or just move the motor-boats from Disneyland? Was anyone even watching as this thing was put-in?

The tortilla and bread exhibits were a ridiculous waste of space. I was even willing to accept them at first, but they were so lame I just felt "had".

The worst "surprise" was "Tough To Be A Bug". I'd heard this was a bit "intense" but I did not realize how-so. That show is just a cruel joke. I'm now "officially" tired of Disney "shows" that "spit" on me and poke me in the back and the ***. ENOUGH ALREADY, WE GOT IT.

At this point, what had seemed like a great day was turning into a complete nightmare. I had watched so many movies I felt like instead of visiting a "Theme Park", I had sat around on the couch all Saturday watching cable TV. At least my numb backside thought-so. My wallet, now $120 lighter did not.

We were all hungry, but the restuarants were either too expensive, or the wait was too long. 45 minutes and $4.00 for a corn dog was an indignity I chose to not endure.

On our way-out, we stopped to see the "Disney Electrical Parade(sic)". It was the one moment in the day when I actually saw "awe" in my daughter's eyes. Appropriate as it is a genuine Disney creation.

After that, my daughter begged us to go another ride. There were only two to choose from, so we decided on "Superstar Limo" again. We rode it 3 times in a row. Yeah, it is lame, but it is as close to "Disney" as we had experienced all-day, and there are some cute (albeit chea-eee-eee-p) special effects. It was the final indignity of the day. Riding and re-riding that lame attempt at a dark-ride because it was the closet we could get to the magic across the way.

On the way back to the car, we caught the magnificant Disneyland Fireworks show. Again, "awe" in my daughter's eyes. It takes real "Disney" magic to do that. California adventure has none of it. You guys were right. I'm sorry a doubted you for a minute.

I suggest that Disney takes "Hollywood Pictures Backlot", add a "real" show to the Hyperion and tack-on "Soarin" and "Grizzly" part of the existing Disneyland. Bulldoze the rest. Or better-yet, just open it up as part of Downtown Disney with paid rides. Most of it is just acrappy mall anyway.

Sorry this is so long. I just had to vent.

-Steve Fulton

Napsto
08-26-2001, 12:18 AM
they need something decent in the theater for sure

Doodle Duck
08-26-2001, 07:47 AM
Many of us can appreciate the report Steve...The Anti-Walt appreciated your donations to his personal money bin..and Pressler is glad you really enjoyed and highly recommend his new mall with such fervor.

By the way...you owe your daughter a trip to Legoland.

Upanova
08-26-2001, 08:10 AM
The worst "surprise" was "Tough To Be A Bug". I'd heard this was a bit "intense" but I did not realize how-so. That show is just a cruel joke. I'm now "officially" tired of Disney "shows" that "spit" on me and poke me in the back and the ***. ENOUGH ALREADY, WE GOT IT.

I agree with this one. I've seen both shows, the one in DCA and Animal Kingdom, and I still don't like the concept. Since Pressler moved in there have been way too many, "intensity" shows, with either 1) hidden compressed air shot into your face, 2) extremely loud noises ready to scare the s*** out of you, and 3) bad ride concepts anyway. Totally agree with you on this one. They need to put in real ride attractions, instead of relying on gimmicky shots of air in your face....

Just my 2 cents.

Upanova

Tink
08-26-2001, 08:17 AM
Originally posted by stevefulton


First, we went to the "Animation Exhibit". It was pretty good, but from all the praise I heard, it was a bit disappointing. It looked a bit recycled, and its penchant for focusing on bit characterss from unsuccessful movies (Mushu for God's sake!!??!!). Still, it was ok, and it seemed the day would work out great. However, the lines were huge for the interactive section, so we had to skip it.



I urge you not to pass judgement on this until you've seen the entire thing. Your daughter would have enjoyed the interactive section.

Also, I agree with Doodle you do owe your daughter a trip to Legoland. My 3 yr old son has been able to ride a good number of rides there since he was 2.

Doodle Duck
08-26-2001, 09:14 AM
Disagree on Bug...
Love that show...best at the park...is a PG though.

Cadaverous Pallor
08-26-2001, 10:19 AM
Wow, as a single woman with no kids, I didn't realize just how little there was at the park for kids to do. How sad!


Originally posted by stevefulton
The worst "surprise" was "Tough To Be A Bug". I'd heard this was a bit "intense" but I did not realize how-so. That show is just a cruel joke. I'm now "officially" tired of Disney "shows" that "spit" on me and poke me in the back and the ***. ENOUGH ALREADY, WE GOT IT.
All I can say is that you go on a roller coaster to be thrown around at high speeds, and you go see a "multi-sensory" show like "Bug" because you want the whole package. I personally love the show and all its effects, and I think it's a natural evolution in 3d movie design, which is meant to involve you. You wouldn't go on a coaster and complain about the wind in your face, would you?

I'm really sorry you had such a bad time. Send your letter to Pressler and Co., maybe it'll help things.

Alex S.
08-26-2001, 10:47 AM
Watch the language, people.

stevefulton
08-26-2001, 11:34 AM
>>All I can say is that you go on a roller coaster to be
>>thrown around at high speeds, and you go see
>>a "multi-sensory" show like "Bug" because you want
>>the whole package. I personally love the show and
>>all its effects, and I think it's a natural evolution in 3d
>>movie design, which is meant to involve you. You
>>wouldn't go on a coaster and complain about the
>>wind in your face, would you?

Nope, I would not. However, I would not expect the "wind" to contain bits of metal shards that will fly-in-my eyes either. To the same end, I do not expect to be poked in the back so hard by the "multi-sensory" magic seat , that my spine hurts for the rest of the night.

>>Legoland

Yeah I know. I already feel like a failed husband and father because it was my choice to go to DCA instead of Legoland, please don't rub-it-in! :D

I've had even more time mull-it-over after last night, and I *WILL* write letter (not email) to Disney.

-Steve

PS: One bright spot by the way, ALL the employees we met at the park were exceptionally nice.

Matterhorn Fan
08-26-2001, 02:45 PM
The worst "surprise" was "Tough To Be A Bug". I'd heard this was a bit "intense" but I did not realize how-so. That show is just a cruel joke. I'm now "officially" tired of Disney "shows" that "spit" on me and poke me in the back and the ***. ENOUGH ALREADY, WE GOT IT.

I do not expect to be poked in the back so hard by the "multi-sensory" magic seat , that my spine hurts for the rest of the night.

I'm so glad I'm not the only one who feels this way. I don't like 3D movies in the first place, and all these "special effect" gimmicks are annoying to me. Plus, I believe that poke in the back could be very dangerous. Someone's going to get poked in the wrong place and be seriously injured. This is one that I will defnitely not be returning to. Ever.

The sad part is that after seeing this on my last trip, I was so tired of lame gimmicks like this that I didn't want to see the new Mr. Lincoln show (which I was interested in).

pullmyfinger.com
08-26-2001, 09:31 PM
This is the only TRUE E ticket ride at DCA. A GREAT, GREAT show.

I am bored of DCA though. I must say this. If they could give me back the extra $50 I spent for a 2-park pass, I would take it in a heart-beat.

DCA is simply a sad, sad park.

I DO Love the idea mentioned above: Draw a line down Grizzly to Bugs, rip down the DCA gates, and expand Disneyland through the esplanade (sp?). Charge $60 for all-new MEGA DIsney Park!

(Gut out Farm, Golden Dreams, Wharf and build a hotel, sell all of these lands pieces on EBAY from 50 cents to 2 bucks (Id give $50 for the Tortilla machine).

Then, extend the pier area to Downtown Disney (simply done with a NEW, EXPANDED walkway aorund the back of Grand California and MMAdness) then charge $2-$5 a ride for the pier.

FOlks, think about this. I am not kinding. This really could work. You almost wonder if Diney was thinking about this as a backup plan.

stevefulton
08-26-2001, 10:11 PM
>>This is the only TRUE E ticket ride at DCA. A GREAT, GREAT show.


Don't get me wrong. I can see the value in the "Bugs" attraction. It has lots of thrills, and looks great. The themed line is amazing too. However, the actual atttraction seemed more at-place at Universal Studios than a Disney Park, since it was very short on story, and very long on fright. I tried to enjoy it, but it was very hard as my wife was screaming-in-pain from being jabbed in the the back, and my daughter was cowering from fear on my lap.

Also, I can't fathom how they could take a G-rated film, and produce a PG/PG-13 rated attraction. I really don't care that there are (very small mind-you) warnings about the show. There is so little for little kids to see, that those will deter very few people who are simply trying to carve out a good time from this DCA turd and make an attempt to get their money's worth.

By the way, the "kids free" promotion is another cruel joke. Instead of letting kids "sample the park for free", it does quite the opposite. It gets parents to pay to enter the park with their kids, and then become frustrated that there is very little for all of them to do together.

Yeah, I know about the "parental switch line", but really, who wants to ride a Disneyland attraction alone? And who wants to explain to their child that they have to "wait here for daddy because he is so selfish he is going to ride something good while you and mommy sit in the hot sun attempting to shake the memories of "Steps In Time" from your minds, all-the-while wishing you were at Disneyland?" Not me. That is the stuff your kids tell therapists 20 years down the road.

I will *NEVER* go back (not in this decade anyway), and I will tell everyone I know (many people warned me not to go and I'm sory I didn't listen) the same. You can find me at Disneyland instead, where the only thing a 40-inch tall girl can't ride is "Indiana Jones".

-Steve Fulton

stevefulton
08-26-2001, 10:18 PM
>>Charge $60 for all-new MEGA DIsney Park!

And it would be worth $60! Disneyland would gain about 30-40% capacity, and all the mega expensive restaurants that can't make ends meet would now have thge luxury of entertaining the Downtown Disney masses.

All the decent DCA stuff, when added to Disneyland makes a nice new area that I would pay $60 to see.

-Steve
(PS: sorry for 2 messages in a row)

Kuzcotopia
08-26-2001, 11:05 PM
Originally posted by stevefulton
[BAlso, I can't fathom how they could take a G-rated film, and produce a PG/PG-13 rated attraction[/B]

Here's one of the huge problems, in my opinion, about re-purposing rides from other parks.

Florida, where Bug originated, is a little rougher place. They have much scarier rides, as a rule, than Disneyland Resort.

They have ExtraTerrorestrial Alien Encounter in the Magic Kingdom, for cryin out loud. That's the ride that spatters you with nice warm blood (really water).

They are heavier on the scary rides than we are here, and I think it is a matter of what is accepted by guests.

Now that they transplanted it here, It's Tough to be a Bug is the SCARIEST ride at the Disneyland resort. To have it based on a lovable Pixar cartoon is a shame. It's as if they took Snow White and made Snow White's Scary Adventure out of it.

wait...

I guess they DID!

But they CALLED it Snow White's Scary Adventure.

So now Disney is really in a bind... do they properly label It's Tough to be a Bug as "Hopper's Blood-curdling Adventure" and lose yet another ride for kids, or do they keep it this way and frighten children out of their wits?

I bet they do the latter.

mcampisi
08-27-2001, 06:07 AM
I agree with the Hyperion show, not so much because it's "bad", but because I see it as a sell out. They just took classic songs and turned them into InSync garbage. At least I had the cartoons to watch (I've been to it twice, once when I took my parents to the new park).

On the other hand, um, I actually like the bread tour (maybe cause I'm a Whose Line is it Anyway nut), and I go to it every time.

Matterhorn Fan
08-27-2001, 06:38 AM
I love the bread tour too.

mcampisi
08-27-2001, 06:38 AM
Hmm, I may just make a web site devoted to the Bread Tour. Ahh, the joys of having your own web server!

Doodle Duck
08-27-2001, 07:37 AM
hmmmm.... lets see...a site featuring TDS...and a site featuring the Bread Tour...hmmm...which one would I go to more often...hmmmm....(thoughtfully massaging chin)...

"Hey Honey!...Ain't it about time wwe got out and went to a Theme Park? You know...do some rides...get a few laffs...a few thrills...I hear they have a great bread making demonstration at Disney! And...hey...you like Mexican Food right? Well....they even have Tortilla making demonstration too! Say...you seen my nitro pills anywhere?..."




GIVE ME A BREAK!

TakeMe2Disneyland
08-27-2001, 07:52 AM
I am trembling as I read through these comments about "It's Tough to Be A Bug."

Good grief, what are they thinking poking people's bodies? My son has a shunt (one end is surgically placed in his back) that is only four weeks old. We have been planning another DL/DCA trip while we see a physician in LA, and I had already planned to be careful about the attractions we would be choosing, but part of that plan is to see more shows and experience fewer rides than in past visits because of his current health. My son is nuts about Bug's Life (me, too!) This is NOT something I would have wanted to have found out the hard way! I am SO GLAD I read this thread.

adriennek
08-27-2001, 08:32 AM
Originally posted by TakeMe2Disneyland
I am trembling as I read through these comments about "It's Tough to Be A Bug."

Good grief, what are they thinking poking people's bodies? My son has a shunt (one end is surgically placed in his back) that is only four weeks old. We have been planning another DL/DCA trip while we see a physician in LA, and I had already planned to be careful about the attractions we would be choosing, but part of that plan is to see more shows and experience fewer rides than in past visits because of his current health. My son is nuts about Bug's Life (me, too!) This is NOT something I would have wanted to have found out the hard way! I am SO GLAD I read this thread.

I'm glad you read it, too. People get very concerned about "spoilers." This is a reason I think spoilers are needed! There are many people who should not be unexpectedly (or expectedly) poked in the back by a sharp object. One friend of mine was nailed directly on her spine area by the Bug's poke!

I'm not saying this is not a fun attraction. I'm saying that parents and people with medical conditions need to be warned.

Adrienne K

Doodle Duck
08-27-2001, 09:43 AM
Couldn't agree more AK...while I do love the show...that poke in the back is uncomfortable enough that the final few times I saw the presentation I sat forward so as to avoid the 'jab'

Anybody know the 'tech' on that effect?

Matterhorn Fan
08-27-2001, 02:29 PM
I heard someone say it was compressed air, but that just doesn't make sense. Maybe someone who doesn't mind going back to see the Bugs could examine the back of the bench.

While I did love the bread tour, I don't think I'll be frequenting a bread tour fan site. But if the people I'm with next time decide to go see the Bugs, they can come find me at the exit to the bread tour when they're done.

Nigel2
08-27-2001, 02:44 PM
I have sacraficed myself, actually I kidnaped a kid and tied him to a bench. It is compressed air that pushes out the "sitnger" which I believe is like a hard foam coated rod, which still is a pain in the back. The part I have most is that, and the part where the enitre auditorium is filled with fog and in the dark, which really annoys me.

Doodle Duck
08-27-2001, 02:59 PM
Fog and Dark?
Normal brain function for me...I felt right at home...welcome to Halloween central!

ralfrick
08-27-2001, 05:40 PM
The lines for "Soarin'" were far too long to stand-in with a
3-year old

The word Fastpass comes to mind.

It is just beyond ridiculous that a kid that can ride Space Mtn. is still YEARS away from being able to ride the Orange Stinger, isn't it?

Bugs is one of my favorites in the park though, and there are verbal warnings for that as well.