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Omar
12-12-2003, 10:51 PM
I was just wondering what the general public thinks should change about DCA. I know that there is a bit of problems in the park, but what should go in? Will it help attendence? Should Disney add and/or subtract things from DCA? If so what should be taken out?

This is just a general pondering.

Omar

Darkbeer
12-12-2003, 11:24 PM
My ideas would be done in stages, first off, I would plus / fix areas that I would keep..

Work on the Soarin' queue, Disney is already thinking about this, and had plans when they originally designed the attraction. Hopefully Pioneer will decide to "adopt" the attraction so we can have a pre-show in attraction. I also would re-edit the film to remove the hard cuts, and maybe add one new scene.

Redo GRR, adding a tunnel over the lift hill to remove the city from the ride, plus you could set up a story while going up the lift hill. Add trees and other obstructions in the ride to cut out more of the outside buildings. Add more scenes, similar to what the MGM theme park in Las Vegas did with its raft ride. Use AA's in these scenes.

Build a shade structure for the Hyperion queue, add monitors that feature ads for ABC, ESPN, and upcoming movies. Have them personalized for DCA, with stars saying things like, "Hope you enjoy your stay, and watch us Wednesdays at 9 PM".

I would remove the Millionaire show, but if it was staying, I would add the pre-show that is offered in Orlando.

Remove the awful burnt coffee smell when you walk in the park.

Once these things are plussed, I would close half the park. Basically closing the west side of the park, stopping at ITTBAB, allowing a path to Flik's Fun Fair,which would be partially open, and close the path south of GRR, maybe find a way to keep the restrooms open. WIth this closure, change the price structure, basically making the park an add-on to a Disneyland ticket, for an extra few dollars (about $10) for a one day ticket, and of course continue the parkhoppers, including things like the 5 days for 3 pricing (which is being offered for all of 2004).


What to do, well, lets start at Flik's, I would close down The Tuck n' Roll Drive 'em Buggies, and temporarily close Heimlich's. In place of the bumper cars, I would replace it with a driving car experience on a track, to allow kids of all ages and heights to ride them. As for Heimlich's, I would take the old farm area and tear it down, and build a interior building to extend Heimlich's into a dark ride. The current area would be changed to allow for multiple loading areas, to speed up the ride, and increase capacity. I would have a split loading area, that would allow 4 trains to be in the station, 2 tracks that would have separate loading and unloading areas. Then the ride would go inside the building, that would feature the same time of 3-D detailing as now offered on the ride. Plus adding some AA figures in the builiding......

This solves the wasted use of the Farm area...

The Wine area would be changed to a Rustic dining area, more themed, and offering some time of show, more than likely using AA's. The west end of the facility, which is hardly used would be given up to a new attraction to be located where X-Cade is now located. I would build a simulator based ride in this location due to space reasons.

The Pacific Wharf area would be changed, and would use the part of the Timon parking lot where the X-Games were held. This would be a dark ride location. The factory tours would be eliminated, but a food court offering Sourdough bowls, and other treats, like seafood (crab, etc.), beer, margaritas would remain. The dark ride would be themed to San Francisco.

Everything else would basically be removed, including the lake. In the South West Corner, I would build additional dark ride buildings with front facades that helped block out the view of the city. A Little Mermaid dark ride, similar to what is offered in Sinbad at TDS on the lower level, and a Monsters, Inc. track ride (Peter Pan / E.T. hanging car ride system) on the upper level. Instead of a lake, I would use the area for a more formal amphitheater (that has shade structures), which could host concerts and special events, plus a Disney type show when not needed for special events.

The Cove Bar would be relocated to the top of the amphitheater area, to offer drinks while watching the show, and a second level that offered dining while watching a concert, etc....

In the Route 66 area, a indoor roller coaster type attraction. Not RnRC, but similar type of ride system, just themed differently. Also you could build a food court, but without a McDonald's! Leftover areas could feature a carousel, and other minor rides.

Over in the Hollywood area, I would come up with a new Muppet's film, and pre-show video. Millionaire and SSL would be switched over to a ride that would have similar ride system to the new Revenge of the Mummy at USH. A new bar area would open in the Hollywood and Dine area, that would offer appetizers and drinks. Behind ToT in the rest of the Timon Lot, an attraction based on the Indy ride system.

Then, when the park is almost finished, close down both Aladdin and Playhouse Disney and place two new shows in the attractions to be part of the Grand Re-opening of the park.

Open the park with a new name, maybe something like Disney's Adventure Park, something without California in its name! Of course, you would remove the letters, and redo the front entrance to show that major changes have been made.

Omar
12-12-2003, 11:34 PM
First off wow you had some ideas. I agree with most of the ideas except for the best attraction there:


I would remove the Millionaire show

I personally love the Millionaire show and hope that it never gets removed. If it gets removed DCA will get boring. The funny part is that the rides are the same. Day after day, the same thing over and over, and the Millionaire show is NEVER the same. Yes I said NEVER. Thats just my opinion because I love that show and I have made it into the hot seat 4 times. If you check it out you'll like it.

How long have you been working out those ideas? And do you work for Disney?

Thanks
Omar

TP2000
12-13-2003, 12:27 AM
Things to change at DCA, in no particular order:

1. The entrance plaza. It's ugly. It's charmless. The sun icon is stupid. Did I already mention ugly?

2. The Route 66 section of Paradise Pier. It's ugly. It's charmless. The rides are stupid. It has nothing thematically exclusive to the state of California.

3. The San Fransisco section. It's not ugly, but it's certainly meaningless. It has no purpose, and there are no rides. The Golden Dreams movie is boring after the first viewing. Any 12 year old kid could have dreamed up a fun Cable Car Ride, so why couldn't WDI?

4. Retheme the Hollywood Pictures Backlot into an actual section of Hollywood. Yes, I realize it was cheaper to only build fake facades and "theme" everything else to a "Soundstage", but that just leaves a big section of the Park without much reason for being. Turn it into a living, breathing place. Put cool vintage cars on the street. Tear out the horribly dated Muppet show and the quickly fading Millionaire show and add a real ride or two. Take the current work on Tower as an inspiration and actually THEME the surroundings.

5. Rip out the Farm and try again.

6. Plan, budget and approve at least three new E Ticket attractions to open at DCA within the next 5 years. Make sure at least one of the new E Tickets has no height requirement, a 10 minute cycle time, impressive effects and animatronics, and a snappy theme song written by the Sherman Brothers.

7. Plan, budget and approve a fun new afternoon parade and an impressive night spectacular.

8. Stop doing ticket promotions of "Buy One Day at Disneyland, get DCA for Free!". It cheapens the Park, and cements in people's minds that DCA is a far lesser product than Disneyland. Invest in DCA until it can hold it's own against Disneyland next door for the same price.

9. Stop doing tacky slapped together summer promotions like Rockin' The Bay and XGames. Relax, breath, sit down at a conference table in October and actually plan something rational and classy for the following summer. Start building and putting it all together in January, not May.

10. And finally, stop shoehorning every new Disney Character into the place under the laughable guise of "We're On Vacation In California!" It's embarassing for you.

Omar
12-13-2003, 07:32 AM
Ok I agree with a bunch of those things, but this thread is not to attack Disney at some of their faults, it's just to see what the general public says about the park.


and the quickly fading Millionaire show

Question for you, have you ever been to the millionaire show? if you haven't you should check it out. I am one of the regulars that goes there almost every Sunday and I am 100% on the fact that it definetly is not fading. Every 4 o'clock show is full. The show itself fills at least 3/4 most of the time. There has been exceptions. I have seen it where there has been 1/4 the people in the show, but those were just random occasions. What I'm trying to say is that the Millionaire show brings in a lot of guests and keeps people interested. Two shows are never the same. "DCA is a mine wiith few gold rocks. It has its benifits and its faults. If you don't like DCA make sure to check out Disneyland and see the more plentiful gold mines there," -tod. I'm just saying that I love the Millionaire show and I want it to stay as long as possible.

You see to go as far to change the name of a Disney theme park, I don't know. I think it should stay Disney's California Adventrue because it is in California and it has a largely theme of the california picture. If someone would rename it that would be a BIG step. I still agree with you on the sun plaza subject. The big circle thing doesnt even look like a sun. Make it better. I just don't see the sun in it all. If I did I would have defended it all along.

Lets get one thing straight. The roller coaster, we all want that to stay. Right? That is one attraction that will never get old. It is so smooth and it is comfortable and is a pleasurable ride. We'll have to wait and see what the Disney engineers do with DCA. If they do anything at all.

Omar

dude
12-13-2003, 12:29 PM
If I could totally redesign DCA, it would be like this:

1. No one touches Millionaire. That is the only show there worth watching because it is different each time. The only problem is that Millionaire isn't as big on TV as it was before. ABC should get the show back and put it back on for an hour, with or without Regis.

2. Keep Soarin' and Screamin'. Those are the two best rides in the park. GRR can be good on a hot day, so that can stay too.

3. I would hire a group of about 4 people, show them a map of the park, explain what is not to be touched, and then tell them that the rest of the park is theirs to redesign. Have at it. If the proposed ideas aren't really bad like the Golden Dreams show, then there we have a new park.

4. If all the new stuff makes the park look less California-ish, then we rename it and redo the entrance. (take away the big 12 foot letters)

dlazechk
12-13-2003, 03:22 PM
is it possible that dca takes such a bashing here because ot its proximity to dl? i still have the option of going to wdw or dlr this christmas but when i consider what i gain from wdw, it just does not seem worth it. imagine if star tours and indy had been saved for the new park instead of being added to dl. would that change some people's impressions?
my wife and i are the only ones who go but i do recognize that there are few rides for all ages there.
i accept the premise that dca is not worth a one day $47 admission but imho neither is dl, mk, mgm, ak or epcot. there are not enough e-ticket rides in any of the parks alone to stand on their own without the parkhopper ability.
i believe that when tot opens and hopefully they add one or 2 more e-tickets, the bashing will slow down.
i know the biggest draw for me to dl is the relationship to the disney heritage of charachters and movies. this lack of disney theming does make dca different in my eyes but not any different than the other 3 parks at wdw which do not have a disney theme either.

Omar
12-13-2003, 07:36 PM
I too think that DCA is not worth the $47 admission. They should lower it for DCA but keep it the same for DL. DCA isn't worth the $47 for one day of nothing ness. I think people should just get a pass so they can come 4 times and the pass pays for it self. I go at least 3 times a month. During the summer even more.

Omar

wendybeth
12-13-2003, 07:57 PM
I'd start by changing the theme; it's just kind of silly to put a California theme on a park situated in California, especially since the Disney execs feel that DL is a "regional park". A regional park attracts people primarily from said region- why pay to see your own backyard? Maybe shrink the California portion, and add states representitive of other regions in the USA. They could integrate characters within the regions, such as Lilo in Hawaii, and turn the present boardwalk into the eastern seaboard's Coney Island...Or, they could just expand Disneyland:) .

Omar
12-13-2003, 09:41 PM
They should have done something along that line. Make a New York state and keep Millionaire show. Make a CA area and put the mullhullon maddness ride. I don't care if I spelt it wrong.

Omar

wendybeth
12-13-2003, 09:49 PM
Originally posted by Omar
I don't care if I spelt it wrong.

Omar

Lol- I don't either, Omar! I figure that's for editors....I don't really worry about my spelling, as long as I can get my point across.:)

Omar
12-14-2003, 11:49 AM
Well those were some good ideas for the park, but Disney wont do it. I was just tring to get my point across. As you mentioned.

Omar

mlnreplyer
12-15-2003, 06:21 AM
First off, there needs to be a pneumatic tube starting at the left pillar of the Golden Gate bridge mock-up and ending at Millionaire. Several APs go there only to play (no offense meant, I'm one of them) and it would decrease wear and tear on that path that leads to Millionaire. It would also make the park less crowded.

Next, we close the park for a week and make sure everything is running properly, and check anything that could be worth checking, even something as insignificant sounding as a squeak.

Lower prices on merchandise. This is a general rule for all of the resort. If people aren't buying the stuff, what makes you think they'll buy it at a higher price? Lower the price, then gradually raise it as guests start buying.

And finally, hitch a ride on the non-moving cars of the Sun Wheel (shorter line), and gaze out over all you have done.

tod
12-15-2003, 02:41 PM
Originally posted by Omar
"DCA is a mine wiith few gold rocks. It has its benifits and its faults. If you don't like DCA make sure to check out Disneyland and see the more plentiful gold mines there," -tod.

Actual quote:


My belief is that DCA has a couple of gold nuggets concealed among several tons of gravel. (Worse, this is very subjective: One guest's gold is another guest's gravel.) If one has time, and a year of prepaid admission, one can find them at an unhurried pace and enjoy them at one's leisure.

If, however, one is a tourist, with limited exploration time, one would be better served at Disneyland, (to continue the metaphor) where there is more gold, and it's more evenly distributed.
Either say that the person you're quoting "said something like this" or get it right.

--T
Not happy at being misquoted, but glad the misquote was somewhat close to my feelings.

Andrew
12-15-2003, 02:45 PM
Replying to the original question:

1. Open all the restaurants and fast food stands. Having them closed gives the place a really desolate look, even when there are plenty of guests.

2. Forget any idea of charging separate admission. They've mostly done away with it already, with all APs being good for both parks and numerous hopper passport deals.

3. Promote it heavily as the place to go eat when at the Resort (see 1). Tired of Disneyland's restaurant choices, or have they closed early? DCA is right across the way and serves alcohol too...

Omar
12-17-2003, 12:30 PM
Sorry tod for the misquote of your quote but I barely remember it and I just had to bring it up. Thanks for posting the real thing.

Funny andrew, but they do serve alcohol.

Omar

Not Afraid
12-17-2003, 12:40 PM
Pave Paradise Pier and put up a parking lot.;)


Sorry, Joni Mitchell just popped into my head.

Tutter
12-17-2003, 01:01 PM
I think the biggest problem with DCA is that it doesn't feel like "another world" or magical in anyway. It has a temporary feel to it and I suppose that's down to lack of themeing in some areas and the design of it.

There are vast wide open views so in some ways that emphaises how small it is. Presumably over time new attractions will be added and that will help, but it doesn't have any kind of centre piece. eg DL has the castle, Epcot the geosphere, Animal Kingdom the Tree of Life etc.

CoasterMatt
12-17-2003, 02:07 PM
Get rid of California Screamin and put in a real wooden roller coaster with a historic tie-in to California's seaside - a recreation (in real wood) of the Cyclone Racer, the world's greatest ride - It's got great capacity, and actually takes up less real estate than CS, and has beautiful aesthetics. See here for more details... (http://www.cycloneracer.com/)

Get rid of Millionaire - that show has just become a nest for APs

The SSL building would be a good spot for an EMV based dark ride, possibly tied to some sort of earthquake theme.

sediment
12-17-2003, 02:43 PM
There used to be a "SF Earthquake" ride at Cedar Point some 20 years ago. Who knows where it is now, but it could probably be plussed up a bit. It contained a typical SF day, then buildings falling, then the fire afterward. Then done. Plussing it won't be much of a challenge.

sambo
12-17-2003, 11:25 PM
The simple answer is "everything". If I could, what I would do is swap every last molecule of DCA with DTS. They don't have a "California" themed park, and it might do much better there.

...Except they have already been ruined by DTS. Who would willingly give that up? :crying:

sleepyjeff
12-17-2003, 11:49 PM
Originally posted by sambo
The simple answer is "everything". If I could, what I would do is swap every last molecule of DCA with DTS. They don't have a "California" themed park, and it might do much better there.

...Except they have already been ruined by DTS. Who would willingly give that up? :crying:

I think I would rather have TDS:)

screamin4ever
12-18-2003, 05:32 PM
Originally posted by CoasterMatt
Get rid of California Screamin and put in a real wooden roller coaster with a historic tie-in to California's seaside

Take out your tongue and step on it! Blasphemy!

or translated for those of you not inclined to care about spelling:

"Tac oot yer tung an stup un et! Blasfimee!"

Omar
12-19-2003, 01:30 PM
Get rid of Millionaire - that show has just become a nest for APs

First off no it hasn't. Only for a few. That show brings in lots of people and they love it. Don't pay attention to the Millionaire discussion board because it is totally out of proportion. I recomend it whenever you get a chance.

Omar

Rick
12-19-2003, 05:44 PM
DCA needs a "Pirates of the Carribean" type ride. A slow relaxing ride through an magical environment with lots of animatronics. Maybe a Zorro dark ride? Something to do with the gold rush?

Oh and realistic animal anamatronics placed in GRR.