Darkbeer
05-12-2004, 11:00 PM
OK, so May 5th has come and gone, and DCA now has a new major attraction, but really what does that mean?
I was at DCA on Sunday May 2nd, and a lot of CM's were saying how quiet it was... well, surprise, the 2 fer ticket offer was over, and it had a major effect on the park, and Disney was hoping for a major pickup with the ToT opening, and so far, even with all the major advertising has not boosted the park numbers that much. (The wait on Mother's Day for ToT was 45 minutes in Stand By at about 12:30 pm). This on a day that the park expanded its hours to close at 10 PM due to "expected" crowds.
Heck, on Thursday, May 6th, at about noon, DCA has NO wait to enter its park, while Disneyland had about a 10 minute wait, as the guests were way past the trees near the entrance gates....
So what has changed, well, we now have an attraction that is well themed, the queues and preshow are are well done (The outdoor queue is not as well done as WDW, but...) but this a good thing/bad thing...as it shows what can be done, and then when you visit other parts of DCA, you notice when they "cheaped" out even more....
As for ToT, I am very happy as to the level of the theming and detail, though I am not that impressed with the actual ride, it was too short, and the special effects were just "OK"... (I like the themeing of the elevator car though!)
But, really what do we have... an attraction that will draw folks directly to the left when entering the park, while the majority of the park is located to the right of the main gate.
So, what do these ToT folks see, well first, a pre-school show (Playhouse Disney), not actually a good match... then the Animation exhibit, and while it is a good exhibit, it does not have a lot of repeatability, in fact, needs to be updated, both in the Drawn to Animation show, and the Animation Screening film.
Then a turn to the left, past Aladdin, which has lost a lot of its audiance, also due to the repeatability issue. On Mother's Day, a day that was scheduled to be "Heavy" at the park, the Balcony remained closed for the 12:45 PM showing. This is also a building that shows its budget cuts. This could have been a great venue, if it had bathrooms, concessions and a true lobby (and even escalators to all upper levels). The building had major problems when they used it for the SpyKids 2 premiere, and a lot of hope for the building was lost. The building was recently used for Cheerleading Compititions, and once again, the issue of restrooms was a problem.
OK, so a visit to ToT, or at least grabbing a FP for it, what to do next... walk forward past the Hyperion and have a meal at Hollywood and Dine, sorry, its closed, but the Between Takes stand is open, and has a total of "3" items on its menu to eat (plus drinks, including one type of beer). In fact, most of the Hollywood and Dine outdoor eating area has been redone for Between Takes, including placing Between Takes Labels on the chairs.
What else is out here, SSL, which remains closed, and even if it reopens, will feature some really out of date "stars".... if it was poorly reviewed when it first opened, what will make it better this time around?
The Backlot Stage, well, at least there is a shade structure, but now we have a show that used to be part of the "streetmosphere", and now just placed up on a stage....
Who Wants to be a Millionaire is only open 3 days a week, and while Super Millionaire is bring some life back to the format, it is still not popular enough to warrant 7 days a week operation....
Then we have the Muppets Movie, and while this has one of the best queues and pre-shows around, the actual movie is really old now and is in dire need of a new movie, especially now since Disney bought the rights to the Muppets!!!!
Heck, here we are on the "Left" side of the park, and so far, it is not the best of places, heck, what are your food choices, Award Wieners or Between Takes, basically both just glorified ODV carts....
OK, so lets go back to Sunshine Plaza, well, we have smelly burnt coffee, plus a nice Ice Cream shop, and gift shops, but not much more....
Lets head over to Condor Flats.... well, a decent Burger Place, a show that has an AWFUL queue (Soarin'), and a movie that could have been done better (plus have had better projection equipment to prevent dust).... Not a bad area, but you can tell in the Soarin' queue that something is missing...
Grizzly Peak has a nice Play area for the kids, and some interesting paths... alas I wish the main ride had some Disney touches, and that they built a tunnel over the lift hill to prevent the "outside" from coming in....Where are the AA's, the themeing that the old MGM Las Vegas Park did in its raft ride... GRR is not bad, but it is lacking the "extras" that make something "Disney"..
Next we have "Bathroom row", aka San Francisco, what they heck happened here????
Then we come up to Golden Dreams, a basic movie.... why is it inside DCA, when it should be a DVD sold by PBS? A nice building, but even the Golden Vine movie has better themeing in the building than Golden Dreams....
And the Amphitheater across the way has had so many issues, the original version was poorly designed, stages add to the lake, seating built on the grass, trees cut down to the trunk, but still no shade, and poor viewing lines.... Somebody needs to find the budget to totally redesign the area, build out into the lake, make a perminent stage, better tiered seating and some shade! But so far, it looks like this area will not be used this summer....
Route 66 is another area that has failed to hit its mark. The major ride, Mulholland Madness is just a Wild Mouse, and could have been a lot more.... the one ride "built" for DCA, Golden Zepher has had major changes, and still can't run in even moderate winds.... As for McDonald's... enough said....
Then off to Paradise Pier, one of the major parts of the park visible to the outside, and many folks see the park as something similar to Six Flags (And I am talking about those who drive by, but have not entered the park). Is Disney sending the right message with these "tall" rides being visable?
Many of these rides have a similar version that can be found at County Fairs, or other nearby parks. Maliboomer is a small version of Supreme Scream at Knott's, and the roller coaster (California Screamin') is just that.. a roller coaster (and while a nice smooth roller coaster), you can find better coasters at Knott's and Six Flags Magic Mountain.
And of course closed eateries, and lack of a good classic dark ride (or two.)
Next is the Pacific Wharf, where are the rides??? We have two factory tours, and a chance to eat and drink, though the largest eatery has been closed (Lucky Chinese). Another area that could have been a lot more...
Then we have the Farm area, or what USED to be the Farm area, as many of the actual Farm has been removed for flowers and a few statues. Another area that could have been a LOT more...
Then we have the new land, Flik's Fun Fair, a nicely themed area designed for young kids, so why do they feature Bumper Cars that have a minimum 48" height requirement to drive (42" to ride as a passenger). And Francis' Ladybug Boogie remainss closed due to major mechanical prblems. Plus Heimlich's Chew-Chew Train, which takes longer to load, than to ride the ride.... which could have been a nice dark ride with a building and more track.....
And on the way out, It's Tough to be a Bug, not a bad attraction, but not much repeatability, in fact, Disney has recently discontinued issuing FastPasses to both ITTBAB and Muppets due to the lack of a need for them....
The only other that is left is the Golden Vine Winery, and while I think the Tratorria offfers good food at a good price, it is off to the side, and lost its sponsorship.
So has DCA been saved by TOT? No Way, there are still a lot of problems with the park....And will face a lot of competition this summer, both in price, and new attractions....
Universal Studios Hollywood has just opened the Van Helsing Fortress Dracula maza, and the Revenge of the Mummy is coming, and should create at lot of woerd-of-mouth... Knott's has a new flat ride for Memorial Day, and then a new Roller Coaster at the end of the year, but with a new price of $12.95 for kids 3 to 11, and adult SoCal specials, will draw families looking for a fun day at a decent price..... SeaWorld San Diego has Journey to Atlantis opening up, which I think will Wow folks more than you might think.... Magic Mountain is currently offering a Ralphs supermarket special, an Adult and a kid get in for just $24.95 (Buy an Adult, get a kid free).
DCA does not live in vacumn, and more than likely have to once again offer discounted admission to bring back the crowds.... alas, ToT just kept DCA up with the competition, and will have to do a lot more in the future... or accept the fact that the park is in the same league as Knott's, USH, SeaWorld and SFMM.
I was at DCA on Sunday May 2nd, and a lot of CM's were saying how quiet it was... well, surprise, the 2 fer ticket offer was over, and it had a major effect on the park, and Disney was hoping for a major pickup with the ToT opening, and so far, even with all the major advertising has not boosted the park numbers that much. (The wait on Mother's Day for ToT was 45 minutes in Stand By at about 12:30 pm). This on a day that the park expanded its hours to close at 10 PM due to "expected" crowds.
Heck, on Thursday, May 6th, at about noon, DCA has NO wait to enter its park, while Disneyland had about a 10 minute wait, as the guests were way past the trees near the entrance gates....
So what has changed, well, we now have an attraction that is well themed, the queues and preshow are are well done (The outdoor queue is not as well done as WDW, but...) but this a good thing/bad thing...as it shows what can be done, and then when you visit other parts of DCA, you notice when they "cheaped" out even more....
As for ToT, I am very happy as to the level of the theming and detail, though I am not that impressed with the actual ride, it was too short, and the special effects were just "OK"... (I like the themeing of the elevator car though!)
But, really what do we have... an attraction that will draw folks directly to the left when entering the park, while the majority of the park is located to the right of the main gate.
So, what do these ToT folks see, well first, a pre-school show (Playhouse Disney), not actually a good match... then the Animation exhibit, and while it is a good exhibit, it does not have a lot of repeatability, in fact, needs to be updated, both in the Drawn to Animation show, and the Animation Screening film.
Then a turn to the left, past Aladdin, which has lost a lot of its audiance, also due to the repeatability issue. On Mother's Day, a day that was scheduled to be "Heavy" at the park, the Balcony remained closed for the 12:45 PM showing. This is also a building that shows its budget cuts. This could have been a great venue, if it had bathrooms, concessions and a true lobby (and even escalators to all upper levels). The building had major problems when they used it for the SpyKids 2 premiere, and a lot of hope for the building was lost. The building was recently used for Cheerleading Compititions, and once again, the issue of restrooms was a problem.
OK, so a visit to ToT, or at least grabbing a FP for it, what to do next... walk forward past the Hyperion and have a meal at Hollywood and Dine, sorry, its closed, but the Between Takes stand is open, and has a total of "3" items on its menu to eat (plus drinks, including one type of beer). In fact, most of the Hollywood and Dine outdoor eating area has been redone for Between Takes, including placing Between Takes Labels on the chairs.
What else is out here, SSL, which remains closed, and even if it reopens, will feature some really out of date "stars".... if it was poorly reviewed when it first opened, what will make it better this time around?
The Backlot Stage, well, at least there is a shade structure, but now we have a show that used to be part of the "streetmosphere", and now just placed up on a stage....
Who Wants to be a Millionaire is only open 3 days a week, and while Super Millionaire is bring some life back to the format, it is still not popular enough to warrant 7 days a week operation....
Then we have the Muppets Movie, and while this has one of the best queues and pre-shows around, the actual movie is really old now and is in dire need of a new movie, especially now since Disney bought the rights to the Muppets!!!!
Heck, here we are on the "Left" side of the park, and so far, it is not the best of places, heck, what are your food choices, Award Wieners or Between Takes, basically both just glorified ODV carts....
OK, so lets go back to Sunshine Plaza, well, we have smelly burnt coffee, plus a nice Ice Cream shop, and gift shops, but not much more....
Lets head over to Condor Flats.... well, a decent Burger Place, a show that has an AWFUL queue (Soarin'), and a movie that could have been done better (plus have had better projection equipment to prevent dust).... Not a bad area, but you can tell in the Soarin' queue that something is missing...
Grizzly Peak has a nice Play area for the kids, and some interesting paths... alas I wish the main ride had some Disney touches, and that they built a tunnel over the lift hill to prevent the "outside" from coming in....Where are the AA's, the themeing that the old MGM Las Vegas Park did in its raft ride... GRR is not bad, but it is lacking the "extras" that make something "Disney"..
Next we have "Bathroom row", aka San Francisco, what they heck happened here????
Then we come up to Golden Dreams, a basic movie.... why is it inside DCA, when it should be a DVD sold by PBS? A nice building, but even the Golden Vine movie has better themeing in the building than Golden Dreams....
And the Amphitheater across the way has had so many issues, the original version was poorly designed, stages add to the lake, seating built on the grass, trees cut down to the trunk, but still no shade, and poor viewing lines.... Somebody needs to find the budget to totally redesign the area, build out into the lake, make a perminent stage, better tiered seating and some shade! But so far, it looks like this area will not be used this summer....
Route 66 is another area that has failed to hit its mark. The major ride, Mulholland Madness is just a Wild Mouse, and could have been a lot more.... the one ride "built" for DCA, Golden Zepher has had major changes, and still can't run in even moderate winds.... As for McDonald's... enough said....
Then off to Paradise Pier, one of the major parts of the park visible to the outside, and many folks see the park as something similar to Six Flags (And I am talking about those who drive by, but have not entered the park). Is Disney sending the right message with these "tall" rides being visable?
Many of these rides have a similar version that can be found at County Fairs, or other nearby parks. Maliboomer is a small version of Supreme Scream at Knott's, and the roller coaster (California Screamin') is just that.. a roller coaster (and while a nice smooth roller coaster), you can find better coasters at Knott's and Six Flags Magic Mountain.
And of course closed eateries, and lack of a good classic dark ride (or two.)
Next is the Pacific Wharf, where are the rides??? We have two factory tours, and a chance to eat and drink, though the largest eatery has been closed (Lucky Chinese). Another area that could have been a lot more...
Then we have the Farm area, or what USED to be the Farm area, as many of the actual Farm has been removed for flowers and a few statues. Another area that could have been a LOT more...
Then we have the new land, Flik's Fun Fair, a nicely themed area designed for young kids, so why do they feature Bumper Cars that have a minimum 48" height requirement to drive (42" to ride as a passenger). And Francis' Ladybug Boogie remainss closed due to major mechanical prblems. Plus Heimlich's Chew-Chew Train, which takes longer to load, than to ride the ride.... which could have been a nice dark ride with a building and more track.....
And on the way out, It's Tough to be a Bug, not a bad attraction, but not much repeatability, in fact, Disney has recently discontinued issuing FastPasses to both ITTBAB and Muppets due to the lack of a need for them....
The only other that is left is the Golden Vine Winery, and while I think the Tratorria offfers good food at a good price, it is off to the side, and lost its sponsorship.
So has DCA been saved by TOT? No Way, there are still a lot of problems with the park....And will face a lot of competition this summer, both in price, and new attractions....
Universal Studios Hollywood has just opened the Van Helsing Fortress Dracula maza, and the Revenge of the Mummy is coming, and should create at lot of woerd-of-mouth... Knott's has a new flat ride for Memorial Day, and then a new Roller Coaster at the end of the year, but with a new price of $12.95 for kids 3 to 11, and adult SoCal specials, will draw families looking for a fun day at a decent price..... SeaWorld San Diego has Journey to Atlantis opening up, which I think will Wow folks more than you might think.... Magic Mountain is currently offering a Ralphs supermarket special, an Adult and a kid get in for just $24.95 (Buy an Adult, get a kid free).
DCA does not live in vacumn, and more than likely have to once again offer discounted admission to bring back the crowds.... alas, ToT just kept DCA up with the competition, and will have to do a lot more in the future... or accept the fact that the park is in the same league as Knott's, USH, SeaWorld and SFMM.