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TP2000
08-24-2002, 11:03 AM
There's a big article on the front page of the Business Section in the LA Times today all about DCA. It's quite critical of DCA, and discusses attendance figures for both Disneyland and DCA.

A quote from the article;

"Last weekend, Disneyland's attendance topped 50,000 on Saturday, while California Adventure's skimmed the 17,000 mark, said management sources. Disneyland has never discounted admission during the summer, nor has it offered free admission for children."

It's quite an interesting read, with interviews of DCA guests who plan on going back to Disneyland quickly after the parade, etc. Paul Pressler is interviewed quite extensively, and is fairly candid about the Park and it's problems. He also says "We just need to bring in some added horsepower, and I think the new things we're doing like Tower of Terror will really help get us where we need to be." So was Pressler counting on 7 Million visitors per year to DCA? Attendance at DCA this year is reported in the story to be 20% less than 2001, while Disneyland's attendance remains the same as it's 2001 numbers.

Pick up a copy of the LA Times today and read all about it. The bloom is apparently off the California rose.

3IAlienKid
08-24-2002, 12:48 PM
I'm glad Mr. Pressler realizes there are problems at DCA, but I don't think adding more "horsepower" is really going to solve the attendance problems. Until they start to deal w/ the California theme they aren't going to get more people to come out. The theme might appeal to those who live out of the state, but for most of us who live here (who incidentally make up the majority of the guests at the DLR), there's no appeal, no MAGIC if you will.

Most of my non-Disney Southern California-resident friends who like Disneyland but only make the effort to come every other year or so have all told me they don't plan to visit DCA, not because of all the bad publicity, but because it doesn't seem like such a big deal. Why visit DCA when there's the real Hollywood, the real Santa Monica Pier, the real California missions, the real redwoods, the real San Francisco, (which they've all been to already) all within a few driving hours?

Don't get me wrong, I like DCA and appreciate it for what it is, it's a pleasant place to visit. But given a choice, I prefer DL anyday over DCA, because as a Californian, I'm just not transported anywhere. I don't have any solutions myself that wouldn't involve spending a ton of money, but there it is. It's just a lame theme for the majority of the audience.

merlinjones
08-24-2002, 01:56 PM
Actually, the LATimes article demonstrates that PP is still in denial about DCA.

He states/spins that once people see the park, their reviews are "always" positive. By definition of the word "always", we know this to be an overt untruth - - which can be discerned simply by reading the net and talking to human beings. To his credit, I'll bet they screen out negative comments from the official process, if that's what he means...

Management seems to be entrenched in the idea that DCA's failure to connect with consumers is a marketing perception problem at worst. Wrong.

It's their vision of what New Disney should become that is a bomb. New Coke all over again.

Pooh
08-24-2002, 02:43 PM
I really like the new park. My family is hooked on Millionaire and enjoy Blast! and Soarin' Over California. I think the problem is that there isn't much to do. Updating the "shows" or exhibits in the Animation area might help and designing it more like MGM in Orlando would be great. How about the Prime Time Cafe instead of the Soap Opera one? Bring in the Sci-Fi restaurant. The food at Hollywood and Dine isn't that great, so we haven't been too sorry to see it closed.
Take out the Superstar Limo and put in the Buzz Lightyear ride from WDW. It fits with the CA theme. Isn't Pixar in CA? ha ha

Bill Catherall
08-24-2002, 08:57 PM
From the article:
"Disneyland has never discounted admission during the summer..."
Is this just a poorly worded sentence, poor fact finding, or just a flat out lie? Before DCA opened, Disneyland offered Southern California discounts every summer (well for at least a few years). Maybe they didn't offer any this year, but it's just wrong to say they never discounted admission. :rolleyes:

JeffG
08-24-2002, 09:14 PM
The article itself is available online now:

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-theme24aug24.story?coll=la%2Dheadlines%2Dbusiness

-Jeff

HBTiggerFan
08-24-2002, 10:00 PM
Originally posted by Bill Catherall

Is this just a poorly worded sentence, poor fact finding, or just a flat out lie? Before DCA opened, Disneyland offered Southern California discounts every summer (well for at least a few years). Maybe they didn't offer any this year, but it's just wrong to say they never discounted admission. :rolleyes:

Bill, was it in the summer or the off season? I remember SoCal discounts in the off season, and an "after 4" price. But not during the summer. :confused:

MouseWife
08-24-2002, 10:32 PM
I,too, remember it in the summer.

All summer, once, wasn't it just $20? Then the next time it was $21.? Then $25? I mean, I think I remember but this was many summers ago.

Rallymonkey23
08-24-2002, 11:09 PM
Originally posted by MouseWife
I,too, remember it in the summer.

All summer, once, wasn't it just $20? Then the next time it was $21.? Then $25? I mean, I think I remember but this was many summers ago.

I think you are talking about regular rates. See how the prices keep getting higher and higher in your post? :D

HBTiggerFan
08-25-2002, 09:40 AM
I remember in March-June of 1995 there was a SoCal rate of $29 (I think)?

Gemini Cricket
08-25-2002, 10:40 AM
My favorite quote:

"We're still struggling with getting awareness up" for California Adventure, Pressler said. "Once people go, our feedback is always very positive. We just need to bring in some added horsepower, and I think the new things we're doing like Tower of Terror will really help get us where we want to be."

This is total denial. Reviews of DCA always very positve... yeah, right.

The TOT fix is a band aid fix. Once people have seen it, rode it, they'll leave the park again. It will be the same result that occurred with moving the Electric Parade over there... it will die down.

The problem is that tired people lacking creativity and foresight made the park. The park that was designed from a doodle Eisner did on a napkin is beginning to look like a crumpled old napkin... There was no creative genius at the helm on this park, that is why it fails.

Eisner and Pressler need to ride off into the sunset and ruin something else at another company.
:)

DBJ
08-25-2002, 11:36 AM
Imagine this.

What if DisneySea was instead the "Disney Japanese Adventure!"

Would anybody who lives in Japan want to visit a theme park based on where they live?

I doubt it. Why they knew that the people in Japan would want to visit a new Disney park that featured areas they can't find in their own backyard and didn't use that knowledge to plan the new park for American audiences is beyond me.

Darkbeer
08-25-2002, 02:10 PM
For me, this article was very interesting, first off, I drove up to DCA to see the ABC Preview stuff, and after standing in line for a long time in the sun to get the Whose Line tickets, decided (after a stop to drool over the Super Bowl, NBA and Stanley Cup trophies) to have a morning break over at the HearthStone Lounge to wait for some friends, picked up the LA Times, and was reading the article here at the bar in GCH... that was a double WOW, people talking about Paul Pressler being at the park, and how things need to be just so, and then to read his words....

Then to go to see the Whose Line show, and after a 40 minute delay, they finally start it, and Drew comes out and does a monologue, and what is his first joke, whose idea was it to some up with a California based theme park in CALIFORNIA!!! I wished I was sitting next to some suits, I would have to LOVED to seen their reaction:D

3IAlienKid
08-25-2002, 11:28 PM
Originally posted by Darkbeer
...and Drew comes out and does a monologue, and what is his first joke, whose idea was it to come up with a California based theme park in CALIFORNIA!!!

Oh my gosh I would have paid money to have seen that!

Brad
08-26-2002, 04:54 AM
I would like to personally thank Drew Carey for his comments.

Pressler is BEYOND being in denial. He is arrogance incarnate, believing what he is saying.


The incredible irony of all this, however, is that within a few years after some lame fix ups(FFF and ToT.......WHO GIVES A FLYING FLIK?!?!?)and temporary band aids(summer concert.....err, music series and various soap opera/primetime media events/money siphoning debacles)DCA will eventually cost what TDS did outright.


Think about that SERIOUSLY for a minute, all of you people that live in SoCal.

You COULD have had TDS there. But for the same price and with a little waiting, you have what will be essentially the same park that DCA is today. I have been to TDS and trust me, it is TRULY mindblowing!!!!!!!


Honestly-how cheated must you all feel?!?

MonorailMan
08-26-2002, 05:00 AM
Originally posted by Brad

Honestly-how cheated must you all feel?!?

Very cheated, knowing TDS could be built here.

Brad
08-26-2002, 05:08 AM
Reminds me of a shirt a friend of mine has just bought, which states something like,

"The fairytale is over Mike-Walt just called and it's time to pack your bags"


LOVE that!!!!!!!


:D