DCA to become Disney's America

[PrincessAurora]

but I will. I posted to the financial Board back in early 2000 about how this park was going to tank and why. No one would believe me. Any soap or romance writer will tell you what happens when you stray from the "formula". Disney has a formula that works and going off on cheap tangents does not help.

While I don't think that a bit of tweaking for a more "universal American" appeal would be bad I think the best and fastest way to make a go at this park is the $$$$$$$$. Admission is WAY too expensive for what you get. I got in during the preview weekend with friends. I would NEVER pay 45+ dollars for this park. I would never pay 35 dollars. If they cut the gate price to $25 - $28 for adults and $10 - $12 for kids, that would up their gate. They should add this Park to AP's at a premium. Park hopping should be sold cheaper! and not in packages of 3+days. If I was at Disneyland, I would go across the street and spend a few hours in DCA for an additional $10 (as a Park hopper feature) but NOT pay full price at both parks for a one day experience.

I am a HUGE Disney nut but I believe in getting the most bang for your buck. Boosting USA theming is fine but if you want to get people in to spend their hard earned dough, LOWER the price of admission.

 

[gary]

During our last trip, we spent most of our time in DCA because the kids hadn't experienced it yet. Two 12-year-olds, one boy and one girl. They both loved Soarin' and Screamin', with mixed reviews on the other rides. When planning for our next trip, they both said (nearly) exactly the same thing:

"This time, let's spend most of our time in Disneyland".

If they don't grab these kids (or their parents), they've missed their audience.

DCA quite simply needs more well-themed, unique attractions. It needs to be Disney.

A re-work, as suggested by AV, would go a long way, particularly if Coney Island was limited to the area from Maliboomer to Screamin'. Mulholland Madness, Orange Stinger, California Zephyr, and the other cookie-cutter (and OBVIOUSLY SO!) rides outside this zone should be bulldozed (or moved to the Boardwalk!) and replaced with what we think of as "Imagineered" rides. Rides that are "near off-the-shelf", like coasters (BTRR) and flumes (splash), work well if presented correctly. Lots of the crap that's in DCA right now, like the Stinger and the others I listed, doesn't work. There's no presentation.

As I've said in the past, DCA has it's high points - Soarin', Screamin, Griz. It has some OK food places (the Soap Opera Bistro is cute) and you can get a beer (which I like about Epcot). They shouldn't throw the baby out with the bathwater, but they need to re-think and re-build around the high points. Those few good points simply aren't enough to support a entire park - not with the competition "across the street" from Disneyland.

Gary

 

[airlarry!]

Jim Hill said he got a kick out of the (he says) false rumors of DCA to Disney's American Adventure switch. But he discounts the rumors and say they will slowly grow the park instead.

See for yourself over at www.laughingplace.com

 

[YoHo]

That particular jim Hill article contained very little fact. The truth of the matter is nothing has been decided until its announced.

 

[Peter Pirate]

DCA will change, but it won't be that kind of change. It just doesn' make sense, IMO, to alter it to something else. Really it's a pretty good concept for a Disney America Theme Park elsewhere...Just think of a MK type layout with different lands like (A) California Adventure; (B) The Deep south (featuring Bourbon St., shrimp docks, Anne Rice themed dark ride,San Antonio type boat/walk promenade); (C) New England (see TDS); (D) The Great Midwest (St. Louis Arch, Chicago nightlife/cuisine, Badlands representation), Heartland/farmland projct; (E) The Rocky Mountains (Pikes Peak coaster, Taos NM Baloon adventure, Colorado River White water raft ride)...

I have no idea what possessed me to write this, but there you go...DCA as a great segue to an all new Disney America located in...Texas!

 

[Douglas Dubh]

I like it. And I've posted before about the advantages of a Texas location. But an America park should either be set up like the one they planned for Virginia or with the following lands: Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Great Lakes, Deep South, Great Plains, Northwest, Southwest. Wouldn't make sense to have a "California" land in a park when they've got a California park already.

 

[HorizonsFan]

Well then, Texas it is!

 

[Another Voice]

The joke working its way around the company is that Disney opened up the Universal Studios Berry Farm in Anaheim, and now they want to turn it into Six Flags Over Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Anaheim.

All the major indicators for this park – attendance, repeat business, guest spending, market awareness & penetration, and guest perception of value – continue to head down for this park. Unlike Disney/MGM Studios, the Disneyland Resort does not have two other parks, water parks, a dozen of resort hotels and all the other “resort” infrastructure to support an under performing asset for a decade while it’s “fixed”. The Company knows that incremental changes won’t work in the Southern California market. Whether a certain corporate ego will allow the Company to act on matters is another question.

P.S. – Rumor has it that Knott’s Berry Farm actually posted a 4% attendance increase this year. Doesn’t look like it’s the economy was solely to blame for DCA’s horrible opening.

 

[DVC95-BW]

What a difference - DCA vs. DisneySea (stopping by during a Tokyo business trip in November!)

DCA
- not enough space
- space very poorly used (why all those restaurants??)
- not enough attractions
- cut and paste design

DisneySea
- same size as Tokyo Disneyland (roughly)
- space very creatively used (as far as I can tell from the extensive photo essays available on the Internet and viewing the preview center in a Tokyo trip last year)
- 80% new attractions - no cut and paste - and lots of attractions
- spectacular theming
- built by the Oriental Land Company - project was under budget and on-time - Japan really knows how to build and run a Disney park (Tokyo Disneyland is my second favorite to WDW)

I think the parking lot of Disneyland simply was not enough space. Changing or tweaking the theme might happen over time (Euro Disney -> Disneyland Paris)... they will definitely have to add at least 5 attractions (kill some of the restaurants) to make DCA a standalone attraction. As a long weekend thing, the two parks plus Downtown Disney work ok.

Soaring Over California is really the only stand out attraction (my 6 year-old absolutely loves the ride). The rollercoaster is the smoothest I've ever ridden. The rest is the same as elsewhere.

Over time Disney will get it right, but their timing was terrible for launching a poor park.

When I went it was absolutely empty - very quite - and you could tell the staff was itchy.

 

[JeffJewell]

- space very poorly used (why all those restaurants??)

No worries, mate, at least two of those restaurants are closing/have recently closed, anyway.

Jeff

 

[YoHo]

According to Mr. Hill, the Wolfgang Puck resturant will be turned into a Little Mermaid themed resturant, so it isn't going away.
Personally, the mondavi resturant seems dumb from the getgo, if I want Disney atmosphere and California wines I can go to Hooks resturant and Winecellar at the Disneyland Hotel and get both with out paying to enter the park.