"Streetmosphere" Characters Wanted at DCA

[HydroGuy]

I just finished yesterday a six-day trip to Walt Disney World in Florida and cannot for the life of me figure out why Disney California Adventure has not figured out that they need, they desperately, unambiguously need, "Streetmosphere" characters like those at DHS. Sorry, the "Drawn to the Magic" characters don't count. Not even close.

Disney, if you read this forum, please, please, PLEASE, SEND SOMEONE TO DHS to figure out what you so obviously need to do!

Yesterday/Wednesday I laughed until I literally had tears running down my face at the skit at WDW's Disney Hollywood Studies (DHS). Two DHS characters drove their "In The Can" film productions vehicle down the street and held "auditions" for three fortunate (or unfortunate, as the case may be) Disney guests for a starring role in a fictional movie. I could not stop laughing - or escape the feeling that this is what Disney does better than anyone else!

If DCA would just do this they could draw many interested folks like me to hang around Hollywood Backlot Studios (in the future to be known as "HollywoodLand"). I actually went back to DHS yesterday instead of Magic Kingdom just to hear the Streetmosphere skits (well, and to hear Mulch, Sweat and Shears again too - a story for another time - they selected me out of the crowd this week to help them perform one of their hard rock songs - my DS14 got a video - we are selling it on EBay for $15 a piece - PM me for a link ).

 

[DangerMouse]

Sounds like you had a great trip, Trey! Looking forward to experiencing the "Streetmosphere" characters myself in a few short days!

 

[HydroGuy]

Sounds like you had a great trip, Trey! Looking forward to experiencing the "Streetmosphere" characters myself in a few short days!

They are on the Times Guide schedule and called "Citizens of Hollywood". I dragged DS14 over there to hear them one day. All in all I caught three of their shows over two days. I really could just watch them all day.

Bottom line, look for Citizens of Hollywood. Oh yeah. AND HAVE FUN!

Too bad I missed you! Again!

 

[JH87]

Maybe after the renovations are complete?
That would be great and is exactly what DCA needs!!
I never noticed until you pointed it out. But I do think it will help DCA feel more Disney and help create that amazing atmosphere like at DL. DCA doesn't even have street bands or anything.
Well, they have the Green Army Men, but I believe that's it.
I do remember seeing a mock up of the red trolley cars, and how they might incorporate dancers to perfrom some street stuff on the cars. That could be a start!

 

[PinkBudgie]

I agree! That sounds like it would be fun. I hope they do!

 

[ConnieB]

Oh yes, absolutely DCA could use those characters! I have some wonderful films myself of interactions or maybe I should say "being accosted" by them, lol. Can't remember her name this early in the morning, but the cleaning lady had me gasping for breath! I think her name was Rosie...but she wore the brightest colored clothes (and hair!) ever seen and gave my daughters these large blingy rings saying she'd just found them in the drainpipe, but don't worry she washed them...and on and on. What impressed me most about the street people is that they pull their routines from the audience members....sure some of it is rehearsed, but considering the several minutes of routine that my identical twin daughters gave her she's prepared for anything, lol. Each character was so unique and so hilarious. As much as I love the Disney characters and how well they stay in character, they got nothing on this bunch!

Another thing DCA needs to do is totally reconsider the hokey "HollywoodLand" rename. Talk about tacky! Backlot describes that part of DCA so well...and since they're borrowing so much else from DCA in the gate redo, stick with what works and doesn't sound like some smarmy attempt at humor and stick with class! Hollywood fine, but leave the LAND part off....yeah, I get the yuk yuk joke of DisneyLAND and CarsLAND...but please, what's next SoarinLAND? Or maybe MickeyLAND...and let's all go eat at FoodLAND. Poor Walt is turning in his grave over this brand of "humor".

 

[LavenderPeach]

Oh yes, absolutely DCA could use those characters! I have some wonderful films myself of interactions or maybe I should say "being accosted" by them, lol. Can't remember her name this early in the morning, but the cleaning lady had me gasping for breath! I think her name was Rosie...but she wore the brightest colored clothes (and hair!) ever seen and gave my daughters these large blingy rings saying she'd just found them in the drainpipe, but don't worry she washed them...and on and on. What impressed me most about the street people is that they pull their routines from the audience members....sure some of it is rehearsed, but considering the several minutes of routine that my identical twin daughters gave her she's prepared for anything, lol. Each character was so unique and so hilarious. As much as I love the Disney characters and how well they stay in character, they got nothing on this bunch!

Another thing DCA needs to do is totally reconsider the hokey "HollywoodLand" rename. Talk about tacky! Backlot describes that part of DCA so well...and since they're borrowing so much else from DCA in the gate redo, stick with what works and doesn't sound like some smarmy attempt at humor and stick with class! Hollywood fine, but leave the LAND part off....yeah, I get the yuk yuk joke of DisneyLAND and CarsLAND...but please, what's next SoarinLAND? Or maybe MickeyLAND...and let's all go eat at FoodLAND. Poor Walt is turning in his grave over this brand of "humor".

Those DHS characters sound like a lot of fun! I hope they do decide to do something like this at DCA.

As far as Hollywoodland, that's actually historical and what the Hollywood area was originally called. The hollywood sign also used to say hollywoodland. So with that, they aren't trying to be cutesy, they're trying to be historical, espeically since they're trying to make the park into what California was like when Walt first arrived.

 

[GrandBob]

Another thing DCA needs to do is totally reconsider the hokey "HollywoodLand" rename. Talk about tacky! Backlot describes that part of DCA so well...and since they're borrowing so much else from DCA in the gate redo, stick with what works and doesn't sound like some smarmy attempt at humor and stick with class! Hollywood fine, but leave the LAND part off....yeah, I get the yuk yuk joke of DisneyLAND and CarsLAND...but please, what's next SoarinLAND? Or maybe MickeyLAND...and let's all go eat at FoodLAND. Poor Walt is turning in his grave over this brand of "humor".

I agree with you that the "Hollywood Backlot" name is both more descriptive and more classy. But I believe you're wrong about the attempt at humor. I would guess that the "new" name was actually picked to be consistent with the theme of LA/Hollywood as it existed when Walt first arrived. Not everyone knows that the famous "Hollywood" sign, when it was first erected in 1923, actually read "Hollywoodland". The "Land" part was removed when the sign was rebuilt in 1949.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_Sign

-Bob

ETA - Oops, I should have kept reading the thread. I see that LavenderPeach already explained the history. Oh well, great minds and all that!

 

[ConnieB]

Yeah, I knew the history of the Hollywood sign...and there is a good reason they never "fixed" it....hokey sounding then and now. But ya throw in the Carsland (a name I don't like either) and it's even worse.