Troubles at Disneyland....

[SophisMom]

as a very recent visitor (and a local also) to Disneyland..I made a completely different post pretty much agreeing with Roy. The very next morning I was telling my sister that I (me not my 3yo dd) was very dissapointed at having to pay more than I have ever paid before to get in...only to feel a bit cheated by all the closures and refurb's going on...and on top of it ALL the park closed at 8pm. Dubh..when was the last time you visited Disneyland? (just curious)...because I walked away from there with the same feelings Roy has. Did my dd have a good time...sure she did..and yes to me that is what is most important...but you can be sure it is gonna be awhile until I am willing to fork over $80+ for her and I to go again until I see things improve. All this did for me was make me more anxious for our very first trip to Disneyworld next May...I am hoping for it to be so much more!

 

[WDW2002]

in regards to refurbs & park hours-
if you check the disneyland.com site you will find that they list the refurbs and park hours. If you go and are disapointed to find the park closes early or that your favorite rides are closed for refurb. then I think it is your own fault for not checking into it before you left. (JMO)

 

[SophisMom]

Well as a very new visitor to this board as well...I suppose you could be right. What about those without internet access?

 

[WDW2002]

People don't have internet access
Well....Disneyland does have a info line that also has this info.

 

[roymccoy]

If you don't check things out, it's your fault?? What, Disney lowers the price when they do all of the refurbishment? The park
has been "one big refurbishment" for a number of years if you ask me. As far as the Pooh dark ride, Doug...I wouldn't put it on your favorites list just yet. Disney has a habit of promising a new ride, taking out an existing ride, and then never going thru with the new ride..just leaving a big ole empty hole. How come you guys won't except the fact that a good number of us feel a little cheated at Disneyland lately. How can you tell us how we should feel. I FEEL A LITTLE CHEATED AT DISNEYLAND, LATELY! A lot of people do. I heard many comments while I was at Disneyland to this effect. Don't shoot the messenger, just because you don't like the message.

Roy

 

[WDW2002]

Roy-
You are big on making statement with no factual backup. Can you give us one for your claim that "Disney has a habit of promising a new ride, taking out an existing ride, and then never going thru with the new ride..just leaving a big ole empty hole."

If you don't check things out, it's your fault??
As a matter of fact, I do feel this way. If you go the park only to find out things that you could have known before hand then YES it is your fault.

What, Disney lowers the price when they do all of the refurbishment?
No they don't. If they did none of the refurbs would get done.


The park has been "one big refurbishment" for a number of years if you ask me.
So instead of doing the refurbs, they should just leave the rides alone and then them fall apart?

I FEEL A LITTLE CHEATED AT DISNEYLAND, LATELY!
Wait a minute your first post stated " I haven't been to the old girl in awhile."

"How can you tell us how we should feel" & "Don't shoot the messenger, just because you don't like the message" It works both ways Roy. Not everyone is as "down" on Disney & Disneyland as you. That doesn't make either "group" right or wrong.

 

[roymccoy]

What is all of this "no factual back-up" stuff? I have merely pointed out the fact that MAJOR portions of Disneyland (I mercifully won't list them again) are EMPTY. They have ceased to be. There are no immediate plans for anything to happen in their empty spaces. What is going in at Submarine Lagoon? What is taking the Rocket Rods place? What will be zooming thru the Motorboat River? When is ground breaking at the Ranch area? What great restaurant is going into the Plaza Pavillion's empty shell? What part of EMPTY SPACES are we in question about here? C'mon, cut and paste answers to my questions about these areas. Give me the pixie dust version. I can't wait.

Roy

 

[WDW2002]

I am NOT debating that rides were removed, over a period of about 15 years those rides were removed. But you seem to ignore what has been added to Disneyland in those 15 years. But you ignored my question.

What i am asking for is example of when a ride was PROMISED but not followed through because your exact words were "Disney has a habit of promising a new ride, taking out an existing ride, and then never going thru with the new ride..just leaving a big ole empty hole." If you are going to make this alligation then give us an example. Can you give an example of a ride that was promised that did not happen?

 

[roymccoy]

When the submarines were taken out, there was talk of an "all new" 20,000 Leagues under the Sea ride. That ploy helped to keep the complaints from the Disney loyalists down, and the new ride just went away. People Mover was closed with the promise of Rocket Rods. Rocket Rods didn't really close, it went into refurbishment with a promise of an all new improved Rocket Rod type ride. Later, after all the hub bub blew over, it quietly closed for good. The Plaza Pavillion Restaurant closed "temporarily" 4 years ago for refurbishment and overhaul. An all new character type restaurant, Like Crystal Palace in WDW, was planned and then it quietly became the new annual pass distribution site. FUN! Right before America Sings closed down, it was said that an All-new Carousel of Progress type ride would go in it's place. Later on, after the closure, it became Disney office space. Fun! The Skyway wasn't supposed to close for good...it was, again, a refurbishment that just became a little more permanent. I don't think they admit even now that the Keel Boats are really gone for good. They haven't used them for 5 years but you never know. First they were going to only close one of the Country Bear Theaters. Then it was going to stay thru X-mas. Then they were going to transfer Country Bears to DCA. Now I have seen pictures of everything being shipped to Burbank in trucks. We were promised that "When the lights go out, it's over" in 1996. Don't tell me that Disney exec's would fib a little about something like that!! Now I coulda swore that I saw the Electrical Parade at DCA...maybe it was my imagination. (Got my worthless lightbulb, though) Videopolis closed for refurbishment and never came back. Carnation Gardens closed for refurbishment....guess what?...never came back. 100th anniversary of Walt's birth and guess what? They took Walt's office out of DL and shipped it to WDW. Guess we know where we rank. Shall I go on?? Motorboat venue was going to be a "Little Mermaid" ride of some sort. Now you can get hot dogs there. Aladin's Oasis closed one winter to never return.
We also said Au Revoir to The Gallery over Pirates.

Disney uses the old "bait and switch" to perfection. They've had to find some way to quiet the massive protests that used to go on after an announced ride closing. There is no denying that Disneyland is getting emptier and with recent threats of the closings of
Mr Lincoln, The Tiki Room, Mr Toad's Wild Ride and StorybookLand, we could see a lot more empty spaces.

Roy

 

[Douglas Dubh]

"Dubh..when was the last time you visited Disneyland?"

Late February, 2001. I'm going down again next month.

"but you can be sure it is gonna be awhile until I am willing to fork over $80+ for her and I to go again until I see things improve."

You paid over $80 for yourself and a 3 year old? That's way too much. Adult tickets are only $43 with no discount. I think kids are about $33. Plus I'm pretty sure you can get discount coupons at Albertson's. Hope you get better deals at WDW, but please recognize that these same things happen there.

"

 

[Douglas Dubh]

"How come you guys won't except the fact that a good number of us feel a little cheated at Disneyland lately. How can you tell us how we should feel."

I fully except the fact that you think Disneyland is less than it should be right now. I feel that way too. However, making wild accusations does not help your case. If you feel as strongly as you do, write Disney a nice letter and point out all the things that are closed that you feel should be open. Make sure you get your facts right - the stuff below is internet rumour, not fact:

"First they were going to only close one of the Country Bear Theaters. Then it was going to stay thru X-mas. Then they were going to transfer Country Bears to DCA. Now I have seen pictures of everything being shipped to Burbank in trucks."

"Videopolis closed for refurbishment and never came back."

Actually, it was replaced by the Fantasyland Theater.

"Carnation Gardens closed for refurbishment....guess what?...never came back."

I just read that they're going to be having a little show there, to make up for closing Animazement.

And the Gallery above the Pirates is not closed.

 

[WDW2002]

Roy-
We have all heard the rumors of what "might" happen to Disneyland. With the internet and sites just like this, they are rampant. But unless you get an offical statement from Disney regarding a new attraction, then remember to take it as a rumor. There are tons of rumors that turned out to be false or ahead of its time. rumors about the Brears closing have been going on for a least a couple of years before their last show last month. I don't remember seeing anything official about a new subs ride. And the rumor I heard was NOT a 20,000 leagues ride but a Atlantis ride (to coincide with the new movie). There were rumors about the electric parade for a year before its TRIUMPANT return in July.

I do however find that you complain that they take things away, but when they give it back to us, such as with the electric parade you are still complaining. I for one was esstatic when it returned and it brought me to Disneyland Resort for an unplanned and unscheduled trip.

In regards to ONE of walts offices, did you bother to go into the attraction?? They added so much to it. They did not just remove the one office, they completely redid the attraction. And it is AWESOME!

 

[roymccoy]

I was at Disneyland when the Submarines were going to close and there was a little sign out front that said "Imagination in Progress." I was there when cast members were telling people that America Sings was going to be revamped. I was there when Rocket Rods had a "Closed for Refurbishment" sign on it. I was there when Carnation Gardens had a "Sorry, Closed for Refurbishment" sign on it. They're going to put a "little show" at the stage in Carnation Gardens? They have little shows there all of the time. I'm talking about those cool food stands that they were suppose to fix up. Supposedly, they were fixing the water and gas lines and updating the kitchens. They updated them alright, they REALLY streamlined them!!
I also heard the Atlantis "rumor", but I didn't mention that because it was a rumor. I'm talking about a sign I saw in front of the attraction, put there by Disney BEFORE it closed. Obviously, it was meant to keep down the complaints. It worked.
I didn't say I didn't appreciate seeing the Electrical Parade again, I did. They shouldn't have gotten rid of it in the first place. They shouldn't get rid of ANY ride that is just going to leave a big empty space. That's just less for our money and we should complain about that.

Roy

P.S. As far as Sophies contention that she paid $80 to get in Disneyland, what's your problem with that? $43 for her, $33 for her 3 year old and $7 to park. That's $83. Sounds right to me. Not everybody shops at Albertsons. I don't.

 

[teri]

Heck, I am still back on page 1... but I did skim through. DL needs work. DL is aging and small. They just added DCA, which is having the same kind of first year pains as Animal Kingdom had, PLUS a new luxury resort, PLUS a beautiful new Downtown Disney, PLUS a huge new parking structure, PLUS a recent rehab of the Disneyland hotel. My take on this whole thing is that they are trying to expand out, move the crowds out of the one older park that definitely, certainly, obviously needs work (and drinking fountains ) so that they can redo the dear old Disneyland park, as time and budget allows. The big problem is that we are all creatures of habit, we are romantic and nostalgic, we want the same old feeling as before. We want A Magic Day At Disneyland like we had when we were kids. The imagineers and business folks saw the expansion as an opportunity to make this a Resort, a destination, a place with the dear old park plus adult activities that would lure people to stay a few days. If you have not been there in 10 years and you blow in, blow by the expansions, don't explore the resorts, and just make a beeline for the park during offseason (when refurbushments are traditionally scheduled) you are not going to have as much of a good time. Right now, it takes a bit of a paradigm shift to see the value of the changes. I would not travel out of my way to go to Disneyland for only one day. It is a 2-3 day experience now, which includes themed dining and hopefully some pool time for relaxation. To me, that completes the experience. It isn't just an amusement park anymore... the old park has changed, and needs work.

"Why is Disney charging more money now for admission even though there is less to do?"
Labor costs, insurance, lawsuit settlements, mandatory safety and disability access changes, increased cost of supplies, seriously increased energy costs (can you imagine the electric bill for one night of your favorite parade???), and maintenance on an aging park. A day at Great America is $38 and trust me, it ain't Disney. When you go to Disneyland you aren't just paying for the rides, you are paying for the Show. It isn't cheap to have all those entertainers, engineers and skilled craftpeople on staff.

(And Country Bear... it was a goner, guys. I'm glad you liked it, but the place was empty even on busy days. A pooh ride or show would be perfect there.)

 

[SophisMom]

That's a great post and makes perfect sense. And yes I did pay $80+...that included $7 for the stroller rental so I will revise that to the $76 to "get in" as I could have hauled my stroller along with me.

I think Teri you make great sense...I hadn't thought of it that way. It just bums me out that we are the ones who visit this park several times a year...maybe next time I just wait until they are offering the "California" resident discount tickets.

It's not that big of a deal for me...I realize changes need to be made and there are "other" options in Southern Cal..but yes I guess I am hanging on to those memories of old...how you could never seem to get to all the "lands" of Disney in one day.

Yes I am researching my trip to Disneyworld...but thanks for the advice. Believe you me I have learned.

 

[SophisMom]

<font colr=purple><font size=5> I STILL LOVE THE PARADE! </FONT></FONT>

The parade that day was as good as it has ever been! Specially that guy riding the elephant in the loin cloth!

 

[Douglas Dubh]

"And yes I did pay $80+"

I had forgotten about paying for parking, so I guess $80+ isn't as bad as I originally thought. Sorry if it appeared I was jumping on you.

"It just bums me out that we are the ones who visit this park several times a year."

Might be worth it to get AP's then, unless you usually go on blackout days.

"maybe next time I just wait until they are offering the "California" resident discount tickets."

There's also AAA discounts and often ones through credit unions. Plus DisneyClub. I can't remember the last time I paid full price for an amusement park.

 

[WDW2002]

Originally posted by SophisMom
<font colr=purple><font size=5> I STILL LOVE THE PARADE! </FONT></FONT>

The parade that day was as good as it has ever been! Specially that guy riding the elephant in the loin cloth!

See not everyone feels the same about the same things. I thought the parade was the worst thing at the park when we were there in August. It just seemed very un organized and seeing a bunch of park guests in totos not all that entertaining (to me).


And Terri

You are absolutely correct. Everything changes, nothing stays the same. The park is vastly different then when I was a kid. Disneyland is a work in progress, so change is enevitable. Some good, some bad but change nevertheless