Dateline Disneyland

Thanks for the update! Love the Snow White Meet and Greet, hate the year of a million cloud logos.

-Dusty

Thanks for the update. The signs for Santa Clause and Meet the Robinsons are ridiculously outdated. Enchanted and Wall E should be there. I look forward to the end of a million dreams too.

Edit. BTW, thanks for the Merchandise pics. I love seeing what is new.

i'm surprised, no bad show rants about what's behind the construction walls. must be slipping

Why is Mike and Sully being refurbished already? That ride is not that old or worn, is, it? I will be there in two weeks and it is virtually the only cool ride in California adventure I can take my 7 month old on. That sucks.

LOVE THE SNOW WHITE PIC AREA!
HATE THE MOVIE POSTERS!

The Toy Story Midway Mania (whatever they are calling it's) Playbill style Attraction Posters look cool. Atleast they soften the wall.

I love the Snow White photo spot! She is a very cute Snow White and people seem to love it. There was a constant line!

I didn't get to attend the Candlelight ceremony but I could hear it and I was extremely impressed!! What a great addition to the holidays!!
Disneyland does know how to to things right!!

Great report Andy!! I look forward to it every week! Keep 'em coming!!

Now have there been sightings of any other dwarfs other than Dopey at the meet and greet location? Every photo I've seen for this has either been Snow and Dopey either seperately or together. No other Dwarfs photos have emerged.

Originally Posted by mohavewolfpup

i'm surprised, no bad show rants about what's behind the construction walls. must be slipping

Why would I call bad show about something BEHIND a construction wall? Please.

Your pictures are amazing and I always look forward to your updates. What kind of camera do you use and how do you get the shots to look "widescreen" (for lack of better wording)? Keep up the great work!

wonderful update as always mastergracey.

i wonder when they will actually start to build in that big hole.

Thanks MG for your photo essay. I can't get to the park too often, but your photos keep me in touch.

Your photos of "Year of a Million Dreams" signage over the entrance crystallizes why this promotion is failing so badly: Its cliché graphics, feminine lettering, vague concept, and overused marketing lingo guarantees it will be ignored by a lot of guests.

In contrast, the "Gift-Giver Extrordinaire" campaign was a complete success for the opposite reasons: Everybody knew exactly what the promotion was (Disneyland is giving away extraordinary gifts), it appealed to all guests, the signage was impressive, and the wording was quirky, memorable, and sincere.

Turning to the "Dreams" promotion itself, it fails because it is vague: Whose dreams are being celebrated? Walt's? Is it a retrospective coming on the heels of the 50th anniversary? Paul Pressler's dreams? Paul's dreams were the classic "take their money and give them nothing" shell game. Is this another pseudo "gift" that is going to cost me money? Disney Co. has soiled their reputation and that's why people instinctively run away.

Second problem is: Who is this promotion geared for? It should be for everybody, but the exact language of the promotion is feminine. The typical male reacts to words like "wish" and "dream" in the same way they react to "unicorn" and "ballet" and "tea party". Men and boys visiting Disneyland will tune this promotion out faster than you can say "girl stuff". The fact that they have chosen feminine graphic themes of clouds, sparkles, pastel colors, and a "wedding initiation" style of script guarantees male disinterest.

The final problem is the words like "wish" and "dream" and "magic" have become threadbare, worn out marketing gibberish. I actually *do* believe that Disneyland is a magic place; Walt's special gift to children of all ages. However, to be told at every turn that "this" or "that" is magic, or enchanted, or a dream come true, gets tiresome. You can't talk about magic, it must be magic. And to say that something is "absolutely magical" when clearly it is only "highly profitable" is like Death Itself.

MasterGracey's photos confirm all these problems because we can now see them: A weak slogan. hawking a vague promotion, delivered through mismatched symbolism, promising nothing in particular. If I had tried to sabotage this campaign deliberately, I could not have done so well.

I probably missed this, but did they decide to ax the planned two story River Belle Terrace idea?

Those YOMD signs are an eyesore. Just the crap we need to decorate Disneyland at Christmas. Bah.

It's kinda funny, me and my brother were walking back from DTD past DL at 1 am on a wednesday(or, technically thursday) when we saw them doing something with the turnstiles with ladders and a cherry picker, and we were trying to guess what they were doing, and I said "We'll as long as it's not for the YOMD, i'll be happy" And sure enough when we got in line to go into the park the next day, there those signs were

I love what "Katella Gate" had to say... it really makes you think and I loved your thoughts on the use of font and color. I think you could be on to something!!!

Nice job Andy. Next best thing to being at the parks. Thanks.