TDLFAN visits DLP's Laser Blast

[TDLFAN]

Hi All... finally completing my tour of Disney Resorts (except DLR, sorry CA crew) I finally had the chance to visit the newly opened "Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast" attraction at DLP. While there, I had a few hours to walk around WDSP and DLP and take in as much as possible in only 6 hours. DLP would close at 8pm and I arrived there at 3pm. The Disney Village sports a new look... which I found to be uninspired and simply silly, if not odd. The old canopy of lights have been replaced with balloon lights.. and the whole place looks like someone else's bad birthday party gone mad.

Over at WDSP... some not so interesting changes.. most notably that HUGE "Cars" billboard in front of the Soundstage building. TOT construction continues as is a new small coaster being built across Aladdin's flying carpets.

Over at DLP... well... the good and bad collide. I find it interesting how well DLP manages to be the prettiest and dirties DL on Earth at once. While there are improvements on the way and some refurbishing going ons.. there are also parts of the park that simply look run down and in desperate need for repairs.. most notably in Frontierland and Adventureland. The Hub's gardens look lovely. Discoveryland looks a bit disjointed now with the addition of Laser Blast which alters the unified look of that land. Over at Space Mountain: Mission 2... the soundtrack on my coaster was out and the ride feels bumpier than ever.

I also witnessed the customary lack of smoking policy. Seems like smoking is encouraged all over the park since most trash bins DO have built in ashtrays all over... There is no escaping the stink of cigarrete smoking in this kingdom. Also, I had some issues with food vending carts and how some food items are being displayed without protections from such hazzards as flying insects and guests' hands... Not good in my honest to goodness opinion...

But all in all... DLP is still a great place to enjoy.. IF and only IF you don't care how clean or filthy your Disney experience can be, or if you don't mind a bit of disarray and chaos in the way business is conducted. Reason why I have to refer to DLP as the "Anti-Disneyland". No problem getting you beer with your hamburger at Pinnochio's Haus restaurant... Not an idea Walt would probablyt approuve. Oh well... he is dead so his opinions or lagacy do not count anymore.

Check out the photos and see what I mean....

http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/Albu...3&a=32165641&f=

[Pluto94]

I always enjoy your wonderful pictures.

The park is really beautiful. I just wish the park was better maintained.

[stitcharielsinbad]

wow, it's really sad to see such disrepair in what should be the most beautiful of all the Magic Kingdoms...
Great pics, TDLfan. You're always such a cutie.

[Disney Magic]

Thanks for the update TDLFAN, (in classic TDLFAN 3rd person perspective) too bad it couldn't have been more positive. It wasn't as bad as I was expecting actually but unfortunatly DLP holds off too long before sprucing up the place. When I was there in nov 04 I noticed the peeling paint of the DLhotel. Someone please remind me about what really changed to for Space Mtn Mission 2, I didn't enjoy it as much as hoped because it was way to bumpy then too.

[DisneyMickey]

Yikes! That's some bad upkeep there. Is it so bad because of the money problems or just because things aren't refurbished on a monthly or yearly schedule(let to rot for years)?

[DLRP_bopazot]

Nice trip Report TDLFAN i love all you trip report because you say right to what's wrong in the park . As you noticed the Park Quality is getting better every day since we've got our New Chairman from the Disney Cruise Line and we've got less budge cuts that we had during the Rasulo's Years .

See we had Extra Magic Hours and the Park will close at 11pm sometimes in May and he bring back the Mark Twain and had given all the budget to maintain it with a lots of quality and more will come like the Refurbishment of Big Thunder Mountain from Mid August to Mid October .

I'm sure that the 15th Anniversary celebration will be Awesome because we'll get a lots of new thinks .

[MickeyMania]

So then, do you still think MK is worse? I'd rather have a few cracks and paint peels than fly-covered food.

Originally Posted by TDLFAN

No problem getting you beer with your hamburger at Pinnochio's Haus restaurant... Not an idea Walt would probablyt approuve. Oh well... he is dead so his opinions or lagacy do not count anymore.

Walt never built overseas. Walt grew up in the prohibition era and learned his business acumen in the 40s and 50s drinking was really frowned upon on his time. Does Disney have to act on traditionalist American values everywhere it goes, including places where such values are thought of as stodgy?

It's not so much that Walt "doesn't count," it's that Walt wasn't building DL to specifically attract Europeans. You're talking about a country where 16 year olds can buy beer, surrounded by a number of other countries with that drinking age, so drinking is not just an adult thing.

[Fantasmico!]

Thanks so much for the great photo update! It is too bad the park isn't maintained well. It is a pretty park. As far as the food displays , well, europe does have different standards than we do. Kind of a culture shock, even if you have visited many times.

[MickeyMania]

OMG, can I get nice big desktop-quality (1280x1024 or higher) shot of this one? That would make a great pic for my screen. And your least favorite kingdom does that goodbye thing, too, and I enjoy it too.

(PS: Yikes, that Plaza roof is terrible!)

[soundtracker]

Originally Posted by TDLFAN

The Disney Village sports a new look... which I found to be uninspired and simply silly, if not odd. The old canopy of lights have been replaced with balloon lights.. and the whole place looks like someone else's bad birthday party gone mad.f=

Thanks for another thorough and informative photo update, TDLFAN. I admit that the changes made to the Disney Village are a bit shocking at first, but you'll find you soon get used to them. And it's worth bearing in mind that this is only Phase 1 of the changes. Over the coming few years, amendments will be made to the building façades, with new colurs and signage. The floor will also be re-paved in smarter, warmer colours, and flower beds will be added.

So come the end of 2007, DV should actually be a place where guest want to spend time and money!

PS: What did you think of the new Buzz ride? I haven't had the chance to try it yet, but I'm told it beats WDW's.

[pussnboots]

Reason why I have to refer to DLP as the "Anti-Disneyland". No problem getting you beer with your hamburger at Pinnochio's Haus restaurant... Not an idea Walt would probablyt approuve. Oh well... he is dead so his opinions or lagacy do not count anymore.

You know, I hear this park is actually not located in the United States. Perhaps that would explain why it's not run as such 100%? I'm just going on a limb here...

Having said that, you're completely right about the maintenance. They put it off for too long. They do refurbish quite a bit at the moment, but it seems they wait until the roof is literally about to come down before they lay a hand on it. And those doughnuts really shouldn't be out in the open like that, that's not a European thing, that's just unnecessary.

Finally, Disney Village is in a very, very odd state at the moment. There are no words. Hopefully Soundtracker's right.

[Flaming Cabin]

I'm glad to see them investing in rehabbing Main Street. The upkeep at DL was bad as well till they woke up and redid it. I think they did some of it a while back and the black you see is mildew from the wet weather.

[Flaming Cabin]

Originally Posted by TDLFAN

Over at DLP... well... the good and bad collide. I find it interesting how well DLP manages to be the prettiest and dirties DL on Earth at once. While there are improvements on the way and some refurbishing going ons.. there are also parts of the park that simply look run down and in desperate need for repairs.. =

It's kind of like suburban sprawl in big cities, they let the original downtown rot while they develop the suburbs. The studio needs saving so they put the focus there. It seems that Iger will stop this.

[Laura678]

Brill pics!!! i totally agree about Honey i shrunk the audience...DLP definately needs a new 3d movie

[WDW1974]

Some of those pics really depressed me considering I'll be there for the first time in two weeks ... maybe I'll be so thrilled to see the place I'll be able to overlook its deficiencies like most WDW guests ... but I doubt it!

Do you think they can fix everything in two weeks? (wishful dreaming)