Disney's California Adventure Project Tracker II

[MagicWDI]

Originally Posted by Walt Jr.

In the long term, like 20 years. Yes, the wheel will go bye bye.

Whatever helps you sleep at night.

I happen to like Mickey's face over the sun. And is the sun face as much of an icon as the hubcap thing in Sunshine Plaza? It's not really that creative of an "icon" to begin with, surely not any more than Mickey himself.

[Luke Manning]

Originally Posted by Walt Jr.

In the long term, like 20 years. Yes, the wheel will go bye bye.

I doubt you have any sources for that.

[stitchon]

Originally Posted by Walt Jr.

In the long term, like 20 years. Yes, the wheel will go bye bye.

Keep dreaming.

The main icon for the Pier won't be removed until the pier itself is removed, and that won't happen until the park closes permanently; which once again, likely will never happen.

Oh, and I think it's time to change your signature.

[MasterGracey]

Signage is up at DCA for the new Blue Sky Cellar:

New banners along the Performance Corridor as well: nice!

Lookin' good!

Annual Passholder previews for the Walt Disney Imagineering Blue Sky Cellar begin Thursday, October 16 and run through Sunday the 19th. The Cellar opens officially to guests on Monday, October 20.

[Luke Manning]

Definitely looking good! I like the new watermark you have on those images as well MasterGracey!

[yoyoflamingo]

Signage looks great! Can't wait to see it in January!

Thanks for all the updates MG!

[goofypirate]

Nice to see they're giving the preview center the attention it deserves.

[stitchon]

Wow, I'm loving the signage.

Thanks MG!

[Baloo]

Originally Posted by tllsknywhtboy

Well, you asked what kind of carousel would fit the theme of the entire park...so I responded to that. And yes, I guess that could be like any old carousel. I happen to like King Triton's Carousel, its just not very well placed, as others have stated before. And whose belief are you trying to understand, WDI's? or MCers...cuz you know how many people would change the the theme if they could...

oh do not misunderstand me, i was not directing my answer directly at your suggestion for the carousel. i think it is an interesing fit and idea for the pier. I also do not think that the regular guest would find the connection of the bears anymore California theme than a nicely decorated carousel.

As for who am i trying to understand, is some Mcers and other Disney fans that constantly bring up every addition of the park as non California themed. The theme for the park seems ot be taken way to literal as if everything that gets built has to have a direct tie in to that.

In my opinion the park could continue to have a California theme without having every single attraction fit the parks overal theme and the addition of cartoon characters does not destroy that theming.

I see no reason why the park could not have specific lands themed to the diversity of the state. then within these lands have attractions that fit the lands theme. In the case of Paradise pier the overal look and feel will be very much like one of the old seaside piers that lined the coast. The structures and surrounding ambience will be very much like it. The attractions could then have a play on some of the attractions that were found in those amusement. As an example these old piers had attractions based on mythical creaures like mermaids so why would the little mermaid not fit. Maybe sometimes the placement of Disney characters in attractions are taken to literal. Midway Mania is another good example of that. The theming which consists of midway game sin a pier fit perfectly. Midway games usually consist of winning toys and or other prizes and the toy story characters fit that theme.

Even the idea of a Mary Poppins carousel in my opinion would even fit. The attraction consists of a carousel themed to a Disney character in a Disney park within a pier. why does it matter if the movie took place in London? People will see it for what it is a Carousel in a with a Disney characters in a pier like setting. A pier like setting like the ones found several years ago in California.



Of course there are areas like Bugsland which i find totally out of place within the overal parks theme. Its not due to the use of characters but to the execution of it.
If i had the choice i would have kept the farm theming in tact and then added the characters within that theme.
Instead the old group in charge felt that the bugslife characters needed to take over the farm area which clearly threw the parks theme out the door.

[Baloo]

Originally Posted by BassBone

King Triton's Carousel does have some nice callbacks to historic California piers such as Lick Pier and Santa Monica Pier. They are panels above the carousel, if that makes sense. I think the carousel fits in well with the pier theme. Sometimes vintage carousels would be themed to a particular local such as under the see. The fact that it's the Little Mermaid's under the see is inconsequential.

I agree and that is exactly why i asked the question. Everything seems to be picked apart for some reason when it has somekind of Disney influence on it.


All we have to do is look at vintage photographs and see that.
I also do not blame WDI or Disney for using their own line-up of characters to put a small twist in classic attractions that once filled these piers.

[Uncle Bob]

I think that in the case of PP the use of the characters is totally appropriate. I think that what concerns many MCers is the lack of care that has been shown recently about the placement of many attractions in all the parks, so they are naturally apprehensive now as they have lost some trust in Disney's choices. I think they are making vastly better ones now, but I still that is why people still question everything so much.

[Coheteboy]

I think King Triton's Carousel is fine... it's just... kind of ugly, if you know what I mean.

And Paradise Pier is totally fine for characters to be used... but I think most people are a bit confused about what defines a pier and what defines a land at Disneyland.

At Disneyland, you have themed lands (such as fantasyland) where the characters LIVE. Tomorrowland isn't a futuristic land with "rides". It's a time warp or a place where you can experience different things. Frontierland is a call back to the pioneer days, etc etc.

Paradise Pier... it's a pier. It's a carnival. It has "rides" not attractions. It's not where anybody calls home. But now, it's where Toy Story characters and soon Little Mermaid will call home. It's actually quite bizarre and I honestly don't know what to think of it.

A part of me goes "yay for great attractions!" but a part of me also goes "wait... do these belong in a pier setting more than a ride like.. maliboomer?"

[mycroft16]

I do think that there are better ideas that come up in MC. And that the imagineers just don't think of those things.[/quote]

Pretty much every single Imagineer who has ever been interviewed about "ideas" makes some sort of statement to the effect that "for every idea green-lit, there are 20 or 30 that aren't. And none of these is ever tossed out, just shelved until a better way to do it, or a need for it comes along."

The only ideas we ever get to see are those approved, and maybe some rumors of a few that made a fair way through the process. There have got to be hundreds, if not thousands, or ride/restaurant/park ideas on shelves at Imagineering right now. Some of them more amazing than anything anyone on here, as great as we all are, could ever dream up. And there are some that just aren't that great at all. Unfortunately, it hasn't been WDI making the decisions about which rides to do. It is management and financial. And WDI has to please those guys if they want a project funded and approved. It is that simple.

What we see is not a reflection of the creative ability of WDI, but the creative limitations of those who are not in creative roles.

Luckily for us and the parks themselves, those in decision making roles are increasingly creative folks.

[lazyboy97O]

Am I the only one not digging the Blue Sky Cellar signage? It just doesn't seem to mesh well with its surroundings. The insistence on using the godawful Walt Disney script and Times department logo convention only makes it worse.

[Coheteboy]

Originally Posted by lazyboy97O

Am I the only one not digging the Blue Sky Cellar signage? It just doesn't seem to mesh well with its surroundings. The insistence on using the godawful Walt Disney script and Times department logo convention only makes it worse.

It is a bit slapped together and looks like a sign for a bakery or something. I think it could have been a little classier looking also.