Games of the Board Walk = Gambling?

[chesirecat]

I was never a big fan of the Paradise Pier section of DCA, it seemed to me to be the most unphotogenic part of that park and didn't offer anything that you couldn't get outside of the Disneyland Resort.

Before the refurbishment, it looked like a big Mickey was just plastered on the roller coaster to make it "Disney" only in name. (Err, will plastering a big Mickey on the Ferris wheel make it more magical somehow? It is nice being up in the air, but IMHO the skyway ride was much better than the ferris wheel could ever be. . . )

Now, with the Games of the Board Walk it seems like history is repeating itself, you have basically games that you could find at any county fair with a Gooofy or something plastered on them. I am a little offended that classic favorites of mine are being "used" in such a way rather than being given a "home" like in Toontown.

I also don't like, was surprised, to hear that Disney is charging $2.50 a game to play??? Like the price of DCA tickets aren't already over priced. Sure, I get it that they need to cover the price of prizes, but I think these games sort of encourage gambling in little kids, many of whom will beg their parents for dozens of tickets not to be able to win anything!

It would be so much better if the cost of playing was included with the admission and there weren't prizes, such rides that use this strategy such as Buzz Lightyear Astroblasters are fun, even though you don't win anything. Disney could easily make much more if they put a "plush" shop next to these games, where those who want to walk around with a giant pluto can do it.

The nice thing about Disneyland, is that once you are inside you are "free" to enjoy any ride, the old ticket system was done away with for many good reasons, and the park is more enjoyable because of it. Sure the shooting gallery charged, but it wasn't gambling as far as I know you couldn't "win" anything.

While the attractions on the Board Walk offer the chance to "Play to your Heart's Delight", it seems pretty expensive to pay for admission and then to pay for these games.

If Disney let people play these games for free and just to win points, I think it would make sure that everyone had a good experience, personally I always hated these games at county fairs as I wasted money, never won, and realized it was gambling and that the games were rigged. Fortunately, these booths don't look to expensive, although new, and perhaps they could tear them down in the future to put something better.

If I paid 25 dollars to play at these games for an hour, there is a good chance I would feel cheated, NOT the impression that Disney should be giving to guests who actually do spend the money to visit DCA. . .

While the world of color looks great, I wish Disney would use their audioanamatronic skill to build something on the level of a Country Bears or America Sings, which would be even more fantastic with new technology. . . It would be easy to do this with Toy Story characters, Nemo Characters or even Cars characters, a sort of show where you perhaps go into a big "Garage" and the Cars characters put on a show or something with special effects. While some guests may want to spend 25 dollars playing carnival games for a couple hours to win a generic plastic fish, I am not one of them!

[aashee]

It doesn't bother me at all, but I won't be playing them. Disneyland has a shooting gallery and the Starcade which both charge extra. At least with this you have a chance to win some delightful, made-in-China junk.

[sediment]

Then don't play them. Is someone forcing you to do so? That would not be right, IMO.

I don't play them, and my Disney experience is not cheapened in the least.

And yes, they are an abomination, and should be torn down. I am doing the most I can to get that to happen: not playing them and not contributing to their revenue dollars per square foot of park space, forcing, a tiny, infinitessimal dollar at a time, Disney to think of something else to go there instead.

[Darkbeer]

IMHO, three of the four games are "Skill", such as throwing a ball in a specific place, or winning a "race".

The one game I am surprised that is allowed, and not just at the Disneyland Resort, but many other parks.county fairs, is the Fishing game.

That is truly a "lottery", where there is NO skill, but just luck of the draw.

[PragmaticIdealist]

There is a way to do midway games and a way not to do them. And, both old and new versions of Games of the Boardwalk have no place in an attraction with the Disney name.

[MainSreetJake]

Well, I'm sorry you don't care that much for it. I haven't played the games before, or after the refurb, so this doesn't effect me. However, the classic boardwalks did have games like this, and trust me, the Disney games aren't rigged (they wouldn't want a bad wrap for something so small like a boardwalk game..). Now, as to the gambling, well, that's on you. Your taking the chance to win. Not everyone's a winner everytime. You've got a higher chance to win at the boardwalk games than you do the basketball game (which charges more, mind you) over by Pizza Oom Mow Mow.

[PragmaticIdealist]

You're quite right that the prestige of the Disney characters is not helping D.C.A.

Rather, the taint of Paradise Pier is harming the Disney characters.

Part of the reason for that phenomenon is because these particular Disney characters have absolutely no relationship with the places they are being pimped.

[chesirecat]

Originally Posted by aashee

It doesn't bother me at all, but I won't be playing them. Disneyland has a shooting gallery and the Starcade which both charge extra. At least with this you have a chance to win some delightful, made-in-China junk.

I guess I feel that the Shooting gallery is relatively unobtrusive, and is much better themed than any of the Board Walk games, such that I enjoy looking at it and watching people play. It doesn't look tacky or detract from my experience in Disneyland.

The Starcade does detract from my experience some as it is basically just a loud and noisy arcade. Disneyland should be an experience that everybody can enjoy together, Buzz is great as the whole family can play together, but in the Arcade it seems like mostly teenage boys running around, but the starcade is indoor and you don't have to walk by it. It feels more like Disney put it in for people who like videogames. I do hope eventually a real attraction/restaurant replaces the Starcade.

The problem with the Board Walk Games for me is that everybody sees it when they walk by, it is based on carnival games which sort of "sucker" people into playing them, and that there are clear winners and losers (although based on "skill"), the point of Disneyland is that everybody has a great experience and at each show each seat is a "great seat" and the rides are design so everybody gets a uniform experience. Such carnival games are just too strongly associated in mind with just being a cheap way to make money . . . and there will be a lot of "losers" who don't win (mostly upset little kids), just seem very un-Disney to me . . .

I am sure that the Board Walk Games will make back the cost of installing them in the first year, and pay for cast members to run them, sort of like the Starcade, but they are just leeches IMHO that if it weren't for their prime real estate in Disneyland or DCA they wouldn't be doing nearly so well, for me at least they detract away from the experience. While people do travel across the country and save up for year to go to Disneyland, it isn't because of the Starcade or because of the Board Walk Games, in my opinion, such leeches should be eliminated from DCA . . .

[Lukey114]

I agree with the fact that $2.50 is too much for the game..

But.. You cant blame McDonalds for making you fat, and if you sit there playing $25 dollars and dont win, you cannot blame Disneyland for that. If you cant control yourself dont play.

I think they're kind of a fun little addition, for those who want to play. I'm sure the fad will die down after a year or so though, once people get over it. Cuz honestly, i'd rather go to ESPN Zone and play there instead.

[sediment]

Um, haven't these games been there since DCA opened?

[PragmaticIdealist]

If every guest paying to play was given a prize, regardless of the outcomes of the games, and if the outcomes of each game only determined the type of prizes available to the winners, then the attraction would not pose as much of a problem.

The prizes need to be exclusive to Disney, however, and they should relate specifically to both California and Paradise Pier, while the games, themselves, should do likewise.

[SoCalFan]

The games used to relate to California and there were complaints then as well. Can't win I guess lol. Love the additions and it's a fun little diversion. The buildings are gorgeous and the games much improved. Thank you Disney for fixing something you really didn't have to fix

[PragmaticIdealist]

Originally Posted by RockinNRollin

The games used to relate to California and there were complaints then as well. Can't win I guess lol. Love the additions and it's a fun little diversion. The buildings are gorgeous and the games much improved. Thank you Disney for fixing something you really didn't have to fix

It is not fixed, and they still have to fix it.

Note that I said, "... relate to both Paradise Pier and California." The only game that conceivably did both was Dolphin Derby, which was a serviceable, if not particularly creative, concept.

[PragmaticIdealist]

A more creative concept might have, for example, used seahorses in an undersea derby.

[sir clinksalot]

My biggest issue is the "Toy Story" themed carnival game 100 feet from a ride based on a carnival game featuring characters from Toy Story.