Is DCA Less Charming due to lack of Water based attractions and Lack of Landscaping

[Aladdin]

Is DCA Less Charming due to lack of Water based attractions and Lack of Natural looking Landscaping?

Look at all the attractions in DL that need water for their vehicles:

Jungle Cruise - boat on water
Pirate - boat on water
Splash Mountain - log on water
Canoes - on water
Columbia - on water
Mark Twain - on water
Tom Sawyer Island - rafts (even the barrel bridge)
Storybookland Canal Boats - on water
Small World - boat on water
Submarines - thru the water


At DCA

GRR - on water




Now consider all the different Variety of Landscaping with both water and various vegetation at both parks.

At DL, you are welcomed by the iconic floral Mickey, on the large berm.
After the tunnel, all of town square, with all it's floral beds, grassy areas, and trees, then all trees up and down Main Street, leading you to the
main hub with all the trees and flower beds and hanging flowers in the hub, as well as immediately around the exterior of the hub.

Then take look at the various waterways around the hub, from the entrance to Adventureland, to Frontierland's entrance bridge, to the castle and it's moat, to Snow White's fountain, to Pixie Hollow with it's little water and light show.

In Adventureland you see the shore of Jungle Cruise waters with Anheim's now real Jungle, Frontierland New Orleans Square have the Rivers of America, as does Critter country, which also has a nice stream, and Splash Mt.

Oh, New Orleans also has the fountain in Magnolia Park,

Frontierland also has several waterfalls on the backside of Big Thunder and desert landscaping,

Fantasyland has the Canal of Storybookland and flower beds, and all of Small Worlds large topiaries, even has the waterway of the old Motorboat cruise area. and of course the waterfalls on the Matterhorn with all the trees and shrubs.

Tomorrowland has beautiful Sub Lagoon, and all the edible vegetation.



At DCA, you have GRR with it's waterfalls and geysers and about the only real vegetation anywhere in DCA. The Wharf area has a waterway in front of the Boudin Bakery, and Paradise Pier has the pond which isn't used for any attraction during the day. As for other vegetation, some trees in Hyperions waiting area, some limited vegetation around ToT, oh and the water fountain in front of Monster Inc. Bugs Land has the fake giant clover. . . and that's about it.


Overall, the lack of natural looking waterways and vegetation are lacking considerably. DL just is just a much more attractive and welcoming park because of these features! Then add in the number of attractions at DL that rely on water, and you can see how much water plays such an important part at DL.

And unfortunately, even with the makeover, there doesn't appear to be a heck of a lot of vegetation or waterways being added, to increase the beauty of DCA, and the lack of water based attractions certainly keeps the 2nd park from living up to its potential. Is there any hope for DCA to be become more "green" with more natural looking waterways? Or is DCA doomed to be primarily a concrete jungle with a ceement pond in Paradise Pier?

[icepenguin77]

Yes! completely.

[DrAlice]

You are right. More plants, all around!

To be fair, though, they did add a bunch of trees and landscaping to the World of Color viewing area. It's a start, anyway...

[yellow_sub]

it does seem lacking a little bit in scenery but give them time and let the remodeling finish i'd say. i mean look at pics of disneyland from '64 and '65. compared to today it looks pretty naked

[SoCalFan]

I'm sure BVS will add some more charm and landscaping. The concept art we've seen for Hollywoodland even has more trees along the blvd. If Condor Flats get's redone and swallowed into the land with GRR then we'll see a bigger forest over on that side of the park. Carsland won't be lush landscaping but lush isn't the only beautiful type. Desert landscaping can be quite beautiful and subtly stunning. That area should look great. Bugsland is not just giant fake clovers and I think the landscaping is the most enjoyable thing in the land lol. Paradise Pier is a problem and it's a HUGE part of park. Paradise Park has helped and Paradise Gardens should be even more landscaping and charm. Plus from what we've heard, the "El Camino Real" treatment of parade route will bring more tree's and landscaping to block the big visuals. And the winery is cute and charming to me at least.

It does seem like they working on fixing these issues but to the original post I do somewhat agree. Lack of lot's of landscaping and tree's does take a little of the charm from the park and it's kinda been proven. DCA year 1...all tree's and landscaping there was small and made park seem even more "cementy". Things have changed. People who have visited in years have taken note on how tree's have grown in nicely(ok this is mainly for Bugsland and GRR) and it adds a lot more to the charm in these areas and the park in general. So yes lack of lot's of landscaping has caused DCA to look less charming(and I'm a DCA fan lol).

As for water rides...eh I wouldn't know as I never really thought about how people really do have a weird attraction to rides that ride on the water.

[Jordiekins]

It's gotten better as of late, but landscaping was one of my biggest problems with DCA.

[MikeSkellington]

Yes in the original plans for DCA they had more landscaping "fields"
which looked really cool.

[Datameister]

it does seem lacking a little bit in scenery but give them time and let the remodeling finish i'd say. i mean look at pics of disneyland from '64 and '65. compared to today it looks pretty naked

Well, by the mid-60s, things were starting to fill in rather nicely, but yes, in the early days, Disneyland looked positively barren in Frontierland and Adventureland (and what would later become NOS) - areas that now feel perhaps the least like a theme park because they blend convincing architecture with real foliage and waterways so beautifully. That initial barrenness looks terrible in photos, but it made great things possible in the future.

Whether or not DCA should have followed the same route is a matter of personal opinion, but I think it's pretty safe to say that DCA inarguably did not follow that route. Where Disneyland allowed open spaces and young plants on muddy river banks, DCA mostly allowed more buildings and concrete and paved walkways. The results were more polished than those areas of Disneyland initially were, I'm sure. Whether that was a good choice is, again, personal opinion.

I must say, though, that I've been noticing the foliage growing in more in DCA. And it goes without saying that the area around Grizzly River Run has ample "natural" charm, of course. I'd argue that the trail that winds past the waterfalls and under the GRR lift has enough quiet, appealing, naturalistic immersiveness to rival Big Thunder Trail.

[SoCalFan]

The more I think about this, the more I think you really hit a nail on the head Aladdin. Although I do think DCA is working on fixing landscape issues like I listed in my last post and I think there are charming areas now, the NATURAL landscape and waterscape type experiences are one of those subconscious things that, even though I love DCA, makes it a less "charming" park then DL. DL benefits so much from the jungle that has grown outta the Jungle Cruise and the backwoods along the ROA. DCA has something similar going for it in GRR area but it needs a little more time and even a bigger forest(it needs to take over Condor Flats). Hmm well time will tell if this problem get's fixed and it seems like management does know and is working but you are right Aladdin. I do think Carsland and BVS will massive improvements to landscape...Carsland will be natural landscape and I think more lush than people may think(our BTMR is one of the lushest ones) and BVS will be the beautiful manicured gardens and trees. This thread made a lightbulb pop on in my head as to why DL is more charming. Never had thought of this.

[MarkTwain]

At least partially, yes. Both vegetation and interactivity help people feel more cool and comfortable, and DCA is still lacking in both. Adding more landscaping is a relatively easy way Disney could improve the atmosphere different areas of DCA, and would also help to block sightlines to the outside world, another problem the park has had since opening. As someone else said, the WoC trees are a start, but they've got a long way to go. But both BVS and Paradise Park look like they will be more abundant in landscaping.

Water rides are a bit tougher, as they would require a lot bigger investment to make them a reality. But a shoot-the-chutes ride in Paradise Pier or some other boat dark ride around the park could go a long way to help DCA in this department. Hopefully, the Imagineers realize these are key areas to improve in future expansion.

All of these things create very subtle, almost subconscious feelings in the minds of the average guests, but they are key to the way guests experience a park, and are all part of that "architecture of reassurance" that Walt pioneered with Disneyland.

[explodingboy]

More asphalt and parking spaces, less DCA.

[Trevor]

^Hilarous..... <.<

I agree about the vegetation, but I'm not sold that water rides are as important a factor. They were simply a more popular and efficient method of conveyance available to the Imagineers while Disneyland was being developed and expanded.

[Uncle Bob]

Absolutely, these were some of the greatest problem areas with the original park. I very much wish they had delivered on another boat attraction of some kind in phase one. But I'm happy that they have already made huge steps forward in landscape already in PP and am confident that BVS and CL will be nice as well. Hopefully more imporovements will come to Hollywood, CF and the parade corridor as well.

[Uncle Bob]

^Hilarous..... <.<

I agree about the vegetation, but I'm not sold that water rides are as important a factor. They were simply a more popular and efficient method of conveyance available to the Imagineers while Disneyland was being developed and expanded.

I think boat rides are more fun. It's not everyday that most of us go on a boat. It's just makes it a little different and more fun, and Disney has always used their vehicles in clever ways that support the attraction. Obviously the right ride system needs to go with the right ride, but I would certainly like one or two boat rides in DCA. To me boat rides are a major part of Disney parks and what I expect out of one. To not have a single boat attraction open to all ages in the park still is definitely disappointing.

Also, part of the OP was about the aspect of water in natural waterways around the park. That is definitely another aspect of DL that is done better then DCA. I actually think the new viewing area and SSS made a big difference in PP. But PP still needs a ton of work to really make the pier area more realistic. Not to mention other areas of the park could be improved.

[noleafclover1980]

I say it's less charming... just because, well.. it IS. Disney had a specific vision w/ his parks... and DCA is the exact opposite of it honestly. One takes you out of the real world... to the future, the past, a world of fantasy etc... the other is a crappy carnival w/ random "California" themed attractions all around. Yeah.. THAT'S exotic for a southern Californian. Let's go see pretend California. The park is finally getting better though at least.