Admit it, DCA is gaining momentum

[mikoyle]

It's slowly SLOWLY becoming a solid theme park. Yesterday at DL there was a lot of talk about DCA. It sounded like people were having a good time over there. I heard two little kids say, "I like California Adventure better." My sister loved it, and went early to ride Mike and Sulley. Is Califorinia Adventure perfect? Nope, but it's definitely better than some give it credit for. It needs a unique nighttime spectacle on the water, but...."If you build it they will come."

[inav]

I agree, It just needs a few more rides and better themeing but overall it's a nice park.

[cellarhound]

(I just trewup a little in the back of my throat...)

Not by a long shot, there is still a LOT of work to do...

[dsnyfnatic]

i definitely agree, it is gaining a lot of momentum, i first went shortly after the park opened, and i did not like it all that much (looking back i now realize it was merely because of the company i was with on that trip), but in August of 2004 i took most members of my family there for their first time, and we loved it, and just a few months later we went back (we live in the SF bay area) just to take my brother for HIS first time. they all loved it, and each one of them said to me, "i dont get why it has such a bad reputation," and they are anxiously awaiting the next time we can go. it is going to take a lot to change the park's bad picture in the public's view, but with all of the changes/additions it has already made, and all of those that appear to be in the works, we very well could see by the end of this decade a park that is living up to its original attendance estimates (and perhaps exceed them? shhh lets not get too far ahead of ourselves), and perhaps more importantly than that, we may see that the park has shed its negative image that most of the public has of it.

i know there are many of you out there who will say that the park should have been doing this from the beginning, not 10 years after it was built, but the facts are that is wasnt originally built the way it should be, so now theyre fixing what was broken, and that is most certainly a good thing, and if it takes a while for them to fix all of the problems, so be it, after all, rome wasn't built in a day

all it will take is for the park to continue building and fixing its problems, and i think (and hope) that we'll see a very strong park emerging from its original mess


but thats just my opinion, i could be wrong

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

Gaining momentum? There are fewer rides now than when the park opened. I'm not holding my breath.

[SCUBAbe]

There are fewer rides now than when the park opened.

really?? how's that?

[cellarhound]

Gaining momentum? There are fewer rides now than when the park opened. I'm not holding my breath.

Yeah, I don't think that is supportable CA... Unless of course you mean Restaurants...

Less Restaurants, yes... Yes... Less Restaurants than when it opened... That is true...

Oh, and cheezy souvaneer shops... yes, there are less cheezy sovaneer shops.... (Recounting, ok, maybe not, but it is close...)

And Customers.... there are less customers than when it opened... Yeah, that's true...

Oh, less gates... there is one less gate than when it opened...

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

Well there's no
Millionaire: Play It... or Eisner's Farm (I miss the corn growing in neat rows)

SuperStar Limo (OK just reopened as Monsters Inc but I haven't been on it)
Blast! at the Hyperion is gone (Ok Aladin took its place) and there used to be shows in HPB and Luminaria was presented on the lagoon.

And the Zephyer and Wine Movie are always closed due to winds when I am there...

OK you're right they added Bugs land and Tower but still, a lot of things have kinda of died off.

The sponsorship of the restaurants and evening hours are gone. It's kinda gone downhill in my opinion, and ToT is the only thing that has shored it up.

[inav]

(I just trewup a little in the back of my throat...)

Not by a long shot, there is still a LOT of work to do...
__________________

Excuse Me. I said it was a nice park overall. I also said it needs a few more rides(at three or four) and better themeing both of which are a lot of work in and of themselves. I never said dca is great. To be a great park it just needs more attractions and better themeing. Something can be nice but not great which is dca's current situation. It is nice but not great. The park has the potential to be great, it just takes time and effort.

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

really?? how's that?

As I said, I'm not holding my breath but SCUBAbe if you're under water you definitely should!

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

Excuse Me. I said it was a nice park overall.

Hey don't take it personally, I like you, I just dont neccessarily like DCA.

I am a California Adventurer, though, so I have hope too.

[Aladdin]

Flick's was only a fair addition, themeing was wonderful, but these
are not great attractions. overall a C-

Tower of Terror was almost a step in the right direction, but the one
in Florida is still better. grade B, too bad when they really could
have had an A if they did it right.

Millionaire - added and closed withing a short time after opening,
Grade D. Just another empty building.

Playhouse Disney - Soap Opera Bustro turned to a kiddie show. bleah
Grade D.

Steps in Time ~ show prior to Feb 2001. Grade B+
Steps in Time ~ after Eisners messed up the show Grade D
Blast ~ Grade B
Aladdin ~ Grade B

Thankfully Monsters Inc is a Grade B to Grade B+
BUT one little attraction and a backlot makeover that
went BAD (yes the backlot makeover is still reminiscent of
the OLD BAD regime!!! and FLUNKS big time.

The two worst parts of DCA haven't been touched:

PARADISE PIER ! should have NEVER been allowed in a Disney Park
it's blasphemy to true Disney Fans! Grade FFF

Sun Plaza Area! No magical entry, no travel through time, no berm. Concrete everywhere, It's hideous! Grade FFF. Yeah it's suposedly the next makeover area, but lets face it, this area is practically beyond help

DCA has a LONG way to go before any kind of momentum starts. Aftrer PP is torn out, THEN we'll talk!

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

Thank you Alladin! See they are taking out more attractions than just the tractors and corn.

Oh and Mulholland's got a wall around it now.

[Darkbeer]

From today's Orange County Register... The article was mentioned above the fold on the front page....

Lynn Russ, a teacher in Huntington Beach, was disappointed when Disney raised prices in January 2005, in advance of the 50th anniversary. She said she can't justify spending the full daily admission price for her four-person family because the kids get too tired to experience it all in one day.

"With those crowds, you can't get the value," she said.

Russ broke down in September and bought the cheapest annual passes, at $119 each, and takes her two children on Friday nights or weekdays when they're out of school.

"That's a better deal," she said, "but I'm not sure we'll be able to do it next year." The "2fer" is a bargain, Russ said, only if you want to go to California Adventure.
"Nobody really chooses to go to that park," she said. "The kids want to go to Disneyland." Based on recent strong hotel bookings, it's likely that Disney expects to see steady traffic through the summer.

But at least there is a second option, a 2 day ParkHopper special, where a SoCal can just spend two days at Disneyland, and not be "required" to go to DCA for a day!

[SCUBAbe]

As I said, I'm not holding my breath but SCUBAbe if you're under water you definitely should!

I don't hold my breath underwater...hence the SCUBA....LOL