Disney's CALIFORNIA Adventure

[MiklCraw4d]

Originally Posted by CaliforniaAdventurer

Interesting ideas...

Does anybody have anything further about the Disney's America concept?

A lot of ideas in my monster post earlier were nicked from the original park plans... it was a fairly low-key park (not that big, not loads of attractions) but seemed to be nicely themed and I wouldn't mind spending a day there.

Highlights (many of which I stole for my DCA layover plans):

- Entrance through Civil War Village
- President's Square
- Native America (with Lewis & Clark River Ride... precursor of GRR)
- Civil War Fort on lake with Ironclad boat battle
- 'We the People' - Multimedia presentation inside Ellis Island building
- Enterprise - Factory town with "Industrial Revolution" rollercoaster
- Victory Field - Looks like Condor Flats, with WWII ride in place of Soarin

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

I'm guessing in California, you'd present a NORTHERN Civil War village.

President's Square would be sweet! Especially if they opened it on Presidents Day and let kids come free from George Washington and Abraham Linocoln elementary schools throughout the state. They let kids from GREEN elementary schools attend the Buzz Lightyear launch.

Native America River Ride: I see canoes and a Splash Mountain like adventure but with more splashes and a realistic depiction of Native American life.

Civil War Fort/Lake? Where?

I dunno... The rest of these ideas seem less "fun for the whole family" than DCA.

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

OK so the poll closed and here are the results:

Keep the "California" theme has 59 votes or 46.83%

Give the park a "Disney-Pixar" theme: 12 votes or 9.52%

Give the park a patriotic / historical "Disney's America" theme has 21 votes or 16.67%

Give the park the moniker "Disney's Adventure Park" and focus on thrills has 20 votes or 15.87%.

None of the above has 14 votes or 11.11%.

Voters: 126. This poll is closed

[JediJournalist]

I love the entry to DCA. It reminds me of a beautiful postcard of California. This is something people may have overlooked. The mosaics on either side of the entrance depict icons and landmarks from SoCal and NorCal.

San Diego's Del Coronado Hotel, the L.A. skyline and freeway system, and grapes from Napa Valley are on the left side. The streets of San Francisco and giant redwoods are depicted on the right side.
This attention to detail in this park has led me to believe that the California theme can work, it just needs to be improved.

On a recent trip to Fort Worth, I paid a visit to Six Flags Over Texas. When I entered the gates I found that their "lands" are themed to the six nations that owned Texas throughout its history. Of course over the years, they have gone away from that theme and now have a land themed to a mining town called Boomtown as well as the kiddie themed Bugs Bunny World/Looney Tunes Land that every Six Flags park has to have.

But I say this with respect to DCA because Disney could have lands themed to the nations and cultures that have impacted California. I'm not saying we should see Disney's Three Flags Over California (or four if you count the brief period California was a country). I'm merely saying DCA should celebrate a California that few of us can visit or see rather than show a movie that few people ever see.

A California themed park can work, even in California. It just needs to be appealing to locals and tourists alike. California, Los Angeles in particular, has a habit of bulldozing the past to make room for the future. A chance to visit a California that's been long gone would be just the thing to get people trough the turnstyles.Guests can be able to experience Calidornia's history.

What would be in this Historic California park? Well, first and foremost a land themed to Mexico, that celebrates the richness of Mexican culture as well as the fact that California used to be a part of Mexico. I'm not thinking of something as intricate as the Mexico Pavillion at Epcot, I'm thinking of something more along the lines of Fiesta Village at Knott's Berry Farm.

The Mexico land could feature a restaurant that serves authentic Mexican food. I realize Fronierland already has a Mexican Restaurant, but a sit down resaurant would be nice. If Disney could convince Rick Bayless to open a restaurant here, it would be perfect. Cocina Cucamonga could also be moved here. A Mexican Restarant in a Fisherman's Wharf area always seemed strange to me.

Disney could also use this opportunity to resurrect two charming, albeit stereotypical characters from their past. I'm talking about Panchito and Jose from "Three Caballeros." They could call the Mexico land their home.

By the same token, there could also be a Chinatown in the San Francisco area. A dragon coaster and perhaps a Mulan stage show could be a nice touch.

Hollywood's Golden Age could be re-themed for the Hollywood pictures Backlot section of the park. I think this is the current theme but it needs to be more apparent. There could be some classic cars all around the area which would provide great photo ops and maybe even actors that look like Cary Grant and Marilyn Monroe and other famous celebrities could wander the streets posing for pictures and signing autographs. Universal Studios stopped doing this, so why not?

Not long ago, I remember an article from Disney Magazine that showed the Sci Fi Drive-in restaurant at Disney-MGM Studios. Here guests would eat inside classic cars while watching cheezy sci fi movies at a mock drive-in. Why can't a simliar comcept be used in this part of the park perhaps without sci fi movies. Imagine being able to see "The Wizard of Oz" or the original "Parent Trap" in a drive-in with the family?

Another idea would be themed to California's car culture. I thought Disney could get the rights to use yet another George Lucas franchise. American Graffiti, but then realized that Universal Studios has a Mel's Diner. However, with the runor that DCA may be getting a ride based on the Pixar movie "Cars" this idea may come true.

A land themed to a mining town would be a logical move, given that California started the Gold Rush. But this land would need to be different than Frontierland in both texture and feel.

Condor Flats celebrates California's role in aviation, why not add a few more rides to this section of the park. I could even see Dumbo/Astro Orbitor type ride with an airplane theme here.

Or, it can be expanded to include California's contribution to the space travel. A Mission: Space clone would fit well here, but like the Mining Town, would need to be different than an existing land across the Esplanade.

A land themed to the Native American culture of California would be a nice touch also. Pocahontas could be found here, as well as Koda and Kenai from "Brother Bear" This land would fit in well next to the Grizzy River Run area.

Well those are just some of my ideas. I realized I drew from Six Flags and Knott's for inspiration, but when don't theme parks borrow ideas from one another? Disneyland has borrowed many ideas from its neighbor to the north, Knott's. Whether these were voluntary or coincidental is debatable.

But i'm not here to defend Knott's or Disney, I'm simply here to offer my thoughts on how DCA's them can be improved.

What do you think?

[Baloo]

you do realize that both Disney America and Long Beach Disney sea which were never built do exist in pieces.

The factory tours, the grizzley rapids, the farm area, Paradise pier and several areas of Tokyo Disney Sea are all re-incarnations of both of those unbuilt parks. As a matter of fact both Disney AMerica and the orginal Disney sea proposed for Long Beach had a very similiar pier area like the one built at DCA.

[inav]

Originally Posted by JediJournalist

I love the entry to DCA. It reminds me of a beautiful postcard of California. This is something people may have overlooked. The mosaics on either side of the entrance depict icons and landmarks from SoCal and NorCal.

San Diego's Del Coronado Hotel, the L.A. skyline and freeway system, and grapes from Napa Valley are on the left side. The streets of San Francisco and giant redwoods are depicted on the right side.
This attention to detail in this park has led me to believe that the California theme can work, it just needs to be improved.

On a recent trip to Fort Worth, I paid a visit to Six Flags Over Texas. When I entered the gates I found that their "lands" are themed to the six nations that owned Texas throughout its history. Of course over the years, they have gone away from that theme and now have a land themed to a mining town called Boomtown as well as the kiddie themed Bugs Bunny World/Looney Tunes Land that every Six Flags park has to have.

But I say this with respect to DCA because Disney could have lands themed to the nations and cultures that have impacted California. I'm not saying we should see Disney's Three Flags Over California (or four if you count the brief period California was a country). I'm merely saying DCA should celebrate a California that few of us can visit or see rather than show a movie that few people ever see.

A California themed park can work, even in California. It just needs to be appealing to locals and tourists alike. California, Los Angeles in particular, has a habit of bulldozing the past to make room for the future. A chance to visit a California that's been long gone would be just the thing to get people trough the turnstyles.Guests can be able to experience Calidornia's history.

What would be in this Historic California park? Well, first and foremost a land themed to Mexico, that celebrates the richness of Mexican culture as well as the fact that California used to be a part of Mexico. I'm not thinking of something as intricate as the Mexico Pavillion at Epcot, I'm thinking of something more along the lines of Fiesta Village at Knott's Berry Farm.

The Mexico land could feature a restaurant that serves authentic Mexican food. I realize Fronierland already has a Mexican Restaurant, but a sit down resaurant would be nice. If Disney could convince Rick Bayless to open a restaurant here, it would be perfect. Cocina Cucamonga could also be moved here. A Mexican Restarant in a Fisherman's Wharf area always seemed strange to me.

Disney could also use this opportunity to resurrect two charming, albeit stereotypical characters from their past. I'm talking about Panchito and Jose from "Three Caballeros." They could call the Mexico land their home.

By the same token, there could also be a Chinatown in the San Francisco area. A dragon coaster and perhaps a Mulan stage show could be a nice touch.

Hollywood's Golden Age could be re-themed for the Hollywood pictures Backlot section of the park. I think this is the current theme but it needs to be more apparent. There could be some classic cars all around the area which would provide great photo ops and maybe even actors that look like Cary Grant and Marilyn Monroe and other famous celebrities could wander the streets posing for pictures and signing autographs. Universal Studios stopped doing this, so why not?

Not long ago, I remember an article from Disney Magazine that showed the Sci Fi Drive-in restaurant at Disney-MGM Studios. Here guests would eat inside classic cars while watching cheezy sci fi movies at a mock drive-in. Why can't a simliar comcept be used in this part of the park perhaps without sci fi movies. Imagine being able to see "The Wizard of Oz" or the original "Parent Trap" in a drive-in with the family?

Another idea would be themed to California's car culture. I thought Disney could get the rights to use yet another George Lucas franchise. American Graffiti, but then realized that Universal Studios has a Mel's Diner. However, with the runor that DCA may be getting a ride based on the Pixar movie "Cars" this idea may come true.

A land themed to a mining town would be a logical move, given that California started the Gold Rush. But this land would need to be different than Frontierland in both texture and feel.

Condor Flats celebrates California's role in aviation, why not add a few more rides to this section of the park. I could even see Dumbo/Astro Orbitor type ride with an airplane theme here.

Or, it can be expanded to include California's contribution to the space travel. A Mission: Space clone would fit well here, but like the Mining Town, would need to be different than an existing land across the Esplanade.

A land themed to the Native American culture of California would be a nice touch also. Pocahontas could be found here, as well as Koda and Kenai from "Brother Bear" This land would fit in well next to the Grizzy River Run area.

Well those are just some of my ideas. I realized I drew from Six Flags and Knott's for inspiration, but when don't theme parks borrow ideas from one another? Disneyland has borrowed many ideas from its neighbor to the north, Knott's. Whether these were voluntary or coincidental is debatable.

But i'm not here to defend Knott's or Disney, I'm simply here to offer my thoughts on how DCA's them can be improved.

What do you think?

Great ideas. I would also have a pacific electric car go around the park(something you can't do anymore because of gm[they put 50 cities trolly systems out of business including toontowns ]). I would encopass the mexican section in a replica of one of the california missions(you could even have a restaurant in one of the wings) with a replica sanctuary based on one of the real ones(sorry the restaurant can't go there it's disrespectful if they did, and then they would be able to use it for weddings). My roblem with pocohontas is that she is from virginia and kenai and koda seemed like they were from alaska so someting based on an actual indian tribe from california would be freat. As for the chinatown section great idea but no mulan. How about something fun and educational about their role in the gold rush and transcontinental railroad(hey a runaway train coaster(based on cp engines and cars and not thunder mountain mine trains)through the sierras would be great. To help with the mining town it could be based in the woods complete with a new version of rainbow caverns with gold rush themeing instead of nature's wonderland

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

Originally Posted by inav

My problem with pocohontas is that she is from virginia and kenai and koda seemed like they were from alaska so someting based on an actual indian tribe from california would be great.

OH Come on, Kenai and Koda were Canadians, eh... but they're already in DCA at the Big Brother Challenge trail. And if Frontierland Disneyland is supposed to be on the edge of the Mississippi in the Frontier, they aren't in Virginia there either...

So I say use the Disney Bears and Disney Indian princess ya got.

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

I hope they don't leave things status quo all summer. But any hope of a major new theme overlay and a buildout of the Timon lot starting this year is dwindling as the labor issues and continuing large 50th crowds leave a dark cloud over DL Resort's management.