Top 20 Orange County Business Stories - #6, DCA is a Flop - OC Register, 9/3/06

[Darkbeer]

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister...le_1263295.php

In the past two decades, I've marveled as a Register business journalist – reporter, editor and for the past nine-plus years as columnist – at this town's uncanny ability to stay ahead of the pack.

It's a break-the-rules mind-set that created breakthroughs in technology, housing, finance and branding. It's also an edgy culture that too frequently steps over the line.

Anybody forget our colorful frauds? Or our county's bankruptcy?

To look back over my days in The O.C. – what amounts to a generation of commerce – I've cobbled together a list of the 20 most intriguing business stories, which I'll count down to my No. 1.

My rankings aren't based solely on any sense of importance or an event's impact on the business world, here or afar. These are the stories that appealed to my own curious sense of business evolution: Actions that captured Orange County's entrepreneurial essence – for better or worse.

6. California Adventure

Disneyland's second gate was always going to suffer an inferiority complex. Built during lean times in Disney's checkered corporate past, California Adventure was doomed to a slow start from opening day in 2001. The gamble that atmosphere and dining would mask a shortage of rides was a flop. Still, surrounding improvements to the neighborhood that Disney won as part of its California Adventure investment – most notably the Downtown Disney shopping district between the two parks – reinforced Anaheim's stature as a tourism giant.

[Walt Jr.]

Everyone is so negative!

[TP2000]

I saw this article too Darkbeer! It was a good one, and really summed up the economic and financial impacts on Orange County in the last 20 years.

It didn't surprise me that DCA's failure in the marketplace ranked right up there with the other big stories of the last 20 years.

What does make me laugh however are all the people five years ago who claimed DCA was just fine, that it was performing great, and that the few "minor problems" encountered would be far outweighed by the long term yearly performance of the new park. And there's still a few of those folks, like Marcie on Mouseinfo, who still clinged to that story as recently as just a few months ago.

DCA is to theme parks what Edsel is to automobiles. Ford was able to sell hundreds of thousands of Edsels to customers before it was mercifully removed from the marketplace, but it was still a failure. Unfortunately, DCA isn't just a car you can move off a lot and replace with a better selling Mercury Marauder or Galaxie 500 the following year. DCA still sits there not living up to expectations year after year.

[tcsnwhite]

this gets real old... Sorry, had to say it. And don't forget, a lot of the SoCal print media ( a few in particular) have always had negative things to say about Disneyland and the resort.

[3rdshiftCM]

DCA has been a flop since the day it opened!

I'm just glad the Co. will finally admit it and is doing something to fix it.

The article is just telling the truth.

[TP2000]

this gets real old... Sorry, had to say it. And don't forget, a lot of the SoCal print media ( a few in particular) have always had negative things to say about Disneyland and the resort.

The OC Register has always been counted on to devote tons of positive coverage to Disneyland's newest stuff. When New Tomorrowland opened in 1998 the Register devoted huge front page coverage that was gushing in its praise for the new land, and it followed it up with an entire pull-out section in full color that detailed page after page of information about New Tomorrowland and the new rides, shows, restaurants and attractions. They did the same thing for Indy, Light Magic, DCA's Grand Opening, Flik's Fun Fair and Tower of Terror. Their ongoing coverage of the succesful 50th campaign has been glowing in its praise and complimentary tone.

The OC Register is the home town paper, and it knows which side of the bread it's buttered on. They always provide Disneyland with tons of free publicity when they open something new. The Submarines next spring will undoubtedly get more gushing praise, and yet another big full-color pullout section detailing how exciting the new ride is and how quickly the readers should pack up the kids in the SUV and drive to Anaheim to experience it.

But sometimes the local media just have to call it like they see it. And like it or not, this is the reputation DCA has in the broader marketplace five years after it opened.

[tcsnwhite]

I still say it's getting old. and tiring. how much more are we going to beat this dead horse...

[DLDCALVR]

I still say it's getting old. and tiring. how much more are we going to beat this dead horse...

Amen!!!

[MasterGracey]

Everyone is so negative!

this gets real old... Sorry, had to say it. And don't forget, a lot of the SoCal print media ( a few in particular) have always had negative things to say about Disneyland and the resort.

I still say it's getting old. and tiring. how much more are we going to beat this dead horse...

Amen!!!

Sorry, but I have to disagree with all of you. When Bob Iger, Disney CEO says "In the spirit of candor: we've been challenged" in regards to DCA, and when Disney spent a load of money not only on a new darkride, but on re-themeing a large chunk of a land in the park when the new ride could have fit in without the re-themeing, theres some obvious admission of failure.

Maybe if Disney was still ignoring the failure of DCA, and most of the negativity was coming from jaded Disney enthusiasts, then I wouldn't think twice about your exhaustion of the critics. But the fact of the matter is that DCA is a problem. And theres no denying it when major print media is still talking about it's failures 5 years after the fact, and when Disney itself is admitting it, well, its time for all of you DCA defenders to really admit it yourselves as well.

I'm not saying to turn around and abandon the park that you enjoy. But its time to stop disagreeing that the park is a failure, and stop saying that the critics of the park are kicking a dead horse. 5 years later and the park still has numerous unused venues, unimaginitive attractions, and the unability to soak up a tourist's full day... Well, my friends, it's time to admit that the park needs help.


And anyway, wouldn't you want to walk around a "plussed" DCA some day? The park you so very much enjoy, but 10x better than it currently is? I know I would.

[Aladdin]

I still say it's getting old. and tiring. how much more are we going to beat this dead horse...

your right, DCA IS a dead horse!

We'll keep beating the dead horse until Paradise Pier collapses!

hahahahahhahaha

[Uzmati]

And anyway, wouldn't you want to walk around a "plussed" DCA some day? The park you so very much enjoy, but 10x better than it currently is? I know I would.

Who EVER said they didn't want to see DCA "Plused"? I've never seen that comment ONCE in far too many of these DCA bashes.

your right, DCA IS a dead horse!

We'll keep beating the dead horse until Paradise Pier collapses!

hahahahahhahaha

Beat away, I've got an ignore list.


DCA ain't perfect but it is fun. I've never seen ANYONE say they wouldn't like to see it "Plused" .

If you, the same old cast of DCA Hating posters, find DCA such a failure and of no worth how come so many of you seem to go almost every weekend? Let me guess, you were just cutting through DCA to get to some alcohol and accidentally took a hundred more pictures and wrote yet another trip report. Yeah right.

[HydroGuy]

If you, the same old cast of DCA Hating posters, find DCA such a failure and of no worth how come so many of you seem to go almost every weekend? Let me guess, you were just cutting through DCA to get to some alcohol and accidentally took a hundred more pictures and wrote yet another trip report. Yeah right.

Uz, I have to give you a hard time here because I thought you were not going to post on any negative DCA threads anymore.

In any case, even those who are not "DCA Haters" need to recognize that DCA attendance has not met Disney expectations. From that point of view it has been a flop.

In my general experience not everything that fails to meet expectations is therefore a failure. Such things might in fact be a failure, or they might require changes or just time in order to succeed. The Walt Disney Company has obviously concluded changes are necessary. And if they are successful in improving/plussing DCA, everyone will benefit.

[wulfblat]

I do not find the threads about DCA and its issues to be old or tiring. My wife and I visited Disneyland for the first time since DCA opened just this past September. Of our five day vacation, we ran out of things we wanted to do at DCA after only half a day. We had no such trouble at Disneyland (and Downtown Disney) and could have spent even more of the remaining four and a half days there.

There were things at DCA we liked and enjoyed, but they were very few, and once we did them once or twice, we had no desire to wade through the rest of DCA again to enjoy them.

We only visit the resort every other year, and we really want to enjoy everything that's available, but DCA will continue to be a half day visit for us until major improvements are made.

By remaining quiet and assuming all will be well with DCA, we risk Disneyland management assuming they only need to make a few inexpensive "adjustments" to make it all better.

As long as DCA is in need of major improvements, I say let the negative posts about it fly!

[Baloo]

As if we didn't know that the Orange County newspaper has always had a hard-.. for the Disney company.

Its getting old.

The writer needs to see the real economical impact that the park and the resorts expansion has done to rehabilitate an aging infrustructure in what is now the Anaheim resort.

[MasterGracey]

Who EVER said they didn't want to see DCA "Plused"? I've never seen that comment ONCE in far too many of these DCA bashes.

But by ignoring DCA's faults and dismissing criticisms you're letting DCA continue as it is. If the consumer base remains silent and appears content, Disney won't do anything to "plus" the park. They won't make it better.

DCA ain't perfect but it is fun. I've never seen ANYONE say they wouldn't like to see it "Plused" .

I never said it wasn't fun. But a half a days worth of half-hearted fun simply doesnt measure up to a full day's of quality fun at Disneyland across the esplanade.

If you, the same old cast of DCA Hating posters, find DCA such a failure and of no worth how come so many of you seem to go almost every weekend? Let me guess, you were just cutting through DCA to get to some alcohol and accidentally took a hundred more pictures and wrote yet another trip report. Yeah right.

Why do we continue to go there? 2 reasons:

• ACCESSIBILITY: Since many of us have Annual Passes, DCA is available to us essentially for free.
• ENJOYMENT: Just like you said that you never said that Disney shouldn't plus the park, we aren't saying that we don't have ANY fun at DCA, but we're saying that despite having some fun, we're still underwhelmed.

Oh, and yeah, some MiceChatters might just be cutting through to get some drink on at the Cove Bar.