Animation Building Changes for DCA

[JiminyCricketFan]

I look at the dismal exterior of the Animation building and I think, what were they thinking?

Second, the changes to the exterior is NOT ENOUGH. Here is my list:

1) First and foremost, animation deserves to be a whole "land" at DCA. Disney animation was almost totally created in California! It is the state of movie making. Disney is the most famous animation producer. To throw one building up to represent the core Disney contribution is STUPID!

2) The area or building or what ever they do should have giant animated figures in front. It could look at fun at the All Star Resorts do at WDW! That would attract kids. It would make for fun picture taking too. Add a few attractions with characters and you have a "land."

3) Kids and adults DO NOT WANT TO BECOME ANIMATORS! They want to meet animated characters and experience animated movies! Put them in 101 Dalmatians. Put them in Tarzan. Put them in Beauty in the Beast. I don't want to see drawings, I want to be in the Enchanted Castle and have candlesticks talk with me!

There is nothing fun or magical about watching people draw or watching kids attempt to draw. Why pay more than $50 to see that when they can do that at home?

[goldenstate5]

Read Al's article...wish come true...

[aerinpegadrak]

Personally, I love the animator's workshop. I especially love the lobby with all the concept sketches and such. Of course, I also realize that I spend hours watching the special features on DVDs of animated movies, and I want to work for Pixar. So I do recognize that I'm a bit more interested than the average guest. I'm all for more animation-related stuff at DCA, but I think there should still be something where you get to try your hand yourself, to encourage the artists and animators of tomorrow.

[Disney Analyst]

They should devise a helmet, you wear it, and you could say walk through the castle, and talk with the candlesticks and broom

[JiminyCricketFan]

Originally Posted by aerinpegadrak

Personally, I love the animator's workshop. I especially love the lobby with all the concept sketches and such. Of course, I also realize that I spend hours watching the special features on DVDs of animated movies, and I want to work for Pixar. So I do recognize that I'm a bit more interested than the average guest. I'm all for more animation-related stuff at DCA, but I think there should still be something where you get to try your hand yourself, to encourage the artists and animators of tomorrow.

You are right. Encouraging artists of the future is a good thing. (I just wish there was a Disney Animation Unit to hire them when they grow up! ) I think PART of what Disney could do is an Animation workshop or something like that. I just wanted to stress that Disney is missing a wonderful theme for a "California Adventure" and it is right under their noses! I want to experience the magic and not find out how the magic was done. (which ruins the magic!)

[innerSpaceman]

The facade of a building is hardly the thing that most draws people: it's reputation. Nothing is going to improve that rep if the stunning lobby alone, perhaps the most enthralling public interior space at the entire resort, does not get bodies in there just to gawk.

The current facade, also, is absolutely brilliant. If the ever-changing color patterns of the drawings inside the beautifully-shaped window panes don't draw anyone in (pun intended), then no amount of blinking lights and semi-functional neon will do the trick.


Changing the facade is a bad-enough move, but if they destroy the Lobby while trying to save the facility, they will have thrown the baby out with the bath water.

[JiminyCricketFan]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

The facade of a building is hardly the thing that most draws people: it's reputation...

Well, I cannot really agree. There are many attractions that have such an intriguing facade that I wanted to ride or explore them before anyone knew what it was. Some examples are the Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, It's a Small World and Tower of Terror. Without knowing anything about the attraction, one would want to go in and explore. A facade IS part of the show.

Now as to reputation, Disney Animation still has a VERY good reputation. I cannot speak for everyone, but my first impression of the Animation Building is it looks like offices. It almost says STAY AWAY this is backstage. I have seen more colorful imaginative theming at my local mall. Even the facade of a Disney Store looks more creative and inviting than the exterior of the current Animation Building. Even the attractive topic of Disney Animation cannot overcome the exterior.

[nish221]

Originally Posted by JiminyCricketFan

Well, I cannot really agree. There are many attractions that have such an intriguing facade that I wanted to ride or explore them before anyone knew what it was. Some examples are the Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, It's a Small World and Tower of Terror. Without knowing anything about the attraction, one would want to go in and explore. A facade IS part of the show.

Now as to reputation, Disney Animation still has a VERY good reputation. I cannot speak for everyone, but my first impression of the Animation Building is it looks like offices. It almost says STAY AWAY this is backstage. I have seen more colorful imaginative theming at my local mall. Even the facade of a Disney Store looks more creative and inviting than the exterior of the current Animation Building. Even the attractive topic of Disney Animation cannot overcome the exterior.

Agree completely.... irregardless of what you think about the lobby (which IMHO is completely awesome), the facade really is weak. The marquee is "ok" but the front
(at the street level) has very little that attracts people in. In fact, that entrance could
easily have been mistaken as a CM entrace! There's very little signage or alluring at that level.
Even the rest of the facade is pretty blase. The "swooping" front (I guess like a reel of film) is interesting, but nothing is really done with that. No movie posters, no glimpses of movies, etc.

Nothing really to tell the passer-by what's inside or interest them.

BTW. The "Learn to draw" is probably exactly what they have at the MGM-Disney
Studios in Orlando. It's somewhat interesting and kids like it (and they actually hire real artists for that job; mine was a former Studio animator). But on the other hand, I already know how to draw most of the characters, so it wasn't anything new (but I did pickup some pointers on Goofy.:-)

[aerinpegadrak]

I didn't even realize there was anything back there, the first time. I was wandering through On the Page and ended up in the lobby. The facade could definitely use a touch-up, just to make it a bit more obvious that there's an attraction there.

I think there's also a great opportunity for character meet 'n' greet in that gorgeous lobby. One time I took refuge from the heat in the lobby and discovered Aurora, Snow White, Cinderella, Aladdin, Hercules, and Sorcerer's Apprentice Mickey just hanging out there without visible handlers and with hardly any guests. When Snow White's music came on, Mickey grabbed her and they started waltzing around. It was one of the most unique and wonderful things I've ever seen at the park, and is still one of my favorite Disney memories. There should be more stuff like that.

I would be all for a big giant land devoted to animation. Especially if they got some actual animators to hang out there, so maybe one of them could get me a job.

[Disney Vault]

Do people not like the exterior of the animation building? I always that it was so cool.

[Larxene1959]

I think you're getting confused with the outside....

But as for the outside, I think it's okay, but they need SOMETHING to direct attention over there... (seven out of my 15 internet buddies who went to DCA didn't even know it existed!)

and put more scenes in where you get to put your voice into a Disney character!!!

[DL_CRAZE]

well, this is not the first time weve had changes

Disney Animation 2001:
Animation Courtyard
Drawn to Animation
Animation Screening Room: Back to Neverland
The Art of Animation
Sorcerror's Workshop

Disney Animation Late 2001:
Back to Neverland replaced with Walt: One Man's Dream

Disney Animation 2005:
Queue to One Man's Dream replaced with Princess Meet n' Greet
One Man's Dream and Meet n' Greet replaced with Turtle Talk

Future 2005 Changes:
The entrance to the attraction completely changed.
Animation Courtyard recieves Kiosk and other changes.
Art of Animation replaced with Disney Meet n' Greet.
Drawn to Animation replaced with Animation Academy

Im looking forward to the new entrance facade, but the Meet n' Greet and Animation Academy are just a waste.

[JiminyCricketFan]

Originally Posted by aerinpegadrak

I didn't even realize there was anything back there, the first time....

Now I have been thinking about it. This remark is a clue. I now know why few people enter the Animation Building. It is on the Hollywood backlot. That is the answer!

Now I know what a backlot is. It is a series of real looking buildings that are really fake. In Florida, you can go on the DMGM backlot tour and see very realistic buildings that have nothing behind them. Universal does the same thing. Why would we assume that a backlot street is really real buildings?

Now when I first walked down the Hollywood Backlot for the first time, I remember encountering the Movie Theater. No, wait. It really is not a Movie Theater, but a wiener stand. This movie theater no one can enter unlike all other movie theaters. Oh, that's right! This is a BACKLOT which has fake facades.

Now, Disney has carried the fake facade theme through various buildings on the street. But Disney has fooled you. One of the real looking buildings that is supposed to be a fake facade is really a REAL building.

Now Disney management wonders why people don't go in this real looking facade building even though they have dancing performers outside (which makes it look EVEN MORE like a stage and not a real building!)

Now to fix this problem they propose to make the outside look EVEN MORE real! Does any of this make any sense?

Disney needs to figure out what their theme is on this street and stick with it. Changing it with various buildings you see on the street only creates confusion.

[drnilescrane]

^^ The only REAL Animation Building

[aerinpegadrak]

The building looks real enough, you just wouldn't really expect to find an attraction there if you weren't looking, because there aren't really any clear indications of what it is. It's amazing inside, but outside, it's overshadowed by Off the Page.

(Of course, having said that, I haven't been to DCA since August, and probably won't get a very good look at it on Sunday morning, haha. I'll have to take a better look at it the next time I'm there.)