August 6, 2009: Souvenir 66

[Werner Weiss]

At Yesterland, shop one more time at this “roadside retail shop.”

Link to Souvenir 66

Please discuss it here.

[Katella Gate]

Thanks for the documentation Werner, I appreciate the effort you put into these.

[wdwnut4life]

great pics. luv all the hats & everything

[stu29573]

This is a great example of an idea that simply didn't work (like so many original ones in this park). The theme made little sense, wasn't carried through the design, location, and merchandise, and had no attention to detail. Hopefully the suits have learned from these mistakes...

[Ferris]

You know, as happy as I am to see the "old" DCA look go away, this one is kind of a shame. Seems like it might have fit in well in the new Cars Land area.

[Werner Weiss]

I took one more photo yesterday and added it at the end of the article.

Link to Souvenir 66

[Tannerman]

Of course there is irony here in a Route 66-themed gift shop being phased out

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

For the ‘California Adventurer’ in us all!”

BLECH. How insulting! LOL.

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

Originally Posted by Ferris

You know, as happy as I am to see the "old" DCA look go away, this one is kind of a shame. Seems like it might have fit in well in the new Cars Land area.

You'll be sad to know they threw out a trash can and replaced it with a new one this morning.

[Athlonacon]

I kind of liked the old DCA because it was always uncrowded and didn't take itself too seriously, it was a nice break away from the overcrowded Disneyland next door. It reminded me more of a Knott's park, which wasn't so bad considering that Knott's is a fun place in itself. The trouble lied in the fact that it was a *Disney* park and right next to Disneyland.

I'm going to miss the uncrowded streets and lighthearted fun of the park. I'm sure it's going to be a million times better when it reopens as the new DCA, but the memories and nostalgia of a simpler era will be with me for a long, long time. Why couldn't Eisner and Pressler have been ousted just 10 years earlier!? If DCA started life out as a true Disney park, the memories of the old DCA wouldn't even exist.

The parking structure, tram and esplanade are still plain as sin. They need to be upgraded as soon as the new DCA is complete. How different things would have been if the current Disney management had built this place.

Excellent article!

[deeness]

I'll also miss the boardwalk style of DCA in many ways, but I am excited to see what's going it's going to look like when it's all done. I'll definitely miss feeling the relief of being in the main park, and heading to a less crowded, but still fun park.

I was really disappointed to hear that they're going to start charging $3 to embroider names on mouse ears! That just seems wrong to me. :\

Great article, however!

[Werner Weiss]

Originally Posted by deeness

I'll also miss the boardwalk style of DCA in many ways, but I am excited to see what's going it's going to look like when it's all done. I'll definitely miss feeling the relief of being in the main park, and heading to a less crowded, but still fun park.

First, welcome to MiceChat!

I think that Paradise Pier will have a far better boardwalk when the work is completed. But I agree that it will be more crowded than in the past.

I was at California Adventure last week. Before last week, my most recent visits were in summer and fall of 2007. California Adventure had noticeably more guests this year -- despite the economy.