The Good And Bad of DCA

[Nemo88]

DCA is getting better. That's good thing, but it is currently an add-on park. You visit DCA as part of a 2-park, 2-day trip.


would you fly across the country just to visit Disney MGM? doubtful.
all of these secondary gates are add-on parks,thats the point,they are not meant to be the primary draw,even in WDW Epcot,DMGM,DAK are all the "side dishes" while MK is the main course.

[Jspider]

actualy it's arguable for some people Epcot is a main draw (even though it's considred boaring by thrill seakers and the simpsons ) and it's what you see as the symbol of WDW I think were as I think of DL when I see the Castle

and actualy yes I have seen alotta spinners and off the shelf this and that at carnivals they just don't have as much themeing but they are there and my town is pretty darn small no they don't have coasters and a raft ride

but silverwood does and that's not to far away for anyone in the Washington/Idaho area and Silverwood has MORE coasters ontop of that

nobody assosiates shows with theme parks when you visit a park it's like icing on the cake I'd say you don't really think about it while your planning a trip and it's not something that's advertised much and it probably won't be one of your biggest memory's when compared to the rides. shows do add a bit but they're not something that will bring people in as much as you'd think

yes ToT will be a big thing as DCA will finaly have an E-ticket and something that tells people like me that yes I MUST stay another day to ride that and Screamin

I still think it has the most in common with MGM even though you seem to disagree I will however admit that it will deff become much greater then MGM and I will say that nobody goes down to DW to spend a day at MGM (some might still for AK because it's new but even that is pretty much dead so you could throw that in too if you want)

once ToT opens I will say that DCA is equal to and maybe even slightly greater than most of the secondary parks and that I would simply enjoy more theming added to it

[Nemo88]

and actualy yes I have seen alotta spinners and off the shelf this and that at carnivals they just don't have as much themeing but they are there and my town is pretty darn small no they don't have coasters and a raft ride


and you can find spinners and carny rides like Dumbo and teacups at many carnivals too.DCA aint th eonly Disney park with carny elements.

[Mystic: Orange]

I will admit that I haven't read most of the posts in this thread, so I'm sorry if I'm repeating anything.

I found this interesting though, especially the last sentence:

"The tiny park was to include a Main Village, complete with a train encircling the park, a village green with bandstand, Town Hall, police and fire departments, corner drugstore with soda fountain, opera house, movie theater, and other staples of smal-town life. A nearby Western Village would be home to a general store, pony ring, and stagecoach rides. Other proposed areas included an old-fashion farm and a carnival filled with midway games, roller coasters, and merry-go-rounds." (Pg.13 of "The Haunted Mansion: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies")

These were Walt's ideas for his "dream park", and note, they included alot of what makes up Paradise Pier, which many people are criticizing for being very un-Disney.

[Nemo88]

Other proposed areas included an old-fashion farm and a carnival filled with midway games, roller coasters, and merry-go-rounds.


sounds like Walt is describing DCA.

everything down to the farm area even.

[Jspider]

true, I never said DCA wasn't very un disney

disney has built up certain expectations of what a disneypark is as opposed to what a competitors park would be

anywho yes I know that Dumbo is there and I hate the fact that the Orbitor was moved down in TL cause that makes essentualy two dumbos 9_9

however Disneyland doesn't rely half as much on Dumbo and Teacups to increase there "we have stuff for kids" as DCA does add a couple small dark rides or a fairly decent sized one and I'd be satisfied with that being a complete experience

ToT will deff make the park unique and with another attraction with equal themeing DCA would be a great one day visit on it's own

what I really would like to see though is a good water park added it would really round out the resort experience you'd have your cheep second gate your main draw and an awsome water park

with that I think Disney would acomplish it's goal

[Gothemi]

I don't like the fact that there aren't many shade trees or posts around. I understand that DL has had trees up and growing since '55, but something has to be done about the shade issues. IMO.

I also don't like that disconnected feeling from DL there. I don't feel the same "magical" experience as will DL. Maybe after some nice big new E-ticket rides and some time to build a history it might be better.

[BoBa BoI]

i don't necessarily think DCA needs more E-tickets, if you think about it, it actually does have its fair share of them, it just needs to be more dense and big. It just feels so small, everything lacks grandeur, well in relation to alot of the buildings that are visible outside the walls. and i think hyperion should seriously get a lobby. it would make it feel less cheap, i mean its great that we can take amazing pictures of ToT but its almost done. i think they should just cover that area and make a nice grand lobby, with a grand staircase, and everything. there's too many parts of DCA where it looks like they've cut corners. it reminds me alot of parts of USH. there are some things at DCA i could not agree more with... such as the animation building. i can't ever shuttup about that place i swear. it was beautifully done. and the tortilla factory, wow i like that B-ticket feel of just being a small place to concentrate on lighter entertainment. i still like golden dreams, and i admit i cried once while watching it. so i think it deserves an indoor walk way, something similar to muppets. it feels strange to be waiting outside, with those rails. muppets on the otherhand is an aging show, 3-D shows have never been able to last long with park guests. 4-D shows don't even last long. maybe its because i've seen the show too many times over the years or how it bugs me that at the end when kermit goes in with the firetruck i know that that area behind him is Disney MGM.... whatever. i'm just kind of over it. and its a pity that we have clone of who wants to be a millionaire play it. i think people get over fads too quickly and the sudden boost in attraction attendance doesn't linger. whereas a ride like indiana jones always brings in a healthy amount of guests.

i couldn't dissagree more with paradise pier, that place is a nightmare for me. i always thought of disney would never resort to carnival type atmostphere... and there we have it. i mean regardless of what the original idea said.... i've seen the first artist rendering, and if you ask me... it looks more like knott's. and no it doesn't have a rollercoaster, or carnival, or midway games drawn in. From what i recall and what i'm looking at now... Walt decided he was going to break the mold from what amusement parks have become... He wanted something that was all about landscape and theming, things that whipped around and went up and down and those midway games took a back seat in Walt's vision. The banks were apalled. If its not really unDisney, and it was more of a required factor, then Walt himself would've put them into Disneyland while he was still alive. Well there is a roller coaster, but at least it was heavily themed. But yes the first ever steel tubular rollercoaster ever built commercially is at disneyland.

but i do love california screamin' i dont' particularly like the name still. but that ride grows on you, the first time i thought it was annoying, and for some strange reason i've been having some of the best airtime of my life on that thing(second only to ToT of course). its a pretty intense ride for disney. i've had more white knuckle thrill on it than RnR. but the rest of the paradise pier area dissappoints me. well ok gotta love the big ferris wheel i thought i'd never see one outside of new york, but wow yah gotta love that thing. lol wow i couldn't stop talking, its turning into a whole DCA critique...

so before i get too ahead of myself... generally i think there are alot of good things about the park, but it sells itself short. i like everything that is original about it, but i'm begging for more. i mean there are people out there who hate DCA, but they are limiting themselves and not seeing what the park does have. and some of the people who love DCA are missing the point when the park is criticized for something and may not see that there is a problem that needs to be address. the way i see it, i see why both sides have founded opinions. The way i see it, is there's a alot of adequate stuff at DCA; but at the end of the day (which in a trip to DCA would be noon) i don't feel satisfied- especially if i've spent 45 dollars. whereas in disneyland, i could spend a whole day there and feel good about it. that's why i've been lucky recently to have park hoppers. i think that if DCA was more of an extention of disneyland, it works for me.

[woody]

"The tiny park was to include a Main Village, complete with a train encircling the park, a village green with bandstand, Town Hall, police and fire departments, corner drugstore with soda fountain, opera house, movie theater, and other staples of smal-town life. A nearby Western Village would be home to a general store, pony ring, and stagecoach rides. Other proposed areas included an old-fashion farm and a carnival filled with midway games, roller coasters, and merry-go-rounds." (Pg.13 of "The Haunted Mansion: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies")

These were Walt's ideas for his "dream park", and note, they included alot of what makes up Paradise Pier, which many people are criticizing for being very un-Disney.

Yes, it is un-Disney especially if this sentence is verified true.

You see, Disney might have considered this version of "Disneyland" before he ended up with Main Street for the Main Village, Frontierland for the Western Village, and Fantasyland for the carnival. In all likelihood, this was what occurred.

When they built DCA, did they cite this source as their inspiration? I never heard an argument for this based on Walt. In fact, it would be redundant if they did. It would be step backwards to design DCA based on Walt's original idea for Disneyland.

After they opened DCA, I felt the new park was lacking in ambition. When you cited this quote, it brought to light the unrefinement of this park. DCA was poorly put together especially since the current Disneyland doesn't even resemble Walt's orginal idea.

Are we to believe DCA is a prequel to Disneyland? There's the conumdrum.

[woody]

i don't necessarily think DCA needs more E-tickets, if you think about it, it actually does have its fair share of them, it just needs to be more dense and big. It just feels so small, everything lacks grandeur, well in relation to alot of the buildings that are visible outside the walls. and i think hyperion should seriously get a lobby. it would make it feel less cheap, i mean its great that we can take amazing pictures of ToT but its almost done. i think they should just cover that area and make a nice grand lobby, with a grand staircase, and everything. there's too many parts of DCA where it looks like they've cut corners.

You're being illogical with your argument. If DCA lacks grandeur, it's the lack of E-Tickets. Usually E-Tickets are fully realized projects. At DCA, it's barely E-Tickets like Soarin', Screamin', and GRR are not the complete experience that we usually associate with Disney's E-Tickets.

DCA is a D-Ticket park. Cheap all around.