LA Times review of Flicks

[Santa Monica]

So when will Disney increase the height requirements to Big Thunder and the Matterhorn?????

Probably when OSHA gets on their case again.

Originally posted by jeremyh


And yet, imagine how bad the review would've been if Disney had just stuck in a plain old playground..

I also don't get the "value" argument, which makes it sound like your price of admission only gets you into FFF. Here I thought it got you admission into the whole park, silly me. :rolleyes:

Very good points.

[DLMAGICDARREN]

I still think that the bad reviews will continue for many reasons.

1) A child not know see a big difference between Hemlich, or Wyle E. Cayote, (the old coaster from Bugs Bunny World), but they do know the difference of a train and a mini coaster.

2) Previews paid by passholders should not be sold, only to later have soft openings that got guests into the area earlier, that didn't pay extra.

3) What the heck does Flick have to do with California?

4) Kids know how to count, Bugs Bunny World and Camp Snoopy each offer more then four rides. While the theming can be argued by all the adults over these discussion boards the target audience of children under seven going on kiddie carnival rides do not debate theming the way we adults do. They count rides.

5) Themed bathrooms were invented at Six flags years before Disney opened this land.

6) Still don't see one attraction in the area that has not already been done elsewhere, a train, a teacups similar ride, a Tweety Cage type ride, and bumper cars that go slower then most bumper cars. Hmmmmmm.

Not saying kids won't like it, but it's doubtful to me we'll see a boost in attendance due to this Mini Biugs, land. We can discuss it further in about 2 months when the results are in.

I'll see for myself in December!

[Santa Monica]

Boy disney sure wasted their money on theming the place. they could have churned out another mouse coaster and paradise pier area minus all the theming and get the same reviews.

[jeremyh]

Originally posted by DLMAGICDARREN
2) Previews paid by passholders should not be sold, only to later have soft openings that got guests into the area earlier, that didn't pay extra.

3) What the heck does Flick have to do with California?
...
5) Themed bathrooms were invented at Six flags years before Disney opened this land.

RE#2, obviously they have to have a soft opening before the passholder event to make sure things are working right, etc. Most of the time we checked FFF was closed, but for a few select hours, it was open. I agree with your assessment that it shouldn't be a charged event, but I think that if it was free, then they also shouldn't give out anything with it. Don't the APers get a special map or pin or something? So in essence, they aren't necessarily paying to get into FFF but for the items they receive

#3 - California, at least SoCal, is absolutely infested with ants. No matter how much bug killer I spread in my yard I still find trails every day. That's the best explanation I can think of.

#5 - I forgot about the bathroom! As crazy as it sounds, you have to spend some time in the bathrooms. They have a soundtrack to them. It's more than just music or bug sounds, but if you go in and out quickly you might not pick up on it. I don't want to say more and spoil it.. In fact, with the whole thing about Disney doing something special or surprising what makes it Disney, and FFF not having that, maybe those people didn't use the bathroom. lol! My advice is take your time at the FFF restroom.

-Jeremy

[splashtodd]

Actually, you have spend at least 18 minutes worth of time in the bathroom to hear everything.

At SFMM, would those be the ghetto, gang-infested themed restrooms? Do they play ganster rap in the restroom?

[jonvn]

"5) Themed bathrooms were invented at Six flags years before Disney opened this land."

Bathroom theming was done at Disney in the 50s, long before Six Flags existed.

The theming for them has gotten more elaborate over the years, but they were themed, particularly the exteriors.

[jeremyh]

18 minutes, huh? Well, I'm not suggesting occupying a stall for that long! But maybe volunteer to be the one to take your child to the bathroom..

BTW, thank goodness Disney finally started putting in "Family" bathrooms. Those of us dads with daughters are not a big fan of dragging them through the mens room, past the urinals, and then having to answer a maelstrom of questions regarding the urinals, why men and/or boys are standing there, etc etc. Plus I'm sure some men and little boys probably aren't so excited about having a girl coming through the mensroom..

Two big thumbs up on that decision!

[Marcie]

I think what people (and this LA Times writer included) seem to be missing is that FFF is a response to guest concerns about the park not having enough to do for the younger guests. The area was not built to answer the attendance challenges like some have been trying so hard to imply. Will the new area be heavily promoted to help boost attendance? Of course, but it isn't meant to be a long term attendance booster. You don't see marketing campaigns highlighting the dark rides in Fantasyland. Why, because they have no marketable value in boosting attendance at Disneyland. The dark rides are part of the overall package of Disneyland. FFF is part of the overall package at DCA and shouldn't be considered some major draw like an Indiana Jones was for Disneyland or what Tower of Terror will be for DCA in 2004.

The comments of "it may bring in people now, but I'm not sure about repeat visits," shows that some are just not understanding the true intent behind the building of FFF. I doubt seriously that FFF will be heavily promoted, and perhaps not even mentioned at all in future promotions after 2003. Disney knew full well building Flik's that this wasn't going to be a major E-ticket draw for the park, but it does greatly help DCA with better balancing out the park's offerings for all ages. And for the time being the marketing message for FFF needs to be strong in showing families that DCA now has offerings for kids.

Soon, the marketing message for DCA will include FFF, Aladdin Show, and Playhouse Disney as all the new offerings for DCA for 2003. That has more of a marketing power in highlighting a number of new offerings to pull people in the gates than just a kids area alone.

As for the comments of FFF being the same as those areas at Six Flags. A vast majority of the audience that visits a Disney park isn't the same audience that goes to a Six Flags park. Regardless, for those families that do go to both, there will now be attractions at DCA that will appeal to the younger members of their group instead of completely overlooking them. I find this argument that because it is found at a Six Flags park that it cannot be accepted at a Disney park to be greatly flawed.

There are many rides and attractions in the Disney parks that are very similar to rides found in Six Flags parks. The only difference is the overdressing, theming and surrounding atmosphere. I can tell you that FFF, IMO, is far superior to that of any of Six Flags areas that are dedicated to the younger audience in theming, character appeal and just plain fun. And, as Splashtodd so accurately pointed out, the overall park environment is safer and nicer with the crowd mix at DCA than at most Six Flags parks.

Also, why are some trying to split hairs over if FFF is appropriate for a California themed park or not? FFF is about BUGS and maybe some are free of having any bugs in their homes in California, but I find them all the time at my house. Not only that, bugs are a big part of the agriculture business of California, so if you want to split hairs about this issue then it seems they are themed appropriately for the park's overall theme. Instead of making them so realistic and gross like the real things, they are whimsical and comical in their presentation in a typical Disney fashion.

For you Darren, I would like to say that Six Flags may offer kid areas that have more than 4 rides each, but that is primarily due to the fact that they offer very little for the same age group out in the rest of the park. Six Flags parks target teenage and 20-something crowds, so most all of their rides outside their little Bugs Bunny World's are not suitable for kids.

While DCA lacks in the area of kid offerings compared to Disneyland, the park still has a lot more to offer for kids outside FFF than a typical Six Flags park does including their Bugs Bunny World. FFF shouldn't only be looked at as the only offering for kids DCA, but rather a complete package with what the rest of the park offers for kids as well.

With that in mind, DCA fairs quite well compared to any other Six Flags park.

It is interesting that whenever a newspaper "reporter" writes a negative paper on DCA that it is typically the same bunch that jumps all over it on the boards. This guy is a theme park geek like many on the boards and his opinion isn't any more important than anyone else who posts on any of the Disney websites.

FFF offers more ride adventures and fun than Toontown did when it opened back in 1993. I think it is a great addition to DCA and greatly helps the park now provide attraction offerings for all ages.

[ehoard]

I have a feeling that if they didn't have the soft opening to get the "bugs" out before the AP events, the AP's who like to gripe would have that they didn't have a soft opening to make sure everything worked before they spent money to go in there.

It always seemed to me that you were paying for all the extras for the AP previews. Considering you'd be hard pressed to get a pin, map, snack and whatever else you get for 10 bucks. And the others include hotel stays and stuff.

So basically...STOP WHINNING ABOUT SOFT OPENINGS ALREADY!!!! Jeez, get over it already.

[DLMAGICDARREN]

Originally posted by Marcie
For you Darren, I would like to say that Six Flags may offer kid areas that have more than 4 rides each, but that is primarily due to the fact that they offer very little for the same age group out in the rest of the park. Six Flags parks target teenage and 20-something crowds, so most all of their rides outside their little Bugs Bunny World's are not suitable for kids.

While DCA lacks in the area of kid offerings compared to Disneyland, the park still has a lot more to offer for kids outside FFF than a typical Six Flags park does including their Bugs Bunny World. FFF shouldn't only be looked at as the only offering for kids DCA, but rather a complete package with what the rest of the park offers for kids as well.

With that in mind, DCA fairs quite well compared to any other Six Flags park.

It is interesting that whenever a newspaper "reporter" writes a negative paper on DCA that it is typically the same bunch that jumps all over it on the boards. This guy is a theme park geek like many on the boards and his opinion isn't any more important than anyone else who posts on any of the Disney websites.

FFF offers more ride adventures and fun than Toontown did when it opened back in 1993. I think it is a great addition to DCA and greatly helps the park now provide attraction offerings for all ages.

It's also intresting that whenever any article is written from the Orange County Register, LA Times, or Orlando Sentinel, it's blasted as innacurate, no matter who the auther, if it's negative about DCA, it's untrue.

I agree and never said that Six Flags as a whole is a better park then DCA, I've never claimed that. But FFF's four new rides, compared to Bugs Bunny's World is an entirlely different topic.

So lets compare the non FFF DCA park to the non BBW Six Flags park, and see who has a family park?

1) Both have a careseoul
2) Both have a rapids ride
3) DCA has two coasters with height restrictions, SFMM has 12 with height restricitions, sure this adds to the count of height restrictive rides at SFMM, but is does not take away from the from the proportion of family rides offered by SFMM and not offered by DCA.
4) DCA offers 2 spinners, Orange Stinger has a height limit, SFMM offers 6 spinners, two don't have height limits
5) DCA offers a drop ride Maliboomer, as does SFMM's Freefall, both have a height limit.
6) DCA offers a kiddie thrill ride, Jumpin Jellyfish, (with a height restristiction), SFMM offers Bucaneer
7) SFMM offers four water rides (not rapids that we already covered) , Log Jammer, Jet Streamer, Sierra Rapids and Tidal Wave, DCA offers two water play areas S.S. Rustworthy, & the one in the farm.
8) DCA offers two "show" attractions, Muppets & It's Tough To Be A Bug, SFMM offers The Batman and Robin Show, (one up for DCA)
9) DCA offers Sun Wheel (one more for DCA)

DCA and SFMM both have charecter shows so we won't argue those.

So I fail to see how SFMM was so much less kid friendly then DCA and more required to add a kiddie land with far more rides the FFF.

Now if you want to discuss the quality of attractions, I will agree with you 100% that DCA's are better then SFMM's, but since you only wanted to discuss the number of family attractions, you should review the SFMM list, before you defend FFF so highly.