Zorro attraction near Pacific Wharf?

[dlfreak]

Combined with the Mission-like architecture of the Golden Wine Vinery and the the Wharf Area (near the Mission Tortilla factory leading backstage) a Zorro ride would make a great attraction perhaps in a land dedicated to the Mexican and Spanish influences in California's history. Maybe something like El Camino Real leading into the land (with the bells that marked the way (the ones you can see on most of the 101)) in essence the land would be the romanticized idealized vision of the old Spanish west with this E-ticket Zorro ride...

I think a gentle but exciting ride could be done with Zorro... I think carriage type vehicles would be neat. You're completely surrounded by the carriage (and like a real carriage you can't see what's in front or back) so your vision is limited by what you see through the side windows and this can be how your carrige which was horseless when you boarded gets its horsepower (You hear them being saddled and reigned up front of the carriage)

Since this would be a relatively gentle E-ticket for the whole family people can seat across from each other and without restraints (think Sunwheel) like they would in a real carriage. You set out on a protected carriage trip to attend the Governor's ball (or somewhere else). The trip begins as a leisure stroll through beautiful Spanish-California near dusk. The you feel the pull of the horses and the tiny bumps in the dirt road as your carriage rolls on.

You can't see out the front or back but you can hear banditos climb uboard and hear them as they take your carriage hostage. They take you on a harrowing journey leading you over the creekbeds, cliffsides, rickety bridges, dark caves (not sure if this is historically accurate but maybe stop along a railroad track) etc. You see Zorro ride along side the carriage and hear (and feel) as he jumps on board, kicks butt, takes the reigns and guides you safely to your destination. You arrive safely at your destination as the sun is setting over the hill and the black sillhoute of the original masked crusader can be seen as his horse stands on its rear legs.

[Importance]

I think that one of the things I am surprised is not highlighted somehow in DCA is the era of the missions. Mission history is a huge part of California's history and continues to reverberate in the development of California's culture. I certainly think that Zorro would be a good excuse to highlight this element of California.

[dlfreak]

Well I guess the whole Golden Vine Windery restaurant is like a Mission but that's an expensive restaurant and not too many people go there anyway. DCA does need more attention paid to that era of California's history.

[merlinjones]

I agree completely, since Zorro has a sequel coming out, it's in the public eye, popular with the Hispanic demographic the park wants to reach, it has a Walt Disney history and its perfect for California Adventure, which is missing the romance of old California. Disney - - get those rights back.

[ModHatter]

Yeah, I've long supported the idea of GRR transitioning into the misson period, and moving towards the Monterey/Zorro period as you continue counter-clockwise around the lagoon.

I think the park needs to get away from trying to be contemporary, hip and edgy, and move towards presenting the California Adventure as an adventure through history. Present the entrance plaza as Silicon Valley, and the role that technology will play in California's future. Reroute the Soarin' queue to begin closer to the entrance plaza and present it as an overview of the state today, and at the end, remind guests that they are about to enter a California of the past. Then present GRR and that area as a trip through the state's natural history, move into the mission period, branch off one way for California-as-Victorian-resort where PP is, and turn Pac Wharf and Bug's Land into the Gold Rush. Wrap up with HPB as the early days of the Disney Studios. In that way, you recall the essential ingredients that make up Disneyland in its golden age, presenting California's unique versions of Frontier- Adventure- Fantasy- and Tomorrowlands. It's the California that even locals CAN'T go see just by hopping in their cars.

The key is, don't just buy a cheap carnival Scrambler and call it Zorro's Whip. I seldom will go to a themepark just to sit through a show, so no stuntshow. I say, it should either be an Indiana Jones-style vehicle made over into a carriage, or a steeplechase-type ride through Zorro's California. It needs to be an immersive E ticket no matter what, but Disney needs to get the rights back and give this part of th4e Disney legacy the star treatment.

[Alchimedes]

I think that one of the things I am surprised is not highlighted somehow in DCA is the era of the missions. Mission history is a huge part of California's history and continues to reverberate in the development of California's culture. I certainly think that Zorro would be a good excuse to highlight this element of California.

This is really important because alot of the Missions In California are crumbling from earthquakes and age. Something needs to be done, Zorro would be an excellent show or something(not sure).

[Orcatime]

Imagination

In Monterey, they have an Alcalde` Office in the Custom House (tons of California history in that town) and as the tour guide was talking about it it wasn't too hard to imagine the Seargent from the show come rushing in and tell the Commandante that Zorro was up to something again.

Another interesting Zorro note, at Mission San Juan Capistrano, the tour guides talk about 3 ghosts that haunt the old mission. One, the moaning friar, actually originated from one of the Zorro episodes!

[captveg]

Disney - - get those rights back.

Isn't the character of Zorro public domain? It's like The Count of Monte Cristo - the source material is old enough for anyone to do an adaptation. They just couldn't use the 20th Century Fox characterization of Zorro.

[Tigertail777]

this is from a 2002 posting I made over on mousepad:

DCA (or DCF as I would retitle it) would be a great place to put in a Zorro ride, along with a authentic outdoor mexican restaurant that features a show of mexican party dancing. The restaurant can be themed as Don Pedro's Hacienda during a party, you could even have Zorro crash the party at some point and have the guards in hot pursuit. As a cool little bonus only for those in the know, have a secret tunnel from the house to the cave with zorros horse. The Zorro ride itself could utilize the same kind of ride technology as Seaworlds atlantis ride; where part of it seems to be a coaster and part of it seems to be a water ride. You go through towns that have wanted posters of zorro all over and once in a while actually see zorro pop up with the soldiers following, the whole ride mimicking you being a friend of zorro and helping him in his deeds. The restaurant would be THE hotspot for a cinco de mayo party every year!

3 years ago it seemed a no brainer to me, and it still does. A zorro section of the park is just what it needs to kick it into starting to become its own park.

(edited to add: oops I think that was only a year ago.. I made other posts less elaborate prior to this... its all blends together after a while LOL)

[SurfedUpDane]

I am not sure that Zoro would be able to be turned into a ride. A show would definately be something else though! Put it in the type of format that Water World and the Wild West are at Universal and it would definately draw crowds. As it is an aspect of calif culture that is misrepresented, turning this movie into a ride would be very difficult and would probably not portray the story line in the movie very well at all.

[Orcatime]

They could make it like a live-action/4D movie event like USH has w/ Terminator. Great idea, Dane. :bow:

[The Mad Hatter]

Good idea. But I think that if they are going to base attractions on movies...then they should at least be good movies

[Orcatime]

I was thinking of basing it more on the original TV show.

[dlfreak]

As it is an aspect of calif culture that is misrepresented, turning this movie into a ride would be very difficult and would probably not portray the story line in the movie very well at all.

The movie was made by Tristar, not Disney. They would have to do their own storyline which even if they owned the movie, I think is a better way to go...


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Good idea. But I think that if they are going to base attractions on movies...then they should at least be good movies

Again, Disney does not own the film and I happen to think it's a great flick. With a Worldwide Gross $233,700,000 along with a rather fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mask_of_zorro/ it would seem a lot of people agree with me. Neither of those statistics of, of course, means much of anything though... I mean look at Finding Nemo was crap and look how well that did. (I don't know I missed the bandwagon with Nemo... lots of hype and box office gross for an ok movie... It was Movie Chinesefood to use an analogy seemingly coined by Simon Cowell. It's good... but it leaves you wanting more when its done.)


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was thinking of basing it more on the original TV show.

Ditto. On a property they actually OWN.

[HuckSawyer]

Now people are thinking! :bow:

A lot of people have complained that DCA doesn't have an iconic structure at its center, like a castle or Spaceship Earth. The oldest, most iconic built structures in California are its missions.

With a mission at its center, I would theme the entrance plaza like a Spanish colonial town with all of the attendant structures. It would be a lot more exciting than the mall-like set up that is there now.

How about a Zorro dark ride on the scale of Pirates? How about a rodeo show? How about a Circlevision show on the Spanish settlement of California? The are tremendous possibilities!

And as a native Californian who somehow missed in elementary school that California was founded by the Spanish, this area would be a nice history lesson.

[ModHatter]

hey, that has potential. Because of the variety of locations where missions were created, and because the Mission style is visible in the design of places like Union Station, it fits a California entrance plaza extremely well. It easily blends with the Condor FLats rockwork and GRR's backside, and blends right into Seasons of the Vine. And you could have the big mission bell tower as the park's weenie. And, like Hidden Mickeys, you could have a sort of EL Camino Real that that connects all the lands, and along the Camino, you can find references to all of the missions.

Besides, you could make THAT the Mission Torrilla tie-in, and take out that factory so-called-attraction.

[Importance]

And, like Hidden Mickeys, you could have a sort of EL Camino Real that that connects all the lands, and along the Camino, you can find references to all of the missions.

Yeah! El Camino Real! Makes a lot of sense.

[lilbigguy]

I say, it should either be an Indiana Jones-style vehicle made over into a carriage, or a steeplechase-type ride through Zorro's California. It needs to be an immersive E ticket no matter what...

I can see something that starts out as a romantic carriage ride through the moonlit chapparal and heavy on oak trees, perhaps something taking you to the hacienda for the dinner party, then there's the feeling of forboding...perhaps bandidtos, perhaps the crooked federales, then, THE CHASE! Careening through creekbeds, rickety bridges, but wait, who's that in the distance?!? It's Zorro! He chases off the bad guys and bids you farewell just as you arrive at the gates to the hacienda!

And I think I smell Santa Maria Style Barbeque as we step out of the ride vehicle...

[dlfreak]

I think a gentle but exciting ride could be done with Zorro and I've semi-fleshed one out! I think carriage type vehicles would be neat. You're completely surrounded by the carriage (and like a carriage you can't see what's in front or back) so your vision is limited by what you see through the side windows and this can be how your carrige which was horseless when you boarded gets its horsepower (You hear them being saddled and reigned up front of the carriage)

Since this would be a gentle E-ticket for the whole family people can seat across from each other (facing eachother) like they would in a real carriage. You set out on a protected carriage trip to attend the Governor's ball (Maybe something better?). The trip begins as a leisure stroll through beautiful Spanish-California near dusk. The you feel the pull of the horses and the tiny bumps in the road as your carriage rolls on.

You can't see out the front or back but you can hear banditos climb uboard and hear them as they take your carriage hostage. They take you on a harrowing journey leading you over the creekbeds, cliffsides, rickety bridges, dark caves (not sure if this is historically accurate but maybe stop along a railroad track) etc. You see Zorro ride along side the carriage and hear (and feel) as he jumps on board, kicks butt, takes the reigns and guides you safely to your destination. You arrive safely at your destination as the sun is setting over the hill and the black sillhoute of the original masked crusader can be seen as his horse stands on its rear legs.