Can Disneyland ever lose it's "Magic"?

[Bob Weaver]

Re: Can Disneyland ever lose it's "Magic"?

Some non-Disney parks have some top-quality rides but no other park that I know of has the same gestalt, mood and atmosphere of Disneyland. "The park is the ride."

[mycroft16]

Re: Can Disneyland ever lose it's "Magic"?

For children the magic will never fade since they are still full of imagination and not yet jaded. )

Adults don't have to lose their imagination nor do they have to become jaded.

[CASurfer65]

Re: Can Disneyland ever lose it's "Magic"?

The magic is in you. Disneyland simply provides the environment where it can be expressed and enjoyed.

Well said.

IMO, it totally depends on the person.

I worked as an Attractions CM from '83 through '94 so it was my home away from home for years.

I never lost that sense of what Disneyland was all about.

I recently purchased an AP, and still look forward to my trips to the park. Though I live locally, I really don't go as often as many....maybe once every few months or so....but it is still very special to me.

[bfdf55]

Re: Can Disneyland ever lose it's "Magic"?

no even if you dont feel all the magic when your there if I go anywhere else it does not feel anything like Disneyland.

And, what happens when Disneyland has deteriorated to the point where it feels less "magical" than Knott's or Magic Mountain?

[Ortizmo2000]

Re: Can Disneyland ever lose it's "Magic"?

Not as long as there is imagination left in the world.

[sunrider]

Re: Can Disneyland ever lose it's "Magic"?

And, what happens when Disneyland has deteriorated to the point where it feels less "magical" than Knott's or Magic Mountain?

that is a good question..and one day it could be a possability maybe not in our lifetime but think about it..disneyland is one of a kind due to the fact that it was the first theme park,therefor its placed on a pedastell and set the standard that others have to match, that being said(and i love DL and DCA,)with todays changeing tastes and demographics, it could be tougher for disneyland to compete and maintain its number one position.forever doing this balanceing act between what was , what is, and what could be....purists (like my self) think they miss the mark alot nowadays,..but to a diffrent set of individuals..that havent been to the park befor or as many times as I or never grew up with disney as it used to bewill think im nuts and love buzz in tommorowland and so on..and i bet they will even love MILF...

[TheGlassSlipper]

Re: Can Disneyland ever lose it's "Magic"?

And, what happens when Disneyland has deteriorated to the point where it feels less "magical" than Knott's or Magic Mountain?

Whoa, you can't compare those two places to Disneyland! That couldn't happen, ever!

[sunrider]

Re: Can Disneyland ever lose it's "Magic"?

Whoa, you can't compare those two places to Disneyland! That couldn't happen, ever!

maybe not on the whole..but never say never...

[bfdf55]

Re: Can Disneyland ever lose it's "Magic"?

Whoa, you can't compare those two places to Disneyland! That couldn't happen, ever!

[bfdf55]

Re: Can Disneyland ever lose it's "Magic"?

that is a good question..and one day it could be a possability maybe not in our lifetime but think about it..disneyland is one of a kind due to the fact that it was the first theme park,therefor its placed on a pedastell and set the standard that others have to match, that being said(and i love DL and DCA,)with todays changeing tastes and demographics, it could be tougher for disneyland to compete and maintain its number one position.forever doing this balanceing act between what was , what is, and what could be....purists (like my self) think they miss the mark alot nowadays,..but to a diffrent set of individuals..that havent been to the park befor or as many times as I or never grew up with disney as it used to bewill think im nuts and love buzz in tommorowland and so on..and i bet they will even love MILF...

diluted form will find it easier to compare them to other parks that have been improving. When there is little or no difference between Disney and other parks, it will be easier for them to go elsewhere for their entertainment.

[Bob Weaver]

Re: Can Disneyland ever lose it's "Magic"?

For the magic to continue everyone involved must fully participate, including executives of the company, Imagineers, cast members and guests. Everyone must bring imagination and the right attitude, for it to work. The first principle of "The Disney Way" is "Make Everyone's Dream Come True" and the goal of it is to foster creativity in all company employees, not just Imagineers. What can impair the magic is when one piece of the puzzle falls out or one participant lacks imagination or takes the wrong attitude, such as a guest who misbehaves, a cast member who in a stressful moment loses his/her cool, an Imagineer who loses originality, or if the company were to hire a CEO who values short-term profit over long-term goals, or a President who emphasizes marketing over a quality experience... oh, wait.

[4Apples4Disney]

Re: Can Disneyland ever lose it's "Magic"?

Some non-Disney parks have some top-quality rides but no other park that I know of has the same gestalt, mood and atmosphere of Disneyland. "The park is the ride."

That was said very well!

[Mr Wiggins]

Re: Can Disneyland ever lose it's "Magic"?

When Disney was in it’s prime, there WAS no comparison to any other park. However, in the past decade or so, the competition has been making significant inroads against Disney, actually outdoing them in some areas, like Spiderman at IOA. And, during that same period, Disney has let it’s creative quality and integrity slip. In the past, no one would EVER consider a Disney park as being “worst”. But, since DCA, they now have three that compete for that “title”.

So, while Disneyland is still ahead of Knott’s and Magic Mountain, the combination of other parks striving to become better, and Disney letting their quality slip, may well indeed result in Disney’s “magic” being superseded by that of their competition.

Very true -- with the exception that Disney started dropping the quality of Disneyland almost 20 years ago, not ten. The replacement of unique merchandise with generic plush, the decline in the quantity and quality of entertainment, the decline in number and quality of restaurants, the decline in maintenance, and the monumental decline in Disneyland-quality rides all began in the late 80's/early 90's -- the result of Eisner's demand for double-digit profits at any cost.

The decline of Disneyland's quality was noticeable years before the competition's improvement revved up.

[Bob Weaver]

Re: Can Disneyland ever lose it's "Magic"?

It's true, Disneyland stopped being original in the 1980s and never really started back up. Eisner had a huge influence in that. The Pressler years became "it's a mall world" and the brief tenure of Matt Ouimet only helped stave off the complete destruction of the Disneyland we knew. Hopefully George Karagridis will be more like Matt Ouimet than Eisner/Pressler/Harriss.

[sunrider]

Re: Can Disneyland ever lose it's "Magic"?

so i guess magical is in the eye of the beholder...whats magical for one isnt for another...but that being said..we all agree that some areas have lost their magic..or loseing it..tommorowland.. looseing it quick.. even with star tours 2.0 and the finding nemo mobile movie ride..iit needs help stat. frontierland has lost it completely...IMO

[Vasooki]

Re: Can Disneyland ever lose it's "Magic"?

No, I don't think so.

One of the main reasons, in being a local, is its something everyone can relate to. Its not like you can walk up to someone (in Socal) and they have never heard of Disneyland. Everyone has their own unique stories, and experiences.