Paradise Pier Removal

[JoeCool]

The worst part of DCA is Paradise Pier. Screamin can stay but I was in charge. I would gut Paradise Pier. Fill up the Lagoon and get rid of all the attractions and shops and start from the beginning again. It looks so cheap.
I would bring the Aerosmith Rock and Roll coaster from MGM for a start.
I also would change the name of the land as well. Any ideas for attractions and a new name?

[dramaqueen]

AWWW, I like PP It definitely needs some better rides, but the lagoon is cool and I think it makes riding the Sun Wheel really fun, especially how it is partially sunk in. I would rather see some of the cheaper, lamer, extremely similar rides taken out and something more innovative put in their place. I guess, the sun wheel, screamin, the swings, maliboomer, and mullholland should definitley stay and the rest of it needs to go in favor of something better, I am not sure what though. And get ride of the carne side show boardwalk- that definitely looks cheap and cheesy and the stuff in there is overpriced.

[pyrateslife4me84]

I wouldn't take out the lagoon...it has so much wasted potential. I would put something like the Fountains at Bellagio in Paradise Bay and have them going off every 15 minutes all day. They could, of course, set them to California-style music. Otherwise, I don't really think anything other than Mulholland Madness really needs to leave, there just needs to be some more substantial, themed attractions. Put a dark ride in Mulholland's place that has a front facade very much like the haunted house attractions you see at fairs (not as cheap looking, of course) but have the ride inside extremely high tech with impressive special effects.

Paradise Pier's lights at night with fountains shooting water up 200 feet...I think that would be stunning. And it's far more practical than a fireworks show over Paradise Bay.

Replace the carny games with a LIM launched shuttle coaster (i.e. goes forwards, up a tall spike, then falls backwards and goes through the track again). I have envisioned a way to increase capacity on this type of ride (that usually only allows one train on the track at once), by having two switch tracks, one in the station and one before the launch platform, such that 3 trains could be on the track at once. The train would exit the loading platform, shift over to the launch track and go through the ride, then return to an unloading platform, then shift back to the loading platform. This would allow one train to be going through the ride, one to be unloading, and one to be loading at any given time.

[dramaqueen]

I like the way you think- especially the wayer show- that would be sooo cool! I would set it to disney music as well, but that's just me.

You are right about pp having a lot of potential- it is always the busiest area of DCA so they are obviously on the right track. Maybe after the 50th they will go back to DCA and see what can change.

[dshimel]

Most here have heard this idea before.... but here goes again.

Under-the-Sea-land. Replace the white steel "pretend Woody" superstructure with a Triton's sand castle look... Larger, more prominant carousel. Ursula Spinner. Little Mermaid dark ride. Finding Nemo dark ride.... Blend this into a tropical Hawaii with Lilo and Stitch and where Route 66 currently is. Golden Dreams and Bay area is replaced with expanded Grizzly Recreation area. GCH grows into where the current Redwood Creek Challenge trail is.

Bugsland continues to grow into the farm, but with real rides... Maybe a compact inverted coaster themed within a giant Spider-Web structure, bugs dark ride and expanded chew-chew train.

Wharf gets taken out as park of expanson into Timon.

5 years from now, and a solid half-billion dollars($100 million a year), and DCA could totally rock!

[JoeCool]

I never heard these ideas..they are great...

[ah schucks]

I never heard these ideas..they are great...

Thats because you don't seem to wanna use the search function and read older threads... and attach your thoughts to those threads*sigh*

[Cuzco-topia]

Yes, let's take out a beautiful nature inspired piece and put in steel and concrete. That's much more attractive.

[ah schucks]

Hey Cuzco- they should build a mini-water park out beyond Paradise Pier and call it Cuzco-Topia, that would be awesome!

[Cuzco-topia]

Ok, ah schucks, that would be very cool

[Reaver]

And let's not forget that this is DCA, and as such should center around California theming, not disney movies. They let too much of that in with the bug's life stuff, and I'm willing to let that slide, but let's not have any more. keep this Ca. Stick to your guns and make this park stand on it's own, not on Disney film crutches...

[ah schucks]

But is Cuzco-topia! No touchy! Come on! ...ok *sigh* walks away from the drawing board

[dshimel]

And let's not forget that this is DCA, and as such should center around California theming, not disney movies.

Sorry, but the California theme has been a complete and utter FLOP! It must go! It was stupid in design and construction, was stupid when the park opened, and would be stupid to continue forward with.

The theme is dead. Long live the non-theme.

[Reaver]

Sorry, but the California theme has been a complete and utter FLOP! It must go! It was stupid in design and construction, was stupid when the park opened, and would be stupid to continue forward with.

The theme is dead. Long live the non-theme.

I respectfully, but completely, disagree. I think the California theme is a good idea. The execution was flawed, not the concept. They tried to make it so atmosphere-driven, they somehow forgot to put the "amusement" into amusement park. CA has a lot of great inspirations to pull from - a Gold Rush roller coaster, maybe. Earthquake-inspired rides. We have beaches, snow, mountains, deserts, farms, technology, all in one state. This could still be a great park, if they stopped trying to stuff culture down our throats, and put in some more fun. If I want culture, I go to museums...

[Cuzco-topia]

I liked your idea, schucks... cheese me no likey

I'm getting tired of defending dca. Theme? Characters not belonging? Isn't there another thread that stated that certain characters didn't belong in disneyland? ie: nemo in tomorrowland, toy story in frontierland...? I think the theming in dca is great and pulled together quite nicely.

[Reaver]

I liked your idea, schucks... cheese me no likey

I'm getting tired of defending dca. Theme? Characters not belonging? Isn't there another thread that stated that certain characters didn't belong in disneyland? ie: nemo in tomorrowland, toy story in frontierland...? I think the theming in dca is great and pulled together quite nicely.

I know. I think DCA has become a love it or hate it subject to many Disney fans, and that's sad. I like the park, personally. I don't love it, but I don't dislike it. It has it's faults and it's strengths. It has a LOT of potential. And Matt is at the helm now, so I'm hopeful. Let's not sign it off just yet...

[ah schucks]

I liked your idea, schucks... cheese me no likey

I'm getting tired of defending dca. Theme? Characters not belonging? Isn't there another thread that stated that certain characters didn't belong in disneyland? ie: nemo in tomorrowland, toy story in frontierland...? I think the theming in dca is great and pulled together quite nicely.

Yeah a lot of threads that say Disney characters don't belong in Disney parks. Weird.

[Reaver]

Yeah a lot of threads that say Disney characters don't belong in Disney parks. Weird.

That's the KDooD coalition (Keep Disney out of Disney).

"Working to make Disney Parks Disney-free since 1998."

[Cuzco-topia]

People who hate dca... I wonder, have they really spent time there, or just gone with a heart of dissaproval even before entering?

[cfparkmanager]

The worst part of DCA is Paradise Pier. Screamin can stay but I was in charge. I would gut Paradise Pier. Fill up the Lagoon and get rid of all the attractions and shops and start from the beginning again. It looks so cheap.
I would bring the Aerosmith Rock and Roll coaster from MGM for a start.
I also would change the name of the land as well. Any ideas for attractions and a new name?

It's fine that you don't like it, but I don't think you understand the background behind Paradise Pier. This area of DCA is based on the amusement parks in the late 1800's and early 1900's with a Disney flare. California has a rich amusement history, especially with boardwalks and seaside piers. This is something I've found that most "paradise pier" haters don't understand. After explaining it, some have grown to understand the section better. The extensive lighting for example on Avalon Cove comes from the well-loved Electric Parks. The background of the roller coaster designed to look like a wooden coaster running beside the boardwalk is typical of the many pier/boardwalk parks that used to line California and the two dozen or so that still line the Atlantic.

The Boardwalk or Paradise Pier concept is nothing new for Disney. They based an entire hotel on it in WDW, The Boardwalk, and I don't see the hardcore fans crying over that one.

What's amazing about Paradise Pier in my opinion is how well Disney improved upon the concept from this era. IMO, they actually made it look very good. Bright colors, lively atmosphere music, rides that deliver thrills that we've come to expect today. Most of the rides from the early 1900's would not be well received by the public today. Either they're too extreme and safety freaks would kill em' or they'd be too typical and boring.

The Sun Wheel is an amazing ride and a very aggresive move by Disney. The only other wheel of this kind in the US is at Deno's Wonder Wheel Park in Brooklyn, NY (Coney Island). The light package on this ride, Maliboomer and Screamin' are fantastic. At night the place glows with Disney magic.

The body of water adds a nice cooling touch to the atmosphere of this area. I only wish they'd remove the ugly, eye-sore island left over from Luminaria. Can you imagine if Fantasmic had to have one of those sitting in the River's of America?

You mention Rock N' Roller Coaster a good ride in Orlando, but IMO opinion better left there. I would rather Disney spend their time imagineering new attractions, rather then replicating what's been done elsewhere. I'm happy with the transplants at DCA, but Rock N' Roller Coaster is IMO not an attraction that is worth replicating in Anaheim. It would add nothing new or unique to DCA.