Can Disney's California Adventure Be Fixed?

[Gemini Cricket]

What do you think?
Do you have any ideas on how it could be fixed?

Or is it a lost cause and the focus should be on the 3rd park?

[Dustysage]

Sure it can be fixed. They fixed Disneyland didn't they? When Disneyland opened it had major problems, too few open attractions, it was small, and huge sections were essentially empty (Tomorrowland). But two little things fixed it: Imagination and Money. Lots of both.

There is nothing wrong with DCA that another Billion dollars can't fix.

[Jspider]

oh it can be fixed

here's links to my first few solutions

Little Mermaid darkride:

http://www.miboards.com/forums/showpost.php?p=341535&postcount=1

LA Expansion:

http://disneyforever.com/iboard/index.php?showtopic=4829&view=findpost&p=221865

I have a few other ideas that would help bring out the fun of a western themed area while still keeping with the modern california a bit I'm going to see about drawing up a map of it like I did for my Mermaid ride sometime once I get a clear storyline going

I've also thought up a California history darkride type experence that would be pretty neat but it'd be a bit edutaintastic

[innerSpaceman]

Um, no. No, it can't.

[Monorail Man]

1 word: Westcot

[ModHatter]

I think two things have to happen before DCA can be fixed, but it is doable.

1) We all know that contemporary California is right outside the park, so why focus on it? Why not instead present different periods of California, in a way only Disney can truly immerse us in. Let's go for geographic development, maybe even changing Soarin', making that Attraction #1 in the guidemap and presenting it as a sort of "Here is California today, but how did it start?" Antique GRR and add a little more early exploration to it. Tear down Route 66 and replace it with a Misson/Ranco/Monterey area. Add a Gold Rush/Barbary Coast area. Tear out Bug's Land/TTBAB, create a walkway to ToT and add a little more LA next to HPB. And turn HPB more into the Disney Studios, or at least be more evocative of the early talkie days, with a Disney-only Great Movie Ride.

2) Regardless of retheming, DCA needs to drastically change its ride mix, and ban cloning unless the ride is significantly plussed from its original, AND it ties directly into whatever theme the execs want to pursue. No more carnical crap, no more sit and watch a movie attractions, and really, no more factory tours!

Aside from the physical placement of GRR, the infrastructure nightmares are fixable. The lack of attention to detail is fixable. Certainly, the content is fixable. Someone just has to admit, hey, there are people who love this park, and we still think we made a great thing here, but it's underperforming, and we're Disney, we can do better.

[Malin]

I've always looked at Disney's California Adventure as a work in progress.And one of the nice things about this park only being half built is that Disney can listen to our views and add more of the attractions we want.Take for instance guest complaining about lack of thrill rides.Disney answered back by opening the Tower of Terror.Bugs land was built to give kids more to do.

Now on what else the park needs to do to fix its problems, well it just needs to listen to its guest more often.Catch guest on the way out of the park and ask what they enjoyed about DCA and what they didn't like about the park.Ask them what attractions the guest would like more of.And if the guest are leaving early in the day ask them why.Those 4 simple questions could really help Disney in knowing what direction DCA needs to go in and where the company needs to maybe one day take the third park.

But I think DCA is a good park anyway and while not quite on the levels of Disneyland,I think its up there next to Universal Studios and Sea World.It just needs that extra boost to turn it from a good theme park into a Disney park.And like Dustysage says it just takes a lot of Imagination and Money.

[Orcatime]

It's doable

oh it can be fixed

here's links to my first few solutions

Little Mermaid darkride:

http://www.miboards.com/forums/showpost.php?p=341535&postcount=1

LA Expansion:

http://disneyforever.com/iboard/index.php?showtopic=4829&view=findpost&p=221865

I have a few other ideas that would help bring out the fun of a western themed area while still keeping with the modern california a bit I'm going to see about drawing up a map of it like I did for my Mermaid ride sometime once I get a clear storyline going

I've also thought up a California history darkride type experence that would be pretty neat but it'd be a bit edutaintastic

Even though I've never been to DCA (and to hear from some people I should consider myself lucky) I think the CA History darkride is entirely doable. Monterey's Cannery Row has a hokey $5/person, tourist-trapish wax musem with a narration about the history of Monterey and Cannery Row. The narrator "says" he's John Steinbeck (although from what I've learned about him John would never had supported it).

ANYWAYS, I would definitely be willing to support a CA history-themed ride. Heck, give me a week and I could easily comeup with a whole bunch of ideas set in style of an omnimover or Great Movie Ride. Suffice to say I know my CA history, like the fact that CA is one of 3 states that wasn't a territory first.

[Mr D]

DCA needs a berm, but instead of earth...trees.

Preferably if possible giant Redwoods or Sequoias but more realistically mostly in part these huge trees cannot be just planted (duhh) or transplanted they would have to be manmade copies.

Honestly though the concept is still flawed, unless there was the heavy influence of turn of the century and gold rush era history, I know there is some but with a whole lot more.

However all my views are moot.....I have never been to DCA and have not made any plans to do so, its credibility has been indelibly etched upon me of its massive flawed concept so I suggest going elsewhere, TDS? :devil:

[Orcatime]

If that's actual dirt on that mountain, then they could transplant real redwoods THEORETICALLY. Redwoods have a history of sliding along soil during a particularly heavy rain with no significant damage to the tree it self. I don't know if I can say the same for sequoias.

[kevdo]

There's nothing wrong with DCA that more and better rides (not "attractions") couldn't solve. I think the theme actually is in line with the concepts that Walt brought to DL -- learn about and savor the past, embrace the future.

I'd retheme The Bay Area and Condor Flats areas to become a larger Grizzly Peak Recreation Area. With Soarin' this is very doable and I'd tear out the movie theatre in BA and replace it with some sort of "nature" themed ride.

For HPBL - use the space vacated by Millionaire, SSL, and Hollywood and Dine to build a new D or preferrably E ticket ride. Rockin' Roller Coaster might fit thematically. No, a Monsters Inc. overlay on SSL is not what the doctor ordered.

For Paradise Pier, I'd replace the Orange Stinger and Jumpin Jellyfish with something that either a) smaller kids can ride or b) something more exciting. Preferrably something that isn't a cycle ride. It might be cool to add some sort of boat ride on the lake.

With that, you've:
a) improved the overall feel of the theming
b) Added one E ticket and two or three C and Ds
c) Improved the pull on both sides of the park

Would love to see a Gold Rush themed POTC-type ride. Not sure where they could physically fit in the park (since it would thematically work best near Grizzly Peak).

[Mara]

What about connecting the two parks together (maybe over by Who wants to be a millionaire, play it) make DCA four new "LANDS" in Disneyland. You would increase the capacity of Disneyland by about 20K - 25K and people would tend to flow throughout the combined park based on crowd dynamics. People will go over to the other side to find smaller lines and other things to do, look how many people still walk through Tomorrowland even though there's really nothing worth doing over there right now. Any new rides put in would benefit the resort as a whole. It's scary to think how many people you could then crush into the hub for the fireworks.

[sleepyjeff]

What about connecting the two parks togetherPeople will go over to the other side to find smaller lines and other things to do, look how many people still walk through Tomorrowland even though there's really nothing worth doing over there right now. Any new rides put in would benefit the resort as a whole. It's scary to think how many people you could then crush into the hub for the fireworks.

They don't even really need to actually "connect" the two. They could connect a skyway from TL to HPBL.....still have them be two seperate Parks but with this extra way of entering DCA, life could be brought back to the weakest areas of both Parks.

[Mara]

I think you really need a way for large amounts to flow back and forth.

[figment1986]

What aboout refocussing the idea elsewhere... like change the theme of the park... Disney's America had a lot of concepts that are in the park now.... a little repaint, retheme.. new sponsors... butload of cash.... and you have a patriotic Disney's America... (retheme Paradice pier to cony island..)

[Darkbeer]

Let's see what they have done so far...

After opening, oops, we screwed up the Marketing, and brought more Disney Characters to the park.

Shade in queues, oops, they had to redo the Soarin' queue to add it....

Then we got Millionaire (but of course, wiithout the Pre-Show they offer at WDW), but that was closed last year....

Closing down of restaurants and food stands, lost of major sponsors (Wolfgang Puck, Robert Mondavi)

Shutting down of Superstar Limo less than a year after it opened.

Then we got Flik's Fun Faire, nice themeing, but the rides are lame, one kiddie ride with a height restriction, and another that takes longer to load than to ride (Hemilich's)

Replacing Soap Opera Bistro with Playhouse Disney.

Bringing in ToT Lite, but still many guests do not want to ride a high thrill drop ride, looking for a family ride that all can enjoy together.

The special summer events, Music (not "concert") series, X-Games event, etc. Alll things that didn't really help the park.

So far, what they have done at DCA has not been a fix at all, so based on the track record... the answer to the thread's question... No!

[swagdaddy]

[BoneDaddy]

I'm going to dissent here and say it's not broken. Is it perfect? Nope. But it has great potential with attractions such as Soarin, Screamin, and Tower. They need to retool the theme, replace about half of the Pier area, and give the park another couple e-tix using truly whizbang technology.

I actually like the park. It's not DL, but then what is?

[Gemini Cricket]

One exciting change would be to have the whole Paradise Pier area taken out and replaced with something truly fun. I have been to DCA a ton of times and have walked through that area once.

[Jspider]

Even though I've never been to DCA (and to hear from some people I should consider myself lucky) I think the CA History darkride is entirely doable. Monterey's Cannery Row has a hokey $5/person, tourist-trapish wax musem with a narration about the history of Monterey and Cannery Row. The narrator "says" he's John Steinbeck (although from what I've learned about him John would never had supported it).

ANYWAYS, I would definitely be willing to support a CA history-themed ride. Heck, give me a week and I could easily comeup with a whole bunch of ideas set in style of an omnimover or Great Movie Ride. Suffice to say I know my CA history, like the fact that CA is one of 3 states that wasn't a territory first.

cool

I suppose that gives you an edge over me, I haven't seen Golden dreams and I don't know all that much about Californian history

I was thinking about using the ride system from Epcot's Energy Adventure (since it's pretty nifty but isn't really used much)

the two drive sequences for it I was thinking of would be one through untamed California or whatever (pre gold rush very few settlers period) and then Modern Cali (perhaps the Streets of San Fran since I was thinking about putting this in a San Fransisco Expansion, of course it could also be in San Diego too )