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OK, so i've been giving it all a lot of thought since Al's article came out yesterday, and heres my two cents, for however little thats worth 
First off let me say that Al seemed to be very sneaky in this latest update, and by that i mean:
1) he left us that dangling comment about the removal of the planter in TL possibly being the queue for the restored Rocket Jets. Oh come on!!!! he can't leave us hanging like that!!!!
and
2) on the picture captioned "Malificent and friends take over the coaster", if you hover your mouse on the pic long enough for Al's additional comments to pop up, it reads "too expensive to tear down...yet." AGAIN WITH THE CLIFFHANGER!!! does this mean that the whole villians retrofitting and everything are just a stall? that the ride will eventually be leaving us for something perhaps bigger and better (not that i think screamin isnt a great ride, but this hint of Al's has been buggin me ever since i saw it!)
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OK now that i have the more sneaky aspects of the plans out of the way, heres what i think about the rest of it:
DL-TSI gets invaded by Pirates:
I'm gonna reserve judgement until I either see the finished project, or (more likely) until Al gives us some more info on this. It could be really well done (which im optomistic about), or it could be a disaster.
just remember that Pirates dont have to be from the carribbean, for all of us who are worried about the theme clash between a PoTC island and frontierland. just because pirates are coming doesnt mean that they're coming from the caribbean.
and also, lets not forget who's new baby DL has become: a one Mr. Lasseter. After all the changes he's made to nemo subs, and presumably beefing up the placemaking at DCA into what is now a 650 million project, he's just going to allow them to butcher a piece of disneyland history? noooo way, he's gonna make sure that if its done, its done right, so i have a lot of faith in any changes that may be coming
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DCA-$650 million!!!! WOW!!!!! thats a lotta dough!
I'm really glad that placemaking plans have been expanded and plussed up the way it seems like they have been. I also really like the direction it seems each "land" is taking, it just feels right. I know a lot of people on MC are claiming that what the park needs is more rides, more things to do, etc etc, and that the paying customer isnt paying to walk on a newly made street instead of flat ground. and that is a perfectly true and valid point.
people dont come for the themeing and immersion they may find in a park. but they sure as heck to come back for it. by that i mean that first timers go to DL to ride space mountain, or PoTC, or HM, but they become lifelong disney fans (like we all are) because of the themeing, immersion, and the capacity that the park has to make us forget about the outside world, even if its only for a brief time. and once disney has achieved that feeling in its base, then they come back time and time again.
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Vehicles taking you to each land- While i think this is a pretty cool and (i think) unique idea, and will defintiely add some kinetics to the park, i cant help but see the traffic jams it may cause when a limo finds itself stuck behind a wheelchair, or a mother pushing a stroller. it seems like it might be faster to walk in a lot of instances, unless they are providing low-walled off "lanes" for the vehicles to travel in...
i definitely like that they are adding transportation, but might trolley/cable cars circling the entire park be a better idea? oh, and what about building the walkway between ToT and bug's land? its not "transportation" exactly, but it does help relieve some of the traffic jams caused by dead ends...
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Philiarmagic I like, very glad this is coming (although i still think it might go better over in ToonTown, but beggars cant be choosers)
and i still hold to the belief that there is a TON of room to expand HPB northward if they eliminate the timon tram load/unload station. pleanty of space for at least 3-4 pretty large dark rides.
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Hyperion lobby enclosed-FINALLY!!!!!! maybe you can actually start having broadway sized plays there too, letting theater-goes into the lobby through an entrance on Harbor once the park closes?
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The villians overlay should be pretty cool for screamin', as should the newly themed queue. but again, see my remark about Al's teaser..... can't help to wonder what he knows that we dont
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2 New E-tickets (cars and incredibles)- I would love to see both of these come in, and i think that they both will be really well done w/ lasster at the helm.
however, we're still looking at the removal of a number of attractions from PP to make room for Cars, and adding two E-tickets (true its in a really short period of time, but bear with me) just doesnt seem to be enough to satisfy a complete "rebranding" of the park. especially with a 650 million budget, even if both e-tix cost 100 mill, i still cant see all of the other placemaking costing 450. thats a lotta money. cant they find room in that budget (or a future one, but still have everything installed by '10) for at least 1-2 family friendly c/d-tickets to make up for the rides they're getting rid of?
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Monorail circling the park-FINALLY. shouldve been done in the first place. no brainer there. id actually be mad if they were spending 650 million and not fixing this glaring problem thats needed to make the place a true "resort"
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New hotel in Timon lot- no no no! that space is supposed to be reserved for DCA expansion!!! they already took a huge chunk of the park and made it into a hotel, why do it twice? are you telling me that the strawberry field wouldnt make a good place for a hotel or two? or buying more of the surrounding property and building hotels there? i understand that if you're gonna demolish PP hotel and DL hotel (sob), you need more hotels, but why cant you build on top of the demolished buildings? making more room for DTD expansion? fine! buy more land!!! dont waste room that could be taken up by a theme park on a hotel AGAIN!!! you can build a hotel elsewhere, its not like you can build a new land of DCA over across the street!!!! it just doesnt work that way!!!
OK, enough of the ranting. I'm sure I'll wake up in the middle of the night thinking of something i forgot and come post it then....
First off let me say that Al seemed to be very sneaky in this latest update, and by that i mean:
1) he left us that dangling comment about the removal of the planter in TL possibly being the queue for the restored Rocket Jets. Oh come on!!!! he can't leave us hanging like that!!!!
and
2) on the picture captioned "Malificent and friends take over the coaster", if you hover your mouse on the pic long enough for Al's additional comments to pop up, it reads "too expensive to tear down...yet." AGAIN WITH THE CLIFFHANGER!!! does this mean that the whole villians retrofitting and everything are just a stall? that the ride will eventually be leaving us for something perhaps bigger and better (not that i think screamin isnt a great ride, but this hint of Al's has been buggin me ever since i saw it!)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
OK now that i have the more sneaky aspects of the plans out of the way, heres what i think about the rest of it:
DL-TSI gets invaded by Pirates:
I'm gonna reserve judgement until I either see the finished project, or (more likely) until Al gives us some more info on this. It could be really well done (which im optomistic about), or it could be a disaster.
just remember that Pirates dont have to be from the carribbean, for all of us who are worried about the theme clash between a PoTC island and frontierland. just because pirates are coming doesnt mean that they're coming from the caribbean.
and also, lets not forget who's new baby DL has become: a one Mr. Lasseter. After all the changes he's made to nemo subs, and presumably beefing up the placemaking at DCA into what is now a 650 million project, he's just going to allow them to butcher a piece of disneyland history? noooo way, he's gonna make sure that if its done, its done right, so i have a lot of faith in any changes that may be coming
--------------------------------------------------------------
DCA-$650 million!!!! WOW!!!!! thats a lotta dough!
I'm really glad that placemaking plans have been expanded and plussed up the way it seems like they have been. I also really like the direction it seems each "land" is taking, it just feels right. I know a lot of people on MC are claiming that what the park needs is more rides, more things to do, etc etc, and that the paying customer isnt paying to walk on a newly made street instead of flat ground. and that is a perfectly true and valid point.
people dont come for the themeing and immersion they may find in a park. but they sure as heck to come back for it. by that i mean that first timers go to DL to ride space mountain, or PoTC, or HM, but they become lifelong disney fans (like we all are) because of the themeing, immersion, and the capacity that the park has to make us forget about the outside world, even if its only for a brief time. and once disney has achieved that feeling in its base, then they come back time and time again.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Vehicles taking you to each land- While i think this is a pretty cool and (i think) unique idea, and will defintiely add some kinetics to the park, i cant help but see the traffic jams it may cause when a limo finds itself stuck behind a wheelchair, or a mother pushing a stroller. it seems like it might be faster to walk in a lot of instances, unless they are providing low-walled off "lanes" for the vehicles to travel in...
i definitely like that they are adding transportation, but might trolley/cable cars circling the entire park be a better idea? oh, and what about building the walkway between ToT and bug's land? its not "transportation" exactly, but it does help relieve some of the traffic jams caused by dead ends...
------------------------------------------------------------------
Philiarmagic I like, very glad this is coming (although i still think it might go better over in ToonTown, but beggars cant be choosers)
and i still hold to the belief that there is a TON of room to expand HPB northward if they eliminate the timon tram load/unload station. pleanty of space for at least 3-4 pretty large dark rides.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Hyperion lobby enclosed-FINALLY!!!!!! maybe you can actually start having broadway sized plays there too, letting theater-goes into the lobby through an entrance on Harbor once the park closes?
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The villians overlay should be pretty cool for screamin', as should the newly themed queue. but again, see my remark about Al's teaser..... can't help to wonder what he knows that we dont
-------------------------------------------------------------------
2 New E-tickets (cars and incredibles)- I would love to see both of these come in, and i think that they both will be really well done w/ lasster at the helm.
however, we're still looking at the removal of a number of attractions from PP to make room for Cars, and adding two E-tickets (true its in a really short period of time, but bear with me) just doesnt seem to be enough to satisfy a complete "rebranding" of the park. especially with a 650 million budget, even if both e-tix cost 100 mill, i still cant see all of the other placemaking costing 450. thats a lotta money. cant they find room in that budget (or a future one, but still have everything installed by '10) for at least 1-2 family friendly c/d-tickets to make up for the rides they're getting rid of?
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Monorail circling the park-FINALLY. shouldve been done in the first place. no brainer there. id actually be mad if they were spending 650 million and not fixing this glaring problem thats needed to make the place a true "resort"
------------------------------------------------------------------
New hotel in Timon lot- no no no! that space is supposed to be reserved for DCA expansion!!! they already took a huge chunk of the park and made it into a hotel, why do it twice? are you telling me that the strawberry field wouldnt make a good place for a hotel or two? or buying more of the surrounding property and building hotels there? i understand that if you're gonna demolish PP hotel and DL hotel (sob), you need more hotels, but why cant you build on top of the demolished buildings? making more room for DTD expansion? fine! buy more land!!! dont waste room that could be taken up by a theme park on a hotel AGAIN!!! you can build a hotel elsewhere, its not like you can build a new land of DCA over across the street!!!! it just doesnt work that way!!!
OK, enough of the ranting. I'm sure I'll wake up in the middle of the night thinking of something i forgot and come post it then....
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