DCA, Future Expansion
Topic: Why is Disney's California Adventure a failure?

#	Author	Message
191	planodisney Thu 10/28/2004 3:28p	Mod, just wanted you to know that I actually realy enjoy your posts. You post alot about attractions and expansion ideas for DCA and find many of your ideas realy cool and interesting.
192	ModHatter Thu 10/28/2004 3:40p	So much for "Mod, this is my last post on this subject..." What is this thread about? DCA's failings. Unless people take a serious derail, that's the point of contention. You seem to be the only one having a problem with the concept, so I'm not going to use any more of my time on it. Just know, I have understood all along. I just DISAGREE.
193	ModHatter Thu 10/28/2004 3:50p	>>There is a lot of evidence that DCA has failed in a lot of respects. Trying to prove otherwise by saying you like the park, or trying to dismiss facts as mere opinion does not make it any less of a failure. << Precisely. To repeat the analogy, a Broadway show can be a work of genius, but if no one bothers coming, it fails. Certainly in the eyes of the owners, which was DB's premise from post 1. Personally, I liked Island at the Top of the World, but I have to admit, it was a financial failure. On top of that, I have to realize that I am in a small minority, and that the film failed to appeal to enough viewers. I work in a creative field. I understand that you can have a great product that still doesn't succeed. That's why we edit, revise, remake, amend. But, if you don't take a good look at what you want to achieve, why you're not achieving it, and how you COULD achieve it, you probably won't move any closer to your goals.
194	thenurmis Thu 10/28/2004 8:17p	<Trying to prove otherwise by saying you like the park, or trying to dismiss facts as mere opinion does not make it any less of a failure.> Tang How can you say this with out seeing the other side of the fence? The chasm between pro and con is not only wide, but with out any vision at times. There are points to be said about the suceses of DCA and the failures. Like any park there are flaws and some might find it a waste of time or money. I have good friends who can not under stand why i keep going to a 'kiddie park' every time I head south to Disneyland, They have been, and found it an over rated, over priced, overly silly place. and can not under stand why any one with out kids would spend their money to go there. It is their opinion, agree with them or not. I can't see the attraction to going to a beach in Mexico, and drinking for a week. The bottom line is it is subjective to the person with the opinion. If you think DCA is a failure then , to you it is. great, I hope you can find something elce that your stoked on. I don't even mind (infact I kind of injoy) reading your points as to why you do not like DCA. I just find the lack of impathy a bit surprising. The truth to the question of if or if not DCA is a failure will be if Disney closes the doors to its "failed" park. My guess is no. It may not be meating it's preopening attendance goals, but My guess is that it, and the resort are still making money for the parent company. If they were not do you not think that the company would be activly looking to sell or divest it's self from the money pit?
195	crapshoot Thu 10/28/2004 8:33p	<<If they were not do you not think that the company would be activly looking to sell or divest it's self from the money pit?>> It isn't like they can sell off DCA like they have done with the Angels or The Disney Stores or are trying to do with the Mighty Ducks. Good, bad or otherwise, they are stuck with a lemon at this time. Howevcr, after they get past the Monsters Inc for SSL, then major changes will be in the works for DCA. For now, they simply operate DCA as a loss for the resort. It happens sometimes in business.
196	ModHatter Thu 10/28/2004 10:11p	As I was posting in another thread, they are NEVER going to let rival themepark companies own and operate a park literally steps from Disneyland and two Disney hotels. All they have to do is FIX the thing so that its attendance DOES meet projections. Yes, Disney projected attendance dropped after 9/11, but then it evened out. Sure, it's a little low, but when is the last time they opened anything close to an E ticket over there? DCA opened ToT, and I have yet to stand longer than 20 minutes standby to get on it. That's significant.
197	arstogas Fri 10/29/2004 3:35a	>>>And DOLLYWOOD is better than Epcot? Magic Kingdom? Disneyland?<<< Been away for a couple days, but yeah, I have to agree... there's no real gain in trying to use this survey to prove a point for the team... The ratings are so bizarre as to suggest a very young and probably little-traveled group. It suggests strong REGIONAL visiting to theme parks, and less awareness or interest in parks that are more esoteric in nature. And I know the last thing we want to put Disney on an equivalency test with, is some kind of iron park.
198	WorldDisney Sun 10/31/2004 8:57a	<<wow..this is the first time I have 'heard' anywhere that anyone thinks Bigfoot Rapids is even in the same leauge as GRR much less it's equal...sure Bigfoot is themed compared to the raft ride at Magic Mountain, but come on...the the most prominent view on the ride is the back of a bunch of run-down storage buildings and concrete... >> I read a lot of well-meaning and analysis on why GRR is better than Big Foot Rapids and vice-versa, but I think you guys are all missing the big picture here: it DOESN'T matter which one is better themed than the other. Nada. Remember, DCA is suppose to attract NON-Disney fans as well as Disney fans. When people who visit DCA go back home and their families or friends ask them what did they see there, they are going to say they have a "raft ride". They may even say they have a "raft ride just like Knotts Berry Farm." The problem is simply there is nothing DISTINCT about this ride or many other rides in DCA. Sure, maybe for the Disney fan that's been to every Disney theme park since 1962 can tell you the concise differences, but for many it's like asking the difference between a Toyota and a Honda? When you ride Splash Mountain at DL and the Log Ride at Knott's Berry Farm, there's a HUGE leap in the experience and eye candy. It's silly to even compare in many ways other than they both take place in logs and go through a mountain. Again, this is where DCA FAILS miserably. If you want to create a raft ride, fine, but create something that is not only different, but BETTER so when they come home from the experience, they can say "I rode this amazing raft ride that does this and you see that and it's so different than Magic Mountains." I can ganrantee you that 80% of the people can't tell the difference with the exception of the spin at the end. Again, creating nice geysers and etc is nice and have that "Disney touch", but it's a far cry of separating your product from the others that essentially has had the same set-up for DECADES before yours was created.
199	woody Sun 10/31/2004 10:16a	>>It isn't like they can sell off DCA like they have done with the Angels or The Disney Stores or are trying to do with the Mighty Ducks.<< They can sell it and then lease it back!!! The reverse of what they done with the Disneyland Hotel.
200	disneywatcher Sun 10/31/2004 1:16p	>> But, if you don't take a good look at what you want to achieve, why you're not achieving it, and how you COULD achieve it, you probably won't move any closer to your goals. << That's a concept that has eluded some of the bigwigs in the DisCo. over the past several years. I suspect if someone with your type of attitude (meaning someone who's less willing to rationalize and excuse away blunders and shortcomings) were given, say, $10 million for a project, he or she would be more likely to get a lot of bang for his buck compared with someone who has the I-love-Paradise-Pier mentality of a Michael Eisner or the people-don't-understand-DCA creativity of a Barry Braverman.

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