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

#	Author	Message
271	Socrates Wed 8/3/2005 3:07p	Does anyone have any financial data at all about DCA? How much money is it actually losing (if any)? Socrates "The unexamined life is not worth living."
272	RoadTrip Wed 8/3/2005 3:13p	<<Actually... reviews by people who haven't been there are incredibly valuable... to the company running the park. Right now, the park is building an attraction that's likely to please the people who are already happy when they go to the park. What they SHOULD be doing is looking at trends for both parks, seeing what has and has NOT increased attendance at the resort, and determining what additions might make the park more attractive to those previously mentioned vast numbers of people who aren't currently going to the park.>> But here you are assuming that Disney is trying to attract Disneyland fans to DCA. I don't think that they are (or at least they shouldn't be), and that is where the DCA critics just don't get it. They don't NEED to attract the Disneyland fans. Disneyland does that just fine on its own. They need to attract the people that were going somewhere else to ride a coaster, a drop ride or a spinner. They need to attract the people that might like to have a glass of wine or a beer while they were in the park. They need to attract the people that would find a gourmet meal a valuable part of the experience. They DON'T need to attract someone who thinks Pirate's is the ultimate theme park attraction. They have that across the street. The concept was right. The concept IS STILL right. It has just been very poorly marketed. They have tons of people out there like you thinking that DCA is supposed to be Disneyland II. It isn't.
273	ModHatter Wed 8/3/2005 3:39p	Actually, no, you made some really poor assumptions about me and my post. So, let me correct those. I would never WANT DCA to be Disneyland II. If that's what I wanted, I'd just spend time at Disneyland I. What I, and many MANY people want is a park about the California Adventure, built with Disney quality. And it is YOU who assumed something incorrect from my post. I don't think Disney is TRYING to attract Disneyland fans to DCA. But that is the net result of their ACTIONS. By adding Turtle Talk and Monsters Inc., they are playing to the crowds who already go to the resort. They aren't competing with Knotts, Universal, or SFMM. They aren't creating content that will tap into a new audience. They're trying to turn DCA into Disneyland II, but on a shoestring budget, and using the very faddish Pixar properties to do it. See, even though you missed the point, you agreed with me. DCA doesn't need to attract Disneyland fans. I as much as said so in the post you quoted. Your average Disneyland fans are typically the ones who go to DCA, and they give it that 4.0 rating. But there aren't enough of them who are tourists and will choose Anaheim over Orlando, there aren't enough of them locally. So, to paraphrase another comment, DCA needs to use something like New Orleans Square as a model of Disney quality and theming. Does that mean they necessarily have to have a California version of Pirates and HM? Of course not. But DCA should have quality, immersive attractions nonetheless. They need to take just about every sit-down-and-watch-a-movie attraction out, as well as every small town carnival ride, and the faux factory tours. That leaves a lot of room for well-designed, well-themed adventures that will attract Disneyland fans and non-fans alike.
274	disneywatcher Wed 8/3/2005 3:58p	>> The concept was right. The concept IS STILL right. << If so, then the people responsible for DCA shouldn't be surprised that their park has a level of popularity closer to an Anytown USA amusement park than a truly big-time Disney theme park, even more so since the DisCo's setup in Anaheim already is less impressive, and much less truly resort-like, than what they have on the East Coast. Therefore, the DisCo people behind DCA's creation were real geniuses to have built such a second-rate affair next to Disneyland. As for DCA not being similar to Disneyland, you can say that again.
275	BrigmanMT 2 Wed 8/3/2005 4:04p	"<< an 18 month celebration that are bringing the people out like never before??>> Yes, but it is primarily a Disneyland Park celebration, not a DCA one." Still, aren't the hotels full? If this is the case, shouldn't park hopper tickets be selling like hot cakes? I thought the whole point of DCA was to entice visitors to stay at the Disneyland resort an extra night. I guess the idea is working, only the guests decide to spend that extra day at Disneyland once they see DCA in person.
276	mstaft Wed 8/3/2005 4:35p	Especially when the view from Paradise Pier Hotel and Grand Californian is a midway that screams "I'm Six Flags"! Those lucky folks at TDLResort. The beautiful Mira Costa overlooks the amazing Tokyo Disney Sea harbor. Big difference between the two. As for those folks driving to the DSL Resort or the folksat Downtown Disney... Just take a drive on the road behind California Adventure. What can you see? Carnival rides. What do you see of DCA from DTD? Carnival rides plus GRR. Not quite the enticement it should have been to visit DCA.
277	mstaft Wed 8/3/2005 4:37p	Continued... There is clearly more to DCA than Paradise Pier. Except that is the part visible to the outside world. Poor planning. DCA could have been designed differently and given itself a boost by putting its best foot forward by showing a better themed section of the park.
278	idleHands Wed 8/3/2005 4:46p	<<Does anyone have any financial data at all about DCA? How much money is it actually losing (if any)?>> I do not know if this statement continues to be valid, but a couple of years ago, a TDA bean counter claimed the land made more $$$ as a parking lot, than as DCA. This would not surprise me to still be the case.
279	Hans Reinhardt Wed 8/3/2005 8:48p	"Does anyone have any financial data at all about DCA? How much money is it actually losing (if any)?" Funny you should ask. I've posed those same questions many times and I've never had anyone give me a direct answer with reliable supporting data.
280	WorldDisney Wed 8/3/2005 9:07p	^^^It just means none of us may not have that information :). Of course, it doesn't stop anyone from making valid observations about eitherway, right?

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