DCA, Future Expansion
Topic: Barry Braverman Interview

#	Author	Message
11	Hans Reinhardt Mon 5/26/2008 8:39p	"A very expensive mistake." In terms of long term growth and return on investment it probably wasn't as big of a mistake as many people here want to make it out to be. I think it's pretty obvious that building a skimpy park with an eye on future expansion was the objective from the outset.
12	ArchtMig Mon 5/26/2008 11:59p	>>>I think it's pretty obvious that building a skimpy park with an eye on future expansion was the objective from the outset.<<< "Skimpy" is one thing. Badly done is another thing entirely. Disneyland was a "skimpy" park when it first debuted in 1955, but it's layout was masterfully done, and remains entirely intact more than 50 years later. Disneyland's main entrance, Main Street USA, Central Plaza Hub, and the Castle are all almost identical to how they looked back on Day One. What my point is, what makes DCA an "expensive mistake", was the lack of care and traditional Disney atmosphere and attention to detail in so many very large and significant areas of the park, that they now have to rip out and redo. Areas such as the Main Entrance, the Sun Court, Paradise Bay, Paradise Pier. Less than 10 years after the park debuted, they finally admit their mistakes and are poised to spend tremendous amounts of money demolishing and rebuilding these original locations, when for a fraction of that cost, they could have just built them right the first time out. But their arrogance and misunderstanding of their core audience led them to "skimp" out in the wrong places. Yes, Hans, a very expensive mistake. I'm not talking about the lack of attractions. I'm talking about the lack of a basic framework that stands up on its own merits and can remain intact for decades to come, all the while growing by expansion into NEW areas, and growing by adding new attractions in expansion areas as well as infill in existing areas. That's how it's been done with Disneyland. That's how it's been done with EVERY Disney park since Disneyland, up to and until DCA. Even the skimpy Disney Studios Paris park is not having it's main entrance totally ripped out and redone. Only in DCA do we see REVISIONS of this magnitude occurring. Unprecedented! Why do you keep bringing out the "intentionally designed for growth and potential for future expansion" argument, which I have no disagreement with, but ignore the "parts that should remain intact for decades were done just plain badly and now need to be ripped out and redone completely" argument?? What they are doing now is not simply "growing". There is a healthy dose of "starting over from scratch" going on here, too. And it didn't have to be that way, but it is. And the apologists still don't come right out and admit that very expensive mistakes were made.
13	Hans Reinhardt Tue 5/27/2008 10:12a	"There is a healthy dose of "starting over from scratch" going on here, too." Is there? Other than redoing the entrance everything else is either an outright physical expansion (Cars Land), or enhancement of the already existing theme (Paradise Pier revamp). I think there's a lot of exaggeration over how dramatic these upcoming changes will be. It's not like they are ripping out PP and replacing it with World Showcase.
14	DlandDug Tue 5/27/2008 11:00a	We now have another informed voice, that of the chief designer of DCA, discussing this park not at all in terms of success, but rather in terms of failure. And in certain specific details that many of us have contended for years. The important difference is that we did not simply jeer and walk away, but rather tried to engage in thoughtful debate that pointed to the obvious failures of DCA. And now we have comments from Barry Braverman that very much reinforce what has been said. To suggest that DCA was intended to be a minor placeholder is to willfully ignore the true events surrounding its creation. DCA was intended to be a "home run" that would drive attendance and increase the length of guest stays in the Disneyland Resort. It would have been better, in the long run, to have created the other elements (hotels, shopping and improvements) without the theme park, since these are the elements that actually drove the less-than-anticipated growth. DCA has been a failure, and is now being addressed in a major way by the company.
15	Dabob2 Tue 5/27/2008 11:59a	<since these are the elements that actually drove the less-than-anticipated growth.> I don't think that's true. DTD and a new expensive hotel would not have convinced me to lengthen my average stay in Anaheim. Having a second park with a lot of things I enjoy (along with a lot of things I don't) did. It's an imperfect park, but not a failure. And here we go again.
16	Hans Reinhardt Tue 5/27/2008 12:17p	There goes that f word again.
17	Park Hopper Tue 5/27/2008 1:26p	From what I hear, the changes may not be coming at all. Disney's usual tactic of delay, delay, delay, cancel seems to be in full swing, with the souring economy giving them the final excuse to pull the plug.
18	Witches of Morva Tue 5/27/2008 2:59p	ORDDU: Indeed, Park Hopper. Our sources tell us that Disney is taking a 'wait and see how the economy is doing' before actually proceeding forth. We sincerely hope this doesn't all turn out to be a repeat of the infamous 'Disney Decade' that never was.
19	Anacon Tue 5/27/2008 3:31p	I agree. This DCA 2.0 plan is not what will make this a great park. A better park sure, but to be on the same playing field with the Florida parks, which have clear, strong themes, they would have to create some kind of berm to enclose a strong immersive theme. A sense of place is what is missing from a lot of the park. To me, Paradise Pier is the absolute worst offender. It's fine in a theme park, but not a Disney park. The WDC has set the bar very high but seems to ignore that once in a while. There is just NOTHING compelling about the pier as a theme. Now that TSM is opening, the pier is here to stay and that is sad. They will improve it, but a seaside amusement pier is not a good theme for a Disney park. I liked the interview and thought well of Barry until he said, "they just don't get it." I'm sure he was in a tight spot between politics and the budget.
20	dshyates Tue 5/27/2008 4:19p	Aren't they draining the bay and installing the infrastructure they chose not to build in place the first time? Along with adding viewing areas around the bay that they also chose not to build the first time? There is a lot of short sighted ripping out and rebuilding right there

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