Disneyland Resort (DL, DLR, DCA) Discussion Thread

[Wes]

If they ever were going to do the third gate for Disneyland resort, Star Wars would be their best ip anchor for a new park. Hope they announce something more concrete prior to the next movie in Dec 2015.

 

I could see Marvel anchoring its own park since it's a mix of sci-fi and fantasy elements, but who knows. Kinda hope Star Wars doesn't take over too much of Tomorrowland though.

[Jew]

^I agree. I think if they just used innoventions and autopia for Star Tours it would be a nice mix of original and branded content for the land.

[azza29]

If they ever were going to do the third gate for Disneyland resort, Star Wars would be their best ip anchor for a new park. Hope they announce something more concrete prior to the next movie in Dec 2015.

 

I could see Marvel anchoring its own park since it's a mix of sci-fi and fantasy elements, but who knows. Kinda hope Star Wars doesn't take over too much of Tomorrowland though.

 

Star Wars has a number of iconic set-piece locations that could form the basis for a richly themed 'land', I feel like Marvel haven't quite established any of those yet (apart from perhaps Asgard). Not sure how well a big Cars Land-style built environment would fit into Tomorrowland though, seems more like something for a DCA/DHS park.

[OISU8P]

A third gate for Star Wars would be nice. It just seems like a big investment for a park on one brand, even though Star Wars is popular.

 

If there where a park around Star Wars only, I was playing with the idea of a Epcot style layout. Instead of countries, they could have the planets.

 

The Death Star could be the centerpiece with a large laser show that comes from the Death Star is in sync with mirrors around the park. They could have e-tickets in Tatoine like pod racers or a moto coaster concept in Endor for whatever the hell those bike things are called. Could have some interesting restaurants in each area also.

 

Guess this one is for Roller Coaster Tycoon though.

[cfc]

 

The Death Star could be the centerpiece with a large laser show that comes from the Death Star is in sync with mirrors around the park.

 

So, the Death Star destroys the park each night?

[Wes]

 

The Death Star could be the centerpiece with a large laser show that comes from the Death Star is in sync with mirrors around the park.

 

So, the Death Star destroys the park each night?

 

Only the Alderaan section.

[jray21]

Could they please kill off Jar Jar every night as well?

[dylanreich]

It probably won't happen since there's going to be a heavy Star Wars presence, but I still have a hope that they will put in a Tron light cycle ride.

 

Unrelated, I rode the Jingle Cruise today and found it to be pretty funny. I'd say it was definitely worth the 25 or so minutes we waited.

[cfc]

^A good skipper can make all the difference on the Jungle (Jingle) Cruise.

[Someotherguyuser]

It probably won't happen since there's going to be a heavy Star Wars presence, but I still have a hope that they will put in a Tron light cycle ride.

Unfortunately, there probably won't be any Tron presence in TL as they'll focus more on Star Wars. Which is a shame, because I would have loved a lightcycle ride. I'll settle for a speedbike coaster though.

 

I know this article dates back to July, but you think there may be a small possibility they might do both Oz and Star Wars to crush Potter?

 

http://www.disneybymark.com/2013/07/17/oz-land-attraction-planned-disneyland/

[gisco]

I know this article dates back to July, but you think there may be a small possibility they might do both Oz and Star Wars to crush Potter?

 

I don't think Disney cares about Potter. They are going to do what they do best and make money.

[cfc]

^I agree with this. Disney will do what they think will be most profitable for them regardless of what Universal does with Harry Potter.

[Jew]

Nothing they do is going to "crush" Potter. Anything Disney does to compete with Potter will only add to someone's trip. DCA had a record year the same year USH had a record year with Transformers, so I don't see why this would be any different...

[cfc]

^Yes, people tend to forget that one attractions tends to "feed" the other in southern California. Knott's and Disneyland has coexisted for decades, and the former benefits from the latter's popularity.

[DJeXeL]

This is really cool and gets the guests involved. Most people are on their phones anyways while waiting for WOC to start.

 

If you’ve been in the “World of Color” audience lately, you may have noticed that some of your fellow Disney California Adventure park guests have been really focused on Mickey’s Fun Wheel. Yes, some of our observant guests have discovered the Fun Wheel Challenge, which officially begins nightly starting November 16.

I recently talked to Jeff Voris, executive R&D Imagineer and Todd Bennett, director of Experience Development at the Disneyland Resort. The two and their teams have been working on this project for the past year – even giving guests a demonstration at the D23 Expo in August. Jeff told me that the idea behind the Fun Wheel Challenge is to give guests the opportunity to interact with each other and their surroundings while they wait for “World of Color” to begin.

 

 

“It’s about giving guests the chance to play. For us, that was the main purpose,” he said. “It’s about engaging with your environment and the people around you.”

So how does it work? It’s pretty simple. Once you’re in the “World of Color” viewing area, just join the PierGames Wi-Fi network from your mobile device, and the game plays within your device’s web browser. This special Wi-Fi network is available 45 minutes before the start of the first “World of Color” show each evening. No apps, no downloads.

“Our goal is to make it as simple as possible,” said Jeff.

Once you’re on, you are playing against other guests, with Mickey’s Fun Wheel as your giant game board. The Fun Wheel Challenge is a matching game in which you compete to match specific sequences of colors on Mickey’s Fun Wheel using your mobile device. And here’s my favorite part – if you win, you get to control the lights on Mickey’s Fun Wheel right from your mobile device.

And don’t forget your “Glow With the Show” Ears! Todd told me that the game has been designed to incorporate those as well.

Check out the Fun Wheel Challenge for yourself, beginning November 16 at Paradise Pier in Disney California Adventure park.

Disney Parks Blog

[cfc]

^That's a very clever idea. Like the games they've installed in the queues for Soarin' at Epcot or Space Mountain in the Magic Kingdom, only you can play them on your smart phone.

[DJeXeL]

^Agreed. Games in the queues are a great idea to help keep the guests entertained while they wait. I'm hoping to see more games that are park location based so depending on where you are in the park a different game can be played. These are already available via 3rd party apps but it would be cool to see something developed by the park itself. It would also be cool if the park gave you trivia or fun facts based on your phones GPS location in the park.

[Jew]

That's really cool. I'll have to actually bother to see World of Color again now.

[gisco]

Nice idea, can't wait to see a report on how well this works.

[jray21]

That's really cool. I'll have to actually bother to see World of Color again now.

 

I was thinking the same thing. At least it's before the show, so we don't have to stay for the actual show.

[COASTER FREAK 11]

That's really cool. I'll have to actually bother to see World of Color again now.

 

I was thinking the same thing. At least it's before the show, so we don't have to stay for the actual show.

 

Well, Winter Dreams starts today, so it'll be a totally new show through the holiday season. Ive heard good and questionable things about it, so we'll see.

[robbalvey]

Here's a few quick photos from the media event currently going on at Disneyland. Word on the street is that the park looks *FANTASTIC* dressed up for Christmas, but Jingle Cruise is just as much of a bust as te Florida counterpart. No decorations throughout the ride, and even fewer new jokes!

 

Small World and Haunted Mansion Holiday sure make up for it!

Yay! It's Christmas time at Disneyland!

The ONLY version of Small World any human could tolerate!

The queue and signage looks nice... But that's about it.

Can you please bring Haunted Mansion Holiday to Florida instead of Jingle Cruise next year?

[azza29]

If Disney had kept the holiday additions to Jungle Cruise a surprise, without any big announcement, I reckon it would have received a completely different reception - "hey, that's kind of cool!" instead of "ugh, what a letdown". I definitely like that they're looking for ways to make old attractions more interesting, but they probably ought to ease up on the hype meter on some of these things.

[robbalvey]

^ I dunno. They have set their own bar VERY high with what they have done with other seasonal attractions: Haunted Mansion Holiday, Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy, Small World Holiday, etc, that even if they had opened Jingle Cruise un-announced (which also would have been weird as well), that I don't think it would have gotten any different reaction.

 

The moment you slap a new name on an attraction and tie it into a seasonal event, there is a certain level of expectation I think people will want the parks to meet.

[cfc]

The whole Jingle Cruise "overlay" (for lack of a better term) just seems so lackluster. I think they would've been better off if they'd just decorated the queue and forgotten about the lame Christmas jokes.

 

Or they just should've gone all-out ridiculous: Santa hats on the attacking cannibals! Santa and his elves in place of the lost safari! The sleigh crashed in the jungle!