Disneyland Resort (DL, DLR, DCA) Discussion Thread

[USCoaster]

I'm hoping the lack of new queue building for the Mickey's Fun Wheel has more to do with getting the ride open for the summer than running out of money. From the various photo reports I have seen, it looks like they were working pretty hard just to get the wheel re-opened and with the amount of scaffolding that was on both sides of the wheel, any construction on the new queue structure would have had to wait. Hopefully, Disney will close the ride again this fall to start construction of the new queue building as the existing shade structure essentially cheapens any work they have done to the rest of Paradise Pier.

[PeoplemoverMatt]

^I'm pretty sure they just ran out of money. The Wheel's queue is mostly hidden from walkers by and they are instead using the money to re-theme the other side of Paradise Pier including Souvenir 66 and Corn Dog Castle and of course the Orange Stinger. While in a perfect world they can do everything, at least the most visible areas are getting re-done for now. IMO that is a big win.

 

Pretty sure the re-theming of the other side of Paradise Pier was included in the original plans, along with the Fun Wheel's now axed wooden Victorian-style queue. Check the concept art shown in the beginning of this thread.

[packfanlv]

^I know but it has been reported that this project went over budget and Cars land kept sucking up money (this comes from fan sites like Miceage) so they had to cut some out. I was simply stating that the retheming of the other side of the pier is more important than the wheel's queue area given its increased visibility.

[PeoplemoverMatt]

^ I hear ya, but I would challenge the premise of "most visible" on the basis of the wait time spent in that exposed Sun Wheel queue. Have you ever waited 30mins or more in that queue? The exposure to the sun, combined with heat radiating off the concrete, combined the complete lack of anything to see or do besides stare at bare concrete becomes almost unbearable.

 

Since I have yet to see anything to indicate that the loading procedures will be any different than how it used to be, I'm going to assume when Fun Wheel opens, people will once again experience the joy of being roasted alive while waiting for the Wheel, only this time it'll be moreso since Fun Wheel will see the "Ooooh let's ride the new thing!" crowd for a few weeks.

 

I'm getting a bad vibe that more "low priority" costs are going to be "moved" before this is all said & done...

[FitchCoaster]

As disappointing as it is that they're not getting to the queue, to me, it's not too big of a deal when you look at the big picture. Compared to all the other things being done, it's pretty minor. If you ask me, I'd much rather have an awesome Carland or Little Mermaid attraction than a pimped-out Fun Wheel queue.

 

As for the budget being cut rather than "moved", that is a scary thought. I'd hate to see more of these small things being cut in the future. It really bothers me that this is going to stand out against all the new Victorian architecture that is being put in. It just doesn't fit in.

 

But oh well, I like to be optimistic. I'm hoping that the orange tarp is just temporary and that a new queue is coming eventually.

[Sir Clinksalot]

^ I don't think anybody is saying that they would rather have a queue than more pimped out stuff on Little Mermaid or CarsLand.

 

What were saying is, if they REALLY want to re-commit themselves to making this park a viable destination and not just an "AP Lounge" or giving it away during the 2fer, then they have to really show people that this park is close to if not at the quality of the park 100 yards away.

 

When you have the awesomely themed boardwalk games, TSMM, the Mermaid ride, etc ... having a concrete queue in the area is just going to stick out.

 

Granted, who knows what they are doing with the Screamin' Queue or the Maliboomer Queue, but if they are planning on REALLY making a change at this park, they can't just slap some paint on stuff and leave what didn't work there. The entire area needs a COMPLETE rework, not just cosmetics, which is what the Sun Wheel got.

[Guest]

What were saying is, if they REALLY want to re-commit themselves to making this park a viable destination and not just an "AP Lounge" or giving it away during the 2fer, then they have to really show people that this park is close to if not at the quality of the park 100 yards away.

Its not the park 100 yards away. No park is the park 100 yards away.

 

When this project is over DCA will have added World of Color, Radiator Springs Racers, Little Mermaid, a new entrance, and a new theater. Add that on top of their current lineup with Tower of Terror, Soarin, TSMM, California Screamin, Disney Animation, and Aladdin I think DCA will be an amazing park. Probably one of the best American Disney parks. I mean really, think of the magnitude of the WOC, RSR, and TSMM projects. Those are star attractions that take years and years of R&D and unbelievable amounts of money to develop and construct, and DCA is getting these one after the other after the other. Sounds good to me.

[Exceller]

^ You are right that those rides will make the park better, especially if they are done well. However, the problem with this park is the tacky look of most of the attractions. For example, look at Mickey's Fun Wheel's queue, the canvas makes it look really tacky. And as EBL pointed out, it gets really hot in the queue (and all of Paradise Pier) in the summer.

 

The problem with the park is the actual design and infrastructure. This is something that a few rides will not fix. To be able to even compete with DL, the park will have to add things like the coverings over the queue of the ferris wheel.

 

Another thing to point out, it will look weird to see the new Victorian design of the Orange Stinger, then see the tacky queue of Mickey's Fun Wheel, then see more Victorian themed buildings on the other side of Paradise Pier.

[Jew]

So what exactly do people do in the Nemo queue (or even most of the Space Mountain queue for that matter) that is any different from the Fun Wheel queue? Those are both pretty plain too...

[Sir Clinksalot]

^ Good point.

 

The Nemo queue sucks ... but it's not strikingly different from the Matterhorn, Autopia, Monorail, Space Mtn. queue. Let's face it, most of the queues are Disneyland are not that great, especially on the east Side.

 

I don't mind the "concrete" aspect of it, even TSMM has a large outside mostly concrete queue. It's more the sun-shade that bothers me.

[ghost007jas]

Everyone knows that chain link fences and concrete are VERY futuristic!

 

Disney is just being true to the theme.

[scotchTAPE]

i dont know if anyone realized this (i probably might be reaaaaaalllly late) but the PARADISE PIER logo changes colors.

 

from the pictures ive seen its been a neon blue, this video i found the logo seems to be sunburst. it looks cool

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiBVE3uFD78

 

i just really wanna see mickeys fun wheel all lit up .

[atem122]

^wow thanks for that, it actually looks really cool at night

[Xmeister]

Regarding the queue for Mickey's Funwheel......

 

I've heard it wasn't done because the wrap-around queue design that was planned interfered with some WOC effects.

 

I bet that Disney will fix it. But I'm glad they decided to wait until they had a design that wouldn't interfere with this epic looking possibly better than Fantasmic show.

 

I'm not worried about it yet, because honestly none of us have ALL the details of this huge renovation.

[PeoplemoverMatt]

So what exactly do people do in the Nemo queue (or even most of the Space Mountain queue for that matter) that is any different from the Fun Wheel queue? Those are both pretty plain too...

 

Well at least there's Disneyland to look at while you're in those queues. There's views available that are somewhat more pleasant to the eyes than bare concrete...

[FitchCoaster]

Found this video of some testing of the new LED lights on the Fun Wheel:

 

 

While the new lighting is neat, I'm really hoping that the colors are only going to be used in World of Color...

[alomar]

^ looks like they got some lighting issues to work out too.

[UberBeavis]

Too bad the side of the Fun Wheel that faces Paradise Pier is fugly.

[ethans_dad06]

I would expect that was a very crude test. I was imagining a very extravagent light show on the wheel, somewhat like the new wheel in Santa monica. I think something of that sort would look very good on mickeys funwheel.

[atem122]

I was at DCA today, and snagged a few pics of WoC construction

There's a world of brown fountain covers out there

I wonder what those concrete thingamajics are for

I still can't quite nail this shot

There's another concrete box down there

Here's what the queue for Mickey's Fun Wheel will look like, it actually doesnt look that bad. Oh and it was testing for a few minutes today

Oh sweet! An underwater queue for WoC!

 

 

That's all I got from dca today

[coasterdude5]

Is that the queue people are freaking out about? I figured it might be mid-life crisis worthy, but it's not.

[COASTER FREAK 11]

^ Yeah, that is the Queue. People are angry just cause it sticks out a bit.

 

^^The concrete boxes in front on the viewing area are for the speakers and such. Think in Fantasmic when the speakers come out of the wooden crates along the edge of the river. These are just a bit bigger, haha.

This is a picture of the model from Micechat

[SuperShawn]

I took a brief hop to the park today and Mickey's Fun Wheel is now open to the public for those of you who might be heading there this week.

[Top Thrill Dragster]

I went to the park today and construction on Cars Land has now started.

[netdvn]

Wow it feels a bit too early for them to start building Cars Land. When is it slated to open?