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BGW4SC · 08-02-2008, 02:06 PM

I am so glad this thread was started because I have often been confused by the attitude towards the Pixar attraction at the Disneyland Resort. In my opinion Pixar is just today's evil influence that Walt supposedly wouldn't approve of; a villian du jour if you will. Has everyone forgotten how George Lucas was going to ruin the Disney Parks forever when they added Star Tours to Tomorrowland? Or how Walt would be turning over in his frozen grave beneath Space Mountain because there might be Muppets along side Mickey Mouse during a Main Street parade?

Don't get me wrong, I would prefer original stories to theme the rides just like everyone else. As others have pointed out, Pirates of the Caribbean is a perfect example of Disney Imagineering at its best. And while it isn't as obvious in California, if you look at the other Disney Parks around the world there is still plenty of original thought creating attractions that would make Walt proud.

I think the thing that everyone is forgetting is that business school buzz word from the 90's that helped save the Walt Disney Company. That word is "SYNERGY" (defined - The interaction of elements that when combined produce a total affect that is greater than the sum of the individual contributions.). Michael Eisner grasped this concept and ran with it and whether you like it or not it is here to stay. Make a movie, merchandise it to death, create a theme park attraction around it, sell straight to video sequals on DVD and you end up with a mountain of money. Pixar movies are hot and they show no sign of slowing down. Disney will exploit that fact as long as possible.

Unfortunately, DCA has really suffered from financial politics since they broke ground. The original plans for DCA would have blown most other Diney Parks out of the water. For example, the Tower of Terror was originally going to be in the Paradise Pier Hotel. If you think having a hotel inside a theme park (i.e., the Grand Californian) is cool, imagine a real hotel inside of an attraction! Unfortunately, the price tag was far too high for the original plan and the economy was beginning to turn for the worse when the current DCA plan was approved. Keep in mind that the cost of removing the old parking lot and parts of the Disneyland Hotel exceeded the original cost of the entire Disneyland park. Disney couldn't justify building their smallest yet at the same time most expensive theme park ever. Personally, I don't think it is right to blame Pixar movies for all of the poor decisions Disney has made from day one regarding DCA. If the new expansion includes a lot of quality rides with Pixar themes I'll take it over what we have now. Who wouldn't be excited about a thrill ride using the Test Track ride platform even if it is themed to Cars. I just hope it works better than the first time they tried it when it was called Rocket Rods.

08-02-2008, 02:06 PM	#14 (permalink)
BGW4SC Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 65 My Mood:	I am so glad this thread was started because I have often been confused by the attitude towards the Pixar attraction at the Disneyland Resort. In my opinion Pixar is just today's evil influence that Walt supposedly wouldn't approve of; a villian du jour if you will. Has everyone forgotten how George Lucas was going to ruin the Disney Parks forever when they added Star Tours to Tomorrowland? Or how Walt would be turning over in his frozen grave beneath Space Mountain because there might be Muppets along side Mickey Mouse during a Main Street parade? Don't get me wrong, I would prefer original stories to theme the rides just like everyone else. As others have pointed out, Pirates of the Caribbean is a perfect example of Disney Imagineering at its best. And while it isn't as obvious in California, if you look at the other Disney Parks around the world there is still plenty of original thought creating attractions that would make Walt proud. I think the thing that everyone is forgetting is that business school buzz word from the 90's that helped save the Walt Disney Company. That word is "SYNERGY" (defined - The interaction of elements that when combined produce a total affect that is greater than the sum of the individual contributions.). Michael Eisner grasped this concept and ran with it and whether you like it or not it is here to stay. Make a movie, merchandise it to death, create a theme park attraction around it, sell straight to video sequals on DVD and you end up with a mountain of money. Pixar movies are hot and they show no sign of slowing down. Disney will exploit that fact as long as possible. Unfortunately, DCA has really suffered from financial politics since they broke ground. The original plans for DCA would have blown most other Diney Parks out of the water. For example, the Tower of Terror was originally going to be in the Paradise Pier Hotel. If you think having a hotel inside a theme park (i.e., the Grand Californian) is cool, imagine a real hotel inside of an attraction! Unfortunately, the price tag was far too high for the original plan and the economy was beginning to turn for the worse when the current DCA plan was approved. Keep in mind that the cost of removing the old parking lot and parts of the Disneyland Hotel exceeded the original cost of the entire Disneyland park. Disney couldn't justify building their smallest yet at the same time most expensive theme park ever. Personally, I don't think it is right to blame Pixar movies for all of the poor decisions Disney has made from day one regarding DCA. If the new expansion includes a lot of quality rides with Pixar themes I'll take it over what we have now. Who wouldn't be excited about a thrill ride using the Test Track ride platform even if it is themed to Cars. I just hope it works better than the first time they tried it when it was called Rocket Rods.