DCA Gets A Worthy Overhaul Budget

elizabethswann · Post by **elizabethswann** » Apr Fri 24, 2009 2:24 am

The gondolas of the Fun Wheel have been unveiled as of this Tuesday when I went but I haven't gotten any pictures of them. Micechat is currently down so I won't be able to check until later or tomorrow.

wdwannabe · Post by **wdwannabe** » Apr Fri 24, 2009 10:47 am

If I could get to Disneyland, after the refurb would be my time. I would love to go! It would be a dream come true! When is the end of the refurb? I for one can't wait to see the changes! Thanks for all the updates!

elizabethswann · Post by **elizabethswann** » Apr Fri 24, 2009 2:36 pm

wdwannabe wrote:If I could get to Disneyland, after the refurb would be my time. I would love to go! It would be a dream come true! When is the end of the refurb? I for one can't wait to see the changes! Thanks for all the updates!

The Fun Wheel should be open around May 3rd though it may be a little bit longer since they're still working on the queue. My guess is that all the refurbing will be done sometime in 2013 since there's a lot to be done and they've been working on the Fun Wheel, the World of Color show, the bathrooms, expanding the Mexican restaurant and they're starting work on the Orange Stinger.

momeja · Post by **momeja** » Apr Fri 24, 2009 10:34 pm

Thanks, Doctor, for posting the photos. I always thought that Paradise Pier missed the point of being a part of Disney by merely duplicating the west coast pier culture. I'm glad to see that Disney has realized it, too.

husky · Post by **husky** » Apr Mon 27, 2009 9:10 am

we just went to DCA last month. It's still just as lame as last year. Next year hopefully it'll not have construction projects everywhere. I hope they do something about the lack of shady areas.

Esmeralda · Post by **Esmeralda** » Apr Mon 27, 2009 11:28 am

Now that Paradise Pier is 'Vintage Disney' themed, any rumors that the Paradise Pier Hotel will be getting a similar makeover?

elizabethswann · Post by **elizabethswann** » Apr Mon 27, 2009 11:38 am

Esmeralda wrote:Now that Paradise Pier is 'Vintage Disney' themed, any rumors that the Paradise Pier Hotel will be getting a similar makeover?

That's actually a good question. I haven't heard anything about the hotel getting a makeover to fit the theme for the renovation. I'll keep an eye out.

Post by **Dr. Ravenscroft** » Apr Mon 27, 2009 11:55 am

elizabethswann wrote:
Esmeralda wrote:Now that Paradise Pier is 'Vintage Disney' themed, any rumors that the Paradise Pier Hotel will be getting a similar makeover?
That's actually a good question. I haven't heard anything about the hotel getting a makeover to fit the theme for the renovation. I'll keep an eye out.

The last I heard about the hotels is that they are putting most of the renovations on hold right now. They have run into so many problems with the disneyland hotels that the paradise pier hotel is not changing anytime soon.

elizabethswann · Post by **elizabethswann** » Apr Tue 28, 2009 12:25 am

Micechat has finally posted pictures of the unveiled gondolas of the Fun Wheel.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v647/ ... G_2482.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v647/ ... G_2544.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v647/ ... G_2541.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v647/ ... G_2547.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v647/ ... G_2550.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v647/ ... G_2609.jpg

Esmeralda · Post by **Esmeralda** » May Sat 02, 2009 7:30 pm

All the recent pictures look great!

In order to complete the new look, are they going to remove the 'sound tunnels' from California Screamin'? That'd make it look much more old fashioned!

elizabethswann · Post by **elizabethswann** » May Sat 02, 2009 8:36 pm

Esmeralda wrote:All the recent pictures look great!

In order to complete the new look, are they going to remove the 'sound tunnels' from California Screamin'? That'd make it look much more old fashioned!

No, they put them there to block out the screams so the residents nearby won't have to hear them. Before they didn't have the tunnels but after residents complained about the screams, they installed them on the coaster.

napastoy · Post by **napastoy** » May Sun 03, 2009 12:21 am

You can boo me now if you want, but I've never been a fan of this park. I knew this was coming. Iger's baby is California Adventures, so you knew more money was going to be thrown it's way.

I keep looking at this and thinking "How much more money and is it still the same theme?" I lived there through the original building and opening of the park and the disappointment was large. We never really felt or understood the so-called "California" theme. Are they now going retro California? You can expand and expand, but if it all doesn't flow from one central, well developed theme, it's lost.

I really don't see the Pixar stuff being that big a draw...especially now given the current and future state of auto makers world wide. I kept hoping to see more attractions created for the park instead of being imported from other parks or cloned from other attractions, so I guess Carland will be as close as I can get.

Sorry to see Golden Vine area be history, it was one of the few cool places in the park. A new water show is great too...not real original but at least its a step in the right direction. The water area as it stood was a huge waste of space, so at least this makes it useful.

The park never had a "unique" feel and that's what I keep hoping to see. Hopefully after all the changes it will find itself. I still have yet to see anything that makes me think the money was (or will be worth it) I know the park has lots of supporters, but I haven't been one. After all this money, it had better be right this time or I think it's over.

Post by **Dr. Ravenscroft** » May Sun 03, 2009 8:09 pm

That's the thing napastoy, in the early days of the parks design they had so much planned for but the budgets kept getting slashed. I think that if the company allowed WDI to do half of the things they wanted to the park would have been better.

I agree that the California theme isn't good, the suits thought it would be good because at the time more guests were from outside California than from. Right now it is the opposite there are 850,000 SoCal AP holders now and over 1 million AP holders in general. Many of the others are in Northern California than other states, I am one of the out of staters.

I am still hopeful with this makeover will revitalize the park and bring it up in standing. It had potential but wasn't executed correctly. We will just have to wait a few more years until they are done with the bulk of the rehabs to decide on whether to like or dislike it.

napastoy · Post by **napastoy** » May Mon 04, 2009 5:33 pm

Dr. Ravenscroft wrote:That's the thing napastoy, in the early days of the parks design they had so much planned for but the budgets kept getting slashed. I think that if the company allowed WDI to do half of the things they wanted to the park would have been better.

I agree that the California theme isn't good, the suits thought it would be good because at the time more guests were from outside California than from. Right now it is the opposite there are 850,000 SoCal AP holders now and over 1 million AP holders in general. Many of the others are in Northern California than other states, I am one of the out of staters.

I am still hopeful with this makeover will revitalize the park and bring it up in standing. It had potential but wasn't executed correctly. We will just have to wait a few more years until they are done with the bulk of the rehabs to decide on whether to like or dislike it.

Well said....let's hope for the best!

MW1218 · Post by **MW1218** » May Tue 05, 2009 1:59 pm

One part of California Adventure that is sorely lacking, as has been discussed often, is the idea of theme. You need only take a look at a few posts at http://disneyshawn.blogspot.com/ to see the difference between a well-themed park, and just a bunch of carnival rides that they threw together.

I like seeing the additions made to DCA to show that the Paradise Pier has a running theme, and hope that the rest of the park follows suit.