California Adventure was the not astounding success the Walt Disney Company wanted for the Disneyland Resort in California. Most fans detested the park, staying away in record numbers and complaining loudly at Guest Services and on line. Word of mouth was bad. Visitors to the resort saw Paradise Pier from afar, rightly thinking "carnival", and this poor impression only kept them away as well. Sponsors began to drop out. Quick fixes and "sure fire" attractions like The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror didn't do much for attendance.
Robert Iger wisely admitted the park hadn't met expectations, and along with a proposed one billion dollar plan to fix it, earned much respect from fans. Imagineering a New Dream began, and California Adventure 2.0 was on its way.
Much has already been written about what is ahead. No rehashing here, as a picture is worth a thousand words...
Pixar Play Parade
Toy Story Midway Mania
Blue Sky Cellar
New Paradise Pier
Games of the Boardwalk
Mickey's Fun Wheel
Grand Californian Expansion and Disney Vacation Club Units 
Silly Symphony Swings
2 comments:
very nice picture of dca . why dca is not success? what wrong is for dca?
Nice post, Mark! First time I've seen a lot of that artwork and never in one place.
Why is DCA not a success? It broke virtually every rule that Walt Disney and the geniuses that created the original parks set: Few cohesive or transporting environments; no blocking of the outside world via berms or foliage; no weenie; no mystery, romance, fantasy or adventure; nothing visionary; many cheap, off-the-shelf midway rides; not many things to do overall; and located right across the plaza was the world's preeminent park.
Many of us could see it would fail before it even opened.
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