Disneyland Is A Rip
I’m going to Disneyland this weekend and I’m going to have to pay close to 50 bucks just to get in. I’m really pissed at that. Disneyland used to be really fun. But when I go on Sunday, Space Mountain will be closed, Big Thunder Mountain is closed again, and the park is only open till 10. Whatever happened to some of the decent places to eat as well? Whatever happened to Carnation, the place near the castle? Disneyland should change their prices. They charge the same amount when they open at 8 and close at 1 as they do when they open at 9 and close at 10. That’s a difference of 4 hours, but I still have to pay the same amount for less time. Whatever happened to the submarines or the sky buckets. Those were the best! Old school Disneyland was the best. Not only were the rides good, but it was cheaper. I mean honestly, does anyone really like the new autopia better than the old autopia?
As long as I can remember Disneyland has always been expensive, except for the SoCal Resident deals. Normal price was about $42 a few years ago before DCA was opened. Now it’s around $50 for a pass to both parks. It still is expensive, but I don’t think that it’s any new trend.
Why are you even going?
Disneyland is always changing, and always has. Rides from the 50s were replaced in the 60s and 70s; rides from the 70s were replaced in the 90s, and rides from then are replaced now. It’s nothing new for the mouse. While I agree its not cheap, I assume you’re going under your own free will…but that’s a lot of money to spend to be annoyed the whole time.
Just because Disneyland has changed, doesn’t mean it’s worse. I agree that it is worse, but wanting Disneyland to change back to the way it use to be is just unrealalistic. Instead, new rides should be put in that are just as good as the old ones. I’ve always thought the submarines and the sky buckets sucked, they were boring and slow. In fact, all of the rides they have taken out over the years have been the lesser rides. Right now they are rebuilding Space Mountain and not replacing it because that ride rocks. What I’m saying is that we need to do something constructive with Disneyland, build more and better rides, not wishing the old ones would come back.
Woah, Grant! The subs… “sucked”?!?!
That hurts.
On the topic, I hear they’re rethinking the subs. Something with a Nemo theme. Of course, I’m not sure how accurate such speculation may be. Nor am I entirely sure the Imagineers will be able to pull it off with any degree of authenticity.
If you want to talk disappointment at Disney, let’s talk Teacups. They’ve got speed governors on them now– so you can’t spin at, like, mach 4 anymore.
That’s depressing.
As long as they keep the Tiki Room intact, I’ll be a happy camper. All of the refurbs going on right now are so the park can be in pristine shape when it celebrates its 50th. Sure Space Mountain is closed and the castle is undergoing a cosmetic change, but I went there about a month ago and still managed to have a great time.
Yeah, Carnation Plaza went the way of the dodo… I’m sad about that too. If you’re in search of Ice Cream, there’s Gibson Girl midway down Main Street. Any Cast Member on Main Street can point you in the right direction if you ask them. I used to work for the Mouse so if you want any pointers before you go, let me know.
If they had a discount for SoCal residents, I’ve got a feeling that you may be complaining a bit less. But if you’re going to be pessimistic about the whole experience, perhaps you shouldn’t go.
Hmm, this blog won’t let me post a URL…here it is, with some spaces to remove:
http : // www . savedisney . com /
Take a gander at the Tomorrowland photo essay.
“I’ve always thought the submarines and the sky buckets sucked, they were boring and slow.”
I was never a huge fan of the subs either, though I know that’s a minority opinion. The thing with the subs though, is that (assuming lines are short) it was a nice ride to catch your breath and rest your tired feet on, and still have something to look at – sort of like the late Mission to Mars I guess, but I didn’t like that ride either (at least, not as a kid). As for the Skyway…correct me if I’m wrong, but your mentality seems to be that of someone who would be happier at a park like Magic Mountain; that is, you just want fun rides, and couldn’t care less about atmosphere or thoughtful park design. I thought the Skyway was a nice way to get from one land to another, not to mention it was kinda neat to see them looming overhead. If all I wanted were rides, I’d go to Magic Mountain; Disneyland rules because of the incredible attention to details the original Imagineers had when designing the park (examples: the floors of the buildings along Main Street gradually get a little shorter, so the street looks longer on the way in, but shorter on the way out; and the stones of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle get smaller as you go up the wall, to make it look taller than it is).
“In fact, all of the rides they have taken out over the years have been the lesser rides.”
As much as I like Star Tours, I would give it up in an instant if they’d bring back Adventure Through Inner Space.
They also took out the Rocket Jets…for a stupid sculpture. And the People Mover…it wasn’t about being a great ride (though I always rode it every time I visited the park). It was about a vision of the future.
“What I’m saying is that we need to do something constructive with Disneyland, build more and better rides, not wishing the old ones would come back.”
The new Tomorrowland sucks. A lot. What Disney needs to do is go back to being led by people with creativity and innovation, not by a bunch of suits looking to make a buck. It isn’t just the park that is suffering; the entire brand is going to hell in a handbasket.
(I used to be a huge Disney geek back in the 80s and early 90s. I haven’t been to Disneyland since 1996 because of how all things Disney continue to get worse and worse.)
Mr Hooks-
I agree about Tomorrowland, the first time I saw the new Tomorrowland I nearly cried. It is ugly and doesn’t look futuristic at all. But the old Tomorrowland didn’t look futuristic either. It looked retro-futuristic, which is quite different. Tomrrowland needs to portray a vision of the future.
I’m not old enough to comment on Adventure Through Inner Space. So I won’t. But I like Star Tours, it’s the best ride open in Tomorrowland right now.
I agree with the Rocket Jets, the stupid sculpture they put in its place is just that, stupid. Not to mention ugly.
About the People Mover, it was never a successful vision of the future. It was a window into Star Tours, or a vision of Tron, but never a good vision of the future. If they wanted to do the People Mover properly it would need to be constantly updated, constantly looking further into the future.
I’m really not saying they have replaced the old rides with better ones. I’m just saying that, of the rides in the park, they have taken out the lesser ones. That’s a pretty high standard, it means I’m calling the rides lesser than Space Mountain, The Matterhorn, The Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder Mountain, Autopia, and other rides that have been at the park for decades.
Now, about my preference for faster rides, that is only partly true. I don’t like being idle, I don’t like rides where I just sit there and look around. However, I do care about the atmosphere and the park design. I would be perfectly content at Disneyland if it had no rides, if all you did was run around and had a good time. But I would be doing just that, running around. Not just sitting there.
I have great respect for what the original Imagineers did. The old rides are still the best, and there are only a few of the newer rides that come close. But Disneyland still needs to change, it cannot stay static. But right now the changes have not been improving the park. What needs to happen is for the Imagineers to have creative independence and an unlimited cash flow. I don’t think this will ever happen, and most defiantly not with Eisner leading the company (into the ground). But it’s what needs to happen.
I agree about the retro-futuristic look of the old Tomorrowland. And I agree the park needs to move forward. It’s just very sad that they went backwards when remodeling Tomorrowland. The Jules Verne-esque look might have seemed futuristic 100+ years ago, but it wasn’t even remotely futuristic when the park was created, let alone at the turn of the millenium.
About Adventure Through Inner Space…I think it was sort of the Big Thunder of its time – constantly breaking down. Or maybe someone died on it…I can’t remember. Which was why it was eventually replaced with Star Tours. That was possibly my favorite ride as a child in the late 70s/early 80s, around/before the time they switched from ticketbooks to day passes (which I remember were $11!).
The People Mover was, unfortunately, never implemented quite properly. Before the TRON section replaced it, they had some Indy car thing (instead of the TRON scenes projected on the tunnel walls, there were scenes with racecars zooming by, as though you were on the track). Not futuristic at all. But I still really like the idea of it, and the original Tomorrowland in general, wide-open and lots to see no matter where you are.
As much as I feel the park needs to move forward, I think the sentiment expressed by many (including myself) is that it’s better to stay the same than to make things worse. I just hope they never tear out Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. :D
I dont know if you guys knew this but the people mover was quite the people killer, for all the lovely death stats please refer to….
http://www.bobfreemanshow.com/disneydeaths1.html
its sure to impress any date when you start rattling off the facts while your in line for the matterhorn.
Disneyland rules because of the art. – Theres art everywhere.
I think it’s more accurate to say that stupidity was the killer in those instances. The People Mover just helped it along. ;)
I’ve been to Disneyland three times in the last 6 months, which I admit is a bit much for me. (First time, I wanted to go. Next couple times, I had friends in from out of state who’d never been).
I had many of the same concerns as Grant (um, being that we went together) but also had a couple of other “issues”
– The cast members were simply not friendly. I always remember Dland to have very nice employees, even as a young adult. The last couple of times, they were like “ordinary” people. The illusion was broken. Still, I have to say “Mulan” and “Mary Poppins” were perfectly in character!
– The waiting areas are underused. In rides such as Indiana Jones, Star Tours and … ok, just those two, they make you wait ouside, instead of in the nifty areas created inside for our enjoyment. I end up practically running through those sections.
I also thing that the use of Imagineers really needs to be brought back. There are so many cool rides there, that obviously have had a lot of attentioned paid to them, every detail thought out and implemented. Winnie the Pooh, the entire Tomorrowland, and all of California Adventure were clearly not done by people interested in maintaining the illusion of magic, innovation and forward-thinking. And with out that magic, all you’ve got is a crowded park full of over-priced drinks and crying kids…
All Southern California destinations tend to be overpriced… I think Disneyland is quite a value in comparison to, say, Carlsbad’s Legoland, which is almost the same price as Disneyland.
I know most of this person’s complaints were due to the pre-50th rennovation, though. Many of the attractions were undergoing a lot of work getting back to the point they needed to be in when the spotlight would be on the Park. True, they should have never gotten to the point they were at, but that’s less “Disneyland’s” fault, and more of the former management team’s problem.
If anyone would take a look at Disneyland today, I’m sure they would have a different opinion than when this was originally posted.