When people talk about how much better the park used to be, most people probably assume that those people wished the park stayed a certain way forever and that they don't want any change to come to it. It's true, there are people who wish that Disneyland would just kinda freeze in time. But in hindsight, the real problem lately, is that it actually kinda has. Basically, there hasn't been a proper ride opening since 2007 with the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, an actually new addition since 2005 with Buzz Lightyears Astro Blasters, or a really groundbreaking addition since 1995 with The Indiana Jones Adventure. These days all they seem to do is add a few flashy gimmicks or small improvements to it's rides. But it seems that the company isn't as willing to really invest money into making sure Disneyland is running at 100%. As a result, the park has been kinda stuck in the mid 00's for about a decade, which was when the park was just starting to try to recover from Michael Eisner's mistakes, like Tommorowland 1998 and DCA. In fact, as I type this, I'm starting to wonder if the sudden lack of progress with Disneyland had anything to do with the five-year DCA refurbishment and funds that may have been moved to it. As much as I prefer the original Disneyland park over Disney's California Adventure, it's kinda a sad truth that now especially since it's massive refurbishment, California Adventure actually seems to have more TLC put to its operation and upkeep.
Walt Disney himself said that Disneyland would continue to grow and change, and it's becoming clear that if it doesn't for a certain period of time it will suffer. With the upcoming addition of Star Wars land in 2019, this brings hope that Disney will start to once again give the park the effort and attention that it deserves.
What I think should happen is that Disneyland should have a good head to toe refurbishment and partial overhaul, kinda like DCA, but not as massive since Disneyland today is still way better than DCA was back in the early days.
Here's how I would do a Disneyland Overhaul:
First of all, since the creation of the Disneyland "Resort", the parks official name has been changed to "Disneyland Park". in accordance with the existence of so many other Disneyland parks across the world, and other parks the company has created, as well as its existence within the larger "Disneyland Resort", I would once again change the official name to "Disneyland U.S.A." This would give the park a humble community feel and make the entire park feel like a whole that all belongs together. Of course, it would still be called "Disneyland", and the sign at the front of the train station would still just say "Disneyland"
Mostly, my refurbishment would involve adding brand new rides, as well as ones that should never have been closed, cleaning, polishing, and fixing the broken and dilapidated stuff, and bringing a sense of interactivity, theatrics, and live performers to each of the lands and rides, a lot like Knotts Berry Farm did with Ghost Town "Ghost Town Alive" for its 75th anniversary (for example, maybe stand-offs in Frontierland taking place sporadically, roars periodically being heard from the Matterhorn, ominous lights glowing from the Haunted Mansion and projected lights rising up from the ground around that area at certain times at night, maybe even at the entrance to Indiana Jones Adventure, there is a guy advertising and raising awareness for the temple tours while someone else is warning people away from the temple, or miners mining in and around Big Thunder Mountain. Basically, this would be to make the park seem like a more "alive" place and to make the line experience more bearable. I think the ride experience should begin as soon as you get in line, if not before. Also, it would be a good chance to do a lot of refurbishments to the attractions themselves.
Main Street:
Main Street would mostly remain the same, it's actually already a pretty active land with its bands and vehicles. That can maybe be upped a bit, like maybe random events in which a simulated fire breaks out and firefighters come to put it out, or buildings where you can enter to see cool stuff. As for the Disneyland railroad, I would add more sights and even animatronics that can only be seen when riding the train, mostly which will correspond to the attraction or land it's passing, such as perhaps a small little chamber near Indiana Jones where there is an ancient image of Mara glowing ominously, or something peeking out a back window at the Haunted Mansion. I think the Main Street Parade needs to be brought back permanantly, with an introduction where lights above the buildings flash in synchronization with the opening lines. They can put in a Frozen float if they absolutely have to. There will also be an ambitious new daytime parade which would be a tribute to the park and each of its lands. The fantasy fairs and pixie hollow need to be replaced with stuff with more substance (like the carnation plaza gardens which came before it). Seriously, the last thing the park needs is more meet-&-greets and nobody cares about those Tinkerbell movies. To top it all off would be a giant new fireworks show showing in conjunction with the classic "Fantasy in the Sky".
Adventureland
The "Tarzan" theming isn't doing anything for the treehouse anymore. I think it's time for that overlay to be taken out to create an updated Swiss Family Treehouse. Today, the former site of the Tahitian Terrace (later known as Aladdin's Oasis) is just standing there in the open completely unused, they never even bothered to take down the sign or close it off. Either reopen the dinner theater venue or use that space for a Jungle Cruise expansion. This would also be a good chance to give the Indiana Jones Adventure some much needed matinence in order to remedy the constant breakdowns, improve certain elements, and fix the broken effects (particularly the rubble effect.)
New Orleans Square
I Dunno
Critter Country
Simple, bring back Country Bear Jamboree. An attraction should only really be removed when they are sure they have something better to replace it with. Winnie the Pooh does not fit that category in the slightest. What should also be done is expanding the area so that you can reach Star Wars land from there.
Frontierland
First of all, I would change Pirates Lair back to Tom Sawyer island. The whole Pirates thing on that island seems like promotional synergy that they forgot to take down. In addition, a bunch of new features can be added, like secret passages and hidden rooms and Show buildings, events, a new and improved Fort Wilderness, or maybe even a new ride or show. I would also work on making an improved version of the Mike Fink Keel boats or a good successor that wont capsize this time. There could even be a cave system at the side of the river where these boats go through where new showrooms can be placed. As for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, in keeping with the "living park" concept, at certain times at night, there would be an effect where lightning struck the mountain, in keeping with the attractions backstory.
Fantasyland
The refurbishment of Fantasyland would see a larger and improved version of the Motor Boat Cruise, involving new environments like inside a Grotto, or animatronics such as crocodiles. Also, if we can, rebuild the skyway going from Fantasyland to Tommorowland somehow. If we can't, then I would build a new skyway going from Disneyland to DCA. A cute little thing to do to top it all off would be something like that sword in the stone show they used to do. Basically, guests would attempt to pull the sword, and every so often, one lucky guest would be able to get it out. Then a bunch of characters would come out and celebrate. And if there's room, we can create an all new attraction, as well as a possible path from the It's a Small World Area to Star Wars Land.
Mickey's Toontown
Mickeys Toontown has pretty much been left to rot by the people who run the park. I guess it was impressive when it first opened, but it certainly hasn't aged well. A lot of what people loved about it was removed (even a lot of the interactive gags in downtown) and it has now pretty much become the Disneyland area for toddlers. I don't think that the Imagineers even know that Gadget' Go Coaster is still there. That ride has absolutely no thrills and no appeal. But for some reason it's still standing there after 14 years while the Peoplemover has been ripped from it's tracks. Either seriously revamp Toontown, or tear it down and replace it with something better. Perhaps a new large scale attraction, a Fantasyland expansion, or a new stage or concert hall (which would make the current Fantasyland Theatre redundant and allow that space to be used for a new attraction. There is a concept I am most interested for this site. Some of you are probably familiar with rumors that Disney was planning to create a dark version of The Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World which would be run by villains. Also, your probably aware that in Animal Kingdom's never built Beastly Kingdom there was to be a good side, and an EVIL side, the latter of which would be a desolate wasteland which would have housed the lands signature e-ticket attraction involving a huge dragon. What I propose is a bit of a gamble: develop the concept of a land for villains at the former site of Toontown. Disneyland's forbidden back alley, Fantasyland's evil twin, the Mordor of Disneyland, the dark side of Fantasy. It would basically be a desolate looking dilapidated wasteland of a kingdom with a dark and grim atmosphere, (while still being PC of course, it is still Disneyland). And what better place to put such a land then at the very back of the park behind an ominous uninviting fence. This could give imagineers a chance to create some exciting E-ticket attractions, maybe even a chance to further develop the aborted dragon ride at Beastly Kingdom. There would also be an epic nighttime show where Chernabog rises from beyond the forced perspective mountains and summon the restless souls from the ground. This would be a special effects show which would encompass the entire land. It could work.
Tommorowland
Oh boy, here we go. I don't think I need to tell you how much Tommorowland has been allowed to pretty much begun to fall apart since the 1998 refurbishment. Seriously, I don't think I have ever seen that Observatron thing actually spin. Now it just sits up there as a stark reminder of the worst thing to ever happen to Disneyland, like a broken clock that you can't find the time to fix or replace. So, we're gonna refurbish Tommorowland for a fourth time. Unlike in '98 however, we are gonna take special care. While the '98 refurb gave the land a romanticized Jules Verne overlay, the new color scheme here would have a theme of the progress of man and technology and balance with nature. Sort of an eco friendly overlay to emphasize not just mans future, but the future of earth and positive ideals toward it. It would be subtle, and I think the color scheme for that would fit the original concept. The first thing that needs to be done is that the Astro Orbiter needs to be taken out of the entrance and the Astro Jets be put back up on the platform where the broken observatron still lies, that way it won't congest the entrance anymore. The new version of Astro Jets, if possible, would have arms that extend out as the rise, to increase the thrill factor. They can keep a certain amount of rocks at the entrance and maybe repaint them, as well as put some floral around the entrance. Also, the word TOMMOROWLAND would be pasted across the sides of the Peoplemover tracks facing the entrance. Speaking of the Peoplemover, a new version would be placed on the tracks and would have new features in order to satisfy the OSHA regulations. We can maybe put in a new route which goes through Space Mountain. Also, in the tunnel which used to house the Superspeed Tunnel and The World of Tron, there would be a tribute to the Adventure Thru Inner Space. What to do about Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters is kinda tough for me. Circle vision definitely has a longer and more memorable history in that spot, but it seems that the Astro Blasters hold a real appeal. If people would rather Buzz stay there, then perhaps we can put a new larger-scale Circlevision theater in the old Carousel of Progress building. It could feature America the Beautiful, as well as a new 3-D 360 film. Disney has been trying to figure out what to do with that space for quite a while. The Submarine Voyage can still be Nemo themed if that's how it has to be, but I would at least like there to be more practical live elements added to the experience (and if possible, the Sea Serpent). I don't really care about synergy. The Tommorowland refurb would also see a large expansion for Autopia, which if it's large enough, you can get on at the Tommorowland entrance and disembark at the Fantasyland entrance, and vice-versa, and put an emphasis on eco-friendly cars. Of course, since Star Wars Land is happening, having a Star Wars themed show at the Tommorowland Terrace would be redundant, opening the possibilities for new acts. There would also be minor improvements made to Space Mountain, involving additional ride effects, and the "windows" of the queue line would have moving 3-D space to make it seem like it's a real space station. As for the 3-D theater, I would have a double feature of Captain EO (with the 4-D effects this time, as well as new ones) and a brand new 4-D multidimensional show. Lastly, as much as I love the Pizzas at Redd Rockets Pizza Port, replacing a ride with a restaurant is just stupid. In that space, place a successor to the Mission to Mars ride and the Moon rides that came before it. A ride that would deliver thrills while putting an emphasis on the history and future of space travel. Ideally, we would get NASA as a sponsor. I have an idea for a ride to succeed Mission to Mars, but it would probably be to complicated to explain here. Lets just say it involved an outward circular seated vehicle inside a sphere with 3-D video projected across its entire interior, and that is moved around by a robotic arm to simulate traveling through open space.
So what do you think. Can any of this stuff work? What would you do if you had the chance to give the Happiest Place on Earth a good once-over? We are all in this together after all.
Walt Disney himself said that Disneyland would continue to grow and change, and it's becoming clear that if it doesn't for a certain period of time it will suffer. With the upcoming addition of Star Wars land in 2019, this brings hope that Disney will start to once again give the park the effort and attention that it deserves.
What I think should happen is that Disneyland should have a good head to toe refurbishment and partial overhaul, kinda like DCA, but not as massive since Disneyland today is still way better than DCA was back in the early days.
Here's how I would do a Disneyland Overhaul:
First of all, since the creation of the Disneyland "Resort", the parks official name has been changed to "Disneyland Park". in accordance with the existence of so many other Disneyland parks across the world, and other parks the company has created, as well as its existence within the larger "Disneyland Resort", I would once again change the official name to "Disneyland U.S.A." This would give the park a humble community feel and make the entire park feel like a whole that all belongs together. Of course, it would still be called "Disneyland", and the sign at the front of the train station would still just say "Disneyland"
Mostly, my refurbishment would involve adding brand new rides, as well as ones that should never have been closed, cleaning, polishing, and fixing the broken and dilapidated stuff, and bringing a sense of interactivity, theatrics, and live performers to each of the lands and rides, a lot like Knotts Berry Farm did with Ghost Town "Ghost Town Alive" for its 75th anniversary (for example, maybe stand-offs in Frontierland taking place sporadically, roars periodically being heard from the Matterhorn, ominous lights glowing from the Haunted Mansion and projected lights rising up from the ground around that area at certain times at night, maybe even at the entrance to Indiana Jones Adventure, there is a guy advertising and raising awareness for the temple tours while someone else is warning people away from the temple, or miners mining in and around Big Thunder Mountain. Basically, this would be to make the park seem like a more "alive" place and to make the line experience more bearable. I think the ride experience should begin as soon as you get in line, if not before. Also, it would be a good chance to do a lot of refurbishments to the attractions themselves.
Main Street:
Main Street would mostly remain the same, it's actually already a pretty active land with its bands and vehicles. That can maybe be upped a bit, like maybe random events in which a simulated fire breaks out and firefighters come to put it out, or buildings where you can enter to see cool stuff. As for the Disneyland railroad, I would add more sights and even animatronics that can only be seen when riding the train, mostly which will correspond to the attraction or land it's passing, such as perhaps a small little chamber near Indiana Jones where there is an ancient image of Mara glowing ominously, or something peeking out a back window at the Haunted Mansion. I think the Main Street Parade needs to be brought back permanantly, with an introduction where lights above the buildings flash in synchronization with the opening lines. They can put in a Frozen float if they absolutely have to. There will also be an ambitious new daytime parade which would be a tribute to the park and each of its lands. The fantasy fairs and pixie hollow need to be replaced with stuff with more substance (like the carnation plaza gardens which came before it). Seriously, the last thing the park needs is more meet-&-greets and nobody cares about those Tinkerbell movies. To top it all off would be a giant new fireworks show showing in conjunction with the classic "Fantasy in the Sky".
Adventureland
The "Tarzan" theming isn't doing anything for the treehouse anymore. I think it's time for that overlay to be taken out to create an updated Swiss Family Treehouse. Today, the former site of the Tahitian Terrace (later known as Aladdin's Oasis) is just standing there in the open completely unused, they never even bothered to take down the sign or close it off. Either reopen the dinner theater venue or use that space for a Jungle Cruise expansion. This would also be a good chance to give the Indiana Jones Adventure some much needed matinence in order to remedy the constant breakdowns, improve certain elements, and fix the broken effects (particularly the rubble effect.)
New Orleans Square
I Dunno
Critter Country
Simple, bring back Country Bear Jamboree. An attraction should only really be removed when they are sure they have something better to replace it with. Winnie the Pooh does not fit that category in the slightest. What should also be done is expanding the area so that you can reach Star Wars land from there.
Frontierland
First of all, I would change Pirates Lair back to Tom Sawyer island. The whole Pirates thing on that island seems like promotional synergy that they forgot to take down. In addition, a bunch of new features can be added, like secret passages and hidden rooms and Show buildings, events, a new and improved Fort Wilderness, or maybe even a new ride or show. I would also work on making an improved version of the Mike Fink Keel boats or a good successor that wont capsize this time. There could even be a cave system at the side of the river where these boats go through where new showrooms can be placed. As for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, in keeping with the "living park" concept, at certain times at night, there would be an effect where lightning struck the mountain, in keeping with the attractions backstory.
Fantasyland
The refurbishment of Fantasyland would see a larger and improved version of the Motor Boat Cruise, involving new environments like inside a Grotto, or animatronics such as crocodiles. Also, if we can, rebuild the skyway going from Fantasyland to Tommorowland somehow. If we can't, then I would build a new skyway going from Disneyland to DCA. A cute little thing to do to top it all off would be something like that sword in the stone show they used to do. Basically, guests would attempt to pull the sword, and every so often, one lucky guest would be able to get it out. Then a bunch of characters would come out and celebrate. And if there's room, we can create an all new attraction, as well as a possible path from the It's a Small World Area to Star Wars Land.
Mickey's Toontown
Mickeys Toontown has pretty much been left to rot by the people who run the park. I guess it was impressive when it first opened, but it certainly hasn't aged well. A lot of what people loved about it was removed (even a lot of the interactive gags in downtown) and it has now pretty much become the Disneyland area for toddlers. I don't think that the Imagineers even know that Gadget' Go Coaster is still there. That ride has absolutely no thrills and no appeal. But for some reason it's still standing there after 14 years while the Peoplemover has been ripped from it's tracks. Either seriously revamp Toontown, or tear it down and replace it with something better. Perhaps a new large scale attraction, a Fantasyland expansion, or a new stage or concert hall (which would make the current Fantasyland Theatre redundant and allow that space to be used for a new attraction. There is a concept I am most interested for this site. Some of you are probably familiar with rumors that Disney was planning to create a dark version of The Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World which would be run by villains. Also, your probably aware that in Animal Kingdom's never built Beastly Kingdom there was to be a good side, and an EVIL side, the latter of which would be a desolate wasteland which would have housed the lands signature e-ticket attraction involving a huge dragon. What I propose is a bit of a gamble: develop the concept of a land for villains at the former site of Toontown. Disneyland's forbidden back alley, Fantasyland's evil twin, the Mordor of Disneyland, the dark side of Fantasy. It would basically be a desolate looking dilapidated wasteland of a kingdom with a dark and grim atmosphere, (while still being PC of course, it is still Disneyland). And what better place to put such a land then at the very back of the park behind an ominous uninviting fence. This could give imagineers a chance to create some exciting E-ticket attractions, maybe even a chance to further develop the aborted dragon ride at Beastly Kingdom. There would also be an epic nighttime show where Chernabog rises from beyond the forced perspective mountains and summon the restless souls from the ground. This would be a special effects show which would encompass the entire land. It could work.
Tommorowland
Oh boy, here we go. I don't think I need to tell you how much Tommorowland has been allowed to pretty much begun to fall apart since the 1998 refurbishment. Seriously, I don't think I have ever seen that Observatron thing actually spin. Now it just sits up there as a stark reminder of the worst thing to ever happen to Disneyland, like a broken clock that you can't find the time to fix or replace. So, we're gonna refurbish Tommorowland for a fourth time. Unlike in '98 however, we are gonna take special care. While the '98 refurb gave the land a romanticized Jules Verne overlay, the new color scheme here would have a theme of the progress of man and technology and balance with nature. Sort of an eco friendly overlay to emphasize not just mans future, but the future of earth and positive ideals toward it. It would be subtle, and I think the color scheme for that would fit the original concept. The first thing that needs to be done is that the Astro Orbiter needs to be taken out of the entrance and the Astro Jets be put back up on the platform where the broken observatron still lies, that way it won't congest the entrance anymore. The new version of Astro Jets, if possible, would have arms that extend out as the rise, to increase the thrill factor. They can keep a certain amount of rocks at the entrance and maybe repaint them, as well as put some floral around the entrance. Also, the word TOMMOROWLAND would be pasted across the sides of the Peoplemover tracks facing the entrance. Speaking of the Peoplemover, a new version would be placed on the tracks and would have new features in order to satisfy the OSHA regulations. We can maybe put in a new route which goes through Space Mountain. Also, in the tunnel which used to house the Superspeed Tunnel and The World of Tron, there would be a tribute to the Adventure Thru Inner Space. What to do about Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters is kinda tough for me. Circle vision definitely has a longer and more memorable history in that spot, but it seems that the Astro Blasters hold a real appeal. If people would rather Buzz stay there, then perhaps we can put a new larger-scale Circlevision theater in the old Carousel of Progress building. It could feature America the Beautiful, as well as a new 3-D 360 film. Disney has been trying to figure out what to do with that space for quite a while. The Submarine Voyage can still be Nemo themed if that's how it has to be, but I would at least like there to be more practical live elements added to the experience (and if possible, the Sea Serpent). I don't really care about synergy. The Tommorowland refurb would also see a large expansion for Autopia, which if it's large enough, you can get on at the Tommorowland entrance and disembark at the Fantasyland entrance, and vice-versa, and put an emphasis on eco-friendly cars. Of course, since Star Wars Land is happening, having a Star Wars themed show at the Tommorowland Terrace would be redundant, opening the possibilities for new acts. There would also be minor improvements made to Space Mountain, involving additional ride effects, and the "windows" of the queue line would have moving 3-D space to make it seem like it's a real space station. As for the 3-D theater, I would have a double feature of Captain EO (with the 4-D effects this time, as well as new ones) and a brand new 4-D multidimensional show. Lastly, as much as I love the Pizzas at Redd Rockets Pizza Port, replacing a ride with a restaurant is just stupid. In that space, place a successor to the Mission to Mars ride and the Moon rides that came before it. A ride that would deliver thrills while putting an emphasis on the history and future of space travel. Ideally, we would get NASA as a sponsor. I have an idea for a ride to succeed Mission to Mars, but it would probably be to complicated to explain here. Lets just say it involved an outward circular seated vehicle inside a sphere with 3-D video projected across its entire interior, and that is moved around by a robotic arm to simulate traveling through open space.
So what do you think. Can any of this stuff work? What would you do if you had the chance to give the Happiest Place on Earth a good once-over? We are all in this together after all.
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