Superstar Limo closed for good and other Disneyland questions?

[MelissathePooh]

It does help to visit both parks in understanding (as much as the general public can) Disney. I have to admit that there are definitely things I prefer at DL - there is quite a bit more to do in a smaller area. I prefer DL Fantasyland, Space Mountain, and I loved the holiday makeovers. There are definitely things I prefer at WDW of course two - but each has its place. CA is similar to AK to me - some of the attractions are oustanding and wonderful, but there isn't enough to do for a whole day and the ticket prices should reflect that. Don't get me wrong - AK far exceeds CA in terms of theming , but there isn't enough to do for a whole day and I resent paying full price for it. I felt the same way at CA.

I can't imagine DL every actually closing, but I don't see CA recovering as well as Eurodisney did after its initial problems.

DL is great though - being so used to WDW it was kind of like being in bizarro Disney at first, but after a while it was the same feeling of being at home as being in MK in WDW.

 

[hopemax]

(and glad you noticed the pecking order - big smile, folks).

Scoop, TT, roymc...didn't I just suggest that...first? Or am I on everybodys "ignore" list?

Didn't see this before, and since we're just all having fun here... *I'm* the one on the ignore list.

I threw out the possibility of Disneyland shutting down back in March in this
thread 2nd post on the page...

 

[Peter Pirate]

...Well... my memories shot. Sorry.

 

[Planogirl]

Wow! I don't know whether to be sorry I'm going to Disneyland this year instead of many years ago or to be relieved to have the chance to see the place before it's too late. The talk about poor maintenance definitely worries me though. Is Disneyland SAFE? I don't know if anyone truly realizes how peculiar it feels to ask that question. If anyone would have told me 10 years ago that any of this would have been under discussion, I would have laughed out loud. Oh my, what would Walt think of all of this?

I may need to move to another car after we get back.

 

[larry_poppins]

The rumours of the Disneyland Resort's demise is GREATLY exaggerated!
Planogirl you will have a great trip!

Larry

 

[roymccoy]

you're going to have a great trip. I think what bothers me is if the penny-pinching hadn't gone on with DCA, you would've had a REALLY GREAT trip. Kind of what you expect at WDW. I personally don't ever see DL closing because the company would be taken over before it got to financial ruin. Microsoft, AOL/Time Warner, Sony, etc. would just LOVE to see Disney get into bad shape and then they could swoop in and take it over. No, Disneyland will always be there, but the sign could someday say "GatesLand....formeraly Disneyland."

Roy

 

[abitjaded]

Where is the out-of-state-DL visitor going? We used to go to DL on quick trips, airfare from Denver was cheap, you could get a good deal on a hotel, even the DL Hotel. Well, we mostly go to WDW now, it is as cheap to fly to Orlando (Delata) as it is to CA (United has us by the -----). The last time we went to DL the Disney travel gave us free airfare for the kids and a good hotel price, but an amazing number of rides were on rehab or closed due to CA construction and mismanagement, still had a good CHEAP time. It just does not make sense that those of us who live much closer to DL must pay MORE to see DL and CA when we can go to WDW and get more bang for the buck. In MHO CA blew it because they just put in MORE expensive hotels instead of doing an All Stars and trying to attract the Western part of the US for a more budget vacation. Why are All Stars booked way in advance and the mods and uppers available? If the Disney Corp would do the math....hmmmm admission per day for a family of four, airfare for four (hard to get under $1000 to John Wayne vs $400-600 to MCO) then add the difference between $200 a night or All Stars at off-season-$79, weeelllll, big surprise we, and plenty of other Coloradans we know, haven't been to Anaheim.

Carla

 

[ivanova]

A theory put forth on another board is to overhaul DCA into "Disney America" (the flopped Virginia idea) --- it could be done in phases without totally closing the park completely, the theming (America versus California) leaves wider opportunities for attractions, and the whole patriotism thing is at a new high after 9/11.

But, it boils down to the egos in the executive offices --- no one wants to admit DCA was a bad idea, or a good idea turned bad when cutbacks & budget concerns were allowed to take over.

I don't think DL alone is in danger --- attendance is thriving over there, whilst DCA is dying a slow agonizing death. But maintenance will be an issue, cutting back on maintenance may save money in the short term but cost more money overall (look at King Arthur's carousel at DL as a prime example).

The resort hotels are going to be toast --- who wants to spend $300/night for a standard hotel room???? At least at WDW there's a variety of resorts that meet the budget needs of just about everyone. At DL there are 3 resort hotels, and all 3 seem to be in the high-end price range. May as well stay off property if you want to keep it cheap. We live in So.Calif. but in December leading up to Xmas we typically get a hotel room for 2 nights so we can enjoy 3 days in the parks with out the 2-3 hour roundtrip daily drives. $300/night doesn't cut it ... we'll pay $50-$65 a night for a standard room or maybe $100-$125 for a suite with full kitchen.

As for DTD, I've heard rumor that the tenants are pressing for refunds on their high lease rates because Disney had originally justified the high rates because of the foot traffic these folks would supposedly experience in their shops & restaurants. Said foot traffic hasn't materialized, therefore the tenants want back some of the money they've shelled out in rent.

 

[roymccoy]

you make some good points. It does seem more plausable that DCA would be turned into something else instead of being "farmed out" to another company to run in it's present form. I don't think you'd find anyone to take it, in it's present form. DTD seems to be usually pretty full with people walking around but maybe they're not buying much. Also, it's not unusual for tenants to want a refund or a reduction in rent at ANY mall or strip. In my commercial property management days, it was part of my job to explain to tenants that they signed a lease and the owner needed their rent to make his bills for the center. They would use ANY reason to whine. Economy, vacancies, mall across the street, energy prices, politics, etc. I even had one lady who owned a nail salon tell me that the building wasn't "feng shau" (sp?) I would say that DTD is living up to Disney's projections or at least a lot closer than DCA's projections!

Roy

 

[ivanova]

I ventured into DCA for the first time less than a month ago ... not overly impressed ... it was "okay." Being an AP holder I figure we'll pop in occasionally for a few hours here & there (do Soarin', catch Millionaire while it's still there, etc.) but the bulk of our time will probably be in DL.

If they changed DCA to DA (Disney's America) I'd be all over it in a heartbeat ... but not holding my breath at this point.

 

[Bstanley]

Great Zot!

Close down the most popular Theme Park in the US?!
The one with almost 20 Million people within 50 miles?!
An area with the 12th largest GNP in the world (if it was a country)?!

Surely the company would step back, take a deep breath and make whatever changes were needed, no matter how draconian they might be!

There are examples out there now that show how to make a park that would be popular. It might take some cash to do it, but it would be a lot cheaper than losing it entirely.

 

[d-r]

When Melissa and I went to Disneyland, I remember after a couple of days there I told her that they ought to take the ticket lines out for disneyland and dca, and put in two new ones perpindicular to those, one on the side where the busses from the off-property hotels come in, one on the dtd side where the disney hotels and monorail come in, and just have one super large mega park.

Honestly, I don't think that it would take away from the "resort destination" idea to call it one huge collossal park than to call it two separate ones - "Disneyland, the park so big you could never see it in just one day!"

Probably a bad idea-
DR

 

[mrtoadslastride]

Originally posted by d-r
"Disneyland, the park so big you could never see it in just one day!"

Probably a bad idea-
DR

The powers that be won't go with this idea because you only sell 1 ticket to the mega park not 2 if they keep the parks seperate. Maybe if they doubled the price of the tickets to the mega-park.....

 

[Bob O]

I also saw the shows on the Travel Channel, and disney could compete and have a great thrill ride with a story that would be great but they are too cheap to do it!!! The rides they showed at Knott's/SFMM look to be great rides and i cant wait to ride them this dec., but disney could compete but they choose not to. They are more content to spread cloned rides around than create new rides/attractions! because its cheaper to do so! Its cheaper to put clones of Its a Bug life and TOT than trying to create a new attraction like Indy Jones for instance.

 

[YoHo]

Scoop, the point is that Disneyland has and probably even with these missteps continues to bury Magic Mountain and Knott's. this isn't orlando. Universal hollywood is good for the studio tour and that's about it. Disneyland rules LA with a Rusty Iron fist and no amount of Thrill rides seems to have affected that. If the situation changes it won't be due to the type of rides, but the quality of the park.