gavinshearer.com

« Leopard Arrives Oct. 26 | Main | WNBA Welcomes Atlanta »

October 17, 2007

WSJ: Disney Spending $1.1bn To Fix DCA

Wow, it's official:

Since its 2001 debut, the Walt Disney Co. theme park Disney's California Adventure has floundered in the shadow of its legendary neighbor, Disneyland. To fix it, Disney is now planning a $1.1 billion overhaul -- the most extensive makeover the company has ever given to a theme park. ...

Just as Main Street harks back to Walt Disney's hometown of Marceline, Mo., in the early 1900s, California Adventure's new entrance will trace the footsteps of Walt Disney from when he arrived in Los Angeles in the 1920s, these people say. Similar to Disneyland's iconic castle, the redesigned park will feature a replica of Hollywood's former Carthay Circle theater, where Walt Disney premiered the movie "Snow White" in 1937.

The new-look park also will be expanded by around 12 acres and will bulk up its attractions, with a heavy emphasis on animated movies created by Pixar, including "Cars" and "Toy Story."

The Disney Web has been covering this for some time, but it's still terrifically exciting that Disney has gone so public with it - and so public about why they need to overhaul DCA:

Even so, California Adventure has had special problems. On a recent afternoon at the Disneyland Resort, 18-year-old season-pass holder Megan White made a standard complaint: "Disneyland is a magical place, but California Adventure is just a theme park you can get anywhere." Ms. White, of Valencia, Calif., adds she spends most of her visits at Disneyland, only entering California Adventure for one or two rides because it has "no imagination."

Translation: it was built on the cheap, and people know.

Good on ya, Disney, for swallowing the bitter pill. I can't wait to see what the newly relaunched park looks like.

Posted by Gavin Shearer at October 17, 2007 9:37 AM. Posted to Disney.

Comments

Post a comment

« Leopard Arrives Oct. 26 | Main | WNBA Welcomes Atlanta »