Anaheim Approves DisneylandForward, Paving Way for Resort Expansion

MistaDee15 days ago

Wow I absolutely LOVE this idea. Really creative, but also realistic enough that I can imagine it actually being executed. I think another benefit this idea would bring is by also beginning the transition to Avenger's Campus by having the retro-futuristic science museum which makes for a smoother transition to the science fiction Guardian's tower. In some ways it reminds me a little of how Universal has executed the Diagon Alley brick transition and potentially with the fog and everything the "floo network" transition from Paris to the British Ministry of Magic Phroobar That is like something Universal would do. Disney is no where near creative enough to think of that. I think the creativity is absolutely there within Imagineering. The thing that's lacking is ambition and willingness to take risk from the executives greenlighting new projects. The fact that we're getting a glorified Islands of Adventure Spiderman ride 20 years later, across from a glorified Legoland Ninjago and Knight's Tournament is pretty pathetic IMO.

Phroobar15 days ago

That is like something Universal would do. Disney is no where near creative enough to think of that.

DarkMetroid56716 days ago

That entrance is imo one of my top 5 theme park wide shots in the world, lol

Misted Compass17 days ago

IMO it's not even my favorite wide shot in DCA; that would be entering Cars Land from San Fransokyo. Plus it's generally less crowded, being a side path rather than the spine of the park.

MistaDee17 days ago

I could be wrong but I feel like Galaxy's Edge has a clear pathway leading only to Galaxy's Edge so guests are already flowing in that direction. Plus it even has a little "portal" of its own in addition to the space that allows for the transition. Whereas Pandora's entrance will need to happen in much less space and also require a left turn off the main pathway leading to Avenger's Campus so it would need way to communicate "hey come down this way to Pandora" while also still thematically working within the Hollywood Boulevard setting

DrStarlander17 days ago

Hello, I'm new to these forums but wanted to toss an idea out there as far as the Hollywood-to-Pandora transition. I can imagine putting a new building facade -- wherever this transition needs to happen -- that is themed as an Art Deco Science Museum / Planetarium, perhaps inspired by the Griffith Observatory. Out front of the museum would be vintage signage advertising the exhibit inside: DISCOVER THE AMAZING WORLD OF PANDORA! When you walk in there is an octagonal room, about 50 feet by 50 feet, with a dome planetarium ceiling and floating planet models. Around the perimeter, each facet of the octagon has a vintage museum display of rockets, planets, telescopes, and other science and space-travel topics. (These are playful kinetic displays like Main St. window displays.) Right in front of you at the back portion of the room is a dramatic mural wall with bold signage for the Pandora exhibit beyond. It is framed as if scientists have discovered a new planet and this is an exhibit about that discovery, hypothesizing about what life is like there. Foot traffic would flow around either side of this wall, which blocks a direct view. When you walk around this wall, you enter the faux fantastical jungle of Pandora. At first it feels like a Natural History Museum exhibit with artificial foliage and a painted cyclorama backdrop -- kind of charming in its vintage museum vibe. There is dramatic music and a narrator with a deep voice saying something like "Welcome to the far-off world of Pandora, a planet we are just learning about through the power of science...." This area has skylights over it so we're starting to transition from the indoors-vibe of the octagonal foyer back into an outdoor feel. As we continue on, within 50 feet, about the length of the Frontierland-GE tunnels, this exhibit transitions to the full outdoor setting of Pandora, a transition perhaps assisted with some fine fog. This transition aims to seamlessly link 1920s-30s Hollywood to the science fiction of Pandora, while also making clear Pandora is real, not just fiction/ a movie. Note, accessed from the octagonal science museum foyer I would love a small "science museum gift shop" with 1920s-30s vintage-look Pandora merch, science toys, posters, etc.

denyuntilcaught17 days ago

Agreed. I'd say during the day, the 'wide shot' falls in the low-middle range of the pack, but at night, solid middle. IMO at night it's indeed a sight when you round the bend. But those darn sightlines...

DarkMetroid56718 days ago

I totally get that. I’d also agree that all of those reveals are better, though I guess I think DCA’s is better than DHS and WDS. Though that doesn’t say much.

PiratesMansion18 days ago

I'm sure many, many people love it. But it's a bummer to me that it's probably THE wide shot of the resort, wasted on that. Compared to World Showcase Lagoon, the Tree of Life, entering Tokyo DisneySea and looking ahead at Mount Prometheus, etc. it can't help but personally disappoint. I did like it a bit more before the pleasant blue tunnels of Screamin' gave way to the harsh Red of Incredicoasters'.

DarkMetroid56718 days ago

The sightlines really suck but I still really love the Pier wide shot. At night, it’s one of my favorite scenes in any park.

mickEblu18 days ago

Yeah I mentioned in another post (replying to you I believe) that they probably don’t have room for that. Why? it works for Galaxies Edge?

PiratesMansion18 days ago

The pier is probably safe forever by virtue of 1) branding, and 2) it's basically THE location for non-LL/minor attractions in the park, and there's some value to that. Doesn't mean I have to like what's there. And even in its superior PP 2.0 state it was still always a little jarring to round the bend and come face to face with Screamin', Death Wheel, and the other attractions, at least for me. If you continue straight from the park's entrance it's the first real enormous vista of the park, and frankly from my end it's an incredibly disappointing, anticlimactic one. The worst in any Disney park, arguably, made worse by Anaheim and the incredibly bland PPH being visible right behind the land. Potentially anti-transportive.

DarkMetroid56718 days ago

The Pier is never going away. People love it too much — it’s, for better or worse, the iconic land of DCA.

MistaDee18 days ago

Not sure there's really room for a park like setting to transition between the two lands. And they do need to visually communicate to the guests where they can access Pandora which I don't think an understated alley would quite accomplish