Monday, October 22, 2007

Burying The Past...


Did you see the obituary in the paper?

No? Well that's because it wasn't in the paper... at least not in the obituary section. It was on the front page. The announcement of the Extreme Expansion/Makeover of DCA(or likely to be called something else) was it. All you had to do was read between the lines.

The McPark died on Wednesday.

The concept of the McPark has been around since Eisner's creative endeavors with Euro-Disney. The resulting crash and burn to the creative souls at WDI meant that everything their Fearless Leader approved from then on would be as cheap and small as the Mouse could get away with so as to not upset the bottom line and therefore, the stockholders. Again, nothing wrong with making a buck... even lots of them, but you can't expect to sell a person a Big Mac and tell them it's Prime Rib.

That's what the Mouse has done for over a decade. Ever since Paris 1992 we've been through a series of McParks. Theme Parks built with a cookie-cutter process of selling dreams instead of creating them from scratch. That process is over... the burial will be held in Anaheim at the Disneyland Resort on 2012... everyone is invited to attend.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

So what is this going to mean for the other "McParks" around the world?

Anonymous said...

Ty and the crew are going to be going to the other parks around the world, I guess.

Unknown said...

I agree totally with your views here on Disney's California Adventure.

I'm glad the McPark seems to be dead and buried

Anonymous said...

Well, a lot depends on whether the new process is different than the old process. Much of what is on the menu was developed a couple of years ago by the same McPark designers that have provided the current batch of McParks.

While they seem to be adding some new appetizers, much of what they are serving is still McPark level, attractions that are not in any way the level of quality Disney has whipped up when their juices were really flowing. Even new management is being too easily led by saccharine offerings that were intended to appeal to an addiction that overrides common sense.

Anonymous said...

As a current employee of WDI i find the last comment very dissapointing alot of people have come out and the boards and criticized the offerings we have come up with over the next five years. It seems no matter what we try to do improve this park it will always have its haters. However the Disney Dweebs dont realize this is not everything in Phase one I hope you wait till its completed and announced before making your final judgements. I think everyone will be happy with the changes we will be making all across the board by 2012 concept art isnt everything folks just remember that and press releases dont reveal everything keep that in mind
Thanks

Anonymous said...

Don't worry, Anonymous...

Most can see the bright future. Not everyone looks at everything and is so negative.

Have you contacted Honor about some of what you know? Are you one of his Bothans?

Anonymous said...

I happen to like DCA. Have you ever even been to the park? The Sunshine Plaza is a really sweet, funny, happy type of place. I'm glad it's different from Main Street. They're just trying to clone Disneyland. I, for one, will miss the current park.

You talk like you're an expert on all these parks Honor. How many have you actually been in?

Honor Hunter said...

If you like DCA that's fine. There are some people that do. I like certain parts of it. I don't hate the park, I just don't like the cheap way it was thought out and constructed.

This is not something to blame on Imagineers... this is something laid at the feet of the Suits. Management was responsible for the mess that everyone complains about, at least the Suits that were there at the time. Most of those responsible are gone. I hope that the Suits at the Mouse have learned a lesson and we will look forward to a wonderful time to go to the old parks AND the new ones yet to be created over the next decade or so...

As for have I even been to the park? Uhm... yeah. I live less than twenty minutes away and go at least once a week if not more so I can say I know what I'm talking about. I've been to every Disney park except Hong Kong Disneyland. I'll plan on going there in a couple years when all the exciting expasions finally start to happen.

Let's not fight fellow Disney Geeks/Fans... there's so much good news lately that we should really just enjoy it. Good news never lasts forever... revel in it while you have it.