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[montaguewarner]

From personal experience and research, when people visit Disneyland Resort in California, they normally think an old attraction is quaint and sweet, however visitors to WDW and DLP often think old attractions are just run down or outdated!

Personally I think of DLP's older attractions fondly.

However often I hear public comment that Phantom Manor is just old and not that interesting anymore because compared to TOT for example, its effects can be a little less advanced.

So Why?
Friends from California say that the practically the whole state goes to Disneyland several times a year and they all love it.
Perhaps it's because Disneyland Resort's guests are more AP holders who visit frequently, and DLP and WDW's are more tourists just visiting once a year and perhaps they don't appreciate the classic attractions,  :?

What do you all think?  

[JelleP]

I think DLP really will do a great job, by updating PM for example. I mean not change the story lines and effects but improve them (new effects, old effects updated, etc...)
They could do the same with attractions in Fantasyland!

[tubbsy]

Hmmm. A couple of mates have been with their families this Easter break and both families loved PM. One family was on their third visit and the other had never been before.
We're also including PM in our must dos in August.
But we havent been in three years and maybe it does need updating-I'll have a good look in August

[dagobert]

Maybe the effects in PM should be upgraded, nevertheless it is still one of my favorite rides. During our last visit in February I had the impression that PM is in a very good condition with great effects.

If people prefere new attractions like TSPL over PM, then I can't help them. Every old classic Disney attraction is still better than all new attractions built in the last years, except ToT.

[Aladar]

Americans have a totally different concept of leisure. A trip to Disneyland or Walt Disney World is something more like a routine. The European concept of going to a Theme Park is something that happens once every two or three years, except for a few theme park lovers that go more than once a year. Besides, in the European mind, Disneyland is still a far away land that is hardly accessible, because we don't travel as much as americans. I live in Spain, and when I tell my friends that I've been twice to Disneyland Paris, they think I'm there all the time. Therefore, what the European public expects from a Disney attraction is so idealized that many people are dissapointed because they've built an exagerated image in their minds. This happend to my mother when she travelled to Walt Disney World, and when she saw Cinderella Castle, she thought it was too small, because in her mind it measured 150 meters high.

[ToadWithPinkEyes]

I think it's got to do with cultural differences. You have to remember Disneyland is an American creation and actually rightly part of thier heritage. It's an import in Europe. It's not something we claim authorship of. If anything it invades European culture, pehaps taking certain elements (like a whole load of Disney ainmated classics), and re-selling them back to us!

It also has a definately lot to do with what Aladar is saying. It's not got much to do with effects and state of the art rides so much. It's about how our cultures view The Walt Disney Company.

[lorrig]

It could be that Disneyland Paris is in comparison very expensive for most Europeans compared to the American parks. In the USA, if you can drive to one of the parks, the car fuel is dirt cheap, if not internal flights are very cheap as well and the cost of the hotels can extremely reasonable. Here most of us will have to pay a lot more for a flight and then the cost of the disney hotels are very expensive.Therefore, we have very high expectations of what Disney should be about. When I was young Disneyland was somewhere you went to if your parents won the pools (these were the days prior to the lottery being around and the nearest park was in Florida.)
A lot of Europeans will only go as a once off rather than every year, so often so we expect the best.
When we visited for the first time last year we booked into sit down restaurants everyday, mainly as we don't eat fast food and we wouldn't let our one year old anywhere near a chicken nugget. It's just little things like this that increase the price and therefore our expectations.
I loved every minute of being in DLRP but can understand what puts people off going.

[montaguewarner]

I agree Lorrig. The thing is is why did Eisner and Co seriously believe they could change the holiday habits of Europeans all that time ago?

[TimmyTimmyTimmy]

I went on some of the Fantasyland rides with a few non disneymaniac/themepark friends... They hated the Fantasyland darkrides. Too short and too outdated. When I think of it... I feel the same way. It´s about time DLP gets something like Pooh and Monsters Inc they way they are made in Tokyo Disneyland. Now those rides are awesome.

[mattboywonder]

Some massive majority of vistors to DL in California live within a 2 hr drive so many of them visit quite frequently and have literally grown up going to Disneyland.  I personally love the 'classic' Disney attractions and never get enough of PM or POTC when I go to Paris.

[montaguewarner]

Some massive majority of vistors to DL in California live within a 2 hr drive so many of them visit quite frequently and have literally grown up going to Disneyland.  I personally love the 'classic' Disney attractions and never get enough of PM or POTC when I go to Paris.

Me too! Love POTC! The best one in the world from WDW.DL. and DLP!

[TimmyTimmyTimmy]

POTC is best in Paris, we all know that:)

[dgdough]

It could be that Disneyland Paris is in comparison very expensive for most Europeans compared to the American parks. In the USA, if you can drive to one of the parks, the car fuel is dirt cheap, if not internal flights are very cheap as well and the cost of the hotels can extremely reasonable. Here most of us will have to pay a lot more for a flight and then the cost of the disney hotels are very expensive.Therefore, we have very high expectations of what Disney should be about. When I was young Disneyland was somewhere you went to if your parents won the pools (these were the days prior to the lottery being around and the nearest park was in Florida.)
A lot of Europeans will only go as a once off rather than every year, so often so we expect the best.
When we visited for the first time last year we booked into sit down restaurants everyday, mainly as we don't eat fast food and we wouldn't let our one year old anywhere near a chicken nugget. It's just little things like this that increase the price and therefore our expectations.
I loved every minute of being in DLRP but can understand what puts people off going.

I've found the opposite as far as flights.  From NY to Florida it's usually 2-300 dollars for roundtrip but from London to Paris it's more like 60 Pounds.  For those of us in the Northeast or midwest, Florida and California are quite far.  But, France seems to be very easily accessible to most European countries.

I    at your chicken nugget reference though.  hehe.

I wonder, I haven't checked, how much more the hotels are in DLRP.  Is it that lopsided?

[TimmyTimmyTimmy]

It could be that Disneyland Paris is in comparison very expensive for most Europeans compared to the American parks. In the USA, if you can drive to one of the parks, the car fuel is dirt cheap, if not internal flights are very cheap as well and the cost of the hotels can extremely reasonable. Here most of us will have to pay a lot more for a flight and then the cost of the disney hotels are very expensive.Therefore, we have very high expectations of what Disney should be about. When I was young Disneyland was somewhere you went to if your parents won the pools (these were the days prior to the lottery being around and the nearest park was in Florida.)
A lot of Europeans will only go as a once off rather than every year, so often so we expect the best.
When we visited for the first time last year we booked into sit down restaurants everyday, mainly as we don't eat fast food and we wouldn't let our one year old anywhere near a chicken nugget. It's just little things like this that increase the price and therefore our expectations.
I loved every minute of being in DLRP but can understand what puts people off going.

I've found the opposite as far as flights.  From NY to Florida it's usually 2-300 dollars for roundtrip but from London to Paris it's more like 60 Pounds.  For those of us in the Northeast or midwest, Florida and California are quite far.  But, France seems to be very easily accessible to most European countries.

I    at your chicken nugget reference though.  hehe.

I wonder, I haven't checked, how much more the hotels are in DLRP.  Is it that lopsided?

To eat, drink and sleep anywhere near Paris is VERY expensive for most european families. Going to Disneyland Resort Paris means a stay for atleast 3-4 days.
I live in Sweden. Sweden has a well off population. But still going to a Disneyland is absolutely not an option since there are many themeparks with more and wilder rides closer to home and alot cheaper.
Let´s not forget about people that live in central Europe. Just the entrence is far too expensive for most people that have children in those countries.
Disney and Paris is NOT a good combination if you don´t have ALOT of money to spend.

In Scandinavia going to a themepark is a one day thing. Most people would never even think of spending 3-4 days in a themepark resort.

[tubbsy]

Well put TimmyTimmyTimmy. we've had to save hard for this trip. Its certainly a dream holiday for a lot of my friends.
We are lucky in this part of the UK as we have 4 big theme parks within an hour of us-definately a day trip more than a stay for a few days.
btw-chnge of subject slightly- I'm still puzzled why DLP doesnt have bigger water rides apart from our very much loved POTC . We go to Legoland a lot and that does have water rides. Spare clothes are always in the boot of the car! :lol: