And this is why I talk about European audiences in many of my posts. I get slammed by the mods and others, but they are real issues. Just like Disneyland has a very different audience to Walt Disney World, and Duffy is a huge icon in tokyo, for me, part of the facination is how different audiences perceive the Disney experience. And Europe has the greatest diversity of all.
For my family ,we have 5 generations of park going. I am from California, and my Great Grand mother, and my grandmother took my mom and aunts and uncles to the parks. They took me to the parks, and I take my children. This is why so many of the posters on this and other Disney boards have a very different perception to mine. I grew up learning about the Disney difference, strong theme story telling, and live entertainment being the key parts of a Disney experience. Heck, my uncle used to take dates to Disneyland just to go dancing to live bands (kind of like how the Danish think of Tivoli). The cartoon characters were a very small part of the experience, and to be honest, it was not really until Splash Mountain in 1989 and Toon town in 1991/2 hit Disneyland, that California did much with toons outside of Fantasyland. to our family, it was an amazing themed place full of energy and learning opportunities, live music, for the whole family. Yes, we would watch the cartoons or films, but to be honest, they were never the driver (I prefer Loony Toons to Mickey Mouse any day)
Look at Europe. To most, the idea of Disney are the toons, and the meet and greets. And theme parks, the thrills are more important (look how much people seem to flock to the coasters and toon based attractions compared to PotC and PM, or how people actually moan about the amazing Nautilus). The Duckberg comics really are largely unknown in the US or UK, but are hugely popular in Europe. And the Spanish view of Disney is different to the Austrian or Finnish or English it seems. Some of that creates the unique magic of DLP (attention to detail, use of music, people who speak different languages trying to communicate, good wine lists in the park) and some of it the annoyances (littering, graffitti, people on the grass, pushing at characters).
The reality is, Disney needs to look at what drives the local markets, but also to get the balance right in remembering their roots, I think Disney at WDW and DLP in particular have pretty much forgotten their roots, and then the advertising pushing toons and thrills, has grown a new generation of Disney fans that want more of the antithesis of what DL started being.
Coming back on point, the adventurous nature of Marvel has more in common with Disney's work on 20k Under the Sea, Treasure Island, Swiss Family Robinson, Davy crockett, Zorro and other adventures that inspired the themes of the park, than Toy Story Playland, Rupunzel and Tiana meet and greets, and Toon Studios. Hence the reason why I wouldn't mind Marvel coming in if it has to be synergy,
To me, Disneyland was always about impecible themed environments that made you feel like you were somewhere else, full of live music, attractions that the whole family could enjoy that were adventurous - Jungle Cruise, PotC, HM, river boats, trains, voyages under the sea, in space, or into atoms. The toons were always a very small part, now they are the main.
This is why I am FAR more excited to go to Europa Park and Phantasialand next month. Sure, we will have fun at DLP, but it is becoming more and more of an amusement park to me, and frankly that is depressing to me. After 36 years of Disney dedication.
