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[DLP-Photos.com]

No it's not all about characters. BUT through many years all additions - with the exception of ToT - have been based on characters and synergy - no matter if it has been in Frontierland (Woody's Round-up), Dicoveryland (Buzz replacing Le Visionarium) or the studios (TSPL, Toon Studio). You mention Pirates - soon this will be synergized too with the addition of Jack Sparrow, Barbossa and Davy Jones/Blackbeard - why do we need that? The last couple of visits I have been on, I have queued outside of the fort for Pirates with no Johnny Depp inside.

How realistic is it meant to be? This is it - to me the lands of Frontierland, Adventureland, Discoveryland and Main Street U.S.A are meant to be way more realistic than FANTASYland. In those lands you blend the realism with the myths and stories of former time - in Fantasyland you absorb yourself into the complete Fairytale fantasy. I would love to see an E-ticket and Splash Mountain would be good, but Western River Expedition to name one would be even better! The Little Mermaid would be good too, but it would have to be placed in Fantasyland.

For me this is not a campaign against characters or toons, it is a campaign for the variety and blend of fantasy, education and entertainment that Disney offered to me when I was little.

[ed-uk]

I'm not sure. Main St. USA is ment to be way more realistic you say, but how Main Streets do you know of with a fairy tale castle at the bottom of the street? Only in Disneyland would you get that. And in WDS there was no Fantasyland area for toons, that's why they built toon studios. Some children are very young when they're taken to DLP, there has to be something for them, doesn't there?

[davewasbaloo]

Funny, I have been going to Disney parks before I can remember, there was always something to do for me. As a baby, apparently my favs were It's a Small World and Jungle Cruise. By the age of 5, PotC and HM were the top of the list. My daughter loved the Matterhorn when she was 2.

None of us are that interested in the fantasyland dark rides other than IASW.

Walt was the first to say not to talk down to kids.

[ed-uk]

Well I hope you don't think I talk down to kids. I 've heard that some kids like the Parachute Drop.

[DLP-Photos.com]

I first visited DLP in '94 - just 4 years old. I didn't dare to try many attractions, I was afraid of the characters and didn't understand a word of what was being said. But to this day I can still remember how I felt taken away to five different vacations all at one place.

I'm not sure. Main St. USA is ment to be way more realistic you say, but how Main Streets do you know of with a fairy tale castle at the bottom of the street?

The Castle is simply one of the themed entrances - the Central Plaza hub is at the end of Main Street U.S.A

[ed-uk]

I know the castle is at the entrance of Fantasyland. it's also the symbol of the park. I know central plaza is the hub of the park. My point was if we were walking down a real Main Sreet we wouldn't be heading towards a fairy tale castle, only in Disneyland would you find that. People of all ages will take something different  away from their experience. I 'm just wondering, if Disney was thinking about  building a new ride in 2011, about a boat trip around the world of singing and dancing dolls and call it IASW and did a survey, I'm  wondering what response Disney would get from boys.

[davewasbaloo]

That is unfair, as it was added at a time where Nature's Wonderland was expanded, the dinos moved into the train, Lincoln was added to Main Street, and New Orleans Square was under construction (with leeks about a Haunted House and Pirate ride, as well as the New Tomorrowland on the Move with Carousel of Progress under construction). An entirely different proposition.

In paris, Toons and Thrills are the only additions since WDSP opened nearly 10 years ago. Not cool and not a valid comparison at all.

[ed-uk]

But as the WDS opened in 2002 with only two rides Flying Carpets and Rock n Roller coaster, some people might take the view the park could do with some more thrills and toons. It was mostly shows when it opened.

[peter]

but think, if they hadn't concentrated on the shows up until now, would we have:
stitch live
cinemagique
animagique
lights, action, moteurs?

i don't know about you, but i think its good that they started with this. they had what was probably the smallest budget a disney park has ever had, and they created impressive shows. it was a great exercise for imagineering, and because they didn't rush into anything, every few years, a new attraction has opened, and ever few years, we will see more and more attractions and shows opens. we now have a park which will stay new and fresh for decades to come. and we will get imports from wdw, and they will imagineer new attractions and shows, and i can seriously predict that once the park is expanded, it will become something similar in size to the mgm studios europe designs, and from what i have heard, the plans drawn up for that were nearly twice as big as dhs.

sorry to rant, but i do feel that wdsp gets a bad wrap, and yes, it was a bit disappointing for a disney park, and sure, it has only just become a full day park, but surely that should make us think "this has potential".

sorry about that.

[ed-uk]

I' m a fan of WDSP, I think it gets a bad wrap.

[Scissorsboi]

WDS is the shining light of hope for the resort I feel. It's the park where they can try pretty much anything (including TSPL) and see if it works, if it fits and really push to it's limits. TSPL is a bad addition yes, I've said before it's not as terrible as I expected it to be, there are a few nice touches, but the area as a whole is less intrusive in this 'vauge' park, than it would be in DLP.

If anything gets added to/changed in DLP it does take away from the majesty which the Imagineers designed way over 25 years ago now, and unless done very well it will (often rightly so in my opinion) receive a negative feedback from many fans. However WDS is often seen as a lesser 'budget' park, and I think that is the reason you can plug in attractions like Crush and Cars (Cars is my favourite ride visually at Studios, it shows the movie well and the setup still feels a little movie set to me) and fill out under developed areas. DLP already has developed areas so cramming anything new in doesn't ever seen to quite fit the park right, but at Studios it can almost use that 'jumbled' feel to it's advantage.

Long story short, with the exception of big, well thought out, and tastefully done E-Tickets coming straight from WDI then I'm more excited for developments in Studios, and I honestly think with the right attractions and marketing it could swing the park back into the top spot in Europe!

[andrewuk]

If anything gets added to/changed in DLP it does take away from the majesty which the Imagineers designed way over 25 years ago now, and unless done very well it will (often rightly so in my opinion) receive a negative feedback from many fans.

In their genius they left gaps for Splash Mountain, Indiana Jones Adventure and others too, so if those were filled it would not detract.

[stevenlatham01]

My wife and I (in our 30's) and 2 and a half year old daughter just got back from our first trip to Disneyland Paris so I am coming from a different angle than most on this topic where most of you have been going for decades.  We all had a brilliant time and plan to go back hopefully next year.

I read somewhere on this forum that Walt Disney once said you can't make theme parks just for kids as the adults won't want to come. But I think this is not as relevant in today's world as it was back in the 50's and 60's for adults with kids. Back then children were not so much in parents minds as they are now. Today most parents do everything they possible can to please their children so a Disney theme park with more toons goes down better with the general public. My daughter loved Toy Story Land, went on Parachute drop 3 times and slinky just the once as it was under maintenace some of the time we were there.

What I don't understand from most of the posts on here is what's so bad with having toons in all areas of Disneyland and WDS? Surely it does not ruin your holiday or experience by seeing Baloo walking down the street. Especially when it makes the kids nearby smile, laugh and is the highlight of their day. I know my 2 year old loved seeing a few toons when we were in Adventureland, Frontierland and WDS.

[Owain]

But I think this is not as relevant in today's world as it was back in the 50's and 60's for adults with kids. Back then children were not so much in parents minds as they are now. Today most parents do everything they possible can to please their children so a Disney theme park with more toons goes down better with the general public.

What you're forgetting about is that not everyone who visits DLP are a family, and thats what a lot of fans get annoyed at. There's old couples, teenagers, twenty somethings, middle aged couples all without kids who visit disney parks still in hope of enjoying themselves but these days there's not a lot to offer them and i think thats a place where DLP are going wrong. There is a big market out there for people without children, who probably also have a lot of money to spend and DLP forget about them.

Even adults with children still want to have just as much fun as there kids on a disney holiday, defiantly the majority of parents on this forum anyway.

What I don't understand from most of the posts on here is what's so bad with having toons in all areas of Disneyland and WDS? Surely it does not ruin your holiday or experience by seeing Baloo walking down the street. Especially when it makes the kids nearby smile, laugh and is the highlight of their day. I know my 2 year old loved seeing a few toons when we were in Adventureland, Frontierland and WDS.

Because it completely goes against Walts concept and dream of his parks. Heck when he designed MK at WDW he created an underground network of tunnels to make sure cast members from different parts of the kingdom did not go into the wrong land and ruin the allusion of the disneypark. We are major fans on here and disney is our religion and part of the religion is sticking to the original rules. We dont want baloo running down MSUSA, he should be in the jungles of adventureland. On MSUSA we should have Dapper Dans, Marching Bands, Mary Poppins etc.

[dagobert]

Unfortunately Disneyland Paris is only focusing on kids. It's not a park for the whole family anymore. WDW offers a lot for couples without kids, but DLRP doesn't. They are missing an opportunity here, but it seems the resort doesn't want our money. That's also a reason why so many consider Disneyland a park only for children.

I remember a French couple we met at Walt's in 2007. We talked to them and they told us, that they first visited DLRP in 1992 with their kids. Since then they have returned each year and now they are going without their children. I'm sure there are more older couples who still go to DLRP without their kids and they spend a lot more money than the average family. They can afford the fancy restaurants and nicer hotels and they deserve the same attention like children.

It is frustrating how the management is ruining the experience with all the toons. It should be madatory to read all the Imagineering books when applying for a management job, because toons shouldn't be in a turn of the century Main Street.

As long as people are happy with bad quality, meeting toons and carnival rides, there is no need for Disney to do a better job and create big original attractions.