DCA on the Net – Tortillas and Bread for Everyone!

[Another Voice]

Someone has kindly pointed out to me that a photo tour of both the tortilla and bread making attractions (yes, there are called attractions on the guide map) is finally available on the Internet. Check out the disneygeek.com site at http://www.disneygeek.net/aeondisney/dca_wharf/aeon_update.php?page_id=1 .

These two shows have been routinely derided as the paramount examples about what’s wrong with DCA. This will be a chance for most of you to see what we’ve all been taking about and make a decision for yourself.

 

[All Aboard]

Wait a minute, you mean to tell me they are videos!?!? I thought it was actual live tortilla and bread making (which wouldn't have been much of an attraction - but video screens showing bread making, you gotta be kidding me!)

 

[space42]

There are live demonstrations also. It still isn't much of an "attraction" though.

What I found most interesting on this site was the "crowd shots". There are many pictures of DCA and Disneyland on the same day. I really didn't realize it was THAT bad. My gosh. This park is in trouble.

Have a look...
http://www.disneygeek.net/crowd_shots/2002_07_12_crowds/index.htm?page_id=1

 

[WDW2002]

They might not be that big of an attractions but the samples sure are YUMMY!!!

 

[Planogirl]

I thought I was just being cynical since we have plenty of tortilla making venues in Texas but I can't imagine this being interesting to anyone. But the samples might draw me in...

I wonder when those pictures were made. The lack of people is rather pathetic.

 

[EUROPA]

Originally posted by Planogirl

I wonder when those pictures were made. The lack of people is rather pathetic.

Looks like July 12th-13th 2002 from the date on the pictures. Wow middle of summer and the place is empty

 

[d-r]

Originally posted by gcurling
Wait a minute, you mean to tell me they are videos!?!? I thought it was actual live tortilla and bread making (which wouldn't have been much of an attraction - but video screens showing bread making, you gotta be kidding me!)

In the tortilla place, the video things are really small, they are like looking through a window. It is sort of three D, because there are actual things and video projected on to it. It was sort of cool to look at.

In the bread place, there is a video that sort of "guides" you through, with monitors placed around. The guy from "who's line is it anyway" (the one that isn't on the drew carey show and isn't wayne brady) is in it I think.

I'm going by memory and I didn't pay much attention, so that may not be a good description.

 

[Another Voice]

When the park first opened, both “attractions” had live hosts. They were slashed immediately to save money. And they also gave out a full tortilla as a sample - that was first reduced to a half, and then a quarter of a tortilla. It should also be noted that the sponsor, Mission Foods, is actually a Texas company. The tortilla making exhibit and a brief scene in Whoopi’s movie showing missionaries enslaving the native Indians are the park’s only representations of California’s Hispanic heritage.

I can also think of about a dozen Mexican restaurants within a fifteen minute drive of DCA that have the exact same tortilla making machine sitting in the middle of their place. How it occurred to ANYONE at Disney that this is worthy of the expense and effort required to build the “tour” is simply beyond comprehension.

 

[space42]

Originally posted by EUROPA


Looks like July 12th-13th 2002 from the date on the pictures. Wow middle of summer and the place is empty

On a weekend no less!!! With The Beach Boy's playing that day! nuts..

The one pic of the golden zepher has one or two people on the ride and about 5 people along the entire walkway as far as you can see!! On a Saturday? at 10:19am??? I wonder what it will be like in the fall at DCA.

.....it's even worse than it apears.....

 

[Planogirl]

I saw the date but hoped that was the date they were posted. Hey, one can always be in denial.

It should also be noted that the sponsor, Mission Foods, is actually a Texas company

Wow, that is odd.

 

[WDW2002]

Originally posted by space42

On a Saturday? at 10:19am???

Well DCA doesn't open until 10 usually.

 

[curtisl]

... an entire attraction based on the machine I can see any day at Chevys? I just have to make a trip for that.

-curtis

 

[Douglas Dubh]

It's much bigger than the one at Chevy's, plus there are little holographic dioramas, a cooking display, and free samples. It's not much, but we go everytime, because my daughter really loves the samples.

 

[King Triton]

I just heard a rumor that DCA is going to yank out the roller coaster ride and put in a video tape of some people making tacos. I guess Disney thinks this will be a cheaper attraction and save the company some money.

King Triton

 

[Planogirl]

They could at least install a video of people riding roller coasters.

 

[OnWithTheShow]

I have to say that I greatly enjoyed both of these attractions and found their focus on California tradition and education to be a pleasant change of pace from the cheap thrills of Paradise Pier. When I visited the park in early March both attractions had moderate to large crowds through the day and into the evening. Both attractions also had live hosts.

 

[Another Voice]

I always thought that “it’s better than Six Flags” was a rather pathetic defense for DCA. But I’m going to enshrine the “It's much bigger than the one at Chevy's…” line as being the ultimate summation for each and everything that’s wrong with the park.

And while the exhibit does highlight the influence of the tortilla on California’s history (just like the Taco Bell Gardens out by Temecula does) – here is a partial list of some of the more interesting aspects of California that haven’t been included:

The Spanish colonial history, the missions and the Rio del Camino, any representation of the native cultures, the amazing kelp bed forests off the coasts which are regarded to have a greater diversity of life than the Amazon rain forests, the La Brea tar pits that have the actual bones of some of the most amazing animals that have ever lived (did you know that camels were native to California in between ice ages?), the Russian colonies and the whale and fur trade that thrived for hundreds of years up north, the many active volcanoes that exist in the state and how natural obsidian was traded all the way to New England in pre-European times, that California is home to a species of tree that is the oldest living thing on earth, the entire California gold rush, the role of California in the Civil War, a mention of California’s own revolution, Fifties style California Crazy architecture (the kind Disney could afford to build at WDW), two of the finest natural harbors in the world and the largest manmade one, authors like John Steinbeck or any hint of California’s cultural impact beyond Beach Boys tunes, and about 700 others. To start the complete list, find Hewell Hower’s ‘California Gold’ series available through PBS.

My problem with California Adventure is not the size of the tortilla making machine or even really with the California theme in principle. My problem is that Disney simply didn’t even try to build a quality park in the first place. And instead of fixing that mistake they have decided to tell people we should lower our standards instead.