Setting the record straight!

SimonV

Proud to have called Bob Varley 'friend'
Joined
Aug 18, 1999
Because I am so unhappy with the way my DCA report came out in print, I thought I would post the two versions here so people can see the difference (and the way it was mangled). I will endeavour to keep working on the 'full' trip report too :D

Here goes The Sun, i.e. the re-written and bodged, version first:

By SIMON VENESS

IT’S Cali-FUN-nia here we come. America’s golden state has hit the jackpot with its newest attraction which opened this week — Disney’s California Adventure.

Built as a 55-acre extension to the original Disneyland just outside Los Angeles, the latest theme park is packed with rides and features that capture all the flavour of sunny California.

Brits heading for this family holiday playground won’t be disappointed.

The latest generation of bosses at the firm which created Mickey Mouse have not lost the magic touch — even though the fun formula dates back 46 years to the original California Disneyland.

At the California Adventure the thrills come thick and fast with a new big wheel, 1950s-style roller-coaster, fairground games and other great rides.

Sun World’s Simon Veness was at the opening extravaganza this week and here’s his guide to the park, with a rating out of five:

SUNSHINE PLAZA: This is the entrance area, featuring a replica of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge.

The Plaza is a great spot to catch the twice-daily Eureka! parade of floats, dancers and acrobats without a Mouse in sight. 4 out of 5

SOARIN’ OVER CALIFORNIA: If the park has a signature ride, this is it — and it’s a stunner. Soarin’ is a wonderfully clever simulated ride over the state’s scenery and landmarks. 5

CALIFORNIA SCREAMIN’: It’s roller-coaster time with this awesome ride. It includes a catapult launch — 0-55mph in four seconds and a 360 degree loop. 5

MALIBOOMER: It lasts barely 30 seconds but this leg-dangling, bungee-style rocket tower fires you 180ft straight up in two seconds and then bounces you down again. 5

SUN WHEEL: This 160ft big wheel has a real twist in that 16 of the 24 cars are on rails that swing you around as the wheel turns. 4

HOLLYWOOD PICTURES BACKLOT: This is a celebration of the movie business where you can see how classic Disney films come to life. There is also Disney’s Steps In Time, a live musical in a 2,000-seat theatre.

Check out the ABC Soap Opera Bistro when you get hungry. Here, you step into a TV soap while you eat and your waiter plays a role in the set. Very funny. 4

GRIZZLY RIVER RUN: Every new park seems to have a wild-water raft ride and, boy, is this wild. It climbs 50ft up Grizzly Peak and spirals dizzyingly down, ending in a 22ft drop that guarantees you get very wet. 5

REDWOOD CREEK CHALLENGE TRAIL: Basically an elaborate adventure playground for kids, it has slides, climbs and rope-bridges.3

GOLDEN DREAMS: Whoopi Goldberg is the narrator for this entertaining 23-minute film about the history and people of California. 3

PARADISE PIER: A typical 1950s fairground. It looks fabulous, especially at night. 3

ORANGE STINGER: It’s dressed like a giant orange and you spin around on one of 48 chain-suspended swings. Nice. 2

BOUNTIFUL VALLEY FARM: One to miss. This is about how crops grow and tractors work, but there is a splash area for kids. 1

All in all, Disney’s California Adventure provides plenty of good, honest family entertainment.

And it’s wrapped up in Disney’s spirit of imagination.

Barry Brayerman, head of Disney’s Imagineers — their title for the people who dream up and build rides — says: "Disneyland is a classic, so we wanted the sister park to be a really different kind of place, and I think we’ve succeeded."

He’s absolutely ride on!


WHEN Disney build accommodation they don’t just put up a hotel, they create a themed resort with style.

Their new Grand Californian Hotel is a monumental exercise in creature comforts, all in five-star luxury.

A six-storey, 751-room extravaganza, it looks as if it has been transplanted straight from the forest with its grand wood-and-stone lobby, which is 753ft high.

It features three pools, a health spa and gym, a stunning restaurant, three cafes and a convention centre, plus its own private entry to the new theme park.

Kids will love breakfasting with their favourite Disney characters in the Storyteller’s Cafe. For grown-ups, the Napa Rose Restaurant has a superb menu and chefs who put on a grand show in the theatre-style kitchen.


DESTINATION: Disney's California Adventure

TICKETS: The Disneyland park or the new California Adventure cost £30 for adults and £23 for children aged three to nine. Shamefully, kids over nine are priced as adults but at least under threes are free.

There is a 3-Day Passport for £77 (£60 for three to nines) and a 4-Day pass for £95 (£74 for three to nines).

To combine Disney with other California attractions, ticket specialist Keith Prowse has great offers. Call for a brochure on 0289 9023 2425.

EATING: burger and chips in either of the parks will set you back £4.50 with kids’ meals at £2.70 and £3.10.

PACKAGE HOLIDAYS: Virgin Holidays offer a seven-night package at the new Grand Californian Hotel from April 1 at £1,069 for adults and £329 for children, or Disney’s recently-refurbished Paradise Pier Hotel at £859 and £299.

Prices include direct Virgin flights, car hire, room-only accommodation and an Unlimited Park-Hopper ticket for the duration of your stay. See your travel agent or call Virgin Reservations on 01293 456789.

The Cosmos ten-day California Dreaming coach tour visits LA with the chance to go to the Disney or Universal studios. Prices from £795 including accommodation and flights from Heathrow, Manchester, Glasgow and Birmingham. Call 0870 264 6012.

INTERNET INFO: check out the websites at: www.disneyland.com, www.laughingplace.com www.virginholidays.co.uk.


© News Group Newspapers Ltd.

SATURDAY, 10 FEBRUARY, 2001

Now the original version, in 3 parts (instead of 2) and with the right spelling of Barry Braverman (sheesh! How did they even manage to mess that up?!)


DISNEY have just spent a staggering £1billion on turning their original theme park, Disneyland in California, into a fully-fledged resort.

A new theme park - Disney's California Adventure - takes pride of place in their massive outlay, but there is also a five-star hotel and a shopping and restaurant district.

Sun Travel sent SIMON VENESS to the opening of the new park for an exclusive look at this new holiday wonderland.




IN the beginning was a Mouse - and the Mouse created a theme park that founded an empire that now stretches to three continents.

That was way back in 1955, and Disneyland in California has been largely the poor relation in the last 20 years or so.

Disney World in Florida boasts four parks, Disneyland Paris has sprung into life (and is building a second adventure), a dramatic new park is taking shape in Tokyo and a Hong Kong venue is already under way.

But now there is more Disney fun in the home of all this amazing holiday fantasy.

The California Adventure park opened on Thursday in a mind-boggling extravaganza of fireworks, film stars and fighter jet flyovers.

And the early stampede of visitors more than justified Disney's cash bonanza in Orange County, not least in the new multi-storey car park which can hold 10,000 vehicles.

In many ways, DCA (to use park-speak) is a modest offering by the Mouse's standards.

It covers 'just' 55 acres, the smallest of any of their nine parks worldwide, and some of the attractions are straight copies of well-known rides elsewhere.

There is a Big Wheel, a chair swing and a 1950s-style roller-coaster, while they also look to grab some cash back with a series of typical fairground games that cost $2 a time.

But the bottom line is: Does it thrill you and provide that essential Disney magic? You bet!

(Also, in a week that saw the launch of the Extreme Football League, a cross between American Football and WWF wrestling, it is comforting to know someone can still deliver honest, family fun!)

So here's how Disney's California Adventure shapes up, with my ratings (out of 5) for the attractions:

Sunshine Plaza

The grand entrance features a replica Golden Gate Bridge and the inevitable shopping frenzy. Parents (and wallets) beware!

Engine-Ears Toys is built like a model railway station, while Greetings From California is just a massive warehouse for park souvenirs.

The Plaza is also a great place to watch the twice-daily Eureka! parade, which features a collection of floats, dancers and acrobats celebrating the California experience - and not a Mouse in sight!

Hollywood Pictures Backlot

Disney Animation: this wonderful four-part interactive adventure into how classic Disney films come to life features some hilarious cartoon moments, most notably a show featuring the dragon Mushu from Mulan. Rating 5/5.

Disney's Steps In Time: no, nothing to do with the pop band, this live musical in the 2,000-seat Hyperion Theater is on stage five times a day. 3/5.

Muppet-Vision 3-D: Kermit and Co come to life in this riotous 3-D film with a host of special effects that truly tickle your funny bone. 5/5.

Superstar Limo: umm, this is bit odd. It is a gentle mock 'limousine' ride through Hollywood's high-spots, but some of the rather bizarre images will mean little to us Brits. Might raise a smile, though. 2/5.

Lights, Camera, Chaos!: a fun film shoot goes drastically wrong and develops into a rather confusing but still amusing stunt show. 3/5.

Also, check out the ABC Soap Opera Bistro when you get hungry. Here, you step into a TV soap while you eat and your waiter plays a role in the set. Very funny.

Golden State

Bountiful Valley Farm: now I don't know about you, but if I want to visit an 'interactive' farm and learn how crops grow and tractors work, I can easily do that closer to home. But in a theme park? No thanks. The saving grace is a splash area for kids to play in. 1/5.

It's Tough To Be A Bug: a straight transplant from the Animal Kingdom in Disney World, this 10-minute 3-D film features a host of special effects that are a real scream. 5/5.

Soarin' Over California: if the park has a signature ride, this is it, and it's a stunner. Soarin' is a wonderfully clever simulated ride over the scenery and landmarks of America's Golden State. Don't miss this at any cost. 5/5.

Grizzly River Run: every new park seems to have a wild-water raft ride, and boy is this wild. It climbs 50ft up Grizzly Peak and spirals dizzyingly down, ending in a 22ft drop that guarantees you get VERY wet. 5/5.

Redwood Creek Challenge Trail: basically an elaborate adventure playground for kids, the Trail offers a series of slides, climbs and rope-bridges. 3/5.

Golden Dreams: Whoopi Goldberg is the narrator for this surprisingly entertaining 23-minute film into the history and people of California. 3/5.

Other attractions include wine-making films and demonstrations, a walk-through bakery and a tortilla factory. Moderately interesting for adults, they will bore kids rigid, but it is a good opportunity to get a real taste of California.

You'd think they might include some free wine-tasting, but a glass of vino will still set you back $5-$8.

Paradise Pier

The most fun area of the park is this recreation of a typical 1950s fairground, which looks absolutely fabulous, especially at night.

California Screamin': it's roller-coaster time with this awesome two-and-a-half minute thrill ride. It includes a catapult launch (0-55mph in 4 seconds), a 360-degree loop and a camelback, and is a complete blast from start to finish. 5/5.

Maliboomer: it lasts barely 30 seconds, but this leg-dangling, bungee-style rocket tower fires you 180ft straight up in two seconds and then bounces you down again. Not for the faint-hearted! 5/5.

Mulholland Madness: if you have done The Rattlesnake at Chessington World of Adventures, you've done this crazy coaster. But Chessington's is better-themed. Really. 3/5.

Sun Wheel: another standout icon of the park, this 160ft Big Wheel has a real twist in that 16 of the 24 cars are on rails that swing you around as the wheel turns. Good, surprising fun. 4/5.

Golden Zephyr: a swing with a difference, the Zephyr consists of six Flash Gordon-like cars that spin out over the area's lagoon. 3/5.

Orange Stinger: it's dressed up like a giant orange and you spin round on one of 48 chain-suspended swings. Er, and that's it. 2/5.

For kids, there is also the Jumpin' Jellyfish, a gentle, 40ft version of the heart-stopping Maliboomer, King Triton's Carousel and the water play of SS Rustworthy, an imaginative interactive boat complete with water cannons (bring swimming costumes!).

And then there are the typical funfair games and a host of fast food outlets, but the whole thing is delivered with a terrific sense of style that is just plain fun to watch.

All in all, the California Adventure provides plenty of good, honest family entertainment (although under-fives might feel a bit left out), all wrapped up in Disney's spirit of imagination.

Chief Imagineer (Disney's term for the people who dream up and build their rides) Barry Braverman says: "This wasn't built to be a theme park in the traditional sense.

"There's a kind of brash California attitude that we wanted to capture, much more pop culture and MTV, with a little tongue-in-cheek thrown in.

"Disneyland is a classic, so we wanted the sister park to be a really different kind of place, and I think we've succeeded."

Braverman's verdict is spot-on. It IS very different and has a real artistic flavour in some areas, but there is certainly enough here to keep the genuine theme park addicts (like me!) happy - and coming back for more.



WHEN Disney build their own accommodation, they don't just put together a hotel, they make it a themed resort with bags of style.

Thus, the new Grand Californian Hotel is a monumental exercise in creature comforts, all in five-star luxury.

A six-storey, 751-room extravaganza, it looks as if it has been transplanted straight from the redwood forests with its grand wood-and-stone entrance lobby, which is 753ft high.

It features three swimming pools, a health spa and gym, a stunning restaurant, three cafes and a convention centre, plus its own private entry to the new theme park.

Kids will love it, too, with their own pool, water slide and the chance to have breakfast with their favourite Disney characters in the Storyteller's Cafe.

For grown-ups, the Napa Rose Restaurant must be one of the best in the whole state, with a superb menu and chefs who don't so much cook as put on a grand show in the theatre-style kitchen.

Truly, this is an epic hotel and well worth visiting, if only for a look round!



BORED with theme parks and shows? Then head on out to Downtown Disney, the new shopping and entertainment district that links the two parks.

Here, you can eat yourself silly in one of 12 restaurants and cafes, play in the Lego Imagination Center, take in a brand new film at the 12-screen cinema, hear live music at Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen, rock 'n roll at House of Blues and Latin sounds and dance at Y Arriba Y Arriba.

There are 18 one-off shops, from fine jewellery at Something Silver to the massive World of Disney store.

Fans of American sports can check out the latest action on the two dozen big-screen TVs in the ESPN Zone, which also features a massive games arcade.

And you can also get a decent beer, too. The open-air Uva Bar offers a magnificent array of ales, including Bass and Heineken.



ends.

simon.veness@virgin.net
 
Well, the "editor" certainly took quite a few liberties with your work!!

Personally, I prefer YOUR version over the edited one - lots more info and explanation.

Sheila
sheila.bennett@home.com
Wilderness Lodge; Dec 1999
Disneyland March 2001!
 
Simon, I'm so sorry for you and the readers that the "editors" changed your report so much. I really enjoyed your version. The edited version was rather ho-hum compared to your version.
I'm looking forward to your next installment. :)
 
God Simon this guy hacked your great article!! I didn't think you would put "This guy is RIDE on"!!!! OR put "Cali FUN ian"
 


Is this a normal process of editing? It seems like the editor look many liberities with your article.

Does that usually happen?
 
Sorry Simon. I, like the others, prefer your version over the 'edited one'.....your editor took waaaaaaay too much liberty in "editing" your version....I didn't think it sounded like you at first either. <IMG SRC="/infopop/emoticons/icon_confused.gif" alt="confused">

Is this normal 'editing'? :(

But your version ROCKS!!! :D Thanks again for a great trip report. :)

<font color=red size=4>HAVE A DISNEY DAY</font>

<font color=navy size=3>M-I-C...see you at The DIS Convention, K-E-Y...why? Because we LOVE Disney, M-O-U-S-Eeee...</font>
 
Ahh, the joys of being a journalist. Subs? Don't ya just love em!

Simon, my sympathies.

Regards

Rob
 


Simon,

You haven't answered our buring question...is that the usual 'chop job' of an article?

Inquiring minds want to know. :)
 
Chopjob, yes, you do usually expect a certain amount of 'slimming down' of a story because you always write more than you know will get in, thinking somehow the editor will find it so inspiring they will somehow make space for it :D

However, you don't expect it to get quite so mangled along the way so that areas of the park get ratings as if they were rides, restaurants suddenly get ratings that you never intended and some attractions get missed out altogether. Plus, to re-write the intro and call DCA a '55-acre extension of DL' is just plain bad work.

I shouldn't moan too much, though, I've probably been the perpetrator of some bad sub-editing in my career, too :)

simon.veness@virgin.net
 
Your descriptions were much better, of course. Sorry your published article didn't have the same great flavor of the original.

galc.gif
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"My brain takes a vacation just to give my heart more room..."
teri@iluvdisney.com
 

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