Wanna Start a Rumor about DCA Discounts for Non-Southern-Californians?

[Werner Weiss]

I'm disappointed that all good discounts for Disney's California Adventure (DCA) so far have only been offered to Southern California residents.

We live in the Chicago area. We're visiting Orange County in 2001. We'll spend at least a full week there.

I just can't justify buying four adult tickets to DCA. (My pre-teen daughters are adults according to Disney's pricing.) We've seen Muppetvision, Tough to Be a Bug, and Millionaire Play It in Florida. The rapids ride seems like the one at Animal Kingdom. The animation attraction is similar to the one at Disney-MGM. None of us care for the Paradise Pier type of rides. And there's nothing new at Disneyland Park since our one-day visit in 2000, so I don't feel compelled to visit Disneyland either.

So that leaves Soarin' and Superstar Limo and the tortilla demo and whatever live entertainment is going on. Is that worth $172 plus parking and food? I don't think so.

(Yes, I want to go to DCA just so that I can see it for myself, but I'm not going to go without my family while on a family vacation.)

If the price were much more reasonable, or if there were a one-day Disneyland+DCA hopper, I might feel differently.

What's the chance that Disney will figure out a way to make DCA attractive to those of use who are regular guests at WDW? What about a special deal for WDW Annual Pass holders? What about special family pricing that isn't limited to Southern California and that recognizes that pre-teens (and even teens who are with their parents) are really still kids? What about deals that include a significant food credit? What about... any creative pricing solution that provides a "Win-Win" for Disney and any guests who would otherwise not go at all?

Any ideas? Any rumors?

 

[Another Voice]

Many share your pain Mr. Weiss. Well, few in Burbank, but many nonetheless. The entire Disneyland Resort project was designed are around free spending, Disney-brand, multi-day vacationers and there’s very little to accommodate anyone that doesn’t fit the Corporate revenue profile.

Of course there are a few smart people left with The Company and they know that DCA is very troubled. The experience to date has taught them that even at steeply discounted prices, people just don’t like California Adventure. The newest ticket scheme is an attempt to use Disneyland as the draw with hopes that people will wander over the DCA (there will be a lot of eyeballs looking at the ticket use statistics over the next month). What happens with the current round will probably dictate the next round of discounts.

“Rumors” claim that the current concept is to have some kind of discount program through at least 2005, although there isn’t a firm idea about what form the discounts will take. And unfortunately Mr. Weiss, those discounts will probably be aimed at locals. Vacationers will be offered unlimited park-hopping multi-day tickets; The Company has given up trying to keep guests at DCA and is just happy people are spending time on the property. And now that all the sponsors have bailed out of the restaurants, Disney may start giving some limited discount coupons for DCA eateries (but again, no firm plans right now).

The best solution is to keep watching what the Company is offering, and then let someone who lives in California know you’re coming. Of course, there’s always a chance they’ll go with the general admission & ride ticket concept; right now they’re just about willing to try anything.


P.S. – I just wanted to add a note of thanks for the ‘Carousel of Progress’ section on your site. People who never experienced the Disneyland version of the show don’t understand the true “magic” it had for us out here. Getting on a ride without a ticket, the talking stereo lights, the original music and script, the Speedramp at the end, and Progress City (nuclear powered!!) with Grandma’s airplane taking off in the distance, that all brings back a lot of memories. I hope that when Disney sells the show on eBay some enterprising soul rescues the last bright big beautiful tomorrow.

 

[Douglas Dubh]

I was in the same boat as you last February. I wanted to see DCA, but wasn't willing to pay full price for it. I had purchased AP's to DL a few months earlier, but they suspended upgrades shortly before I went to DL. Luckily some friends had bought park hoppers and didn't need the last day, so I was able to take my family, and only had to pay for my son's ticket.

In DCA's defense, however, I'd like to say that almost everyone I've heard that's been on both GRR and KRR says GRR is better. I've been to both Animation attractions, and DCA's is better by far. If your kids aren't too old, they would enjoy the Redwood trail area. Plus there's Golden Dreams and the winery and the farm, and Blast! may be in the Hyperion soon and there's Luminaria. Screaming is a great roller coaster - if you're a fan RRC you'll probably love it - it's a good blend of the typical Disney coaster and a Six Flags one.

Looking forward to your CBP update to Yesterland.

 

[larry_poppins]

Hi Werner

What does will you be at the Disneyland Resort? If It is a weekend I could meet you there and buy your tickets. I am not sure I will be free, but I would love to help.

Larry Poppins

 

[Werner Weiss]

Originally posted by larry_poppins
If It is a weekend I could meet you there and buy your tickets.

Thank you for the kind offer. I'm not sure that's legitimate if we don't have the right zip codes on our drivers licenses (and our drivers licenses say "Illinois" for that matter).

It's still a long way off. I'll wait to see what DCA pricing is like next year. If I still need to pay $43 times 4 for just DCA, we won't go.

DCA is really a much better park for Southern Californians (at least for who haven't been to WDW lately) than it is for those of us who live east of the Mississippi and visit WDW regularly. Tough to Be a Bug, Muppetvision, and Millionaire Play It are all fun attractions if you have never seen them before. So there are more compelling reasons for those Southern Califonians to visit DCA -- at least once.

 

[d-r]

My thoughts on DCA-

The entry way is very small, and seemd like they were trying to conserve space. It was like "OK, we know what services have to be at the beginning of a park, so let's put them in as small a place as possible." The tile work was neat, but not amazing.

The "first" part of the park feels a lot like MGM studios - who wants to be a millionairre feels about exactly like it does in Florida (my wife got on the hot seat!), and muppetvision is the same film of course. Personally, I don't think muppetvision is as well themed as it is at wdw, but they did a good job here. I think I prefer the annimation tour in california. It is not as linear. There is a central area, with large screens showing classic themes that is well done, and at least four "side" areas. One is the film with robin williams and concrite. The other is the show with the animator, which was well done. The other two are exploring rooms that were well done. Superstar limo has got to be the worst attraction ever made, period.

If you take a right instead of left when you go in, you get to sourin over california, which is really good. We did it three times - try for the top row if you can. This is the first time I was "wowed" by an attraction for a while.

The "second area" is sort of like an "epcot-tesque" animal kingdom. There is a pretty neat waterfall coming in to this area that is worth watching a little. I didn't think that they could pull off tough to be a bug without the tree, but they really did a wonderful job of theming it. The imagineers did a good job with this one. The hopper animatronic seemed a little cooler, and the film and effects seemed crisp and new, like when AK first opened (the muppet film seemed really crisp and clean too, fwiw). The water rapids ride is fun. I almost liked it better than Kali because I wasn't trying to figure out the story. Kali always seems so short, this one is probably as short, but I wasn't looking around at sceneray and just enjoyed the ride.

By epcot-tesque, I'm referring to things like the agriculture section (the land, light), the tortilla factory/bakery (just seemed corporate and sort of educational), the wine-tasting "vinyard" and the california movie. It didn't seem like a direct translation of epcot, but had a bit of the feel (but not the awe). The whoopie goldberg movie had some very nifty effects, but it seemed sort of emotionally manipulative, like the centrl theme was "californians: we suffer better than anyone." Live through a Michigan winter and then pop off, whoppie. There is only one place to buy a beer in this park, and it is themed as a truck in a fast food section themed to a wharf. They made a pretty tasteful selection, a few california microbrews, and imports of kirinn and I think corona, which I took to show the japanese and mexican influence on california.

The third section of course is the paradise pier. You could think of this as a tacky carnival if you want, but I actually gave them credit for theming it well and pulling it off. I don't like the midway games. I actually liked california screamin' - a very smooth and fun ride, a family coaster. I liked mailboomer. The wild mouse coaster was horrible. I'm not looking forward to that piece of junk being added to AK, though it did give kids something to do. Jumping jellyfish was horrible, again giving kids something to do. I liked orange stinger. I thought that the zypher was neat to look at, but the ride wasn't that great. It is a really interesting looking ride though, and I give them credit for it. The ferris wheel was a ferris wheel, the carosel seemed small, but the sea life horses where sort of fun (I liked riding a sea horse). I think that there was something else there, but I can't remember it.

The california music was ubiquitous and got pretty old. The entertainment wasn't that great. They had a band on a woody that pulled a wagon around the park that got on my nerves. We saw several characters.

The electric light parade was fun because there wasn't a crowd and we didn't have anyone standing in front of us, we could sit and watch. It seemed like there was too much ambient light though, and we could see the ride vehicles clearly (wheels, trailer hitches, frames for the lights) which took away from the magic. Maybe it was just the closeness. They are adding a new show to the lagoon there, luminaria, I think, and they practiced the pyrotechnics for it late at night which we could see from the paradise pier hotel. The lagoon there is pretty small - it is no epcot - and I wonder if it will not be too small and be smokey.

All in all, I'm glad we went, and I had fun. I wouldn't spend a fortune for it, but if I could park hop I would absolutely go over. You can get a glimpse of it on the monorail. It was fun, but if you are a wdw regular, it did sort of seem like a lot of "borrowed" stuff. All of the californication got a llittle old too, and seemed like boastfullness. I thought they did a good job with what they had to work with.

DR

 

[YoHo]

Just a comment. If Disneyland is offering Multiday hoppers, then I would get them. I was from Illinois last December when I went. Assuming they are still offering the same options, they give you plenty of Non-Disney stuff to do free. Use the Hoppers to your advantage. Now, if only they could get a central Priority Seating number so that you don't have to stand in line for the Blue Bayou in the morning to get reservations for the evening. (Actually, I think the hotel can do them the day before, but still.

 

[d-r]

The hotel concierge can call, but they have to call the same desk that opens in the AM. So it is about as easy to just go to the podium yourself and do it, so you don't have to check back with the concierge to find the time it was made. At least that's how it was a couple of weeks ago.

DR

 

[Werner Weiss]

Originally posted by YoHo
If Disneyland is offering Multiday hoppers, then I would get them.

I looked up multi-day Park Hoppers at Disneyland's official Web site. For 2002, the cheapest Park Hoppers are 3-Day Park Hopper Tickets for $114 each. That's $456 for 4 multi-day tickets (and I was balking at $172). And here's the worst part:

• "First usage must occur by January 7, 2003. Tickets expire 13 days after first use."

So we couldn't even save the remaining two days for future years!!!

 

[d-r]

with the three day tickets you do get a fourth day free....but that doesn't help you so much if it is going to time out on you.

 

[Werner Weiss]

Originally posted by d-r
with the three day tickets you do get a fourth day free....but that doesn't help you so much if it is going to time out on you.

For 2001, a 4-Day Park Hopper Ticket provides "4 days for the price of 3!" The "regular" (anyone 10 or older) price is $111.

For 2002, a 3-Day Park Hopper Ticket provides only 3 days; the "regular" (anyone 10 or older) price is $114. Or there's a 4-Day Park Hopper Ticket; the "regular" (anyone 10 or older) price is $141. Either of the 2002 Park Hoppers expire 13 days after first use.

In other words, the price of a 4-Day is going up $30. Is Disneyland management trying to drive away customers? In this economy?

We still plan to spend a week or two in Southern California in 2002, but it's highly unlikely we'll set foot in the Disneyland Resort. It's a good thing there's so much else to see and do.