Tomorrow, the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror,
the most-anticipated addition in the brief history of Disney’s California Adventure,
officially throws open its freefalling doors. Predictably, the usual suspects
are already arguing over whether or not DCA’s Tower is a great ride and over how
it compares to Orlando’s version.
But more important than the question
of “Do people like DCA’s Tower of Terror?” is the question of “Do
people finally like DCA?” No one pays $49.75 for one ride. What Disney is
desperately waiting to discover is if this one attraction markedly increases the
overall value of DCA. Or, if adding Tower of Terror to DCA like putting a party
dress on a pig.
Tower of Terror is designed to address one of DCA’s primary
shortcomings: lack of an iconic, established E-ticket. Usually Disney copies rides
from one coast to the other because they’re either essential to the park’s concept
(such as the core “Magic Kingdom” rides) or because they’re highly marketable
(Winnie the Pooh, Buzz Lightyear). DCA’s retreads (MuppetVision, It’s
Tough to be a Bug) were neither.
Fortunately, the omission was DCA’s
last glaring hole. Since opening three years and three months ago to light crowds
and heavy criticism, DCA has gone on a mad dash to fill in the gaps. The complaints
were many and varied, but they all had one thing in common: they were all comparisons
to the original Disneyland 100 yards away.
Hip and edgy entertainment like
Steps in Time would give way to the musical Aladdin. The occasional
walk-around characters were replaced by countless Meet & Greets and character
shows. The slim attraction roster has been fattened and the overly long list of
restaurants pared back. The void of toddler-friendly rides has been filled with
a whole new land. DCA’s most disappointing attraction, Superstar Limo, was boarded
up after less than a year. And its limiting theme has been ignored when it proved
an impediment to new attractions and entertainment.
Still, most of the fixes
have been quick and temporary. Unlike the seasonal promotions and introductions
such as Aladdin, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire – Play It, and
Playhouse Disney Live, Tower of Terror is the first addition you know will
still be standing 10 years from now.
Consequently, much of the public still
thinks of DCA as a carnival—or doesn’t think of DCA at all. Disney is hoping
Tower of Terror gives DCA a positive new identity. That’s what it did 10 years
ago for Disney-MGM Studios, which for five years was criticized as an overpriced
half-day park short on thrills. Tower of Terror infused the entire park with energy
and an exciting new image. Before, its major landmark was a pretend water tower
with mouse ears on top. Thrilling.
Granted, Disney-MGM did have two advantages
over DCA that made the transition smoother. First, it already had a solid foundation
of family-friendly rides; Star Tours was the only one with a height limit. DCA
remains schizophrenic: small children can’t ride most of the “grown-up”
rides and most grown-ups won’t want to ride most of the kiddie attractions.
Second,
the majority of Disney World guests are out-of-towners who buy “park hopper”
passes. When they run out of things to do at one park, hundreds more attractions
are a quick boat, bus or monorail ride away. Full-fare-paying guests in Anaheim
are more likely to be locals who buy single-park tickets.
Obviously, there’s
a lot riding on this ride. Good enough is not good enough. No other $100 million
E-tickets are on the immediate horizon. So really, for Tower of Terror to be a
success, it must help DCA finally achieve its goals:
- Are crowds healthy
in size? - Is anyone willing to pay full price? Not “Is anyone willing
to visit DCA on an annual pass they bought to visit Disneyland?” Not “Is
anyone willing to buy a two-parks-for-one-discounted-price ticket?” DCA must
be able to stand on its own. - Are tourists making plans to visit Anaheim
for a multi-day destination vacation? - Are guests satisfied with the park?
Sometimes I get the impression that Team Disney no longer cares what the customers
think about its products after they’ve gotten their money. But unlike a dissatisfied
guest, a happy customer returns to spend more money and gladly encourages others
to do the same.
With Tower of Terror, DCA finally has its “weenie.”
Let’s see if the public will bite.
