Editor's Report - Jan 22, 2001

Editor's Report
Page 4 of 5

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Games of the Boardwalk

Ambivalent
I couldn't decide whether to put the Games of the Boardwalk (also known as midway games) in the like or dislike category. I really like midway games and I think the ones at DCA are well done. However, I've yet to win a thing despite the $10 or so I've dropped and that's not making me happy. :( Actually, what I don't like about them is the $2 price on most of the games. In my opinion, the midway games add to the theme of Paradise Pier. They're more like another attraction than an arcade and, as such, should be priced low enough to really encourage playing like the Shooting Gallery at Disneyland.

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Muppet*Vision 3D

Muppet*Vision 3D is a fun attraction, but it's also an old attraction. Disney has gone to great lengths to create many attractions that don't exist at other Disney parks, and even those that do in some form, like Disney Animation, are presented in an all-new way. "It's tough to be a bug" and Muppet*Vision 3D are the exceptions. I haven't done "It's tough to be a bug" here yet but Muppet*Vision feels old, especially with everything around it feeling so new. Still, it's a very funny 3D film and is one of my favorite attractions at Disney-MGM Studios in Florida. It just doesn't feel right in DCA. Maybe guests who haven't done it in Florida will feel differently.

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Get a Grip

The hardest thing for me to decide on so far is Get a Grip, the outdoor show at the Hollywood Backlot Stage. I saw the 3:45 performance on Sunday and came away confused. I really enjoy that type of dancing/stunt work. But on the other hand, the way it was presented here, as a part of a weird story about a stuck up actress, didn't quite work for me. On the other hand, I really liked watching all the coordinated stunt work, especially with the doors. On the other hand, I didn't like the very repetitive music that accompanied the dancing/stunts - I didn't like the music and I didn't like the repetitiveness of it. On the other hand, I am looking forward to seeing it again. There's a lot going on up there and I know I missed some stuff. On the other hand, I'm not sure I'll see it much after that. Despite my enjoyment of the visuals, the whole package just didn't quite work for me - or did it???