You probably heard that the walls around the Carthay Circle Theater are down and although the Carthay restaurant won't open before June 15th at DCA each guest can discover this recreation of an old Hollywood iconic theatre in all its outside beauty. From what i can see, not being at DCA, the Imagineers did a pretty good job, the only thing that i don't like is this "Premiere Cuisine" title on the
front which, seen from a french point of view, sounds a bit ridiculous. It's also strange that they've been all that way to recreate the theater and then used 1950's plastic letters on a white plexiglas instead of the black rear lit letters that are true to period and classy.
Although they did a good job, as i've said, one big thing which existed on the original theater is missing, and it's the big neon sign that you can see on the picture below. There is no doubt that WDI Imagineers choose deliberately to don't reproduce it for esthetic reasons, and personally i think they were right as the sign would have been too big, visually speaking, for California Adventure.
But today, the new Carthay Circle Fountain was also revealed and Disney Parks released a short video to introduce it. Have a look!
Edited: A D&M reader left in the comments: "What a missed opportunity for DCA!!! Such a beautiful building ... and then only use it as a restaurant!?
Does anybody know why they didn't put an attraction in it? After all it is supposed to represent a theatre ... so it could have been the perfect place to show the great Cinémagique for the first time in a US Disney park".
I must say that it is an absolute brilliant idea. No other place in any other U.S Disney theme park could be a better choice than the Carthay Circle Theatre to introduce the wonderful Cinémagique attraction which is a tribute to cinema history! An attraction in tribute to Walt was envisioned for the Carthay and unfortunately cancelled, probably to reduce the costs of DCA placemaking.
Picture and video: copyright Disney
I still have my grandfathers postcard stamped from the late 1920's which shows the Carthay Circle Theater neon sign on the roof as you have shown here, along with the light on the top spire for planes passing over at night. I wondered if this light in on the Disney version? I still hope they complete this recreation with the original style neon sign on the roof. What would the statue of Liberty be without her torch.
ReplyDeleteIn a nearby pool next to the Carthay Circle Theater was a bronze statue of a California Gold Rusher with his pan in hands looking for a few nuggets. Seems that statue would fit right in with this new dimention to DCA. PD
ReplyDeleteWhat a missed opportunity for DCA!!! Such a beautiful building ... and then only use it as a restaurant!?
ReplyDeleteDoes anybody know why they didn't put an attraction in it? After all it is supposed to represent a theatre ... so it could have been the perfect place to show the great Cinémagique for the first time in a US Disneypark.
The wonderful Cinémagique deserves to be played at such a marvellous theatre ... let's hope DLP gets inspiration out of this. And if they decide to expand Hollywood Blvd. at WDS, they should add the Carthay Circle Theatre, and move Cinémagique into that location.
Overall, I'm impressed with how it looks. Although I agree that the "Premiere Cuisine" sign doesn't feel quite right. But still, a very impressive recreation of the facade.
ReplyDeleteWDS already has the Chinese theatre, so it's very unlikely to receive the Carthay Circle as well.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, it looks beautiful!
Marco, we were not talking of the WDS, which by the way don't have (and unfortunately) a Chinese Theatre, we were talking about having the Cinémagique attraction inside the Carthay Circle Theatre at DCA.
ReplyDeleteThis old photo also shows that the "Circle" part of the name comes from the fact that the orginal theatre was round! Why not rebuild it that way? Not a circle, not a theatre. Nice to have a pretty building though.
ReplyDeleteI too agree that such an iconic building deserves an attraction but I'm not complaining because overall they've done a fantastic job with the expansion and we've gotten so many new rides and attractions these last years I can't complain.
ReplyDeleteAnd that's not even counting the rumored phase two that's supposed to be coming as well!
Also if we did get a new show like cinemagique it would probably go in the muppets theater or in the disney junior theater not in Carthay because those attractions days are numbered.
Thank you very much for finding my Cinémagique-suggestion "an absolute brilliant idea" :-)
ReplyDeleteSuch a shame that they probably wanted to reduce costs ... even cancelling a tribute to Walt himself ... very unfortunate.
By the way, two weeks ago I saw the updated Cinémagique at WDS. It was done in a very subtle way, including both blockbusters (like Avatar or The Lord of the Rings) and indie/arthouse films (like Black Swan or La Vie en Rose). As a result, the attraction is still very relevant today, and the entire cinematic experience is even better than the original one. So Cinémagique is not only a wonderful attraction, but it also proves to be timeless! Let's not forget that it had its premiere 10 years ago!
To Marco ...
A Chinese Theatre at WDS ... I think every DLP-fan dreams about that, but sadly it's just a dream and no reality ;-)
You're probably thinking about the original (but cancelled) plans of the Disney-MGM Studios Europe in Paris, which included a Chinese Theatre (and lots of other great attractions, like the Indy Stunt Show).
I agree that Carthay theater deserves an attraction but I can't complain because we've gotten so many new rides and attractions these last years and they've done a fantastic job with DCA expansion. and that's not even counting the rumored phase two that should be coming next.
ReplyDeleteAlso if we did get a new show like cinemagique it would go in the muppets theater or Disney junior theater because those attractions days are numbered.
Hello Alain, nice to "hear" from you.
ReplyDeleteIt's just that when anonymous said: "And if they decide to expand Hollywood Blvd. at WDS, they should add the Carthay Circle Theatre, and move Cinémagique into that location." I thought that he was talking about Disney Hollywood Studios, that has a Hollywood Boulevard at the entrance that finishes in the Chinese Theatre, but reading his comment again I've seen that he (or she) has written DLP. By the way, I never realized that DSP also has a place called Hollywood Boulevard, but to be honest I never cared much about that park.
Regarding Cinémagique at the Carthay Circle in DCA I think that it would be very nice to see it there, because it's a wonderful little film, and a beautiful tribute to cinema, but it's also simple, it doesn't have many effects, and it's very elaborate, so I would rather see something like an updated Great Movie Ride attraction at the Carthay Circle, that in my opinion it's a great attraction, but certainly and unfortunately we will not see any of those, just a restaurant that they could have built anywhere else. So let's just hope it's a very good one...
The Carthay Theater is DCA's answer to Disneylands Club 33, and with memberships and meal cost income, would bring in more money than a theater or ride if it is successful. Good point about it's not being round and why not?
ReplyDeleteAn attraction making a tribute to Walt would also be very nice inside the Theatre. Something like Great Movie ride would be the best thing in my opinion, but probably there's not enough space there. Cinémagique would also be very nice.
ReplyDeleteThey probably made the option to find an excuse to almost triple Club 33 annual dues, reduce the cost and generate more income overall.
I'm guessing its not round just because they have more useable room by making it rectangular...lack of space is a serious issue at the Disneyland resort.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing to keep in mind, one of the biggest complaints of DCA 1.0 was that there were far too many movie/theater "attractions" and not enough actual rides. I applaud them for not wasting limited funds adding yet another movie to DCA 2.0, no matter how good it is. The park absolutely doesn't need yet another movie attraction, and if they ever do, the muppets, disney jr or bugs theaters can easily be updated.
ReplyDeleteA Walt museum would have indeed been nice, but with space at a premium, can understand why they went instead with a venue that would generate far more ROI for the resort. Looking forward to the elegant dinning/pub experience far more than if they had added yet another redundant movie theater.