Ar1w
Member
Starting to look really good, coming a few days before the news that hit yesterday, about Backlot closing permanently.
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The Park Formerly Known as Disney's Hollywood Studios? Yep ...
- Thread starter WDW1974
- Start date
ford91exploder
Resident Curmudgeon
I don't know where the optimism for new attractions at DHS is coming from this is simply another financially motivated cut which will be used to show the 'Street the positive effects of MM. Iger and Staggs will use the 'improved bottom' line at DHS as proof of MM success
The trams cost a few thousand per hour to operate with fuel insurance and staffing so this closure with the reduction in expenses will add several million to the DHS bottom line by simply doing NOTHING.
Wall Street analysts do not VISIT the parks so they will not see attractions being closed down. All they ever see are statements and carefully crafted presentations. So they will believe that MM improved the park bottom line not attraction and entertainment cuts.
What most people on the forum forget is that to Disney Wall Street is the primary customer they aim to satisfy The guest no longer counts in Disney's calculus. Disney assumes the guests will keep coming no matter since reducing reinvestment to 9/11 levels has caused no reduction in visits. This strategy will work till one day an inflection point is hit and guests will stay away in huge numbers and Disney like so many before them will be unable to understand WHY.
What we will see as a replacement for BLT is NOTHING except construction walls and those cynical signs that this area is being refurbished for your future enjoyment for the next decade or so.
I'm beyond disgusted at TDO they have exceeded my worst expectations this year and just kept digging the hole deeper.
2014 Year of a Thousand Cuts....
The trams cost a few thousand per hour to operate with fuel insurance and staffing so this closure with the reduction in expenses will add several million to the DHS bottom line by simply doing NOTHING.
Wall Street analysts do not VISIT the parks so they will not see attractions being closed down. All they ever see are statements and carefully crafted presentations. So they will believe that MM improved the park bottom line not attraction and entertainment cuts.
What most people on the forum forget is that to Disney Wall Street is the primary customer they aim to satisfy The guest no longer counts in Disney's calculus. Disney assumes the guests will keep coming no matter since reducing reinvestment to 9/11 levels has caused no reduction in visits. This strategy will work till one day an inflection point is hit and guests will stay away in huge numbers and Disney like so many before them will be unable to understand WHY.
What we will see as a replacement for BLT is NOTHING except construction walls and those cynical signs that this area is being refurbished for your future enjoyment for the next decade or so.
I'm beyond disgusted at TDO they have exceeded my worst expectations this year and just kept digging the hole deeper.
2014 Year of a Thousand Cuts....
danv3
Well-Known Member
I'm not quite that pessimistic, but I certainly wouldn't be surprised to see the backlot tour area sit empty for a year before any work starts. The savings from that closure and delayed work would positively affect the bottom line, and that's what it's all about.
Nmoody1
Well-Known Member
Plus when you factor in how disney shamelessly will STILL raise park admission. They lost my annual pass bucks in May with countless MyMagic+ problems... i got a free extension , thats up in November and then i'll be moving my AP out west... where they offer movie screenings, special events, discounts on almost everything for APs, not to mention seasonal attractions, an Oswald meet n greet and way more choice of quick service and table service food... wothout dining plan mentality people dotted around you!
note2001
Well-Known Member
Not disagreeing, I'm worried, but trying to put my faith in place that Disney is doing all the right things. Seeing the stock soar has been fun, however, I'd be fine with having it hold steady for a year or so while Disney lays the foundation for a truly new and improved Disney. (Please note: I am not a big investor. My statement would be different if I were.)
Let's put a positive spin that quote on this to start off a new week:
2014: Year of a million scrims. (Good year to have invested in plastic!)
2014: Year of the Disney contractor.
2014... << insert your own positive spin please >>
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math mathson
Active Member
The right thing to do is close HS and open a park that the a lot of people want to attend. Right now most people go for 3 ride and get out. I guess it make a good resort day and helps sell park hopper tickets
BrerJon
Well-Known Member
You ain't seen nothing yet. My prediction is that by the end of 2015 lots more things will close, while Epcot and DHS push themselves as 'festival' parks, where events like Food & Wine, or Frozen Summer, are the main events... attractions are yesterday's news.
I wouldn't be surprised if a festival comes to DAK as well, with street entertainers, food stalls and all sorts of excitement except actual attractions. I could see them using it as a cover to close down Kali (too much maintenance) and maybe even Rafiki's Planet Watch (expensive to run) too.
Andrew C
You know what's funny?
You seem to be getting into the habit of just making things up now. Calm down with 'everything is closing'.
TubaGeek
God bless the "Ignore" button.
2014: The year that the park down the street is still building innovative attractions.
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BrerJon
Well-Known Member
I hope you're right and our predictions are wrong, but can you blame us when every new week brings another closure announcement?
AFI, Backlot, Maelstrom, EPCOT entertainment, American Idol.. that's five attraction closure announcements in the last five weeks. I think we can be forgiven if, to some of us, this looks like a new trend.
BrerJon
Well-Known Member
Yes, that would make sense, but unfortunately your last point is the reality.
When Disney invented Extra Magic Hours, they discovered something pretty impressive. The amount of guests who chose to stay on-property vastly increased, bringing in tons of revenue, but very few of those guests stayed all the way for those hours. The thought of being able to stay late/go early if they wanted to, was more appealing than the reality.
So without many extra guests in the extra hours, staffing costs were minimal, and the extra hotel income far outweighs operating costs.
Then you have things like DisneyQuest - cheap to run, minimal maintenance, but it sounds great on paper. Most guests won't have time to visit, but the thought they *might* want to, makes adding that ticket option an appealing one.
A park like DHS that isn't a whole day park, but 'feels' like it is one, is a great way to sell tickets. In fact, by not having too many attractions, you put in the guests mind that they might be sensible to top up their ticket with a $60 Park Hopper option, just in case they do run out of things to do.
Disney has to strike a balance - offer just enough to get guests to shell out the most for tickets, and stay on property, but not so much that they can't maximise profits. It's a fine line, but they're pretty good at it, as the ever increasing attendance numbers and guest satisfaction reports show.
Mike S
Well-Known Member
When it's all laid out it looks really bad. TDO really has no clue. Thanks MM+
BrerJon
Well-Known Member
When it's all laid out it looks really bad. TDO really has no clue. Thanks MM+
WE GOT MAGIC BANDZ AND ELZA SO WHO CARES LOL!
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AEfx
Well-Known Member
And not to mention, Southern California in general just has a zillion things to do that don't all cost $100+ day, especially if you enjoy movies. For my first trip to Disneyland, I bought my first GPS - and I had an amazing day where I simply drove around to movie locations (Buffy's house!!) and landmarks which was free except for the gas. I have to say, if Orlando didn't have theme parks - I would probably never have reason to step foot in Florida again - I don't care for the heat, I have plenty of beaches where I live (colder, but still beaches within five minutes of my house), and the only draw for me is theme parks.
I too cut my AP loose a couple of years ago, after having one most of my adult life even though I've never lived less than 1,000 miles away from WDW. Thing is, I think that's the intention, and why they keep hiking the prices on them up so ridiculously. I wouldn't be surprised if they break the $1K mark by the end of the decade. They don't want to sell AP's - if they thought they could get away with it, they'd just do away with them.
To be fair - The Backlot tour and American Idol aren't breaking any hearts. Although, it's the new trend to suddenly elevate something that was largely a joke on the boards up until the moment it's revealed it's going away when it suddenly becomes holy ground, LOL.
I'll miss the AFI store - even if it mostly functioned as a glorified ABC store, which I actually liked (I've picked up a few things there over the years because it was cheaper than paying shipping with the ABC website). I'll miss Maelstrom, but at least a ride is going in there and not a meet and greet (-1, +1 to me, neither a step back nor a step forward). The entertainment at Epcot is really the only tragic thing on that list to me - and I hope we aren't at the end of that story, yet.
flynnibus
Premium Member
Yes, but it's also hard for people to spot the scale of change while its happening slowly in front of them... It takes a summation of all the change to bring it in perspective for many people. That goes both ways.. for both adds and subtracts.
But while Disney has been very active - their activity level still lags behind the level needed to bring things up to their own company standard. We still see wave after wave of trimmings.. additions that have been added tend to underwelm.. and all along prices both at the gate and in the parks continue to climb.
It's as if the company is in over their head.. and the only way they know how to fight back is to cut.
Figments Friend
Well-Known Member
Figments Friend
Well-Known Member
Wikkler
Well-Known Member
jlsHouston
Well-Known Member
So... the last time I was on the this thread was in August and I had just had an annoying time checking into the GF. Which was when I heard from the CM doing my check in the name change was going to be Hollywoodland or maybe it's Disneys Hollywood Land. Has there been a confirmation of the new name yet?
Sure hope the Osborne lights are going to be up for Thanksgiving....
Sure hope the Osborne lights are going to be up for Thanksgiving....
TP2000
Well-Known Member
I can top that. I have to say, if Orlando didn't have Epcot - I would probably never have reason to step foot in Florida again.
