Walt Disney – A Magical Life

JohnD

JohnD

Well-Known Member
Too Many Hats said:
I’ve gone from feeling queasy about a Walt AA to being kind of excited. Really hope they pull it off.

Do we think they will eventually clone this at WDW? Or will it remain a Disneyland exclusive?
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I don't know. What I do know is this: The DL Theatre has Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. This is in the same theater. Presumably Abe and Walt are on a turntable. During the 70th anniversary, it will just be Walt. After a while they'll have interchangeable shows between Abe and Walt.

What else has a single AA of Abe Lincoln? Hall of Presidents, an AA separate from the one grouped with all the other Presidents. Who knows if HOP will continue on in its current form because only half the country likes whoever is the current President. What if they add Walt to the HOP theater, keeping only Abe Lincoln and dispensed with the rest of HOP? 🤷‍♂️
 
PiratesMansion

PiratesMansion

Well-Known Member
JohnD said:
You would watch it on the way in or on the way out of the park, being that its in MS.
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In theory, yes. But that doesn't necessarily mean it'll be highly trafficked once the novelty wears off (if it did, Lincoln wouldn't be in perpetual danger of being removed or replaced by movie previews).

Here's why that doesn't necessarily work in practice:
1.) On your way into the park (again, once the novelty wears off), be honest: are you going to stop to watch Walt, or are you going to continue forward towards literally everything else, including things that are much bigger deals to people?
2.) On your way out of the park, if you're ready to leave, are you REALLY going to go out of your way to stay for one more show, or are you (presumably already tired, if you're heading out) going to just keep going to walk towards the exits, which is easier anyway?

If people actually watched Lincoln on their way in and out, he wouldn't have been playing to perpetually empty theaters, including those at the beginning and end of the operating day. If the problem was just Lincoln himself, then there would have been (past the opening period) big crowds for the 50th movie, the Walt Disney story, etc. Instead, it's been perpetually difficult to draw people to that space.

There's a reason that parks stopped putting attractions in that spot, and it's not just that they would like more merchandising money. Arguably, by putting Mickey there, WDW found the ONE thing that is likely to draw people to that space all day.
 
JohnD

JohnD

Well-Known Member
PiratesMansion said:
In theory, yes. But that doesn't necessarily mean it'll be highly trafficked once the novelty wears off (if it did, Lincoln wouldn't be in perpetual danger of being removed or replaced by movie previews).

Here's why that doesn't necessarily work in practice:
1.) On your way into the park (again, once the novelty wears off), be honest: are you going to stop to watch Walt, or are you going to continue forward towards literally everything else, including things that are much bigger deals to people?
2.) On your way out of the park, if you're ready to leave, are you REALLY going to go out of your way to stay for one more show, or are you (presumably already tired, if you're heading out) going to just keep going to walk towards the exits, which is easier anyway?

If people actually watched Lincoln on their way in and out, he wouldn't have been playing to perpetually empty theaters, including those at the beginning and end of the operating day. If the problem was just Lincoln himself, then there would have been (past the opening period) big crowds for the 50th movie, the Walt Disney story, etc. Instead, it's been perpetually difficult to draw people to that space.

There's a reason that parks stopped putting attractions in that spot, and it's not just that they would like more merchandising money. Arguably, by putting Mickey there, WDW found the ONE thing that is likely to draw people to that space all day.
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The fact that it will be Walt only during the 70th then interchangeable with Honest Abe afterward probably goes to your point.
 
Too Many Hats

Too Many Hats

Well-Known Member
PiratesMansion said:
We'll see. I think it will get people in there for awhile but I really don't see anything there being a long term draw, it's too far out from the rest of the park.
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No way man, this is gonna be the next hot rope drop attraction. $28 individual Lightning Lane, calling it now.

In reality, I hope the Opera House gets a respectable, moderate boost in attendance. And when I say that, I’m thinking about the time I went to see Mr. Lincoln and it was just me and one other guy in there. The bar for “boost in attendance” is pretty low.
 
PiratesMansion

PiratesMansion

Well-Known Member
Too Many Hats said:
No way man, this is gonna be the next hot rope drop attraction. $28 individual Lightning Lane, calling it now.

In reality, I hope the Opera House gets a respectable, moderate boost in attendance. And when I say that, I’m thinking about the time I went to see Mr. Lincoln and it was just me and one other guy in there. The bar for “boost in attendance” is pretty low.
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How many days will we get full theaters?

One?
Two?
A week?
The remainder of the summer?
 
mickEblu

mickEblu

Well-Known Member
Too Many Hats said:
No way man, this is gonna be the next hot rope drop attraction. $28 individual Lightning Lane, calling it now.

In reality, I hope the Opera House gets a respectable, moderate boost in attendance. And when I say that, I’m thinking about the time I went to see Mr. Lincoln and it was just me and one other guy in there. The bar for “boost in attendance” is pretty low.
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And yet I hope that little theatre in Town Square always plays a Lincoln or Walt show that I "never" go see. It just feels right there. Aside from the show, the reverent museum like display in the lobby kind of ups the ante and tells you this is more than just your average theme park. It's richer and offers more variety.
 
Too Many Hats

Too Many Hats

Well-Known Member
JohnD said:
You would watch it on the way in or on the way out of the park, being that its in MS.
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I would do this, but I'm a Disneyland sicko. Most guests either won't know this exists (no matter how heavily promoted it is), or it'll be a one-and-done.

JohnD said:
I don't know. What I do know is this: The DL Theatre has Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. This is in the same theater. Presumably Abe and Walt are on a turntable. During the 70th anniversary, it will just be Walt. After a while they'll have interchangeable shows between Abe and Walt.

What else has a single AA of Abe Lincoln? Hall of Presidents, an AA separate from the one grouped with all the other Presidents. Who knows if HOP will continue on in its current form because only half the country likes whoever is the current President. What if they add Walt to the HOP theater, keeping only Abe Lincoln and dispensed with the rest of HOP? 🤷‍♂️
Click to expand...

I have a hunch HOP is not long for this world, in part because of what you've pointed out here -- and also because audiences just aren't interested in that sort of educational presentation anymore (I say this as someone who loves HOP). MK feels like a park fully dedicated to "fantasy" at this point, and I think that if they close HOP, they'll replace it with a show based on a contemporary IP.

At Disneyland, the 1964 World's Fair stuff is kind of grandfathered in forever (I mean, I hope that's the case). So the Walt AA feels like a great way to plus-up the Lincoln show, which they otherwise might be too afraid to get rid of.

At WDW, I feel like the Walt show might actually make the most sense at DHS; it would fit in the same way One Man's Dream fit.
 
Too Many Hats

Too Many Hats

Well-Known Member
PiratesMansion said:
How many days will we get full theaters?

One?
Two?
A week?
The remainder of the summer?
Click to expand...

I'd bet "none." And that's okay. I predict it'll do a lot better than Lincoln.

mickEblu said:
And yet I hope that little theatre in Town Square always plays a Lincoln or Walt show that I "never" go see. It just feels right there. Aside from the show, the reverent museum like display in the lobby kind of ups the ante and tells you this is more than just your average theme park. It's richer and offers more variety.
Click to expand...

I like the way Tony Baxter includes it in his spiel about how a person can have so many different types of experiences at Disneyland. You can climb a treehouse, go underwater in a submarine, listen to a speech from Abraham Lincoln, etc. This diversity is what makes Disneyland unique.

The lobby is delightful.
 
D

DCBaker

Premium Member
Disneyland has shared a look at the new marquee:

DLMarquee.jpeg
 
Gusey

Gusey

Well-Known Member
Any chance Great Moments with Mr Lincoln and Walt Disney are going to be on rotation a lot earlier than the end of the 70th? Just surprised at the amount of Mr Lincoln references when he's not supposed to be returning until next year?
 

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