Spirited News, Observations & Thoughts Tres

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NoChesterHester

Well-Known Member
That is what I take out of this. You're likely looking at 2018 before the new stuff begins to open (and I might be optimistic here). By that time you'll have had eight years of Potter 1.0 and 4-5 years of much of the constant flow of new product at UNI. ... I understand Disney thinks it will be able to keep its model of guests spending a week at WDW (at Disney resorts preferably), but that is going to change fundamentally because Disney is taking its sweet time in adding anything (look at the ridiculous time to get a new MK parade ... or build a kiddie coaster) and UNI is just like an assault rifle firing off round after round.

By the time Disney has Pandora opened and the Studios Makeover complete, it's going to take years to get those guests back ... and they may well come ... but they may also cut a day at MK or EPCOT to do so, not a day at the completely transformed RESORT up I-4.

This is Blue Ocean Bullshi-& at its best. Disney sat and sat and sat and thought an IT upgrade/datamining (hey it's worked for our government!) project would be the answer. Now, they can't even say when that billion over budget project will actually go live and they are quaking because they realize what many of us have known for years -- their product is tired and stale across FOUR parks and they actually have to build new reasons for people to visit.

Can you link us to your Blue Ocean theory?
 

WDW1974

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Sunset Blvd, Echo Lake, Pixar Place, Animation, Star Tours, Muppets are staying within DHS.

I can concur with all the above except (sadly) Muppets ... right now, it appears they will be making way for something else in that facility. I can only caution that things can be subject to change, but I wouldn't be saying it if I didn't have strong conviction that it was happening. BTW, if it does leave, it's the only thing I'll actually miss as the park is a mess and they need to finally fix it and rebrand it.
 

Taylor

Well-Known Member
I can concur with all the above except (sadly) Muppets ... right now, it appears they will be making way for something else in that facility. I can only caution that things can be subject to change, but I wouldn't be saying it if I didn't have strong conviction that it was happening. BTW, if it does leave, it's the only thing I'll actually miss as the park is a mess and they need to finally fix it and rebrand it.
Would it be Star Wars expanding into the Muppet area? Or are they expanding Star Wars backstage and putting something else in there.

If true I will greatly miss them.
 

WDW1974

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Conveniently, all of USH's new content will also be coming online at a time when Disney will be looking to "reap the returns of its investment" in Anaheim. They should have quite a bit of fun at Disney's expense in 2016.

I believe that is why Al and Dusty and Co at Miceage reported that the Monsters coaster/Monstropolis redo at DCA plus the T-Land redo and E-Ticket are being fast-tracked.

I do NOT have confirmation on them, but believe the info ... TDA isn't going to make the same mistake that TDO makes over and over and over and over and over .... again.
 

Taylor

Well-Known Member
I believe that is why Al and Dusty and Co at Miceage reported that the Monsters coaster/Monstropolis redo at DCA plus the T-Land redo and E-Ticket are being fast-tracked.

I do NOT have confirmation on them, but believe the info ... TDA isn't going to make the same mistake that TDO makes over and over and over and over and over .... again.
I'm just glad that it seems like DL isn't missing a beat with there Prez switch seems like its been a smooth transition. Unlike the uphill battle George is going thourgh
 

pheneix

Well-Known Member
I've bashed TWDC's business strategy in Orlando plenty of times but if they move forward full steam on both DAK and DHS fronts then, by 2018, the upcoming Universal expansions will be old hat.

Uni should enjoy a good 3-to-5 year run but until they have their own version of the Magic Kingdom, something that can compete with that 'magic', Uni is never going to be a serious threat to WDW's dominance in Orlando.

If (big if) WDW can pull off a mini miracle and actually make the expansions at DAK and DHS as fully immersive as Cars Land then, by 2019, Uni could be sucking wind once more.

Ah, but that is running on the assumption that Universal will not be maintaining this level of spending after Diagon Alley opens next summer. To be honest with you, given Universal Orlando's history, it is very safe to want to make that assumption.

That is however not the case, and rumors about Toon Lagoon at IOA getting flat earth'd to make way for entirely new IP and attractions are starting to spread as openly as these DHS rumors are. The truth is, Universal does have a major five-year plan set into motion and they will not be letting off the gas in 2015. Or 2016. Maybe 2017, but almost certainly not 2018.

By then Universal will have picked off two days of the typical one week Orlando visit, and Disney is never getting those days back in their entirety to matter what they build. They dropped the ball for too long. Additionally, WDW's choice to focus their resources on two of the four parks in their portfolio will make it easier for guests to consolidate time spent at MK/Epcot to make way for new offerings at the other parks, which as I stated in an earlier post, are already well on their way to being forgotten in 2014.

These Magic Kingdom parks are not impenetrable fortresses that will always draw 10 million guests a year over rival parks no matter what. The month Cars Land opened at DLR, the relationship between DCA and Disneyland almost became one of equals. The same for Tokyo Disney Resort after Tokyo DisneySea opened. People go where they perceive they will get the most for their money. For decades in Orlando, Magic Kingdom has enjoyed that perception because the reality outside more or reflected that. But Universal Orlando has brought those days to an end.
 

englanddg

One Little Spark...

It's a business strategy that became popular in the mid-2000s. I, personally, think it's a crock, but a lot of executives and business analysts support the concept.

This is how I've always thought of it...simplified. Think of your business as a ship, and you are a fisherman. You can stay close to port and compete with all the other fisherman, but the waters are bloody (Red Ocean). Or, you can set sail into uncharted waters (Blue Ocean), and find new sources of fish that your competitors are unaware of. If you do this, you will maintain the edge over other fishermen, as your costs of acquisition and yealds are far greater when you don't have to deal with competition.

Also, since fishing in a "Red Ocean" produces fish of the same or lesser quality then the consumer is used to, there is no differentiation between your product and the other fishermen. But, in a "Blue Ocean", you are catching the prime fish. They are larger, they are healthier, and consumers certainly note the difference, and will reward you with sales.

In short, it states that you should think of your existing markets as "Red Oceans", and very little focus should be spent on these areas by strategic leaders in the company. The theory is that "Red Oceans" are contaminated with competition, and if strategic leaders focus on that (say, going tit for tat with Universal for rides), they are not planning a long term strategy that will work and provide rapid growth.

Instead, they theory states that they should focus on creating "Blue Oceans". New markets, new technologies, new experiences, etc. If you can create a "Blue Ocean", then you will realize massive market gains and profits as you are the only place out there where this experience can be had. Marketing and brand become less important than "innovation"...according to the concept.

An example I've heard cited of this being successful are the Nintendo DS and Nintendo Wii. Rather than trying to come up with a unit that competes in the "Red Ocean" with Xbox / Playstation, Nintendo took a gamble and created completely new ways for gamers to interact, and new experiences for them to have. They created a "Blue Ocean", and their sales were fantastic. It was years before their primary competition even took a swim in that "Blue Ocean", so they held a virtual monopoly on THAT style of gaming.

Compare that to Sony. The Vita didn't sell nearly as well as they hoped it would. The theory would contend it was because Sony focused on a "Red Ocean", being traditional portable gaming.

Mind you, this is a very simplistic break down of what it is. And, as I've said, I think it's a load of horsey poo. I prefer the lessons taught in Good to Great, myself.

<shrug>

If you are really interested, go pick up the book. It's not a bad read, I just think it's not something I'd consider a bible for executive strategy...but, many execs do.
 

articos

Well-Known Member
So, just connecting the dots here... if the Muppets are staying and Echo Lake is remaining and Star Wars expansion is happening... it would mean that they'd pretty much have to be expanding into backstage areas and/or the parking lot for Star Wars.

If you remember, a few months back it was stated parades were being killed? It was also thought there was some back of house support facilities that went along with that were being moved around. All true...
 
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