The Spirited Seventh Heaven ...

[flynnibus]

from micechat, they posted that OLC would be spending $5 Billion soon, and pointed to this report:

http://www.olc.co.jp/en/news/olcgroup/20140428_04e.pdf


Interesting....

5 Billion in their overall theme park business in their long range plan - not necessarily at TDR. That is left vague. OLC has been pondering other entertainment businesses.

 

[Atomicmickey]

Welcome back! Sadly enough, not much happened while you were gone, a small coaster sorta opened. And even more sadly, the best WDW news you can share is a Frozen ovelay and management shuffling. Not blaming you, thank you for the info, but as always, wishing for better news . . . but I am getting used to living in the vaccuum known as MM+.

FWIW, I have had two families I know go to WDW lately and come back RAVING about how cool the bands are. These are newbies, no experience families and they loved all of it. The room key, booking a ride in advance, the ease with which they could increase their guest spending by 11%, etc.

So, on the Great Unwashed™, they're magical, I suppose . . . sigh.

 

[CTXRover]

I was on the Panama Canal cruise and didn't realize I could have met you. I may have and didn't even know it.

Anyway, I was at George Scribner's presentations onboard the Panama Canal Cruise as well. Personally, I felt he hinted more at the possibility of a Frozen segment being added to Philharmagic than it replacing Maelstrom (perhaps both are being considered). He made several points during his discussion of his involvement with Philharmagic on how each segment and its transitions were made to allow for segments to be replaced and mentioned Frozen a number of times. In fact, he said something along the lines of how at the end of the Ariel segment that it was designed that way to allow for a transition to another film (besides Lion King), such as Frozen. Nothing confirmed though.

During another presentation regarding his involvement with redoing Gran Fiesta tour he brought up the Norway pavilion being next for a reimagining. If I recall, he brought this up on his own. He pre-emptively brought up the question by asking himself at the beginning of his presentation "why do we change rides" and explained the usual that everything is up for a change and many projects are on a schedule above his pay grade for updating the parks but mentioned at that same time that Norway was next up. Nothing specifically that this was Frozen related, but one could make that assumption I suppose.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Welcome back, dear!

A Frozen attraction/overlay truly sounds nauseating. If I don't hate that movie at this point, I will next month. Sick of hearing about that film. I really don't understand the big hoopla.

I had a feeling SDL was behind schedule. We're not really hearing that much about it.

 

[danv3]

Very disappointing news about Maelstrom. Hate to see a classic (if dated) attraction lost, and frankly Disney is wasting a great homegrown IP on such a mediocre project. Frozen is good enough to warrant a major attraction, even if that means it can't be done before the sequel.

Heck, at the speed Disney builds, even an overlay probably won't be ready until 2017.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Are these 2 linked? We agree to a huge bailout if we can push some of the costs of our "experiment" to you.

There is no way that this wasn't always in the plan anyway. Bailout or no!

 

[imagineer boy]

Seriously, how many rides left are there for Disney to half-assedly cram marketable characters into?

 

[ChrisFL]

I had a feeling SDL was behind schedule. We're not really hearing that much about it.

Honestly, even if it was on schedule, do you think we'd hear much about it over here anyway? Unlike most of the other parks, I don't know any locals who would be updating with photos, or getting announcements from Disney about their projects...especially since it is in China, Disney is trying to keep a relatively tight lid on details so clones nearby don't copy what they are trying to do (Did anyone see that China was just forced to dismantle a 1:1 scale replica of the Sphinx?)

 

[the.dreamfinder]

5 Billion in their overall theme park business in their long range plan - not necessarily at TDR. That is left vague. OLC has been pondering other entertainment businesses.

Like that rumored non-Disney, all domestic IP park they've been kicking around which IIRC does not have a set location at this point.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Honestly, even if it was on schedule, do you think we'd hear much about it over here anyway?

Good point.

 

[JEANYLASER]

I for one am really excited for Frozen to come to Epcot.

I for one I'm so excited that frozen My favorite movie to come to EPCOT and I love Frozen the Ride at Norway!

 

[Astro Blaster]

What did you think of the Grand Californian? I first stayed there a few months ago and had a great time. Only gripe was that I never got the chance to try the spa and Napa Rose.

 

[Bairstow]

You know what else could attract families with kids? An amazing new version of Imagination. But who am I kidding, that makes too much sense and fits the theme of Epcot too well

The annoying thing is, I don't think that would attract families with kids as much as a half-arsed Frozen overlay of Maelstrom would.

 

[FigmentJedi]

The annoying thing is, I don't think that would attract families with kids as much as a half-arsed Frozen overlay of Maelstrom would.

They could always try reintroducing Figment to the masses in the form of a film, but I guess it's just cheaper to do it with a comic book that not that many people will probably read because the comics industry hasn't been all that successful since the late 90s.

 

[WDW1974]

It's crazy the way things in the corporate world...so they are giving Tom Fitzgerald a promotion because he has no where to go but fail, and eventually be fired? am I reading that correctly?

Position is considered a demotion, not a promotion.

 

[WDW1974]

Welcome back! You've been missed! I'm happy to hear your vacation was great, what did you think of the Panama Canal cruise?

Here's what you missed:

Trolls, a bunch of name calling, some good discussions about Epcot and it's future, thoughts and opinions on maelstrom, a choice disney employee poking in and snapping at everyone then took his toys and went home, aaaand, yeah no, that's about it.

Welcome back!

Loved the cruise (will discuss it more later this week). I've now done about 18 cruises (five on DCL) and this was my first Canal crossing. Overall, it was an incredible experience and I largely have only good things to say about DCL.

Oh, so I missed business as usual in these MAGICal parts?

 

[Mike S]

The annoying thing is, I don't think that would attract families with kids as much as a half-arsed Frozen overlay of Maelstrom would.

Yeah, certainly not as much but it could still attract. It just proves how rabid people would be for a Frozen ride, even if it is cheaply done. What's worse is that TDO knows they'll get away with it (except with us fans of Epcot which are the minority).

 

[Nemo14]

Oh, so I missed business as usual in these MAGICal parts?

pretty much, and of course the Great Mine Train Spectacular...

 

[WDW1974]

Anxiously awaiting your thoughts on Disneyland...and anything more on shanghai. Is there a monorail going in?

And more importantly are you going to be there when it opens? any reason why September/October opening time? Would it have anything to do with air quality? The world will, indeed, be watching the opening. Especially with so many social media outlets...

My thoughts on DL will also be coming and they are largely positive, but with some issues (someone needs to tell Colglazier to get that ladder out and start replacing those burned out bulbs on PP before it becomes a WDW-like issue).

I absolutely plan on being at the opening, yes. I know Disney and my friends in China would have it no other way. While air quality is generally better in the fall, I doubt that has any bearing on the opening date. Opening whenit is freezing and just before Chinese New Years when everyone will be trying to get in just isn't smart.

As for social media at the opening, I don't see Mrs. Ricky's hubby or Scarlett's future hubby or even the Mongello getting trips there. Disney has no need for them there.

 

[Mike S]

They could always try reintroducing Figment to the masses in the form of a film, but I guess it's just cheaper to do it with a comic book that not that many people will probably read because the comics industry hasn't been all that successful since the late 90s.

A movie would be amazing