DHS DHS Makeover - What we know so far.....

[Crazydisneyfanluke]

IMHO, cuts do not happen until after a final budget is approved.

(these numbers are pulled out of thin air and are not the actual budget numbers)

If WDI were given a budget of 1 billion to make SWL happen and they design a land inside that budget, TDO coming back and saying "Trim it down to 900 million" would be a cut.

WDI designing a land that costs $1.2 billion when they are only given a budget of 1 billion and being forced to trim it down to meet the original budget is not a cut.

What if they trim the WDI bonuses? That could take a budget of 1 bill down to 750mill

 

[Master Yoda]

Pandora got a ridiculously large budget. It was still blown. What's more annoying the overspend alone would buy more than one complete Diagon Alley. For example.

Do you know where the over runs are coming from?

Is it something normal like steel went up in price 6% from the time we quoted to the time we ordered or is it another case of "The rock work must be painted using Hungarian burnt umber made for the tears of unicorns at $500 a gallon".

 

[Jones14]

A lot of these reasons are why I find it hard to blame the company as a whole for all of the resort's problems. WDI blew 200 million on The Little Mermaid. 200 million. In the proper hands, the newer additions could have been jaw-dropping, and like Martin said, Pandora's budget is ridiculous. That is not to say that the executives are free of blame (see the incoming cutbacks over the next few months), but the amount of money that has been thrown at WDI is utterly insane. They're also not entirely to blame, either, but when every major project you're assigned goes way over your (usually substantial) budget, it might be a good idea to figure out how to work more efficiently.

 

[Brer Panther]

WDI blew 200 million on The Little Mermaid. 200 million.

And I know that I've said this before, but I have the feeling that most of that 200 million was spent on the animatronics.

 

[ToTBellHop]

And I know that I've said this before, but I have the feeling that most of that 200 million was spent on the animatronics.

Which ones? Ursula is the only striking one.

Ours didn't cost $200m. It didn't even cost $100m. But it still cost too much. Should've been about $30m.

 

[jt04]

Pandora got a ridiculously large budget. It was still blown. What's more annoying the overspend alone would buy more than one complete Diagon Alley. For example.

Apples/Oranges

 

[jt04]

Which ones? Ursula is the only striking one.

Ours didn't cost $200m. It didn't even cost $100m. But it still cost too much. Should've been about $30m.

How much did it cost?

 

[danlb_2000]

Apples/Oranges

It's actually a good comparison. Both are highly detailed, single IP, immersive themed lands. Both are roughly the same size (Avatar is a little bigger). Both have two new rides, and probably restaurants and shops.

 

[ToTBellHop]

How much did it cost?

~$80m.

 

[RSoxNo1]

No problem. From what I know it was proposed, designed but never made green due to adding too much additional cost. To me that's a cut, but in no way am I trying to big it up. It could be said its down to interpretation.

There again SWL has had.... things... removed to get to where it is today due to cost. Surely that's a cut?

The coaster was seemingly cut very early on. If I had to guess, I'm guessing Imagineers always pitch much larger projects than what gets approved and I'm guessing the coaster was simply part of that larger proposal. When the blueprints leaked, the coaster was already removed from the project.

 

[jt04]

The coaster was seemingly cut very early on. If I had to guess, I'm guessing Imagineers always pitch much larger projects than what gets approved and I'm guessing the coaster was simply part of that larger proposal. When the blueprints leaked, the coaster was already removed from the project.

It is also quite possible that at that point they were leaning towards wanting Star Wars Land to be superior.

 

[RSoxNo1]

It is also quite possible that at that point they were leaning towards wanting Star Wars Land to be superior.

Technically, they didn't own Star Wars at that time. Here's the timeline:

September 20, 2011: Disney announced via press conference and on the Disney Parks Blog that they have partnered with James Cameron to develop a new land in the Animal Kingdom based on the movie Avatar. A follow up Disney Parks Blog post featured questions and answers from Tom Staggs, the Heads of Parks and Resorts.

October 24, 2012: WDWFanBoys.com and WDWThemeParks.com posted the same article discussing the first ride information. Later, blueprints confirming this content would appear on WDWMagic.com as well as .com

October 30, 2012: Disney announced the acquisition of LucasFilm LTD and all of it's intellectual property.

 

[drummond]

Pandora got a ridiculously large budget. It was still blown.

Do you have anything whatsoever to support this? Seriously, I'll take any shred of something resembling support.

 

[marni1971]

Apples/Oranges

No, just an example of how controlled costs can be used wisely.

 

[marni1971]

Do you have anything whatsoever to support this? Seriously, I'll take any shred of something resembling support.

Anything? Yes. Anything I'd post in public? Nope.

 

[jt04]

Technically, they didn't own Star Wars at that time. Here's the timeline:

September 20, 2011: Disney announced via press conference and on the Disney Parks Blog that they have partnered with James Cameron to develop a new land in the Animal Kingdom based on the movie Avatar. A follow up Disney Parks Blog post featured questions and answers from Tom Staggs, the Heads of Parks and Resorts.

October 24, 2012: WDWFanBoys.com and WDWThemeParks.com posted the same article discussing the first ride information. Later, blueprints confirming this content would appear on WDWMagic.com as well as ************.com

October 30, 2012: Disney announced the acquisition of LucasFilm LTD and all of it's intellectual property.

Thanks for the information. I just think that during the long developmental process for Pandora that it could have been effected by the Star Wars acquisition. I have no insider info on this just seems reasonable that Disney would not want Pandoraland to eclipse the galaxy far far away.

 

[jt04]

No, just an example of how controlled costs can be used wisely.

I will wait to see the final product before deciding but from what I have seen so far it is amazing.

 

[marni1971]

I will wait to see the final product before deciding but from what I have seen so far it is amazing.

And so it should be for what it's cost.

For the amount it is over budget it should have 5 E Tickets all made of solid gold.

 

[ToTBellHop]

I understand inflation, but how is Avatar costing more to build than it cost to build all of DAK in 1998? Good lord.

 

[Master Yoda]

I understand inflation, but how is Avatar costing more to build than it cost to build all of DAK in 1998? Good lord.

While it does not account for all of it, things like steel, lumber, concrete and labor are priced like commodities and are not tied to inflation.

They often spike in price and are very slow to settle back down, if they ever do.

A small example...When I was rebuilding my mothers house the price of concrete nearly doubled a couple days before we poured. In the end it cost us nearly and additional $8k on small 1400 square foot house.