Interview with Bob Iger about the Parks

[rle4lunch]

Creativity had nothing to do with their impetus and approval. That is the point you are missing.

Maelstrom was creative and unique, and at the same time one of the worst value engineered train wrecks of a ride that they ever built.

 

[eliza61nyc]

Maelstrom was creative and unique, and at the same time one of the worst value engineered train wrecks of a ride that they ever built.

lol and I didn't think it was that creative but I am not a ride connoisseur, I always thought it was dark, dreary and dull.

 

[eliza61nyc]

Opinions,

I hear the word "fan" tossed around a lot here. Do you think the average wdw visitor is a "fan" or is simply a vacationeer looking for a good family vacation. The reason it has me thinking, is someone mentioned "concept" and "theme" of rides and I wondered if the average visitor thinks that way when they go to the world?

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Opinions,

I hear the word "fan" tossed around a lot here. Do you think the average wdw visitor is a "fan" or is simply a vacationeer looking for a good family vacation. The reason it has me thinking, is someone mentioned "concept" and "theme" of rides and I wondered if the average visitor thinks that way when they go to the world?

Doesn't matter. Disney is supposed to cater to the super-fan / armchair Imagineer, not the lowly "average visitor".

In all seriousness, I think like most things in life it's a matter of balance. Balancing profit motive, creativity, super-fan desire, average visitor desires, short-term bang-for-your-buck, long-term sustainability, etc.

I still maintain that even under Evil Iger (who I don't view as negatively as many here), they have had hits and misses wrt whether they strike that balance well.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Doesn't matter. Disney is supposed to cater to the super-fan / armchair Imagineer, not the lowly "average visitor".

Sorry for quoting an off-hand remark, but...yes, Disney should mind the super-fan.

Star Wars is an expensive lesson in what can happen if you alienate the hardcore fan base.

There are countless other examples. If you are in the business of pop culture, you alienate the vocal hardcore fanbase at your peril. Disney theme parks have simply been lucky enough, well strategically apt, to evade this fact because they can infinitely increase their visitors because of great increase in tourism, disposable income, and Disney empire spraw.

 

[Duckmeister]

How can you criticize something you haven't seen? Wait for GotG to open before you actually condemn it. So much is NOT known about this attraction and how they plan to fit it into the narrative of Future World (or whatever Future World becomes.... note that Future World as an the original concept was abandoned long ago...)

You sure they dont mean the GotG mission breakout conversion of ToT in Anaheim? That thing is a bit of an eyesore, I think most people can agree.

 

[wdisney9000]

I disagree. I think the two groups you've sketched out here don't reflect the actual customer base. For one thing, "attractions that actually add to the theme and concept of the park" is subjective, and some seem very doctrinaire on this point: there is one "right" thing and anyone who doesn't agree just "doesn't get it" or is reflexively defending anything Disney does. Overly simplistic.

Each park is only as unique as what the attractions and lands contained within it can create. If the individual attractions and lands have their own recognizable setting which together create a united whole (i.e cohesiveness), you have a theme. Whether an individual person enjoys an attraction or not is irrelevant to the concept of theme.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Maelstrom was creative and unique, and at the same time one of the worst value engineered train wrecks of a ride that they ever built.

So?

Opinions,

I hear the word "fan" tossed around a lot here. Do you think the average wdw visitor is a "fan" or is simply a vacationeer looking for a good family vacation. The reason it has me thinking, is someone mentioned "concept" and "theme" of rides and I wondered if the average visitor thinks that way when they go to the world?

There is something that clearly differentiates the Disney experience.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Each park is only as unique as what the attractions and lands contained within it can create. If the individual attractions and lands have their own recognizable setting which together create a united whole (i.e cohesiveness), you have a theme. Whether an individual person enjoys an attraction or not is irrelevant to the concept of theme.

And what fits is subjective to some degree as well. That’s what I was saying. Some
Will look at GotG in Epcot and think “huh... future world... space... Guardians of the Galaxy... good enough!!” It’ll feel to them like it “fits”. Others will think that’s way too loose. (Side point, but I’d bet most won’t think about it at all, honestly.)

How can you criticize something you haven't seen? Wait for GotG to open before you actually condemn it. So much is NOT known about this attraction and how they plan to fit it into the narrative of Future World (or whatever Future World becomes.... note that Future World as an the original concept was abandoned long ago...)

It seems out of step no matter what with “old FW”, and a “ok... maybe... sure... why not?” possibly for “current FW”. IMO. It doesn’t feel like the fit Rat or Pandora are, IMO. That’s all.

Sorry for quoting an off-hand remark, but...yes, Disney should mind the super-fan.

You’re right. It was an offhand remark. As I said above... it’s a question of BALANCING the different audiences’ needs, IMO.

You sure they dont mean the GotG mission breakout conversion of ToT in Anaheim? That thing is a bit of an eyesore, I think most people can agree.

The one in Anaheim is awful, IMO. I’m not sold on the fit of GotG in Epcot, but I’m not a “hardliner” on that front and I still welcome a coaster and am looking forward to an added headliner — much needed there.

 

[DDLand]

If these types of boards are proof of anything it's that there is NO WAY to make all of these people happy -- more so than with the general population. Same with the "most ardent fans" of Star Wars. And if he catered to the people I think you're talking about and allowed them to dictate parks direction, I suspect the parks would not be doing as well as they are financially -- which does matter.

There can be tremendous creativity in adapting IP to the parks. I despise the movie Avatar and love Pandora -- they hit that theming out of the park IMO. I want creativity -- I just don't bristle at IP being part of that. Many of the self-proclaimed "most ardent fans" seem to.

You may be right. But even if that is true, it’s not the CEO’s place to decide that dedicated customers are stupid to be attached to one of the products he sells.

What if you loved a soda Coke made, and then the CEO proceeded to mock the people who had enjoyed it. It’s one thing to say “due to declining sales, we’re discontinuing it.” It’s another entirely to say “we’re not doing that anymore because the people who drank it were idiots with bad taste.

If he’s going to be a business man, don’t get involved with an emotional thing. If he’s going to try and be emotional, don’t mock the people who have different opinions.

The CEO is not supposed to tell his customers that they’re wrong. We’ve seen Walt Disney Co. employees try to take the high ground over and over, but frankly they’re coming off as jerks.

And as @lazyboy97o said, it’s not impossible. Any sign of good faith would be lauded.

 

[lazyboy97o]

You’re right. It was an offhand remark. As I said above... it’s a question of BALANCING the different audiences’ needs, IMO.

Why? It makes no sense to be overly concerned with people who are described as not caring or not bothering to think about something. There is obviously something that still attracts those visitors.

 

[eliza61nyc]

So?


There is something that clearly differentiates the Disney experience.

True but I wonder if the average goer, see FEA and says "that doesn't belong" in world showcase. Are they flipping out because they now see IP in Epcot?

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

You may be right. But even if that is true, it’s not the CEO’s place to decide that dedicated customers are stupid to be attached to one of the products he sells.

What if you loved a soda Coke made, and then the CEO proceeded to mock the people who had enjoyed it. It’s one thing to say “due to declining sales, we’re discontinuing it.” It’s another entirely to say “we’re not doing that anymore because the people who drank it were idiots with bad taste.

If he’s going to be a business man, don’t get involved with an emotional thing. If he’s going to try and be emotional, don’t mock the people who have different opinions.

The CEO is not supposed to tell his customers that they’re wrong. We’ve seen Walt Disney Co. employees try to take the high ground over and over, but frankly they’re coming off as jerks.

And as @lazyboy97o said, it’s not impossible. Any sign of good faith would be lauded.

IMO people are being way too sensitive and reading way too much into a comment and a joke. But to each his/her own!

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

True but I wonder if the average goer, see FEA and says "that doesn't belong" in world showcase. Are they flipping out because they know see IP in Epcot?

(Nope.)

 

[MisterPenguin]

Not counting outside America stuff and Everest (even though, I personally do count outside America stuff, many people here don't for some reason):
1. soarin over the world
2. rivers of light
3. miss adventure falls
4. space restaurant (arguable)
5. mission space new non barf mode green mission (arguable)

And here are all the non-IPs that Iger has somehow overlooked to change to IP...

• Enchanted Tiki Room
• Jungle Cruise
• It's a Small World
• Country Bear
• Hall of Presidents
• Speedway
• Peoplemover
• Haunted Mansion
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Carousel of Progress
• Space Mountain
• BTM Railroad
• Living with the Land
• Spaceship Earth
• Tower of Terror
• Astro Orbiter
• Kilimanjaro Safaris and all the animal exhibits
• Kali River Rapids
• Test Track
• RnRC
• TriceraTop Spin
• Primeval Whirl
• Journey into Imagination
• Mission Space

C'mon Bob! You don't have much time left to turn all these into Disney Movie IP-based attractions!!

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Why? It makes no sense to be overly concerned with people who are described as not caring or not bothering to think about something. There is obviously something that still attracts those visitors.

The “masses” need to see something that attracts them to the parks to begin with — IP is an obvious, honest-to-goodness synergistic way to get there easily. If they theme / set that IP correctly and execute well, (nearly) everyone is happy. That’s my thinking on balance, personally.

Now if they get an “F” on theme from diehards but execute well, they’re still serving the vast majority very well. Not at all obvious that this is a bad business move. How many REALLY stay away because of theme being messed up in their view? Some, I’m sure. But attendance seems pretty solid. If anything, it’s too high.

 

[lazyboy97o]

True but I wonder if the average goer, see FEA and says "that doesn't belong" in world showcase. Are they flipping out because they now see IP in Epcot?

So what? Again, they [seemingly] don’t care but are still visiting “boring” Epcot instead of Islands of Adventure.

The “masses” need to see something that attracts them to the parks to begin with — IP is an obvious, honest-to-goodness synergistic way to get there easily. If they theme / set that IP correctly and execute well, (nearly) everyone is happy. That’s my thinking on balance, personally.

Now if they get an “F” on theme from diehards but execute well, they’re still serving the vast majority very well. Not at all obvious that this is a bad business move. How many REALLY stay away because of theme being messed up in their view? Some, I’m sure. But attendance seems pretty solid. If anything, it’s too high.

Poorly executed parks like Disney’s California Adventure and Walt Disney Studios Park have failed to attract and audience. The parks built around movies have had to have significant reinvestment and still do not draw the crowds of parks that are less focused on these “obvious” draws.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Poorly executed parks like Disney’s California Adventure and Walt Disney Studios Park have failed to attract and audience. The parks built around movies have had to have significant reinvestment and still do not draw the crowds of parks that are less focused on these “obvious” draws.

I’d give this some time, at least where DHS is concerned. And movie IP is all over MK.

Now, as a counterpoint, IP has KILLED the bird show in AK, but Pandora is a plus for AK... Hits and misses... (though the bird show issue should have been obvious... we now have a bird show with a conspicuous shortage of birds...)

 

[eliza61nyc]

So what? Again, they [seemingly] don’t care but are still visiting “boring” Epcot instead of Islands of Adventure.


Poorly executed parks like Disney’s California Adventure and Walt Disney Studios Park have failed to attract and audience. The parks built around movies have had to have significant reinvestment and still do not draw the crowds of parks that are less focused on these “obvious” draws.

So then why is epcot with no movie focus such a abysmal cluster $%$
Whether ip based or not all parks need updating and relevance

 

[lazyboy97o]

I’d give this some time, at least where DHS is concerned. And movie IP is all over MK.

Now, as a counterpoint, IP has KILLED the bird show in AK, but Pandora is a plus for AK... Hits and misses... (though the bird show issue should have been obvious... we now have a bird show with a conspicuous shortage of birds...)

All of the hopes and dreams for Disney’s Hollywood Studios are built around one cultural phenomenon so obvious the land was essentially demanded by Wall St. There is only one Star Wars; it is not a strategy for many parks around the world. If anything is close to Star Wars at the moment it would be Marvel.

Since business is so important, Pandora was a far worse investment than Expedition Everest.