News Remy's Ratatouille Adventure coming to Epcot

[kinglsyyy]

Marketing wise it would make sense.

“Welcome back to WDW, three new adventures to experience!”.

I know a lot of people have said its better marketing to wait for Remy till next year, but i don’t think so.


There is pent up frustration and demand. The only reason the parks are dead is peoples fear of Covid.
I know “dead" is relative. Opening it in 2020, would draw more people , and still be an attraction people will want to see next year.

More simply put, I don’t see people saying oh there’s only 2 new e-tickets at WDW I’m not going, but wait there opening Remy too, now im going.

But I do see people going to go see Remy when it opens, and people coming to see it when they open the others.

I mean they are dropping as many deals and discounts as they can to get people in the parks.
It would be stupid not to drop a new ride and get the draw.

All the park including USF, WDW, SeaWorld and Bush have started dropping rides every 2 years or so, I and I suspect if Cap Ex was infinite they would drop new rides every year.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[marni1971]

. Opening it in 2020, would draw more people , and still be an attraction people will want to see next year.

Part of the thinking is they don’t want to draw more people. It’s a fine line.

 

[Kman101]

Part of the thinking is they don’t want to draw more people. It’s a fine line.

Exactly. A 'draw' is not something they want now.

They could simply just ... open it one day. LOL

 

[Kman101]

I know a lot of people have said its better marketing to wait for Remy till next year, but i don’t think so.


There is pent up frustration and demand. The only reason the parks are dead is peoples fear of Covid.
I know “dead" is relative. Opening it in 2020, would draw more people , and still be an attraction people will want to see next year.

More simply put, I don’t see people saying oh there’s only 2 new e-tickets at WDW I’m not going, but wait there opening Remy too, now im going.

But I do see people going to go see Remy when it opens, and people coming to see it when they open the others.

I mean they are dropping as many deals and discounts as they can to get people in the parks.
It would be stupid not to drop a new ride and get the draw.

All the park including USF, WDW, SeaWorld and Bush have started dropping rides every 2 years or so, I and I suspect if Cap Ex was infinite they would drop new rides every year.

Just my 2 cents.

Not just fear.

People are struggling to pay their bills. Work. Eat. A Disney vacation isn't the top priority for a lot of the people who used to come here. You also forget that WDW relies HEAVILY on TOURISM from out of the country. Travel restrictions, etc. A lot is going into people not coming.

Disney took away everything that would attract the usual mass of tourists coming. They'd be kinda crazy to say "hey, come on in and ride our new ride" as we attempt to social distance and not have crowds.

Though, arguably, shouldn't having a reservation system help calm that demand?

I know some crazies will hang out on the Boardwalk walkway to 2am to be the first to ride but Rat isn't going to be a MAJOR draw. IMO. People aren't going to suddenly book a flight to see Ratatouille.

 

[Magic Feather]

There are two factions kind of fighting on Rat’s opening. Burbank wants 2021 (probably Spring), while TDO (and especially Epcot leadership) wants it in time for the holiday season.

The local thought being that Epcot could use a draw to pull people to it from the other parks (3 day vacationers seem to leave off Epcot More than any other park), and give it a bit of extra capacity.

Corporate sees holding Rat and promoting the crud out of it next year will drive attendance to the resort as a whole the most when held until 2021 when more restrictions are (hopefully) lifted.

 

[Surferboy567]

There are two factions kind of fighting on Rat’s opening. Burbank wants 2021 (probably Spring), while TDO (and especially Epcot leadership) wants it in time for the holiday season.

The local thought being that Epcot could use a draw to pull people to it from the other parks (3 day vacationers seem to leave off Epcot More than any other park), and give it a bit of extra capacity.

Corporate sees holding Rat and promoting the crud out of it next year will drive attendance to the resort as a whole the most when held until 2021 when more restrictions are (hopefully) lifted.

So Burbank has the edge in this I’m assuming?

 

[Disney Analyst]

I think it’s smart to wait until hopefully restrictions are eased, travel resumes, and hopefully a treatment or vaccine is in place.

Best way to “relaunch” WDW post Covid is a year of new attractions opening. Market the heck out of it. Draw the tourists back.

 

[_caleb]

There are two factions kind of fighting on Rat’s opening. Burbank wants 2021 (probably Spring), while TDO (and especially Epcot leadership) wants it in time for the holiday season.

The local thought being that Epcot could use a draw to pull people to it from the other parks (3 day vacationers seem to leave off Epcot More than any other park), and give it a bit of extra capacity.

Corporate sees holding Rat and promoting the crud out of it next year will drive attendance to the resort as a whole the most when held until 2021 when more restrictions are (hopefully) lifted.

Someone will probably suggest they pull a “SW:GE” —open the back of the pavilion but with the E Ticket closed and only the creperie and merch kiosk actually open.

 

[kinglsyyy]

Not just fear.

People are struggling to pay their bills. Work. Eat. A Disney vacation isn't the top priority for a lot of the people who used to come here. You also forget that WDW relies HEAVILY on TOURISM from out of the country. Travel restrictions, etc. A lot is going into people not coming.

Disney took away everything that would attract the usual mass of tourists coming. They'd be kinda crazy to say "hey, come on in and ride our new ride" as we attempt to social distance and not have crowds.

Though, arguably, shouldn't having a reservation system help calm that demand?

I know some crazies will hang out on the Boardwalk walkway to 2am to be the first to ride but Rat isn't going to be a MAJOR draw. IMO. People aren't going to suddenly book a flight to see Ratatouille.

So I think we’re talking about a couple different issues.

1. Marketing
2. Attendance demand
3. Covid Safety

1. Marketing wise, I feel that opening it later this year is a superior strategy. It will start the demand for Epcot sooner. But won’t take away from demand in the future.

2. They clearly want more people to attend, or they wouldn’t be offering tons of deals. They are actively trying to increase demand right now, and are advertising to increase demand. So I don’t understand the they dont want the demand claim.

3. They set a max capacity for each park, and there are days when they hit that capacity. Reduced capacity in conjunction with masks and social distancing is working at all the parks. Florida’s contact tracing has proven this. So Ideally for WDW and all the parks its goal should be to get that reduced max capacity everyday. This would maximize revenue while keeping everyone safe. I don’t see how this would be any different then say people this past weekend waiting in lines to get in to HS for ROTR, MFSR,MMRR.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Does it make sense to play that card this year when it might draw a couple thousand people that they may not have room for with distancing, or play the card next year when hopefully the restrictions are gone or reduced, and a lot more people are willing to travel?

The challenge with this thinking is there are some people who will say why should I come now when there are two more big rides about to open, so they hold off and they get no bang for their investment.

3. They set a max capacity for each park, and there are days when they hit that capacity. Reduced capacity in conjunction with masks and social distancing is working at all the parks. Florida’s contact tracing has proven this. So Ideally for WDW and all the parks its goal should be to get that reduced max capacity everyday. This would maximize revenue while keeping everyone safe. I don’t see how this would be any different then say people this past weekend waiting in lines to get in to HS for ROTR, MFSR,MMRR.

This indeed is the main point that should factor into everything: There's a cap on attendance. WDW doesn't have to worry about overcrowding past COVID safety limitations when they have control over how many get into the park.

Opening up Rat would help refill the resorts (at the expense of locals still holding onto APs).

Someone will probably suggest they pull a “SW:GE” —open the back of the pavilion but with the E Ticket closed and only the creperie and merch kiosk actually open.

As long as they don't market it as "open early" but as "preview of the courtyard."

 

[Surferboy567]

This indeed is the main point that should factor into everything: There's a cap on attendance. WDW doesn't have to worry about overcrowding past COVID safety limitations when they have control over how many get into the park.

Opening up Rat would help refill the resorts (at the expense of locals still holding onto APs).





As long as they don't market it as "open early" but as "preview of the courtyard."

Quick question though: Would they want the potential of EPCOT capping as soon as Rat’s date was announced? Not sure if that is a good look. They would immediately fill within seconds.

For the record, I’d prefer it to open this year.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Quick question though: Would they want the potential of EPCOT capping as soon as Rat’s date was announced? Not sure if that is a good look. They would immediately fill within seconds.

For the record, I’d prefer it to open this year.

As @Magic Feather mentioned above, WDW is having trouble reaching Epcot's current COVID cap. Less guests than max is less income than max. Opening Rat would change that. People would sign up for an Epcot day than they normally wouldn't have.

Right now, other parks are hitting caps, especially for APers, so, it's not like that's not already the case.

 

[MrHappy]

As much as I hope it’ll be addressed it wouldn’t be the first time

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View attachment 495510

(A great case of if you know it then you know it)

I’ve never been good at photo hunt, what is the issue here

This indeed is the main point that should factor into everything: There's a cap on attendance. WDW doesn't have to worry about overcrowding past COVID safety limitations when they have control over how many get into the park.

Opening up Rat would help refill the resorts (at the expense of locals still holding onto APs).





As long as they don't market it as "open early" but as "preview of the courtyard."

Assuming and hoping recent vaccine reports of 50-100 mill by end of year, with an increasing cadence throughout Q1 with mass availability by March, I’d circle April 1 as the official date WDW will come out of the shadows

 

[marni1971]

I’ve never been good at photo hunt, what is the issue here

The first photo is Disneyland. A structural beam was placed in the wrong place which meant the exit sign above and between two sets of doors was fitted off centre. WED painted a Figaro on the wall trying to re-centre the sign.

Years later, the same restaurant was built in Paris but the sign was placed central. Figaro was added as a tongue in cheek “we got it right this time”

 

[doctornick]

Opening up Rat would help refill the resorts (at the expense of locals still holding onto APs).

That’s my question: would Rat opening draw more people to travel to WDW and stay in the resorts? I don’t really know (it would certainly do it somewhat but the question is to what extent). If it would increase resort bookings and help Epcot hit capacity caps regularly (without negatively affecting the other parks’ attendance) then it would seem foolish to not open as soon as possible. The cost of running the extra rides/area seems marginal in the grand scheme of things.

And when things go back to “normal” hopefully sometime next year, they can still use Rat (and Mickey) as a “new” attraction for advertising given how few people will have passed through the gates to ride them. Plus they’d still have two new big rides opening in 2021, maybe a new night show and maybe even a (borrowed) light parade to advertise. I think opening Rat now to spread that out more makes sense.

 

[MisterPenguin]

In the end, one can never have enough rodent-based attractions.

 

[castlecake2.0]

They could simply just ... open it one day. LOL

That has been discussed as an option

 

[SJN1279]

Without any inside knowledge, I still think Guardians doesn't open until Summer 2022 at the earliest.

They are going to need an attraction for 2022, since Rat and Tron are coming for 2021.

 

[Surferboy567]

Without any inside knowledge, I still think Guardians doesn't open until Summer 2022 at the earliest.

They are going to need an attraction for 2022, since Rat and Tron are coming for 2021.

They aren’t going to sit on a 450 million dollar attraction. It is coming for the 50th.

 

[doctornick]

Without any inside knowledge, I still think Guardians doesn't open until Summer 2022 at the earliest.

They are going to need an attraction for 2022, since Rat and Tron are coming for 2021.

I doubt it since they’ll want it open for the 50th.

When is the Play Pavilion planned to open?

Also they could always do something like a new show (Rivers if Light replacement?) as a big opening in a given year like 2022