DAK 'Encanto' and 'Indiana Jones'-themed experiences at Animal Kingdom

[Animaniac93-98]

None of this addresses my original comment, you can't expand without limit, how do you know when you are reaching that limit?

I mean, yes, expansion is technically not infinite, but I think it's safe to say the WDW parks are nowhere near that point and we don't have to worry about reaching that threshold anytime soon.

 

[danlb_2000]

I mean, yes, expansion is technically not infinite, but I think it's safe to say the WDW parks are nowhere near that point and we don't have to worry about reaching that threshold anytime soon.

So if new parks are such a clear path to revenue, why haven't we seen one in 28 years?

 

[UNCgolf]

But the question is, when do you stop expanding? There is a finite customer base for any product, so as you expand you will eventually reach a point of dimishing returns.

The potential customer base is also growing year by year, though (well, at least nominally -- maybe not if prices are so high that people simply can't afford it).

 

[gorillaball]

It’s a quote from Walt and it certainly applies to an extent.

There are ways to expand and keep some classics. Efficiencies would be improved with more attractions, not less.

And I also think the quote is largely focused on Walt Disney World, as much or more than parks specifically. IE: keeping a dumpy hotel and restaurant from being a football throw away from the magical place. Nothing comes in the giant land space that is not specifically chosen too. Hotel demand, we have the blessing of size to decide where, what and how that demand will be supplied. Etc etc etc.

 

[co10064]

"Blessing of size" is also a frustrating phrase repeated by so many here.

Agree!

I used to criticize WDW for its inefficient use of space compared to Disneyland, for example, but this week when I visited DLR for the second time ever, it made me appreciate how the Florida parks are designed.

At Disneyland Park, even the low crowd days feel incredibly crowded, because the pathways are so tight and there’s not as much acreage to spread people out. DCA faces this problem to a lesser extent, but it’s still worse than any of the FL parks.

Could rides be more efficiently laid out at WDW? Sure. And, I’ll admit, there’s certainly more replacement going on than is necessary.

But, having attractions spaced out, large pathways, and giant weenies helps to add to the sense of scale, awe, and wonder, and it’s actually something WDW does quite well.

 

[sedati]

I still think Dinosaur suffered from horrible placement and no weenie to draw people past Restaurantosaurus. Honesty I found the layout of Dinoland poor. Most every change in Tropical Americas seems a plus in that regards. I still worry that this taller, red temple for Indy still won't be visible from the central fountain plaza. But, there are at least two elements that would at least let guests intrinsically know there's something down that pathway. First, the new dig-site has it's entrance positioned towards that area:

That at least lets us know there's a reason to head that way, but not all the way to the wanna-be E-ticket.

So, this small blue square seems ideally positioned as a small but helpful weenie to get us down to that awkward corner of the park. I'm hoping it's not something as simple as a drink cart, but I believe if it's shown in blue it's a permanent structure. What I'm hoping is something like this monolith from an older artwork that I'd previously compared to the real ones in Copan:

.

The temple should make for a striking weenie, but it looks like we won't see it until fully in its line of sight as was the (unfortunate) case with Dinosaur! They could use a sort of breadcrumb approach, using a major marker like this along with smaller elements of ruins to hand-hold us until we reach our goal as was shown in this older artwork that actually hinted at the dig-site play area:

 

[lazyboy97o]

None of this addresses my original comment, you can't expand without limit, how do you know when you are reaching that limit?

I literally gave you the metric.

 

[FettFan]

So if new parks are such a clear path to revenue, why haven't we seen one in 28 years?

Cost-benefit analysis: why spend $11B on a single brand new park when you could split that $11B for new attractions and lands across the four existing parks, which happen to be the top 4 amusement parks in the entire world.

Sure Universal opened a brand new park in Orlando…but at the same time, Uni hasn’t been on the building spree that Disney has since 2010.

Also consider the environmental factor of building in wetlands, which requires a LOT more state and federal bureaucratic fingers in the pie. I just heard on the Disney Dish with Jim Hill and @lentesta that Epcot was supposed to be right next to World Drive, but they had to build it farther to the East because an endangered species of woodpecker was discovered in the forest.

Compared to that, clearing a portion of parking lot for a Monsters Inc door coaster or even bulldozing an artificial waterway like RoA is a walk in the park.

 

[SamusAranX]

So if new parks are such a clear path to revenue, why haven't we seen one in 28 years?

Been answered a million times but a fifth gate would cannibalize the other four parks to an extreme detriment. For all their faults and missteps, WDO has enough wherewithal to understand this.

 

[rreading]

The problem with Dinosaur for me is that it was so much in the dark and nothing to see, so the whole ride mostly lands flat. I have been fortunate enough to ride Indy in DL and thought it was way more fun than Dino ever was, because you could actually SEE things as you were moving along. I think Indy in AK will feel better than Dino was. My 2 cents.

We really liked the originality of Dinosaur, and wish it were better than it was (way too dark and a little too jerky).

There’s a video on this thread recently of it with the lights on that makes me feel like they could have done it so much better

 

[co10064]

Cobras shouldn’t be 8ft tall either

The dinosaurs were 100x more realistic than the cobra!

 

[davis_unoxx]

What are we expecting queue to be like for Indy compared to Disneyland?

 

[EricsBiscuit]

I think it’s sad that dinosaur closed, but I am not devastated by it. All the empty space struck me as resulting from a very modest budget. Hopefully, the new Indiana Jones attraction has an expanded budget and can make better use of the space that the attraction is in.

 

[Disney Analyst]

My only thought re: expansion vs replacement is that their current goal is to get better utilization from what currently exists. Only when that’s fixed, would they consider actual expansion.

 

[sedati]

What are we expecting queue to be like for Indy compared to Disneyland?

I expect this queue to be even more detailed and colorful. I also expect this one to work in more real archaeology, culture/history, while weaving in the myths that will play out in the ride. Disneyland's does this to an extent, but I think for Animal Kingdom this will take it up several notches.

I could see there being a similar newsreel style presentation that tells us to use seatbelts and whatnot, but what I don't want is to hear about Indy getting lost in the temple or whatever the driving danger is on a screen. I want to SEE that in a scene-one experience either in the large rotunda or the Seeker preshow rooms (the newsreel can play in a loop over the loading area). I'm hoping for a proper show scene with effects and animatronics that fully starts the show (and isn't something everyone will ignore/talk-over/stare at their phones during.

 

[danlb_2000]

I literally gave you the metric.

There is no connection between "attractions per guest per hour" and the size of your potential customer base. I am not denying that increased guest satisfaction would increase attendnace, but even with an extremely satifisfying guest experience, you will still eventually reach a point where it gets hard to attract more customers.

 

[danlb_2000]

Been answered a million times but a fifth gate would cannibalize the other four parks to an extreme detriment. For all their faults and missteps, WDO has enough wherewithal to understand this.

... and this is why I bring it up, since others are saying the exapnsion is the path to higher profits.

 

[SamusAranX]

... and this is why I bring it up, since others are saying the exapnsion is the path to higher profits.

Expansion of existing parks. No one is saying a fifth gate. These are two different kinds of expansion, an apples and oranges comparison

 

[Gusey]

Expansion of existing parks. No one is saying a fifth gate. These are two different kinds of expansion, an apples and oranges comparison

Tropical Americas is still partly an expansion. It's expanding further back from where primeval whirl was. It's also expanding capacity with a large indoor dark ride (Encanto) replacing a rollercoaster that hasn't operated in 6 years and some pay to.play carnival games. Is it a shame that Dinosaur is closed? Absolutely. But it doesn't mean this whole land is just an overplayed replacement

 

[lazyboy97o]

My only thought re: expansion vs replacement is that their current goal is to get better utilization from what currently exists. Only when that’s fixed, would they consider actual expansion.

This is a customer hostile position that should not just be accepted by “guests”.

There is no connection between "attractions per guest per hour" and the size of your potential customer base. I am not denying that increased guest satisfaction would increase attendnace, but even with an extremely satifisfying guest experience, you will still eventually reach a point where it gets hard to attract more customers.

Yes there is because attractions per guest per hour isn’t a constant. It changes based on not just capacity but also visitation. The parks are over extended and strained in ways that cause problems, that should not be accepted as a baseline to be maintained.